CHAPTER III.

Of Samuel Wesley, Senior.

MR. John Wesley, of whom I have spoken before,

left two sons, Matthew and Samuel; of the rest of the children we know nothing. As the family had been greatly reduced by persecution, these two brothers must have experienced some difficulties in their education. Their mother was niece to Dr. Thomas Fuller ;* but it does not appear that they received any assistance from this branch of the family. By industry they surmounted every difficulty that lay before them, and rose to very respectable and useful situations in life. Matthew Wesley, following the example of his grand-father, studied physic, and afterwards made a fortune by his practice.† Samuel, the father of the late Mr. John Wesley, was born about the year 1662, or perhaps a little earlier; but he could not, I think, have been more than eight or nine years old when his father died. The first thing

that

* Nonconformist's Memorial, vol. i. p. 478.—Dr. Thomas Fuller was born in 1658. At twenty-three years of age his merit procured him the fellowship of Sidney College Cambridge, and a prebend in the Cathedral of Salisbury. During the Protectorate, he held the living of Waltham's Abbey, and the Lecture of St. Bride's Fleet-Street. After the Restoration he recovered the prebend, and was made Chaplain extraordinary to his Majesty. It is said he had a most uncommon memory. He wrote the Church History of Britain in folio; A Pisgah-sight of Palestine, and several other works. He died in 11, and his funeral was attended by 200 of his brethren of the ministry.

We shall afterwards see some verses on the death of this gentleman by his niece, Mrs Wright.

that shook his attachment to the Dissenters was, a defence of the death of King Charles the First, and the proceedings of the Calve's Head club.* These things shocked him; and though it is certain that the Dissenters in general disapproved of the King's death, and that the proceedings of a club ought not to be attributed to a large body of nien, who had no connection with the members of it, and differed greatly in opinion from them; yet they had such an effect on his mind, that he separated himself from the dissenting interest while yet a boy, as appears from the following lines in his son's elegy upon him:

"With op'ning life his early worth began,
The BOY misleads not, but foreshews the man.
Directed wrong, though first he miss'd his way,
Train'd to mistake, and disciplin'd to stray:
Not long for reason gilded error's night,
And doubts well founded shot a gleam of light."

He spent some time at a private academy before he went to the university; but where, it is not said. About the age of sixteen he walked to Oxford, and entered himself of Exeter College. He had now only two pounds sixteen shillings; and no prospect of future supplies, but from his own exertions. By industry, I suppose by assisting the younger students, and instructing any who chose to employ him, he supported himself till he took his Batchelor's degree; without any preferment or assistance from his friends, except five shillings. This circumstance does him great honour, and shews him to have

For this, and

* Notes of Samuel Wesley to his elegy on his father. some, other original papers, of great use in this work, Dr. Whitehead was indebted to a private friend.

have been a young man of wonderful diligence and res solution. Many feel his difficulties, but few are capable of his vigorous and continued exertions to overcome them in so honourable a way, and with such success. He now

came to London, having increased his little stock to ten pounds fifteen shillings. He was ordained Deacon, and obtained a curacy, which he held one year, when he was appointed chaplain on board the fleet. This situation he held one year only, and then returned to London, and served a cure for two years. During this time he married, and his wife brought him a son. In this period he wrote several pieces, which brought him into notice and esteem, and a small living was given him in the country. We are not certain whether it was during his residence here, or while he was chaplain on board the fleet, that the following circumstance happened, but I suppose the latter. He was strongly solicited by the friends of King James II. to support the measures of the Court in favour of Popery, with promises of preferment if he would comply with the King's desire. But he absolutely refused to read the King's declaration; and though surrounded with courtiers, soldiers, and infor mers, he preached a bold and pointed discourse against it, from DANIEL iii. 17, 18. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O King. But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. His son Samuel describes this circumstance in the following lines:*

"When

In the poem entitled the Parish Priest, intended as a description of

his Father's character.

When zealous James unhappy sought the way
T'establish Rome by arbitrary sway;

In vain were bribes shower'd by the guilty crown,
He sought no favour, as he fear'd no frown,
Secure in faith, exempt from worldly views,
He dar'd the declaration to refuse:

Then from the sacred pulpit boldly shew'd
The dauntless Hebrews, true to Israel's GOD,
Who spake regardless of their King's commands,
"The God we serve can save us from thy hands;
"If not, O Monarch, know we chuse to die,
"Thy gods alike, and threatnings we defy;
"No power on earth our faith has e'er controll'd,
"We scorn to worship idols, tho' of gold."
Resistless truth damp'd all the audience round,
The base informer sicken'd at the sound;
Attentive courtiers conscious stood amaz'd,
And soldiers silent trembled as they gaz'd.
No smallest murmur of distate arose,

Abash'd and vanquish'd seem'd the Church's foes.
So when like zeal their bosoms did inspire,
The Jewish martyrs walk'd unhurt in fire.”

In this noble instance of integrity and firmness of mind, Mr. Wesley has given us an unequivocal proof that a person of High-church principles may be a true friend to the protestant cause, and the liberty of the subject. It is evident that he as much disliked the arbitrary proceedings of King James, as the religion which he endeavoured to introduce. When the glorious Revolution took place in 1688, Mr. Wesley most cordially approved of it, and was the first who wrote in defence of it. This work he dedicated to QUEEN MARY* who in consequence of it, gave him the living of Epworth

in Lincolnshire, about the year 1693; and in 1723 he was presented to the living of Wroote in the same county, in addition to Epworth.

Mr. Wesley held the living of Epworth upwards of forty years. His abilities would have done him credit in a more conspicuous situation; and had Queen Mary lived much longer, it is probable that he would not have spent so great a part of his life in such an obscure corner of the kingdom. In the beginning of the year 1705, he printed a poem on the battle of Blenheim, which happened the year before, with which the Duke of Marlborough was so well pleased, that he made him chaplain to Colonel Lepelle's regiment, which was to stay in England some time. In consequence of the same poem, a Noble Lord sent for him to London, promising to procure him a prebend. But unhappily he was at this time engaged in a controversy with the Dissenters : several things had been published on each side, and the controversy was carried on in the usual way, in which the disputants on both sides are generally more remarkable for shewing the violence of their passions than the goodness of their cause. In the first part of Queen Ann's reign, the Dissenters had a very powerful influence in both Houses of Parliament, and at Court; and were now preparing to present a petition to the House of Lords, praying for justice against the authors of several pamphlets written in opposition to them, and against Mr. Wesley in particular; but were dissuaded from taking this step by two members of that House. They had however interest enough to hinder Mr. Wesley from obtaining the prebend; they soon also worked him out of the chaplainship of the regiment, and brought several other very severe sufferings upon him and his family.*

*Mr. C. Wesley's papers.

As