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love and concord are put to flight.-A dismal gloom hath overspread those chearing views and little, very little satisfaction remains for me, in my declining years. I have found this life a chequered scene indeed. But here is still matter of joy and comfort, that many of those happy souls, who were once so loving and so united here, have long since taken their flight from these abodes of sorrow, and are now safely arrived, where all is love, and joy, and peace.

The steps, which led to this fatal reverse, may properly come under,

The third particular-where I am to treat of incidentals.

Under the two former particulars I mentioned the plan, extent, &c. of my preaching, and also the harmony, love and concord, which subsisted for many years among my hearers, though not without some interruption.

This small interruption was occasioned by the Baptists, who, about the year 1769 or 1770, or, it may be a little sooner, had begun to make proselytes in Amelia, and some other adjacent counties. These, by their assiduity and continual inculcation of adult baptism, and unceasing disputes on

that subject, had shaken the faith of some, and gained them over to their party. The consequence was a total separation from the old church, and from all such as still adhered to her usages. Contentious disputes and discord were introduced, so far as the mischievous notion prevailed. Very few joined the Baptists in my own parish. I cannot recollect any one man of consequence, except William Harper, who, you know, lived on the borders of Amelia, where the greatest number of the Baptists was. Harper and his wife were prevailed on to go into the water, which proved very detrimental to the interests of religion, in that corner of the parish, where it had flourished for some years before this event. But from that time it began to decline in that place. So fatal are the effects of church divisions.

As far as I can judge, I have, at least for thirty years, possest a truly catholic spirit. I was bigotted to no party whatever; and, I believe you never had any cause to judge otherwise of me. My wish was that souls might be saved, and was willing the Lord should choose his own instruments for that purpose. But it was grievous to me to behold the unity of brethren destroyed, and especially by such notions, as I was, and

am, fully persuaded were nothing but notions, and answered no other end but a bad one-I mean the destruction of love and peace, which christianity is designed to promote. I endeavored to act prudently and inoffensively, and, by lenient methods, I prevented this notion of going into the water, and its evil train of consequences, from breaking into the body of my parish. But I could not prevent its spreading in other counties, where I used sometimes to preach. In these counties many were disunited, and the peace of neighborhoods destroyed. I did what I could to prevent this evil, but it was too much for any one man to do. prevent these dissensions in the church, as much as possible, was, among others, a reason of my more readily giving countenance to the Methodists, when they first made their appearance in this quarter of the western world. And though, in the issue, it seems I only jumpt out of the frying pan into the fire, yet to my view, at that time, the prospect had a more salutary appearance.

To

The first Methodist preacher I ever conversed with, or saw, in Virginia, was Mr. Robert Williams, a plain, simple-hearted, pious man. This, I believe, was his general character. He came to my house, in

the year 1772, or 1773. He staid with me near a week, and preached several sermons in the parish, most, or all of which I heard. I liked his preaching in the main, very well, and especially the affectionate and animated manner, in which his discourses were delivered. I had much conversation with him concerning Mr. Wesley, and the nature and design of Methodism. He informed me, "That the Methodists were true members of the church of England-that their design was to build up, and not to divide the church-that the preachers did not assume the office of priests

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-administered neither the ordinance of bap tism, nor the Lord's Supper, but looked to the parish ministers, in all places, for these -that they travelled to call sinners to repentance to join proper subjects in society for mutual edification, and to do all they could for the spiritual improvement of those societies.

Mr. Williams also furnished me with some of their books, and I became acquainted with the minutes of several of their conferences. By these means I was let into their general plan, and that " He that left the church, left the Methodists."— I put a strong mark on these words. I felt much attachment to Mr. Williams, and to

other preachers, who came after him. I received them into my house with great cordiality, and treated them with disinterested benevolence. I hoped good would be done, by their means, not only in preserving the unity of the church, and keeping her members from rents and divisions, but also, in calling sinners to repentance, and establishing believers.

As I had been accustomed, before this, to collect and meet the people for religious improvement, I could have no objection to religious societies, or any prudential means that seemed to promise the edification of mankind. I therefore concurred in, and encouraged Christian societies, and exhorted such as had been my hearers, in different parts of Carolina and Virginia, to join in society, and admit the assistance of the Methodist preachers, as helpers of their joy and establishment in religion. In some places where I had before travelled and preached, a number of the people had objections against joining what was called a Methodist society. They wished rather to continue in a society, which took its denomination from me. For you must know. I had drawn up some rules for society, and had begun to put them in practice, in other places besides my own parish. But the

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