CHAPTER III.

OF MR. WESLEY'S VOYAGE TO AMERICA, OF HIS LABORS THERE, AND RETURN TO ENGLAND IN 1798.

It has been already observed, that Mr. Wesley, at this time, had very imperfect notions of the method proposed in the gospel of attaining true christian experience. He did indeed differ, in some things, from the generality of the clergy in the Church of England: he carried his notions of gospel holiness much further than they thought, either necessary or attainable in this life; and believing, that, an exact attendance on the instituted means of grace, with acts of charity, self-denial, and mortification, were the chief helps to attain it, he carried these particulars to an extent which made him appear singular. His ardor to attain the end was exceeded by nothing but the exactness and rigor with which he practised, what he thought the means of attaining it. His extreme attention to every thing that might be helpful in subduing the evil propensities of his nature, and that might further his progress towards a conformity with Christ, led him to consider and speak of the observance of little things, as of the utmost importance to his salvation. Not that he thought the things of so much importance in themselves, detached from others; but as filling up the more minute parts of a system of duties, which without them, would be incomplete and less beneficial to him. Like as a man straitened in his circumstances, and struggling to get forward in the world; if he only attend to the more important branches of his business, and wholly neglect the numerous little expenses of his family, will soon find that they greatly retard his progress. Mr. Wesley reasoned in the same way, concerning the external helps and hinderances in a religious course of life, and therefore thought it his duty to abstain from the minutest thing that might be hurtful, and to practise every thing that might in any respect be useful to him. And as little things are too commonly overlooked, though great ones are made up of them, he might perhaps on this account speak more strongly of them than otherwise he would have done. However this be, his scrupulous exactness in things which seemed to others of little importance, or wholly indifferent in religion, chiefly attracted notice, and made him appear whimsical and superstitious, to persons who did not perceive the principle which governed his conduct. This lessened the dignity of his character in their opinion, and weakened his influence over those under his care.

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this principle, therefore, which governed him in the smallest matters, we must attribute, in a great measure, his want of success, and most of the inconveniences which he suffered in Georgia. We may blame his want of prudence, because the principle on which he reasoned was sometimes carried too far; but his integrity, and upright intention will remain unsullied.

*

On Tuesday, the 14th of October, he set out for Gravesend, in order to embark for Georgia, accompanied by his brother Mr. Charles Wesley, Mr. Ingham of Queen's College, Oxford, and Mr. Delamotte, the son of a merchant in London. "Our end," says he, "in leaving our native country, was not to avoid want, God having given us plenty of temporal blessings; nor to gain the dung or dross of riches or honor; but singly this, to save our souls; to live wholly to the glory of God." In the afternoon they found the Simmonds off Gravesend, and immediately went on board. The next day he wrote to his brother, Mr. Samuel Wesley, of Tiverton, informing him that he had presented his father's commentary

* Georgia is situated between Carolina and Florida. It extends 120 miles upon the sea-coast, and 300 miles from thence to the Apalachian mountains, and its boundaries to the north and south, are the rivers Savannah and Alatamaha.--The settlement of a colony between the rivers Savannah and Alatamaha, was meditated in England in 1732, for the accommodation of poor people in Great Britain and Ireland, and for the further security of Carolina. Humane and opulent men suggested a plan of transporting a number of indigent families to this part of America free of expense. For this purpose they applied to the king, George II. and obtained from him letters patent, bearing date June 9, 1732, for legally carrying into execution what they had generously projected. They called the new province Georgia, in honor of the king, who encouraged the plan. A corporation, consisting of 21 persons, was constituted by the name of "The Trustees for settling and establishing the Colony of Georgia."

In November, 1732, 116 settlers embarked for Georgia, to be conveyed thither free of expense, furnished with every thing requisite for building and cultivating the soil. Mr. James Oglethorpe, one of the trustees, and an active promoter of the settlement, embarked as the head and director of these settlers. They arrived at Charlestown early in the next year. Mr. Oglethorpe, acompanied by William Bull, shortly after his arrival, visited Georgia; and after surveying the country, marked the spot on which Savannah now stands, as the fittest to begin their settlement. Here they accordingly began and built a small fort; a number of small huts for their defence and accommodation. Such of the settlers as were able to bear arms were embodied, and well appointed with officers, arms, and ammunition. A treaty of friendship was concluded between the settlers and their neighbors the Creek Indians, and every thing wore the aspect of peace and future prosperity. But the fundamental regulations established by the trustees of Georgia, were ill adapted to the circumstances and situation of the poor settlers, and of pernicious consequence to the prosperity of the province. Like other distant legislators, who framed their regulations on principles of speculation, they were liable to many errors and mistakes; and however good their design, their rules were found improper and impracticable. These injudicious regulations and restrictions, the wars in which they were involved with the Spaniards and Indians, and the frequent insurrections among themselves, threw the colony into a state of confusion and wretchedness too great for human nature long to endure. Their oppressed situation was represented to the Trustees by repeated complaints, till at length finding that the province languished under their care, and weary with the complaints of the people, they, in the year 1752, surrendered their charter to the king, and it was made a royal government. Georgia is now a flourishing state: what are called the upper counties are pretty generally supplied with preachers of the Baptist and Methodist persuasion; but the greater part of the state is without ministers of any denomination.

on Job, to the Queen, and had received many good words and smiles. In this letter he declares his sentiments to his brother, concerning the usual method of teaching boys the heathen poets in large schools. "The uncertainty," says he, "of having another opportunity to tell you my thoughts in this life, obliges me to tell you what I have often thought of, and that in as few and plain words as I can. Elegance of style is not to be weighed against purity of heart; purity both from the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye and the pride of life. Therefore, whatever has any tendency to impair that purity, is not to be tolerated, much less recommended for the sake of that elegance. But of this sort (I speak not from the reason of the thing only, nor from single experience) are most of the classics usually read in great schools: many of them tending to inflame the lusts of the flesh (besides Ovid, Virgil's Eneid, and Terence's Eunuch) and more to feed the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. I beseech you therefore by the mercies of God, who would have us holy as he is holy, that you banish all such poison from your school, that you introduce in their place such christian authors as will work together with you in building up your flock in the knowledge and love of God. For assure yourself, dear brother, you are even now called to the converting of heathens as well as I.

"So many souls are committed to your charge by God, to be prepared for a happy eternity. You are to instruct them, not only in the beggarly elements of Greek and Latin, but much more in the gospel. You are to labor with all your might to convince them, that Christianity is not a negation, or an external thing, but a new heart, a mind conformed to that of Christ; faith, working by love." These sentiments have been spoken of as singular; and have been brought forward as an indirect evidence of Mr. Wesley's fondness for singularity. But if we understand them with a little candor, and the opinions of learned and pious men on the same subject be fairly stated, there will appear nothing singular in them. He here condemns the reading and explaining of the heathen poets, indiscriminately, to youth in great schools; but we must not suppose, that he would have condemned a judicious selection from them. Indeed, after his school at Kingswood was fully established, he made such a selection for the use of it, so far as he thought would be necessary for the youth likely to be educated in it. His words being understood with this limitation, Mr. Wesley speaks nothing but what the most learned and pious men in the christian church, have, in all ages, unanimously spoken before him. Nay the heathen moralists themselves, deliver the same sentiments concerning their own poets. "Plato, the wise and judicious philosopher, banished the poets from his imaginary commonwealth, and did not think them proper to be put into the hands of youth without great precaution; to prevent the dangers which might arise from them. *Cicero plainly approves of his conduct, and sup

*Videsne poetæ quid mali afferant ?-Ita sunt dulces, ut non legantur modo, sed etiam ediscantur. Sic ad malam domesticam disciplinam, vitanique umbratilem et delicatam, cum accesserunt etiam poetæ, nervos virtutis elidunt. Rectè igitur a Platone educuntur ex ea civitate quam finxit ille, cum mores optimos et

posing with him that poetry contributes only to the corruption of manners, to enervate the mind, and strengthen the false prejudices consequential of a bad education, and ill examples, he seems astonished that the instruction of children should begin with them, and the study of them be called by the name of learning and a

liberal education."
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The two following days after he got on board, were spent with his friends, partly in the ship and partly on shore, in exhorting one another to shake off every weight, and to run with patience the race set before them. There being twenty-six Germans on board, members of the Moravian Church, Mr. Wesley immediately began to learn the German language, in order to converse with them; and David Nitchman, the Moravian bishop, and two others began to learn English, that they might enjoy the benefit of mutual conversation. He observes, that he now first preached extempore, though I believe he had done so once before in London. It was here that his acquaintance commenced with the Moravian brethren, which he cultivated for several years, with great assiduity and success; and we must allow that the knowledge he acquired

optimum reip. Statum quæreret. At vero nos, docti scilicet a Græcia, hæc et a pueritia legimus et didicimus. Hanc eruditionem liberalem et doctrinam putamus. Tusc. Quæst. lib. ii.

* The Jews prohibited the tutors of their children from instructing them in Pagan literature. "Maledictus esto," says the Gemara, "quisquis filium suum sapientiam græcanicam edocet." "Let him be accursed, whoever teacheth his son Greek literature." The primitive fathers of the church, were divided in their opinions on this subject. Some forbade Christians to read any of the heathen writers, on account of their bad tendency, both as to principles and morals. The Apostolical constitutions, as they are called, speak in this strain, "Ab omnibus gentilium libris abstine:" "abstain from all books of the Gentiles." And though these constitutions are not Apostolical, yet it is allowed on all hands, that they are very ancient. Cotelerius in a note on this passage, has shown the different sentiments of many of the Fathers, and it is probable that a majority of them were of opinion, the heathen writers might be read with advantage, under certain restrictions and regulations. Basil the great has an oration, showing, "quomodo ex scriptis gentilium utilitatem capere debeamus:" "how we ought to reap advantage from the writings of the Gentiles." The most learned and pious among the moderns, have very universally condemned the practice of indiscriminately reading the writings of the heathens. On this subject, Erasmus complains in one of his letters, "pro christianis reddamur pagani." "Instead of Christians we are made Pagans." And again, " Animadverto," says he, “juvenes aliquot, quos nobis remittit Italia, præcipue Roma, nonnihil adflatos hoc veneno." "I observe some youths, returned from Italy, especially from Rome, infected with this poison." Buddei Isagoge, par. i. P. 147. Buddeus himself observes, after giving the opinions of several others, "Singulari utique hic opus esse circumspectione, negari nequit; cum facile contingat, ut qui ethnicorum scriptis toti veluti immerguntur, ethnicum, plane, alienumque a religione christiana, inde referant animum." "It cannot be denied that there is here need of singular circumspection, as it easily happens, that they who are, as it were, wholly immersed in the writings of the heathens, return from them with a heathenish mind, alienated from the christian religion." He then gives several examples of the bad influence of this practice on the minds of men of great abilities and learning: to which we might add the name of a late celebrated historian; and perhaps many others of our nation. The danger arises from the fondness which these persons contract for the studied and regular composition manifest in these writings, and for the flowers of oratory with which they dress out their fables and false notions of things.