these words, they would not enlarge their desires as hell; but be content with such things as they had. They then probably might not heap up so much for their heirs, as otherwise they would have done. These would therefore have less than if they had not heard me because they would grasp at less. Secondly, Wherever the gospel takes effect, the foes of a man will be those of his own household. By this means then some who hear and receive it with joy, will be poorer than they were before. Their domestic foes will, in many cases, hinder, embroil, and disturb the course of their affairs. And their relations, who assisted them before, or promised at least so to do, will probably withdraw or deny that assistance, unless they will be advised by them. Perhaps their nearest relations: it being no new thing for parents to disown their children, if " after the way which they call heresy, these worship the God of their fathers." Hence therefore some have less of this world's goods than they had in times past, either because they earn less, or because they receive less from them on whom they depend.

Thirdly, It is written, that "Those who received not the mark of the beast, either on their foreheads, or in their right hands," either openly or secretly, were not permitted to buy or sell any more. Now whatever the mystery contained herein may be, I apprehend the plain mark of the beast is wickedness; inward and outward unholiness, whatever is secretly or openly contrary to justice, mercy, or truth. And certain it is, the time is well nigh come, when those who have not this mark, can neither buy nor sell, can scarce follow any profession, so as to gain a subsistence thereby. Therefore, many of those who attend on my ministry, are by this means poorer than before. They will not receive the mark of the beast, either on their forehead or in their hand: or if they had received it before, they rid themselves of it as soon as possible. Some cannot follow their former way of life at all; (as pawnbrokers, smugglers, buyers or sellers of uncustomed goods) others cannot follow it as they did before. For they cannot oppress, cheat,

or defraud their neighbour: they cannot lie, or say what they do not mean; they must now speak the truth from their heart. On all these accounts, they have less of this world's goods; because they gain less than they did before.

Fourthly, All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution: if in no other way, yet at least in this, that men will by revilings persecute them; and say all manner of evil against them falsely, for his sake. One unavoidable effect of this will be, that men whose subsistence depends on their daily labour, will be often in want, for few will care to employ those of so bad a character. And even those who did employ them before, perhaps for many years, will employ them no more: so that hereby some may be brought to beggary.

8. What does this touch you? Are you one of those, "who will have nothing to do with those scandalous wretches?" Perhaps you will say, "And who can blame me for it may I not employ whom I please?" We will weigh this. You employed A. B. for several years. By your own account, he was an honest, diligent man. You had no objection to him but his following this way. For this reason you turn him off. In a short time, having spent his little all, and having no supply, he wants bread. So does his family too as well as himself. Before he can get into other business to procure it, through want of convenient food to eat, and raiment to put on, he sickens and dies. This is not an imaginary scene. I have known the case: though too late to remedy it. "And what then?" Why then you are a murderer. O earth, cover not thou his blood! No, it doth not. The cry thereof hath entered into the ears of the Lord God of Sabaoth. And God requireth it at your hands: and will require it in an hour when you think not. For you have as effectually murdered that man, as if you had stabbed him to the heart. It is not I then who ruin and starve that family; it is you; you who call yourself a Protestant! You who cry out against the persecuting spirit of the Papists! Ye fools and blind! What are ye better than they? Why, Edmund Bonnor

would have starved the hereticks in prison: whereas ye starve them in their own houses. And all this time you talk of liberty of conscience; yes, liberty for such a conscience as your own; a conscience past feeling; (for sure it had some once ;) a conscience, seared with a hot iron. Liberty to serve the devil, according to your poor, hardened conscience, you allow; but not liberty to serve God. Nay, and what marvel? Whosoever thou art that readest this, and feelest in thy heart a real desire to serve God, I warn thee, expect no liberty for thy conscience, from him that hath no conscience at all. All ungodly, unthankful, unholy men; all villains of whatever denomination, will have liberty indeed all the world over, as long as their master is god of this world. But expect not liberty to worship God in spirit and in truth, to practise pure and' undefiled religion (unless the Lord should work a new thing in the earth) from any but those who themselves love and serve God.

9. "However, it is plain, you make men idle. And this tends to beggar their families." This objection having been continually urged for some years, I will trace it from the foundation.

Two or three years after my return from America, one Captain Robert Williams of Bristol, made affidavit before the (then) Mayor of the city, that "it was a common report in Georgia, Mr. Wesley took people off from their work, and made them idle by preaching so much." The fact stood thus: at my first coming to Savannah, the generality of the people rose at seven or eight in the morning. And that part of them who were accustomed to work, usually worked till six in the evening. A few of them sometimes worked till seven; which is the time of sun-set there at Midsummer. I immediately began reading prayers and expounding the second lesson, both in the morning and evening. The morning service began at five, and ended at or before six: the evening service began at seven. Now supposing all the grown persons in the town, had been present every morning and evening, would this have made them

idle? Would they hereby have had less, or considerably more time for working?

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10. The same rule I follow now, both at London, Bristol, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne: concluding the service at every place, winter and summer, before six in the morning: and not ordinarily beginning to preach, till near seven in the evening. Now do you, who make this objection, work longer through the year, than from six to six? Do you desire that the generality of people should? Or can you count them idle, that work so long? Some few are indeed accustomed to work longer. These I advise not to come on week-days. And it is apparent, that they take this advice, unless on some rare and extraordinary occasion. But I hope, none of you who turn them out of their employments, have the confidence to talk of my making them idle ! Do you (as the homely phrase is) cry wh- first? I admire your cunning, but not your modesty. So far am I from either causing or encouraging idleness, that an idle person known to be such, is not suffered to remain in any of our societies: we drive him out as we would a thief or a murderer. "To shew all possible diligence," (as well as frugality) is one of our standing rules: and one, concerning the observance of which, we continually make the strictest inquiry.

11. 66 But you drive them out of their senses. You make them mad." Nay, then they are idle with a vengeance. This objection therefore being of the utmost importance, deserves our deepest consideration. And first, I grant, it is my earnest desire to drive all the world, into what you probably call madness: (I mean, inward religion) to make them just as mad as Paul was when he was so accounted by Festus. The counting all things on earth but dung and dross, so we may win Christ; the trampling under foot all the pleasures of the world, the seeking no treasure but in heaven; the having no desire of the praise of men, a good character, a fair reputation; the being exceedingly glad when men revile us and persecute us, and say all manner of evil against us falsely; the giving God thanks when our

father or mother forsakes us, when we have neither food to eat, nor raiment to put on, nor a friend but what shoots out bitter words, nor a place where to lay our head: this is utter distraction in your account: but in God's it is sober, rational religion: the genuine fruit, not of a distempered brain, not of a sickly imagination, but of the power of God in the heart, of victorious love, and of a sound mind.

12. I grant, secondly, it is my endeavour to drive all I can, into what you term another species of madness, which is usually preparatory to this, and which I term repentance or conviction. I cannot describe this better than a writer of our own has done. I will therefore transcribe his words. "When men feel in themselves the heavy burden of sin, see damnation to be the reward of it, and behold with the eye of their mind the horror of hell; they tremble, they quake, and are inwardly touched with sorrowfulness of heart, and cannot but accuse themselves, and open their grief unto Almighty God, and call unto him for mercy. This being done seriously, their mind is so occupied, partly with sorrow and heaviness, partly with an earnest desire to be delivered from this danger of hell and damnation, that all desire of meat and drink is laid apart, and loathsomeness (or loathing) of all worldly things and pleasure, cometh in place. So that nothing then liketh them, more than to weep, to lament, to mourn, and both with words and beha viour of body to shew themselves weary of life."

Now what if your wife, or daughter, or acquaintance, after hearing one of these field-preachers, should come and tell you, that they saw damnation before them, and beheld with the eye of their mind the horror of hell? What if they should tremble and quake, and be so taken up, partly with sorrow and heaviness, partly with an earnest desire to be delivered from this danger of hell and damnation, as to weep, to lament, to mourn, and both with words and behaviour to shew themselves weary of life: would you scruple to say, that they were stark mad? that these fellows had driven them out of their senses? and that whatever writer it