for the farmers, or at the manufactories of woollen cloth in this town In the year 1808, I happened to be at Crediton, in Devonshire:-On their hearing that I came from Wiltshire, they asked me, first, "from what part of the county I came ?" I answered Warminster. 66 Do you know any such a place as Warminster Common?" said they. I replied by asking, What do you know of Warminster Common? Why, said they, "everybody knows what a set of wicked people they always were, who lived there!" I almost hid my head for shame; it seemed to be a direct and special reproof to me, and in my heart I said, Lord help me; what can I do to wipe away from thy long-neglected and despised poor, this sad, this just reproach! It was the same party of the towns-people who sanctioned and aided the Commoners in all their barbarous sports, that in the year 1774, so cruelly encouraged that persecution which finally drove out of the town the poor methodist preachers of that day. There is a faithful record kept of their names and proceedings. Their memorial shall not die with them. The very man that broke the pulpit and stools in Back-lane, and hanged the fragments on the direction-post at the obelisk, (part of which fragments are now preserved in the chapel) died, some years after, in a wretched condition, after a life of dissipation, in the very house where he had committed the outrage. Another, who lent the fire-engine to play the water over the preacher, died suddenly soon after, sitting in his chair: both of these transactions took place only a few yards from the New National School, West-street. J. M. cut his throat, and is buried near Sack-hill, Imber-road, Warminster.-J. H. was drowned at Codford.-J. J. hanged himself at London.-W. H. died in a wretched condition, eaten with lice.-W. M. went to sea, and was shot in the first engagement. "One of the preachers (Mr. Wells) gave an exhortation for the last time, at the preachinghouse in Chain-street, and informed the people that, on account of the great wickedness of the place, and the extreme opposition they met with, they could no longer attempt to preach the Gospel at Warminster." See History of Methodism at Warminster, years 1774 to 1776. Copy of an advertisement, cut out of a newspaper, which I have in my possession: 66 WHEREAS, we, whose names are underwritten, have frequently assembled with others, in a riotous manner, particularly on the 19th of March, 1773, to disturb the people called Methodists, in their worship of Almighty God, at Warminster, in the County of Wilts, for which we were justly prosecuted: but at the last Assizes, held in Salisbury, on our submission in court, and being bound by recognizance in the sum of One Hundred Pounds each, for our good behaviour for the term of three years, the prosecution was withdrawn. We do hereby ask pardon for the said offence, acknowledge their lenity towards us, and do promise never to offend in the like manner; and wish it may be a warning to all who may be disposed to act so unchristian and unlawful a part. "Attested by MATTHEW DAVIES." "JOHN INGRAM CHAPTER III. EFFORTS MADE TO ENLIGHTEN AND RECLAIM THEM. BUT it may very properly be asked-Was there nothing ever done to enlighten the minds of these poor, dark, erring heathens, and thus to check this torrent of iniquity? Did no man sigh and cry for the abominations committed? Surely it may be said that a moral responsibility must have rested somewhere in the town, to an enormous amount. According to the average of human life in this parish, the whole population is swept-off by death, about every forty years if the Common then contained only one thousand inhabitants, what a mournful consideration, that in this awful state of the very lowest depravity, they did so rapidly pass uncared-for into the eternal world, "with all their imperfections on their heads;" yea passed out of a so-called Christian country too? Where, I ask, were Gospel ministers and ordinances? Where was the genuine love of Christ and of his perishing poor? Where were suitable churches, or chapels, or religious institutions? Where the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, for young and old to profit by? Did not the whole spirit and temper of the times wickedly say "Am I my brother's keeper ?" let them look to themselves said they. O, my soul, who can bear the cutting reflection? And is there a day of just judgment to come, for all this? "The trumpet, will it sound,—the curtain rise And must the inhabitants of Warminster town be there? must members of religious societies be there? must Christians be there? must the clergy be there? It appears, that, almost without exception, the profits of these poor people's toil were taken solely for worldly purposes; leaving their precious souls to die, for ever die, for lack of knowledge. Heartrending thought! All that I can collect of information affecting the spiritual interests of the poor of Warminster Common, in those days, consists of the following particulars. Every one knows that the parish church was a mile distant; that in the said church, there was but very limited accommodation for the poor; and that there was only one vicar and one curate for the whole parish. The curate did nearly all the duty; the vicar had another living. There never was any place of worship at the Common: preaching in cottages, by other preachers, was occasionally performed; but it must have been a large cottage, there, to hold twenty hearers. In the year 1753, the Methodist preachers visited the Common, and performed service at Ann Watts's, and George Steadman's, at Rehobath, and at William Parker's, and continued their labours for about three years. It was afterwards removed to Pound-street, where the cruel persecution referred to commenced. It was then discontinued for several years, and revived again in 1770; some of the most eminent of the ministers in that connexion occasionally preached there, or in the neighbourhood. A man of the name of William Holton, also, read sermons for some time at Mr. Lewis', Chapel-street, and at a cottage in Fore-street. Another -a champion for truth in those days-was one William Titford, a thatcher by trade, well-versed in Scripture knowledge and experience; he preached in a cottage in Marsh-street, and was of course the common butt of ridicule: he once had a viper thrown at him while preaching. He "came to his grave in full age, like as a shock of corn, cometh in, in his season," leaving a sweet-smelling savour behind him. The principal supporter of religion in this polluted Sardis, with, and after, William Titford, was good old Mr. Jeremiah Payne. That Great Being who thought it right to deprive him of his natural eyesight, immediately opened the eye of his mind to see "Light in His Light"-and he forthwith opened his house for public service: it was performed on sabbath evenings, and for many years, a little chosen band, perhaps ten or twelve, regularly met there: one of whom read some edifying subject, and Mr. Payne prayed. The cottage still stands, in a garden a little retired from the public road, at the foot of the hill, eastern side of what is now called Deverill-road. He had his share of reproach and met with opposition; I used to view him as "Lot in Sodom"-and well and truly did he fill the holy vocation entrusted him. He had sound and scriptural views of pure evangelical religion-and the love of Christ constrained him: he employed much of his time in visiting and praying with the sick; and such were his spiritual gifts and his great power in prayer that, very often the respectable inhabitants of the town did send for him in their sickness. He was then just such another man as good old Mr. John Pearce, of Meeting-lane, who, for nearly sixty years, kept up a similar service at his house, on Sabbath and Thursday evenings: he (Mr. Pearce) owed his conversion to the evangelical preaching of that blessed man, the Rev. Richard Hart, then curate of Warminster, who, with himself, had to share in the common persecution of that day, sure enough to be the lot of all who faithfully preached Christ crucified. These were the only sabbathevening services then held in the parish: both of these heavenly-minded men were members of the established church. Mr. Pearce died suddenly; "He was not, for God took him.” With him, his little cause dropped; and in my mournful bleeding heart, I said, "Who will take up the mantle of Elijah!" It was the daughter of this blessed man (the late Mrs. John Morgan, of this town) who informed me, that she was acquainted with one of the descendants of that pious family, who secreted and supported one of the ejected ministers, at Bull-mills in the |