Great Revivals and Evangelists VI. JOftN WESLEY By/ the Late JOHN CHARLES RYLE, D. D. Bishop of Liverpool \ / '
Note.—The following masterly appreciation of the great founder of the Methodist church appears in Bishop Ryle’s book entitled “ Christian Leaders of England in the Eighteenth Century.” We are using it because of the weight which its authorship gives it, Bishop Ryle having been one of the greatest evangelical leaders of the Church of England, during the century succeeding Wesley.—John H. Hunter.
tor. He was the ninth o f a family o f at least thirteen children, comprising three sons and ten daughters. O f the daughters, those who grew up made singularly fool ish and unhappy marriages.7’ O f the sons, the eldest, Samuel, was for some years usher o f Westminster School, and an inti mate friend o f the famous Bishop Atter- bury, and finally died head-master o f Tiv erton School. The second, John, was foun der o f the Methodist communion; and the third, Charles, was almost throughout life John’s companion and fellow-laborer. FATHER A POOR MANAGER John Wesley’s father was a man o f con siderable learning and great activity o f mind. As a writer, he was always bring ing out something either in prose or in verse, but nothing, unhappily for his pocket, which was ever acceptable to the reading public, or is much cared for in the present day. As a politician, he was a zealous sup porter o f the Revolution which brought into England the house o f Orange; and it was on this account that Queen Mary presented him to the Crown living o f Epworth. As a clergyman, he seems to have been a diligent pastor and preacher, o f the theological school o f Archbishop Tillotson. As a manager o f his worldly affairs, he appears, to have been most unsuccessful. Though rector o f a living now valued at 1000 pounds a year, he was always in pecuniary difficulties, was once in prison for debt, and finally left his widow and children almost destitute. When I add to this that he was not on
ECOND in the list o f English Reformers o f the 18th cen tury, whose history I pro pose to consider, is a man o f world-wide reputation—the
famous John Wesley. The name o f this great evangelist is per haps better known than that o f any o f his fellow laborers o f this period. This, how ever, is easily accounted for. He lived to the ripe old age o f eighty-eight. For sixty- five years he was continually before the eyes of the public, and doing his Master’s work in every part o f England. He founded a new religious denomination, remarkable to this very day for its numbers, laborious ness, and success, and justly proud o f its great founder. His life has been repeat edly written by his friends and followers, his works constantly reprinted, his precepts and maxims reverentially treasured up and embalmed, like Joseph’s bones. In fact, if ever a good Protestant has been practi cally cannonized, it has been John Wesley! It would be strange indeed if his name was not well known. O f such a man as this I cannot pretend to give more than a brief account in the short space o f a few pages. The leading facts o f his long arid well-spent life, and the leading features o f his peculiar charac ter, are all that I can possibly compress into the limits o f this memoir. Those who want more must look elsewhere. John Wesley was born on the 17th of June, 1703, at Epworth, in North Lincoln shire, o f which parish his father was rec
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