The Oxford Methodists : $b Memoirs of the Rev. Messrs. Clayton, Ingham, Gambold, Hervey, and Broughton, with biographical notices of othersTyerman, L. (Luke)
History
The Oxford Methodists : $b Memoirs of the Rev. Messrs. Clayton, Ingham, Gambold, Hervey, and Broughton, with biographical notices of others
“About a fortnight after this, Mr. John Wesley came to London,
as also his brother Charles, and Mr. Salmon, a gentleman of
Brazen-Nose College, Oxon. The first time I was with them, I
desired to know the reasons which moved them to leave England.
They answered, they thought they could be better Christians,
alleging particular advantages which they might reasonably
expect would further their spiritual progress, by going amongst
the Indians. Some of their reasons I approved of; to others
I objected, alleging that a man might be a Christian in any
place, but chiefly insisting upon this, that no one ought to
go without being called of God. They told me, if I required a
voice or sign from heaven, that was not now to be expected;
and that a man had no other way of knowing God’s will, but by
consulting his own reason, and his friends, and by observing
the order of God’s providence. They, therefore, thought it
a sufficient call to choose that way of life which they had
reason to believe would most promote their Christian welfare.
Our conversation being ended, they lent me several letters,
written by Mr. Oglethorpe, relating to the Indians, their
manner of living, their customs, and their great expectation
of having a white man come amongst them to teach them wisdom.
All this moved me a little, but I had no mind to leave England.
However, I now began to pray more frequently and fervently that
God would be pleased to direct me to do His will.
“Besides the three gentlemen aforementioned, there was also one
Mr. Hall, brother-in-law to Mr. Wesley, resolutely determined
to go. When they had been in London about ten days, in which
time I frequently conversed with them, I found my heart so
moved one night, by being with Mr. John Wesley, that, almost
without thinking it, I said to him, ‘If neither Mr. Hall nor
Mr. Salmon go along with you, I will go.’ At that time, there
seemed no probability that either of them would draw back. They
were both of them ordained by the Bishop of London in order to
go: Mr. Salmon, deacon; Mr. Hall, both deacon and priest.
“But, lo! Mr. Salmon was immediately seized upon by his
relations in town, and was sent down, post haste, to his
parents in Cheshire. Upon his arrival, his father left the
house, furious and distracted, protesting he would not return
unless his son would stay. His mother, also, was labouring
under a fever. In this distress, he knew not what to do; but he
promised his parents to stay, and wrote Mr. Wesley word that he
hoped to follow him next spring, though since then he has writ
to him, telling him he doth not think himself as yet at liberty
to leave father and mother.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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