Glimpses of Christian History Presents Pastwords # 178: Marauding Methodists Nearly Murder Minister While Disputing His Message by John Free ©2007

Free, John. The Whole Speech. Which was delivered to the Reverend Clergy of the Great City of London. On Tuesday the 8th of May, 1759, being the Day appointed for their Anniversary Meeting at Zion College. To which is prefixed, A remonstrance to the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Winchester, complaining of Persecution from the Methodists: And likewise a Letter to his Lordship, relating to the same Subject. By John Free, D.D. Sir John Lemans Lecturer at St. Mary Hill, in London. London: Printed for the Author, and sold by Jonathan Scott, at the Black Swan in Paternoster-Row, (Price Six-pence.) [1759] Octavo.

Free prefaces his speech with a remonstrance and letter to the Bishop of Winchester asking in the first for protection by the constable from the disorders of the Methodists while he is preaching and secondly asking the Bishop to speak against the Methodists, etc. In the "Whole Speech" he asks "What are the properest constitutional Means for suppressing the Disorders in the Church, occasioned by the Methodists? I answer, that the first and principal, the most proper and truly constitutional, would be the Meeting of the Convocation." --pp. 12-13

DR. FREE COMPLAINS
To the Right Reverend Father in God, Benjamin, by Divine Permission, Lord Bishop of Winchester, &c. &c. The remonstrance of the Reverend John Free, Doctor in Divinity, &c. complaining of Persecution from the People called Methodists.

ay it please your Lordship, By the Advice of my Brethren of the Clergy, I beg leave to inform Your Lordship, that in the Morning, on Sun day the 29th of April, in the Parish Church of St. Mary Magdalene Bermondsey, being then and there preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to wit, explaining his own Words concerning the new Commandment, which he gave to his Disciples, "to love one another", I was from the Time of naming the Text, to the End of the Sermon, in continual and most imminent Danger of being murthered by the Methodists.

They had often, since I have been a Parishioner in that Place, by the Artifice of some of their Persuasion, who are concerned in the * Direction of a Charity-School, introduced their Preachers into the Pulpit at Charity Sermons,

*The Reader is desired to take Notice from this Passage; what a dangerous Error it must be, in the Minister and Inhabitants of a Parish, to suffer these People to be Directors, or; even to have an Hand in a Matter of such Consequence, as the Education of the Charity-Children. For they may be sure, that Methodists will endeavour to propagate Methodism. And they can never give them a fairer Opportunity than by putting it into their Power to invert the Use of these publick Semenaries for the lower Class of People, and deprive the Church of so great a Part of the rising Generation, by poisoning their Minds with Enthusiasm in the very Place of their Education. For in Consequence of this Liberty, it seems, they have found the Means to put into the Hands of the Children of Bermondsey a Methodist Catechism instead of the Catechism of the Church of England: So that at this Rate, the Parish are to support by their Subscriptions and Expence, what will be in Fact a School for the Methodists. Rare Management in People professing themselves to be Members of the established Church!

to the great Dissatisfaction and Annoyance of many of the principal Inhabitants, and of the Minister himself, who about a Year ago expressed his Concern to me upon their being then admitted: Notwithstanding which, in his Absence, these People, persevering in their Design to insult and undermine the Church of England, took an Occasion to make an Attempt of the same Nature, but being disappointed by the Church-warden, who interposed his Authority, and interrogated the Preacher about his Licence, they began to shew the diabolical Spirit of their Religion, the Moment, that I Command of their Lord and Master, instead of obeying it, immediately raised this unchristian Uproar; thereby to convince the World, that where People profess to be saved by Faith alone, they think there is no Occasion for Obedience, nor any Regard to be paid to Laws Divine or Human.

For the Insult was offered alike to the Laws of God, and the Laws of the Land. The Devotion of the Congregation was immediately disturbed, and the People thrown into the greatest Terror and Confusion, upon seeing the Rabble making their repeated Efforts to force themselves up into the Pulpit, and to do Violence to my Person. In this Manner the Ferment continued, and in it's full Height all the Time of the Sermon, with such Vociferation from Men and Women, such continual Tumult, and Excess of Phrenzy, that we could expect nothing but Bloodshed every Moment; and which could never have been prevented, but by the Diligence of the Peace Officers, who from Time to Time opposed themselves to the fiercest of these religious Savages, and confined some of them in the Vestry, but new Disorders still arising, and requiring perpetual Attendance near the Pulpit, those, who were before in hold, found an Opportunity to break away.

Sermon being ended, when after long tarrying, I ventured to go from the Pulpit to the Vestry, the Church-warden informed me, that they spit upon us as we passed along, and not stopping here, they pursued us into the Vestry, and sullenly persisted to remain there, till the Parishioners obliged them to retire, by threatening to take them into Custody.

And when we imagined, that we might securely get away, there were still Parties in the Church and Church-yard, who gathered about the Rev. Mr. Maltus, and myself, and pursued us with bitter Abuses to the very Door of his House.

I think it my Duty to give your Lordship this Information, that communicating it to the Lords and Archbishops, and Bishops, you may together be pleased to make it an Occasion of procuring such better Security for the Regular established Ministry of the Church of England, as their defenceless Condition may seem to demand, and as Prelates of your Affection to the Constitution, in your great Wisdom and Goodness shall think most fit,

A LETTER to the Right Revd. the Lord Bishop of Winchester, &c.

My Lord, Beside the Remonstrance, which I have here inclosed to your Lordship, and which I make in the publick Character of a Minister! and insulted Minister of the Church of England; I have a Petition to prefer in a private Capacity, as a Parishioner of the Parish of St. Mary Magdalene Bermondsey; to wit; that I may not for the future be driven from my Parish Church, either through Fear of Danger to my Person; or of having my Mind disturbed and offended by the blasphemous Preaching of ignorant or delusive Men.

My Lord, I make my Request in this Shape, not barely because an Argument of this Sort is most likely to secure me from being annoyed by these People, in the Place of my publick Devotions, and at my very Doors: but also because I think the Matter set in this Light must shew your Lordship, that here is a Case (whether mine or that of another Parishioner) which if not attended to, must do great Injury to your own Reputation.

For if your Lordship should scruple to exert your Authority at this critical Season, and permit such Teachers as these to drive the sober Inhabitants from their stated Place of publick Worship. in the Manner that they have lately done: the World may be apt to suspect by your Silence and Inaction that you are inclined to leave it in the Power of these People to force the Members of the Church of England from it's Communion.

For there can be no Communion without a Place of Communion: and where are the People to find that Place, if they are to be thus excluded from their own Parish Churches?

I would therefore for your Lordship's Sake, and for my own, as a Parishioner of the Parish of Bermondsey further request of your Lordship, in Behalf of myself and others of my Neighbours, who are well-affected to the Church of England, that you would be pleased to secure to us for the future the free and quiet Use of our Parish-Church, by sending a standing Order to the Church Wardens, to forbid all notorious Enthusiasts Access to the Pulpit: and moreover to require of the said Officers, that they use the Authority given them by the Canon against every strange Clergyman, who shall be suspected form the Rabble, that attend him, or other Circumstances, to be an Abetter of the Doctrines of those malignant Teachers, which are usually distinguished by the Name of Methodists.

Such an Order as this coming from your Lordship would give great Countenance to the faithful Parish Officer in the Discharge of his Trust, and defend him from the Slander of his Enemies; at the same Time, that it will oblige those, who are infected with *Enthusiasm, tho' it be against their Inclination, to do their Duty.

If your Lordship therefore, would be pleased in this Particular to attend to my Request, I should have Occasion, in the Capacity of a Parishioner of Bermondsey, to write myself Your Lordship's most obliged, and obedient, humble Servant, John Free Bermondsey, May 22, 1759.

* This Precaution must appear to be very necessary, in Case that a Minister should be so overseen, so imposed upon by others, or so apt to impose himself, as to choose a notorious Methodist for his own Church Warden.

Dr. Free's SPEECH TO THE London Clergy, &c.

Dear Gentlemen, The Times require, that I now accost you as Fellow- soldiers, as well as Fellow-Christians. You will wonder perhaps at the Solemnity of such Appellations, as they seem to sound an Alarm in these Quarters, where we were accustomed to enjoy the profoundest Peace, and eat our meat with gladness and singleness of heart. But I use them to bespeak your Attention to Matters of such Importance, as, if not regarded in due Time, will effectually put an End to your Being as Clergy: and the place that knew you, will know you no more.

I take this Opportunity of introducing such Discourse, because I imagine, that the pious Founder of the College, where we are now assembled, had a View, by Means of this Annual Festivity to give us an Opportunity of conversing together upon the State of Religion in this Metropolis, as well as of enlarging our Acquaintance with each other, and promoting a stricter Friendship among ourselves: a Thing very desirable, no doubt upon its own Account; but far the more so, as this mutual Intercourse, which results from Friendship, must be naturally productive of Intelligence, and may thereby enable us the better to lay our Measures for the public Good.

As this seems to be the Design of the Institution, it can be no unfit Season to put you in Mind of the present Danger of the Church of England, which I have often insisted on in the Course of my Controversy with the Methodists; wherein, though otherwise unsupported, I have from Time to Time had the Pleasure to receive, from one Quarter or another, your Approbation or your Thanks.

Wherefore I am the more emboldened to tell you, that you have now a fair Opportunity of taking this Subject into your serious Consideration, of communicating your Sentiments, I should think, without Reserve, and of forming some kind of Resolution, how to proceed in a Matter of such Importance, and which so apparently requires your immediate Attention.

The Advanced Age of our present excellent Diocesan, though it may not have impaired the Vigour of his Soul, has yet occasioned great bodily Weakness, the natural but sad Effect of Time upon our mortal Frame; which has deprived us, in great measure, of the Succours, which we might expect from him; at a Time when we not only stand in need of his Advice, but also of his Activity, and a real Exertion of his Power for our Protection.

In this forlorn, unfriended, and unlucky situation, we must apply to the Great Shepherd for the Divine Assistance; and in our earthly Measures chiefly look to find our Safety and Success in Union. For Confederacy gives Strength and Boldness against an Enemy, affords that Encouragement from our Companions, which solitary Heroism cannot supply; and moreover administers a Variety of Counsel, for the Support of the common Cause, which we are to give and take without Ceremony, when there comes to be such a pressing Occasion. This immediate Necessity for some Expedient was what prompted me, in my last *Pamphlet to observe, :That the Church must certainly, from its original Constitution, have been invested with Powers to defend itself against any common Adversary, (at least against those pretending to be of its own Communion;) because if it have not Authority sufficient to keep its Doctrines uniform, and preserve its internal Peace, the established Religion would be left more defenceless than any of our tolerated Societies, who have all of them a Power to restrain, or separate from them rebellious Members; for otherwise, their Communities could not subsist: therefore, I say, as the Established Church requires in this Particular as high a Degree of the Protection of the State as is enjoyed by Dissenters: an Authority of this Sort must be somewhere lodged in our Church-system; and since, many of them to whom it most properly belongs to make this Enquiry, have been unwilling to exert themselves, I expressed my Wishes that some of the Gentlemen of the Law, well affected to the Establishment, or some Priest of Eminence, who had Leisure and Fortune, would have been pleased to take into Consideration, and to communicate, what he thought the proper constitutional Means for suppressing this Disorder in the Church, which otherwise may soon effect its Downfal."

But as it does not appear since the Publication of this, that any Gentlemen have been prevailed upon to give us their Advice; the Talk, I was willing to have shifted off, reverts unexpectedly to myself, and obliges me, since Necessity so requires, to contribute what little Information I am able, till better Lights shall interpose, and more effectually dispel our Fears and Difficulties.

Dicam equidem, quoniam institui, petanque á vobis ne has meas ineptias efferatis, quanquam moderabor ipse, ne ut quidam magister atque artifex fed quafi unus á togatorum numero, atque ex usu* ecclesiastico homo mediocris, neque omnino rudis videar non ipse aliquid á me prompsisse, sed fortuito in vestrum sermonem incidisse.

Now then to the Question. -- What are the properest CONSTITUTIONAL Means for suppressing the Disorders in the Church, occasioned by the Methodists? I answer, that the first and principal, the most proper, and truly constitutional, would be the Meeting of the CONVOCATION.

This is constitutional, in whatever Sense we understand the Word, whether as respecting the Customs and Government of the Church itself, that is, the intrinsic Fabric of ecclesiastical Polity, as it stood at first unmixed, and independent of any Alliance; or secondly, as it has been since connected, incorporated, and co-established with any State, and most particularly with the State of England.

For the Use of such Assemblies belongs to the Church in general: they have been coeval with it from its Beginning; are essential to its Constitution, if it exist at all, and therefore these Privileges have always been indulged to it in some Degree, more or less, wherever it has been fortunate enough to obtain Establishment or Toleration. These Observations then must put us in Mind, that the Divine Authority of these Assemblies is more ancient than their civil, and bears Date from their first Institution in the Time of the Apostles, who convened them by Virtue of the Powers committed to them by JESUS CHRIST.

The first, which we read of, is the Council of Jerusalem, described in the Acts of the Apostles. It appears, by the Description, to have been of the very same Form with the Convocation in the Church of England, consisting of the Two superior Orders, the Apostles there mentioned, corresponding to their Successors, the Bishops; and the Elders, to our Priests or Priesthood**, Judas and Silas Legates to the Gentile Christians, _______seem to have been Prolocutors; but, as they are called _________ they were probably of the Upper House.

In the Epistle to the Galatians, St. Paul also seems to give a Detail of this, or as some think, of another Council, where the Matter in controversy was nearly the same: it happened, because of false Brethren unawares brought in: who, he says, came in privily to spy out our Liberty, which we have in Christ, that they might bring us into Bondage. He relates, who were the Pillars or Presidents of the Council; who the Assessors; mentions some that opposed him, to whom he would not give Place by Subjection, no not for an Hour, that the Truth of the Gospel might continue to you, He tells us, these were they, who seemed to be something; what they really were, he does not discover; observing that it was a Matter of no great Consequence, as God accepteth no Man's Person, and as these People, who seemed to be somewhat, when the Conference was opened, did not think proper to contradict him.

It is worthy Observation here, that by the Apostle's Account, the Cause of these ecclesiastical Councils or Meetings was, that the Truth in CHRIST might continue to Posterity, and indeed considering the Heresies predicted to follow, the grievous Wolves that were to make havock of the Flock, the Ignorance of the silly Multitude, running Giddily from one Extreme to another, and often growing Refractory, unless reduced to order, and restrained by the Wisdom and Authority of such Assemblies; I say, these Things considered, it was almost impossible, that the Truth in CHRIST should for any long Time together, subsist without them.

And so sensible of this are all People of all Denominations of Christians, that with the View of maintaining, what each of these contending Parties take to be the Truth in CHRIST, they not only admit of these Assemblies, where they have that Liberty allowed; but to the utmost of their Powers support them.

Wherefore a very eminent* Writer of our Church, who has displayed much Learning and Eloquence in treating upon this Subject, very justly observes, "That so far are the Clergy of England from being unreasonable and singular in their Desire of such Meetings, that there is no Part of the Reformed Church besides, that does not duly hold them; they are constantly kept up in the United Provinces; and even in France they were never denied the Protestants in the Time of Lewis XIV, so long as the Use of their Religion was allowed them; these Assemblies having been always esteemed by all Christians, as the best and properest Means for the Preservation of Unity, and the Suppression of Errors and Disorders in the Church of God.

To draw nearer home, what we plead for has been allowed the present Scotch Kirk; nay, and something more than we plead for. I hope it will not be thought foreign to my Subject, if I stop to give some short Account of it. Their Assembly has sat often** since the Revolution, and done Business with a Witness: If a thorough Purging of Churches and Universities; if exercising their ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, over the whole Kingdom (as well over those, who renounced their Government, as those who owned it) be doing Business; if to excommunicate, suspend and deprive at Pleasure; if to be Patrons General of all the Lovings of the Kingdom, and to induct, as well as eject, what Persons they thought fit; if by an Act of theirs (for so the Stile runs) to appoint national Fasts, and to settle general Rules for Church-Discipline and Government, without so much as asking Leave of the Civil Power, be doing Business; then I say, the Scothch Assembly have within these ten Years last past effectually done it. They have acted up to the utmost Extent of their divine Charter of Privileges, and have scarce been withstood in any one Branch of it: for though the King's Commissioner has sat with them, yet has he not been allowed either to interpose in their Debates, or to have a Negative upon their Resolutions: No, nor so much as to confirm them. And when he pretended to adjourn or dissolve the Synod, they protested against it; and appointed a new Meeting without any Regard to his Authority: and in the Intervals of their Sessions, they have had a standing Committee of their Members, who have been, as it were, a perpetual Assembly. These are the high Favours and Indulgences, that have, with a liberal Hand, been bestowed on our Neighbours in Scotland.

And the same Author observes, that those of the congregational Way here at home, have not wanted the Indulgence of a Convocation, as regular and full, though not so open as may be desired by the Members of the Church of England.

Nay, the Privilege we claim is not denied to any the most wild and extravagant Sects among us. The Quakers have their annual Meetings for ecclesiastical Affairs: they are known to have, and are allowed to hold them," And I may add, that, by their own Accounts. the same Liberties are taken by the Methodists.

Shall Schism and Enthusiasm enjoy their Consultations for the Propagation of their Interest, and for the Destruction of the Church? and shall an apostolic and established Church, where its Preservation requires this Immunity, be restrained; be forced to want it? God forbid!

I believe we shall not, if we properly apply for Relief; for, the Two Houses of Convocation are as much a Part of the English Constitution as the Two Houses of Parliament; and therefore neither the one nor the other can be totally disused. It has antiently been an Objection to the Conduct os some of our * Princes, that they laid aside the Use of the Convocation; to others, that they laid aside the Use of Parliaments. The afore-mentioned writer assigns, as a Reason for this, that the Case is the same in our Church Assemblies, as in our great Lay Conventions; the assembling of which is not only a Part of the Prince's Perogative, but of the Subject's Right; "That Intermissions must not be supposed to take away the Right of Assembling, except they are withal supposed to take the Right of Convening: so that the provincial Inferiors may well demand to be assembled, as soon as those Reasons impedient shall cease, and much more, when stronger Reasons shall arise on the other Side, such as would justify the Clergy's Desire of an extraordinary Convention, if they had not an ordinary one to claim."

These Observations lead me now to consider the high Antiquity of the civil Authority of these Assemblies of the Clergy, and how far they have received the Countenance and Concurrence of the State in England.

They were in Use here in the Times of the Britons, before our English Ancestors arrived from Germany. Bede relates, how the Bishops of the Britons formed themselves into a Convocation to attend the Propositions of Austin, who came over by order of Pope Gregory, to convert the English Saxons, who then were Heathens. And though it may be objected, that the Church Britain, and the British Government, such as it was, have both been destroyed and made way for the English, now more than a thousand Years ago, yet this Account of their Affairs shews the Antiquity of such Usages in the Church of CHRIST, wheresoever planted among different People, and for the Matter of civil Establishment, we have no need to go to the Britons for Prescription and Authority, having such a Series of Acts and Monuments to produce, since our own Settlement in this Island.

The English Saxons, whose Descendents we are, and whose Laws and Customs make that Constitution, of which, as far as we retain it, we may justly boast, gave an early Establishment to Christianity, and established it with all its Privileges. Ethelbert King of Kent (for then the English were divided into seven Kingdoms) first introduced it into his Dominions. As the Men of Kent made the first English Kingdom, so they were the first English Christians; and one of the first Immunities granted by this Prince to the infant Church of England was of the very Sort, of which I am now speaking: for he afforded Austin his Assistance and Authority, which was very great among the Britons, to procure some of their Bishops to give the Meeting, and form a Convocation with his own Ecclesiastes.

But, though Ethelbert was the first, the other Monarchs of the Heptarchy were not far behind him in propagating the Gospel, and lending it such Assistance from the State, as might give Force and Authority to its Ordinances, and prevent their being neglected, opposed or overturned by the Intrigues of knavish and designing Men, working upon the Caprice or Humour of the common People.

In the Year 694, Wightred his Successor in the fourth Descent, as soon as he came to the Crown, assembled a mykel Council or mykel Mote, for regulating the Affairs of the Church. There is a pompous Account of this Convocation, in the Saxon Chronicle, which being in the Form of short Annals seldom relates an Event in a Manner so circumstantial and particular. The Speech of the King himself is very remarkable, and shews the Piety of the true old * Saxon English.

Which Piety was not confined to the Kingdom of Kent alone. It appears among the Laws of Kin Ina, that there was another Convocation about 547, which was honoured with the Style and Title of the great Assembly of the Servants of God. Magna Servorum Dei Frequentia.

And in 747, Ethelbald King of the Mercians, held a Church-mote or Synod, wherein it was ordered, that the Lord's Prayer and the Creed, should be taught in the English Saxon ** or Mother Tongue.

We read in the Compass of a few Years more of another summoned at Whitby, by the Authority of Oswy King of Northumberland: at which the King himself was present, and Cedda the new made Bishop appeared, as Prolocutor.

Thus you see the Practice was general throughout the seven English Kingdoms in their separate State.

. . . .

*Dr. FREE's Remarks upon Mr. Jones's Letters, p. 53.

*Forensi, Tull DeOratore, Lib. I.

** See a further Account of them in an Ordination Sermon preached by the Author in the Cathedral of Christ-Church in Oxford, Sept. 23, 1739, before the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Oxford, now his GRACE the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury.

*The Rights, &c. of an English Convocation.

** I am informed that they sit yearly; and that His Majesty on these Occasions, honours them with his Letter, appears from their Address of this Year, to be seen at the End of this Speech.

...........

William Rufus. Concilia non permisit celebrari in Regno suo, ex quo Rex factus est, jam per 13 Annos. Anselm I. 13 Ep. 46. And what the Consequence of this Intermission was, the Synod which met at the Beginning of Henry I declares: Multis vero Annis Synodali cultura cessante vitiorum vepribus succrescentibus, Christian ae Religiouis Fervor in Anglia nimis refrixerat. Eadmer, p. 67.

* Forthon ic Wihtred eorthlic Cing fram heovenlice Cinge onbryrd & mid andan thare Rightwisnisse anaeld of uran alderan Foederan ic habbe geleornod, &c. One may see also in these Words a Specimen of the ancient English Oratory, which if expressed verbatim, as near as our modern Language will admit, will signify as follows:

-- "For that I Wihtred earthly King by the heavenly King incited, and with the Spirit of Justice fir'd; which of our older Fathers I have learned, &c."

Here the modern English gives us the Latin word Spirit for Andan, and Latin Word Justice for Righteousness, &c. whereas the old Language borrowed nothing from foreign Tongues, having such Plenty of its own, of Words the most expressive.

**Usher, de Scripturis & sacris Vernaculis, p.197.