He told his brother in 1785: "I firmly believe that I am a scriptural ἐπίσκοπος as much as any man in England or in Europe; for the uninterrupted succession I know to be a fable, which no man ever did or can prove." Other ordinations for the administration of the sacraments in Scotland, the colonies and England followed. The interests of his work stood first with Wesley. He did everything that strong words against separation could do to bind his societies to the Church of England; he also did everything that legal documents and ordinations could do to secure the permanence of that great work for which God had raised him up. In the words of Canon Overton and Rev. F. H. Relton (Hist. of Eng. Ch. 1714–1800): "It is purely a modern notion that the Wesleyan movement ever was, or ever was intended to be, except by Wesley, a church movement." Despite his strong sayings, it was Wesley who broke the links to the church, for, as Lord Mansfield put it, "ordination is separation."
Wesley's account of his itinerancy is given in his famous Journal, of which the first part appeared about 1739. Mr Birrell has called it “the most amazing record of human exertion ever penned by man.” It is certainly Wesley's most picturesque biography and the most vivid account of the evangelical revival that we possess. The rapid development of his work made a tremendous strain upon Wesley’s powers. He generally travelled about 5000 m. a year and preached fifteen sermons a week. He had constant encounters with the mob, but his tact and courage never failed. His rule was always to look a mob in the face. Many delicious stories are told of his presence of mind and the skilful appeals which he made to the better feeling of the crowd.
Wesley’s writings did much to open the eyes of candid men to his motives and his methods. Besides the incomparable Journal, his Appeals to Men of Reason and Religion also produced an extraordinary effect in allaying prejudice and winning respect. He constantly sought to educate his own people. No man in the 18th century did so much to create a taste for good reading and to supply it with books at the lowest prices. Sir Leslie Stephen pays high praise to Wesley's writings, which went “straight to the mark without one superfluous flourish.” As a social reformer Wesley was far in advance of his time. He provided work for the deserving poor, supplied them with clothes and food in seasons of special distress. The profits on his cheap books enabled him to give away as much as £1400 a year. He established a lending stock to help struggling business men and did much to relieve debtors who had been thrown into prison. He opened dispensaries in London and Bristol and was keenly interested in medicine.
Wesley's supreme gift was his genius for organization. He was
by no means ignorant of this. “I know this is the pectiliar talent which God has given me.” Wesley's special power lay in his quickness to avail himself of circumstances and of the suggestions made by those about him. The class-meeting, the love-feast, the watch-night, the covenant service, leaders, stewards, lay preachers, all were the fruit of this readiness to avail himself of suggestions made by men or events. Wesley skilfully wove these into his system, and kept the whole machinery moving harmoniously. He inspired his preachers and his people with his own spirit and made everything subordinate to his overmastering purpose, the spread of scriptural holiness throughout the land.
In 1751 Wesley married Mary Vazeille, a widow, but the union was importunate and she finally left him. John Fletcher, the vicar of Madeley, to whom Wesley had turned as a possible successor, died in 1785. He had gone to Wesley's help at West Street after his ordination at Whitehall in 1757 and had been one of his chief allies ever since. He was beloved by all the preachers, and his Checks to Antinomianism show that he was a courteous controversialist. Charles Wesley died three years after Fletcher. During the last three years of his life John Wesley reaped the harvest he had sown. Honours were lavished upon him. His people hailed every appearance among them with delight, and his visits to various parts of the country were public hohdays. His interest in everything about him continued unabated. He had a wealth of happy stories which made him the most delightful of companions in the homes of his people. Robert Southey never forgot how Wesley kissed his little sister and put his hand on his head and blessed him. Alexander Knox says, “So fine an old man I never saw! The happiness of his mind beamed forth in his countenance. Every look showed how fully he enjoyed ‘The gay remembrance of a life well spent.’ Wherever Wesley went, he diffused a portion of his own felicity.” He preached his last sermon in Mr Belson's house at Leatherhead on Wednesday, the 23rd of February 1791; wrote next day his last letter to W. Wilberforce, urging him to carry on his crusade against the slave trade; and died in his house at City Road on the 2nd of March 1791, in his eighty-eighth year. He was buried on the 9th of March in the graveyard behind City Road chapel. His long life enabled him to perfect the organization of Methodism and to inspire his preachers and people with his own ideals, while he had conquered opposition by unwearying patience and by close adherence to the principles which he sought to teach.
See also Methodism, and the articles on the separate Methodist bodies; see also Wesley Family. (J. T.*)
WESLEY, SAMUEL (1766–1837), English musical composer, of Charles Wesley (see above), was born at Bristol on the 24th of February 1766, and developed so precocious a talent for music that at three years old he played the organ and at eight composed an oratorio entitled Ruth—a fact which is duly chronicled on a curious portrait, painted in 1774, and afterwards engraved, wherein he is represented in the childish costume of the period. Though suffering for many years from an accidental injury to the brain, Wesley was long regarded as the most brilliant organist and the most accomplished extempore fugue-player in England. He may indeed be regarded as the father of modern organ-playing, for he it was who, aided by his friends Benjamin Jacob and C. F. Horn, first introduced the works of Sebastian Bach to English organists, not only by his superb playing, but by editing with Horn, in 1810, the first copy of Das wohltemperirte Clavier ever printed in England. Wesley's last performance took place on the 12th of September 1837 at Christ Church, Newgate Street, London, where, after hearing the wonderful performances of Mendelssohn, he was himself induced to play an extempore fugue. He died on the 11th of October 1837, leaving a vast number of MS. and printed compositions. His brother Charles (1757–1815) was also an accomplished organist, and still more famous was his son, Samuel Sebastian (q.v.).
WESLEY, SAMUEL SEBASTIAN (1810–1876), English composer and organist, natural son of Samuel Wesley, the eminent composer, was born in London on the 14th of August 1810. He
