with more decency, than he has, hitherto, observed towards others. Tenderness, it is very evident, has no good effect on Mr. Wesley, and his pretended family of love. Witness the rancour, with which Mr. Hervey's memory and works are treated by that lovely family. For my own part, I fhall never attempt to hew fuch millstones with a feather. They must be ferved as nettles: prefs them clofe, and they cannot fting.-Yet have they my prayers, and my best wishes, for their prefent and future falvation. But not one hair's breadth of the gospel will I ever (God being my helper) offer up at their shrine, or facrifice to their idol.

1

LETTER

Auguftus Toplady.

XIX.

To Mr. RYLAND, Junior.

London, April 30, 1773.

ANY and beft thanks to dear Mr. R. for his

MANY

two valuable and much efteemed letters: as alfo for the several pamphlets, with which the latter of his two favours was accompanied. Mr.Richard Hill had fhewn me Wefley's fecond remarks, immediately on my coming to town: I am, however, greatly obliged to you for forwarding it.

Heartily I wish, that I could avail myself of your dear father's invitation to Northampton. But it is a pleasure, which my time, at prefent, will not fuffer me to enjoy. I muft, volente Deo, leave town next week. Should life be fpared, and opportunity granted, in future, I know not the family, with whom I could spend a week or two, more profitably and agreeably, than your's.

M 4

The

The word of God runs and is glorified in London. Cobler Tom laments, it feems, publicly from his preaching-tub (mif-named, a pulpit), that fuch an Antinomian as myfelf fhould have crouded auditories, while the preachers of the pure gospel (by which, you know, he means free-will, merit, and perfection) are fo thinly attended.

The envy, malice, and fury of Wesley's party, are inconceivable. But, as violently as they hate me, I dare not, I cannot hate them in return. I have not fo learned Chrift.-They have my prayers and my best wishes, for their prefent and eternal falvation. But their errors have my oppofition also: and this is the irremiffible fin, which thofe red-hot bigots know not how to forgive.

You defire to be informed of the title to my intended publication, now in the prefs. It runs thus. "Hiftoric Proof of the doctrinal Calvinifm of the Church of England: including, a brief Account of fome eminent Perfons, famous for their Adoption of that Syftem, both before and fince the Reformation; with Specimens of their Teftimonies."

I fear, it will extend to a four or five fhilling volume. But the facts and evidences are fo numerous, and drawn from fuch a multiplicity of fources, that I could not poffibly bring it into lefs compafs. Acquaint your good father, that his grand favourite and mine, archbishop Bradwardin, makes a very eminent figure, in the chapter which relates to our own English heroes.

Though I have, for fifteen years past (i. e. for very near half my life), been folidly and clearly con-vinced of the original and intrinfic Calvinism of the eftablished Church; ftill, I did not know, that the fubject was fupported by fuch a vaft confluence of pofitive authorities, until the furious oppofition of the Methodists forced me to take a nearer and more exact view of the argument. Thus far, at leaft, I am obliged to that virulent fect. And, on a retrofpective

fpective furvey of the whole matter, I myself stand aftonished at that profufion of evidence, which pours from every quarter, in favour of the main point. My own collections (to go no farther,) viewed in the aggregate, abfolutely furprise me. And yet,

if

the argument is far from being exhaufted.-But, that is not exhaufted, my paper almoft is. I must therefore conclude: having but just room to falute you and your family; to commend me to your prayers; and to fubfcribe myself, ever dear fir, Your's most affectionately,

Auguftus Toplady.

To the Rev. Mr. P.

[Extract.]

You

LETTER XX.

London, May 3, 1773.

OU was not mif-informed, as to my having had an interview with Thomas Oliver. It happened thus:

On Saturday, the 8th of laft month, I was going to fee good Mr. Hitchin, of Hoxton. On my way, paffing by the Foundery, it occurred to me, that I had now an opportunity of gratifying my curiofity, by purchafing Wefley's laft printed Journal. I therefore went in, and found a man reading, in what is called the Book-room, i. e. the room where Wefley's publications are fold. The man, on my telling him what I wanted, anfwered, "Sir, I am not the perfon that fells the books; but I will ftep and call him." He left me, for two or three minutes; and returned with (I think) two other men and three women. Having paid for the Journal and taken my change, I was coming away: when one of the men, who proved to be Mr. Jofeph Cownley, asked me, "whether my name was not Toplady?"

Toplady?" My answer was, "Yes, fir, at your fervice." All prefent immediately affumed an air of much civility. Iftopped and chatted with them for, 1 believe, ten minutes. In the courfe of my stay, I took out my snuff-box. Mr. Cownley asked for a pinch. As I held it to him, I faid, with a fmile, "Is not it against the law of this place, for a believer to take fnuff?” Mr. Cownley huddled the matter up, by alledging, that he was troubled with the head-ach. Imme

diately on which, one of the good women (whom I afterwards found to be the wife of Mr. Thomas Oliver) faid, directing herself to me, "O fir, Mr. Wesley has no objection to people's taking fnuff medicinally." I answered, "I am glad you are allowed fome latitude: I thought you were tied up by an abfolute prohibition, without any loop-hole of exception." Our chat (which, though humorous, was extremely civil on all fides) being over, I took leave of the company.-I should have told you before, that, no fooner was my name authenticated, than one of the women flipped out of the room. Who fhe was, I know not: but fhe was fufficiently corpulent as broad, comparitively, as fhe was long. The reafon of her decampment, I fuppofe, was, to announce the tidings to cobler Tom, of the unexpected vifitant in the Book-room.

As I was going out of the faid room, the fat lady ftood on the right hand, and a man in black on the left, without fide the door. In paffing, I moved my hat. Sir, cried the corpulent fifter, pointing to the other fide of me, "that is Mr. Oliver."-I faid, fimiling, "what, my famous antagonift?" Oliver fmiled and bowed. "Mr. Oliver," added I, "give me your hand cudgel-players thake hands, though they mean to break each others' heads." He made me no verbal answer, but, repeating his bow, shook me by the hand; and feemed pleafed. As I was not willing to have quite a filent meeting on his part, I began afrefl: "Your complexion, Mr.

Oliver, seems to indicate too close an intenseness of thought. Do not ftudy too hard, left the fword be too sharp for the fheath." He then began to open: "Oh, fir, I do not study too clofely. I do not hurry myself. I take my time." On which I told him, "As you are thrown in my way, I fhould be glad of a quarter of an hour's conversation with you, you are at leasure." He answered, " with all my heart, fir: I fhall be very glad:" and calling for a key, up ftairs we went to his apartment.

if

On entering it, I faw a fmall table covered with printed pamphlets and written papers. Among the pamphlets, was Mr. Hill's Logica Wefleïenfis.-To avoid the frequent repetitions of faid 1, and faid he; I fhall throw as much of our converfation as I can. recollect, dialogue-wife, under the initials of our respective fur-names. Premifing one remark, viz. that he ftrove much to draw me into a pitched debate on the Arminian points, which I was as much determined to avoid; and that for this reason, because, as none were prefent but himfelf and his wife, what I might have faid, would have lain at the mercy of their mifreprefentation afterwards. I therefore parried him at arm's length, and was rather an hearer than a fpeaker.

After reconnoitring his table at my first going up, I obferved to him, So, here is the whole polemical apparatus, ready to fire off. When do you intend to publish against us?

Ö. It seems, fir, that you too are going to publish a book against Mr. Sellon.

T. Perhaps fo: and I will give you a friendly hint. Do not be too hafty in printing your next attack. If you will have patience to wait, you may have an opportunity of killing two or three birds with one ftone. You know, if we write a folio, it is but your printing a penny sheet, and we are anfwered at once. Nay, write but a fingle page, and call it an answer, and we are knocked down flat.

O. Mr.