denomination
Tho this is but a romantic place as my friend
Matthew
well observed /yet/ You wou’d laugh to see the bustle I am in.
I was told we shou’d meet with great opposition if I did /not/
try to propitiate the
chief Despot of the Village , who is very
rich and very brutal; so I ventured to the Den of this Monster,
in a Country as savage as himself, near
Bridgewater. He begged I wou’d not think
of bringing any religion into the Country, it was the worst
thing in the world for the poor, for it made them lazy and
useless; in vain I represented to him that they wou’d be more
industrious as they were better principled, and that for my own
part, I had no selfish views in what I was doing; he gave me to
understand that he knew the world too well to believe either the
one or the other. Somewhat dismay’d to find that my success bore
no proportion to my submissions, I was almost discouraged from
more visits; but I found friends must be secured at all events,
for if these rich savages set their faces against /us/, and
inflamed the poor people I thought nothing but hostilities wou’d
answer. So I made Eleven more of these /agreeable/ Visits, but I
was by this time improved in the Arts of canvassing and had
better success. Miss Wilberforce wou’d
have been shocked had She seen the petty Tyrants Whose insolence
I stroaked and tamed, the ugly children I praised, the Pointers
and Spaniels I caressed, the cider I commended, the wine I
drank, and the brandy I might have drank; and after these
irresistible flatteries I enquired of each if he cou’d recommend
me to a house; /said/ that I had a little plan which I hoped
wou’d secure their orchards from being robbed, their rabbits
from being shot, and their game from being stolen /and
might lower the Poor Rates./ If effect be the
best proof of Eloquence then mine was a good Speech; for I met
with the hearty concurrence of the whole people, and their
promise to discourage or favour the poor in proportion as they
were attentive or negligent in sending their Children.
Patty, who is with me says she has good
hope the hearts of some of these wealthy poor wretches
may be touched; they are as ignorant as the beasts that perish,
drunk every day before dinner and plunged in such vices as make
me begin to think London a virtuous place. By their assistance I
procured immediately a good house, which when a partition is
taken down, and a Window added will receive a great number of
children. This house and an excellent Garden of almost an Acre
of ground, I have taken at once for Six Guineas and a half Pr.
Year. I have ventured to take it for seven Years,
there’s courage for You! It is to be put in order
instantly; for the night cometh, and it is a comfort to
think that, tho I may be dust and ashes in a few weeks yet by
that time this business I hope will be in actual Motion. I have
written to different Manufacturing Towns for a Mistress but can
get nothing hitherto; as to the Mistress for the
Sunday School, and the religious part I have employ’d
Mrs. Easterbrook , of whose
judgment, (Demons out of the question) I have a good opinion. I
hope Miss W. wont be frightened but
I am afraid she must be a Methodist.
Patty
is a little acquainted with
Mrs. Charles Wesley , and says she is a very worthy, respectable person, a perfect
Gentlewoman, of good family and Education. She has also
a daughter, a young Woman of considerable parts and literature. When I knew
a little of her some years ago indeed, she was more of a Wit than
a Methodist, but I really believe
they are both excellent, deserving Women. Of their circumstances I
cannot speak so accurately, private fortune they certainly have
none.
Father John, as he was called allowed them £200 pr.
An: during his Life, and we have heard that at his death he
desired the
Society
to allow them £70 Pr.
Ann: This I believe is all they have. We think they live with the
two Sons
who support themselves by Music, but were not comfortable Sons to
their excellent father.
By to day’s post I shall write to a friend to inform myself
more exactly as to their circumstances, certainly making no
mention of you in the business . Wesley’s
Society
I believe is very poor, his restrictions in the Article of dress
&c having always frightened away the rich and gay, where /as
they/ cou’d now and then sneak into
Whitefield’s, who seemed to have judged more prudently in not acquiring any
such outward and visible sign of conformity. –
Old Cadell sent me some time ago a petition
for a charitable case to be sent to you, who he understood had a
large sum bequeathed you for that purpose. An old hawks! he is
ten times richer than you are. That is, he does not spend a
tenth of his income I dare say. I cut the matter short, told him
I shou’d not so much as name it to you – that the Legacy was
pledged to specific Objects – That your charity greatly exceeded
your ability; and that depending on you myself for large
supplies for my own schemes, I made it a rule to apply to you
for no other – So much for
Maister Cadell – I hope you
intend to get your Money of him at x times. I grudge that he is
now making ten per Cent of it perhaps.
Good old
Newton
has written to me to write to the
Bp of London
in favour of a
Mr.
Sheppard
who was Curate to
Cadogan
and who is Candidate for the Lectureship of
St. Giles. Now I do not care to do it, as I never heard so much as the
name of Mr.
Sheppard. Do you know any thing of him and is he the sort of man
you cou’d recommend to the Bishop?
Newton
speaks of him as an upright moderate Man of good character, a good
and diligent preacher poor, unprovided for, has a wife and
children &c
Mrs. W.
will I dare say send me a line with your view of this Subject – It
strikes me that you shou’d tell the Bp what a mischievous Man that
Gun
is. it is right the Bishops shou’d know that you disapprove of
such mad fellows as much as they do, whereas they think if there
is but methodism and certainty that
alone disposes all in their favour.
Charemile
and
Lady W.
&c tell me they never see or hear of
Mrs. W
– I am disgusted at her want of decency, to say the least, in not
concealing her satisfaction at quitting a place, so pleasant so
advantageous /so congenial/ to
her husband .7 The change must be an immense expence.
W.
and I have had a good deal of intercourse a few weeks ago about
Mr. T.’s
health – We agreed in thinking, that more relaxaxation [sic]
from business without travelling about, and renouncing the
comforts and accommodations of his
pleasant home, was the best thing for him
at this time of year.
I hope he does relax and that you will soon if the Spring
shoud ever begin, get to
Battersea
for your sake especially. – Shoud You see
Charemile
will you tell tell her that
I will write to her on her kind proposal soon,
and that we are soon looking out for the Barrister the Circuit
being nearly over.8 I agree with you in wondering that your
agreeable Nephew
coud overlook that agreeable girl and chuse one so inferior both
in mind and person.9 How can you read
Godwin
by way of learning to do good? An avow’d Atheist? An acquaintance
of mine,
Miss Lee
woud have married him she said had he been only an Infidel, but he
denied a first course.10 To me his writings are the blackness of
darkness. Hume by his elegance, and Voltaire by his wit and the
charms of his style are seducing. But tell Mr.
T. if he reads it, not to let others read it, for I remember at
Xt Church
Miss Creswell
and
Miss Schim
were frightened at his reading Hume’s
Essays
to them11 They were not then so strong in Religion as they are
since become. Seriously I think Plays and Novels safe
reading compared with books of subtel sophistry and promiscuous
reasoning – I dont mean that you may not pack /up/ up good things
in them. I have not yet read the C. O.12 but have run over
Ingram13
which is very good, the second part I thought
leaned a little more to Calvinism than I do, that is I
thought it woud give the C. O. a rather more
Calvinistic Air than it has lately assumed
I am glad the C. O. takes up the
Bp of Saint David’s
Plan14 – I have been in constant correspondence (when able) [wi]th
[tear] this good Bp on the Subject ever [s]ince [tear] he planned
it. It is to raise the character morals, learning & piety of
the Welch Clergy. I hardly know so pressing a cause. There will
unavoidably, to save his credit be mixd with it a little too much
High Church but we must be glad to
do something if we cannot do all that is wanted. I subscribe and
propose leaving a legacy to the St.
David’s Plan. The building a sort of Welch College was partly my
Suggestion. –
I believe you had some part of your education at
St. Omers *, or at least at
Maynouth* – for was there not something a little
jesuitical in your converting my
hope into a promise? As to the other convention
between us, that of the medical case, tho I dare not I fear shrink
from a treaty which you will pretend was ratified, I must however
plead for delay, and the more so as it will not be necessary to
send it, till you are landed in that sink of sin and sea coal, as
Will Honeycomb calls
London.*
I know not to what passage of
Miss Seward
you allude as she so frequently does me the honour of designating
me by the appellation of the
gloomy Calvinist*!10 Did I tell you of one egregious falsehood respecting me? She
speaks of
Mr. Newton
preaching strange doctrines in a
Mr. Inman’s
Church, and that I flattered him to the Skies, and Mr.
Inman said afterwards ‘how this Man has done more harm in my
church in one sermon than I can repair in many
Months’*. What will you think of the Lady’s veracity,
when I tell you that Mr.
Newton never saw Mr.
Inman nor ever preached in his Church. Many such things might be
adduced
As I am writing to the
Bishop of Saint David’s
I would not lose the occasion of telling you that he is ‘the
pious, learned and laborious Prelate’* to which you
refer in
your very obliging letter . He treats the Subject more at large in a little work against
the Catholic Claims entitled
‘Christ the Rock and not Saint Peter’*. But I must recommend a more recent publication of
his Lordship’s with a view to the
Socinian* friend to whom
Your
verses
are addressed* – it is called
‘The Bible and nothing but the Bible the Religion of the Church
of England’ * addressed to the
Socinians. It is I think an able
refutation, and, (which I always think a good quality in
Controversy) it is a brief one.
I congratulate you on your very triumphant
Bible Meeting, and subsequent festivity. I had a very satisfactory account of
it in a letter from
Miss Powys
to
her Sister ,*
who came down here on purpose
to bring poor
Lady Southampton
[sic] children,* whom she was very desirous I should
see as
the little Lord
was at home and
she was too ill to come herself; she seems to be very suffering
in body, but more cheerful in spirit . I grieve that the fine little boy is to leave
Mr.
Wind ’s* – some
Calvinistic counsel I fear.
Antinomian /ism/ * is
growing in a most formidable manner in some friends of whom I had
hoped better things. I am much alarmed at its pestilent progress.
I think an open division will take place; and the religious World
consist of two doctrinal classes. – pray write soon
I hope
your abode
is quite out of the reach of alarm.
Mr. Shaw
M. P. for
Dublin* has sent me a frightful pamphlet artfully composed
by the enemy called
‘Irish History’.*
I had an alarming letter from the good
Archbishop of Cashell
on the dangers of his, and the neighbouring Diocese; but my fears
have since been calmed by others from
Dr. Woodward * and the
Dean of Cork.* Yet it is impossible to be quite easy, especially
since that abominable deed the restoration of the
Jesuits.*
Those misguided Clergymen I named to you with
Baring
and
Snow
at their head, are I fear sadly extending the cause of
Schism. They will have many followers among the young the hot headed,
and the lovers of Novelty. I have read
a correspondence between Mr. Baring and good
Mr. Biddulph ; the latter wrote a most admirable letter to the other,
deploring, exhorting, intreating. He begged him if he had any
objections to the Establishment to withdraw himself quietly and
without the presumptuous idea of forming a new Sect, to pass at
least a year in retirement, meditation and prayer. The Answer I
presume was composed by the whole Conclave, for it was artfully
and, on their principles very well done. Mr.
Baring locked /up/
his Church, sent the key to
the Bishop
with the resignation of his Living.* The Bishop
returned an answer that as he was but a young Divine he hoped he
might come to a better way of thinking, he would therefore give
him six months for reflection before he would accept his
resignation. He has ill rewarded this candor by setting up a
Chapel for his own heresies in Salisbury under the very nose of
the Bishop. They* are also buying chapels in various
places, for the dissemination of their pestilent doctrines, for I
think this is not too severe an epithet to express
Antinomianism. Of one thing I am
glad; they have it seems bought
the Chapel of
Mr. Huntington
in
London
the late focus of Antinomian doctrines*, by this I
trust they will identify themselves in the public opinion with
this obnoxious Man. I am sadly grieved at this unhappy business
Baring and Snow I thought would be very useful Men; and so they
would had they confined themselves to their respective stations –
but Men bred to business, without learning, and who have but a few
years began even to read the Bible, might have contented
themselves with being hearers without aspiring to be teachers. I
pressed this strongly on Snow, telling him that we wanted pious
Bankers and Merchants much more than pious Clergymen of which we
had so many.
One good however will spring out of this evil, we shall I hope get
these noxious doctrines /weeded/ out of the Church: and, what I
rejoyce to hear,
the high Calvinists are preaching far more practically. Many good Men have been sadly deficient in this respect. Of
poor insignificant me they have repeatedly said ‘Her writings make
us sick of practice’.
I have had a very interesting visit from my old friend
/Revd/ Mr. Stewart , Son to
Lord Galloway. You know I believe that this excellent young Man near ten years
ago, quitted not only the luxuries of his Station and the
enjoyments of Society /but the common comforts of life, / and with
his Bishop’s consent left his church preferment to go on a Mission
to
Canada.* There he has been living obscurely but not
uselessly, for the Protestants of
that place,
Montreal
&c are at length so awakened by his labours that they have
agreed at their own expence to build four Churches and he is come
to
Europe
for the sole purpose of procuring right sort of Ministers, and to
claim the Stipend allowed by Government and the
Society for Propagating the Gospel
for those parts.
I shall be looking out for pious prudent Men for him
If ever I could be disposed to wish myself a Papist
it would be immediately on the death of one in whom one has
taken a warm interest. It seems comfortless, that after one has
watched over them and offered up petitions for them, that in the
moment of the greatest interest, that of their dissolution
prayer must cease, the object of your solicitation is beyond its
reach, and what was duty one moment is become unlawful the next.
You have doubtless heard of
Mr. Cowan ’s Eccentricities. He
has formally renounced the Church, and is setting up a religion
of his own, if it can be called his own which is so identified
with the doctrines of Baring & Co .* He has published his
‘Reasons for quitting the Church,’
in an ill written inconsistent
Antonomian Pamphlet.* I
am glad at any rate to get such doctrines out of the Church, but I
am sorry for this misguided Man. His principal friends have
forsaken him. His inferior Adherents are getting Subscriptions for
building him a Chapel, but are not so successful as they
expected.*
They came to me and I had an hour’s conflict in justifying my
refusal to subscribe. I assured them it was not to save a few
Guineas for I had a personal kindness for Cowan, but I could
not answer it to my Conscience to give any support to a plan
which was intended to be subversive of the Establishment, and
to propagate doctrines hostile to her principles.
I have delay’d answering dearest
Millicents excellent letter, from a daily
expectation of this final event, else what delightful matter /in
her letter/ had I to write about!
My dearest Lady you were Providentially sent to
Nice
for the purpose of converting that valuable Roman
Catholic who I doubt not will be
one of the many who will bless you in heaven either for temporal
or spiritual benefits. The frame of mind visible in your
daughter’s letter is admirable.
For all our sakes, but especially for her sake, I
exhort you, I beseech you take care of your health. There is yet
a great deal for you to do in this world You know not to how
many souls you may be the instrument of good. God has already
honoured you in this /way/
Two mornings successively I have set aside for answering your
letter with one or two others,
but from breakfast till now when the dinner is almost ready,
I have had a number of visitors one after another till I lost
my patience as well as my time .
However tho I have lost a few minutes (for an inflammation in
my eyes prevents my doing any thing by candle light)
I snatch up my pen, as perhaps you may be waiting for an answer
respecting Mr. Coan, thus he spells his name. * I am however not well qualified to give an opinion
as I do not know him at all. I believe him to be a very pious
young /man/ of the
Calvinistic School. But he is an
Irishman with all the warmth and impetuosity of his
country. I should be grieved to say any thing that might be
injurious to a deserving Man but it /is/ my private opinion that
he would not be well calculated for the temperate zone of
Clapham. He has got himself into two or three little scrapes and tho I
really am inclined to think he was not the aggressor yet
the habit of getting into scrapes generally indicates the want of
a cool temper. If
Clapham
was an obscure Village I should not have said a word of this, as
few villages are perhaps better supplied but he does not stay long
in a place I observe. I should /think him/ not fit for so
enlightened –
Patty
would say critical congregation as Clapham. Pray present
my best regards to
Mr. Daltry *
and tell him I begin to fear I must wait till we meet in a better
world before I shall /enjoy/ that long indulged wish of making his
acquaintance
I entertain better hopes as to seeing you and your admirable
friends
if it please God to spare me till the Summer I beg my most
affectionate respects to them and love to dear
Lucy
who is to be of the
Barley Wood
party.
This Subject of Money leads me to say (which I did not intend)
that I believe I must desire you not to give away the Interest of
Mrs.
Bouveries’s
Money any more but to let me have it; do not however tell her this
just now. I am now engaged for such very large expences, that,
humanly speaking, I do not very well see how I shall get thro it,
and my faith /which is not over strong/ is kept pretty much on the
sketch. Assessed Taxes and some other things have reduced my
Sisters’ Income £150 a Year and they spent all before; as I shall
feel it right to help towards this deficiency I shall not be able
to make /the new/ addition towards the Schools which I had hoped I
will not however distrust that Providence which has so
unexpectedly carried me on hitherto and I hope to use these little
difficulties and uncertainties as an exercise of my trust in him,
You will think so when I tell you that in spite of the continued
opposition at Wedmore we are building a house there
P.
says she thinks we tire you with our Stories, I will however tell
you one which I think will be much to
Mrs. Clarke’s
taste. After going on Sunday to Wedmore (30 miles there and back)
on the wettest day I was ever out in we found our poor 300
Children assembled in the half finished room without a floor a
door or a window, we taught them with great peace and content, not
one of the Farmers condescending to come nigh us, or offering the
least accommodation tho the rain was so violent /but I borrowed a
Cottage/ At length the season came out – The children had /been/
trying to sing for the first time one of
Watt’s Hymns,
this brought a Farmer who said now he was sure we were
Methodys; on being asked what gave the Parish such a terror of Methodists
he said
this was his answer – ‘Some years ago a Methody preacher
came and preached in our Orchard under my Mother’s best apple
tree, immediately after the leaves withered and the tree died; we
saw at once this was a judgment, and called a vestry to
see what could be done to save our Orchards; We there agreed that
we shoud not have an Apple left in the parish if we suffered a
Methody to stay, so we ordered the people to get all the stones
and rotten eggs they could muster, and beat the whole crew out of
the Parish; they did so, and sure enough it saved our Orchards for
we have not lost an Apple tree since’. I have told it verbatim –
This is the enlightened 18 Century! One woud put up with a little
ill treatment to instruct such a parish as this in spite of itself
But we have difficulties of a far more serious nature than this
which I wou’d not trouble you with an account of, but that perhaps
you may be able to suggest some useful hints to us. In two or
three of our most established parishes where most good seems to be
doing, there is arisen a most violent opposition agt.
us or rather against.
religion. They let P. and I go on quietly while there was no
serious Clergymen in the Country, but two or 3 of our Oxford Young
Men having been down in the Summer and preached about at our Clubs
&c has excited an Animosity that is dreadful. One of the
worldly Clergy has declared he will /give himself the trouble to/
set up an Evening Lecture at the Church as the only means he can
devise to destroy our evening Reading. I shoud rejoyce at this did
I not know what stuff he will preach. If he does however I shall
endeavour to make our people go, but as many of them seem really
serious I fear they will not. – Our other great trial is at
Blagdon,
where the
Clergyman
(the Magistrate you saw here once) is such a hypocrite that he
affected to shed tears when I was ill, and said in a canting tone
‘what wou’d become of the Country’, yet is doing all he can to
knock up the School, thro a genuine hatred to Xtianity and a
personal hatred to one of our serious young Ministers who has
awakend a dying woman and several others. This Blagdon Parson has
been reading Socinian books, and
now boldly preaches against the Trinity, St Paul &c. and tells
the people that they need pay no attention to any part of
Scripture but the Sermon on the Mount. He has so disturbed the
faith of the whole parish nearly that they are afraid to attend at
the school where they say other doctrines are taught, and if the
Parson is in the right, the ladies must be in the wrong. I am
extremely distressed what to do having no Bishop no Rector who
cares for any of these things. I am well tried on all sides and am
rather more worked than my nerves will bear tho I am better.
Remember me kindly to
Mrs. T.
and excuse this long scrawl
