out instantly that Richard Hill, Esquire, would preach at a certain time and place which he named, and succeeded in prevailing prevailing on him to fulfil the announcement. This occurrence was hailed with delight by Berridge and others, and drew from them many triumphant remarks, characterised by much more of heated zeal than of sober Christian prudence, which calculates wisely the aggregate of a man's usefulness in his peculiar station, and desires that he should shine in the sphere wherein Providence has ordained and pointed out his movements. This event happened a short time after the period to which our attention is now more particularly directed, and is merely related here as being a convenient place for the brief digression.

About the year 1767, Mr. Richard Hill began to take a lively interest in the efforts to promote the cause of truth at Oxford, which had grown out of those adverted to at the beginning of this chapter. He was the more in earnest because men of authority in the University, had manifested a decided intention to put down every attempt of the kind, and the authors of it. The person from whom both Mr. Richard and Mr. Rowland Hill derived their chief information respecting these movements, was Mr. John Hallward, an Oxonian, of whom more will be said in a future part of this volume. There are in my possession several of his letters to his young friend Rowland Hill at Cambridge, which give a most valuable insight into the beginning of that opposition, which broke forth with such violence in 1768. Mr. Hallward, filled with youthful zeal, had begun preaching prematurely under the auspices of Mr. Richard Hill at Hodnet, who, when his fidelity at Reading in after life, involved him in persecution, became his powerful defender. He was in constant correspondence with young Rowland,

66

MR. RICHARD HILL AT OXFORD.

101

and in common with him, had to encounter much parental opposition. In one letter, Mr. Hallward tells him: My parents have got in their possession several of the letters and papers wrote from the beginning of my conversion, and received from Mr. Davies, Riland, &c. containing the quintessence of enthusiasm and Methodism, so called. You may well imagine the devil would represent this as a terrible affair, and indeed well know the effects he would have it produce; but thanks to God, I am kept, and have been calm and tranquil." He announced in this communication dated, Feb. 1767, that he should soon "be at Oxon." When there, he with some others of a kindred spirit, met at the house of a Mrs. Durbridge for the purpose of religious exercises. These pious youths had been visited during their meetings by Mr. Richard Hill, as appears in the following extract from a letter of Mr. Hallward to his brother Rowland, dated "Worcester, Aug. 18, 1767." He says, "I had left Oxon sooner, but that I chose to stay there, it being at my own option, till the devil had broke up the rout and convocation of horse-racers, &c., here assembled, and pretty well despatched and finished those horrible works of darkness. I had the pleasure of seeing your dear brother and rector before I came down, and likewise of hearing, with many others, a very sweet and excellent sermon from him on the Sunday evening at Mrs. D's. There dropt in two or three gownsmen whilst he was preaching, who the next Sunday came in just before prayer, with about eight or nine more, when a sermon was read. As many or more came the next, when a gospel minister providentially came in, and that evening, and in the morning, much refreshed our bowels in the Lord by the gracious words that dropt from his lips, both in preaching and conversation. This discovery,

102

OPPOSITION IN HIGH QUARTERS.

with that of the Newnam or village affair I mentioned before, has made a very great stir, so that the people of Oxford, both Gown and Town, begin now more than ever to cry out and make a great noise. They were before ignorant of our carrying on that meeting there, and on their coming in, I thought it cowardly to desist." News was constantly transmitted of all these events to Mr. Richard Hill; and on one occasion Mr. Stillingfleet, who had been at Oxford, brought tidings of symptoms of great indignation in very high quarters. The case of one youth was actually brought before the Archbishop of Canterbury, his own father turning complainant-a specimen indeed of the virulence of the times against any approach to spiritual religion. The Archbishop replied that he was sorry for them both," and thought" the youth might be brought to himself by his father's kind admonitions, instructions, &c. At the same time the Bishop of Oxford protested against the Methodists, and a faithful Address to the Clergy dedicated to him. He also sent down an address of his own, wherein he accused the revivalists of schism, and Antinomianism. He was urged on by his chaplain, one Wheeler, who declared his determination "to purge the University of the old leaven," as he was pleased to term the zealous Christians there. The young man just mentioned was obliged to leave Oxford, and announced himself as . beset on every side-could return no more to Oxon -knew not what door the Lord might open-but was quite resigned;" and notwithstanding all his difficulties, was determined not to have recourse to the common cure for all these troubles in those days," housing himself in a meeting-house," contrary to the discipline of that Church whose doctrines he was so anxious once

INCREASE OF RELIGION.

103

"the

more to revive. In spite of all the uproar raised, number of candidates for the vineyard" at Oxford increased more and more, until the enemy interrupted them in their labours by an act of most disgraceful violence. The history of this persecution will be given in the next chapter.

CHAPTER V.

CHARGES AGAINST CERTAIN STUDENTS OF ST. EDMUND'S HALL, OXFORD,

WHO WERE EXPELLED.

EXCELLENT LETTER OF MR. RICHARD HILL. THEIR DEFENCE BY HIM AND MR. WHITFIELD. DR. NOWELL's reply TO MR. HILL'S "PIETAS OXONIENSIS.' FAULTS OF THE LATTER

THE SENTENCE. THE NEWSPAPERS.

THE

WORK. ARTICLES OF ACCUSATION BY MR. HIGSON.
CASE OF WELLING. "GOLIATH SLAIN."
PROCTORS.

REMARKS.

OXFORD, 1768.

In the year 1768, the "stir and noise" of the preceding year assumed a determinate form, and distinct charges were made against the young revivalists at Oxford. The originator of the various accusations brought before the authorities, was a Mr. Higson, tutor of St. Edmund's Hall, and the persons accused were six students of his own College. This individual professed a sudden alarm at discovering that there were in that society "several enthusiasts," who ventured to talk "of regeneration, inspiration, and drawing nigh unto God!" In a state of great ignorance, or at least forgetfulness, of the prominence of these terms in the Book of Common Prayer, he went, apparently much excited, with the charge now mentioned, to Dr. Dixon the Principal, who quietly observed that he could see no cause to consider these gen