New-York daily tribune., 1859-01-25

THE Hs1ShY 81 TIE ksG9us e xErHo
pisH sIttiI sfiyEss' IL D. Vol /. $40. ~. iso.
CsIl,en forter.
In treating the comprehensive subject 10 which
this volume is devoted, DR.. Stevens regards 1t from
tie most genera! point Of view, without reference
T. ts merely partial sec.arisn aspects. The or
einal movement which gave rise 10 tie Methodist
denomination. commenced within the Church of
England, but extended its influence to the great
BODY of Protestants in England and America Con-
sidered in this light. the theme presents an ample
store of materials for an instructive historical eI-
position, adapted not only to illustrate the progress
Of opinion, bat 10 bring out many interesting social
features Of that period According TO DIR. Stevens,
the declension OF tie English Church had reached
10 such degree in the middle Of the last century
that but little faith in revealed religion was cher
ithed among the higher circles Of society; inPiety
lad become the order Of the day; the theology OF
tie clergy had de generated into IL Eager natural
ism; and England had lapsed into virtual hea-
thenism. 1t was at this junc,ure that Wesley and
his coadjutors appeared upon the scene, to break
the sumbers of the Church, to nfuse new life IN
to the masse. of the English people, and TO COM
import than any merely sectarisn triumph.
The first portion Of the volume is devoted to an
account of the Wesley family, from which we take
description of the early domestic influences which
surrounded the childhood Of the founder OF Meth
odism.
THE EARLY HOME or WESLEY.
The eli1npses which we get from co,emporsry rec
ords Of the interior life at the rectory OF Epworth give
the msge Of almost perfect Chrisi.n household.
Ii some OF its aspects appear at times too grave, or
even severs they relieved by frequent evidence oi
Ii ose home affections and gayeties with which the be-
necent instincts of human nature sure TO resist 10
nun erous circle Of children the religious austerltes
Of iiper years. The Epworh rectory presents IN hne
the picture of domestic church, family school, aud
genuine old English household. Before the hrst hre
the building humble structure OF wood ana plae,
ter rooted with ths,ch, and venerable With hundred
yeara. II bOasted one parOr an ample hail. but
ery three large upper chambers besides some smaller
apartments and study where the studious rector
spent most Of his time in beating tymes, and pre-,
pairing his sermons esving the rest OF the house ana
almost all indoor affairs as well a. the management
of tho tempOraes Of the glebe and tthe 70 hs more
capable wife, and fondly comforting himself against
the pDcbng embarrassments of poverty with the con-
ISOLATION as he expresses il in letter TO the Arch
| bithop of York, "that he who is born poet.
must am afraid, live and die so, that is, poor.
John Wesley expresses admiration at the Sc
renity with which his mother transacted business,
teen children. AL the children bore nicknames III
the home circle, and the familiar pseudonyms play
fondly through the abundant family correspondence
which rem5ins. Clarke assures us that they bad
the con mon fame OF being the most loving family In
| the County of Lincen." The mother especially was
the center of the household affections. John, after
leaving home, writes TO her at time when her health
was precarious with pathetic endearment, and ex-
presses the hope that he may die before her, in order
not to have the anguish Of witnessing her end lou
did WE'LL che afterward writes him, "to correct that
fond desire of dying before me- since you 90 not know
| what work God may have for you to do before you
leave this world. II is what have often desired OF
the children, that they would not weep at my parting,
and so make death more uncomfortable than it would
otberwise be to me- The home where sach eenti-
ments pre vailed could not have been ausere one
The children nil shared this lal tenderness for the
mother Martha lafterwsrd Mrs iiall) chung 10 her
with sort Of idoatry She would never willingly be
from her side saws Clarke and the only fault alleged
against the parent her fond partslty for this az
fectopate child. Several of the nineteen children died
| Young, but, according, to the aDusion oil John
Wesy already 1u0e thirteen TsIS for besu.y
others for wit and intelligence. samuel the eldest son,
was poetic from his childhood and has left some OF the
finest hymns of the Methodist psalmody Susanna al
terward Mrs. Ellison is described as " very facetous
| and a little Iomantic Mary, though somewhat de-
formed as "having an exquisitely beautiful lace
lepible index to mind almost angelic, and " one oil
the most exalted OF human characters iIli ei mummy
| and goodness" Mehetabel Mrs. Wright as able, IN
her eighth year. to read the Greek language, and as
CAV, sprghtly full Of mirth, goodhumor and lwit,
and attracting many suitors, ard III later lie an ele
| CANT woman, with great refinement OF manners, and
the traces Of beauty in her countenanoe' She had
also an uncommon poetic talent. Tue few letters Oh
Kezah that remain show vivacity ard vigorous sehse
Charles and John gave dienct promise, even in the
nursery of their coming greatness. Inc hsturai tenn
per of the latter in youth, is described as gay, VIII
| turn for wit and humor." The former was exceed
ipgy sprghtly and active and so remarkable for cour
aee and 81 ill in juvenile encounters that he alter Fad
obtained at Westminster the title OF Captain OF the
school," Still later be sments that he lost his hrst
wear at Oxford in diversions Martha who lived 10 be
| the last Survivor of the original Wesley family,
though hsbitualy sober If not sad amid the pas
times of the household circle, had al innate horror OF
| melancholy tublects. Her memory was remarkable,
and was abundany stored with the results OF her stu
dies especially in history ard poetry Her good seLss
and intelligence delighted johnson in discussions OF
theology and moral philosophy. OF wit, she used TO
say that she the only ore Of the family VINO dld
| not possess il. $50 ,
Though method prevailed throughout the household
its almost mechanical rgor was relaxed at sn;soe 10
tervas, in which the nursery, with its large juvenile
community, became an arena Of hilanons Iecreatons
| of thigh gles snd froic." Games OF skll and OF
chance even were among the family psstlnes sucn as
John Wesley afterward prohoi among the Mesho-
dists While the rectory was rafting With The mys-
teriyus noises so famous in the family history, We
find the courageous daughters playing al the gsme
OF cards.
at the age of thirteen the future apostle OF
the Methodsts was sent TO the famous Charter
House School, in London which, after anoviti,te
Of three years. suffering the usual tyranny OF the
elder students, who hsbitualy deprived bim Of bic
daily portion of animal food be lef. for the Uniyer
,ity of Oxford, which ne entered 10 l720. His pO-
sition at Oxford, after becoming member Of Lin