The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-12-11

the predominant purpose Of his youth
and found fulfillment in long and bril-
liant ministry. At twenty he under
went temporary alienation from this
purpose and sought military career
He feared he was unfit for the ministry
and had experienced a profound disgust
with the doctrine of predestination. He
went to Lisbon to enter the Portuguese
service, but servant upset kettle of
hot water upon his leg, badly burning
him. After montl of serious illness
he returned home, and made bis way to
Flanders to join the Dutch army, but
the Peace of AK Ia Chapelle again de-
feated his military ambition. And so
he abandoned "aIl thoughts of becom-
ing a soldier.''
In 1850 Fletcher came to England.
An amusing incident here is noted. He
brought foreign coin with him, and de-
string English money. handed over his
purse, containing 600, to an entire
stranger, Jew, who offered to get his
money changed for him. Fortunately
for the confiding youth, the stranger
was an honest man, and returned the
full amount in English money.
In due time he mastered thelanguage,
and for seven years held the position of
tutor to the two sons of gentleman of
some prominence. While living in this
family, in 1866, it was, that he came
under the influence of the Methodist
movement, to which, in spirit, he was
already closely akin. 1t would be ex-
ceedingly pleasant to trace the success
sive steps by which Fletcher rose to
his high position of spiritual life and
harmony with God, but space forbids.
He came rapidly into perfect harmony
with John Wesley, and exhibited from
the first an enthusiastic personal devo-
tion to him. Within two years he was
ordained priest in the church and was
soon carried away by the revival labors
Of the Methodists. He became chap
lain to Lady Huntingdon, and addressed
some of the most fashionable congrega-
tions ever assembled in England. But
he ministered with equal, if not greater
satisfaction to the French prisoners
confined at Tunbridge. In 1850, against
the earnest protest of John Wesley,
who wanted him to be an itinerant, he
was inducted into the "vicarage of the
parish church of Madeley.o 1t was
not an inviting field, but he had deliber-
ately chosen it because it offered much
hard work and little money. Its inhab-
itants were rough, ignorani sSd bfutai:.
They opposed his earnest and quicken
ing words with the devices of ignorant
and brutal folly, and made the opening
years of his ministry sad and bitter.
But he did not lose heart, and in the
end effected complete revolution in
the character of his people. They be-
came earnest in good work, attended in
great numbers upon his services, and
grew deeply attached to the quiet, I'M
assuming, but genuinely good man that
had come among them. His triumph
in winning them to Christian living
was as marked and complete as that of
Wesley with the colliers at Kingswood.
But Fletcher's interest was by no
means confined to his labors in Mad
eley. He was controversialist of high
order, but somewhat diffuse in his ut
terances. He acted for several years as
the head of Trevicca College, and only
withdrew from it when the division be-
tween Wesley and the Calvinistic Meth
odists became hopeless. He went with
Wesley, and marked his ability by the
most important contributions to Wes-
leyan literature. Through seven years
of trying controversy he never lost his
temper, and kept firm friends with
those who stood against him.
AS already said, John Wesley called
him to be his successor, little dreaming
that he would survive Fletcher by six
years. This in 1878. But Fletcher re-
sisted. He clung to his parish church,
which he said he could not leave with
out more light. Later on he married,
after twenty-five years of unexpressed
devotion; unexpressed because the OBJ
ject of his love much surpassed him in
worldly fortune. A tender and beauti-
full wedding, but only too brief in its
duration. In 1855 he was stricken
down with "a bad putrid fever" and
after an affecting sickness passed away
in the ffty-sxth year of his age, leav-
ing behind righteous name Ito be
held in everlasting remembrance"
REV. DIR. E. l.. MAGOON, the emf
nent Baptist minister. whose death in