_London, March 12, 1744._
_My dear Friend_,
THIS leaves me just returned from _Gloucester_ assizes, where it has
pleased the great Judge of quick and dead to give us the victory over
the _Hampton_ rioters. You remember I informed you, that I thought we
should be obliged to appeal unto _Cæsar_. A solemn day of fasting and
humiliation was kept on that account; and accordingly last term we
lodged an information against them in the _King’s-Bench_. Matters of
fact being proved by a variety of evidence, and the defendants making
no reply, the rule was made absolute, and an information filed against
them. To this they pleaded _Not guilty_, and therefore, according to
the method of the Crown-office, the cause was referred to the assizes
held in _Gloucester_ the third instant. Our council opened the cause
by informing the court, that rioters were not to be reformers, and that
his Majesty had no where put the reins of government into the hands of
mobbers, nor made them either judge or jury. One of them in particular,
the _Recorder of Oxford_, with great gravity, reminded the gentlemen on
the jury of the advice of _Gamaliel_, “Refrain from these men and let
them alone, for if this council, or this work be of man, it will come
to nought; but if it be of GOD, ye cannot overthrow it, least haply ye
be found even to fight against GOD.” Our witnesses were then called.
Mr. _Adams_ and four more, three of which were not reputed Methodists,
so clearly proved both the riot and the facts, that the judge was of
opinion, there needed no other evidence. The council for the defendants
then rose up, and displayed a good deal of oratory, and I think said
all that could be said to mend a bad matter. One urged, “that we were
enthusiasts, and our principles and practices had such a tendency to
infect and hurt the people, that it was right, in his opinion, for
any private person to stand up and put a stop to us; and whoever did
so, was a friend to his country.” He strove to influence the jury, by
telling them, “That if a verdict was given against the defendants, it
would cost them two hundred pounds; that the defendants rioting was not
premeditated, but that coming to hear Mr. _A――――_, and being offended
at his doctrine, a sudden quarrel arose, and thereby the unhappy
men were led into the present fray, which he could have wished had
not happened; but however, it did not amount to a riot, but only an
assault.” Their other council informed the jury, “That they would
undertake to prove, that the Methodists began the tumult first.” He
was pleased to mention me by name, and acquainted the court, “That
Mr. _Whitefield_ had been travelling from common to common, making the
people cry, and then picking their pockets under pretence of collecting
money for the colony of _Georgia_, and knowing that _Gloucestershire_
was a populous county, he at last came there; that he had now several
curates, of which Mr. _Adams_ was one, who in his preaching had found
fault with the proceedings of the clergy, and had said, that if the
people went to hear them, they would be damned.” He added, that “there
had lately been such mobbing in _Staffordshire_, that a regiment
of soldiers was sent down to suppress them; insinuating, that the
Methodists were the authors; that we had now another cause of a like
nature depending in _Wiltshire_, and that we were not of that mild
pacific spirit, as we pretended to be.” This, and much more to the
same purpose, though foreign to the matter in hand, pleased many of the
auditors, who expressed their satisfaction, in hearing the Methodists
in general, and me in particular, thus lashed, by frequent laughing.
But our LORD not only kept me quite easy, but enabled me to rejoice
in being thus honoured for his great Name’s sake. To prove what the
defendants council had insinuated, they called up a young man, who was
a brother to one of the defendants, and one of the mob. He swore point
blank, “That Mr. _Adams_ said, if people went to church, they would
be damned, but if they would come to him, he would carry them to JESUS
CHRIST.” He swore also, “that the brook into which Mr. _A――――_ was
thrown, was no deeper than half up his legs.” He said first, that there
were but about ten of them that came to the house of Mr. _A――――_; and
then he swore, that there were about threescore. He said, there was
a bell, and that one of the defendants did ask Mr. _A――――_ to come
off the stairs, but that none of them went up to him: upon which Mr.
_A――――_ willingly obeyed, went with them briskly along the street,
and as he would have represented it, put himself into the skin-pit
and brook, and so came out again. He said also some other things; but
through the whole, his evidence appeared so flagrantly false, that one
of the council said, “It was enough to make his hair stand ♦on end.”
The judge himself wished, “That the man had so much religion as to fear
an oath.” So he went down in disgrace. Their second evidence was an
aged woman, mother of one of the defendants; she swore, “That her son
did go up stairs to Mr. _A――――_, and that Mr. _A――――_ tore her son’s
coat;” but she talked so fast, and her evidence was so palpably false,
that she was sent away in as much disgrace as the other. Their third
and last evidence, was father to one who was in the mob, tho’ not one
of the defendants. The chief he had to say was, “That when Mr. _A――――_
was coming from the brook, he met him and said, Brother, how do you do?
Upon which he answer’d, that he had received no damage, but had been
in the brook and came out again.” So that all their evidences, however
contrary one to another, yet corroborated ours, and proved the riot out
of their own mouths. The book was then given to a justice of the peace,
who had formerly taken up Mr. _C――――_ for preaching near _Stroud_,
and had lately given many signal proofs that he was no friend to the
Methodists. But he intending to speak only about their characters,
and the council and judge looking upon that as quite impertinent to
the matter in hand, he was not admitted as an evidence. Upon this, his
Lordship with great candor and impartiality summed up the evidence, and
told the jury, “That he thought they should bring all the defendants
in GUILTY; for our evidences had sufficiently proved the whole of the
information, and also, that the riot was premeditated.”――He said, “That,
in his opinion, the chief of the defendants evidence was incredible;
and, that supposing the Methodists were heterodox, (as perhaps they
might be) it belonged to the ecclesiastical government to call them to
an account; that they were subjects, and rioters were not to be their
reformers.” He also reminded them “of the dreadful consequences of
rioting at any time, much more at such a critical time as this; that
rioting was the forerunner of, and might end in rebellion; that it was
felony without benefit of clergy, to pull down a Meeting-house; and for
all as he knew, it was high treason to pull down even a bawdy-house.
――That this information also came from the _King’s-Bench_; that his
Majesty’s justices there, thought they had sufficient reason to grant
it; that the matters contained in it had been evidently proved before
them; and consequently they should bring in all the defendants guilty.”
Upon this the jury were desired to consider of their verdict, and
for a while there seemed to be some little demur among them. His
Lordship perceiving the cause of it, immediately informed them, “they
had nothing to do with the damages, (that was to be referred to the
_King’s-Bench_) they were only to consider, whether the defendants were
guilty or not.” Whereupon in a few minutes they gave a verdict for the
prosecutors, and brought in all the defendants _guilty_ of the whole
information lodged against them. I then retired to my lodgings, kneeled
down, and with my friends gave thanks to our all-conquering _Emmanuel_.
Afterwards I went to the inn, prayed and returned thanks with the
witnesses, exhorted them to behave with meekness and humility to
their adversaries; and after they had taken proper refreshment, I sent
them home rejoicing. In the evening I preached on these words of the
Psalmist, “By this I know that thou favourest me, since thou hast not
suffered mine enemy to triumph over me.” GOD was pleased to enlarge my
heart much. I was very happy with my friends afterwards, and the next
morning set out for _London_, where we had a blessed thanksgiving
season, and from whence I take the first opportunity of sending you
these particulars.
I remain, Sir, your very affectionate friend,
_G. W._
♦ “an” replaced with “on”