“There are now upwards of fifty societies, where the people
meet for edification; and of two thousand hearers of the
gospel, I know, at least, three hundred on whose hearts the
Spirit of God works powerfully; and one hundred who have found
grace in the blood and the atonement of Jesus.”
The work begun by Ingham bid fair to exceed that in London. Hitherto the
rendezvous of the English Moravian ministers had been the metropolis;
now it became a farm-house in Yorkshire. About four miles east of Halifax
stood a spacious dwelling, with extensive outbuildings, and a large farm
attached. This the Moravians rented, that it might serve as a place of
residence for those Moravian pastors to whom the spiritual affairs of the
societies were committed, and as a common centre of union. They entered
on the occupancy of the premises in 1741; and, shortly after, Ingham, who
had hitherto had the chief care of the Yorkshire societies, urgently, and
in writing, requested the Brethren to take the entire direction of them
into their own hands, so that he might devote himself wholly to the work
of preaching. To carry out his purpose, a public meeting was convened, on
July 30, 1742, which was attended by about a thousand persons, belonging
to these societies. Ingham’s proposal was submitted to them, and was
heartily accepted. A document was drawn up, which, after referring to
Ingham’s faithful labours, expressed a desire to be served in future by
the ministers of the Brethren’s Church, “whom,” said the twelve hundred
persons who signed it, “we not only desire to preach publicly amongst us,
but also to visit us in private, put us to rights, and make such orders
amongst us as they shall see useful and necessary, according to the grace
the Lord shall give them.”
Smith House, near Halifax, was now the head-quarters of English
Moravianism. Even members in London, elected to fulfil sacred functions
there, were sent all the way to Yorkshire to be solemnly inducted into
their respective offices. The field, hitherto occupied by Ingham, Nelson,
and other co-operators, was divided into six principal districts, namely,
Smith House, Adwalton, Mirfield, Great Horton, Holbeck, and Osset; and to
each of these districts a Moravian minister was appointed.[85]
We now return to Ingham, and his neighbour Nelson. The latter tells us
of a great Moravian meeting at Gomersal Field House, at which Ingham
desired him to be present. Nelson went. The house was filled with five
or six preachers, four exhorters, and about a hundred of the principal
members of the Yorkshire societies. Not being able to gain admittance
to the house, and finding a large number of people outside, the honest
stonemason went into a field and preached. At length, Ingham came
out, and announced the decision of the Brethren: namely, that it was
not prudent to have so much preaching, for fear it should engender
persecution. “I desire, therefore,” said he, “that none of the young
men will expound till they are desired by the Brethren; we shall meet
again this day month, and then we will let you know what we are all
to do.” He next spoke to the young expounders, one by one, and said,
“I hope you will be obedient.” They all replied, “Yes, sir.” He then
turned to Nelson, saying, “John, I hope you will leave off till you
have orders from the Church.” “No, sir,” replied intrepid John; “I will
not leave off—I dare not; for I did not begin by the order of man, nor
by my own will; therefore, I shall not leave off by your order; for,
I tell you plainly, I should have left off without your bidding, but
that I believed, if I did, I should be damned for disobedience.” Ingham
answered, “You see these young men are obedient to the elders, and they
have been blessed in their labours as well as you.” Nelson said, “I
cannot tell how they have been blessed; but, I think, if God had sent
them on His own errand, they would not stop at your bidding.” At this
point, one of the preachers interfered, saying, “The spirit of the
prophets is subject to the prophets; therefore, they are right and you
are wrong, for they are subject.” John failing to be convinced by the
preacher’s logic, boldly answered, “You are not obedient to the prophets
of God that were of old, for God saith by one of them, ‘I have set
watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem that shall not cease day or night;’
but you can hold your peace for a month together at man’s bidding.”
Then turning to Ingham, Nelson continued, “You know that many have
been converted by my exhorting lately, and a great many more are under
convictions; what a sad thing would it be to leave them as they are.”
Ingham’s lame reply was, “Our Saviour can convert souls without your
preaching.” “Yes,” retorted John, “or yours either; and He can give corn
without ploughing or sowing, but He does not, neither has He promised
that He will.” Ingham rejoined, “Be still one month, and then you will
know more of your own heart.” “With one proviso, I will,” said Nelson:
“if you can persuade the devil to be still for a month; but if he goes
about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, and God hath put a
sword into my hand, I am determined to attack him wheresoever I meet him;
and wheresoever I meet sin, I meet Satan.” Further conversation followed;
and, at length, Ingham “charged all the people, as they loved him and the
brethren, that they should not let Nelson preach in their houses, nor
encourage him by hearing him elsewhere.”
This, on the part of Ingham, was painful and unworthy conduct. The
preaching of the stonemason had probably been as greatly blessed and as
successful as his own. The man was no irreligious, rash intruder; but a
real evangelist, called and qualified by Him who, in all ages, has been
wont to choose “the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and
the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and
base things of the world, and things which are despised, and things which
are not, to bring to nought things that are; that no flesh should glory
in His presence; and that he that glorieth may glory in the Lord.” Nelson
was as divinely called to preach Christ’s glorious gospel as Ingham was.
His ministry had the seals of divine approbation in the souls it had been
the means of converting; and Ingham’s effort to suspend it, even for a
month only, was a bold, bad act. Besides, the reason assigned for such
an interference with a commission, which Nelson had received from God
Himself, was a piece of cowardice unworthy of the man who had braved the
storms of the Atlantic Ocean, and the hardships and miasmata of Georgia,
solely for the purpose of being useful to the wild Indians and to a
portion of England’s outcast population. For fear of persecution, Nelson,
whom God had used in saving sinners, was to be gagged and silenced. The
change which had come over the naturally brave spirit of the Oxford
Methodist was a painful one; and also puzzling, except on the ground that
he had changed his company.
It is a mournful duty to have to mention another incident. Ingham
interdicted Nelson, though unsuccessfully. He further renounced his
old friend Wesley, and, for a season at least, became intoxicated with
the Moravian vanity, at that time disastrously spreading. Hence, the
following extract from Nelson’s Journal:—
“I was desired once more to go to Gomersal Field House to speak
to Mr. Ingham. When I got there, David Taylor was with him, and
spoke kindly to me. When Mr. Taylor was gone, Mr. Ingham began
to talk to me about making division among the Brethren. I told
him, I did not want to make division; I wanted the people to
be saved. He said, ‘We cannot receive you or Mr. Wesley into
our community[86] till he publicly declares he has printed
false doctrine, and you declare you have preached false.’ I
said, ‘Wherein?’ He then burst out into laughter, and said, ‘In
telling the people they may live without committing sin.’[87]
I replied, ‘Do you call that false doctrine?’ He answered, ‘I
do, I do; and Mr. Wesley has written false doctrine, teaching
the same errors.’ He quoted some words; then I said, ‘They
are not Mr. Wesley’s, but St John’s words; it is St. John who
says, “Let no man deceive you; he that doeth righteousness is
righteous, and he that committeth sin is of the devil.” So, if
St. John be right, every one who preacheth contrary to what
Mr. Wesley has written here, and what I have preached, is a
deceiver and betrayer of souls.’ ‘If that be your opinion,’
said Mr. Ingham, ‘we cannot receive you into our Church.’ I
replied, ‘I don’t want to be one of you, for I am a member of
the Church of England.’ He answered, ‘The Church of England is
no Church; we are the Church.’ I said, ‘We! Whom do you mean?’
He replied, ‘I and the Moravian Brethren.’ I said, ‘I have no
desire to have any fellowship with you or them; it has been
better for my soul since I have been wholly separated from you,
and God has blessed my labours more since I was told, they
had delivered me up to Satan, than ever before; therefore, I
think it better to have their curse than to have communion with
them.’ He replied, ’ If you think so, I have no more to say to
you;’ and then, he turned his back on me.”
Thus did Ingham fully and finally sever himself from the Methodists.
Nelson continued preaching; souls were saved; and, in 1742, Wesley, for
the first time, visited the Birstal stonemason. After giving an account
how Nelson was led to begin to preach, and of his success, Wesley adds:—
“Mr. Ingham hearing of this, came to Birstal, inquired into
the facts, talked with John himself, and examined him in the
closest manner, both touching his knowledge and spiritual
experience; after which he encouraged him to proceed; and
pressed him, as often as he had opportunity, to come to any
of the places where himself had been, and speak to the people
as God should enable him. But he soon gave offence, both by
his plainness of speech, and by advising the people to go to
church and sacrament. Mr. Ingham reproved him: and, finding him
incorrigible, forbad any that were in his societies to hear
him. But, being persuaded this is the will of God concerning
him, he continues to this hour working in the day, that he may
be burdensome to no man; and, in the evening, ‘testifying the
truth as it is in Jesus.’”[88]
This is a long account; but not without interest; inasmuch as it
furnishes a glimpse of the way in which Ingham parted with the
Methodists, and of the beginnings of both Moravianism and Methodism in
the north of England. We only add, that, though Ingham passed through
Birstal during Wesley’s visit, there was no interview between them.[89]
Thus was an old and close friendship severed.
It has been already stated, that, the differences between Ingham and
Nelson probably occurred in 1741; and that Wesley’s visit to Birstal took
place in 1742. This, in some respects, was the most important period in
Ingham’s life.
Far away from the miserable strifes of the Moravians in London, we find
him, in 1740, an humble, happy, loving, useful Christian. The following
letter is simple and beautiful:—
“OSSET, _September 20, 1740_.
“MY DEAR BROTHER,—I have not heard anything of you this long
time. As to myself, I am exceeding happy.[90] The Lord Jesus,
my dear Redeemer, is abundantly gracious and bountiful towards
me. I have, and do daily taste of His goodness. I am ashamed
before Him; I am so very unworthy, and He is so very kind and
merciful. My heart melts within me, at the thoughts of Him. He
is all love. I am a sinful, helpless worm.
“In Yorkshire, the Lord still keeps carrying on His work. Many
souls are truly awakened: some have obtained mercy. The enemies
are engaged against us; but the Lord is our helper. We have
great peace, and love, and unity amongst ourselves. We have
no differences, no divisions, no disputings. May He, who is
the giver of every good and perfect gift, grant us always to
be like-minded; and may we and our friends grow in grace, and
increase in love towards one another, that, by this mark, all
men may know that we belong to Christ!
“I remain your affectionate, though unworthy brother,
“B. INGHAM.”[91]
If Ingham and John Nelson had been left to themselves, Ingham’s prayer
for continued unity might have been answered; but Ingham wished for
Toltschig, one of the ministerial chiefs among the London Moravians; and
Toltschig doubtless went.
“We, in London,” writes James Hutton, “cannot spare Toltschig
until Spangenberg comes to us. We here all think he will
be useful to Ingham and the souls there. They must seize
the opportunity presented. The souls in Yorkshire are more
simple-hearted than those in London, where they are more
knowing; and they do not, like those in town, quibble at
every word. Toltschig is known in Yorkshire, where the souls
love him, and he can speak to them with confidence. We want
a thorough brother, fundamentally correct, and of large
experience, for the souls in London, able to attend our bands
and conferences, and to address our meetings. Toltschig is very
well in bands and conferences, but he cannot preach.”[92]
Did Toltschig carry the cantankerous contagion of the London Moravians
with him? We cannot tell; but there can be no question, that, the
“simple-hearted” Yorkshire brethren caught it; and, that, in Yorkshire,
as in London, a schism among the Moravians led to the formation of the
society of Methodists.
Indeed, it is a curious fact, that, for a season, the spirit of discord,
among nearly the whole of the new religionists, seemed rampant. No man
ever lived who sighed for peace more ardently than Whitefield. His
large and loving heart had room enough for every man. The language of
the Psalmist’s pen was pre-eminently the language of Whitefield’s life:
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my
brethren and companions’ sake, I will now say, Peace be within thee.”
And, yet, at this very time, as if to make bad things worse, the
quarrel, between the London Moravians and Methodists, was followed by
the quarrel between Wesley and Whitefield, respecting Wesley’s sermon on
“Free Grace;” and, to complete the whole, and to make the confusion more
confounded, the Yorkshire converts, so far away from the strifeful scene,
began disputing; and the frank, warm-hearted Ingham began to regard his
old friend Wesley with a suspicious eye, and presumptuously tried to
annul John Nelson’s divine commission to act as an evangelist among his
neighbours!
Ingham’s objection to Wesley’s doctrine of entire sanctification has
been already mentioned; but, besides this, there were other points of
difference. Wesley writes:—
“1741. August 1.—I had a long conversation with Mr. Ingham. We
both agreed,—1. That none shall finally be saved, who have not,
as they had opportunity, done all good works; and, 2. That if
a justified person does not do good, as he has opportunity, he
will lose the grace he has received; and, if he ‘repent’ not,
‘and do the former works,’ will perish eternally. But with
regard to the unjustified (if I understand him), we wholly
disagreed. He believed, it is not the will of God, that, we
should wait for faith in doing good. I believe, this is the
will of God; and that, they will never find Him, unless they
seek Him in this way.”