One of the first members of the noble band of itinerating preachers thus called into the active exercise of their spiritual gifts was David Taylor, a servant in Lord Huntingdon’s household, who did much fruitful evangelistic work in the villages surrounding Donnington Park.  It was this man who stood by John Wesley’s side when the drunken curate of Epworth refused him admission to what had been his father’s pulpit, and who announced to the congregation as they left the church that in the afternoon Wesley would preach in the graveyard.  And there that same afternoon Wesley, standing upon his father’s tombstone, preached to a congregation, the like of which Epworth had never seen before, the first of a series of sermons that afterwards became famous.

Having thus aided one of the brothers during a critical administrative stage, Lady Huntingdon shortly afterwards was of great service to the other in a crisis of spiritual experience.  Soon after the organisation of the first Methodist Society, the “still” heresy developed among the Moravian members of the Fetter Lane Chapel.  This was the view, “that believers had nothing to do with ordinances—­were not subject to them—­and ought to be still; that they ought to leave off the means of grace, and not go to church; not to communicate; not to search the Scriptures; not to use private prayer till they had living faith; and to be still till they had it.” [1] Wesley used all his influence and all his persuasive power to counteract these opinions, but without avail.  At length he decided to sever all connection with those who insisted upon acting in accordance with them, and removed Methodism to the Foundry.  Charles Wesley at first went cordially with his brother, but at a later date he ceased attending the Foundry, and manifested signs of a desire to return to Fetter Lane.  Lady Huntingdon, for whose views he entertained feelings of the deepest respect, remonstrated with him, and in conjunction with John Wesley’s efforts kept him from a step that might have proved fatal to his further usefulness.  In a letter written to John Wesley in October, 1741, Lady Huntingdon writes:  “Since you left us the still ones are not without their attacks.  I fear much more for your brother than for myself, as the conquest of the one would be nothing to the other....  I comfort myself very much that you will approve a step with respect to them your brother and I have taken.  No less than his declaring open war with them....  Your brother is also to give his reasons for quite separating.  I have great faith God will not let him fall; He will surely have mercy on him, and not on him only, for many would fall with him.”

[Footnote 1:  Life and Times of Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, vol. 1. p. 36.]

IV.

FAMILY BEREAVEMENTS.