During that visit Charles Wesley travelled abroad into the conntr}'. The singing of the Methodists had a most winning effect on the Irish people. A good work was begun in many places, and in some a spirit of trans- formation was the effect. This was especially the case at Tyrrell's Cross. The people there had been wicked to a proverb ; they became entirelj' changed. In some places the dragoons had to be called for their protec- tion ; the soldiers became converts, and were the cause of spreading Methodism. When John Wesley returned to Dublin in March, 1748, Charles left for England, with the blessings of hundreds of converts.
Robert Swindells, a lay preacher, accompanied John Wesley, and, being especially adapted for both the work and the people, was made a great blessing. Mr.Wes- le\' began his work by preaching every morning at five o'clock— a plan not congenial to the dilatory Irish ; but they crowded to hear him in most places. During this second visit he found out more of the real Irish charac- ter, and formed no sanguine hopes of the success of Methodism among the Irish. He tried both persua- sion and threatening in his sermons; but the people, while eating up every word, did not appear to digest any portion. What was Mr. Wesley's discovery in 1748 was the experience of Henry jMoore in 1788, and also of Gideon Ouseley in 1828. The same may also be said of the Irish people to-day. Traversing Ireland for three months, numerous societies were formed, and half a dozen excellent preachers from England were la- boring among them.
Charles Wesley returned to Ireland soon after John left, and he revisited the places into which he had intro- duced Jlethodism a year previously. In Cork he ob- served a great moral change had come over the people. Swearing was now seldom heard in the streets, and the altars and churches were crow^ded with devout worship- pers. He preached to ten thousand people out of doors ; even the clergy came to hear him. Keturning to Eng- land, a tierce storm of opposition was raised against the Methodists in Cork, led by a ballad-singer named But- ler. The mayor of the city favored the persecutors ; and when the Methodists applied for protection, the mayor said in reply that " the law protected the priests, but not the Methodists;" after which declaration, pub- licly, the rioters became furious. The whole city was excited. Charles Wesley and all the preachers who had been in Cork were charged before the assizes as persons of ill-fame and vagabonds. The judge soon discovered the nature of the 'case and the character of the witnesses, and the case assumed a better aspect in court ; but the mischief done at Cork that year was not remedied for many years afterwards. The preachers were vindicated ; yet two years afterwards, when John
Wesley was again in Cork, he was assailed with ter- rible violence; but God has his own way of defending those who do his work. When the mayor encouraged the rioters, some of the soldiers were converted, and they became stanch Methodists, coming in a body to the preaching services ; protection was tliereby secured, and the work prospered. Methodism took permanent root in that city; and in 1755 Mr. Wesley was received by the mayor at the Mansion-house ; and his visit to the place was then considered an honor to the city.
The first Jlethodist sermon preached in Limerick was by Ilobert Swindells, in March, 1740. He had been in Ireland just one year, and had accompanied John Wesley in his tour, and had learned much of the char- acter of the people. He also accompanied Charles Wes- ley in his Irish journeys. Swindells had not a gracious reception at Limerick ; but, though he had a rabble audience, he preached daily on the Parade, whicli was at that time a courageous act. In his congregation one day was a young man, educated for the Komish priest- hood, who was convinced of sin so deeply that he could not rest away from the Jlethodist services, and who a few weeks after was converted, and joined the society at Newmarket in 1749. That young man was Thomas Walsh, the first-fruit of street-preaching in Ireland, one of the most pious, useful, and accomplished preachers Methodism ever had in her ranks.
Philip Guier, one of the Palatines, was another con- vert to Methodism at that earl}' period. He carried his religion to the little colony among whom he resided. Mr. Wesley's preachers were invited to preach among them. Tlie colonists greeted them and welcomed them with joy, and soon a society was formed with Guier as the leader of the infant church.
In 1752 Mr. Wesley was again at Limerick, on which occasion he convened the first Irish Conference. There were present John Wesley, S. Larwood, J. Haughton, Joseph Cownley, J. Fisher, Thomas Walsh, Jacob Row- ell, T. Kead, Robert Swindells, J. Whitgood, and J. Morris. These, excepting J. Morris, formed Mr. Wes- ley's staff of preachers in Ireland in the middle of the 18th century. In 1750 Mr. Wesley again visited Lim- erick, and now for the first time preached in Ballin- garry, the home of Philip Embury and Barbara Heck, both of whom were members of Wesley's congregation. Much of the future of Methodism in the world of Amer- ica depended upon that visit and those sermons, with Embury and Heck as part of his audience. Wesley sa3-s of that service, in his Journal, " I found much life among this plain, artless, serious people. Tlie whole town came together in the evening, and praised (jiod for the consolation. Many of those who are not out- wardly joined with us walk in the light of God's coun- tenance; yea, and have divided themselves into classes in imitation of our brethren, with whom they live in perfect harmony." Here are the germs of that jMeth- odism which ten years later originated tlie first JNIetli- odist society in New York, and in America. At the first Irish Conference Mr. Wesley suspected one of the preachers of a Calvinistic leading, of which, he ob- served, he had as great a dread as he had of the plague.