R E P E N T A N D B E C O N V E R T E D T H A T Y O U R S I N S M A Y B E B L O T T E D O U T • A c t s 3 : 1 9A man that is a <strong>here</strong>tic after the first and secondadmonition reject (Titus 3:10 KJV).Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them, whichcause divisions and offences contrary to thedoctrine, which you have learned; and avoidthem (Romans 16:17KJV).END NOTES:Haggard lies to ACT (Apologetics Coordination Team– http://op.50megs.com/act); NAE (NationalAssociation of Evangelicals – http://www.nae.net);about his involvement in the NAR (New ApostolicReformation)—http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/answertotedhaggard.htmlHaggard admits he is a liar and deceiver about sexualimmorality (but continues to lie about his involvement inthe NAR, of which he is still a listed member)—http://www.moriel.<strong>org</strong>/articles/discernment/church_issues/statement_regarding_ted_haggard.htmC. Peter Wagner and Paul Cain lies—http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/addendmNAR.htmlRick Warren’s excuses about statements he made—http://www.fromthelighthouse.com/blog/index.php?p=368&more=1&c=1Rick Warren lies in his response to the Syria statements—http://www.deceptioninthechurch.htmlBrownsville lies—http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/lies.htmlFalse prophecies of the NAR—http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/narfalseprophecies.html26About the AuthorSANDY SIMPSON is a missionarywith Liebenzell MissionUSA in Hawaii, to the Micronesianislands including Guam,Saipan, Yap, Palau, Chuuk,Pohnpei, Kosrae and the Marshalls.He writes: “Many islandgroups have their own established churches onOahu (part of Hawaii) so we provide discipleshipand mentoring for the leaders of the islandchurches. Many who come to Oahu for medicalpurposes or for work, are going back to theirislands equipped to disciple others.” Sandygrew up in Palau w<strong>here</strong> his family settled asmissionaries in 1962. He has written music,translated songs and other materials, done concertsand preached in the Palauan language.Since 1989, as part of the Evangelical Churchesof Micronesia in Guam and Hawaii, he has beenteaching Bible, counselling and visitation totheir leaders. Sandy directs the ApologeticsCoordination Team (ACT) of which the DeceptionIn The Church website is an arm. ACTwas established to help island church leadersgrapple with the onset of the apostate ThirdWave movement. Sandy has written a numberof books, produced numerous videos, and is inthe process of editing a new book, which heco-authored with Mike Oppenheimer of Let UsReason Ministries. This book details the falsedoctrines of the World <strong>Christian</strong> Gathering ofIndigenous Peoples.www.deceptioninthechurch.com/ditcsignup.htmlThe WesleyBrothersin CornwallBy PAUL SHERBIRD©1994 whilst a Bible College student (1992-96)CARRY FORWARD FROM PART ONE:The west of England of the eighteenth centurywas a wild and lawless place. In the face, attimes, of mob violence and much oppositioneven from the established church the Wesleysbattled on. How can we discern the signs of truerevival? Crime rates fall, immoral standards arebanished and misery and sorrow are turned to joy.The Wesleys portray the physical and spiritualqualities needed to spearhead a true work of God.THE MINISTRY CONTINUES:THE following year (1744) both Johnand Charles visited Cornwall again.John was first, travelling with laypreacher James Wheatley, he arrivedin Cornwall on Monday 2nd April andspent the night at Digory Isbell’s, travelling to StIves the following day to stay with John Nance.John spent two weeks in Cornwall culminatingin a visit to John Bennett’s parish w<strong>here</strong> Wesleypreached to a large crowd at Laneast. Charlesmade his way down to Cornwall on the 12th Julyand reached St Gennys on the 15th w<strong>here</strong> hestayed with “Brother Thomson”. Charles obviouslyPART 2loved his visits to Cornwall. To read his journal ofthis period gives a glimpse into his joy and delight,not just in his ministry but in the friends he madeand in the delights of the countryside. He seems tohave been especially fond of rock climbing aroundthe Cornish coast.Charles went on preaching tours with the rectorsThomson and Bennett. In St Ives the arrival of threeclergymen apparently alarmed their persecutorswho were in awe of such highly respected ministersas Thomson and Bennett. Charles records that the“Brethren were strengthened” by the arrival ofThomson.Persecution continued to be a problem for theMethodists throughout 1744 as John and Charlesboth experienced. The mobs continually causedtrouble. In St Ives stones were thrown throughthe windows of believers’ homes, and thosewho offered the preachers hospitality were oftenunder attack. It was the Anglican ministers whocontinued to stir up persecution; in St Ives, Hoblinthe curate railed against the Methodists as enemiesof the church, claiming they were Jacobites 1 andPapists 2 .1 Jacobite: One dedicated to the return of the Stuart kingsto the thrones of England and Scotland.2. Papist: Used as a disparaging term for a Roman Catholic.
W H E N R E F R E S H I N G S H A L L C O M E F R O M T H E L O R D • A c t s 3 : 1 9In Penzance John first encountered the minister,Dr Borlase who was a noteworthy adversary,and a magistrate who made it impossible for thepersecuted Methodists to obtain justice againsttheir persecutors. Charles said that Borlase was thegreatest persecutor of the little flock in Penzanceand records one of Borlase’s fellow clergymenclaiming “he wished the Bible was still in Latin only,that none of the vulgar might be able to read it.” 3Despite the opposition t<strong>here</strong> was much toencourage the Wesleys in 1744. Their journals notethe forming of new societies in Penzance, Morvaand Gwennap and new preaching points openedin Penzance and Falmouth on the south coast.They continued to preach to crowds of hundredsand thousands. The greatest evidence of the workof the Lord was at Gwennap w<strong>here</strong> for the firsttime in living memory the jail was found empty.Charles wrote, “the whole county is sensible of thechange and not one Gwennap man was availablefor a wrestling match”, they were “struck off thedevil’s list, and found wrestling against him, notfor him.” 4Persecution was a continuing problem for thesefirst Cornish Methodists and the sad thing is thatthe chief protagonists were the Anglican ministers.Borlase as magistrate posed serious problems,along with another minister in Redruth who wasalso a magistrate and determined to “root out thissect”. The next time John returned to Cornwall inJuly 1746 he found lay preachers being arrested on“trumped up” charges; one was even arrested onthe charge of knowing his sins were f<strong>org</strong>iven.Borlase himself attempted to arrest John andhave him pressed as a soldier. He and the othermagistrates made use of an act passed during QueenAnne’s reign (1703) which allowed them to impressidle persons for soldiers and marines. Though someof the lay preachers found themselves arrested,Wesley always escaped by some mysterious meansalways facing the accusers with calm confidenceand seems to have had miraculous escapes fromtheir hands. Often his prospective captors seemedto let him go without any explanation.Riots continued. During 1746, t<strong>here</strong> was a fierceriot in Falmouth from which John so miraculouslyescaped that he wrote, “I never saw before..... thehand of God so plainly shown as <strong>here</strong>.” 5A few days later he faced what became knownas the Helston mob at Stithians near Helston, whichbecame what the early Methodists called a “stormcentre”for several years. Charles visited in Julyand found that the “rebels of Helston threatenedhard,” some even claiming that he had brought thePretender with him. At the same time Charles wasamazed and delighted at the change wrought in StIves, w<strong>here</strong> no threat at all faced him. He wrote thathe “walked the streets with astonishment, scarcebelieving it St Ives.”It was the same throughout the county.Opposition was beginning to abate. In places w<strong>here</strong>the persecution was worst Charles feared for thesocieties but found to his joy and encouragementthat the Lord was raising up “exhorters” — menwho stood firm and held the societies together,3 Op cit; p.3744 Op cit; p.3755 Works, Vol 1; p.505standing in the gap and keeping the trembling sheeptogether. New societies were springing up at thistime, e.g. at Wendron and Stithians. Methodismwas obviously making very real and deep rootsthroughout Cornwall.The impact of these first three years ofMethodism is truly impressive. The Wesley brothershad made many true and abiding friendships. Theypreached to thousands. Many were converted.The societies were visibly increasing and growingin strength and nurturing their own preachers andleaders. In northwest Cornwall the Wesleys hadgood friends and co-workers in the two ministersThomson and Bennett and five churches (Trewint,Laneast. Tresmere, Week St Mary and Tamerton)w<strong>here</strong> they could freely preach to the large crowdswho gat<strong>here</strong>d. It was <strong>here</strong> that John saw a “greatawakening” unlike any other in Cornwall. 6Charles who had a deep passion for Cornwallwrote at the time, “I...adored the miracle of grace,...Revival!And it was sucha revival that no onewas left insensibleto its effects...which has kept these sheep in the midst of wolves.Well may the despisers behold and wonder. Here isa bush in a fire, burning, yet not consumed! Whathave they done to crush this rising sect? but lo! theyprevail nothing!....Many waters cannot quench thislittle spark which the Lord has kindled neither shallthe floods of persecution drown it.” 7Some persecution continued however and in1747 it took an unexpected turn when Lavingtonwas made the Bishop of Exeter, his diocese includedCornwall. Lavington did not like Methodists andbegan his campaign against them by closing thepulpits in N.W. Cornwall to the Wesleys. Onlyone remained open to them at Ge<strong>org</strong>e Thomson’schurch. Thomson withstood the Bishop, remaininga firm friend to the Wesley brothers. Lavingtoncontinued his attack by publishing pamphletsagainst Methodism, these had titles such as, “TheEnthusiasm of Methodist and Papists Compared”.One of these pamphlets contained an accusationagainst John Wesley concerning his conduct withwomen, and one Cornish woman in particular. Thiscaused Wesley a lot of trouble. The pamphlet wascirculated as far as northern England and was usedby his enemies to besmirch his name.In 1750 John took it upon himself to visit thewoman concerned and on questioning her foundshe had no complaint against him. It appears thatLavington had used her idle gossip without eververifying the truth of her statements. About this timesaw the notable conversion of the Anglican ministerSamuel Walker of Truro further adding to Lavington’sanxieties. In fact Lavington’s attacks appear to have6 ibid; p.5087 Journal, Vol 1; p.423been a desperate and largely futile measure. Hisinfluence was quite limited and by September 1748the churches in Cornwall were once again open forthe Wesleys to preach in.THE FINAL CHAPTERFrom this time the situation in Cornwall becamemuch more settled and Methodism grew peacefullyand rapidly. One notable visit of John Wesley was inSeptember 1757. In his journal he records a journeyaround Cornwall’s perimeter and not once is t<strong>here</strong>a mention of mobs, violence or attempted arrests.He found places which had been previously closedto him now welcoming him with open arms. Onesuch place was Mevagissey. “When I was <strong>here</strong>last,” he wrote, “we had no place in the town....But things are altered now: I preached just over thetown, to almost all the inhabitants, and all were asstill as night.” 8One of the hardest places to preach at wasHelston, but finally in 1777, on August 20th Johnreported that “prejudice t<strong>here</strong> was at an end”, andthat “all the town, except a few gentry, willinglyhear the word of salvation.” 91777 can be claimed as the year that sawthe end of persecution against the Methodistsin Cornwall. By 1780 t<strong>here</strong> were 26 Methodistpreaching houses in Cornwall, third in number toIreland with 37 and Yorkshire with 54, Durham wasfourth with 15. 10John Wesley’s final and 32nd visit to Cornwallcame in July 1789. It’s a visit that has beendescribed as a triumphal march. In RichardWatson’s words: “when he was last in CornwallWesley passed through the towns and villages asin a triumphal march, whilst the windows werecrowded with people anxious to get a sight of himand to pronounce upon him their benedictions, yethe says not a word of it all.” 11Wesley preached in packed churches andchapels and even in Helston he found the “largestand most serious congregation I ever remember tohave seen <strong>here</strong>.” His last comment on Cornwallwas, “So t<strong>here</strong> is a fair prospect in Cornwall fromLaunceston to Land’s End.” 12It cannot be doubted that over a period of 46years the ministry of the Wesleys completelytransformed the lives of the Cornish. From a landof sinners, Cornwall became a land of saints. Oneold saying used to be that the devil wouldn’t crossthe Tamar into Cornwall because he had heard thatwhatever entered Cornwall was made either intoa pasty or a saint, and he fancied neither. ClaudeBerry wrote of John Wesley:No other individual in history has left suchan impress upon Cornwall as Wesley, and ifbeneath that impress something of our oldspontaneity and naiveté was lost, much wasburied that was brutal and depraved and didnot deserve to survive. 138 Works, Vol.2; p.4279 In J.S.Simon; The Last Phase; p.9410 ibid; p.16011 In Journal Vol 7; p.52812 In J.S. Simon; op cit; p.31713 Claude Berry; Cornwall; p.18527
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