he undertook a mission to the colony of Geor- | persons, "who came to Wesley and desired him gia, one of his chief objects being the con- to spend some time with them in prayer, and version of the Indians. Accompanied by his advise them how to flee from the wrath to brother Charles and two Oxford associates, come." From London as a centre he made he embarked in October. During the voyage long and frequent journeys, usually on horsehe made the acquaintance of some Moravian back, preaching generally twice a day, and often missionaries, whose doctrines and composure four times on Sunday. During the year 1739 in the midst of threatened death exerted a he began a series of publications for the exposipowerful influence on him. The rigid eccle- tion of his views, for the encouragement and siastical discipline which he attempted to en- instruction of the "societies," and for the deforce was highly distasteful to many of the fence of his course against his opponents. The colonists, and Wesley was involved in a suit doctrinal differences between himself and the for defamation, which however was never Moravians had become more and more serious, brought to an issue. He returned to England and resulted in his formal and solemn sepain February, 1738, and immediately sought ration from them in July, 1740. About the the society of the Moravians. He began dili- same time, also, Wesley published a sermon on gently to examine their teachings, and received "Free Grace," in which he strenuously opvaluable aid from Peter Böhler, one of the posed the doctrine of election and predestinamissionaries then on their way from Herrn- tion. Whitefield while in America had emhut to Georgia. On the evening of May 24, braced the Augustinian doctrine; and he had 1738, he went to a meeting of the Moravian requested Wesley to refrain from the publisociety in Aldersgate street, London, where cation of his sermon, for the sake of the peace was read Luther's preface to the Epistle to the of the societies. The effects of it were the Romans. Of the effect Wesley says: I felt temporary alienation of Whitefield and Wesley, my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust and the organization of the Lady Huntingdon Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an as- Methodists and the Calvinistic Methodists in surance was given me that he had taken away Wales. From this time there were two dismy sins, even mine, and saved me from the tinct movements: the Calvinistic, led on by law of sin and death." This is his own ac- George Whitefield, and the Arminian, by John count of his conversion, the vivid recollection Wesley. Wesley's work was now greatly enof which he retained during all his life, and larged. In spite of much opposition and ridito which he often referred with the utmost cule, it became necessary to provide for the confidence and triumphant joy. Three weeks increasing evangelical labor, and for the more afterward he visited Herrnhut, the centre of careful oversight and nurture of such as had Moravian operations, where he listened to been formed into "bands." In 1742 he first Christian David, had earnest conversations employed a lay ministry, although lay preachwith Zinzendorf, and was confirmed in some ing had been practised several years by Cenof his religious opinions. He returned to Eng- nick, Humphreys, and Nelson. His journeys land in September, and from this time forward were soon extended into Scotland, Wales, and was moved by an unconquerable zeal to declare Ireland. He seldom travelled less than 40 a free salvation to all men through simple miles a day, generally on horseback; and for faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Till December 50 years, it is said, there was not an instance he preached constantly in the churches of Lon- of detention on account of the severity of the don and vicinity, and in the prisons and alms- weather. He formed societies, employed lay houses. His sermons were not generally well preachers, appointed class leaders, devised a received within the establishment, and there most effective system of church finance, wrote seemed little sympathy with his earnestness. and published books and tracts, and established On Whitefield's return to England in Decem- schools. In the neglected mining and manuber of this year he found the churches closed facturing districts were witnessed the most against him. This led him to engage in open- wonderful effects of his preaching. The miair preaching at Bristol. In May, 1739, Wes-ners of Cornwall came together in thousands, ley joined him there and began to preach to immense multitudes. After Whitefield had gone into Wales, Wesley, for the sake of more thorough instruction, began to gather the converts into "bands," and appoint times and places for prayer and counsel. On May 12 he laid in Bristol the corner stone of the first Methodist chapel, control of which, contrary to his own purpose, became vested in himself, as did that of all the other Wesleyan chapels built during his lifetime. In November he opened the foundery chapel in Moorfields, London, and this became the headquarters of the Methodist movement. Here was organized the first "society," consisting of eight or ten and thousands were, converted and reformed from the lowest vices. The first Methodist conference was assembled in the foundery chapel on June 25, 1744. Besides the two Wesleys, there were present four ordained ministers of the church of England and four lay preachers. It is evident that the design of Wesley up to this time was simply to effect a religious revival within the church of England, and save the neglected multitudes. During the year 1744 most bitter persecutions were suffered by the Methodists, especially in Staffordshire; and frequent attacks were made upon Wesley through the journals and by pamphlets. Under these circumstances he pub ers. lished his "Earnest Appeal to men of Reason | vants to lie down in peace;" "The Lord is and Religion," which consists largely of a de- with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge;" fence of the opinions and practices of the Meth-"The best of all is, God is with us." He was odists, and soon afterward appeared his "Further Appeal." From the discussions of the conference of 1747 it is plain that his views of ecclesiastical polity and administration had undergone very considerable change. According to his own statement, this had been caused chiefly by reading Lord King's "Primitive Church." Nevertheless, he did not entertain the suggestion of separation from the church of England, but in 1758 published twelve reasons against it. These, however, are all based on the simple inexpediency, and not on the unlawfulness of such separation. On the death of Whitefield, the Calvinistic controversy broke forth with increased violence. This was the occasion of some of Wesley's most vigorous writings, and brought to his aid the powerful pen of Fletcher. From this time each branch went its own way to do its own work. In 1770 preachers had been sent to America. The zeal of some Irish Methodist emigrants in New York, of some earnest laborers in Maryland, and of these missionaries had been most successful, and had laid the foundations of a future church. On the establishment of the independence of the colonies, the Methodists in America called for the administration of the sacraments at the hands of their preachSince Wesley had for years been satisfied that the orders of bishop and presbyter in the primitive church were essentially the same, in 1784, with the assistance of others, he ordained Thomas Coke superintendent or bishop of the Methodist societies in America, and empowered him to confer the like office on Francis Asbury. (See METHODISM.) At the session of the conference of 1784 Wesley provided for the perpetuity of the work after his death by naming in a deed of declaration 100 preachers who should constitute a "legal conference," and who should hold in trust the chapels and other property, and have the general oversight of the affairs of the societies. The ordination of Coke and Asbury greatly offended Charles Wesley, and he denounced it as a schism. It also caused excitement and alarm among many officials of the establishment. Wesley justified the act both on the grounds of right, and of expediency, and in 1786 he ordained six or seven other preachers, sending some to Scotland and others to foreign parts. Three years later he ordained Mather, Rankin, and Moore "to administer the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper according to the usages of the church of England." During the last four years of his life his strength had continued to decline, yet not his zeal or his labors. The same untiring energy which had characterized his life for more than 60 years was conspicuous to the closing week of his career. The last four days he spent in praising God, exclaiming at intervals: "He causeth his ser buried in the cemetery behind the City Road See also Isaac WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY to large congregations at Blackheath, near London, and after the return of his brother from Georgia entered upon the itinerant ministry. After his marriage in 1749 he confined his labors mostly to London and its vicinity. A volume of his sermons, his journal, and two volumes of his hymns, which possess extraordinary merit, have been published. He left two sons, Charles and Samuel, who were remarkable musicians.-See Stevenson's "Memorials of the Wesley Family" (London, 1876), which includes historical biographies of its leading members for nearly 250 years. WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, an institution of learning in Middletown, Conn., and the oldest college under the control and patronage of the Methodist Episcopal church. The two original buildings, which previously to 1829 were occupied as a military academy, were given to the trustees of the college on condition of | 559 their raising an endowment of $40,000. Besides these there are now Rich hall, the gift of Isaac Rich, for a library building; memorial chapel, built from the contributions of the church in the centenary year of American Methodism (1866); Judd hall, the gift of Orange Judd; and observatory hall, which has a refracting telescope of 12-inch aperture, made by Alvan Clark and sons. The five principal buildings have a common front line upon an ample campus, and command an extended and magnificent view of the Connecticut river and valley. Observatory hall and the gymnasium are just in the rear of the main buildings. The estimated value of the grounds and buildings is $400,000. The library has more than 26,000 volumes, and is annually increased from the income of the alumni library fund of over $20,000. Judd hall contains the well furnished chemical laboratory and the large museum of natural history. The income of the institution | from all sources for the collegiate year 1874-'5 was $47,000. Tuition is practically free, but this is due to a system of scholarships which will soon expire by the terms of their limitation. The college was organized-in 1830, chartered in May, 1831, and opened in the following September. Wilbur Fisk, D. D., was the first president and the leading mind in the organization of the institution, and remained in office till his death in 1839. Under his administration the proficiency of the student in each department separately was the only basis of classification, and upon satisfactory examination diplomas were bestowed irrespective of the time spent in college. This was soon abandoned, and the class system adopted. At this time the college was among the earliest to adopt the plan, now generally approved, of providing a scientific in addition to the ordinary classical course. Nathan Bangs, D. D., was VOL. XVI.-36 elected president in 1841, and resigned in 1842. three years' standing may elect five trustees, and the rest are elected at large by the board itself. The board is divided into five classes, one of which retires annually. The powers of the corporation cover all matters of external or internal management.-In the university there are three courses of four years each. The classical course is substantially the same as in other New England colleges. The Latinscientific and scientific courses are designed especially for advanced culture in the sciences and in modern languages and literature. In all these courses, about half the work of the last two years consists of elective studies. Special and post-graduate courses are also provided. The extensive laboratories of the college are now used also for such chemical investigations as belong appropriately to the state agricultural experiment station recently established here. A chemist paid by the state devotes himself to this work. Since 1872 the university courses have been open to both sexes. The whole number of alumni in 1875 was 1,107, of whom 174 have died. Accordto the "Alumni Record" published in 1873, of 1,028 then graduated, 503 had been in the ministry, chiefly in the Methodist Episcopal church; 271 became professional teachers, of whom 43 were presidents of colleges; and in the professions of law and medicine there were 269. In 1875-'6 the faculty consisted of the president, nine professors, three instructors, a curator of the museum, and two assistants in the scientific department. The number of students was 176, of whom 9 were females. WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, Ohio, an institution of learning at Delaware, Delaware co., Ohio. In 1842 the citizens of Delaware purchased the property known as the Sulphur Springs, a watering place of some note, and offered it to the Ohio and North Ohio conferences of the Methodist Episcopal church as a site for a college. In 1843 a charter was granted with full university powers, and in 1844 a faculty was partially organized, and students were admitted into both the preparatory department and college classes. The college grounds are very beautiful, and contain more than 800 varieties of trees and shrubs. The institution has libraries containing more than 13,000 volumes and extensive cabinets of natural history. The endowment fund is about $250,000. A large number of cheap scholarships have been sold, so that practically tuition is nearly free. Α students' loan fund affords aid to indigent young men preparing for the ministry. In 1875-6 there were 10 instructors and 200 preparatory and 163 collegiate students. The whole number of classical graduates is (1876) 623. The presidents have been as follows: the Rev. Edward Thomson, 1846-'60; the Rev. Frederick Merrick, 1860-'73; the Rev. Lorenzo D. McCabe (acting), 1873-'6; and the Rev. Charles H. Payne, inaugurated in June, 1876. WESSEL, John, also called Gansfort (Dutch, GOESEVORT), a theologian classed among the "reformers before the reformation," born in Groningen about 1420, died Oct. 4, 1489. He was successively a resident of Cologne, Louvain, Paris, and Heidelberg, engaged in study or teaching, finally living in retirement in his native country. He regarded Christianity as something entirely spiritual. The Scriptures, in his view, are the living source of all true faith, and the church is based upon a compact. After his death some of his works were burned as heretical; his Farrago Rerum Theologicarum was published with a preface by Luther (Wittenberg, 1522). The best edition of his works is by Lydius (Amsterdam, 1617). WESSEX (that is, West Saxony), a kingdom of the Saxon heptarchy in England during the 6th, 7th, and 8th centuries. It was founded about 500 by Cerdic, under whom it comprised the present counties of Southampton (including the Isle of Wight), Dorset, Wilts, and Berks. One of its sovereigns, Egbert, obtained an acknowledgment of superiority from the other kingdoms about 827, and is usually called the first king of England. WEST, Benjamin, an Anglo-American painter, born of Quaker parents in Springfield, Pa., Oct. 10, 1738, died in London, March 11, 1820. He began to make colored drawings from nature in his seventh year, and in his ninth composed a picture which 67 years afterward he asserted contained touches never surpassed by him. He received elementary instructions in Philadelphia, and practised his art in that city and the neighboring towns, and afterward in New York, chiefly as a portrait painter. In 1760 he went to Italy, where his portrait of Lord Grantham, at first generally attributed to Raphael Mengs, attracted considerable attention. He visited the chief Italian art capitals, and at Rome painted "Cimon and Iphigenia' and "Angelica and Medora," which were well received. In 1763 he went to London on his way to America, but was induced to take up his residence in that city, where in 1765 he married Elizabeth Shewell, a young American woman to whom he had been previously attached, and who joined him in England at his request. A successful picture representing Agrippina landing with the ashes of Germanicus was the means of introducing him to George III., for whom he painted the "Departure of Regulus," and who for nearly 40 years was his friend and patron. During a career of almost unvarying prosperity, he painted or sketched about 400 pictures, many of which are of great size, besides leaving upward of 200 drawings at his death. One of his early pictures, the "Death of Wolfe," widely known through the fine engraving of Woollett, may be said to have created an era in the history of British art, from the fact that the figures were habited in the costume appropriate to their time and character. The experiment of substituting modern for classical costumes was considered hazardous, and Sir Joshua Reynolds and others endeavored to dissuade the painter WEST from it; but he persevered, and Reynolds was one of the first to congratulate him on his success. He painted for George III. a number of subjects taken from early English history, and projected a grand series of works illustrating the progress of revealed religion for the chapel at Windsor castle, of which 28 were executed. After the superannuation of the king the commission was cancelled. He then began a new series of religious pieces. The first, "Christ Healing the Sick," was intended as a present to the Pennsylvania hospital in Philadelphia; but it was purchased for £3,000 by the British institute, and a copy with some alterations was sent by West to Philadelphia. The most remarkable picture of this series was "Death on the Pale Horse," from Revelation, exhibited in London in 1817. Among his battle pieces was the "Battle of La Hogue," one of his best pictures. In 1792 he succeeded Sir Joshua Reynolds as president of the royal academy, declining the honor of knighthood. He retired from that post in 1802, but was reelected a year later, and retained the office until his death. The extraordinary reputation once enjoyed by West was largely due to the facility with which he worked, and to the academic correctness of his designs. His pictures are chiefly remarkable for composition, the coloring being of a uniform reddish brown tint, in no respect resembling nature. Few artists have shown so little individuality and such an equality of merit. Many of his works have been engraved by Woollett, Sharpe, Hall, Heath, and others. WEST, Stephen, an American clergyman, born in Tolland, Conn., Nov. 13, 1735, died in Stockbridge, Mass., May 15, 1819. He graduated at Yale college in 1755, and studied theology, became chaplain at Hoosick fort in 1757, succeeded Jonathan Edwards in the Indian mission at Stockbridge in 1758, and was ordained as pastor of the Congregational church there in 1759. About 1770 he resigned his charge of the Indians, and adopted the Hopkinsian theology. He published" An Essay on Moral Agency" (12mo, 1772; enlarged ed., 1794); Duty and Obligation of Christians to marry only in the Lord" (1779); "An Essay on the Scripture Doctrine of the Atonement" (1785); "An Inquiry into the Ground and Import of Infant Baptism" (1794); "Life of Rev. Samuel Hopkins, D. D." (1806); and "Evidence of the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ collected from the Scriptures" (1816). WESTALL. I. Richard, an English painter, born in Hertford in 1765, died Dec. 4, 1836. He served an apprenticeship to an engraver, but took up painting and designing, and executed water-color drawings chiefly on subjects from classical mythology. He furnished some of the designs for Boydell's "Shakespeare Gallery." He lost largely by speculations in pictures. He was elected a royal academician in 1794. II. William, brother of the preceding, born in Hertford, Oct. 12, 1781, died Jan. 22, 1850. He was educated in the school of the royal academy, and in 1801 accompanied Capt. Flinders in his voyage of discovery, in the course of which he visited Australia, China, and India, made a large number of sketches, and painted some elaborate views of the coasts and interior of Australia. He published several volumes of views in England and the East. WEST BATON ROUGE, a S. E. parish of Louisiana, bounded E. by the Mississippi river and W. by Bayou Fordoche; area, about 225 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 5,114, of whom 3,404 were colored; in 1875, 5,742, of whom 3,996 were colored. The surface is low, and much of it subject to inundation; the soil is fertile. It is traversed by the Baton Rouge, Grosse Tête, and Opelousas railroad. The chief productions in 1870 were 24,955 bushels of Indian corn, 2,445 bales of cotton, 806 hogsheads of sugar, and 50,740 gallons of molasses. There were 379 horses, 753 mules and asses, 1,231 cattle, and 280 swine. Capital, Allain. WEST BRIDGEWATER. See BRIDGEWATER. WESTCHESTER, a S. E. county of New York, bordering on Connecticut and Long Island sound, bounded W. by the Hudson river, and drained by the Croton and Bronx rivers; area, about 500 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 131,348. By an act of 1873 a portion of the S. part was annexed to New York city, and in 1875 the population of the county was 100,660. Several ridges of hills extend N. and S. through the county. Stock growing, gardening, and fruit raising are among the chief occupations. Extensive quarries of marble are found near Sing Sing, and there are several mineral springs. It is traversed by the Hudson River, the Harlem, and the New York and New Haven railroads. The chief productions in 1870 were 23,757 bushels of wheat, 31,457 of rye, 263,211 of Indian corn, 196,846 of oats, 425,626 of potatoes, 430,737 lbs. of butter, 6,479 of wool, and 66,551 tons of hay. There were on farms 5,828 horses, 17,321 milch cows, 5,904 other cattle, 2,391 sheep, and 6,383 swine. The whole number of manufactories was 567, having an aggregate capital of $8,464,058; value of products, $15,828,372. The most important were 3 of agricultural implements, 10 of boots and shoes, 29 of bricks, 1 of carpets, 33 of carriages and wagons, 14 of clothing, 2 of cotton goods, 2 of cutlery and edge tools, 3 of files, 17 of furniture, 3 of hats and caps, 1 of India-rubber and elastic goods, 17 of iron, forged, cast, &c., 4 of lime, 5 of machinery, 1 of molasses and sugar refined, 3 of preserves and sauces, 20 of saddlery and harness, 17 of sash, doors, and blinds, 1 of sewing machines, 1 bleaching and dyeing establishment, 5 flour mills, 19 breweries, 3 planing mills, and 7 saw mills. Capital, White Plains. WEST CHESTER, a borough and the county seat of Chester co., Pennsylvania, situated on the dividing ridge between Brandywine and Chester creeks, 23 m. W. of Philadelphia; pop. in 1870, 5,630. It is surrounded by one of |