THE LIFE OF WESLEY; AND RISE AND PROGRESS OF METHODISM. BY ROBERT SOUTHEY, ESQ. LL.D. Third Edition, WITH NOTES BY THE LATE SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE, ESQ. AND REMARKS ON THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF JOHN WESLEY, BY 451. THE LIFE OF WESLEY. CHAPTER XVII. JOHN OLIVER. JOHN PAWSON. ALEXANDER MATHER. -THOMAS OLIVERS. JOHN OLIVER, the son of a tradesman at Stockport in Cheshire, received the rudiments of a liberal education at the grammar-school in that town; but at the age of thirteen, in consequence of reduced circumstances, was taken into his father's shop. When he was about fifteen, the Methodists came to Stockport: he partook the general prejudice against them, and calling upon one with whom he chanced to be acquainted, took upon himself to convince him that he was of a bad religion, which was hostile to the Church. The Methodist, in reply, easily convinced him that he had no religion at all. His pride was mortified at this defeat, and he went near his acquaintance no more; but the boy was touched at heart also: he left off his idle and criminal diversions (of which cockfighting was one), read, prayed, fasted, regularly attended church, and repeated the prayers and collects every day. This continued some months, without any apparent evil; but having, at his father's instance, spent a Sabbath evening at an inn, with some young comrades from Manchester, and forgotten all his good |