The Epworth Phenomena | Page 9

persons so commonly evince to exaggerate in all uncommon cases. These circumstances, therefore, though apparently silly in themselves, in no degree invalidate the other parts of the story, which rest upon the concurrent testimony of many intelligent witnesses. The door was once violently pushed against Emilia, when there was no person on the outside; the latches were frequently lifted up; the windows clattered always before Jeffery entered a room, and whatever iron or brass was there, rung and jarred exceedingly. It was observed also that the wind commonly rose after any of his noises, and increased with it, and whistled loudly round the house. Mr. Wesley's trencher (for it was before our potteries had pushed their ware into every village throughout the kingdom) danced one day upon the table, to his no small amazement; and the handle of Robin's handmill, at another time, was turned round with great swiftness; unluckily he had just done grinding; nothing vexed him, he said, but that the mill was empty; if there had been corn in it, Jeffery might have ground his heart out before he would have disturbed him. It was plainly a Jacobite goblin, and seldom suffered Mr. Wesley to pray for the King and the Prince of Wales without disturbing the family prayers. Mr. Wesley was sore upon this subject, and became angry, and therefore repeated the prayer. But when Samuel was informed of this his remark was, 'As to the devil's being an enemy to King George, were I the king myself I should rather Old Nick should be my enemy than my friend.' The children were the only persons who were distressed by these visitations; the manner in which they were affected is remarkable: when the noises began, they appeared to be frightened in their sleep, a sweat came over them, and they panted and trembled till the disturbance was so loud as to waken them. Before it ceased the family had become quite accustomed to it, and were tired with hearing or speaking of it. 'Send me some news,' said one of the sisters to her brother Samuel, 'for we are secluded from the sight or hearing of any versal thing except Jeffery.'
"An author who in this age relates such a story, and treats it as not utterly incredible and absurd, must expect to be ridiculed; but the testimony upon which it rests is far too strong to be set aside because of the strangeness of the relation. The letters which passed at the time between Samuel Wesley and the family at Epworth, the journal which Mr. Wesley kept of these remarkable transactions, and the evidence concerning them which John afterwards collected, fell into the hands of Dr Priestley, and were published by him as being 'perhaps the best authenticated and best told story of the kind that is anywhere extant.' He observes in favour of the story 'that all the parties seem to have been sufficiently void of fear, and also free from credulity, except the general belief that such things were supernatural.' But, he argues, that where no good end was to be answered, we may safely conclude that no miracle was wrought; and he supposes, as the most probable solution, that it was a trick of the servants, assisted by some of the neighbours, for the sake of amusing themselves and puzzling the family. In reply to this it may safely be asserted that many of the circumstances cannot be explained by any such supposition, nor by any legerdemain, nor by ventriloquism, nor by any secret acoustics. The former argument would be valid if the term miracle were applicable to the case; but by miracle Dr Priestley evidently intends a manifestation of Divine Power, and in the present instance no such manifestation is supposed, any more than in the appearance of a departed spirit. Such things may be preternatural and yet not miraculous; they may be not in the ordinary course of nature, and yet imply no alteration of its laws. And with regard to the good end which they may be supposed to answer, it would be sufficient if sometimes one of those unhappy persons who, looking through the dim glass of infidelity, see nothing beyond this life and the narrow sphere of mortal existence, should, from the well-established truth of one such story (trifling and objectless as it might otherwise appear), be led to a conclusion that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in their philosophy."

THE RECORDS OF SAMUEL WESLEY
LETTERS CONCERNING SOME SUPERNATURAL DISTURBANCES AT MY FATHER'S HOUSE AT EPWORTH IN LINCOLNSHIRE
Letter I.-TO MR. SAMUEL WESLEY FROM HIS MOTHER
January 12, 1716-17.
Dear Sam,-This evening we were agreeably surprised with your pacquet, which brought the welcome news of your being alive, after we had been in the greatest panic