Prickard was one of Wesley's early preachers. He relates an incident in his ministry that is stirring; something that I think speaks to us today. Would our preachers have his conviction and courage? I'll interact with the incident described below on apostolic obsession, http://apostolicobsession.blogspot.com
While he was appointed to a circuit in Ireland, a large merchant vessel sank off the coast. People began scavenging to goods as they came on shore--stealing, as it were. Prickard was heartbroken: "I went among our poor, fallen people on the Isle of Cale and found that every society, more or less, except those dear people at Strangford, had been involved."
Prickard relates his course of action: "I saw I had nothing to do but get rid of them, and at the same time preach repentance and restitution to them. My preaching had the desired effect on many, who came with tears and made restitution (to the shipping company) as they were able.
"Nevertheless, I thought it was my duty to put them out of the society for a season, as their crime was so glaring, so heinous. I considered that repentance was all that we could require for the offense against God, and restitution was all we could require for the offense against their neighbor; but they could make no satisfaction for the scandal they had brought on the people of God except by being publicly put out of the society, and kept out for some time. I accordingly with an almost broken heart, took 63 people off the rolls, noting that those who repented and made restitution would be readmitted at a later time. But those who would not were recorded with a note as to their obstinacy."
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