MAXFIELD, THOMAS, 1720-85; b. England; converted to the faith of John Wesley by tbe preaching of the g:reat Methodist divine at Bristol; was his substitute in the Foundry church, London, in prayer and expounding the Scriptures, but was not per mitted to preach. Nevertheless, led by his evident popularity he attempted to preach, and succeeded so well that Wesley, who was strongly in favor of the strict discipline of the church, listened to the counsel of his mother to hear him before denouncing him, and then granted him leave to preach. He was the first itinerant lay-preacher in the Methodist denomination. In 1744 he attended the first conference at the Foundry church, having been ordained in Ireland by the bishop of Londonderry, who was friendly to Wesley. He was introduced by 1Vesley into London society, where he con tracted a marriage with a lady in a position far superior to his own. In 1746 he att,ended the third conference at Bristol, and was persecuted in company with other followers of Wesley, being at one time kidnaped and pressed into the king's service. In 1764 lie
became estranged from Wesley on account of some disag-reement in church matters, and associated himself with Bell, an ex-life-guardsman turned local preacher, who, possess ing great personal magnetism and wild enthusiasm, had a powerful influence over him. He joined Bell in advocating doctrines so strongly opposed to the reasonable interpre tation of the Scriptures, that a decided breach was made between his followers and Wes ley, and he withdrew from the Foundry church and founded a society of 170 members who had seceded with him. He continued with this people for 20 years, and when helpless from a stroke of paralysis, Wesley remernbered and visited him, and afterward. preached to his people in the chapel which he had occupied.