From Charles Wesley to his wife Sarah Wesley. From Seven Dials, London. He preached here [West Street Chapel] on Genesis 27:38 'to the comfort of many'. After the Sacrament he prayed 'for those poor sheep, yt they may be kept after our departure from the grievous wolves…' [a reference to the Norwich Sacramental dispute]. He gave the sacraments to Sister Hartley, 'an old disciple just ripe for glory; One of my first children in the Gospel'.
He was accompanied by [William] Perronet and [John] Downes to dinner at Mrs Heritage's, returning to the chapel at three. His subject was 'I will not let thee go'. He then rode to Moorfields [the Foundery] and from there walked to [Samuel] Lloyd's. His clerks told Charles of several more robberies, allegedly carried out by the coachman. When the Lord Mayor examined the accused, a sacrament ticket of G W's was found in his pocket, 'which has given George the credit of him. A more compleat hypocrite I have not heard of'. After spending half an hour at [Friend] Cart's he attended Spitalfields Chapel, which was crowded with almost all the Society members. J W came and took [Thomas] Maxfield 'into the ?Disk with him & sent me in the vestry to go up into ye Pulpit. I thou't he might as well have sent Thomas thither but as he did not chuse that, I sat me down at their footstall: after I had delivered the following lr to my B' [brother]:
There follows a manuscript copy of a letter from C W to J W, dated 2 March 1760.
Charles has often prayed about going to Norwich and is indeed prepared to go, 'but not on a fool's errand'. Reference is made to J W's indecisiveness the day before. Did he [J W] give [John] Murlin and the others any aggravation?, or blame them in any way? Where is J W's conscience? '[The remainder of the preachers] rest secure in yr weakness'. Soon they will follow the example of the Norwich preachers and formally separate from the Church of England. There is no point in Charles travelling to Norwich if his brother's weakness will not allow the preachers to be touched. J W will not back his brother and 'yr fear & dissumulation will throw all the blame upon me: & perhaps disown me'.
J W should write to the preachers via Charles, instructing him and them as to what they should do. He should attack them as strongly as his conscience will allow. Otherwise his irresolution will amount to betrayal of his own authority, the Church, his brother, the preachers and the society members and J W himself will be the 'AUTHOR OF THE SEPARATION'.
The rest of the letter is once more addressed to S W
The above letter prodded J W into consulting with 'trusty Thomas'[Maxfield], while [John] Jones and C W conferred. J W spoke to the society about staying within the Church of England, but said little else that is worth remembering. Afterwards they had a pitiful love feast the worst which Charles can recall. [Mary Wesley] was waiting for her husband so the Wesley brothers simply shook hands before parting in silence.
Charles prayed with [John] Downes at Sister Boult's house for guidance and Charles then slept there in peace.
March 3
He prayed with the select band and explained the reason for Michael's exclusion. They all expressed horror of him and his followers.
Breakfast was had with the preachers and [John] Downes who Charles has reintroduced to their number - 'all was peace & love'.
Charles spent an hour with [Samuel] Lloyd, who entertained him with an account of his late courtship [of Miss Darby]. Their friend [Mrs Gumley] is a clever woman but quite overreached herself on that particular occasion and spoiled her own plan with her intriguing.
One of the preachers - 'a forward man', has been visiting the coachman in Newgate Prison and asked for Charles's advice as to how to proceed. Charles told him that he should have nothing further to do with the man.
He then rode to P. [?Vincent Perronet] and 'recd much light & strength thro the ministry of our friend'.
Charles dined at Mrs Carteret's with Sir Charles [?Hotham] and Miss Molly. Later they all celebrated Holy Communion.
The chapel was crowded as there was no preaching anywhere else. The Speaker's Lady [?Speaker of the House of Commons] was among the audience - Charles read prayers and preached from Psalm 142
- 'Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks unto thy name'. The power of the spirit was felt by most people present.
[William] Perronet called before preaching and read Michael's letter with astonishment. He would have liked to have borrowed it for his friends to read - Charles may get him a copy.
After the sermon poor Miss Darby gave vent to her grievances. She did not blame [Samuel] Lloyd but did complain about her aunt [Mrs Gumley] with justification. Her intrigue has cost Darby a good husband.
J W's final resolution (or irresolution) was that the Norwich Sacramental dispute should be put to one side until the Conference 'ie TILL they are confirmed in their own evil' and have poisoned all the preachers and half the people.
At the Conference Charles presumes that the matter will be put to the vote and that separation [from the Church of England] will result.
In the five months before the Conference, they will have to do whatever God directs to prevent a schism. Charles will have strength given to him and 'if I cannot act in the spirit of love & meekness. I will go aside into a corner for my few remaining days'.
How many collections does Sarah think that J W has taken up from Thursday evening to Sunday? - no fewer than seven including five today from the same 'poor exhausted people. He has no mercy on them, on the GIVING POOR I mean; as if he was in a haste to reduce them to the number of RECEIVING POOR'.
He will be detained in London by the fast day until the 17th. He does not yet know whether or not he will be visiting Norwich but wherever he goes he expects a busy time with no gratitude.
Notes
- Publication Record: Quoted by Dr Frank Baker, Charles Wesley - As Revealed by his Letters (1948), p.98.
- In February 1760 the Wesleys were informed that the three preachers stationed in Norwich, had been administering the Sacraments contrary to Methodist practice. After much debate, John Wesley eventually came down firmly against their actions. Source: Dr Frank Baker, John Wesley and the Church of England (1970), pp.175-179.
- John Murlin (1722-99) was a Cornish preacher who was converted by John Downes in 1749. In 1754 he was summoned from his prosperous business by John Wesley to enter the itinerancy. Murlin was an exceptionally gifted preacher whose emotional style earned him the nickname 'The weeping prophet'. Source: Encyclopedia of World Methodism (1974).