{"id":"jw/letters/1739/14-to-james-hutton","corpus":"jw-letters","type":"letter","author":"john-wesley","title":"14 To James Hutton","title_alt":[],"text_basis":null,"date_composed":null,"date_precision":"unknown","date_note":null,"numbering":{"bicentennial":null,"jackson_running":null,"sugden":null},"source_edition":{"editor":null,"title":null,"edition":null,"place":null,"publisher":null,"year":null,"volume":null,"pages":null,"scan_url":null,"scan_page_ids":null},"transcription":{"derived_from":null,"corrected_against_scan":false,"corrector":null,"corrected_on":null},"modernization":"none","license_text":"Public Domain Mark 1.0","license_apparatus":"CC BY 4.0","wikidata":null,"prev":null,"next":null,"part_of":"jw-letters","editorial_note":null,"source_id":"jw-letter-1739-14-to-james-hutton","passage_ids":["jw-letter-1739-14-to-james-hutton-000","jw-letter-1739-14-to-james-hutton-001","jw-letter-1739-14-to-james-hutton-002","jw-letter-1739-14-to-james-hutton-003"],"word_count":1287,"themes_auto":["catholic-spirit","christology","pneumatology","prevenient-grace","reign-of-god","trinity"],"open":true,"closed_reason":null,"legacy_ids":["jw-letter-1739-14-to-james-hutton-000","jw-letter-1739-14-to-james-hutton-001","jw-letter-1739-14-to-james-hutton-002","jw-letter-1739-14-to-james-hutton-003"],"passages":[{"id":"jw-letter-1739-14-to-james-hutton-000","author":"john-wesley","source_id":"jw-letter-1739-14-to-james-hutton","source_title":"14 To James Hutton","source_type":"letter","year":null,"chunk_index":0,"text":"To James Hutton Date: BRISTOL, April 30, 1739. MY DEAR BRETHERN, Monday, the 23rd, about twenty-four of us walked to Pensford, a little town five or six miles off, where a Society is begun, five of whose members were with us at Baldwin Street the Tuesday before. We sent to the minister to desire the use of the church; and after waiting some time and receiving no answer, being neither able to get into the church nor the churchyard, we began singing praise to God in the street. Many people gathered about us, with whom we removed to the market-place, where from the top of a wall I called to them in the name of our Master, 'If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink.' At four in the afternoon we met about four thousand people in another brickyard, a little nearer the city. To these I declared, ' The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of Man, and they that hear shall live.' The rain on Tuesday morning made them not expect me at Bath; so that we had not above a thousand or twelve hundred in the meadow. After preaching, we read over the rules and fixed two bands, one of men and one of women. The men are Joseph Feachem (a man full of the Holy Ghost), Mr. Bush, Mr. Cotton, and Mr. Richards (of Oxford). The women are Rebecca Thomas (one of Lady Cox's servants), Sarah Bush, Grace Bond, Mary Spenser (mourning, and refusing to be comforted), and Margaret Dolling. Their general meeting is on Tuesday, their particular meeting on Monday evening, at five o'clock.","word_count":282,"source_url":null,"themes":["trinity","prevenient-grace","catholic-spirit"],"created_at":"2026-01-29T18:41:06.443881"},{"id":"jw-letter-1739-14-to-james-hutton-001","author":"john-wesley","source_id":"jw-letter-1739-14-to-james-hutton","source_title":"14 To James Hutton","source_type":"letter","year":null,"chunk_index":1,"text":"A gray-headed old man, one Dibble, a silversmith, at eleven gladly received me into his house, where I preached on the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, at the window of an upper room, to those in the yard and street as well as the house. At four in the afternoon I met the colliers by appointment at a place about the middle of Kingswood called Two-Mile-Hill. After preaching to two or three thousand, we went to the stone our brother Whitefield laid. See letter of April 9,n, to his brother Charles. I think it cannot be better placed. 'Tis just in the middle of the wood, two mile every way from either church or school. I wish he would write to me, positively and decisively, that 'for this reason he would have the first school there, or as near it as possible.' In the evening, at Baldwin Street, John Bush received remission of sins. I was now in some doubt how to proceed. Our dear brethren, before I left London, and our brother Whitefield here, and our brother Chapman since, had conjured me to enter into no disputes, least of all concerning Predestination, because this people was so deeply prejudiced for it. The same was my own inclination. But this evening I received a long letter (almost a month after date) charging me roundly with ' resisting and perverting the truth as it is in Jesus' by preaching against God's decree of predestination. I had not done so yet; but I questioned whether I ought not now to declare the whole counsel of God: especially since that letter had been long handed about in Bristol before it was sealed and brought to me, together with another, wherein also the writer exhorts his friends to avoid me as a false teacher. However, I thought it best to walk gently, and so said nothing this day.","word_count":315,"source_url":null,"themes":["catholic-spirit","trinity","prevenient-grace"],"created_at":"2026-01-29T18:41:06.443998"},{"id":"jw-letter-1739-14-to-james-hutton-002","author":"john-wesley","source_id":"jw-letter-1739-14-to-james-hutton","source_title":"14 To James Hutton","source_type":"letter","year":null,"chunk_index":2,"text":"Wednesday, 25th, I dined at Frenchay, about four miles from Bristol, at Anthony Purver's, a Quaker, one of much experience in the ways of God. At four I believe about four thousand people were present at Baptist Mills, to whom (as God enabled me) I expounder that scripture, 'Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again unto fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.' At seven, the female bands meeting, four new members were proposed. One was accepted, and the rest postponed, of whom one has now shown what spirit she was of by turning a most bitter opposer. At eight, the men meeting, several new members were proposed, some of whom were postponed, and eight admitted upon trial. Thursday, 26th, preaching at Newgate on those words, 'He that believeth hath everlasting life,' I was led, I know not how, to speak strongly and explicitly of Predestination, and then to pray 'that if I spake not the truth of God, He would stay His hand, and work no more among us. If this was His truth, He would not delay to confirm it by signs following.' Immediately the power of God fell upon us: one, and another, and another sunk to the earth; you might see them dropping on all sides as thunder-struck. One cried out aloud. I went and prayed over her, and she received joy in the Holy Ghost. A second falling into the same agony, we turned to her, and received for her also the promise of the Father. In the evening I made the same appeal to God, and almost before we called He answered. A young woman was seized with such pangs as I never saw before; and in a quarter of an hour she had a new song in her mouth, a thanksgiving unto our God. This day, I being desirous to speak little, but our brother Purdy pressing me to speak and spare not, we made four lots, and desired our Lord to show what He would have me to do. The answer was, 'Preach and print.' Let Him see to the event. At midnight we were waked with a cry of fire. It was two doom away, and, being soon discovered, was soon extinguished.","word_count":380,"source_url":null,"themes":["trinity","pneumatology","reign-of-god"],"created_at":"2026-01-29T18:41:06.444170"},{"id":"jw-letter-1739-14-to-james-hutton-003","author":"john-wesley","source_id":"jw-letter-1739-14-to-james-hutton","source_title":"14 To James Hutton","source_type":"letter","year":null,"chunk_index":3,"text":"Friday, 27th, all Newgate was in an uproar again, and two women received the Spirit of adoption, to the utter astonishment of all and the entire conviction of some who before doubted. At four on Saturday five-and-twenty hundred (I suppose) were at the Poorhouse. My spirit was enlarged to pray for the rich that were there, especially 'that our Lord would show them they were poor sinners.' At night many were convinced of sin and one received remission of sins at Weavers' Hall. On Sunday morning (being so directed again by lot) I declared openly for the first hour against 'the horrible decree' before about four thousand persons at the Bowling Green. I then went to Clifton (a little mile off), and thence to a little plain near Hanham Mount, being desired by some of the neigh-hours to remove thither. About three thousand or three thousand five hundred were present. Thence I went to Clifton again. The church was more than full at the prayers and sermon, as was the churchyard at the burial that followed. From Clifton we went straight to Rose Green, where were upwards of seven thousand; and thence to the Society at Gloucester Lane, where also were many that have this world's goods. Two very fine young women, who came in a chariot, stood close to the table on which I was, and patiently heard me expound on the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, and the pride of life. And one or two were seized with strong pangs, which, I hope, has before now ended in true comfort. Thence we went to our lovefeast in Baldwin Street, where the spirit of love was present with us. Praise ye the Lord, who reneweth my bodily strength. May I feel in my soul that He is my strength and my salvation! Your affectionate brother.","word_count":310,"source_url":null,"themes":["pneumatology","christology","prevenient-grace"],"created_at":"2026-01-29T18:41:06.444296"}]}