{"id":"jw/letters/1742/03-to-captain-robert-williams","corpus":"jw-letters","type":"letter","author":"john-wesley","title":"03 To Captain Robert Williams","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-1742-03-to-captain-robert-williams","passage_ids":["jw-letter-1742-03-to-captain-robert-williams-000","jw-letter-1742-03-to-captain-robert-williams-001","jw-letter-1742-03-to-captain-robert-williams-002"],"word_count":760,"themes_auto":["assurance","experience","prevenient-grace","social-holiness","trinity","universal-redemption"],"open":true,"closed_reason":null,"legacy_ids":["jw-letter-1742-03-to-captain-robert-williams-000","jw-letter-1742-03-to-captain-robert-williams-001","jw-letter-1742-03-to-captain-robert-williams-002"],"passages":[{"id":"jw-letter-1742-03-to-captain-robert-williams-000","author":"john-wesley","source_id":"jw-letter-1742-03-to-captain-robert-williams","source_title":"03 To Captain Robert Williams","source_type":"letter","year":null,"chunk_index":0,"text":"To Captain Robert Williams Date: LONDON, August 3, 1742. SIR, To prove that Robert Williams traded very largely during the time he was at Savannah, that he built several considerable buildings both at Savannah and other parts of the colony, that he greatly improved large tracts of land there, and was esteemed to have one of the chief settlements in the colony, you have not so much as quoted 'common fame.' So he that will believe it, let him believe it. But you have quoted common fame to support several charges against John Wesley, clerk: as, that he seduced its common persons settled there to idleness; that he used too great familiarities with Miss Hopkey, and continued so to do till she was married to Mr. William Williamson of Savannah, a gentleman of considerable note there ('tis much a gentleman of so considerable note as Mr. William Williamson would marry her!); that he sent her several letters and messages after her marriage, desiring her to meet him at divers unseasonable hours and places, many of which (hours or places) were at his, the said Wesley's, own closet. A report was, you say, that these things were so. Would any man desire better proof I am not surprised at all that upon such evidence you should advance such assertions. But I really am at what you afterwards assert as upon your own personal knowledge viz. that two Bills of Indictment being preferred against John Wesley and sent to the Grand Jury of Savannah (Bills of Indictment sent to a Grand Jury! What kind of proceeding is this), this deponent and the rest of the Grand Jury did UNANIMOUSLY agree to the said Bills. How dare you, sir, assert so gross a falsehood Have you no regard either for your reputation or your soul Do you think there is no God to judge the earth You know, you must know, how large a part of that Grand Jury did absolutely disagree to every Bill of the two presentments; and gave those reasons of their disagreement to the Trustees, which neither you nor any man has yet chose to answer.","word_count":357,"source_url":null,"themes":["assurance","experience","social-holiness"],"created_at":"2026-01-29T18:42:09.221842"},{"id":"jw-letter-1742-03-to-captain-robert-williams-001","author":"john-wesley","source_id":"jw-letter-1742-03-to-captain-robert-williams","source_title":"03 To Captain Robert Williams","source_type":"letter","year":null,"chunk_index":1,"text":"You assert, farther, that I was bailed by two freeholders of Savannah for my appearance at the then next Sessions. Here I charge you with a second gross, willful falsehood. You know I never was bailed at all. If I was, name the men (Henry Lloyd is ready to confront you) or produce an attested copy of the Record of Court. You assert, thirdly, that a little before the Sessions came on (viz. the next Sessions after the Bills were found) I deserted my bail. Here is another gross, willful, palpable untruth. For (1) no bail was ever given; (2) I appeared at seven Sessions successively after those Bills were found viz. on Thursday, Sept. 1, or Friday, Sept. 2; at three other Sessions held in September and October; on Thursday, Nov. 22 3; and lastly, on Thursday, Nov. 22 24. Your smaller falsehoods as that I quitted the colony about the middle of the night, that from Purrysburg to Charlestown is about two hundred miles (you should have said about ninety), that I walked on foot from thence to Charlestown I pass over as not material. You, lastly, assert that the Justices threatened to prosecute and imprison my bail for such my desertion, who were in the utmost confusion concerning the same; but by the interposition of this deponent and several others on behalf of the said bail, and to prevent destruction to their several families, the Justices respited their recognizances during pleasure. This is altogether fit to crown the whole. Now, sir, as you know in your own soul that every word of this is pure invention, without one grain of truth from the beginning to the end, what amends can you ever make, either to God, or to me, or to the world Into what a dreadful dilemma have you here brought yourself! You must openly retract an open slander, or you must wade through thick and thin to support it; till that God, to whom I appeal, shall maintain His own cause and sweep you away from the earth. I am, sir, Your friend.","word_count":348,"source_url":null,"themes":["universal-redemption","trinity","prevenient-grace"],"created_at":"2026-01-29T18:42:09.221952"},{"id":"jw-letter-1742-03-to-captain-robert-williams-002","author":"john-wesley","source_id":"jw-letter-1742-03-to-captain-robert-williams","source_title":"03 To Captain Robert Williams","source_type":"letter","year":null,"chunk_index":2,"text":"N.B. This was written July 16, but I had not leisure to transcribe it before August 3, 1742. Wesley left Bristol on July 18 and found when he got to London that his mother was dying. The letter was transcribed two days after her funeral. It appeared in the Weekly History for Aug. 14, 1742.","word_count":55,"source_url":null,"themes":["prevenient-grace"],"created_at":"2026-01-29T18:42:09.221966"}]}