{"id":"jw/letters/1771/03-to-joseph-benson","corpus":"jw-letters","type":"letter","author":"john-wesley","title":"03 To Joseph Benson","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-1771-03-to-joseph-benson","passage_ids":["jw-letter-1771-03-to-joseph-benson-000"],"word_count":165,"themes_auto":["assurance","justifying-grace","pneumatology"],"open":true,"closed_reason":null,"legacy_ids":["jw-letter-1771-03-to-joseph-benson-000"],"passages":[{"id":"jw-letter-1771-03-to-joseph-benson-000","author":"john-wesley","source_id":"jw-letter-1771-03-to-joseph-benson","source_title":"03 To Joseph Benson","source_type":"letter","year":null,"chunk_index":0,"text":"To Joseph Benson Date: LONDON, January 21, 1771. DEAR JOSEPH, It was of their own mere motion that the students, when I was in Wales, desired me to come and spend a little time with them. I had no thought or desire so to do, having work enough upon my hands. When Mr. Ireland See letters of Oct. 23 and Nov. 4, 1759. asked me why I did not go thither in August, He was in Bristol from Aug. 13 to 20. I answered, 'Because my Lady had written to me to the contrary.' But I do not remember that I showed him her letter; I believe I did not. I know not why you should not keep the rest of your terms at Oxford and take a Bachelor's degree. Only if you should be pressed in spirit to give yourself up to the work of God sooner, I think you must follow your own conscience. Write quite freely to, dear Joseph, Your affectionate brother.","word_count":165,"source_url":null,"themes":["assurance","pneumatology","justifying-grace"],"created_at":"2026-01-29T20:05:05.702516"}]}