{"id":"jw/letters/1775/80-to-caleb-evans","corpus":"jw-letters","type":"letter","author":"john-wesley","title":"80 To Caleb Evans","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-1775-80-to-caleb-evans","passage_ids":["jw-letter-1775-80-to-caleb-evans-000"],"word_count":357,"themes_auto":["free-will","justifying-grace","works-mercy"],"open":true,"closed_reason":null,"legacy_ids":["jw-letter-1775-80-to-caleb-evans-000"],"passages":[{"id":"jw-letter-1775-80-to-caleb-evans-000","author":"john-wesley","source_id":"jw-letter-1775-80-to-caleb-evans","source_title":"80 To Caleb Evans","source_type":"letter","year":null,"chunk_index":0,"text":"To Caleb Evans Date: LONDON, December 9, 1775. REVEREND SIR, You affirm (1) that I once 'doubted whether the measures taken with respect to America could be defended either on the foot of law, equity, or prudence.' I did doubt of these five years, nay indeed five months ago. You affirm (2) that I 'declared' (last year) 'the Americans were an oppressed, injured people.' I do not remember that I did; but very possibly I might. You affirm (3) that I then' strongly recommended An Argument for the Exclusive Right of the Colonies to Tax Themselves.' I believe I did; but I am now of another mind. You affirm (4) 'You say in the Preface, I never saw that book.' I did say so. The plain case was, I had so entirely forgotten it that even when I saw it again I recollected nothing of it till I had read several pages. If I had, I might have observed that you borrowed more from Mr. Parker than I did from Dr. Johnson. Though I know not whether I should have observed it, as it does not affect the merits of the cause. You affirm (5) ' You say, But I really believe he was told so'; and add, ' Supposing what I asserted was false, it is not easy to conceive what reason you could have for believing I was told so.' My reason was, I believed you feared God, and therefore would not tell a willful untruth; so I made the best excuse for you which I thought the nature of the thing would admit of. Had you not some reasons to believe this of me, and therefore to say (at least), ' I hope he forgot it' 'But at this time I was perfectly unknown to you.' No, at this time I knew you wrote that tract; but, had I not, charity would have induced me to hope this even of an entire stranger. You now have my 'feeble reply'; and if you please to advance any new argument (personal reflections I let go), you may perhaps receive a farther reply from Your humble servant.","word_count":357,"source_url":null,"themes":["justifying-grace","free-will","works-mercy"],"created_at":"2026-01-29T20:08:30.721869"}]}