To Samuel Bradburn Date: LONDONDERRY, June 4, 1778. DEAR SAMMY, - I have wrote this morning to Mrs. Karr, and suppose she will answer me either to Belfast or Lisburn. It is now your part to be instant in prayer that God may order all things well. I hope to be at the Man of War A small decayed hamlet in co. Dublin. Bradburn went there to meet Wesley on June 26, and slept there. Wesley married him on the 28th to Betsy Nangle. on the 26th instant at five or six in the evening; at Dublin on the 27th. On Monday and Tuesday I may meet the classes; so the Conference will begin on Tuesday, July the 7th. - I am, dear Sammy, Your affectionate brother. To a Friend LONDONDERRY, June 5, 1778. DEAR SIR, - I have a long letter from an anonymous correspondent respecting the Arminian Magazine. It appears to be wrote with a friendly design and in an excellent spirit. The objections mentioned therein seem to be partly his own, partly repeated from others. The first is: 'It is too short; some other magazines are almost as long again. It is true there are as many pages as in others; but there are not so many lines in a page, not so many by ten or twelve, as in the Spiritual Magazine.' I answer by confessing the charge. It is undeniably true that it does not contain so many lines either in prose or verse as the Spiritual Magazine. And Tonson, who is himself a wit, Weighs writers' merits by the sheet. Prior's Epistle to F. Shephard. So do thousands besides; but I do not write for these. I write for those who judge of books not by the quantity but by the quality of them, who ask not how long but how good they are. I spare both my reader's time and my own by couching my sense in as few words as I can. Those who prefer the dealers in many words may find them on every side. And from these they may have not only as much more but ten times as much for their money.

A second objection is: 'Here is not variety enough.' I answer, Here is all the variety I promised: I promised the bulk of the Magazine (as the very title implies) should treat of Universal Redemption. And hence you had reason to expect that the greatest part of every number would turn on that single point. Do you blame me for keeping close to my point for not rambling from my subject It is not my manner; I do not aim at it. Whether in speaking or writing, I endeavor to avoid this kind of variety, and to keep one thing always in view. 'But there is not variety in the historical part.' What do you mean Would you have me insert bits and scraps of history or give in each number part of the life of one man and part of that of another I never proposed this: I think it is far better to select a few of the best lives I know, and to go entirely through one before I enter upon another. In the letters there is certainly as much variety as any reasonable man can expect. Indeed, they are all serious. And they all relate to one thing, the work of God in the heart. But this also was what I promised at first, what I proposed from the beginning. 'But would it not be advisable to procure and print letters from various correspondents' Yes, if I could hope for better than I have already; but I have no hope of this. I believe very many of those that now lie by me will not easily be excelled, either in point of sentiment or expression, by any other I can receive. 'But would not many of your correspondents propose objections, and thereby occasion more variety 'They would; but that is a kind of variety which I peculiarly dislike. I have studiously avoided it from the beginning, and shall to the end of the work. I design going straight on in proving my point without turning aside to the right hand or the left.

'But you have no pictures or other decorations or embellishments which other magazines have.' It is true. But I will tell you what I have (if you cannot find it out without telling) - such paper as no magazine in England was ever printed upon before. Consider l this one single article costs more than all their fine embellishments put together. Permit me to say once for all: to men of taste, men of sense, and men of piety I am in hopes this Magazine will recommend itself without any but its own intrinsic ornaments. But if any of these will inform me how it may be improved, consistently with my first design, the favor will be thankfully acknowledged by, dear sir, Your affectionate servant.