{"id":"jw/letters/1781b/20-to-elijah-bush","corpus":"jw-letters","type":"letter","author":"john-wesley","title":"B 20 To Elijah Bush","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-1781b-20-to-elijah-bush","passage_ids":["jw-letter-1781b-20-to-elijah-bush-000"],"word_count":158,"themes_auto":["assurance","experience","free-will"],"open":true,"closed_reason":null,"legacy_ids":["jw-letter-1781b-20-to-elijah-bush-000"],"passages":[{"id":"jw-letter-1781b-20-to-elijah-bush-000","author":"john-wesley","source_id":"jw-letter-1781b-20-to-elijah-bush","source_title":"B 20 To Elijah Bush","source_type":"letter","year":null,"chunk_index":0,"text":"To Elijah Bush Date: COLEFORD, September 11, 1781. MY DEAR BROTHER, I was much concerned yesterday when I heard you were likely to marry a woman against the consent of your parents. I have never in an observation of fifty years known such a marriage attended with a blessing. I know not how it should be, since it is flatly contrary to the fifth commandment. I told my own mother, when pressing me to marry, 'I dare not allow you a positive voice herein; I dare not marry a person because you bid me. But I must allow you a negative voice: I will marry no person if you forbid. I know it would be a sin against God.' Take care what you do. Mr. S - is not a proper judge; he hopes to separate you from the Methodists; and I expect, if you take this step, that will be the end. I am Your affectionate brother.","word_count":158,"source_url":null,"themes":["free-will","assurance","experience"],"created_at":"2026-01-30T05:16:53.975611"}]}