{"id":"jw/letters/1785a/19-to-barnabas-thomas","corpus":"jw-letters","type":"letter","author":"john-wesley","title":"A 19 To Barnabas Thomas","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-1785a-19-to-barnabas-thomas","passage_ids":["jw-letter-1785a-19-to-barnabas-thomas-000"],"word_count":207,"themes_auto":["catholic-spirit","free-will","reign-of-god"],"open":true,"closed_reason":null,"legacy_ids":["jw-letter-1785a-19-to-barnabas-thomas-000"],"passages":[{"id":"jw-letter-1785a-19-to-barnabas-thomas-000","author":"john-wesley","source_id":"jw-letter-1785a-19-to-barnabas-thomas","source_title":"A 19 To Barnabas Thomas","source_type":"letter","year":null,"chunk_index":0,"text":"To Barnabas Thomas Date: BIRMINGHAM, March 25, 1785. DEAR BARNABAS, - I have neither inclination nor leisure to draw the saw of controversy; but I will tell you my mind in a few words. I am now as firmly attached to the Church of England as I ever was since you knew me. But meantime I know myself to be as real a Christian bishop as the Archbishop of Canterbury. Yet I was always resolved, and am so still, never to act as such except in case of necessity. Such a case does not (perhaps never will) exist in England. In America it did exist. This I made known to the Bishop of London and desired his help. But he peremptorily refused it. All the other bishops were of the same mind; the rather because (they said) they had nothing to do with America. Then I saw my way clear, and was fully convinced what it was my duty to do. See letter of June 14, 1786. As to the persons amongst those who offered themselves I chose those whom I judged most worthy, and I positively refuse to be judged herein by any man's conscience but my own. - I am, dear Barnabas, Your affectionate brother.","word_count":207,"source_url":null,"themes":["free-will","catholic-spirit","reign-of-god"],"created_at":"2026-01-30T05:20:08.845482"}]}