Wesley Corpus

Wednesday, 12. I returned to London, and the next day strongly enforced, on a large congregation at the Foundery, the words of Isaiah, (never more needful,) “He that believeth shall not make haste.” Mon. 17.--I rode to Lewisham, and wrote my sermon to be preached before the Society for Reformation of Manners. Sunday, 23. In order to check if not stop, a growing evil, I 126 REv. J. wesLEY’s [Feb. 1763. preached on, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” But it had just the contrary effect on many, who construed it into a satire upon G. Bell: One of whose friends said, “If the devil had been in the pulpit, he would not have preached such a sermon.” All this time, I did not want for information from all quarters, that Mr. M. was at the bottom of all this; that he was the life of the cause; that he was continually spiriting up all with whom I was intimate against me; that he told them I was not capable of teaching them, and insinuated that none was but himself; and that the inevitable consequence must be a division in the society. Yet I was not without hope that, by bearing all things, I should overcome evil with good, till on Tuesday, 25, while I was sitting with many of our brethren, Mrs. Coventry (then quite intimate with Mr. M.) came in, threw down her ticket, with those of her husband, daughters, and servants, and said they would hear two doctrines no longer. They had often said before, Mr. M. preached Perfection, but Mr. W. pulled it down. So I did, that perfection of Benjamin Harris, G. Bell, and all who abetted them. So the breach is made I The water is let out. Let those who can, gather it up. I think it was on Friday, 28, that I received a letter from John Fox, and another from John and Elizabeth Dixon, declaring the same thing. Friday, FEBRUARY 4. Daniel Owens and G. Bell told me they should stay in the society no longer. The next day, Robert Lee, with five or six of his friends, spake to the same effect. I now seriously considered whether it was in my power to have prevented this. I did not see that it was; for though I had heard, from time to time, many objections to Mr.