Wesley Corpus

At six I preached near the Castle, I believe, to all the inhabitants of the town. Two or three gay young women showed they knew nothing about religion; all the rest were deeply serious. Afterwards I spent an hour very agreeably at Mrs. Wood's, the widow of 100 REv. J. WESLEY’s [June, 1777. the late Governor. I was much pressed to stay a little longer at Castletown; but my time was fixed. Sun. JUNE 1.-At six I preached in our own Room; and, to my surprise, saw all the gentlewomen there. Young as well as old were now deeply affected, and would fain have had me stayed, were it but an hour or two; but I was forced to hasten away, in order to be at Peeltown before the Service began. Mr. Corbett said, he would gladly have asked me to preach, but that the Bishop had forbidden him; who had also forbidden all his Clergy to admit any Methodist Preacher to the Lord’s Supper. But is any Clergyman obliged, either in law or con science, to obey such a prohibition? By no means. The will even of the King does not bind any English subject, unless it be seconded by an express law. How much less the will of a Bishop “But did not you take an oath to obey him?” No, nor any Clergyman in the three kingdoms. This is a mere vulgar error. Shame that it should prevail almost universally. As it rained, I retired after Service into a large malt house. Most of the congregation followed, and devoured the word. It being fair in the afternoon, the whole congrega tion stopped in the church-yard; and the word of God was with power. It was a happy opportunity. Mon. 2.-The greater part of them were present at five in the morning. A more loving, simple-hearted people than this I never saw. And no wonder; for they have but six Papists, and no Dissenters, in the island. It is supposed to contain near thirty thousand people, remarkably courteous and humane. Ever since smuggling was suppressed, they diligently cultivate their land : And they have a large herring fishery, so that the country improves daily. The old Castle at Peel (as well as the cathedral built within it) is only a heap of ruins.