Wesley Corpus

In the morn ing, at a meeting of the Preachers, I informed Mr. M'Nab, that, as he did not agree to our fundamental rule, I could not receive him as one of our Preachers, till he was of another mind. Wed. 24.--I read the same paper to the society at Bristol, as I found the flame had spread thither also. A few at Bath separated from us on this account: But the rest were thoroughly satisfied. So on Friday, 26, I took coach again, and on Saturday reached London. In this journey Iread Dr. Warner's History of Ireland, from its first settlement to the English Conquest; and, after calm deliberation, I make no scruple to pronounce it a meresenseless romance. I do not believe one leaf of it is true, from the begin ning to the end. I totally reject the authorities on which he builds: I will not take Flagherty’s or Keating’s word for a far thing. I doubt not, Ireland was, before the Christian era, full as barbarous as Scotland or England. Indeed it appears from their own accounts, that the Irish in general were continually 172 REv. J. wesley’s [Dec. 1779. plundering and murdering each other from the earliest ages to that period: And so they were ever since, by the account of Dr. Warner himself, till they were restrained by the English. How then were they converted by St. Patrick? Cousin-german to St. George To what religion? Not to Christianity. Neither in his age, nor the following, had they the least savour of Christianity, either in their lives or their tempers. Sun. 28.--I preached a charity sermon at St. Peter’s, Cornhill. Monday, 29. I visited the societies in Kent, and returned on Saturday. Sunday, DEcEMBER 5.-In applying those words, “What could I have done for my vineyard which I have not done !” I found such an uncommon pouring out of the convincing Spirit, as we have not known for many years. In the evening the same Spirit enabled me strongly to exhort a numerous congre gation, to “come boldly to the throne of grace;” and to “make all their requests known unto God with thanksgiving.” Tues. 7.--I preached in Redriff chapel, a cold, uncomfortable place, to a handful of people, who appeared to be just as much affected as the benches they sat upon. Thur.