Wesley Corpus

“ As to the eighth bill we are in doubt, as not well knowing the meaning of the word ‘ Ordinary.’ But for the ninth and tenth, we think Mr. Wesley is sufficiently justified by the canons of the Church, which forbid ‘any person to be admitted godfather or godmother to any child, before the said person has received the holy communion ;’ whereas William Aglionby and Jacob Matthews had never certified Mr. Wesley that they had received it.” . This was signed by twelve of the grand jurors, of whom three were constables, and six more tithingmen; who, consequently, would have made a majority, had the jury consisted, as it regularly should have done, of only fifteen members, viz. the four constables and eleven tithingmen. Fri. Sept. 30.--Having ended the Homilies, I began reading Dr. Rogers’s eight sermons to the congregation: hoping they might be a timely antidote against the poison of infidelity, which was now with great industry propagated among us. October 7.--I consulted my friends, whether God did not call me to return to England? The reason for which I left it had now no force ; there being no possibility, as yet, of instructing the Indians; neither had I, as yet, found or heard of any Indians on the continent of America, who had the least desire of being instructed. And as to Savannah, having never engaged myself, either by word or letter, to stay there a day longer than I should judge convenient, nor ever taken charge of the people any otherwise than as in my passage to the Heathens, I looked upon myself to be fully discharged therefrom, by the vacating of that design. Besides, there was a probability of doing more service to that unhappy people, in England, than I could do in Georgia, by representing, without fear or favour to the Trustees, the real state the colony was in. After deeply considering these things, they were unanimous, “ That I ought to go; but not yet.” So TI laid the thoughts of it aside for the present: being persuaded, that when the time was come, God would “ make the way plain before my face.”