Wesley Corpus

Sat. July 6.--I spent two hours in the gardens at Kensington. They are just fit for a king; far more grand than pleasant: and yet nothing so grand as many parts of the Peak in Derbyshire. Mon. 8.--I set out with my brother, and on Wednesday, 10, reached Lackenham, near Norwich. Here we had a full account of that wretched man, James Wheatley, for whom, I fear, it had been good if he had not been born. All Norwich was in an uproar concerning him ; so that it did not appear we could have any place there. However, on Sunday, 14, at seven in the morning, my brother took his stand in the street. A multitude of people quickly gathered together, and were tolerably quiet, all things considered. I would willingly have taken his place in the evening, but had neither voice nor strength. However, on Thursday, 18, being a little recovered from the illness which had attended me for several days, after my brother had done, I spoke to the congregation for a few minutes; and promised to see them again, if God should restore my strength, at the first opportunity. Fri. 19.--I rode to Newmarket, and the next day to Bedford. Sunday, 21.--I preached near St. Peter’s Green; having never preached abroad since I was there before. Monday, 22.--I returned to London. - Mon. August 5.--I set out for Canterbury. On the way I read Mr. Baxter’s “‘ History of the Councils.” It is utterly astonishing, and would be wholly incredible, but that his vouchers are beyond all exception. What a company of execrable wretches have they been, (one cannot justly give them a milder title) who have almost in every age, since St. Cyprian, taken upon them to govern the Church! How has one council been perpetually cursing another ; and delivering all over to Satan, whether predecessors or coteniporaries, who did not implicitly receive their determinations, though generally trifling, sometimes false, and frequently unintelligible, or self-contradictory! Surely Mohammedanism was let loose to reform the Christians! I know not but Constantinople has gained by the change. Tues. 6.--I was much out of order: however, I preached in the evening ; but could do nothing the next day. On Thursday I hastened ie 570 REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. [Sept. 1754