Wesley Corpus

Sat. 25.--In returning at night from Snowsfields, at the corner of Joyner-street, the coach, wherein five of us were, was overturned ; but without any one’s being hurt; although the shock was so great as not only to dash the fore windows in pieces, but to break the axle-tree in two. Mon. 27.--Was the day I had appointed to go out of town; but understanding a proclamation was just published, requiring all Papists to go out of London, before the Friday following, I was determined to stay another week, that I might cut off all occasion of reproach. I was the more willing to stay, that 1 might procure more raiment for the poor before I left London. For this purpose I made a second collection, which amounted to about thirty pounds. But perceiving that the whole money received would not answer one third of the expense, I determined to go round the classes, and beg for the rest, till I had gone through the whole society. Fri. March 2.--I began to put this in execution. While I was at a house in Spitalfields, a justice of peace came with the parish officers, being on their search for Papists. I was glad of the opportunity to talk with them at large, both of our principles and practice. When I went out a pretty large mob attended me to the door of the house to which I was going: but they did us no hurt, only gaped, and stared, and hallooed as loud as they could. Mon. 5.--I was much pressed to write an address to the King, which I did in the following terms :-- “ The humble Address of the Societies in England and Wales, in derision called Methodists : “ Most Gracious Soverrian,--So inconsiderable as we are, ‘a people scattered and peeled, and trodden under foot, from the beginning hitherto,’ we should in no wise have presumed, even on this great occasion, to open our lips to your majesty, had we not been induced, indeed constrained so to do, by two considerations: the one, that in spite of all our remon strances on that head, we are continually represented as a peculiar sect of men, separating ourselves from the Established Church: the other, that we are still traduced as inclined to Popery, and consequently disaffected to your majesty.