Wesley Corpus

nation. And I see many pouring oil into the flame, by crying out, How unjustly, how cruelly, the King is using the poor Americans ; who are only contending for their liberty, and for their legal privileges ! ' 60 REV. J. WESLEY'S [Nov. 1775. "Now there is no possible way to put out this flame, or hinder its rising higher and higher, but to show that the Americans are not used either cruelly or unjustly ; that they are not injured at all, seeing they are not contending for liberty ; (this they had, even in its full extent, both civil and religious ;) neither for any legal privileges ; for they enjoy all that their charters grant. But what they contend for, is, the illegal privilege of being exempt from parliamentary taxation. A privilege this, which no charter ever gave to any American colony yet ; which no charter cangive, unless it be confirmed both by King, Lords, and Commons ; which, in fact, our colonies never had ; which they never claimed till the present reign : And probably they would not have claimed it now, had they not been incited thereto by letters from England. One of these was read, according to the desire of the writer, not only at the continental Congress, but likewise in many congregations throughout the Combined Provinces. It advised them to seize upon all the King's Officers ; and exhorted them, ' Stand valiantly, only for six months, and in that time there will be such commotions in England that you may have your own terms.' " This being the real state of the question, without any colouring or aggravation, what impartial man can either blame the King, or commend the Americans ? " With this view, to quench the fire, by laying the blame where it was due, the ' Calm Address' was written. I am, Sir, "Your humble servant, " As to reviewers, newswriters, London Magazines, and all that kind of gentlemen, they behave just as I expected they would. And let them lick up Mr. Toplady's spittle still : A champion worthy of their cause." Thur. 30.-I preached at Lowestoft at noon, and Yarmouth in the evening. Here a gentleman, who came with me from London, was taken ill (he informed me) of the bloody flux. This being stopped, I thought his head was disordered ; and