Wesley Corpus

" You affirm, 2. That I declared,' (last year,) ' the Ameri- cans were an oppressed, injured people.' I do not remember that I did ; but very possibly I might. " You affirm, 3. That I then ' strongly recommended an argument for the exclusive right of the colonies to tax them- selves. ' I believe I did; but I am now of another mind. "You affirm, 4. You say in the Preface, I never saw that book.' I did say so. The plain case was, I had so entirely forgotten it, that evenwhen I saw it again, I recollected nothing of it, till I had read several pages. If I had, I might have observed that you borrowed more from Mr. P. than I did from Dec.1775.1 Dr. Johnson. Though I know not whether I should have observed it, as it does not affect the merits of the cause. "You affirm , 5. ' You say, But I really believe he was told 80; ' and add, ' Supposing what I asserted was false, it is not easy to conceive what reason you could have for believing I was told so.' My reason was, I believed you feared God, and therefore would not tell awilful untruth; so I made the best excuse for you which I thought the nature of the thing would admit of. Had you not some reasons to believe this of me ; and therefore to say, (at least,) ' I hope he forgot it ? ' " " But at this time I was perfectly unknown to you.' No, at this time I knew you wrote that tract ; but had I not, char- itywouldhave induced me to hope this, even ofan entire stranger. "You now have my ' feeble reply; and if you please to advance any new argument, (personal reflections I let go,) you may perhaps receive a farther reply from Your humble servant, " London, December 9 . " I did not see your letter till this morning." Mon. 11. I began a little journey into Kent. In the even- ing I preached at Chatham, the next evening at Canterbury. I know not that ever I saw such a congregation there before. Tuesday, 12. I preached at Dover. As many as could, squeezed into the House, and the rest went quietly away.