Wesley Corpus

To the Printer of the 'Freeman's Journal' Date: WHITEFRIAR STREET, DUBLIN, July 9, 1767. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1767) Author: John Wesley --- SIR,--Two or three days ago I was desired to read a letter printed in the Dublin Mercury of June 27. I cannot possibly believe what I have heard strongly asserted that the author is a clergyman of our own Church; the slander is so dull, so trite, so barefaced, and so clothed in so base, ungenteel Billingsgate language. 'Cursed gospel gossip, sanctified devils, scoundrels, canting hypocritical villains,'--these are some of the flowers which he strews abroad with no sparing hand. The writer therefore must needs be one of the lowest class, as void of learning and good manners as even of conscience. His wonderful tale confutes itself. 'At the last lovefeast at midnight she fell into a trance.' Ex pede Herculem. Let every man of reason judge of the rest by this; none of our lovefeasts last till midnight--no, nor till ten, rarely till nine o'clock. But the poor man confounds a lovefeast with a watch-night (at which the service does usually continue till midnight or a little longer), knowing just as much of the one as the other. I call upon him hereby, if he does 'carry on a considerable trade in the city,' or any trade at all (except perhaps that of retailing whisky or crying bloody murders through the streets), to give up his name and place of his abode with the name of the curate whom he brought to reason with his wife. No evasion here can be received. Unless this be done without delay, all candid men will believe the whole story to be a senseless, shameless slander. If Mr. B (with whom I had formerly the pleasure of conversing at his own house, and who behaved like a gentleman and a Christian) had had objections to me or my fellow labourers, he would not have proposed them in such a manner. He would have spoken (in private or in public) as a gentleman to a gentleman; and I would have answered him plainly and directly. Indeed, I am ready to give any man of understanding a reason of the hope that is in me that I have a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man.--I am Your humble servant.