Wesley Corpus

To Mary Bishop Date: WARRINGTON, May 21, 1781. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1781) Author: John Wesley --- MY DEAR SISTER, -- I have wrote to Mr. Pawson, [The Assistant at Bristol.] and am in hopes that Keynsham will be neglected no more. I did not expect you would meet with any trial of this kind; but it is well to be prepared for all. When Molly Maddern taught a few children at Kingswood, [John Maddern was English master at Kingswood School in 1760.] I saw a truly Christian school. To make the children Christians was her first care; afterwards they were taught what women need to learn. I saw another Christian school at Leytonstone, under the care of Miss Bosanquet. I do not remember I discovered any defect either in the former or the latter; I observed nothing done which I wished to be omitted, nothing omitted which I wished to have done. May I speak without reserve I verily think I may. I hoped to see a third Christian school at Publow [The Owens’ School. See Journal, vi. 335-6; and letter of July 17 to Miss Bishop.]; and I did so for a season. But I cannot say that for some years it has quite answered my expectations. ‘What, then, was the matter’ I can hardly tell. I do not know how to express it. I did not see the simplicity which I saw at first. More of the world seemed to be crept in. Good breeding I love; but how difficult is it to keep it quite clear of affectation and of a something which does not well agree with that mind which was in Christ! I want your children to be trained up quite in the manner that Miss Bosanquet's were. Although they were very genteel, yet there was something in their whole manner which told you they belonged to another world. Mrs. Castleman [See letter of Aug. 4, 1775.] was one of Molly Maddern's scholars. You see, she is genteel; yet she is a Christian.