Wesley Corpus

To his Brother Charles Date: ALNWICK, May 28, 1782. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1782) Author: John Wesley --- DEAR BROTHER, -- The history of the matter is this: When I was at Dawgreen, near Birstall, the trustees for Birstall house brought me a deed, which they read over and desired me to sign. We disputed upon it about an hour. I then gave them a positive answer that ‘I would not sign it’; and, leaving them abruptly, went up to my room. About noon I preached at Horbury. In the evening I preached and met the Society at Wakefield. [He was at Wakefield on April 10, 1780.] At night, a little before I went to bed, the trustees came again, got round, and worried me down. But I think they cannot worry you. May not you very properly write to Mr. Valton - ‘If the trustees will settle the Birstall house on the Methodist plan, I will sign their deed with all my heart; but if they build an house for a Presbyterian meeting-house, I will not, I dare not, have anything to do with it.’ I never yet sent a letter of attorney on such an occasion, nor wrote in any other form than this, ‘Its receipt shall be your discharge.’ If the executor says, ‘I will not pay it on such a receipt,’ then I will send a letter of attorney. The beginning of Rodney’s account is utterly unfashionable. [News arrived early in May of Rodney’s great victory over the French Navy near the island of Dominica on April 12.] I wonder how it entered into his head. We ‘get God on our side’ by the continual prayer of thousands. You may send me Cicero, and Fabritius, and the American War, together with the next Magazines, to York. I expect to be ten or twelve days in and near Edinburgh, and about the 17th of June at Newcastle. Peace be with you all! Adieu!