Wesley Corpus

The next day (29) I went to Epworth, and returned from thence on Thursday (September 1). In the evening my brother desired me to take a walk, and told me what I have above recited. We supped, and walked about a quarter of an hour in the garden; from whence I ran in to find my father. I met him by himself in the hall, and told him, not without tears, that I learned from my brother I had offended him, both by speaking often in contradiction to him and by not offering myself to write for him, but, I now promised to do whatever he pleased. He kissed me, and I believe cried too; told me he always believed I was good at bottom (those were his words), and would employ me the next day. The next day I began transcribing some papers for him; and find, by my diary, I employed the same way part of every day, from the 2nd to the 12th inclusive; only excepting Sunday the 11th, in which all the spare time I had was employed in writing what I remembered of my father's sermon. On Thursday of the following week I dined at my sister Lambert's, and was her son's godfather, and was detained there by fresh company coming in till evening; on Friday my father, brother, and I walked over to dinner to Mr. Hoole's; on Saturday morning came over Mr. Harper of Epworth and Mr. Pennington, to take leave of my brother and me. In the rest of the week I wrote and transcribed a sermon against Rash Judging, which with my father's leave I preached on Sunday. On Monday the 19th we set out for Oxon. Neither did my father, while I was with him, speak one word to me of that sermon he complains of; nor did it appear, unless by that one word to my brother, that he had then taken offence at all. If he had, he would surely have used some means 'to have satisfaction made where the offence was given,' and not have' suffered me again to occupy that place I had once abused'; especially till I had 'faithfully promised to forbear all such matter of contention in the church,' which I was not likely to do till I was apprised of my fault.