Wesley Corpus

All Bath on Tuesday was big with expectation of what a great man was to do to me there; and I was much entreated not to preach, 'because no one knew what might happen.' By this report also I gained (I believe) a thousand new hearers of the rich and great of this world. I told them plainly 'the scripture had concluded them all under sin,' high and low, rich and poor, one with another. They appeared not a little surprised and sinking apace into seriousness, when their champion appeared, and, having forced his way through the people, asked ‘by what authority I did these things.’ I answered, ‘By the authority of Jesus my Master, conveyed to me by the (now) Archbishop of Canterbury.’ He said ‘it was contrary to the Act of Parliament; there was an Act of Parliament against conventicles.’ I replied, ‘The conventicles there mentioned were seditious meetings. But there was no such here.’ He said, ‘Yes, it was; for I frighted people out of their wits.’ I asked if he had ever heard me preach. If not, how he could judge of what he never heard He said, ‘By common report, for he knew my character.’ I then asked, ‘Pray, sir, are you a justice of peace or the mayor of this city’ Answer: ‘No, I am not.’ ‘Why then, sir, pray by what authority do you ask me these things’ Here he paused a little, and I went on: ‘Give me leave, sir, to ask, Is not your name Nash’ Answer: ‘Sir, my name is Nash.’ ‘Why then, sir, I trust common report is no good evidence of truth.’ Here the laugh turned full against him, so that he looked about and could scarce recover. Then a bystander said, ‘Sir, let an old woman answer him.’ Then, turning to Mr. Nash, she said, ‘Sir, if you ask what we come here for, we come for the food of our souls. You care for your body: we care for our souls.’ He replied not one word, but turned and walked away.