Wesley Corpus

DEAR TOMMY, I cannot imagine how a letter of yours written March 9 should come to me on the 9th of July. Certainly you should write to me a little oftener, once a month at the least. Now there are several preachers in town, you should take care to supply Portsmouth, Bedford, Norwich, Leigh, and Canterbury by turns. O Tommy, how precious are these days! We must not always have this sunshine. But make the best of the present calm See letters of Jan. 10 March 1 and 4, and April 19.; and then, if a storm comes, you are ready. Your affectionate brother. To Robert Marsden 6 BRISTOL August 31, 1756. A careless reader of the Address may possibly think 'I make it necessary for a minister to have much learning,' and thence imagine I act inconsistently, seeing many of our preachers have no learning at all. But the answer is easy. (1) I do not-make any learning necessary even for a minister (the minister of a parish, who, as such, undertakes single to guide and feed, to instruct, govern that whole flock) but the knowledge of the Scriptures; although many branches of learning are highly expedient for him. (2) These preachers are not ministers: none of them undertakes single the care of an whole flock, but ten, twenty, or thirty, one following and helping another; and all, under the direction of my brother and me, undertake jointly what (as I judge) no man in England is equal to alone. Fight your way through all. God is on your side; and what then can man do to you Make known all your wants to Him, and you shall have the petitions you ask of Him. I am Your affectionate brother. To Mr. Rob. Marsden At Mr. Frith's, Grocer, In Sheffield. To Mr. September 3, 1756. You give five reasons why the Rev. Mr. P. will come no more amongst us: (1) 'Because we despise the ministers of the Church of England.' This I flatly deny. I am answering letters this very post which bitterly blame me for just the contrary. (2) 'Because so much backbiting and err-speaking is suffered amongst our people.' It is not suffered: all possible means are used both to prevent and remove it.