Wesley Corpus

You seem likewise to have quite a wrong idea of a Conference. For above six years after my return to England there was no such thing. I then desired some of our preachers to meet me, in order to advise, not control me. And you may observe they had no power at all but what I exercised through them. I chose to exercise the power which God had given me in this manner, both to avoid ostentation and gently to habituate the people to obey them when I should be taken from their head. But as long as I remain with them the fundamental rule of Methodism remains inviolate. As long as any preacher joins with me he is to be directed by me in his work. Do not you see, then, that Brother M'Nab, whatever his intentions might be, acted as wrong as wrong could be and that the representing of this as the common cause of the preachers was the way to common destruction, the way to turn all their heads and to set them in arms It was a blow at the very root of Methodism. I could not therefore do less than I did; it was the very least that could be done, for fear that evil should spread. I do not willingly speak of these things at all; but I do it now out of necessity, because I perceive the mind of you and some others is a little hurt by not seeing them in a true light. - I am Your affectionate brother. To Mrs. Crosby LONDON, January 20, 1780. MY DEAR SISTER,-I should really imagine that the having more exercise than usual would increase rather than impair your health. This is the effect which it has had on all that traveled with me through north Britain. The very richest of our brethren here do not conform to the world in dress. Our sisters do, and their daughters much more. I am often in doubt whether I should suffer them to remain in our Society