Wesley Corpus

I desire you to come to the Conference. A Conference while I live is 'The preachers whom I invite to confer with me.' Many years ago one informed me at London, ' The stewards have discovered they are not your stewards, but the people's, and are to direct, not be directed by you.' The next Sunday I let them drop, and named seven other stewards. No contentious persons shall for the future meet in any Conference. [The Deed of Declaration had disturbed some of the preachers. See letter of July 17.] They may dispute elsewhere if they please. - I am, dear Tommy, Yours affectionately. I never said a word of publishing that account. To Alexander Knox DUBLIN, July 10, 1785. DEAR ALLECK, - ...What I advise you to is this: every fair day walk to, if not round, the churchyard. When you are a little hardened by this, you may venture at a convenient opportunity (suppose on a Sunday morning) to attend the public worship. [See letter of June 8.] Till you do I cannot say you are in God's way, and therefore I am not sure you will find His blessing.... Peace be with all your spirits! We axe to sail to-night. My dear Alleck, adieu! To Arthur Keene LONDON, July 16, 1785. DEAR ARTHUR, - I forgot to show you a letter from Mr. Beardmore which I received when I was in Dublin, wherein he says, 'I wrote a letter in January 1783 to Mr. Deaves, [2 James Deaves had been a preacher, and was now settled in Dublin. He removed to Wexford in Sept. 1784. Wesley was his guest at Waterford in 1785. See Crook-shank's Methodism in Ireland, i. 313, 391, and letter of June I6, 1772, to Mrs. Bennis.] to whose son-in-law, Mr. Featherstone, I sent power to recover a debt of upwards of 119lb. from Mr. Neill, now of Ballinasloe, who is well able to pay it.' Has Mr. Featherstone received that power And what has he done in consequence thereof I wish you would ask him and send me word directly, that Mr. B. may know how to proceed.