Wesley Corpus

MY DEAR SISTER, -- You will do well to write me a line that I might know you had not forgotten me; I hope you never will till we come to the place where parting will be no more. I was well pleased when we were at Athlone to find you had not engaged with either of the contending parties. Indeed, they are contending about nothing, about straws, about such trifles as are not worth the mentioning. Till I came hither I was afraid there was some grievous misdemeanor on the one side or the other. And as you are friendly received by them all, who knows but you may be an instrument of good, a means of reconciling them to each other Let former things die and be forgotten. Now let my dear Sister Rutledge and you join hand and hand in putting out every spark of contention. [See letter of April 22.] So will you be more and more beloved by, my dear Jenny, Your affectionate brother. To Mrs. James Armstrong, Athlone. To Mrs. Freeman CASTLEBAR, May 20, 1789. MY DEAR SISTER, -- All this noise and confusion I impute to an artfull busy man, who has thrown wildfire among them that were quiet in the land. However, when I meet the classes, I will propose that question in each -- Who of you wishes the Sunday service to continue, and who does not [See letter of June 13, 1788.] what demonstrates the matter of this outcry to be a mere Bugbear is this: when we began the service on Sunday mornings in London, and afterwards in Bristol, no living creature ever said it was 'leaving the Church.' This is a palpable falsehood. It would not pass in England. A man bawls out, 'Fire, fire!' and puts people in a fright, when there is no fire at all but in his own imagination. And he will keep you in a fright while you hearken to him. [James Deaves: see letter of April 23.] Good it had been for that man if he had not been born I -- I am, my dear sister, Your affectionate brother. To Mrs. Jane Freeman, At the New Room, In Dublin. To Alexander Surer KILLASHANDRA, May 21, 1789.