Wesley Corpus

Yes, liberty for such a conscience as your own! a conscience past feeling; (for sure it had some once;) a conscience “seared with a hot iron l’ Liberty to serve the devil, according to your poor, hardened conscience, you allow; but not liberty to serve God | Nay, and what marvel? Whosoever thou art that readest this, and feelest in thy heart a real desire to serve God, I warn thee, expect no liberty for thy conscience from him that hath no conscience at all. All ungodly, unthankful, unholy men; all villains, of whatever denomination, will have liberty indeed all the world over, as long as their master is “god of this world:” But expect not liberty to worship God in spirit and in truth, to practise pure and undefiled religion, (unless the Lord should work a new thing in the earth,) from any but those who themselves love and serve God. 9. “However, it is plain you make men idle: And this tends to beggar their families.” This objection having been continu ally urged for some years, I will trace it from the foundation. Two or three years after my return from America, one Cap tain Robert Williams, of Bristol, made affidavit before the then Mayor of the city, that “it was a common report in Georgia, Mr. Wesley took people off from their work and made them idle by preaching so much.” The fact stood thus: At my first coming to Savannah, the generality of the people rose at seven or eight in the morning. And that part of them, who were accustomed to work, usually worked till six in the evening. A few of them sometimes worked till seven; which is the time of sunset there at Midsummer. I immediately began reading Prayers, and expounding the Second Lesson, both in the morning and evening. The Morn ing Service began at five, and ended at or before six : The Evening Service began at seven. Now, supposing all the grown persons in the town had been present every morning and evening, would this have made them idle? Would they hereby have had less, or considerably more, time for working? 10. The same rule I follow now, both at London, Bristol, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne; concluding the service at every place, winter and summer, before six in the morning; and not ordinarily beginning to preach till near seven in the evening.