down, (which some would have made a Judgment upon him ;) but the Priest being a brisk nimble Man, kept upon his Back, and had no Harm, but rode hastily out of the Crowd, and went off.

THE Opposition this Priest and the others made, being for the most part confident and notoriously false Assertions and Charges, without any Proof, exposed him and themselves to the just Censure of the People, and rather confirmed them in the Truth of what we had delivered, than hurt the Cause of Truth; which we, in some Measure of the Wisdom and Power of it, had defended against them. . .

ANOTHER of those Opposers raised some fresh Cavils about Womens' Preaching; which I having answered for the Sake of the Auditory, and he raising new Cavils about Matters of small Consequence, I rebuked him sharply as an unworthy, unruly Spirit, and neglected him.

AND having shown more Gentleness to several others, and answered them fully, all ended, with the Day, to the Honour of Truth, and our great Satisfaction.

THE next Day proving rainy, (as I said before) and several of us staying there most part of the Day till the Evening, we were divinely comforted together in the Love of GOD; in which we had many tender Seasons together, as at other Times and Places; to the Praise of his great Name, who is GOD worthy for ever.

THE Friends who came with me, viz. Jacob Moral, Henry Dow and his Wife, Lydia Norton, Thomas Dow, and some others, departing, I went, at the Request of John Keeser, (a young Man who had not been long convinced) with him to the Priest of that Town, (a most imbittered Enemy to the Way of Truth, and all that walk therein in this Dispensation) who had desired to speak with him about his dissenting from him and the common Presbyterian Way.

Ar our first Entrance into the House, this Priest look'd very surly, haughty, and ill-natur'd, and, in an imperious Gesture, bid us sit down, which we did; and John Keeser told him, "He had heard he desired to speak with him, and was now come to know the Matter." Then he began and said, “John, I have had a-mind to speak with you a long Time, to know your Reasons for neglecting the publick Worship, and deserting me, who have Charge over you, to follow the Errors of the Quakers; who deny Salvation by JESUS CHRIST, and follow their Light within: But I could not meet with you, though I came to your House on purpose." John Keeser replied, "I heard of it, and am now come to hear what thou hast to say." Then said the Priest, "You are a perverse Fellow;

I wanted to speak with you alone, in order to reclaim you from the pernicious Errors of the Quakers, who deny Justification by CHRIST; affirming, That to expect to be justified by the Works of CHRIST without us, is a Doctrine of Devils."

THEN said I," Friend, if thou hast any Thing to say to the young Man, relating to any Thing he hath done or said, I am here, at his Request, to hear it; but if thou goest on thus to reflect against, and falsely accuse that People, I am one of them, and shall oppose thee, as I do return upon thee thy false Accusations already uttered; in which thou hast shown thy great Injustice, Unworthiness, and ill Nature: For we do not expect Salvation by any other than the LORD JESUS CHRIST and the Father; and I challenge thee to produce any Author, approved by us, that denies the Work of the LORD Jesus Christ, done without us, and its Efficacy, for its proper End and Purpose, in the Redemption and Salvation of Mankind."

THEN the Priest's Wife came into the Room with an Air of Rancour, and said, "Husband, Do not talk with these Men without Witnesses; for, when they are gone, they will tell Lies of you." Upon this I said to the Priest, "If thou hast any Authority in this House, let us be rid of this Din:" And he desired her to withdraw, which she did; but we observed the Effects of her Resentment afterwards in the Sequel.

THEN the Priest said, "William Penn, in one of his Books, had called the Doctrine of Justification, by the Coming of CHRIST without, (in the Flesh) the Doctrine of Devils." I asked him, "If he had ever seen that Book?" and he confessed he had not. Then I asked him, "How he could charge William Penn with such a Position?" He replied, "He had seen it quoted out of the Book by Mr Bugg and Mr Keith." "Francis Bugg and George Keith, said I, once knew the Truth in some Degree, and made Profession of it with us; but took Offences, first against some particular Persons, and then against the whole Body, and became Apostates, open Enemies, filled with Envy implacable; and it is neither safe nor wise in thee to take any Thing upon Trust from them against us, or any of us, they having been, and still are notorious false Accusers, Perverters, and Misrepresenters of us, our Books, Doctrines, and Principles: But I know William Penn, and his Sentiments on that Subject, and have read the Passage aim'd at; which, to the best of my Remembrance, (not having the Book here) is to this Effect; To teach that Men are justified before God, by the Righteousness of Christ, as wholly without us, whilst Sin is yet reigning in us, is a Doctrine of Devils." Thomas Story, Journal (Newcastle upon Tyne, 1747), 326–330 passim.

99. An Evangelist in Georgia (1735/6–1737)

BY REVEREND JOHN WESLEY

Wesley was the founder of the Methodist church in England and America. His journal is one of the most valuable sources for the religious history of the time. Bibliography: Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, V, 402-404; Channing and Hart, Guide, § 103; John Henry Overton, John Wesley.

SUND. Feb. 1.

We spoke with a ship of Carolina: and Wedn. 4. came within Soundings. About Noon the Trees were visible from the Mast, and in the Afternoon from the Main Deck. In the Evening Lesson were these Words, A great Door and Effectual is opened. O let no one shut it!

Thursd. Feb. 5. Between Two and Three in the Afternoon, God brought us all safe into the Savannah River. We cast anchor near Tybee-Island, where the Groves of Pines, running along the Shore, made an agreeable Prospect, shewing, as it were the Bloom of Spring in the Depth of Winter.

Frid. 6. About eight in the Morning, we first set foot on American Ground. It was a small, uninhabited Island, over against Tybee, Mr. Oglethorpe led us to a rising Ground, where we all kneel'd down to give Thanks.

Thursd. 19. My Brother and I took Boat, and passing by Savannah, went to pay our first Visit in America to the poor Heathens. But neither Tomo Chachi nor Sinauky were at home. Coming back, we waited upon Mr. Causton, the Chief Magistrate of Savannah. From him we went with Mr. Spadgenberg to the Moravian Brethren. About Eleven we returned to the Boat, and came to our Ship about Four in the Morning.

Sat. 21. Mary Welch, aged Eleven Days, was baptized according to the Custom or [of] the First Church, and the Rule of the Church of England, by Immersion. The Child was ill then, but recover'd from that Hour.

Tu. 24. . . . At our return the next day, (Mr. Quincy being then in the House wherein we afterwards were) Mr. Delamotte and I took up our Lodging with the Germans. We had now an Opportunity Day by Day, of observing their whole behaviour. For we were in one Room with them from Morning to Night, unless for the little Time I spent in walking. They were always employ'd, always chearful themselves, and in good Humour with one another. They had put away all Anger and

Strife and Wrath and Bitterness and Clamour and Evil-speaking. They walk'd worthy of the Vocation wherewith they were call'd, and adorn'd the Gospel of our Lord in all Things. . .

Sund. [March] 28. A Servant of Mr. Bradley's sent to desire to speak with me. Going to him, I found a young man ill, but perfectly sensible. He desired the Rest to go out, and then said, 'On Thursday Night, about Eleven, being in bed, but broad awake, I heard one calling aloud "Peter! Peter Wright!" And looking up, the Room was as light as day, and I saw a man in very bright cloaths stand by the bed, who said, "Prepare yourself; for your End is nigh;" and then immediately all was dark as before." I told him, "The Advice was good whence-soever it came." In a few days he recovered from his illness: His whole temper was changed as well as his life; and so continued to be, till after three or four weeks he relapsed and died in peace. . . .

Sund. Apr. 4. About Four in the afternoon, I set out for Frederica, in a Pettianga (a sort of flat-bottom'd Barge.) The next Evening we anchor'd near Skidoway Island, where the water at Flood was twelve or fourteen Foot deep. I wrapt myself up from head to foot, in a large cloak, to keep off the Sand-Flies, and lay down on the Quarter Deck. Between One and Two I waked under water, being so fast asleep that I did not find where I was till my mouth was full of it. Having left my cloak, I know not how upon Deck, I swam round to the other side of the Pettiawga, where a boat was ty'd, and climed up by the rope, without any hurt, more than wetting my cloaths. Thou art the God of whom cometh Salvation: Thou art the Lord by whom we escape death. . . .

Thurs. [June] 10. We began to execute at Frederica, what we had before agreed to do at Savannah. Our Design was on Sundays in the Afternoon, and every Evening after Publick Service, to spend some time with the most Serious of the Communicants, in singing, reading and Conversation. This Evening we had only Mark Hird. But on Sunday Mr. Hird, and two more desired to be admitted. After a psalm and a little conversation, I read Mr. Law's Christian Perfection, and concluded with another psalm. . . .

Tuesd. 22. Observing such Coldness in Mr. -'s behaviour, I asked him the reason of it. He answer'd, "I like nothing you do; all your Sermons are Satires upon particular persons. Therefore I will never hear you more. And all the people are of my mind. For we won't hear ourselves abused.

"Beside, they say, they are Protestants. But as for You, they can't

tell what Religion you are of. They never heard of such a religion before. They do not know what to make of it. And then, your private behaviour - All the Quarrels that have been here since you came, have been long of you. Indeed there is neither man nor woman in the Town, who minds a word you say. And so you may preach long enough; but no body will come to hear you."

He was too warm for hearing an answer. So I had nothing to do, but to thank him for his openness, and walk away.

Saturd. July 31. We came to Charles-Town. The Church is of Brick, but plaister'd over like Stone. I believe it would contain three or four Thousand Persons. About three Hundred were present at the Morning Service the next day, (when Mr. Garden desired me to preach) about fifty at the Holy Communion. I was glad to see several Negroes at Church; one of whom told me, "she was there constantly; and that her old Mistress (now dead) had many times instructed her in the Christian Religion.". .

[August 2.] At Thunderbolt we took Boat, and on Friday Aug. 13, came to Frederica, where I deliver'd Mr. O. the Letters, I had brought from Carolina. The next Day he set out for Fort St. George. From that time I had less and less Prospect of doing good at Frederica; many there being extremely zealous, and indefatigably diligent to prevent it: And few of the rest daring to shew themselves of another mind, for fear of their displeasure.

Sat. 28. I set apart, (out of the Few we had) a few Books towards a Library at Frederica. .

[January, 1737.] In my passage home, having procured a celebrated Book, the Works of Nicholas Machiavel, I set myself carefully to read and consider it. I began with a prejudice in his Favour; having been informed, he had often been misunderstood, and greatly misrepresented. I weigh'd the Sentiments that were less common; transcribed the passages wherein they were contained; compared one Passage with another, and endeavour'd to form a cool, impartial Judgment; And my cool Judgement is, That if all the other doctrines of Devils which have been committed to Writing, since Letters were in the world, were collected together in one Volume, it would fall short of this: And, that should a Prince form himself by this book, so calmly recommending Hypocrisy, Treachery, Lying, Robbery, Oppression, Adultery, Whoredom and Murder of all kinds; Domitian or Nero would be an Angel of Light, compared to that Man.