The Manuscript Journal of the Reverend Charles Wesley, M.A.: Volume 1
372
The Manuscript Journal of the Reverend Charles Wesley, M.A.: Volume 1
372Paperback
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780687646043 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Kingswood Books |
| Publication date: | 11/01/2007 |
| Series: | Kingswood Series |
| Pages: | 372 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.03(w) x 9.15(h) x 0.89(d) |
About the Author
Dr. Robin W. Lovin (B.A., Northwestern University; B.D., Ph.D. Harvard University) is Cary Maguire University Professor of Ethics at Southern Methodist University. Prof. Lovin served as Dean of the Perkins School of Theology from 1994 until 2002 and previously held teaching positions at Emory University and the University of Chicago, and he was Dean of the Theological School at Drew University. He is an ordained minister of the United Methodist Church and is active in local and national church events. His research interests include social ethics, religion and law, and comparative religious ethics. He has served on the editorial boards of numerous scholarly journals, including the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Studies in Christian Ethics, and the Journal of Law and Religion, and he is an editor-at-large for the Christian Century.
Anne E. Streaty Wimberly is Professor of Christian Education at the Interdenominational and Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia. She has 37 years of teaching experience and has been involved in music instruction in all age levels from preschool through graduate level.
Sondra Ely Wheeler is the Martha Ashby Carr Professor of Christian Ethics at Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C.
Ted A. Campbell is Professor of Church History at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University and has authored the following books for Abingdon Press: Methodist Doctrine, Wesley and the Quadrilateral, Wesleyan Essentials in a Multicultural Society, and John Wesley and Christian Antiquity. He lives in Dallas, Texas.
Jason E. Vickers is Associate Professor of Theology and Wesleyan Studies at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
Richard P. Heitzenrater is William Kellon Quick Professor Emeritus of Church History and Wesleyan Studies at Duke Divinity School in Durham, NC, and general editor emeritus of the Bicentennial Edition of The Works of John Wesley.
Joel B. Green is Provost, Dean of the School of Theology, and Professor of New Testament Interpretation of the School of Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Author of many books, he is also a General Editor of the Wesley Study Bible and the Common English Bible.
2011 Henry H. Knight III is Donald and Pearl Wright Professor of Wesleyan Studies at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri.
Samuel M. Powell is Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Point Loma Nazarene University. Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion, and Director of Graduate Studies in Religion.
Rebekah Miles is Professor of Ethics and Practical Theology at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. She is a United Methodist clergy member of the Little Rock Annual Conference. Her service to The United Methodist Church includes membership on the General Board of Church and Society and of the national Genetic Science Task Force as well as a delegate and group leader at a World Methodist Conference.
Mary Elizabeth Mullino Moore is Dean and Professor of Theology and Education, Boston University School of Theology.
Kenneth Newport BA, MA, MSt., DPhil (Oxon) is Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Research and Academic Development) and Professor of Christian Thought at Liverpool Hope University. Prior to coming to Hope, Kenneth taught at the University of Manchester, St Andrew s University and in Hong Kong. He is a priest in the Church of England. Kenneth has published widely in a number of areas, and has a particular interest in early Methodism (especially the life, literature, theology and legacy of Charles Wesley) and in millennialism.
Dr. Steven Kimbrough, Jr., is a Research Fellow of the Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition of the Duke Divinity School. He is also a member of the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton, NJ, and an internationally known scholar and musician who has devoted years to the study of Charles Wesley's verse. He was a Consultant to the Hymnal Revision Committee of The United Methodist Church. 21 Susanna Drive, Durham, NC 27705
Read an Excerpt
The Manuscript Journal of the Reverend Charles Wesley, M.A.,
Volume 1By S. T. Kimbrough, Jr.
Abingdon Press
Copyright © 2007 The United Methodist Publishing HouseAll right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-687-64604-3
Chapter One
Extract of Journal
[MARCH] 1736
Tuesday, March 9, 1736. About three in the afternoon, I first set foot on St Simons Island, and immediately my spirit revived. No sooner did I enter upon my ministry than God gave me, like Saul, another heart. So true is that [remark] of Bishop Hall: "The calling of God never leaves a man unchanged. Neither did God ever employ any one in his service whom He did not enable to the work He set him, especially those whom he raises up to the supply of his place and the representation of Himself." The people, with Mr [James] Oglethorpe, were all arrived the day before.
The first who saluted me on my landing was honest Mr [Benjamin] Ingham, and that with his usual heartiness. Never did I more rejoice at the sight of him, especially when he told me the treatment he has met with for vindicating the Lord's Day. Such as every minister of Christ must meet with. The people seemed overjoyed to see me. Mr Oglethorpe in particular received me very kindly.
I spent the afternoon in conference with my parishioners. (With what trembling ought I to call them mine!) At seven we had evening prayers, in the open air, at which Mr Oglethorpe was present. The lesson gave me the fullest direction and greatest encouragement:
Continue instant in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway [...] seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. [...] Say to Archippus, take heed to the ministry which thou hast received of the Lord, that thou fulfil it [Col. 4:2-17].
At nine I returned and lay in the boat.
Wednesday, March 10. Between five and six in the morning read short prayers to a few at the fire, before Mr Oglethorpe's tent, in a hard shower of rain. Mr Oglethorpe had set up a tent for the women near his own. Toward noon I found an opportunity of talking at the tent-door with Mrs [Anne] Welch. I laboured to guard her against the cares of the world, and to give herself to God in the Christian sacrifice; but to no purpose. God was pleased not to add weight to my words, therefore they could make no impression.
After dinner I began talking with Mrs Germain, about baptizing her child by immersion. She was much averse to it, though she owned it a strong, healthy child. I then spoke to her husband, who was soon satisfied, and brought his wife to be so too.
In the evening I endeavoured to reconcile Mrs Welch to Mrs [Beata] Hawkins, who, I assured her, bore her no ill-will. She replied, "You must not tell me that. Mrs Hawkins is a very subtle woman. I understand her perfectly. There is a great man in the case, therefore I cannot speak—only, that she is exceedingly jealous of me." Company stopped her saying more.
Thursday, March 11. At ten this morning I began the full service to about a dozen women whom I had got together, intending to continue it and only to read a few prayers to the men before they went to work. I also expounded the second lesson with some boldness, as I had a few times before.
After prayers I met Mrs Hawkins's maid, in a great passion of tears, at being struck by her mistress. She seemed resolved to make away with herself, to escape her Egyptian bondage. With much difficulty I prevailed upon her to return, and carried her back to her mistress. Upon my asking Mrs Hawkins to forgive her she refused me with the utmost roughness, rage, and almost reviling.
Mr [Ambrose] Tackner, whom I talked with next, made me full amends. He was in an excellent temper, resolved to strive, not with his wife, but himself, in putting off the old man and putting on the new.
In the evening I heard the first harsh word from Mr Oglethorpe, when I asked for something for a poor woman. The next day I was surprised by a rougher answer, in a matter that deserved still greater encouragement. I knew not how to account for his increasing coldness.
My encouragement was the same in speaking with Mrs Welch, whom I found all storm and tempest. The meek, the teachable Mrs Welch (that was in the ship) was now so wilful, so untractable, so fierce, that I could not bear to stay near her. I did not mend myself by stumbling again upon Mr Oglethorpe, who was with the men under arms, in expectation of an enemy. I stayed as long as I could, however,
Unsafe within the wind Of such commotion.
But at last the hurricane of his passion drove me away.
Sunday, March 14. We had prayers under a great tree. In the epistle I was plainly shown what I ought to be, and what to expect.
Giving no offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed, but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things [2 Cor. 6:3-10].
I preached with boldness on singleness of intention, to about twenty people among whom was Mr Oglethorpe. Soon after, as he was in Mrs Hawkins's hut, a bullet (through the carelessness of one of the people who were exercising today) flew through the wall, close by him.
Mrs Germain now retracted her consent for having her child baptized. However, Mrs Colwell's I did baptize by trine immersion, before a numerous congregation.
At night I found myself exceeding faint, but had no better bed to go to than the ground, on which I slept very comfortably, before a great fire, and waked the next morning perfectly well.
Tuesday, March 16, was wholly spent in writing letters for Mr Oglethorpe. I would not spend 6 days more in the same manner for all of Georgia.
Wednesday, March 17. Found an opportunity to tell Mrs Welch the reason why I had not talked with her lately was my despair of doing her any good. She acknowledged herself entirely changed, "but could never tell me the cause." I immediately guessed it, and mentioned my conjecture. She confessed the truth of it. My soul was filled with pity, and I prayed God the sin of others might not ruin her.
Thursday, March 18. Today Mr Oglethorpe set out with the Indians, to hunt the buffalo upon the main, and to see the utmost limits of what they claimed. In the afternoon Mrs Welch discovered to me the whole mystery of iniquity. What she said was as follows: Mr Oglethorpe is a wicked man and a perfect stranger to righteousness. He kept a mistress in England to my knowledge, and even there solicited me. He forebore while I was sick, pretending he had laid aside all such designs, but resumed them upon my recovery. He would persuade me righteousness is but a church teaching. Mrs Hawkins persuaded me he has the same designs, I fear with better hopes of success, his gratitude led to set him against your brother. In regard to this, she has told him, your brother was in love with her, has kissed her a thousand times and wept bitterly in the ship at the thought of parting from her. Mr Oglethorpe refused a long time to believe it. She is exceeding jealous of me; fell upon me lately with "Must I have the character of Mr Oglethorpe's whore to secure on you?" She has also used him with the utmost insolence.
He is extremely jealous of you; having done all he could to persuade me you have the same design upon me which he has. He contrived your going in the other boat without answers to hinder your speaking to me.
She further owned that she loved him and was much grieved at the thought of losing his love. Besides she dreaded the consequence of its being changed into hatred as she would then be entirely exposed to the mercy of a wicked man with absolute power. I encouraged her to trust in God and only then pressed her to seek for strength in the means of grace.
From her.
Went to my myrtle-walk, where, as I was repeating "I will thank Thee, for Thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation," [Ps. 118:21, BCP] a gun was fired from the other side of the bushes. Providence had that moment turned me from that end of the walk which the shot flew through, but I heard them pass by me!
Sunday, March 21. Mr Oglethorpe had ordered oftener than once that no man should shoot on a Sunday. [Michael] Germain had been committed to the guardroom for it in the morning, but was upon his submission released. In the midst of [the] sermon a gun was fired. [Samuel] Davison the constable ran out and found it was the doctor, told him it was contrary to orders and he was obliged to desire him to come to the officer. Upon this the doctor flew into a great passion, and said, "What, don't you know I am not to be looked upon as a common fellow?" Not knowing what to do the constable went and returned after consulting with [Captain] Hermsdorf, with two sentinels, and brought him to the guardroom. Hereupon Mrs Hawkins charged and fired a gun, and then ran thither, like a madwoman, crying she had shot, and would be confined too. The constable and Hermsdorf persuaded her to go away. She cursed and swore in the utmost transport of passion, threatening to kill the first man that should come near her. (Alas, my brother, what is become of thy hopeful convert!)
In the afternoon, while I was talking in the street with poor Catherine, her mistress came up to us, and fell upon me with the utmost bitterness and scurrility; said she would blow me up and my brother, whom she once thought honest, but was now undeceived; that I was the cause of her husband's confinement, but she would be revenged, and expose my damned hypocrisy, my prayers four times a day by beat of drum, my intrigue with her maid, and abundance more, which I cannot write, and thought no woman, though taken from Drury Lane, could have spoken. I only said I pitied her, but defied all she or the devil could do, for she could not hurt me. I was strangely preserved from passion, and at parting told her I hoped she would soon come to a better mind.
In the evening hour of retirement I resigned myself to God, in my brother's prayer for conformity to a suffering Saviour.
I was interrupted by the following note.
Mr Wesley, Being by your priestly order confined, the care of the sick is no longer incumbent on me. As you have been busy in intermeddling with my affairs, I desire the following patients may have proper assistance, which ought to have been before this time, and no neglect laid to your injured friend John Hawkins. PS.—I dispute the authority of confining a surgeon, and especially for a thing I know nothing of. After a short prayer for meekness I went and visited all his patients, only saying, "I had no hand in your confinement. The gun was fired in sermon time, and before the constable came back I went directly in my surplice to the tent and gave the Sacrament. Immediately after this I took a walk in the woods, whence I did not return till dinner time, about an hour after your confinement, which I then first heard of. You misunderstood Hermsdorf, if you say he lays it to me. He wholly denies it."
"But when you did know it," he replied, "why did you not tell him he had no business or authority to confine me, no more than a captain to confine his lieutenant."
"Because I did presume they understood their own business best, and your having charged the matter upon me made me resolve to have no concern in it."
Going from home I was informed of the compliments Mrs Hawkins' husband was very surely paying my brother and me. Hawkins, seeing me from the guardroom walking with his maid between the two rows of houses, had said, "There goes the parson with his whore. I myself saw her and him were under the bushes." Modest Mrs Hawkins added, "upon the ground."
Monday, March 22. While I was persuading Mr [John] Welch not to concern himself in this disturbance, I heard Mrs Hawkins cry out "Murder!" and walked away. Returning out of the woods, I was informed by Mr14 Welch that poor blockhead Mrs Welch had joined with Mrs Hawkins and the devil in their slanders of me. I would not believe it till half the town told me the same, and exclaimed against her ingratitude. Soon after Haydon informed me that he had civilly told Mrs Hawkins his orders were not to suffer her to come within the camp, but he would carry those bottles for her. She replied she would come, and, upon his holding open his arms to hinder her, broke one of the bottles on his head. He caught her in his arms, she striking him continually and crying out "Murder!" Hawkins at the same time ran up and struck him. He closed and threw him down, set his foot upon him, and said if he resisted he would run his bayonet into him. Mr [Thomas] Hird, the other constable, was meantime engaged in keeping off Mrs Hawkins, who broke the other bottle on his head. Welch coming up to her assistance, Davison the constable desired him to keep off the camp. Nevertheless, he ran upon him, took the gun out of his hand, and struck him with all his strength on his sides and face; till Haydon interposed and parted them. Welch then ran and gave the doctor a bayonet, which was immediately taken from him. Mrs Hawkins cried out continually against the parsons, and swore revenge against my brother and me. But the bridle is in her mouth.
At three, I carried Mrs Perkins to Mrs Welch; but finding her as the troubled sea, thought this no time for expostulating her treatment of me. Asked whether I could do anything for her or her husband, now confined for his violence towards the officers. Her railing forced me to leave her.
Mr Hird soon after told me he had followed Mrs Hawkins to her house, and entreated her to return quietly to her husband and trouble the public peace no longer. Upon no greater provocation than this, she snatched up an iron pistol and offered to strike him. He laid hold of her husband's gun, and she as quickly caught up another. She presented it, but was seized before she could discharge it. The pistol, gun, and other arms were now taken from her, and she put in a guard of two sentinels.
Faint and weary with the day's fatigue, I found my want of true holiness, and begged God to give me comfort from his word. I then read, in the evening lesson,
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, goodness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses [1 Tim. 6:11, 12].
Before prayers I took a walk with Mr Ingham, who was surprized I should not think innocence a sufficient protection. I had not indeed acquainted him with what Mrs Welch had told me. At night I was forced to exchange my usual bed the ground for a chest, being almost speechless through a violent cold.
Tuesday, March 23. In reading Heb. 11, I felt my faith revive and I was confident God would either turn aside the trial, or strengthen me to bear it. In the afternoon Mr Davison informed me the doctor had sent his wife word to arm herself from the case of instruments, and forcibly make her escape to speak to Mr Oglethorpe first and even to stab any that should oppose her. Mrs Perkins told me she had heard Mrs Hawkins say "Mr Oglethorpe dares not punish me." I was encouraged by the lesson:
God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power.... Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner. But be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. [...] Whereunto I am appointed a preacher—for the which cause also I suffer these things. Nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day [2 Tim. 1:7-12].
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Manuscript Journal of the Reverend Charles Wesley, M.A., by S. T. Kimbrough, Jr. Copyright © 2007 by The United Methodist Publishing House. Excerpted by permission of Abingdon Press. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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