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To the Printer of the Leedes Intelligencer (September 13, 1758)
To the Printer of the Leedes Intelligencer
September 13, 1758
Sir,
John Wesley
1The Leedes Intelligencer printed in its Aug. 29, 1758 issue a letter (included in the online
'in-letters' file), falsely purporting to be by JW, addressing criticisms of
his
Address to the Clergy. Now printing JW's disavowal, the editor
added the following comment: 'We think ourselves obliged to declare that the Expostulatory Letter was not printed, as Mr. Wesley imagines, at Leedes. Mr.
Wesley best knows the
motives that have induced him to publish a number of volumes, and if he candidly judges of others by
himself,
he may possibly have
abundance of reason to be convinced, even without reading a page of it, that the Expostulatory Letter was merely a device to get a little money.
Whether the author of that letter be a follower of Mr. Wesley or not, he may, for ought
that appears in the letter, be as sincerely desirous of promoting the interest of
true religion as Mr. Wesley
himself. There are some doubts proposed which it seems no way unbecoming [for] the
younger disciples, at least, of Mr. Wesley to entertain. And if he would fairly remove those doubts,
this would tend, one would presume, more to their satisfaction and be more suitable
to the character he assumes
than to treat the performance with contempt. The like treatment (in the least degree)
of any thing that he has
published, his followers
have been taught to call not answering but railing. And if they can be satisfied with
the like practice in him
which they so warmly condemn in others, this proves nothing but Mr. Wesley's great ability to
impose upon the understanding of his admirers. 'The letter signed J. W. printed in our paper of the
29th of August we really believed to be Mr.
Wesley's own
writing. And since he does
not plainly deny it to be his, it may, at least till he think proper to explain
himself further, be
looked upon as a necessary paternal admonition to some of his over-zealous disciples, though
he may not be
unwilling to have the world amused by Mr. [John] Hampson's daring
disavowal of that miserable letter. However this be, if Mr.
Wesley thinks it
expedient to clear the point with more precision, we shall readily give what he shall
send for that purpose a place in our paper.'
BristolSeptember 13, 1758
Sir,
I was a little surprised at one of your papers which was sent me lately, wherein was inserted a letter supposed to be wrote by me and containing a kind of answer to an Expostulatory Letter printed (as I imagine) at Leedes some time since.
2[Richard Fawcett], An Expostulatory Letter to the Rev. Mr. Wesley, occasioned by his
'Address to the Clergy' (London:
J. Wilkie, 1757). A note to this
letter says that Griffith Wright, the printer of the Leedes Intelligencer, also sells this Expostulatory Letter.
I was not likely to answer that harmless thing,
for in truth I never read a page of it—being convinced by reading a few lines that it
was merely a device to get a little money. Nevertheless, if the author will subscribe
his real name, perhaps some farther notice may be taken of him, by, sir,
Your humble servant,John Wesley
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Entry Title: To the Printer of the Leedes Intelligencer (September 13, 1758)
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