Wesley Corpus

Hymns in Word in Season (1745)1 cf. Baker list, 109 Editorial Introduction: In July 1745 Charles Edward Stuart (grandson of James II) landed in Scotland with a few of his supporters, proclaimed his father as king of both Scotland and England, and was able to draw on strong Jacobite sympathies there to defeat the small military contingent led by General John Cope at the battle of Prestonpans on September 21. John Wesley was at Newcastle upon Tyne at the time and his Journal entries capture well the sense of danger that was in the air. Stuart intended to invade England, and would indeed turn his troops southward in December (though he was defeated soundly in April 1746). In the midst of these tensions John Wesley records in his Journal on October 14 writing a short tract titled A Word in Season; or, Advice to an Englishman. The central concern of the tract was to call English citizens to repentance and righteous living, contending that God was allowing the potential of Protestant England being conquered by the invading Roman Catholic troops because of the sinfulness of the general population. It is unclear whether John sent the manuscript to London by mail, or waited to have it printed when he returned to London in mid-November. In any case, Word in Season was in print in time to distribute it in the streets of London on December 18, a day set aside by King George II for national repentance. The tract had also been printed and distributed in Bristol about that time, because the Bristol Journal records that one of the hymns appended to the tract was sung at the Wesley's preaching room in the Horsefair in late December. Two hymns were appended to Word in Season. There is no indication of authorship for either. John often included hymns by Charles in his tracts without indicating source. In most cases we can establish Charles's role, because he republished in HSP (1749) several hymns that appeared first appended to one of John's tracts. This may make it significant that Charles did NOT include these two hymns in HSP (1749). It is also striking how closely the hymns echo the themes of the tract. The possibility must be considered that these two hymns were written by John rather than Charles. Editions: Charles Wesley??. "A Hymn" and "For His Majesty King George." In John Wesley's A Word in Season; or, Advice to an Englishman. London: Strahan, 1745. no copies extant 2nd London: Strahan, 1745. no copies extant 3rd Bristol: Farley, 1745. text below from this edition 4th Bristol: Farley, 1745. 5th Bristol: Farley, 1745. 6th no known copies or details 7th London: Strahan, 1745. 8th London: Strahan, 1745.