Wesley Corpus

There was great expectation at Bath of what a noted man was to do to me there; and I was much entreated not to preach; because no one knew what might happen. By this report I also gained a much larger audience, among whom were many of the rich and great. I told them plainly, the Scripture had concluded them all under sin ; high and low, rich and poor, one with another. Many of them seemed to be a little surprised, and were sinking apace into seriousness, when. their champion appeared, and coming close to me, asked by what authority I did these things. I replied, 'By the authority of Jesus Christ, conveyed to me by the (now) Archbishop of Canterbury, when he laid hands upon me, and said, ' Take thou authority to preach the Gospel.' " He said, " This is contrary to act of parliament: this is a conventicle." I answered, 'Sir, the conventicles mentioned in that act (as the preamble shows) are seditious meetings ; but this is not such; here is no shadow of sedition; therefore it is not contrary to that act." He ,