Wesley Corpus

There is another tender point which I would just touch on. The quarterly contribution of classes (something more than two hundred a year) is to keep the preachers and to defray all the expenses of the house. But for this it did never yet suffice. For you, therefore (who have an hundred and fifty pounds a year to maintain only two persons), 100 a year was guaranteed to Charles at his marriage. He had no child in 1751. to take any part of this seems to me utterly unreasonable. I could not do it, if it were my own case: I should account it robbery yea, robbing the Spittle. Spittle (or spital), hospital for 'poor folks diseased' or for lepers (Brewers Dic. Of Phrase and Fable). I have often wondered how either your conscience or your sense of honor could bear it; especially as you know I am almost continually distressed for money, who am expected to make up the deficiencies of this as well as all the other funds. I am willing (if our judgments differ) to refer this or anything else, to Mr. Perronet or Mr. Blackwell. I desire only to spend and be spent in the work which God has given me to do. Adieu. To John Downes 15 LONDON, December 10, 1751. MY DEAR BROTHER, I thank C. Herrington for his letter. Is 'C. Herrington' Brother Errington See letter of Jan. 8, 1757. He should not fail to write whenever he sees occasion. If you are straitened for preachers, could not you make use of George Atchinson from Stockton for a time I suppose James Tucker also is now with you. From Whitehaven. See letter of Nov. 7. He is, I verily believe, honest of heart; but a little too wise h his own eyes. Speak plainly to him, if you should ever hear that anything is amiss in his preaching or conversation. Brother Reeves will be here in a day or two. But he cannot return into the North yet.