May 1737

MAY  1737

May 1737 

Wesley's Warming Journey

By Brenda Rees © All Rights Reserved

May 1737 finds John Wesley reaching out to many nationalities and peoples.  He remarks how he is not yet able to communicate and preach because of language barriers to the French and Dutch in this developing Colony of Georgia and Spanish Florida.   Read the complete diaries and Journal of John Wesley.   In addition, start with the introduction of this Wesley’s Warming Journey Blog and then each month from February 1736.  This blog carries you from Wesley’s landing at Tybee Island in 1736 eventually through to his warming at Aldersgate back in London in 1738.

These events in Spanish Florida, also known as the Colony of Georgia were shaping the heart and soul of John Wesley.  When Wesley said his heart was strangely warmed in England at Aldersgate in 1738, it wasn’t the first time he talked about the heat of his heart.  In a letter to one of his earlier women friends in 1730 Wesley wrote, “…Is it a fault to desire to recommend myself to those who so strongly recommend virtue to me?  Tell me, Aspasia, -- tell me, Selina, -- if it be a fault that my heart burns within me, when I reflect on the many marks of regard you have already shown.” Tyerman, Vol. 1, 1872, p. 77.  We continue to be indebted to the deciphering of Wesley’s journal and diaries by scholars in publications as early as 1909 and 1938.

SIXTH SAVANNAH JOURNAL cont.

Picture of early Florida borders as West Florida and East Florida during American Revolution and between Treaties of Paris 1763 and 1783.  Wesley lived before, during and after the American Revolution and would have been aware of this changing border.  He was also aware of the great conflict between “Popery” and “Protestantism” during the Atlantic Zone of Conflict period which loomed over America’s development.  Scan Image by Brenda Rees © from Great Uncle's collection:  T.T. Wentworth, Jr. founder of T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum

Having arrived back in Savannah, Wesley wrote, “… found my little flock in a better state than I could have expected.”

Tuesday, May 3, 1737 – Wesley is going to start a garden in the “glebe” on 300 acres to provide for himself, his successor and to “give many of these poor people a sort of relief ….”

Wednesday, May , 1737 – An unusual letter from Wesley has survived that illustrates a change from “Christian Cheerfullness” to austerity.  Curnoch wrote, “In the early Oxford days John Wesley was one of the brightest ornaments of university society.”  See earlier blogs about his women friends from 1726.

Saturday, May 7, 1737 –  The world was John Wesley’s parish, and in the early days of Georgia and Spanish Florida the world was gathering.  Wesley wrote, “I took a walk to Hampstead, a little village of ten families about five miles south of Savannah.  But I found no one there with whom I could talk, they not understanding mine, nor I their Dutch.  From thence I went to Highgate …. But neither could I converse with these, who spoke French only, except one family.”  Of special note is his Journal entry about Miss Sophy  and his concern if he could admit her to Communion.  He is troubled that “she had left off fasting, and because she neglected all the morning prayers, though still acknowledging her obligation to both, which made a wide difference between her neglect and that of others.”  Delamotte advises him to wait judgement until he talks with her.

Wednesday, May 18, 1737 – “I discovered the first convert to Deism that, I believe, has been made here,” Wesley wrote.

Wednesday, May 25, 1737 – Here we see an entry that illustrates the struggle between Protestants and Catholics from England being transferred over to the new world.  It was not just a struggle between England and Spain for control of Spanish Florida and developing British Colonies, their different faiths took center stage in their conflict.  Catholic and Spanish St. Augustine established in 1565 had been at the expense and  slaughter of the French Protestants at Fort Caroline, established in 1564.

Wesley wrote in his Journal, “I was sent for by one who had been a convert to the Church of Rome, but desired to return to the Church of England; being deeply convinced (as were several others), by what I had occasionally preached, of the grievous errors the Church of Rome is in, and the great danger of continuing a member of it.”

He continued, “Upon this occasion I cannot but observe the surprising infatuation that reigns in England, and especially in London.  Advice upon advice did we receive there, to beware of the increase of Popery; but not one word do I remember to have heard of the increase of Infidelity…. This was quite surprising, for these very plain reasons: (1) because as bad a religion as Popery is, no religion at all is still worse; a baptized Infidel being twofold more of a child of hell than the [fiercest] Papist in Christendom; …. (3) because as difficult as it is to recover a Papist, ‘tis far more difficult to recover an Infidel. …”  He adds that there is an Italian or two around, but he can’t yet speak their language.

Friday, May 27, 1737 –  Mrs. Musgrove, our Florida connection lady, is ill.

Sunday, May 29, 1737 – Wesley is pleased with the progress of the children and said, “we observed the Spirit of God to move upon the minds of many of the children.”  It was “Whit Sunday” and four scholars were admitted “to the Lord’s Table” after several weeks of instruction.

administrative note:  need to change March to April on previous blog entry