USA > Georgia > Chatham County > Savannah > A history of Savannah and South Georgia, Volume I > Part 11
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John Wesley succeeded the Rev. Samuel Quincy as spiritual guide to the colony, although he always averred that he undertook the task of a missionary with the purpose of using all his powers in the conversion of the Indians. "I never promised to stay here one month I openly deelare, both before, and ever since my coming hither, that I neither would nor could take charge of the English any longer than till I could go among the Indians." When reminded that his appoint- ment was to be minister at Savannah, he answered: "It was done without either my desire or knowledge. Therefore I cannot conceive that that appointment could lay me under any obligation of continuing here longer than till a door is opened to the heathen; and this I expressly declared at the time I consented to aeeept that appointment." He had been thoroughly impressed with the idea before consenting to leave England for America, that the work among the Indians would be rewarded with favorable results, and that without any vast amount of persuasion. He took literally to heart the impression conveyed to Oglethorpe in one of his letters that "a door seemed opened for the conversion of the Indians:" but he was doomed to be greatly dis- appointed, and his discouragement was manifest before he had been in Georgia many weeks. He was very favorably impressed with
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Savannalı and its climate. In a letter to his mother he said "the place is pleasant beyond imagination and by all I can learn exceedingly healthful even in sumner for those who are not intemperate." His disappointment was twofold. Not only did he find the task of leading the Indians into a true knowledge of Christianity hopeless, but he had to admit after trial that his church work was not acceptable to most of his parishioners. Among those whom he counted as his friends one whom he questioned on this point severely remarked: "I like nothing you do; all your sermons are satires upon particular persons. Therefore I will never hear you more and all the people are of my mind, for we won't hear ourselves abused. Besides, they say they are Protestants, but as for you they can't tell what religion you are of. They never heard of such religion before. They do not know what to make of it. And then your private behavior, all the quarrels that have been here since you came have been along of you. Indeed there is neither man nor woman in the town who minds a word what you say, and so you may preach long enough. but nobody will come to hear you." His stay in Georgia lasted only a year and ten months, but his experience during that short time was varied and cxeiting. The month of July, 1737, was spent by him partly in visiting from house to house, and he then estimated the number of inhabitants in the town to be 518, all of whom except 149 were over the age of sixteen years.
ABUSE OF WESLEY
The malcontents, of course, made him one of the objects of their abusive publication. They said "And now to make our subjection the more complete, a new kind of tyranny was this summer (1737) begun to be imposed upon us; for Mr. John Wesley, who had come over and was received by us as a clergyman of the Church of England, soon discovered that his aim was to enslave our minds, as a necessary preparative for enslaving our bodies. The attendance upon prayer, meetings and ser- mons inculcated by him, so frequently, and at improper hours, incon- sistent with necessary labor, especially in an infant colony, tended to propagate a spirit of indolence and of hypocrisy amongst the more abandoned; it being much easier for such persons, by an affected show of religion, and adherence to Mr. Wesley's novelties, to be provided by his procurement from the public stores, than to use that industry which true religion recommends; nor indeed could the reverend gentleman conceal the designs he was so full of, having frequently declared that he never desired to see Georgia a rich, but a religious* colony. At last all persons of any consideration came to look upon him as a Roman Catholic," and then follow four reasons for so considering him, as (1) "he most unmercifully damued all dissenters of whatever denomination, who were never admitted to communicate with him until they first gave up their faith and principles entirely to his moulding and direction, and in confirmation thereof declared their belief of the invalidity of their former baptism,
* According to his system.
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and then to receive a new one from him"; (2) "persons suspected to be Roman Catholics were received and caressed by him as his first rate saints"; (3) "his endeavors to establish confession. penance, mortifica- tion, mixing wine with water in the sacrament, and suppressing in the administration of the sacrament the explanation adjoined to the words of communicating by the Church of England"; (4) "'as there is always a strict connection betwixt popery and slavery, so the design of all this fine scheme seemed to the most judicious to be calculated to debase and depress the minds of the people, to break any spirit of liberty, and humble them with fastings, penanees, drinking of water, and a thorough subjection to the spiritual jurisdiction which he asserted was to be established in his person; and when this should be accomplished the minds of people would be equally prepared for the receiving eivil or ecclesiastical tyranny.". They charged that, in order to bring about a perfection of his "well concerted scheme" families were divided in parties, spies were engaged in many houses. and the servants of others bribed and decoyed to let them into all secrets of the families they be- longed to; nay, those who had given themselves up to his spiritual guid- ance (more especially the women) were obliged to discover to him their most seeret actions, nay even their thoughts and the subject of their dreams."
Mr. Wesley would have done well, and would have succeeded, at least in his work among the colonists, had he followed the advice given him by his friend Doctor Burton who indneed him to take up the work in Georgia: "With regard to your behavior and manner of address, you will keep in mind the pattern of St. Paul who became 'all things to all men, that he might gain some.' In every case distinguish between what is essential and what is merely circumstantial to Christianity; be- tween what is indispensable and what is variable; between what is of divine and what is of human authority. I mention this because men are apt to deceive themselves in such cases, and we see the traditions and ordinances of men frequently insisted on with more vigor than the eom- mandments of God to which they are subordinate."
At the time that the malcontents wrote their bitter speeifieations against John Wesley, they charged that Mr. Thomas Causton was his companion and abettor in the mischief which they alleged was being made. And, indeed. at that period the two were good friends and acted to a certain extent in co-operation. Those vilitiers asserted of Mr. Wesley that "Mr. Causton and he were hand in hand." Strange to say, however, this same Causton and his family were the instruments through whom Mr. Wesley's career in Georgia not only ended in failure of accomplishing what he confidently expected to do but brought a last- ing sorrow to that good man and brought about his leaving Georgia under a heavy cloud which in the minds of some has never been cleared away. Friendship and close fellowship suddenly turned into bitter hatred and the severing of ties which in this life were never re-united.
NEW "SECRETARY OF THE TRUST"
On the 8th of April, 1737. Mr. William Stephens, of the Isle of Wight, was appointed "Secretary of the Trust within the Province of
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Georgia," as appears by the minutes of the common council of the trustees, and on the 27th of the same month "a grant of enfeoffment of five hundred aeres of land was made by the same body to the said Will- iam Stephens and his third son Thomas, and the father was then sworn in as secretary, and instructions to the new officer were read, approved, countersigned and sealed by the Secretary of the Trustees." This was fol- lowed by the reading of "'a paper of private instructions to William Stephens." For some reason the trustees requested this officer to delay the time of his departure for Georgia, and on the 10th of August they voted to pay him the sum of thirty-one pounds ten shillings "his expenses, he having waited three months at the request of the trust before he was ordered to imbark for Georgia." From the same minutes we learn that he "sailed the middle of August." He relates in his journal that owing to adverse circumstances he did not reach Charleston, South Carolina, until October 20; that he departed from that place on the 28th; and he arrived at Savannah at ten o'clock in the morning of the 1st of Novem- ber. His attention was almost immediately called to the trouble between Mr. John Wesley and a number of the inhabitants, particularly the family of Causton and their followers, for, under date Thursday, Novem- ber 3d, in concluding his record of the events of the day, he adds: "After- wards I heard from different hands a long detail of the cause of discord between Mr. Causton and the parson ever since Mr. Williamson married Miss Hopkins (niece of Mr. Causton) which was told me variously, as the relators were inclined; but it was carried now to that height as to engage great part of the town which was so divided that Mr. Causton and Mr. Wesley drew their greatest attention, and the partisans on both sides did not stick to throw plenty of scandal against their adversaries."
WESLEY AND SOPHIA ( HOPKINS) WILLIAMSON
Unfortunately for Mr. Wesley he had received as a pupil a young woman, Sophia Hopkins, the niece of Thomas Causton, whom he engaged to instruct in the French language. His influence with her was so great that she was converted by his preaching, and joined the church. She was attractive in manners, and was accomplished, and it is generally believed that Mr. Wesley desired to marry her. Charles Delamotte, who accompanied the Wesleys to Georgia and who was their friend, saw the danger which this intimacy, if continued, was sure to cause, and warned his companion against a too close friendship with his pupil, and it is not a matter of wonder that the clergyman did follow the advice of one whom he knew to be a true friend. Mr. Delamotte had worked in the greatest harmony with John Wesley, had organized a school of between thirty and forty children whom he is said to have taught to "read, write, and cast accounts," and whom Mr. Wesley catechised every Saturday afternoon and before evening service on Sunday. Added to the admonition of this friend was the advice of the Moravian elders, who also became apprehensive that a marriage between the two seemed possible, and that such union could hardly be a happy one. Thus cau- tioned, Wesley had the good sense to be more guided in his conduet while with the lady: and his changed manner while in her presence was morti-
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fying to her, so that she and her friends harbored a feeling of hostility to him which brought to an unhappy end his missionary career in Georgia from which he expected far different results and which he fondly hoped would close in a much more glorious way. He went from one extreme to the other, and, following her marriage to Mr. Williamson shortly after, he dealt severely with her in the matter of her conduet as a chureh member, declaring that in certain matter she was aeting in a manner which warranted him in forbidding her to participate in celebrating the Lord's Supper. This, of course, angered her and her relatives, and on the 8th of August, 1737, Wesley was arrested under a warrant issued by the town reeorder in the following terms:
"Georgia-Savannah, s.s .- To all Constables, Tythingmen, and others whom these may concern: You and each of you are hereby required to take the body of John Wesley, Clerk, and bring him before one of the Bailiffs of the said Town to answer the complaint of William Williamson and Sophia, his wife, for defaming the said Sophia, and refusing to administer to her the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper in a publiek Congregation without cause, by which the said William Williamson is damaged One Thousand Pounds Sterling. And for so doing this is your Warrant. certifying what you are to do in the premises.
"Given under my hand and seal the 8th day of Aug., Anno. Dom., 1837. "THO. CHRISTIE, "'
MR. WESLEY'S STATEMENT OF THE TROUBLE
Considering the eharaeter of Mr. Wesley and his subsequent honor- able and saintly life, as well as the eireumstanees connected with the founding by him of that influential and Godly seet of Christian people, which has done and is still doing, and will continue to do great things in the matter of saving souls, it is only just and proper that his own state- ment of this unfortunate matter be here given.
The first time he alludes to any unpleasantness between himself and Mr. Causton's people is in the following words: "Sunday, July 3- Immediately after the holy communion I mentioned to Mrs. Williamson (Mr. Causton's nieee) some things which I thought reprovable in her behaviour. At this she appeared extremely angry; said she did not expect sueh usage from me, and at the turn of the street through which we were walking home went abruptly away. The next day Mrs. Causton endeavored to exeuse her ; told me she was exeeedingly grieved for what had passed the day before, and desired me to tell her in writing what I disliked; which I did the day following.
But first I sent Mr. Causton the following note: "Sir .- To this hour you have shown yourself my friend. I ever have and ever shall aeknowl- edge it. And it is iny earnest desire that He who hath hitherto given ine this blessing would continue it still. But this eannot be unless you will allow me one request which is not so easy a one as it appears; do not condemn me for doing, in the execution of my office, what I think it my duty to do. If you can prevail upon yourself to allow me this. even when I act without respect to persons. I am persuaded there will never be, at least not long, any misunderstanding between us. For even those who seek it shall. I trust, find no occasion against me, 'except it be con- cerning the law of my God.'
"July 5, 1737.
I am, etc."
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The next day he wrote: "Mr. Causton came to my house with Mr. Bailiff Parker and Mr. Reeorder, and warmly asked 'How could you possibly think I should eondemn you for executing any part of your office ?' I said, short, 'Sir, what if I should think it the duty of my office to repel one of your family from the holy communion?' He replied, 'If you repel me or my wife I should require a legal reason, but I shall trouble myself about no one else. Let them look to themselves.'"
We find the next item bearing on the subject recorded by Wesley one month later, when he made this record: "Sunday 7-I repelled Mrs. Williamson from the holy communion. And Monday 8, Mr. Reeorder of Savannah issued out the warrant following." This warrant has already been quoted in full. He tells us that he was taken by Jones, the eonstable, to the recorder's court where he met also the bailiff Parker, and Mr. Williamson; there he denied the charge that he had defamed Mrs. Williamson, and as to the other averment he made answer that "the giving or refusing the Lord's Supper being a matter purely eeelesiastieal" he refused to acknowledge the authority of a magistrate to question him on such a point : that Mr. Parker gave him notice that he must appear at the next court to be held in Savannah, when Mr. William- son said: "Gentlemen, I desire Mr. Wesley may give bail for his ap- pearanee," to which Parker responded, "Sir, Mr. Wesley's word is sufficient."
On Wednesday, August 10th, he writes that "Mr. Causton (from a just regard, as his letter expressed it, to the friendship which had existed between us till this affair) required me to give the reasons in the courthouse why I repelled Mrs. Williamson from the holy communion. I answered I apprehend many ill consequences may arise from my so doing; let the eause be laid before the trustees."
"Thu. 11. Mr. Causton eame to my house, and among other sharp words said, 'Make an end of this matter; thou hadst best. My nieee to be used thus! I have drawn the sword, and will never sheath it until I have satisfaction.'
"Soon after he added 'Give the reasons of your repelling her before the whole congregation.' I answered, 'Sir, if you insist upon it, I will; and so you may be pleased to tell her.' He said, 'Write to her and tell her so yourself.' I said. 'I will.' and after he went I wrote as follows : " 'To Mrs. Sophia Williamson :
" ' At Mr. Causton's request I write once more. The rules whereby I proceed are these :
" 'So many as intend to be partakers of the holy communion shall signify their names to the eurate at least some time the day before. This you did not do. "And if any of these have done any wrong to his neighbors, by word or deed, so that the congregation be thereby offended, the eurate shall advertise him that in any wise he presume not to come to the Lord's table until he hath openly declared himself to have truly repented." If you offer yourself at the Lord's table on Sunday I will advertise you (as I have done more than once) wherein you have done wrong. And when you have openly declared yourself to have truly repented, I will administer to you the mysteries of God.
"''JOHN WESLEY.'
"'August 11, 1737'
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"Mr. Delamotte carrying this, Mr. Causton said, among other warm sayings, 'I am the person that am injured. The affront is offered to me; and I will espouse the cause of my niece. I am ill used; and I will have satisfaction if it is to be had in the world.'
"Which way this satisfaction was to be had I did not yet conceive. But on Friday and Saturday it began to appear :- Mr. Causton de- clared to many persons that . Mr. Wesley had repelled Sophy from the holy communion purely out of revenge; because he had made proposals of marriage to her which she rejected and married Mr. Williamson.'
"Tues. 16. Mrs. Williamson swore to and signed an affidavit, in- sinuating more than it asserted ; but asserting that Mr. Wesley had many times proposed marriage to her, all which proposals she had rejected. Of this I desired a copy; Mr. Causton replied: 'Sir you may have one from any of the newspapers of America.
"On Thursday or Friday was delivered out a list of twenty-six men who were to meet as a grand jury on Monday the 22d. But this list was ealled in the next day and twenty-four names added to it. Of this grand jury (forty-four of whom only met) one was a Frenchman who did not understand English, one a Papist, one a professed infidel, three Baptists, sixteen or seventeen others Dissenters, and several others who had personal grounds against me, and had openly vowed revenge.
"To the grand jury on Monday the 22d Mr. Causton gave a long and earnest charge 'to beware of spiritual tyranny, and to oppose the new, illegal authority which was usurped over their conseiences.' Then Mrs. Williamson's affidavit was read: after which Mr. Causton delivered to the grand jury a paper entitled . A list of grievances presented by the Grand Jury for Savannah this - day of August, 1737.'
"This the majority of the grand jury altered in some partienlars, . and on Thursday, September 1, delivered it again to the Court under the form of two presentments containing ten bills which were then read to the people.
"Herein they asserted upon oath 'That John Wesley, Clerk, had broken the laws of the realm, contrary to the peace of our sovereign lord the King, his erown and dignity.
" '1. By speaking and writing to Mrs. Williamson against her hus- band's consent.
"' '2. By repelling her from the Holy Communion;
“ 43. By not declaring his adherence to the Church of England;
" '4. By dividing the morning service on Sundays;
" '5. By refusing to baptize Mr. Parker's child otherwise than by dipping, except the parents would certify it was weak and not able to bear it;
" '6. By repelling Wm. Gough from the Holy Communion ;
" '7. By refusing to read the burial service over the body of Nathan- iel Polhill;
" '8. By calling himself Ordinary of Savannah ;
" '9. By refusing to receive Win. Aghouby as a God-father only be- cause he was not a communicant :
" . 10. By refusing JJacob Matthews for the same reason, and bap- tizing an Indian trader's child with only two sponsors.' ( This I own was
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wrong; for I ought at all hazards to have refused baptizing it till he had procured a third.)
"Fri. Sep. 2 was the third conrt at which I appeared since my being carried before Mr. Parker and the recorder. I now moved for an imme- diate hearing on the first bill. being the only one of a civil nature; but it was refused. I made the same motion in the afternoon; but was put off till the next day. On the next conrt day I appeared again; as also at the two eonrts following; but conld not be heard because ( the judge said) Mr. Williamson was gone ont of town.
"The sense of the minority of the grand jurors themselves ( for they were by no means upanimons) concerning these presentments may appear from the following paper which they transmitted to the Trustees : " 'To the Honorable the Trustees for Georgia : Whereas two Present- ments have been made, the one of August 23d. the other of August 31st, by the Grand Jury for the Town and Connty of Savannah in Georgia, against -John Wesley, Clerk :
"'We. whose names are underwritten, being members of the said Grand Jury. do humbly. beg leave to signify onr dislike to the said Pre- sentments, being by many and divers circumstances thor 'ly persuaded in ourselves that the whole charge against Mr. Wesley is an artifice of Mr. Causton's, designed rather to blacken the character of Mr. Wesley than to free the Colony from Religions Tyranny as he was pleased in his charge to us to term it. But as these circumstances will be too tedions to trouble your Honors with, we shall only beg leave to give the Reasons of our Dissent from the particular Bills.
" 'With regard to the First Bill we do not apprehend that Mr. Wesley acted against any laws by writing or speaking to Mrs. Williamson, sinee it does not appear to us that the said Mr. Wesley has either spoke in private or wrote to the said Mrs. Williamson since March 12," except one letter of July the 5th, which he wrote at the request of her annt, as a Pastor, to exhort and reprove her.
" 'The Second we do not apprehend to be a true Bill because we humbly coneeive Mr. Wesley did not assume to himself any authority contrary to Law: for we understand every person intending to communicate should "signify his name to the Curate at least some time the day before," which Mrs. Williamson did not do : altho' Mr. Wesley had often, in full congregation, declared he did insist on a compliance with that Ru- brick, and had before repelled divers persons for non-compliance there- with.
" 'The Third we do not think a true Bill because several of us have been hearers when he has declared his adherence to the Church of Eng- land in a stronger manner than by a formal Declaration; by explaining and defending the Apostles,' the Nicene, and the Athanasian Creeds, the Thirty-Nine Artieles, the whole Book of Common Prayer, and the Homi- lies of the said Church : and because we think a formal Declaration is not required but from those who have received Institution and Induetion.
" 'The fact alleged in the Fourth Bill we cannot apprehend to be eon- trary to any law in being.
* Sophia Hopkins and William Williamson were married that day. 1
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" 'The Fifth we do not think a true Bill because we conceive Mr. Wesley is justified by the Rubrick. viz. : " If they (the Parents) certify that the child is weak, it shall suffice to pour water upon it:" intimating (as we humbly suppose ) it shall not suffice if they do not certify.
"' 'The Sixth cannot be a true Bill because the said William Gough, being one of our members, was surprised to hear himself named without his knowledge of privity, and did publickly declare it was no grievance to him, because the said John Wesley had given him reasons with which he was satisfied.
' 'The Seventh we do not apprehend to be a true Bill, for Nathaniel Polhill was an Anabaptist, and desired in his lifetime that he might not be interred with the Office of the Church of England. And further, we have good reason to believe that Mr. Wesley was at Frederica, or on his return thence, when Polhill was buried.
"'As to the Eighth Bill. we are in doubt, as not well knowing the meaning of the word Ordinary. But for the Ninth and Tenth we think Mr. Wesley is sufficiently justified by the Canons of the Church which forbid any person to be admitted Godfather or Godmother to any child before the said person has received the Holy Communion : whereas Will- iam Aglionby and Jacob Matthews had never certified Mr. Wesley that they had received it.'
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