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CHAPTER XIV
THE WESLEYS IN GEORGIA—JOHN WESLEY COMES AS A MISSIONARY TO
THE INDIANS AND AS A SPIRITUAL SHEPHERD TO THE WHITE FLOCK
—CHARLES WESLEY ENGAGES AS OGLETHORPB'S PRIVATE SECRETARY,
BUT LATER TAXES HOLY ORDERS—THE FORMER LABORS CHIEFLY IN
SAVANNAH, THE LATTER AT FREDEKICA—THE Two EXCHANGE PLACES
FOR A TIME—CHARLES W!ESLEY GETS INTO HOT A¥ATER—OGLBTHORPE
RESENTS SOME OF His INJUDICIOUS MEDDLING—SAVANNAH, THE
CRADLE OF METHODISM AND THE BIRTHPLACE OF SUNDAY SCHOOLS—
JOHN WESLBY QUITS SAVANNAH—His LOVE AFEAIK WITH SOPHIA
HOPKEY OR HOPKINS—WESLEY's GEORGIA DlARY AND HYMN BOOK—
BETHESDA—How WHITEEIELD CAME TO ESTABLISH His FAMOUS
HOME FOR ORPHANS—THE GREAT PREACHER'S OWN ACCOUNT—LADY
HUNTINGDON BECOMES A PATRONESS—ONE OP THE GREATEST OP
PULPIT OKATOKS.
When Oglethorpe returned to Georgia, in 1736, after a sojourn of
several months in England, there sailed with him to Savannah two young
religious enthusiasts, whose names were destined to become household
words throughout the whole of Christendom: John and Charles Wes-
ley. It was the founder's anxiety for the spiritual welfare of the colony
which induced him to make overtures to these devout men. On the other
hand, it was' the somewhat- ascetic creed of self-denial embraced by the
Wesleys which induced them to exchange the luxurious life of an
English countryside for the privations of an unexplored wilderness
beyond the Atlantic. Reared under the pious roof of old Samuel Wes-
ley, who, for more than forty years, was rector of the church at Epworth,
both heredity and environment impelled them toward the pulpit. How
ever, it was not until they became students at Oxford that they acquired
the austere habits of life which set them peculiarly apart; and here,
in association with congenial spirits, few in number but kindred in
character, they formed a club, which drew upon them no small amount
of ridicule and abuse. They were regarded in the light of pietists. The
name which finally stuck—Methodists—seems to have been given to
them by a fellow of Merton College. At first John Wesley declined the
offer of Oglethorpe. His father was recently deceased and his mother
was old. The latter, however, rallied him with mild rebuke. "Had I
twenty sons," said she, "I should rejoice that they were all so em
ployed, though I should never see them, more." Thus admonished, he
waived his scruples and agreed to accompany Oglethorpe to Georgia,
his special desire being for missionary work among the Indians; and
for this piirpose he came with full religious ordination. But Charles
engaged himself in the capacity of private secretary to Oglethorpe; and
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