9. “However, ’tis plain, you make men idle. And this tends to beggar their families.” This objection having been continually urged for some years, I will trace it from the foundation.
Two or three years after my return from America, one Captain Robert Williams of Bristol, made affidavit before the (then) mayor of the city, that “it was a common report in Georgia, Mr. Wesley took people off from their work and made them idle, by preaching so much.”
The fact stood thus: at my first coming to Savannah, the generality of the people rose at seven or eight in the morning. And that part of them who were accustomed to work, usually worked till six in the evening. A few of them sometimes worked till seven; which is the time of sun-set there at Midsummer.
I immediately began reading prayers and expounded the second lesson, both in the morning and evening. The morning service began at five, and ended at, or before six: the evening service began at seven.
Now supposing all the grown persons in the town, had been present every morning and evening, would this have made them idle? Would they hereby have had less, or considerably more time for working?
10. The same rule I follow now, both at London, Bristol and Newcastle-upon-Tyne: concluding the service at every place, winter and summer, before six in the morning: and not ordinarily beginning to preach, till near seven in the evening.
Now do you, who make this objection, work longer, throughout the year, than from six to six? Do you desire, that the generality of people should? Or, can you count them idle, that work so long?
Some few are indeed accustomed to work longer. These I advise, not to come on weekdays. And it is apparent, that they take this advice, unless on some rare and extraordinary occasion.
But I hope, none of you who turn them out of their employment, have the confidence to talk of my making them idle! Do you (as the homely phrase is) cry wh— first? I admire your cunning; but not your modesty.
So far am I from either causing or encouraging idleness, that an idle person, known to be such, is not suffered to remain in any of our societies; we drive him out, as we would a thief or a murderer. “To shew all possible diligence,” (as well as frugality) is one of our standing rules: and one, concerning the observance of which, we continually make the strictest enquiry.