On his way, he attempted to preach at Northtawton, in Devonshire; but, for once in his life, was hindered. He writes: “I went to the door of our inn; but I had hardly ended the psalm, when a clergyman came, with two or three (by the courtesy of England called) gentlemen. After I had named my text, I said, ‘There may be some truths which concern some men only; but this concerns all mankind.’ The minister cried out, ‘That is false doctrine, that is predestination.’ Then the roar began, to second which they had brought a huntsman with his hounds; but the dogs were wiser than the men; for they could not bring them to make any noise at all. One of the gentlemen supplied their place. He assured us he was such, or none would have suspected it; for his language was as base, foul, and porterly as ever was heard at Billingsgate. Dog, rascal, puppy, and the like terms, adorned almost every sentence. Finding there was no probability of a quiet hearing, I left him the field, and withdrew to my lodging.”
At Gwennap, Wesley had as large a congregation as he had ever seen assembled in Moorfields. At Redruth, he met with Grace Paddy, “a well bred, sensible young woman,” who professed to be “convinced of sin, converted to God, and renewed in love, within twelve hours.” Almost everywhere, he was received with the warmest welcome, and rejoiced to find the work of God in general prosperity. Still, as in the case of the Asiatic churches, the Cornish ones were not perfect; and hence the following characteristic letter, addressed to Thomas Rankin.
“St. John’s, September 11, 1765.
“Dear Tommy,—There is a good work in Cornwall. But where the great work goes on well, we should take care to be exact in little things. I will tell you several of these, just as they occur to my mind.
“Grace Paddy, at Redruth, met in the select society, though she wore a large glittering necklace, and met no band.
“They sing all over Cornwall a tune so full of repetitions and flourishes, that it can scarce be sung with devotion. It is to these words, ‘Praise the Lord, ye blessed ones.’ Away with it: let it be heard no more.
“They cannot sing our old common tunes. Teach these everywhere. Take pains herein.
“The societies are not half supplied with books; not even with Jane Cooper’s Letters, or the two or three sermons which I printed last year; no, not with the shilling hymn-book, or ‘Primitive Physic.’
“They almost universally neglect fasting.
“The preaching houses are miserable, even the new ones. They have neither light nor air sufficient; and they are far, far too low, and too small. Look at Yarm house.