80 History of Methodism 



friend, July 23, 17:37: "How to attain to the being 

 crucified with Christ I find not, being in a condition I 

 neither desired nor expected in America — in ease, and 

 honor, and abundance. A strange school for him who 

 has but one business, to exercise himself unto godli- 

 ness." 



It was agreed, February 24, 1737, that Mr. Ingham 

 should leave for England, and endeavor to bring over, 

 if it should please God, some more of the Oxford 

 Methodists to strengthen their hands in this work. 

 He accordingly left Savannah, February 26, after hav- 

 ing spent thirteen months in Georgia. Before his 

 departure, and under date of February 16, 1737, Mr. 

 Wesley wrote to a friend in Oxford, England, describ- 

 ing particularly the sort of men he wished to come 

 over as missionaries to America: 



I should not desire any to come unless on the same views and 

 conditions with us — without any temporal wages, other than food 

 and raiment, and the plain conveniences of life. And for one or more 

 in whom was this mind, there would be full employment in the 

 province, either in assisting Mr. Delamotte or me, while we were 

 present here, or in supplying our places when abroad, or in visiting 

 the poor people, in the smaller settlements as well as at Frederica, 

 all of whom are as sheep without a shepherd. By these labors of 

 love might any that desired it he trained up for the harder task of 

 preaching the gospel to the heathen. The difficulties he must then 

 encounter God only knows; probably martyrdom would conclude 

 them. But those we have hitherto met with have been small and 

 only terrible at a distance. Persecution, you know, is the portion 

 of every follower of Christ, wherever his lot is cast. But it has 

 hitherto extended no farther than words with regard to us, unless 

 in one or two inconsiderable instances. Yet it is sure every man 

 ought, if he would come hither, be willing and ready to embrace 

 (if God should see them good) the severer kinds of it. He ought 

 to be determined not only to leave parents, sisters, friends, houses, 

 and lands for his Master's sake, but to take up his cross too, cheer- 

 fully to submit to the fatigue and danger of (it may be) a long 



