forever unfriended

 Being a man of a curious nature I often stumble upon little facts and tidbits. Then I have to go read a little more about them until my curiosity is satisfied. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending upon your view, it normally takes little to satisfy that curiosity. I was on my favorite social media site, Facebook, and some were asking about being unfriended. I became curious about the origin of that word. I couldn't remember ever having heard it used before Facebook. So off I go to check that out. I was surprised to learn that one of the earliest uses was by Thomas Fuller in 1659 ! Hmm, that is before Facebook for sure. It seems Mr. Fuller was an author and English Church historian. I read where he is one of the first people to earn a living solely by writing. He was a puritan and in opposition to reformation.  Yes, that reformation we heard about in school, the protestant reformation. I don't think they mention such these days in school. But, whatever the case, one of his biggest adversaries was a man named John Heylyn. Heylen was an Anglican minister. He was a major influence in the church. He once called John Wesley a hypocrite ! Yes, that Wesley. There are many followers of the teaching of John Wesley and his brother, evangelical Christians associated with a number of Churches, most notable is the Wesleyan Methodist Church. It was in a letter to John Heylyn that Thomas Fuller wrote, " I, hope, sir, that we are not mutually unfriended by this difference that hath happened betwixt us. " And so there it is , the first use of the word unfriended, at least in writing, and yes it was a text !
 The difference was a matter of opinion. In his sermon the appeal of the injured innocents he does rather attack John Heylyn. John Heylyns' father was a tanner. I'll paraphrase what I read. Thomas Fuller had been arrested for carrying certain papers that were considered slanderous or some such thing. It was the Church of England that had him arrested. He was released three months later, innocent of all charges. Fuller being upset by this said that Heylyn's father was the worst sort of man because he used teams of horses to do his work,  and after those horses died, he tanned their hides, using them even after death ! I'm certain there is more to the story but that's what I got out of it.
 Now all of this interested me because of one word,"  Unfriended." Shakespeare used this word and others after him. It did make a big comeback in popular usage due to Facebook. To me it just proved something I have said before, there is little that you can say that hasn't been said before. I also found it ironic that two preachers would be the ones fighting and " being unfriended " although I noted he asked if it was a mutual thing ? A very clever way of saying, I'm not mad at you. Are we " mutually unfriended ? " Of course on Facebook we have removed that option altogether. It is solely my choice. I guess that is called progress. I didn't read long enough to find out what John Heylyn responded or if he responded at all. You would have to believe being a good Christian that he forgave Thomas Fuller and sat their differences aside. John Heylyn was buried at Westminster Abbey. Thomas Fuller was buried at Cranford Church in Middlesex, England. I don't think they were " unfriended " forever, but rather have settled the issue with God as the mediator.