save you from a continued _ignoratio elenchi_, I wave disputing on this
point also, till you are better acquainted with my real sentiments. I
have declared them on that head again and again; particularly in the
sermon on _Christian Perfection_.
¹ Page 60.
3. Into this fallacy you plunge from the beginning to the end of what
you speak on my third _error_ (so you term it) relating to the Lord’s
_supper_; confuting, as mine, ¹notions which I know not. I cannot think
any farther answer is needful here, than the bare recital of my own
words.
¹ Remarks, pages 56, 57.
¹“_Friday, June 27._ I preached on, _Do this in remembrance of me_.――――
¹ Journal, pages 46, 47.
“It has been diligently taught among us, that none but those who are
_converted_, who _have received the Holy Ghost_, who are believers in
the full sense, ought to communicate.
“But experience shews the gross falshood of that assertion, That the
Lord’s supper is not a _converting_ ordinance. Ye are witnesses. For
many now present know, the very beginning of your _conversion_ to God,
(perhaps, in some the first deep _conviction_) was ♦wrought at the
Lord’s supper. Now one single instance of this kind, overthrows that
whole assertion.
♦ “brought” replaced with “wrought” per Errata
“The falshood of the other assertion appears both from scripture
――――precept and example. Our Lord commanded those very men who were
then _unconverted_, who had _not_ yet _received the Holy Ghost_, who
(in the full sense of the word) were not _believers_, to _do this
in remembrance of him_. Here the precept is clear. And to these he
delivered the elements with his own hands. Here is example equally
indisputable.
“_Saturday 28._ I shewed at large, 1. That the Lord’s supper
was ordained by God, to be a _means of conveying_ to men, either
_preventing_, or _justifying_, or _sanctifying grace_, according to
their several necessities. 2. That the persons for whom it was ordained,
are all those who know and feel that they _want_ the _grace_ of God,
either to _restrain_ them from sin, or to _shew their sins forgiven_,
or to _renew their souls_ in the image of God. 3. That inasmuch as
we come to his table, not to _give_ him any thing, but to _receive_
whatsoever he sees best for us, there is _no previous preparation_
indispensably necessary; but _a desire_ to receive whatsoever he
pleases to give. And 4. That _no fitness_ is required at the time of
communicating, but _a sense of our state_, of our utter sinfulness
and helplessness: every one who knows he is _fit for hell_, being
just _fit to come to_ Christ, in this as well as all other ways of his
appointment.”
4. ¹_A stoical insensibility_, you add, _is the next error I have to
charge you with. You say, “The servants of_ God _suffer nothing,” and
suppose, that we ought to be here so free, as in the strongest pain,
not once to desire to have a moment’s ease_.
¹ Remarks, page 58.
_At the end of one of your hymns, you seem to carry this notion to the
very height of extravagance and presumption. You say_,
“Doom, if thou canst, to endless pains,
And drive me from thy face.”
_A stoical insensibility is the next error I have to charge you
with_――――And how do you support the charge? Why thus――――_You say ¹“The
servants of_ God _suffer nothing_.” And can you possibly misunderstand
these words, if you read those that immediately follow? “His body
was well nigh torn asunder with pain. But God made all his bed in his
sickness. So that he was continually giving thanks to God, and making
his boast of his praise.”
¹ Journal, page 59.
_You suppose, we ought to be so free, as in the strongest pain, not
once to desire to have a moment’s ease_――――O Sir, with what eyes did
you read those words?
¹“I dined with one who told me in all simplicity, Sir, I thought last
week, there could be no such rest as you describe; none in this world,
wherein we should be so free, as not to desire ease in pain. But God
has taught me better: for on _Friday_ and _Saturday_, when I was in the
strongest pain, I never once had one moment’s desire of ease, but only
that the will of God might be done.” Do I say here, that _we ought not,
in the strongest pain, once to desire to have a moment’s ease_?――――What
a frightful distortion of my words is this? What I say is, “A serious
person affirmed to me, that God kept her for two days in such a state.”
And why not? Where is the absurdity?
¹ Page 51.
_At the end of one of your hymns, you seem to carry this notion, to the
very height of extravagancy and presumption. You say_,
“Doom, if thou canst, to endless pains,
And drive me from thy face.”
“If thou canst”――――i. e. _If thou canst_ deny thyself, _if thou canst_
forget to be gracious, _if thou canst_ cease to be truth and love. So
the lines both preceding and following fix the sense. I see nothing of
_stoical insensibility_, neither of _extravagancy_ or _presumption_ in
this.
5. Your last charge is, that I am _guilty of enthusiasm to the
highest degree. ¹Enthusiasm_ (you say) _is a false persuasion of an
extraordinary divine assistance, which leads men on to such conduct
as is only to be justified by the supposition of such assistance
――――An enthusiast is then sincere, but mistaken. His intentions are
good――――but his actions most abominable. Instead of making the word of_
God _the rule of his actions, he follows only that secret impulse which
is owing to a warm imagination――――Instead of judging of his spiritual
estate by the improvement of his heart, he rests only on extacies,
&c. He is very liable to err, as not considering things coolly and
carefully. He is very difficult to be convinced, by reason and argument,
as he acts upon a supposed principle superior to it, the directions
of_ God’s _Spirit. Whoever opposes him is charged with ♦resisting the
Spirit. His own dreams must be regarded as oracles.――――Whatever he does,
is to be accounted the work of_ God. _Hence he talks in the stile of
inspired persons: and applies scripture phrases to himself, without
attending to their original meaning, or once considering the difference
of times and circumstances._
¹ Remarks, pages 60, 61.
♦ “rejecting” replaced with “resisting” per Errata
You have drawn, Sir, (in the main) a true picture of an _enthusiast_.
But it is no more like _me_, than I am like a centaur. Yet you say
_they are these very things which have been charged upon you, and which
you could never yet disprove_: I will try for once; and to that end,
will go over these articles, one by one.
Enthusiasm _is, a false persuasion of an extraordinary divine
assistance, which leads men on to such conduct as is only to be
justified by the supposition of such assistance_――――Before this touches
_me_, you are to prove (which I conceive you have not done yet) that
_my_ conduct is such, as is only to be justified by the supposition
of an extraordinary divine assistance. _An enthusiast is then sincere,
but mistaken_, that I am _mistaken_ remains also to be proved――――_His
intentions are good; but his actions most abominable._ Sometimes they
are; yet not _always_. For there may be _innocent_ madmen. But what
actions of mine are _most abominable_? I wait to learn. _Instead of
making the word of_ God _the rule of his actions, he follows only his
secret impulse_.――――In the whole compass of language, there is not a
proposition which less belongs to me than this. I have declared again
and again, that I make the word of God the rule of all my actions:
and that I no more follow any _secret impulse_ instead thereof, than
I follow _Mahomet_ or _Confucius_.
“Not even a word or look
Do I approve or own,
But by the model of thy book,
Thy sacred book alone.”
_Instead of judging of his spiritual estate by the improvement of his
heart, he rests only on extacies_――――Neither is this my case. I rest
not on them at all. Nor did I ever experience any. I do judge of my
spiritual estate by the improvement of my heart and the tenor of my
life conjointly. _He is very liable to err_――――So indeed I am. I find
it every day more and more. But I do not yet find, that this is owing
to my want of _considering things coolly and carefully_. Perhaps you
do not know many persons (excuse my simplicity in speaking it) who more
carefully consider every step they take. Yet I know I am not cool or
careful enough. ♦May God supply this and all my wants! _He is very
difficult to be convinced, by reason and argument, as he acts upon a
supposed principle superior to it, the direction of God’s Spirit._――――I
am very difficult to be convinced, by dry blows or hard names; (both
of which I have not wanted:) but not, by reason and argument. At least
that difficulty cannot spring from the cause you mention. For I claim
no other direction of God’s Spirit, than is common to all believers.
_Whoever opposes him is charged with ♠resisting the Spirit._――――What!
whoever opposes _me, John Wesley_? Do I charge every such person with
rejecting the Spirit? No more than I charge him with robbing on the
highway. I cite you yourself, to confute your own words. For do I
charge _you_ with rejecting the Spirit? _His own dreams must be
regarded as oracles._――――Whose? I desire neither my dreams nor my
waking thoughts, may be regarded at all, unless just so far as they
agree with the oracles of God. _Whatever he does is to be accounted
the works of God._――――You strike quite wide of _me_ still. I never
said so of what I do. I never thought so. Yet I trust what I do is
pleasing to God. _Hence he talks in the stile of_ inspired _persons_.
――――No otherwise inspired, than you are, if you love God. _And
applies scripture phrases to himself, without attending to their
original meaning, or once considering the difference of times and
circumstances._ I am not conscious of any thing like this. I apply
no scripture phrase either to myself or any other, without carefully
considering both ♣the _original_ meaning, and the _secondary_ sense,
wherein (allowing for different times and circumstances) it may be
applied to ordinary Christians.
♦ “My” replaced with “May” per Errata
♠ “rejecting” replaced with “resisting” per Errata
♣ “their” replaced with “the” per Errata
6. So much for the bulk of your charge. But it concerns me likewise,
to gather up the fragments of it. You say, ¹_We desire no more, than
to try your sentiments and proceedings, by the written word_. Agreed.
Begin when and where you please. _We find there good works as strongly
insisted on as faith._――――I do as strongly insist on them as on
faith. But each in its own order. _We find all railing, &c. condemned
therein._――――True; and so you may in all I write or preach. _We are
assured, that the doing what God commands, is the sure way of knowing,
that we have received his Spirit._――――We have doubtless received it,
if we love God (as he commands) with all our heart, mind, soul and
strength: _And not by any sensible impulses or feelings whatsoever.
――――Any sensible impulses whatsoever?_ Do you then exclude _all
sensible impulses_? Do you reject _inward feelings_ toto genere? Then
you reject both the _love_ of God and of our neighbour. For if these
cannot be _inwardly felt_, nothing can. You reject all _joy_ in the
Holy Ghost. For if we cannot be sensible of this, it is no joy at all.
You reject the peace of God, which if it be not felt in the inmost soul,
is a dream, a notion, an empty name. You therefore reject the whole
_inward kingdom of_ God, that is, in effect, the whole gospel of Jesus
Christ.
¹ Remarks, page 63.
You have therefore yourself abundantly shewn (what I do not _insinuate_,
but proclaim on the house-top) that I am charged with _enthusiasm_, for
_asserting the power_ (as well as the form) _of godliness_.
7. You go on ¹_The character of the Enthusiast above drawn, will fit,
I believe, all such of the Methodists as can be thought sincere_.――――I
believe not. I have tried it on one, and it fitted him, just as
_Saul_’s armour did _David_. However, _a few instances_ of enthusiasm,
you undertake to shew _in this very journal_.
¹ Remarks, page 63.
And first, _You give us one_ (these are your words) _of a private
revelation, which you seem to pay great credit to_. You partly relate
this, and then remark, _What enthusiasm is here? To represent the
conjectures of a woman, whose brain appears to have been too much
heated, as if they had been owing to a particular and miraculous spirit
of prophecy?_――――Descant, Sir, as you please on this _enthusiasm_;
on the credit I paid to this private revelation; and my _representing
the conjectures_ of this brain-sick woman, as owing to the miraculous
_power of the Spirit of_ God. And when you have done I will desire you
to read that passage once more, where you will find my express words
are (introducing this account) “_Sunday, 11._ ¹I met with a surprizing
instance, of the _power of the devil_.” Such was the _credit_ I paid to
this revelation! All which I ascribe to _the Spirit of_ God _is_, the
enabling her to strive against the _power of the devil_, and at length
restoring peace to her soul.
¹ Journal, page 66.
8. As a second instance of enthusiasm, you cite those words, “¹I
expounded out of the fulness which was given me.” The whole sentence
is, “Out of the fulness that was given me, I expounded those words of
St. _Paul_ (indeed of every true believer) _To me to live is Christ,
and to die is gain_.” I mean, I had than a _fuller_, deeper sense of
that great truth, than I _ordinarily_ have. And I still think it right,
to ascribe this, not to myself, but to the _giver of every good and
perfect gift_.
¹ Page 65.
You relate what follows as a third ¹_very extraordinary instance of
enthusiasm_. “Tuesday, ²February 17. I left _London_. In the afternoon
I reached _Oxford_, and leaving my horse there (for he was tired, and
the horse-road exceeding bad, and my business admitted of no delay) set
out on foot for _Stanton-harcourt_. The night overtook me in about an
hour, accompanied with heavy rain. Being wet and weary, and not well
knowing my way, I could not help saying in my heart, (tho’ ashamed of
my want of resignation to God’s will) O that thou would’st _stay the
bottles of heaven_! Or at least, give me light or an honest guide! Or
some help, in the manner thou knowest; presently the rain ceased: the
moon broke out, and a friendly man overtook me, who set me on his own
horse, and walked by my side, till we came to Mr. _Gambold_’s door.”
¹ Remarks, page 65.
² Journal, pages 69, 70.
Here you remark, _If you would not have us look on this as miraculous,
there is nothing in it worthy of being related_.――――It may be so; let
it pass then as a trifle not worth relating: but still it is no proof
of enthusiasm. For I _would not have you look on it as miraculous_. I
do not myself look upon it as such; but as a signal instance of God’s
_particular providence_ over all those who call upon him.
9. ¹_In the same spirit of enthusiasm_ (you go on, citing this as a
fourth instance) _You describe heaven as executing judgments, immediate
punishments, on those who oppose you. You say “Mr. Molther was taken
ill this day. I believe it was the hand of God that was upon him”_――――I
do. But I do not say, as a _judgment from_ God, for opposing me. That
_you_ say for me. _Again, you tell us of “one who was exceeding angry,
at those who pretended to be in fits; and was just going to kick one
of them out of the way, when she dropt down herself and was in violent
agonies for an hour.”――――And you say you left her――――under a deep sense
of the_ just judgment _of_ God.――――So she termed it, and so I believe
it was. But observe. Not for _opposing me.――――Again, you mention ‘as an
♦awful providence, the case of a poor wretch, who was last week cursing
and blaspheming, and had boasted to many, that he would come again on
Sunday, and no man should stop his mouth then_ (His mouth was stopped
before, in the midst of the most horrid blasphemies, by asking him,
“If he was stronger than God?”) _But on Friday_, God _laid his hand
upon him, and on Sunday he was buried_.’――――I do look on this, as a
manifest judgment of God, on a hardened sinner, for his complicated
wickedness.――――²_Again, “one being just going to beat his wife, (which
he frequently did)_ God _smote him in a moment: so that his hand
dropped, and he fell down upon the ground, having no more strength
than a new-born child.”_――――And can you, Sir, _consider this, as one
of the common dispensations of providence_? Have you known a parallel
one in your life? But it was never cited by me, as it is by you, as _an
immediate punishment_ on a man for _opposing me_. You have no authority
from any sentence or word of mine, for putting such a construction upon
it: no more than you have for that strange intimation (how remote both
from justice and charity!) That _I ♠paralleled these cases, with those
of_ Ananias and Sapphira, _or of_ Elymas _the sorcerer_!
¹ Remarks, page 66.
♦ “aweful” replaced with “awful”
² Page 67.
♠ “paralled” replaced with “paralleled”
10. You proceed to what you account a 5th instance of enthusiasm.
¹_With regard to people’s falling in fits, it is plain, you look upon
both the disorders and removals of them to be supernatural._ It is not
quite plain. I look upon some of these cases as wholly natural: on the
rest, as mixt; both the disorder and the removal being partly natural
and partly not. Six of these you pick out from, it may be, two hundred,
and add, _From all which you leave no room to doubt, that you would
have these cases considered, as those of the demoniacks in the New
Testament; in order, I suppose, to parallel your supposed cures of
them, with the highest miracles of Christ and his disciples_.――――I
should once have wondered at your making such a supposition: but I now
wonder at nothing of this kind.――――Only be pleased to remember till
this supposition is made good, it is no _confirmation_ at all _of my
enthusiasm_.
¹ Remarks, pages 68, 69.
You then attempt to account for those fits, by _obstructions or
irregularities of the blood and spirits; hysterical disorder; watchings,
fastings; closeness of rooms, great crowds, violent heat_. And lastly,
by _terrors, perplexities and doubts, in weak and well-meaning men_;
which, you think, in many of the cases before us, have _quite overset
their understandings_.
As to each of the rest, let it go as far as it can go. But I require
proof of the last way whereby you would account for these disorders.
Why, _The instances_, you say, _of religious madness, have much
increased since you began to disturb the world_.¹ I doubt the fact.
Although if these instances had increased lately, ’tis easy to account
for them another way. _Most have heard of or known several of the_
Methodists _thus driven to distraction_.――――You may have _heard_ of
five hundred. But how many have you _known_? Be pleased to name eight
or ten of them. I cannot find them, no not one of them to this day,
either man, woman or child. I find some indeed, whom _you told_, “They
_would be distracted_, if they continued to follow these men:” and whom
at that time, you threw into much doubt, and terror, and perplexity.
But though they did continue to hear them ever since, they are not
distracted yet.
¹ Remarks, pages 68, 69.
As for ¹_the abilities, learning and experience_ of Dr. M――――, if you
are personally acquainted with him, you do well to testify them. But if
not, permit me to remind you of the old advice,
Qualem commendes, etiam atq; etiam aspice; ne mox
Incutiant aliena tibi peccata pudorem.
¹ Remarks, page 70.
In endeavouring to account for the people’s recovery from those
disorders you say, ¹_I shall not dispute how far prayer may have
naturally a good effect_. (Nay, I am persuaded, you will not dispute
but it may have supernatural good effects also.) _However, there is no
need of supposing these recoveries miraculous._――――Who affirms there
is? I have set down the facts just as they were, passing no judgment
upon them myself, (consequently here is no foundation for the charge
of _enthusiasm_,) and leaving every man else to judge as he pleases.
¹ Page 71.
11. The next passage you quote as a proof of my _enthusiasm_, taking
the whole together runs thus: “After ¹communicating at St. _James_’s,
our parish church, I visited several of the sick. Most of them were ill
of the spotted fever, which they informed me, had been extremely mortal,
few persons recovering from it. But God had said, _Hitherto shalt thou
come_. I believe there was not one with whom we were, but recovered.”
――――On which you comment thus; _Here is indeed no intimation of any
thing miraculous_.――――No! Not so much as an intimation! Then, why is
this cited as an instance of my _enthusiasm_? Why, _You seem to desire
to have it believed, that an extraordinary blessing attended your
prayers: whereas, I believe they would not have failed of an equal
blessing and success, had they had the prayers of their own parish
ministers_.――――I believe this argument will have extraordinary success,
if it convince any one, that I am an _enthusiast_.
¹ Journal, page 61.
12. You add, ¹_I shall give but one account more, and this is, what
you give of yourself_. The sum whereof is, “At two several times, being
ill and in violent pain, I prayed to God and found immediate ease.”
I did so. I assert the fact still. _Now if these_ (you say) _are not
miraculous cures, all this is rank_ enthusiasm.
¹ Remarks, page 72.
I will put your argument in form:
He that believes those are miraculous cures which are not so, is a rank
enthusiast:
But you believe those to be miraculous cures which are not so:
Therefore, you are a rank enthusiast.
Before I answer, I must know, what you mean by miraculous? If you term
every thing so, which is not strictly accountable for, by the ordinary
course of natural causes; then I deny the latter part of the minor
proposition. And unless you can make this good, unless you can prove
the effects in question are strictly accountable for, by the _ordinary
course_ of natural causes, your argument is nothing worth.
You conclude this head with, ¹_Can you work miracles.――――All your
present pretences to the Spirit, till they are proved by miracles,
cannot be excused, or acquitted from_ enthusiasm.
¹ Page 73.
My short answer is this: I pretend to the Spirit just so far, as
is essential to a state of salvation. And cannot I be acquitted
from enthusiasm, till I prove by miracles, that I am in a state of
salvation?
13. We now draw to a period. _The ¹consequences of_ Methodism (you say)
i. e. of our preaching this doctrine, _which have hitherto appeared,
are bad enough to induce you to leave it. It has in fact introduced
many disorders, Enthusiasm, Antinomianism, Calvinism, a neglect and
contempt of God’s ordinances, and almost all other duties_.
¹ Page 75.
* That whenever God revives his work upon earth, many tares will spring
up with the wheat, both the word of God gives us ground to expect, and
the experience of all ages. But where, Sir, have you been, that you
have heard of the tares only? And that you rank among the consequences
of my preaching, _A neglect and contempt of God’s ordinances, and
almost of all duties_? Does not the very reverse appear, at _London_,
at _Bristol_, at _Kingswood_, at _Newcastle_? In every one of which
places, multitudes of those (I am able to name the persons) who before
lived in a thorough neglect and contempt of God’s ordinances and all
duties, do now zealously discharge their duties to God and man, and
walk in all his ordinances blameless.
* And as to those drunkards, whoremongers, and other servants of
the devil, as they were before, who heard us a while and then fell
to the _Calvinists_ or _Moravians_: are they not even now in a far
better state, than they were before they heard us? Admit they are in
error, yea and die therein, yet who dares affirm, they will perish
everlastingly? But had they died in those sins, we are sure they had
fallen into _the fire that never shall be quenched_.
I hope, Sir, you will rejoice in considering this, how much their gain
still outweighs their loss: as well as in finding the sentiments you
could not reconcile together, clearly and consistently explained. I am
very willing to consider whatever farther you have to offer. May God
give us both a right judgment in all things! I am persuaded you will
readily join in this prayer with,
_Reverend Sir_,