Wesley Corpus

In many things I wholly agree with him, though not in admiring Dr. Taylor. But there is a bitterness Nov. 1760.] JOURNAL. 27 even in him, which I should not have expected in a gentle man and a scholar. So in the very first page I read, ‘The Church, which most of your graceless fraternity have deserted. Were the fact true, (which it is not) yet is the expression to be commended? Surely Dr. G. himself thinks it is not. I am sorry too for the unfairness of his quotations. For instance: He cites me, (p. 53,) as speaking of ‘faith shed abroad in men’s hearts like lightning. Faith shed abroad in men’s hearts! I never used such an expression in my life: I do not talk after this rate. Again, he quotes, as from me, (p. 57) so, I presume, Mr. W. means, ‘a behaviour does not pretend to add the least to what Christ has done. But be these words whose they may, they are none of mine. I never spoke, wrote, no, nor read them before. Once more: Is it well judged for any writer to show such an utter contempt of his opponents as you affect to do with regard to the whole body of people vulgarly termed Methodists? ‘You may keep up, say you, ‘a little bush-fighting in controversy; you may skirmish awhile with your feeble body of irregulars; but you must never trust to your skill in reasoning.” (P. 77.) Upon this I would ask, 1. If these are such poor, silly creatures, why does so wise a man set his wit to them? ‘Shall the King of Israel go out against a flea?” 2. If it should happen, that any one of these silly bush-fighters steps out into the plain, engages hand to hand, and foils this champion by mere dint of reason, will not his defeat be so much the more shameful as it was more unexpected? But I say the less at present, not only because Mr. Berridge is able to answer for himself, but because the title-page bids me expect a letter more immediately addressed to myself. “The last tract, entitled ‘A Caveat against the Method ists, is, in reality, a caveat against the Church of England, or rather, against all the Churches in Europe who dissent from the Church of Rome.