Wesley Corpus

“You have admirably well expressed what I mean by an opinion, contra-distinguished from an essential doctrine. Whatever is ‘compatible with love to Christ, and a work of grace, I term an opinion. And certainly the holding Parti cular Election and Final Perseverance is compatible with these. ‘Yet what fundamental errors, you ask, ‘have you opposed with half that fervency as you have these opinions?’--I have printed near fifty sermons, and only one of these opposes them at all. I preach about eight hundred sermons in a year; and, taking one year with another, for twenty years past, I have not preached eight sermons in a year upon the subject. But, ‘how many of your best Preachers have been thrust out because they dissented from you in these parti culars?” Not one, best or worst, good or bad, was ever ‘thrust out’ on this account. There has not been a single instance of this kind. Two or three (but far from the best of our Preachers) voluntarily left us, after they had embraced those opinions. But it was of their own mere motion: And two I should have expelled for immoral behaviour; but they 212 REv. J. wesLEY’s [May, 1765. withdrew, and pretended ‘they did not hold our doctrine.’ Set a mark, therefore, on him that told you that tale, and let his word for the future go for nothing. “‘Is a man a believer in Jesus Christ, and is his life suitable to his profession?” are not only the main, but the sole inquiries I make in order to his admission into our society. If he is a Dissenter, he may be a Dissenter still; but if he is a Churchman, I advise him to continue so; and that for many reasons; some of which are mentioned in the tract upon that subject. “I think on Justification just as I have done any time these seven-and-twenty years; and just as Mr. Calvin does. In this respect I do not differ from him an hair's breadth. “But the main point between you and me is Perfection.