Wesley Corpus

The two points whereunto, by the blessing of God and your son’s help, we had before attained, we endeavoured to hold fast : I mean, the doing what good we can ; and, in order thereto, communicating as often as we have opportunity. To these, by the advice of Mr. Clayton, we have added a third,--the observing the fasts of the Church ; the general neglect of which we caii by no means apprehend to be a lawful excuse for neglecting them. And in the resolution to adhere to these and all things else which we are convinced God requires at our hands, we trus* we shall persevere till he calls us to give an account of our stewardship. As for the names of Methodists, Supererogation-men, and so on, with which some of our neighbours are pleased to compliment us, we do not conceive ourselves to be under any obligation to regard them, much less to take them for arguments. ‘ T’o the law and to the testimony” we appeal, whereby we ought to be judged. If by these it can be proved we are in an error, we will immediately and gladly retract it : if not, we “ have not so learned Christ,” as to renounce any part of his service, though men should “ say all manner of evil against us,” with more judgment and as little truth as hitherto. We do, indeed, use all the lawful means we know, to prevent “ the good which is in us” from being “ evil spoken of;” but if the neglect of known duties be the one condition of securing our reputation, why fare it well ;--we know whom we have believed, and what we thus lay out He will pay us again. Your son already stands before the judgment seat of Him who judges righteous judgment ; at the brightness of whose presence the clouds remove : His eyes are open, and he sees clearly whether it was “blind zeal, and a thorough mistake of true religion, that hurried him on in the error of his way ;” or whether he acted like a faithful and wise servant, who, from a just sense that his time was short, made haste to finish his work before his Lord’s coming, that “ when laid in the balance” he might not “ be found wanting.”