Wesley Corpus

Tues. 31.--I preached at Bradford to above two thousand, many of whom were of the better rank, on, “ What must I do to be saved?” They all behaved with decency; and none went away till the service was ended. While I was preaching at Bath, in my return, some of the audience did not behave so well; being, I fear, a little too nearly concermed, when I came to the application of those words, “ Not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.” Having “ A Caution against Religious Deiusion” put into my hands about this time, I thought it my duty to write to the author of it; which I accordingly did, in the following terms :-- “ Reverend Siz,--l. You charge me (for I am called a Methodist, and consequently included within your charge) with ‘ vain and confident boastings; rash, uncharitable censures; damning all who do not feel what I feel; not allowing men to be in a salvable state unless they have experienced some sudden operation, which may be distinguished as the hand of God upon them, overpowering, as it were, the soul; with denying men the use of God’s creatures, which he hath appointed to be received with thanksgiving, and encouraging abstinence, prayer, and other religious exercises, to the neglect of the duties of our station.’ O sir, can you prove this charge upon me? The Lord shall judge in that day! “2. I do, indeed, go out into the highways and hedges, to call poor sinners to Christ; but not in a tumultuous manner; not to the disturbance of the public peace, or the prejudice of families. Neither herein do I break any law which I know; much less set at nought all rule and authority. Nor can I be said to intrude into the labours of those who do not labour at all, but suffer thousands of those for whom Christ died to ‘perish for lack of knowledge.’ “ 3. They perish for want of knowing that we, as well as the Heathens, duly, 1739.] REV. J. WHSLEY’S JOURNAL. 147