Wesley Corpus

* You think, secondly, that we ourselves give up some things as indefensible, which are defended by the same law and authority that establishes the things above mentioned; such as are many of the laws, customs, and practices of the ecclesiastical courts. ‘““We allow, 1. That those laws, customs, and practices, are really indefensible. 2. That there are acts of parliament in defence of them; and also of the threefold order. “ But will you show us how it follows, either, (1.) That those things and these stand or fall together? Or, (2.) That we cannot sincerely plead for the one, though we give up the other? Do you not here quite overlook one circumstance, which might be a key to our whole behaviour ? namely, that we no more look upon these filthy abuses which adhere to our Church as part of the building, than we look upon any filth which may adhere to the walls of Westminster Abbey as a part of that structure. “You think, thirdly, That there are other things which we defend and practise, in open contradiction to the orders of the Church of England. And this you judge to be a just exception against the sincerity of our professions to adhere to it. “Compare what we profess with what we practise, and you will possibiy be of another judgment. We profess, 1. That we will obey all the laws of that Church, (such we allow the rubrics to be, but not the customs of the ecclesiastical courts,) so far as we can with a safe conscience 2. That we will obey, with the same restriction, the bishops. as executors Jan. 1746.] REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. 363 of those laws. But their bare will, distinct from those laws, we do not profess to obey at all.