Wesley Corpus

does he personally inveigh against it, as absolutely, necessarily, essentially subversive, not only of liberty, but of all national industry, all virtue, all happiness ! And who can deny it ? Who ? The Abbéhimself? He totally confutes his own favour- ite hypothesis : For was not Atabalipe a Monarch ? Yea, a far May, 1778.] more absolute one than the King of France? Andyet was not Peru industrious, virtuous, andhappy under this very Monarch ? So the Abbé peremptorily affirms, as it were on purpose to con- fute himself. And is not the Emperor of China, at this day, as absolute a Monarch as any in Europe? And yet who so indus- trious, according toRaynal,who so virtuous, so happy, as his sub- jects ? So that he must totally give up either his argument against Christianity, or that against Monarchy. If the Peruvians were, and the Chinese are, the most industrious, virtuous, and happy men, then Monarchy is no way inconsistent with the industry, virtue, and happiness of apeople. But if the Peruvians were, in these respects, and the Chinese are, no better than other men, (which is the very truth,) then the argument against Christianity falls to the ground. From the largeness and the seriousness of the congregations here, I should have imagined the work of God was much increased; but, upon inquiry, I found just the contrary : Near one third of those were wanting whom I left in the society three years ago. Yet those who remained seemed much in earnest. In the evening God clothed his word with power ; few appeared to be unaffected ; and I was sorry I could not spend a little more time, where the fields were so white to the harvest. Wed. 29.-I returned to Cork, and met the classes. O when will even the Methodists learn not to exaggerate ? After all the pompous accounts I had had of the vast increase of the society, it is not increased at all; nay, it is a little smaller than it was three years ago: And yet many of the members are alive to God. But the smiling world hangs heavy upon them. Sun. MAY 3.-I was a little surprised at a message from the Gentlemen of the Aghrim Society, (a company of Volunteers so called,) that, if I had no objection, they would attend at the new