Wesley Corpus

" Imposture and fanaticism still hang upon the skirts of religion. Weak minds were seduced by the delusions of a superstition, styled Methodism, raised upon the affectation of superior sanctity, and pretensions to divine illumination. Many thousands were infected with this enthusiasm bythe endeavours of a few obscure Preachers, such as Whitefield, and the two Wesleys, who found means to lay the whole kingdom under contribution." Poor Dr. Smollet ! Thus to transmit to all succeeding gene- rations a whole heap of notorious falsehoods ! " Imposture and fanaticism ! " Neither one nor the other had any share in the late revival of scriptural religion, which is no other than the love of God and man, gratitude to our Creator, and good-will to our fellow-creatures. Is this delusion and superstition ? No, it is real wisdom ; it is solid virtue. Does this fanaticism " hang upon the skirts of religion ? " Nay, it is the very essence of it. Does the Doctor call this enthusiasm ? Why ? Because he knows nothing about it. Who told him that these " obscure Preachers " made "pretensions to divine illumination ? " How often has that silly calumnybeen refuted to the satisfaction of all candidmen ? However, they " found means to lay the whole kingdom under contribution." So does this frontless man, blind and bold, stumble on without the least shadow of truth ! April, 1779.] JOURNAL. 149 Meantime, what faith can be given to his History ? What credit can anyman of reason give to any fact uponhis authority ? In travelling this week I looked over Baron Swedenborg's "Account of Heaven and Hell." Hewas aman of piety, of a strong understanding, and most lively imagination ; but he had a violent fever when he was five-and-fifty years old, which quite overturned his understanding. Nor did he ever recover it ; but it continued " majestic, though in ruins." From that time he was exactly in the state of that gentleman atArgos,- Qui se credebat miros audire tragædos, In vacuo lætus sessor plausorque theatro. Whowondrous tragedies was wont to hear, Sitting alone in the empty theatre. His words, therefore, from that time were ægri somnia, the dreams of a disordered imagination ; just as authentic as Quevedo's " Visions of Hell. " Of this work in particular I