Wesley Corpus

If it be asked whether they ' do not imagine themselves to have certain divine impulses, like the divine inspiration of the Apostles,' they answer: (1) There never was a good man without a divine impulse; and let those who will not believe this on St. Paul's assertion go to the heathen Cicero for the same information. Yet (2) They learn from the oracles of God that ' the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,' which every Christian is to expect, is different in kind as well as degree from the inspiration of the Apostles. It does not enable him to speak new tongues or to work outward miracles; therefore it is different in kind: neither does it give the same measure of holiness; therefore it is different in degree. But (3) They believe the change wrought by it in the heart to be equivalent to all outward miracles; as implying the selfsame power which gave eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, and life to the dead. The language wherein they talk of these mighty works is that of the Spirit whereby they are wrought. They call, for instance, a person thus changed ‘regenerated, born again, a new creature’; and in all other cases endeavor to express spiritual things in spiritual words, as being assured there are none like them, quick and powerful, full of light and life. Yet they are not ignorant that to the world, which knoweth not, neither can know, the hidden meaning of those expressions, they ever from the beginning did appear cant and jargon, and will do so to the end. If it be asked ‘whether they do not talk of extraordinary notices and directions to determine their actions,’ they say: Yes, they do. As to extraordinary directions, they do not doubt but in extraordinary cases, too difficult to be determined by reason, as perhaps depending on many future contingencies, and yet too important to be left undetermined, God will, if applied to by fervent prayer, ' give a perfect lot. And to extraordinary notices....’ [Here the manuscript breaks off. Other ‘Queries Respecting the Methodists,’ bearing date 1741, will be found in the Works, xiii. 509 - 11, which seems ultimately to have led to his Short History of the People called Methodists (pages 303 - 82 of the same volume).]