Wesley Corpus

But it is a poor case that you and I must be talking thus. Indeed, these things ought not so to be. It lay in your power to have prevented all, and yet to have borne testimony to what you call the truth. If you had disliked my sermon, you might have printed another on the same text, and have answered my proofs, without mentioning my name: this had been fair and friendly. Whereas to proceed as you have done is so far from friendship that it is not moral honesty. Moral honesty does not allow of a treacherous wound or of the bewraying of secrets. I will refer the point even to the judgment of Jews, Turk, Infidel, or heretic. Indeed, among the latter (i.e. heretics) you publicly place me; for you rank all the maintainers of universal redemption with Socinians themselves. Alas! my brother, do you not know even this,--that the Socinians allow no redemption at all; that Socinus himself speaks thus -- Tota redemptionis nosfrae per Christurn metaphora [‘The whole of our redemption by Christ is a metaphor.’ See letters of June 19, 1731, and Sept. 24, 1753.] and says expressly, Christ did not die as a ransom for any, but only as an example for all mankind How easy were it for me to hit many other palpable blots in that which you call an answer to my sermon! And how above measure contemptible would you then appear to all impartial men, either of sense or learning! But I spare you; mine hand shall not be upon you. The Lord be judge between me and thee! Alas, my brother, in what manner are you proceeding now, in what manner have you been proceeding even since you unwisely put that weapon into the enemies’ hand Why, you have been continually gathering up all the improper expressions of those who were supposed to be (in some sense) perfect, and then retailing them in your public preaching to the scoffers of the world! Now, you well know that this was just the same thing (in effect), and made the same impression on your hearers, as if under every one of those pictures [you wrote], ‘John Wesley.’ Was this fair or upright dealing A Spaniard would have behaved more tenderly to his English prisoners.