Wesley Corpus

11. I am glad you do 'not demand miracles in proof of doctrines.' Thus far, then, we are agreed. But you demand them (1) 'as things to which I lay claim,' and in order to show that claim cannot be supported; (2) as necessary to give me 'a right to be implicitly believed '; and (3) to justify my 'assuming the Apostolate of England.' If this be all, your demand must soon fall to the ground, since the whole foundation sinks beneath it. For: (1) I lay no claim (in your sense) to miracles; for the clearing of which suffer me to refer you once more (that I may not be surfeited with crambe decies repetita [Juvenal's Satires, vii. 154: 'Saying the same things ten times over.' Wesley adds decies.]) to the second letter to Mr. Church.[See letter of June 17, 1746, sect. 5.] (2) I claim no implicit faith: I neither pay it to, nor expect it from, any man living. (3) I no otherwise assume the Apostolate of England (if you choose to use the phrase) than I assume the Apostolate of all Europe, or, rather, of all the world; that is, in plain terms, wherever I see one or a thousand men running into hell, be it in England, Ireland, or France, yea, in Europe, Asia, Africa, or America, I will stop them if I can: as a minister of Christ, I will beseech them in His name to turn back and be reconciled to God.[See letter of March 20, 1739.] Were I to do otherwise, were I to let any soul drop into the pit whom I might have saved from everlasting burnings, I am not satisfied God would accept my plea, 'Lord, he was not of my parish.'