Wesley Corpus

It was easily answered: If you mean only gathering people out of buildings called churches, it is. But if you mean dividing Christians from Christians, and so destroying Christian fellowship, it is not. For (1) These were not Christians before they were thus joined. Most of them were barefaced heathens. (2) Neither are they Christians from whom you suppose them to be divided. You will not look me in the face and say they are. What! drunken Christians! cursing and swearing Christians! lying Christians! cheating Christians! If these are Christians at all, they are devil Christians, as the poor Malabarians term them. (3) Neither are they divided any more than they were before, even from these wretched devil Christians. They are as ready as ever to assist them and to perform every office of real kindness towards them. (4) If it be said, 'But there are some true Christians in the parish, and you destroy the Christian fellowship between these and them,' I answer: That which never existed cannot be destroyed. But the fellowship you speak of never existed. Therefore it cannot be destroyed. Which of those true Christians had any such fellowship with these Who watched over them in love Who marked their growth in grace Who advised and exhorted them from time to time Who prayed with them and for them as they had need This, and this alone, is Christian fellowship; but, alas! where is it to be found Look east or west, north or south; name what parish you please: is this Christian fellowship there Rather, are not the bulk of the parishioners a mere rope of sand What Christian connexion is there between them What intercourse in spiritual things What watching over each other's souls What bearing of one another's burthens What a mere jest is it, then, to talk so gravely of destroying what never was! The real truth is just the reverse of this: we introduce Christian fellowship where it was utterly destroyed. And the fruits of it have been peace, joy, love, and zeal for every good word and work.