Wesley Corpus

I have now weighed every argument you have brought to prove that the ‘Methodists undermine morality and good works.’ A grievous charge indeed! But the more inexcusable is he who advances it but is not able to make it good in any one single instance. Pardon my pertness, sir, in not barely affirming (that is your manner) but proving this; nay, and in telling you that you cannot make amends to God, to me, or to the world without a retractation as public as your calumny. 42. You add: ‘How the case stands, in fact, as to the number of converts among the Methodists and real reformation of life to the certain and known duties of the gospel is matter of difficult determination.’ Not at all. What is easier to be determined than (1) that A. B., of Exeter, or Tiverton, was for many years a notorious drunkard, common swearer, or Sabbath-breaker (2) that he is not so now; that he is really reformed from drunkenness, swearing, Sabbath-breaking, to sobriety and the other certain and known duties of the gospel ‘But from what inquiry’ you ‘can make there is no reason to think them, for the generality, better than their neighbors.’ ‘Better than their neighbors’ I Why, are they no worse than their neighbors’ Then, what have you been doing all this time But, whether they are better or worse than their neighbors, they are undeniably better than themselves: I mean, better than they were before they heard this preaching 'in the certain and known duties of the gospel.’ But you desire us to 'consider their black art of calumny; their uncharitableness; their excessive pride and vanity; their skepticism, doubts, and disbelief of God and Christ; their disorderly practices and contempt of authority; their bitter envying and inveterate broils among themselves; their coolness for good works.' Sir, we will consider all these when you have proved them. Till then this is mere brutum fulmen. 43. You proceed: ‘If we take Mr. Wesley's own account, it falls very short of any considerable reformation.’ You mean, if we take that part of his account which you are pleased to transcribe. Atticam elegantiam! But let any impartial man read my whole account, and then judge. However, hence you infer that ‘the new reformers have made but a slow and slight progress in the reformation of manners.’