Wesley Corpus

And how can we expect it to be otherwise For do we not naturally catch their spirit with whom we converse And what spirit can we expect them to be of, considering the preaching they sit under Some happy exceptions I allow; but, in general, do men gather grapes of thorns Do they gather constant, universal self-denial, the patience of hope, the labour of love, inward and outward self-devotion, from the doctrine of Absolute Decrees, of Irresistible Grace, of Infallible Perseverance Do they gather these fruits from Antinomian doctrine or from any that borders upon it Do they gather them from that amorous way of praying to Christ or that way of preaching His righteousness I never found it so. On the contrary, I have found that even the precious doctrine of Salvation by Faith has need to be guarded with the utmost care, or those who hear it will slight both inward and outward holiness. I will go a step farther: I seldom find it profitable for me to converse with any who are not athirst for perfection and who are not big with earnest expectation of receiving it every moment. Now, you find none of these among those we are speaking of, but many, on the contrary, who are in various ways directly or indirectly opposing the whole work of God; that work, I mean, which God is carrying on throughout the kingdom by andres agraumatoi kai idiwtai.[ Acts iv. 13: 'unlearned and ignorant men.'] In consequence of which His influence must in some measure be withdrawn from them. Again, you have for some time conversed a good deal with the genteel Methodists. Now, it matters not a straw what doctrine they hear, whether they frequent the Lock or West Street. They are (almost all) salt that has lost its savour, if ever they had any. They are throughly conformed to the maxims, the spirit, the fashions, and customs of the world. Certainly, then, Nunquam ad eos homines ibis quin minor homo redebis. [A Kempis's Imitation, i. 20: 'One said, As oft as I have gone among men, I returned home less a man.']