Wesley Corpus

To William Black Date: NEAR BATH, September 26, 1787. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1787) Author: John Wesley --- MY DEAR BROTHER, -- You have great reason to praise God for the great things that He hath done and to expect still greater things than these. Your grand difficulty now will be to guard your flock against that accomplished seducer. When you mentioned a person came from Scotland, I took it for granted that he was a Calvinist. But I find it is not so well: for I take a Socinian to be far worse than even a Predestinarian; and such one may easily conclude him to be from the heads of that miserable sermon. Nevertheless I advise you and all our preachers never oppose him openly. Doing thus would only give the unawakened world an advantage against you all. I advise you farther, never speak severely, much less contemptuously, of him in any mixed company. You must use no weapons in opposing him but only those of truth and love. Your wisdom is (x) strongly to inculcate the doctrines which he denies, but without taking any notice of him or seeming to know that any one does deny them; (2) to advise all our brethren (but not in public) never to hear him at the peril of their souls; and (3) narrowly to inquire whether any one is staggered, and to set such one right as soon as possible. Thus, by the blessing of God, even those that are lame will not be turned out of the way. Peace be with your spirit! -- I am, dear Billy, Your affectionate friend and brother.