Wesley Corpus

To Lady Maxwell Date: LONDON, September 30, 1788. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1788) Author: John Wesley --- My DEAR LADY, -- For many years a great person professed and I believe had a great regard for me. [The Countess of Huntingdon.] I therefore believed it my duty to speak with all freedom, which I did in a long letter. But she was so displeased that she said to a friend, 'I hate Mr. Wesley above all the creatures upon earth.' I now believe it my duty to write freely to you. Will it have the same effect Certainly I would not run the hazard, did I not regard your happiness more than your favor. Therefore I will speak. May God enable you not only to pardon it, but to profit thereby! Indeed, unless you profit by it, I do not expect you to forgive. Be pleased to observe I do not affirm anything; I only beg you calmly to consider, Would it be fight for me to propagate a doctrine which I believed to be false particularly if it were not only false but dangerous to the souls of men, frequently hindering their growth in grace, stopping their pursuit of holiness And is it fight in you to do this You believe the doctrine of Absolute Predestination is false. Is it, then, right for you to propagate this doctrine in any kind or degree, particularly as it is not only false but a very dangerous doctrine, as we have seen a thousand times Does it not hinder the work of God in the soul, feed all evil and weaken all good tempers, turn many quite out of the way of life and drive them back to perdition Is not Calvinism the very antidote of Methodism, the most deadly and successful enemy which it ever had 'But my friend desired that I would propagate it, and lodged money with me for this very purpose.' What then May I destroy souls because my friend desired it Ought you not rather to throw that money into the sea O let not any money or any friend move you to propagate a lie, to strike at the root of Methodism, to grieve the holiest of your friends, and to endanger your own soul! Living or dying, I shall always be, my dear Lady, Your most affectionate servant.