Wesley Corpus

To William Green Date: October 25, 1789. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1789) Author: John Wesley --- MY DEAR BROTHER, -- You abound in leisure; I abound in work: it is not for me, therefore, to follow you step by step through a voluminous performance. I shall only put down a few thoughts as they occur; and may God apply them to your heart! To begin with the spirit and manner of your whole performance. I doubt it is far from right! I would not commend it if you were writing to one greatly your inferior both in years and station; what can excuse it, then, if you are the inferior in age and other respects The question is: whether we ought still to attend the ministrations of wicked ministers. Observe, I do not defend or justify them at all, as I said not a word in defense of Hophni and Phineas. You say: No, because God forbids us so to do. That I flatly deny. It is your grand mistake, on which the rest depends. 'But does not God say over and over, Hearken not, hearken not unto them' Yes; but this does not mean refrain from the ministrations even of base, lying prophets, but merely this: Hearken not to their lies; hear them not--that is, regard them not when they speak what God hath not spoken. All the texts you heap together (and you may transcribe fifty more) mean neither more or less than this! Accordingly both the true prophets and all the Israelites did, in fact, attend their ministry still! 'But did not our Lord warn His disciples to beware of the leaven, that is false doctrine, of the Scribes and the Pharisees.' Yes, of their false doctrine; but not to refrain from their ministrations. This neither He nor the Apostles did; they all constantly attended the Temple service as well as that of the synagogue. Yet, that God did not send the false prophets to prophesy lies is certain; but He did send them to minister before him! It is certain also that the word which they prophesied falsely did not profit the people; yet it did when they spoke or read the truth. To say wicked ministers never profit the people is to say that all the Israelites from Samuel to Christ went to hell!