Wesley Corpus

‘But these are points which are ever liable to misconstructions; and have ever yet, more or less, been attended with them.’ And what points of revealed religion are those which are not ever liable to misconstructions Or of what material point can we say, that it has not ever yet, more or less, been attended with them ‘In the last century it occasioned great confusions in this nation.’ It occasioned! No; in no wise. It is demonstrable, the occasions of those confusions were quite of another kind. ‘And it appears, that since you have preached the doctrine, it has had its old consequences, or rather worse. It has been more misunderstood, more perverted and abused, than ever.’ What! worse consequences than regicide, (which, you say, was the old one,) and making our whole land a field of blood Or has it been more perverted and abused than when (in your account) it overturned the whole frame both of Church and State 12. You go on: ‘The terms of the gospel are, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. But when we undervalue either of these terms, we involve the consciences of the weak in fatal perplexities; we give a handle to others to justify their impieties; we confirm the enemies of religion in their prejudices.’ (Page 2.) All this I grant. But it affects not me. For I do not undervalue either faith or repentance. ‘Was not irreligion and vice already prevailing enough in the nation, but we must -- throw snares in people's way, and root out the remains of piety and devotion, in the weak and well-meaning That this has been the case, your own confessions put beyond all doubt. And you even now hold and teach the principles from which these dangerous consequences do plainly and directly follow.’ (Page 3.)