Wesley Corpus

‘Enthusiasm is a false persuasion of an extraordinary divine assistance, which leads men on to such conduct as is only to be justified by the supposition of such assistance.’ Before this touches me, you are to prove, (which, I conceive, you have not done yet,) that my conduct is such as is only to be justified by the supposition of an extraordinary divine assistance. ‘An enthusiast is, then, sincere, but mistaken.’ That I am mistaken, remains also to be proved. ‘His intentions are good; but his actions most abominable.’ Sometimes they are; yet not always. For there may be innocent madmen. But, what actions of mine are most abominable I wait to learn. ‘Instead of making the word of God the rule of his actions, he follows only his secret impulse.’ In the whole compass of language, there is not a proposition which less belongs to me than this I have declared again and again, that I make the word of God the rule of all my actions; and that I no more follow any secret impulse instead thereof, than I follow Mahomet or Confucius. Not even a word or look Do I approve or own, But by the model of thy book, Thy sacred book alone. [Poetical Works of J. and C. Wesley, i. 70. Adapted from George Herbert's The Temple, "Discipline": Not a word or look I affect to own, But by book, And Thy Book alone.]