Wesley Corpus

‘Allow Mr. Wesley,’ you say, ‘but these few points, and he will defend his conduct beyond exception.’ That is most true. If I have, indeed, ‘been advancing nothing but the true knowledge and love of God’; if God has made me an instrument in reforming many sinners, and bringing them to ‘inward and pure religion’; and if many of these continue holy to this day, and free from all willful sin, -- then may I, even I, use those awful words, ‘He that despiseth me, despiseth Him that sent me.’ But I never expect the world to allow me one of these points. However, I must go on as God shall enable me. I must lay out whatsoever He entrusts me with (whether others will believe I do it or no), in advancing the true Christian knowledge of God and the love and fear of God among men; in reforming (if so be it please Him to use me still) those who are yet without God in the world; and in propagating inward and pure religion--righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 10. But you believe I only corrupt those who were good Christians before, teaching them to revile and censure their neighbors; and to abuse the clergy, notwithstanding all their meekness and gentleness, as I do myself. ‘I must declare,’ say you, ‘we have in general answered your presence with all meekness and temper; the railing and reviling has been chiefly on the side of the Methodists’ (page 16). Your first charge ran thus: ‘How have such abuses as these been thrown out by you against our regular clergy, not the highest or the worthiest excepted!’ (Remarks, p. 15). I answered: ‘I am altogether clear in this matter, as often as it has been objected; neither do I desire to receive any other treatment from the clergy than they have received from me to this day.’ [See letter of Feb. 2, 1745, sect.1.15.]