Wesley Corpus

But the dreadful one you reserve for the last -- namely, our ‘recommending Popish books. One is the Life of Mr. De Renty, of which Mr. Wesley has published an extract.’ To prove your inimitable fairness here, you scrape up again all the trash wherein the weak writer of that Life abounds and which I had pared off and thrown away. Sir, could you find nothing to your purpose in the extract itself I fancy you might; for I have purposely left in two or three particulars to show of what communion he was, which I did not think it right to conceal. You go on: ‘Francis of Sales is another Papist much commended by Mr. Wesley; and who, he doubts not, is in Abraham’s bosom. He is the Methodist's bosom friend.’ I believe he is in Abraham’s bosom; but he is no bosom friend of the Methodists. I question whether one in five hundred of them has so much as heard his name. And as for me, neither do I commend him much, nor recommend him at all. His Life I never saw, nor any of his works but his Introduction to an Holy Life. This the late Dr. Nichols [William Nichols (1664-1712), Canon of Chichester and Rector of Selsey, who published important theological works.] translated into English, published, and strongly recommended. Therefore, if this be a proof of promoting Popery, that censure fails, not on me, but him. I have now considered all the arguments you have brought to prove that the Methodists are carrying on the work of Popery. And I am persuaded every candid man, who rightly weighs what has been said with any degree of attention, will clearly see, not only that no one of those arguments is of any real force at all, but that you do not believe yourself; you do not believe the conclusion which you make as if you would prove: only you keep close to your laudable resolution of throwing as much dirt as possible. 48. It remains only to gather up some of your fragments, as still farther proofs of your integrity.