Wesley Corpus

But 'the Methodist who pretends to be of the Church of England in forms of worship and differs from her in point of doctrine is not, let his presences be what they will, a member of that Church.' Alas, sir! your friends will not thank you for this. You have broke their heads sadly. Is no man of the Church, let him pretend what he will, who differs from her in point of doctrine? Au! obsecro; cave dixeris! [Terence's Eunuchus, IV. iii. 14: 'Stop, I beseech you; beware what you say.'] I know not but you may stumble upon scandalum magnatum. [Terence's Adelphi, 111. iv. 12: 'Libel against persons of exalted rank.'] But stay; you will bring them off quickly. 'A truly good man may scruple signing and swearing to Articles that his mind and reason cannot approve of.' But is he a truly good man who does not scruple signing and swearing to Articles which he cannot approve of? However, this does not affect us, for we do not differ from our Church in point of doctrine. But all do who deny justification by faith; therefore, according to you, they are no members of the Church of England. 'Methodists preachers', you allow, 'practice, sign, and swear whatever is required by law' --a very large concession; 'but the reserves they have are incommunicable and unintelligible.' Favour us, sir, with a little proof of this; till then I must plead, Not guilty. In whatever I sign or swear to I have no reserve at all. And I have again and again communicated my thoughts on most heads to all mankind; I believe intelligibly, particularly in the Appeals to Men of Reason and Religion. But 'if Methodism, as its professors pretend, be a new discovery in religion' This is a grievous mistake; we pretend no such thing. We aver it is the one old religion; as old as the Reformation, as old as Christianity, as old as Moses, as old as Adam.