Wesley Corpus

1. To clear the case between us a little farther. I must now adopt your words: ‘I, no less than you, preach justification by faith only, the absolute necessity of holiness, the increasing mortification of sin, and rejection of all past experiences and attainments. I abhor, as you do, all Antinomian abuse of the doctrine of Christ, and desire to see my people walking even as He walked. Is it, then, worth while, in order to gratify a few bigoted persons or for the sake of the minute differences between us,’ to encourage ‘all the train of evils which follow contention for opinions in little matters as much as in great’ 2. If I was as strenuous with regard to perfection on one side as you have been on the other, I should deny you to be a sufficient preacher; but this I never did. And yet I assure you I can advance such reasons for all I teach as would puzzle you and all that condemn me to answer; but I am sick of disputing. Let them beat the air and triumph without an opponent. 3. ‘None, you say, preach in your houses who do not hold the very same doctrine with you.’ This is not exactly the case. You are welcome to preach in any of those houses, as I know we agree in the main points; and whereinsoever we differ you would not preach there contrary to me. ‘But would it not give you pain to have any other teacher come among those committed to your charge, so as to have your plan disconcerted, your labors depreciated, and the affections of your flock alienated’ It has given me pain when I had reason to fear this was done, both at Leeds, Birstall, and elsewhere. And I was ‘under a temptation of speaking against you’; but I refrained even among my intimate friends. So far was I from publicly warning my people against one I firmly believed to be much better than myself.