Wesley Corpus

The Methodists in general, my Lord, are members of the Church of England. They hold all her doctrines, attend her service, and partake of her sacraments. They do not willingly do harm to any one, but do what good they can to all. To encourage each other herein they frequently spend an hour together in prayer and mutual exhortation. Permit me then to ask, Cui bono, 'For what reasonable end,' would your Lordship drive these people out of the Church Are they not as quiet, as inoffensive, nay as pious, as any of their neighbors except perhaps here and there an hairbrained man who knows not what he is about. Do you ask, 'Who drives them out of the Church' Your Lordship does; and that in the most cruel manner -- yea, and the most disingenuous manner. They desire a license to worship God after their own conscience. Your Lordship refuses it, and then punishes them for not having a license! So your Lordship leaves them only this alternative, 'Leave the Church or starve.' And is it a Christian, yea a Protestant bishop, that so persecutes his own flock I say, persecutes; for it is persecution to all intents and purposes. You do not burn them indeed, but you starve them. And how small is the difference! And your Lordship does this under color of a vile, execrable law, not a whir better than that de haeretico cornburendo. [Concerning the burning of heretics.] So persecution, which is banished out of France, is again countenanced in England! O my Lord, for God's sake, for Christ's sake, for pity's sake suffer the poor people to enjoy their religious as well as civil liberty! I am on the brink of eternity I Perhaps so is your Lordship too! How soon may you also be called to give an account of your stewardship to the Great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls! May He enable both you and me to do it with joy! So prays, my Lord, Your Lordship's dutiful son and servant.