Wesley Corpus

Lastly. I believe they trample under foot, in a good degree, “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life:” And yet many of them use reserve, yea, guile. Therefore, my soul mourns for them in secret places. 10. “But I must observe,” you say, “that you fall not only into inconsistencies, but into direct contradictions. You com mend them for “loving one another in a manner the world know eth not of;’ and yet you charge them with being “in the utmost confusion, biting and devouring one another.’ You say, ‘They caution us against natural love of one another; and had well migh destroyed brotherly love from among us.” “You praise them for “using no diversions, but such asbecome saints; and for ‘not regarding outward adorning:” Yet you say they ‘conform to the world in wearing gold and costly apparel; and by joining in worldly diversions, in order to do good.’ “You call their discipline, ‘in most respects, truly excellent.” I wish you had more fully explained yourself. I am sure it is no sign of good discipline, to permit such abominations. And you tell them yourself, ‘I can show you such a subordination as answers all Christian purposes, and yet is as distant from that among you as the heavens are from the earth.” “You mention it as a good effect of their discipline, that “every one knows and keeps his proper rank. Soon after, as if it were with a design to confute yourself, you say, ‘Our brethren have neither wisdom enough to guide, nor prudence enough to let it alone.’ “And now, Sir, how can you reconcile these opposite descrip tions?” (Ibid. pp. 21, 22.) Just as easily as those before, by simply declaring the thing as it is. “You commend them.” (the Moravians) “for loving one another; and yet charge them with biting and devouring one another.” (Vol. I. pp. 245,256.) Them / Whom ? Not the Moravians; but the English bre thren of Fetter-Lane, before their union with the Moravians. Here, then, is no shadow of contradiction. For the two sen tences do not relate to the same persons. “You say, ‘They had well-nigh destroyed brotherly love from among us; partly by ‘cautions against natural love.” (Ibid. p. 330.) It is a melancholy truth; so they had. But we had then no connexion with them.