Wesley Corpus

I assert the fact still. “Now, if these,” you say, “are not miraculous cures, all this is rank enthusiasm.” I will put your argument in form : He that believes those are miraculous cures which are not so is a rank enthusiast: But you believe those to be miraculous cures which are not so : Therefore, you are a rank enthusiast. Before I answer, I must know what you mean by miraculous. If you term everything so, which is not strictly accountable for by the ordinary course of natural causes, then I deny the latter part of the minor proposition. And unless you can make this good, unless you can prove the effects in question are strictly accountable for by the ordinary course of natural causes, your argument is nothing worth. You conclude this head with, “Can you work miracles? All your present pretences to the Spirit, till they are proved by miracles, cannot be excused, or acquitted from enthusiasm.” (Page 73.) My short answer is this: I pretend to the Spirit just so far as is essential to a state of salvation. And cannot I be ac quitted from enthusiasm till I prove by miracles that I am in a state of salvation? 13. We now draw to a period: “The consequences of Methodism,” you say, that is, of our preaching this doctrine, “which have hitherto appeared, are bad enough to induce you to leave it. It has, in fact, introduced many disorders; enthu siasm, Antinomianism, Calvinism, a neglect and contempt of God’s ordinances, and almost all other duties.” (Page 75.) That, whenever God revives his work upon earth, many tares will spring up with the wheat, both the word of God gives us ground to expect, and the experience of all ages. But where, Sir, have you been, that you have heard of the tares only; and that you rank among the consequences of my preaching, “a neglect and contempt of God’s ordinances, and almost of all duties?” Does not the very reverse appear at London, at Bristol, at Kingswood, at Newcastle? In every one of which places, multitudes of those (I am able to name the persons) who before lived in a thorough neglect and contempt of God’s ordinances and all duties, do now zealously discharge their duties to God and man, and walk in all his ordinances blameless.