Wesley Corpus

An extract of the former part of this I subjoin, in his Lord ship’s words: “I cannot think it improper to obviate the contagion of those enthusiastical pretensions, that have lately betrayed whole mul titudes either into presumption or melancholy. Enthusiasm, indeed, when detected, is apt to create infidelity; and infidelity is so shocking a thing, that many rather run into the other extreme, and take refuge in enthusiasm. But infidelity and enthusiasm seem now to act in concert against our established religion. As infidelity has been sufficiently opposed, I shall now lay before you the weakness of those enthusiastical pre tensions.” (Pp. 1, 2.) “Now, to confute effectually, and strike at the root of, those enthusiastical pretensions, “First, I shall show that it is necessary to lay down some method for distinguishing real from pretended inspiration.” (Pp. 3, 5.) “Many expressions occur in the New Testament concerning the operations of the Holy Spirit. But men of an enthusias tical temper have confounded passages of a quite different nature, and have jumbled together those that relate to the extraordinary operations of the Spirit, with those that relate only to his ordinary influences. It is therefore necessary to use some method for separating those passages relating to the operations of the Spirit, that have been so misapplied to the service of enthusiastical pretenders.” (Pp. 5-7.) “I proceed therefore to show, “Secondly, that a distinction is to be made between those passages of Scripture about the blessed Spirit that peculiarly belong to the primitive Church, and those that relate to Christians in all ages.” (P. 7.) “The exigences of the apostolical age required the miracu lous gifts of the Spirit. But these soon ceased. When there fore we meet in the Scripture with an account of those extra ordinary gifts, and likewise with an account of his ordinary operations, we must distinguish the one from the other. And that, not only for our own satisfaction, but as a means to stop the growth of enthusiasm.” (Pp. 8-10.) “And such a distinction ought to be made by the best methods of interpreting the Scriptures; which most certainly are an attentive consideration of the occasion and scope of those passages, in concurrence with the general sense of the primitive Church.” (P.