Wesley Corpus

And be thou a faithful dispenser of the word of God, and of his holy sacraments, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” You proceed: “In the same Journal he declares, that he looks upon all the world as his parish, and explains his mean ing as follows: ‘In whatever part of it I am, I judge it meet, right, and my bounden duty, to declare, unto all that are willing to hear, the glad tidings of salvation. This is the work which I know God hath called me to;’” namely, “by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery,” which directs me how to obey that general command, “While we have time, let us do good unto all men.” 10. You object farther, “that the Methodists do not observe the Rubric before the Communion Service; which directs, so many as desire to partake of the holy communion, to signify their names to the Curate the day before.” What Curate desires they should? Whenever any Minister will give but one week's notice of this, I undertake, all that have any relation to me shall signify their names within the time appointed. You object also, that they break through the twenty-eighth Canon, which requires, “That if strangers come often to any church from other parishes, they should be remitted to their own churches, there to receive the communion with their neighbours.” But what, if there be no communion there? Then this Canon does not touch the case; nor does any one break it, by coming to another church purely because there is no commu nion at his own. As to your next advice, “To have a greater regard to the rules and orders of the Church,” I cannot; for I now regard them next to the word of God. And as to your last, “To renounce communion with the Church,” I dare not. Nay, but let them thrust us out. We will not leave the ship; if you cast us out of it, then our Lord will take us up. 11. To the same head may be referred the objection some time urged, by a friendly and candid man, viz., “That it was unlawful to use extemporary prayer, because there was a Canon against it.” It was not quite clear to me, that the Canon he cited was against extemporary prayer.