Wesley Corpus

I pray, consider. Do you never compli ment? I do not suppose you say, “Sir, your very humble ser vant;” but do you say no civil things? Do you never flatter? Do you not commend any man or woman to their face? Per haps farther than you do behind their back. Is this plainness of speech? Do you never dissemble? Do you speak to all per sons, high or low, rich or poor, just what you think, neither more nor less, and in the shortest and clearest manner you can P If not, what a mere jest is your plain language! You carry your condemnation in your own breast. 6. You hold also, that “he which is led by the Spirit will use great plainness of dress, seeking no “outward adorning,” but only the ‘ornament of a meek and quiet spirit;” and that, in particular, “he will leave ‘gold and costly apparel” to those who know not God.” Now, I appeal to every serious, reasonable man among you, --Do your people act consistently with this principle? Do not many of your women wear gold upon their very feet; and many of your men use “ ornaments of gold?” Are you a stranger to these things? Have you not seen with your eyes (such trifles as will scarce bear the naming) their canes and snuff-boxes glit ter, even in your solemn assembly, while ye were waiting toge ther upon God? Surely, they are not yet so lost to modesty, as to pretend that they do not use them by way of ornament. If they do not, if it be only out of necessity, a plain oaken stick will supply the place of the one, and a piece of horn or tin will unexceptionably answer all the reasonable ends of the other.- To speak freely, (and do not count me your enemy for this,) you cannot but observe, upon cool reflection, that you retain just so much of your ancient practice, as leaves your present without excuse; as makes the inconsistency, between the one and the other, glaring and undeniable. For instance: This woman is too strict a Quaker to lay out a shilling in a necklace. Very well; but she is not too strict to lay out fourscore guineas in a repeating watch.