Wesley Corpus

And I am bold to affirm, that these unlettered men have help from God for that great work,-the saving souls from death; seeing he hath enabled, and doth enable them still, to “turn many to righteousness.” Thus hath he “destroyed the wisdom of the wise, and brought to nought the understanding of the prudent.” When they imagined they had effectually shut the door, and locked up every passage whereby any help could come to two or three Preachers, weak in body as well as soul, who they might reasonably believe would, humanly speaking, wear themselves out in a short time;--when they had gained their point by securing, as they supposed, all the men of learn ing in the nation, “He that sitteth in heaven laughed them to scorn,” and came upon them by a way they thought not of. “Out of the stones he raised up ’’ those who should beget “children to Abraham.” We had no more foresight of this than you: Nay, we had the deepest prejudices against it; until we could not but own that God gave “wisdom from above ’’ to these unlearned and ignorant men, so that the work of the Lord prospered intheir hand, and sinners were daily converted to God. Indeed, in the one thing which they profess to know, they are not ignorant men. I trust there is not one of them who is not able to go through such an examination, in substantial, prac tical, experimental Divinity, as few of our candidates for holy orders, even in the University, (I speak it with sorrow and shame, and in tender love,) are able to do. But, O! what man ner of examination do most of those candidates go through! and what proof are the tesimonials commonly brought, (as solemn as the form is wherein they run,) either of their piety or know ledge to whom are entrusted those sheep which God hath purchased with his own blood | 11. “But they are laymen. You seem to be sensible your self of the strength of this objection. For as many as you have answered, I observe you have never once so much as touched on this.” I have not. Yet it was not distrust of my cause, but tender ness to you, which occasioned my silence.