Wesley Corpus

In the tenth you say, “The Methodists act on the same plan with the Papists; not, perhaps, from compact and design; but a similar con figuration and texture of brain, or the fumes of imagination, producing similar effects. From a commiseration of horror, arising from the grievous corruptions of the world, perhaps from a real motive of sincere piety, they both set out with warm pretences to a reformation.” Sir, this is an uncommon thought, --that sincere piety should arise from the “configuration and texture of the brain l” as well as, that “pretences to a refor mation” should spring from “a real motive of sincere piety l’’ 4. You go on : “Both commonly begin their adventures with field-preaching.” (Enthusiasm, &c., p. 11.) Sir, do you condemn field-preaching toto genere, as evil in itself? Have a care! or you (I should say, the gentleman that assists you) will speak a little too plain, and betray the real motives of his sincere antipathy to the people called Methodists. Or do you condemn the preaching on Hannam-Mount, in particular, to the colliers of Kingswood? If you doubt whether this has done any real good, it is a very easy thing to be in formed. And I leave it with all impartial men, whether the good which has in fact been done by preaching there, and which could not possibly have been done any other way, does not abundantly “justify the irregularity of it.” (Page 15.) 5. But you think I am herein inconsistent with myself. For I say, “The uncommonness is the very circumstance that recommends it.” (I mean, that recommended it to the colliers in Kingswood.) And yet I said, but a page or two before, “We are not suffered to preach in the churches; else we should prefer them to any places whatsoever.” Sir, I still aver both the one and the other. I do prefer the preaching in a church when I am suffered: And yet, when I am not, the wise providence of God overrules this very cir cumstance for good; many coming to hear, because of the uncommonness of the thing, who would otherwise not have heard at all. 6.