Wesley Corpus

In how poor a sense then do you watch over the souls for whom you are to give an ac count to God! Sir, I wish to God there were a truly spiritual intercourse between you and all your people ! I wish you “knew all your flock by name, not excepting the men servants and women-servants!” Then you might cherish each, “as a nurse her own children,” and “train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Then might you “warn every one, and exhort every one,” till you should “present every one perfect in Christ Jesus.” “But they say our sermons contradict the Articles, Homi lies, and Liturgy of our own Church; yea, that we contradict ourselves, saying one thing in the desk, and another in the pulpit.” And is there not cause to say so? I myself have heard several sermons preached in churches, which flatly con tradicted both the Articles, Homilies, and Liturgy; particu larly on the head of justification. I have likewise heard more than one or two persons, who said one thing in the desk, and another in the pulpit. In the desk, they prayed God to “cleanse the thoughts of their hearts by the inspiration of his Holy Spirit.” In the pulpit, they said there was “no such thing as inspiration since the time of the Apostles.” “But this is not all. You poison the people by the most peevish and spiteful invectives against the Clergy, the most rude and rancorous revilings, and the most invidious calum nies.” (Page 51.) No more than I poison them with arsenic. I make no peevish or spiteful invectives against any man. Rude and rancorous revilings (such as your present tract abounds with) are also far from me. I dare not “return railing for railing,” because (whether you know it or no) I fear God. Invidious calumnies, likewise, I never dealt in; all such weapons I leave to you. 20. One charge remains, which you repeat over and over, and lay a peculiar stress upon. (As to what you talk about perverting Scripture, I pass it by, as mere unmeaning common place declamation.) It is the poor old worn-out tale of “get ting money by preaching.” This you only intimate at first.