Wesley Corpus

No, Sir; both in preaching and writing I representit as far more comfortable than you do, or are able to do. “But you represent us as lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.” If any do this, I doubt they touch a sore spot; I am afraid the shoe pinches. “They affirm pleasure in general to be unlawful, grounding it on, ‘They that are in the flesh cannot please God.’” (Page 15.) Wrong, top and bottom. Did we hold the conclusion, we should never infer it from such premises. But we do not hold it: We no more affirm pleasure in general to be unlawful, than eating and drinking. This is another invention of your own brain, which never entered into our thoughts. It is really curious when you add, “This is bringing men “after the principles of the world, and not after Christ.” What, the affirming that pleasure is un lawful? Is this “after the principles of the world?” Was ever text so unhappily applied? 10. So much for your first Sermon; wherein, though you do not seem to want good-will, yet you are marvellously bar ren of invention; having only retailed two or three old, thread bare objections, which have been answered twenty times over. You begin the second, “I shall now consider some of their many absurd doctrines: The first of which is, “the pretending to be divinely inspired.” (Second Sermon, p. 1.) An odd doctrine enough. “And called in an extraordinary manner to preach the word of God.” (Pages 2-4.) This is all harping upon the same string, the grand objection of Lay-Preachers. We have it again and again, ten, twenty times over. I shall answer it once for all. Not by anything new,--that is utterly needless; but barely by repeating the answer which convinced a serious Clergyman many years ago: “TULLAMORE, May 4, 1748. “REvEREND SIR, “I HAVE at present neither leisure nor inclination to enter into a formal controversy; but you will give me leave just to offer a few loose hints relating to the subject of our last night's conversation : “l. Seeing life and health are things of so great import ance, it is, without question, highly expedient that Physicians should have all possible advantages of learning and education. “2. That trial should be made of them by competent judges, before they practise publicly. “3.