Wesley Corpus

Whitefield, now with God, I leave with Mr. H--'s remark: “I admire your pru dence, though not your generosity; for it is much safer to cudgel a dead man than a living one.” 15. You next descant upon “the disorders which the spirit of enthusiasm created in the last age.” Very likely it might; but, blessed be God, that is nothing at all to us. For he hath given us, not the spirit of enthusiasm, but of love and of a sound mind. In the following page you quaintly compare your hearers to sheep, and yourself and friends to the dogs in the fable; and seem much afraid, lest the silly sheep should be “persuaded to give you up to these ravening wolves.” Nay, should you not rather be ranked with the sheep than the dogs? For your teeth are not so sharp as razors. 16. “Another fundamental error of the Methodists is, the asserting that laymen may preach; yea, the most ignorant and illiterate of them, provided they have the inward call of the Spirit.” (Page 11.) The former part of this objection we had before. The latter is a total mistake. They do not allow the “most ignorant” men to preach, whatever “inward call” they pretend to. Among them none are allowed to be stated Preachers, but such as, (1.) Are truly alive to God; such as experience the “faith that worketh by love; ” such as love God and all man kind. (2.) Such as have a competent knowledge of the word of God, and of the work of God in the souls of men. (3.) Such as have given proof that they are called of God, by con verting sinners from the error of their ways. And to show whether they have these qualifications or no, they are a year, sometimes more, upon trial. Now, I pray, what is the common examination, either for Deacon’s or Priest's Orders, to this? 17. “But no ambassador can act without a commission from his King: Consequently, no Preacher without a commission from God.” (Page 11.) This is a tender point; but you con strain me to speak. I ask then, Is he commissioned from God to preach the gospel, who does not know the gospel? who knows little more of the Bible than of the Koran P I fear not. But if so, what are many of our brethren?