Wesley Corpus

I will then, God being my helper. And you will bear with me in my folly, (if such it is) with my speaking in the sim plicity of my heart. 4. Your Lordship begins, “There is another species of enemies, who give shameful disturbance to the parochial Clergy, and use very unwarrantable methods to prejudice their people against them, and to seduce their flocks from them; the Methodists and Moravians, who agree in annoying the established ministry, and in drawing over to themselves the lowest and most ignorant of the people, by pretences to greater sanctity.” (Charge, p. 4.) But have no endeavours been used to show them their error? Yes; your Lordship remarks, “Endeavours have not been wanting. But though these endeavours have caused some abatement in the pomp and grandeur with which these people for some time acted,” (truly, one would not have ex pected it from them !) “yet they do not seem to have made any impression upon their leaders.” (Ibid. p. 6.) Your Lordship adds, “Their innovations in points of dis cipline I do not intend to enter into at present. But to in quire what the doctrines are which they spread.” (Ibid. p. 7.) “Doctrines big with pernicious influences upon prac tice.” (Ibid. p. 8.) Six of these your Lordship mentions, after having pre mised, “It is not at all needful, to the end of guarding against them, to charge the particular tenets upon the particular persons among them.” (Ibid. p. 7.) Indeed, my Lord, it is needful in the highest degree. For if the Minister who is to guard his people, either against Peter Böhler, Mr. Whitefield, or me, does not know what our particular tenets are, he must needs “run as uncertainly, and fight as one that beateth the air.” I will fairly own which of these belong to me. The in direct practices which your Lordship charges upon me may then be considered; together with the consequences of these doctrines, and your Lordship's instructions to the Clergy. 5. “The First that I shall take notice of,” says your Lordship, “is the Antinomian doctrine.” (Ibid. p. 8.) The Second, “that Christ has done all, and left nothing for us to do, but to believe.” (Ibid. p. 9.) These belong not to me. I am unconcerned therein. I have earnestly opposed, but did never teach or embrace, them.