Wesley Corpus

I conjure you, my Lord, by the mercies of God, if these are not the words of truth and soberness, point me out wherein I have erred from the truth; show me clearly wherein I have spoken either beyond or contrary to the word of God. But might I not humbly entreat, that your Lordship, in doing this, would abstain from such expressions as these: “If they will but put themselves under their direction and discipline,--after their course of discipline is once over,” (ibid. p. 15,) as not suitable either to the weight of the subject, or the dignity of your Lord ship's character. And might I not expect something more than these loose assertions, that this is “a delusion altogether groundless; a notion contrary to the whole tenor both of the Old and New Testament; ” that “the Scriptures forbid all thought of it, as vain, arrogant, and presumptuous;” that they “represent all mankind, without distinction, as subject to sin and corruption” (subject to sin and corruption l strong words!) “during their continuance in this world; and require no more than an honest desire and endeavour to find ourselves less and less in a state of imperfection.” (Ibid. pp. 15, 16.) Is it not from your Lordship's entirely mistaking the ques tion, not at all apprehending what perfection I teach, that you go on to guard against the same imaginary consequences, as your Lordship did in the “Observations?” Surely, my Lord, you never gave yourself the trouble to read the answer given in the “Farther Appeal,” to every objection which you now urge afresh; seeing you do not now appear to know any more of my sentiments than if you had never proposed one question, nor received one answer, upon the subject! 10. If your Lordship designed to show my real sentiments concerning the last doctrine which you mention, as one would imagine by your adding, “These are his own words,” (ibid. p. 18,) should you not have cited all my own words? at least all the words of that paragraph, and not have mangled it as Mr. Church did before? It runs thus: “Saturday, 28.