Wesley Corpus

“But this is making yourself a Pope.” This carries no face of truth. The Pope affirms that every Christian must do all he bids, and believe all he says, under pain of damnation. I never affirmed anything that bears any the most distant resemblance to this. All I affirm is, the Preachers who choose to labour with me, choose to serve me as sons in the gospel. And the people who choose to be under my care, choose to be so on the same terms they were at first. Therefore all talk of this kind is highly injurious to me, who bear the burden merely for your sake. And it is exceeding mis chievous to the people, tending to confound their understand ing, and to fill their hearts with evil surmisings and unkind tempers toward me; to whom they really owe more, for taking all this load upon me, for exercising this very power, for shack ling myself in this manner, than for all my preaching put together: Because preaching twice or thrice a day is no burden to me at all; but the care of all the Preachers and all the people is a burden indeed! Q. 28. What reason can be assigned why so many of our Preachers contract nervous disorders? A. The chief reason, on Dr. Cadogan's principles, is either indolence or intemperance. (1.) Indolence. Several of them use too little exercise, far less than when they wrought at their trade. And this will naturally pave the way for many, especially nervous, disorders. (2.) Intemperance,--though not in the vulgar sense. They take more food than they did when they laboured more: And let any man of reflection judge how long this will consist with health. Or they use more sleep than when they laboured more: And this alone will destroy the firmness of the nerves. If, then, our Preachers would avoid nervous disorders, let them, (1.) Take as little meat, drink, and sleep as nature will bear; and, (2.) Use full as much exercise daily as they did before they were Preachers. Q. 29. What general method of employing our time would you advise us to? A. We advise you, (1.) As often as possible to rise at four.