Wesley Corpus

Help to relieve your companions in the kingdom of Jesus, who are pressed above measure. “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Help to send forth able, willing labourers into your Lord’s harvest: So shall ye be assistant in saving souls from death, and hiding a multitude of sins. Help to spread the gospel of your salvation into the remotest corners of the king dom, till “the knowledge of our Lord shall cover the land, as the waters cover the sea.” So shall it appear to ourselves, and all men, that we are indeed one body, united by one spirit; so shall the baptized Heathens be yet again constrained to say, “See how these Christians love one another l” In this may not even the Romanists provoke us to jealousy ? They have a general fund at Rome, and another at Paris, which bears all the expenses of their Missionaries throughout all the world. Q. 74. What is the direct antidote to Methodism, the doctrine of heart-holiness? A. Calvinism: All the devices of Satan, for these fifty years, have done far less toward stopping this work of God, than that single doctrine. It strikes at the root of salvation from sin, previous to glory, putting the matter on quite another issue. Q. 75. But wherein lie the charms of this doctrine? What makes men swallow it so greedily? A. (1.) It seems to magnify Christ; although in reality it supposes him to have died in vain. For the absolutely elect must have been saved without him; and the non-elect cannot be saved by him. (2.) It is highly pleasing to flesh and blood, final perse verance in particular. Q. 76. What can be done to guard against it? A. (1.) Let all our Preachers carefully read over ours and Mr. Fletcher’s Tracts.- (2.) Let them frequently and explicitly preach the truth, though not in a controversial way. But let them take care to do it in love and gentleness; not in bitterness, not returning railing for railing: Let those who preach it have all this to themselves. (3) Do not imitate them in screaming, allegorizing, boast ing: Rather mildly expose these things when time serves. (4) Imitate them in this: They readily seize upon any one that is newly convinced or converted.