Wesley Corpus

4. With regard to the consequences of my teaching this doc trine, I desire any who will not account it lost labour, to consult with his own eyes, seriously and in the fear of God, the Third and Fourth Journals. And if he pleases, he may farther read over and compare, from the 395th to the 397th page of my answer; with your reply, from the one hundred and first inclusive, to the one hundred and fourth page. Among the consequences you reckoned, (in your Remarks,) besides, “introducing predestination, confusion, presump tion, and despair, many very shocking instances of all which’” (your words are) “you give us among your fol lowers.” (Pages 52, 55.) I answered, “You should have specified a few of those instances, at least the pages where they occur. (Suppose, only three of each sort, out of any or all the Four Journals.) Till this is done, I can look upon this assertion as no other than a flourish of your pen.” Upon this you exclaim: (Page 111 :) “I must beg the reader to observe your method of citing my words. Many in stances of omissions he has had already. But here is such a one, as I believe few controversies can parallel. Would not any one imagine from the view of these words, [Predestination, con fusion, presumption, and despair,] that they occurred alltogether in page fifty-two, of my Remarks, and that I observed nothing farther concerning this point? Could it be thought that any thing intervened between the page referred to, and the last sen tence? And yet so it is, that near three pages intervene !” Ha! do near three pages intervene ! Prodigious indeed! “And this is called an answer !” So it is, for want of a better. “Your business was to show, that the Calvinistical motions have not prevailed among the Methodists, or that they were no consequences of unconditional justification.” No, Sir, it was not my business to show this. It was not my business to prove the negative; but yours, to prove the affirmative. Mr. Whitefield is himself a Calvinist. Such therefore doubtless are many of his followers. But Calvinism has not prevailed at all among any other of the Methodists, (so called,) nor is it to this day any consequence of unconditional justification, in the manner wherein I preach it. 5.