Wesley Corpus

But God has taught me better. For on Friday and Saturday, when I was in the strongest pain, I never once had one moment's desire of ease.” Add, “But only that the will of God might be done.” Neither has this any resemblance of “stoical insensibility.” I never supposed that this person did not feel pain; (nor in deed that there is any state on earth wherein we shall not feel it;) but that her soul was filled with the love of God, and thankfully resigned to his will. “Another instance is taken from one of your hymns, where are these lines:-(Page 119.) “Doom, if thou canst, to endless pains, And drive me from thy face:’” (Add, “But if thy stronger love constrains, Let me be saved by grace.”) “This I thought the height of insensibility, extravagance, and presumption. You see nothing of these in it. And yet you explain yourself thus: ‘If thou canst deny thyself, if thou canst forget to be gracious, if thou canst cease to be truth and love: All which, in my opinion, is fixing the charge most strongly upon you. For the supposition that Christ can do these things”--Are you in earnest, Sir? Are you really ignorant, that expressions of this kind do not suppose he can, but quite the reverse? that they are one of the strongest forms of obtestation, of adjuring God to show mercy, by all his grace, and truth, and love? So far is this also from proving the charge of “stoical insensibility.” III. 1. I come now to consider the point of Church com munion, of which you have spoke in the beginning of your Treatise. In the entrance, you say, “We teach no other doc trine than has always been taught in our Church. Our senti ments concerning justification are reconcilable to our Articles, Homilies, and Service. This I apprehend several of the Methodists have been convinced of, and have therefore left our communion entirely. You give us more instances than one of this in your last Journal.” (Page 2.) No, not one. Nor did I ever yet know one man who “therefore left the communion of the Church,” because he was convinced that either her Articles, Homilies, or Liturgy, opposed his sentiments con cerning justification. Poor Mr. St-- and Mr. Simpson were induced to leave it by reasons of quite another kind.