Wesley Corpus

Preston. This Abstract is itself contradicted by his edition of ‘Baxter's Aphorisms.’ And these are again flatly contra dicted by his ‘Extract from Bishop Beveridge.’ And this is again flatly contradicted by his own ‘Thoughts on Imputed Righteousness.’ Thus the wheel runs round !” Thus Mr. H.’s head runs round with more haste than good speed. (If this curious paragraph be not rather, as I suspect, supplied by another hand; even as Sternhold’s Psalms are now and then eked out by N. N., or William Wisdom.) He forgets that generals prove nothing; and that he has sadly failed in his particular charges; just an hundred, out of an hundred and one, having proved void. So that now I have full right to say, Whence arises this charge of inconsistency and self contradiction? Merely from straining, winding to and fro, and distorting a few innocent words. For wherein have I contradicted myself, taking words in their unforced, natural construction, in any one respect, with regard to justification, since the year 1738? 16. But Mr. H.’s head is so full of my self-inconsistency, that he still blunders on: “Mr. W.’s wavering disposition is not an affair of yesterday. Mr. Delamotte spake to him on this head more than thirty years ago.” (Page 143.) He never spake to me on this head at all. Ask him. He is still alive. “He has been tossed from one system to another, from the time of his ordination to the present moment.” Nothing can be more false; as not only my “Journals,” but all my writings, testify. “And he himself cannot but acknowledge that both his friends and foes have accused him of his unsettled principles in religion.” Here is artifice Would any man living, who does not know the fact, suppose that a gentleman would face a man down, in so peremptory a manner, unless the thing were absolutely true? And yet it is quite the reverse. “He himself cannot but acknowledge l” I acknowledge no such thing. My friends have oftener accused me of being too stiff in my opinions, than too flexible. My enemies have accused me of both; and of everything besides. The truth is, from the year 1725, I saw more and more of the nature of inward religion, chiefly by reading the writings of Mr. Law, and a few other mystic writers.