Wesley Corpus

How ever, I must go on as God shall enable me. I must lay out whatsoever talents he entrusts me with, (whether others will believe I do it or no,) in advancing the true Christian knew ledge of God, and the love and fear of God among men; in re forming (if so be it please him to use me still) those who are yet without God in the world; and in propagating inward and pure religion, “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Sincerely wishing your Lordship all happiness in time and in eternity, I remain Your Lordship’s most obedient servant, November 27, 1750. 1. YoU have undertaken to prove, (as I observed in my former letter, a few sentences of which I beg leave to repeat,) that the “whole conduct of the Methodists is but a counter part of the most wild fanaticisms of Popery.” (Preface to the Eirst Part, p. 3.) You endeavour to support this charge by quotations from our own writings, compared with quotations from Popish authors. It lies upon me to answer for one. But in order to spare both you and myself, I shall at present consider only your Second Part, and that as briefly as possible. Accordingly, I shall not meddle with your other quotations, but, leaving them to whom they may concern, shall examine whether those you have made from my writings prove the charge for which they were made or no. If they do, I submit. But if they do not, if they are “the words of truth and soberness,” it is an objection of no real weight against any sentiment, just in itself, though it should also be found in the writings of Papists; yea, of Mahometans or Pagans. 2. In your first section, in order to prove the “vain boast ing of the Methodists,” you quote a part of the following sentence: “When hath religion, I will not say, since the Reformation, but since the time of Constantine the Great, made so large a progress in any nation, within so short a space?” (I beg any impartial person to read the whole pas sage, from the eighty-fourth to the ninetieth page of the Third Appeal.”) I repeat the question, giving the glory to God; and, I trust, without either boasting or enthusiasm. In your second, you cite (and murder) four or five lines.