Wesley Corpus

“Before I answer, I must know what you mean by miracu lous: If you term everything so which is ‘not strictly account able for by the ordinary course of natural causes, then I deny the latter part of the second proposition. And unless you can make this good, unless you can prove the effects in question are strictly accountable for by the ordinary course of natural causes, your argument is nothing worth.” (First Letter to Mr. Church, Vol. VIII. p. 412.) Having largely answered your next objection relating to what I still term “a signal instance of God’s particular provi dence,” (Ibid. pp. 410,452) I need only refer you to those an swers, not having leisure to say the same thing ten times over. Whether I sometimes claim, and sometimes disclaim, mira cles, will be considered by and by. In your seventh section, you say, “I shall now give some account of their grievous conflicts and combats with Satan.” (Page 51, &c.) O Sir, spare yourself, if not the Methodists | Do not go so far out of your depth. This is a subject you are as utterly unacquainted with, as with justification, or the new birth. But I attend your motions. “Mr. Wesley,” you say, “was advised to a very high degree of silence. And he spoke to none at all for two days, and travelling fourscore miles together. “The same whim,” you go on, “has run through several of the religious orders. Hence, St. Bonaventura says, that silence in all the religious is necessary to perfection. St. Agatho held a stone in his mouth for three years, till he had learned taciturnity. St. Alcantara carried several pebbles in his mouth, for three years likewise, and for the same reason. Theon observed a continual silence for thirty years. St. Francis observed it himself, and enjoined it upon his brethren. The rule of silence was religiously observed by St. Dominic.” I have repeated more of your words than I otherwise should, in order to show to a demonstration, that a man of a lively imagination may run a parallel to any length, without any foundation in nature. You begin, “The same whim which led Mr. Wesley to observe an absolute silence for two days; ” and so run on to St. Bonaventura, St. Agatho, and I know not whom. But did Mr.