Wesley Corpus

Nay, and if need were, I should say it again. You cite one more instance from my Fourth Journal: “The many-headed beast began to roar again.” So your head is so full of the subject, that you construe even poor Horace's bellua multorum capitum” into the devil | These are all the combats and conflicts with Satan which you can prove I ever had. O'Sir, without more and greater conflicts than these, none shall see the kingdom of God. 11. In the following sections, you are equally out of your element. The first of them relates to “spiritual desertions;” (Section viii., p. 75, &c.;) all which you make the subject of dull ridicule, and place to the account of enthusiasm. And the case of all you give in the following words: “We may look upon enthusiasm as a kind of drunkenness, filling and intoxicating the brain with the heated fumes of spirituous particles. Now, no sooner does the inebriation go off, but a coldness and dulness takes place.” 12. As wildly do you talk of the doubts and fears incident to those who are “weak in faith.” (Section ix., p. 79, &c.) I cannot prevail upon myself to prostitute this awful subject, by entering into any debate concerning it with one who is inno cent of the whole affair. Only I must observe that a great part of * Rendered by Boscawen,-“A many-headed beast.”--EDIT. what you advance concerning me is entirely wide of the ques tion. Such is all you quote from the First, and a considerable part of what you quote from my Second, Journal. This you know in your own conscience; for you know I speak of myself during the whole time, as having no faith at all. Conse quently, the “rising and fallings.” I experienced then have nothing to do with those “doubts and fears which many go through, after they have by faith received remission of sins.” The next words which you cite, “thrown into great per plexities,” I cannot find in the page you refer to, neither those that follow. The sum of them is, that “at that time I did not feel the love of God, but found deadness and wanderings in public prayer, and coldness even at the holy communion.” Well, Sir, and have you never found in yourself any such coldness, deadness, and wanderings? I am persuaded you have.