Wesley Corpus

Neither do I remember any precedent of it in the purest ages of the Church. It seems to have entered, and gradually spread itself, with the other innovations and super stitions of the Church of Rome. “Do you think it, then, a superstitious practice?” Perhaps it is not, if it be practised as a thing indifferent. But if it be done as a necessary thing, then it is flatly superstitious. 6. For this reason I never wished that any Bishop should consecrate any chapel or burial-ground of mine. Indeed, I should not dare to suffer it; as I am clearly persuaded the thing is wrong in itself, being not authorized either by any law of God, or by any law of the land. In consequence of which, I conceive, that either the clerk or the sexton may as well consecrate the church or the churchyard, as the Bishop. 7. With regard to the latter, the churchyard, I know not who could answer that plain question: “You say, this is consecrated ground, so many feet broad, and so many long. But pray how deep is the consecrated ground?”--“Deep ! What does that signify?” O, a great deal: For if my grave be dug too deep, I may happen to get out of the consecrated ground: And who can tell what unhappy consequences may follow from this? 8. I take the whole of this practice to be a mere relic of Romish superstition. And I wonder that any sensible Protestant should think it right to countenance it; much more, that any reasonable man should plead for the necessity of it ! Surely, it is high time now that we should be guided, not by custom, but by Scripture and reason. DUMFRIEs, May 14, 1788.