Wesley Corpus

With equal tenderness I suppose he would compare the “making the beards of here tics,” (that is, thrusting a burning furze-bush in their face,) to the singeing a fowl before it was roasted. “It is sufficient to disclaim it, when it is fixed upon us.” Then disclaim it without delay; for it is fixed upon you, to all intents and purposes. Nay, and you fix it upon yourselves, in every new edition of the Councils; in all of which, this Council stands in aeternam rei memoriam,” and this very deter mination, without the least touch of blame ! It must there fore stand as an avowed doctrine of the Church of Rome, that “heretics ought to be condemned and executed, notwith standing the most solemn assurances to the contrary:” In other words, that “the public faith, even that of Kings and Emperors, ought not to be kept with heretics.” What security then for my life can any man give me, till he utterly renounces the Council of Constance? What security can any Romanist give a Protestant, till this doctrine is pub * As a perpetual memorial of this matter.-EDIT. licly abjured? If Mr. O'Leary has anything more to plead for this Council, I shall follow him step by step. But let him keep his word, and “give a serious answer to a serious charge.” Drollery may come in when we are talking of roast ing fowls; but not when we are talking of roasting men. Would I then wish the Roman Catholics to be persecuted? I never said or hinted any such thing. I abhor the thought: It is foreign to all I have preached and wrote for these fifty years. But I would wish the Romanists in England (I had no others in view) to be treated still with the same lenity that they have been these sixty years; to be allowed both civil and religious liberty, but not permitted to undermine ours. I wish them to stand just as they did before the late Act was passed; not to be persecuted or hurt themselves; but gently restrained from hurting their neighbours. I am, Gentlemen, Your obedient servant, March 31, 1780. I HAvE read a Tract lately sent me, and will now give my free thoughts upon the subject.