Wesley Corpus

You say, “It is both astonish ing and provoking, that, after all, men will say, there is no difference between their scheme and yours.” And yet, after all, so it is: Truth is great, and will prevail. In the leading point, that of justification, both you and they teach, “Men are justified by a knowledge of the righteousness of Christ.” Only they think, it is a divine, supernatural, experimental knowledge, wrought in the inmost soul; and you think, it is a bare historical knowledge, of the same kind with that which the devils have. One specimen more of your unparalleled charity, which in any but yourself would be astonishing: “If any one chooses to go to hell by a devout path, let him study any one of those 306 LETTER. To four famous treatises: Mr. Guthrie’s ‘Trial of a Saving Interest in Christ; Mr. Marshal’s ‘Gospel Mystery of Sanctification;’ Mr. Boston’s ‘Human Nature in its Fourfold State;’ or Dr. Doddridge’s ‘Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul.” If any profane person, who desires to be converted, enter into the spirit of those books, he thereby becomes twofold more a child of hell than he was before.” (Page 436.) Such is the doctrine, such is the spirit, of Palaemon | condemning the whole generation of God’s children; sending all his opponents to hell at once; casting arrows, firebrands, death on every side ! But I stop. God be merciful to thee a sinner; and show thee compassion, though thou hast none for thy fellow-servants | Otherwise it will be more tolerable, I will not say for Seneca or Epictetus, but for Nero or Domitian, in the day of judgment, than for thee! W To BRIsTol, January 6, 1758. YoU desire my thoughts on a paper lately addressed to the inhabitants of St. Stephen’s parish, and an answer thereto, entitled, “A Seasonable Antidote against Popery.” I have at present little leisure, and cannot speak so fully as the importance of the subject requires. I can only just tell you wherein I do or do not agree with what is advanced in the one or the other.