Wesley Collected Works Vol 11
| Author | John Wesley |
|---|---|
| Type | treatise |
| Year | None |
| Passage ID | jw-wesley-collected-works-vol-11-145 |
| Words | 392 |
In a word, they and
we appear to be a people infatuated like the Jews of old, and
ripening for destruction; and no marvel if, while we are
biting and devouring one another, some stronger beasts of
prey step in and divide the spoil! Here stop then, and drop
a tear for the slain of our people, through the fire of conten
tion that is kindled amongst them ' And if on your recovery
from the horrors of so terrible a conflagration, you should
begin to inquire into its cause, a spectator begs leave to inform
you, that it was occasioned through the unhappy contention
of brethren, (which, as Solomon observes, “only cometh of
pride,”) and begs your kind assistance to extinguish the flames,
lest they and their whole substance should be consumed
together | The great danger of which, as well as the cause of
this unparalleled and fatal strife, I would beg leave to present
to your view in a piece of fine painting, done by an abler master:
“See | Here are some thousands of our brave countrymen
gathered together on this plain; they are followed by the most
tender and feeling emotions of wives, children, and an innu
merable multitude of their thoughtful, humane, and sympa
thizing countrymen. Then turn your eyes and behold a
superior number at a little distance, of their brethren, “flesh
of their flesh, and bone of their bone, who only a few years
since emigrated to the dreary wilds of America. These also are
followed with the most tender feelings of wives, children, and
countrymen. See, they advance towards each other, well
prepared with every instrument of death ! But what are they
going to do? To shoot each other through the head or heart;
to stab and butcher each other, and hasten (it is to be feared)
one another into the everlasting burnings. Why so? What
harm have they done to one another? Why, none at all. Most of them are entire strangers to each other. But a
matter is in dispute relative to the mode of taxation. So these
countrymen, children of the same parents, are to murder each
other with all possible haste, to prove who is in the right. Now, what an argument is this I What a method of proof! What an amazing way of deciding controversies !