Wesley Corpus

What an amazing way of deciding controversies ! But so it is; and O what horrors attend on it ! At what a price is the decision made | By the blood and wounds of thousands; the burning cities, ravaging and laying waste the country.” Now, who that seriously considers this awful contest, can help lamenting the astonishing want of wisdom in our brethren to decide the matter without bloodshed? What, are there no wise men amongst us? none that are able to judge between brethren? But brother goeth to war against brother; and that in the very sight of the Heathen. Surely this is a sore evil amongst us. O how are the mighty fallent How is wisdom perished from the wise ! What a flood of folly and madness has broke in upon us! But do you farther ask me, Who was first in the transgres sion? Who began the dreadful strife? I must beg your pardon for not touching this subject now. Excuse my saying any thing of the second cause, as I mean only to inquire into the first. I fear doing harm, and this is far from my design. Another great reason for my avoiding any reflections of this sort, on this delicate subject, is, that it has been already done by some of the most able hands, and to very little purpose. Argument seems lost in clamour, in confusion of passion and party rage; and the satanic dust of prejudice seems to have put out the eyes of our understanding. But thus much I might venture to say,-the case is rendered very complicated, and must in general remain unintelligible, unless to those who thoroughly understand the constitution of each party, and then have wisdom enough to weigh it in an unprejudiced balance. To be plain, the present melancholy dispute either is, or is not, founded in a constitutional right on the one part, and a constitutional opposition on the other. So far is certain. Therefore, till the entire nature of both constitutions is well and fully understood, it is utterly impossible to decide thereon. I speak as to the matter of the dispute only; the manner of it is another point. Now, how many understand, or ever properly consider, either the one or the other? I fear but few.