Wesley Corpus

Under a full sense of this, I could not well understand, for many years, how it was, that on the mentioning any of thesegreat truths,even among men of education, the cryimmediately arose, “An enthusiast! An enthusiast !” But I now plainly perceive this is only an old fallacy in a new shape. To object enthu siasm to any person or doctrine is but a decent method of beg £ing thequestion. It generally spares the objector the trouble of reasoning, and is a shorter and easier way of carrying his cause. For instance, I assert that “till a man “receives the Holy Ghost, he is without God in the world; that he cannot know the things of God, unless God reveal them unto him by the Spirit; no, nor have even one holy or heavenly temper, without the inspiration of the Holy One.” Now, should one who is conscious to himself that he has experienced none of these things, attempt to confute these propositions, either from Scrip ture or antiquity, it might prove a difficult task. What then shall he do? Why, cry out, “Enthusiasm ! Enthusiasm !” and the work is done. But what does he mean by enthusiasm 2 Perhaps nothing at all: Few have any distinct idea of its meaning. Perhaps “something very bad,” or, “something I never experienced and do not understand.” Shall I tell you then what that “terrible something” is ? I believe, thinking men mean by enthusiasm, a sort of religious madness; a false imagination of being inspired by God: And by an enthusiast, one that fancics himself under the influence of the Holy Ghost, when, in fact, he is not. Let him prove me guilty of this who can. I will tell you once more the whole of my belief on these heads: And if any man will show me (by arguments, not hard names) what is wrong, I will thank God and him. 28. Every good gift is from God, and is given to man by the Holy Ghost. By nature there is in us no good thing; and there can be none, but so far as it is wrought in us by that good Spirit. Have we any true knowledge of what is good? This is not the result of our matural understanding.