Wesley Corpus

“We are 408 ANSWER. To assured, that the doing what God commands is the sure way of knowing that we have received his Spirit.” We have doubtless received it, if we love God (as he commands) with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. “And not by any sensible impulses or feelings whatsoever.” Any sensible impulses whatsoever ! Do you then exclude all sensible impulses? Do you reject inward feelings toto genere? Then you reject both the love of God and of our neighbour. For, if these cannot be in wardly felt, nothing can. You reject all joy in the Holy Ghost; for if we cannot be sensible of this, it is no joy at all. You reject the peace of God, which, if it be not felt in the 1nmost soul, is a dream, a notion, an empty name. You therefore reject the whole inward kingdom of God; that is, in effect, the whole gospel of Jesus Christ. You have therefore yourself abundantly shown (what I do not insinuate, but proclaim on the house-top) that I am charged with enthusiasm for asserting the power as well as the form of godliness. 7. You go on : “The character of the enthusiast above drawn will fit, I believe, all such of the Methodists as can be thought sincere.” (Page 63.) I believe not. I have tried it on one, and it fitted him just as Saul’s armour did David. However, a few instances of enthusiasm you undertake to show in this very Journal. And first, “You give us one” (these are your words) “of a private revelation, which you seem to pay great credit to.” You partly relate this, and then remark, “What enthusiasm is here ! To represent the conjectures of a woman, whose brain appears to have been too much heated, as if they had been owing to a particular and miraculous spirit of prophecy!” Descant, Sir, as you please on this enthusiasm; on the credit I paid to this private revelation; and my representing the conjectures of this brain-sick woman as owing to the miraculous power of the Spirit of God: And when you have done, I will desire you to read that passage once more, where you will find my express words are, introducing this account: “Sunday, 11. I met with a surprising instance of the power of the devil.” (Vol. I. p.