Wesley Corpus

He saves those sinners from their sins whom the man of learning and education cannot save. A peasant being brought before the College of Physicians, at Paris, a learned Doctor accosted him, “What, friend, do you pretend to prescribe to people that have agues? Dost thou know what an ague is?” He replied, “Yes, Sir; an ague is what I can cure, and you cannot.” 10. Will you object, “But he is no Minister, nor has any authority to save souls?” I must beg leave to dissent from you in this. I think he is a true, evangelical Minister, 8vakovos, “servant” of Christ and his Church, who ovro Buakovet, “ so ministers,” as to save souls from death, to reclaim sinners from their sins; and that every Christian, if he is able to do it, has authority to save a dying soul. But if you only mean, “He has no authority to take tithes,” I grant it. He takes none: As he has freely received, so he freely gives. 11. But, to carry the matter a little farther: I am afraidi wi: hold, on the other hand, with regard to the soul as well as the LETTER. To A CLERGYMAN. 499 body, Medicus non est qui non medetur.” I am afraid, reasonable men will be much inclined to think, he that saves no souls is no Minister of Christ. 12. “O, but he is ordained, and therefore has authority.” Authority to do what? “To save all the souls that will put themselves under his care.” True; but (to wave the case of them that will not; and would you desire that even those should perish?) he does not, in fact, save them that are under his care: Therefore, what end does his authority serve? IIe that was a drunkard is a drunkard still. The same is true of the Sabbath-breaker, the thief, the common swearer. This is the best of the case; for many have died in their iniquity, and their blood will God require at the watchman’s hand. 13. For surely he has no authority to murder souls, either by his neglect, by his smooth, if not false, doctrine, or by 'hindering another from plucking them out of the fire, and bringing them to life everlasting. 14.