Wesley Corpus

Bold, vehement asseverations will not pass upon them for legal evi dence: Nor indeed on any reasonable men. They can distin guish between arguing and calling names: The former be comes a gentleman and a Christian: But what is he who can be guilty of the latter? 9. You assert, Lastly, that any who choose a Methodist Clergyman for their Lecturer, “put into that office, which should be held by a Minister of the Church of England, an enemy, who undermines not only the legal establishment of that Church, but also the foundation of all religion.” (Page 13.) Once more we must call upon you for the proof; the proof of these two particulars, First, that I, John Wesley, am “an enemy to the Church; and that I undermine not only the legal establishment of the Church of England, but also the very foun dation of all religion.” Secondly. That “Mr. V-- is an enemy to the Church, and is undermining all religion, as well as the establishment.” 10. Another word, and I have done: Are there “certain qualifications required of all Lecturers, before they are by law permitted to speak to the people?” (Page 14.) And is a subscription to the Thirty-nine Articles of religion one of these qualifications? And is a person who does not “conform to such subscription” disqualified to be a Lecturer? or, who “has ever held or published anything contrary to what the Church of England maintains?” Then certainly you, Dr. John Free, are not “permitted by law to speak to the people;” nei ther are you “qualified to be a Lecturer” in any church in London or England, as by law established. For you flatly deny and openly oppose more than one or two of those Articles. You do not in anywise conform to the subscription you made before you was ordained either Priest or Deacon. You both hold and publish (if you are the author and publisher of the tract before me) what is grossly, palpably “contrary to what the Church of England maintains,” in her Homilies as well as Articles; those Homilies to which you have also sub scribed, in subscribing the Thirty-sixth Article. You have sub cribed them, Sir; but did you ever read them? Did you ever read so much as the three first Homilies?