Wesley Corpus

Whitefield made, it is well known, were not for his own use, either in whole or part. And he has long ago given an account, in print, of the manner wherein all that was received was expended. But it is not my design to examine at large, either your dedi cation preface, or Sermon. I have only leisure to make a few cursory remarks on your “definition” of the Methodists, (so called,) and on the account you give of their first rise, of their principles and practice; just premising, that I speak of those alone who began, as you observe, at Oxford. If a thousand other sets of men “pass under that denomination,” yet they are nothing to me. As they have no connexion with me, so I am in no way concerned to answer either for their principles or practice, any more than you are to answer for all who “pass under the denomination of Church-of-England men.” The account you give of their rise, is this: The Methodists began at Oxford. “The name was first given to a few persons, who were so uncommonly methodical, as to keep a diary of the most trivial actions of their lives, as how many slices of bread and butter they ate, how many country dances they danced at their dancing club, or after a fast how many pounds of mutton they devoured. For upon these occasions they ate like lions, having made themselves uncommonly voracious.” Of this, not one line is true; for, (1.) It was from an ancient sect of Phy sicians, whom we were supposed to resemble in our regular diet and exercise, that we were originally styled Methodists. (2.) Not one of us ever kept a diary of “the most trivial actions” of our lives. (3) Nor did any of us ever set down, what, or how much, we ate or drank. (4.) Our “dancing club” never ex isted; I never heard of it before. (5.) On our “fast-days.” we used no food but bread; on the day following, we fed as on common days. (6.) Therefore our voraciousness and eating like lions is also pure, lively invention. You go on: “It was not long before these gentlemen began to dogmatize in a public manner, feeling a strong inclination to new-model almost every circumstance or thing in the system of our national religion.” Just as true as the rest.