Wesley Corpus

You charge us, Thirdly, with “requiring a blind and implicit trust from our disciples; ” (p. 10;) who, accordingly, “trust as implicitly in their Preachers, as the Papists in their Pope, Councils, or Church.” (Page 51.) Far from it: Neither do we require it; nor do they that hear us place any such trust in any creature. They “search the Scriptures,” and hereby try every doctrine whether it be of God: And what is agreeable to Scripture, they embrace; what is con trary to it, they reject. 19. You charge us, Fourthly, with injuring the Clergy in various ways: (1) “They are very industrious to dissolve or break off that spiritual intercourse which the relation wherein we stand requires should be preserved betwixt us and our people.” But can that spiritual intercourse be either pre ThE REV. M.R. Dow NES. 107 served or broke off, which never existed? What spiritual intercourse exists between you, the Rector of St. Michael, and the people of your parish 2 I suppose you preach to them once a week, and now and then read Prayers. Perhaps you visit one in ten of the sick. And is this all the spiritual intercourse which you have with those over whom the Holy Ghost hath made you an overseer? In how poor a sense then do you watch over the souls for whom you are to give an ac count to God! Sir, I wish to God there were a truly spiritual intercourse between you and all your people ! I wish you “knew all your flock by name, not excepting the men servants and women-servants!” Then you might cherish each, “as a nurse her own children,” and “train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Then might you “warn every one, and exhort every one,” till you should “present every one perfect in Christ Jesus.” “But they say our sermons contradict the Articles, Homi lies, and Liturgy of our own Church; yea, that we contradict ourselves, saying one thing in the desk, and another in the pulpit.” And is there not cause to say so? I myself have heard several sermons preached in churches, which flatly con tradicted both the Articles, Homilies, and Liturgy; particu larly on the head of justification. I have likewise heard more than one or two persons, who said one thing in the desk, and another in the pulpit.