Wesley Corpus

These are plain, glaring, undeniable facts, whereof, if any Magis trate will be at the trouble to take them, numerous affidavits may be made, in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, and many other places. But if these things are so, it is easy to conceive in what man ner every man of religion, every man of reason, every lover of mankind, every lover of his country, ought to act on this occasion. 12. For, First, ought not every man of religion, with all the earnestness of his soul, to praise God, who, after so long a night of ignorance and error had overspread our country, has poured light on so many of those that sat in darkness and the shadow of death? has shown such numbers even of the lowest and most brutish of men, wherein true religion lies; has taught them both to lay therightfoundation, and to build the whole fabricthereon; has convinced them, “Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, even Jesus Christ; ” and, “The end of the commandment is love,” of the whole commandment or law of Christ; love, the life, the soul, the spirit of religion, the river that makes glad the city of God, the living water continually springing up into everlasting life? 13. Admit that they do not exactly judge right as to some of the appendages of religion; that you have a clearer and juster conception than they of several things pertaining to the beauty of holiness; yet ought you not to bless God for giving these outcasts of men to see at least the essence of it? nay, to be living witnesses of the substance of religion, though they may still mistake as to some of the circumstances of it. 14. Ought not every man of reason (whether he assents, or no, to that system of opinions commonly called Christianity) sincerely and heartily to rejoice in the advancement of solid, rational virtue P in the propagation, not of this or that set of opinions, but of genuine pure morality? of disinterested bene volence, of tender affections, to the whole of human race? Ought you not to be glad, that there are any instruments found, till others appear who are more equal to the task, whose one employment it is (from whatever motive) to diffuse generous honesty thoughout the land? - 15.