“There is great indiscretion in preaching up a sort of religion, as the true and only Christianity, which in their own account of it, consists in an enthusiastic ardor, to be understood or attained by very few, and not to be practised without breaking in upon the common duties of life.”
O my Lord, what manner of words are these! Supposing candour and love out of the question, are they the words of truth? I dare stake my life upon it, there is not one true clause in all this paragraph.
The propositions contained therein, are these:
1. That the religion I preach, consists in enthusiastic ardor:
2. That it can be attained by very few:
3. That it can be understood by very few:
4. That it cannot be practised without breaking in upon the common duties of life.
5. And that all this may be proved by my own account of it.
I earnestly intreat your grace, to review my own account of it, as it stands in any of my former writings; or to consider the short account which is given in this. And if you can thence make good any one of those propositions, I do hereby promise before God and the world, that I will never preach more.
At present I do not well understand what your grace means by “An enthusiastic ardor.” Surely you do not mean, the love of God! No, not though a poor, pardoned sinner should _carry it so far_, as to love the Lord his God, with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his strength! But this alone is the _ardor_ which I _preach up_, as the foundation of _the true and only Christianity_. I pray God so to fill your whole heart therewith, that you may praise him for ever and ever.
But why should your grace believe, that the love of God, _can be attained by very few_? Or, that it _can be understood by very few_? All who attain it, understand it well. And did not he who is loving to every man design, that every man should attain true love? O that all would know in this their day, the things that make for their peace!
And _cannot_ the love both of God and our neighbour _be practised, without breaking in upon the common duties of life_? Nay, can any of the common duties of life, be rightly practised without them? I apprehend not. I apprehend I am then laying the true, the only foundation for all those duties, when I preach _Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself_.
2. With this letter was sent (I believe to every clergyman in the diocese) the pamphlet intitled, _Observations on the conduct and behaviour of a certain sect, usually distinguished by the name of Methodists_. It has been generally supposed to be wrote by a person, who is every way my superior. Perhaps one reason why he did not inscribe his name was, that his greatness might not make me afraid: and that I might have liberty to stand, as it were, on even ground, while I answer for myself.
In considering, therefore, such parts of these _observations_, as naturally fall in my way, I will take that method which, I believe, the author desires, using no ceremony at all: but speaking as to an equal, that it may the more easily be discerned, where the truth lies.
The first query relating to doctrine, is this.
“Whether notions in religion may not be heightened to such _extremes_, as to lead _some_ into a disregard of religion itself, through despair of attaining such exalted heights? And whether _others_ who have imbibed those notions, may not be led by them, into a disregard and disesteem of the common duties and offices of life? To such a degree, at least, as is inconsistent with that attention to them, and that diligence in them, which Providence has made necessary to the well-being of private families and public societies, and which christianity does not only require in all stations, and in all conditions, but declares at the same time, that the performance even of the lowest offices in life, _as unto God_, (whose providence has placed people in their several stations) is truly a _serving of_ Christ, and will not fail of its reward in the next world?”
You have interwoven so many particulars in this general question, that I must divide and answer them one by one.
_Q._ 1. Whether notions in religion may not be heightened to such _extremes_ as to lead _some_ into a disregard of religion itself?
_A._ They may. But that I have _so_ heightened them, it lies upon you to prove.
_Q._ 2. Whether _others_ may not be led into a disregard of religion, through despair of attaining such exalted heights?
_A._ What heights? The loving GOD with all our heart? I believe, this is the most exalted height in man or angel. But I have not heard, that any have been led into a disregard of religion, through despair of attaining this.
_Q._ 3. Whether _others_ who have imbibed these notions, may not be led by them, into a disregard and disesteem, of the _common_ duties and offices of life?