_Your business was to shew, that the_ calvinistical _notions have not prevailed among the Methodists, or that they were no consequences of unconditioned justification_.――――No, Sir, It was not my business to shew this. It was not my business to prove the negative; but yours, to prove the affirmative. Mr. _Whitefield_ is himself a _Calvinist_. Such therefore doubtless are many of his followers. But Calvinism has not prevailed at all, among any other of the Methodists (so called,) nor is it to this day any consequence of unconditional justification, in the manner wherein I preach it.
5. You next _take the pains to lay before the reader, an instance or two of confusion_, &c. The first I read thus: page 11.
“_While we were at the room, Mrs. J. sitting at home, took the bible to read. But on a sudden, threw it away, saying I am good enough. I will never read or pray more. She was in the same mind when I came; often repeating, I used to think, I was full of sin, and that I sinned in every thing I did. But now I know better. I am a good Christian. I never did any harm in my life. I do not desire to be any better than I am; she spake many things to the same effect, plainly shewing, that the spirit of pride and of lies had the full dominion over her.――――I asked, do you desire to be healed? She said, I am whole. But do you desire to be saved? She replied, I am saved, I ail nothing, I am happy.”――――This is one of the fruits of the present salvation and sinless perfection, taught by you among the weak and ignorant._
I should wonder if the scarecrow of _sinless perfection_ was not brought in some way or other. But to the point. You here repeat a relation as from me, and that _in confirmation_, you say, _of your own veracity_, and yet leave out both the beginning of that relation, part of the middle, and the end of it.
I begin thus (4th Journal, page 66.) “Sunday 11. I met with a surprizing instance of the power of the devil.” These words, of all others, should not have been left out, being a key to all that follows. In the middle of the relation, immediately after the words, I am happy, I add, “Yet it was easy to discern, she was in the most violent agony both of body and mind: sweating exceedingly, notwithstanding the severest frost, and not continuing in the same posture a moment.” A plain proof, that this was no instance of _presumption_, nor a _natural_ fruit of any teaching whatever.
It ends thus. “About a quarter before six the next morning, after lying quiet a while, she broke out, ‘Peace be unto thee, (her husband) peace be unto this house, the peace of God is come to my soul, I know that my Redeemer liveth.’ And for several days her mouth was filled with his praise, and her talk was wholly of his wondrous works.”――――Had not these words been left out, neither could this have past for an instance of _despair_.――――Though still I do not know but it might have stood for an _instance of confusion_, &c.
I must not forget, that this was cited at first, as a proof of my _enthusiasm_: as an instance of _a private revelation, which_ (you say) _I seem to pay great credit to――――representing the conjectures of a woman――――whose brain appears to have been too much heated, as if they had been owing to a particular and miraculous spirit of prophesy._ (Remarks page 64.) I answered, “Descant, Sir, as you please on this _enthusiasm_; on the _credit_ paid to this _private revelation_; and my representing the _conjectures_ of this brain-sick woman, as owing to a miraculous power of the _spirit of prophecy_”. And when you have done, I will desire you to read the passage once more; where you will find my express words are (introducing this account.) “Sunday 11. I met with a surprizing instance of the _power of the devil_.” Such was the credit I paid to this revelation! All which I ascribe to the Spirit of God is, the enabling her to strive against the _power of the devil_, and at length restoring peace to her soul. (Answer, page 41.)
I was in hopes, you had done with this instance. But I am disappointed. For in your 2d letter I read thus (page 130.)
_The instances of enthusiasm and presumption, which your last journal had furnished me with, remain now to be reviewed. The first was, of a private revelation, which you appeared to pay great credit to. You had represented every thing the woman had spoke in her agony as coming to pass._――――But I had not represented any thing she spoke then, whether it came to pass or no, as coming _from the Spirit_ of God, but _from the devil_.
You say, _When I read this first, I was amazed, and――――impatient to look again into your journal. But I had no sooner done this, but I was still more astonished. For you have very grievously misrepresented the case_――――If I have, then I will bear the blame; but if not, it will light on _your_ head.