Neither has this any resemblance of _stoical insensibility_. I never _supposed_, that this person did not _feel_ pain: (nor indeed that there is any state on earth, wherein we shall not feel it.) But that her soul was filled with the love of God, and thankfully resigned to his will.
_Another instance is taken from one of your hymns where are these lines_: (page 119.)
_“Doom if thou canst, to endless pains,_ _And drive me from thy face:”_ (add, But if thy stronger love constrains, Let me be sav’d by grace.)
_This I thought the height of insensibility, extravagance and presumption.――――You see nothing of these in it. And yet you explain yourself thus, “If thou canst deny thyself, if thou canst forget to be gracious, if thou canst cease to be truth and love.” All which in my opinion, is fixing the charge most strongly upon you. For the supposition that Christ_ can _do these things_――――Are you in earnest, Sir? Are you really ignorant, that expressions of this kind, do not suppose he _can_, but quite the reverse? That they are one of the strongest forms of obtestation, of adjuring God to shew mercy, by all his grace, and truth, and love? So far is this also from proving the charge of stoical insensibility.
* * * * *
III. 1. I come now to consider the point of church-communion, of which you have spoke in the beginning of your treatise. In the entrance you say, _We teach no other doctrine than has always been taught in our church.――――Our sentiments concerning justification are reconcileable to our articles, homilies and service.――――This I apprehend several of the Methodists have been convinced of, and have_ therefore _left our communion entirely.――――You give us more instances than one of this in your last journal._――――(page 2.) No, not one. Nor did I ever yet know one man, who _therefore left the communion of the church_, because he was convinced that either her articles, homilies or liturgy opposed his sentiments concerning justification. Poor Mr. _St._ and Mr. _Simpson_ were induced to leave it, by reasons of quite another kind.
You add, _We cannot wonder, that some Methodists, have withdrawn from her,――――while they have been used to hear doctrines, which they must have been sensible, have no place in her articles and service._――――So far from it, that all I know of them are deeply _sensible_, the _doctrines they have been used to hear_ daily, are no other than the genuine doctrines of the church, as exprest both in her articles and service.
2. But our present question turns not on doctrine but discipline. ――――_My first business_ (you say) _is to consider, some very lax notions of church-communion, which I find in your last journal._ Page 26, _you say, “Our 20th article defines a true church, a congregation of faithful people, wherein the true word of God is preached, and the sacraments duly administered_――――(page 3.) The use I would willingly make of this definition, (which, observe, is not mine, be it good or bad) is to stop the boasting of ungodly men, by cutting off their pretence to call themselves, _of the church_. But you think, they may call themselves so still. Then let them. I will not contend about it.
But you cannot infer from hence, that my notions of church communion are either lax or otherwise. The definition which I occasionally cite, shews nothing of my sentiments on that head. And for any thing which occurs in this page, they may be strict or loose, right or wrong.
You add, _It will be requisite_, (page 5.) _in order to approve yourself a minister of our church, that you follow her rules and orders.――――That you constantly conform to the method of worship she has prescribed, and study to promote her peace._ All this is good and fit to be done. But it properly belongs to the following question.
_What led you into such loose notions of church-communion, I imagine, might be, your being conscious to yourself, that according to the strict, just account of the church of_ England, _you could not with any grace maintain your pretensions to belong still to her_.――――Sir, I have never told you yet, what my notions of the church-communion are. They may be wrong, or they may be right, for all you know. Therefore, when you are first supposing that I have told you my notions, and then assigning the reasons of them, what can be said, but that you imagine the whole matter?
3. How far I have _acted agreeably to the rules and orders_ of our church, is a farther question. You think I have acted contrary thereto, first, By using _extemporary prayer_ in public. _The church_, you say, _has strongly declared her mind on this point, by appointing her excellent liturgy, which you have solemnly promised to use――――and no other_.――――I know not when or where.――――_And whoever――――does not worship God in the manner she prescribes――――must be supposed to slight and contemn her offices and rules: and therefore can be no more worthy to be called her minister._ (page 7.)