2. You remark (page 60.) _Though you would be thought an enemy to enthusiasm and presumption,――――yet in both you are far from being inferior to the_ Moravians, _or indeed to any others_: [strong assertions! _not inferior to_ any others? Not to the _French_ prophets, or _John_ of _Leyden_?] 1. _Enthusiasm is, a false persuasion of an extraordinary divine assistance, which leads men to such conduct, as is only to be justified by the supposition of such assistance._ I answer, (page 38.) “Before this touches me, you are to prove (which I conceive you have not done yet) that my conduct is such, as is only to be justified by the supposition of such assistance.” You reply (page 120.) _This, I think, is proved in the preceding tract._――――I think not. Let men of candour judge.――――Yet I am persuaded, there was such an assistance at some times. You have also to prove, that this was _a false_ persuasion.
You remark, 2. _An enthusiast is then sincere, but mistaken._ (page 61.) I answered, “That I am mistaken, remains to be proved.” You reply, _The world must judge_. Agreed, if by the world you mean, men of reason and religion.
You remark, 3. _His intentions must be good: but his actions will be most abominable._ I answered,――――“What actions of mine are most abominable?” You reply, _The world must be judge, whether your public actions have not been――――in many respects abominable_. I am glad the charge softens. I hope by and by you will think they are only abominable in some respects.
You remark 4. _Instead of making the word of God――――the rule of his actions, he follows only secret persuasion or impulse._――――I answered, “I have declared again and again, that I make the word of God the rule of all my actions, and that I no more follow any _secret impulse_ instead thereof, than I follow _Mahomet_ or _Confucius_.” You reply (page 121.) _You fall again into your strain of boasting, as if declarations could have any weight against facts; assert, that “you make the word of God the rule of all your actions,” and that I “perhaps do not know many persons.”_――――Stop, Sir. You are stepping over one or two points, which I have not done with.
You remark, 5. _Instead of judging of his spiritual estate, by the improvement of his heart, he rests only on extasies_, &c.――――I answered, “Neither is this my case. I rest not on them at all. I judge of my spiritual estate, by the improvement of my heart and the tenor of my life conjointly.” To this I do not perceive you reply one word. Herein then I am not an enthusiast.
You remark, 6. _He is very liable to err――――not considering things coolly and carefully._ I answered, “So indeed I am: I find it every day more and more. But I do not yet find, that this is owing to my want of _considering things coolly and carefully_. Perhaps you do not know many persons (excuse my simplicity in speaking it) who more carefully consider every step they take (page 39.) Yet I know I am not cool or careful enough. May God supply this and all my wants!” You reply, _Your private life I have nothing to do with_: and then enlarge on my _method of consulting scripture_, and of using lots: of both which by and by. But mean time, observe this does not affect the question. for I neither cast lots, nor use that method at all, till I have considered things with all the care I can. So that, be this right or wrong, it is no manner of proof, that I do not “carefully consider every step I take.”
But how little did I profit by begging your excuse, suppose I had spoken a word unguardedly? O Sir, you put me in mind of him who said, “I know not to shew mercy!” You have need never to fight, but when you are sure to conquer: seeing you are resolved neither to give nor take quarter.
You remark, 7. _He is very difficult to be convinced by reason and argument, as he acts upon a supposed principle superior to it, the direction of God’s Spirit._ I answered, “I am very difficult to be convinced by dry blows or hard names.――――But not, by reason or argument. At least that difficulty cannot spring from the cause you mention. For I claim no other direction of God’s Spirit than is _common_ to all believers.”
You reply (page 124) 1.――――_I fear this will not be easily reconcileable to your past pretences and behaviour._ I believe it will; in particular to what I speak of the light I received from God in that important affair. (1 journal page 37.) But as to the directions, in general of the Spirit of God, we very probably differ in this; you apprehend those directions to be extraordinary, which I suppose to be common to all believers.