* How awful a thing is this! the very occasion carries in it a solemnity not to be expressed. Here is an angel of the church of Christ, one of the stars in God’s right-hand, calling together all the subordinate pastors, for whom he is to give an account to God; and directing them (in the name and by the authority of _the great Shepherd of the sheep_, Jesus Christ, _the first begotten from the dead, the Prince of the kings of the earth_) how to _make full proof of their ministry_, that they may be _pure from the blood of all men_; how to _take heed unto themselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them overseers_; how to _feed the flock of_ God, _which he hath purchased with his own blood_! To this end they are all assembled together. And what is the substance of all his instructions? “Reverend ♦brethren, I charge you all, lift up your voice like a trumpet! and _warn_ and _arm_ and _fortify_ all mankind――――against a people called _Methodists_.”
♦ “brethen” replaced with “brethren”
True it is, your lordship gives them several advices; but all in order to this end. You direct them, to _inculcate the excellency of our liturgy, as a wise, grave and serious service_: to shew _their people, that a diligent attendance on their business, is a serving of God; punctually to perform both the public offices of the church, and all other pastoral duties_: and to _engage the esteem of their parishioners, by a constant regularity of life_. But all these your lordship recommends _eo nomine_, as means to that great end, “The _arming_ and _fortifying_ their people against the _Moravians_ or _Methodists_, and their doctrines.”
Is it possible! Could your lordship discern no other enemies of the gospel of Christ? Are there no other heretics or schismatics on earth? Or even within the four ♦seas? Are there no papists, no deists in the land? Or are their errors of less importance? Or, are their numbers in _England_ less considerable? Or less likely to increase? Does it appear then that they have lost their zeal for making proselytes? Or, are all the people so _guarded_ against them already, that their labour is in vain? Can your lordship answer these few, plain questions, to the satisfaction of your own conscience?
♦ “sees” replaced with “seas” per Errata
Have the _Methodists_ (so called) already monopolized all the sins, as well as errors, in the nation? Is _Methodism_ the only sin, or the only fatal or spreading sin, to be found within the bills of mortality! Have two thousand (or more) _ambassadors of_ Christ _and stewards of the mysteries of_ God, no other business than to _guard, warn, arm, and fortify_ their people against this? O my lord, if this engrosses their time and strength (as it must, if they follow your lordship’s instructions) they will not give an account with joy, either of themselves or of their flock in that day!
11. Your lordship seems in some measure sensible of this, when you very gently condemn their opinion, who think the _Methodists might better be disregarded and despised, than taken notice of and opposed――――if it were not for the disturbance they give to the parochial ministers, and their unwarrantable endeavours to seduce the people from their lawful pastors_, page 22. The same complaint with which your lordship opened your charge. _They give shameful disturbances to the parochial clergy――――they annoy the established ministry, using very unwarrantable methods, first, to prejudice their people against them, and then to seduce their flocks from them_, page 4.
Whether we seduce them or no (which will be presently considered) I am sorry your lordship should give any countenance to that low, senseless, and now generally exploded slander, that we do it for a maintenance. This your lordship insinuates, by applying to us those words of bishop _Saunderson_, “And all this, _to serve their own belly_, to make a prey of the poor deluded _proselytes_: for by this means _the people fall unto them, and thereout suck they no small advantage_,” page 15. Your lordship cannot but know, that my fellowship, and my brother’s studentship, afford us more than sufficient for life and godliness: especially, for that manner of life which we chuse, whether out of ostentation or in sincerity.
19. But do we willingly _annoy the established ministry_, or _give disturbance to the parochial clergy_? My lord, we do not. We trust, herein, to have a conscience void of offence. Nor do we designedly _prejudice their people against them_. In this also our heart condemneth us not. But you _seduce their flocks from them_. No, not even from those who feed themselves, not the flock. All who hear us attend the service of the church, at least as much as they did before. And for this very thing, are we reproached as “bigots to the church,” by those of most other denominations.