“Yet I cannot but remind considerate men, in how remarkable a manner the wisdom of God, has, for many years, guarded against this pretence, with regard to my brother and me in particular.” This pretence i. e. “_of not employing fit instruments_.” These words are yours, though you insert them as mine. The pretence I mentioned, was, “That they were wicked men.” And how God guarded against this, is shewn in what follows. “From that time, both my brother and I (utterly against our will) came to be more and more observed and known; till we were more spoken of than perhaps two so inconsiderable persons ever were before in the nation. To make us more public still, as _honest_ madmen at least, by a strange concurrence of providences, overturning all our preceding resolutions, we were hurried away to _America_.”
Afterward it follows, “What persons could in the nature of things, have been (antecedently) less liable to exception, with regard to their moral character at least, than those the all-wise God hath now employed? Indeed I cannot devise what manner of men could have been more unexceptionable on all accounts. Had God indued us with greater natural or acquired abilities, this very thing might have been turned into an objection. Had we been remarkably defective, it would have been matter of objection on the other hand. Had we been _dissenters_ of any kind, or even _Low-Church-Men_ (so called) it would have been a great stumbling-block in the way of those who are _zealous for the church_. And yet, had we continued in the impetuosity of our _high-church zeal_, neither should we have been willing to converse with dissenters, nor they to receive any good at our hands.” Sir, Why did you break off your quotation in the middle of this paragraph, just at “more unexceptionable on all accounts?” Was it not on purpose to give a wrong turn to the whole? To conceal the real and obvious meaning of my words, and put one upon them that never entered into my thoughts?
5. You have reserved your strong reason for the last, namely, my own confession. “Mr. _Wesley_ says himself, ‘by the most infallible of proofs, _inward feeling_, I am convinced of pride, &c.’” Sir, he pleased to decypher that, &c. Or I will spare you the pains and do it myself, by reciting the whole sentence.
“By ¹the most infallible of proofs, inward feeling, I am convinced,
¹ 1 Journal, page 64.
1. “Of unbelief, having no such faith in Christ as will prevent my heart from being troubled, which it could not be, if I believed in God, and rightly believed also in him.”
2. “Of pride throughout my life past, inasmuch as I thought I had, what I find I have not.”
Now, Sir, you have my whole confession. I intreat you to make the best of it.
“But I myself acknowledge, three _Methodists_, to have fallen into pride.” Sir, I can tell you of three more. And yet it will not follow, that the doctrines I teach, “lead men into _horrid pride and blasphemy_.”
6. In the close of your fourth section, you charge me with “_shuffling_ and _prevaricating_, with regard to extraordinary gifts, and miraculous powers.” Of these I shall have occasion to speak by and by. At present I need only return the compliment, by charging you with gross, wilful prevarication, from the beginning of your book to the end. Some instances of this have appeared already. Many more will appear in due time.
7. Your ¹fifth, charges me with an _affectation of prophesying_. Your first proof of it is this.
¹ 4 Journal, page 30.
“It was about this time that the soldier was executed. For some time I had visited him every day. But when the love of God was shed abroad in his heart, I told him, do not expect to see me any more.――――I believe Satan will separate us for a season. Accordingly, the next day, I was informed, the commanding officer had given strict orders, that neither Mr. _Wesley_, nor any of his people, should be admitted.” I did believe so, having seen many such things before: yet without affecting a spirit of prophecy.
But that I do claim it, you will prove, secondly, from my mentioning “the great work, which God _intends_, and is now _beginning_ to work over all the earth.” By what art you extract such a conclusion out of such premises, I know not. That God _intends_ this, none, who believe the scripture, doubt. And that he has _begun_ it, both in _Europe_ and _America_, any who will make use of their eyes and ears, may know without any “miraculous gift of prophesying.”
8. In your sixth section, you assert, ¹That I lay claim to other _miraculous gifts_. As you borrow this objection from Mr. _Church_, I need only give the same answer I gave before.
¹ Page 45, &c.