“Whose fault is this? Is it ours? Or your own? Why have not thousands more been reformed? Yea, for every one who is now turned to God, why are there not ten thousand? Because you and your associates laboured so heartily in the cause of hell: because you and they spared no pains, either to prevent or to destroy the work of God. By using all the power and wisdom you had, you hindered thousands from hearing the gospel, which they might have found to be the power of God unto salvation. Their blood is upon your heads. By inventing or countenancing or retailing lies, some refined, some gross and palpable, you hindered others from profiting by what they did hear. _You_ are answerable to God for these souls also. Many who began to taste the good word and run the way of God’s commandments, by various methods you prevailed on to hear it no more. So they soon drew back to perdition. But know, that for every one of these also, God will require an account of _you_ in the day of judgment!
“And yet in spite of all the malice and wisdom and strength, not only of men, but of _principalities and powers_, of the _rulers of the darkness of this world_, of the _wicked spirits in high places_; there are thousands found, who are _turned from dumb idols to serve the living and true God_. What a harvest then might we have seen before now, if all who say they are _on the Lord’s side_, had come, as in all reason they ought, _to the help of the Lord against the mighty_? Yea, had they only _not opposed_ the work of God, had they only _refrained from_ his messengers, might not the trumpet of God have been heard long since, in every corner of our land? And ♦what thousands of sinners in every county, been brought to _fear God and honour the king_?”
♦ added word “what” per Errata
44. ¹Without any regard to this, your next assertion is, That the Methodists are “carrying on the work of popery.” This also being a charge of a very high nature, I shall particularly consider whatever you advance in defence of it.
¹ Section 21, page 164, &c.
Your first argument is, “they have a strain of Jesuitical sophistry, artifice and craft, evasion, reserve, equivocation and prevarication.” So you _say_. But you do not so much as aim at any proof.
Your second argument is, “Mr. _Wesley_ says, where a Methodist was receiving the sacrament, God was pleased to let him see a crucified Saviour.” Sir, Mr. _W._ does not say this. It is one that occasionally wrote to him. But if he had, what would you infer? That he is a papist? Where is the consequence? Why, you say, “was not this as good an argument for transubstantiation, as several produced by the papists?” Yes, exactly as good as either their arguments or yours. That is, just good for nothing.
Your third argument runs thus, “We may see in Mr. _W._’s writings that he was once a _strict church-man_, but gradually put on a more _catholic spirit_, tending at length to _Roman catholic_. He rejects any design to convert others from _any communion_; and consequently _not from popery_.”
This is half true (which is something uncommon with you) and only half false. It is true, that for thirty years last past, I have “gradually put on a more _catholic spirit_,” finding more and more tenderness for those who differed from me, either in _opinions_ or _modes of worship_. But it is not true, That I “reject any design of converting others _from any communion_.” I have by the blessing of God, converted several from _popery_, who are now alive and ready to testify it.
Your fourth argument is, That in a collection of prayers, I cite the words of an ancient liturgy, “for the faithful departed.” Sir, whenever I use those words in the burial service, I pray to the same effect. “That we, with all those who are departed in thy faith and fear, may have our perfect consummation of bliss, both in body and soul.” Yea, and whenever I say, _Thy kingdom come_; for I mean both the kingdom of grace and glory. In this kind of general prayer therefore, for the faithful departed, I conceive myself to be clearly justified, both by the earliest antiquity, by the church of _England_, and by the Lord’s prayer: although the _Papists_ have corrupted this scriptural practice, into praying for those who die in their sins.