[62] This writer, the celebrated Lackington the bookseller, relates the following occurrence soon after he turned Methodist. “One Sunday morning at eight o’clock, my mistress seeing her sons set off, and knowing they were gone to a Methodist meeting, determined to prevent me from doing the same, by locking the door; on which in a superstitious mood I opened the Bible for direction what to do, and the first words I read were these, “He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” This was enough for me, so without a moment’s hesitation I ran up two pair of stairs to my own room, and out of the window I leapt to the great terror of my poor mistress. My feet and ancles were most intolerably bruised, so that I was obliged to be put to bed; and it was more than a month before I recovered the use of my limbs. I was then ignorant enough to think that the Lord had not used me very well; and I resolved not to put so much trust in him for the future. My rash adventure made a great noise in the town, and was talked of many miles round. Some few admired my prodigious strength of faith; but the major part pitied me as a poor ignorant, deluded, and infatuated boy.”
[64a] Wesley’s Works, vol. xii. p. 49. Some of Wesley’s expressions, when confronted with each other, appear incompatible; in such cases the main drift of the writer must always be considered; for it is much more usual to fail in expressing our meaning than to express contradictory opinions: since the latter implies a cerebral defect verging on insanity, the former merely results from a faulty style. Scripture does not any where warrant us in saying “the moment a penitent sinner,” &c.; but requires from us a proof of this belief by actions conformable to it. God has promised us immortality through his Son, only if we not merely believe, but “do that which is lawful and right.”
[64b] Wesley censured some of his preachers for pushing the doctrine of perfection too far.
[65] Wesley’s Works, vol. viii. p. 219. and vol. xi. p. 415.
[66] So called from their habit of rebaptizing those who entered their communion. They were afterwards called Antipædobaptists, from their objection to pædo or infant baptism; and finally, the English habit of abbreviation of words at all commonly used, contracted the word into Baptist.
[67] Mosheim. Ecc. Hist. Cant. XVI. Sect, iii. Part 2.
[68a] Milton belonged to the class of Anti-Trinitarian General Baptists.
[68b] That the body of Jesus was not derived from the substance of the blessed Virgin, but created in her womb by an omnipotent act of the Holy Spirit.
[68c] V. Mosheim’s Ecc. Hist.
[69] All who baptize infants may be termed pædo-baptists; the word is derived from the Greek πάις a child or infant, and βὰπτω to baptize.