P. S. I have been obliged to be very brief, on account of the variety of business in which I am necessarily engaged, and my daily calls to preach the everlasting gospel.
REMARKS
ON A
PAMPHLET,
ENTITLED,
The Enthusiasm of Methodists
and Papists compared;
WHEREIN
Several Mistakes in some Parts of my past Writings and Conduct are acknowledged, and my present Sentiments concerning the Methodists explained.
IN A
LETTER to the AUTHOR.
Out of the eater came forth meat.
Judges xiv. 4.
REMARKS, &c.
SIR,
I HAVE perused your anonymous Pamphlet; and though upon some accounts it does not deserve an answer, yet, as it may serve a good purpose, and be a means of rectifying some mistakes, I shall trouble you with a few remarks upon it.
Who, or what you are, the world is left to guess. If a clergyman, you have done well to conceal yourself, the whole strain of your performance discovering a levity unbecoming such a character. You yourself seem conscious of its needing an apology: for in your preface, after having just hinted at the “extravagant freaks of Methodism,” you add, “And if in proving it, I am sometimes guilty of a levity of expression, ’tis to be hoped some allowance will be made, in consideration of the nature of the subject, it being no easy matter to keep one’s countenance, and be steadily serious, where others are ridiculous.” Assure yourself, Sir, I shall make all the allowance you can reasonably desire; but at the same time must observe to you, that if others are ridiculous, that is no reason why you should make yourself so; and if recovering the persons concerned out of their extravagant freaks, be only a remote design of your composition, you have unhappily fixed upon a most improbable, ineffectual remedy; I mean, irreligious banter.