But it is time to follow you to your 14th section page 31. “The pious cruelty of corporal severities, or mortification by tormenting the flesh, is another common method of gaining a reputation for sanctity. Such as long and rigorous fastings, gashing and flaying the body with scourges, armed with rowels and sharp tags, and rolling naked in thorns and thistles.” But these last particulars, you say, “Our own disciplinarians cannot, in any tolerable measure, pretend to come up to.” What occasion was there then for mentioning them? Only to cast a popular odium upon these enthusiastical Methodists. Hoc est æerugo mera. “However, something of this kind we have from their own relation.” And something of this kind we have in the Evangelist’s relation of the life of Jesus of Nazareth; who, as we are informed, before he came out into his public ministry, underwent a long and rigorous fasting, even of forty days and forty nights. And something of this kind we have in the relation that disciplinarian the Apostle Paul gives of himself; for he tells us he was in fastings often. It is true he does condemn (as you observe, page 33.) that ἀφειδία σώματος, the not sparing of the body, as useless and superstitious, when done in order to recommend us to the favour of God, or put in the place, or joined with the merits of Jesus Christ. Yet elsewhere, he informs us, that he made it his common practice to keep his body under, (ὑπωπιάζω) and bring it into subjection: and think you all this was only to “gain a reputation for sanctity?” If you will believe himself, it was for a nobler and more important end, “Lest while he preached to others, he himself should be a cast-away.” And how do you know but these Methodists might, at their first setting out, have used, and even now may use abstinence for the same purpose? Nay, that this very motive led them into some extremes in it, which however must be esteemed an error of the right side? Why will you still persist in taking the keys out of the hands of Omniscience, and presumptuously judge the intentions of people’s hearts? If we had a mind to imitate you in this rash way of judging, might not we suspect, (as your pamphlet came out in that season) that in order to wound our church governors through the sides of the Methodists, you intended this part of your pamphlet as a burlesque upon them, for enjoining such a long and rigorous fasting, as that of forty days, commonly called Lent?
I should now proceed, in order, to the examination of your 15th, 16th, and 17th sections; but as these, together with [♦]the 19th, wholly refer to Mr. Wesley, I shall leave you to his correction, if he thinks proper to take you in hand. However, there is something so extraordinary in your 17th section, that, I think, it calls for a cursory remark. “But, previous to this elevated state, that we may not wander too far from the saints progress, comes their conversion; which, as another instance of fanatical peculiarities, they represent as sudden and instantaneous.” Instantaneous conversion, a fanatical peculiarity! I presume instantaneous regeneration must be a fanatical peculiarity also. What then becomes of that Diana of the present age, baptismal regeneration? Which must be instantaneous, and that always too, if every child is really regenerated when baptized?
[♦] removed duplicate word “the”
But this only by the by. In your 18th section, page 43. you return to me. “After these sudden conversions, usually they receive their assurances of salvation; and these (as also the proofs of their conversion) are certainly known, heard, seen or felt; they can ascertain the particular time and place of their receiving them; as so many seals of the Spirit.” These you call, page 44. “Presumptuous imaginations.” Is assurance of faith then, in your opinion, a presumptuous imagination? For you not only ridicule the Methodists way of expressing it, which in several respects may have been unguarded; nor are you content with asserting, that some who really had not this assurance, have presumptuously imagined they had it, which we readily grant; for there is counterfeit as well as current coin: but you seem to explode the thing itself. And yet you intend in this pamphlet, to draw a parallel between the Methodists and Papists. Could you give a greater proof of your symbolizing with the Papists yourself? Or need you be informed, that one grand article of the council of Trent is this, “That there is no such thing as a person’s knowing that his sins are forgiven him, or being assured of his salvation;” and that with good reason: for if there be such a thing as being assured of the forgiveness of our sins by the internal testimony, whether mediate or immediate, of the Spirit of God; and if a person ought to be satisfied only with that, then how could the people be brought to believe in, and trust to the mere external verbal absolution of a priest? Our church, on the contrary, in one of her homilies, says, that a true faith “is a sure trust and confidence in God, that by the merits of Christ, his sins are forgiven, and he reconciled to the favour of God.” And that the Scriptures every where promise to believers, a sure and internal witness from the Spirit of God, to witness with their spirits that they are his children, is so evident, that he who runs may read. What says our Lord? “He that believeth in me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” This spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive. What says St. Paul? “Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our Spirit, that we are the children of God.” Saith another, “He that believeth hath the witness in himself.” And a third exhorts all “to give diligence to make their calling and election sure.” Art thou a master in Israel, a protestant minister, and a minister of the Church of England, and knowest not these things?
But to come nearer to a close. Your 20th section is introduced thus: “And where will these bold enthusiasts stop?” I answer for one, in order to relieve both myself and you, even here, Sir. And without giving you the trouble of taking a flight after us to heaven, from whence, you say, page 48. “These methodistical enthusiasts have taken the sacred light and fire, in order to compass effectually their own, and others delusion,” I will freely and readily acknowledge, that you and others have had too much occasion for reflection, by several things that have been unwarily dropped up and down in my Journals.
These, you inform us in your preface, are what you have chiefly consulted. In this you have acted wisely enough for your purpose; though whether candidly or not, I will leave you and the world to judge, since there were later writings of mine, which might as easily have been procured. My Journals were some of my most early performances, wrote too in the very heights of my first popularity (which is apt to make the strongest head run giddy) in the midst of which, persons very often do things, which after-experience and riper judgment teach them to correct and amend.
This is true, however, in respect to myself; and, to convince you that this is the real language of my heart, and not extorted from me by your pamphlet, I will lay before you an extract of a letter written by me to a worthy friend in South-Carolina, in my late return from Bermudas, and published, with very little alteration, in Scotland months ago[¹].
[¹] Vide the Letter at full length, volume ii. page 143.
On board the Brigg Betsey, June 24, 1748.
“Reverend Sir,