“Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.”
To —
It was about the year 1791, that Mr. John Wesley died. I was about 11 years of age; much talk was about him at that time, which often arrested my attention—but, as I had never heard the gospel preached, of course I could know nothing of doctrines; but after I had been led into truth, in some degree, some men that worked for my master, where I was an apprentice, lent me some of his books, but finding them so remarkably dull and dry, there was neither pleasure nor profit to me in reading them.—Hearing much also from the same persons, of the controversy between Arminians and Calvinists, I was certainly anxious to understand the great difference between them. Reading what each advanced, I knew both could not be right. Warmly attached to the doctrines and doctrinal articles of the Church of England, I soon discovered that the system of Arminianism was in direct opposition to those doctrines. This led on to enquiry and diligent search. Acquaintances lent me books of the controversy that had been carried on by the Wesleys, Fletchers, and others, and the answers that had been given by the magnanimous Toplady, Dr. Gill, Mason, and the (at that time) faithful and bold Hills. Mr. Fletcher’s works have been since re-published, but our dastardly cowardly Calvinists do not re-publish what was then so ably written in defence of truth; shame to them, to let truth lie bleeding in the streets, and very few dare to plead her cause. The old Gospel Magazine, like the present one, was the excellent means of spreading and maintaining truth, and which I believe is the only one of all our periodical publications, that dare advance the whole truth.—These books came into my hands, with some of Sir Richard Hill’s works, which I now bless God for, as they have been of especial service to me, in establishing my mind in the truth, as it is in Jesus.
Since I have been in the ministry, the question has been frequently asked me—“What is your opinion of Mr. John Wesley?” I do not like such questions.—He has been many years in the presence of his Judge, and whether saved or lost, is not for man to decide: but, by an attention to works, some of them which I shall quote in this letter to you, and the opinions which good men had of them. I leave you to draw an inference. You and I well know, from the Word of God, and the teaching of the Eternal Spirit, that the Sacred Scriptures are the Word of God; and that, adding to, or diminishing from, or perverting it, is threatened with damnation.—Rev. xxi. I do not say that the rev. John Wesley has done either, wilfully, but I beg you to read for yourself, some of his notes on the New Testament, and if you never did before, I think you will blush at some parts of his explanations, as they are called. I would quote some of them, but it would fill this letter, in which I want to point out some of the many errors which he held, and which is still maintained by his followers, quite forgetting that “he who loveth and maketh a lie, dying so, shall have his part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone”.—Rev. xxi.
One of the principal doctrines of the glorious gospel of the blessed God, on which the salvation of the church rests, and which can only entitle us to, and prepare us for death, judgment, and eternity, is the meritorious obedience of Christ to the holy law of God. This, by an act of grace, is imputed and placed to the account of the elect church of God, by the adorable Father, and received into the enlightened minds, affections, and consciences of those who are taught by the Holy Spirit. This, and this only, justifies us before God. On this holy thirty-three years’ obedience of Christ, to the law is the sole matter of our justification in the sight of a holy God. And can you believe it? But I beg you will read Mr. Hervey’s “Eleven Letters to J. Wesley,” wherein you will find that the latter has ridiculed this glorious foundation of the church as imputed nonsense. Is not this an awful proof that himself, and all such, must be totally destitute of this righteousness.
I will, however, give you a quotation from a pamphlet written many years ago, by the rev. R. H. entitled “Calumny Refuted, and the Dead Vindicated,” p. 9. The rev. writer remarks:—
“Once upon a time we find him, J. Wesley, sitting in the Norwich stage-coach, wrapped in a most profound meditation; the first thing that occurred to his consideration was, whether a person might not be a sincere Christian, and deny the phrase—imputed righteousness?—This he did not doubt. He then advances farther (as the wheels roll on) and asks—if a man may not be a Christian, and deny the thing? He directly determines that a person certainly may. Thus, at two strides, he completely gets rid of the righteousness of Christ.”
The following horrid propositions, which are here transcribed, verbatim, from Mr. Wesley’s “Minutes of the Year 1770,” fully and incontestibly demonstrate the more than popish pelagianism of the man. He says—
“Every believer, till he comes to glory, works for, as well as from life. We have received it as a maxim, that a man is to do nothing in order to justification. Nothing can be more false. As to merit itself, of which we have been so dreadfully afraid, we are rewarded according to our works, i.e. as our works deserve. All that are convinced of sin under-value themselves in every respect. We are every hour and every moment pleasing or displeasing to God, according to our works, according to the whole of our inward tempers and outward behaviour.”
If this is not high popery, what is? Mr. John was a professed churchman; but how the above doctrine stands, with what the doctrinal articles of that church maintains, I leave you to judge. As they declare, that he must believe that no good works can be done, in order to justification, but that we are accounted righteous only for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.