and his posterity, graciously restored to mankind a liberty and power to accept of proffered falvation.'

P. 237. "Whether it be lawful or not, (which itfelf may be difputed, being not fo clear a point as fome may imagine), it is by no means expedient for us to feparate from the established church." (He fpeaks of the Church

of England.)

For this he affigns twelve reafons. The 8th is, " Because, to form the plan of a new church would require infinite time and care, (which might be far more profitably bestowed), with much more wisdom, and greater depth and extensiveness of thought, than any of us are masters of."

How far this modeft declaration correfponds with Mr Wesley's conduct, let others judge. Is it lefs difficult to form the plan of a church within a church, whofe mem bers in South Britain profefs to belong to the Church of England, and those in North Britain to the Church of Scotland, while yet their most important spiritual concerns are inspected and governed by teachers, who, in that capacity, have no dependence on either of these churches, but are fent, continued, or removed, at the pleasure of Mr Wesley?

P. 241. "We look upon ourselves not as the authors or ringleaders of a particular fect or party, but as meffengers of God to those who are Chriftians in name, but Heathens in heart and life, to call them back to that from which they are fallen, to real, genuine Chriftianity." And a little after, "We look upon the Methodists not as any particular party, but as living witnesses in and to every party, of that Christianity which we preach."

If the Methodist teachers confined themselves to preach. ing, there might be fome room for this plea: but hardly can this be pled, when they form bands or claffes, where measures are followed offenfive to many judicious Chriftians. Could they not be witnesses to Christianity, without that inquiry into one another's religious experiences, which Chrift has no where enjoined, either as a moral duty, or a mean of grace?

P. 243. "Might it not be another, at leaft prudential rule, for every Methodist preacher not to frequent any diffenting meeting? If we do this, certainly our people A 2

will."

will." Now this is actually feparating from the church. A little after, "If it be faid, But at the church we are fed with chaff, whereas at the meeting we have wholesome food: we answer, 1. The prayers of the church are not chaff. 2. The Lord's fupper is not chaff. Yea, 3. In

almost all the fermons we hear there, we hear many great and important truths; and whoever has a spiritual discernment, may easily feparate the chaff from the wheat therein. 4. How little is the cafe mended at the meeting? Either the teachers are new-light men, denying the Lord that bought them, and overturning his gofpel from the very foundations; or they are predestinarians, and so preach predeftination and final perfeverance more or lefs. Now whatever this may be to them who were educated therein, yet to thofe of our brethren who have lately embraced it, repeated experience fhews it is not wholefome food: rather to them it has the effect of deadly poifon."

Perhaps fome may afcribe it to an oppofite prudential rule, calculated for the Edinburgh meridian, that Methodist preachers there feldom or never attend the qualified Epifcopal meetings, but Prefbyterian churches; and churches too, in which the doctrines of predestination and the faints' perfeverance are explicitly preached. But the laft part of the paragraph juft now transcribed, affords a different folution of that ftrange phaenomenon. Mr Wefley, by his profound skill in medicine, has found out, that poifon may poffibly prove harmless, where men have been early enough, and long enough accustomed to swallow it; which fortunes to be the cafe with the good people of Scotland, as to the poisonous doctrines of Calvinifm!

P. 244." Nor is it expedient for any Methodist preacher to imitate the Diffenters in their manner of praying, either in his tone, in his language, or in the length of his prayer, which should not usually exceed four or five minutes: neither should we fing like them, in a flow drawling manner. We fing swift, both because it faves time, and because it tends to awake and enliven the foul." (I hope this will meet with due attention from fome admirers of Mr Wesley, who fcruple attending in churches where the swift method of finging, without reading, has been lately introduced.) The Prefervative is concluded, p. 245. by advifing every

Methodist

ન

Methodist preacher carefully to read it, and his Serious Thoughts concerning perfeverance and predeftination, and to recommend and explain them to the Methodist societies, that they may be no more toffed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, but may be settled in one mind and one judg

ment.

This advice, if known to the Methodist teachers in Edinburgh, has been fo little regarded by them, that Mr Wesley's Preservative, and other controverfial writings, are carefully secreted from the greatest part of the members of their focieties, poffibly from a prudent jealoufy, left they should spy somewhat in them that might abate their fondness to place themselves under his direction. Truth and honesty chufe to enter openly and undifguifed. He that entereth not in by the door of a plain, fimple declaration of his fentiments, but infinuateth himself into men's affections, by concealing or varnishing over his opinions, the fame is a thief and a robber. Minifters of the gospel, by manifeftation of the truth, should recommend themselves to every man's confcience in the fight of God. Walking in craftiness, handling the word of God deceitfully, keeping back from hearers what may be profitable, and, from affectation of popularity, fhunning to declare the whole counsel of God, indicate more of the wisdom of the ferpent, than of the harmleffaefs of the dove; and, on the most candid fuppofition, proceed from a zeal for God not according to knowledge. The publisher never received the leaft provocation from any of the Methodists; nay, has been treated by them with unmerited refpect: many of them he cfteems and loves for the truth's fake which is in them, and fhall be with them for ever. Of the lincere piety of fome of their teachers, nay even of their found principles, he would think favourably. But when he reflects, that one is at the head of their focieties, who has blended with fome precious gofpel-truths, a medley of Arminian, Antinomian, and enthufiaftic errors, he thinks it high time to found an alarum to all who would wish to tranfinit to pofterity the pure faith once delivered to the faints, seriously to confider what the end of these things may probably be. Damnable herefies, fuperftitious rites, and the wildeft fanaticifn, may gradually gain ground;

A 3

and

and opinions and practices take place, the mention of which would fhock many, it is hoped the greatest part of people, in this country, at prefent attached to Methodism. If men are once brought to believe, that right opinion is a flender part of religion, or no part of it at all, there is scarce any thing so foolish, or so wicked, which Satan may not prompt them to, by transforming himself into an angel of light.

Edinburgh, Jan. 7. 1 7 6 5.

OF THE

PREFACE to ASPASIO Vindicated,

In answer to Mr KERSHAW'S

EARNEST APPEAL.

HAVE neither leifure nor inclination to criticise the pious reflections, and devout hymns, which make up -fo confiderable a part of Mr Kershaw's Earnest Appeal. Though they fcarcely glance at the argument of the preface, they are not ill fuited to infinuate favourable fentiments of the Methodists, to fwell the fize of the Appeal, and to apologize for its price.

Mr K. has, on different occafions, tried his talent of torturing words to a sense that may afford him a fpecious handle for ridiculing the fentiments and reasonings of his opponents.

I had begun the preface with faying, "Mr HERVEY'S "writings have gained such a reception among Christians "of all denominations, that nothing further need be faid "to recommend his defence of Theron and Afpafio, than "to affure the public, that it contains the strongest inter"nal marks of being genuine." Hence a handle is taken, Appeal, p. 35. to reprefent me as arguing, That because Mr Hervey's writings published in his lifetime gained a fa ́vourable reception, therefore his name in the front is a fufficient recommendation of a pofthumous book, that confeffedly got into the world as it were by stealth.

Is

this a fair comment on the text? Would an unbiaffed reader confider my words, as importing, that the name of an· author, without external or internal marks of authentici ty, was any recommendation? They indeed import, that

the