LETTER CIII. [From Mr. Thomas Mendham, of Brifton, Norfolk, to Mr. John Keed, of Wells, in the fame County.] My dear Brother, Brifton, Feb. 12, 1779. LA AST evening, when I came off a journey, I received your kind Letter, and I have perused the contents. I am glad to hear the Lord has been gracious to you, and fincerely wish you an increase of every spiritual favour: this you will moft certainly find, if you give yourfelf up wholly to the Lord; and mortifying your own will, defire that His alone may be done. But a lukewarm spirit in matters of Religion, is not only unprofitable, but dangerous: it has been, and is, the Rock upon which many profeffors have made fhipwreck, and therefore you will do well to beware of that state. Mr. Wesley's method, or order in the Churches, is, in my opinion, very commendable; and I could with all our people would be governed in the fame manner his are. But though I advise all that find. their hearts inclined, to meet in that way, yet I would wish them to bear a light hand upon, and carry it tenderly to those, who may not think so highly of it: and you may wonder, if fome fuch be not found among you; fome that will not be forward to walk by rule, except their own rule, which is not the best. I would wish these may not be hardly dealt by, or meanly thought of, if they do not at first conform; but rather endeavour to win them by love. I have sent you a little Book of our Rules, (which are much the fame as Mr. Welley's, but not so well obferved by our people, as by his,) which you may be pleased to copy, and then fend me the Book again. As to my opinion of the Doctrines of Election, Repro bation, bation, Free-will, &c. 'tis fcarcely worth fending you, as I am no great flickler for Doctrines, nor am I very fond of those who are, except they are Doctrines that have a tendency to mend the heart, and they that contend so stoutly for them live more to God's glory, than otherwife they would do; which fo far as I can fee, is not very often the cafe. However, I will freely tell you, I do not believe that God will fave fome men, do what they will to be damned; and that he will damn others, do what they can to be saved. I believe the ways of the Almighty are equal; that the Judge of the whole earth will do right; that all thofe who are faved, will give all glory to Chrift, for their whole falvation; and all those that are loft, will justly take all the blame of their defruction upon their own heads. I think they injure Mr. Wesley, who charge him with holding, "That man can rife and fall as he pleafes." Indeed he holds in a fcriptural sense, (at least I suppose so) that the Will is free; by nature free to evil; by grace made free to good. When that grace is given, 'tis the day of God's power, in which He does not fay his people fhall ferve him against their will, for fuch fervice would be vain, but he says they fhall be willing. If that faculty in man, called the Will, be not free, I humbly conceive it is no Will at all; and if man has not a Will, he then must be a mere machine, and his actions in that case are just as good or as bad, which you please, as the action of the hammer of the clock when it ftrikes it's bell. I wifh all those who say man has a Will, but will not allow it to be free, would confider that their faying borders rather upon nonfense: if it is not free, it ought no longer to be called a Will, but Compulfion; and indeed the experience of both good and bad men bears teftimony against that Doctrine; for the wicked man knows when he fins, he fins very freely; and the righteous know when they ferve God, His fervice is perfect freedom. I should I should be glad therefore Difputers would only allow a clear point, in which the experience of all men agrees. I do not profefs myself a very able judge in matters of difputable Doctrines, but I will tell you a rule whereby to judge with fome small degree of certainty, of the different opinions of unconditional Election, Reprobation, and the contrary opinion of univerfal Redemption. And the rule is this: read the Scriptures daily with a praying heart; look to your own experience, with regard to your calling, and grace; your own Will both in a flate of nature and a ftate of falvation: confider whether in the first, your Will was not free to fin, and if in the laft, 'tis not made free to do good. Look into the religious world, and fee whether you ever knew any that were ftrangers to the opinions of unconditional Election, &c. See how they walked then. Did you ever know any of these change their principles and become Champions for Election, &c. See how they walked then; i. e. better or worse. Were they more obedient, or more careless? Did they fhine more or lefs for the change? Look at the Societies of Mr. Weiley, and thofe of his opinions; take notice who are most humble, lowly, meek, watchful and fincere, and in much prayer, and fupplication: when you have confidered all, judge for yourfelf, and may God direct your judgment. There are fome Doctrines which are not to be rushed into by rafh minds; there are fome hidden Things that if ftudied at all, ought to be confidered upon our knees in prayer; fuch are the Doctrines above mentioned. When they are made a wrong use of, and when we cannot bear with one another, they may do much harm in the Church. You at Wells, for inftance, if you keep youselves fimple, you will do well, but if you once get doctrinal heads, you must take care you do not lofe loving hearts. If you begin to divide into fundry opinions, 'tis too often a prelude of dividing into different Societies, I have known fome lose their charity, and their reafon fo far, as fcarcely to be known from men in a religious phrenfy. They will roundly tell you firft, that Wefley and all his ways are wrong; anon they take another step, they are ready to fear Welley and his people are hardly Chriftians: having accuftomed themselves to these hard thoughts for a while, they are bold enough in the end to take a ftride indeed, and will tell you flatly, that Wefley and his people, if they die in those principles must be damned. I have heard of a beardless youth who thinks himself wife, and fuppofes that he has all the truth at his finger ends. This conceited ftripling, who before Mr. Wefley's face, would I fuppofe, have but little to fay, has given it out in company, behind his back, that if John Wefley goes to heaven, the Devil will get there next, and that he should think he did his duty, if he should sit and rail against him all night! Beware of this fpirit at Wells. 'Tis the forerunner of dif cord and feparation. Twenty years did I teach the gospel without perceiving the buddings of this fpirit in any of our Societies. Of late it has fhewn its head under the fpecious title of Truth. It grieves me, and I know not the end. God give me and my people grace to believe all things, and hope all things towards those that differ from us. I believe they will enter heaven, but I heartily wish they would walk more lov ingly, and more faithfully by the way. In one word, know nothing but Chrift. Avoid difputes. Love those that differ from you. Love all, for God is Love. And love and pray for him, who tho' not worthy to be called the very leaft of God's people, is, nevertheless truly Your ready Servant and affectionate Friend, THOMAS MENDHAM. N. B. The youth mentioned above, I am informed is a Diffenting Preacher in the neighbourhood of Briston. Wretched is the cause which needeth tali auxilio aut defenforibus istis. POETRY. **** POETRY. The Twenty-eighth Chapter of Job Paraphrafed. [By Mr. Ward.] WITH quick vibrations of ethereal flame The voice divine forth from the whirlwind came, The skies in undulations fhook around, And Job and nature trembled at the found. Thus fpake the Almighty; who prefumptuous tries, Fathom the mazy depths of power divine? Answer thy God; where waft thou, earth-born man, Who thro' the skies the flaming orbs has hurled? Or fhouts of angels ever hail thy ears? Who fixt the barriers of the lawless main, When, booming to the beach, it roars in vain? Obfequious to their God the waters stand: Heaped on themselves high o'er the threatened land: Thus far, ye feas-here your proud waves be ftaid VOL. III. P Who |