The Life of the REV. John Wesley, A.M. (Volume 2); Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford in Which Are Included, the Life of His Brother, the REV. Charles Wesley, A.M., Student of Christ Church, and Memoirs of Their Family Comprehending an Accout of the Great (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1825. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... APPENDIX CONTAtlTING " LETTERS BETWEEN THE REV. ******** " Who passes by the name of John Smith, "AND THE REV. JOHN WESLEY." NOW PUBLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME. 1 LETTERS BETWEEN THE REV. ********, WHO PASSES BY THE NAME OF JOHN SMITH, AND THE REV. JOHN WESLEY.* LETTER I. To the Rev. Mr. John Wesley. Rev. Sir, May, J 745. The labouring to bring all the world lo solid, inward, vital Religion; is a work so truly Christian and laudable, that I shall ever highly esteem those who attempt this great work, even though they should appear to me to be under some errors in doctrine, some mistakes in their conduct, and some excess in their leal. You may expect therefore in me a candid adversary, a contender for truth and not for victory: one who would be glad to convince you of any error which he apprehends himself to have discovered in you, but who will be abundantly more glad to be convinced of errors in himself. Now the best way to enable you to set me right, wherever I may be wrong, will be by pointing out to you what I have to object to those works of yours which have fallen into my hands: And for order sake I shall reduce my objections to matter of Doctrine, to matter of Phraseology, and to matter of Fact. 1. As to matter of Doctrine, I shall choose to express what I See p. 95--99. take to be your doctrine in my own words rather than in your words, that you may the more readily perceive whether I at any time mistake you. You seem then to me to contend with great earnestness for the following system, viz. That faith (instead of being a rational assent and moral virtue, for the attainment of which men ought to yield the utmost attention and industry) is altogether a divine and supernatural illapse from Heaven--the immediate gift of God--the mere work of Omnipote...