Fletcher of MadeleyMacdonald, Frederic W. (Frederic William)
Religion
Fletcher of Madeley
Macdonald, Frederic W. (Frederic William)
Fletcher, John, 1729-1785
Early in May he reached Nyon, having travelled under the care of his
brother from Montpellier. He was received by the members of his family
with the utmost affection and respect.
One of the most important letters which he wrote during his absence
from England was addressed to "The Rev. Messrs. John and Charles
Wesley." It is dated from Macon in Burgundy, May 17th, 1778. The
following extracts will show Fletcher's judgment concerning the state
of morals and religion in France ten years before the Revolution:
"Gambling and dress, sinful pleasure and love of money,
unbelief and false philosophy, lightness of spirit, fear of
man, and love of the world, are the principal sins by which
Satan binds his captives in these parts. Materialism is not
rare; deism and Socinianism are very common; and a set of
freethinkers, great admirers of Voltaire and Rousseau, Bayle
and Mirabeau, seem bent upon destroying Christianity and
government. If we believe them, the world is the dupe of
kings and priests; religion is fanaticism and superstition;
subordination is slavery; Christian morality is absurd,
unnatural, and impracticable; and Christianity the most
bloody religion that ever was. And here it is certain, that
by the example of Christians _so called_, and by our
continual disputes, they have a great advantage, and do the
truth immense mischief. _Popery will certainly fall in
France, in this or the next century_; and I have no doubt
God will use those vain men to bring about a reformation
here, as he used Henry the Eighth to do that work in
England; so the madness of His enemies shall, at last, turn
to His praise, and to the furtherance of His kingdom....
"If you ask, what system these men adopt, I answer, Some
build on deism a morality founded on _self-preservation_,
_self-interest_, and _self-honour_; others laugh at all
morality, except that which being neglected _violently_
disturbs society. And external order is the decent covering
of fatalism, while materialism is their system.
"Oh! dear sirs, let me entreat you, in these dangerous days,
to use your wide influence, with unabated zeal, against the
scheme of these modern Celsuses, Porphyries, and Julians, by
calling all professors to think and speak the same things,
to love and embrace one another, and to firmly resist those
daring men, many of whom are already in England, headed by
the admirers of Mr. Hume and Mr. Hobbes. But it is needless
to say this to those who have made, and continue to make,
such a stand for vital Christianity, so that I have nothing
to do but pray that the Lord may abundantly support and
strengthen you, and make you a continued comfort to His
enlightened people, loving reprovers of those who mix light
with darkness, and a terror to the perverse."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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