The life and times of the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., founder of the Methodists. Vol. 2 (of 3)Tyerman, L. (Luke)
History
The life and times of the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., founder of the Methodists. Vol. 2 (of 3)
Tyerman, L. (Luke)
Methodism; Wesley, John, 1703-1791
Peter Bohler, in his letter of May 4, begins: “Sir, I pity you very
much, that you suffer yourself to be so much imposed upon, and to
print your impositions so inconsiderately. You have now attempted a
second time to ruin my character.” He then denies, that he was the
_inventor_ of the _artificial mount_, but does not affirm that it was
not employed. He concludes as follows: “Dear Mr. Whitefield, when the
secret intentions of man, together with all his unjust deeds, will be
judged, how glad would you be then, not to have treated our society in
general, and, in particular, that venerable person against whom your
letter is chiefly levelled, and poor _I_, in so injurious, yea, I may
say, impudent and wicked a manner. PETER BOHLER.”
Hutton’s letter eulogizes the count in the highest terms. “When
he awakes in the morning, he is all sweetness, calmness, tender
harmoniousness with those about him; and, all the day long, he is
busied in doing and contriving the kindest offices for mankind.” He is
“usefully employed constantly eighteen hours in twenty-four, and very
frequently more; and is a man of no expense at all upon his person,
so that any one receiving £50 a year to find him in all necessaries,
to his satisfaction, would certainly be no loser by the bargain.”
And yet, “many bulls of Bashan round about, as brute beasts without
understanding, roared madly against him; and, by daubings and grotesque
paintings, described him as a Mahommed, a Cæsar, an impostor, a Don
Quixote, a devil, the beast, the man of sin, the whore, the antichrist.”
It is right to add, that Thomas Rhodes, whose case Whitefield had
quoted, says, in a letter dated October 21, 1733: “what Mr. Whitefield
has written concerning the United Brethren and me, is, the greatest
part, entire falsities, and the remainder are truths set in a false
light.” He admits, however, the sale of his estate.
Far from pleasant is the task of raking into dunghills such as this;
but history cannot afford to forget unpleasant facts. Whitefield’s
letter, perhaps, was obtrusive, and officious, and, to some extent,
incorrect; but there can be no doubt, that its leading allegations were
founded upon truth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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