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
The most malignant onset, however, during the year 1757, was published
in the _London Magazine_, with the title, “A Dozen Reasons why the
Sect of Conjurors, called Fortune Tellers, should have at least as
much liberty to exercise their admirable art, as is now granted to
Methodists, Moravians, and various other sorts of Conjurors.” Dr.
Faustus, the writer, accuses the Methodists of defrauding “both men
and women out of their lands, tenements, and money”; of “terrifying
many of their followers out of their little wits, as Bedlam, and every
private madhouse, about London, could testify”; of “very lately
inducing a poor woman to literally fulfil the Scripture, by pulling out
one of her eyes, because she had looked upon a handsome young fellow
with a longing look”; and, finally, as being disturbers of public
government. These silly calumnies, falsehoods of the first magnitude,
were vigorously refuted, in three succeeding numbers of the _London
Magazine_, by one who signed himself “A Methodist.”
Wesley’s publications in 1757 were few in number, but one was of great
importance.
1. “A Sufficient Answer to ‘Letters to the Author of Theron and
Aspasio,’ in a Letter to the Author.” 12mo, 12 pages. The supposed
author, to whom Wesley addressed his answer, was John Glass, an
expelled minister of the Church of Scotland, or Robert Sandeman, a
Scotch elder, the founder of a sect sometimes called Sandemanians, and
sometimes Glassites. Wesley’s tract was really a defence of his friend,
Hervey, on the subject of saving faith, in opposition to the Glassite
or Sandemanian notion, that faith is a mere assent to the truthfulness
of the gospel history. Wesley’s answer was short, apposite, indignant,
almost savage. He told Glass, or Sandeman, that he had “a peculiar
pertness, insolence, and self sufficiency, with such an utter contempt
of mankind, as no other writer of the present age had shown.” His
letter to Hervey was “full of slander.” His notions of justifying faith
were “stark, staring nonsense”; for, if true, “every devil in hell
will be justified and saved.” He evinced “such hatred, malevolence,
rancour, and bitterness to all” who dissented from his opinions, as
was “scarce ever seen in a Jew, a heathen, or a popish inquisitor”;
and, were it in his power, he “would make more bonfires in Smithfield
than Bonner and Gardiner put together.” This is pretty strong; perhaps
it was not undeserved. It was replied to in a threepenny pamphlet,
entitled, “Remarks on the Rev. Mr. John Wesley’s Sufficient Answer to
the author of the Letters on Theron and Aspasio. By J. D.” The writer
was as great an adept in using strong expressions as Wesley was.
Hence, he told his readers, that Wesley had “crowded more scandal,
insolence, self sufficiency, hatred, malevolence, rancour, bitterness,
and uncharitableness” into his penny tract than Hervey had into his
five shillings book; with this difference, Hervey’s was “sarcastical,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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