He next defended the doctrines, preached by himself and the Methodists,――justification by faith, sudden and instantaneous conversion, and other cognate truths. He attacked Archbishop Tillotson, because, “contrary to the laws of Church and State, he makes good works a _condition_ of our acceptance with God;” and he declared concerning the author of “The Whole Duty of Man,” that, because he entirely omits to teach the doctrine of justification by faith, his famous book might “more properly be termed, _Half the Duty of Man_.” He belaboured the clergy for playing at _dice_, and _cards_, and other _unlawful games_, contrary to the seventy-fifth canon of the Church; and complained, that, by “frequenting taverns and alehouses,” they injured the laity by a vile “example.” He rebutted the charge against himself of being an enthusiast; and, as for the “sudden agonies, roarings, and screamings” of some of his converts, he said, “The itinerant preachers look upon these as extraordinary things, proceeding _generally_ from soul-distress, and _sometimes_, it may be, from the agency of the evil spirit, who labours to drive poor souls into despair.” What was the result of all this plain-speaking? First of all, another anonymous author, merely using the initials, “J. B.,” published a furious pamphlet of fifty-four pages, entitled, “A Letter to the Reverend Mr. Whitefield, occasioned by his _pretended_ Answer to the first part of the Observations on the Conduct and Behaviour of the Methodists. By a Gentleman of Pembroke College, Oxon. London, 1744.” (8vo.) How far the author of this letter was a _gentleman_ will appear from the following extracts from his rancorous production:―― “Do you think my Lord of London would choose to let you know whether he was the author of the papers, or would be fond of entering into a _personal_ dispute with you? with you, I say, sir, or your followers; who, I may venture to affirm, can curse, rail, and berogue your antagonists, (though in Scripture language all the while,) so as hardly to be exceeded by any Pope, or _spiritual bully_, that ever yet appeared in Christendom.”