The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 06 (of 32)Wesley, John
Religion
The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 06 (of 32)
Wesley, John
Methodist Church; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 18th century
But the Doctor has a _second reply, Whether you consider the |divinity|,
or the |sense| of this, could |George Fox| himself have outdone it_?
p. 48. This reply, considered in itself, might have its place amongst
those _algebraic quantities_, that are some degrees less than nothing;
but with regard to the Doctor’s purpose it has something in it, for it
is an appeal to that which is very powerful, which has suppressed many
a good truth: it is an appeal to vulgar prejudice; and shews that the
Doctor is not without his expectations from that quarter. And thus it
is, that the Catholic artist in his country plays a _Martin Luther_,
when he wants to reproach that which he knows not how to confute. What
degree of sense, or divinity _George Fox_ was possessed of, I cannot
pretend to say, having never read any of his writings; but if he has
said any divine truths, I should be as well pleased in seeing them in
his books, as in any of the fathers of the primitive church. For as the
gospel requires me to be as glad to see piety, equity, strict sobriety,
and extensive charity in a _Jew_ or a _Gentile_, as in a Christian; as
it obliges me to look with pleasure upon their virtues, and be thankful
to God, that such persons have so much of true and sound Christianity;
so it cannot be an unchristian spirit to be as glad to see truths in
one party of Christians as in another; and to look with pleasure upon
any good doctrines that are held by any sect of Christian people, and
be thankful to God, that they have so much of the genuine truths of the
gospel. * For if we have no complaint against those that are divided
from us, but what proceeds from a Christian fear, that what they hold
and practise will not be so beneficial to them, as our religion will be
to us, must we not have the utmost readiness and willingness to find,
own, and rejoice in those good doctrines and practices which they still
retain? If a poor pilgrim, under a necessity of travelling a dangerous
and difficult road, had, through his own perverseness lost the use of a
leg, and the sight of one eye, could we be said, to have any charitable
concern for his perverseness and misfortune, unless we were glad to
see that he had one good leg, and one good eye still left, and unless
we hoped and desired they might bring him at last to his journey’s
end? Now let every part of the church which takes itself to be sound
and good, and is only angry at every other part, because they have
_lessened the means_ of their own salvation; let her but have thus
much charity in her anger, and then she will be glad to see, in every
perverse division, something like the one good leg, and the one good
eye of the pilgrim, and which she will hope and wish may do them the
same good.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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