The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 15 (of 32)Wesley, John
History
The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 15 (of 32)
Wesley, John
Methodist Church; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 18th century
As to the second plea, doing more good, it was inquired, is it not
doing evil that good may come? Is not the thing in question both
evil in itself (for us) and evil in its consequences? _First_, Is
it not (with regard to travelling preachers) evil in itself? Is it
well consistent with that scripture, _2 Timothy_ ii. 4. _No man that
warreth_, (takes on him the profession of a soldier, as we eminently do)
_entangleth himself with the affairs of this life_; plainly referring
to the _Roman_ law, which absolutely forbad any soldier to follow
any other profession. Is it well consistent with that word, _Give
attendance to reading, to exhortation, to teaching: meditate on these
things, give thyself wholly to them_? 1 Timothy iv. 13, 15. Can we be
said to give ourselves wholly to these things, if we follow another
profession? Does not our church, in her office of ordination, require
every minister to do this? If they do not the more shame for them.
But this plainly shews, what both they and we _ought_ to do. _We_
indeed more particularly; because God has called us to _provoke them
to jealousy_, to supply their lack of service to the sheep that are as
yet without shepherds, and to spend and be spent therein. We above all;
because every travelling preacher solemnly professes to have nothing
else to do, and receives his little allowance for this very end, that
he may not need to do any thing else, that he may not be entangled in
the things of this life; but may give himself wholly to these things.
_Secondly_, Is it not evil in its consequences? Have not some ill
consequences appeared already? And is there not the greatest reason to
apprehend that still worse would follow? We are concerned to give no
offence, either to Jew or Gentile, or to the church of God. But this
has already offended, not only many of the world, but many of our own
brethren. Many of the preachers in particular have been much grieved:
yea and those most, who were most alive to God. Now the beginning
of offence, “is as when one letteth out water:” who can gather it
up again? They are grieved the more, because they apprehend this
would be an increasing evil. For where will it stop? If one preacher
follows trade, so may twenty; so may every one. And if any of them
trade a little, why not ever so much? Who can fix how far he should
go? Therefore we advise our brethren who have been concerned herein, to
give up all, and attend to the one business. And we doubt not but God
will recompense them an hundred fold, even in this world, as well as in
the world to come.
It is true, this cannot be done on a sudden. But it may between this
and the next conference. And even as to the drops that many sold,
if their wives sell them at home, well: but it is not proper for any
preacher to hawk them about. It has a bad appearance. It does not well
suit the dignity of his calling.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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