Wesley's Designated Successor: The Life, Letters, and Literary Labours of the Rev. John William Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley, ShropshireTyerman, L. (Luke)
Religion
Wesley's Designated Successor: The Life, Letters, and Literary Labours of the Rev. John William Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley, Shropshire
Tyerman, L. (Luke)
Fletcher, John, 1729-1785
The remainder of Rowland Hill’s “Friendly Remarks” chiefly consists of
animadversions, intended to show “the glaring inconsistencies and
palpable mistakes” of Fletcher, in the doctrines he had defended and
enforced. It would be an almost endless task to dwell upon the
theological criticisms of Fletcher and his opponents. As might be
expected, Rowland Hill, in attacking Fletcher’s tenets, is often smart;
and, it must be added, often bitter.
A reply to the pamphlets of Richard Hill and his brother Rowland became
a necessity. Fletcher could not remain silent under such unfounded and
undeserved imputations. Hence, though weary of the warfare, he at once
resumed his pen, and began to prepare his “Fourth Check to
Antinomianism.” The postscript of Rowland Hill’s “Friendly Remarks,”
dated “July 4, 1772,” states that the “Third Check” had just “made its
appearance.” The fourth was published before the year was ended, and
bore the title of “Logica Genevensis; or, a Fourth Check to
Antinomianism, in which St. James’s Pure Religion is defended against
the Charges, and established upon the Concessions of Mr. Richard and Mr.
Rowland Hill. In a Series of Letters to those Gentlemen, by the
Vindicator of the Minutes. Bristol: Printed by William Pine,
1772.” 12mo. 245 pp. The letters are thirteen in number, and all of
them are addressed to Mr. Richard Hill, except the ninth, which is
addressed “to Mr. Rowland Hill,” and the tenth and eleventh written to
the two brothers conjointly. The thirteenth, and last, is dated,
“Madeley, Nov. 15, 1772.”[270]
Footnote 270:
The semi-infidel _Monthly Review_, which could hardly exist without
sneering at evangelical religion, remarked concerning this Fourth
Check to Antinomianism:—
“Mr. Fletcher continues to push the Calvinists with unremitting
vigour. He here encounters two formidable adversaries at once. The
veteran Wesley, who now, perhaps, thinks it time to retire from the
well-fought field, is fortunate in having so zealous an auxiliary.”
(_Monthly Review_, 1773, p. 240.)
Meanwhile, Wesley published “Some Remarks on Mr. Hill’s Review of all
the Doctrines taught by Mr. John Wesley.” This is not the place to
analyse Wesley’s 12mo. pamphlet of 54 pages, but the following extract
from it may be acceptable:—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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