tual tranfgreffions, the duties we owe to God, to ourselves, and to one another. Ver. 10. "If we fay, that we have "not finned, we make him a liar, and his word is not << in us." If we say, that now we are light in the Lord, we have tranfgreffed his precepts in no inftance, in thought, word or deed; we hereby give God the lie, and prove that we never felt the faving efficacy of his word.

Abfolute freedom from fin is therefore never attained in this life; for if it ever was attained, a consciousness and acknowledgment of such attainment could not, in that inftance, be inconfiftent with grace. Yet pof. fibly a good man, while he feels and laments his own fhortcomings, may rafhly infer from the commands of being perfect, that even in this life one may cease to fin. However, from this paffage it is clear, that the man who is so far gone in felf-flattery, as to imagine that he him. felf has attained a finlefs perfection, makes God a liar, represents his law as less strict and holy than it really is, and evidences that God's word has never had any faving effi cacy upon his foul. Such thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, is oppofite to that poverty of fpirit, without which there is no Christianity; and prevents daily penitent application to the blood of Jefus, a habitual watchfulness against the occafions of fin, and a tender pity for our offending brethren What then fhall

we think of Peter Bohler, who with three other Moravians teftified to Mr Wesley of their own perfonal experience, that a true living faith in Chrift is infeparable from a fente of pardon for all past, and freedom from all prefent fins? What fhall we think of thofe in the neighbourhood of Leeds, of whom Mr Wesley gives this ac count in his Journal, from 17th June 1758, to 5th May 1760, p. 983. "Having defired that as many as could "of the neighbouring towns, who believed they were "faved from fin, would meet me, I spent the greatest "part of this day in examining them one by one. "teftimony of fome 1 could not receive: but concern"ing the far greatest part, it is plain, (unless it could be "fuppofed that they tell wilful and deliberate lies),

The

* Wefley's Journal from 1st Feb. 1738, to his return from Germany, ad edition, p. 29.

1. That

"

1. That they feel no inward fin, and, to the best of their "knowledge, commit no outward fin. 2. That they fee " and love God every moment, and pray, rejoice, and give thanks evermore." Or what of Mr Wesley himself? who fays, "This I know, I have now peace with God: and I fin "not to day, and Jesus my mafter has forbid me to take "thought for the morrow *. And again," I have con"ftant peace, not one uneafy thought; and I have freedom " from fin, not one unholy defire +.' Nay, what shall we think of every one, who has thoroughly imbibed the fyftem and spirit of Mr Wefley? According to him, 66 none can have true faith, without knowing that he hath "it; for whofoever hath it, is freed from fin, the whole "body of fin is destroyed in him ‡." Mr Wefley then acknowledges none for believers, fave fuch, who know they have faith, and know it from their freedom from fin; i. e. who know it from experiencing, what, according to fcripture, none who are true believers can imagine they have experienced. If Mr Wefley declares in his cool judgment, and in the prefence of the most high God, that he believes the myftic writers to be one great Antichrift, for fo zealously inculcating a refined way of trufting to our own works and righteousness ||; what claim can he have to genuine Christianity, whole profeffed experience gives God the lie? "Say I these things as a man, or faith 66 not the law the fame alfo?" It is a deadly charity that flatters men with a perfuafion that they are in the way of life, whom fcripture pronounces in the way of deftruction. And neither Mr Wefley's feeming strictness of behaviour, nor the miracles by which he alledges God has fometimes attefted his million 4, will juftify thofe

who

* Ib. p. 31. + Ib. p. 32. Journal from his embarking for Georgia to his return to London, 2d edition, p. 70. Journal from 1ft Feb. p. 27.

+ Indeed he does it with no fmall caution and addrefs. He obferves, Letter to the Bishop of Gloucester, p. 78, that no wife man can defire or expect miracles, to prove doctrines that have been proved by fcripture and reafon; or facts that have been proved by teftimony; or thefe felf-evident propofitions,

"that

to change finners from darkness to light is the work of God "alone;" and "that fuch a change wrought in fo many noto

rious

who forget the cautions of the wife man, Prov. xix. 27. "Cease, my fon, to hear the inftruction that causeth to err "from the words of knowledge," and Prov. xiv. 12. "There

"rious finners, in fo fhort a time, is a great and extraordinary "work of God." Yet miracles, though unneceffary, he thinks have been wrought.

Ib. p. 65.-69. "But if miracles are not ceafed, why do you not. prove your million thereby?" As your Lordship has frequently fpoke to this effect, I will now give a clear anfwer. And I purposely do it, in the fame words which I publifhed many years fince. I. I have in fome measure explained myself on the head of miracles, in the third part of the Farther Appeal. But fince you repeat the demand, (though without taking any notice of the arguments there advanced), I will endeavour once more to give you a diftinct, full, and determinate answer. And, first, I acknowledge, that I have feen with my eyes, and heard with my ears, feveral things, which, to the best of my judgment cannot be accounted for, by the ordinary courfe of natural causes; and which, I therefore believe, ought to be afcribed to the extraordinary interpofition of God. If any man chufe to ftyle these miracles, I reclaim not. I have diligently inquired into the facts. I have weighed. the preceding and following circumstances. I have strove to account for them in a natural way, but could not, without doing violence to my reafon. Not to go far back, I am clearly perfuaded, that the fudden deliverance of John Haydon was one inftance of this kind, and my own recovery on May the 10th, another. I cannot account for either of thefe in a natural way; therefore I believe they were both fupernatural.

"I muft, fecondly, obferve, that the truth of these facts is fupported by the fame kind of proof, as that of all other facts is wont to be, namely, the teftimony of competent witneffes; and that the teftimony here, is in as high a degree as any reasonable man can defire. Thofe witneffes were many in number: they could not be deceived themselves; for the fact in question they faw with their own eyes, and heard with their own ears. Nor is it credible, that fo many of them would combine together with a view of deceiving others; the greater part being men who feared God, as appeared by the general tenor of their lives. Thus in the cafe of Jo. Haydon: this thing was not contrived and executed in a corner, and in the presence of his own family only, or three or four perfons prepared for the purpose. No; it was in an open street in the city of Bristol, at one or two in the afternoon. And the doors being open from the beginning, not only many of the neighbours, from every fide, but feveral others (indeed whofoever defired it) went in, till the house could contain no more. Nor yet does the account of my own illness and recovery depend, as you fuppofe, on my bare word. There were many witneffes both of my diforder on Friday and Saturday,

and

"There is a way which feemeth right unto à man; but "the end thereof are the ways of death."

If

and my lying down most part of Sunday, (a thing they were well fatisfied could not be the effect of a flight indisposition); and all who faw me that evening plainly difcerned (what I could not wholly conceal) that I was in pain: about two hundred of whom were prefent, when I was feized with the cough, which cut me fhort, fo that I could speak no more; till I cried aloud, "Lord, increase my faith: Lord, confirm the word of thy grace." The fame perfons faw and heard, that at that inftant I changed my pofture, and broke out into thanksgiving: that quickly after I ftood upright, (which I could not before), and shewed no fign either of Lickness or pain.

“Yet I muft defire you well to observe, thirdly, that my will, or choice, or defire, had no place either in this, or any case of this kind, that has ever fallen under my notice. Five minutes before I had no thought of this. I expected nothing lefs. I was willing to wait for a gradual recovery, in the ordinary use of outward means. I did not look for any other cure, till the moment before I found it. And it is my belief, that the cafe was always the fame with regard to the most real and undoubted miracles. I believe God neyer interpofed his miraculous power, but according to his own fovereign will: not according to the will of man; neither of him by whom he wrought, nor of any other man whatsoever. The wifdom, as well as the power, are his : nor can I find that ever, from the beginning of the world, he lodged this power in any mere man, to be ufed whenever that man faw good. Suppofe, therefore, there was a man now upon earth, who did work real and undoubted miracles; I would afk, by whose power doth he work these? and at whose pleasure? His own, or God's? Not his own; but God's. But if fo, then your demand is made not on man, but on God. I cannot fay it is modeft, thus to challenge God; or well-fuiting the relation of a creature to his Creator.

2. However, I cannot but think, there have been already fo many interpofitions of divine power, as will fhortly leave you without excufe, if you either deny or defpife them. We defire no favour; but the juftice that diligent inquiry may be made concerning them. We are ready to name the perfons on whom the power was fhewn, which belongeth to none but God, (not one or two, or ten or twelve only); to point out their places of abode: and we engage, they fhall anfwer every pertinent question, fairly and directly; and, if required, shall give all these anfwers upon oath, before any who are impowered to receive them. It is our particular requeft, that the circumftances which went before, which accompanied, and which followed after the facts under confideration, may be throughly examined, and punctually noted down. Let but this be done, (and is it not highly needful it should, at least by those who would form an exact judgment?),

and

If any fufpect that I have given unfair extracts or abridgments of Mr Wesley's writings, they may, at a very fmall expence of time and money, compare my references with

and we have no fear that any reasonable man should scruple to fay, This hath God wrought.

As there have been already fo many inftances of this kind, far beyond what we dared to afk, or think, I cannot take upon me to fay, whether or no it will pleafe God to add to their number. I have not herein known the mind of the Lord, neither am I his counfellor. He may, or he may not; I cannot affirm or deny. I have no light, and I have no defire either way. It is the Lord: let him do what feemeth him good. I defire only to be as clay in his hand.”

Bishop Warburton's Doctrine of Grace, and Mr Wesley's Letter to the Bishop, refer to many paffages in Mr Wefley's Journals concerning his alledged miracles I find no inftances among them of railing the dead, giving fight to thofe born blind, &c. And though there are many accounts of remarkable recoveries from ficknefs, extraordinary deliverances, judgments on fcoffers or apoftates, and pretended difpoffeffion of devils; yet the circumftances of fome of these accounts do not exclude a possibility of imposture, and the rest may be fairly afcribed to Providence, not miraculously exerted to atteft the truth, of a doctrine, but cooperating with ordinary, natural, or moral causes. God's approbation or difapprobation cannot be fafely concluded from extraordinary deliverances, or fudden and unufual calamities. These things come alike to all men. Befides a party may be justly cenfurable, though judgments fall on men who fcoff at it, or forfake it, for appearances of piety and strictness, and not for any thing really amifs.

There is caufe to fufpect Mr Welley may have exaggerated facts that tend to the honour of his party, from his rafhnefs in afferting falfehoods to the disparagement of others. Journal from 16th Feb. 1755, to 16th June 1758, p. 17, fpeaking of the caufes why the religious concern in Scotland and New England has been of fhorter continuance than that in England under the Methodist teachers, he fays "It does not become us to judge peremptorily: but perhaps fome of them may be thefe. 1. Many of them became wife in their own eyes. They feemed to think they were the men, and there were none like them: and hence they refufed God the liberty of fending by whom he would fend, and required him to work by men of learning, or not at all. 2. Many of them were bigots, immoderately attached either to their own opinions or modes of worship. Mr Edwards himself was not clear of this. But the Scotch bigots were beyond all others; placing Arminianifin (fo called) on a level with Deism, and the church of England with that of Rome. Hence they not only fuffered in themselves and their brethren a bitter zeal, but applauded themselves therein, in thewing the fame fpirit against all who differed from them, as the Papists did against our forefathers,