actions. The Papifts neither teach nor believe this: give even the devil his due. They teach, there is no Perfection here, which is not confillent with venial fins and among venial fins, they commonly reckon fimple Fornication. Now I think this is fo far from the Perfection I teach, that it does not come up to any but Mr. Reilly's Perfection. To fay, Chrift will not reign alone in our hearts in this life; will not enable us to give him all our hearts: this in my judgment is making him a half Saviour; he can be no more, if he does not quite fave us from our fins. I pray then be not quite fo peremptory. Who exalts Chrift moft? those who call on him to be fole Monarch of the heart? or those who allow him only to fhare the power, and to govern most of the thoughts and tempers? Who honour him moft? thofe who believe he heals all our fickness, takes away all our ungodliness? or those who say, he heals only the greater part of it, till death does what He cannot do? I know no creature (of us) who fays,

Part of our falvation belongs to Chrift, and part to us." No: we all fay, Chrift alone faves us from all fin: and your Queftion is not about the Author, but the measure of falvation. Both agree it is all Chrift: but is it all Salvation, or only half Salvation, he will give? Who was Pelagius? By all I can pick up from antient Authors, I guefs he was both a wife, and a holy man. But we know nothing but his name: for his Writings are all destroyed: not one line of them left. But brother Coats, This way of talking is highly offensive. I advise you 1. (If you are willing to labour with us,) preach no Doctrine contrary to ours. I have preached twenty years in fome of Mr. Whitefield's Societies: yet to this day, I never contradicted him among his own people. I did not think it honeft: neither neceffary at all. I could preach Salvation by Faith, and leave all Controverfy untouched. I advise you, 2. Avoid all thofe ftrong, rhetorical exclamations, "O horrid ! O dreadful!" and the like; unlefs when you are ftrongly exhorting finners, to renounce the devil and all his works.

3. Acquaint yourself better with the Doctrine we preach, and you will find it not dreadful, but altogether lovely. 4. Observe, that if forty persons think and speak wrong, either about Juftification or Sanctification, (and perhaps fancy they have attained both,) this is no objection to the doctrines themselves. They must bear their own burthen. But this does not at all affect the point in queftion. 5. Remember, as fure as you are, that "Believers cannot fall from grace," others (wife and holy men too,) are equally fure, they can: and you are as much obliged to bear with them, as they are to bear with you. 6. Abftain from all Controverfy in public. Indeed, you have not a talent for it. You have an honest heart, but not a clear head. Practical Religion is your point. Therefore, 7. Keep to this, Repentance toward God, Faith in Chrift, Holiness of heart and life, a growing in Grace, and in the Knowledge of Chrift, the continual need of his atoning Blood, a conftant Confidence in him, and all thefe every moment to our life's end." In none of these will any of our Preachers contradict you, or you them.

When you leave this plain Path, and get into Controversy, then they think you "Invade the glories of our adorable King, and the unspeakable right, and privileges, and comforts of his Children ;" and can they then "tamely hold their peace?"

O Sander, know the value of peace and love!
I am your affectionate Brother,

LETTER

J. WESLEY.

CCLXXXVII.

[From the Rev. Mr. Welley, to Mr. S. F.]

My dear Brother,

Bristol, Oct. 13, 1762.

IN general, when I apprehend, "Certainly this is a Contradiction:" if I find other perfons of equal fagacity with myfelf, of equal natural and acquired abilities apprehend, it

is not: I immediately fufpect my own judgment; and the more fo, because I remember, I have been many times full as fure as I am now and yet afterwards, I found myself mistaken.

As to this particular Question, I believe I am able to answer every Objection which can be made. But I am not able to do it without expending much time, which may be better employed. For this reason I am perfuaded, it is fo far from being my duty to enter into a formal Controverfy about it, that it would be a wilful fin: it would be employ. ing my short refidue of life, in a lefs profitable way than it may be employed.

The Propofition which I will hold is this: "A perfon may be cleansed from all finful tempers, and yet need the atoning Blood." For what? For "Negligences and Ignorances:" for both Words and Actions (as well as omiffions) which are, in a sense, Transgreffions of the perfect Law. And I believe, no one is clear of thefe, till he lays down this corruptible body.

Now, Sammy, dropping the point of Contradiction, tell me fimply what you would have more? Do you believe evil Tempers remain till death? All, or fome? If fome only, which?

I love Truth wherever I find it, fo if you can help me to a little more of it, you will oblige, dear Sammy, yours, &c. J. WESLEY.

On the DEATH of Mr. B. who died on Sunday,

April 23, 1782.

APPY the follower of his Lord,

HAP

Called, and indulged in him to die,

To gain a full, immense reward,

Bestowed by Jefus in the sky!

He

He refts from all his labours there,
Pursued by all his works of love;
And waits for us the joy to fhare,
Triumphant with our friends above.
Then let us cheerfully pursue.

Our comrade, to that heavenly land,
And keep, like him, our end in view,
And love, like him, our Lord's command:
Obedient both in word and deed,

By works his genuine faith he showed;
Rejoiced in Jefu's steps to tread,
And spent his life in doing good.

Affliction's kind, unfailing friend,
He wifely used his growing store,
And prized his privilege to lend

To God, by giving to the poor:

The Lord his libéral fervant blefféd,

Who paid him back the bleffings givẻn; And ftill, the more his wealth increased, More treasure he laid up in heaven.

Through life inviolably just,

He his integrity maintained,
Moft ftrictly faithful to his truft,

An upright man of truth unfeigned;
His roughly, honeft foul abhorred,
The polifh fmooth, the courtier's art,
And free from guile in every word,
He spoke the language of his heart.

Who always libéral things devised,

By libéral things he firmly flood,
Sincerely loved his friends and prized,
Their burthens bore, and fought their good:

But

But chiefly those to Jefus dear,
Who travelled to that land of reft;
As brethren intimately near,

He cherished in his generous breast.

A man of paffions like to ours,

For years he groaned beneath his load,
And wrestled with the adverfe powers,
And looked to the atoning blood!
The blood which once his pardon bought,
Did here the contrite finner savé ;
And all his faults are now forgot,
Are buried in his Saviour's grave.

An ELEGY, written in a GARDEN.

WHAT mingled beauties here conspire to please!

What various prospects cheer the wandering eye!

In these sweet shades let me recline at ease,
While balmy Zephyrs fan the fultry sky.

Shield me, kind Dryads, in this fafe retreat,
Where Ofiers mark the cool Wave's lucid way:
Where friendly Gales allay the raging heat,

And breathing Waters mitigate the day.

Here polifhed Art affumes fair Nature's face:

Round the fmoothBeech the wood-bines breathe perfumes;

Here tufted Pinks the mofly margin grace,

And the fweet Rofe in fovéreign beauty blooms.

Elate with Spring, and dreffed in all her dyes,
See hovering round-yon infe&t idly gay :

A moment on its balmly breaft fhe lies,

Then light through liquid Æther wings her way.

Thou