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A Copy of the Circular Letter which has given Occasion to this Viidication; to which is annexed, a Copy of the Reverend Mr. Wesley's Minutes.

SIR,

WHEREAS Mr. Wesley's conference is to be held at Bristol, on Tuesday the 6th of August next, it is proposed by Lady Huntingdon and many other Christian friends (real protestants) to have a meeting at Bristol, at the same time, of such principal persons, both clergy and laity, who disapprove of the underwritten Minutes; and as the same are thought injurious to the very fundamental principles of Christianity, it is further proposed, that they go in a body to the said conference, and insist upon a formal recantation of the said Minutes; and in case of a refusal, that they sign and publish their protest against them. Your presence, Sir, on this occasion is particularly requested; but if it should not suit your convenience to be there, it is desired that you will transmit your sentiments on the subject to such person as you think proper to produce them. It is submitted to you, whether it would not be right, in the opposition to be made to such a dreadful heresy, to recommend it to as many of your Christian friends, as well of the dissenters as of the established church, as you can prevail on to be there, the cause being of so public a nature, I am, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

WALTER SHIRLEY.

P. S.-Your answer is desired, directed to the Countess of Huntingdon, or the Rev. Mr. Shirley, or John Lloyd, Esq. in Bath; or Mr. James Ireland, Merchant, Bristol; or to Thomas Powis, Esq. at Berwick, near Shrewsbury; or to Richard Hill, Esq. at Hawkstone, near Whitchurch, Shropshire. Lodgings will be provided. Enquire at Mr. Ireland's Bristol.

EXTRACT from the MINUTES of some late CONVERSATIONS between the Rev. Mr. Wesley, and others, at a public Conference held in London, August 7, 1770, and printed by W. Pine, Bristol.

TAKE heed to your doctrine.

We said in 1744, “We have leaned too much toward Calvinìsın.” Wherein ?

1. With regard to man's faithfulness. Our Lord himself taught us to use the expression. And we ought never to be ashamed of it. We ought steadily to assert, on his authority, that if a man is not faithful in the unrighteous mammon, God will not give him the true riches.

2. With regard to working for life. This also our Lord has expressly commanded us. Labour, 'Epyaceae, literally, work for the meat that endureth for everlasting life. And in fact every believer, till he comes to glory, works for, as well as from life.

3. We have received it as a maxim, that "A man is to do nothing, in order to justification." Nothing can be more false. Whoever desires to And favour with God, should cease from evil, and learn to do well. Who

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ever repents should do works meet for repentance. And if this is not in order to find favour, what does he do them for?

Review the whole affair.

1. Who of us is now accepted of God?

He that now believes in Christ, with a loving obedient heart.

2. But who among those that never heard of Christ?

He that feareth God, and worketh righteousness according to the light he has.

3. Is this the same with, "He that is sincere?"

Nearly, if not quite.

4. Is not this Salvation by works?"

Not by the merit of works, but by works as a condition.

5. What have we then been disputing about for these thirty years? I am afraid about words.

6. As to merit itself, of which we have been so dreadfully afraid,—we are rewarded, according to our works, yea, because of our works. How does this differ from, for the sake of our works? And how differs this froin secundum merita operum? As our works deserve? Can you split this hair? I doubt I cannot.

7. The grand objection to one of the preceding propositions, is drawn from matter of fact, God does in fact justify those who, by their own confession, neither feared God nor wrought righteousness. Is this an exception to the general rule?

It is a doubt, God makes any exception at all. But how are we sure that the person in question never did fear God and work righteousness? His own saying so is not a proof; for we know how all that are convinced of sin undervalue themselves in every respect.

8. Does not talking of a justified or a sanctified state tend to mislead men? Almost naturally leading them to trust in what was done in one moment? Whereas we are every hour and every moment pleasing or displeasing to God, according to our works. According to the whole of our inward tempers and our outward behaviour.

First Letter to the Rev. Mr. Shirley.

Honoured and Reverend Sir,

BEFORE a judge passes sentence upon a person accused of theft, he hears what his neighbours have to say for his character. Mr. Wesley, I grant, is accused of what is worse than theft,—dreadful heresy; and I know that whosoever maintains a dreadful heresy is a dreadful heretic, and that the church of Rome shews no mercy to such; but may not real protestants indulge with the privilege of a felon, one whom they so lately respected as a brother? And may not I, an old friend and acquaintance of his, be permitted to speak a word in his favour, before he is branded in the forehead, as he has already been on the back?

This step, I fear, will cost me my reputation, (if I have any) and involve me in the same condemnation with him whose cause, together with that of truth, I design to plead. But when humanity prompts, when gratitude calls, when friendship excites, when reason invites, when justice demands, when truth requires, and conscience summons, he does not deserve the name of a Christian friend, who, for any consideration, hesitates to vindicate what he esteems truth, and to stand by an aggrieved friend, brother, and father. Were I not Sir, on such an occasion

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this, to step out of my beloved obscurity, you might deservedly reproach me as a dastardly wretch; nay, you have already done it in general terms in your excellent sermon on the fear of man. "How often," say you, "do men sneakingly forsake their friends, instead of gloriously supporting them against a powerful adversary, even when their cause is just, for reasons nastily prudential, for fear of giving umbrage to a superior party. or interest."

These generous words of yours, Rev. Sir, together with the leave you give both churchmen and dissenters, to direct to you their answers to your circular letter, are my excuse for intruding upon you by this epistle, and my apology for begging your candid attention, while I attempt to convince you that my friend's principles and minutes are not heretical. In order to this, I shall lay before you, and the principal persons both clergy and laity, whom you have from all parts of England and Wales, convened at Bristol by printed letters :-

I. A general view of the Rev. Mr. Wesley's doctrine.

II. An account of the commendable design of his Minutes.

III. A vindication of the propositions which they contain, by arguments taken from scripture, reason, and experience, and by quotations from eminent calvinist divines, who have said the same things in different words.

And suppose you yourself, Sir, in particular, should appear to be a strong assertor of the doctrines which you call a dreadful heresy in Mr. W. I hope you will not refuse me leave to conclude by expostulating with you upon your conduct in this affair, and recommending to you and our other Christian friends, the forbearance which you recommend to others in one of your sermons: Why doth the narrow heart of man pursue with malice or rashness those who presume to differ from hin?" Yea, and what is most extraordinary, those who agree with him in all essential points?

I. When, in an intricate case, a prudent judge is afraid to pass an unjust sentence, he enquires, as I observed, into the general conduct of the person accused, and by that means frequently finds out the truth which he investigates. As that method may be of service in the present case, permit me, Sir, to lay before you a general view of Mr. W.'s doctrine.

1. For above these sixteen years I have heard him frequently in his chapels, and sometimes in my church; I have familiarly conversed and corresponded with him, and have often perused his numerous works in verse and prose; and I can truly say, that during all that time I have heard him, upon every proper occasion, steadily maintain the total fall of man in Adam, and his utter inability to recover himself, or take any one step towards his recovery, "without the grace of God preventing him, that he may have a good will, and working with him when he has that good will."

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The deepest expressions that ever struck my ears on the melancholy subject of our natural depravity and helplessness, are those which dropped from his lips and I have ever observed that he constantly ascribes to divine grace, not only the good works and holy tempers of believers, but all the good thoughts of upright heathens, and the good desires of those professors whom he sees begin in the spirit and end in the flesh; when, to my great surprise, some of those who accuse him of " robbing God of the glory of his grace, and ascribing too much to man's power," directly or indirectly maintain, that Demas and his fellow apostates never had any grace; and that if once they went on far in the ways of God, it was merely by the force of fallen nature,—a sentiment which Mr. W. looks upon as diametrically opposite to the humbling assertion of our Lord, "Without me ye can do nothing," and which he can no more admit than the rankest Delagianism.

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2. I must likewise testify, that he faithfully points out Christ as the only way of salvation; and strongly recommends faith as the only means of receiving him, and all the benefits of his righteous life and meritorious death and truth obliges me to declare, that he frequently expresses his detestation of the errors of modern pharisees, who laugh at original sin, set up the powers of fallen man, cry down the operations of God's Spirit, deny the absolute necessity of the blood and righteousness of Christ, and refuse him the glory of all the good that may be found in Jew or Gentile. And you will not without difficulty, Sir, find in England, and perhaps in all the world, a minister who hath borne more frequent testimonies, either from the pulpit or the press, against those dangerous errors. All his works confirm my assertion, especially his sermons on Original Sin, and Salvation by Faith, and his masterly refutation of Dr. Taylor, the wisest Arian, Pelagian, and Socinian of our age. Nor am I afraid to have this testimony confronted with his Minutes, being fully persuaded that, when they are candidly explained, they rather confirm than overthrow it.

His preaching of the Fall and the Recovery is attended with a peculiar advantage, it is close and experimental; he not only points out the truth of those doctrines, but presses his hearers to cry to God that they may feel their weight upon their hearts. Some open those great truths very clearly, but let their congregations rest, like the stony ground hearers, in the first emotions of sorrow, and joy which the word frequently excites. Not so Mr. Wesley; he will have true penitents" feel the plague of their own hearts, travel, be heavy laden, and receive the sentence of death in themselves, according to the glorious ministration of condemnation :" and, " according to the ministration of the spirit which exceeds in glory," he insists upon true believers knowing for themselves that Jesus hath power on earth to forgive sins, and assert that they taste the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, and that they are made partakers of the Holy Ghost and the divine nature; the Spirit itself bearing witness with their spirit that they are the children of God.

3. The next furdamental doctrine in Christianity, is that of holiness of heart and life; and no one can here accuse Mr. W. of leaning to the Autinomian delusion, which makes void the law through a speculative and barren faith; on the contrary, he appears to be.peculiarly set for the defence of practical religion; for, instead of representing Christ as the minister of sin, with Ranters, to the great grief and offence of many, he sets him forth as a complete Saviour from sin. Not satisfied to preach holiness begun, he preaches finished holiness, and calls believers to such a degree of heart-purifying faith, as may enable them continually to triumph in Christ, as being made to them of God, sanctification, as well as righteousness.

It is, I grant, his misfortune (if indeed it is one) to preach a fuller salvation than most professors expect to enjoy here: for he asserts that Jesus can make clean the inside, as well as the outside, of his vessels unto honour; that "he hath power on earth to save his people from their sins," and that his blood cleanses from all sin, from the guilt and defilement both of original and actual corruption. He is, bold enough to declare with St. John, that "if we say we have no sin," either by nature or practice, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us! but if we confess, our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." He is legal enough not to be ashamed of these words of Moses, "The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all 'thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." And he dares to believe that the Lord can perform the words which he spoke by Eze....

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kiel "I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols will cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you; I will take away the stony heart out of 5 your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes; and ye shall keep my judgments and do them. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses." Hence it is that he constantly exhorts his hearers to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Saviour; till by a strong and lively faith, they can continually "reckon themselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord:" he tells them that " he who committeth sin is the servant of sin."---That" our old man is crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."---That " if the Son shall make them free, they shall be free indeed."---And that, although the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, will not deliver them from the innocent infirmities incident to flesh and blood, it will nevertheless make them free from the law of sin and death, and enable them to say with holy triumph, "How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?" In a word, he thinks that God can so shed abroad his love in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us, as to sanctify us wholly, soul, body, and spirit; and enable us to rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, and in every thing give thanks. And he is persuaded that he who can do far exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think, is able to fill us with the perfect love which casts our fear; that we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, may have the mind that was in Christ, be righteous as the man Jesus was righteous, walk as he also walked; and be in our measure as he was in the world; he as the stock of the tree of righteousness, and we as the branches, having our fruit from him unto holiness, and serving God without fear in true righteousness all the days of our life.

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This he sometimes calls full sanctification, the state of fathers in Christ or the glorious liberty of the children of God; sometimes, a being strengthened, stablished, and settled; or being rooted and grounded in love: but most commonly he calls it Christian perfection a word which though used by the Apostles in the same sense, cannot be used by him without raising the pity or indignation of one half of the religious world; some making it the subject of their pious sneers, and godly lampoons; while others tell you roundly, "they abhor it above every thing in the creation." Tantæne animis cælestibus iræ!

On account of this doctrine it is that he is traduced as a pharisee, a papist, an anti-christ; some of his opposers taking it for granted that he makes void the priestly office of Christ, by affirming that his blood can so completely wash us here from our sins, that at death we shall be found of him in peace, without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing; while others, to colour their opposition to the many scriptures which he brings to support this unfashionable doctrine, give it out that he only wants the old man so refined in all his tempers, and regulated in all his outward behaviour, as to appear perfect in the flesh; or, in other terms, that he sets up pharisaic self, instead of Christ completely formed in us as the full hope of glory. But I must (for one) do him the justice to say he is mis- · apprehended, and that what he calls perfection, is nothing but the rich cluster of all the spiritual blessings promised to believers in the gospel ; and, among the rest, a continual sense of the virtue of Christ's atoning and purifying blood, preventing, both old guilt from returning, and new guilt from fastening upon the conscience; together with the deepest consciousness of our helplessness and nothingness in our best estate, the most endearing discoveries of the Redeemer's love, and the most humbling. and yet ravishing views of his glorious fulness: witness these lines which conclude one of his favourite hymns on that subject.

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