his tabernacle, to his reftinge place. My foule is with the congregation of the first borne, my bodie refts in hope; and if heere I may honour my God, either by doinge or fufferinge I fhall be moft glad. Truely no poore creture hath more cause to putt forth himselfe in the cause of his God then I. I have had plentifull wadges before hand; and I am fure I fhall never earne the leaft mite. The Lord accept mee in his Sonn, and give mee to walke in the light, and give us to walke in the light, as hee is in the light. Hee it is that inlighteneth our blacknesse, our darknesse. I dare not fay, he hideth his face from mee; hee giveth mee to fee light in his light: one beame in a darke place hath exceedinge much refreshment in it; bleffed bee his name for fhining upon foe darke a hart as mine. You know what my manner of life hath bine. O, I lived in, and loved darknefse and hated the light; I was a chiefe, the chiefe of finners. This is true I hated godlinefse, yett God had mercy onn mee. O the riches of his mercy! Praife him for mee, pray for mee, that hee whoe hath begunn a good worke would perfect it to the day of Chrift. Salute all my good friends in that family, whereof you are yett a member. I am much bound unto them for their love. I bleffe the Lord for them, and that my fonn by their procurement is foe well. Lett him have your prayers, your councell; lett mee have them. Salute your husband and fifter from mee hee is not a man of his word: hee promised to write about Mr. Wrath of Epenge, but as yett I receaved noe Letters: putt him in mind to doe what with convenience may bee donn for the poore cozen, I did follicit him about. Once more farewell; the Lord bee with you; foe pray eth Your trulye lovinge cozen,

OLIVER CROMWELL. My wives fervace and love'prefented to all her friends. To

my beloved cozen Mrs St. Johns att Sir William Mafkam his

houfe called Oates in Effex

prefent theife

How

How far is it the Duty of a CHRISTIAN MINISTER, to PREACH POLITICS?

1.

"IT

T is impoffible to anfwer this queftion, before it is underflood. We must first therefore endeavour to understand it; and then it will be easy to answer.

2. There is a plain command in the Bible, Thou shalt not Speak evil of the Ruler of thy people. But notwithstanding this, many that are called religious people, fpeak evil of him continually. And they speak many things that are palpably falfe; particularly when they affirm him to be a w-k man: whereas a Nobleman who is not at all prejudiced in his favour, when he was preffed to fpeak, made this honeft declaration: "Sir, I know him well; and I judge the King to be one of the moft fenfible men in Europe. His Minifters are no fools: but his Majesty is able to wind them all round his finger." 3. Now when a Clergyman comes into a place, where this, and many more Stories, equally falfe, have been diligently propagated against the King, and are generally believed: if he guards the people against this evil-speaking, by refuting those flanders, many cry out, " O, he is preaching Politics."

4. If you mean this by the term, it is the bounden Duty of every Chriftian Minifler to preach Politics. It is our bounden duty to refute these vile afperfions, in public as well as in private. But this can be done only now and then, when it comes naturally in our way. For it is our main and conflant bufinefs, to preach Jefus Chrift, and him crucified.

5. Again. Many who do not fo freely cenfure the King, fpeak all manner of evil of his Minifters. If any misfortune befals us at home or abroad, by fea or land, it is "all their fault." If one Commander in America is surprised with all his forces, when he is dead drunk, "Lord North defeives to

be

be hanged." If General Burgoyne or Lord Cornwallis is betrayed into their Enemy's hand, all the blame is laid on our Ministers at home. But ftill the King is wounded through their fides; the blame glances from them to him. Yet if we say a word in defence of Them (which is in effect, defending Him) this alfo is preaching Politics.

6. It is always difficult and frequently impoffible for private men, to judge of the measures taken by men in public Offices. We do not fee many of the grounds which determine them. to act, in this or the contrary manner. Generally therefore it behoves us to be filent, as we may suppose they know their own business best: but when they are cenfured without any colour of reason, and when an odium is caft on the King by that means, we ought to preach Politics in this fenfe alfo: we ought publicly to confute those unjust Cenfures. Only remembering ftill, that this is rarely to be done, and only when fit occafion offers: it being our main business to preach Repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jefus Chrift.

Lewisham, Jan. 9, 1782.

வி

JOHN WESLEY.

On hearing MINISTERS who oppose the TRUTH.

1. AST fummer 1 received a letter from Yorkshire, figned by feveral ferious men, who propofed a Difficulty they were under, wherein they knew not how to act. And indeed I did not well know how to advise them. So I delayed giving them a determinate Answer, till I could lay the matter before our Brethren, at the enfuing Conference.

2. Their Difficulty was this. "You advise all the members of our Societies, conftantly to attend the Service of the Church. We have done fo for à confiderable time. But

very frequently Mr. R. our Minifter, preaches not only what we believe to be false, but dangerously false Doctrine. He afferts, and endeavours to prove, That we cannot be faved from our fins in this life, and that we must not hope to be perfected in love, on this fide Eternity. Our nature is very willing to receive this; therefore it is very liable to hurt us. Hence we have a doubt, whether it is our duty, to hear this preaching, which experience fhews to weaken our fouls."

3. This Letter I laid before the Conference, and we easily perceived, the Difficulty therein propofed, concerned not only the Society at Bailden, but many others in various parts of the kingdom. It was therefore confidered at large, and all our Brethren were defired to speak their fentiments freely. In the conclusion, they unanimously agreed, 1. That it was highly expedient, all the Methodists (fo called) who had been bred therein, fhould attend the fervice of the Church as often as poffible: but that Secondly, if the Minifter began either to preach the Abfolute Decrees, or to rail at, and ridicule Chriftian Perfection, they fhould quietly and filently go out of the Church; yet attend it again the next opportunity.

4. I have fince that time, revolved this matter over and over in my own mind. And the more I confider it, the more I am convinced, this was the beft Anfwer that could be given. I ftill advife all our Friends, when this cafe occurs, quietly and filently to go out. Only I muft earnestly caution them, not to be critical: not to make a man an offender for a word; no, nor for a few fentences, which any who believe the Decrees may drop without defign. But if fuch a Minifter fhould at any time, deliberately and of fet purpose, endeavour to establish Abfolute Predeftination, or to confute Scriptural Perfection; then I advise all the Methodists in the Congregation, quietly to go away..

Lewisham, Jan. 9, 1782.

VOL.-V.

JOHN WESLEY.

U

LETTERS

HILE I write, the Lord give me to fpeak plainly, eying

nothing but his glory! O fearch the very bottom of your heart, that you may not cleave to any thing. This is one of the moft difficult things, in the whole race we have to run. At the time my foul was deeply entangled, I gained abundantly more power over all things elfe. It infallibly hindered my cleaving to any other perfon: nor could the temptations which would have deftroyed others come near me. Satan was content with that One, which he knew would be as effectual as a thoufand hinderances. But here I found him out. I thought, "Lord, how is it, that I have more power over all these things; and yet I have not more 'union with thee? I do not feel that I draw nourishment from thee, as the branch from the vine?" Is it not fo with you? Do not you cleave to me? I would not for the world have you deceived herein. Search therefore I intreat you, and cut off whatever ftands between God and you!

Do not you find at fome times, more Faith, or Hope, or nearness to God than at others? May my dear Lord bless you more and more!