My first acquaintance with the Moravian brethren began in my voyage to Georgia. Being then with many of them in the same ship, I narrowly observed their whole behaviour. And I greatly approved of all I saw. Therefore I unbosomed myself to them without reserve. From February 14, 1735, to December 2, 1737, being with them (except when I went to Frederica or Carolina) twice or thrice every day, I loved and esteemed them more and more. Yet a few things I could not approve of. These I mentioned to them from time to time, and then commended the cause to God. In February following I met with Peter Böhler. My heart clave to him as soon as he spoke. And the more we conversed, so much the more did I esteem both him and all the Moravian Church: so that I had no rest in my spirit till I executed the design which I had formed long before: till, after a short stay in Holland, I hastened forward, first to Marienborn, and then to Hernhuth. In September, 1738, soon after my return to England, I began the following letter to the Moravian Church. But being fearful of trusting my own judgment, I determined to wait yet a little longer, and so laid it by unfinished :

"MY DEAR BRethren,

"I cannot but rejoice in your steadfast faith, in your love to our blessed Redeemer, your deadness to the world; your meekness, temperance, chastity, and love of one another. I greatly approve of your conferences and bands; of your method of instructing children; and, in general, of your great care of the souls committed to your charge. But of some other things I stand in doubt, which I will mention in love and meekness. And I wish that, in order to remove those doubts, you would on each of those heads, First, Plainly answer, whether the fact be as I suppose; and, if so, Secondly, Consider whether it be right.

"Do you not wholly neglect joint fasting? Is not the Count all in all? Are not the rest mere shadows; calling him Rabbi; almost implicitly both believing and obeying him? Is there not something of levity in your behaviour? Are you, in general, serious enough? Are you zealous and watchful to redeem time? Do you not sometimes fall into trifling conversation? Do you not magnify your own Church too much? Do you believe any who are not of it to be in gospel liberty? Are you not straitened in your love? Do you love your enemies and wicked men as yourselves? Do you not mix human wisdom with divine; joining worldly prudence to heavenly? Do you not use cunning, guile, or dissimulation in many cases? Are you not of a close, dark, reserved temper and behaviour? Is not the spirit of secresy the spirit of your community? Have you that child-like openness, frankness, and plainness of speech, so manifest to all in the Apostles and first Christians?"

It may easily be seen that my objections, then, were nearly the same as now. Yet I cannot say my affection was lessened at all, till after September, 1739, when certain men among us began to trouble their brethren, and subvert their souls. However, I cleared the Moravians still, and laid the whole blame on our English brethren. But from November the 1st, I could not but see (unwilling as I was to see them) more and more things which I could in no wise reconcile with the gospel of Christ. And these I have set down with all simplicity, as they occurred in order of time: believing myself indispensably obliged so to do, both in duty to God and man. Yet do I this, because I love them not? God knoweth; yea, and in part I esteem them still: because I

verily believe, they have a sincere desire to serve God; because many of them have tasted of his love, and some retain it in simplicity; because they love one another; because they have so much of the truth of the Gospel, and so far abstain from outward sin; and, lastly, because their discipline is, in most respects, so truly excellent.

"But why then are you bitter against them?" I do not know that I am. Let the impartial reader judge. And if any bitter word has escaped my notice, I here utterly retract it. "But do not you rail at them?" I hope not. God forbid that I should rail at a Turk, infidel, or heretic. To one who advanced the most dangerous error, I durst say no more than, "The Lord rebuke thee." But I would point out what those errors were; and, I trust, in the spirit of meekness.

In this spirit, my brethren, I have read, and endeavoured to consider, all the books you have published in England, that I might inform myself whether, on further consideration, you had retracted the errors which were advanced before. But it does by no means appear that you have retracted any of them: for, waiving the odd and affected phrases therein; the weak, mean, silly, childish expressions; the crude, confused, and indigested notions; the whims, unsupported either by Scripture or sound reason; yea, waiving those assertions which, though contrary to Scripture and matter of fact, are, however, of no importance; those three grand errors run through almost all those books, viz. Universal Salvation, Antinomianism, and a kind of new-reformed Quietism.

1. Can Universal Salvation be more explicitly asserted than it is in these words?" By this his name all can and shall obtain life and salvation." (Sixteen Discourses, p. 30.) This must include all men, at least; and may include all devils too. Again, "The name of the wicked will not be so much as mentioned on the great day." (Seven Discourses, p. 22.) And if they are not so much as mentioned, they cannot be condemned.

2. How can Antinomianism, (N. B. I speak of Antinomian doctrine, abstracted from practice, good or bad,) that is, making void the law through faith, be more expressly taught than it is in these words ?"To believe certainly, that Christ suffered death for us: this is the true means to be saved at once: we want no more. For the history of Jesus coming into the world, is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;' the bare historical knowledge of this." (Sixteen Discourses, p. 57.) "There is but one duty, which is that of believing." (Ibid. p. 193.) "From any demand of the law, no man is obliged now to go one step, to give away one farthing, to eat or omit one morsel." (Seven Discourses, p. 11.) "What did our Lord do with the law? He abolished it." (Ibid. p. 33.) "Here one may think, -This is a fine sort of Christianity, where nothing good is commanded, and nothing bad is forbid. But thus it is." (Ibid. p. 34.) "So one ought to speak now. All commands and prohibitions are unfit for our times." (Ibid.)

3. Is not the very essence of Quietism (though in a new shape) contained in these words?" The whole matter lies in this, that we should suffer ourselves to be relieved." (Sixteen Discourses, p. 17.) "One must do nothing, but quietly attend the voice of the Lord." (Ibid. p. 29.) To tell men who have not experienced the power of grace, what they

should do, and how they ought to behave, is as if you should send a lame man upon an errand." (Ibid. p. 70.) "The beginning is not to be made with doing what our Saviour has commanded. For whosoever will begin with doing, when he is dead, he can do nothing at all; but whatever he doeth in his own activity, is but a cobweb; that is, good for nothing." (Ibid. p. 72, 81.) "As soon as we remain passive before him as the wood which a table is to be made from, then something comes of us." (Seven Discourses, p. 22.)

"Very

O my brethren, let me conjure you yet again, in the name of our common Lord, "if there be any consolation of love, if any bowels and mercies," remove "the fly" out of "the pot of ointment;" separate "the precious from the vile!" Review, I beseech you, your whole work, and see if Satan hath gained no advantage over you. excellent things" have been "spoken of thee, O thou city of God." But may not " He which hath the sharp sword with two edges" say, Yet "I have a few things against thee?" O that ye would repent of these, that ye might be "a glorious Church; not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing."

Three things, above all, permit me, even me, to press upon you, with all the earnestness of love First, With regard to your doctrine, that ye purge out from among you, the leaven of Antinomianism, wherewith you are so deeply infected, and no longer "make void the Law through faith." Secondly, With regard to your discipline, that ye "call no man Rabbi, Master," Lord of your faith, "upon earth." Subordination, I know, is needful; and I can show you such a subordination, as in fact answers all Christian purposes, and is yet as widely distant from that among you, as the heavens are from the earth. Thirdly, With regard to your practice, that ye renounce all craft, cunning, subtlety, dissimulation; wisdom, falsely so called; that ye put away all disguise, all guile out of your mouth; that in all "simplicity and godly sincerity" ye "have your conversation in this world;" that ye use "great plainness of speech" to all, whatever ye suffer thereby; seeking only, "by manifestation of the truth," to "commend" yourselves "to every man's conscience in the sight of God."

June 24, 1744.

AN EXTRACT

OF THE

REV. MR. JOHN WESLEY'S JOURNAL.

FROM SEPTEMBER 3, 1741, TO OCTOBER 27, 1743

JOURNAL.-No. V.

SUNDAY, September 6, 1741.--Observing some who were beginning to use their liberty as a cloak for licentiousness, I enforced, in the morning, those words of St. Paul, (worthy to be written in the heart of every believer,) “All things are lawful for me; but all things are not expedient ;" and, in the evening, that necessary advice of our Lord, "That men ought always to pray, and not to faint." Mon. 7.—I visited a young man in St. Thomas's Hospital, who, in strong pain, was praising God continually. At the desire of many of the patients, I spent a short time with them in exhortation and prayer. O what a harvest might there be, if any lover of souls, who has time upon his hands, would constantly attend these places of distress, and, with tenderness and meekness of wisdom, instruct and exhort those on whom God has laid his hands, to know and improve the day of their visitation!

Wed. 9.-I expounded in Greyhound-lane, Whitechapel, part of the one hundred and seventh psalm. And they did rejoice whom "the Lord had redeemed, and delivered from the hand of the enemy." Sat. 12.-I was greatly comforted by one whom God had lifted up from the gates of death, and who was continually telling, with tears of joy, what God had done for his soul. Sun. 13.-I met about two hundred persons, with whom severally I had talked the week before, at the French chapel, in Hermitage-street, Wapping, where they gladly joined in the service of the Church, and particularly in the Lord's Supper, at which Mr. Hall assisted. It was more than two years after this, that he began so vehemently to declaim against my brother and me, as bigots to the Church, and those carnal ordinances," as he loved to term them. Fri. 18.-I buried the only child of a tender parent, who, having soon finished her course, after a short sickness, went to Him her soul loved, in the fifteenth year of her age.

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Sun. 20.-I preached in Charles' Square, Hoxton, on these solemn words, "This is life eternal, to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." I trust God blessed his word. The scoffers stood abashed, and opened not their mouth. Mon. 21.-I set out, and the next evening met my brother at Bristol, with Mr. Jones, of Fonmon Castle, in Wales; now convinced of the truth as it is in

Jesus, and labouring with his might to redeem the time he had lost, to make his calling sure, and to lay hold on eternal life.

Thur. 24.-In the evening we went to Kingswood. The house was filled from end to end. And we continued in ministering the word of God, and in prayer and praise, till the morning.

Sun. 27.-I expounded at Kingswood, (morning and afternoon,) at Bristol, and at Baptist Mills, the message of God to the Church of Ephesus, particularly that way of recovering our first love, which God hath prescribed, and not man: "Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works." Tues. 29.—I was pressed to visit Nicholas Palmer, one who had separated from us, and behaved with great bitterness, till God laid his hand upon him. He had sent for me several times, saying, he could not die in peace till he had seen me. I found him in great weakness of body and heaviness of spirit. We wrestled with God on his behalf; and our labour was not in vain: his soul was comforted; and a few hours after, he quietly fell asleep.

Thur. Oct. 1.-We set out for Wales; but missing our passage over the Severn in the morning, it was sunset before we could get to Newport. We inquired there if we could hire a guide to Cardiff; but there was none to be had. A lad coming in quickly after, who was going (he said) to Lanissan, a little village two miles to the right of Cardiff, we resolved to go thither. At seven we set out; it rained pretty fast, and there being neither moon nor stars, we could neither see any road, nor one another, nor our own horses' heads; but the promise of God did not fail; he gave his angels charge over us; and soon after ten we came safe to Mr. Williams's house at Lanissan.

Fri. 2.-We rode to Fonmon Castle. We found Mr. Jones's daughter ill of the small pox: but he could cheerfully leave her and all the rest in the hands of Him in whom he now believed. In the evening I preached at Cardiff, in the Shire Hall, a large and convenient place, on, "God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." There having been a feast in the town that day, I believed it needful to add a few words upon intemperance and while I was saying, “As for you, drunkards, you have no part in this life; you abide in death; you choose death and hell;" a man cried out vehemently, "I am one; and thither I am going." But I trust God at that hour began to show him and others "a more excellent way."

Sat. 3.-About noon we came to Pont-y-Pool. A clergyman stopped me in the first street; a few more found me out soon after, whose love I did not find to be cooled at all by the bitter adversaries who had been among them. True pains had been taken to set them against my brother and me, by men who "know not what manner of spirit" they "are of." But instead of disputing, we betook ourselves to prayer; and all our hearts were knit together as at the first. In the afternoon we came to Abergavenny. Those who are bitter of spirit have been here also; yet Mrs. James (now Mrs. Whitefield) received us gladly, as she had done aforetime. But we could not procure even two or three to join with us in the evening beside those of her own household.

Sun. 4.-I had an unexpected opportunity of receiving the holy communion. In the afternoon we had a plain, useful sermon, on the Pharisee and the Publican praying in the temple; which I explained at large