Which was published in the Winter, 1749; and relates Matters from September 3, 1741, to October 27, 1743. So that feven or eight Years intervene. But for this, no Doubt, you have good Reafons. For you appeal here to Facts; and bring your Evidence, which might have been brought immediately, at the Distance of many Years. Which must be alloved to be a cautious and prudent Step. For fome of the Parties concerned may probably have died in the Interval: Many Circumftances (as a found Judgment and good Memory don't often meet) may have been forgotten by your Difciples. In which Cafes you are therefore under no Danger of being contradicted; and may relate as little, or as much, as you pleafe. Characters of Perfons, and Variety of Incidents may have been fo altered, that, after a Courfe of Years, you may find it proper to change your Note; and thereby be guilty of fewer Inconfiftencies. Prophecies efpecially may have been uttered, in Ecftatic or Raging Fits, of Things fhortly to be fulfilled. And then it is perfectly right to wait the Event; left Want of Accomplishment should oc cafion Shame. Prophecy (you well know) is one of the neceffary Ingredients of Enthusiasm. And the Predictions, if put off to a remote Event, would not ferve an Impoftor's Purpose. His Followers are too impatient and eager to stay: They must be ftruck with fomething near at Hand. And yet the precife Time, Day or Year of it, must be too punctually mentioned, for Fear of Difappointment. Your Acquaintance, Madam Bourignon, was fo imprudent, as to fix "the Millennium, or Day of Judgment, within her own Days; and fo near, that within three Years we should fee the Effect of it." She hath been dead about feventy Years, and thereby proved

berfelf

=

berfelf a falfe Prophetefs. You, Sir, have been, for fome Years, a Dealer-out of the fame Prophetic Warnings: "Behold! the Day of the Lord is come. At this very Hour the Lord is rolling away our Reproach." As your Reproach is not beginning to be rolled away, much less appears any full Copletion; haply you have obtained an Inhibition; or have Power to adjourn the Day of the Lord, from Time to Time, at your Pleafure. By fuch Artifices you may hope to escape the Snare, into which a Brother Methodist-Teacher fell; who pronounced peremptorily, fome few Years ago, "that the Day of Judgment should come that very Year; but, unluckily, a Failure of Prophecy happening, he was put to Shame: - I mean, if he had any. You will have the Story anon.

In the mean Time take the following Story from Aventine. "At that Time [about nine Hundred Years ago] there was a crazy Woman, called Theoda, who, under the Direction of a Priest, for the Sake of Lucre, and depending on the Credulity of the People, (ignorant Perfons being always more fuperftitious than religious) fet up for the Gift of Prophefying. She pretended Heavenly Vifions, Meetings, and Conversations with the Celestial Beings; and foretold, that the Day of Judgment should come that very Year. Men, Women, and Children, frightened out of their Senfes, flocked about her; brought her Prefents, and begged her Interceffion with Heaven; followed, adored, and esteemed her infpired. But being brought before some Bishops, she difcovered the whole Cheat, in which she was inftructed by the Prieft. For which he only underwent the Di'cipline of Whipping; and was let go, to be afterwards a public Laughing-Stock."

Annal.

Lib. 4.

8.23.

Page 1.

P. 69.

P. 107.

Your own Followers, in your laft Journal, have a Share in your Complaints: "Some beginning to use their Liberty as a Cloak for Licentioufnefs." readily believe it; and not only beginning, but running great Lengths. You difcovered among them fuch Wiles of Satan, as never entered into your Heart to conceive." And how could you expect better, after their being caught in your own Wiles? -- A pretty Character too you give of fome of your Congregations, who have not yet known thefe Depths. "Preach108. ing at Morva, I observed an earneft, ftupid Attention in the Hearers : Not one convinced of Sin: Others fhewing huge Approbation, and abfolute Unconcern.in I preached, in the Caftle at Exeter, to Juch a People as I have rarely seen, void both of Anger, Fear, and Love."- Strange People indeed to be void of all three! At another Place your Sheep a little mend: "At London I met the wild, ftaring, loving Society."- All unaccountably firange People! But not a Quarter fo unaccountable, as when they come to be variously metamorphofed by your inchanted Wand.

P. 76.

P. 32.

What you throw out against the Diffenters let themfelves anfwer. But what you have to say against гру Brethren of the Church fhould not be passed over. "When a Minifter refufed you the Ufe of his Church, because the Bishop had forbidden him; you exclaim horribly, By what Authority am I fufpended from preaching? By bare-faced Arbitrary Power." But is there not a Caufe? Are there not many? Do you think them fo in Love with your Black Art, as to be fond of having themselves, and Doctrines, traduced in their own Pulpits? Of permitting their Flock. to be ftolen, or catch the Murrain? - You can hardly object to Vifions. And we are informed,

"That

Koran,

P. 232.

"That Mahomet had a Vifion, wherein he faw his Sale's Enemies mount his Pulpit, and jump about in it like Monkies." The Clergy have often seen such a Sight, bare-faced, and with their corporeal Eyes.

Another Complaint lies against the Curate of Epworth; who faid, "Pray tell Mr. Wefley, 1 fall P. 84 not give him the Sacrament. For he is not fit." Indeed, Sir, I take your Part here. (For I am determined to act impartially.) The Curate was to blame. Poffibly he might not think you arrived to Perfection. But, on the other Hand, he ought to have remembered your Doctrine; that " no Fitness is required at the Time of Communicating, but a Sense of our utter Sinfulness; every one, who knows he is fit for Hell, being fit to come to Chrift in this Ordi

nance."

But your worft Enemies, the most hateful of Men, are the wicked Moravians. There was a Time, when "theirs was the only Country of the Chriftians; when you could not fee any of them, but your Heart burned within you; they were fome of the beft of Men; and (is it poffible?) better by far than yourself, &c." But now, at length, nothing is fo wicked; nothing fo deteftable. After you had found out "their Guile, Hypocrify, Profanation of God's Ordinances, Conformity to this World, Tenaciousness of their effentially-erroneous Doctrines, &c. then your Difcipline and theirs are as widely different, as the Heavens are from the Earth. Nor is there any fo effectual Bar in the World againft Moravianifm, as pure Methodism." So that now, "there is no Connexion between you; the Names of Moravians and Methodists are become fcandalous to each other." And yet, in Spite of the effectual Bar,

4 Journ.

P. 47.

P. 88.

P. 67.

you are perpetually complaining of Methodists apostatizing to the ftill Brethren; going over in great Numbers to their effentially-erroneous Doctrines. Which may be called a Proof, that you are able to fet Enthusiasm a-going; but want the Art of stopping it at Pleasure.

Let me afk feriously; Are the Moravian Principles and Practices fo bad as you defcribe them? Why then do you make yourself so merry with your own, who are feduced by them? Why are they packed away to Hell with fuch farcaftical Sneers?" A Girl, whom I had often obferved, as being in an eminent Degree of a meek and lowly Spirit, revolts to them. Ah, my poor ftill Sifter! Thou art an apt Scholar indeed! I did not expect this quite fo foon. - I cal led on poor Jofeph Hodges, who, after withstanding fa long the Wiles of the Enemy, has been at last induced, by his fatal Regard for Mr. Hall, to renounce both my Brother and me, in Form. But he had perfectly learned the Exercise of his Arms.”

I fee, Sir, you are an arrant Joker, a perfect Droll. You love to have the Laugh on your Side,

- when you can get it. You have a Jeft at their Service, even when they are in Satan's Clutches :

Plangentis populi currit derifor Anubis,

But above all, your Gall-bladder chiefly overflows upon their Bishop, Count Zinzendorf: For whofe Sake you have drawn a Parallel; for which I heartily thank you. "I read over that furprizing Book, The Life of Ignatius Loyola; furely one of the greateft Men that ever was engaged in the Support of fo bad a Caufe. I wonder any Man fhould judge him to be an Enthufiaft. No. But he

knew