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Do not deface books by marks and writing._______ Cornell University Library BX8334 .W51 1760a ^ea®P.P® against a separation from the 3 1924 029 471............012.... olin R E A:&O® S ■ l AG A INST- A. S E P A R A T I O N ; $ FRO M T B E ChU R C H of E NG I/A N D. . V , ' By JOHN WESLEY, A.M Printed in the Year 1758. . Ml -}I|M||.||I M_. ;/•' - _ 1 nilftp " , L 6 N "ft Frintfrd by W. StraKan, and Sold at the Foundery. in Upper-Moorfields^y - MDCCLX. N E W Y O R K : Reprinted, rn facsimile, for the Historical Club. MDCCCLXXV. 31924029471012REASONS against a SEPARATION FROM THE Church of England. By J O H N WESLEY, A.M. Printed in the Year 1758. WITH HYMNS for the Preachers among the Methodists (fo called), By CHARLES WESLEY, A.M. L O N DON: Printed by W. Strahan, and Sold at the Foundry in Upper-Moorfields, MDCCLXirnt— /\.3?3223 erz 6f&h &c**6^6 6*-s7/net~eca^'' r*n,&a*rtc*tji/6c/i^. 'derjp?CtZyGc £tsrrz ^REASONS AGAINST A SEPARATION FROM THE Church of England. HITHER it he lawful or no (which )3( yf )§£ itfelf may be difputed, being not fo clear )=< a Point as fome may imagine) it is by 5t(LjlFjiFji no Means expedient for us to feparate from the Eftablifh’d Church : 1. Because it would be a Contradiction to the folemn and repeated Declarations, which we have made in all Manner of Ways, in Preaching, in Print, and in private Converfation : 2. Because (on this as well as many other Ac- counts) it would give huge Occafion of Offence to tbofe who feek and defire Occafion, to all the Ene- mies of God and his Truth : 3. Because it would exceedingly prejudice againft us many who fear, yea, who love God, and thereby hinder their receiving fo much, perhaps any farther, Benefit from our Preaching : 4. Because it would hinder Multitudes of thofe who neither love nor fear God, from hearing us atall: A 2 5. Be-C 4 1 5. Because it would occafion many Hundreds, if not fome Thoufands of thofe who are now united with us, to feparatefrom us ; yea, and fome of thofe who have a deep Work of Grace in their Souls: 6. Because it would be throwing Balls of Wild- fire among them that are now quiet in the Land. We are now fweetly united together in Love. We moftly think and fpeak the fame Thing. But this would occafion inconceivable Strife and Contention, between thofe who left, and thofe who remained in the Church, as well as between thofe who left us, and thofe who remained with us: Nay, and be- tween thofe very Perfons who remained, as they were variouily inclined one Way or the other : 7. Because, whereas Controverfy is now afleep, and we in great Meafure live peaceably with all Men, fo that we are ftrangely at Leifure to fpend our whole Time and Strength, in enforcing plain, praitical, vital Religion, (O what would many of our Forefathers have given, to have enjoyed fo bleffed a Calm ?) This would utterly banifh Peace from among us, and that without Hope of its Re- turn. It would engage me for one, in a thoufand Controverfies, both in Publick and Private; (for I fhould be in Confcience obliged to give the Reafons of my Conduit, and to defend thofe Reafons againft all Oppofers) and fo take me off from thofe-more ufeful Labours, which might otherwife employ the lhort Remainder of my Life : 8. Because to form the Plan of a New Church would require infiniteTimeand Care, (which might be far more profitably bellowed) with much more' Wifilom and greater Depth and Extenfivenefs of Thought, than any of us are Mailers of: 9. Because from fome having barely entertain- ed a diftant Thought of this, evil Fruits have al- ready followed, fuch as Prejudice againlt the Clergy in general; and aptnefs to believe 111 of them ; Con- tempt (not without a Degree of Bitternefs), of Clergy-[ 5 ] Clergymen as fuch, and a Sharpnefs of Language toward the whole Order, utterly unbecoming either Gentlemen or Chriftians: io. Because the Experiment has been fo fre- quently tried already, and the fuecefs never anfwer’d the Expectation. God has fmce the Reformation raifed up from Time to Time many Witnefles of pure Religion. If thefe lived and died (like John Arndt, Robert Bolton, and many others) in the Churches to which they belonged, notwithftanding theWickednefs which overflowed both the Teachers and People therein ; they fprep,d the Leaven of true Religion far and'wide, and were more and more ufeful, ’till they went to Paradife. But if upon any Provocation or Confideration whatever, they fepa- rated, and founded diftindt Parties, their Influence was more and more confined ; they grew lefs and lefs ufeful to others, and generally loft the Spirit of Religion themfelves in the Spirit of Controverfy : i x. Because we have melancholy Inftances of this, even now before our Eyes. Many have in our Memory left the Church, and formed them- felves into diftindt Bodies. And certainly feme of them, from a real Perfuafion, that they fhould do God more Service. But have any feparated them- felves and profpered ? Have they been either more holy, or more ufeful than they were before ? 12. Because by fuch a Separation we fhould rot only throw away the peculiar Glorying which God has given us, That we do and will fuffer all Things for our Brethren's Sake, tho’ the more we love them, the lefs we be loved : But fhould adt in diredt Contradidlion to that very End, for which we believe God hath raifed us up. The chief Defign of his Providence in fending us out, is undoubtedly, To quicken our Brethren. And the firft Meflage of all our Preachers is, to the loft Sheep of the Church of England. Now would it not be a flat Contradidliop to this Defign, Tofeparate from the A. 3 Church i[ 6 ] Church? Thefe Things being confidered, we can- not apprehend, whether it be lawful in itfelf or no, that it is lawful for us : were it only on this Ground, That it is by no means expedient. II. It has indeed been objetted, That’till we do feparate, we cannot be a compa£I, united Body. It is true, we cannot ’till then be a compaSl ' united Body, if you mean by that Expreflion, A Body diflinlt from all others. And we have no Defire fo to be. It has been obje&ed, Secondly, “ It is mere Cow- ardice and Fear of Perfecution which makes you defire to remain united with them.” This cannot be proved. Let every one examine his own Heart, and not judge his Brother. It is not probable. W e never yet, for any Per- fection, when we were in the Midft of it, either turned back from the Work, or even llackencd our Pace. But this is certain: That although Perfecution many Times proves an unfpeakable Blefling to them that fuiFer it, yet we ought not wilfully to bring it upon ourfelves. Nay, we ought to do whatever can lawfully be done, in order to prevent it. We ought to avoid it, fo far as we lawfully can ; when perfe- cted in one City, to flee into another. If God flhould fuffer a General Perfecution, who would be able to abide it, we know not. Perhaps thofe who talk loudeft, might flee firft. Remember the Cafe of Dr. Pendleton. III. Upon the whole, one cannot but obferve, how defirable it is, That all of us who are engaged in the fame Work, Ihould think and fpeak the fame Thing, be united in one Judgment, and ufe one and the fame Language. /uo we not all now fee Ourfelves, the Methodijls (fo called) in genera), the Church and the Clergy in a clear Light ?[ 7 ] Wk look upon ourfelvu, not as the Authors, or Ringleaders of a particular Se£b or Party ; (It is the fartheft Thing from our Thoughts :) but as Mef- fengers of God, to thofe who are Chriftians in Name, but Heathens in Heart and in Life, to call them back to that from which they are fallen, to real, genuine Chriftianity. We are therefore Debtors to all thefe, of whatever Opinion or De- nomination : And are confequently to do all that in us lies, to pleafe all, for their Good, to Edification. We look upon the Methodifls (fo called) in general, not as any particular Party ) (This would exceedingly obftru£f the Grand Delign, for which we conceive Goolias raifed them up), but as living Witneflea in, and to every Party, of that Chrifti- anity which we preach} which is hereby demon- ftrated to be a real Thing, and vifibly held out to all the World. WE look upon England as that Part of theWorld. and the Church as that Part of England, to which all we who are born and have been brought up there- in, owe our firft and chief Regard, We feel in ourfelves a ftrong Zropyn', a Kind of Natural Affec- tion for our Country, which we apprehend Chrifti- anity was never defigned either to root out or to impair. We have a more peculiar Concern for our Brethren, for that Part of our Countrymen, to whom we have been joined from our Youth up, by Ties of a Religious as well as a Civil Nature. True it is, that they are in general, without God in the IVor Id. So much the more do our Bowels yearn over them. They do lie in Darknefs and the Shadow of Death. The more tender i9 our Com- paflion for them. And when we have the fulleft Conviction of that complicated Wickcdnefs which covers them as a Flood- then do we feel the moft (and we deftre to feel yet more) of that inexprcflible Emotion, with which our bleffed Lord beheld Je- rufalem, and wept and lamented over it. Then are A 4 we[83 we the moft willing to fpendand to be Jpent for them, yea, to lay down our Lives for our Brethren. We look upon the Clergy, not only as a Part of thefe our Brethren, but as that Part whom God by his adorable Providence, has called to be Watch- men over the reft, for whom therefore they are to give a ftri£t Account. If thefe then negledf their important Charge, if they do not watch over them with all their Power, they will be of all Men moft miferable, and fo are entitled to our deepeft Com- panion. So that to feel, and much more to exgrefs either Contempt or Bitternefs towards them, betrays an utter Ignorance of ourfelves and of the Spirit which we efpecially fhould be of. Because this is a Point of uncommon Concern, let us confider it a little farther. The Clergy wherever we are, are either Friends to the Truth, or Neuters, or Enemies to it. If they are Friends to it, certainly we fhould do every Thing, and omit every Thing we can with a fafe Confcience, in order to continue, and if it be poflible, increafe their Good-will to it. If they neither further nor hinder it, we fhould dp all that in us lies, both for their Sakes and for the Sake of their feveral Flocks, to give their Neutrality the right Turn, that it may change into Love rather than Hatred. If they are Enemies, ftill we fhould not defpair of leffening, if not removing their Prejudice. We fhould try every Means again and again. We fhould employ all our Care, Labour, Prudence, joined with fervent Prayer, to overcome Evil with Good, to melt their Hardnefs into Love. It is true, that when any of thefe openly wreft the Scriptures, and deny the grand Truths of the Goipel, we cannot but declare and defend, at con- venient Opportunities, the important Truths which they deny. But in this Cafe efpecially we have Need of all Gentlenefs and Meeknefsof Wifdom. Contempt,. r 9 i Contempt, Sharpnefs, Bitternefs can do no Good The Wrath of Man workith not the Rigbtcoufnefs of God. Harfh Methods have been tried again and again (by two or three unfettled Railers): At Wed- nefiury, St. Ives, Cork., Canterbury. And bow did they fucceed ? They always occaftoned numberlefs Evils ; often wholly ftopt the Courfe of the Gofpel. Therefore, were it only on a prudential Account, were Confcience unconcerned therein, it fhould be a (acred Rule to all our Preachers, “ No Contempt, no Bitternefs to the Clergy.” 2. Might it not be another (at lead prudential) Rule, for every Methodiji Preacher, ‘‘ Not to fre- quent any DifTenting Meeting (Tho’ we blame none who have been always accuftomed to it) But if we do this, certainly our People will. Now this is adlually feparating from the Church. If therefore it is (at lead) not expedient to feparate, neither is this expedient. Indeed we may attend our A deni- blies, and the Church too ; becaufe they arc at dif- ferent Hours. But we cannot attend both the Meeting and the Church, becaufe they are at the fame Hours. If it be faid, “ But at the Church we are fed with Chaff, whereas at the Meeting we have wholefome Food We anfwer, x. The Prayers of the Church are not Chaff: They are fubdantial Food for any who are alive to God. 2. The Lord’s Supper is not Chad', but pure and wholefome for all who receive it with upright Hearts. Yea, 3. In almod all the Sermons we hear there, we hear many great and important Truths. And whoever has a fpiri- tual Difcernment, may eafily feparate the Chaff from the Wheat therein. 4. How little is the Cafe mended at the Meeting? Either the Teachers are New Light Men, denying the Lord that bought them, and overturning his Gofpel, from the very Foundations : Or they are Prededinarians, and fo preach Predeftination and Final Perfeverance, more A. 5C 10 ] or lefs. Now whatever this may be to them who were educated therein, yet to thofe of our Brethren who have lately embraced it, repeated Experience fhews it is not wholefome Food : Rather to them it has the Effe£t of deadly Poifon. In a fhort Time it deftroys all their Zeal for God. They grow fond of Opinions and Strife of Words. They de- fpife Self-denial and the dailyCrofs; and to com- pleat all, wholly feparate from their Brethren. 3. Nor is it expedient for any Methodijl Preacher, to imitate the DifTenters in their Manner of Praying: Either, in his 7one: AH particular Tones both in Prayer and Preaching fhould be avoided with the utmoft Care: Nor in his Language ; all his Words fhould be plain and fimpie, fuCh as the loweft of his Hearers both ufe and underfland: Or in the Length of his Prayer, which fhould not ufually ex- ceed four or five Minutes, either before or after Sermon. One might add, Neither fhould we fing, like them in a flow, drawling Manner : We fing fwift, both becaufe it faves Time, and becaufe it tends to awake and enliven the Soul. 4. Fourthly, If we continue in the Church not by Chance, or for want of Thought, but upon folid and well weighed Reafons, then we fhould never fpeak contemptuoufly of the Church, or any Thing pertaining to it. In fome Senfe, it is the Mother of us all, who have been brought up therein. We ought never to make her Blemifhes Matter of Di- verfion, but rather of folcmn Sorrow before God. We ought never to talk ludicroufly of them ; no, not at all, without clear Neceflity. Rather, we fhould conceal them, as far as ever we can, without bringing Guilt upon our own Confcience. And we fhould all ufe every Rational and Scriptural Means, to bring others to the fame Temper and Behaviour. I fay, All\ for if fome of us are thus minded, and others of an oppofite Spirit and Behaviour, this will breed a real Schifm among ourfelves, It will of Courfe 3 divide[ II ] divide us into Two Parties; each of which will be liable to perpetual Jealoufies, Sufpicions and Animo- fities againft the other. Therefore on this Account likewife, it is expedient in the higheft Degree, that we ftiould be tender of the Church to which we belong. 5. In order to fecure this End, to cut off all Jea- loufy and Sufpicion from ourFriends, and Hope from our Enemies, of our having any Defign to feparate from the Church, it would be well for every Metko- dijl Preacher, who has no Scruple concerning it, to attend the Service of the Church, as often as conve- niently he can. And the more we attend it, the more we love it, as conftant Experience (hews. On the contrary, the longer we abftain from it, the lefs Defire we have to attend it at all. 6. Lajlly, Whereas we are furrounded on every Side, by thofe who are equally Enemies to us and to the Church of England; and whereas thefe are long praflifed in this War, and (killed in all the Ob- jections againft it: While our Brethren on the other Hand are quite Strangers to them all, and fo on a fudden know not how to anfwer them : It is highly expedient for every Preacher to be provided with found Anfwers to thofe Objections, and then to in- ftruCt the Societies where he labours, how to defend themfelves 2gainft thofe Aflaults. It would be there- fore well for you carefully to read over the Preferva- tive againfl unfettled Notions in Religion, together with Serious "Thoughts concerning Perfeverance and Predejlinetion calmly conjidercd. And when you. are Mafters of them yourfelves, it will be eafy for you to recommend and explain them to our Societies : That they may no more be tcjfl to and fro by every Wind of DoSbr'tne ; but being fettled in one Mind and one Judgment, by folid Tcriptur?! and rational Arguments, may grow up in all Things into Him ubo is our Head, even Jefus Chrift. JOHN WESLEY. A 6 I think[ 12 ] T think myfeif bound in Duty, to add my Tefti- mony to my Brother’s. His Twelve Reafons again fl our ever Separating from the Church of England, are mine alfo. 1 Tubfcribe to them with all my Heart. Only with regard to the Firft, I am quite clear, that it is neither Expedient, nor Lawful for Me to Separate: And I never had the leaft In* clination or Temptation fo to do. My Affec- tion for the Church is as ftrong as ever: And I clearly fee my Calling; which is, to live and to die in her Communion. This, therefore. I am determined to do, the Lord being my Helper. I have fubjoined the Hymns for the Lay- Preachers j Hill farther to fecure this End, to cut off all 'Jealoufy and. Sufpicion from our Friends, or Hope from our Enemies, of our having any Deftgn of ever Separating from the Church. I have no fecret Re- ferve, or diftant Thought of it. I never had. Would to God all the Methodift Preachers were, in this refpeft, like minded with CHARLES WESLEY. Jji this jut-bUYYuJU %e,jtrvKtJUu. Jlynwn-S flUA/e O-t&n. cryruZttaC. CAccs.l^.J~laA} S CC/ytfiovyy cj tht J~UstcfriccU CluZ,;v. ' Some months since, a Club'.was started tvtih' tSpf above name by%Tew'Clergy- for the purpose of republishing; Kry^dcfslniiip;-by photo •li thographicpfohgjiis, certain' ljiortant documerits(cijnnecte,• . . . \‘pK d? v.-in„j v*s '-yi - " ’ .- . ’ (L\ Letter of the English liisbops, with their ab,:agr3j&'signatures, try" answer to die *~v’ -- - - ' '1 he Addpess'.of the Gene'ral Conveoiidn.pf 1785 asking for.iffe?&cces?1?f(i, Thf, f .ei+er AOt nf Parliament 3nthnriVTn erThA A rrhhishniYf (S.) The Black Lejter Act n f PirUnn C o The,l5^^fddGi^fsecr4tion'Qf Jlishpp Seabury. Kfk-tu-.j L)n8;:o|the earliest letters of Orders given by Bishop Seabtdy.,l: C4 (iz;| •* Reasons for not leaving the Church, of-England,” by.-joinr ^lesfejr^ : Reppntexi fi:bm a copy, given bycGharles Wesley to jiishop WhiiS:, and containing byTan.-interesting note id the handwriting of Bishop; Wpiie4': "- ’’ ■; ‘ Among cr^nnipber. of •valuable docunjeuts placed at the .disposal pfAhe ■‘ ind .which_wi|l.b^pabjished''as rapidly as the incoming jof;su&criptrpns.' petite, arei * lATOie -* CoHcqVdaf ” signed, by. Bishop Se'ahiity .and .th€j..Secrttdsh-..B.islib|ffir An , account'of .the Consecration, by bindsSktur.”.Bisi$Etn,. of Dr. Jolin,Cmroll;,:the>first ' v'very ihtfftestiii up.itV th'e'iOfmted States ; repr^ted; frorp-a very'rare .coiiteniffOranebu^' e celebrated Letters of. Dr, Coice' to. f Letfer ffOpi’the -Rev. Gharles.l^Wesleys'tb the'“Rfevi.':LJtV Cpatu^efi m- a very, rare contetuphraneous .BiSli’pi^' &ealjHry arid White. A“ 5 I'Viv Crtiat»/iWu/ ■'. > Shoul'tTweTiuip.ber ot &\^bs6rilrers ^arra6t^tl>e e^pOT§e^ife^‘i i.,ftheTVTe±ljL>4'ists of North America,’’.prepared'& JohiryWhsl^.an'4--ppd||9lteiig-; Sunday Service for '} uolfe t'estimbny to thei Prayer Book of tfte'ChuftlV'pf En^and, may be reprpdpeed.i,b ' The plan pf ppblication adopted,by, the' Cljrb.is. asdpildws.:; Those associated^- :aii^ every one ;iutere4fe|l 't^',irtvi|ed to unite’ Iff the rf^agfeffjtp. ppyjSyo' annually, , 'ijniA rrriiA'iHl fifn fv> cupnhin flora rve/vrlnoti An nf fs* /- rv'iiia «Artu ivfj winiVMcditi tvt**- v vc vi.k/ ,(v, ilv. ,,-v vj - o v* 1 a , j v, V o LIIIC.IIWI.1. vrui »v, V4_ . tlcm.'reserve., the righg ,ip ihe,reygnt 'of producing Certain pai)ei;S-Of':a cpntrovefsiai: y hathre, to. issge ’-K^^^Jiittfber'»ait usual, ai^cl 46 offer the-additional copier dor '.Aeafk-thd.'lyaljs of .spch. &le'S' being■empl'p|ed in;peffduciMg;atlc(itional'/ir-rf)ris^c ’ - : The Council of-Publication consists at present *0?'the Rev. W. S.. Historiographer .of tfieJAmerfcan .'Church,- apd -the .'Reh. vCharife'- R. Hale. . ■ '. L'orrg^oudenM.'vlfb.refevtacfelb the purposeg of this Club-is invited,.:,and shbuld'.l)er addressed, and the ■■subscription of any-who may cR^ife to unite in'.tl>fe.fjnterei>ung. sdhemer,bent, to the,SeCretary of the Club, *> ’ ■’~i.~ '•'*-• ,• *V-'! ’ ■ THE REV. cilARr.ES R, HALE,. “~ dsff; Fifth Avenue, Ne'w Vtirk. Sm-SCK/PTJOiy.S ARE EARNESTLY, SOLICITED, YVomp nds'in" 'fvbsMbitfg.will lie (o$e,$p&iaiit(r.g& of all partita mottling the Club to ppce0jnore ftifiidiy hi its!$)ork. nnd chch subscriber io siiurji (otiiplete, sets 'of papn% Ait 'tjuAdes' ifecAvM' Urr - ■sfent, andis'fast cajutivetk, -in .publishing, asidr.mi.th^fpt1ip hand, no paffo fr seiih lei '■ pnss-utilH thbCleeh h(is.Jnuds tn hand fe> pay f>r pfmliettCjtlie snpie. ' ' 5 In aee.prda*rc%W’ith a ju-oyisioii nientidiied,above,..And.in' order.to the gengfitl circulation of a-.dqtument.sd interesting as this pamjihlet,5 the Council havef permitted an edition to be struck off for Mr. WnkrhAKttk.Epm the plates prepmeffEurtthe 1