CONTENTS OF VOLUME XIII. A Letter to the Author of the Enthusiasm of Methodists and Papists compared II. A Second Letter to the Author of the Enthu- siasm of Methodists and Papists compared, PAGE A Letter to the Rev. Dr. Free, in Answer to his late Tract against the Methodists A Letter to the Rev. Mr. Downes, occa- A Letter to the Rev. Dr. Horne, occasioned by his Sermon preached before the Uni- Remarks on Dr. Erskine's Defence of the A Letter to the Rev. Dr. Rutherford, in An- swer to his Charges against the Methodists A Letter to the Rev. Dr. Conyers Middle- ton, occasioned by his late" Free Inquiry" A Letter to Dr. Warburton, Bishop of Gloucester, occasioned by his Tract, "On the Office and Operations of the A Letter to a Person lately joined with the People called Quakers, in Answer to a An Extract of a Letter to the Rev. Mr. XVI. A Letter to the Rev. Mr. Toogood, of Exeter; occasioned by his "Dissent A LETTER To the Author of THE ENTHUSIASM OF METHODISTS AND Agedum! Pauca accipe contra. HoR. SIR, 1. IN your late pamphlets you have undertaken to prove, that Mr. Whitefield and I are gross enthusiasts; and that our "whole conduct is but a counter-part of the most wild fanaticisms of the most abominable communion in its most corrupt ages," (preface, p. 3.) You endeavour to support this charge against us, by quotations from our own writings: compared with quotations from celebrated writers of the Romish communion. 2. It lies upon me to answer for one. But I must not burden you with too long an answer; lest (" for want either of leisure or inclination," (preface, p. 5,) you should not give this, any more than my other tracts, a reading. In order therefore to spare both you and myself, I shall at present consider only your first part; and that as briefly as possible. Accordingly I shall not meddle with your other N. B. The Author's words are inserted between inverted commas. VOL. XIII. B quotations; but leaving them to whom they may concern, shall only examine, whether those you have made from my writings, prove the charge of enthusiasm, or not. This, I conceive, will be abundantly sufficient, to decide the question between you and me. If these do prove the charge, I am cast: if they do not, if they are the words of truth and soberness, it will be an objection of no real weight, against sentiments just in themselves, though they should also be found in the writings of Papists: yea, of Mahometans or Pagans. 3. Let the eight pages you borrow, stand as they are. I presume they will do neither good nor harm. In the tenth you say, "The Methodists act on the same plan with the Papists; not perhaps from compact and design; but a similar configuration and texture of brain, or the fumes of imagination producing similar effects. From a commiseration of horror, arising from the grievous corruptions of the world, perhaps from a real motive of sincere piety, they both set out with warm pretences to a reformation." Sir, this is an uncommon thought! That sincere piety should arise from the "configuration and texture of the brain!" As well as, that "pretences to a reformation" should spring from a "real motive of sincere piety!" 4. You go on, "Both commonly begin their adventures with field-preaching," (Enthusiasm, &c. p. 11.) Sir, do you condemn field-preaching toto genere, as evil in itself? Have a care! or you (I should say, the gentleman that assists you) will speak a little too plain, and betray the real motives of his sincere antipathy to the people called Methodists. Or do you condemn the preaching on Hannam-mount, in particular, to the colliers of Kingswood? If you doubt, whether this has "done any real good," it is a very easy thing to be informed. And I leave it with all impartial men, whether the good which has in fact been done by preaching there, and which could not possibly have been done any other way, does not abundantly "justify the irregularity of it," p. 15. 5. But you think I am herein "inconsistent" with myself. For I say, 'The uncommonness is the very circum |