determined to pull him off his horse as he went to preach, set the dogs upon him, and, in their own phrase, bait the parson; but the bull broke loose, and dispersed them before he arrived. In spite, however, of the opposition which his eccentricities excited, not from the ignorant only, but from some of the neighbouring clergy and magistrates, he won upon the people, rude and brutal as they were, by the invincible benevolence which was manifested in his whole manner of life; till at length his church, which at first had been so scantily attended, that he was discouraged as well as mortified by the smallness of the congregation, began to overflow. "Such was the person who, without any emolument, had undertaken the charge of superintending, in occasional visits, the college at Tre vecka, and who withdrew from that charge when Lady Huntingdon called upon all persons in that seminary to disavow the doctrines of Mr. Wesley's minutes, or leave the place. He had at that time no intention or apprehension of taking any farther part in the dispute. Shortly afterwards the Hon. Walter Shirley, one of her ladyship's chaplains, and of the Calvinistic clergy who had formed a party under her patronage, sent forth a circular letter, stating, that whereas Mr. Wesley's next conference was to be held at Bristol, it was proposed by Lady Huntingdon, and many other Christian friends, to have a meeting in that city at the same time, of such principal persons, both clergy and laity, who disapproved of the obnoxious minutes; and, as the doctrines therein avowed were thought injurious to the very fundamental principles of Christianity, it was farther proposed, that these persons should go in a body to the conference, and insist upon a formal recantation of the said minutes, and, in case of a refusal, sign and publish their protest against them. Your presence, sir,' the letter proceeded, 'is particularly requested; but if it should not suit your convenience to be there, it is desired that you will transmit your sentiments on the subject to such person as you think proper to produce them. It is submitted to you, whether it would not be right, in the opposition to be made to such a dreadful heresy, to recommend it to as many of your Christian friends, as well of the Dissenters as of the established church, as you can prevail on, to be there, the cause being of so public a nature.' Lodg ings were to be provided for the persons who attended. "The proceedings were not so furious as might have been expected from a declaration of war like this. The heat of the Calvinistic party seemed to have spent itself in the first explosion. Mr. Wesley was truly a man of peace; and when the conference and the anticouncil met, the result, unlike that of most other pitched disputations upon points of theology, was something like an accommodation. The meeting was managed with perfect temper on both sides, and with a conciliatory spirit on the part of Shirley himself; a man whose intentions were better than his judgment. Mr. Wesley and the conference declared, that, in framing the obnoxious minutes, no such meaning was intended as was imputed to them. 'We abhor,' they said, the doctrine of justification by works, as a most perilous and abominable doctrine; and as the said minutes are not sufficiently guarded in the way they are expressed, we hereby solemnly declare, in the sight of God, that we have no trust or confidence but in the alone merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, for justification or salvation, either in life, death, or the day of judgment; and though no one is a real Christian believer (and consequently cannot be saved) who doth not good works where there is time and opportunity, yet our works have no part in meriting or purchasing our justification, either in whole or in part.' Mr. Shirley declared himself satisfied with this declaration, and the interview was concluded with prayer, and professions of peace and love." 66 With respect to the declaration that the minutes had not been sufficiently guarded," Mr. Wesley, in his "Remarks on Mr. Hill's Review," says, "The plain case was this. I seek peace, and would do any thing for it, which I can with a safe conscience. On this principle it was, that when Mr. Shirley read over his declaration, (I say his, for he drew it up, not I,) and asked, if we agreed thereto? I was heartily desirous to agree with him as far as possible. In order to this, after altering some words, I asked our brethren if they were willing to sign it. One immediately said, The minutes are not unguarded; they are guarded enough.' I said, They are guarded enough for you; but not for those who seek occasion against us.' And observe, it is only in this sense that I subscribed to that expression. But I will not affirm that my love of peace did not carry me a little too far. I know not but it would have been better not to have signed the paper at all." One of Mr. Wesley's biographers says that Thomas Olivers, "like a sturdy and honest Welshman as he was," refused to sign the declaration "that the minutes were 'unguarded.'" It was he to whom Mr. Wesley alluded, and who became the author of an excellent little work, commonly called, "Olivers' Refutation;"—being "a full refutation of the doctrine of unconditional perseverance; in a discourse on Heb. ii, 3." This work may be had of the agents, or through any of our ministers; price 37 cents. Mr. Wesley, after stripping the doctrine of his antagonists of all disguise, and exposing it in its naked monstrosity, left Mr. Olivers to carry on the contest with Mr. Toplady. This provoked Mr. T. the more, and he attacked Mr. Olivers with abusive ridicule, both in prose and in rhyme. In private, however, says Mr. Southey, "Toplady did justice to his antagonist. After a chance interview with him, which, for its good humour, was creditable to both parties, he says to a correspondent, To say the truth, I am glad I saw Mr. Olivers, for he appears to be a person of stronger sense, and better behaviour, than I imagined. Had his understanding been cultivated by a liberal education, I believe he would have made some figure in life.' I have never seen Õlivers' pamphlet," (it is now a small bound volume,) adds Mr. Southey, "but he had the right side of the argument; and, if he had not maintained his cause with respectable ability, his treatise would not have been sanctioned (on such an occasion) by Wesley, and praised by Fletcher." The apparent settlement was not oflong continuance. "The old question," continues Mr. Southey, "had been mooted, and the dispute broke out with greater violence than ever. On the part of the Arminians it was carried on by Walter Sellon, by Thomas Olivers, and by Mr. Fletcher. On the part of the Calvinists, the most conspicuous writers were the brothers Richard (afterwards Sir Richard) and Rowland Hill, and Augustus Montague Toplady, vicar of Broad Hembury, in Devonshire. "If ever true Christian charity was manifested in polemical writing, it was by Fletcher of Madeley. Even theological controversy never in the slightest degree irritated his heavenly temper. On sending the manuscript of his first Check to Antinomianism to a friend much younger than himself, he says, 'I beg, as upon my bended knees, you would revise and correct it, and take off quod durius sonat in point of works, reproof, and style. I have followed my light, which is but that of smoking flax; put yours to mine. I am charged hereabouts with scattering firebrands, arrows, and death. Quench some of my brands; blunt some of my arrows; and take off all my deaths, except that which I design for Antinomianism. For the sake of candour,' he says, in one of his prefaces, ' of truth, of peace,-for the reader's sake, and, above all, for the sake of Christ, and the honour of Christianity, whoever ye are that shall next enter the lists against us, do not wire-draw the controversy, by uncharitably attacking our persons, and absurdly judging our spirits, instead of weighing our arguments, and considering the scriptures which we produce; nor pass over fifty solid reasons, and a hundred plain passages, to cavil about non-essentials, and to lay the stress of your answer upon mistakes, which do not affect the strength of the cause, and which we are ready to correct as soon as they shall be pointed out. I take the Searcher of hearts, and my judicious unprejudiced readers to witness, that, through the whole of this controversy, far from concealing the most plausible objections, or avoiding the strongest arguments which are or may be advanced against our reconciling doctrine, I have carefully searched them out, and endeavoured to encounter them as openly as David did Goliah. Had our opponents followed this method, I doubt not but the controversy would have ended long ago, in the destruction of our prejudices, and in the rectifying of our mistakes. Oh! if we preferred the unspeakable pleasure of finding out the truth, to the pitiful honour of pleasing a party, or of vindicating our own mistakes, how soon would the useful fan of scriptural, logical, and brotherly controversy purge the floor of the church! How soon would the light of truth, and the flame of love, burn the chaff of error, and the thorns of prejudice, with fire unquenchable !' "In such a temper did this saintly man address himself to the work of controversy; and he carried it on with correspondent candour, and with distinguished ability. His manner is diffuse, and the florid parts, and the unction, betray their French origin; but the reasoning is acute and clear, the spirit of his writings is beautiful, and he was master of the subject in all its bearings. His great object was to conciliate the two parties, and to draw the line between the Solifidian and Pelagian errors. For this purpose he composed a treatise, which he called an Equal Check to Pharisaism and Antinomianism; or, Scripture Scales to weigh the gold of Gospel truth, and to balance a multitude of opposite scriptures.' Herein he brought together, side by side, the sigut of God that we have to mas or confidence but the ao TES rits of our Lord Jesus Cass., ir jusufication or salvaton etter in life, death, or the day of judgment; and though no one area Chine tian bebever and consequenty cannot be saved, who out me gout works where there is time aut portunity, yet our works name o part in meriting purchasing our justification, either in whole or part. Mr. Shirley declared himself satisfied with this declaran and the interview was coociated with prayer, and professions of peace and love." With respect to the declaration that the minutes had not been "sufficiently guarded," Mr. Wesley, in his "Remarks on Mr. His Review," says, "The plain case was this. I seek peace, and would do any thing for it, which I can with a safe conscience. On this principle it was, that when Mr. Shirley read over his declaration, (I say his, for he drew it up, not I,) and asked, if we agreed thereto? I was heartily desirous to agree with him as far as possible. In order to this, after altering some words, I asked our brethren if they were willing to sign it. One immediately said, The minutes are not unguarded; they are guarded enough.' I said, They are guarded enough for gow: but not for those who seek occasion against us' And observe, it is only in this sense that I subscribed to that expression. But I will not affirm that my love of peace did not carry me a little too ar I know not but it would have been better not to have signed the Per at all." One of Mr. Wesley's biogra whers says that Th Ake & sturdy and te recantion hat the minutes Tee ingamed. It was he to von Ir. Wesley alluded, and win became the author of an excaleat little work,, commonly callet Olivers Refutation"-being a il rination of the doctrine of inconditional perseverance; in a discourse on Feb. i, 37 This work may be hat of the agents, or trough any of our ministers; puta 374 cents. Mr. Wesley, afer ripping the doctrine of his anguiss of all disguise, and exposing it in its naked monstrosty, but Mr. Olivers to carry on the contest with Mr. Toplady. This provoked Mr. T. the more, and he attacked Mr. Olivers with abute ndicule, both in prose and in rhyme. In private, however, says Mr. Southey, "Toplady did justice to his antagonist. After e chance interview with him, which, for its good humour, was creditable to both parties, he says to a correspondent, To say the truth, I am glad I saw Mr. Olivers, for he appears to be a person of stronger sense, and better beha viour, than I imagined. Had bis understanding been cultivated by liberal education, I believe t would have made some figure life.' I have never seen Olive pamphlet," (it is now a s bound volume,) adds Mr. Son "but he had the right side argument; and, if he maintained his cause with able ability, his treatise we have been sanctioned (o occasion) by Wesley, and by Fletcher." The apparent settleme oflong continuance. tion," continuo |