How far is it the Duty of a Christian Minister to preach Politics?

1. IT is impossible to answer this question before it is understood. We must, first, therefore, endeavour to understand it; and then it will be easy to answer.

2. There is a plain command in the Bible, Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy people. But notwithstanding this, many that are called religious people, speak evil of him continually. And they speak many things that are palpably false; particularly when they affirm him to be a w-k man; whereas a nobleman who is not at all prejudiced in his favour, when he was pressed to speak, made this honest declaration: "Sir, I know him well; and I judge the King to be one of the most sensible men in Europe. His ministers are no fools: but his Majesty is able to wind them all round his finger."

3. Now when a clergyman comes into a place, where this, and many more stories, equally false, have been diligently propagated against the King, and are generally believed: if he guards the people against this evil speaking, by refuting those slanders, many cry out, " O, he is preaching Politics."

4. If you mean this by the term, it is the bounden duty of every Christian minister to preach politics. It is our bounden duty to refute these vile aspersions, in public as well as in private. But this can be done only now and then, when it comes naturally in our way. For it is our main and constant business, to preach Jesus Christ and him crucified.

5. Again. Many who do not so freely censure the King, speak all manner of evil of his ministers. If any misfortune befalls us at home or abroad, by sea or land, it is "all their fault." If one commander in America is surprised with all his forces, when he is dead drunk, "Lord North

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deserves to be hanged." If General Burgoyne or Lord Cornwallis is betrayed into their enemy's hand, all the blame is laid on our ministers at home. But still the

King is wounded through their sides; the blame glances from them to him. Yet if we say a word in defence of them, (which is in effect defending him,) this also is preaching politics.

6. It is always difficult, and frequently impossible, for private men, to judge of the measures taken by men in public offices. We do not see many of the grounds which determine them to act, in this or the contrary manner. Generally therefore it behoves us to be silent, as we may suppose they know their own business best: but when they are censured without any colour of reason, and when an odium is cast on the King by that means, we ought to preach politics in this sense also: we ought publickly to confute those unjust censures. Only remembering still, that this is rarely to be done, and only when fit occasion offers: it being our main business to preach Repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

LEWISHAM, Jan. 9, 1782,

PIECES

ON

VARIOUS SUBJECTS,

FROM THE

Methodist Magazines.

BY JOHN WESLEY, A.M.

THOUGHTS ON SALVATION BY FAITH.

1. IT is now upwards of forty years* since my Brother and I were convinced of that important truth, which is the foundation of all real religion, that by grace we are saved through faith. And as soon as we believed, we spoke; when we saw it ourselves, we immediately began declaring it to others. And, indeed, we could hardly speak of any thing else, either in public or private. It shone upon our minds with so strong a light, that it was our constant theme. It was our daily subject, both in versé and prose; and we vehemently defended it against all mankind.

2. But in doing this we met with abundance of difficulty: we were assaulted and abused on every side. We were every where represented as mad dogs, and treated accordingly. We were stoned in the streets, and several times narrowly escaped with our lives. In sermons, newspapers, and pamphlets of all kinds, we were painted as unheard-of monsters. But this moved us not: we went This was written in the year 1780.

on, by the help of God, testifying Salvation by Faith both to small and great, and not counting our lives dear unto ourselves, so we might finish our course with joy.

3. While we were thus employed, another storm arose from a quarter whence we least expected it. Some of our familiar friends declared open war against us, " for preaching Salvation by Works!" This we could not in any wise understand: we wondered what they meant. We utterly disavowed the charge: we denied it in the strongest terms. We declared over and over, both in public and private, "We believe, and constantly preach Salvation by Faith, Salvation by Works is a doctrine we abhor: we neither preach nor believe it." But it did not avail: say what we would, the same charge was still repeated: and that not only when we were at a convenient distance, but even before our face.

4. At first, we were inclined to think, that many who affirmed this, did not believe themselves; that it was merely a copy of their countenance, spoken ad movendam invidiam. And could we have been fully persuaded of this, the difficulty would have been solved. But we did not dare to give way to the thought: whatever they might think or say of us, we could not but think they were upright men, and spoke according to their real sentiments. The wonder, therefore, remained, How they could impute to us a doctrine which our soul abhorred, and which we were conti nually opposing, and confuting with all our might!

5. I was in this perplexity, when a thought shot across my mind, which solved the matter at once: "This is the key those that hold, Every one is absolutely predestinated either to Salvation or Damnation, see no medium between Salvation by Works and Salvation by Absolute Decrees." It follows, that whosoever denies Salvation by Absolute Decrees, in so doing, (according to their apprehension) asserts Salvation by Works.

6. And herein I verily believe they are right. As averse as I once was to the thought, upon further consideration, I allow there is, there can be no medium. Either Sal

vation is by Absolute Decree, or it is (in a scriptural sense) by Works. Yea, this I will proclaim on the house-top, there is no medium between these. You must either assert Unconditional Decrees, or (in a sound sense) Salvation by Works.

7. This deserves a fuller examination : let us consider it more attentively. If the Salvation of every man that ever was, is, or shall be finally saved, depends wholly and solely upon an Absolute, Irresistible, Unchangeable Decree of God, without any regard either to Faith or Works foreseen, then it is not, in any sense, by Works. But neither is it by Faith. For an Unconditional Decree excludes Faith as well as Works: since if it is either by Faith or Works foreseen, it is not by an Unconditional Decree. Therefore, Salvation by an Absolute Decree excludes both one and the other. And, consequently, upon this supposition, Salvation is neither by Faith, nor by Works.

8. If, on the other hand, we deny all Absolute Decrees, and admit only the conditional one, (the same which our blessed Lord hath revealed,) He that believeth shall be saved; we must, according to their apprehension, assert Salvation by Works. We must do this, (in a sound sense of the expression) if we believe the Bible. For seeing no faith avails, but that which worketh by love, which produces both inward and outward good works, to affirm, no man is finally saved without this, is in effect to affirm, no man is finally saved without Works. It is plain then, if we affirm, no man is saved by an Absolute, Unconditional Decree, but only by a Conditional one: we must expect, all who hold Unconditional Decrees, will say, We teach Salvation by Works.

9. Let none, therefore, who hold Universal Redemption be surprised at being charged with this. Let us deny it no more: let us frankly and fairly meet those who advance it upon their own ground. If they charge you with holding Salvation by Works, answer plainly, "In your sense I do : for I deny that our final salvation depends upon any Absolute Unconditional Decree. If, therefore, there be no