To William Green Date: October 25, 1789. MY DEAR BROTHER, You abound in leisure; I abound in work: it is not for me, therefore, to follow you step by step through a voluminous performance. I shall only put down a few thoughts as they occur; and may God apply them to your heart! To begin with the spirit and manner of your whole performance. I doubt it is far from right! I would not commend it if you were writing to one greatly your inferior both in years and station; what can excuse it, then, if you are the inferior in age and other respects The question is: whether we ought still to attend the ministrations of wicked ministers. Observe, I do not defend or justify them at all, as I said not a word in defense of Hophni and Phineas. You say: No, because God forbids us so to do. That I flatly deny. It is your grand mistake, on which the rest depends. 'But does not God say over and over, Hearken not, hearken not unto them' Yes; but this does not mean refrain from the ministrations even of base, lying prophets, but merely this: Hearken not to their lies; hear them not that is, regard them not when they speak what God hath not spoken. All the texts you heap together (and you may transcribe fifty more) mean neither more or less than this! Accordingly both the true prophets and all the Israelites did, in fact, attend their ministry still! 'But did not our Lord warn His disciples to beware of the leaven, that is false doctrine, of the Scribes and the Pharisees.' Yes, of their false doctrine; but not to refrain from their ministrations. This neither He nor the Apostles did; they all constantly attended the Temple service as well as that of the synagogue. Yet, that God did not send the false prophets to prophesy lies is certain; but He did send them to minister before him! It is certain also that the word which they prophesied falsely did not profit the people; yet it did when they spoke or read the truth. To say wicked ministers never profit the people is to say that all the Israelites from Samuel to Christ went to hell!

'But wicked ministers do much hurt!' True; but it does not follow that they do no good! Nay, most ministers preach that error which destroys more souls than anything besides namely, Phariseeism and Salvation by Works! What is practical Pharisaism The tithing Mint, Anise, and Cummin, and neglecting justice and mercy. This was the practice of the Pharisees in general; though there were a few exceptions. But who dare affirm that all or three-fourths of our clergy bear this character Nor can you say that all or one half of the English clergy preach this Pharisaism! 'No; but they teach men to seek salvation by works, and does not this destroy almost all mankind' I answer, No: perhaps not one in ten in England, if it destroy one in an hundred: nevertheless nine-tenths of men in England have no more religion than horses, and perish through total contempt of it. Myriads more perish through drunkenness, lewdness, Sabbath-breaking, cursing and swearing, and other outward sins; thousands are destroyed by sins of omission. And when all these are deducted, the remainder supposed to seek salvation by works cannot be more than one in ten. 'But what does this expression mean' Just this, they hope to be saved by keeping the commandments of God. This is certainly an error, but I do not say it is the most damnable error in the world! Nay, I doubt if it ever damned any one man. Take me right; I doubt if any man who sincerely strives to obey God will die before God shows him the true way of salvation! Upon the whole, what I have said these fifty years, and say now, is: first, attend the ministers Providence has allotted you, and do what they say according to scripture; but hearken not to what they say contrary to it. Secondly, God does now do good by them to the simple in heart, even by their preaching; but more in the Prayers and Lord's. Supper. Thirdly, Messrs. Maxfield, Richards, Westall, and all my other helpers joined me in these conditions. Therefore, to renounce going to Church is, in fact, to renounce connexion with me. To conclude, I defy any man living to prove that I have contradicted myself at all in any of the writings which I have published from the year 1738 to the year 1788. I am Your affectionate brother.