Wesley Corpus

Page 5 6Ori., "At schism can rail"; with "can" crossed out in both 1755 printings. As Arians be for orthodox allow'd, For saints the sensual, covetous, and proud, And Satan's synagogue for the true Church of God. Then let the zealous orthodox appear, And challenge the contested character: Those, who renounce the whole dissenting tribe, Creeds, articles, and liturgy subscribe; Their parish church who never once have mist, At schism rail,6 and hate a Methodist; "The company of faithful souls" are these, Who strive to 'stablish their own righteousness, But count the faith divine a mad-man's dream? Howe'er they to themselves may pillars seem, Of Christ, and of his Church they make no part: They never knew the Saviour in their heart. But those who in their heart have Jesus known, Believers justified by faith alone, Shall we not them the faithful people own? In whom the power of godliness is seen, Must we not grant the Methodists the men? Page 6 No: tho' we granted them from schism free, From wild enthusiastic heresy, From ev'ry wilful crime, and moral blot, Yet still the Methodists the Church are not: A single faculty is not the soul, A limb the body, or a part the whole. Whom then, when ev'ry vain pretender's cast, With truth may we account the Church at last? "All who have felt, deliver'd from above, The holy faith that works by humble love, All that in pure religious worship join, Led by the Spirit, and the Word divine, Duly the Christian mysteries partake, And bow to governors for conscience sake:" In these the Church of England I descry, And vow with these alone to live and die. Yet while I warmly for her faith contend, Shall I her blots and blemishes defend? Inventions added in a fatal hour, Human appendages of pomp and power, Whatever shines in outward grandeur great, I give it up a creature of the state, Page 7 Wide of the Church, as hell from heav'n is wide, The blaze of riches, and the glare of pride, The vain desire to be intitled Lord, The worldly kingdom, and the princely sword. But should the bold usurping spirit dare Still higher climb, and sit in Moses' chair, Power o'er my faith and conscience to maintain, Shall I submit, and suffer it to reign?