Wesley Corpus

compelled me? Which of your clergy are more unfpotted in their lives, which more unwearied in their labours, than thole whose names ye caft out as evil, whom ye count as the filth and off-fcouring of the world? Which of them is more zealous to spend and be spent, for the lost sheep of the houle of Israel? Or, who amongst them is more ready to be ofered up for their flock upon the sacrifice and service of their faith ? 74. Will ye say, (as the historian of Cataline) Si fic pro patria ! If this were done in defence of the church, and not in order to undermine and destroy it! That is the very proposition I undertake to prove. That „we are now defending the church, even the church of England, in opposition to all those who either secretly undermine, or more openly attempt to destroy it.“ 73. That we are Papists, (we, who are daily and hourly preaching that very doftrine, which is so solemnly anathematized by the whole church of Rome) is such a charge, that I dare not waste my time in industriously confuting it. Let any man of common sense only look on the title pages of the sermons we have lately preached at Oxford, and he will need nothing more to shew him the weight of this senseless shameless accusation ; unless he can suppose the governors both of Christ-church and Lincoln college, nay, and all the university to be Papr/ts too. 76. You yourself can eafily acquit us of this: but not of the other part of the charge. You still think we are secretly undermining, if not openly destroying * the church. What do you mean by the church ? A visible church fas our article defines it) is, A company of faithful (or believing) people > cetus credentium, This is the essence of a church: and the properties thereof are (as they are described in the words that follow) That the pure word of God be preached therein, and the sacraments duly ve 18 admanistered,