Christ died for the salvation of all men: Mr. Whitefield, and these in connexion with him, and most of the clergy in the church of England, at that time, who preached justification by faith alone, were denominated Calvinists, because they maintained that Christ died only for a determinate number, who must finally be saved. Such party distinctions are always mischievous in their consequences; they awaken suspicions which destroy the charity that hopeth all things, and they weaken brotherly-love and christian-fellowship. Each party draws consequences from the opinions of the other, which the other denies, and in reality does not hold. Hence jealousy is constantly kept awake in each party, disposing the mind to take advantage of every circumstance that may occur, to injure each other. This was precisely the case in the present year, between the Arminians and the Calvinists. The propositions at the conclusion of the Minutes, gave great offence. The Calvinists took the alarm, and the late honourable and Reverend W. Shirley, wrote a circular letter to all the serious clergy and others through the land: In June 1771, Mr. Fletcher sent a copy of this letter to Mr. Wesley, and at the same time wrote as follows: "When I left Wales, where I had stood in the gap for peace, I thought my poor endeavours were not altogether in vain. LH— said, she would write civilly to you, and desire you to explain yourself about your Minutes. I suppose you have not heard from her; for she wrote me word since, that she believed she must not meddle in the affair. -Upon receiving yours from Chester, I cut off that part of it, where you expressed your belief of, what is eminently called by us, the doctrine of free grace, and sent it to the college, desiring it might be sent to

Lady

After these words, "We said in 1744," &c. &c. to the end,

Lady Huntingdon. She hath returned it, with a letter wherein she expresses the greatest disapprobation of it: the purport of it is to charge you with tergiversation, and me with being the dupe of your impositions. She hath wrote in stronger terms to her college.

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Things, I hoped, would have remained here; but how am I surprised, and grieved to see, zeal borrowing the horn of discord and sounding an alarm through the religious world against you! Mr. H— called upon me last night, and shewed me a printed circular letter, which I suppose is, or will be, sent to the serious clergy and laity through the land. I have received none, as I have lost, I suppose, my reputation of being a real Protestant, by what I wrote on your Minutes, in Wales.

"The following is an exact copy of the printed

letter.

"SIR,

"Whereas Mr. Wesley's Conference is to be held at Bristol, on Tuesday, the 6th of August next, it is proposed by Lady Huntingdon, and many other Christian friends (real Protestants) to have a meeting at Bristol, at the same time, of such principal persons, both clergy and laity, who disapprove of the under-written Minutes; and as the same are thought injurious to the very fundamental principles of Christianity, it is further proposed, that they go in a body to the said Conference, and insist upon a formal recantation of the said Minutes; and in case of a refusal, that they sign and publish their protest against them. Your presence, Sır, on this occasion 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

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,

I am, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

WALTER SHIRLEY."

Then followed a postscript, containing the objectionable propositions, &c. &c. after stating this, Mr. Fletcher proceeds, "I think it my duty, dear Sir, to give you the earliest intelligence of this bold onset ; and assure you, that upon the evangelical principles, mentioned in your last letter to me, I, for one, shall be glad to stand by you, and your doctrine to the last : hoping that you will gladly remove stumbling blocks out of the way of the weak, and alter such expressions, as may create prejudice in the hearts of those who are inclined to admit it.-If you come this way, Sir, I will shew you the minutes of what I wrote in Wales, in defence of what is called your dreadful heresy for as to the writing itself, I have it not, Lady H- would never return it to me. Dear Sir, we can never make too much of Jesus Christ: some may preach and exalt him out of contention, but let us do it willingly and scripturally, and the Lord will stand by us. I beg, I entreat him, to stand by you; particularly at this time to give you the simplicity of the dove, and the wisdom of the serpent; the condescension of a child, and the firmness of a father.

"I write to Mr. Shirley, to expostulate with him. to call in his circular letter. He is the last man who should attack you. His sermons contain propositions much more heretical and anti-calvinistic, than your Minutes. If my letter have not the desired effect, I shall probably, if you approve of them and will cor

rect them, publish them for your justification. I find Mr. Ir-d, is to write, to make you tamely recant, without measuring swords, or breaking a pike with our real Protestants. I write to him also."

Tuesday, August 6, the Conference began at Bristol. On Thursday morning Mr. Shirley and his friends were admitted; when a conversation took place for about two hours, on the subject which occasioned their visit. Though the party had shewn much violence in writing, yet the interview with the Conference was managed with great temper and moderation; but with little or no effect. Mr. Fletcher's letters were immediately printed, and on the 14th, Mr. Wesley wrote the following letter to Lady Huntingdon.

"MY DEAR LADY,

"When I received the former letter from your Ladyship, I did not know how to answer: and I judged, not only that silence would be the best answer, but also, That, with which your Ladyship would be best pleased. When I received your Ladyship's of the second instant, I immediately saw that it required an answer: only I waited till the hurry of the Conference was over, that I might do nothing rashly. I know your Ladyship would not "Servilely deny the truth." I think neither would I especially that great truth JUSTI FICATION BY FAITH; which Mr. Law indeed flatly denies (and yet Mr. Law was a child of God) but, for which I have given up all my worldly hopes, my friends, my reputation; yea for which I have so often hazarded my life, and by the grace of God will do again. The principles established in the Minutes, I apprehend to be no way contrary to this; or to that faith, that consistent plan of doctrine, which was once delivered to the saints. I believe whoever calmly considers Mr. Fletcher's letters, will be convinced of this. I fear therefore," Zeal against those principles," is no less than

zeal

zeal against the truth, and against the honour of our Lord. The preservation of his honour appears so sacred to me, and has done for above these forty years, that I have counted, and do count, all things loss in comparison of it. But till Mr. Fletcher's printed letters are answered, I must think every thing spoken against those Minutes, is totally destructive of his honour, and a palpable affront to him; both as our Prophet and Priest, but more especially as the King of his people. Those letters, which therefore could not be suppressed without betraying the honour of our Lord, largely prove, that the Minutes lay no other foundation, than that which is laid in scripture, and which I have been laying, and teaching others to lay, for between thirty and forty years. Indeed it would be amazing that God should at this day prosper my labours, as much if not more than ever, by convincing as well as converting sinners, if I was,

Establishing another foundation, repugnant to the whole plan of man's salvation under the covenant of grace, as well as the clear meaning of our established church, and all other Protestant churches." This is a charge indeed! But I plead not guilty and till it is proved upon me, I must subscribe myself,

My dear Lady,

Your Ladyship's

Affectionate but much injured servant,

JOHN WESLEY."

In

The controversy was now continued for some time, but committed, almost wholly, to Mr. Fletcher; who managed it with astonishing temper and success. deed, the temper of this holy man, did not lead him to polemic divinity. He was devout and pious, to a degree seldom equalled since the days of the Apostles. But being urged into this controversy by the love of truth and reverence for Mr. Wesley, he displayed great knowledge of his subject, and a most happy manner