“Hartlepool,July 3, 1759.“Reverend Sir,—I esteem you as a person of uncommon sense and learning; but your doctrine I cannot esteem. And some time since, I believed it my duty to speak my sentiments at large, concerning your doctrine of original sin. When Mr. Newton,[320]of Liverpool, mentioned this, and asked, whether you designed to answer, you said, you thought not; for it would only be a personal controversy between John Wesley and John Taylor. How gladly, if I durst, would I accept of this discharge from so unequal a contest! For I am thoroughly sensible, humanly speaking, it isformica contra leonem. How gladly, were it indeed no other than a personal controversy! But certainly it is not; it is a controversyde re, if ever there was one in the world. Indeed, concerning a thing of the highest importance; nay, all the things that concern our eternal peace. It is, Christianity or heathenism. For take away the scriptural doctrine of redemption, or justification, and that of the new birth; or, which amounts to the same, explain them as you do, suitably to your doctrine of original sin; and what is Christianity better than heathenism? Wherein, except in rectifying some of our notions, has the religion of St. Paul any preeminence over that of Socrates or Epictetus?“This is, therefore, to my apprehension, the least a personal controversy of any in the world. Your person and mine are out of the question. The point is, are those things that have been believed for many ages throughout the Christian world, real, solid truths; or monkish dreams, and vain imaginations?“But, farther, it is certain, between you and me there need be no personal controversy at all. For we may agree to leave each other’s person and character absolutely untouched, while we sum up and answer the several arguments advanced, as plainly and closely as we can.“Either I or you mistake the whole of Christianity from the beginning to the end. Either my scheme or yours is as contrary to the scriptural as the Koran is. Is it mine or yours? Yours has gone through all England, and made numerous converts. I attack it from end to end; let all England judge whether it can be defended or not.“Earnestly praying, that God may give you and me a right understanding in all things,“I am, reverend sir, your servant for Christ’s sake,“John Wesley.”[321]
“Hartlepool,July 3, 1759.
“Reverend Sir,—I esteem you as a person of uncommon sense and learning; but your doctrine I cannot esteem. And some time since, I believed it my duty to speak my sentiments at large, concerning your doctrine of original sin. When Mr. Newton,[320]of Liverpool, mentioned this, and asked, whether you designed to answer, you said, you thought not; for it would only be a personal controversy between John Wesley and John Taylor. How gladly, if I durst, would I accept of this discharge from so unequal a contest! For I am thoroughly sensible, humanly speaking, it isformica contra leonem. How gladly, were it indeed no other than a personal controversy! But certainly it is not; it is a controversyde re, if ever there was one in the world. Indeed, concerning a thing of the highest importance; nay, all the things that concern our eternal peace. It is, Christianity or heathenism. For take away the scriptural doctrine of redemption, or justification, and that of the new birth; or, which amounts to the same, explain them as you do, suitably to your doctrine of original sin; and what is Christianity better than heathenism? Wherein, except in rectifying some of our notions, has the religion of St. Paul any preeminence over that of Socrates or Epictetus?
“This is, therefore, to my apprehension, the least a personal controversy of any in the world. Your person and mine are out of the question. The point is, are those things that have been believed for many ages throughout the Christian world, real, solid truths; or monkish dreams, and vain imaginations?
“But, farther, it is certain, between you and me there need be no personal controversy at all. For we may agree to leave each other’s person and character absolutely untouched, while we sum up and answer the several arguments advanced, as plainly and closely as we can.
“Either I or you mistake the whole of Christianity from the beginning to the end. Either my scheme or yours is as contrary to the scriptural as the Koran is. Is it mine or yours? Yours has gone through all England, and made numerous converts. I attack it from end to end; let all England judge whether it can be defended or not.
“Earnestly praying, that God may give you and me a right understanding in all things,
“I am, reverend sir, your servant for Christ’s sake,
“John Wesley.”[321]
This was a manly and respectful challenge; but it was not accepted. Indeed, within two years after it was written, Dr. Taylor died; having, as Wesley thinks, considerably modified his opinions. Hence the following, from one of Wesley’s letters to Sir Harry Trelawney: “For some years, that greatman, Dr. Taylor, of Norwich, was an earnest Calvinist; but afterwards, judging he could not get far enough from that melancholy system, he ran, not only into Arianism, but into the very dregs of Socinianism. I have reason, however, to believe he was convinced of his mistake some years before he died; but to acknowledge this publicly was too hard a task for him.”[322]