Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-09-06
NUMBER 25l.
Read Letter from the Great John Wesley.

Read Letter from the Great John Wesley.
| We have rarely met with SO strong and impor.
tant document as the following letter. written by
the great and good John Wesley, bearing date
1880, and addressed to the editor Of the Free
mans Journal Dublin. II was drawn out in con
troversy upon the English federation Act, and
may be found in the miscellaneous works of Mr..
Wesley, on page SIT, vol. g. This letter was fur
nished the Memphis Eagle and Enquirer by dir
tinguished Methodist of North Mississippi. in con-
sequence of Judge Longstreet having called The
Methodist Church to task for joining tho Amer.
lean party, and taunted them with furnishing the
name of their great and venerated leader, Wesley.
Here II is:
| SIR Some time ago pamphlet was sent TO me
entitled An Appeal from the Protestant Asso-
| ciation to the People of Great Britain" A day or
| two since kind of answer to this was put into
my hand, which pronounces its style contempti-
BILE, its reasoning futile, and its object malicious
On the contrary, think the style Of it Is clear.
easy and natural; the reasoning, in general, suong
and conclusive; the object or design, kind and
/ benevolent.
And IN pursuance OF the same kind and beneyo-
lent design, namely, to preserve our happy consti-
tuition, shall endeavor to confirm the substance
of that tract, by few plain arguments. With per-
secution have nothing to do. persecute no
man for his religious principles Let there be as
boundless freedom in religion as any man can
conceive. But this does not touch the point. /
will set religion, true or false utterly out of the
question. Suppose the Bible, if you please. to be
a fable, and the Koran to be the word Of God /
consider not, whether the komish religion be true
or false I; build nothing on one or the other sup-
position. Therefore away with all your common.
place defamation about intolerance and persecu-
| tiOn for raIiuOn vnrJ ne D..
Pius's creed to bo true Suppose the Council Of
Trent to have been iniallbe yet, insist upon it,
that no government not Roman Catholic ought 10
tolerate men Of Roman Catholic persuasion.
prove this by plain argument, Qet him an
swer il that CAM that no Roman Catholic does or
can give security for his allegiance or peaceable
behavior. prove it thus 1t is Romar Catholic
maxim, established not by private men, but by
public council, that mo Jaih is 10 be kept NTH
herefses" This has been openly avowed by the
Council Of Constance, but it was never openly dis.
| claimed Whether private persons avow or dis
avow it, 1t is fixed maxim OF the Church of Rome
But rs long as 1t is so, nothing be more plain
than that the members of that church can give no
reasonable security to any government of their al
legance or peaceable behavior. Therefore they
ought not to be tolerated by any government
Protestant Mahommedan, or Pagan. You say
may, but they will tuke an oath OF allegiance
True, five hundred eaths; but the maxim, "no
faith is to be kept with hcretics," sweeps them all
away as spiders web So that still no governors
that not Roman Catholics can have any seen.
rity for their allegiance.
Again those who acknowledge the spiritual pow.
er OF the Pope can give security of their alegi-
ance to any government; but all Roman Catholics
acknowledge this; therefore they eau give no scs
curity for their allegiance. The power of granting
pardon for all sins--past, present, and to come
is. and has been for many centuries one branch of
bis spritual Ruf nh
him to have this spiritual power can give no Sc,
curity for tiicir uiiegance, sce they 6eneve that
the Pope can pardon rebellion, high treason. and
all other sins whatsoever The power Of dispen-
sing with any promise, oath, or vow, is another
branch of the spiritual power Of the Pope, and all
who acknowledge his spiritual power must ac-
knowledge this. But whoever acknowledges the
dispensing power of the Pope give no security
for his allegiance to any government 0aths and
promises none; they are light as air--a dis
pcnsdfion makes them all null aud void. Nay, not
only the Pope, but even priest, has power 70
pardon sins
This is an essential doctrine of the Church of
Rome But they that acknowledge this cannot
possibly give any security for their allegiance TO
any government. 0aths are no security for their
allegiance TO any government. 0aths se-
curity at all for the priest pardon both per-
jury aud high treason Setting their religion aside,
it is plain that, upon principles of reason, no gov
eminent ought to tolerate men who cannot give
any security to that government for their alegi.
ance and peaceable behavior. 1T this no Ro-
manist can do not only willie he holds that mo
faith is to be kept with heretos" but SO long he
acknowledges either priestly absolution, or the
spiritual power Of the Pope.
II any one pleases to answer this and sign bis
name, shall probably reply. But the productions
Of any anonymous writer's do not promise to take
any notice Of
| am, sir, your humble servant,
| JOHN WESLEY.
| City Road, January 81, 1850.