e how things will appear to you to be quite of another tendency than
in your frenzy you esteemed them.'

'Be more studious to hold and improve those common truths which all
profess, than to oppose the particular opinions of any, except so far as
those common truths require you to do so.'

'Be not borne down by the censoriousness of any, to outrun your own
understanding and the truth, and to comply with them in their errors and
extremes; but hold to the truth and keep your station. 'Let them return
unto thee, but return not thou unto them.' Jer. xv. 19.'

'Believe nothing that contradicteth the end of all religion. If its
tendency be against a holy life, it cannot be truth.'

'Plead not the darker texts of Scripture against those that are more
plain and clear, nor a few texts against many that are as plain. That
passage that is interpreted against the most plain and frequent
expressions of the Scriptures is certainly misinterpreted.'

I will carry out these principles to the best of my ability.

--I notice that Christ never tells people that they cannot repent and do
God's will without divine help. He did not think it necessary to supply
people with excuses for their neglect of duty. And He knew that divine
help is never withheld from any man. All _have_ the help needed to do
what God requires. There is no danger of any man trying to do anything
good before he receives power from God. God is always beforehand with
men.

--I have had a troubled night. I have not slept soundly for a week. I
have had odd hours of sleep, but never a quarter of a night's unbroken
rest. Parties will talk with me about religion, and I am foolish enough
to talk with them, yet we never quite agree. They insist on the
sacredness of every old notion and of every old word they have received
from their teachers, and I believe in the sacredness of nothing but
Scripture truth and common sense. They cannot understand me, and I
cannot accept their nonsense. And they have no idea of liberty or
toleration. They allow no excuse for not being sound in the faith, and
no one is sound in the faith according to their notions but those who
agree with them. They know nothing of the foundation on which the
Connexion was built. They know nothing of Wesley: nothing, at least, of
his liberal views. The fundamental principles of the Connexion justify
me in my freedom of investigation, and in the sentiments which I hold
and teach; but they do not know this. They