And if at any
time an opponent charged me with misquoting his words, or with
misrepresenting his meaning, I always accepted his corrections or
explanations. Nor did I indulge in personal abuse. Nor did I lose my
temper. I did my utmost to be just to all, and when I could not exhibit
much esteem or love for an opponent, I tried to be respectful.
The records of those long-continued and strange debates are, I am sorry
to say, lost. But while they were proceeding I drifted further away, on
some points, from the views maintained by orthodox communities. I am not
aware however that I went much further than Wesley went during the
latter years of his life. I found, not only in Scripture, but in the
sermons of Wesley, and in the writings of Baxter, who was a favorite
with Wesley, what seemed to me fully to justify all that I had taught on
the great doctrines of Christianity up to this period.
I gave up the _Christian Investigator_ at the end of two years, and as
two of my friends were anxious to publish a periodical, I refrained for
a time from commencing another, to give them a better chance of success.
I also helped them by writing for them, at their request, a number of
articles for the earlier numbers of their work. Their attempt however
proved a failure.
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