The occasion of the outburst was the publication of Wesley’s ’Minutes of the Conference of 1770.’  Possibly John Wesley may have abstained for some years, out of regard for Whitefield, from discussing in Conference a subject which was calculated to disturb the re-established harmony between him and his friend.[779] At any rate, the offending Minutes, oddly enough, begin by referring to what had passed at the first Conference, twenty-six years before.  ’We said in 1744, We have leaned too much towards Calvinism.’  After a long abeyance the subject is taken up at the point at which it stood more than a quarter of a century before.

The Minutes have often been quoted; but, for clearness’ sake, it may be well to quote them once more.

’We said in 1744, We have leaned too much towards Calvinism.  Wherein—­

’1.  With regard to man’s faithfulness, our Lord Himself taught us to use the expression; and we ought never to be ashamed of it.  We ought steadily to assert, on His authority, that if a man is not “faithful in the unrighteous mammon” God will not “give him the true riches.”

’2.  With regard to working for life, this also our Lord has expressly commanded us.  “Labour” ([Greek:  Ergazesthe]—­literally, “work”) “for the meat that endureth to everlasting life.”  And, in fact, every believer, till he comes to glory, works for, as well as from, life.

’3.  We have received it as a maxim that “a man can do nothing in order to justification.”  Nothing can be more false.  Whoever desires to find favour with God should “cease to do evil and learn to do well.”  Whoever repents should do “works meet for repentance.”  And if this is not in order to find favour, what does he do them for?

’Review the whole affair.

’1.  Who of us is now accepted of God?

’He that now believes in Christ, with a loving, obedient heart.

’2.  But who among those that never heard of Christ?

’He that feareth God and worketh righteousness, according to the light he has.

’3.  Is this the same with “he that is sincere”?

’Nearly if not quite.

’4.  Is not this salvation by works?

’Not by the merit of works, but by works as a condition.

’5.  What have we, then, been disputing about for these thirty years?

’I am afraid about words.

’6.  As to merit itself, of which we have been so dreadfully afraid, we are rewarded according to our works—­yea, because of our works.

’How does this differ from “for the sake of our works”?  And how differs this from secundum merita operum, “as our works deserve”?  Can you split this hair?  I doubt I cannot.

’7.  The grand objection to one of the preceding propositions is drawn from matter of fact.  God does in fact justify those who, by their own confession, “neither feared God nor wrought righteousness.”  Is this an exception to the general rule?