The title of this sermon implies a much more broad topic than it actually addresses. The real topic here seems to me to actually be Schism, or the schismatic urge to separate when one disagrees, which I find very interesting. The matter at hand for Wesley is, specifically, should members of the Methodist societies continue to attend church services. The point given in the opposite direction is that these churches are led by wicked men, and you can't receive the blessing from wicked men. Wesley, interestingly to me, does not seem to give any thought in the direction that I might have, something in the vein of "Just because we have strong disagreements doesn't mean they're wicked people necessarily." He simply cedes the fact and argues that it's irrelevant, using long periods of wicked priesthoods in Israel and in (pre-reformation) Christendom to argue, basically, "if grace cannot come from the ministration of unholy men, then all the faithful people in these long stretches of time have been damned by circumstance" (paraphrase mine), which he rejects on it's face. I'm a little surprised that John the Pastor doesn't get to the heart of the matter, by my reckoning, as I don't imagine it's much different in their time than it is in ours; getting along with people is hard, and there are some christians out there who really believe, in earnest (and contrary to the words of Jesus and St John themselves) that they can love Christ and despise their neighbor. The excuses are myriad, the complexities and nuances legion, but the part of Christian teaching that requires *communal* practice never catches on with some people, and many never submit to the potter's hand on the issue. I may not sound sympathetic, I am. People are the worst. However, people are how this God chose to be represented in creation. People are who this God chose to make up his church and carry out his work. Loving people is part of the deal. If you want an excuse to refuse to attend the church service because you don't like the pastor, the deacon, the pastor's wife or the person who sets out the donuts, I'm sorry but scripture won't let you do it, no matter how justified you feel.