Wesley Corpus

“But the main point between you and me is Perfection. ‘This, you say, ‘has no prevalence in these parts; otherwise I should think it my duty to oppose it with my whole strength; not as an opinion, but as a dangerous mistake, which appears to be subversive of the very foundation of Christian experience; and which has, in fact, given occasion to the most grievous offences.’ “Just so my brother and I reasoned thirty years ago, “as thinking it our duty to oppose Predestination with our whole strength; not as an opinion, but as a dangerous mistake, which appears to be subversive of the very foundation of Christian experience; and which has, in fact, given occasion to the most grievous offences.’ “That it has given occasion to such offences, I know; I can name time, place, and persons. But still another fact stares me in the face. Mr. H and Mr. N hold this, and yet I believe these have real Christian experience. But if so, this is only an opinion : It is not ‘subversive ’ (here is clear proof to the contrary) ‘of the very foundation of Christian experience.’ It is ‘compatible with love to Christ, and a genuine work of grace.” Yea, many hold it, at whose feet I desire to be found in the day of the Lord Jesus. If, then, I ‘oppose this with my whole strength,” I am a mere bigot still. I leave you in your calm and retired moments to make the application. “But how came this opinion into my mind? I will tell you with all simplicity. In 1725 I met with Bishop Taylor's “Rules of Holy Living and Dying. I was struck particularly with the chapter upon intention, and felt a fixed intention May, 1765.] JOURNAL, 213 ‘to give myself up to God.” In this I was much confirmed soon after by the ‘Christian Pattern, and longed to give God all my heart. This is just what I mean by Perfection now : I sought after it from that hour. “In 1727 I read Mr. Law’s ‘Christian Perfection, and ‘Serious Call, and more explicitly resolved to be all devoted to God, in body, soul, and spirit. In 1730 I began to be Jhomo unius libri; * to study (comparatively) no book but the Bible.