Wesley Corpus

In the afternoon I was informed how many wise and learned men (who cannot, in terms, deny it, because our Articles and Homilies are not yet repealed) explain justification by faith. They say, 1. Justification is two-fold; the first, in this life, the second, at the last day. 2. Both these are by faith alone; that is, by objective faith, or by the merits of Christ, which are the object of our faith. And this, they say, is all that St. Paul and the Church mean by, “ We are justified by faith only.” But they add, 3. We are not justified by subjective faith alone, that is, by the faith which is in us. But works also must be added to this faith, as a joint condition both of the first and second justification. The sense of which hard words is plainly this: God accepts us both here and hereafter only for the sake of what Christ has done and suffered for us. This alone is the cause of our justification. But the condition thereof is, not faith alone, but faith and works together. In flat opposition to this, I cannot but maintain, (at least, till I have a clearer light,) 1. That the justification which is spoken of by St. Paul to the Romans, and in our Articles, is not two-fold. It is one, and no more. It is the present remission of our sins, or our first acceptance with God. 2. It is true that the merits of Christ are the sole cause of this our justification: but it is not true that this is all which St. Paul and our Church mean by our being justified by faith only ; neither is it true, that either St. Paul or the Church mean by faith the merits ot Christ. But, 3. By our being justified by faith only, both St. Paul and the Church mean, that the condition of our justification is faith alone, and not good works; inasmuch as “all works done before Justification have in them the nature of sin.” Lastly, That faith which is the sole condition of justification, is the faith which is in us, by the grace of God. It is “a sure trust which a man hath, that Christ hath loved him, and died for him.”