Wesley Corpus

“(The sermon Count Zinzendorf preached at Fetter-lane, on John viii 11, places this in a strong light. He roundly began, ‘ Christ says, I came not to destroy the Law ; but he did destroy the Law. The Law condemned this woman to death: but he did not condemn her. And God himself does not keep the Law. The Law forbids lying: but God said, Forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed ; yet Nineveh was not destroyed.’) “4, That there is no such thing as degrees in faith, or weak faith; since he has no faith who has any doubt or fear. (How to reconcile this, with what I heard the Count assert at large, ‘ that a man may have justifying faith, and not know it,’ I cannot tell.) 5. That we are sanctified wholly, the moment we are justified; and are neither more nor less holy, to the day of our death. 6. That a believer has no holiness in himself at all; all his holiness being imputed, not inherent. 7 That aman may feel a peace that passeth all understanding, may rejoice with joy full of glory, Nov. 1750. ] REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. 503 and have the love of God, and of all mankind, with dominion over all sin; and yet all this may be only nature, animal spirits, or the force of imagination. 8. That ifa man regards prayer, or searching the Scriptures, or communicating, as matter of duty; if he judges himself obliged to do these things, or is troubled when he neglects them; he is in bondage, he is under the Law, he has no faith; but is still seeking salvation by works. 9. That therefore, till we believe, we ought to be still; that is, not to pray, search the Scriptures, or communicate. 10. That their Church cannot err, and of consequence ought to be implicitly believed and obeyed. “Thirdly. I approve many things in their practice; yet even this I cannot admire in the following instances :-- “1. I do not admire their conforming to the world, by useless, trifling conversation: by suffering sin upon their brother, without reproving even that which is gross and open: by levity in the general tenor of their behaviour; not walking as under the eye of the great God: and, lastly, by joining in the mos: trifling diversions, in order to do good.