Wesley Corpus

5. Secondly, with regard to that faith through which we are saved, I have heard many of you say, ‘A man may have justifying faith and not know it.’ Others of you, who are now in England (particularly Mr. Molther), I have heard affirm [In the Preface to the Second Journal the Moravian Church is cleared from this mistake. [See Journal, i. 430. Bhier, in a letter to Wesley, written several years later, denied that Molther ever held the opinions imputed to him (Moore's Wesley, i. 491n).]]* that ‘there is no such thing as weak faith; that there are no degrees in faith; that there is no justifying faith where there is ever any doubt; that there is no justifying faith without the plerophory of faith, the clear, abiding witness of the Spirit; that there is no justifying faith where there is not, in the full, proper sense, a new heart; and that those who have not these two gifts are only awakened, not justified.’ 6. Thirdly, as to the way to faith, here are many among us whom your brethren have advised (what it is not to be supposed they would as yet speak to me, or in their public preaching) [The substance of the answer to this and the following paragraphs is: (I) That none ought to communicate till he has faith -- that is, a sure trust in the mercy of God through Christ. This is granting the charge. (2) That ‘if the Methodists hold this sacrament is a means of getting faith, they must act according to their persuasion.’ We do hold it, and know it to be so to many of those who are previously convinced of sin.]* not to use those ordinances which our Church terms means of grace till they have such a faith as implies a clean heart and excludes all possibility of doubting. They have advised them, till then, not to search the Scriptures, not to pray, not to communicate; and have often affirmed that to do these things is seeking salvation by works, and that, till these works are laid aside, no man can receive faith: for ‘no man’ (say they) ‘can do these things without trusting in them; if he does not trust in them, why does he do them’