Wesley Corpus

9. On the second proposition you remark (1) that I ‘ought to havesaid, the merits of Christ are (not the sole cause, but) the sole meritorious cause of this our justification.’ (page 41); (2) That ‘St. Paul and the Church, by justifying faith, mean, faith in the gospel and merits of Christ.’ The very thing; so I contend, in flatopposition to those who say they mean only the object of this faith. Upon the third proposition, ‘By our being justified by faith only,both St. Paul and the Church mean, that the condition of ourjustification is faith alone, and not good works;’ you say, ‘Neither of them mean any such thing. You greatly wrong them, inascribing so mischievous a sentiment to them.’ (Ibid.) Let me begyou, Sir, to have patience, and calmly to consider, (1.) What I meanby this proposition. Why should you any longer run as uncertainly, and fight as one that beateth the air (2.) What is advancedtouching the sentiments of the Church, in the tract referred to above. Till you have done this, it would be mere loss of time todispute with you on this head. I waive, therefore, for the present, the consideration of some of your following pages. Only I cannot quite pass over that (I believe, new) assertion, ‘that the Thirteenth Article, entitled, “Of Works done before Justification,” does not speak of works done before justification, but of works before grace, which is a very different thing!’ (page 45). I beseech you, Sir, to consider the Eleventh, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Articles, just as they lie, in one view: And you cannot but see that it is as absolutely impossible to maintain that proposition, as it is to prove that the Eleventh and Twelfth Articles speak not of justification, but of some very different thing. 10. Against that part of the fourth proposition, ‘Faith is a sure trust which a man hath, that Christ loved him and died for him,’ you object, ‘This definition is absurd; as it supposes that such a sure trust can be in one who does not repent of his sins.’ (page 48). I suppose quite the contrary, as I have declared over and over; nor, therefore, is there any such danger as you apprehend.