Wesley Corpus

And what use is it of, what good end does it serve, to term England a Christian country (Although it is true most of the natives are called Christians, have been baptized, frequent the ordinances; and although a real Christian is here and there to be found, ‘as a light shining in a dark place.’) Does it do any honor to our great Master among those who are not called by His name Does it recommend Christianity to the Jews, the Mahometans, or the avowed heathens Surely no one can conceive it does. It only makes Christianity stink in their nostrils. Does it answer any good end with regard to those on whom this worthy name is called I fear not; but rather an exceeding bad one. For does it not keep multitudes easy in their heathen practice does it not make or keep still greater numbers satisfied with their heathen tempers does it not directly tend to make both the one and the other imagine that they are what indeed they are not -- that they are Christians while they are utterly without Christ and without God in the world To close this point: If men are not Christians till they are renewed after the image of Christ, and if the people of England in general are not thus renewed, why do we term them so The god of this world hath long blinded their hearts. Let us do nothing to increase that blindness, but rather labor to recover them from that strong delusion, that they may no longer believe a lie. 4. Let us labor to convince all mankind that to be a real Christian is to love the Lord our God with all our heart and to serve Him with all our strength, to love our neighbor as ourselves, and therefore do unto every man as we would he should do unto us. Nay, you say, ‘Had you confined yourselves to these great points, there would have been no objection against your doctrine. But the doctrines you have distinguished yourselves by are not the love of God and man, but many false and pernicious errors’ (page 104).