Wesley Corpus

I know likewise that Luther, Melanchthon, and many other (if not all) of the Reformers frequently and strongly assert that every believer is conscious of his own acceptance with God, and that by a supernatural evidence, which if any choose to term immediate revelation he may. But nether have I leisure to re-examine this cloud of witnesses. Nor, indeed, as you justly observe, would the testimony of them all together be sufficient to establish an unscriptural doctrine. Therefore, after all, we must be determined by higher evidence. And herein we are dearly agreed: we both appeal ‘to the law and to the testimony.’ May God enable us to understand it aright! But first, that you may not beat the air by disproving what I never intended to prove, I will show you as distinctly as I can what my sentiments are upon the question, and the rather because I plainly perceive you do not yet understand them. You seem to think I allow no degrees in grace, and that I make no distinction between the full assurance of faith and a low or common measure of it. Several years ago some clergymen and other gentlemen with whom we had a free conversation proposed the following questions to my brother and me, to which we gave the answers subjoined: -- ‘June 25, 1744. ‘QUESTION. What is faith ‘ANSWER. Faith in general is a divine, supernatural ‘e [‘Evidence’ or ‘conviction.’] of things not seen--that is, of past, future, or spiritual. It is a spiritual sight of God and the things of God. Justifying faith is a divine ‘e, that Christ loved me and gave Himself for me. ‘Q. Have all Christians this faith And may not a man have it and not know it ‘A. That all Christians have such a faith as implies a consciousness of God’s love appears from Rom. viii. 15; Eph. iv. 32; 2 Cor. xiii. 5; Heb. viii. 10; 1 John iv. 10, v. 1, &c. And that no man can have it and not know that he has appears from the nature of the thing. For faith after repentance is ease after pain, rest after toil, light after darkness. It appears also from its immediate fruits, which are peace, joy, love, and power over sin. ‘Q. Does any one believe any longer than he sees, loves, obeys God