Wesley Corpus

‘Both the branches of the law, the preceptive and the penal, in the case of guilt contracted must be satisfied’ (page 309). Not so. ‘Christ by His death alone’ (so our Church teaches) ‘fully satisfied for the sins of the whole world.’ The same great truth is manifestly taught in the Thirty-first Article. Is it therefore fair, is it honest, for any one to plead the Articles of our Church in defense of Absolute Predestination, seeing the Seventeenth Article barely defines the term without either affirming or denying the thing, whereas the Thirty-first totally overthrows and razes it from the foundation ‘Believers who are notorious transgressors in themselves have a sinless obedience in Christ’ (ibid.). Oh syren song! Pleasing sound to James Wheatley, Thomas Williams, James Relly! I know not one sentence in the Eleventh Dialogue which is liable to exception; but that grand doctrine of Christianity, Original Sin, is therein proved by irrefragable arguments. The Twelfth likewise is unexceptionable, and contains such an illustration of the wisdom of God in the structure of the human body as I believe cannot be paralleled in either ancient or modem writers. The former part of the Thirteenth Dialogue is admirable: to the latter I have some objection. ‘Elijah failed in his resignation, and even Moses spake un-advisedly with his lips’ (vol. ii. p. 44). It is true; but if you could likewise fix some blot upon venerable Samuel and beloved Daniel, it would prove nothing. For no scripture teaches that the holiness of Christians is to be measured by that of any Jew. ‘Do not the best of men frequently feel disorder in their affections Do not they often complain, “When I would do good, evil is present with me”’ (Page 46.) I believe not. You and I are only able to answer for ourselves. ‘Do not they say, “We groan, being burthened with the workings of inbred corruption”’ You know this is not the meaning of the text. The whole context shows the cause of that groaning was their longing’ to be with Christ.’