Wesley Corpus

‘If the Fathers are not explicit with regard to the imputation of active righteousness, they abound in passages which evince the substitution of Christ in our stead -- passages which disclaim all dependence on any duties of our own and fix our hopes wholly on the merits of our Savor. When this is the case, I am very little solicitous about any particular forms of expression’ (page 101.) O lay aside, then, those questionable, dangerous forms, and keep closely to the scriptural! ‘The authority of our Church and of those eminent divines’ (Letter 4, p. 105) does not touch those ‘particular forms of expression’; neither do any of the texts which you afterwards cite. As to the doctrine we are agreed. ‘The righteousness of God signifies the righteousness which God-Man wrought out’ (ibid.). No; it signifies God's method of justifying sinners. ‘The victims figured the expiation by Christ’s death; the clothing with skins, the imputation of His righteousness’ (page 107). That does not appear. Did not the one rather figure our justification, the other our sanctification Almost every text quoted in this and the following letter in. support of that particular form of expression is distorted above measure from the plain, obvious meaning which is pointed out by the context. I shall instance in a few, and just set down their true meaning without any farther remarks. (Page 109.) To ‘show unto man His uprightness,’ to convince him of God's justice in so punishing him. ‘He shall receive the blessing,’ pardon, ‘from the Lord, and righteousness,’ holiness, ‘from the God of his salvation’; the God who saveth him both from the guilt and from the power of sin (page 110). I will ‘make mention of Thy righteousness only.’ Of Thy mercy; so the word frequently means in the Old Testament. So it unquestionably means in that text, ‘In’ or by ‘Thy righteousness shall they be exalted’ (page 11). ‘Sion shall be redeemed with judgment,’ after severe punishment, ‘and her converts with righteousness,’ with the tender mercy of God following that punishment (page 112). ‘In,’ or through, ‘the Lord I have righteousness and strength,’ justification and sanctification; ‘He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation,’ saved me from the guilt and power of sin: both of which are again expressed by, ‘He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness’ (page 113).