Wesley Corpus

Very little better than this is your third definition: ‘The truth which a man believes is his faith’ (page 301). No it is not; no more than the light which a man sees is his sight. You must therefore guess again. ‘To believe this fact, Christ rose from the dead, is faith’ (page 169). ‘Ask a man, Is the gospel true or not If he holds it to be true, this is faith.’ (Page 296.) But is this saving faith ‘Yes, every one that believes the Gospel history shah be saved’ (page 333). This is flat and plain. And if it is but true, every devil in hell will be saved. For it is absolutely certain every one of these believes this fact -- Christ rose from the dead. It is certain every one of these believes the Gospel history. Therefore this is not saving faith; neither will every one be saved who believes this fact -- Christ rose from the dead. It follows that, whatever others do, you know not what faith is. I object thirdly, (1) That you yourself ‘shut up our access to the divine righteousness’; (2) that you vehemently contradict yourself, and do the very thing which you charge upon others. (1) You yourself shut up our access to the divine righteousness by destroying that repentance which Christ has made the way to it. ‘Ask men,’ you say, ‘have they sinned or not If they know they have, this is conviction. And this is preparation enough for mercy.’ Soft casuistry indeed! He that receives this saying is never likely either to ‘repent’ or ‘believe the gospel.’ And if he do not, he can have no access to the righteousness of Christ. Yet you strangely affirm: ‘A careless sinner is in full as hopeful a way as one that is the most deeply convicted’ (page 292). How can this be, if that conviction be from God Where He has begun the work, will He not finish it Have we not reason to hope this But in a careless sinner that work is not begun; perhaps never will be.