Wesley Corpus

To Richard Hart Date: LONDON, July 11, 1763. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1763) Author: John Wesley --- DEAR SIR,--Abundance of business has prevented my writing so soon as I desired and intended; nor have I time now to write so largely as I could wish, and as your openness and frankness would otherwise constrain me to do. But I cannot delay any longer to write a little, lest I should seem to slight your correspondence. What you before observed is of great importance--namely, ‘If it be the professed aim of the gospel to convince us that Jesus is the Christ; if I, a sinner, am convinced of the reality of this fact, am not I, who believe, authorized to expect life, not through any condition, or any act, inward or outward, performed by me, but singly through the name which Jesus assumed, which stands for His whole character or merit’ Here is the hinge on which Mr. Sandeman’s [See letter of Oct. 14, 1757.] whole system turns. This is the strength of his cause, and you have proposed it with all the strength and clearness which he himself could devise. Yet suffer me to offer to your consideration a few queries concerning it: -- Is every one who is convinced of the reality of this fact, ‘Jesus is the Christ,’ a gospel believer Is not the devil convinced of the reality of this fact Is, then, the devil a gospel believer I was convinced of the reality of this fact when I was twelve years old, [See sect. 14 of letter in Dec. 1751 to Bishop Lavington.] when I was without God in the world. Was I then a gospel believer Was I then a child of God Was I then in a state of salvation Again, you say, ‘I who believe am authorized to expect life, not through any condition or act, inward or outward, performed by me.’