Wesley Corpus

1. It may seem strange that such an one as I am should take upon me to write to you. You I believe to be dear children of God, through faith which is in Jesus. Me you believe (as some of you have declared) to be ' a child of the devil, a servant of corruption, having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin.' Yet, whatsoever I am or whatsoever you are, I beseech you to weigh the following words; if haply God, who sendeth by whom He will send, may give you light thereby: although the mist of darkness (as one of you affirms) should be reserved for me for ever. 2. My design is freely and plainly to speak whatsoever I have seen or heard among you in any part of your Church which seems not agreeable to the gospel of Christ. And my hope is that the God whom you serve will give you thoroughly to weigh what is spoken, and if in anything ye have been otherwise-minded than the truth is will reveal even this unto you. 3. And first, with regard to Christian salvation, even the present salvation which is through faith, I have heard some of you affirm: (1) That it does not imply the proper taking away our sins, the cleansing our souls from all sin, from all unholiness whether of flesh or spirit, but only the tearing the system of sin in pieces, so that sin still remains in the members if not in the heart. (2) That it does not imply liberty from evil thoughts, neither from wanderings in prayer, neither from the first motions of desire, as (suppose) of ease in pain. (3) That it does not imply an assurance of future salvation, the seal of the Spirit relating only to the present moment.