Wesley Corpus

‘St. James speaks of the justification of our faith’ (page 201). Not unless you mean by that odd expression our faith being made perfect; for so the Apostle explains his own meaning. Perhaps the word ‘justified’ is once used by St. Paul for manifested; but that does not prove it is to be so understood here. ‘“Whoso doeth these things shall never fall” into total apostasy’ (page 202). How pleasing is this to flesh and blood! But David says no such thing. His meaning is, ‘whoso doeth these things’ to the end ‘shall never fall’ into hell. The Seventh Dialogue is full of important truths. Yet some expressions in it I cannot commend. ‘“One thing thou lackest” -- the imputed righteousness of Christ’ (page 216). You cannot think this is the meaning of the text. Certainly the ‘one thing’ our Lord meant was the love of God. This was the thing he lacked. ‘Is the obedience of Christ insufficient to accomplish our justification’ (Page 222.) Rather I would ask, Is the death of Christ insufficient to purchase it ‘The saints in glory ascribe the whole of their salvation to the blood of the Lamb’ (page 226). So do I; and yet I believe ‘He obtained for all a possibility of salvation.’ ‘The terms of acceptance for fallen man were a full satisfaction to the divine justice and a complete conformity to the divine law’ (page 227). This you take for granted; but I cannot allow it. The terms of acceptance for fallen man are repentance and faith. ‘Repent ye, and believe the gospel.’ ‘There are but two methods whereby any can be justified -- either by a perfect obedience to the law, or because Christ hath kept the law in our stead’ (ibid.). You should say, ‘Or by faith in Christ.’ I then answer, This is true; and fallen man is justified, not by perfect obedience, but by faith. What Christ has done is the foundation of our justification, not the term or condition of it. In the Eighth Dialogue likewise there are many great truths, and yet some things liable to exception.