Wesley Corpus

(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. Again: whereas our Lord gives a general command, ‘Seek, and ye shah find,’ you say, ‘Saving faith was never yet sought or in the remotest manner wished for by an unbeliever’ (page 372); a proposition as contrary to the whole tenor of Scripture as to the experience of every true believer. Every one who now believes knows how he sought and wished for that faith before he experienced it. It is not true even with regard to your faith, a belief of the Bible. For I know Deists at this day who have often wished they could believe the Bible, and owned ‘it was happy for them that could.’ (2) You vehemently contradict yourself, and do the very thing which you charge upon others. ‘If we imagine we possess or desire to attain any requisite to our acceptance with God beside or in connection with the bare work of Christ, Christ shah profit us nothing’ (page 96). Again: ‘What is required of us in order to our acceptance with God Nothing. The least attempt to do anything is damnably criminal.’ Very good. Now for self-consistency: ‘What Christ has done is that which quiets the conscience of man as soon as he knows it. So that he need ask no more than, “Is it true or not” If he finds it true, he it happy. If he does not, he can reap no comfort from it. Our comfort arises from the persuasion of this.’ (Page 12.)