Wesley Corpus

'5. What have we, then, been disputing about these thirty years I am afraid about words.' That is, so far as we have been disputing (as I did with Dr. Church) whether works be a condition of salvation--yea, or of justification, suppose you take that term as our Lord does (Matt. xii. 37), where (speaking of the Last Day) He says, 'By thy words thou shalt be justified.' With justification as it means our first acceptance with God this proposition has nothing to do. 'Tis true thirty years ago I was very angry with Bishop Bull, that great light of the Christian Church, because in his Harmonica Apostolica he distinguishes our first from our final justification, and affirms both inward and outward good works to be the condition of the latter, though not the former. '6. As to merit itself, of which we have been so dreadfully afraid, we are rewarded according to our works--yea, because of our works. How does this differ from for the sake of our works And how differs this from secundum merita operum as our works deserve Can you split this hair I doubt I cannot.' I follow after truth; and wherever I find it, I not only embrace it, but own it in the face of the sun. If any will show me this is not the truth, I will retract it. But let us consider it part by part. (1) 'We were dreadfully afraid of the word merit.' None can deny this. (2) 'We are rewarded (at the Last Day) according to our works.' Neither can this be denied. (3) 'Yea, because of our works.' Witness Abraham, the grand pattern of believers: 'Because thou hast done this thing, . . . in blessing I will bless thee' (Gen. xxii. 16-17). (4) 'How differs this from secundum merita operum as our works deserve ' I say again, I cannot split this hair. Whoever can has my free leave. And afterwards let him split his throat with crying out, 'Oh dreadful heresy!' '7. The grand objection to one of the preceding propositions is drawn from matter of fact. God does in fact justify those who by their own confession neither feared God nor wrought righteousness. Is not this an exception to the general rule It is a doubt if God makes any exception at all.'