Wesley Corpus

Are these twelve articles of his creed the fundamental points of religion in particular, that men and brutes are devils incarnate and are to be in purgatory after death And are they all so 'impressed on the heart of every man as never to be effaced' Why, they never were impressed on my heart yet; several of them I no more believe than I do the Koran. I never have met with an American Indian who believed one half of them; nor with an uninstructed African who believed one of them unless, perhaps, the being of a God. And is the belief of all these (fundamental point, indeed!) 'necessary to man's salvation' I cannot but repeat the observation, wherein experience confirms me more and more, that they who disbelieve the Bible will believe anything. They may believe Voltaire! They may believe the Shastah! They may believe a man can put himself into a quart bottle! To John Simpson LONDON, November 28, 1774. MY DEAR BROTHER,--Read over, with earnest, humble prayer, Mr. Fletcher's three Checks, and I think you will see things clearly. Or read the Farther Appeal, in the beginning of which those points are clearly stated. You ask: (1) Are any persons mentioned in the New Testament as seeking faith who have not found it Certainly there are. 'Seek, and ye shall find.' They had not found it yet. And every man must seek for the good pearl before he can find it. But the word 'seeker' you do not use. (2) Is anything proposed to a convinced sinner in Scripture, but to believers only Yes. How readest thou 'Cease from evil, learn to do well'; or God will not give you faith. 'Bring forth fruits meet for repentance'; otherwise you are never likely to believe. (3) Ought every unbeliever to pray or communicate Yes. 'Ask, and it (faith) shall be given you.' And if you believe Christ died for guilty, helpless sinners, then eat that Bread and drink of that Cup. The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! Beware the Lord do not depart from thee! I am afraid, in confidence of your own strength, you have been disputing with some subtle Antinomian, and he has confounded your intellects. Talk with him no more, at the peril of your soul, and beware of their pernicious books. You have been warned by me; now, escape for your life!--I am