Wesley Corpus

I think that all this time you are directly pleading for looseness of manners, and that everything you advance natu rally tends thereto. This is my grand objection to that doc trine of the necessity of sinning: Not only that it is false, but that it is directly subversive of all holiness. The doctrine of the Gnostics was, not that a child of God does not commit sin, that is, act the things which are forbidden in Scripture, but that they are not sin in him, that he is a child of God still; so they contend, not for sinless, but sinful, perfec tion; just as different from what I contend for, as heaven is from hell. What the Donatists were, I do not know ; but I suspect they were the real Christians of that age; and were therefore served by St. Augustine and his warm adherents, as the Methodists are now by their zealous adversaries. It is extremely easy to blacken; and could I give myself leave, I could paint the consequences of your doctrine, in at least as dark and odious colours as you could paint mine. 10. The passage of St. Peter, mentioned Sermon XII., I still think proves all which I brought it to prove. “But you allow, (Sermon XIV.,) that Paul and Barnabas did commit sin. And these were, without all controversy, fathers in Christ.” That is not without controversy,-that either Barnabas when he left Paul, or Peter when he dissem bled at Antioch, was at that time a father in Christ in St. John’s sense; though by office undoubtedly they were. Their example, therefore, only proves what no one denies, namely, that if a believer keeps not himself, he may commit sin. Would the conclusions here drawn “be made only by a very weak opponent?” Then you are a weak opponent; for you make them all, either from these or other premises: For you believe and maintain, (1.) That all the other Apostles committed sin sometimes. (2.) That all the other Christians of the apostolic age sometimes committed sin. (3.) That all other Christians, in all ages, do and will commit sin as long as they live. And, (4.) That every man must commit sin, cannot help it, as long as he is in the body. You cannot deny one of these propositions, if you understand your own premises. I am, Rev.