Wesley Corpus

After repeating the intermediate verses, you yourself add, “He subjoins a reason, which demonstrates the error of trust ing in man: ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?’ (Verse 9.) This text, therefore, does not mean, Who can know his own heart, but another's?” Whether it means one or both, it positively asserts, that “the heart” of man, of men in general, of every man, is “desperately wicked.” Therefore, as to the main point contained therein, “Christians do not understand it wrong; ” (page 224;) neither misapply it at all. When I say, “I feel I have a ‘wicked heart,’” (another thing which you do not understand,) “I mean this: I feel much pride remaining in my heart, much self-will, much un belief.” (Page 225.) Now, I really believe pride, and self will, and unbelief to be essentially wicked tempers. There fore, in whatever heart they remain, (and they remain in yours as well as mine,) that is a “wicked heart.” After a long. pause, you return to the seventh of the Romans, and affirm: “We cannot, from anything in that chapter, infer, that we came into the world with sinful dispo sitions derived from Adam; for the Apostle says nothing about Adam.” (Page 229.) He had said enough in the fifth chapter of the cause: Here he only describes the effect; the state of those who are now “brought to the birth; ” but “there is not ” yet “strength to bring forth.” “Nor can we infer from hence, that any man sins through a principle which it was never in his power to command; for then it would be no sin.” Upon this I would only ask, Are you assured that no man transgresses God’s law (whether you will call it sin or not) through a principle which it was never in his power to command; at least, not for any time to gether? Every passionate man can confute you in this. He has sad experience of the contrary. To those objections which you have, in some sort, answered, you subjoin the following questions:-- “1. Is not the doctrine of original sin necessary to account for the being of so much wickedness in the world?” You answer, “Adam’s nature, it is allowed, was not sinful; and yet he sinned.