Wesley Corpus

That it was not needful for them to prove what none of their hearers denied: No, not even the Heathens; even these allowed the corruption of human nature. Even these received it as an undeniable fact, Vitiis nemo sine nascitur: “No man is born without vices.” These acknowledged, (as Seneca expresses,) Omnia in omni bus vitia sunt : “All vices are in all men.” These saw there were hardly any good men to be found upon the face of the earth; and openly testified it. Rari quippe boni; numero vir sunt totidem quot Thebarum porte, vel divitis ostia Nili : “The good lie scatter'd in this barren soil, Few as the gates of Thebes, or mouths of Nile.” They had also among them some faint account of the cause of that overflowing corruption. So Horace, immediately after he had asserted the fact,-- Audar omnia perpeti Gens humana ruit per vetitum nefas,-- “Lawless and unrestrain'd, the human race Rushes through all the paths of daring wickedness,” glances at the cause of it, in their fabulous manner: Audar Japeti genus Ignem fraude mal4 gentibus intulit; Post ignem athered domo Subductum, macies, et nova febrium Terris incubuit cohors: Semotique prius tarda necessitas Lethi corripwit gradum. “Prometheus first provok'd the heavenly Sire, Purloining Jupiter's authentic fire : Evil, from hence derived, and brooding pain, And strange disease, with all the ghastly train, Pour'd in upon the wretched sons of men: While hasty Fate quicken'd the lingering pace Of distant death, unveil'd the monster's face, And gave into his hands our whole devoted race.” I observe, 3. It was neither needful nor proper for an Apostle, in his first sermon to a congregation wholly unawak ened, to descant upon original sin. No man of common sense would do it now. Were I to preach to a certain congrega tion at Norwich, I should not say one word of Adam, but endeavour to show them that their lives, and therefore their hearts, were corrupt and abominable before God. You conclude this head: “Guilt imputed is imaginary guilt, and so no object of redemption.” I dare not say so as to my own particular.