Wesley Corpus

I must either believe there was an evil God, or that there was no God at all. “But to disparage our nature is to disparage the work and gifts of God.” (Page 257.) True; but to describe the cor ruption of our nature as it is, is not disparaging the work of God. For that corruption is not his work. On the other hand, to say it is; to say God created us as corrupt as we are now, with as weak an understanding and as perverse a will; this is dis paraging the work of God, and God himself, to some purpose! “But doth not this doctrine teach you to transfer your wickedness and sin to a wrong cause? Whereas you ought to blame yourself alone, you lay the whole blame upon Adam.” (Page 258.) I do not : I know God is willing to save me from all sin, both original and actual. Therefore, if I am not saved, I must lay the whole blame upon myself. “But what good end does this doctrine promote?” The doctrine, that we are by nature “dead in sin,” and therefore “children of wrath,” promotes repentance, a true knowledge of ourselves; and thereby leads to faith in Christ, to a true knowledge of Christ crucified. And faith worketh love; and, by love, all holiness both of heart and life. Consequently, this doctrine promotes (nay, and is absolutely, indispensably necessary to promote) the whole of that religion which the Son of God lived and died to establish. “We are told, indeed, that it promotes humility; but nei ther our Lord nor his Apostles, when inculcating humility, say a word about natural corruption.” Supposing (not grant ing) that they did not, yet it cannot be, in the very nature of the thing, that any whose nature is corrupt should be hum ble, should know himself, without knowing that corruption. “But what can be more destructive to virtue, than to repre sent sin as altogether unavoidable?” (Page 259.) This does not follow from the doctrine. Corrupt as we are, through almighty grace we may avoid all sin. But it is destructive of virtue. For ‘if we believe we are by nature worse than the brutes, what wonder if we act worse than brutes?” Yea, if we are so, what wonder if we act so?