Wesley Corpus

24. Wegrant, nothing is more unreasonable, than to imagine that such mighty effects as these can be wrought by that poor, empty, insignificant thing, which the world calls faith, and you among them. But supposing there be such a faith on the earth as that which the Apostle speaks of, such an intercourse between God and the soul, what is too hard for such a faith? You yourselves may conceive that “all things are possible to him that ” thus “believeth; ” to him that thus “walks with God,” that is now a citizen of heaven, an inhabitant of eternity. If therefore you will contend with us, you must change the ground of your attack. You must flatly deny there is any faith upon earth: But perhaps this you might think too large a step. You cannot do this without a secret condemnation in your own breast. O that you would at length cry to God for that heavenly gift! whereby alone this truly reasonable religion, this beneficent love of God and man, can be planted in your heart. 25. If you say, “But those that profess this faith are the most unreasonable of all men; ” I ask, Who are those that profess this faith? Perhaps you do not personally know such a man in the world. Who are they that so much as profess to have this “evidence of things not seen 7” that profess to “see Him that is invisible,” to hear the voice of God, and to have his Spirit ever “witnessing with their spirits, that they are the children of God?” I fear you will find few that even profess this faith, among the large numbcrs of those who are called believers. 26. “However, there are enough that profess themselves Christians.” Yea, too many, God knoweth; too many that confute their vain professions by the whole tenor of their lives. I will allow all you can say on this head, and perhaps more than all. It is now some years since I was engaged unawares in a conversation with a strong reasoner, who at first urged the wickedness of the American Indians, as a bar to our hope of converting them to Christianity.