Wesley Corpus

And, (2.) That at what time soever faith is given, holiness commences in the soul. For that instant “the love of God” (which is the source of holiness) “is shed abroad in the heart.” But it is objected by the author of “The Notions of the Methodists disproved,” “St.James says, “Can faithsave him?” I answer, Such a faithasis without works cannot “bring a man to heaven.” But this is quite beside the present question. You object, (2) “St. Paul says that “faith made perfect by love, St. James, that “faith made perfect by works, is the condition of salvation.” You mean final salvation. I say so too: But this also is beside the question.- You object, (3) “That the belief of the gospel is called the obedience of faith.” (Rom. i. 5.) And, (4.) that what Isaiah terms believing, St. Paul terms obeying. Suppose I grant you both the one and the other, what will you infer? You object, (5.) That in one scripture our Lord is styled, “The Saviour of them that believe;” and in another, “The Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him.” (6.) That to the Galatians St. Paul writes, “Neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love;” and to the Corinthians, “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping the command ments of God.” And hence you conclude, “There are several texts of Scripture wherein unbelief and disobedience are equivalently used.” Very true; but can you conclude from thence that we are not “saved by faith alone?” 11. You proceed to answer some texts which I had quoted. The first is Ephesians ii. 8: “By grace ye are saved through faith.” “But,” say you, “faith does not mean here that grace especially so called, but includes also obedience.” But how do you prove this? That circumstance you had forgot; and so run off with a comment upon the context; to which I have no other objection, than that it is nothing at all to the question. Indeed, some time after, you add, “It is plain then that good works are always, in St. Paul’s judgment, joined with faith;” (so undoubtedly they are; that is, as an effect is always joined with its cause;) “and therefore we are not saved by faith alone.” I cannot possibly allow the consequence.