Wesley Corpus

“That works are a necessary condition of our justification, may be proved, Secondly, from scripture examples; particu larly those recited in the eleventh chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews. These all “through faith wrought righteousness; without working righteousness, they had never obtained the promises.” (Page 13.) I say the same thing: None are finally saved, but those whose faith “worketh by love.” “Even in the thief upon the cross, faith was attended by repentance, piety, and charity.” It was; repentance went be fore his faith; piety and charity accompanied it. “Therefore, he was not justified by faith alone.” Our Church, adopting the words of St. Chrysostom, expressly affirms, in the passage above cited, he was justified by faith alone. And her authority ought to weigh more than even that of Bishop Bull, or of any single man whatever. Authority, be pleased to observe, I plead against authority; reason against reason. It is no objection, that the faith whereby he was justified immediately produced good works. 3. How we are justified by faith alone, and yet by such a faith as is not alone, it may be proper to explain. And this also I choose to do, not in my own words, but in those of our Church: “Faith does not shut out repentance, hope, love, and the fear of God, to be joined with faith in every man that is justi fied: But it shutteth them out from the office of justifying. So that although they be all present together in him that is justi fied, yet they justify not all together. Neither doth faith shut out good works, necessarily to be done afterwards, of duty towards God. - “That we are justified only by this faith in Christ, speak all the ancient authors; specially Origen, St. Cyprian, St. Chry sostom, Hilary, Basil, St. Ambrose, and St. Augustine.” (Homily on the Salvation of Man.) 4. You go on: “Thirdly, if we consider the nature of faith, it will appear impossible that a man should be justified by that alone. Faith is either an assent to the gospel truths, or a reliance on the gospel promises. I know of no other notion of faith.” (Sermon, p. 15.) I do; an exeryxos of things not seen ; which is far more than a bare assent, and yet toto genere differ ent from a reliance.