Wesley Corpus

On Christian Perfection: To the Rev. Mr. Dodd Source: The Works of John Wesley, Volume 11 (Zondervan) Author: John Wesley --- I AM favoured with yours of January 26, for which I return you my sincere thanks. Your frank and open manner of writing is far from needing any apology, and I hope will never occasion your receiving such treatment from me, as I did from Mr. Law, who, after some very keen expressions, in answer to: the second private letter I sent him, plainly told me he desired to hear “no more on that head.” I do desire to hear, and am very willing to consider, whatever you have to wdvance on the head of Christian perfection. When I began to make the Scriptures my chief study, (about seven-and-twenty years ago,) I began to see that Christians are called to love God with all their heart, and to serve him with all their strength; which is precisely what I apprehend to be meant by the scriptural term perfection. After weighing this for some years, I openly declared my sentiments before the University, in the sermon on the Circumcision of the Heart, now printed in the second volume.* About six years after, in consequence of an advice I received from Bishop Gibson, “Tell all the world what you mean by perfection,” I published my coolest and latest thoughts in the sermon on that subject. You easily observe, I therein build on no authority, ancient or modern, but the Scripture. If this supports any doctrine, it will stand; if not, the sooner it falls, the better. Neither the doctrine in question, nor any other, is anything to me, unless it be the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles. If, therefore, you will please to point out to me any passages in that sermon which are either contrary to Scripture, or not supported by it, and to show that they are not, I shall be full as willing to oppose as ever I was to defend them. I search for truth, plain, Bible truth, without any regard to the praise or dispraise of men. If you will assist me in this search, more especially by showing me where I have mistaken my way, it will be gratefully acknowledged by, Reverend Sir, Your affectionate brother and servant, N.B. I had at this time no acquaintance with Dr.