Wesley Corpus

But that is no reason for giving up either this or any other scriptural doctrine. “When you wash your child,’ as one speaks, ‘throw away the water; but do not throw away the child.” “‘But those who think they are saved from sin say they have no need of the merits of Christ.’ They say just the contrary. Their language is, - “Every moment, Lord, I want The merit of thy death !' They never before had so deep, so unspeakable, a conviction of the need of Christ in all his offices as they have now. “Therefore, all our Preachers should make a point of preaching perfection to believers constantly, strongly, and explicitly; and all believers should mind this one thing, and continually agonize for it.” 27. I have now done what I proposed. I have given a plain and simple account of the manner wherein I first received the doctrine of perfection, and the sense wherein I received, and wherein I do receive, and teach it to this day. I have declared the whole and every part of what I mean by that scriptural expression. I have drawn the picture of it at full length, without either disguise or covering. And I would now ask any impartial person, What is there so frightful therein? Whence is all this outcry, which, for these twenty years and upwards, has been made throughout the kingdom; as if all Christianity were destroyed, and all religion torn up by the roots? Why is it, that the very name of perfection has been cast out of the mouths of Christians; yea, exploded and abhorred, as if it contained the most pernicious heresy ? Why have the Preachers of it been hooted at, like mad dogs, even by men that fear God; nay, and by some of their own children, some whom they, under God, had begotten through the gospel? What reason is there for this, or what pretence? Reason, sound reason, there is none. It is impossible there should. But pretences there are, and those in great abund ance. Indeed, there is ground to fear that, with some who treat us thus, it is mere pretence; that it is no more than a copy of their countenance, from the heginning to the end. They wanted, they sought, occasion against me; and here they found what they sought. “This is Mr. Wesley's doctrine !