Wesley Corpus

himself, that he has been preaching a doctrine for eight-and-twenty years together, which has done immense hurt.” Let this (one instance out of an hundred) be a specimen of Mr. Hill's fairness ! The whole strength of the argument depends on the artful jumbling of two sentences together, and inserting two or three little words into the latter of them. My words are: “We no more deny the phrase” (of “imputed righteousness”) “than the thing.” (Remarks, p. 383.) “This doctrine I have believed and taught for near eight and-twenty years.” (Ibid.) These distinct sentences Mr. Hill is pleased to thrust together into one, and to mend thus: “This doctrine (of the imputed righteousness of Christ) I have constantly believed and taught for near eight-and twenty years.” And here, says Mr. H., is a “plain concession from Mr. W. himself, that he has been preaching a doctrine for twenty-eight years together, which has done immense hurt.” No, the doctrine which I believe has done immense hurt, is that of the imputed righteousness of Christ in the Antinomian sense. The doctrine which I have constantly held and preached is, that faith is imputed for righteousness. And when I have either in that sermon or elsewhere said, that “the righteousness of Christ is imputed to every believer,” I mean, every believer is justified for the sake of what Christ has done and suffered. Yet still I think, “there is no use in contending for that particular phrase.” And I say still, “I dare not insist upon it, because I cannot find it in the Bible.” To contradict this, Mr. H. cites these words: “‘This...is fully consistent with our being justified, through the imputation of Christ's righteousness.” Mr. W.’s notes on Romans iv. 9.” Mr. H. adds: “These two, taken together, produce the following conclusion, that it is perfectly consist ent to say, that we are justified by that which cannot be found in the Bible.” (Farrago, p. 24.) That note runs thus: “‘Faith was imputed to Abraham for righteousness.’ This is fully consistent with our being justified through the imputation of the righteousness of Christ: That is, our being pardoned, and accepted of God, for the sake of what Christ has done and suffered.