Wesley Corpus

John terms “perfect love;” (1 John iv. 18;) and our Lord, “loving the Lord our God with all our heart, and mind, and soul, and strength.” If you choose to call this “sinful perfection,” (rather than sinless,) you have my free leave. Mr. Hill’s main argument against this is, that “it is Popish doctrine.” How does this appear? O, “Luther says so.” (Page 25.) This will not do; it is only second hand evidence. “It crept into the Church first in the fifth century, and has been since almost generally received in the Church of Rome.” (Page 49.) How is this proved? either that the doctrine of perfect love crept first into the Church in the fifth century? or, that it has been since almost generally received in the Church of Rome? Why, “we may very readily perceive this, by the following extract from Bishop Cowper.” I answer, (1.) This is but second-hand evidence still. (2.) It is wide of the mark. For this whole extract says not a word about the Church of Rome. It contains only a few citations from St. Augustine and St. Bernard, foreign to the present question; and one from St. Ambrose, if it be possible, more foreign still. None of these touch either of the points in question: “This doctrine crept into the Church in the fifth century;” or, “It has been (ever) since almost generally received in the Church of Rome.” Here I must beg leave to put Mr. Hill in mind of one stated rule in controversy: We are to take no authorities at second-hand, but always recur to the originals. Consequently, words of St. Bernard, or twenty Saints more, copied from Bishop Cowper, prove just nothing. Before we can urge the authority of St. Bernard or Ambrose, we must consult the authors themselves, and tell our readers what edition we use, with the page where the words are found; otherwise they cannot form a judgment either of the fairness of the quota tion, or of the sense and weight of it.