Wesley Corpus

I proceed to your definition of them: “By the Methodists, was then and is now understood, a set of enthusiasts, who, pre tending to be members of the Church of England, either offend against the order and discipline of the Church, or pervert its doctrines relating to faith and works, and the terms of salva tion.” Another grievous mistake. For whatever “is now, by the Methodists then was” not “understood any set of enthusiasts,” or not enthusiasts, “offending against the order and discipline of the Church.” They were tenacious of it to the last degree, in every the least jot and tittle. Neither were they “they understood to pervert its doctrines, relating to faith and works, and the terms of salvation.” For they thought and talked of all these, just as you do now, till some of them, after their return from Georgia, were “perverted” into different senti ments, by reading the book of Homilies. Their perversion, therefore, (if such it be,) is to be dated from this time. Conse quently, your definition by no means agrees with the persons. defined. However, “as a Shibboleth to distinguish them at present, when they pretend to conceal themselves, throw out this, or such like proposition, “Good works are necessary to salvation.” You might have spared yourself the labour of proving this: For who is there that denies it? Not I: Not any in connexion with me. So that this Shibboleth is just good for nothing. 5. And yet we firmly believe, that a man is justified by faith, without the works of the law; that to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith, without any good work preceding, is counted to him for righte ousness. We believe (to express it a little more largely) that we are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Good works follow after justification, springing out of true, . living faith; so that by them living faith may be as evidently known as a tree discerned by the fruit. And hence it follows, that as the body without the soul is dead, so that faith which is without works is dead also. This, therefore, properly speak ing, is not faith; as a dead man is not properly a man.