Wesley Corpus

At first we were inclined to think, that many who affirmed this, did not believe themselves; that it was merely a copy of their countenance, spoken ad movendam invidiam.* And could we have been fully persuaded of this, the difficulty would have been solved. But we did not dare to give way to the thought : Whatever they might think or say of us, we could not but think they were upright men, and spoke according to their real sentiments. The wonder therefore remained, how they could impute to us a doctrine which our soul abhorred, and which we were continually opposing, and confuting with all our might. 5. I was in this perplexity when a thought shot across my mind, which solved the matter at once: “This is the key: Those that hold, “Every one is absolutely predestinated either to salvation or damnation, see no medium between salvation by works and salvation by absolute decrees.” It follows, *To excite ill-will.-EDIT. that whosoever denies salvation by absolute decrees, in so doing (according to their apprehension) asserts salvation by works. 6. And herein I verily believe they are right. As averse as I once was to the thought, upon further consideration, I allow there is, there can be, no medium. Either salvation is by absolute decree, or it is (in a scriptural sense) by works. Yea, this I will proclaim on the house-top,-there is no medium between these. You must either assert unconditional decrees, or (in a sound sense) salvation by works. 7. This deserves a fuller examination: Let us consider it more attentively. If the salvation of every man that ever was, is, or shall be, finally saved, depends wholly and solely upon an absolute, irresistible, unchangeable decree of God, without any regard either to faith or works foreseen, then it is not, in any sense, by works. But neither is it by faith: For unconditional decree excludes faith as well as works; since, if it is either by faith or works foreseen, it is not by unconditional decree. Therefore, salvation by absolute decree excludes both one and the other; and, consequently, upon this supposition, salvation is neither by faith nor by works. 8.