Wesley Corpus

Nor is it sufficient to ask, Are there not also many who wrest the opposite doctrine to their own destruction? If there are, that is nothing to the point in question; for that is not the case here. Here is no wresting at all: The doctrine of absolute predestination naturally leads to the chambers of death. Let an instance in each kind be proposed, and the difference is so broad, he that runneth may read it. I say, “Christ died for all. He tasted death for every man, and he willeth all men to be saved.” “O,” says an hearer, “then I can be saved when I will; so I may safely sin a little longer.” No.; this is no consequence from what I said; the words are wrested to infer what does not follow. You say, “Christ died only for the elect; and all these must and shall be saved.” “O,” says an hearer, “then if I am one of the elect, I must and shall be saved. Therefore I may safely sin a little longer; for my salvation cannot fail.” Now, this is a fair consequence from what you said: The words are not wrested at all. No more is inferred than what plainly and undeniably follows from the premises. And the very same observation may be made on every article of that doctrine. Every branch of it, as well as this, (however the wisdom of God may sometimes draw good out of it,) has a natural, genuine tendency, without any wresting, either to prevent or obstruct holiness. 89. Brethren, would ye lie for the cause of God? I am persuaded ye would not. Think then that as ye are, so am I: I speak the truth, before God my Judge; not of those who were trained up therein, but of those who were lately brought over to your opinion. Many of these have I known; but I have not known one in ten of all that number, in whom it did not speedily work some of the above-named effects, according to the state of soul they were then in. And one only have I known among them all, after the closest and most impartial observation, who did not evidently show, within one year, that his heart was changed, not for the better, but for the worse. 90. I know indeed, ye cannot easily believe this.