Wesley Corpus

Ant.--No ! Why, did not Christ, “when he was upon the cross, take away, put an end to, blot out, and utterly destroy, all our sins for ever?” Friend.--He did then pay the price, for the sake of which, all who truly believe in him are now saved from their sins; and, if they endure to the end, shall be saved everlastingly. Is this what you mean? Ant.--I mean, He did then “heal, take away, put an end to, and utterly destroy, all our sins.” Friend.--Did he then heal the wound before it was made, and put an end to our sins before they had a beginning? This is so glaring, palpable an absurdity, that I cannot conceive how you can swallow it. Ant.--I thought you would come to your “carnal reason ing.” What has faith to do with reasoning? Friend.--Do you ever read the Bible? Does not God himself say to sinners, “Come now, and let us reason together?” (Isaiah i. 18.) Does not our Lord reason continually with the Scribes and Pharisees; St. Peter with the Jews; (Acts ii. 14, &c.;) and St. Paul both with the Jews and Gentiles? Nay, is not great part of his Epistles, both to the Romans and to the Galatians, and the far greatest part of that to the Hebrews, one entire chain of reasoning? Ant.--You may do what you please. But I do not reason; I believe. Friend.--Now, I believe and reason too: For I find no inconsistency between them. And I would just as soon put out my eyes to secure my faith, as lay aside my reason. Ant.--But do not men abuse their reason continually? Therefore it is best to have nothing to do with it. Friend.--So, now you are doing the very thing you con demn ! You are reasoning against reasoning. And no wonder; for it is impossible, without reasoning, either to prove or disprove any thing. Ant.--But can you deny the fact? Do not men abuse their reason continually? Friend.--They do. The fact I deny not. But I deny the inference drawn from it. For if we must lay aside whatever men abuse continually, we must lay aside the Bible; nay, and meat and drink too. Ant.--Well, but come to the point. In what do you trust for justification and salvation?