Wesley Corpus

You say of Mr. Hervey, “He shuts up our access to the divine righteousness, by holding forth a preliminary human one as necessary to our enjoying the benefit of it.” (Page 4.) Again: “You set men to work to do something, in order to make their peace with God.” (Page 9.) This is an absolute slander, founded on that poor pretence, that he supposes those who repent and believe, and none but those, to “enjoy the benefit of Christ's righteousness.” And has he not the warrant of Christ himself for so doing,--“Repent ye, and believe the gospel?” If this is “teaching man to acquire a righteousness of his own,” the charge falls on our Lord himself. You say, 2. “As to that strange something which you call faith, after all you have told us about it, we are at as great a loss to tell distinctly what it is, as when you began.” (Ibid.) This is another slander. You are at no loss (as will presently appear) to tell what Mr. Hervey means by faith. Whether it be right or wrong, his account of it is as clear and distinct as any that ever was given. You say, 3. “The popular Preachers” (so you term Arch bishop Tillotson, Dr. Lucas, Crisp, Doddridge, Watts, Gill; Mr. Guthrie, Boston, Erskine, Willison; Mr. Flavel, Marshal; Mr. Griffith Jones, Hervey, Romaine, Whitefield, Wesley) “never tell us what they mean by faith, but by some laboured circumlocutions.” (Page 282.) This is a third palpable slander, as your own words prove: “They say, Faith is a real persuasion that Christ hath died for me.” (Page 5.) Are you not here told what they mean by faith; and that without any circumlocution at all? You confute your own slander still farther, by adding three more: 4. “They make a pious resolve the ground of our acceptance with God.” (Page 360.) No, never. Not one of the writers you have named ever did, or does so now. 5. “The faith they talk of, is only a timid resolve, joined with a fond conjecture.” Or, 6. “It is a fond presumptuous wish, greatly embarrassed with doubts and difficulties.” (Page 404.) Slander all over. We make the righteousness and blood "300 ANSWER TO LETTERS To of Christ the only ground of our acceptance with God.