Wesley Corpus

His universal obedience from his birth to his death is the one foundation of my hope.” (Page 45.) This is unquestionably right. But if it be, there is no manner of need to make the imputation of his active righteous ness a separate and laboured head of discourse. O that you had been content with this plain scriptural account, and spared some of the dialogues and letters that follow ! The Third and Fourth Dialogues contain an admirable illustration and confirmation of the great doctrine of Christ's satisfaction. Yet even here I observe a few passages which are liable to some exception: “Satisfaction was made to the divine law.” (Page 54.) I do not remember any such expression in Scripture. This way of speaking of the law, as a person injured and to be satisfied, seems hardly defensible. “The death of Christ procured the pardon and acceptance of believers, even before he came in the flesh.” (Page 74.) Yea, and ever since. In this we all agree. And why should we contend for anything more? “All the benefits of the new covenant are the purchase of his blood.” (Page 120.) Surely they are. And after this has been fully proved, where is the need, where is the use, of contending so strenuously for the imputation of his righteousness, as is done in the Fifth and Sixth Dialogues? “If he was our substitute as to penal sufferings, why not as to justifying obedience?” (Page 135.) The former is expressly asserted in Scripture. The latter is not expressly asserted there. “As sin and misery have abounded through the first Adam, mercy and grace have much more abounded through the Second. So that none can have any reason to complain.” (Page 145.) No, not if the second Adam died for all. Other wise, all for whom he did not die have great reason to complain. For they inevitably fall by the first Adam, without any help from the Second. “The whole world of believers” (page 148) is an expres sion which never occurs in Scripture, nor has it any coun tenance there: The world, in the inspired writings, being constantly taken either in the universal or in a bad sense; either for the whole of mankind, or for that part of them who know not God.