Wesley Collected Works Vol 10
| Author | John Wesley |
|---|---|
| Type | treatise |
| Year | None |
| Passage ID | jw-wesley-collected-works-vol-10-491 |
| Words | 398 |
And there
fore I wish my readers would closely compare the “Remarks’
with the “Review’ itself;” (I desire no more. Whoever
does this, will easily discern on which side the truth lies;)
“as it is impracticable to point out half the little arts of this
kind which Mr. W. has stooped to.” That is, in civil terms,
“Sir, you are a knave.” Sir, I crave your mercy. I stoop to
mo art, but that of plain, sound reasoning. By this art, and
by this alone, I am able to untwist truth from falsehood, how
skilfully soever they are woven together. I dare use no
other; for (whether you know it or no) I fear God. And by
his grace, in simplicity and godly sincerity I have my
conversation in the world. “But how agrees this with what Mr. W. tells us, that he
has never contradicted himself with regard to justification,
since the year 1738?” (Farrago, p. 39.) Perfectly well. “How long has he held that justification is fourfold?” I
have said nothing about it yet. “And how will he reconcile
this with its being twofold, and with his preceding affirmation,
that it is one and no more?” When time is, this mystery
too may be cleared up. Of a Justified State. 30. Mr. W. says, “The state of a justified person is inex
pressibly great and glorious.” (Page 34.)
“Yet he asks elsewhere, “Does not talking of a justified or
sanctified state, tend to mislead men ?” He answers: ‘It
frequently does mislead men;’” namely, when it is spoken of
in an unguarded manner. “‘But where is the contradiction?’
Whatever may be the contradiction, this is clearly the con
clusion,-that Mr. W., by his own confession, is a misleader
of men.”
It is not quite clear yet. You have first to prove that I use
the phrase “in an unguarded manner.” I confess, when it is
so used, it tends to mislead men; but I do not confess that I
use it so. 432 REMARKs on MR. HILL’s
Are Works a Condition of Justification? 31. “Mr. W. says, “No good works can be previous to
justification.’ And yet in the same page he asserts, ‘Who
ever desires to find favour with God should cease from evil,
and learn to do well.’”
I answered: “Does not the Bible say so? Who can deny
it? “Nay, but Mr. W.