Wesley Corpus

W. asks, If this be not in order to find favour, what does he do them for?’ And I ask it again. Let Mr. Hill, or any one else, give me an answer. So if there is any contradiction here, it is not I contradict myself, but Isaiah and our Lord that contradict St. Paul.” (Remarks, pages 389, 390.) Mr. Hill replies: “Then a man may do works in order to find favour, and yet such works cannot be called good.” You may call them so, if you please; but be not angry with me, if I do not. I still believe, no good works can be done before justification. Yet I believe, (and that without the least self contradiction,) that final salvation is “by works as a condi tion.” And let any one read over the twenty-fifth chapter of St. Matthew, and deny it if he can. Is Justification by Faith articulus stantis vel cadentis Ecclesiae? 32. In the beginning of the year 1738, I believed it was so. Soon after I found reason to doubt. Since that time I have not varied. “Nay, but in the year 1763 you say, ‘This is the name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness. A truth this, of which may be affirmed, (what Luther affirms of a truth nearly connected with it, justification by faith,) it is articulus stantis vel cadentis Ecclesiae.* It is certainly the pillar and ground of that faith of which alone cometh salvation.’” (Farrago, page 15.) I answered: “It is certain, here is a seeming contradiction; but it is not a real one; for these two opposite propositions do not speak of the same thing. The latter speaks of justification by faith; the former, of trusting in the righteousness or merits * A doctrine without which there can be no Christian Church. of Christ. (Justification by faith is only mentioned inci. dentally in a parenthesis.) Now, although Mr. Law denied justification by faith, he might trust in the merits of Christ. It is this, and this only, that I affirm (whatever Luther does) to be articulus stantis vel cadentis Ecclesiae.” (Remarks, page 391.) But Mr.