Wesley Corpus

The loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. This implies, that no wrong temper, none contrary to love, remains in the soul; and that all the thoughts, words, and actions, are governed by pure love. “Q. Do you affirm, that this perfection excludes all infirm ities, ignorance, and mistake? “A. I continually affirm quite the contrary, and always have done so. “Q. But how can every thought, word, and work, be governed by pure love, and the man be subject at the same time to ignorance and mistake? “A. I see no contradiction here: ‘A man may be filled with pure love, and still be liable to mistake.” Indeed I do not expect to be freed from actual mistakes, till this mortal puts on immortality. I believe this to be a natural conse quence of the soul's dwelling in flesh and blood. For we cannot now think at all, but by the mediation of those bodily organs which have suffered equally with the rest of our frame. And hence we cannot avoid sometimes thinking wrong, till this corruptible shall have put on incorruption. “But we may carry this thought farther yet. A mistake in judgment may possibly occasion a mistake in practice. For instance: Mr. De Renty’s mistake touching the nature of mortification, arising from prejudice of education, occa sioned that practical mistake, his wearing an iron girdle. And a thousand such instances there may be, even in those. who are in the highest state of grace. Yet, where every word and action springs from love, such a mistake is not properly a sin. However, it cannot bear the rigour of God's justice, but needs the atoning blood. “Q. What was the judgment of all our brethren who met at Bristol in August, 1758, on this head? “A. It was expressed in these words: (1) Every one may mistake as long as he lives. (2.) A mistake in opinion may occasion a mistake in practice. (3.) Every such mistake is a transgression of the perfect law. Therefore, (4) Every such mistake, were it not for the blood of atonement, would expose to eternal damnation.