Wesley Corpus

About the same time, five or six honest enthusiasts foretold the world was to end on the 28th of February. I immediately withstood them, by every possible means, both in public and private. I preached expressly upon the subject, both at West-Street and Spitalfields. I warned the society, again and again, and spoke severally to as many as I could; and I saw the fruit of my labour. They made exceeding few converts: I believe scarce thirty in our whole society. Never theless, they made abundance of noise, gave huge occasion of offence to those who took care to improve to the uttermost every occasion against me, and greatly increased both the number and courage of those who opposed Christian perfection. 23. Some questions, now published by one of these, induced a plain man to write the following “QUERIEs, humbly proposed to those who deny perfection to be attainable in this life. “(1.) Has there not been a larger measure of the Holy Spirit given under the Gospel, than under the Jewish dispensation? If not, in what sense was the Spirit not given before Christ was glorified? (John vii. 39.) “(2.) Was that “glory which followed the sufferings of Christ,” (1 Peter i. 11,) an external glory, or an internal, viz., the glory of holiness? “(3.) Has God anywhere in Scripture commanded us more than he has promised to us? “(4.) Are the promises of God respecting holiness to be fulfilled in this life, or only in the next? “(5.) Is a Christian under any other laws than those which God promises to ‘write in our hearts?’ (Jer. xxxi. 31, &c.; Heb. viii. 10.) “(6.) In what sense is ‘the righteousness of the law fulfilled in those who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit?’ (Romans viii. 4.) “(7.) Is it impossible for any one in this life to ‘love God with all his heart, and mind, and soul, and strength?’ And is the Christian under any law which is not fulfilled in this love? “(8) Does the soul's going out of the body effect its purification from indwelling sin? “(9.) If so, is it not something else, not ‘the blood of Christ which cleanseth it ‘from all sin P’ “(10.) If his blood cleanseth us from all sin, while the soul and body are united, is it not in this life?