Wesley Corpus

But she expressly requires both repentance and faith in those who come to be baptized when they are of riper years. As earnestly, therefore, as our Church inculcates justifi cation by faith alone, she nevertheless supposes repentance to be previous to faith, and fruits meet for repentance; yea, and universal holiness to be previous to final justification, as evidently appears from the following words:-- “Let us beseech him--that the rest of our life may be pure and holy, so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy.” (Absolution.) “May we seriously apply our hearts to that holy and hea venly wisdom here, which may in the end bring us to life everlasting.” (Visitation of the Sick.) “Raise us from the death of sin unto the life of righteous ness,--that at the last day we may be found acceptable in thy sight.” (Burial Office.) “If we from henceforth walk in his ways, -seeking always his glory, Christ will set us on his right hand.” (Commina tion Office.) 5. We come next to the Articles of our Church: The former part of the Ninth runs thus: “Original sin--is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man,--whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the spirit; and therefore in every person born into this world, it deserveth God’s wrath and damnation.” “The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works to faith and calling upon God. Wherefore we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good-will, and working with us when we have that good-will.” “We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of com fort, as most largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification.” I believe this Article relates to the meritorious cause of jus tification, rather than to the condition of it.