Wesley Corpus

For still, “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ,” whatever he desires, “he is none of his.” O my brother, beware you stop not short! Beware you never account yourself a Christian, no, not in the lowest degree, till God “hath sent forth the Spirit of Christ into your heart;” and that “Spirit bear witness with your spirit, that you are a child of God.” 3. One step farther from us, are you who are called (though not by your own choice) Anabaptists. The smallness of your number, compared to that of either the Presbyteri ans, or those of the Church, makes it easier for you to have an exact knowledge of the behaviour of all your members, and to put away from among you every one that “walketh not according to the doctrine you have received.” But is this done? Do all your members adorn the gospel? Are they all “holy as He which hath called us is holy?” I fear not. I have known some instances to the contrary; and doubtless you know many more. There are unholy, out wardly unholy men in your congregations also; men that profane either the name or the day of the Lord; that do not honour their natural or civil parents; that know not how to possess their bodies in sanctification and honour; that are in temperate, either in meat or drink, gluttonous, sensual, luxu rious; that variously offend against justice, mercy, or truth, in their intercourse with their neighbour, and do not walk by that royal law, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” But how is this consistent with your leading principle,-- “That no man ought to be admitted to baptism, till he has that repentance whereby we forsake sin, and living faith in God through Christ?” For if no man ought to be admitted into a church or con gregation, who has not actual faith and repentance; then neither ought any who has them not, to continue in any con gregation: And, consequently, an open sinner cannot remain amongyou, unless you practically renounceyour main principle. 4. I refer it to your own serious consideration, whether one reason why unholy men are still suffered to remain among you may not be this,--That many of you have unawares put opinion in the room of faith and repentance? But how fatal a mistake is this !