Wesley Corpus

These are points which are ever liable to misconstructions, and have ever yet been more or less attended with them. And it appears from what you have lately published, that since you have preached the doctrine, it has had its old consequences, or rather worse ones; it has been more misunderstood, more perverted and abused, than ever.” (Pages 1, 2.) “The denying the necessity of good works, as the condition of justification, draws after it, or rather includes in it, all man ner of impiety and vice.” Here stands the proposition; but where is the proof? Till that appears, I simply say, It does not. “It has often perplexed and disturbed the minds of men.” And so have many other points in St. Paul’s Epistles. “But these are points which are ever liable to misconstruc tions; and have ever yet, more or less, been attended with them.” And what points of revealed religion are those which are not ever liable to misconstructions? Or of what material point can we say, that it has not ever yet, more or less, been attended with them? “In the last century it occasioned great confusions in this nation.” It occasioned ! No; in no wise. It is demonstrable, the occasions of those confusions were quite of another kind. “And it appears, that since you have preached the doctrine, it has had its old consequences, or rather worse. It has been more misunderstood, more perverted and abused, than ever.” What I worse consequences than regicide, (which, you say, was the old one,) and making our whole land a field of blood? Or has it been more perverted and abused than when (in your account) it overturned the whole frame both of Church and State P 12. You go on: “The terms of the gospel are, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. But when we undervalue either of these terms, we involve the consciences of the weak in fatal perplexities; we give a handle to others to justify their impieties; we confirm the enemies of religion in their prejudices.” (Remarks, p. 2.) All this I grant. But it affects not me. For I do not undervalue either faith or repentance. “Was not irreligion and vice already prevailing enough in the nation, but we must--throw snares in people’s way, and root out the remains of piety and devotion, in the weak and well-meaning?