Wesley Corpus

If you can confute them, do. But I subscribe to them, both with my hand and heart. You say, Ninthly, “Give me leave to make a remark. The Methodists wandered many years in the new path of salvation by faith and works, which was the time, too, of their highest glory and popularity. During this time, they were seducing their disciples into the most destructive errors.” Excuse me, Sir. While they preached salvation by faith and works, they had no disciples at all, unless you term a few pupils such ; nor had they any popularity at all. They then enjoyed (what they always desired) a quiet, retired life. But whatever disciples we had, they were not seduced by us into the error of justification by works. For they were in it before ever they saw our face, or knew there were such men in the world. You say, Tenthly, “Mr. Wesley only contends, that it is possible to use them without trusting in them.” Not in that page; because the proposition I am confuting is, “It is not possible to use them without trusting in them.” (Vol. I. p. 258.) You added, “And now, are not such disparaging expres sions” (a mere possibility of using them without trusting in them) “a great discouragement to practice?” O Sir, when will you deviate into truth? Dare you affirm, without any regard to God or man, “Mr. Wesley only contends for a mere possibility of using the means without trusting in them?” To go no farther than the very first page you refer to, (vol. I. p. 258,) my express words are these: “I believe the way to attain faith is to wait for Christ in using all the means of grace. “Because I believe, these do ordinarily convey God’s grace even to unbelievers.” Is this “contending only for a mere possibility of using them without trusting in them?” Not only in this, and many other parts of the Journals, but in a sermon wrote professedly on the subject, I contend that all the ordinances of God are the stated channels of his grace to man; and that it is our bounden duty to use them all, at all possible opportunities.