Wesley Corpus

Had you only taken the trouble of reading one tract, the “Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion,” you would have seen that a great part of what you affirm is what I never denied. To put this beyond dispute, I beg leave to transcribe some passages from that treatise; which will show not only what I teach now, but what I have taught for many years. I will afterward simply and plainly declare wherein I as yet differ from you: And the rather, that if I err therein, you may, by God’s assistance, convince me of it. I. 1. “Justification sometimes means our acquittal at the last day. (Matt. xii. 37.) But this is altogether out of the present question; that justification whereof our Articles and Homilies speak, meaning present forgiveness, pardon of sins, and, consequently, acceptance with God; who therein ‘declares his righteousness’ (or mercy, by or) “for the remission of the sins that are past; saying, ‘I will be merciful to thy unrighteousness, and thine iniquities I will remember no more.” (Rom. iii. 25; Heb. viii. 12.) “I believe the condition of this is faith. (Rom. iv. 5, &c.) I mean, not only, that without faith we cannot be justified; but also, that as soon as any one has true faith, in that moment he is justified. “Good works follow this faith, but cannot go before it: (Luke vi. 43:) Much less can sanctification, which implies a continued course of good works, springing from holiness of heart. But it is allowed, that entire sanctification goes before our justification at the last day. (Heb. xii. 14.) “It is allowed, also, that repentance, and ‘fruits meet for repentance, go before faith. (Mark i. 15; Matt. iii. 8.) Repent ance absolutely must go before faith; fruits meet for it, if there be opportunity. By repentance, I mean conviction of sin, pro ducing real desires and sincere resolutions of amendment; and by “fruits meet for repentance, forgiving our brother; (Matt. vi. 14, 15;) ceasing from evil, doing good; (Luke iii. 8, 9, &c.;) using the ordinances of God, and, in general, obeying him according to the measure of grace which we have received. (Matthew vii. 7; xxv. 29.) But these I cannot as yet term good works; because they do not spring from faith and the love of God.” (Farther Appeal. Vol. VIII. pp. 46, 47.) 2.