Wesley Corpus

“But if by sin be meant sinful actions, to which this cor rupt bias of the will inclines us; it remains to be proved, that a corrupt bias of the will makes the actions necessary, and, consequently, not sinful. And, indeed, if a corrupt bias makes sin to be necessary, and, consequently, to be no sin, then the more any man is inclined to sin, the less sin he can commit; and as that corrupt bias grows stronger, his actual sinning becomes more necessary: And so the man, instead of growing more wicked, grows more innocent.” (Jennings's Windication, p. 68, &c.) 11. That this doctrine has been long “held in the Church of Rome,” (Taylor’s Doctrine, &c., p. 126,) is true. But so it has in the Greek Church also; and, so far as we can learn, in every Church under heaven; at least from the time that God spake by Moses. From this infection of our nature (call it original sin, or what you please) spring many, if not all, actual sins. And this St. James (i. 14) plainly intimates, even according to your para phrase on his words: “‘Every man is tempted, is overcome by temptation, “when he is drawn away by his own lust,”--his own irregular desire; where the Apostle charges the wickedness of men on its proper cause,--their ‘own lust.” Very true. And irregular desire is (not so much a fruit as a) part of original sin. For to say, “Eve had irregular desires before she sinned,” (p. 127) is a contradiction; since all irregular desire is sin. 12. Another proof that actual sins spring from original, is, “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” (Matt. xv. 19.) “But what has this text to do with Adam’s sin?” It has much to do with the point it is brought to prove; namely, that actual sin proceeds from original; evil works, from an evil heart. Do not, therefore, triumph over these venerable men, (as you have done again and again,) because a text cited in proof of one clause of a proposition does not prove the whole. But “neither of those texts proves that all our wickedness proceeds from our being corrupted by Adam’s sin.” (Page 128.) But they both prove what they were brought to prove,-- that all outward wickedness proceeds from inward wickedness.