Wesley Corpus

Neither does it suffer us to be sluggish or inactive; nor does calm Christian fortitude leave us unarmed against any danger which can occur. “But our reason would have nothing to struggle 302 ThE DOCTRINE OF with.” (Page 233.) O yes; not only all our reason, but all the grace we have received, has enough to struggle with, even when we do not “wrestle with flesh and blood.” We are still abundantly “exercised ” by “principalities, and powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places.” “On the other hand, we are born with rational powers which grow gradually capable of the most useful knowledge. And we under the gospel have clear ideas of the divine perfec tions; we see our duty, and the most cogent reasons to per form it.” This sounds well. But will knowledge balance passion? Or are rational powers a counterpoise to sensual appetites? Will clear ideas deliver men from lust or vanity? or seeing the duty to love our enemies, enable us to practise it? What are cogent reasons opposed to covetousness or ambition? A thread of tow that has touched the fire. “But the Spirit of God is promised for our assistance.” Nay, but what need of Him, upon your scheme? Man is sufficient for himself. “He that glorieth,” on this hypothesis, must “glory” in himself, not “in the Lord.” 3. “How far is our present state the same with that of Adam in paradise?” I suppose “our mental capacities are the same as Adam’s; only that some are above, some below, his standard. Pro bably there are many in the world much below Adam in rational endowments: But possibly the force and acuteness of understanding was much greater in our Sir Isaac Newton than in Adam.” (Page 235.) I do not apprehend this requires any answer. He that can believe it, let him believe it. “We are next to inquire upon what true grounds those parts of religion stand, which the Schoolmen have founded upon the doctrine of original sin, particularly the two grand articles of Redemption and Regeneration.” In what century did the Schoolmen write? how long before St. Augustine,--to go no higher?