Wesley Corpus

The moment, therefore, that he sinned, Adam fell under this curse. And whether the toil and death to which he and his posterity were sentenced, and the pain of child-birth, be termed curses or no, sure it is, they are punishments, and heavy ones too; though mercy is often mixed with judgment. (Pages 47-50.) The main argument follows, taken from the state of man kind in general, with regard to religion. But you say, “It is impossible we should make a just estimate of the wickedness of mankind.” (Page 51.) Yes, an exactly just estimate of the precise degree of wickedness in the whole world; but it is very possible, nay, very easy, to make an estimate in the gross, with such a degree of justness as suffices for the present question. Indeed you “think we carry our censures of the Heathens too far.” I dare not carry them so far as to say, no Heathen shall be saved. But this I say; I never knew an Heathen yet (and I have personally known many out of various nations) who was not a slave to some gross vice or other. Bad, therefore, as nominal Christians are, I cannot yet place them on a level with the Heathens; not even with the mild, courteous, conversa ble Heathens who border on Georgia and Carolina. Much less would I say, “Possibly the Heathens may be less vicious than the Christian world in general.” If I believed this, I should bid adieu to Christianity, and commence Heathen without delay. “But if we allow mankind to be ever so wicked, suppose there is not one upon earth who is truly righteous, it will not follow that men are naturally corrupt; for a sinful action does not infer a sinful nature. If it does, then Adam brought a sinful nature with him into the world.