Wesley Corpus

And even where there are only good examples about them, and where the best and earliest instructions are given them, and inculcated with the utmost care, yet their hearts run astray from God. The far greatest part of them visibly follow the corrupt influences of sense, appetite, passion, and manifest very early the evil principles of stubbornness, pride, and disobedience.” (Page 44.) “To give a still fuller confirmation of this truth, that man kind have a corrupt nature in them, let it be observed, that where persons have not only had all possible helps of educa tion from their parents, but have themselves taken a religious turn betimes, what perpetual hinderance do they find within themselves!” (Page 45.) “What inward oppositions work in their heart, and, perhaps, interrupt their holy course of life What vanity of mind, what irregular appetites, what forget fulness of God, what evil thoughts and tendencies of heart rise up in contradiction to their best purposes ! Insomuch, that “there is not a just man upon earth, who, through his whole life, ‘doeth good and sinneth not.’” (Page 46.) “To sum up the three last considerations: If the bulk of mankind are grossly sinful, and if every individual, without exception, is actually a sinner against the law of his Creator; if sinful propensities appear even in our most tender years, and every child becomes an actual sinner almost as soon as it becomes a moral agent; then we have just reason to con clude, that there is some original taint spread through the whole race of men from their birth. “7. It has been said, indeed, that, “if the first man fell into sin, though he was innocent and perfect, then among a million of men, every one might sin, though he was as inno cent and perfect as Adam.’” (Page 47.) “I answer, There is a bare possibility of the event; but the improbability of it is in the proportion of a million to one. “And I prove it thus: If a million of creatures were made in an equal probability to stand or fall; and if all the num bers, from one to one million inclusively, were set in a rank, it is a million to one that just any single proposed number of all these should fall by sin.