OR, A COMPLETE SYSTEM OF WESLEYAN THEOLOGY; SELECTED FROM THE WRITINGS OF THE REV. JOHN WESLEY, A. M. AND SO ARRANGED AS TO FORM A MINIATURE BODY OF DIVINITY, (FROM A LONDON PUBLICATION.) REVISED, ENLARGED, AND AN INDEX added. NEW-YORK: PUBLISHED BY T. MASON & G. LANE, For the Methodist Episcopal Church, at the Conference Office, J. Collord, Printer. PREFACE TO WESLEYANA THE opposers of Methodism have, both in their oral teachings and in their writings, often misrepresented its doctrines: some, perhaps, ignorantly and very bunglingly; some artfully and very ingeniously; and some, we fear, wickedly. By some we have been represented as teaching that man makes the first step toward his recovery from sin; that we are to expect justification by the merit of works; that in so doing we rob Christ of his crown, and set aside the agency of the Holy Spirit; while not a few suppose that we believe and teach the doctrine of absolute and immaculate perfection. As an answer to the first part of this charge, viz., “that man makes the first step toward his recovery from sin," we would say, Read our hymns. "What are our works but sin and death Till thou thy quick'ning Spirit breathe; As an answer to the second, viz., "that we are to expect justification by works," let the following be noticed: "Thou all our works in us hast wrought, Our good is all divine; The praise of every virtuous thought And righteous word is thine." "Look unto him, ye nations; own Your God, ye fallen race; Look, and be saved through faith alone, To the third charge, viz., that of "robbing Christ of his crown," we must say, Read the following: "A guilty, weak, and helpless worm, Be thou my strength and righteousness, "I loathe myself when God I see, And into nothing fall; And Christ be ALL IN ALL." |