And again, "In enacting the Law, God had “regard, not so much to what we might be "able to perform, who of our own fault are "burdened with infirmity, as to what might "be worthy of his own righteousness. For "whereas none but the moft perfect righteouf"nefs could be pleafing to God, it was meet "that that rule of life, which he propofed, "fhould be altogether perfect "."

n

But further: The holy Scriptures abound in examples to encourage us, as well as in precepts to inftruct us: and undoubtedly, if a ftate of perfection be attainable in this world, there are in Scripture examples of perfons, who have attained it. "There are," reply the advocates of the doctrine°. “St. John, and all thofe, of "whom he fays in his firft epiftle, Herein is

our love made perfect, that we may have "boldness in the day of judgment, because as he "is, fo are we in this world."

That the paffage may appear to authorize the affertion, if understood in a literal and unqualified fenfe, it were fruitlefs to deny; and

In Lege ferenda Deus non tam quid nos præftare poffemus, qui noftra culpa imbecillitate laboramus, quam quid ipfius juftitia dignum effet, fpectavit. Quum vero Deo non nifi fumma juftitia placere poffit, eam vivendi normam, quam ipfe defcripfit, omnino perfectam effe oportuit. Noelli Catechifmus. Enchir. Theol. vol. ii. p. 68. Welley on Perfection, p. 34. Coke's Life of Welley,

p. 232.

it may at the fame time be admitted, that this probably is not the only paffage in the epiftle, which may be thought to fanction the fame. opinion. Without recurring however to the general tenor, or to any other portion, of Scripture, St. John himself supplies us with an anfwer to the remark. Apparently aware that his fentiments might be misapprehended, and defiring to guard them against misapprehens fion, he has in the commencement of his epiftle borne ftrong, clear, and decided testimony, to the univerfal weakness of human nature; and in behalf of himself, and of all thofe to whom he writes, and generally of all the fons of Adam, or (which will be equally ftrong to our purpose) of all the followers of Chrift, he protests against any claim to that perfection and freedom from fin, which, notwithstanding his unequivocal renunciation of it, is most unwarrantably fastened upon him. "If we fay that we have no fin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confefs our "fins, he is faithful and juft to forgive us our

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fins, and to cleanfe us from all unrighteouf"nefs. If we fay that we have not finned, we "make him a liar, and his word is not in us." I am aware it has been affirmed, that in this paffage "the tenth verfe fixes the sense of the eighth If we say that we have no fin' in the former, being explained by If we fay

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"we have not finned' in the latter verfe P" I am content however to leave the interpreta tion to the unfophifticated judgment of any ingenuous mind: and forbear to detain you'

with a comment.

I

In this inquiry concerning the Chriftian's freedom from fin, I have followed the line marked out by the advocates of the doctrine. The arguments, which have been advanced, have confequently been limited to those particular views, in which they have thought proper to exhibit it; doubtlefs confidering thofe views to be most favourable to their caufe. have accordingly declined infifting upon its glaring abfurdities and incongruities, whether in a rational, a moral, or a religious view. T have not referred to fome Chriftians, who have been guilty of grofs enormities, the fame in kind, though not fo great perhaps in degree, as that of the fanatic, who "throwing away “the Bible exclaimed, I am good enough; I "will never read or pray more: I don't defire "to be any better than I am 1." I have not animadverted on that fpiritual pride, and that contempt of their fellow Chriftians, which are likely to be wrought in thofe, who confider

Welley's Account of Chriftian Perfection, p. 16. Sermon on the fame, vol. iii. p. 21.

Wefley's Journals, N°. IV. p. 66. Enthufiafm of Methodists, &c. vol. iii. p. 62.

themselves as advanced to perfection, and others in an imperfect, abject, or reprobate ftate. I have not noticed the effects, very different from the fruits of Chriftian charity, which this perfuafion is faid to have produced; inciting thofe, who are under its influence, to introduce difcord and confufion into their focieties, and to fill the minds of others with prejudices against thofe infidels, as they call them, who will not allow them to be fo perfect as they pretend'. I have not cited the confeflion made by the great Patron of this doctrine concerning the " pride and enthu"fiafm" to which it appeared likely to give birth; and the tumult and confusion, which actually enfued; when the fpirit of enthusiasm broke forth; while fome "began to take their "own imaginations for impreffions from God, " and thence to suppose that they should never "die;" and fome "ran into other extrava

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gances, fancying they could not be tempted, "that they fhould feel no more pain, and that

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they had the gift of prophecy and of difcern"ing of fpirits;" and others took upon them to fix the precife day on which the world should come to an end; and others again, " who "thought themfelves poffeffed of perfection,

See Enthufiafm, &c. vol. ii. p. 24, 25.
Hampfon's Life of Wesley, vol. iii. p. 60.

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were manifeftly wanting in refignation, gentleness, goodness, fidelity, meekness, temperance." I have not adverted to the irrational expedients, to which the maintainers of the doctrine have been driven in its fupport": -the contradictory fuppofition, that a man can be subject to fins of infirmity and still can be deemed perfect:-the belief, that a man can be delivered from every fleshly defire and from every outward and inward fin; and the "denial, that he can be abfolutely perfect":"

the ftrange inconfiftency of fuppofing "mif"takes" and "infirmities" and "defects," "a "thousand namelefs defects," "a thousand in"firmities neceffarily connected with flesh and "blood, wherewith the corruptible body more "or lefs preffes down the foul," in one "fanc "tified throughout in body," who "has all the "mind that was in Chrift, and always walketh "as he walked;" who has a heart renewed "in the whole image of God, the full likeness "of him that created it; and who "doth the "will of God on earth as it is done in heaven " -and the presumptuous dilemma which they have been compelled to form in their defence,

Welley on Perfection, p. 54, 56, 79.

Hampfon's Life of Welley, vol. iii. p. 60.

* Coke's Life of Welley, p. 335.

y Wefley's Account of Chriftian Perfetion, p. 14, 26, 27, 28, 39, 41, 102.