To Miss S——
The divine image borne and reflected — The doctrine of entire sane tification at conversion considered — It is anti-Wesleyan — Unscriptural — Christians lirged to go on to perfection — Desires for holiness the result not of backslidings,but of an active and growing faith — Humiliating confession of an errorist.
Brother and sister are now with
us. They desire me to present their warmest Christian regards. We feel it to be a great privilege to enjoy the society of these precious disciples of the Lord Jesus. They bear the divine impress so truly, that it tells with great sweetness and power on the entire circle in which they move. How often, in beholding these burning and shining lights, have I ejaculated, — =r
“Jesus, let all thy lovers shine,
Illustrious as the sun,
And bright with oorrow’d rays divine
Their glorious circuit run!”
You speak of your friend, a minister who is promulgating the opinion, that a soul justified, is also, and at the same time, fully sanctified. That the soul is partially sanctified when brought into a state of adoption, is, I believe, scripturally correct. But, on the coijtrary, the notion that at the moment of adoption the entire sanctification of body, soul, and spirit, is accomplished, is, I believe, dangerous heresy. Dangerous, inasmuch as it induces the
Paul’s EKhortations to Unsanctified Believers.
Lord’s redeemed ones to stop short of the prize of their hiofh callinof.
You and I profess to be Wesleyan in our views, and you know Mr. Wesley took much pains to arrest this unscriptural doctrine, which began to develop itself in his day. I say unscriptural, because it cannot be legitimately dmwn from the Bible. Its partisans affirm that it may, but with no more truth than other dogmas of the day are said to be thus deduced,
Paul was writing to his Christian brethren, when, presenting to their view the promises of conformity to the divine image, he says, “Having these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.” Would the apostle have urged them to the attainment of a state of entire holiness, were they already in the enjoyment of it? Surely they had not yet cleansed themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, when he thus exhorted them.
On another occasion Paul addresses his brethren thus ‘. “1 could not speak unto you as imto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.” Here then were babes in Christ, for inspiration acknowledges their adoption, but yet they could not be addressed as wholly spiritual. In view of their many unsanctified doings, they had merited the reproofs of the apostle. The significant question,
Adopted, but not wholly sanctified.
“Are ye not carnal?” seems to leave room for the conjecture, that some even in that day might have had an impression that they were wholly spiritual, as a concomitant of their adoption. Paul seemingly presents their wrong doing as a proof that they were not wholly sanctified, and, in the manner above stated, urges them on to the attainment of that state.
The same apostle, in writing to the Thessalonians, in affectionate acknowledgment of their spiritual condition — children of his heavenly Father — says, “We beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.” Now, mark the command to which first and special reference is here made: This is the will of God, even your sanctijication.^^ If already wholly sanctified, why this solemn declaration?
In closing up his epistle, he again reminds them of his absorbing desire for their entire sanctification by the prayer — “The very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God that your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that hath called you, who also will do it.”
Had Paul been disposed to urge upon his brethren
Wrong Teachings. Disastrous Alternatives.
the views advocated by the minister you have mentioned, he might have said, My brethren, beloved in the Lord, when you were first brought nigh by the blood of Jesus, and freely justified by his grace, then ye were no more in any degree carnal, but were wholly sanctified, throughout spirit, soul, and body. If by your subsequent daily, yet nearer, approaches to the Sun of righteousness, any remains of the carnal mind be discovered, it is because you have either fallen from grace, or what is more probable, have been mistaken in thinking yourselves converted at all; for if you were ever truly converted, you were at the same time wholly sanctified.
I have spoken of this unscriptural, anti-Wesleyan doctrine, as dangerous heresy; and would not either of the foregoing alternatives be calculated to tell disastrously on the soul convinced of the necessity of entire sanctification? To yield to the impression that he had fallen from grace, and that the enemy which had been entirely expelled had been permitted to re-enter, were only calculated to move him to seek for a reinstatement in his former condition; whereas his true state is that of increased proximity to the Sun of righteousness, and the heavenly radiations have only been permitted to penetrate his soul in order that the discovered deficiencies may be fully removed by the all-cleansing power of his Saviour. Thus, such as God hath
A Little Leaven. Incongruities in Theory and Practice.
not grieved would be grieved, and instead of being encouraged to an onward course, from the conviction that he had been gaining a more thorough knowledge of his necessities, by drawing nearer to God, he is driven back to first principles, laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.
On the other hand, if the light revealing the remains of the carnal mind be resisted by submitting to the wrong teaching of men, rather than the oracles of God, the consequences would be yet more disastrous than the former alternative. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Could Satan devise a scheme better suited to his purpose of getting the soul partially or wholly under his control, than to induce us to wrap ourselves in the persuasion that sin is all destroyed, while the remains of corruption are still working within? No wonder that he so often transforms himself into an angel of light, by getting ministers, and now and then other good persons, to help him by their sophistry in defending this doctrine. I have myself witnessed singular incongruities in theory and practice with some who, with an exhibition of unhallowed zeal, have defended these views, while, at the same time, and by their own confession, their experience and theory were contradicting each other. It was said to one of these on one occasion,” Brother, are you living in a state of justifi-Are you wholly sanctified? The Two States.
cation?’’ ‘Yes,” was the reply. “And have 3’ou the evidence that you are wholly sanctified?’*
*’:^ro.”
This is a subject on which I feel much interest, for with much pain I have witnessed its baneful effects. I had intended to say more, but will write you soon again.
As ever, in love.