The Scripture Doctrine of Christian Perfection Stated and Defended; With a Critical and Historical Examination of the Controversy, Ancient and Modern Also Practical Illustrations and Advices (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: peace in believing!" How utterly worthless all the honours of the world, in comparison with the peculiar honours of the " saints" or holy ones in whom the Lord " delighteth!" Here are riches, and honours, and pleasures, pure as the source whence they emanate, glorious as heaven, and lasting as eternity ! LECTURE III. THEORIES ON THE DOCTRINE OF PERFECTION WE8LEYAN THEORY. " Let us go on unto perfection," Hebrews vi, 1. Having, in the preceding lecture, deduced the doctrine of entire sanctification, or Christian perfection, from the Scriptures, I shall next proceed to present the leading theories which have been maintained upon the subject by Christian divines. And I shall begin with what, for distinction's sake, I shall denominate the Wesleyan theory of evangelical perfection. This theory simply asserts the attainableness, in the present life, of a state of holiness truly denominated Christian Perfection. This Christian perfection implies loving God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength?a perfect fulfilment of the terms of salvation. These terms being based upon the covenant of grace, do not imply a perfect compliance with the requisitions of the covenant of works. In relation to the latter it is truly said, " All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." " There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves." The following are the views of our standard writers upon the subject. I begin with Mr. Wesley: ? " On Monday, June 25, 1744, our first conference began; six clergymen and all our preachers being present. The next morning we seriously considered the doctrine of sanctification, or perfection. The questions asked concerning it, and the substance of the answers given...