the great controversy-第58节

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persecutors。　Mobs　went　from　house　to　house；　destroying　furniture　and　goods；
plundering　whatever　they　chose；　and　brutally　abusing　men；　women；　and
children。　In　some　instances；　public　notices　were　posted；　calling　upon　those
who　desired　to　assist　in　breaking　the　windows　and　robbing　the　houses　of　the
Methodists；　to　assemble　at　a　given　time　and　place。　These　open　violations　of
both　human　and　divine　law　were　allowed　to　pass　without　a　reprimand。　A
systematic　persecution　was　carried　on　against　a　people　whose　only　fault　was
that　of　seeking　to　turn　the　feet　of　sinners　from　the　path　of　destruction　to
the　path　of　holiness。

Said　John　Wesley；　referring　to　the　charges　against　himself　and　his
associates：　〃Some　allege　that　the　doctrines　of　these　men　are　false；
erroneous；　and　enthusiastic；　that　they　are　new　and　unheard…of　till　of　late；
that　they　are　Quakerism；　fanaticism；　popery。　This　whole　pretense　has　been
already　cut　up　by　the　roots；　it　having　been　shown　at　large　that　every　branch
of　this　doctrine　is　the　plain　doctrine　of　Scripture　interpreted

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by　our　own　church。　Therefore　it　cannot　be　either　false　or　erroneous；
provided　the　Scripture　be　true。〃　〃Others　allege；　〃Their　doctrine　is　too
strict；　they　make　the　way　to　heaven　too　narrow。'　And　this　is　in　truth　the
original　objection；　（as　it　was　almost　the　only　one　for　some　time；）　and　is
secretly　at　the　bottom　of　a　thousand　more；　which　appear　in　various　forms。
But　do　they　make　the　way　to　heaven　any　narrower　than　our　Lord　and　His
apostles　made　it？　Is　their　doctrine　stricter　than　that　of　the　Bible？
Consider　only　a　few　plain　texts：　'Thou　shalt　love　the　Lord　thy　God　with　all
thy　heart；　and　with　all　thy　mind；　and　with　all　thy　soul；　and　with　all　thy
strength。'　'For　every　idle　word　which　men　shall　speak；　they　shall　give　an
account　in　the　day　of　judgment。'　'Whether　ye　eat；　or　drink；　or　whatever　ye
do；　do　all　to　the　glory　of　God。'

〃If　their　doctrine　is　stricter　than　this；　they　are　to　blame；　but　you　know　in
your　conscience　it　is　not。　And　who　can　be　one　jot　less　strict　without
corrupting　the　word　of　God？　Can　any　steward　of　the　mysteries　of　God　be　found
faithful　if　he　change　any　part　of　that　sacred　depositum？　No。　He　can　abate
nothing；　he　can　soften　nothing；　he　is　constrained　to　declare　to　all　men；　'I
may　not　bring　down　the　Scripture　to　your　taste。　You　must　come　up　to　it；　or
perish　forever。'　This　is　the　real　ground　of　that　other　popular　cry
concerning　'the　uncharitableness　of　these　men。'　Uncharitable；　are　they？　In
what　respect？　Do　they　not　feed　the　hungry　and　clothe　the　naked？　'No；　that　is
not　the　thing：　they　are　not　wanting　in　this：　but　they　are　so　uncharitable　in
judging！　they　think　none　can　be　saved　but　those　of　their　own　way。'〃Ibid。；
vol。　3；　pp。　152；　153。

The　spiritual　declension　which　had　been　manifest　in　England　just　before　the
time　of　Wesley　was　in　great　degree　the　result　of　antinomian　teaching。　Many
affirmed　that　Christ　had　abolished　the　moral　law　and　that　Christians　are
therefore　under　no　obligation　to　observe　it；　that　a　believer　is　freed　from
the　〃bondage　of　good　works。〃　Others；　though　admitting

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the　perpetuity　of　the　law；　declared　that　it　was　unnecessary　for　ministers　to
exhort　the　people　to　obedience　of　its　precepts；　since　those　whom　God　had
elected　to　salvation　would；　〃by　the　irresistible　impulse　of　divine　grace；　be
led　to　the　practice　of　piety　and　virtue；〃　while　those　who　were　doomed　to
eternal　reprobation　〃did　not　have　power　to　obey　the　divine　law。〃

Others；　also　holding　that　〃the　elect　cannot　fall　from　grace　nor　forfeit　the
divine　favor；〃　arrived　at　the　still　more　hideous　conclusion　that　〃the　wicked
actions　they　commit　are　not　really　sinful；　nor　to　be　considered　as　instances
of　their　violation　of　the　divine　law；　and　that；　consequently；　they　have　no
occasion　either　to　confess　their　sins　or　to　break　them　off　by
repentance。〃McClintock　and　Strong；　Cyclopedia；　art。　〃Antinomians。〃
Therefore；　they　declared　that　even　one　of　the　vilest　of　sins；　〃considered
universally　an　enormous　violation　of　the　divine　law；　is　not　a　sin　in　the
sight　of　God；〃　if　committed　by　one　of　the　elect；　〃because　it　is　one　of　the
essential　and　distinctive　characteristics　of　the　elect；　that　they　cannot　do
anything　that　is　either　displeasing　to　God　or　prohibited　by　the　law。〃

These　monstrous　doctrines　are　essentially　the　same　as　the　later　teaching　of
popular　educators　and　theologiansthat　there　is　no　unchangeable　divine　law
as　the　standard　of　right；　but　that　the　standard　of　morality　is　indicated　by
society　itself；　and　has　constantly　been　subject　to　change。　All　these　ideas
are　inspired　by　the　same　master　spiritby　him　who；　even　among　the　sinless
inhabitants　of　heaven；　began　his　work　of　seeking　to　break　down　the　righteous
restraints　of　the　law　of　God。

The　doctrine　of　the　divine　decrees；　unalterably　fixing　the　character　of　men；
had　led　many　to　a　virtual　rejection　of　the　law　of　God。　Wesley　steadfastly
opposed　the　errors　of　the　antinomian　teachers　and　showed　that　this　doctrine
which　led　to　antinomianism　was　contrary　to　the　Scriptures。　〃The　grace

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of　God　that　bringeth　salvation　hath　appeared　to　all　men。〃　〃This　is　good　and
acceptable　in　the　sight　of　God　our　Saviour；　who　will　have　all　men　to　be
saved；　and　to　come　unto　the　knowledge　of　the　truth。　For　there　is　one　God；
and　one　mediator　between　God　and　men；　the　man　Christ　Jesus；　who　gave　Himself
a　ransom　for　all。〃　Titus　2：11；　1　Timothy　2：3…6。　The　Spirit　of　God　is　freely
bestowed　to　enable　every　man　to　lay　hold　upon　the　means　of　salvation。　Thus
Christ；　〃the　true　Light；〃　〃lighteth　every　man　that　cometh　into　the　world。〃
John　1：9。　Men　fail　of　salvation　through　their　own　willful　refusal　of　the
gift　of　life。

In　answer　to　the　claim　that　at　the　death　of　Christ　the　precepts　of　the
Decalogue　had　been　abolished　with　the　ceremonial　law；　Wesley　said：　〃The
moral　law；　contained　in　the　Ten　Commandments　and　enforced　by　the　prophets；
He　did　not　take　away。　It　was　not　the　design　of　His　coming　to　revoke　any　part
of　this。　This　is　a　law　which　never　can　be　broken；　which　'stands　fast　as　the
faithful　witness　in　heaven。'　。　。　。　This　was　from　the　beginning　of　the　world；
being　'written　not　on　tables　of　stone；'　but　on　the　hearts　of　all　the
children　of　men；　when　they　came　out　of　the　hands　of　the　Creator。　And　however
the　letters　once　wrote　by　the　finger　of　God　are　now　in　a　great　measure
defaced　by　sin；　yet　can　they　not　wholly　be　blotted　out；　while　we　have　any
consciousness　of　good　and　evil。　Every　part　of　this　law　must　remain　in　force
upon　all　mankind；　and　in　all　ages；　as　not　depending　either　on　time　or　place；
or　any　other　circumstances　liable　to　change；　but　on　the　nature　of　God；　and
the　nature　of　man；　and　their　unchangeable　relation　to　each　other。

〃'I　am　not　come　to　destroy；　but　to　fulfill。'　。　。　。　Without　question；　His
meaning　in　this　place　is　（consistently　with　all　that　goes　before　and　follows
after）；I　am　come　to　establish　it　in　its　fullness；　in　spite　of　all　the
glosses　of　men：　I　am　come　to　place　in　a　full　and　clear　view　whatsoever　was
dark　or　obscure　therein：　I　am　come　to　declare　the　true　and　full　import　of
every　part　of　it；　to　show　the　length　and　breadth；　the　entire　extent；　of
every　commandment　contained　therein；　and　the

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height　and　depth；　the　inconceivable　purity　and　spirituality　of　it　in　all　its
branches。〃Wesley；　sermon　25。

Wesley　declared　the　perfect　harmony　of　the　law　and　the　gospel。　〃There　is；
therefore；　the　closest　connection　that　can　be　conceived；　between　the　law　and
the　gospel。　On　the　one　hand；　the　law　continually　makes　way　for；　and　points
us　to；　the　gospel；　on　the　other；　the　gospel　continually　leads　us　to　a　more
exact　fulfilling　of　the　law。　The　law；　for　instance；　requires　us　to　love　God；
to　love　our　neighbor；　to　be　meek；　humble；　or　holy。　We　feel　that　we　are　not
sufficient　for　these　things；　yea；　that　'with　man　this　is　impossible；'　but　we
see　a　promise　of　God　to　give　us　that　love；　and　to　make　us　humble；　meek；　and
holy：　we　lay　hold　of　this　gospel；　of　these　glad　tidings；　it　is　done　unto　us
according　to　our　faith；　and　'the　righteousness　of　the　law　is　fulfilled　in
us；'　through　faith　which　is　in　Christ　Jesus。　。　。　。

〃In　the　highest　rank　of　the　enemies　of　the　gospel　of　Christ；〃　said　Wesley；
〃are　they　who　openly　and　explicitly　'judge　the　law'　itself；　and　'speak　evil
of　the　law；'　who　teach　men　to　break　（to　dissolve；　to　loose；　to　untie　the
obligation　of）　not　one　only；　whether　of　the　least　or　of　the　greatest；　but
all　the　commandments　at　a　stroke。　。　。　。　The　most　surprising　of　all　the
circumstances　that　attend　this　strong　delusion；　is　that　they　who　are　given
up　to　it；　really　believe　that　they　honor　Christ　by　overthrowing　His　law；　and
that　they　are　magnifying　His　office　while　they　are　destroying　His　doctrine！
Yea；　they　honor　Him　just　as　Judas　did　when　he　said；　'Hail；　Master；　and
kissed　Him。'　And　He　may　as　justly　say　to　every　one　of　them；　'Betrayest　thou
the　Son　of　man　with　a　kiss？　It　is　no　other　than　betraying　Him　with　a　kiss；
to　talk　of　His　blood；　and　take　away　His　crown；　to　set　light　by　any　part　of
His　law；　under　pretense　of　advancing　His