2. Intimately connected with the foregoing position is that of the divine foreordination. Wesleyans hold that while God absolutelv and of his own inscrutable purposes determines beforehand (whether from all eter- nity or not is of small moment) the events in the nat- ural or physical world, he has not done so with regard to occurrences relating to the moral s])here; especially that he has left the everlasting state of human beings contingent upon the results of their own action. They reject the doctrine of iniconditional election and repro-
bation as incompatible with the justice and impartial- ity of the divine character, and with the freedom and responsibility- of the human soul. They especially ob- ject to the doctrine that God has absolutely predeter- mined the iinal destiny of individuals in tlie other world irrespective of their conduct; but they have lit- tle controversy with that class of moderate Calvinists who restrict the divine foreordination to the general purposes of God's moral government, without predicat- ing it of any and every particular act of intelligent creatures. A strict construction of the statement of the Westminster Confession, that " God decrees what- ever comes to pass," would involve the divine will as the efficient element in all causality, and so be tanta- mount to the lieterodoxy that " whatever is, is right." Or, if the language be interpreted as signifying that God has so arranged the universe (both of matter and of mind) that events must inevitably transpire just as they do, this is equivalent to a declaration of necessity or fate. But if it be merely meant that God has insti- tuted laws, forces, or causes (whether primarv or sec- ondary, physical or spiritual) which he permits (or, if an)' prefer so to say, enables) to act freely yet certainly (within given limits) in bringing about whatever oc- curs, then we have but the expression of what is matter of fact undeniable by any. This is no proper foreordi- nation at all, for it ranks the human agent as a leading factor among these freely moving powers, and hangs the larger part of events upon the contingencies of his conduct. See Puedestination.
3. Wesleyan Methodists further maintain that al- though man is universally born with corrupt moral af- fections and a depraved will, yet by virtue of the gen- eral atonement of Christ and the free bestowment of the Holy Sjiirit every person is graciously enabled so to resist the tendencies to evil as to lay hold upon the proffered means of salvation. They believe, indeed, that in response to the intercessions of the Divine Medi- ator, and in answer to the prayers of Christians, special conviction is often sent into the souls of siiniers, but that this may still be resisted bj' the sidiject, and thus prove abortive. They also believe that the general convictions resulting from the ordinary influences of the Spirit are sufficient, if encouraged and fostered, to lead the sinner to Christ. They admit that none will or can come to God without such divine drawings; but they believe that these are never withheld from tlie sincere and coinpliant soul. The ultimate force, there- fore, which determines any person in turning away from sin and towards God is the human will itself, act- ing freely in view of motives made clear and cogent by God's Spirit, but never coerced thereby. The self-de- terminative power of the human will is consequently a fundamental axiom in Wesleyan theology. See Will.
4. Wesleyans hold that saving faith is a conscious surrender of the soul to God and a positive trust in the merits of Christ. This faith is indeed potentially the gift of God, but its exercise is the voluntary personal act of the believer. Conversion, in Wesleyan theology, is the entire process of change from a state of condem- nation and sin to one of pardon and holiness. Regen- eration is a cliange in the moral affections resulting by divine power immediately upon this act of faith, which presupposes the penitence and consecration required. See Regeneration.
Wesleyanism accordingly teaches that justification and adoption' are simultaneous, the former being the act of pardon, and the latter the relation of filial ac- ceptance. A degree of sanctification is also held to be experienced at the same time, being a state of com- parative holiness, consisting in a fixed purpose and dis- position to love and serve God, the fruit of which im- mediately begins to appear in the life. The first of these elements takes place in the divine mind, and a knowledge of it as a fact is derived by the converted person from a consideration of the conscious exercise of faith to that end; the second is a mutual change,
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testified to tlie soul by a special "witness of the Spirit" 1 (q. v.\ wliicli is distinct from all other evidence, al- though concomitant and corroborative; and the third element takes place exclusively in the human subject, and is evidenced bj' the alteration felt in the heart and shown ill the life; but they all three arc equally and wholly the effect of the operation of the Holy Spirit. The man does not save himself, but simply consents to be saved, depends upon Christ to be saved, and co-op- erates with (lod for liis salvation. It follows from the above showing that the converted person knows for the time being his gracious condition by this threefold tes- timony, one or the other part of whicli, however, may for the moment preponderate.