“I believe that Christ _formed in us_ subordinately to Christ _given for us_ (_i. e._ our own _inherent_ righteousness subordinate to Christ’s _merits_) ought to be insisted upon, as necessary to our justification.
“And it is just and right that a man should be humble and penitent, and have a broken and contrite heart (_i. e._ should have Christ _formed in him_) before he can expect to be justified.
“And that this penitence and contrition is the work of the Holy Ghost.”
“Yet I believe that all this is nothing towards, and has no influence on, our justification.
“Again, I believe that in order to justification, I must go strait to Christ, with all my ungodliness, and plead nothing else.
“Yet I believe that we should not insist upon any thing we _do_ or _feel_, as if it were necessarily _previous_ to justification.”
24. “_Of the_ Effects _of justification_.
“I believe, that justification is the same thing as to be born of God. Yet a man may have a _strong assurance_, that he is justified, and not be able to affirm, that he is born of God.
“A man may be fully assured that his sins are forgiven, yet may not be able to tell the hour, or day, when he received this full assurance, because it may grow up in him by degrees.――――Though he can remember that from the time this full assurance was confirmed in him, he never lost it, no not for a moment.
“A man may have a weak faith at the same time that he hath peace with God, _not one uneasy thought_, and freedom from sin, _not one unholy desire_.
“A man may be justified (♦_i. e._ born of God) who has not a clean heart (_i. e._ is not sanctified.)
♦ “e. i.” replaced with “i. e.”
“He may be justified (_i. e._ born of God) and not have the indwelling of the Spirit.”
25. I entirely agree, “That the foregoing creed is a very _extraordinary and odd composition_.” But it is not mine. I neither composed it, nor believe it: as I doubt not every impartial reader will be fully convinced, when we shall have gone over it, once more, step by step.
The parts of it which I do believe, I shall barely repeat: on the others it will be needful to add a few words.
_Of the_ Assurance _of justification_.
“I believe that conversion” (meaning thereby justification) “is an instantaneous work: and that the moment a man has living faith in Christ, he is converted or justified. (So the proposition must be expressed to make it sense.) Which faith he cannot have, without knowing that he has it.”
“Yet I believe he may not know that he has it till long after.” This I deny: I believe no such thing.
“I believe the moment a man is justified he has peace with God:”
“Which he cannot have, without knowing that he has it:
“Yet I believe, he may not know he has it till long after.” This again I deny. I believe it not. Nor _Michael Linner_ neither. To clear whom intirely, one need only read his own words.
“About fourteen years ago, I was more than ever convinced, that I was wholly different from what God required me to be. I consulted his word again and again; but it spoke nothing but condemnation; till at last I could not read, nor indeed do any thing else, having no hope and no spirit left in me. I had been in this state for several days, when being musing by myself, those words came strongly into my mind, _God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, to the end that all who believe in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life_.” I thought, “_All!_ Then I am one. Then _he_ is given for _me_. But I am a sinner. And he came to save sinners.” Immediately my burden dropped off, and my heart was at rest.
“But the full assurance of faith I had not yet, nor for the two years I continued in _Moravia_. When I was driven out thence by the _Jesuits_, I retired hither, and was soon after received into the church. And here after some time it pleased our Lord to manifest himself more clearly to my soul; and give me that full sense of acceptance in him, which excludes all doubt and fear.
“Indeed the leading of the Spirit is different in different souls. His more usual method, I believe, is, to give in one and the same moment, forgiveness of sins, and a full assurance of that forgiveness. Yet in many he works as he did in me: give first the remission of sins, and after some weeks or months or years, the full assurance of it.”¹
¹ Second _Journal_, Pages 65, 66.
All I need observe is, that the _first sense of forgiveness_ is often mixed with doubt or fear. But the _full assurance of faith_, excludes all doubt and fear, as the very term implies.
Therefore instead of, “He may not know that he has peace with God till long after,” it should be (to agree with _Michael Linner_’s words) “He may not have till long after the full assurance of faith, which excludes all doubt and fear.”
“I believe a man is justified at the same time that he is born of God.
“And he that is born of God sinneth not.
“Which deliverance from sin he cannot have, without knowing that he has it.”