Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Christian Perfection - The Doctrine of the Church of England

I was reading, today, in the 10th Volume of Wesley's Works (Jackson edition), and I came across a passage that says it so well!  -  It is found on page 450, in Wesley's "An Answer to Mr. Rowland Hill's Tract, Entitled, 'Imposture Detected.'"  -  It is a position that has long been held, but it was really nice to find it so explicitly stated by John Wesley, himself.

The quote is as follows:

The perfection I hold is so far from being contrary to the doctrine of our Church, that it is exactly the same which every Clergyman prays for every Sunday: "Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name."  I mean neither more nor less than this.  In doctrine, therefore, I do not dissent from the Church of England.

There is a further story about Phineas Bresee (primary founder of the Church of the Nazarene) and this very thing.  It seems that an Episcopal priest was criticizing the Nazarenes for their claim of Entire Sanctification.  Bresee responded by asking why he thought it so amazing that God would answer the very prayer that the Episcopalians prayed every Sunday.

Yes, indeed, the Collect of Purity encapsulates the essence of Christian Perfection.  May it be that Almighty God would cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that we might perfectly love God, and worthily magnify God's holy name, through Christ our Lord!  Amen!

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