Page:The works of the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., late fellow of Lincoln-College, Oxford (IA worksofrevjohnwe3wesl).pdf/95

 for imagining that faith is a dispensation, from any kind or degree of holiness.

7. "Nay, but does not St. Paul expresly say, Unto him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness? And does it not follow from hence, That faith is to a believer in the room, in the place of righteousness? But if faith is in the room of righteousness or holiness, what need is there of this too?"

This, it must be acknowledged, comes home to the point, and is indeed the main pillar of Antinomianism. And yet it needs not a long or laboured answer. We allow, 1. That God ''justifies the ungodly'', him that till that hour is totally ungodly, full of all evil, void of all good. 2. That he justifies the ungodly that worketh not, that till that moment worketh no good work: neither can he: for an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit. 3. That he justifies him ''by faith alone'', without any goodness or righteousness preceding: and, 4. * That faith is then ''counted to him for righteousness, namely, for preceding righteousness: i. e.'' God, thro' the merits of Christ, accepts him that believes, as if he had already fulfilled all righteousness. But what is all this to your point? The apostle does not say, either here or elsewhere, that this faith is counted to him for subsequent righteousness. He does teach, that there is no righteousness before faith. But where does he teach, that there is none af-*