Hi all! This is a quote from John Wesley, an 18th century preacher, who is credited as a key founder of Methodism, from which it is said flowed the holiness, pentecostal, and charismatic movements.
"But it may be asked, if there be no true love of our neighbour but that which springs from the love of God, and if the love of God flows from no other fountain than faith in the Son of God, does it not follow that the whole heathen world is excluded from all possibility of salvation? Seeing they are cut off from faith for "faith cometh by hearing" and how shall they hear without a preacher? I answer St Paul's words spoken on another occasion are applicable to this;"What the law speaketh, it speaketh to those under the law". Accordingly that sentence "He that believeth not shall be damned" is spoken of them to whom the gospel is preached Others it does not concern, and we are not required to determine any thing touching their final state. How it will please God the Judge of all to deal with them, we may leave to God himself. But this we know that he is not the God of the Christians only, but the God of the heathens also; that he is rich in mercy to all that call upon him according to the light they have, and that in every nation "he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him"."
What think ye? Wise? Foolish? True? False?
"But it may be asked, if there be no true love of our neighbour but that which springs from the love of God, and if the love of God flows from no other fountain than faith in the Son of God, does it not follow that the whole heathen world is excluded from all possibility of salvation? Seeing they are cut off from faith for "faith cometh by hearing" and how shall they hear without a preacher? I answer St Paul's words spoken on another occasion are applicable to this;"What the law speaketh, it speaketh to those under the law". Accordingly that sentence "He that believeth not shall be damned" is spoken of them to whom the gospel is preached Others it does not concern, and we are not required to determine any thing touching their final state. How it will please God the Judge of all to deal with them, we may leave to God himself. But this we know that he is not the God of the Christians only, but the God of the heathens also; that he is rich in mercy to all that call upon him according to the light they have, and that in every nation "he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him"."
What think ye? Wise? Foolish? True? False?