the great controversy-第48章

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universally　an　enormous　violation　of　the　divine　law；　is　not　a　sin　in　the
sight　of　God；〃　if　committed　by　one　of　the　elect；　〃because　it　is　one　of　the
essential　and　distinctive　characteristics　of　the　elect；　that　they　cannot　do
anything　that　is　either　displeasing　to　God　or　prohibited　by　the　law。〃

These　monstrous　doctrines　are　essentially　the　same　as　the　later　teaching　of
popular　educators　and　theologiansthat　there　is　no　unchangeable　divine　law
as　the　standard　of　right；　but　that　the　standard　of　morality　is　indicated　by
society　itself；　and　has　constantly　been　subject　to　change。　All　these　ideas
are　inspired　by　the　same　master　spiritby　him　who；　even　among　the　sinless
inhabitants　of　heaven；　began　his　work　of　seeking　to　break　down　the　righteous
restraints　of　the　law　of　God。

The　doctrine　of　the　divine　decrees；　unalterably　fixing　the　character　of　men；
had　led　many　to　a　virtual　rejection　of　the　law　of　God。　Wesley　steadfastly
opposed　the　errors　of　the　antinomian　teachers　and　showed　that　this　doctrine
which　led　to　antinomianism　was　contrary　to　the　Scriptures。　〃The　grace

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of　God　that　bringeth　salvation　hath　appeared　to　all　men。〃　〃This　is　good　and
acceptable　in　the　sight　of　God　our　Saviour；　who　will　have　all　men　to　be
saved；　and　to　come　unto　the　knowledge　of　the　truth。　For　there　is　one　God；
and　one　mediator　between　God　and　men；　the　man　Christ　Jesus；　who　gave　Himself
a　ransom　for　all。〃　Titus　2：11；　1　Timothy　2：3…6。　The　Spirit　of　God　is　freely
bestowed　to　enable　every　man　to　lay　hold　upon　the　means　of　salvation。　Thus
Christ；　〃the　true　Light；〃　〃lighteth　every　man　that　cometh　into　the　world。〃
John　1：9。　Men　fail　of　salvation　through　their　own　willful　refusal　of　the
gift　of　life。

In　answer　to　the　claim　that　at　the　death　of　Christ　the　precepts　of　the
Decalogue　had　been　abolished　with　the　ceremonial　law；　Wesley　said：　〃The
moral　law；　contained　in　the　Ten　Commandments　and　enforced　by　the　prophets；
He　did　not　take　away。　It　was　not　the　design　of　His　coming　to　revoke　any　part
of　this。　This　is　a　law　which　never　can　be　broken；　which　'stands　fast　as　the
faithful　witness　in　heaven。'　。　。　。　This　was　from　the　beginning　of　the　world；
being　'written　not　on　tables　of　stone；'　but　on　the　hearts　of　all　the
children　of　men；　when　they　came　out　of　the　hands　of　the　Creator。　And　however
the　letters　once　wrote　by　the　finger　of　God　are　now　in　a　great　measure
defaced　by　sin；　yet　can　they　not　wholly　be　blotted　out；　while　we　have　any
consciousness　of　good　and　evil。　Every　part　of　this　law　must　remain　in　force
upon　all　mankind；　and　in　all　ages；　as　not　depending　either　on　time　or　place；
or　any　other　circumstances　liable　to　change；　but　on　the　nature　of　God；　and
the　nature　of　man；　and　their　unchangeable　relation　to　each　other。

〃'I　am　not　come　to　destroy；　but　to　fulfill。'　。　。　。　Without　question；　His
meaning　in　this　place　is　（consistently　with　all　that　goes　before　and　follows
after）；I　am　come　to　establish　it　in　its　fullness；　in　spite　of　all　the
glosses　of　men：　I　am　come　to　place　in　a　full　and　clear　view　whatsoever　was
dark　or　obscure　therein：　I　am　come　to　declare　the　true　and　full　import　of
every　part　of　it；　to　show　the　length　and　breadth；　the　entire　extent；　of
every　commandment　contained　therein；　and　the

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height　and　depth；　the　inconceivable　purity　and　spirituality　of　it　in　all　its
branches。〃Wesley；　sermon　25。

Wesley　declared　the　perfect　harmony　of　the　law　and　the　gospel。　〃There　is；
therefore；　the　closest　connection　that　can　be　conceived；　between　the　law　and
the　gospel。　On　the　one　hand；　the　law　continually　makes　way　for；　and　points
us　to；　the　gospel；　on　the　other；　the　gospel　continually　leads　us　to　a　more
exact　fulfilling　of　the　law。　The　law；　for　instance；　requires　us　to　love　God；
to　love　our　neighbor；　to　be　meek；　humble；　or　holy。　We　feel　that　we　are　not
sufficient　for　these　things；　yea；　that　'with　man　this　is　impossible；'　but　we
see　a　promise　of　God　to　give　us　that　love；　and　to　make　us　humble；　meek；　and
holy：　we　lay　hold　of　this　gospel；　of　these　glad　tidings；　it　is　done　unto　us
according　to　our　faith；　and　'the　righteousness　of　the　law　is　fulfilled　in
us；'　through　faith　which　is　in　Christ　Jesus。　。　。　。

〃In　the　highest　rank　of　the　enemies　of　the　gospel　of　Christ；〃　said　Wesley；
〃are　they　who　openly　and　explicitly　'judge　the　law'　itself；　and　'speak　evil
of　the　law；'　who　teach　men　to　break　（to　dissolve；　to　loose；　to　untie　the
obligation　of）　not　one　only；　whether　of　the　least　or　of　the　greatest；　but
all　the　commandments　at　a　stroke。　。　。　。　The　most　surprising　of　all　the
circumstances　that　attend　this　strong　delusion；　is　that　they　who　are　given
up　to　it；　really　believe　that　they　honor　Christ　by　overthrowing　His　law；　and
that　they　are　magnifying　His　office　while　they　are　destroying　His　doctrine！
Yea；　they　honor　Him　just　as　Judas　did　when　he　said；　'Hail；　Master；　and
kissed　Him。'　And　He　may　as　justly　say　to　every　one　of　them；　'Betrayest　thou
the　Son　of　man　with　a　kiss？　It　is　no　other　than　betraying　Him　with　a　kiss；
to　talk　of　His　blood；　and　take　away　His　crown；　to　set　light　by　any　part　of
His　law；　under　pretense　of　advancing　His　gospel。　Nor　indeed　can　anyone
escape　this　charge；　who　preaches　faith　in　any　such　a　manner　as　either
directly　or　indirectly　tends　to　set　aside　any　branch　of　obedience：　who
preaches　Christ　so　as　to　disannul；　or　weaken　in　any　wise；　the　least　of　the
commandments　of　God。〃Ibid。

264


To　those　who　urged　that　〃the　preaching　of　the　gospel　answers　all　the　ends　of
the　law；〃　Wesley　replied：　〃This　we　utterly　deny。　It　does　not　answer　the　very
first　end　of　the　law；　namely；　the　convincing　men　of　sin；　the　awakening　those
who　are　still　asleep　on　the　brink　of　hell。〃　The　apostle　Paul　declares　that
〃by　the　law　is　the　knowledge　of　sin；〃　〃and　not　until　man　is　convicted　of
sin；　will　he　truly　feel　his　need　of　the　atoning　blood　of　Christ。　。　。　。　'They
that　be　whole；'　as　our　Lord　Himself　observes；　'need　not　a　physician；　but
they　that　are　sick。'　It　is　absurd；　therefore；　to　offer　a　physician　to　them
that　are　whole；　or　that　at　least　imagine　themselves　so　to　be。　You　are　first
to　convince　them　that　they　are　sick；　otherwise　they　will　not　thank　you　for
your　labor。　It　is　equally　absurd　to　offer　Christ　to　them　whose　heart　is
whole；　having　never　yet　been　broken。〃Ibid。；　sermon　35。

Thus　while　preaching　the　gospel　of　the　grace　of　God；　Wesley；　like　his
Master；　sought　to　〃magnify　the　law；　and　make　it　honorable。〃　Faithfully　did
he　accomplish　the　work　given　him　of　God；　and　glorious　were　the　results　which
he　was　permitted　to　behold。　At　the　close　of　his　long　life　of　more　than
fourscore　yearsabove　half　a　century　spent　in　itinerant　ministryhis
avowed　adherents　numbered　more　than　half　a　million　souls。　But　the　multitude
that　through　his　labors　had　been　lifted　from　the　ruin　and　degradation　of　sin
to　a　higher　and　a　purer　life；　and　the　number　who　by　his　teaching　had
attained　to　a　deeper　and　richer　experience；　will　never　be　known　till　the
whole　family　of　the　redeemed　shall　be　gathered　into　the　kingdom　of　God。　His
life　presents　a　lesson　of　priceless　worth　to　every　Christian。　Would　that　the
faith　and　humility；　the　untiring　zeal；　self…sacrifice；　and　devotion　of　this
servant　of　Christ　might　be　reflected　in　the　churches　of　today！




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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　15

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Bible　and　the　French　Revolution


In　the　sixteenth　century　the　Reformation；　presenting　an　open　Bible　to　the
people；　had　sought　admission　to　all　the　countries　of　Europe。　Some　nations
welcomed　it　with　gladness；　as　a　messenger　of　Heaven。　In　other　lands　the
papacy　succeeded　to　a　great　extent　in　preventing　its　entrance；　and　the　light
of　Bible　knowledge；　with　its　elevating　influences；　was　almost　wholly
excluded。　In　one　country；　though　the　light　found　entrance；　it　was　not
comprehended　by　the　darkness。　For　centuries；　truth　and　error　struggled　for
the　mastery。　At　last　the　evil　triumphed；　and　the　truth　of　Heaven　was　thrust
out。　〃This　is　the　condemnation；　that　light　is　come　into　the　world；　and　men
loved　darkness　rather　than　light。〃　John　3：19。　The　nation　was　left　to　reap
the　results　of　the　course　which　she　had　chosen。　The　restraint　of　God's
Spirit　was　removed　from　a　people　that　had　despised　the　gift　of　His　grace。
Evil　was　permitted　to　come　to　maturity。　And　all　the　world　saw　the　fruit　of
willful　rejection　of　the　light。

The　war　against　the　Bible；　carried　forward　for　so　many　centuries　in　France；
culminated　in　the　scenes　of　the　Revolution。　That　terrible　outbreaking　was
but　the　legitimate　result　of　Rome's　suppression　of　the　Scriptures。　（See
Appendix。）　It　presented　the　most　striking　illustration　which　the　world　has
ever　witnessed　of　the　working　out　of　the　papal　policy　an　illustration　of
the　results　to　which　for　more　than　a　thousand

266

years　the　teaching　of　the　Roman　Church　had　been　tending。

The　suppression　of　the　Scriptures　during　the　period　of　papal　supremacy　was
foretold　by　the　prophets；　and　the　Revelator　points　also　to　the　terrible
results　that　were　to　accrue　especially　to　France　from　the　domination　of　the
〃man　of　sin。〃

Said　the　angel　of　the　Lord：　〃The　holy　city　shall　they　tread　underfoot　forty
and　two　months。　And　I　will　give　power　unto　My　two　witnesses；　and　they　shall
prophesy　a　thousand　two　hundred　and　threescore　days；　clothed　in　sackcloth。　。
。　。　And　when　they　shall　have　finished　their　testimony；　the　beast　that
ascendeth　out　of　the　bottomless　pit　shall　make　war　against　them；　and　shall
overcome　them；　and　kill　them。　And　their　dead　bodies　shall　lie　in　the　street
of　the　great　city；　which　spiritually　is　called　Sodom　and　Egypt；　where　also
our　Lord　was　crucified。　。　。　。　And　they　that　dwell　upon　the　earth　shall
rejoice　over　them；　and　make　merry；　and　shall　send　gifts　one　to　another；
because　these　two　prophets　tormented　them　that　dwelt　on　the　earth。　And　after
three　days　and　a　half　the　Spirit　of　life　from　God　entered　into　them；　and
they　stood　upon　their　feet；　and　great　fear　fell　upon　them　which　saw　them。〃
Revelation　11：2…11。

The　periods　here　mentioned〃forty　and　two　months；〃　and　〃a　thousand　two
hundred　and　threescore　days〃are　the　same；　alike　representing　the　time　in
which　the　church　of　Christ　was　to　suffer　oppression　from　Rome。　The　1260
years　of　papal　supremacy　began　in　A。D。　538；　and　would　therefore　terminate　in
1798。　（See　Appendix　note　for　page　54。）　At　that　time　a　French　army　entered
Rome　and　made　the　pope　a　prisoner；　and　he　died　in　exile。　Though　a　new　pope
was　soon　afterward　elected；　the　papal　hierarchy　has　never　since　been　able　to
wield　the　power　which　it　before　possessed。

The　persecution　of　the　church　did　not　continue　throughout　the　entire　period
of　the　1260　years。　God　in　mercy　to　His　people　cut　short　the　time　of　their
fiery　trial。　In　foretelling　the

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〃great　tribulation〃　to　befall　the　church；　the　Saviour　said：　〃Except　those
days　should　be　shortened；　there　should　no　flesh　be　saved：　but　for　the
elect's　sake　those　days　shall　be　shortened。〃　Matthew　24：22。　Through　the
influence　of　the　Reformation　the　persecution　was　brought　to　an　end　prior　to