Christianity • Protestantism
65-666: The Wesleyan Association , or the Wesleyan Methodist Association , was a 19th-century Wesleyan denomination in the United Kingdom . It was formed in 1836 and merged with other groups to form the United Methodist Free Churches in 1857. The Associated Wesleyans absorbed the Protestant Methodists , a small earlier secession of 1827. The prominent figure was Robert Eckett (1797–1862), who
130-479: A Christian, the new birth is considered the first work of grace. The Articles of Religion , in Article XVII—Of Baptism, state that baptism is a "sign of regeneration or the new birth." (See § Baptism .) The Methodist Visitor in describing this doctrine, admonishes individuals: "'Ye must be born again.' Yield to God that He may perform this work in and for you. Admit Him to your heart. 'Believe on
195-504: A believer could progress in love until love became devoid of self-interest at the moment of entire sanctification. Wesleyan theology teaches that there are two distinct phases in the Christian experience. In the first work of grace (the new birth) a person repents of his/her sin that he/she confesses to God, places his/her faith in Jesus, receives forgiveness and becomes a Christian; during
260-482: A distinct understanding of the nature of actual sin, which is divided into the categories of "sin proper" and "sin improper". As explained by John Wesley, "Nothing is sin, strictly speaking, but a voluntary transgression of a known law of God. Therefore, every voluntary breach of the law of love is sin; and nothing else, if we speak properly. To strain the matter farther is only to make way for Calvinism." With this narrower understanding of sin, John Wesley believed that it
325-462: A full release from the penalty of sin (Romans 3:23–25). This act of divine grace is wrought by faith in the merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). Regeneration is the impartation of divine life which is manifested in that radical change in the moral character of man, from the love and life of sin to the love of God and the life of righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 1:23). ―Principles of Faith, Emmanuel Association of Churches At
390-451: A true believer, cannot go to hell." However, if he makes a "shipwreck of the faith, then a man that believes now may be an unbeliever some time hence" and become "a child of the devil." He then adds, "God is the Father of them that believe, so long as they believe. But the devil is the father of them that believe not, whether they did once believe or no." Like his Arminian predecessors, Wesley
455-418: A variety of tracts and treatises on theological subjects. Subsequently, the two theories have joined into one set of values for the contemporary church; yet, when examined separately, their unique details can be discovered, as well as their similarities in ideals. In the early 1770s, John Wesley, aided by the theological writings of John William Fletcher , emphasized Arminian doctrines in his controversy with
520-602: Is "an unspeakable blessing" because "it leads to that end, the establishing anew the law of love in our hearts" ("The Law Established through Faith II," §II.6) This end, the law of love ruling in our hearts, is the fullest expression of salvation; it is Christian perfection. —Amy Wagner Wesleyan Methodism, inclusive of the holiness movement , thus teaches that restitution occurs subsequent to repentance. Additionally, "justification [is made] conditional on obedience and progress in sanctification" emphasizing "a deep reliance upon Christ not only in coming to faith, but in remaining in
585-406: Is "essential preparation for saving faith". Wesleyan theology teaches that the new birth contains two phases that occur together, justification and regeneration : Though these two phases of the new birth occur simultaneously, they are, in fact, two separate and distinct acts. Justification is that gracious and judicial act of God whereby a soul is granted complete absolution from all guilt and
650-474: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Wesleyanism Christianity • Protestantism Wesleyan theology , otherwise known as Wesleyan– Arminian theology , or Methodist theology , is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles Wesley . More broadly it refers to
715-540: Is a reinvigoration of the covenant of works beyond the fall. As such, in the traditional Wesleyan view, only Adam and Eve were under the covenant of works, while on the other hand, all of their progeny are under the covenant of grace. With Mosaic Law belonging to the covenant of grace, all of humanity is brought "within the reach of the provisions of that covenant." This belief is reflected in John Wesley's sermon Righteousness of Faith : "The Apostle does not here oppose
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#1732863179965780-423: Is as follows: The point of divergence is Wesley's conviction that not only is the inauguration of the covenant of grace coincidental with the fall, but so is the termination of the covenant of works. This conviction is of supreme importance for Wesley in facilitating an Arminian adaptation of covenant theology—first, by reconfiguring the reach of the covenant of grace; and second, by disallowing any notion that there
845-556: Is entirely sanctified, he/she consecrates himself/herself to God; the theology behind consecration is summarized with the maxim "Give yourself to God in all things, if you would have God give Himself to you." The Methodist Churches teach that apostasy can occur through a loss of faith or through sinning (refusing to be holy). If a person backslides but later decides to return to God, he or she must confess his or her sins and be entirely sanctified again (see conditional security ). Richard P. Bucher, contrasts this position with
910-402: Is essential for a meaningful relationship with God, our relationship with God also takes shape through our care for people, the community, and creation itself." John Wesley held that the new birth "is that great change which God works in the soul when he brings it into life, when he raises it from the death of sin to the life of righteousness" ( Works , vol. 2, pp. 193–194). In the life of
975-464: Is rational and Scriptural, and at the same time honorable to God and gracious and merciful to man. In Methodism, the way of salvation includes conviction, repentance , restitution , faith , justification , regeneration and adoption , which is followed by sanctification and witness of the Spirit . Being convicted of sin and the need for a saviour, as well as repenting of sin and making restitution,
1040-408: Is reflected in the words of the following Methodist hymn (122): "Vouchsafe us eyes of faith to see The Man transfixed on Calvary, To know thee, who thou art— The one eternal God and true; And let the sight affect, subdue, And break my stubborn heart... The unbelieving veil remove, And by thy manifested love, And by thy sprinkled blood, Destroy the love of sin in me, And get thyself
1105-644: Is remembered for visiting the Moravians of both Georgia and Germany and examining their beliefs, then founding the Methodist movement, which gave rise to a variety of Methodist denominations . Wesley's desire was not to form a new sect, but rather to reform the nation and "spread scriptural holiness" as truth. However, the creation of Wesleyan–Arminianism has today developed into a popular standard for many contemporary churches. Methodism also navigated its own theological intricacies concerning salvation and human agency. In
1170-459: Is the example of supreme love, while also convicting the Christian believer of his/her sins, thus using the moral influence theory within the structure of penal substitution in accordance with the Augustinian theology of illumination . Wesleyan theology also emphasizes a participatory nature in atonement, in which the Methodist believer spiritually dies with Christ and Christ dies for humanity; this
1235-427: Is true religion. "Salvation is like a house. To get into the house you first have to get on the porch (repentance) and then you have to go through the door (faith). But the house itself—one's relationship with God—is holiness, holy living" (Joyner, paraphrasing Wesley, 3). John Wesley believed that all Christians have a faith which implies an "assurance" of God's forgiving love, and that one would feel that assurance, or
1300-583: The United Methodist Church Book of Discipline . They have remained relatively unchanged since 1808, save for a few additional articles added in later years in both the United Methodist tradition and Allegheny Wesleyan Methodist Connection , among other Methodist connexions . The Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England were intended to establish, in basic terms, the faith and practice of
1365-543: The Apostolic Faith Church and International Pentecostal Holiness Church . Methodist theology teaches: We believe that sin is the willful transgression of the known law of God, and that such sin condemns a soul to eternal punishment unless pardoned by God through repentance, confession, restitution, and believing in Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. This includes all men "For all have sinned and come short of
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#17328631799651430-518: The Book of Revelation in his Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament (1755). He struggled with how to interpret the middle of the book which describes heavenly and earthy conflict in very symbolic language. He relied heavily on the works of German theologian Johann Albrecht Bengel (1687-1752) for a mathematical interpretation of the numbers in the book to find a correspondence between church history and
1495-571: The Christological orthodoxy of the first five centuries of church history. Wesleyan–Arminianism developed as an attempt to explain Christianity in a manner unlike the teachings of Calvinism . Arminianism is a theological study conducted by Jacobus Arminius, from the Netherlands, in opposition to Calvinist orthodoxy on the basis of free will . In 1610, after the death of Arminius his followers,
1560-541: The Free Methodist Church (emphasis added in italics), which uses the wording of John Wesley: Justified persons, while they do not outwardly commit sin , are nevertheless conscious of sin still remaining in the heart. They feel a natural tendency to evil, a proneness to depart from God, and cleave to the things of earth. Those that are sanctified wholly are saved from all inward sin-from evil thoughts and evil tempers. No wrong temper, none contrary to love remains in
1625-570: The Gospel , the covenant of grace is mediated through the greater sacraments , baptism and the Lord's Supper. Methodists affirm belief in " the one true Church, Apostolic and Universal ", viewing their Churches as constituting a "privileged branch of this true church". With regard to the position of Methodism within Christendom , the founder of the movement "John Wesley once noted that what God had achieved in
1690-970: The Methodist Protestant Church , and Of the Duty of Christians to the Civil Authority were added by this Conference. 1. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity. 2. Of the Word, or Son of God, Who Was Made Very Man. 3. Of the Resurrection of Christ. 4. Of the Holy Ghost. 5. Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation. 6. Of the Old Testament. 7. Of Original or Birth Sin. 8. Of Free Will. 9. Of
1755-593: The Moravian Christians . They began to organize a renewal movement within the Church of England to focus on personal faith and holiness, putting emphasis on the importance of growth in grace after the New Birth . Calling it "the grand depositum" of the Methodist faith, John Wesley taught that the propagation of the doctrine of entire sanctification —the work of grace that enables Christians to be made perfect in love—was
1820-567: The Remonstrants led by Simon Episcopius , presented a document to the Netherlands. This document is known today as the Five Articles of Remonstrance . Wesleyan theology, on the other hand, was founded upon the teachings of John Wesley, an English evangelist, and the beliefs of this dogma are derived from his many publications, including his collected sermons , journal, abridgements of theological, devotional, and historical Christian works, and
1885-767: The Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England , removing the Calvinistic parts among others, reflecting Wesley's Arminian theology. The resulting Twenty-five Articles were adopted at the Christmas Conference of 1784, and are found in the Books of Discipline of Methodist Churches, such as Chapter I of the Doctrines and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and paragraph 103 of
1950-449: The new birth , assurance , growth in grace , entire sanctification and outward holiness . In his Sunday Service John Wesley included the Articles of Religion , which were based on the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England, though stripped of their more peculiarly Calvinistic theological leanings. Wesleyan theology asserts the primary authority of Scripture and affirms
2015-469: The second work of grace , entire sanctification, the believer is purified and made holy. Wesley understood faith as a necessity for salvation, even calling it "the sole condition" of salvation, in the sense that it led to justification, the beginning point of salvation. At the same time, "as glorious and honorable as [faith] is, it is not the end of the commandment. God hath given this honor to love alone" ("The Law Established through Faith II," §II.1). Faith
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2080-490: The "witness of the Spirit". This understanding is grounded in Paul 's affirmation, "...ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. The same Spirit beareth witness with our spirits, that we are the children of God..." ( Romans 8:15–16 , Wesley's translation ). This experience was mirrored for Wesley in his Aldersgate experience wherein he "knew" he was loved by God and that his sins were forgiven. John Wesley
2145-650: The 1830s, during the Second Great Awakening , critics accused the Holiness Movement of Pelagian teaching. Consequently, detractors of Wesleyan theology have occasionally unfairly perceived or labeled its broader thought. However, its core is recognized to be Arminianism. Its primary legacy remains within the various Methodist denominations and the Holiness movement (which includes Methodism, but spread to other traditions too) spearheaded by Phoebe Palmer of
2210-693: The Calvinistic wing of the evangelicals in England. Then, in 1778, he founded a theological journal which he titled the Arminian Magazine . This period, during the Calvinist–Arminian debate , was influential in forming a lasting link between Arminian and Wesleyan theology. Wesley's opposition to Calvinism was more successful than Arminius's, especially in the United States where Arminianism would become
2275-620: The Church of England. While not designed to be a creed or complete statement of the Christian faith, the articles explain the doctrinal position of the Church of England in relation to Catholicism , Calvinism , and Anabaptism . Wesley revised the Articles in 1784 for the Methodist work in America. His twenty-four Articles reflect both his theological commitments and his desire for doctrinal clarity, shortening some articles and deleting others if they could be easily misread. Of Sanctification , taken from
2340-461: The Holy Spirit ); Wesley explained: "Entire sanctification, or Christian perfection, is neither more nor less than pure love; love expelling sin, and governing both the heart and life of a child of God. The Refiner's fire purges out all that is contrary to love." Wesley taught both that sanctification could be an instantaneous experience, and that it could be a gradual process. Before a believer
2405-920: The Justification of Man. 10. Of Good Works. 11. Of Works of Supererogation. 12. Of Sin After Justification. 13. Of the Church. 14. Of Purgatory. 15. Of Speaking in the Congregation in Such a Tongue as the People Understand. 16. Of the Sacraments. 17. Of Baptism. 18. Of the Lord's Supper. 19. Of Both Kinds. 20. Of the One Oblation of Christ, Finished upon the Cross. 21. Of the Marriage of Ministers. 22. Of
2470-536: The Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.'" In congruence with the Wesleyan (Methodist) definition of sin : Wesley explains that those born of God do not sin habitually since to do so means that sin still reigns, which is a mark of an unbeliever. Neither does the Christian sin willfully since the believer’s will is now set on living for Christ. He further claims that believers do not sin by desire because
2535-474: The Lutheran one, discussing an analogy put forth by Wesley: Whereas in Lutheran theology the central doctrine and focus of all our worship and life is justification by grace through faith, for Methodists the central focus has always been holy living and the striving for perfection. Wesley gave the analogy of a house. He said repentance is the porch. Faith is the door. But holy living is the house itself. Holy living
2600-731: The Methodist Episcopal Church, and involved leaders such as Benjamin Titus Roberts (who founded the Free Methodist Church ) and Phineas F. Bresee (who founded the Church of the Nazarene ), among others (see § Churches upholding Wesleyan theology ). A modified form of Wesleyan theology became the basis for other distinct denominations as well, e.g. the Holiness Pentecostal movement launched by William J. Seymour and Charles Parham , represented by denominations such as
2665-497: The Methodist especially experiences the participatory nature of substitutionary atonement as "the sacrament sets before our eyes Christ's death and suffering whereby we are transported into an experience of the crucifixion." With regard to the fate of the unlearned , Willard Francis Mallalieu , a Methodist bishop , wrote in Some Things That Methodism Stands For : Starting on the assumption that salvation
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2730-451: The assumed answer being "yes" as door-to-door evangelism was the expectation of Methodist clergy for the purpose of reaching people outside the walls of churches. Methodist theology teaches the doctrine of free will : Our Lord Jesus Christ did so die for all men as to make salvation attainable by every man that cometh into the world. If men are not saved that fault is entirely their own, lying solely in their own unwillingness to obtain
2795-420: The covenant given by Moses, to the covenant given by Christ. ... But it is the covenant of grace, which God, through Christ, hath established with men in all ages". The covenant of grace was therefore administered through "promises, prophecies, sacrifices, and at last by circumcision" during the patriarchal ages and through "the paschal lamb, the scape goat, [and] the priesthood of Aaron" under Mosaic Law . Under
2860-464: The development of Methodism was no mere human endeavor but the work of God. As such it would be preserved by God so long as history remained." Calling it "the grand depositum" of the Methodist faith, Wesley specifically taught that the propagation of the doctrine of entire sanctification was the reason that God raised up the Methodists in the world. John Wesley described his eschatological views on
2925-482: The dominant school of soteriology of Evangelical Protestantism, largely because it was spread through popular preaching in a series of Great Awakenings . Arminius's work was not a direct influence on Wesley. Yet, he chose the term "Arminianism" to distinguish the kind of Evangelicalism his followers were to espouse from that of their Calvinist theological opponents. Many have considered the most accurate term for Wesleyan theology to be "Evangelical Arminianism." Wesley
2990-459: The dominion and power which Satan had over us through our sins." In elucidating 1 John 3:8 , John Wesley says that Christ manifesting himself in the hearts of humans destroys the work of Satan, thus making Christus Victor imagery "one part of the framework of substitutionary atonement." The Methodist divine Charles Wesley 's hymns "Sinners, Turn, Why Will You Die" and "And Can It be That I Should Gain" concurrently demonstrate that Christ's sacrifice
3055-758: The events described in Revelation. For example, by Wesley's calculations, using Bengel's mathematical key, the story of the woman in the wilderness in Revelation 12 was the story of the Christian church in two overlapping periods of church history (847-1524 CE and 1058-1836 CE). Wesley's primary concern, however, was not so much with prophecy or chronology, but rather with how to use Revelation to help believers have strength in times of trial. Methodism has emphasized evangelism and missions . Wesleyan-Arminian theology stresses missional living as normative for Methodist Christians. In particular, ordinands were asked by John Wesley "Will you visit from house to house?" with
3120-499: The faith." Bishop Scott J. Jones states that "United Methodist doctrine thus understands true, saving faith to be the kind that, give time and opportunity, will result in good works. Any supposed faith that does not in fact lead to such behaviors is not genuine, saving faith." For Methodists, "true faith... cannot subsist without works". (See James 2:14–26 .) Methodist evangelist Phoebe Palmer stated that "justification would have ended with me had I refused to be holy." While "faith
3185-558: The forgiveness of sins", rather than "being made actually just and righteous", which Wesleyans believe is accomplished through sanctification, that is, the pursuit of holiness in salvation. John Wesley taught that the keeping of the moral law contained in the Ten Commandments , as well as engaging in the works of piety and the works of mercy , were "indispensable for our sanctification". Wesley insisted that imputed righteousness must become imparted righteousness . He taught that
3250-511: The glory of God." Rom. 3:23. (Prov. 28:13, John 6:47; Acts 16:31; Rom. 6:23, I John 1:9; I John 3:4). — Manual of the Wesleyan Holiness Association of Churches Firstly, it categorizes sin as being original sin and actual sin : Original sin is the sin which corrupts our nature and gives us the tendency to sin. Actual sins are the sins we commit every day before we are saved, such as lying, swearing, stealing. Wesleyans have
3315-511: The grace of God manifest in the atoning work of Christ; and, further, that all in every nation, who fear God and work righteousness, are accepted of him, through the Christ that died for them, though they have not heard of him. This view of the atonement has been held and defended by Methodist theologians from the very first. And it may be said with ever-increasing emphasis that it commends itself to all sensible and unprejudiced thinkers, for this, that it
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#17328631799653380-523: The grace of God, rise[s] again and amend[s]" his/her life. This concept is taught in the Methodist Articles of Religion , in Article XII. Methodists, following in John Wesley's footsteps, believe in the second work of grace— enabling entire sanctification, also called Christian perfection —which removes original sin (the carnal nature of the person) and makes the believer holy (cf. baptism with
3445-421: The heart has been thoroughly transformed to desire only God’s perfect will. Wesley then addresses “sin by infirmities.” Since infirmities involve no “concurrence of (the) will,” such deviations, whether in thought, word, or deed, are not “properly” sin. He therefore concludes that those born of God do not commit sin, having been saved from “all their sins” (II.2, 7). This is reflected in the Articles of Religion of
3510-621: The moment a person experiences the New Birth, he/she is " adopted into the family of God". The Wesleyan tradition seeks to establish justification by faith as the gateway to sanctification or "scriptural holiness." Wesleyans teach that God provides grace that enables any person to freely choose to place faith in Christ or reject his salvation (see synergism ). If the person accepts it, then God justifies them and continues to give further grace to spiritually heal and sanctify them. In Wesleyan theology, justification specifically refers to "pardon,
3575-614: The reason that God raised up the Methodists in the world. Wesleyan–Arminian theology, manifest today in Methodism (inclusive of the Holiness movement ), is named after its founders, John Wesley in particular, as well as for Jacobus Arminius , since it is a subset of Arminian theology. The Wesleys were clergymen in the Church of England, though the Wesleyan tradition places stronger emphasis on extemporaneous preaching, evangelism , as well as personal faith and personal experience, especially on
3640-635: The salvation offered to them. (John 1:9; I Thess. 5:9; Titus 2:11–12). The 20th-century Wesley scholar Albert Outler argued in his introduction to the 1964 collection John Wesley that Wesley developed his theology by using a method that Outler termed the Wesleyan Quadrilateral . The Free Methodist Church teaches: Articles of Religion (Methodist) Christianity • Protestantism The Twenty-five Articles of Religion are an official doctrinal statement of Methodism —particularly American Methodism and its offshoots. John Wesley abridged
3705-503: The soul. All their thoughts, words, and actions are governed by pure love. Entire sanctification takes place subsequently to justification, and is the work of God wrought instantaneously upon the consecrated, believing soul. After a soul is cleansed from all sin, it is then fully prepared to grow in grace" ( Discipline , "Articles of Religion," ch. i, § 1, p. 23). After the New Birth, if a person commits sin, he/she may be restored to fellowship with God through sincere repentance and then "by
3770-770: The theological system inferred from the various sermons (e.g. the Forty-four Sermons ), theological treatises , letters, journals, diaries, hymns , and other spiritual writings of the Wesleys and their contemporary coadjutors such as John William Fletcher , Methodism's systematic theologian . In 1736, the Wesley brothers travelled to the Georgia colony in America as Christian missionaries ; they left rather disheartened at what they saw. Both of them subsequently had "religious experiences", especially John in 1738, being greatly influenced by
3835-407: The tradition of substitutionary atonement , though it is linked with Christus Victor and moral influence theories. John Wesley, reflecting on Colossians 1:14 , connects penal substitution with victory over Satan in his Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament : "the voluntary passion of our Lord appeased the Father's wrath, obtained pardon and acceptance for us, and consequently, dissolved
3900-501: The victory, And bring me back to God... Now let thy dying love constrain My soul to love its God again, Its God to glorify; And lo! I come thy cross to share, Echo thy sacrificial prayer, And with my Saviour die." The Christian believer mystically draws themselves into the scene of the crucifixion in order to experience the power of salvation that it possesses. In the Lord's Supper ,
3965-531: Was an outspoken defender of the doctrine of conditional preservation of the saints, or commonly "conditional security". In 1751, Wesley defended his position in a work titled, "Serious Thoughts Upon the Perseverance of the Saints." In it he argued that a believer remains in a saving relationship with God if he "continue in faith" or "endureth in faith unto the end." Wesley affirmed that a child of God, "while he continues
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#17328631799654030-537: Was convinced from the testimony of the Scriptures that a true believer may abandon faith and the way of righteousness and "fall from God as to perish everlastingly." Methodism maintains the superstructure of classical covenant theology , but being Arminian in soteriology, it discards the "predestinarian template of Reformed theology that was part and parcel of its historical development." The main difference between Wesleyan covenant theology and classical covenant theology
4095-830: Was expelled from the Wesleyan Methodist Church in 1836. He had been a leading figure in the Leeds Organ Dispute . In 1840 he planned the Foundation Deed, which emphasized the democratic nature of the Wesleyan Association. He also played a large role in the amalgamation of the Wesleyan Association and the Methodist Reform Church in 1857 to form the United Methodist Free Churches . The Associated Wesleyans sent several missionaries to Jamaica and Australia . This Methodism -related article
4160-432: Was not only possible but necessary to live without committing sin. Wesley explains this in his comments on 1 John 3:8 "Whosoever abideth in communion with him—By loving faith, sinneth not—While he so abideth. Whosoever sinneth certainly seeth him not—The loving eye of his soul is not then fixed upon God; neither doth he then experimentally know him—Whatever he did in time past." Wesleyan–Arminian theology falls squarely in
4225-508: Was possible for every redeemed soul, and that all souls are redeemed, it has held fast to the fundamental doctrine that repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ are the divinely-ordained conditions upon which all complying therewith may be saved, who are intelligent enough to be morally responsible , and have heard the glad tidings of salvation. At the same time Methodism has insisted that all children who are not willing transgressors, and all irresponsible persons, are saved by
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