[I] wrote and published the sermon on Christian perfection. In this I endeavoured to show, (1.) In what sense Christians are not,
(2.) In what sense they are, perfect…St. John affirms expressly; and it cannot be disproved by the examples of the Old Testament. For what, if the holiest of the ancient Jews did sometimes commit sin? We cannot infer from hence, that ‘all Christians do and must commit sin as long as they live.'”
– Plain Account of Christian Perfection, Section 12
(1.) In what sense they are not. They are not perfect in knowledge. They are not free from ignorance, no, nor from mistake. We are no more to expect any living man to be infallible, than to be omniscient. They are not free from infirmities, such as weakness or slowness of understanding, irregular quickness or heaviness of imagination. Such in another kind are impropriety of language, ungracefulness of pronunciation; to which one might add a thousand nameless defects, either in conversation or behaviour. From such infirmities as these none are perfectly freed till their spirits return to God; neither can we expect till then to be wholly freed from temptation; for ‘the servant is not above his master.’ But neither in this sense is there any absolute perfection on earth. There is no perfection of degrees, none which does not admit of a continual increase.
(2.) In what sense then are they perfect? Observe, we are not now speaking of babes in Christ, but adult Christians. But even babes in Christ are so far perfect as not to commit sin. This
John Wesley died this date (3/2/1791) in London. He preached thousands of sermons, edited his brother Charles’ hymns (a bit too freely J), and wrote Plain Account of Christian Perfection, Explanatory Notes on the NT, Primitive Physick. Wesley was born 6/17/1703.
Separate-Holy 