The following is a translation into modern English of John Wesley’s Sermon 44, “Original Sin.” The link is to the 1872 edition as posted on ResourceUMC.org. This translation was produced to my specifications by Gemini AI. I am including as footnotes the AI notes on the translation. My instructions were to modernize the language and on a scale of 1 to 10 for literal to free translation aim for about a 5 to 6.
Whatever of these I happen to produce I intend to leave public domain and make fully available online. I may create an ebook or a PDF if I do enough of them this way. Comments on the accuracy of the translation are welcome. The AI provided a list of substantive changes after each section (varying from 4 to 7 numbered paragraphs) except for section 2, which I’m providing as footnotes. Again, per my instructions, the AI also updated the language of the scripture quotes except where the specific language was critical. I did not change these to a modern version, but rather allowed rephrasing of the KJV or of Wesley’s rendering.
I have briefly checked this and did not find anything major. I’d appreciate any corrections.
Modern Translation (Wesley, “Original Sin,” Sermon 44
“God saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.”
Genesis 6:5
- How different this is from the flattering portrayals of human nature that people have drawn throughout history! Many ancient writings are full of cheerful descriptions of human dignity. Some ancient thinkers depicted humans as having all virtue and happiness built into them, or at least entirely within their grasp, without needing help from any other being. In fact, they presented humans as self-sufficient, capable of living independently, and only a little less than God Himself.
- And it’s not just non-Christian thinkers, those guided by little more than the dim light of reason, who have spoken so grandly about human nature as if it were pure innocence and perfection. Many who claim the name of Christ, and to whom God’s own revelations were entrusted, have also done this. Such accounts have been particularly common in the present century, and perhaps nowhere more than in our own country. Here, quite a few highly intelligent and learned individuals have used their best efforts to show what they called “the fair side of human nature.” And it must be admitted that, if their descriptions are accurate, humanity is indeed still “a little lower than the angels”; or, as the words can be more literally translated, “a little less than God.”
- Is it any wonder that these ideas are so easily accepted by most people? After all, who isn’t readily convinced to think favorably of themselves? Consequently, writers of this type are widely read, admired, and praised. They’ve made countless converts, not only among the general public but also in academic circles. So, it’s now completely out of fashion to speak differently, to say anything that disparages human nature. It’s generally agreed that, despite a few minor weaknesses, human nature is fundamentally innocent, wise, and virtuous!
- But, in the meantime, what are we to do with our Bibles? They will never agree with this view. These popular ideas, however appealing they may be, are utterly incompatible with what Scripture says. The Bible states that “through one man’s disobedience all men were made sinners”; that “in Adam all died”—meaning they died spiritually, losing the life and image of God. It says that fallen, sinful Adam then “fathered a son in his own likeness”—and it was impossible for him to do otherwise, for “who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?” As a result, we, like all other people, were by nature “dead in trespasses and sins,” “without hope, without God in the world,” and therefore “children of wrath.” Every person can say, “I was shaped in wickedness, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” There is “no difference,” in that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” that glorious image of God in which humanity was originally created. And so, when “the Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, he saw they had all gone astray; they had together become corrupt, there was no one righteous, no, not one”—none who truly sought after God. This aligns perfectly with what the Holy Spirit declares in the words quoted above: “God saw,” when He looked down from heaven before, “that the wickedness of man was great in the earth”; so great that “every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
This is God’s assessment of humanity. From this, I will first show what people were like before the flood; second, inquire whether they are not the same now; and third, add some conclusions.1
Humanity Before the Flood
I. 1. First, by examining the words of our text, I will describe what people were like before the flood. We can fully trust the description given here, because God saw it, and God cannot be mistaken. He “saw that the wickedness of man was great“—not just the wickedness of this or that person, nor just a few, nor even merely the majority, but of humanity in general; of people universally. The word “man” here includes the entire human race, everyone who shares human nature. It’s difficult for us to even estimate their numbers—how many thousands and millions there were. The Earth at that time still had much of its original beauty and incredible fertility. The globe’s surface wasn’t damaged and torn as it is now, and spring and summer seemed to blend together. So, it’s likely the Earth could support far more inhabitants than it can today. And these inhabitants must have multiplied immensely, as people had sons and daughters for seven or eight hundred years straight. Yet, among all this unimaginable number, only “Noah found favor with God.” He alone (perhaps including part of his household) was an exception to the universal wickedness, which, by God’s just judgment, soon after brought about universal destruction. Everyone else shared the same guilt, just as they shared the same punishment.
- “God saw all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart”—meaning the inner person, the spirit within them, which is the source of all their internal and external actions. He “saw all the imaginations”: it’s impossible to find a word with a broader meaning. This includes everything that is formed, made, or created within; everything that exists or happens in the soul; every inclination, affection, passion, appetite; every disposition, plan, and thought. Consequently, it must also include every word and action, as these naturally flow from these internal sources and are either good or evil depending on their origin.
- Now, God saw that all of this, every single part of it, was evil—it went against moral rightness; it was contrary to God’s nature, which necessarily includes all good; it defied the divine will, the eternal standard of good and evil; it was the opposite of the pure, holy image of God in which humanity was originally created and stood when God surveyed His handiwork and saw that it was all very good; it contradicted justice, mercy, and truth, and the essential relationships each person had with their Creator and their fellow creatures.
- But wasn’t there some good mixed with the evil? Wasn’t there some light mixed with the darkness? No, none at all. “God saw that the whole imagination of the heart of man was only evil.” It’s true that many of them, perhaps all, had good impulses placed in their hearts, because the Spirit of God did “strive with man” even then, hoping they might repent—especially during that merciful grace period of 120 years while the ark was being prepared. But still, “in his flesh dwelt no good thing”; their entire nature was purely evil. It was completely consistent with itself and unmixed with anything of an opposing nature.
- However, one might still ask, “Was there no break in this evil? Were there no clear moments when something good might be found in the human heart?” We’re not considering here what God’s grace might occasionally work in their soul. Aside from that, we have no reason to believe there was any break in that evil. For God, who “saw the whole imagination of the thoughts of his heart to be only evil,” also saw that it was always the same, that it “was only evil continually”; every year, every day, every hour, every moment. Humanity never turned toward good.
Are We the Same Now?
II. This is the trustworthy description of the entire human race that God, who knows what is in humanity and examines hearts and minds, has left for our instruction. This is what all people were like before God brought the flood upon the earth. Second, we are to ask: Are they the same now?
- And it’s clear: Scripture gives us no reason to think otherwise. On the contrary, all the biblical passages quoted earlier refer to those who lived after the flood. It was over a thousand years later that God declared through David concerning the children of men, “They have all gone astray” from truth and holiness; “there is none righteous, no, not one.” All the prophets, in their various generations, confirm this. For example, Isaiah, speaking about God’s own chosen people (and certainly non-believers were in no better condition), said: “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness; but wounds, and bruises, and festering sores.” The same description is given by all the Apostles, indeed, by the entire message of God’s revealed word. From all these sources, we learn that concerning humanity in its natural state, without the help of God’s grace, “every inclination of the thoughts of his heart is” still “evil, only evil,” and that “continually.”
- This description of humanity’s current condition is confirmed by daily experience. It’s true that someone in a natural, unregenerate state doesn’t perceive this, and that’s not surprising. A person born blind hardly recognizes their lack of sight as long as they remain blind. Even less would they realize it if we imagined a place where everyone was born without sight. Similarly, as long as people remain spiritually blind in their understanding, they are not aware of their spiritual needs, particularly this one. But as soon as God opens the eyes of their understanding, they see the state they were in before; they are then deeply convinced that “every living person,” especially themselves, is by nature “altogether vanity”—that is, full of foolishness, ignorance, sin, and wickedness.
- We see, when God opens our eyes, that before, we were “atheoi en toi kosmoi”—without God, or more accurately, atheists in the world. By nature, we had no knowledge of God, no real acquaintance with Him. It’s true that as soon as we began to use reason, we learned about the invisible things of God, even His eternal power and divine nature, from the things that are made. From what we could see, we inferred the existence of an eternal, powerful Being who cannot be seen. But still, even though we acknowledged His existence, we had no true acquaintance with Him. Just as we know there is an emperor of China whom we don’t personally know, so we knew there was a King of all the earth, yet we didn’t truly know Him. Indeed, we couldn’t with any of our natural abilities. We couldn’t gain knowledge of God through any of these. We couldn’t perceive Him with our natural understanding any more than we could see Him with our physical eyes. For “no one knows the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. And no one knows the Son except the Father, and anyone to whom the Father chooses to reveal Him.”
- We read about an ancient king who wanted to discover the natural language of humans. To settle the matter, he conducted an experiment: he ordered two infants, immediately after birth, to be taken to a prepared place where they were raised without any instruction or ever hearing a human voice. What was the outcome? When they were finally brought out of their confinement, they didn’t speak any language at all; they only made unarticulated sounds, like those of other animals. If two infants were similarly raised from birth without any religious instruction, there’s little doubt that (unless God’s grace intervened) the result would be exactly the same. They would have no religion at all; they would have no more knowledge of God than the beasts of the field, or a wild donkey’s colt. Such is natural religion, separated from tradition and from the influences of God’s Spirit!
And having no knowledge of God, we can have no love for God. We cannot love someone we don’t know. Most people certainly talk about loving God, and perhaps they imagine they do; at least, few will admit they don’t love Him. But the reality is too obvious to deny. By nature, no one loves God any more than they love a stone or the ground they walk on. What we love, we delight in, but no one naturally finds any delight in God. In our natural state, we can’t imagine how anyone could delight in Him. We take no pleasure in Him at all; He is utterly unappealing to us. To love God! It’s far beyond our reach, out of our sight. Naturally, we cannot achieve it.2
- By nature, we not only lack love for God, but we also have no fear of Him. It’s true that most people, sooner or later, develop a kind of irrational, senseless fear, properly called superstition (though some misguided Epicureans mistakenly called it religion). Yet, even this isn’t natural; it’s acquired, mostly through conversation or by example. By nature, God isn’t in our thoughts at all: We leave Him to manage His own affairs, to sit quietly, as we imagine, in heaven, and we handle ours on Earth. So, we have no more fear of God before our eyes than we have love of God in our hearts.
- Thus, all people are “atheists in the world.” But atheism itself doesn’t protect us from idolatry. In their natural state, every person born into the world is a blatant idolater. Perhaps we aren’t idolaters in the common sense of the word. We don’t, like pagan idolaters, worship statues made of metal or carved images. We don’t bow down to a wooden post or to something we made with our own hands. We don’t pray to angels or saints in heaven, any more than we pray to saints on Earth. But what does that mean? We have set up our idols in our hearts; and to these, we bow down and worship them: We worship ourselves when we give ourselves honor that belongs only to God. Therefore, all pride is idolatry; it’s attributing to ourselves what is due to God alone. And although pride was not meant for humanity, where is the person born without it? Yet, by this, we rob God of His unchallengeable right and, in an act of idolatry, steal His glory.
- But pride isn’t the only type of idolatry we are all naturally guilty of. Satan has also imprinted his own image on our hearts through self-will. “I will,” he declared before he was cast out of heaven, “I will sit upon the sides of the north;” meaning, “I will do my own will and pleasure, independent of my Creator.” Every person born into the world says the same, in countless situations; in fact, they openly declare it without ever blushing or feeling fear or shame. Ask someone, “Why did you do this?” They answer, “Because I felt like it.” What is this but, “Because it was my will;” that is, in effect, “because the devil and I agreed; because Satan and I govern our actions by the same principle.” Meanwhile, God’s will isn’t in their thoughts, isn’t considered in the least, even though it’s the supreme rule for every intelligent creature, whether in heaven or on Earth, stemming from the essential, unchangeable relationship all creatures have with their Creator.
- To this extent, we bear the image of the devil and follow in his footsteps. But at the next step, we leave Satan behind; we fall into an idolatry he isn’t guilty of: I mean love of the world. This is now as natural to every person as loving their own will. What is more natural for us than to seek happiness in creation instead of the Creator? To seek satisfaction in the works of His hands that can only be found in God? What is more natural than “the desire of the flesh?” meaning, the desire for sensory pleasure of every kind? People do talk grandly about despising these low pleasures, particularly educated and learned individuals. They pretend to be indifferent to gratifying these appetites, which put them on the same level as perishing beasts. But it’s mere pretense; for everyone is self-aware that, in this regard, they are by nature very much like a beast. Sensual appetites, even the lowest kind, have, more or less, dominion over them. They lead them captive; they drag them back and forth, despite their boasted reason. A person, with all their good manners and other accomplishments, has no superiority over a goat. In fact, it’s highly debatable whether the beast doesn’t have superiority over them. Certainly, it does, if we listen to one of their modern wise figures, who very properly tells us:
Once in a season beasts too taste of love;
Only the beast of reason is its slave,
And in that folly drudges all the year.
It must be admitted that there is a significant difference between individuals, arising (besides what is achieved by God’s grace that prepares the way) from differences in physical makeup and upbringing. But despite this, who, if not utterly ignorant of themselves, can cast the first stone at another here? Who can withstand the test of our blessed Lord’s commentary on the Seventh Commandment: “Anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart”? So one doesn’t know what to wonder at more: the ignorance or the arrogance of those who speak with such disdain of people overcome by desires that every human has felt in their own breast—the desire for every pleasure of the senses, innocent or not, being natural to every child of humanity. - And so is “the desire of the eye“—the desire for the pleasures of the imagination. These arise either from grand, or beautiful, or uncommon objects. It might even be that the first two coincide with the last; for perhaps, upon careful investigation, it would appear that neither grand nor beautiful objects please us any longer than they are new. Once their novelty wears off, most of the pleasure they provide is gone; and the more familiar they become, the more dull and tasteless they seem. But no matter how many times we experience this, the same desire remains. The inborn thirst stays fixed in the soul; in fact, the more it’s indulged, the more it grows, prompting us to chase one object after another, even though each pursuit leaves us with unfulfilled hope and deluded expectations. Indeed:
The old fool, who for many days
Has struggled with continuous sorrow,
Renews his hope, and foolishly places
A desperate bet upon tomorrow!
Tomorrow comes! It’s noon! It’s night!
This day, like all the former, flies:
Yet on he goes, to seek delight
Tomorrow, until he dies tonight! - A third symptom of this deadly disease, the love of the world, which is so deeply rooted in our nature, is “the pride of life“—the desire for praise, for honor that comes from people. Even the greatest admirers of human nature acknowledge this to be strictly natural; as natural as sight, hearing, or any other external sense. And are they ashamed of it, even learned individuals, people with refined and improved understanding? Far from it—they glory in it! They applaud themselves for their love of applause! Yes, even so-called eminent Christians have no difficulty adopting the saying of that old, vain pagan: Animi dissoluti est et nequam negligere quid de se homines sentiant: “Not to regard what people think of us is the mark of a wicked and abandoned mind.” So, for them, to remain calm and unmoved through honor and dishonor, through bad report and good report, is a sign of someone who is, truly, not fit to live: “Away with such a person from the earth!” But could one imagine that these people had ever heard of Jesus Christ or His Apostles, or that they knew who it was that said, “How can you believe if you accept honor from one another but do not seek the honor that comes from God alone?” But if this is truly the case—if it’s impossible to believe, and consequently to please God, as long as we accept or seek honor from one another and do not seek the honor that comes from God alone—then what a state all humanity is in! Christians as well as pagans! Since they all seek honor from one another! Since it’s as natural for them to do so (by their own judgment) as it is to see the light that strikes their eye or to hear the sound that enters their ear; yes, since they consider it a sign of a virtuous mind to seek the praise of people, and a sign of a vicious one to be content with the honor that comes from God alone!3
Inferences and Conclusions
III. 1. I will now draw a few conclusions from what we’ve discussed. First, from this, we can understand a major, fundamental difference between Christianity, viewed as a system of doctrines, and the most refined paganism. Many ancient pagans extensively described the vices of particular individuals. They spoke strongly against greed, cruelty, luxury, or extravagance. Some even dared to say that “no person is born without vices of one kind or another.” But still, none of them were aware of humanity’s fall, so none of them knew of its total corruption. They didn’t know that all people were empty of all good and filled with all sorts of evil. They were completely ignorant of the complete depravity of human nature—of every person born into the world, in every faculty of their soul—not so much by the specific vices that dominate particular individuals, but by the general flood of atheism and idolatry, of pride, self-will, and love of the world. This, then, is the first great distinguishing point between paganism and Christianity. Paganism acknowledges that many people are infected with many vices, and even born with a tendency toward them; but it also assumes that in some, the natural good far outweighs the evil. Christianity, on the other hand, declares that “all people are conceived in sin” and “shaped in wickedness”—that from this, there is in every person a “carnal mind, which is hostile toward God, which is not, and cannot be, subject to” His “law”; and which so infects the entire soul that “in” them, “in their flesh,” in their natural state, “no good thing dwells”; instead, “every inclination of the thoughts of their heart is evil,” only evil, and that “continually.”
- From this, we can, second, learn that all who deny this truth, whether they call it original sin or by any other name, are still pagans in the fundamental point that distinguishes paganism from Christianity. They may indeed concede that people have many vices; that some are innate; and that, consequently, we aren’t born as wise or virtuous as we should be. Few would boldly assert, “We are born with as much inclination toward good as toward evil, and that every person is, by nature, as virtuous and wise as Adam was at his creation.” But here is the shibboleth: Is humanity by nature filled with all sorts of evil? Is it devoid of all good? Is it completely fallen? Is its soul totally corrupted? Or, to return to the text, is “every inclination of the thoughts of his heart only evil continually?” Accept this, and you are, to that extent, a Christian. Deny it, and you are still just a pagan.
- We can learn from this, in the third place, what the true nature of religion is—specifically, the religion of Jesus Christ. It is therapeia psyches, God’s method of healing a soul that is so diseased. Here, the great Physician of souls applies medicines to heal this sickness; to restore human nature, which is totally corrupted in all its faculties. God heals all our atheism through the knowledge of Himself, and of Jesus Christ whom He has sent; by giving us faith, a divine awareness and conviction of God and of the things of God—in particular, of this important truth, “Christ loved me”—and gave Himself for me.” Through repentance and humility of heart, the deadly disease of pride is healed; the disease of self-will is healed by resignation, a humble and thankful submission to the will of God; and for the love of the world in all its forms, the love of God is the ultimate remedy. Now, this is truly religion: “faith” thus “working through love”; producing genuine, humble meekness, complete detachment from the world, along with a loving, thankful acceptance of and conformity to the whole will and word of God.
- Indeed, if humanity had not fallen in this way, none of this would be necessary. There would be no need for this inner transformation, this renewal of our minds. The “superfluity of godliness” would then be a more fitting phrase than the “superfluity of naughtiness.” For an outward religion, without any true godliness at all, would suffice for all rational purposes. And it does, accordingly, suffice in the judgment of those who deny this corruption of our nature. They make very little more of religion than the famous Mr. Hobbes did of reason. According to him, reason is only “a well-ordered train of words.” According to them, religion is only a well-ordered train of words and actions. And they speak consistently with themselves; for if the inside isn’t full of wickedness, if it’s already clean, what’s left but to “cleanse the outside of the cup?” Outward reformation, if their assumption is correct, is indeed the only necessary thing.
- But you have not learned the oracles of God in this way. You know that He who sees what is in humanity gives a vastly different account of both nature and grace, of our fall and our recovery. You know that the great purpose of religion is to renew our hearts in the image of God, to repair that total loss of righteousness and true holiness that we suffered through the sin of our first parent. You know that any religion that doesn’t achieve this purpose, any religion that falls short of this—the renewal of our soul in the image of God, after the likeness of Him who created it—is nothing more than a poor farce, a mere mockery of God, leading to the destruction of our own soul. Oh, beware of all those false teachers who would try to pass this off as Christianity! Pay no attention to them, even if they come to you with all the deceitfulness of unrighteousness; with smooth words, with decency, even beauty and elegance of expression, and with all professions of sincere goodwill toward you and reverence for the Holy Scriptures. Hold fast to the plain, old faith, “once delivered to the saints,” and delivered by the Spirit of God to our hearts. Know your disease! Know your cure! You were born in sin: Therefore, “you must be born again,” born of God. By nature, you are wholly corrupted. By grace, you shall be wholly renewed. In Adam, you all died: In the second Adam, in Christ, you all are made alive. “You who were dead in sins, He has made alive”: He has already given you a principle of life, which is faith in Him who loved you and gave Himself for you! Now, “go on from faith to faith” until your entire sickness is healed; and let “that mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus!”4
Notes on the Translation Choices
Section 1
- Introductory Verse: Modernized the Genesis 6:5 quote to a common modern rendering.
- “Fair pictures” / “gay descriptions”: Translated to “flattering portrayals” and “cheerful descriptions” to convey the sense of overly positive and perhaps unrealistic depictions.
- “Beholden to any other being”: Changed to “needing help from any other being.”
- “Self-sufficient, able to live on his own stock”: Simplified to “self-sufficient, capable of living independently.”
- “Heathens alone”: Changed to “non-Christian thinkers” for broader understanding.
- “Oracles of God”: Translated to “God’s own revelations.”
- “The present century”: Refers to Wesley’s century (the 18th). The modern translation keeps this as “the present century” to maintain Wesley’s original perspective within his historical context.
- “Strong understanding, as well as extensive learning”: Modernized to “highly intelligent and learned individuals.”
- “The fair side of human nature”: Kept as a direct quote as it seems to be a phrase Wesley is critiquing.
- “Little lower than the angels” / “little less than God”: Retained the scripture-like phrasing.
- “Readily received by the generality of men”: Simplified to “so easily accepted by most people.”
- “Innumerable are the converts they have made, not only in the gay, but the learned world”: “Gay world” refers to the fashionable or worldly society of Wesley’s time; translated as “general public but also in academic circles” for a modern equivalent. “Academic circles” captures the “learned world” aspect better than just “learned.”
- “Quite unfashionable to talk otherwise”: Changed to “completely out of fashion to speak differently.”
- “Disparagement of human nature”: Kept as is, as it’s still a clear phrase.
- “Infirmities”: Changed to “minor weaknesses.”
- “Utterly irreconcilable with the scriptural”: Changed to “utterly incompatible with what Scripture says.”
- Scripture References in Paragraph 4: Modernized the embedded scripture quotes (e.g., “made sinners,” “died spiritually,” “fathered a son,” “dead in trespasses and sins,” “without hope, without God,” “children of wrath,” “shaped in wickedness,” “all have sinned,” “gone astray,” “become corrupt,” “no one righteous,” “inclination of the thoughts”). I’ve added a parenthetical clarification for “died” to “meaning they died spiritually” as Wesley himself clarifies it.
- “Just agreeable this, to what is declared by the Holy Ghost”: Changed to “This aligns perfectly with what the Holy Spirit declares.”
- “Recited”: Changed to “quoted.”
- “Take occasion, First, to show…”: Changed to “From this, I will first show…” for a more natural transition.
Section 2
Somehow I seem to have lost these notes.
Section 3
Notes on Translation Choices:
- “Senseless, irrational fear, properly called superstition”: Modernized to clarify the distinction Wesley is making.
- “Blundering epicureans”: “Misguided Epicureans” conveys the critical tone without being overly archaic.
- “God is not in all our thoughts: We leave him to manage his own affairs, to sit quietly, as we imagine, in heaven, and leave us on earth to manage ours”: Simplified sentence structure and phrasing for natural flow.
- “Rank idolater”: Retained “blatant idolater” for impact.
- “Vulgar sense of the word”: Changed to “common sense of the word.”
- “Stock of a tree”: Clarified to “wooden post.”
- “Stamping his own image on our heart in self-will also”: Modernized to “imprinted his own image on our hearts through self-will.”
- “I will sit upon the sides of the north”: This is a direct quote from Isaiah 14:13, where Satan/Lucifer says “I will sit upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.” Wesley uses it as a concise illustration of self-will. I’ve retained it as a quote.
- “Nay, and avow it too, without ever blushing upon the account”: Modernized to “in fact, they openly declare it without ever blushing.”
- “I had a mind to it”: Changed to “I felt like it,” which is a common modern idiom for doing something out of personal desire.
- “Intelligent creature”: Kept as is.
- Poetry in Paragraph 9: I’ve reformatted the poetry for easier reading and modernized a few words for flow while retaining the original meaning and rhythm.
- “Preventing grace”: This is a specific theological term in Wesleyan theology, referring to the grace that goes before and enables one to respond to God. I’ve translated it to “God’s grace that prepares the way” for clarity, while still conveying the technical meaning.
- “Abide the test of our blessed Lords comment on the Seventh Commandment”: Modernized to “withstand the test of our blessed Lord’s commentary on the Seventh Commandment.”
- “Desire of the eye”: Kept as a specific biblical phrase (1 John 2:16), making the connection clear.
- Poetry in Paragraph 10: Similarly reformatted and slightly modernized while preserving the essence.
- “Hoary fool”: Changed to “old fool” for accessibility.
- “Pride of life”: Kept as a specific biblical phrase (1 John 2:16).
- Latin quote and translation: Provided the Latin as Wesley did, and then translated it for clarity.
- “Eminent Christians, so called”: Retained the slightly critical “so-called” to reflect Wesley’s tone.
- “Away with such a flow from the earth!”: This is a very strong, almost violent dismissal. I’ve retained it with “Away with such a person from the earth!” to convey that severity.
Section 4
- “Grand fundamental difference”: Translated to “major, fundamental difference.”
- “Apprized of the fall of man”: Changed to “aware of humanity’s fall.”
- “Total corruption” / “entire depravation”: These are key Wesleyan theological terms, so I’ve kept them while simplifying the surrounding phrasing for clarity.
- “Carnal mind, which is enmity against God”: A direct biblical quote, maintained but within modern sentence structure.
- “Shibboleth”: This specific term is kept as it implies a definitive test or distinguishing feature, which is Wesley’s exact intent here.
- “Therapeia psyches”: Maintained the Greek and provided Wesley’s translation (“God’s method of healing a soul”).
- “Physician of souls”: Retained this common theological metaphor.
- “Divine evidence and conviction”: Kept this specific phrasing for “faith” as it reflects Wesleyan understanding.
- “Superfluity of godliness” / “superfluity of naughtiness”: These are interesting and slightly ironic phrases from Wesley, so I’ve kept them directly as they convey his point well within context.
- Mr. Hobbes quote: Retained and slightly modernized the surrounding explanation.
- “Ye have not so learned the oracles of God”: Changed to “You have not learned the oracles of God in this way” to maintain the “you” address.
- “Poor farce, and a mere mockery of God”: Maintained the strong, condemning language.
- “Palm this upon you for Christianity”: Changed to “try to pass this off as Christianity” for clarity.
- “Deceivableness of unrighteousness; with all smoothness of language, all decency, yea, beauty and elegance of expression”: Kept the vivid description of false teachers.
- “Plain, old faith, ‘once delivered to the saints’”: Maintained this important scriptural reference and concept.
- Concluding exhortations: Retained the direct, imperative tone (“Know your disease! Know your cure! You must be born again!”).
- “Principle of life”: A key concept in Wesleyan theology, so retained.
- “Go on from faith to faith” / “that mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus”: Maintained these biblical phrases.
