Scriptural Christianity · §18 · John Wesley

Tares with the wheat

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Thus did Christianity spread itself in the earth. But how soon did the tares appear with the wheat, and the mystery of iniquity work as well as the mystery of godliness? How soon did Satan find a seat, even in the temple of God, until the woman fled into the wilderness, and the faithful were again diminished from the children of men? Here we tread a beaten path. The still increasing corruptions of the generations that followed have been largely described, from time to time, by those witnesses God raised up, to show that he had built his church upon a rock, and the gates of hell should not wholly prevail against her.

1771 text

9. Thus did Christianity spread itself in the earth. But how soon did the tares appear with the wheat? And the mystery of iniquity work as well as the mystery of godliness! How soon did Satan find a seat, even in the temple of God! Till the woman fled into the wilderness, and the faithful were again minished from the children of men. Here we tread a beaten path: the still increasing corruptions of the succeeding generations, have been largely described from time to time, by those witnesses God raised up, to shew that he had built his church upon a rock, and the gates of hell should not wholly prevail against her.

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About this text

Preached at Oxford in 1744 on Acts 4:31: Christianity as it began at Pentecost, as it spread, and as it will one day fill the earth, with a hard look at Oxford itself.

EditionPreached at Saint Mary's, Oxford, 24 August 1744. The panel is the 1771 Works

Wesley's own sermon in updated English wording. The 1771 panel is the text of the Works Wesley himself had printed in 1771. It is public domain.

Reference

Sermon 4 in the 1771 Works. Saint Mary's, Oxford, 24 August 1744. Acts 4:31.

We have not yet re-checked this work against its source. We put this English text into updated wording with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open the 1771 text under any part to compare.

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