Wesley Corpus

men upon them of as much importance as if they had been so many articles of faith. Holy Writ has assured us, that as the wicked man may turn from his wickedness, so like wise the righteous man may turn from his righteousness ; nay, that he may apostatise so far as to commit things worthy of death, and to be guilty of sins in which we are told, he shall surely die. (Ezekiel, iii. 20.) And the catholic church of Christ always thought that all Christians in this world were constantly exposed to temptation, and of consequence in danger, i. e. in possibility, of falling. We need not multiply quotations to prove this ; it is evident from their solemn addresses to the Almighty God in behalf of the penitents, as recorded in the Apostolic Constitutions, wherein every Christian was bound to acknow ledge his own obnoxiousness to sin, and to pray for preventing and restraining, as well as assisting grace, to preserve him from falling ; and when the penitent was restored, the con gregation were commanded by the deacon to pray, and afterward, by the mouth of the priest or bishop did pray, for the reconciled