What is Entire Sanctification or Christian Perfection? Part 2

BLJ: Today we continue to review statements explaining the doctrine of entire sanctification or Christian Perfection from various church leaders.

8. Rev. Luther Lee says: "Sanctification is that renewal of our fallen nature by the Holy Ghost, received through faith in Jesus Christ, whose blood of atonement has power to cleanse from all sin; whereby we are not only delivered from the guilt of sin, which is justification, but are washed entirely from it's pollution, freed from its power, and are enabled, through grace, to love God with all our hearts, and to walk in his holy commandments blameless." -- Theology, p. 211.

9. Bishop Foster says of the person entirely sanctified, that he is in a state in which he will be entirely free from sin, properly so called, both inward and outward." "The process of this work is in this order: beginning with pardon, by which one aspect of sin, that is actual guilt, is wholly removed, and proceeding in regeneration, by which another kind of sin, that is depravity, is in part removed, terminating with entire sanctification, by which the remainder of the second kind, or depravity, Is Entirely Removed." -- Christian Purity, p. 122.

This statement of Bishop Foster is most admirably expressed, and presents the truth with much clearness. Regeneration removes some sin or pollution, and entire sanctification removes the corruption which remains after regeneration. This will be seen, from the authorities given, to be the Wesleyan idea of entire sanctification.

10. Bishop J. T. Peck: "In the merely justified state we are not entirely pure. ... But in the work of entire sanctification, these impurities are all cleansed away, so that we are wholly saved from sin, from its inward pollution." -- Central Idea, p. 52.

11. Dr. John Dempster, in an admirable sermon on Christian Perfection, before the Biblical Institute, said: "Do you then demand an exact expression of the difference? It is this: the one (regeneration) admits of controlled tendencies to sin, the other (entire sanctification) extirpates those tendencies. 'That is, the merely regenerate has remaining impurity the fully sanctified has none."

12. Bishop D. W. Clarke: "Entire sanctification implies an entire cleansing of the soul from its moral defilement, and the plenary endowment of it with all the graces of the Spirit of -- Beauty of Holiness, May, 1857.

13. Binney's Theological Compend defines holiness as -- "That participation of the Divine Nature, which excludes all original depravity, or inbred Sin, from the heart." ... "Entire sanctification is that act of the Holy Ghost whereby the justified soul is made holy."

14. Bishop Simpson says: "Christian Perfection is a term used by Methodists to denote a state of grace implying purity of heart, or a heart cleansed from all sin." ... "Sanctification is that act of the Holy Ghost whereby the justified man is made holy." -- Encyclopedia of Methodism.

15. Rev. B. W. Gorham: "Entire sanctification is the complete purification of the heart, resulting, through the blood of Jesus Christ, from the pervading presence and governing power the Holy Spirit, continually possessing and occupying the nature, and subduing all things therein unto himself." -- God's Method with Man, p. 170.

16. The German United Brethren Church say: "By perfect holiness we understand the separation and purification from all inhering sin, after regeneration, by the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and the filling of the heart with the love of God the Holy Ghost."

17. Rev. Wm. McDonald says: "It is the removal from our moral natures, through faith in Christ, all sinful desires and tempers, -- all pride, anger, envy, unbelief, and love of the world; and the possession in these purified natures of the unmixed graces of faith, humility, resignation, patience, meekness, self-denial, and love." -- Scriptural Views, p. 23.

18. Noah Webster defines sanctification -- "The act of making holy, ..... the state of being thus purified or sanctified.' "To sanctify, its a general sense, is to cleanse, purify, or make holy, ... to cleanse from corruption, to purify from sin."

19. The Methodist Catechism says: "Sanctification is that act of divine grace whereby we are made holy." This definition follows that of regeneration. Catechism No. 111. is more explicit:-- "What is entire sanctification?" " The state of being entirely cleansed from sin, so as to love God with all our heart and mind and strength."

It has been asserted that there is much disagreement and confusion in the teaching of the Church in this regard, and that a new formula of this doctrine is needed. The foregoing quotations from our chief writers show how completely they agree with each other. If desired, this list might be greatly extended, and an equal accord shown respecting the essential particulars of the doctrine.

It cannot be shown that there is more disagreement among our ministers concerning sanctification, if as much, as in regard to the atonement, the resurrection, and other items of doctrine.

That there are a few ministers in the Methodist Church who teach anti-Wesleyan and unscriptural views, we admit, and that many neglect to seek the experience, and therefore are not prepared to teach it as they ought, is both admitted and deplored.

Methodist authorities are agreed in teaching:--

1. That justification and regeneration are not identical with entire sanctification.

2. That entire sanctification is subsequent to regeneration, and in an important sense is an instantaneous work.

3. That it is a supernatural, divine work, and is by faith.

4. That negatively, it is freedom from all sin; and, positively, it is loving God with all the heart.

5. That it is attested by the Holy Spirit, by conscience, and by its fruits.

6. That it is both the privilege and duty of all believers to be entirely sanctified.

Alike, they all discard absolute, angelic, or Adamic perfection, in the entirely sanctified believer. They alike denounce all perfection of degree or of maturity, of judgment or of knowledge, or any other perfection except that of love and moral purity.

In these important items there is agreement among nearly all our chief ministers, and their disagreements are almost entirely in things more speculative than fundamental.