Not knowing clearly what the depraved nature is, which is to be changed, nor the certain signs of its existence or re‐creation, nor any certain mode of securing the desired change, there is a perplexing variety of vague instructions as to “what we must do to be saved?” In illustration of this, the following from an article by the editor of the Methodist Quarterly, shows how Wesley and his followers instruct on this subject: “I have continually testified, in private and in public,” says Wesley, “that we are sanctified as well as justified by faith.” This being first stated, the great question follows, _what is that faith_ by which we are justified and sanctified? The answer is this: “It is a divine evidence and conviction, first that God hath promised it in the holy Scriptures; secondly, that what God hath promised he is _able_ to perform; thirdly, that he is _able and willing_ to do it _now_. To this, is to be added one thing more: a divine conviction _that he doeth it_. In that hour it is done.”(18) That is, in order to be justified and sanctified we must have a divine evidence and conviction that God is _able_ and _willing_, and actually _does now_ give the justification and sanctification we seek. In other words, in order to gain what we seek we must believe that we have gained it. In order to get a blessing we must believe that we possess it. Thus it is, that one of the largest sects of our country is instructed by its founder and his most intelligent and learned followers, as to the way of salvation from everlasting and inconceivable misery. It will be remembered, that this class of divines teach that the depravity of man’s mind consists in the _deprivation_ of God’s Spirit, which is withheld from all the descendants of Adam on account of his sin. The following presents the mode of instruction in which the author was educated. It is contained in a letter from Dr. Nettleton, a celebrated revival preacher, who often resided with the author’s father during revivals in which they were co‐laborers. This letter was written to oppose the views of the New Haven divines, who maintained that, although in consequence of Adam’s sin, there is a tendency or bias to evil so powerful as to insure “sin, and only sin” till regeneration occurs, yet that _the act_ of regeneration consists in a choice or purpose on the part of man himself. In reference to these views of Dr. Taylor and others, Dr. Nettleton says: