_A._ Many degrees of outward holiness may: yea, and some degree of meekness, and several other tempers which would be branches of Christian holiness, but that they do not spring from Christian principles. For the abiding love of God cannot spring, but from faith in a pardoning God. And no true Christian holiness can exist, without that love of God for its foundation. _Q._ 7. Is every man, as soon as he believes, a new creature, sanctified, pure in heart? Has he then a new heart? Does Christ dwell therein? And is he a temple of the Holy Ghost? _A._ All these things may be affirmed of every believer, in a true sense. Let us not therefore contradict those who maintain it. Why should we contend about words? Conversation the Fourth. TUESDAY, _June 16, 1747_. THE following persons being met at the Foundery: _John Wesley_, _Charles Wesley_, and _Charles Manning_, vicar of _Hayes_: _Richard Thomas Bateman_, rector of St. _Bartholomew_’s the Great, _Henry Piers_, _Howell Harris_, and _Thomas Hardwick_, It was inquired, _Q._ 1. Is justifying faith, a divine assurance, that Christ loved _me_ and gave himself for _me_? _A._ We believe it is. _Q._ 2. What is the judgment of most of the serious dissenters concerning this? _A._ They generally allow, that many believers have such an assurance: And That it is to be desired and prayed for by all: But then they affirm, That this is the highest species, or degree of faith: That it is not the common privilege of believers: consequently, they deny that this is justifying faith, or necessarily implied therein. _Q._ 3. And are there not strong reasons for their opinion? For instance: If the true believers of old had not this assurance, then it is not necessarily implied in justifying faith: But the true believers of old had not this assurance. _A._ _David_, and many more of the believers of old, undeniably had this assurance. But even if the _Jews_ had it not, it would not follow, that this is not implied in _Christian_ faith. _Q._ 4. But do you not know, that the apostles themselves had it not, till after the day of _Pentecost_? _A._ The apostles themselves had not the proper Christian faith, till after the day of _Pentecost_. _Q._ 5. But were not those Christian believers, in the proper sense, to whom St. _John_ wrote his first epistle? Yet to these he says, chapter v. verse 13. _These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God._ _A._ This does not prove, that they did not know they had eternal life, any more than that they did not believe. His plain meaning is, “I have written unto you, that you may be the more established in the faith.” Therefore it does not follow from hence, that they had not this assurance: but only, that there are degrees therein.