Wesley Corpus

And this, it seems, is “all you have been able to draw from any of the primitive writers, concerning the persons who were endued with the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost!” (Page 21.) Permit me, Sir, to apply to you what was spoken on another occasion: “Sir, the well is deep, and thou hast nothing to draw with ; ” neither sufficient skill, nor industry and appli cation. Besides, you are resolved to draw out of the well what was never in it, and must, of course, lose all your labour. III. 1. You are, “Thirdly, to show the particular characters and opinions of those Fathers who attest these gifts.” Suffer me to remind you that you mentioned nine of these, Justin, Irenaeus, Theophilus, Tertullian, Minutius Felix, Origen, Cyprian, Arnobius, and Lactantius. You are there fore now to show what were “the particular characters and opinions of these Fathers.” Indeed, I should think their opinions had small relation to the question. But, since you think otherwise, I am prepared to hear you. You premise, “that an unexceptionable witness must have ’’ (page 26) both judgment and honesty; and then, passing over the apostolic Fathers, as supposing them on your side, endeavour to show that these other Fathers had neither. 2. You begin with Justin Martyr, who, you say, “frequently affirms, that the miraculous gift of expounding the Holy Scriptures, or the mysteries of God, was granted to himself, by the special grace of God.” (Page 27.) Upon which I observe, (1.) It has not yet been agreed among learned men, that declaring “the mysteries of God” is the same thing with “expounding the Holy Scriptures.” (2.) It is not clear that Justin does affirm his being endued either with one or the other; at least, not from the passages which you cite. The first, literally translated, runs thus: “He hath revealed to us what soever things we have understood by his grace from the Scrip tures also.” * The other: “I have not any such power; but * Arekawyev sv muw wavla oaa kal aro row opaqwy Bia rms xapdos avra wevonkauev.-Dial. par. 2. God has given me the grace to understand his Scriptures.” Now, Sir, by which of these does it appear that Justin affirms he had the miraculous gift of expounding the Scriptures? 3.