Wesley Corpus

And so were the prophecies of the Old Testament, according to the current opinion of those earlier days.” (Page 111.) That this was then “the current opinion,” you bring three citations to prove. But if you could cite three Fathers more during the three first centuries, expressly affirming that the Prophets were all out of their senses, I would not take their word. For though I take most of the Fathers to have been wise and good men, yet I know none of them were infallible. But do even these three expressly"affirm it? No, not one of them; at least in the words you have cited. From Athena goras you cite only part of a sentence, which, translated as literally as it will well bear, runs thus: “Who in an ecstasy of their own thoughts, being moved by the Divine Spirit, spoke the things with which they were inspired, even as a piper breathes into a pipe.” Does Athenagoras expressly affirm in these words, that the Prophets were “transported out of their senses?” I hope, Sir, you do not understand Greek If so, you show here only a little harmless ignorance. 13. From Justin Martyr also you cite but part of a sentence. He speaks, very nearly, thus:-o “That the Spirit of God, descending from heaven, and using righteous men as the quill strikes the harp or lyre, may reveal unto us the knowledge of divine and heavenly things.” And does Justin expressly affirm in these words, that all the Prophets were “transported out of their senses?” Tertullian’s words are : “A man being in the Spirit, especially when he beholds the glory of God, must needs lose sense.”* Now, as it is not plain that he means hereby, lose his understanding, (it being at least equally probable, that he intends no more than, losing for the time the use of his out ward senses,) neither can it be said that Tertullian expressly affirms, “The Prophets were all out of their senses.” There fore you have not so much as one Father to vouch for what you say was “the current opinion in those days.” 14. I doubt not but all men of learning will observe a circumstance which holds throughout all your quotations. The strength of your argument constantly lies in a loose and paraphrastical manner of translating.