Wesley Corpus

2. But Irenaeus, who declares that “many had this gift in his days, yet owns he had it not himself.” This is only a proof that the case was then the same as when St. Paul observed, long before, “Are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues?” (1 Cor. xii. 29, 30.) No, not even when those gifts were shed abroad in the most abundant manner. 3. “But no other Father has made the least claim to it.” (Page 120.) Perhaps none of those whose writings are now extant; at least, not in those writings which are extant. But what are these in comparison of those which are lost? And how many were burning and shining lights within three hundred years after Christ, who wrote no account of themselves at all; at least, none which has come to our hands? But who are they that “speak of it as a gift peculiar to the times of the Apostles?” You say, “There is not a single Father who ventures to speak of it in any other manner.” (Ibid.) Well, bring but six Ante-Nicene Fathers who speak of it in this manner, and I will give up the whole point. 4. But you say, “After the apostolic times, there is not, in all history, one instance, even so much as mentioned, of any particular person who ever exercised this gift.” (Ibid.’ You must mean, either that the Heathens have mentioned no instance of this kind, (which is not at all surprising,) or that Irenaeus does not mention the names of those many persons who in his time exercised this gift. And this also may be allowed without affecting in anywise the credibility of his testimony concerning them. 5. I must take notice here of another of your postulatums, which leads you into many mistakes. With regard to past ages, you continually take this for granted: “What is not recorded was not done.” But this is by no means a self evident axiom: Nay, possibly it is not true. For there may be many reasons in the depth of the wisdom of God, for his doing many things at various times and places, either by his natural or supernatural power, which were never recorded at all.