Wesley Corpus

But I do not roundly affirm this of every sentence contained in the fifty volumes. I could not possibly affirm it, for two reasons: (1.) I was obliged to prepare most of those tracts for the press, just as I could snatch time in travelling; not transcribing them, (none expected it of me,) but only marking the lines with my pen, and altering a few words here and there, as I had mentioned in the preface. (2.) As it was not in my power to attend to the press, that care necessarily devolved on others; through whose inattention an hundred passages were left in, which I had scratched out. It is probable too, that I myself might overlook some sentences which were not suitable to my own principles. It is certain the correctors of the press did this in not a few instances. The plain inference is, if there are an hundred passages in the ‘Christian Library’ which contradict any or all of my doctrines, these are no proofs that I contradict myself. Be it observed once for all, therefore, citations from the ‘Christian Library’ prove nothing but the carelessness of the correctors.” (Remarks, page 381.) 12. Yet Mr. Hill, as if he had never seen a word of this, or had solidly refuted it, gravely tells us again, “If Mr. W. may be credited, the ‘Farrago’ is all true; part of it being taken out of his own ‘Christian Library, in the preface of which he tells us that the contents are ‘all true, all agreeable to the oracles of God.” Therefore, every single word of it is his own, either by birth or adoption.” (Farrago, p. 12.) No ; I never adopted, I could not adopt, “every single word” of the “Christian Library.” It was impossible I should have such a thought, for the reasons above mentioned. But “there is very great evasion,” says Mr. H., “in Mr. W.’s saying that though he believes “every tract to be true, yet he will not be answerable for “every sentence or expression in the Christian Library;” whereas the matter by no means rests upon a few sentences or expressions, but upon whole treatises, which are diametrically opposite to Mr. W.’s present tenets; particularly the treatises of Dr. Sibbs, Dr. Preston, Bishop Beveridge, and Dr. Owen on indwelling sin.” (Page 16.) 13. Just before, Mr. H.