Wesley Corpus

Thoughts upon Jacob Behmen Source: The Works of John Wesley, Volume 9 (Zondervan) Author: John Wesley --- I HAVE considered the Memoirs of Jacob Behmen, of which I will speak very freely. I believe he was a good man. But I see nothing extra ordinary either in his life or in his death. I have known many, both men and women, who were far more exemplary in their lives, and far more honoured of God in their death. I allow he wrote many truths; but none that would have appeared at all extraordinary, had he thrown aside his hard words, and used plain and common language. What some seem most to admire in his writings, is what I most object to; I mean his philosophy and his phraseology. These are really his own; and these are quite new ; therefore, they are quite wrong. I totally object to his blending religion with philosophy; and as vain a philosophy as ever existed: Crude, indigested; supported neither by Scripture nor reason, nor anything but his own ipse dixit.- I grant, Mr. Law, by taking immense pains, has licked it into some shape. And he has made it hang tolerably together. But still it admits of no manner of proof. And all he writes concerning religion is what very many have said before him, and in a far better manner. To his whole scheme I object, 1. The whole foundation of it is wrong; the very attempt to explain religion, which is the most simple thing in the world, by an abstruse, complicated, philosophical theory, is "the most absurd thing that can be conceived. I pray, consider but one argument against it. Either St. Paul and St. John knew this theory, or they did not. Mr. Law supposes, they did not know it; but that Jacob knew more than them both. I verily think this needs no confuta tion. Let him believe it that can. But if they did know it, how did they dare to conceal any part of the counsel of God? Upon the theory itself I shall only repeat a very little of what I observed in my printed “Letter to Mr. Law: ”-- “All that can be conceived,” says Mr. Law, quoting from Jacob, “is God, or nature, or creature.” Is nature created or not created ? It must be one or the other; for there is no medium.