Wesley Corpus

He affirms, that he was commanded to retire by a special revelation from heaven. Yet this plea was a mere fiction, contrived to quiet the scandal which was raised by his flight; and is confuted by himself, where he declares, it was the advice of Tertullus which prevailed with him to withdraw.” (Pages 104, 105.) You here charge Cyprian with confuting himself, in saying, he “withdrew by the advice of Tertullus;” whereas he had “before affirmed, that he was commanded to retire by a special revelation from heaven.” Indeed he had not; there is no necessity at all for putting this construction upon those words, “The Lord who commanded me to retire;” which may with out any force be understood of the written command, “When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another.” (Matt. x. 23.) It is not therefore clear, that this plea of a special revelation was ever advanced. And if it was advanced, it still remains to be proved, that “it was nothing else but a mere fiction.” 8. Your citing his editor here, obliges me to add a remark, for which you give continual occasion: If either Rigalt, Mr. Dodwel's Dr. Grabe, Mr. Thirlby, or any editor of the Fathers, ever drops an expression to the disadvantage of the author whom he publishes or illustrates, this you account so much treasure, and will surely find a time to expose it to public view. And all these passages you recite as demonstration. These are doubt less mere oracles; although when the same person speaks in favour of the Father, his authority is not worth a straw. But you have “none of those arts which are commonly employed by disputants to palliate a bad cause !” (Preface, p. 31.) 9. What you relate of Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, you have not from himself, but only from one who lived near a hundred years after Dionysius was dead. Therefore he is not at all accountable for it; as neither am I for any vision of St. Jerome. But I am concerned in the consequence you draw from it: “If this was a fiction, so were Cyprian's too.” That will not follow. Many objections may lie against the one, which have no place with regard to the other. 10.