Wesley Corpus

4-6.) Must not every unprejudiced person see, the expressions here used are so strong and clear, that they cannot, without gross and palpable wresting, be understood of any but true believers? “But the Apostle makes only a supposition, ‘If they shall fall away.’” The Apostle makes no supposition at all. There is no if in the original. The words are, ABuvarov re; awa; poria'svlag-- x·x araparsgowla;; that is, in plain English, “It is impossible to renew again unto repentance those who were once enlightened and have fallen away.” “No. The words in the original lie literally thus: ‘It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and they falling away, to renew them again unto repentance;’ that is, should they fall away, which is, in plain English, if they fall away.” Excuse me for speaking plain English here. “Shall a man lie for God?” Either you or I do; for I flatly aver, (and let all that understand Greek judge between us,) that the words in the original do not lie literally thus, “and they falling away;” (if so, they must be xx wapatitlowlas, in the present tense; not xx, arapatsaowlas, in the indefinite ;) but that they are translated, “and have fallen away,” as literally as the English tongue will bear. Therefore here is no if in the case, no supposition at all, but -a plain declaration of matter of fact. 75. “But why do you imagine these persons were true believers?” Because all the expressions, in their easy, natural sense, imply it. They “were once enlightened;” an expression familiar with the Apostle, and never by him applied to any but believers. So “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling; and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward that believe.” (Eph. i. 17, &c.) So again: “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor. iv. 6) “Nay, ‘they were enlightened’ means only, they were baptized, or knew the doctrines of the gospel.” I cannot believe this, till you bring me a few passages from St.