Wesley Corpus

But to return to the everlasting covenant: “Mr. Wesley himself, in his Annotations on Gen. i. 1, calls the Elohim, a “covenant God.’” True, in covenant with man. But I say not one word of any covenant between the Father and the Son. But “in his note on Isaiah lv. 4, speaking of the covenant made between God and David, he says, “This David is Christ.’” Undoubtedly I do; but what is this brought to prove? My words are, “I have appointed, and will in due time give him--the David last-mentioned, even Christ--a witness--to declare the will of God concerning the duty and salvation of men, to bear witness to the truth, to confirm God’s promises, and, among others, those which respect the calling of the Gentiles; to be a witness to both parties of that covenant made between God and man.” (Page 209.) Yea, of the “covenant made between God and man l” Of a covenant between the Father and the Son here is not a word. “The only possible conclusion to be drawn from this defence of Mr. Wesley’s is, that he became a commentator on the Bible before he could read the Bible.” That is pity! If he could not read it when he was threescore years old, I doubt he never will. See the candour, the good-nature, of Mr. Hill ! Is this Attic salt, or wormwood ? What conclusion can be possibly drawn in favour of Mr. Hill? The most favourable I can draw is this, that he never read the book which he quotes; that he took the word of some of his friends. But how shall we excuse them? I hope they trusted their memories, not their eyes. But what recompence can he make to me for publishing so gross a falsehood, which, nevertheless, those who read his tract, and not mine, will take to be as true as the gospel? Of Election and Perseverance. 19. In entering upon this head, I observed, “Mr. Sellon has clearly showed, that the Seventeenth Article does not assert absolute predestination. Therefore, in denying this, I neither contradict that article nor myself.” (Remarks, p. 382.) It lies therefore upon Mr. Hill to answer Mr. Sellon before he witticizes upon me. Let him do this, and he talks to the purpose; otherwise, all the pretty, lively things, he says about Dr. Baroe, Bishop Wilkins, Dr.