Wesley Corpus

But this rather proves the contrary; for there it has nothing to do with reviving. We read, in the verse before, of the “fishes which they had taken; ” alluding to which, Jesus “ said unto Simon, From henceforth thou shalt catch men; ” take them captive in the gospel net. Although, therefore, it were allowed, (which cannot be done,) that his related, not to the word im mediately preceding, but to another which stands three verses off, yet even this would avail nothing; since the sense which you impose upon £oypeo is what it will by no means bear. You say, indeed, “It always means, to take alive, or save alive.” (Page 154.) It does mean, to take alive. But you bring not one authority to prove that it ever means, to save alive. It therefore “suits the devil and his snare” admirably well; for he does not take therein those who are free amo the dead; but those who are alive in a natural, though de in a spiritual, sense. “But, however this be, they were not led captive throu! Adam’s sin, but their own wickedness.” (Page 155.) Th were “bond-slaves to Satan,” (which was the point to proved,) through Adam’s sin, and their own wickedness. “Yea, but what an inconsistency must that be in the divi dispensations and in the Scriptures, if it can be made appe from them, that God hath, for no fault of ours, but only f Adam’s one sin, put us all into the hands of the devil; whi he hath been, in all ages, providing means to preserve rescue mankind from him?” (Page 155.) What can be ma appear from the Scriptures is this: “That from “Adam s passed upon all men;” that hereby all men, being by natu “dead in sin,” cannot of themselves resist the devil; an that, consequently, all who will not accept of help from Go are “taken captive by Satan at his will.” And there is no il consistency between this and any of the Divine dispensation Proposition. “And justly liable to all punishments in th world, and that which is to come.” That all men are liable to these for Adam’s sin alone, I d not assert; but they are so, for their own outward and in ward sins, which, through their own fault, spring from th infection of their nature.