Wesley Corpus

Has he told us, or can he tell us, any thing more? No, nor all the angels in heaven. We knew before that the foundation and the superstruc ture of religion are comprised in those words, “We love him because he first loved us.” Does he teach us anything higher or deeper? In a word, does he teach any single point, either of inward or outward holiness, which we did not know before ? If he does, what is it? I cannot find out one in all his writings. 3. But if his matter is not new, if this is nothing uncom mon, his manner of speaking is new indeed ! His language is utterly new ; it was never used since the world began. And this is the very reason for which he is so admired,-- because he speaks (which cannot be denied) as never man spake. Indeed, I hardly know for which he is most admired,--the novelty, or the obscurity, of his language. But I cannot admire it at all; because it is quite unscrip tural. There is no trace of it to be found in any part either of the Old or New Testament. Therefore, I cannot recon cile it to that express command, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.” I cannot admire it, because, Secondly, it is barbarous in the highest degree : Whatever is peculiar in his phraseology, is not authorized by any good writer whatever. It is queer ness itself. It is mere dog-Latin. It is an insult upon the ear and the understanding of all mankind. One allows, “None can understand it without much pains; perhaps not without reading him thrice over.” I would not read him thrice over on any consideration. (1.) Because it would be enough to crack any man's brain to brood so long over such unintelligible nonsense; and, (2.) Because such a waste of time might provoke God to give me up to a strong delusion, to believe a lie. But I doubt whether any man understands it at all: For it is so dark and indeterminate, that I have not found any two persons in England who understand it alike. I thought, if any man living understood Behmen, Mr. Law did. “No,” says one who has been studying him these forty years, “Mr. Law never understood a page of him.” 4.