men involve themselves when they attempt to depart from the plain instructions of the word of God, and invent a scheme of their own.

SECTION VIII.

In this section we intend to notice Mr. Wesley's method of explaining scripture, so as to make it comport with the freewill scheme.

We have shown the reader already, that in Wesley's Notes on the New Testament, and also in his Discipline, he hath completely established the Calvinistic system of doctrine by his own words. We might have given abundantly more proof of this, if we had chosen to follow him through all his writings. If he had continued in this system, there had been no dispute between us and his disciples.

But his friend Whitfield and Mr. Toplady both charge him (in public letters written to him in his life-time) with casting lots, or throwing a shilling to determine whether he should embrace the freewill scheme or the Calvinistic doctrine. This charge we have never heard that he ever in the least attempted to deny. In this throw it appears that tails came up, and accordingly he embraced the freewill scheme; and although that and the other were

like iron and clay,* yet he attempted to compound them. It was necessary to have some of the doctrines of free grace mixed with his scheme, in order to keep up a show of Protestantism. So many of his followers do at this day they will pretend that they hold to total depravity-because it is well known that that was a distinguishing doctrine between the Protestant and Catholic churches. But when they explain their meaning, it is, that man was depraved only the short time which elapsed between his fall and the promise of a Redeemer in the garden--which is a mere sham, and amounts to a total denial of the doctrine, as it was held by the Protestants.

But to return. After Mr. Wesley had determined by lot to embrace the freewill scheme, and mingle it with a little Protestantism, so as to make himself the head of a party, he then undertook to make the Bible agree with his plan and we will show the reader how he proceeds. This we will do for the benefit of the humble inquirer after truth, who fears God, and is willing to be guided by his word.

We will first remark, that Mr. Wesley has undertaken to make a new translation of the scriptures; one which would suit himself. In this he has discovered something of a knowledge of the original language, although not

* See section 4.

more than our Protestant fathers have done, who translated our present English Bible. But in his translation he hath practised a great deal of art, which is calculated to deceive the common reader. He has generally adhered to the old translation of the New Testament, (for that is all he attempts to comment upon,) but in many instances, when he met a text which spoke boldly against his scheme, and finding the present translation to be perfectly correct, yet he would alter it--not for the better-but he would put it in other words, so as to make it more difficult for the reader to understand the true meaning of the inspired writer. And when he had thus cast a darkness or shade over it, he would then explain it to suit himself. By this means the plain reader would not readily perceive, that by his explanation he was contradicting the word of God. And at the same time, real scholars could not often say, upon a strict investigation, that Mr. Wesley had changed the true meaning of the word by his translations-although they could easily say, that he had made it much more liable to be misunderstood; and that in his explanation of it he had contradicted the Holy Ghost.

1st. The first instance of this kind which we shall notice, is in Ephesians, i. 4. In our Bible it reads thus: "According as he hath chosen us in him (Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love."

Mr.

Wesley has translated it thus: "As he hath chosen us through him before the foundation of the world, that we might be holy and blameless before him in love." The one makes it a positive certainty, and the other a possibilitywhile the truth is, that in the original text there is neither might nor should. Literally translated, it would read thus : "As he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world; (einai) to be holy," &c.

We would not blame our translators for adding a word to the text, because they still gave it its true meaning. To say that God chose

men to be holy, or that he chose them that they should be holy, would amount to the same thing; but to say that he chose them that they might be holy, is capable of being understood very differently. Besides, after Wesley has cast this shade of darkness upon the text, he then tries to take the advantage of it, in order to mislead the unwary for in his note on it he says, "As he hath chosen us, both Jews and Gentiles, whom he foreknew as believers in Christ." But the word of the Holy Ghost says he chose them before the foundation of the world, that they should be--or, to be holy; that is, believers in Christ; and tells them, in the same chapter, that they believed or trusted in Christ after they heard the word of truth. That is, they were first chosen from the foundation of the world, to be holy; as the Lord said by the mouth of the prophet, "This peo

ple have I formed for myself, and they shall shew forth my praises." Accordingly, they were brought in possession of this faith and holiness by means of hearing the word of truth; or, as Paul says in another place, "Whereunto ye were called by our gospel ;" and after they believed, they were then sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

2dly. When Mr. Wesley comes to the ninth chapter of Romans, he is obliged to labour hard against the natural meaning of the word, in order to keep up his freewill scheme; so much so, that there is no unprejudiced reader, of even the meanest intellect, but what can perceive that he and the Holy Ghost (through Paul) intended to teach different ideas; but in order to support his doctrine, and not let the reader perceive that he is contradicting the word of God, he has recourse to different stratagems, some of which we will notice.

In the 18th verse, it reads, "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.” The second mercy is added by the translators, with an intention to make the meaning plainer. The literal meaning would be, according to the original, "He hath mercy (wv Beλ) on whom he will, (or willeth) and whom he will (or willeth) he hardeneth." Will is the word used in the familiar style, and is generally well understood. But Mr. Wesley chose the word willeth, (as it would appear,) that he might first