Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1891 edition. Excerpt: ... give up one or the other. If the preceding extracts are from God, then the Bible is only a fable; but if "all Scriptures are given by inspiration of God," then let these dreams sink into the pit from whence they came. John Wesley. Wakefield, May 9, 1782. CHOICE EXTRACTS FROM MR. WESLEY'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH VARIOUS PERSONS. To his Father. Lincoln College, December 19, 1729. Dear Sir: As I was looking over, the othev day, Mr. Ditton's discourse on the Resurrection of Christ, I found toward the end of it a sort of essay on the Origin of Evil. I fancied the shortness of it, if nothing else, would make you willing to read it; though very probably you will not find much in it which has not occurred to your thoughts before. "Since the supreme Being must needs be infinitely and essentially good, as well as wise and powerful, it has been esteemed no little difficulty to show how evil came into the world. Untie malum whence came evil has been a mighty question." There were some who, in order to solve this, supposed two supreme, governing principles, the one a good, the other an evil one; which latter was independent on, and of equal power with, the former, and the author of all that was irregular or bad in the universe. This monstrous scheme the Manichees fell into and much improved, but were sufficiently confuted by St. Austin, who had reason to be particularly acquainted with their tenets. But the plain truth is, the hypothesis requires no more to the confutation of it than the bare proposing it. Two supreme, independent principles is next door to a contradiction in terms. It is the very same thing, in result and consequence, as saying two absolute infinites; and he that says two had as good say ten or fifty or any other number whatever. Nay, ...
