The Bible must be the invention either of good men or angels, bad men or devils, or of God. However, it was not written by good men, because good men would not tell lies by saying 'Thus saith the Lord;' it was not written by bad men because they would not write about doing good duty, while condemning sin, and themselves to hell; thus, it must be written by divine inspiration
Interpretation
The quote suggests that the Bible's origin must be attributed to divinity, as it possesses qualities that neither good nor bad men would claim.
Charles Wesley's quote reflects on the nature of the Bible and its authorship, arguing that it cannot be the creation of morally good or evil individuals. Good men wouldn't deceive by claiming divine authority, while bad men wouldn't write about virtues while condemning sin. This line of reasoning leads to the conclusion that the Bible must be a result of divine inspiration, highlighting its significance in moral and spiritual discourse.
In practice
During a discussion on religious texts, one might quote Wesley to emphasize the idea of divine authorship.
Come to earth to taste our sadness, he whose glories knew no end;_x000D_ by his life he brings us gladness, our Redeemer, Shepherd, Friend._x000D_ Leaving riches without number, born within a cattle stall;_x000D_ this the everlasting wonder, Christ was born the Lord of all.
Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, And looks to God alone; Laughs at impossibilities, And cries it shall be done.
O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise, the glories of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace!
And all things as they change proclaim _x000D_ The Lord eternally the same.
Expand Thy wings, celestial Dove, brood o'er our nature's night; on our disordered spirits move, and let there now be light.
Keep us little and unknown, prized and loved by God alone.
Being a Christian has not and does not come naturally or easy for me. I take that to be a good thing because I am sure that to be a Christian requires training that lasts a lifetime.
Yet this is trash that the Church imposes upon the world as the Word of God; this is the collection of lies and contradictions called the Holy Bible! This is the rubbish called Revealed Religion!
The true civilization is where every man gives to every other every right that he claims for himself.
a samurai is a total human being, whereas a man who is completely absorbed in his technical skill has degenerated into a ‘function’, one cog in a machine.
Before examining this more carefully and investigating its consequences, I want to dwell for a moment in the contemplation of God, to ponder His attributes in me, to see, admire, and adore the beauty of His boundless light, insofar as my clouded insight allows. Believing that the supreme happiness of the other life consists wholly of the contemplation of divine greatness, I now find that through less perfect contemplation of the same sort I can gain the greatest joy available in this life.
To become the enemy, see yourself as the enemy of the enemy
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