94. Church of England Book of Common Prayer, p. 311. 95. Gen. i: 26, 27. 96. Heb. i: 3. 97. Phil. ii: 5, 6. 98. It is remarkable how clearly men will reason upon the absurdity of immaterialism in everything except in respect to God. As an example, take the reasoning of Rev. John Wesley in regard to the supposed immateriality of the fire in hell: "But it has been questioned by some whether there be any fire in hell; that is, any material fire. Nay, if there be any fire it is unquestionably material. For what is immaterial fire? The same as immaterial water or earth! Both the one and the other is absolute nonsense, a contradiction in terms. Either, therefore, we must affirm it to be material, or we deny its existence." Now apply that correct reasoning to the immaterial God of the orthodox Christian and what is the result? Let us try the experiment by substituting the word God, for the word fire in the quotation:--But it is questioned by some whether there be any God, that is, any material God. Nay, if there be any God, he is unquestionably material. For what is an immaterial God? The same as immaterial water or earth! both the one and the other [that is, both immaterial God and immaterial earth] is absolute nonsense, a contradiction in terms. Either, therefore, we must affirm him to be material, or we deny his existence. 99. II Peter ii: I. 100. Mosheim, book II, cent. iv, part ii, ch. iii. 101. The phraseology of the philosophers was, "living according to nature, and living above nature." The former was the rule for all men, the latter for the philosophers who aimed at perfect virtue. 102. Mosheim's Eccl. Hist., book I, cent. i, part ii, ch. iii. 103. Mosheim, book II, cent. iv, part ii, ch. ii. 104. Decline and Fall (Gibbon) vol. 1, ch. xvi. 105. Mosheim, book II, cent. iv, part ii, ch. iii. 106. The above quotation is taken from the third and fourth books on "The Providence of God" by Salvian, who flourished in the 5th century, a priest of Marseilles, and one who knew whereof he wrote, as he was dealing with affairs of which he was a witness. 107. Book VI and VII of The Providence of God.--Salvian. 108. Mosheim, book III, cent. ix, part ii, chap. ii. 109. See Milner's introduction to the first volume of his Church History. It will also be seen in that introduction that Milner wrote his history to counteract the influence that he feared the great work of the too candid Mosheim might exert, viz., to create the impression "That real religion appears scarcely to have had any existence." Hence the admissions of Dr. Milner to the sad condition of the church in the tenth century have a peculiar significance since he would not admit its corruption unless compelled to by the facts. 110. This is Caesar Baronius, a Catholic historian of the 16th century. His "Annales Ecclesiastical" comprise twelve volumes and were published in Rome, 1588-1607. He was a candidate for the papacy in 1605, but failed to secure the election.