George Whitefield (a Calvinist leader of the Methodist movement) did not immediately respond to John Wesley when he published his “Free Grace” sermon attacking predestination as a “horrible decree.” It wasn’t until Wesley published the sermon in America (where George was having successful revivals) that he finally gave his rebuttal. In a public letter delivered on Christmas Eve, George point-for-point tore down Wesley’s argument with common Calvinism. It’s a fantastic response, especially to many of Wesley’s weakest points, and I would have loved to hear him preach it with his Eliza Doolittle accent. If you don’t remember from previous comics, a “Monergist” is someone who believes that God alone acts in salvation (that humans have no will to respond).
The comic titles come from some of my fave Rap Rivalry songs, Tupac’s “Hit Em Up” against Notorious B.I.G., and Jay-Z’s “The Takeover” against Nas. This storyline will be wrapped up after Christmas (but we will have a special Christmas episode next week!)