A brief account of the deluded Dutartres; extracted from a sermom [sic], preached by the Rev. Mr. Alexander Garden, A.M., at Charlestown, in South-Carolina.

A brief account of the deluded Dutartres; extracted from a sermom [sic], preached by the Rev. Mr. Alexander Garden, A.M., at Charlestown, in South-Carolina.

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[Figure] A BRIEF ACCOUNT, &c.

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THE LIFE, and solemn DECLARATION OF JOHN LEWIS.

He behaved with a good deal of Calmness and Composure at the Gallows; told the Audience, that he had left his Confession in the Hands of the Sub-Sheriff; confess'd the Justness of his Sentence; begg'd the Prayers of all good People and ended with the following Prayer.

A Letter from John Lewis to Mr. Samuel Raine, the Day he was executed.

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A PLAIN ADDRESS, &c.

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POSTSCRIPT.

CONTENTS.

ERRATA.

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A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE DELUDED DUTARTRES.

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BRIEf ACCOUNT OF THE DELUDED DUTARTRES; EXTRACTED FROM A SERMOM, Preached by the Rev. Mr. ALEXANDER GARDEN, A. M. At Charlestown, in South-Carolina.

NEW-HAVEN: Printed and Sold by JAMES PARKER and COMPANY, at the Post-Office, 1762.

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A BRIEF ACCOUNT, &c.

THE DUTARTRES were a Family of French Extraction, consisting of the two Parents and eight Children, four Sons and four Daughters, settled in Orange-Quarter, in this Province. § They were always in low Circumstances in Life, but of honest Repute; and for many Years behaved themselves regularly and blameless in all outward Instances of religious and moral Duty. But some Years before the fatal Period, came hither a certain strolling Moravian, Dutch or Swiss Enthusiast, named CHRISTIAN GEORGE; who partly by Conversation, and partly by the Writings of JACOB BEHMEN, &c. soon filled their Heads with many wild and fantastic Notions. In a Year or two's Time, they began to withdraw or separate from public Worship, and all outward Ordinances of God in his Church, and from all Conversation with the World as much as possible; and strongly to conceit that they were the alone Family upon Earth who had the true Knowledge and Worship of God, and whom he vouchsafed to instruct and direct either by the immediate Impulses of his Holy Spirit, or by Signs and Tokens which he gave them. Finally, it came to open Visions and Revelations. They imagined that God had raised up a Prophet unto them from among themselves (Viz. PETER ROMBER [...], who had [Page] married the eldest Daughter of the Family, a Widow like [...] Moses and to whom they should b [...]. This Text it seems was powerfully impressed on their Minds. It was not long til this Man solemnly declared to them. That God had expressly revealed to him. That the Wi [...] of M [...] was now again become as great upon the [...]ar [...] as [...] in the Days of N [...], and that therefore the Lord purposed to [...]ey Mankind a Second Time from off the Face of the Earth, all [...] that one Family, when he would preserve as he did Noah's, for [...]ng up a Godly Seed again upon i [...]. This Revelation he was [...]e of be [...]w it, be felt it, as certainly as the W [...]d [...]ng on his Body, and they with as much Assurance believed and depended upon it.

SOON a [...]t [...] this Prophet declared with equal Solemnity and Confidence to them, that God had revealed to him thus, Put away the Woman whom thou now had for thy Wife, for when I have de [...] this Wicked Generation, then will I raise up her first Husband from the Dead, and they shall be Man and Wife as before, and go then and take to Wife her Youngest Sister who is a Virgin, so shall that cho [...]en Family he restored entire, and the Holy Seed be preserved part and undefiled in it. The old Man the Father was staggered at so strange a Message. But the Prophet assured him that God would give him a Sign. (Viz. on their going to the next Plantation, the first living Creature they should See there, should be such a one a Horse suppose or a Hog) which accordingly came to pass; and immediately the old Man took his Youngest Daughter by the Hand, and gave her to the Prophet to Wife, and he went in unto her and lay with her without any further Ceremony, pursuant to his Revelation. And thus they continued in open and notorious Adultery and Incest, 'till the fatal Period we now come to mention. So far possessed were these Persons with a Conceit of their own Holiness, and of the Impurity and Wickedness of others, that they would give no Obedience to the civil Magistrate, nor to any of the Laws and Ordin [...]ces of Men, and accordingly refused to comply either with the Militia Law [...] Pretence that God had revealed to them not to bear A [...]m [...] or the Law for repairing the Highwa [...]. After long forbearance Justice SYMMONS, a worthy Magistrate and Captain of the Militia in those Parts, saw it necessary to [...] his Warrants for levying the Penalties of those Laws upon them. Moreover by this Time JUDITH DUTARTRE, the Prophets Revelation. Wife proving with Child, a third Warrant was issued for bringing her before the Justice to be [Page] examined and bound over to the general Sessions for Bastardy, pursuant to a Law of this Province. The Constable having received these Warrants, got two or three or his Neighbours to go with him, doubting what Usage he might meet with from so odd a Family. The DUTARTRES apprised of his Coming and Errand, consulted their Prophet, who soon told them, that God commanded them to arm and defend themselves, and their Substance, from the Persecution and Robberies of the Men of the Earth, and that no Weapon formed against them should prosper. On which they forthwith arm themselves, fire upon the Constable, and those Persons with him, and drive them out of their Ground.

THIS was not to be suffered; and therefore the Justice taking with him. Ten or Twelve Men of the Militia, went to protect the Constable in the Execution of his Office. On their Approach, this deluded Family shut themselves up in their House, and then fired like so many Furies, Shot the Justice Dead on the Spot, and Wounded several of his Men. At length the House was forced open, Mrs. LESAD, was found killed and the rest Six in Number taken Prisoners, and brought hither to CHARLES-TOWN; where at a special Court of General Sessions, held the Twenty Ninth, and Thirtieth of September, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Twenty-four, Five of them, Namely, MICHAEL BOINEAU, PETER DUTARTE, DANIEL DUTARTE, JOHN DUTARTE, and PETER ROMBERT, were arraigned, and tried for Murder, found Guilty and Condemned.—But were these miserable Wretches ever convinced of their Delusion? The three chief of them, Viz. The Prophet, the Father of the Family, and MICHAEL BOINEAU, confidently persisted in their Delusion to their last Breath.—They appeared on their Trials, all together easy and unconcerned. They asserted they had God on their Side, and therefore feared not what Men could do unto them. They freely told the incestuous Story in all its Circumstances, as above-mentioned, in open Court, with a good Countenance; very readily owned the Facts and Circumstances of the Rebellion, and the Murder charged upon them, pled Justification in all as authorised of God by immediate Revelations from him, averring they had done Nothing in the one or the other of the Cases but by his express Orders and Command.—As the visiting of Persons under Sentence of Death is a Part of my [Page] Duty as a ¶ Minister of this Place, so I attended these unhappy Creatures with more than ordinary Pains and Diligence. They very readily owned, repeated and confirmed, all the Facts and Circumstances as before-mentioned with no material Variation from what they had done in Court. But when I came to Reason with them on those Facts, and endeavour to convince them of the Errors and Wickedness they were guilty of in committing them, they treated me with great Disdain—Their Motto was, Answer him not a Word! They were confident they had the Spirit of God Speaking inwardly to their Souls, and who was I to pretend to talk to, or instruct them? They had obeyed the Voice of God, and were about to suffer Martyrdom for it. But God had assured them, that he would either Work a great Deliverance for them, or raise them up from the Dead on the third Day. And thus the three before-mentioned, who were Executed continued to insist to their Dying Breath. Their last Words to the Spectators were, that they should surely see them alive again from the Dead the third Day.—As to the other three, the Daughter JUDITH was not tried. The two Sons DANIEL, and JOHN DUTARTRE, Lad's of about Eighteen or Twenty Years of Age, who were Tried and Condemned, continued sullen 'till after finding no Resurrection of the others from the Dead, as they expected, they became sensible of their Delusion, at least professed themselves so, and were pardoned.

BUT Alass! one of them relapsed into the same Snare, and Murdered an Innocent Person, without any previous Quarrel or Provocation, and for no other Reason as he acknowledged, but that God had revealed it to him, it was his Duty to do it. He was Tried for this Murder, found Guilty, Condemned and Executed. I attended him again, under this Second Sentence of Death, and it pleased God with all apparent Hopes of Success. No one ever appeared more sensible of his Delusion, or to die a more hearty and sincere Penitent, or in greater professed Hopes of Salvation through the alsufficient Merits of CHRIST his Redeemer.

THUS ended this Tragical Scene of Enthusiasm, immediate Revelations and Strong Impulses; by following which no less than seven Persons lost their Lives, one Killed, two Murdered, and four Executed for those Murders. A remarkable Instance to what Heights of Extravagance, Folly and Wickedness, Persons who hold such Principles, and pretend to immediate Revelations, and to follow Impulses may be hurried!

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SOUTH-CAROLIN [...]

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The [...] M [...]. GARDEN.

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A NARRATIVE Of the LIFE, Together with The last Speech, Confession and solemn Declaration, OF JOHN LEWIS, Who was executed at Chester, on Saturday the 21st of September, 1760, for the most inhuman, barbarous and bloody Murder of his Wife; which unnatural Deed he committed on Friday the 27th of June, preceding.

WITH His Letter to Mr. RAINE, the Sub-Sheriff of Chester, concerning the Publication of the following Narrative: and a penitential Prayer which he composed just before his execution.

—Murder, tho' it has no Tongue, will speak,

With most miraculous Organ.

SHEKSPEAR.

NEW-HAVEN: Re-Printed by JAMES PARKER and COMPANY, at the POST-OFFICE, 1762.

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THE LIFE, and solemn DECLARATION OF JOHN LEWIS.

I Was born in the County of Bucks, in the Province of Pennsilvania, in the Year 1727; where I lived with my Father till about the 12th or 13th Year of my Age: From thence my Father removed into Vincent Township, in Chester County; where I learned the Trade of a Country Carpenter.

I lived single, after I was at Age, about two Years; and in the [...] Year of my Age I married Ann James, with whom I lived [...] the fatal twenty-seventh Day of June last, when I, more like a Devil than a Man, laid my murdering Hands upon her, and took away her Life, after the following Manner.

ON the [...] of June, it being Friday, my poor Wife was preparing in the Morning to wish she being then two or three W [...] [...] [...]ning I advised he [...] to send for a Neighbouring W [...] to w [...]h; and said that I or one of the [...]; for that I thought in the Condition the was [...] over the Wash-Tub; to which she w [...]d [...], b [...] [...] she would do it herself, and ac [...] [...] as I did to my Work, which was to [...] a P [...]w, in a shed behind the House, [...] I used to work. There I continued till late Dinner-time, [...] I [...] [...]ether. After Dinner I desired [...], which she refused, saying, [...] W [...] and went immediately out to the [...]pring for [...]m [...] Water; I then went to my work, at which I con [...] [...] the Spring. I then went into the House [...] this T [...] [...] Afternoon and after [...] down on the Bed, which [...] before I [...]mped on her, [...] on h [...] Belly, and [...] the Neck, and with my two [Page] Thumbs did throatle [choak] her [...] She [...]ed out, [...] Johnny B [...]h! "don't kill me"—I made no Reply, but proceeded [...] my bloody Work; and she again cry'd out as well as she was able) "My Life! my Life!—" I still kept my wicked Purpose until she expired under my murdering Hands [...] and having finish'd the horrid and devilish Jobb, I st [...] out on [...] or both her Legs, which she had drawn up during the Str [...]ggle, raised her Head on a Pillow, and spread a Blanket over her. I then resolved to commit another murder, viz. on the Body of one of my Children, about two Years old, the rest being all out of Doors. The poor Babe was lying a-sleep on the Floor, with [...] Head on the Tereshold, while the bloody Deed was a [...] [...]ng. When I had laid the Corpse as I mentioned above, I took the Child off of the Floor, and carried it up S [...]s, to lay it on a Bed, when, Oh! di [...] Thought! I was going to murder in lest it should be an Evidence against me for the murder of [...] Mother: B [...] recollecting that it was a-sleep, I concluded there was [...] Danger from its surviving; so it pleased God to prevent my taking its Life.

Now the next Contrivance was, to [...]en my self from the World; In Order thereunto I went to a [...]bouring House where I knew were three Women: I desired the [...], if they pleased, to come along with me to my House, telling them, that my Wife was a dying, if she was not already dead. Upon which they arose immediately, and we made the best of our Way towards the House; but I being afraid lest she might not be quite dead, I started oft before the Women (as they could not go so [...]st as I) and got into the House so long before them, that I had Time enough to see that she was dead; being resolved if she was not dead, to finish her before they came up

By this Time the Women came in, and I told them it was too late, for my Wife was dead, which caused a general Surprize, and after some Time one of the Women, viewing the corpse very attentively, observed some marks on the Throat, and asked me how they came there? I answered, I knew nothing of it; but said that my Wife had comp [...]ed to me, for sometime past of a Lump gathering in her Breast; and that it seemed to move upwards towards her Throat, and that she was affraid it would strangle her; and that I did not question but that it was that w [...] was the cau [...] of her death,* and might cause [...] [Page] settle there, and make her Neck look so. By this Time there came a fourth Woman, being sent for, and she asked the same Questions; and I answered as before. Then they concluded to [...]th and say out the corpse, which they did, where she say till Sunday morning, the 29th Day; when the C [...]o [...]e [...] came with a [...]ury, to view the Body, and to take the Inquest.

They examined me as the Women had done, concerning my Wife's Throat, and I gave them the same answers; and by that means I was by the Jury acquitted of the murder. That afternoon the [...]se was buried.

So far I [...]ed on my devilish Scheme with Success; but that very [...] Week in the Ev [...]ng, I was again tempted to murder my [...] C [...] g [...] [...]t ten Years old; but it p [...]ed the Almighty to spare her Life also. Now I thought [...] was well, and that I had done nothing amiss, being fare from the S [...]spi [...]s of Man; but [...]s I could not so escape from the a [...] seeing Eye of the Almighty▪

For [...] what a Hell [...] within myself, my grand Enemy forseen me, but [...]e le [...] m [...] [...] by [...], w [...]ch set me almost distracted. A [...] [...]g other things, I had [...]s remarkable; That Day Week that I murdered my Wife and unborn Babe, just about at the same T [...] of the Day, i. e. [...] at 4 o'Clock in the Afternoon, I was with my Children in the Meadow, taking Hay [...] I was very hot, and laid myself down in a [...] to cool myself, where, while I was lying, the whole dism [...] affair appeared to my mind in its proper colours. I could not bear it: I started up with a resolution to quit House, Home, Children and every thing, and go to some strange part where I should not be known, without ever taking any Thing with me. [...]et off from that part of the Meadow, and struck thro' a ski [...] of Woods into another clear Part of the Meadow, and just as I was entering into the said clear start, I heard the Voice of my deceased Wife, on my right Hand, as plain as ever I heard in my Life, (thus) "O [...] where is he now?" I started, and looked about all [...]ound me, but saw no body, upon which I immediately thought it was in vain to fly fr [...] the just Vengeance of the Almighty! but now or after what Manner to [...] my tormented Mind I [...] I concluded: [...]osom myself to an acquaintance [...], and [...]ent to [...] several [...]mes for that Purp [...], but could get no [...] [...]ng either [...] company or [...]

[Page]At length after continuing five or six Weeks in this miserable Condition, I got an Opportunity with that Friend, and discovered my heinous Crime to him! and by his Means I was apprehended and committed to this Place; where I now wait for that Punishment which I justly deserve, by the Laws of God and Man. And h [...]e I confess that I was near a Week in Confinement, before I could persuade myself that I had done wrong in murdering my Wife; but now it hath pleased the Almighty to clear me out of that diabolical Infatuation, and set the Heiniousness of, not only that but all other my manifold black Sins, before me, which I hope thro' the Merits and Sufferings of my blessed Redeemer, that tho' I have past the judgment of Man, which is just for my crimes, yet that I may have mercy from my allmerciful Creator; and that it may please him to reverse the final Doom of Death eternal!

As for the present Death, I do desire it, for could the Laws of Man allow [...] to [...]e, my L [...]e would be but a Burden: For which [...] I pleaded Guilty at my tryal, tho' advised to the contrary (bec [...]e the [...]e was no Evidence but my own confession) Vain thought! Little did my Advi [...]es know wh [...] Crowds of Evidences I had within myself! And here I must accuse myself [...] the willful and abominable Lye I told the Hon. Judge ALLEN, when he asked me the Cause of my laying murdering Hands on my Wife? And whether I wa [...] [...] other? which I answered in the Negative: He then asked me, What other cause I had to commit to barbarous a Crime? I told him we differed in Point of Religion, which was true, and the other was a lye: for Jealousy was the [...] Cause, as I thought I had for destroying both [...] and her unborn Infant's life.

I have now to the [...] of my remembrance told every action and Circumstance of the N [...]; so now I do inten [...] (as far as [...]) to [...] M [...]d; and, [...] order to make my Repentance more [...] to [...] the Causes I thought I had to per [...] [...] a [...]; [...]ping it may be a [...]ing to man [...] to avoid the [...] which I have [...] upon.

[...] that [...], Jealousy, entered and took [...] of my [...] so far as to [...] her before [...] (not only by what I [...] [...]d) but [...] A [...] [...] upon [...] by the only [...] I had before so s [...], which a [...]ped to fan [Page] the Fire, alas! too much kindled already in my Bosom. How many restless Hours has it caused to me! How many diabolical Instigations hath it buzzed into my mind! which in order to divers, I had recourse to my BIBLE; where my Notions of the Scriptures and the devilish Constructions I put on the sacred Text, only made me tenfold more a child of Hell than I was before! and made that sacred Writing, which should have been my guide to happiness, sink my poor Soul to the lowest Depth of Perdition!—for, as I observed before, we differed about Religion; which, joined to Jealousy made me conclude that I was pointed out, and ordered by the Almighty to murder my Wife and Children; from the following Text, viz.—REVELATIONS, Chap. ii. Verses 20, 21, 22 and 23. ‘Notwithstanding, I have a few things against th [...]e, because thou sufferest that woman Jezable, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.’ —Now behold the Device of Satan, to lead a poor Wretch, headlong to misery, by misapplying the Scriptures, for by the above words, I was suggested to believe that I had a call from the Almighty, not only to kill my Wife and unborn Babe, but also her eldest Daughter, and was the more confirm'd in this wicked opinion on account of my Jealousy, by the Words Fornication and Adultery, as in the above Text, and I likewise thought it must be done no where but on a Bed, which therefore I did as above.

And it was on that remarkable black Thursday the 19th Day of June last, that the devilish murdering scheme took possession of my Mind, which I had not an opportunity to put in Execution until the Friday Week following, when the barbarous and bloody Act was perpetrated. I did several times between the first impulse and the Execution of the black and horrid Deed, strive to resist against the wiles of the Devil, and prayed to GOD for his Grace to withstand the Temptation, and I thought I was answered, it was no Crime; which, as I observed before led me strongly [Page] to the wicked Act I am now to suffer for. It were needless [...] point out all the Texts that I have constructed to my own destruction: But believing that the Almighty had predestinated or elected all the Sons or Adam, I did inter from thence that what I do I must do, and therefore all was quiet within, * till I was led by the Nose to dip my Hands in Blood; and then all my vain hopes of right flew from me, and I was left a naked abandoned wicked Wretch, not fit any longer to breath the common Air among mankind; therefore I would warn mankind in general not to be too forward or conceited in putting their own construction on the holy Writ, for I now believe there is a great pa [...] of it yet sealed up, and that we should not attempt to scan th [...] Decrees or Will of the Almighty. It is a piece of presumption too [...] great for a poor Animal to comprehend; all we should or ought to do, is to admire and adore; it was that presumption was the cause of that Angle of light to fall into utter darkness, where he is still striving to ruin the human Race, and by his wiles to circumvent the intents of the Almighty, and by that means he craftily plays upon mankind, when he finds he can have enterance at no other Door. O! that I could speak to the whole World, [Page] and advise them by my untimely end, that they would strictly [...] to the plain precepts of our blessed Redeemer, to fear GOD [...] love their Neigbour; upon these two Commands, says he, [...]g all the Laws and the Prophets, and not be commenting upon [...]se points of Scripture.

JOHN LEWIS.

He behaved with a good deal of Calmness and Composure at the Gallows; told the Audience, that he had left his Confession in the Hands of the Sub-Sheriff; confess'd the Justness of his Sentence; begg'd the Prayers of all good People and ended with the following Prayer.

O! Holy, holy LORD GOD ALMIGHTY! which was, and is, and is to come! who art a God from Everlasting to Everlasting, without Variation or Shadow of turning;—who art the same God Yesterday, To-Day, and forever;—who art worthy of all Adoration, both by Angels and Men.—Do thou be pleased, good GOD, in and through the Merits of our blessed Mediator, the Lord JESUS CHRIST, to pardon all my Sins and Transgressions. And Oh! wilt thou be pleased in Mercy to blot out all my manifold Crimes: Grant of thy un-erring Spirit to sanctify my distressed Soul. I am not worthy of the least of thy Mercies of myself; who am viler than the Dust under my Feet, by Reason of my disobeying and breaking thy most holy Laws and Commands in divers Ways and Manners, wherein thou hast had just Cause to cast me into the Ocean of Woe and Misery: Oh! wicked Man that I am! who shall deliver me from this Body of Death, and from the blood-guiltiness for which the Laws of Man have condemn'd me to suffer.—Look down, look down, all-merciful God! on a poor, wretched, unhappy Mortal; who have render'd myself deserving of eternal Punishment, without it please [...], most gracious God, to cast an Eye of Pitty and Compassion [...] the Lord give me a broken Heart and contrite [...] forgive my Sins and [...]lot out mine Iniquities.—FATHER [...] Fatherless regard in Mercy my little Children; guide them in thy Ways; teach them to walk in the paths of Truth, and suffer them not to go a-stray as their wretched Father has done. [...] JESUS CHRIST, in Mercy receive my Soul: Remember thy [...]ster, of this [...]e, who attends me this Day, and since I have [...] Prison; Oh! will thou graciously hear his Petitions for my Soul — And now, Most High, I [...]ome unto thee: Do thou [...]ve my Sins and Trespasses, as I do desire to forgive all those [...] have tr [...]as [...]ed against me. And receive my Soul in Mercy.

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A Letter from John Lewis to Mr. Samuel Raine, the Day he was executed.

Mr. SAMUEL RAINE,

ON you I depend to cause this Sketch of my Life and Confession to be made publick being assured, from the kind and Christian Treatment I have received from you, during my Confinement, that you will not fail me in this Request. It is customary for Wretches under my unhappy Circumstances to say something at th [...] Place of Execution, to satisfy the World, concerning the Crime for which they suffer: — am willing to give Satisfaction, but not at tha [...] Place. I have therefore committed what is necessary to writing, which I leave under your Care and that you may have it made public, as soo [...] as possible, after my decease, is the last Request of your dying Wellwisher,

JOHN LEWIS

From my Cell, in Chester-Jail, September 30, 176 [...]

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N. B. The Scripture Doctrine of Predestination is well summed up, and plainly expressed in the 17th Article of the Church of England. Predestination to Life, is the everlasting Purpose of God, whereby (before the Foundations of the World were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his Council, secret to us [...], to deliver from Curse and Damnation, those whom he hath chosen in Christ, out of Mankind, and to bring them by Christ, unto everlasting Salvation a [...] Vessels made to Honor. Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a Benefit of God, be called according to God's Purpose, by his Spirit working in due Season. They through Grace, obey the calling, they be justified freely, they be made Sons of God by Adoption, they be made like the Image of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ; they walk religiously in good Works, and at length, by God's Mercy, they attain to everlasting Felicity.

As the godly Consideration of Predestination, and our Election in Christ is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable Comfort to godly Persons, and such as see in themselves the Working of the Spirit of Christ, mortifying the Works of the Flesh, and their earthly Members, and drawing up their Mind to high and heavenly Things, as well because it doth greatly establish and confirm their Faith of eternal Salvation to be enjoyed through Christ, as because it doth fervently kindle the [...] Love towards God: So for curious and carnel Persons, lacking the Spirit of Christ, to have continually before their Eyes, the Sentence of God's Predestination; is a most dangerous Down fall, whereby the Devil do: thrust them either into Desparation, or into Wretchlessness of unclean Living, [...] less perillous than Desparation.

Furthermore. We must receive God's Promises in such wise, as they be generally set forth to as in holy Scripture: And in our doings, that Will of God is to be followed which we have exp [...]y de [...]cla [...]ed to us in the Word of God.

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A PLAIN ADDRESS TO THE QUAKERS, MORAVIANS, SEPARATISTS, SEPARATE-BAPTISTS, ROGERENES, And other ENTHUSIASTS; ON Immediate Impulses and Revelations, &c.

By ROBERT ROSS, A. M. Pastor of the Church of Christ in STRATFIELD.

"Wo is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar. My Soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth Peace. I am for Peace; but when I speak they are for War."

The Psalmist.

"I will speak that I may be refreshed; I will open my Lips and answer. Let me not, I pray you accept any Man's Person, neither let me give flattering Titles unto Man. For I know not to give flattering Titles, in so doing my Maker would soon take me away.

Elihu.

Printed by PARKER and Comp. in New-Haven.

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A PLAIN ADDRESS, &c.

MEN AND BRETHREN,

AS my Station is Life and Connexions with some of you called me to make a pretty full Enquiry, into your Notions about Religion; I have taken a good Deal of Pains in my Searches on this Point. I have conversed largely, Time after Time, with sundry of you on your peculiar Principles; and have read, and maturely considered, sundry Books which have been written to defend them. I have gotten all the Information about you, I could, from sober, judicious Men, who were looked upon to be well acquainted with your Principles and Practices in other Parts of the Colony, and in the neighbouring Provinces. Thus, I have carefully endeavoured to guard against hasty prejudices and Party Spirit; so that I have sufficient Reasons to believe, that my present Opinion of you is well founded.

From this full and candid Examination of your religious Notions, and Practices proceeding from them, I am well assured you are greatly mistaken. It appears evident to me, that your Notions of immediate Impulses and Revelations are extremely dangerous; and that your Method of applying and (as you call it) spiritualizing the Holy Scriptures, exposes you, and those who give Heed to you, to such Temptations, as Satan has made Use of to persuade Persons to commit the most horrid Crimes. Methinks such awful Instances of following strong Impulses may warn the World, and convince Men of the pernicious Tendency of real Fanaticism.

Permit me then, while these shocking Monuments of Satan's Delusion are before your Eyes, to make one Attempt, in Love and Compassion, to shew you your unhappy Mistakes; and to prevent sober well-meaning Persons from being deceived by the Impulses, Revelations, &c. to which those who are properly called Enthusiasts pretend.

It is indeed true, that there have been such Instances of evident Delusion among you, as have convinced many who once [Page] joined with you; and might have convinced you all long ago; had you not been strangely inattentive, or unreasonably byassed in Favour of your Errors. Since you still follow your Impulses, tho' they have led some of you into great Extravagancies, and brought you into deserved Contempt, in various Places; I am afraid there are sundry who will not be reclaimed by any Thing that can be said. However I hope there are some serious well disposed Persons who have been captivated by the specious Pretences of your Ringleaders, without having duly considered Matters. Such may follow the Truth when it is discovered. Good Jehoshaphat was found in Alliance with deluded Jehoram. Tho' the Prophet Elisha would hardly have attempted the Relief of Jehoram, yet he regarded the Presence of Jehoshaphat.

Hence, I don't write so much for the Sake of your Ringleaders, who are obstinately determined to maintain the Opinions they have embraced at all Adventures, right or wrong; and their confirmed Disciples, as for the sake of some honest well meaning Persons, that have been unwarily captivated by their specious Pretences and extraordinary Zeal; and to inform others, who are still at a Loss about them, that they may be prevented from embracing their dangerous Errors. And since the Hearts of all Men are in the Hands of God, who can tell but he may bless a well meant Endeavour to reclaim even some who have been long deluded.

As I don't write for the learned, I shall use the greatest plainness of Speech, adapting my Style, if possible, to the meanest Capacities. And lest you should not take the Force of my Arguments at first View, I shall submit to the Drudgery of being a little repetitious, representing some of them once and again.

You profess to be honest Enquirers after Truth, and to be conscientious in your Way. I would fain hope you are sincere in these your Professions; for I always think of you in the most favourable Point of Light, your Conduct will possibly bear. If you are honest and sincere as you profess, I my depend upon it, that you will peruse this Address with Patience and Candour. I can most sincerely assure one and all of you, I mean you no Harm. I really seek your best Good. Surely the least you can do, if you are honest Men, is to read and seriously weigh these Considerations which are presented to you, not with any Hopes of obtaining any worldly Advantage from you, but with a Desire to [Page] promote the true Peace and Prosperity of the Church of Christ in general, and the best Interest of your immortal Souls in particular: The Lord grant it may answer these important Ends.

If there should be any so weak as to be provoked by this Address, I can assure them it has been and now is, my constant Design to give just Occasion of Offence to no Person in the World. Remember it is written, a ‘Let every Man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to Wrath. For the Wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God.’ The best of Men may be mistaken in some Things, since none are infalliable. Is it notthen a Part of true Christ. Charity to shew Men their Mistakes? Why should any become Enemies to me, because I tell them the Truth?—It is honorable for Men to yield to the Force of Truth, and forsake their Errors. But it is shocking Pride and a Baseness peculiar to wicked & weak Minds to resist the Truth; and to pretend, they are more confirmed in their Mistakes by the Arguments that are used to convince them. Such Persons often vent themselves in angry Reproaches and railing, being destitute of better Reasons. If any can be so silly as to think such Treatment can be any Advantage to them, or their Cause, they are quite welcome for any Thing that concerns me.

All who have any serious Regard for Religion will readily acknowledge, that Mistakes about it may have the worst Consequences. And a moderate Share of Acquaintance with the History of the Christian World would discover, that there are no Mistakes about Religion which are of a more pernicious Tendency, or have produced more shocking Consequences, than those which arise from Enthusiasm. Have not the high Pretences of Enthusiasts, to immediate Impulses and Revelations, prejudiced many against the convincing, converting and sanctifying Influences of the Spirit? Have not such Notions been an Occasion of leading some half-thinking Persons to believe there is nothing in experimental Religion, but the extravagant Fancies and wild Imaginations of crazy Brains and ignorant Fanaticks.

The Enthusiasm which so greatly prevailed in Cromwell's Time, the Lay-Exhorters and Soldier-Preachers, prepared the Way for that Flood of Arminianism and Irreligion, which overflowed the Nation in the succeeding Reigns. Yea this has afforded the Deists one of their most specious Topicks to burlesque [Page] the Scriptures, and ridicule Christianity, which they have ungenerously improved to the utmost. b

Is it not evident that where Separations have most generally prevailed in New-England; loose Principles and vicious Practices have succeeded in their Turn, and increased in Proportion as the Separations had done, especially among the rising Generation? And is not one great Cause of this, that such Persons educate their Children in a Disregard and Contempt of regular Preaching and Ordinances? For when they grow up to Years of Discretion, their own Reason teaches them that the gross Mistakes of their Parents cannot be right. Yet they cannot easily shake off the Prejudices their Parents early instilled into their Minds against the standing Ministry. Hence, they lose all Benefit of publick Preaching, grow careless about Religion and too often openly vicious. However little Regard you pay to me, or to the standing Churches; you had better consider your Conduct for your own Sakes, and the Sakes of your Children, who are likely to be great Sufferers in their spiritual Interests, by their close Connexions with you.

You did not indeed, I charitably believe, foresee that such awful Consequences would arise from your Notions, and Separations; and I hope, you don't continue in them with a Design to destroy experimental Religion and introduce Vice and Profaness in the Land. But whatever your Design was, however honest you may be in your Conduct I have good Reason to believe that these sad Consequences, which I have mentioned, have actually followed in various Places.

Who made greater Pretences to immediat Revelations, Prophesyings, Excus [...]s, &c. than you Quakers, at your first Rise? And what have your extraordinary Pretences come to at last? Let any sober and understanding Christian search and [...], and he may find enough to convince [...]m of the [...] Cons [...]s of Enthusiasm. O [...] let him look among the M [...]s. What can any [...] Man think of your stan [...] D [...]s [...] and in mod [...]t Contemp [...]tions on Christ's Circumcission, and on M [...]ge, &c. &c.

It is [...] that many ov [...] among us, have suffered very much in [...] spiritual Inte [...] by looking [...] ordinaries. [Page] Some of those unaccountably overlook these Things in which Religion chiefly consists, in their great Zeal for some high Peculiarities of their own. Who can tell how far a righteous God may permit Satan to mislead them, for their Punishment in aiming at, and seeking after immediate Impulses and Revelations; while they are not duly thankful for the written Word of God, and the sanctifying Influences of the Spirit? Such ‘build Wood, Hay and Stubble, upon the Foundation.’ Such of these as have the Root of the Matter in them, ‘their Work shall be burnt, they shall suffer Loss; but themselves shall be saved; yet so as by Fire.’ d That is, with very great Difficulty. They shall but just escape.

When the Corinthians were favoured with extraordinary Revelations, & remarkable Gifts, they laid too great a Stress on them, were proud and puf [...]ed up; this had a very bad Tendency. The Apostle Paul found it necessary to inform them, that how much soever they might value themselves, on Account of their extraordinary Gifts, Divine Charity in the Soul was infinitely more important. How much more pernicious and dangerous must it be for Persons to pride themselves, in their immediate Revelations, when their Pretensions have no just Foundation?

From this brief View of Things, it appears, it will be a Piece of good Service done to Religion to expose Enthusiasm, that so its Spread and Growth may be in some Measure prevented. For this End I write the following Address on Impulses and Revelations, which I direct to the several Sects that have pretended to them. I think you are all pretty well agreed here, whatever Differences there are among your several Denominations about other Things. Immediate Impulses and Revelations are the Foundation of all Enthusiasm; and I am fully persuaded, they are the Life and Soul of all your Schemes.

Here, that I may proceed with all possible Clearness, it is necessary to observe, that some of these Impulses and Revelations are without Scripture [...] at Things, which are not in any Sense contained in the Bible; some of them are in the Words of Scripture; and some again are said to be the spiritual Meaning or Sense of Scripture. As I do 't write to amuse but to instruct; I shall not, like some over-modish Writers, so far impose on my Readers as intirely to neglect all Method, nor industriously conceal [Page] the Arrangement of my Tho'ts from them; yet I don't design to be so stiff and pedantick, as not to digress, if I think there is proper Occasion. Without an [...] Fear of anticipating the Reader's Pleasure, or Sagacity, I will here inform him, that I design to state and explain the Scripture Doctrine about the Teachings and Influences of the Holy Spirit—Then to represent and confute your Notions of new Revelations and immediate Impulses— After these are discussed, I shall examine your Impulses which are in the Words of Scripture, pointing out some Marks by which we may distinguish them from the genuine Influences of the Spirit—From this I shall proceed to offer some Considerations on the spritual or Allegorical Sense of the Scriptures—And some where towards the End of my Address I shall fully examine your Notions of an immediate Divine Call to the Ministry, &c.

I.

As to the Teachings and Influences of the Holy Spirit. God reaches us by his Spirit by giving us a sufficient— and a finished or compleated Rule of Faith and Practice in all Things necessary to Salvation in his Written Word—and by bringing his People effectually to know, and love, and be duly influenced by the Holy Scriptures.

1. As God was pleased to inspire Men by his Holy Spirit to write a Revelation of his Will in the Scriptures for the Instruction of Mankind; these sacred Writings are to be esteemed the Teachings of his Spirit. The divine Character of this Teacher necessarily supposes, that when he undertook to instruct Mankind in the Will of God, he would do it as fully and perfectly, as was necessary for them in their present Circumstances. We can't without great Absurdity ascribe a Revelation to God, that is deficient in any Thing absolutely necessary to be known for the Time being, since God is perfect in all his Works.

The Old Testament was sufficient for the Instruction of the People of God in that Time. God revealed him [...], his holy Will, his Displeasure against Sin, Man's Ruin thereby, and the Method of Recovery thro' Jesus Christ; together with the Rewards and Punishments of a future State, at sundry Times, and in various Ways, so clearly, that all serious [...]quirers might attain to such a Knowledge of these Things [...] was necessary for their Salv [...]. This is s [...]p [...] in the Old Testament, [Page] that I might have taken it for granted, were it not that some of you e have strongly denied it.

The terrible Threatnings which God denounced against our first Parents in Case they should eat of the forbidden Fruit, his turning them out of Paradice upon their violating this Precept [...] cursing the Ground for their Sakes, and subjecting them and their Posterity to various Afflictions and Sorrows, as Moses gives an Account, was an awful display of God's Hatred against Sin. That gracious Declaration, that ‘the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Head of the Serpent,’ the sparing their Lives and granting them several Mercies, could not but give them some Intimations of Salvation by the glorious Redeemer, the promised Seed of the Women. To give them some Ideas how this Salvation from Sin was to be accomplished, Sacrifices were instituted, as appears from these of Cain and Abel. For there is so little Connexion between the killing of a Beast and the Advantage of the Owner, that no Man could ever have contrived such a Rite. It is expressly said in Scripture that Abel sacrifised in Faith. f Thus it is evident that Sacrifices were instituted by God at first, to be emblematical Representations of the Sufferings and Death of Christ. Hence he is said in the Revelations to be ‘the Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World.’ g

Now if the Saints of old had any Notices of Salvation by Christ, they must have had some Ideas of a future State of Rewards and Punishments. For it is principally eternal Punishment which Christ delivers his People from, and eternal Salvation which he purchases for them by his Obedience, Sufferings and Death. When God had given such terrible Displays of his Anger in this Life against Sin, as the Punishment of our first Parents, and the drowning of the old World, what could the Isralites reasonably think become of those who died without being savingly interested in the glorious Redeemer? Is it to be imagined that those eminent Saints, who walked with God, some hundreds of Years, [Page] should have no Knowledge of that Happiness and Glory, which God has prepared for his People, and of the Punishment which awaits the Wicked in the World to come? The Apostle Jude assures us Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied—‘Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints to execu [...] Judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly Deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard Speeches which ungodly Sinners have spoken against him.’ b Jude speaks of this Prophesy, as what was well known among the Jews in his Time, which it might be either by certain Tradition, or in some Book which is now lost. Is it not strange that any should imagine that the Doctrine of future Rewards and Punishments was not known to the ancient Church?

God promised to Abraham i to be ‘his Shield and exceeding great Reward,’ yea "to be his God." Did the Lord mean in these glorious Promises, that he would be a God and an exceeding great Reward, to Abraham only in this transitory World, the few Days of his Pilgrimage in this Earth? Could Abraham or his Posterity limit them to this low Sense? How then could Jacob when he was drawing near the End of his Life rejoice in the Prospect of Salvation? ‘I have waited says he, for thy Salvation, O Lord.’ k But these Patriarchs are said, by the Author of the Hebrews, ‘to have desired a better Country, that is an heavenly,’ l which should be allowed as an evident Demonstration of their Knowledge of a future State.

Circumcision, which was a Seal of the Covenant that God made with Abraham, is said by the Apostle Paul, m ‘to have been a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith, or of Justification by Faith.’ Now, Justification is a Term borro [...]ed from the Manner of proceeding in Courts among Men, and refers to the great Day of Judgment, when God will approve the sincere Believer, and condemn the impenitent Sinner. And since Circumcision was a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith, or of Justification, it referred to the Rewards and Punishments of a future State. n

Moses informs us, that ‘the Lord passed by before him, and [Page] proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious long-suffering, and abundant in Goodness and Truth, keeping Mercy for thousands, forgiving Iniquity, and Transgression and Sin, and that will by no Means clear the guilty.’ o or impenitent Sinner. Could Moses, could the Israelites, imagine that this important Proclamation of God's Goodness, Mercy and Forgiveness, referred merely to temporal Riches, and worldly Greatness, in the Land of Canaan? No. Moses's Temper and Character is thus described by the Apostle, p ‘Chusing rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God, than to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a Season; Esteeming the Reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt: For he had Respect unto the Recompence of Reward.’ This Reward, as Doddridge observes, could not be temporal Grandeur, which he might have had with much greater Security and Advantage in Egypt; nor the Possession of Canaan which he never enjoyed: It must therefore be the eternal Inheritance, which was discovered to him by the Principle here so largely described and recommended.

The Hopes of a glorious Immortality were a Support to the People of God in their Afflictions under the Mosaic Dispensation. Thus David; ‘Although my House be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant, ordered in all Things and sure: For this is all my Salvation and all my Desire, altho' he make it not to grow.’

Tho' the Government of the Jews was a Theocracy God being their King in a peculiar Sense, yet he did not always reward [Page] the Righteous, and punish the Wicked, in an immediate Manner. He appointed Judges, and Kings, as Viceroys, investing them with much of the executive Authority; and only interposed on some extraordinary Occasions, when Necessity required that they should be put in Mind of the peculiar Relation in which they stood to God. It was observed, that, ‘Because Sentance against an evil Work is not executed speedily; therefore the Heart of the Sons of Men is fully set in them to do Evil.’ q And it is certain that the wicked were so often prosperous, and the righteous afflicted during that Dispensation, that some of the most eminent Saints were greatly stumbled at it. The future State of Rewards and Punishments, when the Saints shall be made compleatly happy, and the wicked punished, was their Support at such Times; as appears at large from the lxxiii. Psalm; and the Book of Job, especially the xix Chap.

Solomon, strongly inferred a future State from the Distributions of Providence of this Kind which he observed r ‘I saw under the Sun the Place of Judgment, that Wickedness was there; and the Place of Righteousness, that Iniquity was there. I said in my Heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a Time there, for every Purpose, and for every Work." It was common even to a Proverb in his Time that the wicked is driven away in his Wickedness, but the righteous hath Hope in his Death.’

Their Prophets and Teachers enforced their Exhortations by the powerful Argument of future Rewards and Punishments. ‘Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the Congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the Way of the righteous: but the Way of the ungodly shall perish. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the Way, when his Wrath is kindled but a little: blessed are all they that put their Trust in him. The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the Nations that forget God. Our God shall come and shall not keep Silence. He shall call from the Heavens above, and to the Earth, that he may judge his People. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in Pieces and there be none to deliver. Her House is the Way to Hell, going down to the Chambers of Death. Know thou, that for all these Things, God will bring thee into Judgment. For God shall bring every [Page] Work into Judgment, with every secret Thing, whether i [...] be good, or whether it be evil. Tophet is ordained of old: yea for the King it is prepared: he hath made it deep and large: the Pile thereof is Fire and much Wood, the Breath of the Lord, like a Stream of Brimstone doth kindle it. And many of them that steep in the Dust of the Earth, shall awake; some to everlasting Life, and some to Shame and everlasting Contempt, &c. &c.’

The same Covenant of Grace was administered under the Old Testament as under the New, tho' in a different Manner. The same Salvation was preached, the same Saviour was represented and typified, tho' with different Rites, and in a more obscure Manner. Temporal Blessings and Punishments were but Appendages to the Abrahamic Covenant.

God carried on the Scheme of eternal Salvation by Jesus Christ then, as well as now, and recommended it by the same Heaven and Hell. And tho' this Salvation was not so clearly represented before Christ actually came in the Flesh, yet the People of God had such Intimations of the glorious Redeemer as were sufficient for their Trust in him. All Things that were then necessary for Salvation were so plainly revealed in the Old Testament, that our Blessed Lord himself teaches, that those who refused to hear and obey Moses and the Prophets, would not have repented, tho' one had been sent from the dead to preach to them. "Search the Scriptures," was Christ's Direction. "It is written in the Scriptures," was a decisive Proof with the Apostles. The Scriptures are said by the Apostle Paul, ‘to be able to make Men wise unto Salvation, thro' Faith which is in Christ Jesus.’

Two Things plainly follow from what has been now proved.

1. That it is not an absurd Thing to baptist the Infants of Christian Parents under the Gospel. Circumcision the Rite of Admission into the visible Church is changed into Baptism. But since the Covenant is the same, Infants may be visibly taken into it, under the Gospel, as well as they were under the Law.

2. The written Word of God contains all Instructions necessary to our Salvation. If the Scriptures of the Old Testament were sufficient for the Jews, it would be very absurd to suppose, that the written Word of God which we now have, when the Instructions of Jesus Christ and his Apostles are added to those of Moses and the Prophets; and when Life and Immortality are more [Page] clearly bro't to Light by the Gospel, and the Resurrection of Christ, does not contain all Things necessary for Salvation.

The Evangelists profess to write THE GOSPEL of Christ, and who, that firmly believes they were divinely inspired, can doubt whether they have done it sufficiently? Was not the immediate Inspiration of the Spirit granted unto them, to lead them to a perfect Remembrance of the Gospel History themselves, that they should not commit any Mistake in their Instructions; and to enable them to communicate, and write them to others with sufficient plainness? Who dare say, that the inspired Disciples of Christ have not faithfully recorded, whatsoever he commanded them in the New Testament?

The Apostle John plainly appears to to have wrote his Gospel as a Supplement to the other three. ſ We are informed by the Fathers, who lived in the first Ages of Christianity, and whose Testimony is of great Weight in this Case, that he wrote it in extream Old Age, very near the Conclusion of the first Century. He was undoubtedly the last of the inspired Writers. He bears the following Testimony to the sufficiency of the written Word. t ‘Many other Signs truly did Jesus in the Presence of his Disciples, which are not written in this Book; but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that believing ye might have Life thro' his Name.’ Thus according to the Apostle John's Account, which he wrote by the immediate inspiration of the Holy Spirit, all Things necessary to Faith and eternal Life, are to be found in the written Word.

Now if the Scriptures be a sufficient Rule, if they contain a Revelation which teaches us all Things necessary to Salvation, to Faith and Practice, and that in a Manner sufficiently plain; there can be no Need of the Traditions of Papists, the infalibility of the Pope; nor of the immediate Revelations of Enthusiasts, to direct us in our Conduct.

2. But I must now proceed another Step, namely, that the Scriptures are such a perfect Rule, that we are to expect no further Revelations and Directions relating to Religion. God has given us the whole Revelation of his Will, which he designs for our religious Instruction, in the Scriptures.

The Writers of the New Testament evidently prove this by [Page] their frequent Appeals to the Old Testament, and their own Writings, as the only Standard or Test of Truth and Error ‘If any Man, says the Apostle Paul, think himself to be a Prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the Things which I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord’ u The Apostle v Peter recommends his beloved Brother Paul's Epistles; and in the last Epistle which he himself wrote a little before his Death, he exhorts the Churches ‘to be mindful of the Words which were spoken before by the holy Prophets, and of the Commandments of us the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour.’ "We are of God," says the Apostle John, w ‘He that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us: Hereby know we the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error.’ Since therefore, these Writers, who were inspired by the Holy Ghost, thus plainly assert the Perfection of their own Writings, as the only Test of Truth and Error, and appeal to them in Conjunction with the old Testament; this affords full Proof, and clear Evidence, that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, contain all the Revelations which God designed to give Mankind relative to their religious Duty.

It has been supposed, that this is one Thing which is intimated in those remarkable Words of Christ, which are at the Close of the last Book of the Bible, ‘I testify unto every Man that heareth the Words of the Prophecy of this Book, if any Man shall add unto these Things, God shall add unto him the Plagues that are written in this Book. And if any Man shall take away from the Words of the Book of this Prophesy, God shall take away his Part out of the Book of Life.’

1 Ob. But does not God promise thus? x ‘As for me, this is my Covenant with them, saith the Lord, my Spirit that is upon thee, and my Words, which I have put in thy Mouth shall not depart out of thy Mouth, nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed, nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed's Seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever.’

Ans. God does not say in this Text, that he would put his Words in their Mouths in an immediate Way. You have no Right to add to his Words. Why may not God refer in this Promise to his putting his Words in Men's Mouths by Means of the [Page] Scriptures, which were written by the Inspiration of the Spirit, and which are by Way of Eminency the Word of God? Does not the Spirit of God also put his Words in the Hearts and Mouths of Sinners by his convincing and sanctifying Influences, setting divine Truth home on their Consciences? Since therefore what is promised here may be fully performed in these other ordinary Ways, without immediate Revelation; I don't see how this Text can be any Thing to your Purpose. Your Conclusion from this Text, that it must be immediate, is just like his Reasoning in the Play; who, as soon as he heard that Pamphilus was not to have Glycerium for his Wife, inferred he must have her himself, as if there had been no other Men in the World.

2 Ob. But has not Christ promised in the New Testament, y to his Disciples, that ‘the Comforter or Holy Ghost shall teach them all Things; and bring all Things to their Remembrance!’

Ans. Christ had chiefly a Referrence to his Apostles in this Passage. He was speaking to them —As he sent them to preach the Gospel to all Nations, to an ignorant and malicious World; and appointed them to write the New Testament for the Instruction of Mankind, and the Edification of his Church in all succeeding Ages; so the immediate Teachings and Inspirations of the Spirit, were absolutely necessary for them.

So far as this Text refers to Christians in general, it may be very reasonably interpreted of the Spirit's improving the written Word, in his convincing, inlightening and sanctifying Influences. But if any will pretend that the Spirit teaches them all Things, and brings all Things to their Remembrance, now, in an immediate Way; I would remind such, that we are informed by St. John, that there were many other Things which Jesus did, besides those that were written. Pray reveal some of those Things, which are not written in the Bible to the World. Daniel and his Companions actually revealed Nebuchadnezzar's Dream to him.

When God gives immediate Revelations and Directions to Men, he gives some Evidence, which is sufficient, if duly attended to and examined, to prove that such Revelations come from him as their true Original. This is absolutely necessary, since [Page] there is a false Spirit who makes it his grand Business to deceive. God has commanded us, z ‘not to believe every Spirit, but to try the Spirits, whether they are of God, because many false Prophets are gone out into the World.’ But how shall we try the Spirits, unless God has given us some Rule, Mark or Evidence to try them by?

"The Word spoken by Angels," says the Apostle, a ‘was steadfast, and every Transgression and Disobedience received a just Recompence of Reward.’ b This implies that what Means soever God is pleased to use in the Revelation of his Will, he gives it a Certainty, Steadfastness, Assurance and Evidence, which our Faith may rest in, and which cannot be neglected without the greatest Sin. ‘The Word spoken by Angels, or the Law of Moses, was steadfast.’

Divine Revelation is steadfast in Respect of them unto whom it is spoken being the Foundation of Faith and Obedience; the formal Reason of them, and the last Ground whereunto they are resolved—On the Part of God, it is a stable and sufficient Ground of Righteousness, in proceeding to take Vengeance on them, by whom it is neglected. The Punishment of Transgressors, is a meet Recompence of Reward, because the Word spoken unto them is steadfast. If the Revelation be not a stable, firm Foundation for the Faith and Obedience of Men, they cannot be justly punished for the Neglect of it. There must then be some Evidence which sufficiently proves a Revelation to be from God; otherwise he could not be just in punishing them for disregarding it, since on such a Supposition he would punish them for not believing that which he gave them no sufficient Reason to believe which suits not with the Holiness and Justice of God.

This Passage of Holy Scripture not only shews that immediate Revelations must be recommended by sufficient Evidence to Mankind; but it also expressly declares what this sufficient Evidence is, which confirms the Truth of new Revelations. This whole emphatical Passage is an Inference from what the Apostle had discoursed about the Excellencies of Jesus Christ, in the first Chapter, and runs thus. ‘Therefore we ought to give the more earnest Heed to the Things which we have heard, lest at any Time we should let them slip. For if the Word spoken by [Page] Angles was steadfast, and every Transgression and Disobedience received a just Recompence of Reward; how shall we escape if we neglect so great a Salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them Witness, both with Signs and Wonders and with divers Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his Will?’

The Word here spoken by Angels means the Law of Moses. The Phrase, Great Salvation, which is placed in Contrast or Opposition, means the Gospel. Interpreters observe, that the Gospel is called Salvation by a Metonymy of the Effect for the Cause, being the Revelation of the Grace of God, that bringeth Salvation; the Word that is able to save us.

God bore Witness to the Truth of this Revelation, not merely by strong Impulses, but by Signs, Wonders and Miracles, &c. Thus we are assured, that Miracles, publick Miracles are the Evidence and Seal which God gave to the Truth of the New Testament. And the Old was confirmed in the same Manner. Moses proved the Truth of his Revelations in Opposition to the Magicians, and Korah and his Company by incontestible Miracles. And Miracles were the Test, by which Elijah tried, and confounded the false Prophets, who pretended to Revelations in his Days. Whoever therefore pretends to new Revelations; whoever would assume a Power of making new Terms of Communion, besides those contained in the Scriptures, must work proper Miracles in the Face of the World; otherwise their Revelations and Prophesies; their unscriptural Terms of Communion may be safely rejected because destitute of God's Seal.

Persons and Churches can attain to no higher Degrees of Reformation and Purity, than sincerely to believe, and practise the Directions God has given us in the Bible. All pretences to any Thing beyond—to any Thing besides this divine Rule in Matters of Religion are vain and impious. Hence all new Revelations, let who will pretend to them; all new Terms of Communion, let who will invent them, yea tho' Ecclesiastical and civil Power should join in Alliance to impose them with the greatest Rigour, are to be rejected. Christians should regard and obey nothing as divine, till it is proved to proceed from God by proper Miracles. The heated Fancies of Enthusiasts, and the Presumptions and Impositions of zealous and persecuting Bigots, afford [Page] no sufficient Warrant for our Faith. They are equally groundless, and should be disregard by all who profess to be the Followers of Christ. Human Authority and Number of Men are of no Weight here. Nothing but Miracles will prove Directions for our religious Conduct to be divine.

God has not set his Seal of Miracles to any other Revelation relative to Salvation and our ordinary Duty; but that contained [...]in the Bible. If therefore Christians will receive for divine, any Revelation which has not God's Seal upon it; if they will submit to any unscriptural Impositions of Men, they may thank themselves for being deceived. Let them, in all Matters relating to Salvation, follow no Impulses and Revelations; no Teachings and Inventions of Men, by whomsoever devised and imposed, but those contained in the Bible, or which may be derived from it by [...]air Consequences; and this will be an excellent Preservative against Delusions. No Revelations are to be looked for, and depended on to direct us in our Conduct, but those delivered in the Scriptures; since God has confirmed and recommended these, and only these, by proper Miracles, which are his Witness, Mark, Evidence and Seal.

3 But tho' God has given Mankind all the Directions for their Conduct in his written Word, which they are to expect; this does not superlede the Necessity of the inward Work of the Spirit on their Hearts, in Order to bring them to be sincerely religious. There is no sufficient Evidence to induce us to believe, that Sinners become religious, merely by Dint of their own Application to Duty; as Scholars learn Reading, Writing or Mathematicks, by close Application to Study. Indeed the Scriptures represent Men as being indifferent, or rather averse to seek after God. They are not very sensible that they are Sinners, so as greatly to need his pardoning Mercy. ‘I hearkened and heard’ says the Lord by his Prophet, c to the Jews who were favoured with peculiar Advantages ‘but they spake not aright, no Man repented him of his Wickedness saying, What have I done? every one turned to his Course, as the Horse rusheth to the Battle.’ They are naturally so foolish as to say in their Hearts "there is no God." Most certainly Mankind are greatly ignorant of the infinite Purity of God, the inflexible strictness o [...] his Law, and the glorious Righteousness of Christ. They are [Page] but little affected with the important Truths and Facts, which are recorded in the Scriptures; so great is their natural Love of Sin; so strong are their carnal Lusts. Thus they are inwardly corrupted, and consequently have Need of the inward Influences of the Spirit on their Hearts. Whatever then is necessary to bring Sinners effectually to know and love the Truth, as it is in Jesus; and be duly enfluenced by it; all this is done by the Spirit of God in a Day of his Power.

The remarkable Success of the Gospel at first is at once a glorious Proof of the Divine Truth of Christianity, and of the internal Operations of the Spirit on the Souls of true Converts— The Lord Jesus Christ according to the Flesh was of the Jewish Nation, which was hated by the Gentile World for sundry Reasons. He was bro't up at Nazareth, which was a very mean and despicable Place. He appeared in such low Circumstances that his own Nation took Umbrage at his pretending to be their Messiah, and put him to Death as an Imposter and Blasphemer. After his Death, the greatest Part of the Jews still approved of their Conduct, reproaching him to the utmost. They took every Method they could devise, to prevent his Disciples from preaching in his Name.

The Gentile Nations as they hated the Jews, and were ready to be immediately prejudiced aginst any Doctrine which any of them should advance; so they had lost all rational Ideas about God, having from Time immemorial apostatised from his Worship to that of their deceased Heroes and Idol Deities. And as Mankind are greatly byassed by their Education, and early Connexions, ready to imitate their Parents, ond strongly prejudiced in Favour of Customs, Habits and religious Ceremonies, which they receive from their Ancestors; so the Heathen Nations were most firmly attached, and violently bigotted to the Religion professed in their respective Countries. They were instantly fired against any that should affront their Gods: yea ready to risque their Lives as well as Estates in Defence of their Religion. d "Pass over," says the Lord by his Prophet, ‘the Isles of Chittem and see; and send unto K [...]dar, and consider diligently, and see if there be any such Thing. Hath a Nation changed their Gods which are no Gods?’ The Christian Religion was not only different from the Religions, which [Page] the Gentile Nations professed, in one or two Points; but was contrary to all the religious Systems then in the World, in the most material Things. And it was equally contrary to the natural Temper of Mankind, to their corrupt Inclinations and sinful Practices. It was a Religion every where spoken against.

The chief Priests and Elders of the Jewish Nation were not more zealous against the Gospel of Christ, than the Grandees of the Gentile World.—Their Orators harangued against it; their Poets satyrised and bantered the Christians, for worshiping a crucified God. And the Civil Powers exerted their Authority in suppressing and persecuting them to Death. Christians were actually put to Death by Thousands at Rome, in the most barbarous Manner, and wherever they could be found, for a Terror to prevent others from embracing their Religion. Yet this new System, this Gospel of Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified; this Scheme that was so contrary to all the religious Notions and Customs, which they had learned from their Parents, had received from remote Antiquity, and to which they themselves had always been habituated; this Gospel, that was so contrary to the natural Inclinations, and vicious Practices of Mankind, daily spread and prevailed, conquered their Prejudicies, triumphed over all Oppositions; and in process of Time subdued the large Roman Empire. The Emperors themselves became obedient to the Faith of Christ. To whom is this to be ascribed?

The chief Persons employed in effecting this surprising Revolution were twelve Fisher-men of the despised Jewish Nation. One Saul who had been a violent Persecutor joined himself to them, and became a Preacher. But the Moment he became a Disciple of Jesus of Nazareth, he lost his Influence with his former Friends. His Power and Inclination to persecute forsook him at the same Instant.

As the Apostles were not bro't up in Courts but were plain Fisher-men, their Success was not owing to their being fine Gentlemen, or the Arts of flattering Insinuations. If they had been furnished with sufficient Learning and Skill, or been Men of polite Breeding and easy Manners; they were so poor in the World, having forsaken that little they possessed of its Riches at the Command of their Lord and Master, that they could never have put such Methods in Practice.

The Poverty of the Apostles must have been an insuperable [Page] Inconvenience to them in the ordinary Methods of Success. It was observed by the wise Man in his Time, e that ‘the Poor is hated even of his own Neighbours and Brethren, but th [...] Rich hath many Friends.—The poor Man's Wisdom is despised, and his Words are not heard.’ And many others have observed, that it is with great Disadvantage a poor Man enters upon the most ordinary Affairs; much more disputing with the whole World, and in Contradiction of the Rich, that is, the wise; For as certainly as Wealth gives Acceptance, and gai [...] Approbation to all that its Possessor says or does, so Poverty creates Disesteem, Scorn and Prejudice to all the Undertaking of the Indigent. The poor Man is s [...]ghted in Men's Conversations, overlooked in their Assemblies, and often beaten at thei [...] Doors. In a Word, after all you can say of a Man, if you conclude "yet he is rich" you have made him Friends; nor have you utterly overthrown him in the World's Opinion, 'till you have said, he is poor. This is the emphatical Expression of Praise and Blame; For Men so stupidly forget their natural Impotence and Want, that Riches and Poverty seem often to take in their Imaginations the Place of Innocence and Guilt.

As the Apostles were poor, and destitute of worldly Power, they were naturally fearful and timerous, and f of Consequence did not subdue the Nations by Force of Arms, and then oblige them to embrace their Religion, like the Romans, and Mahometans. No. They themselves were persecuted by the civil Powers. What could these poor dispised persecuted Jews do in demolishing the established Religions of the Gentile World? Whence was it that these Fisher-men accomplished this grand Revolution?

It is true indeed, that God wro't many glorious Miracles by the Apostles. These were necessary to prove that the Gospel of Christ which they preached was from God; and that they were immediately called to that Office. But the most glorious Miracles are far from being able of themselves, to effect this Conversion o [...] the ignorant, idolatrous, debauched Gentiles to the Christian Faith, God wro't very glorious Miracles before Pharaoh and the Egyptians; yet they were not converted, but grew more hardened. Christ himself wro't many Miracles before the Jews, [Page] the Scribes and Pharisees. They were fully informed by the Soldiers of that most glorious Miracle of his rising from the dead. This surprised, but did not convert them. They immediately determined to bribe the Soldiers to misrepresent the Fact. They saw the glorious Miracles which the Apostles wro't to prove that Jesus of Nazareth was the very Christ, yet the greatest Part of them obstinately persisted in their Unbelief, and persecuted his Disciples with unrelenting Malice and Rage. Indeed if the Jews, like Nicodemus, had candidly examined the Miracles which were wro't, they might with him have been convinced that Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messias. But Men are seldom disposed to be candid, when a Change of their old Religion is proposed. There are but few Men, who will be at the Pains, if left merely to themselves, carefully to examine Religion. Now Miracles must be examined, and their Reality and Certainty cleared from all just Suspicions of Imposture, before they can convince the Judgment. And if they were ever so candidly attended to, they could not change and sanctify Men's Hearts. The Evangelist John observes, g that tho' ‘Christ had done so many Miracles before the Jews, yet they believed not on him.’ Now were not the Jews as likely to be influenced by the Miracles of Christ, and his Apostles who were of their own Nation as the prejudiced Gentiles? Had the Heathens so much more Candour and diligent Attention than the Jews, who from their great religious Advantages were vastly superior to them? While the Evangelist laments over the Unbelief of the Jews who saw Christ's Miracles, he ascribes true Faith to a divine Agency on the Souls of Men. ‘Lord who hath believed our Report? and to whom hath the Arm of the Lord been revealed?’ Could any Thing less than a divine Power on the Heart bring ignorant, ungodly, debauched Heathens to be eminently holy Saints?

The Gospel is indeed a most reasonable and excellent Scheme, full of the finest Sentiments, and the most weighty Arguments. But had the Spread of Christianity in the World been owing merely to the external Evidences of the Gospel, the Justness of the Sentiments or the excellent Reasonings contained in it; then, one would think, Christ should have chosen some great Orators, like Cicero and Demosthenes, to have preached to the World, who would [Page] have charmed Mankind and forced Conviction by the Power of Elequence. The Gospel [...]lt should have been adorned with every Ornament of Language. All the Arguments should have been ranged in the most exact Order. The polite and learned, the studious and subtle Philosophers, should have become the first Converts to the Religion of Je [...]us.

But Christ cho [...]e Fishermen for his Apostles, Men indeed of plain good Sense, and who well understood the Gospel; but Strangers to laboured Harrangues, and Pomp and the Sophistry o [...] Arguments, which the Orators of Gre [...]ce and Rome affected, and which the Populace so son [...]ly admired. The Simplicity and Plainness of their Discourses prejudiced the Gentile Philosophers [...] so that very few of them became the Disciples of this crucified Redeemer. The grea [...]st Part of the Christian Converts were among the lower Clas [...] of Mankind.

The Apostles repeatedly refer this memorable Revolution which was bro't about by their Preaching to a much higher and nobler Cause than human Eloquence. They assure us, that however powerful and captivating the Charms of Oratory may be, they were not employed in effecting this glorious Change. Who should know to whom this wonderful Success of the Gospel in the Heathen World was to be ascribed, so well as Paul, the famous Apostle of the Gentiles, the chief Instrument of their Conversion? Hear the Account which he gives b— ‘Christ sent me to preach the Gospel, not with Wisdom of Words left the Cross of Christ should become of none Effect. For the Preaching of the Cross is to them that parish Foolishness, but unto us who are saved it is the Power of God—The Weapons of our Warfare are not carnel but mighty thro' God to the pulling down of strong Holds, casting down Imaginations, and every high Thing that Exalteth itself against the Knowledge of God, and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ.—Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos but Ministers by whom ye believed even as the Lord gave to every Man? You hath he quickened, who were dead in Trespasses and Sin. We are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works.—It is God that Worketh in you both to Will and to do of his good Pleasure. Thanks be [Page] unto God which always causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the Savour of his Knowledge by us in every Place, &c. &c.’

Thus the Apostle Paul (as also the rest of the Apostles) in the most express Words, in sundry Passages of his Writings, plainly ascribes the Success of the Gospel to the internal Agency of God on the Minds of Mer. And if the Apostles had been much less express in pointing us to the Spirit of God, no Man, that should candidly consider how great the Authority of Parents is with their Children; how difficult it is to persuade Mankind, honestly to enquire into the Evidences of that Religion which they receive from their Ancestors; how easily they learn Habits in their early Years; how strongly they are prejudiced in Favour of Religious Customs to which they have once been habituated; how jealous they are about making any great Change; as also how little Influence Miracles had on the Jews; would easily give into it, that the sudden Conversion of the Gentiles, to Christianity and Holiness, in Opposition to all these Prejudices, and to all temporal Advantages, could not have been effected without some internal Operations on their Hearts. It was surely God's own Almighty Arm that bro't about such a glorious Revolution, by such weak Instruments; and by such unlikely Means, as the Foolishness of Preaching.

The Gentiles were devoted, even to the Height of Bigotry and Superstition, to the Service of their Idol Deities; and they were likewise sunk into the lowest Depths of Vice and Debauchery, when Christ sent his Apostles to preach this Gospel to them. These his faithful Ministers preached a crucified Saviour to them; wro't many Miracles before their Hearers, to prove that both their Mission and Doctrine was divine; and shewed them from the Scriptures that all these Things were foretold by the ancient Prophets. God accompanied their Preaching with the powerful Influences of his Spirit, on the Souls of their Hearers. In a few Years, many Thousands, in various Parts of the World, became as ominent for Virtue and Religion, as they had been before notorious for their scandalous Vices and Debaucheries. The Apostle i could appeal to the Corinthian Converts, that some of them had been the most enormous Sinners. And after their Conversion to Christianity he could with equal Openness and Fredom [Page] declare, ‘Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.’ Yea in a short Period of Time the revered Idols of the Nations fell into Contempt, their Temples were profaned, and their Worship cashired thro' a great Part of the World.

Thus the ancient Prophecies, that foretold this much unexpected and incredible Revolution, were clearly fulfilled k ‘I the Lord have called thee in Righteousness, and will hold thine Hand, and will keep thee and give thee for a Covenant of the People, for a Light to the Gentiles, to open the blind Eyes, to bring out the Prisoners from the Prison, and them that sit in Darkness out of the Prison House—The Idols he shall utterly abolish.—In that Day a Man shall cast his Idols of Silver and his Idols of Gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the Moles and to the Bats—Thus shall ye say unto them. The Gods that have not made the Heavens and the Earth, even they shall perish from the Earth and from under these Heavens—The Lord—will famish all the Gods of the Earth, and Men shall worship him, every one from his Place even all the Isles of the Heathen.’

What abundant Evidences has God given to the Truth of the Christian Religion! The most glorious Miracles have been wro't; the most surprising Prophecies have been actually fulfilled; the Truths of the Gospel have been attended with the most remarkable Displays of Divine Power in changing the Tempers, and reforming the Lives of Thousands and Millions of Mankind. Would the God of Truth, the righteous Governor of the World, give such Evidences to confirm a Falshood? Would be accompany a cunningly devised Fable with his Divine Power? Are Sobriety, Temperance. Virtue, sincere Love to God and Mankind the natural Effects of Imposture? Could Knavery or Enthusiasm effect such a glorious Reformation, and bring the idolatrous and debauched Gentiles to be remarkably virtuous and holy?

Let the Deistical Philosophers, with all their boasted fine Sense, try to reform the wicked and debauched Part of Mankind; let them press that Virtue, they profess to celebrate, with all the To picks their System affords, and with the most polite and elaborate [Page] Discourses, and Philosophical Arguments. How vain and insignificant would their Attempts be found? Whom have they reclaimed from vicious Courses by their Reasonings? Is it not sadly true, that Vice and Immorality have prevailed, in proportion, as the Gospel has been disregarded and Deism has spread? This is the Result of their fine Sentiments!

This is not to be accounted an unnecessary Digression, since there is so much Reason to fear that some of you, l from your strong Impulses or Imaginations about a Jesus within you, discard Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Mary, who was crucified without the Gates of Jerusalem. The Religion which prevails among such, it is to be feared, is more Deism, the Religion of Nature with a small Tincture of Enthusiasm.—It was also necessary thus fully to assert the internal Operations of the Spirit, that the World may clearly see, how groundless your Insinuations are about the standing Ministers denying them in Conversion, &c. Since there is still a corrupt Nature in Mankind; Since Man is still born like the wild Ass's Colt, ignorant, stubborn and perverse; Sinners have Need of the inward Operations of the Spirit, to bring them to be sincerely religious now, as well as at the first preaching of the Gospel. Why should Men pray for the Holy Spirit to incline their Hearts to keep the divine Law, and sanctify their Souls; and be warned against resisting, vexing and grieving him to depart from them, unless he Works inwardly on their Minds? m And if his Work in their Souls be so great, the Change which he effects so important, why should they be supposed to be utterly unsensible of his Operations on their Minds?

II.

But this, which I have now briefly mentioned, is not what you mean by the Operations of the Spirit. Did you only maintain the Necessity of enlightening, convincing, converting and sanctifying Influences; you would have no Need to separate from our Churches; since you cannot but know, that the standing Ministers (as you call them) zealously preach up the Necessity of a supernatural Agency on the Souls of Men, in the first Rise [Page] and after Progress of true Religion in their Hearts; and that this is one Reason why some are disgusted with our Preaching. Yet all this does not satisfy you on this Point. You want us to teach something beyond or different from all such divine Influences, as have been mentioned. This you have made one chief Cause of your Separation from us. It would therefore he very disingenuous and absurd for you to pretend, that you think about them, just as I have now explained. This would look like a low Artifice to impose on the unwary, and gain Proselites. If you are agreed with us, why do you separate from our Churches?

The Method I have proposed leads me to observe in the first Place, that many of you look for strong Impulses and immediate Revelations from God, besides those contained in the Bible, to teach and direct you in your present Duty, in such and such Cases. It is common for you to say, ‘such a Thing is revealed to you, or you are taught so and so.’ And when you have Things thus revealed to you by a powerful Impulse on your Minds, then you profess you see clearly, you are sure, know such and such Things are your Duty. And indeed it cannot be denied, that you are am [...]r [...]ly confident on all such Occasions.

[...]e of you n who seem best to understand yourselves openly profess ‘that though the Scriptures contain a full and sufficient Declaration of Christian Doctrine; yet they do not contain the whole Will of God which is necessary for us to know; but there are many Things wherein God reveals of his Counsel to his Children, which are not in the Scriptures either expressly or consequentially, altogether necessary to their Peace and Comfort.’ For Instance, ‘It is a Part of the Counsel of God for a Christian to know his inward Calling, whether in Favour with God, and [...] and sanctified.’ And they say, ‘though the Scripture doth give infallible Signs and Marks of such a State; y [...]t no Scripture nor Scripture—Consequence can [...]llibly ass [...] any Men that he hath these Marks; but it is the Spirit o [...] G [...]d only that can and doth give them this As [...]ce by an [...] or Revelation.—All [...] [...]ers [...] of Christ ought to know the Mind and Will of God, [...] they be called [Page] of God to the Work of the Ministry, which Call is an inward Call that is altogether necessary. But this they cannot know by Scripture.—Every true Christian should know his inward Call to Pray, or give Thanks, or perform any religious Duty or Service to God. But he can't know this from Scripture.’ And hence you look for immediate Impulses and new Revelations.

As you look for immediate Revelations and Impulses, so many of you are extremely confident you actually have them, and that not only your present Duty, but sundry future Events are revealed to you by the Spirit or Saviour. It was necessary to state your Opinions on this Point, thus largely, that the World may not be imposed on by your specious Pretences; and that all may clearly see what I dispute against.

Your Notions plainly suppose, that the Scriptures are not sufficient to teach you your Duty, and that God actually grants new Revelation; both which I have clearly demonstrated to be false, and of Consequence, I have intirely undermined the Foundation of your whole Scheme. Therefore I would advise you, carefully to review what I have said on these two Points.

But though I have said quite enough to satisfy the more intelligent Reader, I find it necessary, for the Instruction of others, to explain somewhat largely, how the Scriptures are quite sufficient to direct Men in particular Cases, their Minds being duly illuminated by the Spirit of God, that I may effectually overthrow all your Pretences and Pleas.

1. You readily allow that Mankind are rational Creatures, endowed with the Powers of Conscience, Reflection, Memory and Reasoning. If Men had no Conscience they would not be Moral Agents. If they had no Memory, they could not be benefitted by Revelation or any Kind: For what is not remembred cannot be a Rule of Conduct. This being granted, it will be easy to conceive, how the Scriptures come to refer to us in particular, and to answer our particular Cases.—They are given to Mankind in general, in every Country, and in every Age, where they are sent. The Laws and Truths, which they contain, don't respect particular Persons as such, but as they belong to general Characters, Ranks or Sorts, that are instructed, exhorted, reproved, comforted, &c. You are not mentioned by Name in the Laws of England, nor in the Laws of this Colony; yet if [Page] you violate them, and Proof is made, they are found to have a peculiar Reference to you. Can you comprehend this? If you can, you need be at no Loss to understand, how the general Directions and Truths in the Scriptures refer to you, in particular, even as you belong to some general Character or Sort of Persons. For the Scriptures are given to Mankind in general, just as the Laws of a Kingdom or Colony to all the Subjects belonging to it, to one as much as another.

This Observation is so important that I would not by any Means have it misunderstood, and shall therefore add some Examples to render it quite plain. When the third Command forbids Swearing, it has no more Reference to Robert than to Gilbert, no more Reference to them, than to any other Men. And thus the Law of the Colony against Swearing refers to all equally alike, forbidding one as much as another. It is so likewise in the Declarations, Promises and Threatnings of the Gospel. Thus for Instance, ‘He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.’ 'Tis not a Man's Name being John, or James, but his Character, his being a Believer or an Unbeliever, that determines whether the Promise or the Threatning belongs to him in particular.

If the Scriptures had been designed, not for Mankind in general, but for particular Persons as such, there must have been a distinct Bible for every Individual. Now we know God has granted but one Bible to Mankind, which is therefore the general or common Bible to the whole Christian World.

Even those Passages, which give us an Account of particular Persons, so far as they are appointed for our direct Instruction, can only teach us general Truths. The Persons to whom they had an immediate Reference are dead, and they can't have this particular Reference to any other Person, for this plain Reason, that³⁸ o [Page] different Persons are not the same. Now when these peculiar Circumstances are drop't they have like other Scriptures a general Reference to all.

Let us suppose a profane Swearer convinced of his awful Sin, by the Spirit of God from the third Command, or the Instance of Shelomith's Son who was stoned to Death for this Sin. p This Command and Example have a general and equal Reference to all. The Spirt of God in this Case impresses the general Truth contained in them, on the Man's Conscience, and refreshes his Memory, that he remembers at such and such Times, he violated this excellent Precept. He sees he is guilty, and can't but apply the general Truth and the dread [...]l Threatning to his own particular Case. Thus the Spirit [...]ed convinces Man of their Sins, whatever they are, from general Truths set home on the Consciences, and thus applied to particular Cases. I appeal to the Experience of all convinced Sinners.

Thus it is also in Conversion. While Men's Minds are [...]d, and their Hearts hardened thro' the Deceitfulness of Sin, they have very wrong Thoughts of God. But when the Holy Spirit enlightens their Minds, by Manifestation of the Truth to their Consciences, the general Truths which are contained in the Scriptures about God, &c. they get some juster Apprehensions of him, his Holy Law, and the miserable Con [...], to which their breaking this excellent Rule has reduced them. This is Law-Work or Conviction.

The same Spirit, having taught them about God, his Law, their Exposedness to his Wrath, brings them to know effectually the general Truths of the Gospel, in their eminent Glory. The Sinner then beholds God to be such a glorious Being as the Scriptures describe him considered in himself; while he views his Perfections unitedly displayed and glorified in Jesus Christ. ‘God, says the Apostle, q hath shined in our Hearts, to give the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus.’ —His Objections instantly vanish, he now sees that ‘God can be just, and the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.’ It is a general Truth and worthy of all Acceptation, that "Christ Jesus came to save Sinners," even the chief [Page] of Sinners, and that "he will in no wise cast out any that cometh unto him." On these or the like general Truths, Sinners are encouraged to believe in Christ. The Truths contained in the Scriptures are the Foundation, on which true Believers build their Hopes; the general Truths, which always were and always will be in the Scriptures. They are eminently Believers, because they effectually believe or receive the Testimony or Record, which God has borne to his Son in the Gospel. So that there is no Need of any new Revelation here.

As the Faith of true Believers is founded at first on the Divine Testimony contained in the written Word; so their Encrease in this Faith and Growth in Grace is by the same Word. They love God's Law, and meditate on his Word; and thus the Spirit of God giving them to see the excellent Beauty and real Glory, which is in the Scriptures, that is in divine Things as represented there, they grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ. ‘Trough him we have Access by the Spirit⁴² [Page] unto the Father r —and are built upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, (the Scriptures of the Old and New Testiment) Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner Stone—The Saints overcome the Dragon by the Blood of the Lamb, and the Word of their Testimony; that is, the Gospel to which they stedfastly adhered.’

2. The Temper and Character of true Saints is largely and plainly described in the Scriptures, and God has endowed Men with the Principle of Consciousness and Reflection, by which they may know their past Experiences and present Temper. There is no Need then of any new Revelations to inform them about their present State. The only Question here is, ‘Have you this Temper and Character which the Scriptures declare belongs to all true Saints?’ The Scripture-Direction in this Case is not, ‘Look for an immediate Revelation to assure you, that you are in a State of Grace," but ſ Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the Faith, prove your own selves, know ye not your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be Reprobates." "These Things, says the Apostle John, t have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal Life, and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God.’

Ob. But what is meant by the Witness of the Spirit? Rom. viii. 16.

Ans. It is not said, that the Spirit bears Witness to Men by revealing to them immediately, that they are in a State of Favour with God, or in the Number of his peculiar Children; nor can any such Thing be fairly inferred from the Text. If this had been the Way Christians came to know their good Estate, why did the Apostle give, even in this Chapter, so many Marks and Characters of true Saints?

As to the Meaning of the Text, observe the Apostle had asserted in this Chapter, that those ‘who walked after the Spirit, in whom he dwelt, and who were led by him,’ yielding to his sweet Influences and obeying his Word, ‘were the Sons of God.’ That in Consequence of this high Relation, they were delivered from a guilty slavish Temper, and had received [Page] the Spirit of Adoption or the Disposition of Children; "Whereby, says he, we cry Abba Father." Thus their Spirits or Consciences, being delivered from the Guilt of Sin, and the servile Yoke of the Mosaick Laws and ceremonial Institutions by Christ, acted with the Freedom of Children, and bore Witness that they were the Adopted Sons of God. Then follow these Words, ‘The Spirit itself beareth Witness with our Spirit, that we are the Children of God.’ That is, the Spirit of God testifies, bears Witness in his written Word, that those who are led by the Spirit and have a filial Temper are the Children of God. And thus the Spirit of God joins with the well enlighten'd Conscience of true Christians, and testifies that they are the Children of God Thus the Spirit of God joins with the Conscience of wicked Men under Convictions, and, bears Witness that they are not his Children, but exposed to his Wrath. Or the Meaning of the Text may be, the Spirit bears Witness that we are the Children of God, by the Graces which he works in us, which are his Seal, Mark, Evidence or Witness.

But if any will still maintain, that they have had immediate Revelations to assure them of their gracious State; let them work Miracles to prove their Revelations came from God; otherwise, let them know they are in Danger of trusting their eternal Salvation on a Delusion of Satan. It may perhaps be of some Service to some to inform them, that it is the Opinion of the Papists, and was confirmed by the Council of Trent, as may be seen at large in the sixth Session, that ‘no Man can ever know he is in a State of Grace, in this Life, unless it be specially revealed to him by God.’

3. To proceed to another Instance, God has revealed by his Spirit in the Scriptures to Men, in general, that it is their Duty to pray frequently, to devote all convenient Opportunities to this important Exercise, and Reason teaches the same Thing. Consequently every Man is directed to pray on all proper Occasions, as really as if he was called upon by Name in an immediate Manner, so that none need to be at a Loss for Directions in this Point. You have no Need of a new Revelation to teach you, that you should pray; nor when you should; your own Conscience and Reason, together with the general Directions of God's written Word plainly teach you this. And if you [Page] venture to restrain Prayer until you have it immediately revealed to you by the Spirit; whenever your Consciences are duly awakened you'll clearly see the Weakness of your Pretences.— If a Man may not pray, till he is immediately called to this Duty by the Spirit; then he may not pray for the Influences of the Spirit, which is contrary to Christ's Direction. u Then also it will be no Sin for him to neglect Prayer, a Notion which is very agreeable to the ungodly World, v but quite contrary to the Scripture. And how should a Man know that such a Revalation came from God? Did God ever work any Miracles to prove the Truth of such a Revelation? May not the Devil have various Ends in suggesting to Persons it is their Duty to pray, hereby leading them to neglect the plain written Word, and to look to him for Directions, when to perform this Duty. And will not Satan direct to very unseasonable Times.

4. The Scriptures plainly tell what Sort of Men Bishops or Ministers should be. w Let a Man then examine himself whether he has these Qualifications. In the Multitude of Counsellors there is Safety. 'Tis not reasonable that a Man should be the sole Judge of his own Abilities and Qualifications. Hence, the Lord Jesus Christ has appointed those who are already in the Ministry to look out for suitable Persons for the Service of the Churches. They are required to examine Candidates for the Ministry, and judge of their Qualifications and Fitness for this Office. For every Man is allowed to be the best Judge of his own Occupation, Business or Calling. The Directions, then, to Ministers, which were immediately sent to Timothy as a Minister, are perfectly agreeable to common Sense, and are Methods of proceeding in other Affairs of Life. ‘The Things which thou hast heard of me among many Witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful Men who shall be able to reach others also.’ x

A Candidate for the Ministry, then, must apply to the Ministers to whom Christ has committed the Authority of examining, judging and putting faithful Men into the Ministry; and if they find him duly qualified, the Scriptures plainly direct him to proceed. And when such a Man is regularly chosen [Page] by the People; and ordained according to the Rules of God's Word; he is made a Bishop, Overseer or Minister, over such a People by the Holy Ghost. For the Holy Ghost has fitted him for this Office, being the Giver of his ministerial Qualifications; and has given those Rules or Directions in the written Word, according to which he has been fixed in his Pastoral Charge. So that there is no Need of any new Revelation in this Case. All that is necessary here is, that Men have their Minds duly enlightened and influenced by the Truths which the Holy Ghost has revealed in the written Word.

If the Scriptures are perfect, what Need of any further Directions and Revelations? If these Cases, if Men's Duty in all ordinary Cases, be clearly revealed and pointed out in them, what Advantage could be received from a new Revelation? Would a new Direction about our Duty communicate any more Grace to us than the old one in the Bible? May not Men know their Duty, and yet not be willing to do it? Have there not been various Instances among you, wherein Persons could not comply with your new Revelations, and thus you have been quite disappointed.

Are not some disgusted at the old Directions in the Bible, because they are not agreeable to your present Inclination, as Ahab was at Micaiah; and long, with Balak, for a new Revelation, hoping it will be more agreeable to your Fancies? But is not this to hope that God is changed? Perhaps some think they are so eminent for their shining Gifts and Graces, that it is beneath them to study the Scriptures. Some are too indolent and lazy to search this sacred Book. They had rather have an immediate Revelation, or an Angel sent from Heaven to instruct them. But will God gratify Men's Pride and Laziness?

There is no Doubt but God can give immediate Revelations, and send Angels from Heaven. But it is evidently contrary to his Wisdom to do it, unless there was some Necessity for it. If God has ever interposed in such a very extraordinary Way, it was doubtless to answer some important End, which could not have been well obtained by the common Instructions of the written Word The Light of Nature and the Reason of Things taught the Heathens, they were not to expect a God would interpose [Page] unless on some very important Occasion. y Lazarus must not be sent from the Dead for an ordinary Preacher to Sinners, nor to warn the rich Man's Brethren. So that both common Sense and Scripture agree in teaching us, that God will not depart from his common Method of Instruction, unless on some very extraordinary Occasion, to answer some very important End. But what is there that is extraordinary in your Case? Or in the Cases of Christians in general? If God has really given us a perfect Rule in his holy Word, we may be sure that he will not set it aside to gratify the Humours of Men.

5. These new Directions and Revelations would render the written Word of God in a great Measure useless to Mankind. What does it avail us, that God has given us his written Word, if it be insufficient to direct us in the Duties, to which we may be called in our Christian Course? What Advantage can we have from the Scriptures, if we must give Heed to some new Directions, which are to be daily communicated to us? And it has been observed as Matter of Fact, that as it is easier to wait for new Revelations, than to search the Scriptures; so there are but few of those, who depend on immediate Impulses, that ever take sufficient Care and Pains to understand the Divine Law and Testimony. They are generally very ignorant of the true Meaning of the Word of God, notwithstanding their great Pretences to extraordinary Revelations.

But if your Notions were right, there would have been no Need of the Scriptures at all unless of one short Direction, viz. ‘To take Heed to the immediate Impulses of the Spirit, or the Instructions of the Saviour.’ For if your Revelations really come from the Spirit, they are as Divine, and as much to be regarded as any contained in the Bible. z What Use then can the Bible be to you, who are immediately taught by the Spirit? If you should pretend, you would try whether the Divine Spirit taught you right by the Scriptures: This would be prodigiously absurd. For, do you think the Spirit of God can teach you wrong? Would you, ignorant Worms of the Dust, attempt to call the Spirit of God to your Bar and try his Revelations? [Page] Or would you suppose, that the Spirit of God was wiser when he inspired the Penmen of the holy Scriptures, than when he grants immediate Revelations to you? But this is a blasphemous Absurdity. How you will judge and try those Revelations, you hold to be divine, by the Scriptures, I can't possibly devise.

Thus your new Revelations have a direct Tendency to destroy all Use and Benefit of the written Word of God. When therefore God has given us such a large written Revelation of his Will in the Scriptures, and commanded us ‘to search them;" "to continue stedfastly in them; a to take Heed to them;" assuring us "they are a perfect Rule, and profitable for Doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction, for Instruction in Righteousness, that the Man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished, unto all good Works:’ This saps the very Foundation of all your new Revelations. The Absurdity and Wickedness of forsaking the Word of God, and following other Spirits and Instructions is strongly painted by the Prophet Isaiah b ‘And when they shall say unto you seek unto them that have familiar Spirits, and unto Wizards that peep and mutter, should not a People seek unto their God? To the Law and to the Testimony, if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no Light in them,’ i. e. no true Light. For such Persons are deluded with imaginary or false Light which they receive from their familiar Spirits.

6. Your Notions about immediate Impulses and Revelations expose you to the Delusions of Satan. This Evil Spirit can deceive: He can transform himself into an Angel of Light. There is no Doubt but he can reveal wonderful Things to Persons.—But what Mark have you to distinguish the Revelations of this bad Spirit from those of the good Spirit? You have no certain Rule to judge by, on your Principles. And thus your Notions not admitting of any, evidently expose you to the Delusions of your greatest Adversary. You tamely deliver yourselves up to be led by him, and wait for his Directions.

Whereas on my Principles, there is a plain and certain Rule, the written Word, which has been confirmed by Miracles. [Page] We are [...] it is inconsistent with the perfections of God, to per [...] S [...] and [...] Agents to work proper Miracles for the Co [...] [...] of a Falshood. For Satan and all Nature are under [...] of God. It is quite absurd to suppose that the g [...] [...] infinitely powerful, wise and good, would permit Satan to work Miracles, and thus to counterfeit his Seal, w [...] interposing and giving more glorious and inconte [...] Evidence to the Truth. For then, God would leave us under [...] absolute Necessity of being deceived, and so could not, [...] with his Justice, punish us for our Mistakes. W [...] [...]e the Lord was pleased to permit the Egyptian Mag [...] to work strange Wonders, he enabled Moses to triumph over them and confound them, by much more glorious [...], w [...]h they could not by all their Encantments [...]. Satan's Miracles are rightly [...]led lying Wonders it t [...] Scriptures: It carefully examined, they will generally [...] seeming and counterfeit Miracles. Whereas the Miracles, which God his wrought for Confirmation of the Scriptures of Truth, afford the most infallible Certainty and glorious Evidence, that they are divine.

The Spirit of God, according to my Doctrine, only gives Men Eyes to [...], and a Heart to understand and relish the glori [...]us Truths which are in the Scriptures. Thus then Men may escape M [...], as far as it is possible for Creatures of our M [...] and in our Circum [...] to e [...]e them ‘by [...] to the written Word of God and obeying that S [...], that Scripture [...]e Office is to lo [...] Men to the saving Knowledge of the Truths cont [...]d in this sacred Book.’

As the Spirit of God enlightens Men's [...] in what God has reve [...] in his Word, it [...] natural for Satan, who endeavours to h [...] utmost to [...] this good Spirit, to keep Men from this divine Light. [...] is the Prince of Darkness: His Kingdom is the Kingdom of Darkness: His Interest is greatly supported the World by keeping such a large Part of it i [...] [...] [...]ost ab [...]t State of [...] [...]rance. As Schools and Colleges [...] Means to banish Ignorance and promote useful I [...] and Knowledge in the World, no Doubt Satan [...] violent Grud [...], and would destroy them all, if it [...]y in his Power, that Mankind might be redued to gross Heathen Darkness. Then he would rule over them with more [Page] Ease and greater Rigour, as he does over the miserable Nations of Africa, and as he did over the poor Indians in America, before the Arrival of the English. Hence it is no difficult Thing for an intelligent Christian to find out, whose Cause Enthusiasts and Deists are promoting, while they declaim with great Warmth against Learning, and represent the learned as the worst of all Men. c

But Satan has still a more inveterate Grudge and bitter Rancour against the Scriptures, because they are the principal Means which God has used to rescue Mankind from his Tyranny. This is represented in a very striking Manner, in that emblematical Vision, which the Apostle John saw of the Church of Christ, and of Satan's powerful and malicious Assaults against her. d ‘The Dragon was wroth with the Woman, and went to make War with the Remnant of her Seed, which keep the Commandments of God, and ha [...] [...] Testimony of Jesus.’ Their keeping the Commandments of God. and faithfully retaining the Testimony, the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ, was the great Provocation which filled him with such implacable Resentment against them.

It is certain that every Artifice which Wit and Malice can invent has been used against the Scriptures. Sometimes they have been secreted from the common People, by not being allowed to be translated into vulgar Languages. Sometimes Religion has been cumbered with such a Load of supplementary Traditions, Canons, Rites and Ceremonies, as among the Jews, Papists, &c. that the pure written Word of God has been but little regarded. While some professing Christians have zealously contended about their own Additions and Appendixes, they have, as might be justly expected, overlooked or forgotten the Scriptures themselves, at least ‘the more weighty Matters contained in them, Judgment, Mercy, Faith and the Love of God,’ and of Men too.—Since the Resurrection of Letters when the Scriptures could be no longer secreted, Things have took another Turn. Many have become Deists and employed all their Subtilty and Malice in raising Cavils against the Scriptures, and hindering Men from believing [Page] them. And though there have been many Commentators who have done excellent Service in explaining the Scriptures, yet it is also evident that many have been as busily employed in perverting them by wrong Interpretations and forced Comments. e 'Twould perhaps be injurious to suppose, that these Persons were sensible they were under the Influence of Satan. No; Had they known this, they would not have been thus deceived. But is it not greatly probable that the Cavils against, and Perversions of Scripture have in some Measure proceeded from his secret Influence; since he is very skilful, as appears from his tempting Christ, in putting wrong Senses on the Scriptures, and is extremely enraged against them?

Where such Methods were not likely to succeed, he has possessed Men's Minds with the Notion of immediate Revelations, Impulses, Visions, Prophesyings, &c. When Persons give Heed to such extraordinary Things, they soon imagine they are wiser than their ordinary Teachers, and can't be much edified by the plain written Word. They have much more Light about themselves, and others, and can see their Duty in any Particular Case more clearly, by having it immediately revealed to them. When Satan transformed into an Angel of Light, is permitted to deceive Men by false Light, no Doubt he suits his Revelations, Impulses and Discoveries, to the disordered Fancies of his Followers. And when the Palate and Stomach are greatly disordered, wholsome Food will not be relished. If Men's Heads become giddy and their Imaginations wild; the plain Truths of the Gospel will not please them. The Preaching of Christ crucified is a low Thing, for which they have no Relish. And indeed the plain general Truths of the Gospel have no Tendency to establish them in their fond Conceits. Nothing but Discourses about wonderful Experiences, walking in God's Light, the Travel of the Church, and Revelations and Fellowships will nourish such Persons. The World never loved that a crucified Christ should be preached. f ‘It was a Stumbling Block to the Jews, and Foolishness to the Greeks.’ None but the effectually called saw the Excellency of such Preaching; so that it is not at all strange that many are disgusted with it in the [Page] present Day. But let it be remembered, ‘that if the Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the god of this World hath blinded the Minds of them which believe not, lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine unto them.’

Many of you, I believe, are not remarkably influenced by the powerful Agency of any Spirit. Whatever Truth there may be in what your famous Barclay g and others relate about extraordinary Things, that were evident among you at first in your Meetings; your Spirit has greatly withdrawn these powerful Agitations from which you are called Quakers, or Tremblers. I heartily agree with this famous Apologist that your silent Meetings are as much for Edification as any among you. For the Instructions and Preaching of such as pretend to be moved by the Spirit are so trifling and insipid, that it is strange how any rational Beings can gravely attend upon them. Since the Spirit your Speakers are moved and led by is evidently a foolish Spirit; I likewise agree with this Writer that the best Preparation for your Worship in general, is a Man's ‘abstaining from his own Thoughts and Imaginations and from all the Self-Workings and Motions of his own Mind, as well in Things materially good as evil.’ For if Men would allow themselves to think and reason they must discover the gross Absurdity of such Worship.—After all the fine Things Barclay has said of your dumb Meetings, they are really but dumb Meetings, a Way of Worship more adapted to the Brutes that are not endowed with the Power of Speech, than to Mankind, whose Tongue is a Part of their Glory. When therefore you are about to transform yourselves like Dumb Creatures that have no Understanding, it is no Doubt the most suitable Preparation for this unreasonable Service to forbare thinking as much as possible.

The inward Light, which many of you harp so much on, is Nothing but mere natural Conscience which remains in the worst of Men. Your great Mistake in this Matter lies in taking the Dictates of your own Minds and Fancies for the Inspirations of the Holy Ghost. Some of the Deists talk as high about inward Light as Enthusiasts. The Teachers of all your various Sects would do well to read, and seriously [Page] consider the following Passage in Ezekiel. ‘Thus saith the Lord God, Wo unto the foolish Prophets, that follow their own Spirit, and have seen Nothing.— They have seen Vanity, and lying Divination, saying, the Lord saith; and the Lord hath not sent them, and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the Word,’ &c. h

In some Instances your Impulses and Revelations evidently proceed from Infirmities and Distempers of Body, as Melancholy, Vapours, Distraction. And yet it is not impossible, that as Satan has a sincere Hatred to Mankind, he may improve such Times as they are least able to observe and resist his Temptations, in instil his Suggestions into their Minds that he may deceive them

But in many Cases, I make no Doubt, there has been and still is something remarkable of a powerful and supernatural Agency on the Minds of some of you: That you really have Things revealed to you in an immediate Way, and have strong Impulses on your Minds far beyond what mere Imagination could possibly work. And I think it appears evident from what has been said, that all such Revelations and Impulses ordinarily come from Satan. For since the Scriptures, are a sufficient and perfect Rule; all other Revelations are needless, unwarrantable and contrary to Scripture. God has not confirmed any other Revelation relative to Salvation with Miracles. Therefore they don't bear his Mark and Seal. Now since they don't come from God, from whom can they come, but from the Evil Spirit.

Ob. It is said in Joel, ‘It shall come to pass afterwards that I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh, and your Sons and your Daughters shall Prophesy, your old Men shall dream Dreams and your young Men shall see Visions. And also upon the Servants and upon the Handmaids in those Days will I pour out my Spirit.’

To this I answer, it is really astonishing that any Person, who has ever read the New Testament, could alledge this Passage to prove, that immediate Revelations and Prophesyings may be expected in our Times. For does not the Apostle Peter expressly assure us, that this Prophecy of Joel was fulfilled [Page] in his Time, in the last Days of the Jewish Dispensation. See his Discourse upon it at large. Acts ii.

Now, if this Prophecy was fulfilled in the Apostle's Time, what immediate Reference can it have to us? 'Twas foretold that Sarah should have a Son. When Isaac was born this Prophecy was fulfilled. Can any Woman now a Days infer from this, that she herself shall have a Son? With equal Propriety this Prophecy of Joel, which was fulfilled in Peter's Time, is brought to prove, we may expect Men and Women to be endowed with the Gift of Prophecy in our Day.

At the first planting of Christianity in the World, before Churches were regularly gathered, the Nations were quite ignorant of the Gospel; and being devoted to their own superstitious Notions of Religion were extremely prejudiced against all Attempts that were made to change their religious Ceremonies, especially against the Followers of Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. The first Preachers of Christianity were placed in the most extraordinary Circumstances, having to attack all the Prejudices and Ignorance and Wickedness of the whole World, and that, without the Countenance of any civil Authority. Nay, the civil Powers exerted themselves to the utmost, to prevent the Spread of Christianity, persecuting the Preachers of the Gospel to Death.

'Twas therefore agreeable to the Wisdom and Goodness of God to endow the first Preachers of the Gospel with extraordinary Gifts, suited to the extraordinary Circumstances in which they were placed. Among these extraordinary Gifts that of Prophecy was one. Their Prophecies, when they were fulfilled, afforded a striking Proof, to those who were acquainted with them, of the Truth of their Doctrine. The Prophets who were raised up in the first Days of the Gospel were likewise endowed with the Power of working Miracles, they could give supernatural Evidence that they were divinely inspired sufficient to satisfy an honest Enquirer. With Reference to these the Apostle gives that Direction, ‘Despise not Prophesyings.’ So that they are greatly mistaken, who imagine this Text has any special Reference to our Times. 'Tis readily granted there were Prophets in the first and extraordinary Days of the Gospel, and Christians were warned not to despise their Prophesyings. And what then? what would [Page] you i [...] from this? That there should be Prophets now, when the Scriptures are compleated, and Churches regularly settled and supplied with a learned, orthodox and godly Ministry? By the same Method of Reasoning you may also infer, that because Nehemiah, his Servants and the Men of the Guard, in an extraordinary Time, did not put off their Cloaths, except for washing, you should not put off yours now, but keep them on Night and Day.

But would you in sober Blood attempt to prove from Scripture that there are Prophets, when it is certain and plain Matter of Fact, that there are none? Your Reasoning, if it proved any Thing, would prove that the Scriptures are not true, since it is incontestably evident, that they are not fulfilled in your Sense of them. For where are your Prophets? What Events have they foretold? Have their Predictions been fulfilled?

I have heard of many and read sundry Prophesies in late Years. Some of you, I have been informed, prophesied, that the French would destroy New-England, because its Inhabitants would not turn to you. Others of you 'tis said, prophesied that such and such Persons would not die. Others have prophesied, that in a short Time the Lord would convert all our Churches to your Notions. But these Prophesies have been most plainly contradicted by the Event and proved to be false.

A remarkable Discovery of the Falsehood of your Prophesies happened some Time since in your predicting that Mr. Elihu Dagget was to be a Minister among you. This was revealed to sundry. They examined their Revelations by separatish Rules and found them to be right. They were so confident of the Truth of their Revelations, so certain their Predictions would be fulfilled, that they appointed a Day to ordain him. Vast Crouds of People assembled to see his Ordination. But Mr. Dagget himself refused to be ordained, saying it was not revealed to him, that he must be their Minister. They exhorted him, and prayed over him, 'till they were tired; but he could get no Light; so that they were obliged to return home shamefully disappointed, proving themselves to be false Prophets. For if their Prophecy had been from God, he would have given Mr. Dagge [...] a Disposition [Page] to have complied; since the Preparation of the Heart in Man, and the Answer of the Tongue is from the Lord. He never suffered any of his Words to fall to the Ground. God was never deceived nor frustrated.

As to what is reported about your foretelling that some particular Persons would be converted, which Predictions are pretended to be fulfilled, this may be contrived and published to give some Reputation to your Scheme among some undiscerning Persons; but is in reality a Piece of Delusion. For you cannot know that such particular Persons are converted. It is great Presumption for you to pretend to know certainly who are truly converted, when God has declared in the strongest Terms, i that ‘the Heart is deceitful above all Things and desperately wicked, who can know it? I the Lord search the Heart.’ So that this is to prove a Prediction to be certainly fulfilled by an Event, which you cannot [...]ossibly know, whether it is so or not.

If you should pretend God has revealed it to you they are converted, then work Miracles to prove the Revelation comes from God, and not from the Devil. What signifies your Witnessing for one another, and Fellowship with another's Spirits? How often have you witnessed for some, whom you must own have turned Apostates, and however loth you may be must witness against them. When you bear certain Witness, that a Man is converted, and afterwards certain Witness that he is not, this shews your Witness is not worth a Straw. How often have you been deceived in your Declarations about Converts?

For any Thing that I see, the Devil might reval it to you, that such and such Persons would be converted; and then, transforming himself into an Angel of Light might deceive them, with a false Conversion to carry on his Designs the more plausibly.

III.

There are sundry Persons belonging to these Sects, who will not own that they look for immediate Revelations and Impulses, but for the Influences of the Spirit to enlighten their Minds in the Scriptures. They call the Impressions they have on their Minds the Operations of the Spirit. 'Tis necessary [Page] to point out some Things, which they look on as certain Evidences their Impressions came from the Spirit of God, and which yet are no good Proof at all.

1. Some imagine that when a Scripture is impressed on their Minds, this Impression must certainly be from God. They think Satan cannot meddle with Scripture. But this is a great Mistake. Did not Satan enforce his Temptations on our Saviour by Texts of Scripture? and is it not evident from the Narrative of John Lewis, that he was imposed on and deluded by Satan suggesting and impressing Texts of Scripture on his Mind?

2. Others look upon the Power or Force, with which a Scripture comes to them and is impressed on their Minds, as an unquestionable Evidence, that the Impression is from God. Is not this the chief Evidence which many of you trust to, when you would prove that your Impressions and Interpretations of Scripture are from above? Have not sundry of you separated from us, because it was strongly impressed on your Minds that you must leave us? These Impressions are sometimes so powerful as greatly to affect your Bodies. Hence your ridiculous Motions, Rockings, Twistings, Jumpings &c. in your pretended religious Meetings and Exercises.

There is no Doubt to be made but the Spirit of God could impress divine Truths with such Force on our Minds, as would not only greatly affect, but even dissolve our weak Frame. But as he knows our Make, there is Reason to think that he does not ordinarily exert much Force, so as violently to agitate the Body in bestowing his converting and sanctifying Influences. The Visions of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Paul and John, were very extraordinary indeed, and not to be commonly expected. Such Extraordinaries are not necessary for Salvation. The Divine Spirit enlightens the Mind in a gentle Manner which but seldom agitates the Body. Divine Light poured into the Mind discovers the Way, the Man's Judgment is convinced, his Objections vanish, he readily complies. So that there is no Need of any forcible Pressure on his Body to compel him. Whereas when Satan leads Persons to any Thing, since he has no Divine Light to discover Truth to them, it is natural to suppose he uses, if permitted, a Sort of a Force, [Page] something like the Charming or Enchanting of Serpents, when they bring Birds into their very Mouths.

This Matter, I think, is fully illustrated and proved by the following Scriptures. k ‘And behold the Lord passed by, and a great and strong Wind rent the Mountains, and brake in Pieces the Rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the Wind: and after the Wind an Earthquake; but the Lord was not in the Earthquake: and after the Earthquake a Fire; but the Lord was not in the Fire: and after the Fire a still small Voice. And it was so when Elijah heard it that he wrapped his Face in his Mantle and stood in the Entring in of the Cave.’ The Lord was not in those powerful shocking Convulsions. But he was with the still small Voice.

When the Spirit was pleased to grant the Church immediate Revelations and Prophecies, in the first Days of the Gospel, the Apostle gives the following Directions. l ‘If any Thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the First hold his Peace. For ye may all Prophecy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets.’ Which Clause Dr. Doddridge thus paraphrases; ‘There is no Impossibility of doing this; for the Spirit of God that inspires you, is not a wild irresistible Impulse, like that by which the Pythian Priestess, and others who profess Inspiration and Prophecy among the Gentiles, pretend to be agitated; but the-Spirits or Inspirations of the Christian Prophets produce those calm Emotions which are subject to the Prophets.’

Satan is a very powerful Being, having been one of the Chief of the Angels, that "excell in Strength." We read m of ‘one whose coming is after the Working of Satan, with all Power;" and that "some would be given up to strong Delusions.’ So that the Power, Strength or Force, with which any particular Text of Scripture is suggessed to a Man, and borne in upon his Mind, cannot be justly looked upon as a certain distinguishing Evidence, that the Impression is from God.

3. Hence, we learn, what to think of that which others mention as a Mark that their Impressions come from God, viz. [Page] ‘that they have strong Opposition against them, that they strive and struggle to resist, but at length are compelled by the Force and Weight which they feel, to yield.’ 'Tis to be observed, that all this Opposition, which these Persons speak of, is after they have had their Impressions, after they see and know that they are clearly taught their Duty in such Instances. But the Spirit of God teaches Men, by renewing their Minds, and enlightning their Understandings in the Truth. These Operations of the Spirit remove Men's Opposition to the Truth. So that it is strange that Persons should feel this Opposition to the Teachings of the true Spirit, and feel it exceeding strong too; yea, and to be overcome at last rather by some unaccountable Force upon the Body, than Light and Reason discovered to the Mind.

There is a Disposition in Men, by Nature to resist the Spirit, That is, their sinful Lusts and Inclinations are contrary to God and Holiness. The Opposition of Sinners to the Spirit arises from their Lusts and Ignorance. But the Opposition which these Persons mention, so far as I can judge from their Description of it, is the Opposition, their better Reason and Conscience make against their Impressions. I wish this Matter may be as seriously and candidly considered, as its Importance requires.—These are two very different Sorts of Opposition, and I think might be clearly distinguished, if thoroughly examined.

Opposition to the Admonitions of the Spirit by the written. Word set home on the Heart, because they are contrary to Men's sinful Lusts, is very common. It is often reproved in the Scriptures, and is beyond all Controversy a very sinful Opposition. But there may also be, yea often are strange and absurd Impressions on Men's Minds, which their Conscience and Reason can't but oppose. They don't really see the Thing impressed on their Minds to be right, and they have not sufficient Evidence that the Impression comes from God. For this would ordinarily remove their Opposition, as in Paul's Case. If therefore the Opposition ariseth from Men's Reason and Conscience, I don't see, how they can make this any Mark at all of the Impressions coming from God. I should rather think, it was an Evidence of its coming from Satan; since the Spirit of God constantly applies, in his teaching Men [Page] by Scripture, to Men's Consciences, and shews them sufficient Reasons to prove that the Things, he urges them to, are right; and thus leaves them without Excuse. Whereas Satan hurries Men along blindfold.

Virgil, the celebrated Heathen Poet, describes the Sibyl, the Priestess of the Idol-Apollo, as struggling violently under the powerful Impressions of the Evil Spirit. They who were possessed with Evil Spirits in the Days of Christ, struggled against their violent Agitations, as we are informed by the Evangelists. John Lewis say, ‘I did several Times between the first Impulse and the Execution of the horrid Deed strive to resist.’

But the Apostles, when they were called by Christ, immediately without manifesting any Opposition obeyed his Divine Call. Who was a more violent Opposer of Jesus of Nazareth, and his Followers, than the Apostle Paul in his Unbelief? Yet as soon as he was commanded by Christ, he immediately obeyed. We don't read, that he strove and struggled against the Divine Command. His Opposition though very violent before, was then instantly removed. He immediately obeyed the heavenly Vision. Is it not astonishing that Opposition to Impressions should be made a certain Evidence of their coming from God!

4. Others imagine that their suffering Reproach for following their Impressions, is a good Proof of their proceeding from the divine Spirit; since the World has a Disrelish for the Things of the Spirit of God. Hence, some make a great Outcry about Pesecution, as if they were violently abused and persecuted, because they don't enjoy such great Immunities and Privileges, as the regular established Churches in the Colony. They magnify these Things, and the Reproaches and Ridicule, they meet with for their Follies, are very grievous Oppressions and sore Persecutions. Whereas there is no Part of the World that enjoys Liberty more fully than the British Colonies. We may say with the greatest Propriety in the Words of Peter, n ‘Who is he that will harm you if ye be Followers of that which is good.’ According to him it is not true, that the World is always disposed openly to persecute [Page] Men because they are good. In Times of Persecution, good Men are represented as Evil, before they are persecuted.

The Opposition and Enmity, which natural Men have to the Gospel in Christian Countries, and in Lands of Liberty, consists rather in the Ignorance of their Minds, and Contrariety of their Hearts, Wills and Lusts to God and Christ, than in open Persecution of true Saints. There are many unconverted Persons who on one Account and another have a great Regard for Men, who are eminently religious. The Children of Heth, who were Heathens esteemed and honoured Abraham. o Saul who was a wicked King honoured the holy Prophet Samuel.

But it is certain, that while Reason remains in the World, Follies and Inconsistencies in Conduct will expose Men to Ridicule. There is no Possibility of helping this. But what special Virtue there is in being thus ridiculous, I am yet to learn. ‘What Glory, says Peter, is it if when ye be buffeted for your Faults, ye take it patiently?’ Most certainly then there is much less Glory, when you bear your deserved Reproaches with great Impatience; and retaliate them fourfold with Bitterness and Railing, which your Neighbours can testify is your constant Practice.

5. Others look on the great Zeal with which they are filled, in Consequence of their Impressions, as a certain Proof of their coming from God. It is readily granted, that Men should be very zealous about Religion, and that good Men, who are quickened by the Spirit, are filled with much holy Zeal. This Zeal proceeds from the saving Knowledge of God through Christ, and disposes the Man who has it to have a tender Concern for the divine Glory, and hearty Charity or Love for Mankind, and it is always regulated by the Rules contained in the written Word of God. Right Zeal, like the Wisdom that is from above, should be first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of Mercy and good Fruits, without Partiality and without Hypocrisy.

It should be remembered, that the sensible Motions of the Blood and animal Spirits, which ordinarily accompany Zeal, depend in a great Measure on the Constitution of the Body; and will be very different in different Persons, who are equally religious according to their respective Constitutions. Hence, [Page] it is difficult to judge of the Affections of others, from the visible Discoveries, they make of their Zeal. The Apostle Peter was a Man of a natural warm Make: The Apostle John was of a meek and gentle Spirit. He was of a calm and pacifick Temper; yet it does not appear that the zealous and forward Peter was a more eminent Saint, or really more engaged in Religion, than the meek and humble John. Each of them had his peculiar Gift in which he excelled. Peter had been much to blame if he had dispised John.

The Scriptures and the Reason of Things inform us, there is a false Zeal as well as a true. Persons may be very zealous about their Religion, who are quite Strangers to the Influences of the holy Spirit. Were not Baal's Prophets extremely zealous in Elijah's Time about their own Religion? about the Credit of their Worship and favourite Idol? And was not Jezebel equally engaged? Jehu does not appear to have been sincerely religious; yet he was ready to call upon others to come and see his Zeal for the Lord. Were not the Scribes and Pharisees ignorant of Christ the Lord of Glory? yet who were more zealous than they? How much engaged were they to make Proselytes, and encrease their Number? They would compass Sea and Land to gain one new Disciple. Yea, in the Height of their ignorant Zeal, they crucified Christ himself. As true Zeal is always an Attendant of true Religion; so false Zeal constantly accompanies Delusion, otherwise the Counterfeit would be very imperfect. And indeed there is no Branch of the Christian Character that is more easily, and commonly Counterfeited than Zeal, as appears from the foregoing Instances.

Pride and Self-Will in Men, if they are opposed, will often make them zealous. Opposition stirs Men's Angry Passions, and frequently enflames them with burning Zeal against their Adversaries.

It is certain that Persons may do a great Deal at heating their own Fancies, and kindling the Fire of Enthusiasm by their own Industry and Labour. Those who have not been acquainted with such Things, would be surprized to see what labouring and toiling will do at raising forced Transports. And may not Satan be ready to blow this Wild-Fire. The Indian S [...]ge [...] and to work themselves up into a Sort of [Page] Enthusiasm and Rapture at their Entertainments, as appears from some of their Reveries and Speeches. p

When Persons have embibed the Notion, which it is to be feared the greater Part of you have, that bodily Exercise is a principal [...]art of eminent Holiness; when the Heads of your Parties censure and condemn all reasonable Religion and solid Piety as stupid, lifeless and dead Services; and recommend extravagant Rants by their Examples and Exhortations, as the highest Devotion, practically teaching that in Order to serve God acceptably, you must first get transported beyond all Appearance of Reason; it is not at all wonderful, if many who have no real Sense of Divine Things on their Minds should try to force and work themselves up to such wild Frenzies. But all sober, understanding Christians see there is something extremely odious in this mechanical or forced Zeal. Such Zeal is doubtless one of the greatest Indignities that can be offered to a jealous God.

But not to enlarge on this, since extraordinary Heat and Zeal may proceed from a warm Imagination worked up by Men's own Labour and Industry; since it may be raised by the Agency of Satan; it cannot be allowed to be any certain Mark that the Impressions, which it accompanies, come from God. When Men's Zeal stirs them up to Extravagancies, it may be looked on as an Evidence, they are not then moved by divine Influences. For the Spirit has expressly revealed that ‘God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace, as in all Churches of the Saints.’ q So that according to this Text i [...] any pretended religious Assemblies, allow and approve of Disorders and Confusions they are not to be accounted Churches of Saints. They are not to be owned as Churches of Christ at all, so far forth as they countenance Disorders.

6. Others pretend, that their Impressions make them exceeding humble. I readily grant that true Humility is a good Evidence. For it is not probable, that Satan, the proud Spirit, would try to make Men truly humble. But it is one Thing for Men to be really humble, and another to say and profess they are so

There is something so very abominable and shockingly monstrous [Page] in Pride, it renders a Person so like the Devil, that few or none will ever profess they are proud. According to my Observations, Men generally make some Pretensions to Humility; so that your professing that your Impressions make you very humble, is no sufficient Evidence that you are so. When a Man professes to be very humble, this is the same Thing as to profess in other Words, that he is a very excellent Christian. And may not a Man who has much spiritual Pride, and only a Shew of Humanity profess this?

If you were really humble, how came you to be so wise in your own Conceits, and to have such a high Opinion of your own Gifts, Experiences and Graces? And so much Contempt for all but yourselves? Whence is it, that you don't pay any Regard to the Reasons and Judgment of any Man or Number of Men, let them be never so wise, learned and godly; but trample on all Churches, and their Determinations, but your own, with the greatest Disdain? Did you not make this one grand Plea for your Separations from us, that our Churches were not pure enough for such holy Persons as you? Were you not afraid such eminent Saints as you would be poluted by having Communion with such Sinners, as you think we are? Is it not then a downright barefaced Insult on common Sense, for you to pretend to Humility, when your whole Conduct loudly declares that you are lifted up beyond Measure with Pride? But probably it was powerfully impressed on your Minds, you were more excellent than your Neighbours. If you had such an Impression on your Minds, your own Conscience and Reason doutless opposed it at first, because there were sundry Things that rendered it very improbable. But there was something so agreeable in the Impression, you at length gave Way to it, and now act upon it.

Now can you think, can any Body believe, that an Impression, that has puffed you up with Pride, and inspired you with Disdain towards Thousands that are really superior to you, could come from God?

What tho' you despise fine Cloaths, and new Fashions, and exclaim against them? You may take as much Pride in railing against them, as others do in following them. Reason and common Sense plainly direct Persons to appear in that Dress, in which they are likely to be least stared at, and talked [Page] about; since there are but few, who have Merit enough to support an extraordinary Character. When Persons dress above or below what is accounted suitable for their Estates and Stations, in the Place and Age where they live, they are Offenders against this Rule, and are often punished by Ridicule.

Modest Apparel is recommended by the Scriptures, which are the Standard of good Sense, as well as Religion. Unaffected Neatness is celebrated as the Perfection of Dress by the best Judges. Women who are really beautiful need not, and those who are truly virtuous will not, greatly study to outdo others in Finery and Fashions; unless they have a strong Tincture of Vanity, or a wrong Taste. They would not be the less amiable, tho' they should not conform to the Fashions, that are contrary to common Sense, private Beauty and Family Conveniency. But if such, as have but little Virtue, and Beauty, should try to recommend themselves by extravagant Finery, dressing even beyond the Fashion, however inconvenient and ridiculous it may be, they would commonly find themselves sadly disappointed; since hereby, they would make a glaring Discovery of their excessive Vanity, Want of Sense and true Taste. Extravagance in Dress is still more absurd in Men. What a sorry Character do Pops sustain? 'Tis a Pity they are not always mortified by Neglect or Ridicule, which they so justly merit with great Pains and Expence.

But since Mankind are proud of many Things besides Cloaths, it will not follow, that all, who rail against Finery and new Fashions are truly humble. Some may do this to make a Righteousness of their Zeal against Foppery. Some may from merefullenness put on Rags, when they see others glare in Robes. But in true Humility the Mind is humbled, bro't to a meek and lowly temper. Such Persons are poor in Spirit, diffident of their own Wisdom, and ready to esteem others better than themselves, but not forward to exercise themselves in great Matters, or Things too high for them. r

As Pride often appears in excessive Finery, 'tis not improbable that some Hypocrites may attempt to counterfeit the amiable Grace of Humility by a mean and sordid Dress. It is certain some Superstitious Devotees among Heathens and [Page] Papists have carried this to a very great Height. As Examples are sometimes more striking than reasoning, I shall give a notable one in the famous Abbe de Paris, from Doct. Leland, with some of his Remarks upon it. ſ

He was the eldest Son of an ancient, rich, and honorable Family, and therefore born to an opulent Fortune: though his Father, when he saw his turn of Mind, very prudently left him but a Part of it, and that in the Hands of his younger Brother. But though he still had an ample Provision made for him, he voluntarily deprived himself of all the Conveniences and even the Necessaries of Life. He chose one obscure Hole or Cottage after another to live in, and often mixed with Beggars, whom he resembled so much in his Customs, sordid and tattered Garb, and whole Manner of his Life, that he was sometimes taken for one, and was never better pleased, than when this exposed him in the Streets and Ways to Derision and Contempt. Poverty was what he so much affected, that though he applied to his Brother for what his Father had left him, yet that he might not have the Appearance of being rich, he chose not to take it as what was legally due to him, but to supplicate for it in the humblest Terms, as for an Alms freely bestowed upon a miserable Object that had nothing of his own. And yet in his last Will, he disposed of it as his own to various Uses as he thought fit, especially for the Benefit of those who had been Sufferers for the Jansenists Cause. For several of the last Years of his Life he seemed to make it his Business to contrive Ways to weaken, or harrass, and torture his Body, and thereby hasten his own Death. Whilst he gave away his Income to the poor, he himself voluntarily endured all the Evils and Hardships which attended the Extremity of Want and Poverty. Mean and wretched was his Garb, black Bread, Water and Herbs, but without Oil, Salt, or Vinegar, or any Thing to give them Savour, was his only Sustenance, and that but once a Day. He lay upon the Ground, and was worn away with continual Watchings. After his Death, were found his Hair Shirt, an Iron Cross, a Girdle, Stomacher and Bracelets of the same Metal, [Page] all bestuck with sharp Points. These were the Instruments of Penitence, with which he was wont to chastise himself, the plain Marks of which he bore in his Body. By such a Course he brought himself not only into great Weakness of Body, but into Disorders of Mind: And this, which was the natural Effect of his Manner of Living, he attributed to the Influence of the Devil, whom God had in just Judgment permitted to punish him for his Sins. And in enquiring into the Causes of divine Displeasure, he fixed upon this, that he had still too great a Love for human Learning and Knowledge, and therefore from thenceforth did all he could to divest himself of it, and would have sold his well furnished Library, if he had not been prevented by some of his Friends, whose Interest it was to preserve it. For two Years together he refused to come to the holy Supper, under Pretence that it was not lawful for him to come, God having required him to abstain from it: And it was with great Difficulty that he was brought to it at last, by the Threatnings and even Reproaches of his Confessor. Finally, that no Kind of Misery might be wanting to him, he chose for his Companion to dwell with him in his Cottage, a Man that was looked upon to be crazy, and who treated him in the most injurious Manner. He did all he could to hide himself from his Friends in one sorry Cottage after another, and about a Month before his Death fixed himself in a little Lodge in the Corner of a Garden, exposed to the Sun and Wind. When by such Severities he had brought himself into an universal bad habit of Body, and it was visible to his Friends, that if he continued in that Course he would not long support under it; a Physician was called in, who only desired him to remove to a more commodious Habitation, to allow himself more Sleep, and a better Diet, and especially to take nourishing Broths for restoring his enfebled Constitution. But all the Perswasions of his Physician, Confessor, and of his Friends, and the Tears of an only Brother, could not prevail with him to follow an Advice so reasonable and practicable; though he was assured, that if he use the Method there was great Hope of his Recovery, and that his Life could not be preserved without it. And when at last to satisfy their importunity, he seemed so far to comply, [Page] as to be willing to take some Broth, it was only an Appearance of complying, for he took Care to give such Orders, to the Person who was to prepare it for him, that it really yielded little or no Nourishment. Thus it was manifest, that he had determined to hasten, as much as in him lay, his own Death. And accordingly he told his Confessor, that this Life had nothing in it to make it worth a Christian's Care to preserve it.

However such Things procured him so extraordinary a Reputation that he has passed for one of the greatest Saints that ever appeared in the Christian Church. No sooner was he dead, but an innumerable Multitude of People ran to his Corpse, some of whom kissed his Feet, others cut off Part of his Hair as a Remedy against all Manner of Evils,; others bro't Books or Bits of Cloth to touch his Body, as believing it filled with a divine Virtue. Thus were they prepared to believe and expect the most wonderful Things—But it cannot in Consistency with Reason be supposed, that God should extraordinarily interpose by his own divine Power, to do Honor to the Bones and Ashes of a Man weak and superstitious to a Degree of Folly, and who was knowingly and willingly accessory to his own Death.

How different is this from the beautiful and noble Idea of Piety and Virtue which the Gospel furnisheth us with, and from the perfect Pattern of moral Excellency which is set us by our Blessed Saviour himself in his own holy Life and Practices! That the great Apostle St. Paul was far from encouraging such Austerites as tended to hurt and destroy the bodily Health, sufficiently appeareth from the Advice he gave to Timothy, Drink no longer Water, but use a little Wine, for thy Stomach's Sake and thine often Infirmities. 1 Tim. v. 23. He condem [...]eth those that under Pretence of extraordinary Purity, were for observing the Ordinances and Traditions of Men, Touch not, taste not, handle not; and brands their Practice under the Name of Will-Worship, a voluntary Humility and Neglecting, or as the Word might be rendered, not sparing the Body. Col. ii. 20, 21, 22, 23.—

It hath always appeared to me to be the Glory of the Christian Religion, as prescribed in the New Testament, that the Piety it teacheth us is solid and rational, remote from all [Page] superstitious Extremes, worthy of a God of infinite Wisdom and Goodness to require, and becoming the true Dignity of the reasonable Nature. It comprehendeth not only immediate Acts of Devotion towards God, but a diligent Performance of all relative Duties, and the faithful Discharge of the various Offices incumbent upon us in the Civil and Social Life. It requireth us indeed to bear with a noble Fortitude the greatest Evils, when we are regularly called to suffer for the Cause of God, but not rashly to expose ourselves to those Evils or to bring them upon ourselves.

The wise and beneficient Author of Nature hath stored the whole World about us with a Varietly of Benefits: and can it be thought to be agreeable to his Will, that instead of tasting his Goodness in the Blessings he vouchsafeth us, we should make a Merit of never allowing ourselves to enjoy them? How much more rational is it to receive those Blessings with Thankfulness, and enjoy them with Temparence, according to that of St. Paul, Every Creature of God is Good, and Nothing to be refused, if it be received with Thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer. 1 Tim. iv. 4, 5. Can it be pleasing to our merciful heavenly Father, that we should not merely humble and chasten ourselves on special Occasions, but make it our constant Business to torment ourselves and to impair and destroy those Bodies he hath given us, and thereby unfit ourselves for the proper Offices of Life? Is it reasonable to imagine, that under the mild Dispensation of the Gospel; which breaths an engenuous and chearful Spirit, and raiseth us to the noble Liberty of the Children of God, the best Way of recommending ourselves to his Favour should be to deny ourselves all the Comforts he affordeth us, and to pass our Lives in perpetual Sadness and Abstinence? Could it be said in that Case, that Godliness is profitable unto all Things, having the Promise of the Life that now is, and of that which is to come? 1 Tim. iv. 8.—It was not indeed till Christians began to degenerate from that lovely Form of rational, solid Piety and Virtue, or which Christ himself exhibited the most perfect Example, that they laid so mighty a Stress on those severe and rigorous Austerities, which neither our Saviour nor his Apostles had commanded. And in this Respect some of those, who were antiently [Page] deemed heretical Sects, carried it to a greater Degree of Strictness than the orthodox themselves.

7. In fine, many suppose that if Impressions from Scripture draw out their Affections in Love to God and Christ, this is a sure Evidence that they come from the Holy Spirit.

But this is also a rash Conclusion; since there is no sufficient Reason to think that Love may not be counterfeited as well as other Graces. A Man may greatly love another, having received a wrong Notion or Idea of him, and yet if he were undeceived and really knew what Sort of a Man he was, his Love would immediately vanish 'Tis not Love to God and Christ under any Notion that Men may form in their Minds, that will evidence they have sincere, genuine Love to the true God and his only begotten Son, and prove they are under the Influence of the Good Spirit. When prophane Sinners think (as they generally do) that God is altogether such a one as themselves, it is natural for them to love him under this Notion. But is there any great Virtue in their Love?

'Atheists are few, most Nymphs a G [...]dhead own,

'And Nothing but his Attributes dethrone;

'From Atheists far, they stedfastly believe

'God is, and is Almighty—to forgive.

'His other Excellence they'll not dispute,

'But Mercy sure is his chief Attribute.

'Shall Pleasures of a short Duration chain

'A Lady's Soul in everlasting Pain?

'No. He's forever in a smiling Mood

'He's like themselves; or how could he be good?

'And they blaspheme who blacker Schemes suppose.—

'Devoutly thus Jehovah they depose

'The Pure! the Just! and set up in his Stead

'A Deity that's perfectly well bred.

'Dear T—L—N—! besure the best of Men;

'Nor thought he more than thought great Origon.

'Tho once upon a Time he misbehaved

'Poor Satan! doubtless He'll at Length be saved.'

DR. YOUNG.

Multitudes of the Jews, while they believed Christ would be a temporal Saviour, deliver them from the Roman Yoke, and make them the Lords of the World, loved him very [Page] much, and filled the Air with loud Hosannas in his Praise; attending his triumphant Entrance into Jerusalem. When they found out their Mistake, they cried out with great Vehemency, ‘crucify him! crucify him! Not this Man but Barabbas.’ When a Mahometan greatly loves God, because he believes he has provided for him great Quantities of generous Wines, and many fine Women in Paradise, what special Virtue is there in his carnal Affections? I am really very serious, when I prosess, that some of you t seem to me to have as carnal Notions of Heaven as the Mahometans.

If a Sinner under slight Convictions should have a Discovery made to him by the false Spirit, from some Text of Scripture, that God loved him with a special Love, and would deliver him from Hell and receive him into Heaven, he would undoubtedly love God under that View. The Principles of natural Gratitude, which are implanted in the human Heart, would immediately produce such a Love as this. Indeed it is [...] great Difficulty to perswade unconverted Sinners, or even those that have but slight and partial Convictions, to believe that God has a peculiar Fondness for them. But let such Persons be brought effectually to see their exceeding great Sinfulness, and the many black Aggravations with which their Sins have been attended, and they'll lose all this Faith and Love. Nothing can then support them but a real Discovery of the glorious Mediator Jesus Christ.

Hence, I don't wonder that some of you discard Convictions out of your Religion. u For there is nothing that would more effectually prevent your false Faith, Love and Joy, than thorough Convictions of your exceeding Sinfulness.— Legal Convictions let them be ever so deep don't make any Attonement for Sin; for then there had been no Need that Christ should have died. Neither do they enable a Man to [Page] convert himself. The Law has Power to stay, but it cannot bring to Life again. In Convictions a Man does not prepare himself for the Grace of God; but the Spirit of God prepares his own Way, treating the Sinner like a rational Creature, that so he may be willing to forsake his Sins, renounce his own Righteousness, and receive and rest upon Christ alone for Salvation. 'Tis the Scripture Doctrine, that the Spirit convinces of Sin, and of Righteousness; that by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin; that Sinners are alive in their own Conceits, 'till the Commandment is set home on their Consciences. w Tho' Persons may make a Righteousness of slight Convictions, yet thorough Conviction is one great Thing which kills their proud Hopes. There is no Probability that ever any Sinner will renounce all Dependence on his own Righteousness, till he is thoroughly convinced by the Law of its utter Insufficiency. To discard Convictions and preaching up the Law in its Purity, Strictness and Tenor is an infallible Recipe to feed human Pride—But then Men will be more easily persuaded to believe God loves them, and that Christ died for them in particular. Proud Haman thought in his Heart, to whom would the King delight to do Honor more than to myself? And indeed if the Antinomian Notion of Faith, viz. a Believing that Christ died for me in particular were true, legal Convictions would be the greatest Obstacle to it. So that in this the Moravians are by far more consistent with themselves than other Antinomians. The less Sense a Sinner has of his own Unworthiness, and the more he values his own Excellency; the more easily he can believe, that God has a singular Regard for him, and that Christ must have a peculiar Esteem for him, and if he died for any Body, besure for him.

1. Let us now attend a little to the Method in which the Spirit of God teaches Men in his Word.—As there are only general Truths in the Scripture, the Spirit of God enlightens Men's Minds only in general Truths. The Scriptures give us an Account of God, his glorious Perfections and Excellencies. They represent his Law to be most excellent and important, to be holy, just and good. They describe Sin against God to be most vile and abominable, and consequently [Page] that Sinners are vile and wretched Creatures. They assert there is no Door of Hope for Sinners but through Jesus Christ, who being the only begotten Son of God, the Brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Person, by himself purged our Sins, or made Attonement for them on the Cross; and that whosoever believes in this glorious Redeemer shall not perish but have everlasting Life. These are general Descriptions of Persons and Things considered in themselves.

2. Now when the Spirit of God instructs Sinners in the Scriptures, he gives them a real view or Sense of these Things, according to that consistent Scheme which is in the Scriptures. He does not represent one Scripture contrary to another. He brings them to have the same Notions of these important Things, as he has delivered in his Word. They see by his Influences that the Descriptions, which God has given in the Scriptures, are divinely true. When therefore a Sinner has the same Apprehensions about God, his Law, his own Vileness, and the only Way of Salvation by Christ, as are delivered in the Scriptures; then he is taught by the Spirit—Such a Man apprehends God to be infinitely excellent and glorious, his Law to most pure and holy, worthy of God to reveal; himself to be unspeakeably vile, ungrateful and abominable; yea justly liable to God's dreadful Wrath for violating this excellent Law; and that if he were to be condemned to the everlasting Torments of Hell, it is no more than he justly deserves for dishonoring a glorious God. He sees that all the Declarations of God are infallibly true. He believes that Testimony which he has borne concerning Jesus Christ. He sees that this glorious Redeemer has laid a sufficient Foundation for the Safety of all believing Sinners, that God can be just and yet the Justifier of every one that believeth in Jesus; and that whosoever cometh unto Christ, he will in no wise cast outlet him be ever so great a Sinner. Thus the Spirit of God teaches Sinners with his Word, bringing them effectually to know and love the Truths which are revealed in the Scriptures, the general Truths of God's holy Word, leading them to have such Views of Things considered in themselves, as are given in the Scriptures. If therefore a Man be conscious to himself, that he apprehends divine Things as they are represented in the Scriptures; if he feels himself duly influenced by the Gospel, [Page] that the Life which he now lives in the Flesh, he lives by Faith in the Son of God; then it is evident that he is led by the Spirit of God. For ‘the Gospel is to them that perish Foolishness.’ They never behold its eminent Glory, they are never duly influenced by it. It is only to those who are saved, that the Gospel is made the Power of God.

As the Spirit of God teaches Men only general Truths from his Word, he does no more by the Sacraments. There is, I apprehend, an intire Correspondence between the Declarations of the Word of God and the Sacraments. Seals are used among Men to confirm Writings, Bonds, Obligations, &c. Thus, King Ahasuerus confirmed his Commands, which he sent to the several Provinces of his large Empire, not only "by writing them in his own Name," but "by sealing them with his Ring." x Now though God's Declarations are worthy of all Acceptation, being sufficiently credible in themselves, because of his infallible Truth and Faithfulness, yet guilty Sinners have many Fears, and are very prone to distrust his gracious Promises; so that there is Need of various Sorts of Evidence to induce them to believe, or give hearty Credit to his Gospel. Hence, God has been pleased in Condescention to our Weakness to affix Baptism and the Lord's Supper, by Way of Seals to his Gospel or new Covenant. Now it is well known that among Mankind the Seal is affixed to the written Agreement, Bond, Indenture, Covenant, and to that only. Nothing is confirmed by the Seal, but what is expressed in the written Instrument to which it is affixed. And thus God confirms Nothing by the Sacraments, which are the Seals of the New-Testament or Covenant, but what he hath written in it. Is it not absurd to imagine that there can be any Thing sealed or confirmed by the Sacraments, but what is declared in that Covenant and written Word in the Bible to which they are affixed as Seals?

"This Cup, says Christ, is the New Testament in my Blood;" That is, as commonly explained, the Sacramental-Cup, which represents the Blood of Christ, is the Seal of the New-Testament or Covenant, which is established by the Blood of Christ. God has expressly declared, that whosoever believeth in Christ shall be saved. This is in brief the New-Covenant. God not only reveals this general Truth in Words, but he sets his Seal [Page] to it in the Sacraments; hereby solemnly promising he will save them if they believe in the Sense of the Gospel. But he does by no Means seal to those that partake of the Sacraments, that they have this Faith. For then he would seal something that is not in the Scriptures, and very frequently seal what is not true in itself, since many, who partake of the Sacraments, have not justifying Faith.

Men on their Parts promise to fulfil this New Covenant, or believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is their Indispensible Duty, agreeable to the general Commands of Christ to all to repent and believe the Gospel. So that there is no such Thing, even when graceless Men partake of the Sacraments, as a Seal's being put to a Blank. Is it not true that God will save the Receivers if they truly believe? Is it not equally true, that it is the Duty of the Receivers to believe in Christ?

The Sacraments don't seal Men's saving Interest in the Covenant of Grace. They are greatly mistaken who imagine they do, and have yet to learn the proper Notion of Sacraments. Like Circumcision of old, they are a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith, a Confirmation that God will save all who have true Faith. Now it is every one's indispensible Duty to believe. God required and commanded, yea he bound the Infants of the Jews to this by Circumcision of Old. And why may he not bind and oblige Children of Christian Parents under the Gospel to Faith in Christ? Why should any desire to have their Children free from these Obligations to believe in Christ? Are they tired with the Yoke of Christ themselves, that they would have a greater Liberty reserved for their Children to disregard him? Why then are they so loth to dedicate them to him in Baptism?

i. As it appears to be the Office of the Holy Spirit to enlighten Men's Minds in the general Truths revealed in the Scriptures, so on the contrary it appears to be one great Artifice of Satan, by which, it is to be feared, he deceives many to deal in particular Suggestions, I mean, impressing particular Texts on their Minds as if such Texts had an immediate special Referrence to them. Thus, you see he did in the Case of John Lewis; and there is Reason to believe he does so in many other Instances, where the Delusion wears a more agreeable Dress. Satan instead of shewing a Sinner, who is under some Terrors, the general Encouragement there is in [Page] the Gospel for all believing Sinners, let their Sins be ever so great, suddenly suggests to him some such Thing as this, that he is elected, beloved, justified, that all his Sins are pardoned. For this Purpose he frequently improves such Words as these ‘O Man greatly beloved—I have loved thee with an everlasting Love—Son be of good Cheer thy Sins are forgiven thee— Fear not little Flock it is your Father's good Pleasure to give you the Kingdom,’ &c.

Now such Texts as they refer to us, teach us, as has been before observed, only general Truths, viz. ‘that God greatly loves his Saints, that he pardons their Sins, and will receive them into his heavenly Kingdom.’ But they say Nothing of you, John, Thomas, Ann, Mary, by Name whither you are Saints or Sinners, beloved or hated. The holy Spirit when he enlightens your Minds in these Scriptures can never teach you, that you in particular are beloved, &c. because there is no such Truth in them.

When therefore Persons have it strongly impressed on their Minds from these and the like Scriptures, that they in particular are beloved, elected, pardoned, justified; this is entirely a new Revelation, which must owe its Origin to an over heared Fancy or the Delusion of Satan. Persons must first believe in Christ, before they can have any rational Grounds to hope they were elected. They must prove their Election, and Justification, by their effectual Calling and Sanctification. Men are said to be justified by Faith in Christ. Consequently they are not justified before they believe in this glorious Saviour. When therefore Persons have it first revealed to them that their Sins are pardoned, and they justified; this is a Revelation of a Falshood, and may therefore be justly ascribed to Satan who is the Father of Lies.

Hence, it has been observed of such Converts, that their Minds are not enlightened in the general Truths of the Gospel, and the Way of Salvation by Christ by their Discoveries. The grand Thing they can tell is, that they are beloved, elected, justified, pardoned; and their Burthen has gone off, and they have been filled with Comfort and Joy, while they imagined the Lord manifested his peculiar Affection for them.

2. When the Force of such particular Impressions wear off in some considerable Measure, they would begin to be a little [Page] fearful: But to prevent all Convictions, Satan instils it into their Minds, that it is a great Sin to doubt, and perhaps strongly impresses that Text, O thou of little Faith wherefore "didst thou doubt? Thus, they are brought to imagine that true Faith in Christ is to believe firmly they are in a safe State, and that God has a singular Regard for them; and that walking by Faith is to maintan without any Evidence a good Conceit of themselves.

This has been and still is a very common Notion among many Persons in the Christian World. I must therefore examine it a little particularly.

It might be of Service, if Men would consider what is meant in Scrripture by the Word Doubt, and to what it is applied in the sacred Writings. They might see that Doubting in the Scriptures does not signify Men's questioning whether they are in a State of Grace, but whether Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messias; or distrusting his Power, Truth and Faithfulness. ‘O thou of little Faith, wherefore didst thou doubt, question, scruple my Power to preserve thee from drowning?’

It should be remembered that the main Question which was disputed in the Time of Christ, and his Apostles, was whither Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Saviour. Men were termed Belivers or Unbelievers as they openly professed or denied this fundamental Truth of Christianity. The believing Samaritans declared thus, y ‘We have heard him ourselves, and know that this is Indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the World.’ The great Thing which Paul proved with such striking Evidence was, "that Jesus is the very Christ." The Gospel was written for this End, that ‘Men might believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that believing they might have Life thro' his Name." The Profession of the Eunuch was, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God,’ or the promised Messias.

Hence, when Men scrupled, did not believe this Truth, they were said to doubt. Thus the Jews, z ‘How long dost thou make us to doubt? It thou be the Christ tell us plainly." Thus also after his Resurrection, "When they saw him they Worshiped him, but some doubted,’ (or though [Page] some had doubted) called in Question the Truth of his Resurrection.

Your Misunderstanding of the Word Doubt, as used in the Scriptures, has probably been an Occasion of your falling into sundry Mistakes. While you have fancied the Essence of saving Faith consists in being strongly confident that God loves you, and that Christ died for you in particular, you are ready to pronounce all who have some Comfort after Convictions to be true Converts. You imagine that if they tell you their Experiences and you have Fellowship with them, you have a certain infallible Knowledge of their gracious State. Hence, the chief Part of your Conversation about Religion is employed in telling your religious Experiences. And I suppose it is from the same Notion, that you exact an Account of Men's religious Experiences before you receive them into your pretended Churches.

The standing Ministry in general zealously maintain the great Importance and absolute Necessity of experimental Religion, as our Sermons, and printed Discourses and Books abundantly testify. For my own Part, were it not for that Regard which I have for experimental Religion, I should not have taken so much Pains in my present low State of Health to rescue it from your Misrepresentations, and to warn the World against those Things in your Conduct, which are giving it such a deadly Blow.

Your prenouncing all, who pretend to have Comfort and Joy after Fears and Trrors, to be true Converts is rash and unwarrantable; and must have a pernicious Tendency wherever your Influence reaches.

How many, who have been enlightened, in some Measure, and, like the stony-ground Hearers in the Parable of the Sower, receive the Word with Joy, soon lose all remarkable Sense of Religion, and prove themselves by their wicked Practices to be in the Gall of Bitterness and in the Bonds of Iniquity? Now does it not reflect a Reproach on experimental Religion in the World, when one and another, who made high Pretensions to it, and were cried up for eminent Christians, discover they have no serious Regard for Religion at all?

Since it is certain, that there are common as well as saving Operations of the Spirit; that unsound Professors may have [Page] various Changes and Reformations; that many who seem to begin in the Spirit end in the Flesh, ‘turning with the Dog to his Vomit and with the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the Mire;’ should there not be the utmost Prudence and Caution used in declaring that others by Name are sincere Converts? What Necessity lies upon Christians to search the Hearts of others, and make any Declaration at all, that they are in a gracious State? The Apostles received thousands into the Church in a Day upon their professing that Jesus was the Christ, and treated ‘all a in every Place who called upon the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord as visible Saints,’ though they knew there were many among them who had only the outward Badge of Christianity. It is evident the Apostles did not examine those whom they admitted into the Christian Church, about their religious Experiences. For it is too absurd to believe that they could particularly examine three Thousand in a Day. Now if they did not examine them on this Point, but received them on their open Profession of Christ, how come you to require a particular Relation of Religious Experiences before you will receive any Person into Communion with you? Where have you any Precept or Example in the Bible for exacting a Relation of Religious Experiences, in Order to your admitting them to christian Privileges? Did Philip require the Eunuch to relate his Experiences before he baptised him? Or did he not administer this Ordinance to him upon his professing honestly to believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God? This is the Account the Scripture gives and farther saith not. Now remember it is written ‘Add thou not to his Words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a Liar.’

You have been often told (and if I remember right by President Edwards among others) that a Declaration of religious Experiences was never insisted on according to the Scriptures as a Term of Christian Communion, nor any Instance of such a Practice to be found from the Days of Adam to the Death of the Apostle John. Why don't you leave off this Practice or produce Scripture to defend it? b

[Page]You pretend to be extremely scrupulous sometimes about Things for which, you think, there is no express Scripture, as in Infant Baptism, and keeping the first Day of the Week for the Sabbath. It is but reasonable you should be consistent with yourselves. Therefore I desire you, to produce the Scripture, the express Command or Example, where Persons were required to declare their secret religious Experiences in order to their being admitted to Baptism.

As to that Fellowship and Communion (as you understand the Words) which you profess to judge by, when you hear Persons relate their religious Experiences, it is Nothing but a Sympathy or fellow-feeling with them, so far as their Experiences appear to you to agree with your own. And in this Sense almost every Person feels something like it in the ordinary Affairs of Life. Thus, when a true Englishman hears how his brave Countrymen have beaten the French, the perfidious Enemies of Great-Britain, he is immediately interested in the Story and has a fellow-feeling with the English Generals and Soldiers in all their Dangers and Victories. And on the contrary a Frenchman sympathises with his Countrymen. And Men who have strong Connexions, whither from Interest, Passions or Principles, will have this sympathetic Feeling, which you call Fellowship and Witnessing for one another.

When you hear a Man tell his religious Experiences, and there happens to be some Similitude between yours and his, you will have a fellow-feeling with him; and upon a mutual Relation of Experiences, you may confirm one another's Hopes and grow more confident of your good Estates, and imagine you are greatly quickened and enlivened by such an Interview. And thus if two persons, who had an implacable Grudge at a third Person, should open their Minds to one another, they would have a great Deal of fellow-feeling with one another, and would be more encouraged and confirmed in their Enmity against him. But can you think that this is what the Scriptures call the Communion of Saints?

To rectify your Mistakes about the Meaning of the Words Communion and Fellowship of Saints as used in Scripture, you may observe, that when a Number of Persons have a common Interest in any Thing, which is capable of being divided into Parts they have Communion or Fellowship in that Thing, each [Page] one receiving his proper Share. Hence the Apostle speaking of the Lord's Supper says, ‘The Cup of Blessing which we bless, is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ? The Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ? Because the Bread is one c we many are one Body; for we are all Partakers of that one Bread.’ Thus Christians according to the Apostle sharing or partaking in the same Elements of Bread and Wine have Communion or Fellowship together.

But where the Subject mentioned is not capable of being divided, Men have Communion together in Respect of said Subject, who each of them have the whole. Saints have all of them, one as well as another, the same God, the same Christ, the same Holy Ghost, the same Graces. And thus all Saints have Communion with one another, however distant they may live as to Time or Place. The Word Communion or Fellowship of Saints among themselves is used ordinarily in one or the other of these two Senses, in the Scriptures. Thus, it appears that the Communion and Fellowship of the Saints mentioned in the Scriptures is quite a different Thing from your sympathetic-feeling, arising from Communication of Experiences. Which Fellowship you can have only with those who tell you their Experiences: Whereas all Saints have Communion with one another though they live in different Countries and Ages of the World.

What has been said about the Nature of your fellow-feeling with one another in your mutual relating your Experiences, clearly discovers what Sort of Evidence that is, which you call witnessing for one another's Conversion. When you have this Fellowship, this is an Evidence that you have, or pretend to have some religious Experiences; and that there is some Similarity or Likeness between your Experiences. But it is no certain Proof, that the Man has had those Experiences, which he relates. For he may borrow them, for any Thing you can tell, from some Book that gives an Account of the Life and Experiences of some excellent Christian published from his Diary by his Friends after his Death. You can remember some Instances in which you have been wretchedly imposed [Page] on, if you please. But suppose the Person relates his own Experiences, and you have strong Sympathy with him, and he with you; this is no infallible Proof, that either of you have Grace. For may not two Hypocrites have Experiences very like one another? May not a large Number of Hypocrites be deceived by the same Spirit, and split on the same Rock? And have Fellowship in one another's false Experiences?

When you determine Persons to be in a gracious State merely by your Fellowship with them in their religious Experiences, does not this open a Door for proud Hypocrites to vaunt themselves, that they may be accounted eminent Christians? And will not the meek, modest and humble Saint on your Scheme be in Danger of being despised and contemned? False Professors, like the Pharisees, are likely to be very forward in proclaiming their own Goodness. They may have strong Fellowship with one another from the Agreement of their Experiences. Now the Scriptures represent, that the greatest Part even of Professors are not true Converts. ‘Many are called but few chosen.’ Many travel the broad Way to Destruction, few find the narrow Way that leads to eternal Life. When therefore you receive or reject a Man by your Fellowship with him, requiring all your Members, Men, Women, Boys and Girls (as your Practice is) to witness for or against him, the greater Part of you must necessarily judge by a false Rule; since every reasonable Man must allow, it is more than probable, that at least more than half of your elective Body are unconverted, and of Consequence have no right Experiences of their own.

There is a probability that Hypocrites will have Fellowship with Hypocrites from the sameness of their Experiences. As they are not much restrained by Modesty and Humility, but ambitious to be accounted eminent Christians, their open Freedom and Forwardness will give them great Influence. But since the Experiences of true Saints will differ from those of Hypocrites, they are not likely to have much Fellowship with Saints in their Relations. d The humble Modesty of sincere Converts will afford a plausible Pretence for Suspicion; [Page] So that they run the Risque of being received but very coldly, and sometimes of being wholly excluded from your Churches, if you adhere strictly to that Plan you have set up. Thus, your Scheme bids fair to open the Doors of your pretended. Churches for all selfdeceived, proud, forward Hypocrites; and to shut them against sincere humble Christians.

This Method of yours in setting up religious Experiences as the only Rule of judging by, seems to be liable to a very just and strong Objection, in that it leads you off from the written Word of God to follow your own sympathetic Feelings with them in their Relations. You don't pretend to know that such and such Persons are converted, because their Experiences, which they relate to you, are agreeable to the Account which the Scriptures give of the Work of Grace in the Hearts of Saints, and the Instances of Conversion which are recorded in them; but you pronounce them converted because you have a secret Fellowship with them, or because you have some strong Impulse or private Revelation that they are born again. Thus you don't use the Scriptures as any Rule in forming your Judgment about your Converts. No Wonder you pass many a rash Judgment. Must you not be strangely bewildered who after all can still confidently blunder on in such gross Absurdities!

Religious Conversation or Discourse is doubtless very profitable, and should be promoted and practised by Christians. But I must be excused at present from thinking, that a perpetual relating of Men's secret Experiences is much for Edification. Does it not look too much like Ostentation? Would it not be much better, when you discourse about experimental Religion, to enquire, not what you or I have experienced as the Marks of a sincere Christian; but what God has revealed in his Word about this important Matter. Do Christians know Nothing about God, his holy Law, the Lord Jesus Christ, and his Redemption, &c. &c. that they can't furnish out a Conversation on religious Subjects, without always introducing their own Experiences and Feelings? ‘Surely, says Mr. Bellamy, those cannot be said to remember God who are always full of themselves, full of a Sense of their own Goodness, and are dwelling forever upon their own high Attainments, ready always to say, God I thank thee I am not as other Men! Such [Page] may be said to remember their own Duties, or their own. Experiences and good Frames; but in the Scripture Sense, God is not in all their Thoughts’ e —And there are many others of the same Opinion.

One would think, it should put a modest Person to the Blush, to make himself, and his great Experiences, the perpetual Subject of his Discourse. But it is natural for some always to make I the Burden of their Story: However, you see this is not commended by some who sustain a religious Character. And why should you desire to discourse about Religion in that Way which exposes your own Characters, and gives Offence to many religious Persons. Should you not beware of giving Offence?

Your Method of talking religious Experiences, and judging by them, furnishes some, as they think, with a specious Pretence to search and try those they don't love; as also to censure and condemn those who don't incline to submit to their Examination. Some such are known to ride up and down the Country, requiring Persons, especially Ministers, to give them an Account of their religious Experiences. Some Time ago a Fellow, who was an utter Stranger to me, called at my House, and immediately addressed me thus. ‘As I understand you are the Minister of this Parish I want to ask you one or two Questions.’ I told him he might ask as many reasonable Questions as he pleased. Then he proceeded without further Ceremony. ‘Do you look upon yourself to be in a Sate of Grace? What are your religious Experiences?’ I answered him; his Questions appeared to me very improper, both as he was an intire Stranger whom I had never seen nor heard of before, and as he was not invested with any proper Authority, that I knew of, to make such Enquiries, and therefore I should not answer them. Upon this he went off saying he believed I had no Grace. This extraordinary Visit led me to enquire what Sort of a Man he was, from which I soon found he was a Man of a very had moral Character.

Such Sort of Treatment and Enquiries excited me to search the Scriptures, whether there was any Foundation in them for such Practices. But upon the most diligent Search, I have [Page] not discovered any Passage, that warrants Christians thus to demand an Account of other's religious Experiences. The Passages that have been chiefly insisted on as Proofs for such a Practice, I think, are two. The first is the Words of the Psalmist, f ‘Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul.’ Your Unacquaintedness with Languages may incline you to be very confident that this Text favours your Notions. But I apprehend there is no certain Evidence, that the Psalmist had any Referrence to his religious Experiences in these Words. According to the Idiom of the Hebrew Language, the Word, which our Translators have rendered Soul, very often signifies the Person himself. g Thus all the Souls that came out of the Loins of Jacob were seventy Souls, that is, seventy Persons. So the Psalmist himself, ‘Many there be which say of my Soul i e. of me, there is no Help for him in God.’ ‘Destroy all them that afflict my Soul i. e. me, for I am thy Servant.’ Hence, perhaps the Words under Consideration might have been as properly translated, I will declare what he hath done for me, and the Clause referred to the temporal Deliverances, which he celebrates in this Psalm; at least there is no Certainty that this is not the Sense of the Passage.

But if it were certain, that the Psalmist in these Words had a Referrence to religious Experiences, the Text would even then be far enough from countenancing your Practice. For he does not require others to relate their secret Experiences to him, but professes his Readiness to declare to such as were looked on as Fearers of the Lord, the Experiences he had on that remarkable Occasion. He did not give this Account of his Experiences to satisfy any Body about his gracious State, to give them any Light about his being a true Saint. For he was a Saint and treated as such long before he wrote this Psalm. So that all that can be inferred from the Text taken in this Sense, is, that a Christian may relate his Experiences, when he has Reason to think it will be for Edification, which must be left to his own discretion, conducted agreeable to the general Rules of the Word. There is nothing in this Text to warrant your requiring and demanding Persons to relate [Page] their Experiences to you, on Pain of being censured and condemned as graceless Wretches and Hypocrites.

It may be of great Advantage and Service to the Church of Christ, for Christians to relate their religious Experiences on proper Occasions. The Lives of excellent Christians that are written with Judgment are of great Service and contain much useful Instruction. And to relate Experiences on some very important Occasions may in some Measure answer the same End. When Persons labour under great Troubles, Difficulties, Darkness, Temptations, &c. it might often be of great Advantage to them to open their Minds freely to their Minister, or to some judicious Christian in whose Prudence and Secrecy they could confide. But to have religious Troubles and Experiences blazed abroad, and tossed about on the Tongues of the careless World must, I think, have no good Tendency. Such open Proclamation of Experiences puffs up ignorant and proud Professors. It fixes the Eyes and Attention of the World on them to keep a narrow Watch, to wait for their Halting; so that when they fall into any Miscarriages this proves a Stumbling Block, and thus Experimental Religion is brought into Contempt. ‘Such a one, say they, was converted to'ther Month or Year, see how he behaves now, we always tho't Pretensions to Conversion and Grace were Nothing, but mere Cant and Hypocrisy.’ Now can you think such Things are likely to promote Religion?

The other Text which you produce for your Practice is the Direction of the Apostle Peter— ‘And be ready always to give an Answer to every Man that asketh you a Reason of the Hope that is in you, with Meekness and Fear.’ In this Passage of his Epistle, whereof these words are a Part, the Apostle is giving the Christians to whom be wrote Directions for their Deportment in the World, the Sum of which is, that they cultivate a peaceful, benevolent Temper and Practice. He recommends this as an excellent Preservative from Reproaches, Sufferings and Persecutions. However he hints, that let them be ever so prudent and peaceable, it might so happen, they should meet with various Troubles and Afflictions from the Enemies of the Christian Religion; and he comforts them with this. ‘If ye suffer for Righteousness Sake, happy are ye; and be not afraid of their [...]err [...], neither be [Page] troubled: But sanctify the Lord God in your Hearts’ The [...] follows the Direction under Consideration, ‘And be ready always to give an Answer to every Man that asketh you a Reason of the Hope that is in you, with Meekness and Fear, having a good Conscience, that whereas they speak Evil of you as of Evil Doers, they may be ashamed that falsly accuse your good Conversation in Christ.’

You see the Apostle speaks of two Sorts of Men in this Passage, professed Christians and their open Enemies, that accused and persecuted them. He gives the Christians a Direction in these Words for their Conduct towards their open Enemies, whither professed Jews or Heathens. Now can any sober unprejudiced Persons think, the Apostle could direct Christians to tell their secret religious Experiences to the professed Unbelievers, who falsely accused and persecuted them? Would it not be sensibly absurd for a serious Christian now a Days to relate his religious Experiences to a reproaching Deist or Indian?

As Jesus of Nazareth was proved to be the true Messias and Saviour of the World, by the most glorious Evidence of Miracles; and by fulfilling the Prophesies of the Old Testament, &c. it was a most reasonable Thing, that all, who professed to believe in him, should be always ready to shew the Reasons why they believed, hoped and trusted in him. If any of their Enemies should ask them a Reason or Discourse of the Hope that was in them, desiring them to shew why they believed that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ; Nothing could be more reasonable than to set before them the Evidences of the Christian Religion. Thus Paul speaks of his being h ‘called in Question of the Hope and Resurrection of the Dead.’ He was ready to shew the Reasons of his embracing Christianity. And all, who call themselves by the Name of Christ, should be so well acquainted with the Doctrines and Evidences of our holy Religion, as to be ready to shew every one that asks them in a sober Manner, some sufficient Reasons, why they believe Jesus of Nazareth to be the Christ, and hope and trust in him. For I presume the Text has not changed its Sense by Length of Time. The Direction is still Important.

'Tis certain that the Apostles had the highest Regard for experimental [Page] Religion. They well knew that unless Men have right Experiences, they can't have true Religion. Yet they were not forward in relating their own extraordinary Experiences. They observe the greatest Modesty and Decorum, when they were obliged to say any Thing about themselves. But the false Teachers, who opposed the Apostles, were very forward in recommending themselves, and boasting of their great Attainments. In Opposition to these Deceivers, St. Paul found it necessary to say something about himself, his Labours, Sufferings, Visions and Revelations; yet he does it in such a Manner, (as Dr. Doddridge justly observes) as plainly shews how disagreeable it was to him, so much as seem to applaud himself on the most necessary Occasions Most remarkable is the Apology i of the Apostle, ‘I say—Let no Man, think me a Fool; if otherwise yet as a Fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little. That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly in this Confidence of Boasting. Seeing that many glory after the Flesh, I will glory also, &c. &c.’ —It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory, I will come to Visions and Revelations of the Lord.—I am become a Fool in glorying, ye have compelled me. Thus he shews it was with the greatest Reluctance that he said any Thing about his own Experiences. How widely different was the Temper and Conduct of the Apostles, from that which prevails among you who are always harping on your own great Experiences!

Tho' there can be no sincere christian Piety without experimental Acquaintance with God through Jesus Christ by the Spirit, yet a Relation of religious Experiences is not made the grand Evidence of the Sincerity of Men's Profession, in the Scriptures. When Christ recommends it to his Disciples to prove their Holiness to the World, he does not direct them to convince them by telling their secret Experiences, and sweet Communion which they had with God; but, ‘Let k your Light so shine before Men, that they may see your good Works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.’ Hence, l that of the Apostle James, ‘I will shew thee my Faith by my Works.’ Others may do what they please, [Page] and appoint what Marks they will of their having saving Faith, and being true Christians; but as for me, I look upon good Works to be the best Evidence, m I will shew my Faith by my Works. ‘In this, says the Apostle John, the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil.’ How are they manifest? By the Relation of their religious Experiences to the World? No, by their good Works. For thus he proceeds and informs us, ‘Whoever doth not Righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his Brother.— He that doth Righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous.’ n

Where you have pronounced a Person to be converted from your Fellowship with his Experiences, your Credit as a Party, and as a pure Church that consists only of gracious Persons, naturally leads you to warn him against examining and doubting his Conversion; so that though he should not do Righteousness, nor shew his Faith by his Works, nor bring forth good Fruits, yet he must not scruple his Justification. If by any Means he should suspect he was yet unconverted, then all your Art and Industry must be used to persuade him, he is troubled with the Temptations of Satan, and that he must believe he is converted. Your Conduct in some Instances of this Kind is well known.

We read of Seducers of Old, who in a Case something like this, cried ‘Peace, and there is no Peace; one built up a Wall and lo, others daubed it with untempered Mortar. They strengthened the Hands of the Wicked, that he should not return from his wicked Way, by promising him Life.’ o Are not you guilty of this, when you pronounce Persons to be converted from your Sympathy with them in their religious Experiences; and then teach them by all Means to maintain this good Opinion of themselves, and that all Fears of their being mistaken come from Satan?

'Tis indeed true, that the Apostles speak of the Churches in their Time as consisting of Saints. This was a Name which was given to all Christian Professors. Christians in the Apostle's Times professed Christ, in Opposition to the whole World, in the Face of the greatest Dangers, and severest Persecutions. [Page] There was a strong Presumption that many of them were sincere Saints, especially that the Influences of the Holy Spirit were poured out in a remarkable Manner. Besides, all who professed Jesus to be the Christ were immediately baptized, and thus publickly sanctified or consecrated to God, and inlisted among the Disciples of his Son. They belonged to the visible Church and Houshold of Faith, and are called Brethren. And thus as the World before the Coming of Christ was divided into Jews and Gentiles, so under the New-Testament it is visibly divided into professing Christians and open Unbelievers, those that acknowledge Christ, and those who deny him, as Jews, Heathens, and Deists. The Apostle comprehends the whole World under those who were without and those who were within the visible Church. p

The Inferences you should draw from this, is to treat all professing Christians as Saints in Proportion as they shew the Sincerity of their Faith by their good Works. But you are certainly extremely mistaken, when you pretend to prove, from the Apostles addressing the Churches to whom they wrote by the Name of Saints, that they looked on them collectively to be real Saints.

They well remembered that Christ had taught them it was his Will, that when there are Tares in the same Field with the Wheat, the Servants should not pull them up. They were also well acquainted with the Parable of the Sower, and the stony and thorny Ground Hearers. They speak of q "false Brethren." It is supposed by Paul, ‘that a Man that was called a Brother might be a Fornicator, covetous, and an Idolater, a Railer, a Drunkard, an Extortioner.’ r While such a Man concealed his Vices, and brought no public Scandal on the Church, he was not to be cast out. But when he brought a public Reproach on the Church by his visible ill Life, he was to be disciplined; and if he refused to repent, and give christian Satisfaction, he was to be excommunicated. But no Person was ever to be cast out of the visible Church, merely because he had not saving Grace. The Crimes for which they were to be excommunicated were publick, such as could be proved upon Oath by credible Persons. ‘In the [Page] Mouth of two or three Witnesses, s says the Apostle Paul, shall every Word be established.’ But what wise Man would swear, that he has searched his Brother's Heart, and that he is destitute of saving Grace? Whereas, if he knew he was guilty of such and such public Crimes, he could bear Witness against him.

The Apostles were not deceived by Persons, who proved to be wicked, as Simon Magus, &c. For it does not appear that they formed any Judgment about their being sincerely gracious. They did not examine them about their religious Experiences, nor baptise them in Consequence of having Fellowship with them in such Relations. If they had, they must have taken up a great Deal of Time in examining, judging and witnessing for them who presented themselves. It would have taken them at least two or three Months to have admitted the three Thousand on this Plan. But we know they received them in less than a Day.

If the Apostles had received none into the Church but such as they had examined and approved as sincere Saints, their own Credit and Characters would have suffered extremely, when any of them apostatised, as sundry of them did. How could they have persuaded sober thinking Persons, they were divinely inspired, if they had been daily forming false Judgments about Persons. They would perhaps have been tempted, like you, to have persuaded them, they were still in a State of Grace. But instead of this we find they assured all Professors, who did not bring forth the Fruits of Righteousness and shew the Sincerity of their Faith by their Works, that they were as destitute of saving Grace as the Devils. The Apostle Paul speaking of professed Christians says, ‘Many walk of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the Enemies of the Cross of Christ, whose End is Destruction, whose God is their Belly, and whose Glory is in their Shame, who mind earthly Things.’ t

As the Apostles received Persons into the visible Church upon their professing to believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, their Apostacy and Wickedness brought no Disgrace on the Apostles. We never find their Enemies upbraiding [Page] and reproaching them for being mistaken in their Judgment about those whom they received when they proved naughty. None were so ready to point out, and reprove hypocritical Professors, as the Apostles themselves. The Notion of a visible Church that shall consist only of sincere Saints in this World never entred into their Heads. It is not the Design of Christ to erect such a Church in this World. It is u not till the End of the World that ‘the Son of Man sends forth his Angels, to gather out of his Kingdom all Things that offend, and them which do Iniquity.—The Kingdom of Heaven or the visible Church in this World is like unto a Net that was cast into the Sea, and gathered of every Kind; which when it was full they drew to Shore, and sat down, gathered the good into Vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the End of the World, the Angels shall come forth and sever or separate the wicked from among the just, &c.’ Thus the Separation between the Righteous and the Wicked is not to take Place to the End of the World.

Thus your Pretences to certain and infallible Knowledge of one another's States, and [...] up a Church of sincere Saints in this World are contrary to the express Directions of our Lord Jesus Christ. Does it not look like vain Presumption, or insufferable Pride for Men to pretend to search the Hearts and try the Reins? Your Notion of such a Church is a certain Evidence that you are very [...] mistaken, and must have a dreadful Tendency [...] [...]en Hypocrites, whom you receive under the C [...] of true Saints. If you pretend to receive immediate Revelations about one another's gracious States, why don't you work Miracles to prove they come from God?

If some who are visibly unholy and scandalous, did not take Shelter among you to escape Censures for their immoral Practices, one would hope you were more honest in your Pretensions, to so much greater Purity. In all probability they would not be so fond of you, if you would faithfully remonstrate against their scandalous Practices. But to proceed,

Since there was no Man received into the Gospel Church without professing and believing that Jesus was the Christ, and since it is certain that many who thus believed were not [Page] in a State of Salvation; it plainly follows that a mere Assent to this Truth, or even to the Gospel is not saving Faith.

Different Men may believe the Gospel from Different Causes and Motives. Some don't doubt of the Truth of it, because their Parents told them so. Others assent to the Gospel from much the same Inducements, as they believe any other History. Men believe other ancient Histories, such as Caesars Commentaries, Tacitus, Josephus, &c. at least many Things in them, without seeing any special Glory or Beauty in them, though they are not the tenth Part so well attested as the Gospel. Have not the Scriptures been abundantly confirmed by such infallible Proofs, as must force the Assent of every rational Person who carefully examines them without Prejudice? What should hinder Men from believing the Gospel History upon merely rational Evidences, without seeing that eminent Glory in it, which the Spirit of God discovers to true Saints at their Conversion? But though Men may truly assent to the Gospel from sundry Causes, yet the Spirit of God is beyond Comparison the highest and most excellent Cause; and consequently that Faith which he works in Men by his saving Operations, must be the most excellent. Hence, no Man can in this highest and most important Sense, believe and say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost.

Yet it is certain from the Gospel History, that many believed, who were Strangers to the saving Operations of the Spirit. ‘Many, says the Evangelist John, believed in his Name, when they saw the Miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all Men.’ The Stony-Ground Hearers are represented in the Parable as receiving the Word with Joy, which implies at least their assenting to it as true; otherwise they would not have been so much affected with it. What we don't believe does not move our Passions. Ananias and Sapphira were received into the Church upon this Belief: Simon Magus believed; yet they discovered by their not bringing forth the Fruits of Righteousness, that they had not saving Faith, but were in the Gall of Bitterness and Bonds of Iniquity. ‘I know, said Paul to Agrippa the almost Christian, thou believest the Prophets.’ And certainly, it was as difficult to believe the divine Testimony in the Prophets, as in the Gospel. Was it only a Lie that Agrippa believed, [Page] instead of the Prophets? Does not the Apostle James evidently suppose, that Men might assent to the Truth of the Gospel, and yet have no more Grace than the Devils? v

How absurd then is Barclay, in saying, that ‘the spiritual Truths of the Gospel are as Lies in the Mouths of carnel and unspiritual Men?’ Why did not Paul tell Agrippa so? Why did not James tell those to whom he wrote that they only lied, when they professed to believe?

Yet this Absurdity is a darling Topick with many of you, on which you lay great Stress. For proceeding upon this gross Mistake, you charge all who enter into Covenant in our Churches without certain and infallible Assurance of their Conversion, with Lying; and that Ministers not only allow but urge their Hearers to lie to God. One, who hears you discourse on this Point, as I have often done, would be inclined to suspect, you had never read and considered the xxix Chapter of Deuteronomy, where God expressly commanded the whole Nation of the Israelites to enter into Covenant with him, that he might be to them a God, as he had sworn unto their Fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Were the Israelites, who were commanded to enter thus into Covenant with God, all assured of their gracious State? If they imagined they were truly converted, they were under an awful Delusion. For Moses plainly assured them, ‘the Lord had not given them an Heart to perceive, and Eyes to see, or Ears to hear unto this Day;’ so that he looked on the general Part of them to be unconverted. Yet that very Day they were all to enter into Covenant with God in a visible, explicit, solemn Manner, lest any should imagine they should escape the terrible Vengence denounced in the Law against those that presumed to transgress. If it had been unlawful for unconverted Persons, to enter into visible Covenant with God, why did not the Lord plainly tell the Israelites so? Why did he not command Moses to warn them against this visible Covenanting, since you reckon it a most dreadful Sin? If your Nations were right, is it not the most unaccountable and astonishing Thing, that ever was heard of, that he should command them thus [Page] publickly to enter into his Covenant? Will you speak out plainly, and say, that he required them to Sin, or that he made Lying their indispensable Duty?

1 Ob. But does not God say to the wicked, what hast thou to do to declare my Statutes, or that thou shouldst take my Covenant into thy Mouth? w

Ans. The xxix of Deuteronomy is express and plain: For it was designed to be immediately understood and obeyed by the whole Nation, Men, Women and Children, and therefore it must have been level to the lowest Capacities. This Scripture may be reasonably supposed to be one of the plainest in the whole Bible. Now it is a safe Rule, when two Scriptures treat of the same Thing, to explain that one, which is more short and obscure, by the other which is more full and plain. Since therefore it is certain from Moses, that God expressly required and commanded all without Exception, to enter into Covenant with him, and that they understood and practised accordingly, the Psalmist must be interpreted in such a Sense as is consistent with this, unless you would suppose there are real Contradictions in the Scriptures, which would be the Way to undermine their Authority altogether. Hence, the Design of the Psalmist in the Text you object, must be to reprove the Jews, not for entring into Covenant with God, which he had commanded them, but for breaking their sacred Bonds by their wicked Lives, or perhaps the Psalmist refers to open profane Sinners who were to be excommunicated.

We must put a similar Construction on sundry Scriptures, such as x ‘When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your Hand to tread my Courts? Bring no more vain Oblations. Incense is an Abomination unto me, the New Moons and Sabbaths, the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with, it is Iniquity, even the solemn Meeting.’ If you explain the Prophet Isaiah as you do the Psalmist, you must allow that wicked Men are forbidden to keep the Sabbath, and attend on publick Worship. The Expressions of the Prophet are as strong as those of the Psalmist. Hence the Design of both, I think, is to reprove Men for their Wickedness after they had been attending on the Duties of Religion.

[Page]2. You say, ‘Men should sincerely believe in Christ when they professedly enter into Covenant with him.’ And should not Men keep the Sabbath in a gracious Manner? Should not Men when they pray in the Name of Christ sincerely believe in him? Is it not expressly commanded that Men pray in Faith? And is not the Prayer of the Wicked an Abomination to the Lord? Would you infer from these Texts, that Men should not pray 'till they know, they are converted and have true Faith? This is too absurd.

3. "Unconverted Men sin in covenanting with God." They sin also in Plowing. Why don't you go about and warn those of your Neighbours, you look upon to be unconverted against Plowing?

If Men may assent to the Truth of the Gospel, as James supposes, without saving Grace, where has God forbidden them openly to profess this their Belief? Why may they not honestly promise to live in Subjection to the Gospel, as the Jews did to the Law? But if they do not fulfil their solemn Covenant, they will prove themselves False and Deceitful, and will be dealt with accordingly. You must therefore prove that it is impossible that unconverted Men should give a [...] Assent to the Truth of the Gospel, or seriously intend to look to Christ for Salvation, before you can charge them with lying in the common and criminal Sense of Lying. And then you must allow that every one who assents to the Gospel has saving Faith, contrary to the forementioned Instances and daily Experience.

The Papists place Faith in a mere Assent to the Truths of the Gospel. * They found this necessary to maintain their Distinction of a first and second Justification, by which they endeavour to subvert the Doctrine of Justification by Faith, as declared in the Bible, and more especially in the Epistles of the Apostle Paul.

[Page]The first Justification according to them is the Infusion of Communication unto us of an holy Principle, the Habit of Grace or Charity, by which Original Sin is extinguished, and all the Habits of Sin expelled. This first Justification they say, is by Faith, that is, a mere Assent to the Truth of the Gospel, the Obedience and Satisfaction of Christ being the only meritorious Cause thereof. So that to be justified by Faith according to them is to have the Mind rightly prepared by this Kind of believing to receive an Habit of Grace expelling Sin and making us acceptable to God. For, upon this believing or assenting to the Gospel, with those other Duties of Contrition and Repentance, which must accompany it, they say it is meet and congruous unto divine Wisdom, Goodness and Faithfulness to give us that Grace, whereby we are finally justified. For their second or final Justification is a Consequence hereof, the proper formal Cause of which is good Works, proceeding from this Principle of Grace and Love. Hence Men's own good Works according to the Papists, are the Righteousness, wherewith Believers are righteous before God, whereby they merit Heaven.

But according to the Doctrine of all sound Protestants, the Righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is, what he did and suffered, is that [...]or which we are justified before God. This is the grand Difference between Papists, and Protestants. It is well known that it was chiefly on Account of Justification by Faith alone, the first Reformers separated from the Church of Rome.

Antinomians and Enthusiasts would fain have it believed, that they are the most Orthodox in Point of Justification. And they seem at first View to run into the opposite Extreme to the Papists. But if they are closely examined, many of them, I believe would be found to have pretty much the same Notions with the Papists on this grand Fundamental Doctrine of a Sinner's Justification before God. They commonly place Faith in a mere Assent of the Mind. Their Scheme of experimental Religion necessarily requires this, since it is all supposed to proceed from God's revealing his Love to them in Particular. In this they essentially agree with the Papists, only that they don't seem to be quite so orthodox. For the Papists say, Faith is an Assent to the Truths of the Gospel. But Enthusiasts [Page] place it in believing the Love of God, their own Election, Justification, &c. in particular; which, as has been already proved, is Something which is not in the Bible at all in their Sense, but depends on some fanciful Discovery or Delusion. Let this then correspond to the Faith and the first Justification of the Papists.

And whoever carefully observes your Temper and Spirit, the mighty Stress, you appear to lay on your Performances, on your great Zeal and Engagedness in Religion, and the Pains you seem to take to work up yourselves to Raptures and Transports, will see there is Reason to fear that you look upon these Things as that Righteousness by which you expect to recommend yourselves to God, and for which you hope you shall be justified in his Sight. For my Part, I earnestly wish that you may not be found among those who go about to establish their own Righteousness. Does not Barclay, the famous Quaker Apologist, confound Justification with Sanctification, and professedly plead ‘That it is by the inward Birth of Christ in Man that he is made just, and therefore so accounted by God?’ And are not his Followers as ignorant as he, of the Scripture Doctrine of Justification?

To prove that I have laid no unjust Charge against you who have separated from the standing Churches of New-England, in what I have now alledged, I might bring many Testimonies from sundry worthy Persons: But I shall content myself at present with the united Testimony of Mr. President Edwards and Mr. Bellamy in a Book written by the latter and recommended by the former. The Author having represented that true Humility consists in a Sense of our own Sinfulness and Ill-Desert, observes, y ‘There can be no more of true Faith in Exercise than there is of this true Humility. When Men therefore appear righteous in their own Eyes, and look upon themselves as deserving well at the Hands of God on the Account of their own Goodness, they can feel no Need of a Mediator, nor at Heart have any Respect to Christ under that Character—This condemns the Faith of the self-righteous Formalist, who depends upon his being conscientious in his Ways, and his sincerely endeavouring to do as well as he [Page] can to recommend him to God—This condemns also the Faith of the proud Enthusiast, who appears so good in his own Eyes, so far from a legal Spirit, so purely evangelical, so full of Light and Knowledge, Humility and Love, Zeal and Devotion, as that from a Sense of his own Goodness, and how greatly beloved he is in the Sight of God, he is emboldened to come into the Presence of God, and draw near, and come even to his Seat and use Familiarity and Boldness with God, as though he were almost an Equal. Such are so far from any true Sense of their own Need of Christ, that they feel more fit to be Mediators and Intercessors in behalf of others, than to want one for themselves. It is the Way of such, from that great Sense they have of their own Goodness to make bold with God, and to make bold with Christ, in their Prayers, as if they felt themselves pretty nigh upon a Level. x—Of all Men in the World I am ready to think that God looks upon these the Worst and hates them the most. Luke xviii. 9—14. Isai. lxv. 5’

In the Time of the Apostles, some ran into Legalism, and others into Antinomianism, as appears particularly from the Epistles of Paul who wrote against the former, and of James who sharply reproved the latter. And at the Reformation from Popery, there were sundry among Protestants who were strongly [...]clined to these Extremes. Many confused Harangues about good Works have been delivered and published by Legalists and Antinomians, the greater Part of whom may charitably be supposed not to understand what they say nor whereof they affirm.

Hence, I suppose it was, that some of the famous Reformers and Puritan Divines observed, there was a twofold Error very common in the Discriptions of Conversion. The one of those who only mentioned the Sinner's turning from Sin to God, without mentioning any receiving of Christ by Faith. Such greatly insist on Duties, Obedience and good Works.

[Page]1. To correct this Mistake it may be observed in brief, That since it is certain Mankind have broken God's Holy Law by their Sins, they must of Consequence be exposed to its Penalty or Curse. ‘For y cursed is every one that continueth not in all Things written in the Book of the Law to do them.’ This Penalty or Curse is Nothing less than Eternal Death, the everlasting Wrath of God in Hell. For "God z has revealed his Wrath from Heaven against ALL Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of Men," and "the Wages of Sin" of every Sin "is Death." Now a Law when it is broken does not admit of Repentance or any Thing that the Breaker of it can do, as a Reparation for violating it. Repentance how true and sincere soever it may be, answers neither the Precept nor the Penalty of the Law. The Law requires and demands perfect, sinless Obedience from first to last, or Punishment. This is all that Law says to Mankind. Hence "by a the Works of the Law," by any Duties which sinful Men can perform to it, "no Man can be justified." A broken Law must always condemn, but can never justify the Man that has violated it. A broken Law always worketh Wrath or Condemnation. b

2. As it was absolutely impossible in the Nature of Things, that Men should be justified and saved by any Works or Duties of their own, so God has actually appointed another Way thro' Jesus Christ, his Obedience, Sufferings and Death. And now says Christ, ‘I am c the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no Man cometh [...]to the Father, but by me.’ The Appointment of Christ to be our Mediator affords an unaswerable Argument that we could not be saved by our own Repentance and good Works. ‘For d if Righteousness▪ or Justification come by the Law, by any Law, then Christ is dead in vain.’ Hence arises the absolute Necessity of receiving Christ by Faith in Order to Salvation. And Repentance has its proper Place in this merciful Dispensation. e

[Page]It is through Jesus Christ the Mediator whom God has appointed [Page] between him and us, that there is any more Hope for Sinful Men, than for the sinning Angels. The first reasonable Hopes which any Sinner can entertain of his Escape from the Wrath of God must arise from a View or Discovery of this glorious Redeemer in the Glass of the Gospel by the Spirit of the Lord. He sees, believes; and his Faith works by Love, and influences him to sincere Holiness or good Works, which, as has been already observed, are according to the Scripture an Evidence that his Faith is genuine and saving. Thus the Apostle Paul, f ‘I have fought a good Fight, I have finished my Course, I have kept the Faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness—and not to me only but unto all them that love his appearing.’ So that Men who don't perform good Works can't have Scripture Evidence that they have Saving Faith and shall be justified.

3. It is often asserted in the Scriptures that God loves Holiness and delights in good Works. But while Sinners remain in an unconverted State, and are not united to Jesus Christ by Faith, they don't partake of the sanctifying Influences of the Holy Spirit, and consequently don't perform any Works which are spiritually good and accepted of God. ‘We are his Workmanship, says the Apostle; g created in Christ Jesus unto good Works.’ According to this Text Men must be regenerated by the Spirit before they perform any Works strictly good, in a Scripture Sense. Again the Works of the Saints themselves are not accepted for the intrinsick Value or Excellency of their Duties in themselves considered, but because Believers who perform them are united to Christ, who has attoned for our Sins, and who is infinitely worthy, and with whom the Father is always well pleased, agreeable to that of the Apostle. h "He hath made us accepted in the Beloved." Hence the Articles of the Church of England, ‘Good Works which are the Fruits of Faith, and follow after Justification, cannot put away our Sins and endure the Severity of God's Judgment: Yet they are acceptable to God in Christ.—Works done before the Grace of Christ and the Inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant to God, for as much as they spring not of Faith in Jesus Christ, [Page] neither do they make Men meet to receive Grace, or (as the School-Authors) deserve Grace of Congruity: Yea rather for that they are not done as God hath commanded and willed them to be done, we doubt not but that they have the Nature of Sin.’ Is it not certain, that while Sinners remain in their unconverted unbelieving State, they are under the reigning Power of Sin, and don't trouble themselves much about good Works, unless from Custom, or some Awakenings and Remonstrances of Conscience, which force them sometimes to engage a little in Religion? And even then they have scarcely any Regard to God. ‘When i ye were the Servants of Sin, says the Apostle, ye were free from Righteousness,’ that is, paid no proper Regard to it, were wholly destitute of it.

4. However Sinners should be sensible of their undone State, and of their infinite Need of the Grace of God, and wait upon him, in the Use of the Means he has been pleased to appoint, for the Bestowment of his Favour. The famous Westminster Assembly of Divines, who I should think may be allowed to have been sound in the Faith, teach us ‘that there are outward and ordinary Means by which Christ communicateth the Benefits of Redemption.’ And though God has not limited the Bestowment of his Grace to the Attendance on the Means, but may, as in the Instances of Paul and the Jailor, Work without and beyond them. Yet so far as we can discover by Observation, he more usually meets with his professing People in the Way of Mercy and Grace, while they are seriously waiting upon him in the Way of Duty. Is not this clearly implied in these solemn Words, Where having spoken of his giving Israel his professing People a new Heart and a new Spirit, he adds, ‘Thus k saith the Lord God, I will yet for this be enquired of by the House of Israel to do it for them.’

The other Mistake about Conversion which I referred to is of those, who mention only a Sinner's believing, and then think they have said all. Some Antinomians who fall into this Notion, don't seem to care what, nor how a Man believes, but all is well if he believes, and is confident of his Justification. And yet according to them, the Elect were justified [Page] from Eternity; so that Faith itself is not really necessary in Order to Salvation. But at most, Nothing [...]re than their Faith or Belief, that they are justified, is required. Such are ready to pour great Contempt on the Means of G [...]ce, and to reproach those as Legalists, who make any Thing but the mere believing the Love of God in Christ, to them in particular to be a Part of Conversion, and would per [...]. Men to question all their former Comforts, and conclude the Work has been only legal and unfound, because they have looked on their Change of Heart, and sincere turning from Sin and Creatures to God Part of it, and have taken Part of their Comfort from the reviewing these Things as Evidences of their Faith and of a right Work.

1. Here we may observe in brief, that if Sinners should rest upon these Things without Christ, or take such a Change instead of Christ, in Whole, or in Part, the Reproof would be just, and the Danger great. But since Self and Creatures, [...] Lusts and wor [...]ly Vanities, are as it were both God and Christ to every unregenerate Man, can Christ be rightly believed in, where our own Righteousness or any other Thing is chiefly trusted in, and supremely loved? Doth God ever thoroughly discover a Man's Sin and Misery to him, and take his Heart from all Creatures and false Refuges, by shewing him Jesus Christ and his glorious Righteousness, and yet leave his Soul unrenewed and unholy? I believe for my Part, that where the Work of Conversion is sincere, there it is entire. Sinners having by their Apostacy from God become unholy, they must be sanctified as well as justified. Sin has perverted their Taste and Relish for true Holiness and the Happiness which it affords, and thus they are become unfit for the Kingdom of Heaven as well as exposed to Hell.

2. Christ is a compleat Saviour. He saves his People from their Sins, and recovers them to Holiness, as well as delivers them from Hell. Both these Things were necessary. ‘He that believeth not shall be damned,’ is not more true than this ‘Without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord, Verily, verily, Except a Man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.’ Hence Christ is said in the Scripture to be ‘made unto us of God, Wisdom and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption.’ As the Gospel is a [Page] consistent Scheme, one Part of it should not be set in Opposition to another: One Benefit and Grace should not be extolled in Order to decry and vilify others. All should be allowed their proper Place.

3. Besides what has been already said to expose this false Notion of Faith, It should be remembered, that saving Faith is produced into the Souls of Men by the supernatural Agency of the Holy Spirit, and is represented in Scripture sometimes to be a receiving Christ, a believing with the Heart, which comprises the Will as well as the Understanding ‘Thy l People shall be WILLING in a Day of thy Power. Who hath believed our Report? And to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed? — As many as received him—that believed in his Name were born of God.’ Thus saving Faith and Regeneration are strictly connected. Why should not the Gospel of Christ influence the Will as well as the Understanding, when it is beheld in its Glory? And if it does must it not be wrong to confine Faith merely to the Assent of the Understanding in the grand Business of closing with Christ? But indeed the Antinomian Faith does not imply a Soul's receiving Christ or closing with him. It is only an Assent to their own good Estate upon some imaginary Revelation or Delusion. But right ‘Faith is the Substance of Things hoped for, the Evidence of Things not seen.’ That is, such a Kind of Reason and Argument, as not only gains the Assent of the Understanding, but effectually prevails with the Will, and engages the Man to act, as the Greek Word imports. m

4. With Respect to eternal Justification which some are so fond of, It is certain the Scriptures represent all Unbelievers, the Elect as well as others, under Condemnation. ‘We are justified says the Apostle, n by Faith’ and therefore not before Faith; so that it seems they were in a State of Condemnation before they believed in Christ. And in another Passage he says, o speaking of Believers ‘We were by Nature Children of Wrath even as others.’ I would ask why it is not as proper to say, that Men were born from Eternity, or dead from Eternity, as that they are justified from Eternity?

[Page]5. As to the Means of Grace, since Faith, regenerating Grace, a new Heart, a new Spirit, are the Gift of God, why should not Sinners be sensible of their undone State, and their infinite Need of these Things, and wait upon God for these Blessings? God has instituted a public Ministry, and Means of Grace, If he has, does he not require unconverted Sinners to attend upon them? Does he not command all Men every where, and especially in his vissible Church, to repent, to seek him, to call upon him, to labour for the Meat, which endureth unto eternal Life, to strive to enter in at the strait Gate? Is there not the greatest natural Fitness, Prop [...]ety and Suitableness, that guilty Sinners should be sensible of their Sin and Misery, and wait upon God for his Grace in Jesus Christ? Can there be any good Reason offered why Christless Sinners may not pray for Faith, and converting Grace? Is it not mentioned as an awful Instance of Wickedness to ask, ‘What p is the Almighty that we should serve him? And what Profit should we have if we pray unto him" and to say, "It is vain to serve God; and what Profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts?’ Has not God often heard the earnest Prayers and Cries of unconverted Sinners? Yea did he not testify so much Regard to the Repentance of A [...]ab, and the Nine [...]i [...], as to withhold his threatned Judgment for a Time?

There was some in the Time of the Apostles that said, ‘Let q us do Evil that Good may come" "and Sin that Grace may abound,’ and pretended to derive this impious Sentiment from the Gospel, and particularly from the Doctrine of Justification by Faith in Jesus Christ, as delivered by Pau [...] But he rejected it as a vile Slander with the greatest Abhorrence, and declared the Damnation of such to be just. But to return,

As your Mistake about the Nature of Faith appears to be of dangerous Tendency to the Souls of Men, I shall transcribe a lively Passage from Holy Mr. Baxter against it, that if it be possible you may be reclaimed, and others prevented from embracing this destructive Error.

‘The damned in Hell shall lose their present presumptuous [Page] Conceit, and Belief of their Interest in God, and of his Favour towards them, and of their Part in the Merits, and Sufferings of Christ.’

‘This false Belief doth now support their Spirits and defend them from the Terrors that would else seize upon them, and fortify them against Fears of Wrath to come. Even as true Faith doth afford the Soul a true and grounded Support and Consolation, and enableth us to look to Eternity with undaunted Courage: So also a false, ungrounded Faith doth afford a false ungrounded Comfort, and abates the Trouble of the Consideration of Judgment and Damnation. r But alas this is but a palliative Salve, a deceitful Comfort? What will ease their Trouble when this is gone? When they can believe no longer, they will be quieted in Mind no longer. If a Man see never the greatest Mischief and yet strongly conceit that he is in Safety; his Conceit may make him chearful, as if all were well indeed, till his Misery comes; and then both his Conceit and Comforts vanish. An ungrounded Perswasion of Happiness is a poor Cure for real Misery. When the Mischief comes it will cure the Misbelief; but that Belief can neither prevent nor cure the Mischief. It there were no more to make a Man happy, but to believe that he is so, or shall be so; Happiness would be far commoner than now it is like to be. It is a Wonder that any Man who is not a Stranger both to Gospel and Reason, should be of the Antinomian Faith in this; who tell us that Faith is but the believing that God loveth us, and that our Sins are already pardoned through Christ; that this is the chief Thing that Ministers should preach; that our Ministers [Page] preach not Christ, because they preach not this; that every Man ought thus to believe, but no Man to question his Faith whether he believe truly or not, &c. But if all Men must believe that their Sins are pardoned, then most of the World must believe a Lie: And if no Man ought to question the Truth of his Faith, then most Men shall rest deluded with an ungrounded Belief. The Scripture commandeth us first to believe for a Remission of Sins, before we believe our Sins are remitted. If we believe in Christ, that is, accept him cordially for our Saviour and our King, then we shall receive the Pardon of Sins. The Truth is, we have more ado to preach down this Antinomian Faith, than they have to preach it up and to preach People from such a believing, than they have to preach them to it. I see no Need to persuade People so to believe, the Generality are strong and confident in such a Belief already. Take a Congregation of Five Thousand Persons where there has been no remarkable Convictions and Awakenings] and how few among them all will you find, that do not believe their Sins are pardoned, and that God loves them? Especially of the vilest Sinners, who have least Cause to believe it? Indeed, as it is all the Work of those Men to persuade People to this Belief; so it is the hardest Task almost we meet with, to convince Men of the Ungroundedness of this Belief, and to break the Peace which Satan maintaineth in their Souls. Neither do I know a comm [...]er Cause of Men's Destruction than such a Misbelief. Who will seek for that which he believes he hath already? This is the great Engine of Hell to make Men go merrily to their own Perdition. I know Men cannot believe Christ or believe in, or upon Christ, either too soon, or too much. But they may believe that themselves are pardoned, adopted, and in Favour with God, too soon and too much. For a false Judgment is always too much and too soon. As true grounded Faith is the Master-Grace in the Regenerate, and of the greatest Use in the Kingdom of Christ; so is the false ungrounded Faith the Master-Vice in the unregenerate Soul and of greatest Use in the Kingdom of Satan.—I would be loth to weaken the true Faith of the meanest Christian, or to persuade any Man that his Faith is false when it is true; God forbid that I should [Page] so disparage that precious Grace which hath the Stamp of the Spirit! or to trouble the Soul, that Christ would have to be comforted! But I must needs in Faithfulness tell thee that the confident Belief of their good Estate, and o [...] the Pardon of their Sins which the careless, unholy, unhumbled Multitude amongst us, do so commonly boa [...] of, will prove in the End but a Soul-damning Delusion.’ — ſ.

ii. The Spirit of God, when he teaches Men internally by his Word, improves the Scriptures in a perfect Consistency one with another; but on the countrary, when Satan improves any particular Passages of Scripture, i [...] is in such a Sense as [...]ars with the Rest of this holy Book. Thus he said to t Christ, ‘If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down; for it is written, he shall give his Angels Charge concerning thee, and in their Hands they shall bear thee up, least at any Time thou dash thy Foot against a Stone.’ Here Satan improved Scripture in his Temptation, but in such a Sense as was inconsistent with the rest of the sacred Writings. Hence, our Saviour repelled this Temptation by another Text. ‘It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.’

It is evident that when Satan impressed that Scripture on the Mind of John Lewis, it was in such a Sense as was quite inconsistent with the Rest of the Bible.—And thus the spiritual Sense, which sundry of you pretend to be taught from various Passages of Scripture, is quite contrary to the true and plain Sense of the Scriptures in general.

iii. When the Spirit of God improves the Scriptures in teaching Men, he brings them to be duly influenced by Divine Truths, to have high Thoughts of God, low, abusing Thoughts of themselves, to renounce their own Righteousness as the most despicable Things, as filthy Rags, and as Dung, u to trust in Christ's glorious Righteousness, [...]o cultivate divine Charity and abound in all good Works. But the Suggestions of Satan have quite a contrary Tendency. From the Impression made on their Minds, by this evil Spirit, that they are the peculiar Favourites of God, they are filled with much spiritual Pride, and Self-Conceit; and are disposed to trust in their own Righteousness, their religious Exercises, high Experiences [Page] and great Zeal.—Is not this the Case with many of you? Don't you think you recommend yourselves considerably to God, by your being so much engaged in his Service? So zealous against your Neighbours? Would you not think it hard, if God should accept one, who belongs to the lifeless, standing Churches (as you call them) as readily as one of you, after all your Zeal and painful Services?—Thus, you go about to establish your own Righteousness. But remember, you must have a perfect Righteousness, if you would be justified by it. Your zealous Services and high Experiences will not justify you, unless they are absolutely perfect.

v ‘Behold, I Paul say unto you, if ye be circumcised (with a View to be justified thereby) Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify to every Man that is circumcised (with this View) that he is Debtor to do the whole Law.’ If you trust to your religious Experiences, if you think that any of your own Works will avail for your Justification before God, you must yield an absolutely, perfect obedience.— Take Heed then to yourselves, on this important Point, lest ye perish in your false Confidences.

It is very sad, that the supposed Conversion of many leads them to a Temper and Practice directly contrary to Divine Charity, to be unkind to all but their own Admirers, to bear no Provocations; to cover no Faults; to keep themselves within no Bounds; to believe Nothing to their Neighbours Advantage; to believe the Worst they hear of others, and suspect more than they hear; to vaunt themselves in their great Experiences, and be filled with a great Sense of their own Importance!

Diotrophes of G—T—M, was a Boy of middling Parts, but of much Pride and Vanity; so that he never made much Proficiency in Learning, nor acquired any considerable Stock of Knowledge. When he grew up, his Forwardness led him into sundry vicious Courses, but his Pride helped him to conceal them so much, that he maintained a tolerable fair Character—About thirty he was more fully convinced of his sinful State than ever he had been before—While he was earnestly praying for Mercy early one Morning, that Text was suddenly and powerfully impressed on his Mind, ‘They shall seek me early but they shall not find me.’ This was followed by another. ‘The [Page] Harvest is past, the Summer is ended, and we are not saved.’ He now thought his Day of Grace was over, and that it was utterly in vain to seek for Mercy. Following this strong Impression he left off Praying, and seemed to sink into a settled Despair, in which he continued for some Time. 'Twas now peculiarly distressing to him to think he would be looked upon by Mankind as a forlorn Object, forsaken of God. After some Weeks when the Ferce of the Impression was worn off in a great Measure, at the Advice of his Friends he began to pray again for Grace and Mercy, though not with so much Earnestness as before. And now he thought he had not been so very wicked, though he had been betrayed into some Follies, but that God might pardon him. When he had continued in this Course some Time, and heard how sundry others, who had been more openly vicious than he, had received Light and been filled with great Joy in believing, be began to be very uneasy. He was afraid God did not regard his Prayers, though he prayed so very sincerely. While he was greatly perplexed about this, and thinking it very hard that God should neglect him so long, these Words were most strongly impressed on his Mind. ‘Thy Prayers are come up for a Memorial before God— O thou of little Faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’ These were followed by many others of the same Import. His Affections were drawn out in Love to God and Christ. He was ravished and filled with Wonder. He saw and believed that God loved him with an everlasting Love, and accepted his Prayers. He abounded in Duties, in Prayer and Praise —He longed to tell others of his wonderful Experiences, the great Things God had done for his Soul. This was all his Discourse in almost all Companies, urging them from hence to come and taste that the Lord is gracious—Separations began soon after this—He presently discovered that his Minister's Preaching could not edify Christians. For he preached much about the Perfections of God; the Excellencies of Christ; the Nature of true Religion as consisting in Conformity to God and sincere Obedience to the Gospel of Christ; and insisted upon it, that good Works were a Sign of Grace. Whereas, Diotrephes wanted him to preach up his religious Experiences, and shew that good People have their Hearts filled with great Joy, when God first reveals to them, that he hears their Prayers and discovers his Love to them. In short, he concluded his Minister knew Nothing about Experiences, since he dwelt so much on the bare Truths of the Gospel.—Those Words having a Form of Godliness but denying the Power, from such turn away, were impressed on his Mind—He separated[Page]—And as he had a ready Utterance and great Experience, it was seen revealed to him that God designed him for eminent Services; even that he [...] be a publick H [...]ss for the Lord. When he communicated this Revelation to others, be pretended to be very backward to comply with it. But it being likewise revealed to them, and beeing Fellowship with him; they persuaded him to exercise his Gift, and obey the Call of God. Thus he became a w [...] and zealous Holderforth—He had no Learning nor Skill in Divinity. But he had a prodigious Stock of Confidence, and strong Lungs; so that what he wanted in Sense and Co [...] he made up in Noise, which he persuaded his Hearers was all holy Zeal. As he was naturally proud, and could not brook Opposition, he was really very warm against all who did not become his Followers and celebrate his Praises: But his burning Zeal never framed higher, than when he declaimed against the standing Ministers, which he did almost every Time he held forth, because they shewed the People the Assurdity and Sinfulness of such Conduct, and thus prevented the Spread of his Fame. To give a Sanction to all his Exhortations, he pretended that he always spake by the Spirit, and professed to live in the full Assurance of his Justification. And indeed he was never much disposed to question his own Goodness. Accordingly he taught it was one of the greatest Sins for Christians to doubt of their Conversion, or scruple that God loved them. He defined Faith in Christ to be a Man's believing that Christ died for him in particular, so that for a Man to doubt of his good Estate was the awful Sin of Unbelief. Hence, he despised all Marks and Signs of Grace, and depended for Assurance on immediate Revelations of strong Impulses, which he called the immediate Witness of the Spirit. Had he not adopted this Notion of Assurance, he could never have maintained his Confidence, because he was very deficient in most of the scripture Marks of a Christian. For Instance, he was not meek and humble. He was not kind to Mankind in general. He confined any Love he had for Mankind to his own Party, and was censorious and unkind to all Christians of other Denominations, let them be never so exemplary in their Practices. He rejoiced in the Iniquities and Scandals of such as belonged to the standing Churches, especially of the Ministers, and was very ready to misrepresent their Conduct in Order to blacken their Characters and raise Prejudices against them. However, as he never examined himself by the Scripture Marks of a Saint, these Things never shaked his Confidence. A great Sense of his eminent Labours and Services in the Gospel, his burning Zeal, the Reproaches[Page]and Sufferings he endured for preaching; together with his immediate Revelations and strong Impulses, and the Applauses and Witnesings of his Followers filled him with the highest Assurance, that he was peculiarly beloved of God, and called by him to be a Minister.

Now what can be plainer than that D [...]otrephes's religious Exercises were directed and influenced in a great Measure, from first to last by Satan's Suggestions? His first Despair, doubtless rose from this Quarter, since the Texts that were improved were evidently perverted, being applied as if they had a particular, immediate Referrence to him, when it is certain they belonged no more to him than to others. Thus Satan frequently tries to drive Persons into Despair, suggesting to them they are guilty of the Sin against the Holy Ghost, or that their Day of Grace is past, or their Sins are too great to be forgiven; all which Apprehensions have no Foundation in the Word of God, but depend entirely on particular Suggestions or on the Misapplication of some Passages of Scripture. God declares repeatedly, that he will pardon the greatest Sinners if they believe.

If Satan can thus fill Men with Horror, why may he not, if permitted, transport them with imaginary Joys, misapplying the Promises to them. Certainly this would have a great Tendency to deceive them. He would act as much in the Character of the Deceiver, by taking this Method, as any other. Why may not God permit him to take this Method as well as the other?

If Diotrephes had really loved the Gospel of Christ, it does not appear that he had any just Occasion of separating. Certainly he should have tried all Measures before he proceeded to rent the Church of Christ. The Sin of Schism is far from being small.

Where Persons withdraw from that Religion, which is professed in general where they live, this turns the Attention of many from the Gospel of Christ, to know what they are driving at. Such Persons, let the Cause of their Separation be what it will, are almost always extremely zealous about their Peculiarities, and lay a prodigious Stress on them, and take unwearied Pains to make Proselytes. For the Strength and Credit of their Party chiefly consists in their Numbers. When they happen to be in the wrong, their Pride and Ambition, their Malice against such as oppose them, frequently prompt to take very [Page] unlawful Measures to encrease their Party, such as misrepresenting their Adversaries and blackening their Characters to render them odious to the World. Now such Conduct cannot but promote Hatred, Strife and Contention. While the careless World see professing Christians dividing from, and reproaching one another, and every Party confident they are right, and pleading Scripture to maintain their different Opinions and Practices; they are ready to suspect that the Scriptures themselves are uncertain, and that all Religion is Nothing but a Piece of Priestcraft. Thus the weak are stumbled, and Thousands prejudiced against Religion and hardened in their Sins to their eternal Destruction, by Divisions and Schisms. Now these sad Consequences lie at their Door who go off from the Churches where they live, without just Reason. For the Churches and Ministers of Christ are exhorted to contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered unto the Saints—Surely Nothing but real Necessity should ever put any Man upon withdrawing from the Churches where he lives. If Men had a due Regard to Religion, and were not strangely mistaken; I can't but think, they would not withdraw from the standing Churches among us, unless they could shew better Reasons than any of them have yet done. All that have withdrawn from our Churches on one Pretence and another would do well to consider the pernicious Consequences of their Conduct Indeed Christ has said w "It is impossible but that Offences will come." But he has declared at the same Time, that this will be no Excuse for those who are the blameable Cause of these Offences. ‘Wo unto that Man by whom Offence cometh: It were better for him that a Milstone were hanged about his Neck, and he cast into the Sea than that he should offend one of these little ones." His Instruction to his Followers by his Apostle is x It is good neither to eat Flesh, nor to drink Wine, nor any Thing whereby thy Brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.’ Our Blessed Lord rather than offend the Jews y wrought a Miracle to pay a Tribute or Tax though he could have justly refused paying it. How contrary to his Example in this Instance is the Conduct of many of you, who endeavour to give as much Disturbance and Offence to [Page] those whom you are bound to treat as Brethren as possible, and rejoice and glory in disobliging and molesting them!

As to Diotrephes's Call to the Ministry, it was directly contrary to the express Rules of the written Word, which forbid ‘a Novice to be a Minister, lest being lifted up with Pride he fall into the Condemnation of the Devil.’ z A Novice in this Text means a new Convert, as all, who are acquainted with the Greek in the Original, well know. Now he was according to his own Account but newly converted, and therefore was plainly excluded from the Ministry by this Text for some Time. It is a pity your new Converts don't remember this Text. When they are so very forward to be publick Speakers, they might do well if they would also seriously consider the Words of James, a "My Brethren be not many Masters or Teachers." Is that Forwardness, which leads Men to violate the express Commands of God's holy Word, a good Mark of their Conversion?

Now it is to be feared, that something like Diotrephes's, is the Conversion which many among you have met with? It is indeed very probable that you will not be forward to avow, that this is the Religion you are acquainted with, because it has been often exposed, and labours under some Disgrace — Men are not easily persuaded to believe they are mistaken about Religion. Their natural Pride disposes them to hope well of themselves When true and false Religion are often described and clearly distinguished in Books, or in Preaching, there is hardly any Body that will lay Claim to the false, as their own. In such Places Men's Experiences often become very orthodox, though their Practices are quite irregular. But I may leave others to judge how much Honesty there is in this.

If you had not embraced some Errors about experimental Religion, why do you separate from us? Why do you industriously b [...]zz it about, that we don't preach up Religion? And whence should this Notion have arisen about your Mistakes in these Matters, and been believed by the most serious and religious Men in the Country? 'Twas very disagreeable to many of the standing Ministry to believe, you were so awfully mistaken. You were, many of you, not only Members in our Churches, but among our warmest Adherents. What then could dispose any of us to entertain such Apprehensions [Page] of your Religion, but the strongest Evidence? You have obliged us by your open Declaration of your religious Experiences; and by your strange Conduct in various Instances have forced us, whether we would or not, to suspect that you were extremely mistaken about Religion, and many of you deluded by Satan. Yet with Respect to some of you, we would agreeable to the Scriptures make a Difference, hoping that they have only drunk in some unhappy Prejudices, and being Persons of no Learning, are only guilty of some Blunders in their Expressions. But if this be the Case with any of you, it is a Pity you should be so tenacious of wrong Expressions, and disrelish the Form of sound Words.

However the Matter in Debate, is not, whither any of you are true Saints? How far true Saints may be left to their own Weakness, and the Delusions of Satan, as David and Peter were, for a Season, is beyond us to determine. It is Opinions and not Persons I oppose. If I have written against particular Parties, it is because they are well known to embrace the peculiar Tenets and Errors, against which I have levelled this Address.

A Man's being gracious does not secure him always from Error and Delusion. Nor is Error the more to be regarded, and loved, were it ever so certain, that those who maintain it are truly pious Persons. But I heartily wish you would give some better. Evidences of your Piety, than running into destructive Errors in Principle, and wild Extravagances in Practice. It is not the most probable Thing in the World, that God would permit you so generally to embrace such false Notions of Religion, if you were so eminently pious as you imagine. No Doubt the greater Part of erroneus Persons are full as corrupt in their Hearts as their Heads.

Where Persons are under any serious Concern, and their Consciences in some Measure tender, they would ordinarily be a great Deal shocked, if Satan should tempt them to such gross Wickedness as he did John Lewis, and the Dutartres. He is more likely to succeed by putting on a religious Appearance, and counterfeiting as near as may be the Enlightenings of the Divine Spirit. This is to attack Persons in a Way they don't expect him. Now if he can by this plau [...]ible Disguise bring them to give Heed to particular Suggestions from Scripture, it [Page] will as effectually answer his Purpose, as if he persuaded them, with the unhappy Persons abovementioned, to commit the most horrid Crimes.

What was the Method Satan took to abuse that Scripture, ‘I have a few Things against thee, because thou sufferest that Woman Jezebel—Behold I will cast her into a Bed— And I will kill her Children with Death,’ &c. Was it not by a particular Direction and powerful Impression of it on the poor Wretch's Mind, as if it had immediately referred to him? Had he considered the true Scope, and the general Truths, which are contained in this Passage; he might have clearly seen it had no more Reference to him than to others, and could not be any Warrant to him to kill his Wife and Children. But he was carried away with the Powerful Impression, and took it for granted, that it was an immediate Direction from God to him.

How was it that the Dutartres came to imagine that God had raised up a Prophet to them from that Text, ‘A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your Brethren, like unto me, him shall ye hear in all Things whatsoever he shall say unto you?’ Was it not by some powerful Impression of it on their Minds, as if it had an immediate Reference to them in particular?

Few or none of you I hope have been permitted to commit such horrid Crimes, in following your Impressions. But there are Degrees in Sin. Some Sins are more shockingly gross than others. Some that are very provoking in the Sight of God, as Unbelief for Instance, are not reckoned scandalous among Mankind. You may therefore have been much mistaken and have acted very sinfully without having fallen into such open horrid [...]mes—Were it necessary, I could point out sundry Instances in which you have been left to apply Scripture as groundlessly, and to conduct as contrary to it's Sense as the Dutartres and John [...]ewis did. One was taught to leave the standing Churches in New-England from these Scripture Expressions, ‘Ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. Why seek ye the living among the dead? Behold he goeth before you into Galilee, there shall ye see him; lo I have told you.’ Another had it revealed to him that he must leave the standing Churches, from these Texts. ‘And they said one to another, [Page] let us make a Captain and let us return into Egypt— Let them alone they be blind, Leaders of the Blind, and if the Blind lead the Blind, both shall fall into the Ditch— Then the Glory of the Lord departed from off the Threshold of the House,’ &c. Others pretend it is revealed to them that what is said in the Scriptures about Antichrist, and the Whore of Babylon, belongs to the standing Churches in New-England. And it is in vain to dispute with them; for they see it, God has revealed it to them, and following these Impulses and Revelations they separate and pour out their bitter Reproaches against the standing Ministers and Churches.

Now whoever will examine these Texts will find Nothing in them to countenance such Notions and Practices. There are no such Truths in them as you pretend to be taught by them; from which it appears, as clear as the Sun, that if there is any Thing more in such Feelings and Revelations from the Scriptures, than a heated Imagination; it must proceed from the positive Agency of a false Spirit on your Minds. For as the Holy Spirit is the Author of the Scriptures, this Divine Instructor could never teach you for Scripture Things which are not at all contained in these sacred Writings. These Misinterpretations and Perversions of Scripture must proceed from yourselves, or Satan, or both, the one acting in Subserviency to the other.

IV.

The next Pretence which you plead in Favour of your Impulses, Revelations, and Perversions of Scripture is, that they are the spiritual Meaning which you are taught by the Spirit of God. You assert this with great Confidence, and boldly pronounce those to be blind and carnal, who don't understand the particular Passages just as you are pleased to spiritualize them.

The Phrase, Spiritual Sense of Scripture has been usually referred, by sober intelligent Christians who have used it, to that Discovery of the peculiar Glory of divine Truths which God grants to his People by the saving Illuminations of his Spirit, they beholding in the Glass of the Gospel, the Glory of the Lord. And if you will use the Words spiritual Sense, to mean this and Nothing more, I should have no Debate with you, but would rather offer sundry Arguments to prove that none but true Saints ever behold the great Truths of the Gospel in [Page] their Spiritual Glory, since it is positively asserted by the Apostle, a that "the natural Man receiveth not the Things of the Spirit of God; for they are Foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. No Man, who is destitute of the Spirit of God, can be supposed to know the peculiar Excellencies and Glories of the divine Truths which are contained in the Gospel. Hence Christians are directed to pray for the Teachings and Illuminations of the Holy Spirit, that the Eyes of their Understanding may be enlightened.

But this is not what you mean by spiritual Sense of Scripture. For then it would be no Support or Foundation for your new Truths, which you pretend are revealed to you from such and such Texts of Scripture. When the Minds of Sinners are enlightened by the Spirit of God, in the Scheme of Salvation by Jesus Christ, as delivered in the Gospel, they only see the Truths which are already revealed by the Spirit in the written Word. Divine Light may shew Men what is in the Scriptures, especially their eminent Excellency and Glory, but it does not discover new Truths and Duties, not contained in the Bible. So that the spiritual Sense of the Scriptures in this Acceptation of the Phrase is Nothing to your Purporse. It could be no Advantage to your Scheme.

Hence your spiritual Meaning or Sense of Scripture is a secret mystical Sense, which you imagine is communicated to you by immediate Revelation, and by which you know new Truths and Duties. The Scriptures according to you, have a literal and carnal Sense, and a mystical and spiritual Sense, hidden and wrapped up under it, as in a Riddle or Allegory. The carnal or unconverted, see only the literal and carnal Sense of the Scriptures, but you being spiritual and gracious Persons are instructed in the secret and spiritual Sense of the Bible. Let us examine these Things.

Every Speaker, who uses Words with Propriety has some Design in View, and of Consequence some determinate Meaning fixed to his Words, whether he uses plain Language or Metaphors, and Parable. When we fully understand this Meaning, we have the whole Sense he intended. If we mistake his Meaning and Design, we can't be said rightly to understand him.

[Page]As God has been pleased to speak to us in human Languages most certainly he speaks with the greatest Propritety: And therefore the Sense is most fixed and determinate. The Scriptures were designed for the common Use of Mankind, for the Unlearned as well as the Learned, and are therefore penned in an easy familiar Style, in such Language and Words, as were commonly used among Men when they were written. Sometimes Metaphors and Parables are used to strike Men's Attention in a more lively Manner, and to teach them plain Truths, which are clearly revealed in other Passages of Scripture. b Typical Representations were often used under the Old Testament to prefigure Jesus Christ the promised Saviour. But since Christ is come, such typical Representations are become less necessary, and so not much used in the New-Testament. ‘We, says the Apostle, use great Plainness of Speech and not as Moses which put a Vail over his Face.’ c

Since God designed to teach us Something in every Passage of Scripture, when we comprehend what this is, what Instructions are contained in it, we see the true Meaning of that particular Passage. If we don't see what was God's Meaning and Design in any particular Passage, we don't understand that Passage, at least the true Meaning of it. Thus every Scripture, whither plain or parabolical, has some Design, some determinate Sense. It contains some certain Truths, and no other. When the Passage is parabolical and typical, it must be explained to discover these Truths which it contains.

The Scriptures were designed for, and are sent to Mankind in general, both Saints and Sinners. They are used as a Means to convince and convert Sinners; to edify Saints; and to leave impenitent Unbelievers inexcuseable in their Sins. These Ends could not be answered by the Scriptures, unless they were in some good Measure intelligible to all both Saints and Sinners God declares that ‘he had not spoken in secret; and that his Commandment was not hidden.’ d It was not his Design to hide and conceal the Truths of his Word from the unregenerate, but to reveal them to all in general in the plainest Manner. To teach therefore that unconverted Sinners can't have any Understanding of the Scriptures is to oppose God, and to endeavour to frustrate one great [Page] End for which he gave them. When the holy Spirit convinces Men of their Sins, does he not often improve the Truths contained in the Scriptures? And don't convinced Sinners believe the Truths, which the Spirit improves in convincing them? And are not many awakened Sinners, with Felix, when he trembled under Paul's Preaching, still in an unconverted State? If unconverted Sinners could know nothing at all about the Truth contained in the Gospel, how could they be left inexcuseable in their Sins? Or how could it be just in God to condemn them to an aggravated Punishment?

Hence, though unconverted Sinners don't see the eminent Glory of the Lord in the Glass of the Gospel, yet they may, and often do see th [...] it is true, and are frequently much affected with the Truths which it contains. And thus your Notion of a carnal Meaning, which is understood only by carnal Men; and a spiritual Meaning which true Converts understand has no just Foundation. The Scriptures were penned by the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and treat chiefly about spiritual Things, and Men are brought to see their real Excellency and peculiar Glory by the Illuminations of the Spirit. How then can they have a carnal Meaning? Christ the great Antitype is come. Why would you turn the New-Testament into Types and Figures? Is not this to throw Shadows and Darkness instead of Light upon the Gospel? But this will appear plainer while I briefly point out some of the Marks and Characters of your spiritual Meaning which you put on the Scriptures.

1. Your spiritual Sense of Scripture has no Connexion with its true or real Sense. For Instance, ‘Jesus then cometh and taketh Bread and giveth them, and Fish likewise.’ Real Sense; ‘Christ on a certain Occasion distributed Bread and Fish to his Disciples.’ Your spirituall Sense, ‘Bread and Fish mean Divine Light, Comfort and Joy.’ Jesus gives this spiritual Food, these divine Manifestations, not to the World but to his true Disciples, his poor persecuted Followers, that is, yourselves. Now any unprejudiced Person may see this spiritual Meaning has no Connexion with, nor real Foundation in the Text.

2. Your spiritual Meaning is such a Meaning as no sober Man, let him have ever so much Grace and Penetration, can see in the Text; and yet a blind, unconverted Sinner can understand [Page] it if he pleases. Divine Influences and saving Illumination don't help a Man in the least, to discern your spiritual Sense of Scripture. For many who are favoured with a large Share of saving Light and Knowledge are quite Strangers to your spiritual Meanings. But some carnal Men are very well acquainted with them. ‘Thus e David's Servants said unto him, let there be sought for my Lord the King a young Virgin, and let her stand before the King, and let her cherish him; and let her lie in thy Bosom, that my Lord the King may get Heat. So they sought for a fair Damsel—and found Abishag,’ &c. Your spiritual Sense of this Passage is briefly, ‘This fair Damsel that cherished King David was his Faith. This lay in his Bosom and made him lively and warm in Religion.’ A carnal Sinner can immediately understand this Meaning without any Illuminations of the Spirit.

3 Your spiritual Sense not only has no Connexion with the real Sense, but is often quite contrary to it. Thus, ‘Let your Women keep Silence in the Churches—and if they will learn any Thing, let them ask their Husbands at Home." Spiritual Meaning; "Christ is their Husband, the Church is their Home. Therefore Women who are married to Christ by Faith may speak in the Church.’ Here you see plainly, that the spiritual Sense is quite contrary to the true Sense. Thus again, ‘Thou hast had five Husbands, and he, whom thou now hast, is not thy Husband.’ Spiritual Sense; ‘Thou hast had five false Hopes, and that Hope which thou now hast is not a true Hope,’ directly contrary to the real Meaning and Design of the Words.

In fine, by such Spiritualizings, any Thing and every Thing or Nothing, may be made out of any Scripture, as the Fancies of Men please. There is no Reasoning with such Men from Scripture.

Allow your spiritual Sense, and we can't establish any Doctrine, nor confute any Error by the most express Scripture For it is easy for you to say, we take the Scriptures in the literal, carnal Sense; but you have the spiritual Meaning of the Texts to Confirm you in your Opinion; or that you are not taught the spiritual Sense of the Texts brought to confute you. So that when Persons pretend to set up such Spiritualizings of [Page] Scripture, they in Fact set the Bible aside. Now from whom do you think such Notions could spring? Who is it that is most industriously imployed in getting rid of the Bible?

The History of the Fall of Man, the Miracles of Christ, &c. have been spiritualized after this Manner, that is, explained away by some Writers. But no Parts of Scripture have been more spiritualized, than the Revelation and the Song of Solomon. The ingenious Mr. Lowman has commented very excellently on the Revelation, rescuing the sacred Text from many Spiritualizers, and explaining the real Import of the Language and the general Design of the Book.

Since the Song of Solomon was ranked among the Jewish Scriptures, according to Inspiration, which would not permit any spurious Production to be placed in the sacred Canon; since Christ has declared, that the Scriptures cannot be broken; and Paul has expressly asserted that all Scripture, that is, the whole Old-Testament is given by Inspiration; it would be very absurd to question its divine Authority. The following brief Account perhaps may be useful to point out the general Design, and the right Method of explaining this celebrated Song.

Husbands and Wives mutually love one another. This mutual Love which is between Husband and Wife may be used to represent that Love which is between Christ and his true Followers. The Spirit of God has made Use of Marriage to represent it in sundry plain Passages of Scripture. As Solomon was a Type of Christ, the Love which he and Pharaoh's Daughter had for each other, is pitched on as a particular Instance or Emblem, to represent the Love that is between Christ and his People. This grand Truth is represented in this celebrated Song, which is written after the Manner of Pastorals, by a great Variety of beautiful Images, in a very striking Manner, agreeable to the Customs, of the Jews, and the Eastern Taste. From the whole of this Song we learn this great Truth, ‘that there is a mutual strong Love between Christ and true Believers." This is celebrated here in a every lively Manner. There is no Need to wring the Expressions to force out of them uncertain Niceties. f’

Had the common, but too much neglected, Maxim about Parabolical Representations, viz. ‘That they don't run on all [Page] Four,’ been rightly applied and attended to, many strained and unnatural Glosses on the Beams, Ratters, Neck, Breasts, Navel. &c. might have been spared, without any Damage to the [...]e spiritual Edification of the Church. There is Need of a new Revelation from God, and Miracles to confirm many spiritual Meanings, that have been affixed to some Phrases in [...] [...]ticles.

God sometimes taught his People by Hieroglyphicks or Symbols. But it would be very wild to infer from this, that all the Scriptures are hieroglyphical. If God has revealed any where in his Word, that any particular Persons or Things were symbolical (as he has sometimes done in the New-Testament by Christ and his Apostles) then we have a sufficient Warrant to explain them, as Types or Hieroglyphicks. But where God has not told us that Persons or Histories were Allegorical, how is it possible for us to know it? Should not we stop where God has stopped? Must not all beyond this be mere Imagination and Delusion?

Had Men been contented to have made Scripture the Interpreter of Scripture, and not attempted to find out imaginary Mysteries, which are no where revealed, many strange Interpretations might have been happily prevented.

Common Readers, I suppose, can see so much in the plain Meaning of the Book of Job, as to be greatly benefited by the Example of Patience, which is set before them in this eminent Person; and the Serious Instructions and sublime Sentiments, which are delivered in the various Discourses, that passed between him and his Friends, on Occasion of his Afflictions, &c. But many suppose this Book to be a dramatick Piece, a parabolical Representation. Who can tell how far they are right? On this Supposition this Book must have a hidden, mystical, spiritual Meaning. Fancy must be set to Work to find it out. And as it is not revealed in Scripture, when or by whom the Book of Job was written, Imagination has a large Field to range in. Men may guess till they are tired: But how shall they know when they have gu [...]ssed right?

One may imagine it was written by Moses, that Job mystically represents the Children of Israel; his Afflictions and Murmurings, their Bondage in [...], Sufferings and Murmurings i [...] the Wilderness; his Pr [...]ty [...]r his heavy Afflictions, [Page] their Prosperity in the Land of Ca [...]aan. On this Scheme the Book of Job was designed to recommend Patience and Perseverance to the Israelites in the Wilderness.

As Job is represented to have lived in the Land of Uz, and the Names of some of his Friends are such as were common among the Descendants of Esau. Another may imagine, this Book was written to comfort the Edomites, when they were carried away captive, and subjected to grievous Calamities. His Prosperity may represent their Restoration; or their Conversion to Christianity. Another may imagine, the Book of Job was written by Ezra for the Support and Comfort of the Jews, after the Babylonish Captivity: That Job represents the returning Jews, his three Friends, whom he called miserable Comforters, the false Friends or Enemies of the Jews, Sa [...]ballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arrabian; his foolish Wife, the strange Wives, whom the Jews had married, and whom they put away by divine Commandment, &c.

Others may frame other Hypotheses, as Things happen to jump in their Imaginations. Is it not a Pity they don't consider, that, since the mystical Meaning of this Book, if it has any, is not revealed in Scripture, they can never find it out? Is it not egregious Folly for Men to pretend to be wise above what is written? If some self-conceited contemptuous Writers were ever likely to read this Address, or capable of taking Advice from me, I would recommend it to them, when they are seized with this Fondness for Mysticism and Allegory, to confine themselves to the Metamorphosis of Ovid, Apulius, or the Dreams of Arremidorus They will spend their Time more innocently in finding out the Mysteries of the Heathens, than in torturing the Holy Scriptures, and they may appear quite as Learned.—To return,

If a Man should give you a Note or a Bond for a hundred Pounds, would you allow him, to take as much Liberty to spiritualize away the true intent of it, as you take with the Bible? If he should come and tell you with a great Deal of Heat and Zeal, that the spiritual Meaning of a hundred Pounds was not a hundred Pounds of Money, but a hundred Words, Complements or Visits, or the like, would you not think be was monstrously impudent, or distracted? And has not the Bible a real, important and fixed Meaning, as well as any other Writings? [Page] How dare any Man take that Freedom with the Scriptures, which he would not allow his Neighbour in explaining a trifling Note or Bond, where his temporal Property was concerned?

Indeed there was a Necessity on you, who set up to be Exhorters, to give into this Notion of Spiritualizing the Scriptures, from your great Ignorance of their true Meaning. I am very serious, and remember while I am writing, I must render a most strict and impartial Account of my Conduct at God's awful Bar. And under this solemn Sense of the last Judgment on my Mind, I most seriously declare, it is my firm Opinion, that such is the Ignorance which prevails among both your Teachers and People, who have separated from us, that all of you together could scarcely explain the true Sense of one single Leaf of the Bible. So that your Teachers are obliged to spiritualize and pervert the Scriptures, or else forbear holding forth.—It seems also they find their Account in this spiritualizing, in drawing sundry after them; for some are wonderfully pleased to find strange Mysteries in plain Texts. Who could have thought, say they, such a wonderful Discourse could have been made out of such a Text? Some will always be best pleased with new and strange Things, which they don't understand!

1. But I expect to be told that I deny all the Teachings of the Spirit, &c.

To which I answer, the Spirit of God teaches by giving us the Scriptures; and by impressing the real Sense, the general Truths, that are contained in them on Men's Minds, as has been already explained. If therefore after this, any of you shall dare to assert, or insinuate, that I deny the Operations of the Spirit, I must look on it as a Specimen of wilful Malice and Deceit; since you can't but know, it is only your absurd spiritualizing of Scripture, which I discard.

2. But some Divines have spiritualized Scripture.

Ans. You doubtless frequently mistake the explaining Scripture Metaphors for Spiritualizing, tho' they are widely different. To shew the true Meaning of such a metaphorical Phrase, as draw Water out of the Wells of Salvation, pluck out a Right Eye, out off a right Hand: for Instance, is not to spiritualize, but to explain.

[Page]Some of these Things, which you take for spiritualizing in the Writings of Divines, are only Allusions to Scripture Types, and Histories, to give some Illustration to the Subject on which they are discoursing, and to fix it a little more strongly on the Memory. But what if Divines had spiritualized the Scripture in the Method, which I have endeavoured to expose? Does that make it right, when it is so evidently wrong? I have long since learned, that I should call no Man Father or Master upon Earth. Should we follow Men any further than they follow Christ and Truth?

Many of the best Divines have warmly remonstrated against this Spiritualizing Scripture from the Beginning of the Reformation. The excellent Dr. Doddridge observes on 2 Cor. iii. 6. Not of the Letter, but of the Spirit] ‘To understand this of an Allegorical (that is a Spiritual) rather than literal Explication of the Old Testament is very Arbitrary and Unwarrantable. And I wish no Christian Commentators had given Encouragement to the Deists, to abuse this Text in the Manner it is well known they have done.’

Now when the Deists thus strongly arm themselves from the Spiritualizings of Enthusiasts, and some weak Brethren, who have inadvertently embraced some of their Interpretations, is it not high Time to expose this Method of explaining the Bible? Should we for Fear of displeasing some weak Persons, quietly sit still and be silent; until Enthusiasts have effectually prepared the Way for Deists to discard the Scriptures, or bring them into Contempt, as a System of unintelligible mistical Jargon.

If I have quoted from the Writings of some Divines, this is to shew that I am not singular, since many, whose Praises are in the Churches of Christ, have been of the same Opinion.— But since it is one of the Artifices of unfair Opponents to Charge those that write against them, with any exceptionable Expressions or Notions they think they have found in the Books quoted from, or approved of in general; I here desire it may be remarked, as I receive Nothing on any human Authority, I undertake to defend no Men's Peculiarities. I am willing to be tried by the Scriptures, and to stand or fall by them. To them I appeal.

In the above Sense of quoting from Divines I desire you to [Page] read and seriously consider the following Passage of Dr. Doddridge in his Life of the very excellent and pious Col. Gar [...] ner. ‘He never pretended to have received any immediate Revelation * from God, which should raise him above the ordinary Methods of Instruction, or discover any Thing to him, whether of Doctrines or Faith. No Man was further from pretending to predict future Events, except it were from the moral Prognostications of Causes naturally tending to produce them, in treating of which he had indeed an admirable Sagacity, as I have seen in some very remarkable Instances. Neither was he at all inclinable to govern himself by secret Impulses upon his Mind, leading him to Things for which he could assign no Reason but the Impulse itself. Had he ventured, in a Presumption on such secret Agitations of Mind, to teach or to do any Thing, not warranted by the Dictates of sound Sense and the Word of God, I should readily have acknowledged him an Enthusiast, unless he could have produced some other Evidence than his own Persuasion to have supported the Authority of them.’ §

It will be no unnecessary Digression to give a brief Specimen of your Manner of Reasoning from Scripture, agreeable to your Spiritualizings about Baptism, &c.

i. It is certain from the Scriptures, that God sent John the Baptist to baptize with Water. For his Baptism was from Heaven, of Divine Appointment. Christ himself was baptized with Water. Christ's Disciples, who were careful to obey his Directions, baptized while he lived with them before his Crucifiction. When he took his Leave of them, and ascended into Heaven, he commanded them ‘to teach and baptize all Nations.’ They were well acquainted with his Manner of Speaking and Language, and they understood his Command, [Page] "Baptize," of receiving Persons into the visible Church by Water-Baptism, which, it seems, was the known and established Sense of the Word. For to baptize with the Holy Ghost, and with Fire, is evidently a metaphorical Phrase, which signified their sharing plentifully in the Influences of the Divine Spirit. Thus, else where, Christ uses the Metaphor of Baptism to signify his dreadful Sufferings and Death. g ‘Are ye able to be baptized with the Baptism I am to be baptized with?’ But to baptize with Water, as John the Baptist did, was the proper and common Sense of the Word. So the Apostles understood it, and so they practised. h Peter said to the three thousand, ‘Repent, and be baptized, every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ, for the Remission of Sins, and ye shall receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.’

Their sharing in the Gifts of the Holy Ghost, or being baptized with the Holy Ghost, did not supersede the Necessity of being baptized with Water. No, ‘Can any Man forbid Water,’ said Peter i with Respect to Cornelius and other Gentile Converts, ‘who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we. And he commanded them to be baptized in the Name of the Lord.’ Though therefore Peter and Paul, as appears from some Passages, did not ordinarily baptize themselves, being chiefly employed in Preaching the Gospel; yet they were careful in commanding that Baptism with Water should not be neglected. Philip who was under the immediate Direction of the Spirit, baptized the Eunuch with Water. Thus Baptism by Water was constantly practised by the Apostles. This is the one Baptism which they speak of. And this Baptism was frequently accompanied with the Influences of the Holy Spirit. Some might lay too great a Stress upon Baptism in their Days, as the Papists have done since, and others who teach that Men are regenerated by Baptism. To correct the Mistake of such, Peter plainly tells them, that they were not to look so much to their being baptized with Water, as to their living answerable to their Promises in that holy Ordinance. k ‘Baptism doth also now save us, not the putting away of the Filth of the Flesh, but the Answer of a good Conscience towards God, by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.’ Which [Page] shews that Baptism by Water, was then practised; that the Apostle, approved of it, but would not have too great Stress laid upon it, considered merely in itself.

Now who, that considers that Baptism by Water was of Divine Institution, was never repealed, but was enjoined by Christ, and practised by his Apostles, would think any Man would pretend to prove from their Writings, that it should be disregarded? Would they not have been the most inconsistent of all Men, if they had thus taught one Thing and constantly practised the contrary? If they had wrote against Water-Baptism, when they were thus careful to see that it was administered? Barclay was so intent on the figurative or spiritual Sense of Scripture, that he quite overlooked its real Sense and plain Scope; and therefore could not see any Divine Warrant for Baptism with Water in all the New-Testament; yet he could see it clearly forbidden in these Words of John, Christ's Harbinger, "He must encrease but I must decrease." l Which must besure be the spiritual Sense of the Text, since in its real Sense it says Nothing more nor less about Baptism at all. A Man had Need of the Second Sight to see any Thing in these Words against Water-Baptism. But such are the Reasonings of those who pretend to follow the spiritual Sense of Scripture!

ii. Thus also others of you declare, with equal Reason and Positiveness as Barclay against Infant-Baptism, as if it was merely a vain Invnetion of Men, and a very sinful Observance.

It is certain from the Scriptures that God held Adam's natural Posterity bound with him, in that Law or Covenant which he gave him in his State of Innocency. God cursed the Ground for the Sake of Adam's Transgression, and his Posterity in all their Generations have felt the sad Effects of his Apostacy. It is likewise certain, that God bound Abraham's natural Posterity as well as himself, when he ratified his Covenant with him by Circumcision, which was, according to the Apostle Paul, a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith or Coveant of Grace. Now the Covenant of Grace was never yet repealed. Consequently the Grant, which God made in it in Favour of the Infant Seed of his People, still remains in full Force and Virtue. This is the plain Sense of these Scripture-Accounts.—'Tis true [Page] these Things are in the Old-Testament. But would you deny Original Sin * and discard the Old-Testament, rather than allow Infant Baptism? If you don't, pray consider at your Leisure, whether our Infants be not as capable Subjects of being bound by Covenant to the Lord in Baptism, as the Infants of the Israelites were by Circumcision? While you charge us with horrid Presumption and Sin, for baptizing Infants, hereby putting God's Seal upon them; beware least in your great Zeal and intemperate Heat you should be found charging God foolishly; since he expressly commanded the Infants of the Israelites to be circumcised. Length of Time does not change the Nature of Right and Wrong. Whatsoever was wrong in itself under the Old-Testament, is so still. If therefore it be in itself absurd, wrong and sinful, to take Children into Covenant now, it was so also under the Old-Testament. It becomes you to be a little more careful how you express yourselves on this Subject. Indifferent Things may be abolished, but nothing that is in itself wrong and sinful can ever be commanded by God. Do you think Circumcision referred only to earthly Riches? Or that all the Saints of Old were under no other but a strict Covenant of Works?

1. But God has not expressly said, in so many Words, ‘Ye shall baptize Infants.’

Ans. But he has said, that the same Covenant of Grace still continues m ‘Ye are, said Peter to the Jews, the Children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made with our Fathers, saying unto Abraham, and in thy Seed shall all the Kindreds of the Earth be blessed.—The Promise is to you and to your Children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call:’ That is, bring to a publick Profession of Christ, calling them by the Preaching of the Gospel. Since many are thus called and but few chosen; there is no Necessity, nor sufficient Reason, to restrain this to an effectual Call in this Place. The Covenant and Promise, then, under the Gospel extends to the Children of Christan Professors as well as themselves. Yea if only one of the Parents [Page] of a Child be a professed Christian, yet even in such a Case the Child is to be treated as a Subject of the visible Covenant and Church. n ‘The unbelieving Husband is sanctified by the Wife and the unbelieving Wife is sanctified by the Husband: else were your Children unclean; but now are they holy.’ This does not mean that they are really or sincerely holy. For many excellent Christians have had ungodly Children. The Sense then evidently is that the Children of Christian Parents, or where only one of them professes Christ, are visibly holy by being in Covenant along with their Parents. Thus, according to the Apostle the Children of Christian Parents are holy, and of Consequence proper Subjects of Baptism. Why should we refuse to baptize Children and receive them into the visible Church when God has thus expressly assured us they are holy?

‘Some brought little Children to Christ, that he should touch them, and his Disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of God.— And he took them up in his Arms, put his Hands upon them and blessed them. o’ The Kingdom of Christ in this Passage, must mean either the Kingdom of Glory above, or the Gospel-Church in this World. If little Children belong to the Kingdom of Glory, why should we refuse to admit them into the visible Church by Baptism? Would Men have their Churches in this World purer than Heaven itself? But if the Kingdom of God in this Text should be taken in the second Sense, as meaning the visible Church or Kingdom which he has erected in the World, then, this Passage is a direct Proof for Infant Baptism; since this is the Ordinance by which they were made visible Members. Such is the plain Sense of this Passage, and the Consequence which is fairly derived from it.

But the Spiritual Sense which some of you put upon it is, ‘These who were brought to Christ were not little Children in Age and Stature, but true Converts who resembled little Children in their Temper and Disposition.’ That is, Christ took up grown Persons in his Arms, who, it may be, were Thirty, Forty, Sixty, or Seventy Years old. — [Page] Such could have come to Christ themselves, without being brought by their Parents or Guardians. To such pitiful Shifts are Men drove, to defend their Errors. To mention such an Interpretation is to expose it.

2. But Christ said to his Disciples, Go and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father, &c.

Ans. What then? According to your own Interpretation of this Text, it does not refer to Infants, but to grown adult Persons. But how will you confute Infant Baptism from a Text which you grant has no Reference at all to it? Suppose I should allow for Argument's Sake, that Infant Baptism could not be proved from this Text; that would be no good Reason against it, since, as I have shewed, it may be proved from other Scriptures. The Lord's Supper is not expressly mentioned in this Text. Will you admit this to be a good Proof, that Christians should not shew forth the Lord's Death in this Ordinance according to his command in other Scriptures? All Things could not possibly be taught in one Text. But how can any reasonable, unprejudiced Man suppose the Apostles understood this Commission. "Teach and baptize all Nations? Must they not have understood it as comprehending Infants, when they knew they were received as Members of the Jewish Church at eight Days old, by Circumcision? And when they well remembered the sharp Rebuke, which Christ gave them for attempting to hinder little Children from coming to him? Had any Insinuations been made by the Apostles against Children; had they excluded them from the visible Church; no Doubt their Enemies the Jews, would have made a loud Complaint against them for cutting off their Infant-Seed from the Lord. But there are no Intimations in the whole New-Testament of any such Objections and Complaints being made against them.

3. But there is no express Example to prove that Infants were baptized.

Ans. When Lydia was converted to Christianity, p not only she herself, but also her houshold were baptized. The Jailor and all his were baptized. The Apostle Paul baptized the Houshold of Stephanas. q How can you prove that there were no Children in these Families? Is it by a strong Imagination, or a violent Impulse, or some new Revelation?

[Page]If Children are holy as the Apostle expressly assures us, r how dare you treat them as unclean, as unholy, as Heathen, refusing to baptize them? Should you not have express Scripture to justify you in your discarding Infant Baptism on your own principles? Or do you think there are no Sins of Omission? Or that you will never be called to Account for the Injury, you do to your Children by neglecting to devote them to God in this solemn Ordinance?

If you still insist upon some express Scripture or Example, why don't you stedfastly and honestly adhere to your own Rule in all Things? Why do you pretend to dip or plunge Persons when you baptize them? Where have you any express Command or Example for such a Mode? Not in the Bible. Produce it if you can. As I have been informed it is your Custom, when you pretend to plunge Persons, especially in cold Weather, to bundle up the Men, not only in their ordinary wearing Apparel, but also in sundry great Coats sometimes; and the Women in many Cloaths, Wrappers, Mufflers, &c. You must give me Leave to ask you, what Scripture you have for such a Practice? When Persons are baptized, should not the Water be applied to their Bodies some Way or other? Can they be supposed to be baptized at all, when the Water is applied chiefly to their Cloaks and Wrappers? Is not this rather a plunging and soaking of their Cloaths, than a baptizing of themselves? Have you any express Command or Example in all the Scripture of Persons who were thus bundled up in great Coats and Wrappers, in Order to be baptized by plunging without wetting their Skin? Does not this look like mocking the Ordinance, or a cowardly shrinking back from the Cross. *

iii. The Scriptures assure us, that Christ ſ declared that he was the Lord of the Sabbath. He rose on the first Day when he had finished the Work of our Redemption, which was more glorious than that of Creation, and therefore more worthy to be remembred. Christ visited his Disciples, when they were met together on the first Day of the Week after his Resurrection. t Christ declares he did not come to destroy the Law and [Page] the Prophets. Consequently not to abolish the Sabbath. When therefore the seventh Day became not so proper, the first Day was appointed in its Room.

The first Day of the Week was a Day appointed for publick Worship in the Time of the Apostles. u ‘The Disciples at Troas, met together to break Bread, or celebrate the Lord's Supper on the first Day of the Week, and Paul preached unto them.’ This Apostle gave Orders v to the Churches of Corinth and Galatia to make their charitable Contributions on the first Day of the Week, which seems to be a strong Intimation, it was then a Day observed for public Worship. To encourage the Christians in the Observance of the first Day, notwithstanding any Opposition they might meet with from the Jews, he says, w ‘Let no Man judge you in Meat or in Drink, or in Respect of an holy Day, or of the New-Moon or of the Sabbath-Days which are a Shadow of good Things to come.’ How do you know that this is not an express Alteration of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first Day of the Week? Is it not strange that some can see Baptism by plunging plainly instituted, in the Example of the Eunuch whom Philip baptized, though there is not a Word in the Text about Dipping; and yet cannot see the Jewish Sabbath altered here?

It is well known from History, that the first Day of the Week was called the Lord's Day, as the Apostle John speaks of it in the Revelation, in the first Ages of Christianity. * It was a distinguishing Badge of Christians in the third Century to keep the Lord's Day or first Day of the Week, for which many were put to Death by their Heathen Persecutors. God has owned and blessed his Church and People in the devout Observance of the first Day of the Week, and often punished those who have dared to profane it.

Are not these Evidences sufficient to convince any sober Enquirer after Truth, that God has appointed, and still approves of the Observance of the first Day of the Week as the Sabbath? Could you † be at any Loss about this Matter, unless you had determined you would set up your own Wills; would have it known that you looked on yourselves [Page] more wise, zealous, and religious, than the whole Christian World; would follow your strong Impulses and Revelations, and spiritualize away the true Sense of the Scriptures? But why han't you wrought some Miracles to prove that those Revelations, which you pretend you have had, came from God? It is astonishing, that you should venture on the Strength of your Impuses to glory in your Disregard for the Lord's Day; to burlesque and ridicule it in your awkward Manner; and not only presume to follow your worldly Business on this solemn Day; but, if current Reports be true, endeavour to your utmost at Time to disturb your Christian Neighbours in their religious Worship. Does the Gospel teach you any where to offend and molest your Neighbours in their religious Assemblies and Worship? Does not this look something like the Temper of the Heathens, who persecuted the primitive Christians for their religious Observance of the Lord's Day? Is it not probable that Satan is very active in exciting Persons to such turbulent offensive Behaviour? Satan would have the Sabbath abolished no Doubt if he could, because there are many Attempts made against his Kingdom on this Day.

Some of you § who are a good Deal tinged with these Errors, have a considerable Regard for the Rev. Mr. Bellamy▪ And indeed, this Gentleman has had a pretty large Acquintance with the Separates and their Religion, and has well exposed the pernicious Tendency of their Notions. I shall therefore transcribe a few Passages from his Dialogues.

He describes a sincere Christian's Experiences thus. ‘I behold (1.) The Love, the self-moving Goodness, of God in the Gift of his Son: But not (as the Separates imagine) that he loves me in particular, and is reconciled to me.’ (2.) I then see, ‘that Christ has secured the Honour of the Divine Government; and that now God can be just, and yet justify the Sinner that believeth in Jesus;" But not, that I am one for whom he died, with an absolute Design to Save." (3.) "I then see, that any Sinner may return to God through Christ; and see that those who do will be accepted and saved; but not, that, Pardon is mine, Grace is mine, Christ and all his spiritual Blessings are mine—In a [Page] Word I see the Truth of what is already revealed in the Gospel; but I don't see Truths not revealed there. The Holy Spirit helps me to see the Truths already revealed; but reveals no new Truths. The Things, which I believe, were true, before I believed them. If after all any pretend, There is no Difference between these two Kinds of Faith; I only say, if these two Kinds of Faith like two Roads which seem, and but seem, to lead the same Way, should in Fact, lead to two different Worlds, as far asunder as Heaven and Hell; it is proper to set up these Monuments, to warn Travelers, and the nearer they are alike, the more Need poor Travelers have to take Heed they do not mistake. But if they will mistake after Warning, their Blood will be upon their own Heads; and they will eternally remember, that they knew what they believed was not revealed in Scripture— They believed without any Evidence from Scripture, Sense or Reason.’

"But admit all this Error and Delusion how shall we know "the Truth?

‘By making the written Word our Rule, our only Rule; —Once the Question was concerning Jesus of Nazareth, Art thou he that should come? Or, look we for another? Go and shew John, said our blessed Saviour, those Things which ye do hear and see. The blind receive their Sight, the Lame walk, and the Lepers are cleansed, and the Deaf hear, the Dead are raised, and the poor have the Gospel preached unto them—These were the Characters of the Messiah, according to the sacred Writings of the Old-Testament, and to these he appeals—Now the Question is concerning Theron, (any Man) is he a true Believer, a real Convert, a Christian, that our Lord will own at the Day of Judgment? Well, Go read, say I, our Saviour's Sermon on the Mount.—Blessed are the poor in Spirit—Blessed are they that mourn—the Meek, &c. &c. to the End. And see; is my Theron a Man of this Character? If so, his House is built on a Rock. If not, it is built upon the Sand—This is such a Witness of the Spirit as will pass at the great Tribunal; and you will need no other. But without this, ten thousand Revelations will avail you Nothing. Nay, but that will be your certain Doom, I know you not, depart from me ye Workers of Iniquity.’

[Page] ‘If we do certainly know our good Estate by our Sanctification, is not the immediate Witness of the Spirit needless? If Men do not certainly know they are Good Men by their Sanctification; who on Earth can tell, but they are Hypocrites? And so, but that their immediate Witness comes from the Devil?—If they cannot tell—to be sure you and I can't. Nor will their immediate Witness prove the contrary; unless you can demonstrate (contrary to Scripture) that Satan never transforms himself into an Angel of Light.—Leave Holiness out of the Account, and what is there—but what the Devil can do? If he can, how do you know but he will? How do you know but he does? Go to the Anabaptists in Germany in Luther's, Time—Go to the Enthusiasts in England, in Cromwell's Time,—and see what the Devil has done in former Ages. Yea, I could name Towns and Persons in New-England, where and in whom Satan's mighty Works have been to be seen, within less than twenty Years ago.—’

"This Doctrine," (viz. That Men know their good Estate by their Sanctification, and are not to look for any other immediate Witness of the Spirit) ‘so plainly taught by JESUS CHRIST and ALL HIS APOSTLES, were it once thoroughly understood, and firmly believed, would not only "wound" and "perplex" presumptuous Hypocrites; but even slay its ten thousands; while the righteous would flourish like the green Bay-Tree, nourished up by such sound and good Doctrine. For never did Assurance, true and genuine Assurance, so abound among Professors as in the Apostolie Age, when this was the Doctrine universally in Vogue.— And then the holy Lives of their Converts were so exemplary; that they won the Favour and commanded the Respect of all the People. And Christianity, thus adorned by the constant Behaviour of its Professors, gained Ground every where, in Spite of all the Efforts of Earth and Hell.—Whereas in the Days of Luther, in the Days of Cromwell, and in our Days, when your Kind of Assurance (by immediate Witness of the Spirit, Revelations, Visions, &c.) has been so much in Vogue, the Lives of many Professors have been such as to bring Reproach upon Christianity, in the Sight of the World. It was this that prejudiced the Papist against Reformation [Page] in Luther's Time. It was this that prejudiced England against experimental Religion in Cromwell's Time. And it is this, it is this, O my Theron, that has brought vital Piety into such general Contempt in New-England, in these late Years (Let every Enthusiast hear and consider) Could I speak, O my Theron, with a Voice like that of the Arch-Angel, when he shall wake up all the sleeping dead, I would sound an Alarm to all God's People through the Christian World, warn them against this Delusion, and invite them to return back to the old apostolic Doctrine.’ —Thus Mr. Bellamy. P. 123, 171, 173, 163.

V.

What has been already asserted, and clearly proved, against all immediate Impulses and Revelations in our Day might serve to confute your Pretences to an immediate Call to the Ministry. For if Men's Duty be not ordinarily revealed to them by immediate Revelation, &c. in any Case, now, since the Scriptures were compleated; then certainly, it is not immediately revealed to Men, that they should preach the Gospel. But since you greatly insist upon this immediate Call to the Ministry, and a great Part of the Religion which prevails among you, depending very much upon this Call, and since some others are ready to be stumbled by their high Pretences; I shall clearly state the true Notion of an immediate Call; shew what Evidence is Necessary to satisfy us, that Persons have it, and thus prove that those who pretend to it among these Sects are quite destitute of this Evidence, and answer their principal Objections, as they come in my Way.

1. An immediate Divine Call to an Office is, God's revealing to a Person that it is his Will to employ him in such an Office, or to perform such a Business, commanding him in an immediate Way to undertake it. Thus Moses was immediately called to bring the Children of Israel out of Egypt. Thus many of the Prophets, as Samuel, Jeremiah, Jonah, Amos, for Instance, were called. Thus the Apostles were called. Paul was a most remarkable Instance of this immediate Call.

Now in this Sense, you hold your Teachers are called. I suppose Barclay speaks the true Sense of you all, when he says, ‘That none can be made Officers in the Church, but—by inward Revelations of the Spirit, (not by outward Ordination) [Page] from which none is to be excluded, if so called, whither married, or a Tradesman, or a Servant —And by the leading, moving, and drawing hereof, ought every Christian Pastor to be led, and ordered in his Labour, and Work of the Gospel, both as to the Place where, as to the Persons to whom, and as to the Time wherein he is to minister. *’

This immediate, Divine Call is not a Person's Mind being enlightened by the Spirit of God, in the true meaning of some Passages in Scripture; but is intirely a new Revelation. Let a Man's Mind be ever so much inlightened in the true Sense of the whole Scriptures, he can never see, nor infer from them, that he is immediately called to be a Minister to preach, in this particular Place; to such a People; such a Time; because there is no such Thing in the Bible, that he, such a one by Name, is called to this Station. True Light will indeed discover what is in Scripture, but does not help in the least to see those Things which are not in it at all. If therefore any Man be called to the Ministry in an immediate Way, this Call must be a quite new Revelation.

Examples serve greatly to illustrate Things. Let us then briefly consider the Example of the Apostle Paul. When Christ immediately called this violent Persecutor to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, this was as much a new Revelation as any that ever was made. It could not be inferred from all that God had revealed to his Church before. An Impression on his Mind of something, that God had said to some of his ancient Prophets, as Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, &c. would not do in this Case, be it ever so clear and strong; for this plain Reason, Persecuting Saul was not the same Man. He was not Elijah, nor Isaiah, nor Jeremiah, nor Amos, &c. but Saul of Tarsus. Therefore the Call directed to them, could be no immediate Call to him.

Let us for once suppose, that such an Impression had been made on his Mind, and he had looked on it as a Divine Call to the Ministry, he must also have looked on it, as immediately directed to him; and then as to the Sense of the Scripture-Words that were thus impressed, this would have been intirely new, which would in Fact have rendered it to him, not an old, but wholly a new Revelation. The Scripture reveals that Jehu, the Son of Jehoshaphat, was called to be King over Israel; [Page] and that Jeremiah of Anachoth was called to be a Prophet to the Jews. But how shall any Man at this Distance reasonably infer from hence that he is immediately called to be a King, or a Gospel-Minister? A new Revelation is as much needed to teach him this, as if the Scriptures had not revealed one Word about Jehu and Jeremiah

2. I have clearly explained this the more largely, because I suppose, it will in some Measure discover, what Sort of Evidence Men, who pretended to this immediate Call, must produce to justify their great Pretensions. Every One, who is acquainted with his Bible, may remember that Miracles wrought in a publick open Manner are the Seal of God, by which he attests the Truth of new Revelations. This was the Evidence which he bore to the Truth of the Old-Testament. This was the Seal by which he testified the Truth of the New in the Time of Christ and his Apostles. Now if we carefully view the Temper of Mankind at present, it should seem, there is as much Need of Miracles to prove the Truth of a Revelation, that should be made now, as there was in those ancient Times. Is the World grown so much better? Are not Men as naturally prone to Unbelief as ever? If they are, is there not Need of the same Sort of Evidence to prove the Truth of New Revelations, which was formerly granted to recommend them?

The Lord seems to have given us just Grounds to expect Miracles, from those who profess to come with a new Revelation and an immediate Call, by his Conduct towards Moses, when he gave him that immediate Commission to bring the Children of Israel out of Egypt. Moses himself had sufficient Evidence that God called him. But he was a Man of too good Sense, and too well acquainted with Mankind, to think, that his telling others what he had seen and felt, would be reasonable Evidence to them, that the Lord had given him that important Commission. Therefore he humbly desired to be informed how he should surmount this Difficulty; and the Lord assured him he would grant him the incontestable Evidence of Miracles, to prove his immediate Divine Call. This remarkable Passage is so very pertinent to my Purpose, that it would be Injustice to my Argument not to transcribe it intire.

‘Moses answered x and said, But behold, they will not believe [Page] me nor hearken unto my Voice, for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee. And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine Hand? And he said, A Rod. And he said, Cast it on the Ground; and he cast it on the Ground, and it became a Serpent, and Moses Fled from before it. And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine Hand, and take it by the Tail. And he put forth his Hand and caught it, and it became a Rod in his Hand. That they may believe that, the Lord God of their Fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob hath appeared unto thee. And the Lord said furthermore unto him, Put now thine Hand into thy Bosom: And he put his Hand into his Bosom, and when he took it out, behold his Hand was leprous as Snow. And he said, Put thy Hand into thy Bosom; and he put his Hand into his Bosom again, and plucked it out of his Bosom, and behold it was turned again as his other Flesh. And it shall come to pass if they will not believe thee, nor hearken to the Voice of the first Sign, that they will believe the Voice of the latter Sign. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two Signs, neither hearken unto thy Voice, that thou shalt take the Water of the River and pour [...] upon the dry Land, and the Water which thou takest out of the River, shall become Blood upon the dry Land.’

Thus the Lord, having sent Moses with an immediate Commission to the Children of Israel, gave him such Credentials, as were sufficient to prove in the clearest Manner to all concerned that he had called him. It seems they would have been guilty of unreasonable Hastiness and Inadvertency; if they had received Moses on his own bare Affirmation. The Lord, who called him, assured him, he would support him in discharging his Commission. Now is it not still suitable to the Perfections of God, and does not the Nature of Things require, that he should, in some such convincing Manner, maintain the Authority of all those whom he calls immediately to any Office?

But least you should imagine, I strain Matters in my reasoning on this Instance of the Old-Testament, I shall now turn to the New. Permit me to assure you it will give me great Satisfaction, if you'l look with your own Eyes, and laying, aside [Page] Prejudice, search the Scriptures daily, whether these Things, which I assert, are so. I am fully perswaded you would soo [...] find sundry incontestable Proofs for my Opinion in the sacred Oracles.

Does not our Blessed Lord plainly teach us, we have a Right to insist on some other Evidence of a Man's immediate Call than his own SAY SO, in the following Passages. y ‘If I bear Witness of myself, my Witness is not true.’ That is, If I produce no other Witness or Proof of my divine Mission, but my own Affirmation, this is not to be admitted as true. It would not be sufficient Evidence for you to act upon. You could not be blamed for rejecting me, if I gave you no other Testimony than this. Hence, Christ appealed to the Testimony of John the Baptist, who was known to be an eminent Prophet; and to the glorious Miracles which he himself performed. ‘The Works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same Works that I do, bear Witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.’

Agreeable to this, is that celebrated Passage of his solemn Discourse, which he had with his Disciples immediately before he was betrayed. ‘If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had Sin; but now they have no Cloak for their Sin. z If I had not done among them the Works which none other Man did, they had not had Sin; but now they have both seen, and hated, both me and my Father.’ If Christ had not given sufficient Evidence, and wrought Miracles to prove his divine Mission; it would have been no Sin to have rejected him. Since therefore Christ has declared, it was necessary for him, who was the supreme Lord of all, to give such Evidences; since he did not think fit to require any to acknowledge and receive him, 'till he had fully proved that God had sent him; this plainly teaches us we have a Right to demand due Evidence from those who pretend to come in his Name, before we submit to their Ministrations. Such who pretend to an immediate Call, and require us to receive them, without bringing any Evidence but their own Affirmation, pretend to higher Authority, than Christ himself ever did. But Christ has declared it was unreasonable for the Servant to expect to be above his Lord.

[Page]1. Some who pretend to an immediate Divine Call to the Ministry, without having any sufficient Evidence to prove it; I am sensible will object here, that only true Christians are capable of judging of this Evidence. But this is only a trifling Sophism, by which they deceive themselves, and impose on some well meaning Persons; but does not at all remove the Asurdity.

The Ministers of Christ are sent to preach the Gospel to all Nations, to every Creature, that is, to every Man without Exception; and consequently, to unconverted Sinners, as well as to Saints. This may be further proved from Sinner's being blamed, sharply reproved, yea threatened with severe Punishments, for rejecting the Ministers of Christ. This plainly supposes that God has given Mankind some Evidence, by examining which they may know who are the Ministers of Christ, since it would be apparently unjust to punish Men for disregarding them, if they can't possibly know them? Therefore it must be allowed, that Mankind, notwithstanding that moral Depravity which they derive from our first Parents, can examine and judge whether Ministers have a divine Call.

This is very plain from that pointed Address of our Blessed Saviour to the Jews, a ‘When ye see a Clould rise out of the West, straitway ye say, there cometh a Shower, and so it is. And when ye see the South Wind blow, ye say, there will be Heat, and it cometh to pass. Ye Hypocrites, ye can discern the Face of the Sky; but how is it, that ye, do not discern this Time? Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?’

Nothing can be plainer than that our Lord takes it for granted in these Words, that the unbelieving Jews, though they were as deeply involved in original Sin as others; and more obstinate and hardened in their own Sins than most, were notwithstanding endowed with such Faculties as rendered them capable of judging of the Evidences of his divine Mission, which he exhibited before them; as also that the Evidences which he produced to support his Pretensions to an immediate Call from God were such, as would actually have convinced any rational Person, whether Saint or Sinner, who should candidly examine them. It was not merely Want of Grace, but Want of Honesty and Candour in examining the [Page] Evidences which Christ set before their Eyes, that greatly prev [...]d the Jews from being convinced he was the true Messias. This their Prejudice is a great Bar which has kept the Jews in Ignorance of this important Truth so many Ages. Could the pr [...]ent Jews be persuaded to lay aside their Prejudices which they have inherited from their Fathers, and can [...]y examine the Evidences of Christianity; these Evidences and Proofs are so clear and strong that they would extort their Ass [...] to the Truth of it, and that without the saving Work of the Spirit on their Hearts. * The Devils are acquainted with [Page] the Proofs which confirm the Being of God and the Truth of his Declarations concerning them in the Scriptures; they believe [Page] and tremble without any saving Grace. The giddy and debauched Part of Mankind are very indifferent about Religion, [Page] while they are revelling in Luxury and Wontonness in this World. But the wicked rich Man is represented in the Parable as being fully convinced of its infinite Importance, as [...]on [Page] as he died and lift up his Eyes in Hell, when he begged so piteously for one Drop of Water to cool his scorched Tongue; yet I suppose no Body believes, he had any more saving Grace or true Holiness in Hell, than he had while he lived in this World.

Was not Nicodemus a Stranger to Regeneration when he came to Jesus by Night? yet even then he could say ‘Rabbi, we know that thou art a Teacher come from God; for no Man can do these Miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.’ Thus Christ gave Evidence that was sufficient in itself to convince Sinners as well as Saints, if they had candidly attended to it. Christ bore this Evidence not only to himself but also to his Apostles, yea to all whom he ever called in an immediate Manner to preach his Gospel.

To say that only true Christians can judge of the immediate Call of Ministers is to open the Doors to all Sorts of Impostors who honoring their Followers with this high Character will avail themselves of this Pretence. When they are opposed, they can easily say their Opposers are blind and unconverted and so can't judge of their Pretensions, whereas true Christians know and acknowledge their Call. Now by true Christians they mean their own Followers and fond Admirers. Thus they wrest themselves out of the Hands of indifferent, impartial Judges, and appeal to those they know are strongly prejudiced in their Favour. It would be strange indeed, if their own Admirers should not strongly witness for them. This is a fine Way to be tried, when they themselves are both Judge and Party. How can a Deceiver be detected on this Plan, which takes his bold Say so for Proof? And allows him to bear Witness of himself, that God has immediately called him, in direct Opposition both to Scripture and Reason?

In fine, God has been pleased to give sundry plain Intimations in his Word, that he would raise up and qualify Men for the Ministry; and call them to it; not in an extraordinary Manner as he did the Apostles, but in a common, ordinary Way. Hence the Apostle Paul gave various Directions to Timothy and Titus, and consequently to the Ministers of Christ in all Ages how to proceed in putting Men into the Ministry. These Directions plainly prove, that God determined to call Ministers to supply his Churches in the common, ordinary Way. For there would be no Room to follow them, to examine and [Page] judge, approve or reject Candidates for the Ministry, if God called them to it in an immediate Manner. They who come into the Ministry according to these Directions have the Call of God agreeable to the stated Rules of the Word.

Now since God has appointed a Method for the supply of his Churches, we may argue from his Wisdom, that he will not recede from it unless on some very extraordinary Occasion. When he does, he will undoubtedly give sufficient Evidence, that he has altered the old and set up a new Plan. As therefore, such Alterations have always been introduced by Miracles, we act safely in adhering to the stated Rules delivered in the New-Testament, in calling Men to the Ministry, till those, who reject them, and plead for an immediate Call, work Miracles to prove that God has repealed these Rules; and that their Pretensions for an immediate Call, are not mere Fancies or immediate Delusions.

2. Barclay c objects against this Argument, that John the Baptist wrought no Miracles. To which it may be easily answered, that the Call of this eminent Person, before he was born, was confirmed by very public and striking Miracles, as is evident from the first Chapter of Luke's Gospel. Besides as John the Baptist was the Son of Zacherias, who was a Priest; he had a common and ordinary Call to be a Teacher to the People, according to the stated Customs of that Dispensation. So that John the Baptist had both a common and extraordinary Call, which last was confirmed by Miracles. As this Writer has pitched on no other particular Instance of any Person, who was immediately called, and no Miracles wrought to prove his Call was from God; it should seem he was exceedingly pinched by this Argument. 'Tis greatly probable his not knowing how to answer it was the true Reason, he studied so much Brevity here, when he is so very lengthy almost every where else.

3. Some pretend to evade the Force of the foregoing Reasoning against their immediate divine Call, by alledging, that Sinners are convinced, and converted, and Saints edified by their Ministry, which is a great Miracle, and therefore according to my Principles a sufficient Proof of their immediate Call.

[Page]Ans. It does not appear that such good Effects have ordinarily been produced by their Attempts to preach, unless Evil-Speaking and Railing against the standing Churches, and Zeal for Errors, and spiritual Pri [...]e, should be called Conversion and Edification.—To call Conviction, Conversion and Edification Miracles, is a manifest Perversion of Words; and must proceed either from Weakness or Wickedness in them who do so. Were these the Miracles which Moses wrought to prove that God immediately sent him to bring the Children of Israel out of Egypt? What Sort of Miracles did Christ and his Apostles work to prove that God immediately sent them?

To appeal to the Conversion of Sinners, and the Edification of Saints, as a Miracle to prove your immediate Call, is in Reality to appeal to your own Party, whether you are in the right; since those Sinners, that are imagined to be converted, and the Saints supposed to be edified, are all your own Followers. It would be strange indeed if they would not bear Witness for their Ring Leaders. This could be only an Evidence to those Sinners who were convinced, and the Saints that were edified, who most certainly are but very few. Whereas, when God sends any Minister, he sends him to all Sorts, to Sinners as well as Saints, to the lukewarm and secure, the careless and prophane; and consequently the Evidence of his Divine Call is such, as they, even they, can judge upon, at least in some Measure.

4. But does not the Apostle Paul appeal to the Success of his Ministry, as the grand Proof of his immediate Call to the Apostleship, when he says, d ‘Am I not an Apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are not you my Work in the Lord? If I be not an Apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you, for the Seal of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord.’

Ans. It is certain that Paul wrought Miracles among the Corinthians, and that he appeals to the Miracles he wrought among them, as the great Proof that God had called him to be an Apostle. This is incontestably evident from his own Words. e ‘I ought to have been commended of you, for in Nothing am I behind the very chiefest Apostles. (For) truly the Signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all Patience, in Signs and Wonders and mighty Deeds.’ So that, unless you would suppose the Apostle Paul contradicted [Page] himself, you can't imagine, that in this Passage under Consideration, he appeased to their Conversion, as the only Evidence of his immediate Call to the Ministry.

If you would closely examine the Passage, you might see that he first appeals to his miraculous Call to prove he was an Apostle. ‘Am I not an Apostle? —Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?’ Thus he appeals to that gl [...]rious Vision, which he had of Christ, when he was going to Damascus, which struck him blind, and all who were with him speechless; at which Time he was immediately called by a loud Voice from Heaven, as the grand Proof of his Apostleship. This is one of the most striking and incontestable Miracles that ever was wrought. To this therefore he appeals in the first Place. Have I not seen the Lord? And you see from the above quoted Passage, 2 Cor. xii. 11, 12. that he appeals to the Signs, Wonders, and mighty Deeds, the glorious Miracles he had wrought before their own Eyes, as the grand Proof of his being an Apostle. So that their Conversion could only be a secondary Proof of his Call to be an Apostle. It should have been translated, ‘For a Seal of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord,’ not the Seal, as all who are acquainted with the Original, know it would properly bear.

Paul was immediately called to be an Apostle, before he had ever preached the Gospel at all. But to suppose he had converted any by Preaching, before he had preached, is to suppose a manifest Contradiction. So that the Success which the Lord gave to his Ministry could not be the Evidence or Proof that he called him to this Office. The Success of his Ministry was not the Proof of his immediate Call, but it was a Proof and Evidence, that the Lord owned him in this Office. All therefore, that can be inferred from this Text is, that the Success of a Minister, who has first given sufficient Proof, that God has immediately called him, is an Evidence that God blesses the Truths which he delivers. This in Conjunction with other valid Proofs may corroborate the Evidence, and be a Seal to his Ministry; but is by no Means to be looked on as a sufficient Evidence of itself. Indeed it is no Evidence at all of an immediate Call to the Ministry; otherwise some who preached Christ merely out of Envy, [...] [...]dd Affliction to the Apostle's Bonds [Page] were immediately called. For says the Apostle, f ‘Notwithstanding every Way, whether in Pretence or in Truth Christ is preached; and therein I do rejoice, yea and I will rejoice.’ But do you think the Apostle would have rejoiced in the Preaching of those his Enemies, unless he had good Evidence to conclude the Lord overruled, and blessed it for the saving good of some. ‘I could indeed wish (says Dr Doddridge in his Paraphrase on this Passage) that all engaged in so honorable a Work, were pursuing it from the most worthy and generous Motives; yet every Way, whether it be only in Pretence of pious Zeal or in the Truth of it, Christ is however preached, and the great Doctrine of Salvation by him has Something of a wider Spread. And in this I heartily rejoice, yea and I will rejoice: For I had much rather that some who are converted to Christianity by my Enemies, should think as ill of me as they themselves, do, than that they should remain ignorant of those fundamental Truths on the Knowledge of which their eternal Happiness depends. Nor do I much regard the Opposition which may arise against me from the ill-designing Teachers and their misguided Followers.’ —

If the holding forth of your Teachers had any Tendency to spread the Gospel, where it was not already preached; if their Zeal would lead them among the Indian Tribes to instruct them; I should heartily rejoice with the Apostle. But since the evident and direct Tendency of their Teaching is to draw People from attending where the Gospel is abundantly better preached, than they with any Reason can pretend; to fill their Minds with Prejudices, and lead them into dangerous Errors; I must be excused from countenancing them in their Conduct. However if in any Instance God has been pleased to overrule and bless any of their Exhortations, for real good to any, which has I believe very rarely happened in this Country, I sincerely rejoice in this, and give Glory to God, who sometimes accompanies by his Power Means that are the most unsuitable in themselves. Person's falling into grievous Sins has sometimes been made an Occasion of their Conversion. But wo to them that would sin that G [...] may abound.

To [...], this [...] of Scripture instead of favouring [Page] your Cause might be improved against you. For the standing Ministers are regularly called, and set apart according to divine Appointment, to the Work of the Ministry, and therefore have the ordinary Call of God agreeable to the stated Rules of his Word. God has been pleased to own them in their Office, making them Instruments of converting Sinners, and edifying Saints. You must acknowledge this, since many of you have declared that you were converted in the standing Churches before you separated.

Upon your own Principles then, we can say to sundry of you, Are not you our Work in the Lord? If we be not Apostles to others, yet doubtless we are to you: For a Seal of our Ministry are ye in the Lord. And to this Day, blessed be God, there are some hopeful Instances of Conversion among us, in which we are improved as the Instruments. So that Christ has not forsaken us. He blessess the Word preached in the standing Churches both to Saints and Sinners, notwithstanding all the Pains you have taken to prejudice Men's Minds against our Persons and Ministry. Now if the Ministers in the standing Churches were, as you confess, once true Ministers of Christ, and owned by him as such, are we not so still? Especially since we still maintain the same Religion both in Principle and Practice as formerly? Since it is certain from Christ's Promise, and the sensible Effects of his Presence and Spirit in sundry Instances, that he has not forsaken the standing Churches how dare you? Speak out plain i [...] you think that Christ's Ministers have fallen from Grace. But if you pretend to an immediate Call, then work Miracles to prove that your Call is from God, and not from the Devil. You are obliged to work Miracles to support your extraordinary Pretensions or else give them up. Consider this at your Leisure, and remember that a thousand Assertions, conceived in the strongest Terms and expressed with the greatest Zeal don't amount to one good Proof. You may depend upon it that solid Proof and not confident Assertions will be expected. If God has really given your Teachers an immediate Call he will doubtless work Miracles to prove it, since their Credit with all judicious People necessarily requires this incontestible Evidence, and God is still the same, and therefore as able to give this Evidence now as in former Ages.

5. But does not the Apostle say ‘no Man taketh to himself [Page] this Honour, but he that is called of God as was Aaron.’ k

Ans. This I suppose is one of the many Scriptures which you quote for the Sake of the Sound, since in its true Sense it is evidently Nothing to your Purpose, as will presently appear.

The Apostle is here discoursing of the High-Priesthood among the Jews, which Office he says, as they knew from the Law of Moses, no Man had a Right to but he that was called of God, as Aaron and his Posterity were. Now what can this Passage which has no Reference at all to the Gospel-Ministry prove about it? But if I should, for Argument's Sake, grant that this Text referred to the Gospel-Ministry, what would you infer from it? That Gospel-Ministers should be called under the New-Testament as the high Priests were under the Old? Then it would follow that Ministers should not be immediately called themselves, but by some other. For Aaron was called by Moses according as the Lord commanded him. Then also none should presume to officiate as Ministers of the Gospel, but Minister's Sons. For none might be High-Priests under the Law, but the Sons and lineal Descendants of Aaron.

Once more, when God called any Persons in an immediate Way, he gave them Qualifications with his Call, so that they were well fitted for the Ministry. Thus the Prophets of Old. Thus also St. Paul and the Apostles. Hence, it may be presumed, that if you were really called of God, you would be eminently fitted to preach the Gospel. But this is not the Case with you.

Here I dare appeal to sundry who have occasionally attended your Meetings. Let me ask such, are not the Discourses of these Exhorters very mean and despicable; without Sense as well as Connexion? Is not the Vehemency of the Speakers almost the only Thing that recommends their Exhortations? How unlike are their Exhortations to the solid, weighty Discourses of the Prophets and Apostles, though they pretend to the same immediate Divine Commission, and the same extraordinary Assistance? What plainer Proof can there be of the Vanity of their Pretensions?—I wish some ready Writer would take down one of their Exhortations or Preachments as they deliver it, and publish it to the World, that their Admirers might see what it is they are carried away with, and that [Page] they themselves might learn a little more Modesty, and forbear meddling with Matters that are too high for them.— The Gospel is not mere vehement Noise and Bawling.

It is in vain for these Teachers to plead the Example of the Apostles, for their own Ignorance and Want of Learning. The Apostles were some considerable Time under the Instructions of Jesus Christ. They understood the Gospel to great exactness, and had a thorough Acquaintance with the Scriptures. They spoke with Propriety on every Subject they had Occasion to handle. Whether their Abilities were natural, acquired, or communicated in an extraordinary Manner; certain it is, they wrote with so much Correctness and good Sense, as but few learned Men can equal.

Our Translation calling them ignorant Men. Acts iv. 13. is very unhappy, since the original Words lit-rally signify only this, that they were not S [...]ctors, nor in any publick Rank of Life, as the Priests and Magistrates were: But they import no Want of natural good Sense, or any Ignorance of what was then the Subject of Debate. Though they did not seek after rhetorical Embellishments, stowery or fertile Ornaments; yet they delivered themselves with Sublimity of Thought, and a striking Simplicity of Style, which is the truest Eloquence.

What shall I say of your Women, who are so forward to speak, b [...]r Witness, exhort and hold forth, in your publick Assemblies? I would be far from saying of Women in general as the Celebrated Mr. Pope does.

"Every Woman would be a Queen for Life."

For I have the Happiness to be acquainted with sundry virtuous Women, who look upon Humility and Modesty as most excellent Ornaments, and who discover by their amiable Conduct, they feel their meek and gentle Influence. But I may say without giving any Offence to such modest and virtuous Ladies.

"The Female Preachers would be Queens for Life."

Since it is well know, that, even those Women who are most devoted to reading, rarely get a better Acquaintance with Books or Things, than an understanding Grammar School-Boy; what should tempt those, who perhaps are very I [...]ry Readers, and worse Spellers, to lay aside that Modesty which [Page] is so great an Ornament to their Sex, and contrary to Nature and Decency hold forth in a publick pr [...]miscuous Assembly; unless intolerable Va [...]y, P [...]e, or De [...]sion? I can't help thinking of the impe [...] J [...]e, who called herself a Prophetess, and was a publick Speaker. But however fond your Women may be of their usurped Authority, I presume it may be disputed, and the Foundation, upon which it is built, examined.

And now Ladies, to address you with Complaisance; you would probably plead, that by long Acquintance with your Husbands, you discovered their Weakness, and your own Superiority; and thus found yourselves well qualified to instruct and govern them, and therefore you assume no more than is due to your superior Merit.

Ans. If this be really true I pity your Families. But it is not fair you should be Judges in your own Case. There may be Reasons to suspect you were byassed in your own Favour, when you made your Discoveries. It is but reasonable to submit this Matter to impartial Judges.—But not to debate this Point much with you; If what you alledge were really so, it would not follow, that you are qualified to instruct and govern Men, in general; since it is very likely, there are many Men much wiser than your Husbands. Now when you speak and teach in publick, you thereby usurp or use Authority over all the Men, that happen to hear you. If there happen to be any Man hearing you, wiser than you are, which would be no wonderful Thing neither, then besure you are out of your Sphere, and are acting contrary to the Fitnesses of Things, as Philosophers speak, as well as to Scripture. It is no Doubt a Sight to behold a Number of Men sitting very gravery in [...]am [...] Subjection to a Woman, and attending with all Obedience to her Dictates! 'Tis difficult to say whether their abject Submission, or her imperious Impudence is most surprising.

Perhaps you would further plead, that the Flippancy of your Tongues qualifies, and points you out for publick Speakers.

But you should remember that Solidity of Judgment is as necessary for a publick Instructor, as Nimbleness of Tongue. Now if you are acquainted with the History of your own Sex, you can't but know, they have not been so much celebrated [Page] for Depth of Though, as for a ready Utterance [...] 'Tis possible there may be many Words delivered by a publick Speaker, and but little Instruction communicated. Nothing that can greatly edify the Hearers.

I have indeed read, that by a strange Concurrence of Circumstances, the famous Madam JOAN was promoted to be the first Clergyman in Europe. But it is said that her Pregnancy in her exalted Station, and her being seized with Travail, while she was attending a certain grand Parade, was contrary to the fundamental Laws of the Popedom, and astonished her Attendants. The Papists themselves, as much as they are devoted to the Pope, don't pretend that her Holiness Pope Joan added any new Honours to the Popedom.—Now the same Inconveniencies, which befel Pope Joan, might possibly befal other She-Bishops, and She Preachers.

But old Women are not liable to such Conditions.

This is indeed very true. But then they are in Danger of growing superannuated. The Apostle has given a Direction to disregard old Women's Fables, which intimates they don't always encrease in Wisdom by Age. The Stream of Prejudice against the Capacities of old Women, since the Time of the Apostle, has been so great and general in the World, that most Men, I believe, if they were to chuse, had rather have one young Woman than three old ones. I am fully persuaded, that unle [...]s an old Woman works Miracles to prove her Call to be a publick Speaker, she will never be able to support her Character in this exalted Station.

If any should think these female Speakers and She Bishops are rather influenced by Satan, than merely by Pride and Ambition; I would rather accommodate this Difference in Opinion, than enter into any warm Dispute about it. For Satan may tempt them, by applying to their natural Pride and Lust for Power and Dominion. How far they are under the immediate powerful Influence of an evil Spirit in every Instance, as it is not necessary, so perhaps would not be easy to determine. But the most favourable Construction that can be put upon their Conduct, is that it proceeds in a great Measure from misguided Zeal.

It were easy to offer sundry other Considerations against Women's speaking publickly in any religious Assembly, accounted [Page] a Church. But God has so plainly and expressly forbidden them in his Word, that all, who have any due Regard to the Scriptures in this Particular, must be restrained from this strange Practice, by seriously and candidly considering the following Passages. l

‘Let the Women keep Silence with all Subjection: But I suffer not a Woman to teach nor to usurp Authority over the Man, but to be in Silence; For Adam was first formed, then Eve; And Adam was not deceived, but the Woman being deceived was in the Transgression.—Let your Women keep Silence in the Churches, For it is not permitted to them to speak, but they are commanded to be under Subjection, as also faith the Law. And if they will learn any Thing, let them ask their Husbands at Home.— For it is a Shame for Women to speak in the Church.— What! Came the Word out from you, or came it unto you only? If any Man think himself to be a Prophet or Spiritual, let him acknowledge that the Things which I write unto you are the Commandments of the Lord: But if any Man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.’

Thus Women are expressly commanded to keep Silence in all Churches while they are assembled for religious Worship. So that publick praying as well as exhorting and preaching are forbidden here.

But does not the Apostle Paul write thus in another Epistle, ‘I intreat thee also true Yoke-Fellow, help those Women which laboured with me in the Gospel’ m

Ans. It does not appear from these Words that Women either preached, exhorted, or prayed publickly. For there were other Labours in the Gospel, in which they might be employed. We may learn from the Apostle himself, what Labours Women performed for the Service of the Church and Gospel, according to the Customs of that Time. n — ‘Let not a Widow be taken into the Number under threescore Years old, having been the Wife of one Man; well reported of for good Works; if she have brought up Children, if she have lodged Strangers, if she have washed the Saints Feet, if she have relieved the Afflicted, if she [Page] have diligently followed every good Work.’ Here the Apostle had an Occasion to enumerate the various Services and Labours of Women. It was thus they laboured in the Gospel, if we will grant the Apostle that common Piece of Justice, to be his own Interpreter. Peruse this Passage leisurely. Does he mention Women's public Praying or Exhorting in this minute Enumeration of their Labours and Services in the Gospel?

This Interpretation, which I have given, fairly reconciles these several Passages of the Apos [...]'s Writings. But according to you he statly contradicts himself, which, if you could make out, instead of confirming, your Practice would destroy the Authority of the Apostle, since Contradictions could never proceed from divine Inspiration.

Let none of your Adherents excuse themselves here, and try to wave the Matter of your Womens speaking in your pretended Churches, by professing not to understand this particular Part of your Conduct. For it is as plainly contrary to the Scriptures for Women to speak or carry on in any Assembly met for religious Worship, as any Thing can possibly be. You can't but see this, unless you wilfully shut your Eyes, or are judicially blinded. When Hannah prayed she spake in her Heart, only her Lips moved, but her Voice was not heard.

You should not venture to disregard any of the Commands of the great God. Our blessed Lord bears this Testimony, ‘Verily I say unto you, till Heaven and Earth pass, one Jot or one Title shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments, and shall teach Men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven.’ But can we think the Command which enjoins Women to be Silent in the Church is of small Importance, when it is so often repeated, and seriously inculcated? I must therefore entreat all your Followers in the Fear of God to be honest, and not pretend after this to be at any Loss about a Practice which is expressly forbidden in the Scripture in the strongest Terms. If you will follow such Speakers and Teachers, directly contrary to God's express Prohibition, is it not to be feared he will at Length be provoked to execute that Judgment upon [Page] you, which is spoken of by the Prophet, ‘Children shall be your Opp [...]sions, and Women rule over you; O my People they which [...]ad thee, cause thee to err and destroy the Way of thy [...]a [...]hs.’ *

As to the Women Speake's themselves, I wish them sincere Repentance for that breaking God's express Commands, that they may obta [...] [...] this and all their other Sins, be cloathed with Hum [...]ty, and from henceforth behave in all Things as becomes the Gospel.

VI.

To illustrate and confirm sundry Things which have been said, I shall now subjoin a brief Account of some of the more remarkable Instances of Satan's deceiving and imposing upon Mankind.

The first, and indeed the most remarkable Instance of Satan's Power and Subtilty, in managing his Temptations, was that of his deceiving Eye in the Shape of the Serpent. ‘Now the Serpent was more subtil than any Beast of the Field which the Lord God had made; and he said unto the Woman, yea, hath God said ye shall not eat of every Tree of the Garden? And the Woman said unto the Serpent, We may eat of the Fruit of the Trees of the Garden; but of the Tree which is in the midst of the Garden, God hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the Serpent said unto the Woman, ye shall not surely die. For God doth know, that in the Day ye eat thereof then your Eyes shall be opened; and ye shall be as Gods, knowing Good and Evil.’ &c. Was not the Power of Satan in managing this, Temptation very great, when he put Words into the Mouth of the Serpent or Snake, a Creature that is by Nature dumb, and thus begun and carried on a Conversation with the Woman? It is worthy to be remarked that he managed this first Temptation by bringing a new Revelation, different from, and contrary to that which God himself had expressly revealed. But it was a Revelation that promised them great Things. ‘Ye shall not surely die—Ye shall be as Gods.’ And Satan to this Day, when he tempts Men to Sin often and [...]avours to persuade them that they shall [Page] not surely die; but are in a very safe State, in the direct Way to eternal Life

We have another notable Instance of Satan's Power, and Malice when he was permitted to afflict Job. How [...]n did he send the Sabeans and Chaldeans to seize upon his Oxen, Asses, and Cames, and slay his Servants? He sent Fire and burnt up his Sheep; and raised a terrible Hurricane, and tore d [...]n the [...] where his Children were, and smote Job himself with sore Boils from the Sole of his Foot unto his Crown. If this powerful and malicious Adversary had but Permission, he would soon turn this World into a hideous Wilderness.

What surprising Wonders did he enable Pharaoh's Magicians or Co [...]ers to perform, tho' they were at last shamefully buff [...]d with all their Enchantments, by the g [...]ous Miracles which the Lord wrought by his Servant Moses.

"But Satan can not only work very wonderful Things before Men i [...] an external Manner, but he can also work internally on their Minds. He thought it not enough to tempt Judas, by the Object of Gain, but he broke his Mind in direct Terms and put it into his Heart. John xiii. 2 He did the like to Ana [...]s whose Heart he filled with a large Motion for that Li [...], and backed it with many Considerations of the Necessity and Expediency of it—When we consider that Thoughts are sometimes, cast upon the Minds of Men, which are above their Knowledge; and that they say and do Things sometimes, which are far beyond any of their Accomplishments and Parts, and yet in the Nature of them wicked; we must be forced to run so high as to charge it upon Satan. Saul's Prophesying 1 Sam. xviii. 10. was by the Influence of the evil Spirit; and this must of Necessity be understood of such a Kind of Action and Speaking, as the true Prophets of the Lord usually expressed under the Influence of the blessed Spirit; for from the Likeness of the Action in both, must the Name be borrowed. The Experience that we have of inward Disputings, the bandying of Arguments in several Cases, is a Proof of this beyond Exception: Wounded Consciences express an admirable Dexterity in breaking all Arguments urged for their Peace and Establishment; as [...]o in framing Objections against themselves, so [...] above the [...]ual Measure of common Capacities [Page] that we cannot ascribe it to any other than Satan's▪ [...] did this Way." ¶

Baal's Prophets, though they could not work Miracles to support the Credit of their Idol, when it was publickly called in Question, and brought to this Test, yet are [...]d to have prophesied, until the Time of the offering of the evening Sacrifice, that is they were exercised with Frensies and rapturous Furies, in which they uttered strange Sounds and Speeches. By whose Aid were they enabled to do this?

Very remarkable is what we read about Ahab's Prophets. ‘And there came forth a Spirit and stood before the Lord and said I will persuade him. And the Lord said Wherewith? And he said I will go forth and I will be a lying Spirit in the Mouth of all his Prophets. And he said thou shalt persuade him.’ a Satan was ready for the Work; he wanted Nothing but a Permission. He deceived the same Prophets, and by them deluded Ahab, by being a lying Spirit in the Mouth of the Prophets. ‘On which Peter Mar [...]yr observes, That Satan had a Power to fix so strongly on their imaginary Faculty, the Species, Images, or Characters, of what was to be suggested, that he could not only make them apprehend, what he presented to their Minds; but also make them believe, that it was a Divine Inspiration, and consequently true.’ For th [...]se false Prophets did not speak hypocritically what they knew to be false, but what they confidently apprehended to be true; as appears by the whole Story—He irritated and i [...] [...] to publish these their persuasions to the King [...] [...]e Manner of Divine Prophecies.—He persuaded Ahab that his Prophets spake Truth.

There are many Instances in the Gospel-History of Persons being really possessed with the Devil, and violently agitated by him. For it is grossly absurd, to explain what is said of these Persons, and the casting Devils out of them, to Lunacy, &c. It is a very remarkable Account which the sacred Historians give of sundry of these, and particularly in Acts. xvi. ‘As we went to Prayer a certain Damsel, possessed with a [Page] Spirit of Divination, met us, which brought her Masters much G [...] by Sooth saying: The same followed Paul and us, and [...]ed, saying, these Men are the Servants or the most high God, which shew unto us the Way [...] Salvation. And this did she many Lays. But P [...] I being grieved, turned and said to the Spirit, I command thee in the Name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same Hour’ Satan doubtless testified this important Truth by this Damsel, with a View to lead the People to imagine the Preachers of the Gospel acted in Confederacy with that Spirit; and thus by some Means or other to discredit true Christianity: So that it seems he can, when it suits his Design, earnestly exhort Men to regard the Gospel.

The Apostles frequently mention false T [...] and false Prophets. Peter and J [...]e d [...] [...] large in their Epistles. P [...]ul plainly [...] and Influence, which those fal [...]e T [...] [...] Christian Churches, was owing to the [...] ‘I fear, says he, left by any M [...]s, as the [...] his Subtilty, so your M [...]s sh [...] be [...] [...]e Simplicity that is in Christ.—O [...]h G [...] [...] bewitch [...] you that you should [...] whose Eyes Jesus Christ hath he [...] crucified among you? viz. [...].’

Simon M [...]s, who ha [...] [...] of Sama [...] with his Sorceries, to whom [...] to the greatest, saying this M [...] [...] God. [...]s one of the most eminent of [...]. Notwithstanding Peter's solemn R [...] to [...] w [...] in his Wickedness. He is sa [...] to [...] Character of a Divine [...]erson, and by his m [...] [...] p [...]suaded his Fellowers to think he was [...].

Before the Death [...] the [...] C [...]us, a Disciple of Simon Magus, a [...]ty [...]der to [...]tion. He taught that Ca [...] w [...] [...] a temporal Kingdom on Earth, and that Men would spend a [...] in Mirth and Jo [...]ty with him in this World.

In the next Age, the second [...]t my, arose M [...]us, who had no s [...]er emb [...]d the Christian Faith, For his great A [...]steritius of Life, made him to b [...]t [...], and to [Page] be had in Esteem among many of the most zealous (but indiscreet) Christi [...]. His great Zea [...]d him to set up for a great Reformer in the Church; but wanting Solidity of Judgment and Coolness of Thought, he was apt to be driven by every Impulse that seized him. This gave Satan an Opportunity to le [...] him a [...] h [...] [...]ed. This evil Spirit sometimes would suddenly [...]iz. him and agitate him as it he had been distracted, [...] it is said, as he had not the Use of his Reason, [...] over his own Members and Organs. He [...] His many new and strange Resolutions. He [...], especially among the weaker Sex, sundry [...] with the s [...]m [...] Spirit, and were agitated in [...] Manner, and were [...]o [...]ted upon by their deluded Fol [...] [...] famous Propheresies. But their Prophecies were [...] and ridiculous, and were not fulfilled. T [...] [...] very numerous, full of Zeal; and gave great Dis [...] [...] the Church for a considerable Time; but at length [...].—As for Montan [...]s he hanged himself.

[...] [...]e Year of our Lord 600, appeared that grand I [...] Mahomet, whom Satan employed, as his Instrument, [...] about one of the greatest Revolutions religious a [...] [...] as political that ever happened in the World. He made Use, 'tis true, of Force and Arms to propagate his [...]on; but it is evident that the Accomplishment of his [...] was as much owing to the Influence of Enthusiasm, as the Power of the Sword. It is plain from the best Accounts of Mahomet, [...] he was a great Visionary; that he set up to be a Reformer of Abuses and Corruptions; that he gave himself out to be no more than a Reviver of the most ancient Religion, whereby the Patriarchs walked with; and had the familiar Communion of God and his Angels. This took wonderfully with vast Multitudes of all Sorts, who were presently bewitched with that strange Power, and Authority which app [...] [...] him, especially when they beheld him agitated so violently, t [...]a [...] [...]en appeared to lie as one dead; which was [...] to the Majesty of the Divine Presence overpowe [...] his [...]re, or at least to the Lustre of some great Angel con [...]sing [...] him. He was suspected of Im [...], even [...] the B [...]g; but there never, was any [...] that [...] greater Protestations of his Sincerity, [Page] or more solemn Appeals to God to justify the Truth either for or against him. There were a World of Miracles reported of him, for the Confirmation of his Doctrine and Mission; but he himself never seems to have insisted much upon them, but always to have appealed to the Inspirations themselves, challenging not only the Heathens, but the Jews and Christians to produce any that were comparable with these. Accordingly the Alcoran, which co [...]ns a Collection of these, hath ever since to this Day been [...]ly esteemed among the Mahometans, as the Miracle of Miracles. He acknowleged he was a simple Man without L [...]rs, and of no Capacity to understand a great Deal, [...] his own Revelations; and no more than only a weak [...]ment, taken up of God for the manifesting his Power and Glory to the World.

The learned Dr. Casaubon supposes that Persons subject to the Epilepsie or falling Sickness, as Mahomet was, are naturally liable to see Visions and Apparitions, which Phrensies of the Brain, they are apt to take for Realities. He mentions it, as a Matter disputable, whether Mahomet himself might not be under a Delusion, really thinking he converted with Angels, and received Revelations, at his first setting out, before he had gone far, in that which must be looked [...]n as gross Imposture. He remarks very pertinently. ‘When we consider with our selves, what these Things which began with Epileptical Raptures, and Extasies, and supposed Revelations of Angels, and the like, came to afterwards; it should make Men the more wary, either how they give Cr [...]it to such Fits and Revelations of others, or how themselves by their Ignorance and Indiscretions expose themselves to Delusion.’ To which I will add, if Men had stedfastly a [...]hered to the written Word of God; it is not likely they would have been left to embrace the Delusions of Mahomet.

The first eminent Reformers from Popery paid a most inviolable Regard to the written Word of God. The Scripture in the Opinion of Luther, that eminent Servant of Christ, was so full, that as for Visions and Revelations he neither desired nor regarded them. And when Christ seemed to appear to him after a Day of Fasting and Prayer, he immediately suspected the Imposture and cried out. ‘Avoid Satan I know no Image of Christ but the Scripture. And when he was [Page] urged by the Council at W [...]s to submit his Doctrines to the Decrees of Councils, he boldly replied." My Conscience is so bound up in these Scriptures of Truth, that I cannot alter, unless convinced by Arguments drawn from them.’ And the famous Calvin was fully agreed with him in this grand Principle of the Reformation. Tho' he was the Wonder of the Age in which he lived for his great Genius and Learning, yet he never pretended to enforce his Doctrines by his own Authority; he derived them from the written Word, which he understood the best of any Man in his Time, as his excellent Commentaries upon it discover.

But the Reformation had but just begun to spread and prevail in any considerable Degree when there sprung up sundry V [...]ss [...]naries, who pretended to wonderful Revelations, and were always speaking in a strange high flown Language, which could not be understood by other serious Christians. For indeed, like the Language, which Enthusiasts generally affect, it was a Dialect consisting of swelling Words of Vanity without any determinate Meaning.

Among these Enthusiastic Sects the Anabaptists were very famous ‘At first they forbad the baptizing of Infants, and rebaptizing themselves; afterwards they brought in a Puddle of all the Heresies that ever were. At first Twinglius dealt with them familiarly—till they began to do Nothing but lie and gather together Disciples; to seperate from the Church and set up a new Church; then he was constrained to resist them with all his Might, and had public Disputations with them, in which being convicted of Errors they foamed against their Antagonist with Blasphemies and Reproaches. At last the Senate was sain to deal with them, with Banishments,¹⁷⁷ [Page] Prison and Dea [...]n; Not now as against Anabaptists, but as against Men perjured and seditious. The Head of [...]m was Balthasar Hubmer, who was an [...] again, who being delivered by the Benefit of w [...] [...] loaded him with Lies and Reproaches.’ [...] Life of Twinglius, and Baxter's Scripture [...] 140.

‘We have, says Calvin, been endea [...] [...] Time, by our daily Labours to restore [...] G [...], for which we bear the Opposition [...]. But how much have these Men [t [...] [...] promoted it? Or what Help have they afforded [...]. Nay they have rather vehemently troubled and hundred us.’ Luther roundly declared that it appeared evident to him that Popery, and the great Power of the Pope, that Antichrist would in all Probability have been entirely ruined and destroyed, if it had not been for the Anabaptists, who weakened the Hands of the Reformers and hardened the Papists.

MUNCER was a great Pretender to Revelations, some of which were printed. He affirmed ‘that the Preachers of that Time were not sent of God, but were impertinent Interpreters of the Scriptures; that the Word was to be learned by the Spirit intrinsically, and not out of the Bible; that the Empires of the World were to be exterpated, and the Kingdom of Christ restored, &c. &c.’ These wonderful Revelations induced many to follow him, so that at length he had eleven thousand armed. Men wholly at his Beck, to whom he promised in his Revelations sure Victory over their Enemies. But the Event proved him to be a false Prophet.

But his Ruin did not open the Eyes of his deluded Followers, * Some of them took Possession of the City of Munster, the Capital of Westphalia, where he proposed to begin Christ's Kingdom. They ran about the Streets crying, repent and be baptized; or the Wrath of God will speedily overwhelm you. The Bishop of Munster besieged the Place with a powerful Army. Matthews a celebrated Prophet among them declared, that God the Father had commanded him to drive off the Besiegers. But though he himself was slain in their Sight; yet so infatuated were they, as to hearken [Page] to JOHN of Leyden, a Taylor, and others who pretend it was revealed to them, ‘that this JOHN should have the Empire of the whole Earth, and possess the Throne of his Father David.’ After this they made him their King. He wore a Crown of Gold on his Head, and his Titles were the King of Justice, the King of the new Jerusalem. When this great Monarch went abroad he had always two Harbengers before him, of whom one carried a Sword, and the other a Bible. All who did not fall down and worship him were sentenced to die, and immediately executed. He caused one of his Concubines to be put to Death for despising his pretended Inspirations. He spirited up the Citizens to make a most resolute Defence, assuring them all the while of a miraculous Deliverance. And so strong was the Infatuation, that tho' Multitudes of them were daily destroyed, they held out till they had suffered almost as much as the Jews did, when Jerusalem was taken by Vespasian. The town was taken at last, and the mock King with his two principal Associates were sent in Derision about the Country. He was afterwards put to Death by having his Flesh torn off with red hot Pincers. Some who survived the Siege were still so confident in their Revelations, as to expect they should have all the World at their Command in a very little Time.—These were strong Delusions! such were the Fathers of the Baptists. Likely Persons to understand the Scriptures!

That was a very remarkable Impulse, which Lord HERBERT of Cherbury, the first noted Deistical Writer, was led by to publish his Book against the Christian Religion, as revealed in the Scriptures. ¶ As the Frame of his whole Book was so different from what had ever been written on the Subject, and he apprehended he should meet with much Opposition, he did consider, whether it were not better for him for a while to suppress it.

‘Being thus, says his Lordship, doubtful in my Chamber, one fair Day in the Summer, my Casement being open towards the South, the Sun shining clear, and no Wind stirring, I took my Book, de Veritate in my Hands, and kneeling on my Knees, devoutly said the Words, O [Page]thou eternal God, Author of this Light which now shines upon me, and Giver of all inward Illuminations; I do beseech thee, of thine infinite Goodness, to pardon a greater Request than a Sinner ought to make: I am not satisfied enough, whether I shall publish this Book: if it be for thy Glory: I beseech thee give me some Sign from Heaven; if not I shall suppress it. I had no sooner spoken these Words, but a loud, though yet gentle Noise, came forth from the Heavens (for it was like Nothing on Earth) which did so cheer and comfort me, that I took my Petition as granted, and that I had the Sign I demanded; whereupon also I resolved to print my Book. This, how strange soever it may seem, I protest, before the eternal God is true: Neither am I any Way superstitiously deceived herein; since I did not only clearly hear the Noise, but in the serenest Sky that ever I saw, being without a Cloud, did, to my thinking, see the Place from whence it came.’ *

It is well observed by Dr. Leland on this extraordinary Impulse, that ‘It may be justly doubted, whether an Address of such a particular Kind, as that made by his Lordship, was proper, or regular; it does not seem to me, that we are well founded to apply for, or to expect an extraordinary Sign from Heaven, for determining Doubts concerning the Expediency of publishing a Book. Methinks, if a Man hath used his best Endeavours to find out Truth, and, which certainly ought not to be neglected, hath humbly applied to God to assist and direct him in his Enquiries; if he hath the Testimony of his own Conscience to the Uprightness of his own Intentions, and that he is not acted by Pride and vain Glory, by an Affectation of Singularity or any worldly sinister Ends and Views; and if he is satisfied, upon the most diligent and impartial Examination, that what he hath advanced is both true, and of great Importance to Mankind, and is only afraid of the Opposition it may meet with; I think in such a Ca [...]e, especially if he hath also the Advice of good and judicious Friends concerning it, he hath sufficient Grounds to proceed upon and doth not need a particular [Page] Sign from Heaven to determine him. This seems to be putting it on a wrong Foot, since God hath not in his Word given us any Ground to expect that he will answer such a Request; nor is there any Reason to expect it from the Nature of the Thing.—I believe it will be acknowledged that sudden Impressions or supposed Signs from Heaven, like that upon which Lord Herbert seemeth to lay so great Stress, are very equivocal, and not much to be depended upon for Information in Truth or Direction in Duty. They may lay Persons open to Mistake and Delusion. It cannot be denied that in such Cases Men are in Danger of being imposed upon by the Warmth of their own Imaginations especially if they be wrought up to a strong Desire and Expectation of an extraordinary Sign from Heaven, in Favour of a Design which they heartily wish should succeed.’

Since I have found some Persons who have discovered a great Regard for such Signs or Tokens, I will add that whatever might be said to excuse Lord Herbert, who did not pretend to believe the Holy Scriptures, in his following this Sign, it must certainly be very absurd for Christians, who profess to believe that the Scriptures are a perfect Rule, to look for such Tokens. When they are at a Loss about what is their Duty, why don't they diligently search the Scriptures and ask the Advice of such as are prudent? If they don't search the Scriptures is not this to treat them with Neglect?

It is true, that God sometimes gave Intimations of his Will under the Old Testament by Signs or Tokens. But it was those whom he favoured with immediate Revelations, as the Prophets, &c. to whom he gave such Signs, and that on extraordinary Occasions. Others were to enquire the Word of the Lord from the Prophets, and to consult the divine Law and Testimony. Where God gave no Intimations, that he would grant them Signs, it was unwarrantable to look for them. They had no Right to demand Signs. Christ would not gratify the captious Pharisees when they demanded a particular Sign from Heaven, but referred them to what the Scriptures had declared. And so on another Occasion, ‘they have, Moses and the Prophets let them hear them.’

Whatever God was pleased to grant to his People, while Prophets were raised up from Time to Time, this can afford no [Page] Warrant at all to us now after the Scriptures are fully completed, to expect Signs from Heaven. It should be remembered, that ‘God who at sundry Times and in divers Manners spake in Time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last Days spoken unto us by his Son.’ Hence the former Methods or immediate Revelations by successive Prophets, Dreams, Visions, Signs, Tokens are not to be expected: God has revealed his whole Will which he designed to communicate to his Church at once, by Jesus Christ and his Apostles. After this one Season, no further immediate Revelations were to be granted. Such Methods are laid aside. This is evidently implied in the Text. The Antithesis plainly requires it. Since the Canon of Scripture is thus fully compleated, there is no Need of such Revelations, Signs and Tokens. Consequently it must be vain Presumption for any to expect them. To follow such Signs is to follow Delusions.

Such a Notion would give cunning Impostors a great Advantage to contrive Schemes before Hand, and thus to deceive the simple and unwary. And who would engage that they would not knowingly and wittingly attempt to deceive; when it is certain Wondermongers have been detected in a thousand Instances of pious Fraud among Heathens and Papists? And who can tell what strange and to us unaccountable Signs, "the Prince of the Power of the Air" may if permitted give to those who trust to such Things. If there was any Thing more in the Sign upon which Lord Herbert published his Book against the Scriptures; or in that upon which the Dutartres acted than imagination, I leave it to all sober Christians to say whence it came. And since Satan would be ready to deceive if any Stress was laid on uncertain, doubtful Signs, it is certainly necessary that proper Miracles be wrought to distinguish the true from the false, and to prove that such a Sign comes from God and not from the Devil; otherwise Persons may, as appears from the Instances of the Dutartres, be led to commit the most shocking Crimes, while they follow such Signs and Tokens.

This surprizing Incident of Lord Herbert, this immediate Answer which he imagined he received to his Prayer, may serve as a Caution and Warning to Christians against making Requests to God for immediate Directions by such Signs, and [Page] prevent them from following what they might perhaps imagine an express Imitation from Heaven in immediate Answers to their Prayers.

The most extraordinary Instance of Enthusiasm I have met with in Modern Times, is that of the French Prophets. From June 1688, to the End of February following there arose in Dauphiny, and then in Vivarais, five or six hundred Protestants of both Sexes, who gave out that they were Prophets inspired by the Holy Ghost. As Mankind are apt to be taken with Novelty, and the injudicious to be fond of Extraordinaries, they soon became very numerous. The Burden of their Exhortations and Prophecies was, Amend your Lives, repent ye, the End of all Things draws nigh.

The Account which Mr. John Lacy has written of them, who was afterwards himself the chief of the English Prophets that was seized with the same Spirit, and which he says was verified upon Oath and other Proofs, is very wonderful. I shall mention but a few Instances referring the inquisitive Reader to the † Book itself.

‘John Vernett, of Bois-Castle declared at London, January 14, 1706. That the first Persons he saw under Inspiration were his own Mother, his two Sisters, and a Cousin; that his Mother spoke, at the Time of Inspiration, only French; which surprised him exceedingly,—because she never, before her Inspirations attempted to speak a Word in that Language; nor has since to his Knowledge; and he is certain she could not do it. He says the same of his Sisters, and that they all urged their Hearers to Amendment of Life, and prest it upon him in particular (who was then a little loose) to be sober. He went with two of his Acquaintance, to see a Friend of theirs near Vernoux; that as they were drinking together, a Girl came to call her Mother, who was with them, to see the Child—They all ran immediately. The Child was Thirteen or Fourteen Months old, and covered then in the Cradle, and had never of itself spoken a Word, nor could it go alone. When they were come in where it was, the Child spoke distinctly in French, with a Voice small like a Child, but loud enough to be heard all over the Room. It [Page] exhorted like others in that Condition, to the Work of Repentance. The Room where the Child was had about twenty Persons in it, who were, most of them, round the Cradle weeping and praying.’

CLAND ARNASSAN, of Montel, declared on the 14th of January, 1706, among other Things as followeth—‘In the House of my Father at Montel, a Shepherd who look't to my Father's Sheep, named Peter Bernaut, so silly he was next to an Ideot, besought me several Times, to carry him to an Assembly; which I was afraid to do lest thro' his Weakness he should betray those Affairs: Nevertheless, one Time I did venture to lead him to an Assembly by Night. Peter being there I observed him to keep upon his Knees, for two Hours together at least; then the Gift seized him, he was struck as it were dead: And after some Time, had violent Agitations of Body. He returning Home, the Spirit came upon him again, the following Day. At which Time his Bodily Motions were so great, that being on his Back the whole Body leapt from the Ground. We were all afraid he would hurt himself upon the Pavement. He continued to batter himself in that Manner, that his Hair was as wet with Sweat as if dipt in Water. Two or three Times was he taken with these violent Contortions, without speaking. At length he said, it was for his Sins he had been thus tormented. After that, in other Inspirations he spake aloud, quoting appositely many Texts of Scripture, and all to press us earnestly to a good Life. As for this Man, I am certain he could not read. He never was at Divine Worship but that Time, nor was he capable to be instructed by any Person whatsoever, to speak the Things he said in his Inspirations.’

They encreased greatly in spite of all Opposition, and very severe Persecutions, in which many of them were put to Death; so that in a few Years there were several Thousands of them, from whom, I might, if it were needful, present you with Multitudes of the like Nature and Tendency with these already mentioned.

Sometime in the Year 1706, three or four of these Prophets came over into England, and brought their prophetic Spirit along with them, which soon spread among others, so that before the Year was out, there were two or three hundred of [Page] these Prophets in and about London of both Sexes, of all Ages, Men, Women and Children; and they had delivered four or five hundred prophetic Warnings.

We may have a lively Idea of the Genius of these Prophets from the Relation of Mr. John Lacy, which he introduces in these Words, "I give what follows, which doth particularly concern myself, with the same Awfulness and Appeal to the Searcher of all Hearts, as if I were called by Authority to do it upon Oath."

Having from November last, to the Beginning of February following, been present divers Times at the Extasies of Mr. Marien, Mr. Fage, and Mr. Cavalier; I can say, that their Agitation did never make any Impression on my Mind or Imagination, such as to promote an Imitation of them or even an Inclination to it. For the Space of at least eighteen Days before mine came upon me, I had seen none of them; and mine were so intirely different from any of theirs, that it is altogether unlikely that the Force of Imagination, as some without Consideration have fancied, could produce them—The first Symptoms of the Emotions on my Body surprized me in the Instant of awaking, on the first Day of March;—and continued more or less upon me unto the twelfth Day of June, before the Word was put into my Mouth.—I can positively say, I never once expected or desired to have them before I was actually seized with them: But as they came not of my Will or Desire, so I know they came in Consequence of my frequent Prayers, that God would guide me aright in my Opinion and Judgment of that awful Subject of Inspiration, among the Covennes, whereof I had been then, and for two Months before preparing the Relation.—The bodily Impressions were gradually increasing upon me, until the Effect or rather Issue of them was produced, viz. the opening my Mouth to speak.

They began by a preternatural Course of Breathing, then my Head came to be agitated or shaken violently and forcibly, and with a quick Motion horizontally, or from Side to Side. Then my Stomach had Twitches not much unlike an Hickup; afterwards my Hands and Arms were violently shaken; at length a struggle or a Labouring in the Windpipe, and sometimes a Sort of Catching or Twitches all [Page] over my Body; and about a Week before my Speaking, I observed my Tongue was now and then moved involuntarily, as were also my Lips, my Mouth, and Jaw severally; all which Preparation of the bodily Organs, I found attended with a constant Elevation of Soul to God, the Mind being unaccountably cast into a Frame of spiritual Joy, holy Contempt of all Things in the World, and incessant Prayers far more earnest and intent than what I had ever found before—My secret Prayers were inseparably attended with the Encrease of those Symptoms, and during all this Time, I searched the Scriptures carefully, for my Direction, and heedfully considered all the Advices given me by my Friends.

After so much Care and Fear of being deluded, I am the better assured, and do affirm without the least Doubt, that my Agitations and Words in the Extasy are produced by a superior Agent, and are independant of me any further than that I do not, nor dare not oppose, but do remain altogether passive—My Mind at those Times continues clear and sedate, during which my Fear and Caution make me wait always, until the Tongue be moved by that superior Power; nor doth any Impulse alone prevail with me therein: So that it is no longer I, as the Prime voluntary Mover and Agent that speak, and oftentimes I know not the Sense until the Words are spoken, and so heard by me as by other Persons present. Nor did I myself write those English Words, which are contained in the Warning of the twelfth of July; but my Fingers were forcibly moved to do it, my Eyes then being sh [...] and I under Agitations. Therefore I utterly deny myself to be the Framer, either of the Agitations, or of the Voice. I have moreover thrice experienced a Tone or Manner in the Voice itself, which I am well assured, I am no Ways capable of, in my natural State.

I have great Reason to bless God for having had a vertuous Education, and for the Grace he has since vouchsafed me never to allow myself to live in the Practice of any known Sin; nor deliberately, or presumptuously, to commit any one such Act.—I have therefore the more Confidence that God doth not now deliver me up to so horrid a Delusion, as the voluntary speaking of myself in his Person would [Page] be; and when I believe the wilful Doing thereof would be such an henious Crime, as would deserve that I should be struck down instantly to Hell—I know assuredly, that no Trouble of Mind, nor Melancholy, nor a Pre [...]ssession of prophetical Schemes, drew me into the State I am under— I enjoy at this Time, through Mercy, a perfect Health without any Pain, Sickness, or Weakness whatsoever, or [...]y Sort of Disorder proceeding from the frequent exstat [...] Agitations. I sleep ordinarily seven Hours in twenty-four; I have a good Appetite and [...]ges [...]on; and I appeal to all Persons with whom I converse about my necessary Affairs, and to such other Company as daily occurs to me, whether I am otherwise besides myself than only to God.

As to the Observation of the Lord's Day, it has pleased God to vouchsafe me his gracious Visits, more frequently and solemnly on those Days than on others. I therefore with Joy and Comfort wait for them: A Voice that comes to me frequently in my Closet, as well as before Company (which upon all the Enquiry, Reasoning, Caution. Fear and Deliberation, that I am capable of) I do firmly believe to be from God; consequently I dare not disobey, hide or stitle, under the Dread of thereby charging my Conscience with a I oad of Guilt and Horror unsupportable; although at the same Time I am sensible what numerous Reproaches, what Loss, what Difficulties, what Hazzards, what Trouble, what Labour, what Clamours and Contempt, the owning myself to be inspired, has done, doth, and will engage me in—I would not surely have unnecessarily brought myself under any of these; nor could I now, by my own proper Strength bear up under them. But the inward Joy that I have from the great Comforter, has from the Beginning supported me, and I trust it will continue so to do, and make me in his due Time triumphant over all.

But notwithstanding all this Seriousness and Confidence, which these Prophets discovered, it is certain beyond any reasonable Doubt that this Business of Inspiration was wholly a S [...]ne of Imposture, Delusion or overheated Imagination, or a Mixture of them all. This might be made evident from various Topicks, which sundry eminent Divines who lived in those Times, well improved and urged against them—But if [Page] there had been Nothing besides the palpable Failuers of their Predictions, this alone would have been sufficient to convince every Man who believes the Scriptures, that they were not inspired by God. For this is a Mark which God himself has given us in his written Word of a false Prophecy. See Deut. xviii. 21, 22. ‘If thou say in thine Heart, how shall we know the Word which the Lord hath not spoken? When a Prophet speaketh in the Name of the Lord, if the Thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the Thing which the Lord hath not spoken.’

As the Lord employs Satan to inflict Vengeance on his incorrigible Enemies, as in the Case of wicked Ahab; and permits him sometimes to afflict his Saints, as in the Instance of Job; this Deceiver at Times may have some Intimations of the Divine Will about some future Events. Besides Satan is a profound Politician, and has had great Experience in human Affairs, and in many Instances may give a very near Guess at Things to come. But as he is not endowed with absolute Knowledge, he may be mistaken himself. And it is very certain, that he makes it his grand Business to deceive Mankind. But God knows all Things, past, present, and to come. Such is his infinite Perfection he cannot be deceived himself, nor attempt to lead his Creatures into a Mistake, by revealing a Falshood to them. When therefore any Prophesy is contradicted by the Event, this is an infallible Proof, that it did not proceed from God, as is expressly asserted in the forecited Text.

The chief Purport of these Prophet's Predictions was to warn the World of the near Approach of the Kingdom of God; and the happy Times of the Church; which were to be ushered in by terrible Judgments executed on the Wicked, universally throughout the World; which were to root out the Tares and leave only good Corn, A PURE CHURCH, upon the Earth; all which was to be manifest over the whole World within a short Term of three Years, &c. &c.

Now we, who live in the present Day and Time, know that many Years are past, sin [...] these Predictions were uttered, and no such Events have happened. The Term which they perfixed is long since expired, so that they have been proved by the Event to have been false Prophets.

[Page]But the most remarkable Failure of their Predictions was in the Resurrection of Dr. Emes, one of the new Prophets, who was taken ill about December 4th, 1707, and died December 22d, and was buried December 25th, in Bunhillfields, London. December 5th, J. L. addressed himself to the Doctor in these Words at his own House, under the Operations of the Spirit. ‘If I command thy Life away, yet I will restore it again here even in this House, thou shalt return to thy Dwelling again’— December 6th, J. Potter under Inspiration of the Spirit said to the Doctor. ‘If thou diest I will raise thee—I will fulfil all those Promises made to thee.’

After the Doctor was dead and buried, they had still more clear Prophecies of his Resurrection.

December 29th, J. C. under the Operation of the Spirit, in an Assembly spoke in French; to this Purport in English. ‘My Children, in a few natural Months, you shall see greater Miracles wrought than I myself wrought upon Lazarus— You, and the Inhabitants of this City shall, in a few natural Months see (Dr. Emes) my faithful Servant, who has been buried, raised in the Presence of Men—He shall come out of his Grave, without the Earth being taken away, that lies upon him. He shall come forth in the Presence of Men, and he shall untie his Shroud in which he is wrapt. This shall not be in Secret, it shall be in Public.’

December 29th. The Spirit in J. Potter said, ‘It shall be manifest, that the raising of this Body shall be a greater Miracle, than that of your Lord when he raised Lazarus. Lazarus lay but four Days, but my Servant shall lie much longer in his Grave: Yes, I say, more Months than he lay Days. He shall be raised fat and lovely, so that he shall captivate the Affections of the Beholders. Blessed are ye that believe. Many are hardened by his Death. They have suffered themselves to be captivated by the Devil. Shall they believe in his Resurrection? I tell you no. Yet Thousands and ten Thousands shall believe thereby.’—

January 1st. The same Prophet under the Operation of the Spirit, in a great Assembly, said, ‘I have that to declare by this Mouth, see that it startle you not, see that you believe it.’ Here he sell into violent Agitations and laboured extremely in his Throat, as if he were choaking; and after [Page] having uttered several inarticulate Sounds, said, ‘Know ye the Day in which my Servant [Dr. Emes] was interred? Five Months from that Day the twenty first Day of May, thou shalt behold him rise again. One Month above the Number of Days that Lazarus was in his Grave. The very Hour he was put in the Earth he shall rise I [...] ye the Day, my Children? Ans. Yes, well. The twenty-fifth Day of May. Right, I say ye shall see him rise that is now dead.— For thy Part, [John Potter] by whom I speak, thou shalt not laugh until thou beholdest him. No thou shalt not smile—Behold him, [John Potter] by whom I speak, if you see any Sign of Joy fixed on his Vissage, say then, the Words were not the Lord's."—Then he said to Mr. Lacy, Fear not, my Child, I say, thou shalt appear on the twenty-fifth Day of May next, in that Ground where my Servant lieth. Wait thou there with others of my Children, from twelve at Noon till six in the Evening. I will surround you, Angelic Hosts shall guard thee with thy Companions.— Provide no Cloathing for my Servant, for he shall rise pure and innocent: Therefore no Shame shall attend him, neither shall it be esteemed Indecency, for him to walk unto his Habitation. Remember, Remember the Day, the Time observe it, from twelve to six.’ There were many other Predictions of the Doctor's Resurrection equally express with these, which to avoid Tediousness I have not inserted.

These Prophesies of the Doctor's Resurrection, delivered so often, with such great particularity, and Confidence; and all under the Agitations and Inspirations of the Spirit, could not fail to make a great Noise in the Nation. Such was the Alarm of this predicted Miracle, that the Queen's Guard was posted on Bunhillfields on the 25th of May the Day appointed for its being wrought to prevent Disorders. Twenty thousand People from one Motive and another assembled, and no Doubt many of them with an Expectation of seeing the Doctor rise from his Grave. But there he lies, and will lie, till the Voice of the Arch-Angel at the last Day shall awake the Dead and summon them to Judgment. Nothing remarkable happened on that noted 25th of May at Bunhillfields; only the vast Concourse of People, and such a woful Disappointment to these Prophets, as brought them, with Ahab's Prophets of old when [Page] they attempted to prove the Divinity of Baal by a Miracle, into great Disgrace, and gave such a Check to their Spirit that there was little or no Appearance of it afterwards. *

There is no Need to enquire with much Solicitude how far some of these Prophets exaggerated their Feelings or counterfeited them. There plainly appears an Honesty in their Relations; and no Doubt there was Something very extraordinary in this Scene which they acted, though they might as is natural to Mankind, endeavour to represent their Cause to the best Advantage, and thus perhaps embellish some Things beyond the Truth.

As to their speaking in Languages which they had never learned, it is to be observed, that they only spoke in such Languages, when they were under the forcible Agitations of their Spirit. They had, as appears from their own Accounts, no more Skill in those Languages afterwards, than before. This then was not the Gift of Tongues which the Divine Spirit gave to the Apostles, and some of the first Converts to Christianity. It was a distant, and but a distant Imitation of it—This was not so wonderful as for Satan to cause the Serpent to speak, that is by Nature dumb. And it seems that, like the Serpent, they spake as they were impelled, their speaking Organs being forcibly moved by that Agent for whose Motions they waited.

Had they steadfastly adhered to the written Word of God, and not looked for any Revelations but those contained in the Bible, Satan would not have found an Opportunity of befooling them in such a prodigious Manner. But where Men will look for Extraordinaries, when they will run after Wondermongers, they may thank themselves, if Satan lends them sometimes a helping Hand, and holds forth a false Light to those who are so very willing to follow him.

When the French Prophets were overruled by divine Providence to bring their Prophecies, Revelations, &c. to be tried by the right Test, that is, by genuine, public Miracles, they soon discovered their Delusions. Some of the Ancient Hereticks, [Page] and many among the Superstitious Papists have pretended, that Miracles have been wrought in Proof of their Religion. But they were secret Miracles, some of them like Transubstantiation were always so invisible, that they could never be seen but by Hearsay. And others of them were never heard of till many Years after they are said to have been wrought. If the Popish Wonders were not mere Imposture, why were they not wrought before some of their understanding Opposers among Protestants, as well as before their own superstitious Bigots, and fond Admirers? Christ wrought his Miracles before his most cunning and fiercest Opposers as well as before his own Disciples and dear Friends. His Enemies themselves could not but own that he and his Disciples wro't many glorious Miracles. The Jews confessed this. Julian, the learned and malicious Apostate, confessed this. These Miracles were wrought so publickly that they could not deny them. But the pretended Wonders of Papists and Enthusiasts have been often detected, and clearly discovered to be Nothing but the artful Inventions of cunning Deceivers, to blind the ignorant and credulous, to raise the Credit, and encrease the Number of their Party, or to wheedle them the more easily out of their Money; or else they are some strange Appearances produced by the Power and Subtilty of Satan. Such are these famous secret Wonders. They are therefore called lying Wonders with the greatest Propriety, in the Scriptures. But let us always insist upon public Miracles. This is an infallible Test which will always demonstrate the Truth of divine Revelation, to the Confusion of Deceivers, and clearly distinguish it from, all Counterfeits. Let Men produce the Evidence of proper Miracles, such as raising the Dead, &c. to recommend their new Revelations, or let them not pretend to be inspired.

There must be some Mark or Character by which we may distinguish divine Revelation from such as are false and imaginary. For it appears to be no new Thing for Men to pretend they are under the immediate Direction of God and receive divine Instructions from Heaven. The Authors and Ring-leaders of new Sects have generally made this Pretence. It was so in the Heathen as well as in the Christian World. When Numa Pompilius introduced the ancient Romish Superstition he pretended to be directed in all he did by the Goddess [Page] Egeria. Triptolemus, to recommend his Laws to the Athenians, gave out that he was inspired by Ceres. Licurgus professed to act by the Direction of the God, Apollo, when he promulgated his extraordinary Laws to the Spartans. And it was common throughout the Heathen World, when any remarkable Change was to be made, or any important Enterprise to be undertaken, for some of those who favoured it, to pretend to some new Revelation or Oracle in Support of their Opinion. Now though there is the most undeniable Evidence to prove that many of their Revelations and Answers of their Oracles were Nothing but the Contrivance of crafty Knaves, downright Cheat and Imposture; yet for any Thing I have ever seen proved, some of their oracular Responses might be supernatural, from the immediate Agency of the Devil The Fathers, who had much better Opportunities to be acquainted with the Revelations of the Heathens, than we, as they lived, some of them at least, while the Oracles were consulted, generally agreed that the Devil had a great Hand in first introducing, and constantly supporting the pagan Oracles and Revelations.

Such as are prejudiced against the Bible may imagine, that the many Pretences that have been made to divine Revelation by Enthusiasts and Impostors are a sufficient Confutation of the Scriptures. But such an Imagination must be owing to their great Inattention or inveterate Prejudices. For if the Matter be fully and candidly examined, the various Pretensions that have been made only prove, what I have once and again inculcated that we should receive no Revelations as divine, 'till we have just Grounds to believe they come from God: We must not receive them for divine till they are recommended by proper Miracles. Enthusiasts and Impostors pretend to divine Revelation, but have never been able to work any Miracles to prove the Truth of their Pretentions.

The Prophets and Apostles professed to be inspired and wrought such glorious Miracles as fully proved that God was with them, and that they acted by his Commission.

The Fondness which Mankind in every Nation have shewed for divine Revelation, the Greediness, with which they have received the various Pretensions of this Kind, instead of weakening the Credibility of the Scriptures rather affords a good Argument [Page] to confirm their divine Authority. For whence should this Disposition and Practice of Mankind arise? What can be the Reason they have been so ready to look for and give Credit to divine Revelation? Is it not because they are conscience to themselves they have great Need of a Guide to direct them? Or from some universal Tradition that God had actually granted some Revelations? If Men did not feel themselves extremely in the dark if they had not heard from Tradition, or by their Intercourse with the Jews, that there was a divine Revelation; is it not probable they would have been so ready to follow those who pretended to extraordinary Communications. But having been informed that the Deity had granted immediate Revelation to some excellent Person, they might be imposed on and follow those who pretended to this Intercourse with Heaven, especially as they found the Light very insufficient for their Direction.

All who are acquainted with the religious Customs of the ancient Heathens know there were sundry Usages among them which bore some Resemblance to some of the Ceremonies which we find were prescribed by the Jewish Law-Giver. These they undoubtedly derived from the Patriarchal Customs or borrowed from the Jews. ¶ For though the Jews in general were hateful to the Gentiles, yet the eminent Virtues and Prosperity of some of them, as Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, Daniel, not to mention Abraham their renowned Ancestor, commanded Respect and Admiration from the neighbouring Nations, and particularly from the Egyptians. And though they did not change their own false Gods, and acknowledge the God of Israel, yet they might adopt some of the Jewish Ceremonies in the Worship of their Idols, as we are informed [Page] by the sacred Historian the Samaritans did to answer their now Ends. Now since it appears that the Heathens derived some of their religious Ceremonies from the Jews, or from the Patriarchs, why might they not derive the general Notion of a Revelation from the same Quarter?

If there never had been any true Revelation given to Mankind, what could have led the Heathen Priests and and Law-Givers to counterfeit them? ‘Can there be Copies without Originals? Or Counterfeits without Realities? Do not false Coiners imitate the noblest Metals? Or do Clippers work on any Thing but Gold and Silver?’ Thus false Pretensions to Inspiration rather strengthen than weaken the Evidences of its Reality—They do so in another View, viz. by their corresponding to the Predictions of the New-Testament. The Rise of false Prophets mere Pretenders to Inspiration, was expressly sore told by Jesus Christ and his Apostles; so that their Appearance in the World is a completion of their Prophecies, and as it were a Seal which we ourselves see put to the New-Testament, the more fully to illustrate and Confirm the Divine Authority of the Scriptures. God will not suffer any of his Words to fall to the Ground, let the Things foretold be ever so unlikely to human Reason. Now must not that Prophesy have proceeded from God which is thus exactly verified by the Event? The Scriptures have been confirmed by so many infallible Proofs and these Arguments have been placed in such a convincing Light, and all the Cavils that have been raised, have been so fully answered by many excellent Writers, that one cannot but think that Infidels discover Want of Sense, as well as Want of Faith: who still persist in their Unbelief. We read of some of their Kinsmen of Old who while they professed themselves to be wise became Fools.

As it would be inconsistent with my present Design to enter into any long Defence of Christianity, so there is no great Occasion, if the Deists would but read and seriously consider the many excellent Books that have been written on the Subject. But since this Address is likely to fall into the Hands of sundry Persons, who would fain deny all revealed Religion, I shall leave the following Hints to their Consideration. †

[Page]Since you don't profess to be Atheists, but pretend to have a Regard to God, and to be Friends to Virtue, I will take it for granted that you suppose God has given you a Law to direct your Conduct, enforced with the suitable Sanctions of future Rewards and Punishments. You must also grant, if you honestly reflect on your Conduct, that you have done wrong in some Instance or other, and consequently have broken that Law you are under. Hence yon lay exposed to the Punishment threatned in the Law. Don't your own Consciences tell you this sometimes? Don't they warn you, that though your Sins are pleasant now, they will be Bitterness in the latter End? If they don't, whence comes it that sundry of you appear so afraid of Death, in Storms and Sickness? Let me ask you, when you are well, and the Weather is Calm, how you expect to escape this Punishment to which you lay exposed according to your own Scheme, and your own Consciences, and which you appear to be afraid of in Times of Danger?

You will not surely pretend that your Repentance and Virtues will balance your Accounts with God's Law. For not to insist upon it, that you are not very remarkable for these Things, you must discover, if you have any just Notions, about Law, that they by no Means answer its Demands. A Murderer might Plead with equal Reason, that he had murdered but once, that he had been heartily sorry for his Crime, and had obeyed the Laws of his Country in all other Instances both before and since that unhappy Moment. But you know such Pleas are Nothing to the Purpose. The Law condemns him to Punishment and Death for that one Transgression. He must plead not guilty, or as good not plead at all. Now you having done wrong in some Instance or other cannot plead, not guilty. You have broken God's Laws, and of Consequence must be condemned by them. God who searches your Hearts, and who is perfectly acquainted with all your Conduct is your Judge. He is a most just and righteous Judge. He gave you his Law, and he will support its Authority, and the Honor of his Government. Since you refuse to have any Connexions with Jesus of Nazareth, you cannot object against being judged on your own Principles. Can you offer any Reason why you should not be condemned for your Sins against the Light of Nature? Can you devise any [Page] Method in which there is any Probability, you shall escape Punishment for your Breaches of God's Law? I believe if you would reason right according to your Principles, you would dispair. Since this appears to be the Case, why don't you redeem so much Time from the Hurries and Pleasures of the World, as is sufficient to make a full Enquiry? Why don't you hear and obey the Voice of that Monitor God has put in your Bosoms, and consider whether the Alarm is not perfectly just, and founded on the most incontestible Dictates of Reason? Why don't you think, whether your boasted Light of Nature affords you any rational Hopes of Escape? Therefore as Joshua ‡ said of old to the Israelites, ‘If it seem evil to you to serve the LORD, choose you whom you will to serve,’ so I may say to you: If you dislike the christian Religion, chuse you a better if you can. Shew some Method in which Sinners may reasonably hope for the Pardon of their Sins and to obtain the Favour of an offended God. Don't be so absurd as to cavil against the Gospel, and discard it, till you can discover some more sure and excellent Way. You must discover astonishing Weakness or Perversity of Mind who renounce that glorious Way, which is plainly revealed and incontestibly proved in the Gospel, if you cannot discover any Way of your own, in which any reasonable Man can hope to be forgiven any of his Sins, and be received into Favour with God.

But to return, the high Pretences of Enthusiasts to supernatural Influences, and the great Craft and Indecency which, it appears, Satan has used in counterfeiting them is at once a Proof of their Reality and Excellency. If there were no inward Influences imparted by the Spirit of God to true Saints, Why should Satan attempt so much to counterfeit them? Does not counterfeit Money always suppose there is true Money? The Devil is a powerful, a malicious and cunning Adversary. The Scriptures represent him as constantly and indefatigably employed in seeking our Destruction. Let such as don't love to be told so much about the Devil, tell me, why Christ has directed us to pray, lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil? (or from the Evil One as it might be translated.) Now if Satan be so powerful and crafty, we are unable [Page] of ourselves to resist him, and have therefore absolute Need to be led by the Divine Spirit, especially if we remember our own Weakness through Corruptions and Lusts.

‘Some recommend (says a celebrated Preacher of the Church of England) Virtue, in pompous Harangues, and urge Religion from the rational Topicks of Conveniency and Inconveniency: They display the Amiableness and Advantages of Good, and the Deformity and Mischiefs of Evil. How ugly is Envy? How tormenting is Revenge? How brutal is Drunkenness? How pernicious is Lust? On the contrary; Meekness, Temperance, and Beneficence, how serene are they in their State, and how commodious in their Effects? And needs a Man now (say they) any infusion here to determine his Choice? Or any assisting Influence to put it in Execution? All that he seems to need is only this, that he do not turn Fool, and desert the Use of those Faculties and Powers which Nature has given him.’

‘After such a moral Discourse as this, having called upon Reason, and stirred Men up to Consideration, they presume they have done enough, and leave us to grow good upon our own Stock and Strength. But alass! these are Zearus's Flights. Nature has provided no Wings for Men to soar so high with. Vice will not be chased out of the World by Invectives, nor Virtue advanced to her Empire by panegyricks. The most prudent Advertency, and the most manly Resolution, the most rational Love, and the most generous Indignation, that ever Opinionative Moralists could conceive and fortify the Breast withal, will not be able to secure a Man against the subtil Approaches, or violent Assaults of Sin [and Satan.] 'Tis only divine Grace and Assistance that is our Castle and our Defence, and the vital Spring of all our good Habits: And whosoever terminates his Hopes, even of serving and pleasing God, upon the Confidence of any other Strength than what is derived from God, his Hopes are impious, and he must miscarry.’

There is hardly any Thing which Enthusiasts in general plead more strongly for their Practices than Conscience, and it is to be feared many plead Conscience who scarcely know what Conscience means. As this is evidently the Case, it will not be amiss briefly to explain the Nature of Conscience, that you [Page] may not plead it; where it cannot lay under a proper Obligation.

The Will and Law of God is holy, just and good, which all moral Agents are bound in Duty to obey by what Means soever it is made known to them. This is the supreme Rule and original Standard of all moral Goodness. God has been pleased to discover this his Will to Mankind in several Ways, as by Conscience, Reason, Revelation. Conscience is that Power of the Soul, by which God gives Mankind some Notices of his Will, of Virtue and Vice, of Praise and Blame, and by which, when it is in right Exercise, we approve of whatever, we have sufficient Reason to believe is agreeable to the holy Will of God, whether in ourselves or others, and Condemn what is contrary to this divine Standard. ‘When the Gentiles, says the Apostle, a which have not the [written] Law, do by Nature the Things contained in the Law, these having not the Law, are a Law unto themselves; which shew the Work of the Law written in their Hearts, their Conscience also bearing Witness, and their Thoughts the mean while accusing, or else excusing one another.’ Hence Conscience is called God's Deputy or Vicegerent in the Soul. When any Thing is known to be agreeable to the Will of God, Conscience in its proper Exercise urge to obey, and remonstrates against Disobedience, threatning Punishment from God. But Conscience is only a Deputy. It is not Conscience of itself which properly binds or obliges a Man, but the Will and Law of God which is written in [...]s Records. Conscience derives all its just Authority from God.

Truth and Falshood, Right and Wrong, cannot be changed by the Fancies of Men. The Will of God remains still the same. Hence though such is the natural Frame and Constitution of Human Nature, that an honest Man cannot but follow his Conscience; though he would sin, if he should counteract the Dictates of his Mind, and be self-condemned, as the Apostle b intimates; yet when Conscience is misinformed, and abuses its Office, representing Right to be Wrong, and Wrong to be Right; this Mistake cannot alter the Nature of Things nor change the divine Law. A Man is not properly obliged in this Case to act contrary to the Will of God, but is rather bound to renounce his Errors and search out the divine Law [Page] and obey it. Paul before he was converted verily believed in his Conscience, that he ought to do many Things in Opposition to Jesus of Nazareth: Yet when he came to be better informed, he blamed himself, and lamented over that Conduct as sinful. Tho' his mistaken Conscience did in some Measure alleviate his Crime, yet he was far from thinking it entirely excused him. He c mentions it as a Sin for which he had Need of Mercy. When forty of the Jews in their great Zeal judged in their Consciences, they ought to murder Paul, this did not render Murder a Virtue, and such Conduct acceptable to God. Their Conscience in this Instance had not God's Authority.

As Conscience is not the only Means by which God reveals his Will since he has given us Reason and Revelation, so it is also greatly enfeebled in this imperfect State, and often mistakes the divine Will. Therefore its hasty Dictates should not be rashly obeyed. Reason and Revelation should be seriously consulted, least Men instead of obeying the holy Will of God should be found following the Dictates of their own corrupted Understandings or the Suggestions of Satan. And since the Will of God is the only perfect Rule and original Standard of moral Goodness, and Conscience only a Deputy, and one too that is often mistaken, Men should have Recourse to the divine Law, and carefully examine, if God requires such Things. Unless you can produce some divine Law that requires you to do so and so, it is in vain for you to plead Conscience: For where there is no Law, there is properly no Duty nor Transgression. And if Conscience forbids or commands an Action, where there is no divine Law, in this Instance Conscience abuses its Office, and the Man is not properly obliged, unless he can be strictly and truly obliged to disobey the holy Will of God, which is absurd.

Hence it appears that God has not laid you under Obligations to follow your new Revelations and Impulses, since you cannot prove by the proper Evidence of Miracles that they proceed from God. Your new Revelations and Impulses are not the natural Dictates of Conscience or a Part of the moral Law, which God has written on the Heart. For then these Revelations could not be called new, nor peculiar to you more [Page] than others, but common to all Mankind. You cannot prove your Revelations to be the Will of God from Reason, nor from the Fitness of Things. And [...]ou cannot prove them to be immediate Revelations of the Will of God, because they are destitute of his Seal of public Miracles. Now since your Revelations do not appear to be the Will of God, I hope your Consciences will find themselves disentangled from all imaginary Obligations, and not urge you to follow them any more. Surely it is reasonable that these imaginary Chains should be loosed. You may see you can be under no proper Obligations from Conscience to follow your new Revelations and Impulses. It is weak and ridiculous to plead Conscience for following your Impulses, or for any Practice which you can't prove to be agreeable to the Will of God. If you plead Conscience any more, then produce some Law of God that obliges you to practice as you do. But if you can produce no divine Precept, and yet continue in such unlawful Practices, you may plead Ignorance, you may plead Prejudice, you may plead Self-Will, you may plead strong Imagination, or the Transports of hot Zeal, or Pride; but you have no Right to plead Conscience for your Practices, till you can produce the divine Law where God has required these Things at your Hands. ¶

[Page]Now what Law of God requires you to separate from our Churches? And to use your Influence to promote Strife and Contention? What Law requires you to reproach our Churches as Antichrist's Churches? And to endeavour to offend us? What divine Precept requires your Women to speak in your pretended Churches? Where has God required you to rebaptize Persons? Your Consciences can't proberly oblige you to these Things, since you can't produce a divine Law for them.

What Law requires you [Rogerenes] to disturb Churches in the sober and religious Performance of religious Worship on the Lord's Day? You would certainly act a wiser Part, if you would produce the divine Law first, before you venture to behave in such a strange Manner. Do you think that no Respect is due to civil Authority? Did you never read that divine Law "Ye must needs be subject, not only for W [...]ath but also for Conscience Sake?"

[Page]Persons in Sickness may overlook the Hand of God, and like King Asa of old may trust too much in Physicians, and if they do there is no Body denies they are to blame. But their Sin does not consist in their applying to Physicians in Sickness, but in their trusting two much in them, and forgetting the Lord who is our Life and the Length of our Days. Men Act like Atheists who in their Pains and Distresses seek to Physicians and forget the Lord.

In such a Country as this, where there is scarcely any regular Method of studying Physic, and every one practises that pleases, there are doubtless many Quacks, who I readily grant do as much Harm as Good. And I believe that a great many who on every Occasion send for a Doctor, would recover as well without as with his Prescriptions, if they would keep themselves under proper Regimen.

Temperance and reasonable Industry are excellent Means to preserve Health. If it be certain that the present Inhabitants of these Colonies, especially Women, are more weak and sickly than their Great Grandfathers and Grand Mothers, perhaps there is no greater Cause of this in general than the Increase of Luxury, Idleness and the too common Practice of Night-Walking. When many use Spiritous Liquors to an immoderate Degree, and when many others Seldom or never use any suitable Exercise; Weakness and Diseases may well be expected to be more epidemical. If Parents will be so fond of their Children, as to bring them up too delicately, and never inure them to any Hardships; the Consequence will ordinarily be, that they will weaken their Children's Constitutions, and thus subject them to many Ails and Sicknessess which they would probably never have known any Thing about, if it had not been for the extreme Tenderness of their Parents. However, no Directions can be given that will be sufficient effectually to preserve Health, and save the human Body from many Casualties. Wounds, Bruises, &c. And therefore when all reasonable Concessions are made to you, they do not prove that Physicians may not be lawfully employed. Is it not certain in a thousand Instances that Physicians under God have been a Means of preserving Life? God works in this as well as in many other Cases by second Causes. Since God thus visibly owns Physicians in so many Instances, does it not look like Presumption in you to [Page] refuse their Assistance? Must if not be a Sort of Self Murder for Persons to reject the Use of those Means which God in his Providence has discovered and blessed for the Preservation of Life?

Joseph was one of the wisest of Men and a most eminent Saint. His Conscience was remarkably tender, as appears from his repulsing the impure Solicitations of his Mistress with this memorable Saying, ‘How can I do this great Evil and Sin agaist God?’ § Yet holy Joseph had Physicians. Luke the Evangelist, who wrote the Gospel that is now called by his Name, was also "the beloved Physician." But if Physic were unlawful, would Joseph have employed Physicians, or the Evangelist Luke followed this Calling?

The Lord Jesus Christ frequently represents himself to his People in his Word under the Character of a Physician. Would he have done this, if this Employment were unlawful? But to put the Matter out of Controversy, Christ has expressly declared that ‘they that are whole need not a Physician; but they that are sick.’ † Thus according to our Blessed Saviour, the sick and disordered in Body need Physicians, and ought to employ them. For Christ in these Words expressly refers to bodily Ails and Sicknesses, and it is only by Analogy that they are referred to the Disorders of the Soul.

No [...] since it appears not only from the Nature of Things, but also from the Example of the most eminent Saints both under the Old and New Testament, and from the express Words of our Blessed Saviour to be lawful and commendable to employ Physicians, you can be under no proper Obligations from Conscience to refuse to apply to them; for there is no Law of God that forbids you. If you can lay aside Prejudices, you may see that the Words of Christ, and the Example of his Saints require you to employ them? Surely you must act a very sinful Part, if you will sacrifice your Lives in Defence of your Error, as your understanding Neighbours are fully persuaded some of you have already done. But if you will still go on and practise upon your Mistake, I am clear of your Blood, and you must suffer the Consequences of your Folly.

And now, to conclude this Address, let me earnestly entreat you all, and especially such of you as have lately separated from [Page] the Churches of New-England, to consider what has been said with that seriousness which the Importance of the Affair justly demands. The Honour of God, the Interest of the Redeemer's Kingdom, the Welfare of your Country and your Posterity, and even the Salvation of your own Souls will be greatly affected by your Conduct. Now when such important Interests are at Stake, you must excuse me if I speak plainly to you. When you have separated from us, you have set up and followed such for Teachers among yourselves, as professed to be immediately called. This your immediate Call has been candidly examined in the preceeding Discourse, and it has, I think been plainly and fully proved that you are false Prophets and Teachers. Several of you have pretended to foretell future Things, which the Event has proved to be false. Now if you hearken either to the Voice of Reason or to the Word of God, you must be convinced that this is a full and clear Proof that you are false Prophets. And tho' others may say, that they have not been thus detected, or that their Prophecies have never been proved false by the Event; yet this will not excuse them. For it is the fundamental Principle in your Scheme, and what you all Act upon; that Truths and Duties are discovered to you by Impulses or immediate Impressions made on your Minds. As the true Church of Christ is built upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, or the written Word of God, so your separate Assemblies which you call Churches are built upon private Impulses. Now it has been proved in the foregoing Pages, that these Impressions, if they come from God as you pretend, are as really Revelations as any that were made to inspired Persons of old; and that some of them, such for Instance, as those by which your Teachers pretend to be called to the Ministry, are Revelations of new Truths, which are not contained in the Bible. But God forbids our receiving any Thing as a Revelation from him, which has not his Seal. And therefore since you cannot work Miracles in Confirmation of your being sent of him in an extraordinary Way, God requires us to account and treat you as deluded Persons, and your pretended inspired Teachers as false Prophets. It seems to me this must convince you, at least bring you to entertain some Doubts and Scruples, unless you shut your Eyes against Conviction, or are judicially given up to strong Delusions. And as I would [Page] [...]ain hope that neither of these is the Case with you, I beseech you to consider the Guilt and Danger of your State, while you continue in your present Course.

It is too plain to admit the least Doubt, that God is greatly and justly displeased with your Conduct. To [...]un, when God has not sent you; to speak in his Name, when he has given you no Commission, and that in Opposition to those whom he has sent and commissioned; to father your weak and foolish Fancies, and perhaps the Suggestions of Satan upon the infinitely wise and holy Spirit; is it possible that these Things should be done without contracting awful Guilt? can you possibly doubt whether God is awfully provoked by them? If so, hear and tremble at what he has said by the Mouth of a true Prophet. d ‘Thus saith the Lord God, Wo unto the foolish Prophets, that follow their own Spirit and have seen Nothing. They have seen Vanity and lying Divination, saying the Lord saith, and the Lord hath not sent them. And they have made others to hope that they would confirm the Word. Have ye not seen a vain Vision, and have ye not spoken a lying Divination, whereas ye say, the Lord saith, albeit that I have not spoken? Therefore thus saith the Lord God, because ye have spoken Vanity, and seen Lies, therefore behold I am against you, saith the Lord God. And mine Hand shall be upon the Prophets that see Vanity, and that divine Lies: They shall not be in the Assembly of my People, neither shall they be written in the Writing of the House of Israel, neither shall they enter into the Land of Israel.’ That is, they shall not be Members of my Church either on Earth or in Heaven. Don't deceive yourselves by imagining that the awful Doom thus pronounced against the false Prophets, is a Thing peculiar to the Severity of the Jewish Dispensation, and that a milder Sentence may be expected by Persons of that Character from the Grace of the Gospel. For the New Testament represents the same Thing in stronger Terms, and more awful Language. ‘And the Devil that deceived them, was cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, where the Beast and the false Prophet are, and shall be tormented Day and Night, forever and ever.’ e

[Page]Could you be persuaded impartially to consider, how sinful and how pernicious your Pretensions and Practices are, you would not wonder to find the Word of God threatning them with such a dreadful Severity. The Affront offered to God by falsely pretending to be immediately sent, and inspired of him, and recommending your Errors under this extraordinary Claim; and the Indignity done him by imputing to his holy Spirit Things which proceed from the Heat of your own disordered Imaginations, and perhaps Things that arise from the Agency of Satan, have been already mentioned. I shall only add on this Head, that it is not very easy to determine, which is the greatest Affront to the blessed God, to impute his Operations to Satan, as the Pharisees did of old; or to impute the Suggestions of Satan to him, as it is at least greatly to be feared the Enthusiasts do at present.

Your depending upon Impulses and Impressions, and looking on them as Rules of Action and Directions to Duty, exposes you in a dreadful Degree to the worst of Temptations, and may be attended with the most fatal Consequences to all around you. To this very Principle you see it was owing that John Lewis murdered his Wife, and that the Dutartres committed the awful Crimes of Incest and Murder. And if the Devil had so much Power over them, because they embraced the fatal Opinion, ‘that Impressions made on their Minds by Text of Scripture were Revelations from God, and must be obeyed;’ what sort of Security can you possibly have, that he will not make the like Attempt, and with the same Success upon you, who by holding the same Principle are equally expossed to such Kind of Temptations▪ Or what Security have your Families or Neighbours that they shall not be murdered by you? It is true we all depend upon the over-ruling Providence and restraining Grace of God to keep us from committing the grossest Enormities. This I know is sufficient for you as well as others; I earnestly pray it may be afforded to you, and I sincerely wish you had more Reason to expect it. But surely they who sinfully expose themselves to Temptations have awful Reason to fear that God will in his righteous Judgment leave them to be overcome by Satan. And should this be the Case with any of you, which God forbid, you will when it is too late heartily wish you had taken the Warning and [...]ened to the Council given you.

[Page]When Christ says, ‘Many false Prophets shall arise and shall deceive many: And because Iniquity shall abound the Love of many shall wax cold,’ he may justly be thought not only to assert that the Evils mentioned shall prevail at the Time he particularly speaks of; but to represent them as so connected in the Nature of Things, that whenever the first prevails, the others may reasonably be expected. When Peter foretold there would be false Teachers in the christian World, he adds, ‘Many shall follow their pernicious Ways, by Reason of whom the Way of Truth shall be evil spoken of.’ In this Sense these Scriptures are awfully fulfiled among us at this Day. There never, I suppose, was a Time, when false Teachers and Prophets more abounded among us, than at present and for some Years past. There never was a Season in which more Persons pretended to Inspiration, or to have Truths and Duties revealed to them by immediate Suggestions and Impulses. And as no one of these Persons produces proper Credentials, or has the Seal of God to shew; both Reason and Scripture allow, and indeed require us to look on them all as false Prophets or Teachers. Yet it is sadly true that they have deceived many, leading them from the Word of God to follow their deluded Fancies. They have been unhappily successful in filling the Minds of many well-meaning Persons with Prejudices against the regular Ministers of Christ. And what has been the Consequence? Does not Iniquity abound, and the love of many wax cold? Are not the Ways of Truth evil spoken of? Do not Profaneness and Immoralites of various Kinds greatly prevail in the Land? Is not a Want of Love to God, manifested by a general Luke-warmness and Indifference in Religion, and by that surprising Neglect of the Worship and Ordinances of God, so justly lamented by serious Persons in all Parts of the Country? And can there be a more unhappy Proof that Love to Man, or Charity waxes cold, than the prevailing Disposition to judge, condemn and separate from one another?

It requires only a calm and unprejudiced Examination to be convinced, that your Principles and Conduct have been in a very great Degree a Cause why Iniquity has abounded, and the Love of many waxen cold among us. You have embraced, and are continually endeavouring to propagate a Sett of Principles, [Page] that can never be defended, many of them being really absurd and ridiculous. You teach Persons to place Religion in Things that can never be received by a rational Mind. You are unwearied in your Endeavours to destroy the Influence of the standing Ministers representing them as carnal, blind and dead, as Hirelings and Ministers of Antichirst. And the Consequence has been that many unthinking Persons are careless about or prejudiced against all Religion, and it is to be feared will turn open Infidels. You with the greatest Confidence pronounce this Man converted, and that Man immediately called of God to the Ministry; when all your understanding Neighbours plainly see, that the former wants the Scripture Marks of Conversion, and perhaps is further from the Character of a good Man than he was before; and that the latter is destitute of the most essential Qualifications of a Gospel-Minister. And there have been Instances, as you very well know, wherein both the Convert and the Minister, concerning whom you have pronounced with the greatest Assurance, have after all turned out to be Men of immoral and abandoned Characters. These and such like Things have wounded Religion, and are continually wounding it in an awful Manner. On the whole, it may be justly doubted, whether you could have done so much Hurt to Religion, if you had been open and professed Enemies to it, as you have done under the Profession of the highest Friendship to it, and a Cloak of the most flaming Zeal. If you are unprejudiced enough to feel the Force of my Reasoning, yet methinks a View of the present State of Religion in the Country, joined with the Consideration that it is plainly foretold in the Scriptures, that when false Prophets and Teachers should rise and deceive many, Iniquity should abound, the Love of many wax cold, and the Ways of Truth be evil spoken of, must at least abate your Confidence, and raise some Suspicion in your Minds whether you are not mistaken, and whether your Conduct does not destroy instead of promoting Religion.

After all, I have no great Expectations of convincing the Heads and Leaders of your Parties; but I hope what has been said may by the Blessing of God have a good Effect upon some honest People that have been misled and seduced by them. And I more especially hope, that all who attend your Assemblies [Page] either out of Curiosity, or on Account of their being near their Habitations, while they don't profess to join with you, will consider seriously what has been said. I know some of you have sundry Things to say in your own Vindication. And since my chief Hopes of Success are among you, I shall conculde this Address by answering your Arguments, and giving my Reasons against your Practice.

1st. Some of you are ready to plead that these Sects hold a great many good Things, and their Exhorters say some good Things. And why may not you go and hear them? Why need Ministers say any Thing against them?

ANSWER. Don't you think that the Papists, Jews, Mahometans, and Deists, hold many good Things? When we dispute against them, it is not against the good Things which they hold in common with us, but against their Errors. The Question is, whether those Things wherein they differ from us are good? Whether considering them as Papists, Jews, Mahometans, and Deists, they are right; to be countenanced and followed. And thus it is with Respect to these several Sects I have been opposing. There is no Doubt but they hold some good Things, I wish they held more. I have no Controversy with them about the Truths they believe, but about their Errors. Now the Question is whether they are right in those Peculiarities wherein they differ from the standing Churches? For these are the Things that denominate them to belong to some or other of these Sects. I have plainly declared my Sentiments, that they are entirely wrong in their Peculiarites, and I can't but believe you must be of my Mind if you peruse this Address with sufficient Care and Candour. If you think they are right in their distinguishing Tenets, why don't you join them? And if you cannot prove they are right in their peculiar Notions, your pleading they are right in those Things which they hold in common with us is really Nothing at all to your Purpose. There never was any Sect of Hereticks so corrupt as to deny all Truths, so that by this Rule Ministers should never try to reclaim Persons from their Mistakes, and consequently the Apostles did very wrong in reproving and w [...]iting against the false Teachers that disturbed the Churches in their Days.

2d. But you have a more plausible Argument. You say, when you look [...]ound on the standing Churches and their Members, [Page] you can scarcely see any Appearance of Religion. A dull Formality prevails in attending publick Worship, and at other Times much Vanity, Frothiness, yea and much open Profaneness. The Youth are light, airy, careless and irreligious; the aged worldly, luke-warm and indifferent about serious Piety. Whereas when you look among the separate Meetings, and those that attend them, you see much Solemnity and Seriousness. In short you say there is a much greater Appearance of Religion among them than in the standing Churches.

ANSWER. As I have already considered the extraordinary religious Appearances which are among them, and I think fully proved that they are no good Proof that they are right, I shall not here repeat what I have said, but seriously entreat you to review those Passages again. There is doubtless great Reason to lament over the prevailing Iniquities of the Times, and the Wickedness of many that belong to the standing Churches. But since those who have separated from us have had a principal Hand by their disorderly Practices to provoke God to withdraw his Spirit, to raise and foment Pejudices in the Minds of People against their Ministers, and thus to promote the Wickedness so much lamented among us, I can't but think, that when they upbraid us with these Things they must do it with a peculiar ill Grace.

This is an Objection which was made of old against Christ and his true followers. ‘The Disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast, and they came and said unto Christ, why do the Disciples of John, and of the Pharisees fast, but thy Disciples fast not?’ f They were it seems greatly stumbled, and much at a Loss about Christ and his Disciples, because (as they thought) they did not appear to be so strict and religious, as the Disciples of John and of the Pharisees. It is abundantly evident from the New-Testament that the Pharisees were very strict and devout in their Way. They were frequent in their religious Exercises, since they fasted twice in the Week. The Mahometans are very frequent in their Devotions, and they value themselves on being more strict and virtuous, than they think Christians are. Hence it is reported to be a common saying among them, ‘would you have me to swear and lie like a Christian.’ If we come to Christendom, have not the Papists a much greater show of Religion than the Protestants? Where can you find any Man so [Page] strict and devout in his Way as the famous Abbe de Paris? And there are great Numbers who profess the Romish Religion, who are eminent for extraordinary Fastings, Penances and Devotions, far beyond what prevails among Protestants. And I have been credibly informed that Popery spreads and gains Ground among the common People in some Places in England, on this very Account, that the Papists are more frequent and devout in their religious Exercises. Suppose you had been carried Captive to Canada in the begining of the War, and had seen the Papists frequent, engaged and lively in their religious Worship, as they are said to have been if I remember right, and then upon an Exchange of Prisoners, when you came into the English Army, you should have perceived scarcely any Appearance of Religion, but the general Part Cursing and Swearing, what would you have done? According to your Objection you must have been ready to change your Religion, and become Papists, at least you must have been greatly at a Loss, whether they were not after all in the right. Thus your Argument concludes as strongly in Favour of the Pharisees, Mahometans, and Papists, as it does in Favour of those who have separated from our Churches. Yet I dare say you have no Tho'ts of professing yourselves Pharisees, Papists, or Mahometans. Your Argument proves too much, if it could prove any Thing, and therefore it must proceed upon a Mistake. The Mistake in this Respect is your making the external Shew of Religion a certain Mark, and Evidence of Person's being right. Now you might have known from the common Proverb, "all is not Gold that glisters" that some profess a great deal of Religion, who have no more of it in Reality, than their Neighbours. Was not this the Case with the Pharisees, the Mahometans and Papists? As I don't pretend to search the Hearts, nor to know how far God may permit Saints to be deluded by Satan, as David was when he was influenced by this proud Spirit to number the People, as Peter was who thro' his Instigation denied his Lord and Master; so I cannot tell how many of those who thro' his Delusions have separated from us, are sincerely religious. But be that as it may, I am sure they are wrong in yielding to his Delusions, and I am sure you would be very wrong in following them. I cannot think that their following their own erroneous [Page] and heated Imaginations, and the Delusions of Satan, is any great Sign of eminent Holiness.

As it is natural for surperstitious and deluded Devotees to appear more religious than they really are, and to make a great Shew of external Piety, when they are utter Strangers to it; I have often wondered that those who have separated from the standing Churches have not been more eminent for their visible Purity and Holiness than they generally are at present. They withdrew from us, because they imagined our Churches were not pure. They were a select Company of true Converts as they themselves gave out. And yet if we make the Gospel our Rule by which to judge of Purity, I believe they don't shine very bright.—As our Churches contain in some Sense the general Part of those that are born and brought up in the Land, and there's a small Company who all professed to be true Converts, it would not have been wonderful, if their Members had greatly outshined ours, considered as a Body. For they pretended to the greatest Purity, and their Character and Credit as a Party depended very much on making good their Pretensions. Now Pride will excite Men to do a great Deal in Religion, when their Credit of Interest lies at Stake. How many brave Things did Jehu do? Yet notwithstanding all these powerful Motives and peculiar Advantages which they have had, I believe if you candidly consider their Members and ours, and the several violent Heats and unchristian Contentions that have arisen among them, at one Time and another, &c. you must acknowledge they have very little to boast of, even in Point of visible Purity. According to my Observation, and the Account I have received from several worthy Gentlemen that are acquainted with them, there have been as many Scandals among them for their Number, and the Time they have separated, as in the standing Churches. And I believe they have shewed as little Zeal and Faithfulness in censuring Offenders as any Church in the Land. If they were to be tried by the Standard of Purity before impartial Judges, they would probably be found to be no Gainers by their Separation. And if we remember that it has been proved, that many of those Things which they call the eminent Exercises of Religion proceed from unscriptural Notions, and wild Imaginations or the Suggestions of Satan; the Advantage in Point [Page] of true Religion, sincere Christian Piety, is almost beyond Comparison on the Side of the standing Churches. For strip their Religion of Extravagancies, and what have they left behind? They have the outside Shew of Religion, but where is there any Thing among them like internal Holiness and real Humbleness of Heart? Where is their Meekness? Where their Charity? Now according to the Apostle, It a Man should speak with the Tongues of Men, and of Angels, and have not Charity, he is become as a sounding Brass and a tinkling Cymbal: Though he had the Gift of Prophecy, and understood all Mysteries—and have no Charity, he is Nothing; yea, tho' he should be so zealous as to give his Body to be burned, and have not Charity, it profiteth him Nothing.

But I don't desire to push this Point too far. As I have already hinted, the Practises of those who profess any certain Religion should not be made the grand Mark or Evidence by which we should judge of its Truth or Falshood. There have been very excellent Persons who have seemed to differ greatly in their religious Sentiments about various Things. Some wicked Persons have belonged to the best and purest Churches, as Simon Magus to that of the Apostles. When we examine whether such a religious Denomination be right, the proper Questions to be discused are, what do they believe? what are their peculiar Tenets and distinguishing Principles? If we find these to be agreeable to the Word of God, we must pronounce them right, let the Professors of that Religion live as they will. If their Practice is bad, this does not prove that the Religion which they profess is bad, when by the Supposition it is agreeable to the holy Scriptures, but that they practise contrary to their Good Principles. Thus tho' many professing Christians in St. Paul's Time appeared by their wicked Practices to be Enemies of the Cross of Christ, this was no good Argument to prove that the Christian Religion was bad. The Gospel was not the Worse for their wicked Practices, since it did not countenance them in their Wickedness, but bore an open Testimony against all Sorts of Iniquity. And thus the standing Churches are not to be blamed for the Luke-warmness, the Irreligion and Profaneness, which alas! too much prevail among many in the present Day; for we don't approve of their Luke-warmness and Wickedness. With the [Page] Apostles of old we bear the most public and earnest Testimony against all Manner of Vice and Immorality. And thus the Irregularities, which some, who in some Sense belong to the standing Churches are guilty of, can be no proper Grounds of Stumbling and Offence, since they are duly testified against Time after Time. And much less can they be any just Cause of Separation. There were many in the Apostolic Churches who were Enemies to the Cross of Christ. Luke-warmness prevailed to a dreadful Degree in the Church of Landice [...]. But Christ did not recommend it to the Christians to divide and read his Church, and separate from one another. No he frequently exhorted to love one another, and to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the [...] of Peace.

The the S [...] [...] Churches cannot be justly [...] with the Luke-warmness and Immoralities that some of their [...]mbers may be guilty of, since they bear a proper Testi [...] against them; yet those who have separated from us cannot [...] themselves of the same Pl [...] Be [...] of their Enthusiasm and Disorders, for this obvious Reason, that they professedly maintain the enthusiastic Notions of New Revelations, Impulses, &c. and not only so, but glory in them, and in the various Irregularities into which they have been led in Consequence of these false delusive Principles. They approve, maintain and exh [...] to those Things and Practices, which we charge with being [...] scriptural, imaginary and delusive. They commend them as the most eminent Att [...] in Religion. But the Standing Churches lament and [...] the Luke-warmness of their Members. They reprove and censure those who walk disorderly. Is there not a very wide Difference between the Conduct of the Standing Churches with Respect to the Blemishes you see in them, and the Conduct of those who have separated with Respect to the Irregularities with which they are charged?

If then you would State the Objection, I have been thus largely considering, sa [...]ly and honestly, you should do it in some such Manner as this Viz. ‘Whether these Sects who openly avow unscriptural Notions, and professedly teach and zealously inculcate enthusiastic Errors, are to be reckoned more agreeable to the Word of God, and more likely to promote the Spiritual Good of Mankind, merely because they have a great external shew of something that looks a [Page] little like Religion; than the regular standing Churches whose Principles are known to be founded on the Scriptures, since there are some Luke-warm Professors and vicious Persons belonging to them, whom they greatly disapprove and faithfully exhort to forsake their wicked Courses?’ When your Objection is thus fairly stated, I hope you can see that it is not very weighty. I believe I need say no more to it, unless it be to put you in Mind, that while you accuse others of Luke-warmness and Irreligion, you yourselves should be eminently holy. No Body hinders you in the standing Churches to grow in Grace, and let your Light shine before Men that they may be brought to glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

3d. But why does God own those who have separated from us if they were so very wrong?

ANSWER. How do you know that he does own them? God may over-rule a Temptation of Satan, or a Person's falling into a grevious Sin to be a Means of saving Good to his Soul. But would you run into Sin, or the Temptations of Satan in Expectation of receiving this saving Good? You should remember what I have already observed, that when we speak of any religious Sect of People, we always refer to their peculiar distinguishing Principles. Now you have no Reason to think that God ever improved any of the peculiar Principles of these Sects to do any Good to one Soul, otherwise than he might overrule the Temptations of the Evil Spirit. Whereas on the contrary, you have the most solid Reasons to convince you that God has frequently blessed the Doctrines of the standing Ministers and Churches for the saving Benefit of the Souls of his People. Do you consider what you say, when you talk about God's owning these separate Teachers and Assemblies? Do you, can you, soberly think that God approves of Errors and wild Disorders? And is it not certain that these are their Peculiarities? If they are not owned in these Things, they are not owned at all. Suppose then it were certain that God blessed some Truths which they chance sometimes to deliver for the Benefit of some Persons, this is not to be looked on as his owning of them, since this is only his blessing his own Truth and not an Approbation of their Errors. And thus it seems he blessed his Truths in Paul's Time tho' delivered by Men who preached Christ out of Envy.

[Page]And now having heard and considered the chief Things you have to say in Defence of your Practice, in encouraging these Enthusiasts, and their Teachers by frequenting their Meetings, I hope you'll patiently attend a little longer, while I offer my Reasons against it.

It is represented in the Word of God as a Sinful Thing to continue fickle and unsettled in your Sentiments about Religion. Most certainly Religion is a Matter of such Importance, as should engage your most serious Attention. You should carefully examine what is right, and adhere to it with Stedfastness. Hence the Isralites of old were blamed for halting between two Opinions. The Apostle Paul represents it as a childish Thing for Christians to continue wavering and unsettled about Religion, [...]er that Christ has granted us such great Advantages under the Gospel. g ‘That we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro with every Wind of Doctrine by the Slight of Men and cunning Craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive.’ And in another Passage he speaks of them as ‘silly Women who are ever learning and never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth.’ You see according to the Apostle Paul, that Persons, who have no fixed Principles in Religion, but who are ready to follow every one, who says, Lo here is Christ, or Lo there, seem to be childish and silly. Must not your wavering between one Opinion and another arise from this Sort of Childishness and Silliness; or from such an Indifferency to all Religion, that you don't think it worth while to examine it at all. I can't but be afraid this is the Case with some of you, tho' I hope better of others. But be that as it may, certainly you don't represent yourselves in a good Light, who having grown up in a Christian Land, and under the most excellent, religious Advantages, and yet are so ignorant or unstable, that you are ready at every Turn to renounce your professed Principles, and become the Proselytes of every enthusiastic Sect, and separate Party.

How many of those who have separated from us, solemnly promised before God, Angels and Men, that they would sincerely adhere to the holy Scriptures, and seek the Peace and Prosperity of our Churches. Yet you see they have rent themselves off from us, and use all their little Arts and Cunning to ruin [Page] and destroy us. Now what can be done with Persons, who from Impulses or Prejudices, or both, thus openly break their solemn Promises and Covenant Engagements? God commands, and they promised to seek and maintain Peace. And yet they use their utmost Endeavours to promote Division, Strife and Contention, as if they had determined to act in the most open Defiance of their solemn Vows and Promises as well as of the Gospel. Had we imposed any unscriptural Terms of Communion on them, this would have made us the Breakers of the Covenant Contract, and afforded them a good Plea for Separation, if they had patiently endured and tried to make us sensible of our Errors. But we have remained true and stedfast to our Covenant, adhering strictly to the Word of God, teaching those Things, and those only which Christ has commanded in his written Word. And thus it clearly appears, they have separated from the standing Churches for the Sake of their own beloved Errors, their Impulses, Revelations, &c. Now when you attend on their Meetings Time after Time, don't you encourage them to go on in these their Errors, which are of such a dangerous Tendency to the Souls of Men; which threaten to subvert the Scriptures, and root out all sincere experimental Religion. Do you think this is acting a friendly Part to them, or to the standing Churches, or to yourselves.

It seems by your Conduct, you can hear them reproach, vilify and contemn all the Churches and Ministers of Christ in the Land, as Limbs of Anti-Christ, and Synagogues of Satan, without any Appearance of Dissatisfaction; nay, with seeming Approbation. For why else do you attend their Meetings? And yet astonishing! sundry of you would take it hard to be excluded from christian Privileges in our Churches. Is not this strange and inconsistent Conduct? When you review it soberly▪ can you possibly believe that Christ the great King and Head of the Church approves of your Practice? Has he left you at Liberty to countenance Enthusiasts in their Errors, and confirm them in their awful Delusions and Evil-Speekings; and to weaken the Hands of those who upon your own Principles are his true Ministers and Churches? Yet you can't but see, if you seriously consider Matters, that this is the native Tendency of you Conduct, in frequenting their Meetings.

God has given us sundry Directions or Rules with Regard to [Page] Deceivers, false Prophets or Teachers, which you would do well seriously to consider such as, ‘Mark them which cause Divisions and Offences, contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them. Beware of false Prophets which come to you in Sheep's Cloathing’ with specious Appearances of eminent Religion. According to the Scripture, if a false Teacher or Prophet come unto you, ‘you must not receive him into your House, neither bid him God Speed. For he that biddeth him God Speed, is Partaker of his evil Deeds.’ h These separate Teachers whose Ministrations you attend, are either what they profess, that is, Persons sent and inspired of God in an extraordinary and immediate Way, or else they are Deceivers and false Teachers. That they are not thus sent of God has been fully proved already; and you yourselves seem to allow it, since you don't profess to join with them as compleat Members. It is evident therefore that they are in Truth and in your Opinion false Prophets. Since therefore your attending upon their Meetings is a very great Encouragement to them, and has a Tendency to strengthen and confirm them in their erroneous Principles and Practices, you make your selves accessary to all the Injury they do to Religion; you make yourselves Partakers of their evil Deeds, and you will at last find yourselves answerable to God for the Consequences.

As this your Conduct is sinful, offensive to God, and hurtful to Religion, you have awful Reason to fear, lest God in his righteous Judgment should give you over to strong Delusions, and leave you fully to join with them in the worst of their Extravagancies in Principle and Practice; even to go to that horrid Length to which John Lewis and the Dutartres were carried of Satan. 'Tis often observed, that when a new Sect of Enthusiasts arises, many follow them, and attend their Meetings; some out of Curiosity, and some perhaps to divert themselves with their Extravagance and Nonsense. After a while some will attend because the Place of their Meeting is nearer them, than that to which they belong, or because they are disaffected to the Minister or some of the Church; and some of these Persons at length go fully into those Principles and Practices, which they at first abhorred. This in many Cases at least seems plainly to be owing to their being given up to strong Delusions, [Page] to believe a a Lie, because they received not the Truth in the Love of it. Instances of this Kind should serve as a Warning to you. And the Improvement you should make of them, is this, you should forsake the Tents of these deluded Men.

As the Separatists, when they hear any Story that reflects Disgrace upon our Churches, especially on the Ministers, we from long Experience don't expect they will take any suitable Pains to enquire whether it be true or false; but that they will rather employ all the Strength of their gloomy Imagination in exaggerating it, till it becomes quite frightful; and then deal by it as the Levite did with his Concubine, cut it into Pieces and send to all the Coasts of Israel to raise the popular Odium. And what is yet worse, if they can find Nothing of a public Nature sufficient to ruin a Minister's Character and Usefulness, they will give broad Hints and frequently, expressly affirm that he is unconverted, or at best fallen from God and become dead. And it is to be greatly lamented that this same ansavoury Leaven has deeply infected many of the standing Churches. Sundry great Professors, if we may judge from their Practice, seem to imagine that a considerable Part of Religion consists in decrying Ministers. To hear them discourse on this darling Topic, one would think the present Set of Ministers in this Country were a Parcel of silly Ideots or designing Knaves, or that the Declaimers were Pupils of Shaftsbury or Bolingbrook.

If such can stop a little in their Harangue, I would ask what Evil have we done? What are the Crimes you have to charge against us? Are there any of us guilty of Heresy or Scandal? Point out the Men and prosecute them according to the Rules of the Word. Let the grossly Ignorant, the Heterodox and Scandalous be complained of, tried and deposed unless they amend. FIAT JUSTITIA ET RUAT COELUM. ‘Though a we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you, let him be accursed.’ But [...]t not the innocent suffer with the guilty any longer.

That none may think I have mentioned these Things with a View of screening myself from their private Jealousies, dark Innuendoes, or public and express Declarations, I here give all and every Person full Liberty to take any or all of these Methods so far as I am concerned, if they can be so weak as to [Page] think them commendable, or that they can't maintain their Principles, and answer my Arguments in any other Manner. Predestination is an Article of my Creed. Hence I believe that God who has said to the Sea, ‘Hitherto shalt thou come but no farther: And here shall thy proud Waves be stayed,’ will also restrain the Wrath and Malice of Men, so that they can do me no Injury without the divine Permission. I have long since read, and endeavoured thoroughly to imbibe and practise upon the Sentiment of the Apostle in the following Words, ‘With me it is a very small Matter that I should be judged of you, or of Man's Judgment: Yea I judge not mine own self. For I know Nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby justified: But he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge Nothing before the Time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to Light the hidden Things of Darkness, and will make manifest The Counsels of the Heart.’ b This Passage contains (as Dr. Doddridge justly observes) a gentle, but very affecting Insinuation that his Opponents, confident as thay might seem in their own Integrity and Safety, would do well to take greater Heed, that they were not imposed upon by the Deceitfulness of their own Hearts; that under specious Forms his Enemies concealed very dark Designs which would not bear the Discoveries of the awful Day of Judgment; as also a very solid Argument against magnifying one Minister above another, namely, that the secret Principles of Men's Actions are unknown.

At present I shall only hint that Christ has instituted the Gospel-Ministry, and that Ministers are his Ambassadors, and consequently that he requires all his People to treat them with that Regard which is due to them in this Character, and that he accounts the unjust Indignities and Contempt offered to them as offered to himself. And as to you who have not withdrawn from our Churches, but attend the Ordinances we administer, you must at least allow me to plead in Behalf of Ministers the common Privilege of Brethren. It is the second Command of Christ to love your Neighbours and Brethren as yourselves. Now by your attending the Sacraments with us, you promise and swear that you will sincerely keep all the Commands of Christ, consequently that you will love your Ministers as [Page] yourselves, since you must at least allow that we are Neighbours and Brethren. But if instead of loving us as yourselves, you indulge unchristian Jealousies and Suspicions, and endeavour to weaken our Influence and ruin our Characters by dark Innuendoes, you must permit me to ask you, whether this be not comprehended in Scripture in the Words Backbiting and smiling secretly. And if it is, you would do well to remember, that God has said, ‘Cursed be he that smiteth his Neighbour secretly, and all the People shall say, Amen.’ Let Men then take Heed to themselves, lest while they are secretly judging and smiting others they should be condemned themselves.

Separatists of one Kind and another commonly buzz it into People's Ears where they think they are likely to have any Influence, that all, who join in communion with a Church in which there are any Persons guilty of scandalous Sins, erroneous Opinions, or chargeable with Backsliding and Luke-warmness, are as wicked as the Persons themselves who have actually fallen into such Sins. And as it cannot he denied that there are sundry Persons in the standing Churches, whom we have Reason to mourn over with the Apostle 2 Cor. xii. 20, 21. this is a Topic which affords them Matter for many zealous and bitter Declamations, which have a Tendency to alarm the Consciences of weak Persons. Yet this Principle is a very ignorant and wild Conceit.

The Means of Grace and the Ordinances of the Gospel were not appointed for sincere Believers as such, but for the visible Church, for visible Believers and their Seed. Thus Moses instructed. Thus Israel understood and practised. Christ and his Apostles preached to the unconverted, and commanded them to ‘take Heed how they heard and to repent and believe.’ When the Apostle Peter looked on Simon Magus to be unconverted he directed him to pray—The Ordinances of the Gospel were not instituted nor designed to testify that we believe that all with whom we join are sincere Saints, nor that we approve their Conduct, but they were appointed to represent Christ and his Benefits. This is their principal End. With Respect to our Brethren with whom we join in Communion, we testify by our Conduct, that so far as we have any certain Knowledge about their Practice, all Things considered as Matters are circumstanced, we may lawfully join in Communion [Page] with them. And though they should be guilty of many Sins, yet we are not in any Sense chargeable with them, if we have carefully followed what appeared to us to be the Mind of Christ in reproving, disciplining, and testifying against their erroneous Opinions and sinful Practices; all which we may do according to the Rules of the Gospel, without any Separation from the Church to which they belong. Unless this be allowed it will follow that the Prophets and Apostles were defiled by holding Communion with the Jewish and Christian Churches. For there were many erroneous, disorderly, backsliding and lukewarm Persons in both the Jewish and Christian Churches in their Days, as well as now. Yea, more shocking, Christ himself the Holy One of God must have been polluted by his joining in Communion with the Jewish Church, and chargeable with all the scandalous and abominable Sins of that People, who were the greatest Part of them open Sinners or secret Hypocrites. For he punctually attended their religious Worship and Feasts at Jerusalem. He never separated from their Communion. But he used all lawful Means to reclaim them, and bore due Testimony against their false Doctrines and wicked Practices. In following his Example we are safe. In forsaking it there is Danger.

Do we hinder you to follow any of the Methods which God has prescribed to you in his Word in reproving any scandalous Offender in our Churches, or in tabling a Complaint against him, or in bearing Testimony against every Thing that is wrong in a christian Manner?

As to the Scriptures which the various Kinds of Separatists from true Churches quote to justify them in their Separations having been so lengthy already I have not Room at present to examine them particularly. Nor is there any great Need— God erected his visible Church among the Jews, and at length chose Jerusalem for the chief Seat of his public Worship to which he commanded them all to repair. This Church he maintained and erected no other till after the Resurrection of Christ. Hence it is certain, there can be no Precept, nor any Example that God approved of to justify Separation from the Jewish Church, or any true Church during this Period. The Old-Testament and the four Gospels, can be Nothing to the Purpose of the Separatists. Yet there were many Separatists [Page] during this Period. King Jeroboam withdrew from the Jewish Church, and set up two Separate Meetings, one at Dan and another at Bethel, and many induced partly by his Authority, and partly by their own Inclination, followed his Example. But he and they stand on Record in the Scriptures stigmatized as wicked Schismaticks to all Generations. The Samaritans set up another Separate Meeting at Mount Gerizzim: But our blessed Lord expressly condemned them as Schismaticks, and as worshipping they knew not what.

We find as little to countenance Separations from a true Church where no unscriptural Terms of Communion are imposed, in the Acts of the Apostles and their other Writings as in the preceding Part of the Bible. It appears from their Writings that there were many Disorders, Corruptions and Backslidings in the primitive Churches before the Apostles died. An Antichristian Spirit had even then begun to work. Yet notwithstanding these Things they were still true Churches of Christ, and owned by him as such. He had not forsaken them, but held their Stars in his right Hand, and walked in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks. And since this was the Case, can any Man be so weak as once to imagine, that he allowed or required any of his People to separate from the Communion of those Churches. Hence it is plain that they must pervert all and every Tex of Scripture which they quote to justify Separations from the regular standing Churches in the Country; since such Passages are only Exhortations to Christians to keep themselves from the Sins and Corruptions that prevail in their Day, and not to countenance others in their Errors and wicked Practices, all which may be done without withdrawing from their Communion; or at most to separate from those Churches where there are new and unscriptural Term of Communion imposed and all other Methods of obtaining Redress prove unsuccessful. In such a Case it is readily acknowledged that Christ has commanded his Disciples to ‘stand fast in the Liberty wherewith he has made us free,’ and he justified his Disciples in disregarding the Rites, Ceremonies, Inventions and Traditions of the Pharisees and Elders. And then the rigorous Imposers are the blameable Schismaticks. A major Party in a Church may act inconsistent with the Principles of Liberty and play the Tyrant. And if they do, and thus [Page] compel the Minor to withdraw by their unscriptural Impositions and Tyranny, the Sin and Guilt of the Schism will lie at their Door. However a Minor Party should not be rash in withdrawing and setting up another Church. It is agreeable to the Scriptures and the Example of the Apostles, Acts xv. to submit the Matter in Contest to the Decision of proper and Impartial Judges. This valuable Privilege and important Branch of Christian Liberty is secured to our Churches by our excellent Constitution as well as granted in the New-Testament. But it is incompatible with that Sort of Government or rather Anarchy, that must necessarily prevail in the independent separate Assemblies. Hence their various Confusions, Contentions, and sometimes Excommunications of one another, and Separations from Separations. For indeed their independent Notions of Church Government and Practice upon them are equally inconsistent with the Liberty of particular Members, Common Sense and Scripture.

But since we don't oblige any of our Members to approve any Thing that is Evil, nor to condemn any Thing that is Good; since we don't impose any unscriptural Terms of Communion on any Person; nor hinder nor forbid any to live in most exact Conformity to the Rules of the Gospel in all Godliness and Honesty; let those who on one Pretence and another go on and persist in separating, know they must be reputed Schismaticks, and involve themselves in all the Sin, Guilt, Danger, and Punishment which awaits those who without Cause, divide, rend and tear to Pieces the Church of God, the beloved Spouse of Jesus Christ, whom he hath redeemed with his own Blood. This Sin and Guilt would doubtless be dreadful, though the Separations proceed from merely a proud, ambitious and contentious Spirit. But certainly it must greatly aggravate the Guilt and Punishment, if such Persons besides Pride and Ambition are also influenced by a Love to destructive Errors. In such a Case they must in an awful Manner be laying Stumbling Blocks in the Way of the blind, and hardening Sinners in their wicked Ways, to their eternal Ruin. Now if this be the Case with the various Sects of Separatists against whom I am writing, I leave it to be seriously considered, Whether any who directly or indirectly aid, assist and countenance [Page] them in their Separations shall escape with Impunity, when a jealous God makes Enquiry?

The Falshood and bad Tendency of their Principle about immediate Impulses, Revelations, &c. which is the great Foundation, the Life and Soul of all their Schemes, has been clearly demonstrated. And it is easy to shew that their other Antinomian Fancies which have been more briefly glanced at, are equally false and pernicious. How Things appear to others I shall not pretend to say. But it appears plain to me from sundry Year's Observation, that the natural, corrupt Disposition of Sinners to depart from God, neglect the Duties of Religion, and indulge their sinful Lusts with Greediness, has been greatly kept in Countenance and strengthened by the Clamours of Separatists, the Prejudices they have infused into People's Minds against the Ordinances of the Gospel, and the Influence of their false Principles.

Some a of them in direct Opposition to the plain Commands of Christ discard Baptism and the Lord's Supper altogether. And alas! too many practically join with them. Others b of them manifest a great Disaffection to the Law, and exclaim against preaching it up at all in any Sense, representing Convictions by the Law as tending to build Men up in their own Righteousness, and thus an Obstacle that hinders Men from believing in Christ. And does not Presumption and Stupidity, the natural Consequences of such Notions, greatly prevail in the present Day? Have any been bro't to Christ where the Law has been rejected as a School-Master? Some of them c deny and ridicule the Sabbath, especially the Christian Sabbath. And has not Profanation of the Sabbath been growing more fashinonable for some Years? Others d of them declaim against Infant Baptism, and represent it as a Thing utterly insignificant and useless. And don't many suffer themselves to be so far influenced by their noisy Clamours as to forget their baptismal Vows? They zealously maintain that the visible Church must consist only of sincere Saints, and that God does not require, but forbid unconverted Sinners to attempt the performance of any religious Duty, and that it is one of the greatest Sins, if not the unpardonable Sin for any who are not sincere Believers to attend the Sacraments. Hence when a Man has attempted [Page] to pray whom they looked on to be unconverted, sundry of them have been known immediately to withdraw, probably lest they should countenance him in such a sinful Practice.

The Consequence which naturally follows from such Priciples is that unconverted Sinners should not regard Religion at all, but live as they please. For if they may not lawfully attempt to perform religious Duties, and wait upon God for his Grace in the best Manner they can; if it be really so, that God has absolutely forbidden them to read, hear, pray, meditate, attend Sacraments, &c. without the highest Kind of Faith; then they must first know they are converted and have this saving Faith. Otherwise they will do what according to this Scheme God has not directed nor required, which would be Presumption. Dreadful is the Curse which God has denounced against those who make any Additions to his written Word, and do what he has not commanded.—On this Scheme there can be no public Worship nor Sacraments attended at all. For there are not a sufficient number of assured Christians ordinarily living so contigous as would answer for this End.

They will allow perhaps when pinched with an Argument that unconverted Sinners are under Obligations to serve God by vertue of his Law. But if they would be consistent with themselves, they must own that unconverted Sinners are obliged only as the Devils are. But the Law which God has revealed to Mankind in his Word is the Law of Christ. It is ordained in the Hand of a Mediator. And Men had perhaps as good neglect Duties altogether as perform them without any Reference to Christ the Mediator. If any should think the Devils are bound to pray to God, yet surely they can't imagine they are bound to pray to him in the Name of Christ which is the Way which God has prescribed to Mankind in his Word. So that such Notions directly [...] to subvert the whole Love of God in that view in which it is more especially published in the Bible.

Some endeavour to support themselves in their Errors and others in their Sins from the Doctrine of Predestination, saying if they are elected they shall be saved, let them be ever so wicked. But such should remember that the Scripture Account is ‘Elect according to the Fore-knowledge of God the Father, through Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and Sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ.’ The Means and [Page] the Way are as much appointed as the End. And to allude to the Words of Christ in another Case, "what God hath joined together, let not Man put asunder."

Some Ignorant Persons infer with John Lewis, that if the Doctrine of Predestination be true, then Moral Agency is destroyed, and they so compelled to act, that they are not to blame for their Sins. But did they never read, that tho' it was determined or decreed in the Scripture Sense of these Words, that Judas should betray his Lord and Master; yet this did not free him from Blame, nor deliver him from a most aggravated Punishment? ‘The Son of Man goeth as it was determined, but Wo unto that Man by whom he is betrayed, It had been good for that Man if he had not been born’ This plain Text mentions a certain Matter of Fact. Let those who dislike the 17th of the famous 39 Articles, explain this Text and Fact fairly at their Leisure. Let Men's Consciences be thoroughly awakened, and they will find with John Lewis, that such Refuge will fail them. They will then see, that as the Decrees of God were secret and unknown to them, so they never indulged their sinful Lusts with any View to fulfil them: and consequently that it is utterly vain to attempt to throw the Blame of their Sins on the wise, just and holy Decrees of the blessed God.

God has made the reprobate as well as his Elect. The Non-Elect are his Subjects as well as the Elect. The Commands of God which are the Rule of Conduct are given to both without Distinction. And all are bound to obey them. So that it is contrary to all the Commands of God to suppose that Men should not attempt to serve God till they know they have the Faith of God's Elect.

The Means of Grace and the Ordinances of the Gospel, are not given to the Elect as such, because they live promiscuously among the Non-Elect, and are unknown to the World. Neither are the Means of Grace appointed for sincere Believers as such, because they are designed for the Conviction and Conversion of Sinners, as well as the Edification of Saints. Faith comes by Hearing. Besides, it cannot be certainly known who are sincere Believers. Men cannot search the Heart. It follows then, that the Means of Grace are given to the visible Church, to visible Believers or Christian Professors and their Seed. Thus Moses instructed of Old. Thus Israel understood and [Page] practised. Yet the Doctrine of Election was as true, and the Necessity of saving Faith as great then as it is now. Christ and his Apostles preached to Sinners and Saints, and commanded them to take Heed how they heard. And when the Apostle Peter looked on Simon Magus to be unconverted, he directed him to repent and pray. There is no Doubt but Faith was implied in this Repentance and Prayer. For God requires Perfectness and Sincerity of Heart in every Duty. But the Question here is this, and this only, should not Simon Magus attempt to pray till he knew he had saving Faith? Did Peter give any Intimation to him that he might neglect Prayer, or that he ought not to pray at all while he continued in the Gall of Bitterness? Was not Simon Magus's Perversness a principal Part of his Inability? And is not this in some Sense the Impotency of unconverted Sinners? If it is, I must be permitted to ask. Whether it is reasonable to suppose that God does not require Sinners to perform Duties, because they are very averse to his Service? Will this Plea be a sufficient Excuse for their Ungodliness?

If Sinners are taught that they may not do any Duty 'til they know they have saving Faith, and are elected, left it should be of no Advantage to them; this cannot well fail to encourage them in their Sins, and make them very easy in that Neglect of Religion which is so natural to them. Then it will also follow that they act very reasonable, when according to their Custom they carefully strive against all Convictions of Sin, and to get rid of all Awakenings and serious Impressions as soon as possible. For they will, with Paul f in the like Case, be earnest in Prayer, while they have any serious Impressions on their Minds. If serious Convictions be, as the Moravians teach, a great Obstacle to hinder Men from believing in Christ, then the more secure and sinful they are, the more likely to get Faith and Salvation. Such Notions may be advanced with a Pretence of exalting the Righteousness of Christ, and the Glory of free Grace; and they may be greedily imbibed by the unwary. But they appear to me the greatest Affront that can be offered to Christ, a monstrous Perversion of his Attonement, as if Christ had died to render impenitent Sinners accepted unto everlasting Life, and thus excuse them from Repentance and religious Duties. For don't such Notions make [Page] Christ the Minister of Sin with a Witness? I am bold to say that such Principles reduced to Practice will land in Damnation. But I hope the Hearts of some Antinomians are better than their Heads.

Be that as it may, I am certain of this that such Notions are not to be found in the Bible. When God promises to ‘give Israel a new Heart, and a new Spirit, and to take away the stony Heart, and give them an Heart of Flesh," he adds, "I will yet for this be enquired of by the House of Israel to do it for them.’ God expressly commanded speaking to the Wicked and Unrighteous, ‘Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found, call ye upon him, while he is near.’ He appeals to Men's own Reason and Conscience on this Point, when he asks, "Should not a People seek unto their God?" Did not God approve of the Conduct of the Ninevites in crying mightily unto him? Was not their Conduct more pleasing to God, than if they had neglected Prayer, and gone on hardened in their Sins? But who will say they all had the highest Kind of Faith. Such Principles are not agreeable to Paul's Experiences, Rom. vii. not to his Writings. He never taught that Sinners should do Evil that Good may come. But they are agreeable to the Principles and Practice of another Sort of People. g ‘they say unto God. Depart from us, for we desire not the Knowledge of thy Ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what Profit shall we have if we pray unto him?’ There are many such Reasonings in the Hearts of ungodly Men. And no Wonder, since they don't love God nor his Law, and would fain be excused from Duty, and yet hope they shall have Peace though they gratify their sinful Lusts. But God expressly declares, that all such Notions and Speeches are against him. h ‘Your Words have been stout against me, saith the LORD; yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what Profit is it, that we have kept his Ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of Hosts. And now we call the Proud happy: Yea, they that work Wickedness are set up; yea they that tempt God are even delivered.’ It is not Truth but ‘Lies that Strengthen the Hands of the Wicked, that he should not return from his Wicked way, [Page] by promising him Life.’ It was the slothful Servant who hated to take suitable Pains in improving his Talent, who wickedly and impudently imagined he could throw the Blame on his Master, and pied that his Lord was an hard and austere Man.

Sinners if they should cry to their utmost to Eternity can do nothing at all towards working out a justifying Righteousness, nor can they ever create themselves a new in Christ Jesus unto Good Works. And where does God command them to perform Duties either before or after Faith with such Views? However since they are so ignorant and so proud as not to know their own Weakness, 'till they have fully tried the Way of Justification by Men's own Works, tho' it has been blocked up since Adam's Time so that no Man ever obtained Acceptance in that Way. Yet it remains recorded and plainly described in the Scripture, that none may forsake it, 'till they find by their own Experience they must leave and renounce it, or perish.

But tho' Sinners are prone from their Ignorance and Pride to take this antiquated Path, and so to oppose Christ and his Righteousness, how does it follow, that it is the Design of the Spirit in convincing Sinners to build them up in Self-Righteousness? Or that what the Sinner does under his enlightning and convincing Influences has any such Tendency? The very Reverse is true. For these Operations of the Spirit, and the Sinners finding his Attempts to establish a justifying Righteousness all in vain, is one great Thing, that brings him to renounce Self Righteousness. And this may be done in a great Measure before the Sinner sees Jesus Christ and his Righteousness; yea, in many, who never have a saving Discovery of Christ at all. If it be asked what supports the Sinner at such a Time? I answer we are apt to impose on ourselves by metaphorical Terms. What supports the Multitude of profane Sinners, of Heathens, &c. Is it their own Righteousness? or Christs? They are equally [...]estitute of both. What supports them then? If this Question has any Meaning, it must be this when stripped of Metaphor, How do they live along? or what defends them from the Fears of the Wrath to come? The true Answer to it then is Forgetfulness of God and Security are their principal Support. Sinful Lust and Foolish Vanities divert many. The Cares of the World employ the Thoughts of Multitudes. In Reality Christless Sinners receive less Support from their own Righteousness than from a Hundred other Things. [Page] Neither Scripture nor Reason prove that all Christless Sinners constantly trust in their own Righteousnes, or that their is any Necessity in the Nature of Things that they should always really design to work out a justifying Righteousness by attending on the Means of Grace. If Sinners could improve their Talents, the Means of Grace, while they remain in a State of Nature to no other Purpose than to build up a Righteousnes of their own, in Opposition to Christ's, I think it is very strange that the Holy Spirit should ever convince and awaken them, which always puts them on earnest Seeking and Striving. For every Attempt of a Sinner to attain Justification or become righteous before God by his own Works, and much more, every Imagination that God will assist him in any such Attempt must be criminal in Man, and carries in it a dishonourable Reflexion on the Most High. So that the Spirit can never be sent to put Men on any such Labour. It is likewise evident, that if Sinners must necessarily in all and every Thing that they perform, design, and actually attempt, to build up their own Self-Righteousness; the Lord would never have condemned the Servant for not improving his Talent. For as good fit idle, as do what is worse than Nothing. Better not build at all, than to build what must be all thrown down; unless such foolish Attempts and Disappointments have some Tendency to teach the Man more Sense in coming Time. If all a Man's Attempts, even under serious Convictions, to wait upon God for his Grace, to attend on Ordinances, &c. only lead him to build up in more hidden and refined, and consequently in more dangerous Methods, his own Righteousness in Opposition to Christ's, he had better neglect Duties than perform them. Most certainly God will never condemn Men for not bring more diligent and laborious in building up their own Works for a justifying Righteousness, in Opposition to the glorious Righteousness of Christ. Yet it is certain, the slothful Servant in the Parable was condemned for his Idleness and Misimprovement of his Talent. Which shews, that Sinners should improve their Advantages and Means of Grace, and not trust in their Duties; and that this is not impossible in the Nature of Things. Such as talk otherwise, give but too much Reason to suspect that they are ignorant of the Illuminations of the Holy Spirit, and the Way in which Men are brought to renounce their own Righteousness; or at least that they have not duly attended to what has passed in their Minds.

[Page]That such Principles have a Tendency to Irreligion is evident from plain, undeniable Matters of Fact. While the Quakers deny both the Sacraments, and the Separatists represent it as the most horrible Sin for Men to attend upon them without Faith. Is not the Lord's Supper generally neglected? While some from the same Principle dispute, or at least scruple whether there is any Advantage in unconverted Men's attending on the Means of Grace, and performing any religious Duties, have not some begun to leave off both praying and hearing? Is not Remissness in attending the Means of Grace a growing Practice in the Country? People have become slack and indifferent in assembling themselves together "to worship the King the Lord of Hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles," the Lord's-Supper. And the Lord has been fulfilling his Threatning upon this Land in an awful Manner, commanding that there should be no Rain upon us for some Months in the Summer. * Let every One then renounce his erroneous Principles, and foolish and sinful Practices, and search the Scriptures, and adhere to the pure Gospel of Christ, and seriously and diligently attend on all the Duties of Religion and Means of Grace; lest God's Anger should not be turned away, but his Hand be stretched out still.

God has eternal as well as temporal Judgments to execute on disobedient Sinners. Temporal Judgments may be removed. But except Sinners repent and believe the Gospel in the true Import of it, and bring forth the Fruits of Holiness, they shall all surely perish, and never see the Lord in Mercy. ‘As for such as turn aside unto their crooked Ways, the LORD shall lead the forth with the Workers of Iniquity.’

Upon the Whole, I must therefore earnestly recommend to you the Advice of the wise Man, ‘Cease my Son to hear the Instruction that causeth to err from the Words of Knowledge.’ And to engage your solemn Attention to the Warning, I have now given you, I must leave with you those Words of his in another Case not quite unlike this under Consideration. ‘Hear me now therefore O ye Children, and depart not from the Words of my Mouth lest thou mourn at the last, when thy Flesh and thy Body are consumed; And say, how have I hated Instruction, and my Heart despised Reproof? And have not obeyed the Voice of my Teachers, nor inclined mine Ear to them that instructed me.’

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POSTSCRIPT.

IT does not appear to me that I have much to hope from the the Applauses, or to fear from the Censures of the World; and therefore have made it my Business to represent and defend what appears to me to be Truth. Since I have written freely, tho' not rashly, on sundry Points, it will be no Disappointment to me to find that many will not be pleased with what I have said. Such may remember, I have as much Right to differ from them, as they have to differ from me; and they may, if they please publish their Sentiments to the World as I have done.

As my Connexions with a particular Company gave Rise to what I have written, so I have endeavoured to confute their Notions, & obviate their Objections; otherwise I could not have answered my own Design, nor acted with tolerable Propriety; yet I have endeavoured to strike at the Root of Enthusiasm, that so the Address may be of some Service against it in general.

If the Errors I have written against were trifling, or such as No body ever embraced, or attended with no bad Consequences, I should not have taken so much Pains to expose them. Yet many are not aware of any Danger here. To convince such, I have reprinted an Account of John Lewis, and the Dutartres. These Accounts were short, they suited my Purpose, they were published before. I gave them just as I found them. But lest some should imagine that only such weak and ignorant Persons were in Danger of following such Impulses and Revelations, I have inserted some others, particularly that surprising Incident in the Life of Lord Herbert, who was a Man of great natural Parts, and had made considerable Attainments in Learning.—I will add here, that there is Nothing which is a greater Bar in hindring the Jews from embracing Christianity, than the Regard they pay to their Oral Law, and their Spiritualizings, or Allegorical Interpretations of the Old-Testament.

The Address is much longer than I had intended, because I have been obliged to discuss sundry Things that fell in my Way, which I had not particularly tho't of when I began to write. To prevent its being longer, I have been obliged to be so Iaconic on several Things, that I shall he glad, if sundry Readers don't mistake my Meaning. Some who are acquainted with those against whom I have immediately written, will be ready to think, I have treated them with too much Lenity. But in this I have endeavoured to follow the Scripture Directions, not rendering Railing for Railing, but in Meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging the Truth.

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CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTORY Observations, Page 1, 8.

The Sufficiency of the Scriptures asserted and argued 1st, from their Divine Author 2d, from his being perfect in all his Works, Page 8.

The Sufficiency of the Old Testament for that Time considered, ibid.

Sundry Things very briefly hinted at, from which it might be proved, that from the Begining of the World, and through all succeeding Ages, Mankind, but especially the People of God, had the Knowledge of a future State of Rewards and Punishments, Page 9, 13.

The Sufficiency of the Old Testament, taken for granted by Christ and his Apostles, ibid.

The Reasonableness of Infant-Baptism hinted, and the Sufficiency of the Old and New-Testament in Conjunction, in [...]red from the foregoing Reasoning, ibid.

The Sufficiency of the Scriptures argued from the Title which the Evangelists give their Books—from their having the Holy Spirit, according to Christ's Promise—and from an express Passage in John's Gospel. Page 14.

That there is no Need of the immediate Revelations of Enthusiasts inferred from the Sufficiency of the Scriptures. ibid.

That no further immediate Revelations about religious Matters are to be expected. ibid.

Proved from the, New-Testament. 1 [...].

After two Objections are answered, it is proved to be Matter of Fact, that there are no such immediate Revelations as Enthusiasts, imagine, because they are not confirmed by the Evidence of proper Miracles. 16, 19.

The proper Idea of Purity in Persons and Churches. 18.

The Necessity of the internal Influences of the Spirit proved; [...] from the Corruption and Stupidity of Mankind, 2d. from the Success of the Gospel. 19, 26. The Truth of Christianity [Page] inferred from the foregoing Reasoning and sundry Evidences of it. Miracles, the Fulfilment of Prophecies, and the Divine Powers that attended it, very briefly represented. ibid.

That the Sects to whom this Address is Written, have different Notions about the Influences of the Spirit, proved from their Separations. 27, 28. and compare 105, 106, 107, 108.

Their Notions stated, 28, 29. and confuted at large, 29, 46.

How the Spirit improves general Truths. 29, 36.

That Men are never taught any but general Truths by the true Spirit from the Scriptures. 30, 31, 32, and 62, 63.

How Christians come to know they are in a State of Grace, 33.

The Witness of the Spirit explained, 33, 34.

How Men come to know it is their Duty to pray from general Truths. 34, 35.

How Men are called to the Ministry. 35, 36.

Since the general Truths of the Scripture are sufficient to discover Men's Duty to them, there is no Reason to expect new Revelations. 36.

Some Causes of Men's looking for new Revelations hinted at. ibid.

That the new Revelations of Enthusiasts would undermine the Scriptures. 37, 38.

That their Notions expose them to the Delusions of Satan. 38, 42. and ordinarily proceed from him. 43.

No proper Miracles ever wrought to prove a Falshood. 39.

What the Spirit of God does, summarily represented. 38, as also 49, and 63.

Satan's Methods of opposing the Spirit, 1st. by keeping Men in Ignorance of the Scriptures. 2d. by adding to them and perverting them. 3d. by immediate Impulses and Revelations. 39, 42.

Some Account of the Quakers silent Meetings. ibid.

Their great Mistake about inward Light pointed out. ibid.

That Impulses sometimes proceed from bodily Infirmities, but often from Satan. 43.

Objections answered from Joel, &c. 43, 44.

That it is Matter of Fact there are no Prophets in our Day. [...]

Sundry Instances of false Prophecies. The Sect called [...] mortals who imagine they will not die, glanced at, and [...] futed. ibid.

[Page]Prophecies of the Conversion of particular Persons considered. 46.

Witnessing for one another exposed. ibid.

The Pretences that such immediate Revelations and Impulses are enlightening Influences, considered at large. 46, &c.

The Pretence that it is Scripture which is impressed, examined, 47.

That the Impression is with great Power considered. 47, 48.

That they have strong Opposition to the Impression. 49, 50.

Their Sufferings considered. 50, 51.

Their great Zeal. 51, 53.

Their Humility exanined. 54.

Some Observations on Dress. 55.

The Story of Abbe de Paris. 56.

Their Love very briefly considered. 60, 6 [...]

Convictions asserted in Opposition to the Moravians. 61, 62.

The true Spirit teaches only general Truths. 62, 63.

Gives those whom he Teaches a real and consistent View of Things. 63.

The Views of one who is taught by the Spirit of God, briefly described, and how he is influenced. 63, 64, and 99.

That the Sacraments teach and seal only general Truths. 64, 65.

Satan's Method of suggesting particular Notions. 65.

This represented in Men's receiving Comfort by having it particularly impressed on their Minds, that their Sins are pardoned. 66, 67.

The Scripture Notion of Doubting stated. 67, 68.

The pernicious Consequences of misunderstanding it, pointed out. 68.

No Warrant to pronounce Men true Converts from their having some Comfort after Terrors. 68. nor from sympathizing with them in their Experiences. 70.

A short Account of the Communion of Saints according to Scripture. 70, 71.

Talking Experiences and judging merely by them considered. [...]2, 74. Some Scriptures explained. 75, 78.

Some bad Consequences that a [...]e from pronouncing Persons [...] be converted merely from their declaring their Experiences 79.

Tho' the Apostles speak of the Churches as consisting of visible [Page] Saints, yet they did not believe that all Christian Professors were real Saints. 79, 82.

That Men may yield an Assent to the Gospel and not have saving Faith, 82, 84. and compare 110, 111. and also from 131, to 139.

The Separate-Baptist's Objections against unconverted Men's visible covenanting, considered and answered, 84, 86.

The Opinion of the Papists about Faith and Justification compared with that of the Enthusiasts, addressed. 86, 89.

The Errors of Legalists and Antinomians about Conversion. 89, 96.

Some brief Hints on the Means of Grace. 93, and 96. and compare 86.

Regeneration previous to saving Faith. 95, and 39. and 49. and 83. and 92.

Mr. Baxter's Sentiments about the Antinomian Faith. 97, 99.

That Satan improves the Scriptures in a Sense that makes one Passage inconsistent with another 99. And in such a Manner as fills Men with Spiritual Pride and leads them to trust in their own Works. ibid.

The several Sects of Enthusiasts, and particularly the New-England Separatists, and Separate Baptists, charged with trusting in their own Righteousness for Justification. 88, and 99, 100.

Diotrephes's Experiences, Call to the Ministry, &c. 100, 103.

A brief View of the bad Consequences of Separations. 103, 104.

Diotrophes not call'd to be a Minister. 105.

The Agreement in the Main, between the Conversion of Diotrephes and that of Enthusiasts. ibid. Reasons to think they are unsound in the Faith. 10 [...], 106.

Some Instances of their perverting Scripture mentioned. 107, 108.

The Spiritual Sense of Scripture explained. 108, 111.

The Notions of Enthusiasts pointed out, and the Marks of their Spiritualizings discovered by sundry Examples. 111, 117.

Col. Gardiner pretended to no immediate Revelations. 118

Water Baptism proved against the Quakers 118, 120.

Infant Baptism proved against the Separate Baptists. 120, 12 [...] [...]5.

A Sabbath asserted and the Christian Sabbath proved agai [...] the Rogerenes. 124, 126.

[Page]Mr. Bellamy's Sentiments on sundry Points that have been examined. 126, 129.

An immediate Call to the Ministry stated. 129, 131.

Miracles, the Evidence of it. 131, 134.

Objections answered. 134, 146.

Women's publick Speaking in the Church exposed. 146, 151.

Sundry Instances of Satan's deceiving by immediate Impulses and Revelations. 151, 171.

Mahomet pretended to such Extraordinaries. 155, 156.

The Anabaptists in Germany, Muncer, Matthews and John of Leyden. 157, 158

A Surprising Incident of Lord Herbert. 159, 161.

No Reason to look for immediate Signs and Tokens from Heaven. 161, 162.

An Account of the French Prophets. 163, 171.

Heathens pretended immediate Revelations. 172, 173.

This no Objection against the Scriptures. 174, 175.

Nor against the supernatural Influences of the Spirit. 177, 178.

Whether Enthusiasts are properly obliged by Conscience to their Practices. 178, 182.

The Lawfulness of employing Physicians, against the Rogerenes. 183, 184.

The Sinfulness of Enthusiasm, Separations and of countenancing them. 185, 213.

[Page]

ERRATA.

PAGE 7. line 1. dele of those. p. 8. for the last line but one read, a competent Knowlege of these Things. p. 12. l. 14. after the Word Times, insert before the Coming of Christ as well as since. p. 15. l. 16 after Writings, r. thus, and appeal to them in Conjunction with the Old Testament as the only Test of Truth and Error. p. 19. l. 2. r. disregarded. p. 20. l. 12 from bott. for ond r. and. p. 22. l. 16. from bot [...]. for naturally, r. also naturally, p. 24. l. 9. r. Harangues, and the Pomp and Sophistry. l. 3. from bott. for Sin r. Sins. p. 25. l. 19. after could dele not. p. 31. l. 15. for the r. their. p. 32. l. 15. after that is, put a Comma. ibidem l. last for Trough, r. Through. p. 33. l. 4. for overcome, r. overcome. p. 34. l. 18. after us, r. and which in some Sense are. p. 35. l. 9. from bott. for are, r. the. p. 38. l. last, put a Comma after Miracles, and add, to direct us in the whole of our Conduct, and such Miracles are an infallible Test by which to try all immediate Revelations. p. 39. l. 14. dele that Scripture. ibid. l. last but one, for redued r reduced. p. 41. l. 6. from bott. r. Fellowships. p. 42. l. 9 from bott. r. forbear. p. 40 l. 11. from bott. for reval, r. reveal. p. 50. l. 7. from bott. for are, r. as p. 54. l. 9 for Humanity, r. Humility. p. 62. l. 17. for Tenor, r. Terror. p. 66. l. last but one, dele 2. p. 72. l. 12. from bott. for elective, r. collective. p. 79. l. 12. for Where, r. When. p 82. l. 18. for to, r. till. p. 94. l. 3. for Such, r. Some of these. p. 96. l. 14. from bott. for was, r. were. p 97. l. 15. for see never, r. be near. p. 109. l 4. from bott. r. Parables. p. 115. l. 6. after Esau, put a Semicolon; p. 124. for Watts's, in the Margin, r. Wall's. p. 125. Margin, for at, r. a. p. 127. l. 18. for admit, r. amidst. p 128. l. last. r. Papists against the Reformation. p. 129. l. 23. for their, r. your. p. 135. l. 17. of the Margin after wrote, insert or at least met with. p. 146. l. 20 for or fertile, r. and futile. p. 155. l. 10. for Resolutions, r. Revelations. p. 157. and 158. for Twinglius, r. Zwinglius p. 159. l. 1. for pretend, r. pretended. p. 163. l. [...]. for Imitation, r. Intimation. p. 174 l. 4. for conscience, r. conscious. ibid. l. 10. for is it, r. it is. ibid l. 13. for Person, r. Persons. ibid. l. 15. after Light, add of Nature. p. 175. l. 2. for now, r. own p. 176. l. 8, and 15. for lay, r. lie. p. 177. l. 13. from bott. for indecency, r Industry. p. 178. l. 21. for Zearus's r. Icarus's. p. 189. l. 15. from bott. after are, insert not. p. 193. l. 15. for there's, r. their's. p. 200 l 5. after As, add to p. 207. l. 9. from bott. for Love, r. Law. p. 211. l. 12. for Men's r. their.

Notes

a

James i, 19, 20.

↵

b

See [...] [...]ounded on Argument, & [...].

↵

d

1 Cor. iii. 12, 15

↵

e

The old Arab [...]p [...]s taught, that the Is [...]tes had no Knowledge of a future State of Rewards and Punishments, and that the Promises of the Old Testament referred only to an earthly Happiness. And absurd as this Notion may seem, I can't think of any Way in which they can better a [...]de the Arguments b [...]n't from the Co [...]erent made with Abraham and his Seed, that grand C [...]ter of the [...]ide Church, for in an [...] Rapt [...]s [...]. See Collo. [...]ranco Art. 15.16. and [...] Vol. ii. P. [...]12.

↵

f

Heb. [...]i. 4.

↵

g

Rev. xiii. 8.

↵

b

Jude 14, 15.

↵

i

Gen. xv. 1. xvii. 7.

↵

k

Gen. xlix. 18.

↵

l

Heb. xi. 16.

↵

m

Rom. iv. 11.

↵

n

Rom. iii. 20. By the Deeds of the Law shall no Flesh be justified in his Sight. The learned [...]i [...]ting has with great Propriety observed, that this Word is borrowed from Psal. cxiiii. 2. and must therefore signify to receive the Testimony of being righteous from a Judge, and cannot merely signify to obtain Mercy. To be justified also sometimes signifies to overcome in Judgment. Psal. li. 4 and the Expression of being just before God, implies the same. And that this is the Sense of the Word in this Epistle, appears from several passages; particularly Rom. ii. 3. So that on the whole, as he argues Justification is not a Phrase parallel to Forgiveness, but refers to a judicial Process and carries in it the Idea of Acquital, Praise and Reward. And Indeed it seems to me always ultimately to refer to the being pronounced, and treated as righteous in the great Day of God's universal Judgment. Doddriage.

↵

o

Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7.

↵

p

Heb. xi. 25, 26. Christ proved the Doctrine of the Resurrection and a future State, from what the Lord said to Moses in the Bu [...]h. If the Saduces denied it, 'twas because they greatly erred [...] not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God.

↵

q

Eccles. viii. 11.

↵

r

Eccles. iii. 16, 17.

↵

ſ

See Doddridge, on the Time of writing the Historical Books.

↵

t

John xx. 30, 31.

↵

u

1 Cor. xiv. 37.

↵

v

2 Pet. iii. 1, 2,—15.

↵

w

1 John, iv. 6.

↵

x

Isaiah lix. 21. And see Barelay's Apol. [...]. 46.

↵

y

John xvi. 26.

↵

z

1 John iv.

↵

a

Heb. ii. 2.

↵

b

See Doct. Owen on this Text.

↵

c

Jer. viii.

↵

d

Jer. ii. 10, 11.

↵

e

Prov. xiv. 20. xix. 7. Eccles. ix. 16. And see Steel's Christian Hero. P. [...] 40.

↵

f

Witness their cowardly forsaking their Master when he was apprehended and Peter's denying him thro' Fear.

↵

g

John xii. 37, 38.

↵

b

1 Cor. i 17, 19. and 2 Cor. x 4 5 and 1 Cor. iii. 5, 6. Eph. ii, S [...]

↵

i

1 Cor. iv. 9 [...].11.

↵

k

Isaiah xlii. 6, 7. and ii. 2 [...] 21. Jer. x. 11 Z [...]ph. ii. 11.

↵

l

The Quakers are more especially referred to here.

↵

m

Doddridge on Regeneration. M L [...]uri [...]'s Sermons and Essays which is a very excellent Book or the more understanding Sort of Readers. Or consult even Whitby's Appendix to 2 Cor.

↵

n

See [...] Barclay. Fo [...] Pain, [...]rothingham, &c. &c.

↵

38

Since I wrote the above Sentiments, I have the Pleasure to find, that Doct. Doddridge has stated the Matter in the same Light in his Note on 2 Pet. iii. 15. ‘Our beloved Paul also according to the Wisdom given unto him hath written unto you.’ I look (says the Doct.) on this Passage, as a very instructive Admonition to all Christians to consider St. Paul, and the other Apostles as writing to them in their Epistles, so far as a Similarity of Circumstances would permit. In which View it is of infinite Importance, that we should consider them as written to us in like Manner as St. Peter tells us, even the ancient Prophets considered the great Subjects of which these Epistles treat as relating to them 1 Pet. i. 12.

↵

o

Mark xvi. 16.

↵

p

Lev. xxiv. 10. [...].23.

↵

q

2 Cor. iv. 6.

↵

42

Of all Truths which People should welcome and study, they should welcome and study those that concern Christ, and the Covenant of Grace most as Foundation Truths, and seek to have them impressed by the Spirit. We are afraid, there is a Fault among Christians, that most plain and substantial T [...] are not so regarded; but some Things that may further them in their [...]ght, of tickle their Affections, or answer a Case, are almost only fought [...]ter; which Things, 'tis true, are good, but if the plain and substantial general Truths of the Gospel were more studied and made Use of, they have in them that which would answer all Cases. 'Tis very sad that Men are more taken up with Notions and Speculations than with such Soul saving Truths as these; that Christ was born, that he was a true Man, that he was, and is King, Priest and Prophet of his Church, &c. and that other Things are heard with more Greediness; but if these should be the great Subject of Ministers Preaching, it should be your great Study to know Christ in his Person, Natures, Offices and Covenant; what he is to you, and what is your Duty to him, and how you should walk in him, and with him: This was Paul's Aim, I count, says he, all Things Loss and Dung for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ, that I may know him and the Power of his Resurrection, and the Fellowship of his Sufferings, &c. Phil. iii. 8, — 10. 'Tis my Design (as if he had said) not only to make him known, but to know him myself. There is little Faith in Christ and Distinctness in making Use of his Offices, and Men take but little Pains to know these Things. Therefore on the one Side let me exhort you to make this more the Subject of your Enquiry; and on the other Side take it for your Reproof that there is such a Readiness to snuff [to be offended & dissatisfied] when plain Truths are insisted on, or when they are not followed to some uncouth or strange Way, which says, we are exceeding unthankful to God, for giving us the best Things to speak, hear and think of. The very learned and pious Mr. Durham's Christ crucified Sermon 1 P. 3. [...]

↵

r

Eph. ii. 20.21. Rev. xii, 11.

↵

ſ

2 Cor. xiii. 5.

↵

t

1 John v. 13.

↵

u

Luke xi. 1,—13.

↵

v

Job xxi. 13.15. Mal. iii. 14.

↵

w

See the Epistles to Timothy and Titus.

↵

x

2 Tim. ii. 2.

↵

y

Nec Deus intersit nisi dignus Vi [...]dice Nodus. HOR.

↵

z

Barclay speaks consistently on this Point with his Scheme, when he would not have his divine Revelation [...] by the Scriptures. See his Apol. Prop. 2.

↵

a

2 Tim. iii. 15, 16, 17.

↵

b

Isaiah viii. 20.

↵

c

See Lord Bolingbrook's Writings, as also Barclay, Frothingham, &c. &c.

↵

d

Rev. xii.

↵

e

See the voluminous Annotations of the Jesuits, &c.

↵

f

1 Cor. i. 23, 24.

↵

g

See Barclay's Apol. Prop xi.

↵

h

Ezek xiii.

↵

i

Jer. xvii. 8, 9.

↵

k

1 Kings xix. 11.13.

↵

l

1 Cor. xvi. 30.32.

↵

m

11 Thess. ii. 9, 10.

↵

n

1 Peter iii. 13.

↵

o

Gen. xx. 3.

↵

p

See the History of Capt. Breton. Let. viii.

↵

q

1 Cor. xiv. 33.

↵

r

Psalm cxxxi.

↵

ſ

See his View of Deistical Writers. 1 Vol. Letter xxi.

↵

t

I here refer to the Moravians. The Reader who would see the Grounds of my Suspicion may peruse Rimius's Candid Narrative, in which he will find sundry Passages transcribed from their Writings, which contain the most shockingly obscene Expressions, &c. which perhaps ever were penned.

↵

u

‘It must be intimated to Sinners that whatever before this Time has been believed to be a Preparation for coming to God is rather an Obsticle.’ See Rimius's Narrative, 51, 52. And I have heard some of the Moravians myself find great Fault with preaching any Terrors at all, even to the Unregenerate, So also Saltmarsh taught in Cromwell's Time.

↵

w

John xvi. 8. &c. Rom. iii. 20. and vii. 9. And see Dr. Owen on Justification, p. 1.—40. And Saxter's Saints Everlasting Rest, p. 13.

↵

x

E [...]her iii. 12.

↵

y

John iv. 42. Acts ix 22 John xx. 31. Acts viii 37.

↵

z

John x. 24. Mat. xxviii. 17.

↵

a

1 Cor i 2

↵

b

As there is no Controversy in New-England about examining Candidates concerning their religious Experiences, I have no Business and [...] [...]eddle with any Questions relating to that Matter.

↵

c

So it should be Translated. See the Original and Consult Beza and Whitby on this Text. 1 Cor. x. 16, 17.

↵

d

Besides there may be considerable Variety in the Experiences of true Saints. God has not confined himself exactly in all Respects to one Method. &c John iii. 8.

↵

e

See his Early Piety recommended. P. 11.

↵

f

Psalm lxvi. 16.

↵

g

Exod. i. 5. Psalm iii. 2. Psalm cxliii 12.

↵

h

Acts xxiii. 6.

↵

i

2 Cor. xi. 12.

↵

k

Matt. v. 16.

↵

l

James ii 18.

↵

m

See President Edwards on Religious Affections last Part.

↵

n

1 John iii. 3— 10.

↵

o

Ezek. xiii. 10,—23.

↵

p

1 Cor. v. 12, 13.

↵

q

2 Cor. xi. 26. Gal. ii. 4.

↵

r

1 Cor. v. 11.

↵

s

11 Cor. xiii. 1.

↵

t

Philip. iii. 18, 19.

↵

u

Matth. xiii. 37,—50.

↵

v

See President Edwards's and President D [...]e [...]s [...]or [...] James ii. 19, 20. [...]. P. [...].

↵

w

Psal. l. 16.

↵

x

Isaiah i. 12, 13.

↵

*

They, that is, the Papists, define [Faith] to be a general Knowledge whereby we understand and believe that the Doctrine of the Word of God is true. Perkins's Reformed Catholick, p. 567. Lord. Ed. [...]16 —Faith according to the Papists is no more but a general Assent unto divine Revelations. Owen on Justification, p. 190. Agreeable to this is that famous Di [...]e [...] of Mr. Knot the Jesuit in his Charity Maintained. Faith says he is a voluntary or free, infallible, obscure Assent to some Truth, because it is testified b [...]d [...] and is sufficiently prop [...]ded to us for such. See Chillingworth's Works. p. 228.

↵

y

See true Religion delianated P. 391, 392:

↵

x

Hence perhaps it is, that some have imbibed the Notion that true Converts are made Partakers of the Essence of God, that is in plain English, are made Gods, which every sober Man may see is blasphemous Nonsense. The Words of Peter which they bring to countenance their Error "Partakers of the divine Nature" should have been translated "Partakers of a divine Nature," that is, of a holy excellent Temper.

↵

y

Gal. iii. 10.

↵

z

Rom. i. 18. and vi. 23.

↵

a

Rom. ii. 20

↵

b

Rom iv. 15.

↵

c

John xiv 6.

↵

d

G [...]l. ii [...]1.

↵

e

The Exhortations and Encouragements to Repentance which are to be found in the Old Testament, and even in the Books of Moses, plainly shew that it was a Dispensation of G [...]ce. For strict Law does not demand nor properly admit of Repentance. And indeed God's promulgating a Law at all to Sinners requiring a Revenue of Glory by Way of Worship from them supposes some Method of Recovery. For as Doct. Owen observes in his Pr [...]legomina to his Exposition of the Hebrews ‘In every Prescription of Day, God propose to himself as a Rewarder, which he is only to them that please him; and to please God without the Deliverance enquired after is impossible.’ P. 79. God never promulgated any Law to the Devils since their Rebellion, not instituted any Religious Worship among them. The Moral Law [...] Republication of the Law of Nature, but it was not published and designed for a Covenant of Works. The Law when promulgated at Sinai was accommodated to the Covenant of Grace. And so it is now under the Gospel. ‘The Law, as the celebrated Arch-Bishop Leighton observes Select Works. P. 341 addresses us to the Articles of our Faith: For seeing the Disproportion of our best Obedience to the Exactness of the Law, this drives us to seek Salvation in the Gospel by believing; and our natural Inability to believe, drives us to Prayer, that we may obtain Faith and Perseverance in it, at his Hands who is both the Author and Finisher of our Faith.—It is a week Conceit arising upon the Mistake of the Scriptures, to make Christ and Moses as Opposites; no, Moses was the Servant in the House, and Christ the Son; and being a faithful Servant he is not contrary to the Son, but subordinate to him. The very Abolishment of the ceremonial Law was not as of a Thing contrary; but as a Thing accomplished in Christ.’ —Had the Law of Moses been merely a Covenant of Works and a Scheme wholly preparatory to the Gospel without any Referrences to the Way of Salvation by Christ, they who lived under the Old-Testament must have perished. For there is no Law as such that can be given to Sinners, that can give them eternal Life, since they being sinful are already condemned.—The Law of Moses became a Covenant of Works to the Jews through their own gross Mistake of its End, and not from the Design of God. To those who looked for eternal Life from the Law considered as Law, and trusted to their own Works, it was a killing Letter, and the Ministration of Death. But those who believed in Christ as he was then exhibited, were saved as sincere Christians are now. For ‘Circumcision was a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith; and Christ is the End of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth.’ So that the Baptists who imagine the Old Testament was merely a Covenant of Works are extremely mistaken. It was the Gospel more obscurely and legally represented as the Circumstances of the Church th [...] required. According to the Apostle, the Covenant that was under that Dispensation was confirmed of God in Christ long before the Law was given at Mount Sinai. The Law was not promulgated with a Design to dis [...] the [...]mise, nor to oppose it in any Measure, but was added to it because of [...]sgressions to discover and restrain them. Gal. i [...]i 17—24 But if any should ri [...] be enclined to doubt about this Matter, let them consider the following [...], ‘For unto us was the Gospel preached as we [...]as unto them, [under the Old Testament] but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it.’ Heb. iv. 2.

↵

f

2 Tim iv. 7, 8.

↵

g

Eph. ii. 10.

↵

h

Eph. i. 6.

↵

i

Rom. vi. 20.

↵

k

Ezek. xxxvi. 37.

↵

l

Psalm cx. 3. Isai. liii. 1. John i. 12.

↵

m

Rom. v. 1.

↵

n

Eph. ii. 3.

↵

o

Heb. xi. 1.

↵

p

Job xxi. 15. Malachy iii. 14.

↵

q

Rom. iii 8 and [...]i 1, 2.

↵

r

Obj. But if we regard this Representation, it is probable we should doubt: And He that d [...]b [...]eth is damned.

Ans. He that doubteth what? That he himself is in a State of Grace? Then every one who is convinced of his Christless State would be damned. Th [...]s cannot be the Sense. But he doubted whither he might lawfully eat these Things, which were forbidden by the Law of Moses, and if he eat them contrary to his Conscience, he was self-condemned, guilty of Sin, and liable to Punishment for it from God, as well as for his other Sins. For thus [...]s the Text, ‘He that doubteth is damned, if he eat, because he eateth not of Faith, for whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin.’ If a Man has only a [...]ake Faith and vain Confidence, the more he doubt [...] of the Truth of it, and no s [...]er he gives it up the better.

↵

ſ

Baxter's Saints Everlasting Rest. p 316, 317, 318.

↵

t

Matt. iv. 6.7.

↵

u

Philip iii.

↵

v

Gal. v. 2.

↵

w

Luke xvii. 1, 2. Matt. xviii. 7

↵

x

Rom. xiv. 21.

↵

y

Matt. xvii 24—27.

↵

z

1 Tim. iii. 6.

↵

a

James iii. 1.

↵

a

1 Cor. ii. 14.

↵

b

And it seems sometimes to conceal them. See Mark iv. 11, 12.

↵

c

2 Cor. iv. 12, 13.

↵

d

Isaiah xlv. 19 Deut xxx. 11.

↵

e

1 Kings, i. 1—16.

↵

f

Dr. Owen.

↵

*

Obj The Secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will shew them his Covenant.—This does not prove that God grants immediate Revelations to them that fear him, besides those contained in his written Word. For it is not true in Fact that all Saints have such Revelations Now a Falshood cannot be the right Sense of the Text—The Secret of the Lord here m [...]s that secret communion which he grants his People. He manifests h [...]s covenant in a peculiar Manner by his Spirit to those that fear him. See [...] xiv. 21,—23.

↵

§

See the Life of Col. Gardiner, P. 78.

↵

g

Acts ii. 38. and x. 47, 48.

↵

h

Matt. xx. 22.

↵

i

Acts x. 47, 48.

↵

k

1 Pet.

↵

l

Apol. Of Baptism. P. 423. John iii. 31.

↵

*

Such as are disaffected to this Doctrine may read Dr. Watts's Ruin and Recovery, and President Edwards against Dr. Taylor. Surely it is not reasonable for any to reject and contem [...] Doctrines before they have fully considered what can be said in their Defence.

↵

m

Acts iii. 43. and ii. 39.

↵

n

1 Cor. vii. 14.

↵

o

Mark x. 13.—16.

↵

p

Acts xvi. 14, 15. and 33.

↵

q

1 Cor. i. 16.

↵

r

1 Cor. xii. 14

↵

*

Whoever would see Infant Baptism more fully vind [...]ed may read Dr. Wa [...] History [...], t [...] late President D [...]s [...]n's Dialogue upon it, Pre [...]nt F [...] P [...]s on the Subject against M [...] [...], C [...]k [...] [...]ce agai [...] Dr. Gill, a very excellent Piece, &c. [...] 1 Cor. xii. 14

↵

ſ

Matt xi [...] 8

↵

t

[...]o [...] xx 1 [...]— [...]6.

↵

u

Acts xx 7.

↵

v

1 Cor. xvi. 1.

↵

w

Col. ii. 16.

↵

*

See Ignat. Epist. ad Magnes. Just. Mar [...]. Edit. at Grab. Apol. 1. § 87, and 89, &c.

↵

†

The Reg [...]nes are referred to here.

↵

§

The Separates and separate Baptists are referred to here, and their Favourers.

↵

*

See his Anarch of Rout. p. 105. Apology p. 271.

↵

x

Exod. iv. [...]—9.

↵

y

John v 31, 32 &c.

↵

z

John xv. 22, 24.

↵

a

Luke xii. 54 —57.

↵

*

Mr. now D [...]. Ma [...]hew, some Years ago published a Number of Sermons [...] above [...]ss [...]ge, in which he endeav [...]ured to prove, ‘That there is a [...] Difference betwixt Truth and Falshood, Right and Wrong—and that M [...] are [...] endowed with Faculties proper for discerning these Di [...]s.’ M [...] worthy Persons were dissatisfied with [...] Sermons, supposing and under the Pretence of con [...]uring the Py [...]ho [...]s and Scepticks he cong [...] to [...]represent, expose and ri [...]e those who are commonly called C [...].

The Reasons of thei [...] Suspicion I suppose were, that they thought, he could notion upon its Sermons of much Importance in any other View. All our Series [...] to [...]form us there is a [...] Difference in Things, that Truth and Falshood are different [...]deas. All Mankind take it for granted in their Conduct. None [...] pretended to deny the natural Distinction between Truth and Falshood, but such as [...]ounced common Sense, and Conscience; and should pro [...]n [...] and vain B [...]lings, and Oppositions of Science falsely so [...], who are acquainted, with their perverse Disputings have [...] Answers to them. And the unlearned having never heard [...] [...]h denied, are in to Danger of falling into any M [...]ke here. Hence they conjectured his laboured Discourses in Con [...]tation of this E [...] we [...] d [...]g [...]d [...]o ins [...]te that the Notions of the Calvinist, who are [...] us in the Country, are as absurd as the Pyrrhonists. For it is reported, that w [...] this Gentleman published these Sermons, he was known to be very much p [...]j [...] against Calvinism.

2 They conserved, that he has given no Intimations on this Subject that M [...]n's b [...]s are in any Measure impaired by the Fall of our first Parents, &c or to [...] any Need of the Influences of the Holy Spirit in any Sense, though [...] very [...]r Opportunity to have inculcated both these Points.

3 The [...] think the following ambiguous Passage seems to contain a Misrepresentation and a S [...], on the [...] received Doctrine of Original Sin. ‘M [...] [...] endowed with Faculties proper for distinguishing betwixt [...] and [...], Right and Wrong And hence it follows, that the D [...]c [...] a [...], Ignorance, and Incapacity to judge of moral and religious Tru [...]s brought upon Mankind by the Apostacy of our [...]st Parents is [...]. How much brighter and more [...] our int [...] [...] [...] were in [...], six [...] Y [...] before we had any Existence, I leave others to determine. It is sufficient for my Purpose to consider Mankind as they are at present, without inquiring what they were before they had any Being.’ See Mayhew's seven Sermons, P. 38.

If Dr. Mayhew be corrupt in his Principles of Religion, and has misapplied Scripture to support his Errors, I am not to blame for that; nor is this any sufficient Reason why I may not improve the same Passage of Scripture to maintain the Truth. If he really meant to d [...]y the Doctrines of Man's Apostacy and the Influences of the Spirit by this Text, it is certain, it cannot answer his Purpose. His own Interpretation is ‘That by what is right our Saviour meant what is true; for his Discourse in this Place turns upon examining, judging and inferring one Thing from another.’ P. 5. Now there may be Truths in the Head, which have but little Influence on the Heart and Practice. Were it true then, as it is not, that Sinners in their present State could regenerate themselves, and practice all sincere Holiness, and make themselves meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light, without any supernatural Influences of the Spirit: this Passage, which is granted to refer to right Opinions or true Judgments and not to Practice, could not be adduced with any Propriety to prove that Position.

The Doctor seems to have been sensible ‘That Men are not much disposed to exert their Faculties but to receive very implicitly the Opinions of their good Fathers and good Mothers—yea that no Notion is so absurd but some are absurd enough to propagate and others to believe it; especially if it be such an one as strikes at the Root of all Religion and every Thing wherein the Happiness of Mankind consists.’ Now is not an Indisposition to love and seek after Truth, and a Proneness to embrace the most absurd and pernicious Errors a very evil and hateful Quality? Whence does such a Wrongness of Temper arise? He has granted the Fact to be so, and he is as much obliged to account for the Phaenomenon as the Calvinists.

Though Men in their natural State can judge in some Measure of Truth and Falshood, Right and Wrong, and by examining the Evidences with which the Scriptures are recommended must be convinced they are true, yet they are represented in these sacred Writings to be in a State of Ignorance, Da [...] ness and Blindness, while they remain unregenerate, when compared with sincere Saints, who enjoy the saving Illuminations, and sanctifying Influences of the Holy Spirit. ‘The Path of the just is as the shining Light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect Day. The Way of the Wicked is as Darkness, they know not at what they stumble. The Fool walketh in Darkness. I am the Light of the World, said our Lord to the Jews. He that followeth me shall not walk in Darkness, but shall have the Light of Life. Christ plainly told the unbelieving Jews, That though they acknowledged his Father to be their God, yet they had not known him.’ And though they were endowed with such Faculties as rendered them quite inexcusea [...]e in not judging what was right, yet the Apostle represents them as having their Minds so blind, and such a Vail on their Hearts, as could be removed only by the Spirit of the Lord. According to the Apostle John. ‘He that hateth his Brother is in DARKNESS, and walketh in Darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that DARKNESS hath blinded his Eyes.’ The Gentiles being more wicked and debaugched, are frequently spoken of as being more in Darkness than the Jews. And thus all Mankind both Jews and Gentiles, while they remain unregenerate and in Unbelief are represented in the Scriptures, as ignorant and blind, notwithstanding their being endowed with Capacities to judge of Truth and Falshood, Right and Wrong. But how came Mankind to be thus ignorant and blind? It they are thus blind with Respect to a living and saving Sense and Knowledge of divine Things, does not this plainly prove, they have Need of the Illuminations of the Holy Spirit?

But it is currently reported that the Doctor is become more orthodox in these Points. — In his Sermons on striving to enter in at the strait Gate, he seems to allow ‘That Mankind are not to be considered in a State of Innocency at present, but apostate, degenerate and guilty Creatures, justly obnoxious to the Wrath of God—That the very Foundation of the Gospel is laid in, and the whole superstructure of it built upon the supposition that Mankind in general are in such a State of Condemnation and Ruin.’ P. 11. And he seem [...] likewise to grant ‘The Necessity of the Illuminations of the Holy Spirit—for a new Heart, and right Spirit.—And lays it is generally if not universally agreed amongst professed Christians, that Repentance unto Life, and evangelical Holiness are not attainable without the gracious Operations of the Holy Spirit; and consequently that without these divine Influences all the Endeavours of Sinners to attain Holiness and so to eternal Life must be ineffectual. Which indeed amounts to neither more nor less than what our Lord himself declares—That except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.’ &c. Had he discovered this sooner might not some of his Banter have been spared? But it is agreeable to see how he grows wiser as he grows older.

The Opinion which he endeavours to establish in these two last Sermons, perhaps in Brief is this, ‘That though Mankind are now in a degenerate State, yet God for the Sake of Christ has granted the Influences of his Spirit equally to all who live under the Gospel; and that they having rational Faculties may so strive for Grace and Salvation as actually to obtain the special Favour of God, in Consequence of their suitable Improvement of these general Influences, and their earnest Strivings, God having established a Connexion between this Bestowment of his special Grace and such sincere Endeavours of unregenerate Sinners as the Doctor has discribed: And that unregenerate Sinners having these general Aids, Awakenings of the Spirit, &c. not only may, but many of them actually do thus strive; so that such as are actually converted and saved, do in Fact become Partakers of this Grace and Salvation, in Consequence of their having previously strove and improved the religious Advantages, which God bestowed upon them in common with those who live under the Gospel, better than others; and that all, who do not thus first strive for Salvation, and make this better Improvement of their common Advantages, must necessarily fall of Regeneration here and the Kingdom of Heaven hereafter’

As God has commanded Sinners as well as Saints to seek his Grace and Mercy, and to wa [...] upon him for all they need, there can be no reasonable Doubt but it is their Du [...]y, and a Duty of great Importance to strive to enter in at the strait Gate. But if I hav [...] [...]ghtly stated the Doctor's Sentiments on this Head they are liable to sundry Objections. Want of Room will only permit me to ask the following Queries relative to his Scheme, so far as it supposes that Sinners actually obtain regenerating Grace [...]rom God in Consequence o [...] their own earnest strivings, and that all others do in Fact fall short of this special Favour.

Que. 1 Does this Scheme correspond with the Scripture Instances of Conve [...]i [...]n, the Women of Samaria, Z [...]cheus, the penitent Thief, the Apostle Paul, the [...]hree thousand? &c.

Que. 2. How does this Scheme agree with such Scriptures as these, ‘We ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedience, deceived, serving divers Lusts and Pleasures, living in Malice and Envy, hateful and ha [...]ing one another. But after that the Kindness and Love of God our Savi [...]ur toward Man appeared, not by Works of Righte [...]usness which we have done, but according to his Mercy he saved us. Who hath saved and called us with an holy Calling not according to our Works, but according to h [...]s own Purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began?’ b

Que 3. Does not God represent Sinners in his Word as backward to the Duties of Religion, as prone to resist his Spirit, and abuse his Grace, and strongly beat to gratif [...] their sinful Lusts? When the Invitation was given in [...]he Parable did they not all with one Consent begin to make Excuse?

Que. 4. I [...] the Salvation of Sinners be ( [...] Things considered) suspended on their own serious Strivings, and faith at Improvement of their common Advantages; how can any of them be saved, since they are so extrem [...]ly negligent about performing this necessary Condi [...]?

Que. 5. Does not God represent himself as absolutely sovereign and free in the bestowment of his Grace and Salvation? ‘I will have Mercy on whom I will have Mercy, and I will have Camp [...]ssion on whom I will have Compassion, so then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that [...], has of God that sheweth Mercy.’ If Sinners, when the [...] are invited in the Gospel, and urged by the Spirit, are not willing to return to God thro' Jesus Christ, but are disposed to quench his heavenly Motions how can they obtain saving Grace in Consequence of their own Willing and [...]ing, and [...]ight Improvement of these common Influence of the Spirit? Let H [...]p [...]hes [...]s be laid aside in Divinity as well as Philosophy and as the Question of principal Im [...]ortance [...], How a Sinner becomes Partaker of Grace and [...] Let the Truths and Facts which are recorded and explained in the Scriptures de [...] it.

↵

b

Titus [...] And [...]e o [...] P [...]h. ii.

↵

c

See his Apology; P. 296.

↵

d

1 Cor ix. 2, 3.

↵

e

2 Cor. xii. 11, 12.

↵

f

[...] 15— [...]

↵

k

Heb. v. 1—4.

↵

l

1 Cor. xiv 34 — 38. 1 Tim. ii. 9 — 15.

↵

m

Philip. iv 3.

↵

n

1 Tim. v. 9▪ 10.

↵

*

Isai. iii.xii.

↵

¶

Gilpin on Satan's Temptation. P 75. and 330. Which is a very solid jud [...]c [...]u [...] Treatise well worth the [...]e [...]io [...] Perusal [...] all who would be fortified ag [...] the Wiles of the Devil.

↵

a

1 Kings xxii. 19,—23.

↵

177

N. B As the Christian World had practised Infant-Baptism from the Apostle's Times, this new Sect was called Anabaptists or Rebaptist from their baptizing over [...] who had been baptized in their Infancy; and they are now more shortly called Baptists a Name which I perceive some of them greatly affect, looking upon themselves as the only Persons who are truly baptized, and of Consequence the only Members of the Church of Christ in this World, a most absurd and uncharitable Notion. Hence in order to be a Baptist, a Person must be [...]zed by plunging after he comes to Years of Discretion. This is an essential Qualification of a Baptist. Such as attend on their Meetings without being dipped may be Enthusiasts, they may be Separates, they may be dissatisfied and prejudiced Persons, but Anabaptists or Baptists they cannot be, 'till they are plunged.

↵

*

See Description of Holland, P. 326 And the History of the Reformation, &c.

↵

¶

See Dr. Leland's View of Deistical Writers, Let. 2.

↵

*

N. B. There is a full Answer to Lord Herbert's Book written by Mr. Halyburton, Professor of Divinity. This Answer is commended by the celebrated Dr. Watts, and Dr. Leland, and is reckoned by some good Judges one of the best Books against the Deists.

↵

†

See his Cry to the Desart.

↵

*

They who desire a fuller Account of these French Prophets may consult Dr. Edmund Calamy's Caveat; Owen's Scene of Delusion opened; Hick's Spirit of Enthusiasm exercised; the History of Montani [...]m; Dr. Hoadly's Vindication of the ancient Prophets against the Pretensions of the new [...], &c. &c.

↵

¶

As to what some learned Men have conjectured, that many of the Laws of Moses were instituted partly in Compliance to the Prejudices of the Jews, who were fond of the Egyptian Superstitions; this is an idle Imagination, which is, and always will be destitute of all proper Evidence. For it can never be made to appear that any Customs prescribed by the Law of Moses were practised by any Heathen Nation so early. Moses is wholly [...]t about his borrowing any Heathen Rites. And there is no Heathen W [...]ing that [...] throw any Light on the Point, since the most ancient, now extant were not written 'till four or five hundred Years after Moses. A wonderful Discovery truly that God yielded to the Humour of the Jews and adapted the idolatrous Ceremonies of Egypt!

↵

†

Such as would see the Scriptures defended against the Deists may consult Royl, looke, Ad [...]ron, Ditton, We [...], [...]leton, Holybarton, Doddridge, Leland, &c.

↵

‡

Joshua xxiv. 14, 15.

↵

a

Rom ii. 14 15.

↵

b

Rom. xiv. 23.

↵

c

1. Tim. i. 13,—16.

↵

¶

Some very ingenious Philosophers seem to have coined a new Name for Conscience, calling it a Moral Sense. This new Name perhaps has not helped much to throw any new Light on the Thing. Conscience both Name and Thing was well known to the ancient Jews, Greeks, Romans, &c. And after all that the ingenious Professor Smith has said, I can't but think, that Conscience or Moral Sense is a much more important and intelligible Principle in Morals than Sympathy, as well as more universally known.

‘The conserving Power of the Soul, is that Faculty or Power in which are hidden and laid up the moral Principles of Right and Wrong known by the Light of Nature and so is a Part of a natural Conscience: And in it are treasured up the Scripture and Gospel-Truths which are known by a Star of a greater Magnitude, to wit, the Candle shining in divine Revelation, and this is a Part of the enlightned and supernatural Conscience.—In the inner Cabinet the natural habit of moral Principles ledgeth, the ancient Records and Chronicles which were in Adam's Time, the Law of Nature.—All these are written in the Soul in deep Letters, yet the Ink is dim and old, and therefore this Light is like the Moon swimming through watry Clouds, often under a Shadow, and yet still in the Firmament—This is a Part of Conscience, because by no Faculty in Man, but by the Conscience are these Truths apprehended. When any in ill Blood deny such Truths, as that there is a God, and Parents are to be loved, we all say such do sin and offer Violence to their Conscience—There is more Reason and sound Knowledge in the Conscience, than in the whole understanding Soul. It is the chrystal Globe of Reason, the Beam, the Sun of the Soul—Because Conscience is something of God—a Keeper sent from Heaven, a divine Piece which is all Eye, all Sense, and hath the Word with it; in so far it is to be reverenced, and he that reverenceth the King reverenceth the Ambassador, in so far as he carrieth along the King's Will, be that honoureth the Lord must honour the Servant. To receive Instructions and Rebukes from Conscience in so far as they come from the Word of Truth is spiritual Prudence, and he that turneth away his Ear from his Conscience shall die. As to submit to the Word is to submit to God, so to offer violence to divine Truth is to wrestle with God, and b [...] the l [...]ke Proportion, to stoop before Conscience carrying a Message from God is to submit to God, and to do violence to the domestick Light and Truth of God is all one as to wrestle with God—If Conscience be so divine a Piece filled banksful of Reason and Light, then the more of Knowledge the more of Conscience, as the more of Fire the more of Heat, the more of the Sun the more of Light. Then when Fancy goes for Conscience, as in Enthusiasts and new Spirits grapling beside the Word of God, a new Angel commended only for Newness, — Conscience must be turned into a Dream. Novelty can go for Conscience, our Nature is quickly taken with Novelty even as a new Friend, a new Field, a new House, a new Garden, a new Garment delights us for a little while; so a new Christ a new Faith. Heresy goeth for Conscience. Some's Conscience fancied that to kill their Children to Molech was a Doctrine that entered into the Heart of God to command, Jer. 7.30, 31.—Hence Conscience must be ruled by Scripture. Conscience is not Scripture, nor a Canonick Book and Rule of Faith and Conversation, it often speaketh Apocripha, and is neither God nor Pope but can reel and totter and dream.’ Ruther [...]urd one of the Members of the famous Assembly of Divines at WESTMINSTER. He was one of the most celebrated Divines both for his Piety and Orthodoxy. See his Book on Liberty of Conscience, at the Begininng. See also Turretine vol. ii. Question 1st.

↵

§

Gen. xxxix. 9, and l. 2.

↵

†

Luke v, 31.

↵

d

Ezek. xiii. 3, 9.

↵

e

Rev. xx. 10.

↵

f

Mark ii, 18.

↵

g

Eph iv 14 2 Tim. iii 6 [...]. &c.

↵

h

Rom. xvi 17. Matt. vii. 15. 2 John vii, — 11.

↵

a

Gal. i.

↵

b

1 Cor. iv. 3,—5.

↵

a

Quakers.

↵

b

[...] vi [...]

↵

c

R [...]s.

↵

d

Separate Baptists.

↵

f

Acts ix. 11. compared with Rom. vii.

↵

g

Job. xxi. 14, 15.

↵

h

Mal. iii. 13 15. Ezek. xiii. 22. Matt xxv. 24, 30.

↵

*

1761.

↵

Information about this book

Title statement

A brief account of the deluded Dutartres; extracted from a sermom [sic], preached by the Rev. Mr. Alexander Garden, A.M., at Charlestown, in South-Carolina.

Garden, Alexander, 1686-1756.

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI :

Date

2009-10.

ID [DLPS]

N07159

ID [TCP]

N07159

ID [STC]

Evans 9120

ID [STC]

Evans 9157

ID [STC]

Evans 9261

ID [NOTIS]

APX6405

ID [IMAGE-SET]

9120

ID [EVANS-CITATION]

99023217

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Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 9120.Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 9157.Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 9261.

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(Evans-TCP ; no. N07159)

Transcribed from: (Readex Archive of Americana ; Early American Imprints, series I ; image set 9120)

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Source

— A brief account of the deluded Dutartres; extracted from a sermom [sic], preached by the Rev. Mr. Alexander Garden, A.M., at Charlestown, in South-Carolina., Garden, Alexander, 1686-1756..

Extent

8, 9, [1], 213, [7] p. ; 21 cm. (8vo)

Printed and sold by James Parker and Company, at the post-office,,. New-Haven: :: 1762.. ("A narrative of the life, together with the last speech, confession and solemn declaration, of John Lewis ..."--9, [1] p., 2nd count (Evans 9157).) ("A plain address to the Quakers, Moravians ... on immediate impulses and revelations, &c. By Robert Ross, A.M."--213, [7] p. (Evans 9261). With an errata statement, p. [220].)

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