m
HS
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jrf ^dtfflfiua*
No.
Division ^A......
^ r • 10
«^
Received
187^
University of California • Berkeley
Seasonable Thouhts
ON THE
State of , Religio
In NEW-ENGLAND,
A TREATISE in five Parts.
I. Faithfully pointing
out the Things of a BAD
and DANGEROUS TEN-
PEN c Y, in the late^ and
'frefent, religious Appear
ance ^ in the LAND.
1 II. Reprefenting the
OBLIGATIONS which lie
upon the PASTORS of
THESE CHURCHES in par
ticular, and upon ALL in
general, to ufe their En
deavours to fupprefs pre-
*,„;;;*,,» QtjbrdeKs ; with
:~R E AT DANGER of a
in ib important a
Matter,
With a P R E F A c E
Giving; an Account of the ANTINOMIANS, FAMIIISTS
and LIBERTINES, who infe£ted thefe Churches, above
an hundred Years ago : Very needful for thtje Days ; the
LIKE SPIRIT, and ERRORS, prevailing now zs>M then.
The whole being intended, and calculated, A to fcrve
the Inter eft of CHRIST'S Kingdom.
BY CHARLES QHAUNCY. D. D.
P aft or of the firil Ch urch of CH R i s T in 3 o s T o j .
III. Opening, in ;.^-:v
Infianccs.. -wherein theDis-
COURAGERS of 1\
rities have been INJURI
OUSLY TREATED.
IV. Shewing whst
ought to be c o R R E CT E 0.5
or AVOIDED, ihkteftifyipg
againft the evil Things of
the prefent Dav.
V, Directing our ThoiVj
more pofaivdy^ to what
may be judged the BEST
EXPEDIENTS, to pf,
pure an-ci
in tfcefe Times.
BOSTON, Printed by ROGERS and FOWLE, for
SAMUEL ELIOT in CornbilL 1743.
THE
PREFACE,
\F the following Treatife is, in any tolera
ble Meafure, adapted to ferve the Ends
of Religion, by guarding People a-
gainfl the Errors in Dodlrine, and
Diforders in Praftice, which have, of
late,obtaind in many Parts of the Land, there can be no
need of an Apology for its Publication: If it is not, the
ufual Excufes upon fuch an Occafion are well known ;
and I may claim the Benefit of them, in common with
others.
In/lead therefore of fay ing any Thing upon this Head,
I /ball look back to the fitft Times of this Country,
when there was the Prevalence of an erroneous, en-'
thufiaftic Spirit, beyond what has been known from
that Day 'till the late Appearance, in fo?ne Places,
in NEW-ENGLAND : And I the rather chufe to in-
Jert here fome brief Account of the religious State of
Affairs in thofeDays, becaufe of its furprifing Agree
ment, in many Injlances, with what has happened in
thefe Times ,- which, if duly attended to, will not
only prepare the Reader for what he may meet with
in the lolling Sheets, but powerfully tend to undeceive
him, if he has entertained a good Opinion of fuch
.fbmgs as have, once already, raifed Dfiurbances in
t,K Country, to the Grief of our firft Fathers, who
A 2
IV
The PREFACE
mff*j juftfy be ran^d> among the mojl pious and valua
ble Men, who have yet liv'd in it.
Not many Tears after the Settlement of our Pro
genitors in this Land, f owe, who, through an,Excefs
of Heat in their Imaginations, had been betrayed into
various imfound and dangerous Opinions, came over to
them from ENGLAND. They had not been here long,
before they freely vented their Notions among the Peo~
pje, Multitudes of whom., both Men and Womeny
Church-members and others., were foon led afide, to the
Hindrance of the Gofpel, and throwing thefe Churches
Mto great Cortfufwn.
My Purpofe is to flow diftinttly, though briefly ,
What thefe Opinions were,
How they fpread fo -fait, and prevailed fo fud-
denly.
How they did rage and reign, when they had once
gotten Head.
How they fell and were rained, when they were at
highefLg "
As for the Opinions :— - They were fuch as thefe,
viz.
I. He that hath the Seal of the SPIRIT may cer
tainly judge cf any P erf on, whether he be elected or no.
§ This is the Method of Mr. T. WELDE (one of the
frft Preachers in our ROXBERRY) in his Preface to
the Story of the ANTINOMIANS &c. in NEW-ENG
LAND ; whofe Language alfo I have thought fit
chiffiy to ijfe. The Words dillinguifh'd by inverted
Commas are always his 3 unlefs where I give Notice
to the contrary.
2. Such
The P P. E F A C E. v
2. Such as fee any Grace of GOD in themfehes,
before they have the AiTurance of GOD'S Love fealed
to them, are not to be received Members of Churches.
3. The due Search '.and Knowledge of the Holy
Scripture,, is not a fafe and fure Way of finding
CHRIST.
4. There is a Tejllmony of the SPIRIT, and Voice
to the Soul, meerly immediate,' without any Reflect
to, or Concurrence with the Word,.
5. The Seal of the S*°IRIT is limited only to the
immediate Witnefs of the SPIRIT ; and doth never
witncfs to any Work of Grace, or to any Canclufan
by a Syllogifm.
6. No Minifter can teach one that is anointed by
the SPIRIT of CHRIST, more than he knows already
unkfs it be in fome Cir cum fiances.
7. No Minifter can be an Inftrument to convey
more of CHRIST unto another, than he by his own
Experience hath come up to.
8. A Man is not effe&ually converted, -'till he
hath full Murance.
9. A Man cannot evidence his Juftification by
his Sanctification, but he muft. needs build upon his
San^ification, and trail to it.
10. The immediate Revelation of my good Eft at e^
without any Refpeffi to the Scriptures, is as dear t&
me as the Voice of GOD from Heaven to PAUL.
11. It /.f #' Fundamental and Soul-damning Er
ror, to make San&ification an Evidence of Juftifi
cation.
12. The SPIRIT givctb fiicb full and clear Evidence
of my good Eft ate, that I have w Need to be tried by
the Fruits of Sanctirlcation : This were to light a
Candle to the Sun.
13. Sanftification is fo far from evidencing a
good Eftate, that it darkens it rather ; and a Man
may more clearly fee CHRIST when he feet h no Sanc-
A 3 tificaticn,
vi The P R E F A C E.
tification, than when he doth : The darker my Sanc-
tification is, the brighter is my Juftification.
14. If a Member of a Church be unfatisfied with
any Thing in the Church, if'he exprefs his Offence,
whether he hath ufed all Means to convince the Church
or no, he may depart.
15. If a Man think he may edify letter in ano
ther Congregation, than in his own, that is Ground
enough to depart ordinarily from Word, Seals, Fall
ings, Feaflings, and all Adminiftrations in his own
Church, notwithflanding the Offence of the
Church often manifeiled to him for fo doing.
1 6. Where Faith is held forth by the Miniftry, os
the Condition of the Covenant of Grace on Man s
Party as alfo evidencing Juftification by San6lifi-
cation, and the Activity of Faith, in that Church
there is not fufficient Bread.*
Thefe are a few of the Errors, with which many be
gan to be infefted ; / fay a few, becaufe their
whole Number amounted' to upwards of fourfcore. 1
fJoould willingly have prefented the Reader, with a
* Thefe Opinions, however abfurd, were yet, many
of them, ftrongly pleaded for, as of vaft Impor
tance : Hence, among the Reafons given for the
meeting of the Synod, in 1637, to confider of thefe
Matters, this is one, becaufe the Opinionifls " pre-
** tended fuch aNsw-LiGHT as condemned all the
** Churches, as in a Way of Damnation ; and the
*' Difference to be in Fundamental Points, even as
" wide as between Heaven and Hell : And hence
" it was conceived, that all the Churches {hould con-
" fider of thisMatter^thatjif it were a Truth, it fhould
" be univerfally embraced ; but if it were an Error or
" Herefy it might be univerfally fuppreiTed, fo far as
" fuch a Meeting could reach. Afanufcript Copy of toe
Proceedings of the Synod ^ in 1637, Page 3.
Lift
The PREFACE. vii
Lift of them all ; but, not having Room, choofe to
confine my f elf- to thofe only which might be thought to
bear a Refemhlance to the unfafe Tenets of the pre-
fent Day. The reft may be feen in the Book, entit
led, The Story of the Rife, SV, of Antinomian-
ifm, &c, in NEW-ENGLAND. And let me add, the
Account there given of thefe Errors may be depend
ed on ; for having had Opportunity to compare it
with an ancient Manufcript Copy of the Proceedings
cf the Synod, in 1637, I find it to he a very exact
Catalogue of the Opinions condemned by that Aflem-
bly of Churches, f
It may, at firft, View feem ftrange, how thefe
Errors ( many of them being fo grofs ) fhould fpread
fo faft, and prevail Jo generally ; but the fr&nder
mil ceafe, if we " conjider the Slights they ufed in,
fomenting their Opinions : Some of which I /hall fet
down ; as,
I. They laboured much to acquaint themfetves with
as many as pqffibly they could, that fo they might
have the better Opportunity to communicate their NEW-
LIGHT to them.
" 2. Being once acquainted with them, they wouW
" Jlrangely labour to infinuate themfelves into their
•f " All the Churches unanimoufly confented 'to the
cc Condemnation of them, except diverfe of BOSTON,
" one or two at CHARLESTOWN, one at SALEM,
" one at PLYMOUTH, one at DUXBURY, two at
*• WATERTOWN : And althoagb- Mr. COTTONT
<c fet not down his Hand as the reft of the Elders
f did ; yet he thus exprefied himfelf, in Difrclifh
' of them, that fome ivere blafpbemaus and heretical,
<c many erroneous, and all incongruous " A4anu-
fcript Copy. P. 46.
A 4 " Affeftions,
viii The PREFACE.
r, by loving Salutes, humble Carriage, kind
lnviiemf;its, friendly Vifits ; and fo they would
" win upon Men, and Jleal into their Bofoms, before
" they were aware : Tea, as foon as any New-
" Comers (efpecialiy Men of Note, Wonh and Acti-
" vhy, fit Injtruments to advance their Dcfign )
" were landed, they would be fire to welcome thtrn,
" fjjcw them all Court '/fy, and offer them Room in
c their own Houfes, or of fome of their Seel ; and
cc having gotten them into {heir Web, they could eafily
" foifon them by Degrees : It was rare for any
" Man thus hooked in to efcape their Leaven.
" 3. ( Eecaufe fuch Men as would f educe others
<c had need be fome Fyray eminent^ they would appear
" very humble, holy and fpiritual CHrijiians, and full
4 of CHRIST ; they would deny themfefaes far,
fpeak excellently, pray with Soul ravi firing Expref-
wns and Affections, that a Stranger that loved
Goodnefs could not but love and admire them, and
fo be the more eajily drawn after them ; looking
upon them as Men and Women as likely to know
the Secrets of CHRIST, and Bofom-Counfels of his
SPIRIT, as any other. And this Opinion of them
r?ffis the more lifted up, through the Simplicity and
PFeaknefs of their Followers, who would, in Admi
ration of them, tell others, that, fmce the Apoille's
Time, they were perfwadcd, none ever received fo
much Lighc from GOD, as fuch and fuch had
done, naming their Leaders.
" 41 As they woitld lift up themfelves, fo alfo their
Opinions^ by guUdlng than ever with fpecious Terms
of free Grace, glorious Light, Gofpel Truths,
as holding forth naked CHRIST : And this took
much with j^,)- pie honejl Hearts that loved CHRIST ;,
efpecially ^ with new Converts, who ' were lately
under
Ji
The P R E F A C E. ix
<c under Sin and Wrath, and had newly tajled the
« S-wcetnefs of free Grace. Being now in their firft
" Lorn to CHRIST, they were exceeding glad to
" embrace any Thing that might further advance
" CHRIST, and free Grace ; and fo drank them
" in readily.
" 5- ff they met with Chrijlians that were full
" of Doubts and Fears about their Conditions, ( as
" many tender and godly Hearts there were ) they
" would tell them, they had never taken a right
" Courfe for Comfort, but had gone on ( as they
" were led ) In a legal Way of evidencing their
« good Eftate by San&ification, and gazing after
" (Qualifications in themfelves ; and would fhe-iv
" them, from their own Experience, that themfelves,
" for a long Time, were befooled even as they are
" now, in poring upon Graces in themfelves, anl
u while they did fo, they never proffered, but were
cc driven to pull all that Building down, and lay
"• better and furer Foundations in free Grace ; and
" then would tell them of this Gofpel-Way we fpeak
" of, how they might come to fuch a fettled Peace,
" that they might never doubt more, though they
« fliould fee no Grace at all in themfelves : An&
" fo (as it is faid of the Harlot's dealing with the
" young Man, Prov. 7. 21.) with much fair Speech
" they caufed them to yield, with the flattering of their
<' Lips they forced them*
cc 6. They commonly laboured to work firfl upon
(i Women, being (as they conceived") the weaker to
<- rejifl ; the more flexible, tender, and ready to
" yield : And if they could once wind in them, they
(C hoped by them, as by an EVE, to catch their Huf-
" bands aJfo ; which indeed often proved too true a-
<( motig us then.
7. A*
cc
tf
The PREFACE.
7. As foon as they had thus wrought in them-
fehes, and, a good Conceit of their Opinions, by all
" thefe Ways of Subtilty, into the Hearts of People ;
<l nexfly, they ftrongly endeavoured, with all the
" Craft they could, to undermine the good Opini-
" on of their Minifters, and their Dodlrine, and
" to work them clean out of their Affections ; telling
" them, they were forry that their Teachers had to
u mifled them, and trained them up under a Cove-
" nant of Works, * and that them/elves having
" never been taught of GOD, it is no Wonder
" they did no better teach them the Truth, and how
" they may fit 'till Dooms-Day under their legal
" Sermons, and never fee Light; and withal, fome-
cf times, caftingAfperfions on theirPerfons,and Prac-
u tice, as well as Do6lrine, to bring them quite out
" of Efleem of them. And this they did fo effectually
* Mr. JOHNSON, writing of thefe Times, obferves,
" that the good old Way would not ferve the Turn
6 with certain Se&aries, who, like cunning Sophif-
" ters, feeing the Bent of the People's Hearts (after
e fo many Mercies received ) was to magnify the
" -rich Grace of GOD in CHRIST, began to tell
4 the People ( yet very privately ) that the mofl^ if
* not all the Minifters among them, preached a
' Covenant of Works ^ either courfe or fine ; and
*c with a what do you fay to this ? Vid. his Won-
der-working Providence of SIGN'S SAVIOUR, P. 93.
In the next Page he goes on to fpeak of them, <c as
" perfwading the People, their Minifters were legal
c Preachers^ teaching them little better than
" Popery^ and unfit for Gofpel Churches. Here's
4 nothing, fays one of them, but preaching out of
* the Law and the Prophets. Truly, fays another
' of them, I have not heard a pure Gofpel-Sermon
" from any of them."
that
The PREFACE. xi
" that many declined hearing them, though they
" were Members of their Churches ; and others
" that did hear, were fo filled with Prejudice that
" they profited not, but ftudied how to objeft
" againft them, and cenfure their Doctrine, which
" (whilfl they flood right) was wont to make their
" Hearts to melt and tremble. Tea, fome that had
« been begotten to CHRIST by fome of their faith-
" ful Labours in ENGLAND, for whom they could have
" laid down their Lives, and not being able to bear
" their Abfence followed them to NEW-ENGLAND, to
" enjoy their Labours ', yet thefe, falling acquainted
" with thoff Seducers, were fuddenly fo altered in
" their Affections towards thofe their J pint ual Fathers,
fs that they would neither hear ihem, nor willing-
" ly come in their Company ; profeiling they
te had never received any Good from them.
" 8. They would not, 'till they knew Men well,
" open the whole Myjlery of their new Religion to
" them ; but this was ever their Method, to drop a
" little at once into their Followers as they were ca-
" pable, and never would adminifler their Phyfick,
" 'till they bad given good Preparatives to make it
" work, and then flronger and ftronger Potions, as.
(f they found the Patient able to bear.
9. They would in Company, now and then, let
fome of their moft plaufible Errors, as a Bait
laid down to catch withal : Now if any began to
nibble at the Bait, they would angle Jlill, and ne
ver give over 'till they had caught them ; but if any
fhould efpy the naked Hook, and fo fee their Danger,
andprotejl againft the Opinions, then you ftould have
them fairly retreat, and fay, nay, miflake me not,
for I do , mean even as you do ; you and I are
both of one Mind in Subjlance, and differ only in
Xii The PREFACE.
" Words. — By this Machivilian Policy, thefe Delu-
" ders were reputed found in their Judgments^ and
" fo were able to do the more Hurt, and were longer
" undetected.
cc 10 — ii. But the la ft and worjl of all, and
" which moft fuddenly diffuid the Venom of thefe O-
fc pinions into the very Veins, and Vitals of the Peo-
" pie In the Country, was Mrs. double week-
(f ly J,e6iure." — This Mrs. , to give fome Ac
count of her, from the Author of the Rile and Reign
of AnJnomianifm in NEW- ENGLAND, Pag. 33, 34.
was a Woman of a nimble Wit and active Spirit y and
a very voluble Tongue, more bold than a Man, though
in Underftanding and Judgment, inferior to many
Women. She had dif covered fome of her Opinions In
the Ship as (he came over, which occaftond fome De
lay of her Admifjion, when foe firjl defer 'd Fellow/hip
with the Church of BOSTON ; but by colouring her
Opinions, [he got admitted into the Church, and foon
went to PVork ; and being a Woman very helpful
in the Times of Child-Birth, and other Occafions of
bodily Infirmities, and well-furnifh'd with Means for
thofe 'Purpofes, fbe eafily infenuated her felf into the
Mffeftions of mtfny ; and -the rather, hecaufe fljz
was very inquijitive about their fpiritual Eftates, and
in dlfcovering to them the Danger they were in by
trufting to common Gifts and Graces, without ar.y
fuch Witnefs of the SPIRIT as the Scripture holds
out for a full Evidence ; — all which was well, and
futed with the public Miniflry : But when floe had
thus prepared the Way by fuch wholfome Truths, then
fbe began to fet forth her own Stuff, and taught, that
no Sanftification was any Evidence of a good E-
ilate, except their Jollification were firft cleared up
te them by the immediate Witnefs of the SPIRIT ;
and that to fee any Work of Grace (either Faith or
Repentance,
The PREFACE.
Repentance, &c. ) before this immediate Witnefs
was a Covenant of Works : ^hereupon many good
Souls, that had been of long-approv ' d Bjblinefs, were
brought to renounce all the Work of Grace in
them, and to wait for this immediate Revelation.
Then fprung up alfo the Opinion of the indwelling of
the Perfon of the HOLY GHOST, and of Union
with CHRIST, and Juftification before Faith, and
a denying of any Gifts or Graces, or inherent
Qualifications ; and that CHRIST was all, and did
all, and that the Soul remained always as a dead
Organ, and other grofs Errors. —It was indeed a
Wonder, -upon what a fudden the whole Church of
BOSTON ( feme few except ed} were become her new
Converts and infected with her Opinions : And ma
ny alfo out of the Church, and of other Churches, yea,
many profane Perfons became of her Opinion ; f^r
it was a very eafy and acceptable Way to Heaven,
to fee nothing, to have nothing, but to wait for CHRIST
to do all. After floe had thus prevail' d, and drawn
feme of eminent Place and Parts to her Party, fhe
kept open Houfe for all Comers, and fet up two Lec
ture-Days in the Week, when there ufually met at
her Houfe threefcore or four] core Perfons. The Pre
tence was to repeat Servians ; but when that was
done, floe would comment upon the Doftrines, and in
terpret all PaJJages at her Pleafure, and expound dark
Places of Scripture,, fo as whatfoever the Letter held
forth (for this was one of her Tenets, that the whole
Scripture in ^the Letter of it held forth nothing
but a Covenant of Works ) fhe would be fure to
make it ferve her Turn, for the confirming her main
Principles, whereof this was another, that the darker
our Sandlification is, the clearer is our Juftificati-
on. And indeed mojl of her Tenets tended to Sloth*
fulnefs, and quench all Endeavours in the Creature.
And fiow there was no Speech fo much in Ufe as of
vilifying
xiv The PREFACE.
vilifying San 6lification, and all for advancing CHRIST
and free Grace.— -All indeed that oppofed this Wo
man ( being near all the Elders, and mofl of the
faithful Chrijlians in the Country^) floe fpoke of as un
der a Covenant of Works, that fhe might with the
more Credit difclofe and advance her M after -piece of
immediate Revelations, under the fair Pretence of
the Covenant of free Grace : Wherein fbe had not
failed of her Aim, to the utter Subverfwn both of the
Churches, and the civil State, if the moft wife and
merciful Providence of the LORD had not -prevented
it, by keeping fo many of the Magiflrates and Elders
free from the Infection.
Thefe were the cunning Sleights ufed for. the Dread
ing of Error, not only in the Church of BOSTON, where
mojl of thefe Seducers lived, but alfo in almoft all
Parts of the Country. Befides which, the Sectaries
( to ufe the Words of Mr. JOHNSON f ) cc had other
" pretty Knacks to delude with all ; fuch as the tell-
" ing of rare Revelations of Things to come from
" the SPIRIT, and the weakening the Word of the
" LORD in the Mouth of his Minifters, by putting
" ignorant and unlettered Men and Women in a
" Pofture of preaching to a Multitude, that they might
" be praifed for their able Tongue, Come along with
" me, fays one of them, III bring you to a Woman
" that preaches better Gofpel than any of your black-
" Coats that have been at the Univerjity ; a WQ-
" man of another Kind of Spirit 9 'who hath had ma-
" ny Revelations of Things to ^ome : And for my
" Party faith he, I had rather hear fuch a one that
" /peaks from the meer Motion of the SPIRIT,
f V id, His Winder -working Prcvidence of SIGN'S SA
VIOUR, in NEW-ENGLAND, P. 95, 96.
without
The P R E F A C E. xv
v without any Study at all, than any of your learn-
" ed Scholars, although they may be fuller of Scrip-
" ture ; ay, and admit they may fpeak by the Help
«• of the SPIRIT, yet the other goes beyond them.—
«• By which, and divers other fuch like Matters, which
" might be here Inferted,^ you may fee how thefe Seft-
" arles, love the Pre-eminence, and for this find feek
" to deprive the Minifters of CHRIST, Inveigling as
" many as 'they can In the Head, that they take too
" much upon them, fc offing at their Scholar -like Way
" of Preaching, wherein the grofs Dljjimulatlon of
" thefe erroneous Perfons hath appeared exceedingly."
The Opinions being thus fpread In 'the Country,
" and grown to their full Rlpenefs and Latitude,
" through the Nimblenefs and Activity of their Fo-
" menters, began now to lift up their Heads full high,
" to Jlare us in the Face, and confront all that op-
<c pofed them. t And what added Flgour and Boldnefs
" to them was, that, by this Time, they had fome of
u all Sorts and Quality, In all Places, to defend anil
" patronife them ', fome of the Magiftrates, fome
" Gentlemen, fome Scholars, and Men of Learn-
" ing, fome BurgeiTes of the General Court, fome
" of our Captains and Souldiers, fome chief Men
<c in Towns, and fome Men eminent for Religion,
<c Parts and Wit. So that, wherefoever the Cafe
ft of the Opinions came in Agitation, there wanted
cc not Patrons to fland up to plead for them ; and
" if any of the Opinionifts were complained of in
<f the Courts for their Mif demeanours, or brought
" before the Church for Conviction or Cenfure, ftill
*c fome or other of that Party would not only fufpend
« giving their Vote agalnfl them, but would labour to
" jufltfy them, fide with them, and protefl agalnfl a-
" ny Sentence that fhould pafs upon them ; and fo
" be ready not only to harden the Delinquent agalnfl
all
Stvi The PREFACE.
" all Means of Convittion, but to raife a Mutiny if
ff the Major-Part fhould carry it againft them : So,
" in Town-Meetings, Military-Trainings, and -til
" other Societies, yea, almoft in every Family, it
" was hard, if fome or other were not ready to rife
" up in Defence of them, even as of the Apple of their
" own
" Now, 0 their Boldmjs, Pride, Alienations from
their old and dear eft Friends, the Dijlurbancss, Di-
vijions, Contentions, they raifed among us9 both in
Church and State, and in Families, fetting Dim-
fions betwixt Husband and
cf Oh the fore Cenfures againft all Sorts that op-
<c pofed them, and the Contempt they caft upon our
" godly Magistrates, Churches, Minifters, and all
*4 that were fet over them, when they ftood in their
44 Way \
" Now the faithful Minifters of CHRIST nmft
" have Dung caft on their Faces, and be no better
than
Obfervable are the Words of Mr. JOHNSON, con
cerning the religious State of Things at this Time.
Says he, " There was among all Sorts of Perfons a
" great Talk of NEW-LIGHT ; but verily it prov-
' ed old Darknefs, fuch as fometime over&adoweJ
" the City of MUNSTER. The bettter Part of
" the People flood ftill many of them, gazing one
£ upon another, like Sheep let loofe to feed on frefii
*s Pafture, being flopped and ftartled in their Courfe
c by a Kennall of devouring; Wolves. The weaker
" Sort wavered much, and fuch as were jnore grown
" Chriftians hardly durft difcover the Truth the/
" held, one to another, The Fogs of Error in«
creafm^,
The PREFACE. xvii
*< than LEGAL PREACHERS, BAAL'S PRIESTS, POPISH
" FACTORS, SCRIBES, PHARISEES, and OPPOSERS OF
cc CHRIST HIMSELF.
" Now they muft be pointed at, as It were, with
" the Finger, and reproached by Name. Such a
" Church-Officer is an ignorant Man, and knows
" not CHRIST ; fuch an one is under a Covenant
" of Works ; fuch a Paflor is a proud Man,
" and would make a good Perfecutor ; fuch a Teach-
" er is grofly popiih : So that, thro' thefe Re-
" proacbes, Occafion was given to Men to abhor the
" Offerings of the LORD.
" Now one of them, in a folemn Convention of Ml-
*c nifters, dared to fay to their Faces, that they
" did not preach the Covenant of free Grace,
" and that they themfehes had not the Seal of
" the SPIRIT, l&c.
" Now, after our Sermons were ended, at our pub-
" lie Lectures, you might have fan ha-f a -Dozen
" creafing, the bright Beams of the glorious Gofpel
" of our LORD CHRIST, in the Mouth of his Mi-
' nifters, could not be difcerned, through this thick
" Mifl, by many ; and that fweet refreihing
*' Warmth, that was formerly felt from the SPI-
<c RIT*S Influence, was now turn'd (in thefe Error-
{ ifls] to a hot Inflammation of their own conceited
" Revelations , ulcerating and bringing little elfe than
cc Phrtnfy or Madntft to the Patient. The Con-
' gregation of the People of GOD began to be for-
* faken ; and the weaker Sex prevailed fo far, that
' they fet up a Priefl of their own ProfeJJton and
* Sex, who was much throng'd after, abominably
" wreftingthe Scriptures to their own Deftru&ion."
The PREFACE.
" Pijlols difchargd at the Face of the Preachtr,
" fo many Objections ( / mean ) made by the Opini-
" onifts, in the open Affembly, againft our Doftrine
« delivered, if it futed not their new Fancies, to
" the marvellous weakening of holy Truths delivered,
tf in the Hearts of all the weaker Sort ; and this
fi done, not ence and away, but from Day to Day af-
" ter our Sermons ; yea, they would come, when
<c they heard a Minifter was upon fuch a Point as
cc was like tojlrike their Opinions, with a Purpofe
ct to oppofe him to bis Face.
" Now you might have feen many of the Opini-
<c onifts rifing up, and contemptuoufly turning
" their Backs upon the faithful Paftor of that
" Church, and GOING FORTH FROM THE ASSEMBLY,
" when he began to pray or preach.
( ' Now, you might have heard one of them preach-
u ing a mojl dangerous Sermon, in a great Affeinbly,
" when he divided the whole Country into two Ranks,
" fome (that were of his Opinion^ under a Covenant
<f of Grace, and thofe were Friends to CHRIST ;
<c others, under a Covenant of Works, whom they
*' might know by this, if they evidence their
" good Eftate by their Sanftification : Thofe
" ( faid he ) were ENEMIES TO CHRIST, HE-
<c RODS, PILATES, SCRIEES and PHARISEES ; yea,
u ANTICHRISTS : And advis'd all under a Covenant
" of Grace to look upon them as fuch, and did with
ft great Zeal fiimulate tbem to deal with them as
( c they would with fuch ; and whhall alledging the
" Story of MOSES that killed the EGYPTIAN, barely
" left it fo. I mention not this, or any Thing in
" the leaji Degree, to reflect upon this Man, or any
Ci other ; for GOD hath long Jince opened his Eyes
fi (/ hope} : But to jloe-w what Racket thefe Opi
nions
The PREFACE:
" nions did then make, and mil whenever they get
« Head.
(C Now, you might have feen open Contempt cajl
" upon the. Face of the whole General Court in fubtle
« Words to this very Effeft ; that the Magiftrates
" were AHABS, AMAZIAHS, SCRIBES and PHARISEES,
" ENEMIES TO CHRIST, led by Satan that old Enemy
" of free Grace ; and that it were better that a
« Milftone were hung about their Necks, and they
" were drowned in the Sea, than they fhould cenfure
" one of their Judgment, which they were now about
" to do.
"Another of them you might have feen fo audadoufly
<4 infolent, and high-flown in Spirit and Speech, that
/he bad the Court of Magiftrates (when they wers
about to cenfure her for her pernicious Carriages )
take Heed, what they did to her ; for floe knew}
by infallible Revelation, that, for this Aft which
They were about to pafs againfl her, GOD would
ruin them, their whole Pofterity, and the Com-
mon- Wealth.*
" By a little Tafte of a few PaJJages, in/lead of
Multitudes, here prefented, you may fee, what a
b 2 Height
This refers to a Gentlewoman, who, when before the
Court to anfwer for her Mal-Condu6t, among other
Things, faid to them, "I will give you one Place more,
" which the LORD bro'tto me by immediate Revela-
4< tion, and that doth concern you all. It is in Dan. 6.
" When the Prejtdents and Princes could find nothing a -
6t gain ft him, becaufe be was faithful they fought Matter
" again/I him concerning the Law of his GOD, to call
" him into the Lyons Den : So it was revealed to me,
/ " that
xx The P R E F A C E.
" Height they were grown to, in a fliort Time ; and-
" what a Spirit of Pride, Infolency, Contempt of Au-
"..thority, Divifion, Sedition, they were afted by. It
" was a Wonder of Mercy , that they had not fet our
" Common-Wealth and Churches on Fire, and con-
" fumed us all therein.
They being mounted to this Heighth, and carried
ih fuch a Jtrong Hand ( as you have heard), and
feeing a Spirit of Error, Subtilty, Malice, and Con
tempt of all Men that were not of their Minds,
" that they {hould plot againft me ; but the LORD
' bid me not to fear, for he that delivered DANIEL
tc and the three Children, his Hand is not (hortned.
c And fee this Scripture this Day fulfilled in min«
:c Eyes : therefore take heed what ye go about to do
" unto me, for ye have no Power over my Body, nei-
*c ther can yc do me any Harm : for I am in the
<c Hands of the ETERNAL JEHOVAH MY SAVIOUR.
" No further do I eftecm of any mortal Man than
:c Creatures in his Hand : I fear none but the GREAT
tc JEHOVAH, who hath/0r*/0W me of thefe Things,
<c and I do verily believe that he will deliver me out
ct of your Hands : Therefore take heed how you pro-
" ceed againft me, for I know that for this you go a-
lc bout to do to me, GOD will ruin you, and your
" Po/lerity^ and this whole State. When (he had thus
<c vented her Mind, the Court demanded of her, how
<c (he expefted to be delivered, whether by Miracle
" as DANIEL was ? To which fhe anfwered, Yes;
" by Miracle as DANIEL was. Being further de-
<l manded, how (he knew that it was GOD that did
ct raw*/ thefe Things to her, and not Satan ? She
" anfwered, How did ABRAHAM know that it was
ie ihtFoice cfGOD^when he commanded him tofacri-
<c fee his SotJ" The Court foon made it appear, that
her Revelations were Dtlufions. Vid. The Story of
ANTINOMIANISM in NEW-ENGLAND, P. 40.
" breathing
The PREFACE. xxi
" breathing in them, our Hearts fadded, and our Spi-
tf rits tired, we feghed and groaned to Heaven, we
" humbled our Souls by Prayer and Fafting that the
" LORD would find out, and blefs fome Means ani
" Ways for the Cure of this Sore, and deliver his
" Truth and our felves from this heavy Bondage :
" Which, when his own Time was come, he hearkened
" unto, and in infinite Mercy looked upon our Sorrows,
" and did, in a wonderful Manner, beyond all Ex-
" peftation, free us by tkefe Means following.
" i. He jlirred up all ffo Minifter's Spirits, in the
Country, to preach againft thofe Errors,
tices, that fo much peftered the Country, to inform,
" to confute, to rebuke, &fc. thereby to cure thofe that
c< were difeafed already, and to give Antidotes to the
" refty t° preferve them from Infection : And tho>
<c this Ordinance went not without its appointed Ef-
" feel, in the latter Refpeft ; yet, we found it not
" f° effectual for the driving away of this Infection
ic as we defired, for they ( moft of them ) hardened
" their Faces, and bent their Wits to Qppofe, and con-
" firm themf elves in their Way.
" 2. We fpent much Time and Strength in Cort-
(f ference with them, fometimes in private before the
" Elders only, fometimes in our public Congregati-
u ons for all Comers ; many, very many Hours,
" and half Days together we fpent therein, to fee if
" any Means might prevail We gave them free
" Leave, with all Lenity and Patience, to lay down
" what they could fay for their Opinions, and an-
" fwered them from Point to Point, and then brought
" clear Arguments from evident Scriptures againft
" them, and put them to anfeuer Things, even until
" they were oftentimes brought to be cither filent, or
driven
xxiz The PREFACE.
" driven to deny common Principles, or fiuffle off
" plain Scripture ; and yet, (fitch was their Pride
" and Hardnefs of Heart, that ) they would not yield
" to the Truth, but did tell us they would take Time
"to confuler of our Arguments : And, in the mean
" Time, meeting with their Abetters, ftrengthened
tf themfehes again in their old Way, that when we
" dealt with them next Time, we found them further
" off than before, Jo that our Hopes began to Ian-
of reducing them by private Means.
<(
" 3. Then we had an AfTembly of all the Mini-
fters and learned Men in the whole Country, which
held for three Weeks together at CAMBRIDGE, Mr.
HOOKER and Mr,. BUCKLEY, being chofcn Mode-
rators, or Prolocutors, the Magiflrates fating
prefent all that Time, as Hearers, and Speakers alfo
when they faw fit. A Liberty alfo was given to any of
the Country to come in and hear, (it being appointed, in
great Part, for the Satisfaction of the People} and
a Place was appointed for all the Opinionifts to
come in, and take Liberty of Speech ( only due
Order obferved ) as much as any of our f elves had,
and as freely. The firft Week we fpent in con-
futing the loofe Opinions that we gathered up in
the Country. — The other Fortnight we fpent in a
plain fy/logijlical Difpute (ad Vulgus as much as
might bi)9 gathered up nine of the chief eft Points
(on which the reft depended} and difputed of them
all in Order, pro and con.— -GOD was much pre-
Jent with his Servants, Truth began to get Ground,
and the adverfe Party to be at a Stand ; but af-
ter Difcourfe among themfehes, ftill they hardened
cne another : Tet, the Work of the ^flembly (thro9
GOD's BkJJing) gained much on the Hearers that
were indifferent, to ftrcngthen them ; and on many
wavering, to fettle them. The Error of the Opi-
" nions,
The PREFACE, xxiii
" nions, and Wilfulnefs of their Maintainers laid
" Jlark naked*
" The lafl Stroke that Jlcw the Opinions, was the
" falling away of their Leaders, (i.) Into more
" hideous, and Soul-deftroywg Delufions, which ruin,
" indeed, all Religion ; as, that the Souls of Men are
" mortal like the Beafts ; that there is nofuch Thing
" as inherent Righteoufnefs ; that thefe Bodies of
" ours (hall not'rife again ; that their own Revelati-
" ons of particular Events were as infallible as the
" Scripture, &c. (2.) They grew alfo (many of
" them ) very loofe, and degenerate in their Prac-
" tices ( for thefe Opinions will certainly produce a
" filthy Life by Degrees ) ; as no Prayer in their
" Families, no Sabbath, infufferable Pride, fre-
" quent and hideous Lying ; diverfe of them being
<f proved guilty, fome of five, others of ten grojs
" Lies: Another falling into a Lie, GOD fnwte him
" in the very Aft, that lie funk down into a deep
" Swound, and being by hot Waters recovered, and
cc coming to hinifelf^faid. Oh GOD, thou might eft
" haveftmck me dead, as ANANIAS and SAPPHIRA,
" for I have maintained a Lie. Mrs. and others-
(f cafl out of the Church for Lying; and fome guilty
" of FOULER SINS than all thefe, which I here name
" not.
" Thefe Things exceedingly amazed their Follower^
" ( efp'&ially fuch as were led after them in the Sim-
The next Thing mentioned as a Means then ufed
for the SuppreiTion of Diforders, was the Irxterpofition
of the civil Magiftrate ; but this I have intireiy paiF-
ed over, becaufe a juft Idea of it can't be conveyed
to the World, without 'a greater Number of. Pages
than I can fpare for the whole Preface.
xxiv The PREFACE.
" plicity of their Hearts, as many i^ere} and now they
" began to fee that they were deluded by them.— Now
" no Man could lay more upon them than they would
" upon themfelves, in their Acknowledgements. Many,
" after this, came to fa, who before fled from us,
" with fitch Defires as thofe, Afts 2. Men and Bre-
Ct thr en, What lhall we do ? And did willingly take
" Shame to themfelves, in the open AJJemblies, by con-
" fe(Tmg (fome of them with many Tears") how they had
" given Offence to the LORD, and his People, by de-
" parting from the Truth y and being led by a Spirit of
" Err or , their Alienation from their Brethren in their
" Affe&ionS) and their crooked and perverfe walking in
" Contempt of Authority, flighting the Churches, and
(t def pifing the Counfel of their godly Teachers.
" Now they would freely dif cover the Sleights the
" Adverfaries had ufed to undermine them by, andfteal
u away their Eyes from the Truth, and their Brethren,
(c which before ( whilft their Eyes were featd ) they
" could not fee. And the Fruit of this was great
" Praife to the LORD, who had thus wonderfully
(C hro't the Matter about ; Gfolnefs in all our Hearts
" and Faces, and ExpreJJions of our renewed Affefti-
*' on by receiving them again into our JBofom : And
" from that Time until now they have walk' d( ace or d-
" ing to their renewed Covenants') humbly and loving-
" ly among its, holding forth Truth and Peace with
" Power.
(i But from the reft, who (notwithjlanding allthefe
c< Means of Conviftion) yet flood obdurate, yea, more
<4 hardned (as we had Rcafon to fear} than before,
" we converted thoje of them that\ were Members
" before the Churches, and yet laboured once and again
" to convince them, not only of their Errors, but alfo
" of jundry exorbitant Pra6lices wbicb they had
" fallen
The PREFACE.
XXV
ft fallen into, as manifeft Pride, Contempt of Autho-
" rity, neglecting to hear the Church, and lying &c :
cc But after no Means prevailed, we were driven with
" fad Hearts to give them up to Satan ; yet not
" fimply for their Opinions ( for which I find we
tc have been Jlanderoufly traduced}, but the chief eft
<c Caufe of their Cenfure, was their Mifcarriages
" perfefted in with great Obftinacy.
" Thus the LORD heard our Groans to Heaven,
" and freed us from this great and fore Affliction,
€i which firft was fmall, like ELIAS'S Cloud, but after
" fpread the Heavens ; and hath given the Churches
<c refi from this Difturbance ever fine e, that we know
" none that lifts up his Head to diftiub our fweet
" Peace, in any of the Churches of CHRIST among
" us : BleJJed be his Name"
This, in brief f, is a juft Account of the religious
Commotion in the Country ', foon after its firft Settle*
ment by our Fathers ; which I could not omit prefent-
ing the Reader with, hoping it might be of Service
at fuch a Day as this.— Few, I believe, will venture
•f- I fay in brief, becaufe fome Things I have only
hinted at, wJiile I have intirely fuppreiTed others, which
might have been gratifying to the Curious. The
Difputes (preferved at large in Writing) between the
Synod and MeilieursCoTTON and WHEELWRIGHT,
upon fome of the grand Points in Agitation at that
Day, would, perhaps, fet fome of our prefent Coritro-
verfies in a juft Li^ht. But the inferting thefe would
have taken up too much Room. I fhould be glad if a
compleat Fliftory of thefe Times might be wrote. I
know there are authentick Materials fufficient for fuch
a Purpofe ; and it might be of Advantage to the pre
fent, as well as Times to come.
to
xxvi The P R E F A C^E.
to difown a Likenefs between the Difturbances then
and now: They are indeed fuprijingly fimilar ; info-
much, that, if I had not fpoken in Language, Part
of which was in Print, fifty ; and Party eighty Tears
ago, feme, I doubt not, would have imagined, I had
purpofely gone into the Ufe of certain Words and
Phrafes, to make former Times look like the prefent;
and not only fo, hut that I -had artfully given Things a
Turn, fo' as to lead People, while they were reading
of ancient Days, to think of thofe that are but juft
paft. The Boldnefs and Infolency of fome of the
Zealots of this Day ; their Alienations from their
old Friends ; the Difturbances, Contentions, Separa
tions, and Schifms, they have raifed in the Country, in
Families, in Churches, in Towns ; the Reproaches
they have caft upon all who dont think as they do,
particularly upon the Body of the {landing Minifters :
Thefe, with other Things I need not mention, are as
fignificantly fpoken of, in the Words pointing out the
fad State of Religion in old-time, as any could now
adapt Language, were they inclind to defcribe what
has happened, of late, in various Parts of our Land.
And if People a few Tears fmce, bad generally known
what had befallen the Country, in its Beginnings, it
would have been, I can't but think, a great Prefer-
•ualive againft the Errors and Diforders they have
unhappily run into : Nor is it too late now to fitrnift
them with fomc general Hijlory of this. — It may ftill
le of Advantage, not only to guard thofe who are not
as yet infected, but to check the Growth of our Dif-
fici&ies ; especially, if due Attendance is given to the
Means and Methods ufed by our Fathers, when the
Churches, in their Day, were In Danger. — Their be
ing fpoken of under all the Names of Ignominy
and Contempt did not affright en them from Duty ;
no, but they appeared, notwithftanding, bold in. the Caitfe
of Truth and good Order, againjl all Opposition :
And
The PREFACE. xxvii
And having herein fet us a noble Example, we foall
do ^ell to follow their Steps.
It may not be amifs to obferve here, as the Church
of which I am a Paltor, was the only one in BOSTON,
in the Times I have been fpeaking of, Jo this was
the Church to which moft of the grand Opinionifts
belong d : And from hence it was, that Difturbance
went forth Into the Country.— Many of its Mem
bers depended upon the immediate Witnefs of the
SPIRIT for an Affurance of their good Ejlaie, fo as
to renounce San6iification as any Evidence in the
.Cafe ; which indeed was the Root of moft of the
Errors and Confufions in that Day.— Their belov
ed Teacher, Mr. COTTON, though a Gentleman of
considerable Parts, and Learning, and exemplary Piety ,
was yet not altogether free from Blame. The famous
Mr. NORTON int imates as much, while yet he fpcaks
honourably of him. His Words are theje* "Though
tf his Forbearance was both obfervable, and very imi*
" table, in the Things which concerned himfelf ; yet
" he could not forbear them whom he knew to be E-
(f vil. An Experience whereof we Jaw cementing
" fome Heterodox Spirits, who, by their fpec'wus
" Dlfcourfes of free Grace, and fubdolous concealing
" ef their Principles, fo far deceived him into a bet-
" ter Opinion of them than there was Caufe, as that^
" notwithjianding they fajimed their Errors up-
<f on him in general, and abufed his Doctrine y
" to the countenancing of their denying of inherent
" Grace in particular ; yet, he was flow' to be-
" lieve thcfe Things of them, and flower to bear Wit-
" nefs again ft them : But fo foon as the Truth
" herein appeared to him, hear his own Words taken
" out of his Letter to Mr. DAVENPORT ,-" the Truth
* Vid, His Life qf Mr, COTTON. P, 36, 37. ,
to
•xxviii The PREFACE.
" is, faith he, the Body of the Ifland [BOSTON] is
" bent to Backjliding into Error and Delufion : The
" LORD pity and -pardon them, and ME alfo, who
" have been fo flow to fee their Windings, and
" fubtle Contrivances, and Infmuations, in all their
" Tranfaftions."— Tea, fuch 'was his Ingenuity and
" Piety, as that his Soul was not fatisfied without
*' often breaking forth into affectionate bewailing of
" his Infirmity herein, in the public AJJembly, fome-
" times in Prayer, fometimes in Sermon j and that
« with Tears.'1
Thanks be to GOD, who notwithjlanding all our
Errors in Do&rine, and Diforders in Praftice, has
continued us a Church to this Day. — May the glo
rious King in Sion cleanfe and fanftify us ! protect
and blefs us ! And, at laft, prefent us to GOD, e-
ven the FATHER, a glorious Church, without Spot,
or Wrinkle, or any fuch Thing ! Amen. — Let us
always, my Brethren, hold f aft the Truth, with Peace
and Holinefs : And, if there are thofe among us,
who are Enemies to that which formerly Jlained our
Glory, it may not be thought Jlrange : Nor would
it be to the Reproach of this ancient Church, if it
fljould pleafe GOD to fucceed the following Attempt of
one of its Paftors, to put a Stop to like Errors and
Diforders with thofe, which once proceeded from it
to the public Hurt.
To conclude now with a few PFords concerning the
enfu'mg Treatife. — Had I wrote it to pleafe my felf,
it would have been without thofe numerous Quotati
ons, which, I am fenfible, have not only taken up q,
great Deal of Room, but made the Book kfs agreable
to many Readers. My Dejign herein was, to make
it evident, that the Divines, in mojl EJteem, in thefe
Churches, for their Piety and Soundnefs in the
Faith,
The PREFACE.
Faith, have fpoken in much the fame Language^ upon
the Things now in Agitation, with thofe who have
been called Oppofers of the Work of GOD, and
charged with leading Souls to Hell : And I was
in Hopes, what they faid might he regarded, if Con
tempt was poured upon what I offered in my own fiords.
And if this End may be anfwered, 1 (hall be content,
thd* 1 have appeared in a Form not fo well futed to my
own Inclinations.
It has been my Endeavour to write, fo as to give no
jufl Qccafion of Offence to any Gentleman, with
whom I have thought it needful to concern my felf. If
any Exprejfions have Jlipt from me which favour of Bit -
ternefs, I willingly retract them, and ask Pardon of
thofe, whoever they be, who may be ill-treated by them.
Some of the Language, in here and there a Paper I
have made ufe of, I own, is harfh ; and fhould have
been altered, had it been in my Power to have done it.
Whatever, in this Kind, may be delivered in too hard
Words, I hope will be over-look' d fofar as I am ac
countable for it.
As for Fa6h, I have related none but fuch as I really
believe my felf, and, as I think, upon fufficient Evidence.
Few, perhaps, have taken more Pains to inform them-
f elves than I have done. I have been a Circle of more
than three hundred Miles, and had, by this Means, an
Opportunity of going thro1 a great Number of Towns
in this, and the neighbouring Government of CONNEC
TICUT, and of having perfonal Converfation with mofl
of the Ministers, and many other Gentlemen, in the
Country, and of fettling a Correfpondence with feveral of
them, with a particular F'iew to know, as nearly as
might be, the Truth of Things, upon better Evidence
than that of meer Hear-fay. After all, I may have
been guilty of Mijlakes ; tho I am not confcious of it:
And
xxx The P R E F A C E.
And Ifhallbe obliged to any of my Fathers or Bre
thren in the Miniltry, or others, if they mil fit me
right wherein they may think' I have erred, whether
in Point of Faft, or Reafoning upon it. My Senti
ments upon the Times, I have freely offered, from the
Beginning, in federal Sermons, which have been made
publick ; and if, inflead of fecretly whifpering to
my Disadvantage, any, by the Way of the Prefs, or
private Conference/ had endeavoured to floow me
wherein I have delivered any Thing difhonorary to
the Caiife of Religion, I floould have ejljemed it a
Kindnejs. — / hope I have all along aimd at the pro
moting of Truth and Holinefs : This is the Fiew 1
profefs to write with at prefent ; and if I have ad
vanced that which has a contrary Tendency, I floould
le glad to be convinced of it, that I might make an
open Retra&ation.
/ expeft to be further loaded with ill Names : And
fo far as this may tend to render me lefs ufeful to
thofe I would he glad to ferve, I floall be forry : But
otherwife, 'tis with me a fmall Matter to be judg
ed of Man's Judgment : Nor floall I regard the
little Squibs that may be thrown at me by thofe, who
think the Caiife of truth will be better ferv'd by rail*
ing, than arguing. I floall not mi fp end my Time to
take Notice of wlyit may be faid. by fuch ; but if
any will be at . the ' Pains to give what I have offered
the public a fair and Chrijlian Examination, I ftall
think myfelf obliged to make them fome futable Ac
knowledgment.
CHARLES CHAUNCY.
A LIST of the SUBSCRIBERS.
HisExcELLENCY WILLIAM SHIRLEYWq;
Captain General and Governour in Chief over
His Majefty's Province of the Maffacbufetts-
Bay in New-England. (for fix)
The Honourable JONATHAN LAW Efq;
Governour of the Colony of Connecticut.
The Honourable RICHARD WARD Efq;
Governour of the Colony of Rhode-IJland and
Providence Plantations.
The Honourable SPENCER PHIPPS Efq; Lieutenant
Governour of the MaJJachufetts. (for two)
The Honourable WILLIAM DUMMER Efq; late Lieu
tenant Governour of the Maflhchufetts.(for three)
A
'TFHE Honourable John Alford of Charlejlown Efq;
(for three)
Mr. James Abbot of Rumford
Jedi$ah Adams M. A.
Mr. Daniel Adams of Suffield
Jofeph Adams of Springfield M. A.
Mr. Pygan Adams of New-London
Mr. Thomas Adams of Eaft-Haddam
Capt. Daniel Allen of New-Haven
Mr. Edward Allen of Milford
The Rev. Mr. William Allen of. Greenland (for two)
Mr. William Allen of Newbury
Samuel Andrew M. A.
Mr. Thomas Arthur B. A.
The Rev. Mr. Jonathan Afliley of DeerfieU
The
2 SUBSCRIBERS.
B
The Hon. Thomas Berry of Ipfwich Efq;
The Hon. William Brown of SalemE&$ (for three)
The Hon. John Buckley of Colchefter Efq; (for two)
The Hon. Peter Bourfe of Newport Efq;
Mr. John Bachelder of Kenfington
Mr. Nathan Bachelder of Kingfton
Mr. Jofeph Bachelder of Hampton
Mr. Jofiah Bachelder of Hampton
The Rev. Mr. Jacob Bacon of Afhuelot
Mr. Samuel Bailey of Newbury
Mr. Jofeph Baker
Mr. Robert Baker of Sudbury
The Rev. Mr. William Balch of Bradford
Mr. David Baldwin of Sudbury
The Rev. Mr. John Ballantine of Weftfieli
Mr. Benjamin Ballard
Mr. Jofiah Ballard
Mr. John Barker of Aft on
Mr. Jofeph Barns of A ft on
The Rev. Mr. Edward Barnard of Haverhill
The Rev. Mr. John Barnard of Marbkhead
The Rev. Mr. John Barnard of Andover (for three)
The Rev. Mr. Thomas Barnard of Newbury
Mr. John Barrell Merchant
The Rev. Mr. Samuel Barrett of Hopkington
Capt. -Richard Bartlet of Newbury
Samuel Barton of Salem Efq; ;
The Rev. Mr. Benjamin Bafs of Hanover
Mr. Thomas Baxter
The Rev. Mr. Abner Bayley of Methuen
Mr. Enoch Bayley of Newbury M. A.
John Henry Baflide Efq;
Mr. Jofhua Bayley of Newbury
Mr. James Beautineau Merchant (for fix)
Mr. John Becham
Mrs. Mary Bennet
Mr. Divan Berry of Wallmgford
Mr. Thomas Berry of Wallingford
SUBSCRIBERS. 3
Nathanael Bethune M. A. Merchant (for three)
Mr. Simon Bachelder of Kenfington
Mr. Jofeph Bartlet
Mr. James Bicknel of Hartford
Mr. Mofes Blake of Kenfington
Mr. Hezekiah Blake of Kfagfton
Mr. John Blowers
Mr. OiFen Boardman of Newbury
William Bowdoin M. A. Merchant (for three)
The Rev. Mr. Shearjafhub Bourne of Sdtuate
Mr. Ebenezer Bowditch of Salem Merchant
The Rev. Mr. Benjamin Bowers of Middkton
The Rev. Mr. Nicholas Bowes of Bedford
The Rev. Mr. Jonathan Bowman ofDorcheftef (for 2)
Mr. Nicholas Boylfton Merchant
Mr. Theophilus Bradbury of Newbury
William Bradbury of Salisbury Efq;
Mr. Gamaliel Bradford of Duxbury
The Rev. Mr. Simon Bradftreet of Marbkhead
Mr. Noadiah Brainard of Eaft-Haddam
William Brattle of Cambridge Efq;
The Rev. Mr. Robert Breck of Springfield
Mr. John Brewfter of Duxbury
Mr. William Brock Merchant
The Rev. Mr. James Bridgham of Brimfield
The Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Bridge of Chelmsford
Mr. Samuel Bridgham (for two)
Mr. Samuel Briscoe of Milford
Mr. Abijah Browne
Benjamin Browne of Salem Efq;
Mr. Ephraim Browne of Concord
Mr. James Browne of Newbury
Mr. Jonathan Browne of Kenfington
Mr. Jofiah Browne of Sudbury
Robert Brown of Plymouth Efq; (for fix)
Mr. Ebenezer Bryan of Milford
Jofeph Bryan of Milford M. A.
Jofeph Buckingham M. A.
c Capt.
4 SUBSCRIBERS.
Capt. Edward Buckley of Weatbersfield
The Rev. Mr. Nathan Bucknam of Medway
Mr. Abraham Burbank of Suffield
Mr. John Burbank of Suffield
Mr. James Burbeen of Wilmington
Mr. Tofeph Burbeen
The Rev. Mr. Ifaac Burr of Worcefter
The Rev. Mr. John Burt of Briftol (for nine)
Mr. Thomas Buttler (for two)
Mr, John Buttolph (for two)
Mr. Jofias Byles
C
The Hon. John Chandler of Woodftock Efq;
The Hon. John Cufliing of Scituate Efq,-
The Hon. John Chandler of Worcefter Efq;
The Hon. John Chipman of Newport Efq;
The Rev. Mr. Thomas Clap Rector of Tale- College
in New- Haven
John Cabot M. A.
Mr. Charles Caldwell of Guitford Merchant
Mr. Jofeph Calfe
The Rev. Mr. John Callender of Newport
Mr. Jofeph Callender
Mr. Samuel Carey jun.
Mr. Jofiah Carter
Mr. Thomas Carlton
Ths Rev. Mr. Jofeph Champney of Beverky
Mr. Samuel Chandler jun. of Concord
Mr. John Channing of Newport
Jofiah Chace of Newbury M. A.
The Rev. Mr. Stephen Chace of Lyn
Mr. Jofiah Chauncy of Hadley
David Cheesborough of Newport M. A. Merchant
Capt. Bartholomew Cheever
Mr. Nathanael Cheney of Newbury
The Rev. Mr. Thomas Cheney of Broikfield
Mr. Jonathan Church of Springfield
Mr. Elijah Ciap
The Rev. Mr. Supply Clap of Woburn
SUBSCRI HERS. J
Thomas Clap of Scituate Efq;
C-ipt. Jonathan Clark Merchant
Mr. Jofiah Clark
The Rev. Mr. Peter Clark of Sakm-Fillags
William Clark M. A. Phyfician
Mr. Enoch Cleveland of Acton
Mr. Samuel Clifford of Kenfington
Mr. Nathan Clough of Kenfington
Mr. Ebenezer Coburn
Mr. Seth Coburn
William Coddington jun. of Newport Efq;
The Rev. Mr. Peter Coffin of Kingfton
Mr. . Triftram Coffin of Newbury
John Colman Efq;
Capt. Nathanael Colman of Hatfield
Mr. David Colfon
Mr. John Colfon -
The Rev. Mr. Benjamin Colton of Hartford
Mr. Jonathan Colton of falling ford
The Rev. Mr. Jeremiah Condy
Jofiah Gonvers M. A. Phyfician
Mr. John Cook of Hartford
Middlecott Cook M. A.
The Rev. Mr. Samuel Cook of Cambridge
The Rev. Mr. William Cook of Sudbury
Mr. Richard Cotta (for two)
Mrs. Johannah Cottle of Newbury
The Rev. Mr. John Cotton of Newton
Jofiah Cotton of Plymouth Efq,-
Roland Cotton M. A.
Mr. John Cragin of A ft on
Major Jofeph Crosbey of Eraintree
Richard Crouch of Hadley Efq;
Mr. Robert Cum ing of Concord
Mr. Witter Cumin gs of Newbury (for two)
Mr. Ephraim Curtis of Sudbury
The Rev. Mr. Jeremiah Curtis of Pant born
The Rev. Mr. PHilip Curtis of Stougkton
c 2 George
6 SUBSCRIBERS^
George Curwin of Salem M. A.
Samuel Curwin of Salem M. A.
The Rev. Mr. Caleb Cuming of Salisbury
The Rev. Mr. James Cuming of Haverhitt
The Rev. Mr. Job Cuming of Shrewsbury
The Rev. Air. John Cuming of Boxford
Mr. Jofeph Cuming of Scitwte
Mr. Jonathan Cuming
Matthew Cufliing M. A.
Mr. David Guttler
Robert Cuttler B. A.
D
The Hon. Paul Dudley of Roxbury Efq;
The Hon. William Dudley of Roxbury Efq;
The Hon. Samuel Danforth of Cambridge Efq;
Capt. Michael Dal ton of Newbury
Mr. Ebenezer Darby of Concord
Thomas Darling M. A.
Mr. John Darrell
Mr. William Davenport of Newbury
The Rev. Mr. Jofeph Davis of Holden
Mr. James Davidfon of Milfird '3
Aaron Day M. A.
Seth Dean M. A.
Mr. Nathanael Delano of Duxbury
The Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Devotion of Wimlham
The Rev. Mr. James Diman of Salem
Mr. William Diodate of New-Haven Merchant
Mr. Jofeph Dow
William Downs M. A,
Mr. Samuel Dowfe of Charleftown
The Rev. Mr. Samuel Dun bar of St ought on
Mr. Shem Drown
Mr. Jofeph Dyar of Worcester
E
The Hon. William Ellery of Newport Efq,- (for two)
Mr. Benjamin Eaftabrook of Sudbury
Mr. Jofeph Edwards Bookfeller r (for twelve)
The Rev. Mr. Nathanael JEells of Scitutfe The
SUBSCRIBERS. 7
The Rev. Mr. Jacob Eliot of Lebanon
Mr. Edward Ellis Phyfician
Mr. Mofes Emery of Newbury
Mr. Stephen Emery of Newbury
Mr. Benjamin Emmons (for two)
Mr. David Enfign of Hartford
John Erving Efq; (for fix)
Mr. Francis Evelith
F
Henry Frankland Efq,- Colleftor of his Majefty's
Cuftoms for the Port of Bofton (for fix)
Mr. Barnabas Farnam of Rumford
Daniel Farnam of Newbury M. A. (for two)
Nathanael Farrand jun. of Milford M. A.
Mr. John Farwell
Mr. Jonathan Fiffield of Hampton
Benjamin Fitch M. A. (for two)
Benjamin FlaggEfq;Sheriffof theCounty offProrcejt&
The Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Flagg of Cheftnre
Mr. Jofeph Fletcher of Acton
Mr. Thomas Fleet Printer (for fix)
Capt. James Flucker of Charlefto-wn (for two)
Henry Flynt Efq; Fellow of Harvard -College
The Rev. Mr. Jeremiah Fogg of Kenfington
Mr. Edward Fofter of Suffield
The Rev. Mr. John Fowle of Hingham
Mr. Ifaac Fowles
Mr. John Fox
Mrs. Sarah Frankland (for fix)
Capt. Thomas Frankland Commander of his Majc-
fty's Ship Rofe (for two)
Mr. John Franklyn
The Rev. Mr. Thomas Frink of Rutland
Stephen Froft M. A. (for two)
Mr. John Fuller of Eaft-Haddam
G
The Hon. John Greenleafe of AT<?^r3/Efq;(forfix)
Mr. Mofes Gage of Bradford
Benjamin Gale of Killingf worth M. A. Phyfician (2)
Cape. Caleb Gardner of Newport
David Gardiner of New-London M. A. (for two)
8 SUBSCRIBERS.
The Rep. Mr. John Gardner of Stow
Nathanael Gardner M. A.
Samuel Gardner of Salem M. A.
Mr, Samuel Gardner Merchant
Mr. Jeremiah Gates of Eafl-Haddam
Mr. Jofeph Gates of Eaft-Haddam
Mr. Fh in eh as Gates of Stow
The Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Gay of Hin^ham
The Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Gay of Suffield
Mr. Lnflier Gay of Dedham
Mr. Bartholottiew Gedney
Hugh Geltfon of Long-IJland Efq;
Benjamin Gerrifh of Salem M. A. Merchant
Mr. Benjamin Gerrifh
Col. Jofeph Gerrifh of Newbury
Mr. Mofes Gerrifh of Ne-wbury
Samuel Gerrifh M. A. Merchant g,
Mr. Thomas Gib of Mi/ford
Nicholas Oilman of Kingfton Efq;
Mr. John Oilman of Kingfton (for two)
Henry Oibbs of Sakm M. A. Merchant
Samuel Gibfon M. A.
Mr. Timothy Gibfon of Stow
Mr. John Godfrey of Taunt on
Mr. Ezekiel Golcichwait (for two)
Capt. James Gooch of Hopkinton
Mr. John Gooch Merchant (for fix)
Ttie Rev. Air. Nathanael Gookin of Hampton
The Rev. Mr. Thomas Gofs of Boltm (for fix)
The Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Gould of Long-IJland
Mr. Harrifon Gray Merchant (for three)
Mrs. Abigail Green
Mr. Benjamin Green Merchant (for two)
Capt. Jeremiah Green (for four)
Mr. Jonas Green
Jofeph Green M. A.
Mr. Timothy Green of New-London Printer(for 6)
Mr. Jofeph Greenleafe of Newbwy
Mr.
SUBSCRIBERS. 9
Mr. RichardGreenleafeof NewburyMerA. (for 12)
Mr. Stephen GreenleafeM. A. Merchant (for two)
Mr. Triftram Greenleafe of Netvbury
Mr, Samuel Greenough of Newbury
The Rev. Mr. John Greenwood of Rehoboth
Samuel Greenwood M. A.
Jeremiah Gridley Efq;
H
The Rev. Mr. Edward Holyoke, Prefident of Har
vard College, in Cambridge. (for four)
Mofes Hale of Newbury M. A.
Mr. Nathan Hale of Newbury
Thomas Hale of Newbury Efq:
Mr. Jofeph Hall of Rumford
The Rev. Mr. Samuel Hall of Wallingfard (for three)
Capt. Stephen Hall
The Rev. Mr. Theophilus Hall of Wallingford(fa 2)
The Rev. Mr. Willard Hall of Wejlford
Mr. William Hall
Mr. Benjamin Hallowell
Belcher Hancock M. A. Fellow of HarvardCollege
The Rev. Mr. John Hancock of Braintree(for two'}
Mr. Thomas Hancock Merchant (for fix)
Mr. Elnathan Hanmer of Newport
The Rev. Mr. Timothy Harrington ofdfbuelot (for 2)
Mr. William Hardy jun. of Bradford
Mr. John Harpin of Milford Phyfician
Mr. Benjamin Harris of Newbitry Merchant
The Rev. Mr. William Hart of Saybrook (for two)
Jonathan Haftings M. A. of Cambridge
Mr. Waitftill Haftings of Hatfald Phyfician
Mr. Hezekiah Hapgood of Stout
Mr. Jofiah Hay wood of Concord
Mr. Richard Hazen of Haverhill
The Rev. Mr. Stephen Heaton of Go/ben (for two)
The Rev. Mr. Nathanael Henchman of I^w(for four)
Mr. Eliftia Hide of Norwich
Mr, Jofeph Higgins of Lyme (for two)-
c 4 The
10 S U'B'S c R-I B E R s.
Mr. Stephen Higginfon of Salem Merchant
The Rev. Mr. Abraham Hill of Rhode-Town
Mr. Jofeph Hills of Newbury Phyfician
Mr. Samuel Hill
Mr. Smith Hills of Newbury
Jonathan Hoar, M. A.
Mr. Stephen Hobs of Kenfington
Samuel Holbrooke M. A.
The Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Hinfdale of Fort-Dummer
Mr. Jofeph Holt of fPalUngford
Jofeph Holt of Andover M. A.
Capt. John Homans
The Rev. Mr. James Honeyman of Newport
The Rev. Mr. William Hooper (for two)
Mr. John Hopkinfon of Bradford
The Rev. Mr. Samuel Hopkins of Springfield
Mr. Ephraim Hofmer of Concord
Mr. Jonathan Hofmer of Afton
The Rev. Mr. Stephen Hofmer of Haddam
Mr. James Hovey of Plymouth
Mr. Luke Hovey
The Rev. Mr. NathanaelHunnof Reading in CojineB*
Mr. Jabez Hunt
Mr. Jacob Hurd
Mr. Samuel Hunting of Long-Jfland
Mr. Ebenezer Hews of Newbury
Thomas Hutchinfon E% (for two)
Edward Jackfon M. A. * (for fix)
Mr. Jofeph Jackfon
Mr. Thomas Jackfon
Mr. Jofeph Jacob of Scituate
George Jaffrey jun. of Portf mouth M. A.
Mr. Leonard Jarvis Merchant
Mr. James Jeffrey of Salem Merchant
Mr. David Jenkins
Mr. William Jennifon of tFatertown
Mr.
SUBSC RIP TIONS. II
Mr. Edward Jennings
Mr. John Indicott jun.
The Rev. Mr. Samuel Johnfon of Stratford
The Rev. Mr. William Johnfon of Newbury
Mr. Samuel Johnfon
Mr. Timothy Johnfon (for two)
Thomas Jones B. A.
K
Mr. John Kelley of Newbury
Mr. Daniel Kembal
The Rev. Mr. Samuel Kendal of New-Salem
Thomas Kilby Efq; (for twelve)
Mr. Jofeph King of Suffield
Mr. Jofiah King of Suffield
Mr. Benjamin Kneeland jun.
L
The Hon. Benjamin Lynde of Salem Efq;
The Hon. Ifaac Lothrop of Plimouth Efq;
The Hon. Benjamin Lynde jun. of Salem Efq;
Joihua Lamb of Roxbury Efq;
Mr. William Lampfon of King ft on
Mr. Benjamin Landon Merchant
Capt. John Larrabee Lieut, of Cajlle Wm (for 2 )
Mr. Thomas Law of Afton
Capt. James Leavett
Mr. Jonathan Leavett
Jofeph Lee M. A. Merchant (for two)
Mr. Knight Leverett (for two)
The Rev. Mr. Daniel Lewis tof Pembrook
Daniel Lewis jun. of Pembrook M. A.
Mr. Eliflia Lewis of Farmington
Ezekiel Lewis jun. M. A. Merchant
The Rev. Mr. Ifaiah Lewis of Eajlbam
Mr. John Light
Benjamin Lincoln of Hingham Efq;
Mr. David Little jun. of Marfbfieid
12 SUBSCRIPTIONS.
Mr. Enoch Little of Newbury
The Rev. Mr. Ephraim Little of Cokhefter(for two)
Otis Little of Marfbfield Efq;
Mr. Andrew Lord of Saybrook
John Loring M. A. Phyfician (for two)
Jonathan Loring of Marlborough M. A.
The Rev. Mr. Ifrael Loring of Sudbury
Mr. Henry Lovejoy of Rumford
John Lovel M. A. Matter of the South Grammar-
School
Mr. Ebenezer Lowell (for two)
The Rev. Mr. John Lowell of Newbury
Mr. Jofhua Lunt
Mr. Stephen Lyferd of Exeter
Mr. Caleb Lyrnan (for two)
William Lynde of Salem M. A. Merchant
Mr. Jofiah Lyndon of Newport, (for two)
M <
The Rev. Mr. Thaddeus Maccarty of King [Ion
Mr. Hugh Mc'Daniel (for two)
Mr. Pelatiah Man of Wrentham
Richard Mansfield B. A.
Mr. Richard Mansfield of Sudbury
Mr. Jonathan Marble of Stow
Mr. Jacob March of Newbury Phyfician
Capt. Daniel Marquand
The Rev. Mr. Cyrus Marfli
Mr. Daniel Marfh of 'Hadley
Mr. Ebenezer Marfh of Hadley
The Rev. Mr Eliflia Marfh of Narraganfett »
Mr. Job Marfh of Hadley •
John* Marfh of Hartford Efq;
The Rev. Mr. Jonathan Mariii jun. of New- Hartford
Jofeph Marfli M, A.
Thomas Marfli M. A. Fellow of Harvard- College
Mr. Benjamin Marfiiall of Providence
Mr. Jofeph Marfhall of Milford (for three)
Thaddeus Mafon M. A.
Mofes
SUBSCRIBERS. 13
Mofes Mather M. A.
The Rev. Mr. Samuel Mather
Mr. Timothy Mather of Lyme
Jofeph May hew M. A. Fellow of 'Harvard- College
John Mellen B. A.
Mr. John Melven of Concord
Mr. Benjamin Merrell of Kilttngfworth
Mr. Nathanael Merrell of Nottingham
Mr. John Merriam of falling ford
Capt. Nathanael Merriam of Wallingford
The Rev. Mr. Noah* Merriam of Springfield
Mr. John Miles of Concord
Mr. Samuel Miles of Concord
The Rev. Mr. Richardfon Miner of Unity
Col. James Minot of Concord
Stephen Minot jun. M. A. Merchant
Mr. John Moffat of Portfmoutb Merchant
Mr. John Moffat (for two)
Mr. Thomas Moffat Merchant
Mr. William Molineaux Merchant
Mr. Caleb Moody of Newbury
Mr. Benjamin Moody of Ncwbury
Mr. Jofhua Moody of Newbury (for two)
Mr. Uriah Moor of Sudbury
Mr. William Moor of Sudbury
Mrs. Mary Mumford of Newport
Mr. Abraham Moulton
Mr. Jofiah Moulton
John Mjirdock of Plymouth Efq; (for fix)
N
Mr. Samuel Nelfon of Plymouth
John Newman M. A.
The Rev. Mr. John Newmarch of Kittery
Mr. John Newmarch jun. of Portfmoutb
Chriftopher Newton of Milford
Samuel Nightingale of Pomfret M. A.
The Rev. Mr. Samuel Niles of Eraintree
The Rev. Mr. Abraham Nott of Saybrook
14 SUB s CR
The Rev. Mr. Jofeph Noyes
of New -Haven
Mr. Jacob Noyes
John Nutting M. A.
Mr.Dudley Odlin of Exeter,
Phyfician
EiifhaOdJinof Exeter M. A. 2
Mr, John Odlin of E xeter 2
Woodb.Odlin ofExeterw.A.
Andrew OliverEfq; (for fix)
Capt. Narhanael Oliver of
Cbelfea M. A.
Nathanael Oliver jun. M.A.
Peter Oliver M.A. Merchant
Samuel Olmftead of Eaft-
Haddam Efq;
Mr/Timothy Orne of Salem
Merchant
Mr. Jeremiah Ofborne
Mr.-Dav.Ofgood ofLancafler
Mr.HookerOfgood otLanca.
John Ofgood ofy/wfowrEfq;
Mr. Thomas Oxnard Mer
chant ( for threej
P.
The Hon. William Pepperrell
of Kittery Efq; (for two)
Mr. John Page of Salijbury
Mr.SamuelPage ofKenftngton
Mr. Sam. Palmer of Bradford
Mr.Tho. Palmer Merchant
Stephen Parker M. A.
The ^'y.Mr.ThomasParker
of Dracut
The RevMr. Jofeph Parfons
of Bradford
TheRev. Mr. SamuelParfons
of Rye (for two)
TheRev. Mr.WilliamParfons
of Southbampton (for two)
Richard Patteihall M. A.
I B ER s.
Mr. Jonathan Payfon
The Rev. Mr.Oliver Peabody
of Natick (for two
Mr. William Peirce of Stow
Mr. JohnPeirce of .Dorchef-
ter (for two)
Mr. Jofi.Pierce ofHadlfyM.A
Mr.J. Pierfonof Newbury(i)
Benjamin Pembcrton Efq;
N. Perkins M. A. Phyfician
Nicholas Ferryman of Exe
ter Efq;
JohnPhilips M. A. Chaplain
of Caftle William
Mr. Nicholas Phillips jun. of
JFeymoutb.
Capt. Benj.Pickman ofSalem
Capr. Elias Pike of Salisbury
Tim. Pike of Newbury({oti)
Mr. Jofiah Piper of Afton
Jnmes Pitts M. A. Merchant
Mr. N. Piper of Concord
Col. Benj. Pollard ("for two
TheRev Mr. JohnPrentice of
Lancafter
The RevMr. JofhuaPrentice
of HolUJlon
TheRev. Mr. Benjamin Pref
ect of Salem .
Mr. Cha. Prefcot of Concord
John Prefcot of CencordECq;
Mr. Jonathan Prefcott of
Kenfington
Mr. S. Prefcott of Hampton
Mr. John Prince of Kinpflon
Mr. Nathan Pro&er of Stow
a
The Hon. John Quincy of
Braintree Efq; (for two)
Norton Qaincy M. A. Mer
chant (for twoj
The
B S C R
R
TheRrj. Mr. William Rand
of Sunder land (for four)
Mr. John Rawlings
Grindall Rawfon M. A.
Mr. William Reed Attorney
at Law
Mr. Abraham Reller
Mr. Jofeph Remington of
Suffietd
The Rev. Mr. Caleb Rice of
Sturbridge.
Mr. Dav.Rice of Shrewsbury
Mr. Jon. Rice of Sudbury
Aaron Richards B. A.
Jof.Richards ofDedhamEfq;
Mr. D. Robins of Lancafter
David Robinfon M. A.
Mr.Eph. Robinfon of King-
Jlon (for two)
Mr. JamesRobinfon of 'New
port Phyfician
Mr. Jeremiah Robinfon
Mr. JohnRobinfon(for two)
Mr. Benjamin Rogers
TheRev. Mr. Daniel Rogers
of Littleton
The Rev. Mr. John Rogers
Benj. Rolf of RumfordEfq-,
HenryRolf of Ntwbury Efq;
(for two)
Mr. Robert Rogers of Alms-
bury Phyfician
Mr« Thomas Rogers jun, of
Neivbury
Mr. Benj.Rowe of Kenfing-
ton Phyfician
Mr.Ebenezer Rowe oiKen-
fington
Mr. Eben. Rgwell of Eafl-
H add am
Thomas Rowell Efq;
i BE R s. 15
Jacob Royal Efq;
The Rev. Mr. Thomas Rug-
gles of Gmlford (for two)
TheRtv. Mr. Samuel Ruggles
of Billerica
Mr. Simon Rumpill
Capt. Daniel Ruffcl of New-
port (for two)
Chambers RufTel of Concord
Efq;
Mr. James RufTel of Cbarlef-
town Merchant (for two)
Mr. John RufTel
Mr. Nathanael Ruflcl
S
The Hon. Richard Saltonftall
Efq; (for three)
The Hon. Stephen Sewall
E% ( for two)
Mr. Malachi Salter jun.
Mr. Sampfon Salter
Mr. Ca. San born of Hampton
Mr. Jofeph Savel
Mr. T. Savoury of Bradford
Mr. Jofiah Sauburn of Exeter
Edw. Scott of Newport Efq;
Mr. Jomua Sayer.
Mr.Sam. Seabury ofDuxbury
The Rev. Mr. James Searing
of Newport
The Rev. Mr. Jof. Secombe
of Kingfton (for twoj
geant of Methuen
The Rev. Mr. John Sergeant
of Stockbridge
Mr. Mofes Sergeant.
Mr. Samuel Sarvice
Nicholas Sever of Kingftcn
Efq; ( for two)
Mitchel Sewall of Sakm Efq;
Mr. John Shaw
Capt.
16 S u B s CR
Capt. Edward Sheafe of
Charleftown (for four)
Mr. Daniel Shephard of/ffton
Mr. J. Shephard of Sottghegon
Mr. Samuel Sherburn of
Porlfmoutb ( for two)
James Skinner Efq;
The Rev. Mr. Thomas Skin
ner of Colchefter
'The Rev. Mr. Aaron Smith
of Marlbarough
Jabez Smith of HamptonEfy,
Mr. James Smith of A^zf^ry
J. Smith of MiifordM.*.($}
Mr. Jofhua Smith ofSbreivf-
bury ( for three )
The Rev. Mr. William Smith
of Weymouth
William Smith B. A.
Mr. Job Snell
The Rfv. Mr. John South-
maid ®ilVaterbury (for 2)
Mr. S. Southworth of Lyme
The Rev. Mr. John Spar-
hawke of Salem
Mr. Nathanael Sparhawke
of Kittery Merchant
The Rtv. Mr.Sampfon Spaul-
ding of Too h bury
John Sprao;ue of Nevubury
M.A. Phyfician
Mr. John Staniford
The Rev. Mr. David Stearns
of Lunenburgh
Mr. Sreph. Steel of Hartford
Mr. Gerfhom Stetfon of
Scitudtt
Benjamin Stevens M. A.
TheRev.M.*. Phineas Stevens
of Contacook
Mr. Samuel Stevens
Mr. Simon- Stone
I B E R s.
The Rev. Mr. Ifaac Stiles of
E a ft -Haven ( for three^
Mr. Jeremiah Scickney of
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of Dunflable
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der of his Majefty's Ship
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framing ham
Jof.Sylvefter oiNewport M.A
T
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of Lebanon Efq;
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The Rsv. Mr. John Taylor
of Milton - ( for two)
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Toppan of Newkury
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of South- King$Qn ( for 4 )
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S U B S C R
Mr. William Torrey (for 6)
Mr. J.Townfend of Newport
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of Reboboth ( for three)
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V U
Mr. Edward Vaii
William VafTall M. A.
The Rev. Mr. Edward Up-
ham of Springfitld
W
The Hon. Jofeph Wilder of
Lancafler Efq;
The Hon. James Wadfworth
of Durham Efq;
Secretary of theColony of
Cqnntfticut
The Hon. Richard Wibird of
Portfmouth Efq;
Mr. J. Wadley of King/ton
The Rev, Mr. Daniel Wadf
worth of Hartford
DeaconThomasWait (fori)
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Mr. Thomas Walker of
Newbury Merchanrffor 3)
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Walter of Roxbury
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Waiter of Rcxbury
I B E R S. 17
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M.A. Merchant (Tor two)
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chant (for two)
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TheRev.Mr. Jofeph Whipple
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field
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The Rev. ^/r.Samuel VVhit-
The Rev. Mr. SamuelWhit-
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Ed\vardWinilowEfq;Sheriff
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ThcRevMr. Eben. Williams
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g3» A confiderable Number of Subfcribers to this Boo-k fend
ing too late, their Names could not be inferted.
CORRECTIONS.
Pag. 85.1.15. after ofr.Mr. P. 89. 1. 7. of the Notes r.
propinquo. P. 90. I. 5. of theNotes for me r. mt. Pi239 1.15
after been r. fo. P. 279. I. 23. after which r. be, P. 384. i.
22. for exceptionable r. unexceptionable*
M. A. (for two)
Jofliua Winflow Efq;
Ifaac Winflow M.A.Mcrch.
Mr.KenelmWinflow (for4j
Mr. S. Winflow M.A.Merch.
John Winthrop M.A. Hoi.
Pro. Ma. HarvardCollege
Mr. ..... -Witt oiBrookftld
JohnWolcott of Salem Efq;
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Hartford (for three)
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TheRev. Mr. B. Woodbridge
of Amity
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Groton (for fix)
Mr. Thomas Wcodbridge
Mr. J. Woodman
Mr. J. Woodman
Mr. D. Woodward ofSudbury
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TheRev Mr. William Wor-
thington for two)
Mr. Abijah Wyman
Y
INTRODUCTION,
o
N E of the firfl Fathers of this Country^
the memorable SHEPARD ( whofe Wri
tings have been, of late, fo highly eoni-
mended ) thought it needful to caution
People, * <f not to truft Men too far, nor boaft
€e of any Man too much ; efpecially, in Regard
ff of his glorious Profefflon and Affections at prjf*
tf GOD (fays he) fends divers of his faithful Ser*
** vants to a Place ; and many, at firft hearing^
f( are wrought upon, battered down, convinc'dj
" mourning after Peace, going to Minifters, De-
" light in Ordinances : Now many blefs GOD
<f for their Converfeon ; and many a Chriflian is put
fe out of Doubt of it, Parents of their Children,
" and Children of their Parents ,• one Brother of
fe another, and one Chriftian Neighbour of ano-
*f ther.----O take Heed of boafting too much ! Ic
« may be they may, and will fall down (before
" they have liv'd many Years ) when at their
<c Height. What Man was ever more fought unto
«c than JOHN ? All JUDEA came unto him ; yet, at
*f laft they forfake him, rejoiced but a Seafon iri
<c his Light.' They went alfofrom him to CHRIST,-
*c (John 7. 26. 32.) yet, JOHN complains, none re-
" ceived his Teilimony . CHRIST himfelf preached
* See his Parable of the Ten Virgins y fecond Part>
Page 6i>
'B «* m
2 INTRODUCTION.
" in CAPERNAUM, and never ftich exalting a Man :
" They boa/led in him : Yet only a few Babes
" which the LORD wrought upon. The GALATI-
" ANS would loofe their Eyes for PAUL ; yet, af-
ff terward they flight him, and join with falfe
" Teachers againft him. O therefore pray for
'< them, and weep for them, but do not truftthem
(f too far ! Neither truft yourfelves too much.,
" Then are ye my Difciples, (Joh. 8. 31.) If ye con*
" time. DEMAS forfakes PAUL : All in A$a for-
« fake me."
Had this obfervable Caution been the Produft of
a Spirit of Prophefy, I can fcarce fee, how it could,
in a more pointed Manner, have admonifhed us
in thefe Days. 1 here never was a Time, in this
Land, wherein there was fuch flocking after fomc
particular Minifters, and glorying in them, as though
they were GODS rather than Men ; never a Time,
wherein Men's Profejjlons and Affections rofe high
er ,• never a Time, wherein Converfions, numerous
Converfions were fo much boafled of : Would
to GOD, there was no Reafon to fufpe£l the Truth
of any one of them / But it ought always to be
remembred, there may be a veryfpecious Shew, where
there is not theSubftance of Religion: NorarePer-
fons without Danger of refling in the former, to
the Negleft of the latter : And, it may be feared,
whether this Danger han't been greatly increafed,
while fo many have been encouraged to look upon
themfelves as in a State of Grace, without that
Proof of the Reality of their Converfion, which mighc
reafonably be expelled. There has certainly been
too much Haft e, as well as Pofttivenefs, in declaring
thefe and thofe,in this and the other Place, to have
paJJedfromD-eath to Life: A Judgment has hieentoo
commonly formed of Meu's Jpiritwl Condition
more
INTRODUCTION. 3
more from their Affettions, than the -permanent Tem
per of their Minds difcovered in the habitual Con-
duft of their Lives ; not duly confidering, how pre
carious that Religion muil be, which has its Rife
from the Paffions, and not any thorow Change in
the Under/landing and Will
Much, I am fenfible, has been faid, in thefe
Days, of a Work of GOD going on in the Land :
And I truft, this has all along been the Cafe with
this People, from the Days of our Fathers : Audi
doubt not, 'tis fo now ; nay, I charitably hope,
there have been more numerous Inftances of fa
ying Converjiony in the Years paft, than ufual : But
mufl it not be faid, at the fame Time, that there
have been more Dlforders and greater Extravagances,
than common : And what is of Hill more dange
rous Tendency, han't the great Talk of a Revival
of Religion arifen more from the general Appearance
offome Extraor dinar les, (which there may be where
there is not the Power of Godllnefs} than from fuch
Things as arefure Evidences of a real Work of GOD in
Men's Hearts ? I am clearly fatisfied, this is the
Truth of the Cafe, however unwilling fome may
be to own it.
Nor have People been fo plainly and faithfully
taught, as it were to be wiflit, what a Work of GOD
is, or how to diflinguifh between thofe Things
which are undoubted Marks of fucb a Work, and
thofe which are not. They have often been told
of the glorious Work of GOD ; his Work, fo as was
never before feen in our own, or Fatber'sDajs.
But have they not been too much left to .think,
as if the Thing hereby intended was, the late re
ligious Appearance^ taken in the Grofs ? This, I
B 2 believe.
4 INTRODUCTION.
believe, is the Idea Multitudes have of what is
called, the Work of GOD going, on in the Land ;
which, if it be, they certainly include that in their
Notion of GOD's Work^ which is highly difhono-
rary to him ; Nor is it any Wonder, ,if, from this
miftaken Tho't of what is truly the Work of GOD,
they fliould fpeak of thofe as its OPPOSERS, who
are its greateil FRIENDS ; and have proved them-
felves to be fo, by their Endeavours to difcounte-
nance fuch Things as are dangerous to Men's
Souls, and may prove a Hindrance to the Progrefs
of real Religion. People mull have in their Minds
fome diftiricc Conception of the Nature of a Work
of GOD, or they will aft in the Dark, while
they embrace thefe as the Friends of it, and Hand a-
loof from thofe as its Enemies : They will, in this
Cafe, neither know what they fay, nor whereof
they affirm.
What I propofe therefore, by way oflntrodu&i-
on, is, to exhibit, in as brief a Manner as I can, a
diftinft and clear Idea of a Work of GOD, with
the Appearance it will make ; efpecially, when it is
remarkable.
Now, in a Senfe, every Thing that comes to
pafs, may be cali'd the Work of GOD ; for as our
SAVIOUR laid to his Difciples, * A Sparrow Jhall not
fall to the Ground without your Father : The very
Hairs of your Head are all numbered. All great E-
%ents in- Providence, whether in a Way of Judg
ment or Mercy 9 are more efpecially the Wwk of
GOD ; according to that, f / form the Light, and
create Darknefs : I make Peace and create Evil: I the
LORD do all thefe Things. Creation and Redemption
* Matt?). 10. 29^30, f I/a. 45. 7.
are
tN T R 0 D U C T I 0 N. 5
are ftill more eminently the Works of GOD, and
always fo fpoken of in the Oracles of Truth. But
the Work of GOD here intended, is the fame with
that, concerning which our SAVIOUR fays, * This Is
the Work of GO/), that ye believe on him whom GOD
hath fent : JTis the fame with that, of which the
jdpoftle fpeak-s, when he affirms, j that he mho hath
begun a good Work In you, will perform it until the
Day of JESUS CHRIST ,* and which he calls, f The
Work of Faith with Power : 'Tis in one Word,
That Work of divine Grace, which is fome times,
called the 'New-Creation; fometimes the New-Birth;
fometimes the Spirit's Renovation ; fometimes Con-
verjion, or as 'tis otherwife exprefs'd, a being turn
ed from Darknefs to Light , and from the Power of Sm
and Satan unto GOD,
Let me obferve the following Things concern-
Ing this Work of GOD.
Firft of all, There is ordinarily fome Preparati
on in the Mind of Sinners, previous to it. This
is call'd by Divines Conviction; by which is under*
flood that Operation of the HOLY SPIRIT, where
by, in a Way agreeable to the Nature of Man, he
opens to the Sinner a View of himfelf, in his Sin-
fulmfs and Guilt: upon which, he is driven out of
"his former Eafe, and fiil'd with Anxiety and Dlf-
trefs. This inward Diilurbance may, as to its
Degree, be various in different Perfons ; but there
is the Reality of it in all : In all, I mean, who have
come to Years, before they have had awakened
in them ferious Thoughts of their Souls, and another
World: In re.fpeft of this Kind of Perfons, & thofq
among them in fpecial who have not been under
29, | fbil 1.3. f i Tbef. i.ii
Reftraints
6 INTRODUCTION.
Re drain ts from Sin, but have accuftomed them-
felves to do Evil, 'tis rare, if ever, that the Work
of GOD is wrought in them, but their Confciences
are firil alarmed, and their Hearts fill'd with bitter
Remorfe for their pafl Follies.
But then, it may be worth a particular Remark,
this Preparation of Mind, is not the Work of GOD
in the fpecial and diflinguifhing Senfe ; in fuch a
Senfe, as that the Subjects of itj may be thought
to be in a State of Salvation. Hypocrites in Zion
may fay, Who among us can dwell with devouring
fire ? And they may be Hypocrites iliil : Nor
is the greatefl Difquietude of Soul ,• a Difquietude
expreffing itfelf in Roarings, or Tremblings, or the
flrangeft bodily Eff efts, a fufficient Evidence of a fa
ying Work of Grace ; yea, it may be nothing more
than the Effect of Nature ; or, if it fhould, in the
Beginning, arife from a divine Influence, 'tis yet a
Mark of a converted State that may not be de
pended on. Perfons, notwithftanding all this,
may be under Condemnation, and finally doom'd
to a Departure from CHRIST with the Workers of
Iniquity.
It may be nextly faid, This Work of GOD Is a
fecret Thing ; a Work within Men ; a Work ef
fected in the inward Frame of their Mind. It prin
cipally lies in a new Heart, another Soul ; in other
Views and Intentions, other Thoughts and Senti
ments, other Principles and Springs of A&ion :
All which Things are hidden, out of the Sight of
the World.
From whence it follows, by the Way, that the
Work of Cody as an internal Thing, can be judged
sf by others, only from the outward Difcoveries of
INTRODUCTION. 7
if. One Man can't look into the Heart of ano
ther : This is the Prerogative of him who has
faid, f / am he that fearcheth the Heart, and trietb
the Reins of the Children of Men. If therefore we
would judge of the interior State of others, we mud
do it from fome external Manifestations of it.
Men may open to us the Temper of their
Minds, in a Relation of their Experiences : But
even here, we are liable to be deceived. They
may be miflaken about their own State ; and
what is worfe, may reprefent Things different
from what they really are : fo that at the heft we
only judge in this Cafe upon Suppofition. And
as there is fo much Hypocrify in the World, it
would be but Prudence to hear Men's Declarati
ons, refpefting themfelves with a heedful Caution.
It may perhaps be a Truth here, as well as in other
Cafes, Actions fpeak much louder than Words.
And this therefore is another Way, in which
Men may difclofe what is within them ; and 'tis
the great Gofpel Rule by which we are to govern
our practical Sentiments one of another. Says our
SAVIOUR, * By their Fruits ye fball know them? Do
Me-n gather Grapes of Thorns? Or Figs of Thiftles?
Even, fo every good Tree bringeth forth good Fruit :
but a corrupt Tree bringeth forth evil Fruit. A good
Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit ; neither can a cor
rupt Tree bring forth good Fruit. Agreeable whereto
are thofe Words, \. Either make the Tree good, and
his Fruit good ; or elfe make the Tree corrupt, and
the Fruit corrupt : For the Tree is known by his Fruit.
f Rev. 3. 23. * Matth. 7. 16, 17, ig, | Mattk.
I2<33>35-
B 4 — J
§ INTRODUCTION,
-~ A good Man, out of the good Treafure of his Heart,
Jmngeth forth good Things ; and an evil Man, out of the
pull Treafure, bnngeth forth evil Things. 'Tis true,
this is not an infallible Rule ; nor did our SAVIOUR
ever intend to give us one : This would anticipate
the loft Judgment, or render it needlefs ', for Men's
Stages would be known beforehand.
It may be further noted, this Work of GOD Is
fhe fame at all Times, and in all Places.
1 mean not that the Inftruments, Means, or Man
ner, of it's Produftion, are always alike. There
has commonly been a great Diverjity here, as feem-
ed befl to the Wifdom of GOD.
Sometimes, he has taken the Work very much
into his own Hands, and fometimes he has made ufe
of Inftruments : And when this has been the Cafe.,
the Inftruments he has chofen, have fometimes been
more adapted to fuch a Defign, and fometimes lefs
fo. i. e. to the Eye Man's of Wifdom ; for in
themfelves, they have always been the beft, and
were we able to fee clearly into theReafons of Pro
vidence, we mould perceive them to be fo : To be
fure, they are^never fuch as are in their own Nature
Unfit to be made ufe of.
There has likewife ordinarily been a Variety as
to the Means. Sometimes it has pleafed GOD to
make Ufe of one Means, and fometimes of ano
ther ; fometimes the Means have been wonderful
and extraordinary, as in the Days of MOSES and
of" CHRIST ; and fometimes they have been of a
more common Nature : And fometimes He may
have accompliihed the Work without any Means
at all.
And
INTRODUCTION. 9
And alike various has been the Manner , in which
GOD has wrought upon the Minds of Sin
ners. Sometimes it has been in a Way pf
great Terror, and fometimes in the Methods of
Mildnefs and Gentlenefs. Sometimes he has dealt
fo with them, that they could not but have a clear
and diftmtt Perception of his Operations in them ; and
fometimes he has formed them into a new Work
man/hip, in a more infenfible, and variouily inter
rupted Way.
Neither do I mean, that this Work of GOD is the
fame in its Strength and Beauty in all ; or that 'tis
always wrought in the like Number of Inflances,
either in one Place, or another. There has always
been an admirable Diverjity in this RefpecT; / Some
have been made to partake of the divine Nature in
one Degree, others in another ; fometimes a
greater Number have appeared living Images of
their Father in Heaven, fometimes a lefs.
But as to the Work, for Subflance, 'tis the fame
in all Places, and among all People under Heaven.
There may be a Variety as to the Circumftances,
Degrees, and Appendages of it ,• but for the Thing
it felf, as to it's Effence^ 'tis the very fame all over
the World,* has beenfo from the Days of CHRIST;
yea, from the Days of ADAM, and will be fo to
the End of the World. Very obfervable to our
Purpofe here, are the Words of the famous Dr.
OWEN. Says he, * « Regeneration by the HOLY
** SPIRIT is the fame Work for the Kind of it, and
" wrought by the fame Power of the SPIRIT, in
«* all that are regenerate, or ever were, or {hall
* Difcourfe of the Holy Spirit,?. 177, 178.
** be
jo INTRODUCTION.
€( be fo, from the Beginning of the World to the
€f End thereof. Great Variety there is in the Ap-
** plication of the outward Means ; — nor can the
" Ways and Manner hereof be reduced unto any
€C certain Order. For the SPIRIT worketh how,
€f and when he pleafeth, following the fole Rule
*f of his own Will and Wifdom. Moftly, GOD
*e makes Ufe of the preaching of the Word ; thence
cc called an engrafted Word which is able to fave our
" Souls : Sometimes 'tis wrought without it, as in
<c all thofe who are regenerate before they come to
*c the Ufe of Reafon, or in their Infancy ; Some-
Cf times Men are called, and fo regenerate in an
€( extraordinary Manner, as was PAUL ; but moftly
«f they are fo,in and by the Ufe of ordinary Means,
" inftituted and fanftified of GOD to that Pur-
" pofe. And great Variety there is in the Percep-
<( tion and Under/landing of the Work it felf, in
<c them in whom it is wrought. For in it felf it
cc is fecret and hidden, and no otherwife difcovera-
" ble than in it's Caufes and Effetts, John 3. 8.—
*€ And there is a great Variety in carrying on this
€< Work towards Perfe6lion, in the Growth of the
€< new Creature, or the Increafe of Grace implan-
" ted in our Natures by iti For fome, thro' the
c* Supplies of the SPIRIT, make a great and fpeedy
tt Progrefs towards Perfe6lion ; others thrive flow-
" ly, and bring forth little Fruit, the Caufe and
ff Occafions whereof are not here to be enume-
46 rated. But notwithftanding all Differences in
<c previous Difpojitions, in the Application of outward
i€ Means, in the Manner of it ordinary or extraor-
'* dinary, in the Consequents of much or lefs Fruit,
ff the Work it felf, in its own Nature^ is of tha
'5 fane Kind, one and the fame."
INTRODUCTION. it
It may be again remarkt, The Appearance of
this Work of GOD, as well as the Work it felf, is
always the fame. What I intend is, that the Ap-
pearance is ever of a like Kind and Nature. As
the Inftruments, Means, Circumftanccs and Appen*
dages of the/For£ may be different, fo will be the
Appearance as to thefe Things : And as the Work
it felf may be more or lefs perfect, in this or the
other Place, at this or the other lime, fo will be
the Appearance more or lefs glorious. It will bear
an exaft Proportion to the greater or lefs Degree of
the Work it felf : So it always has been, fo it is
now, and fo it ever will be to the End of Time,
in all Parts of the Earth : Which leads me, to
what I have principally in View here,
•
In the laft Place, to defcribe the Appearance of
this Work of GOD. And in doing of this, I mall
confine my felf to the Scripture, as the fur eft Guide 9
as well as only Rule. And the Text s, defcriptive of
This Work of GOD, and the Appearance it will
make, are fo numerous, and expreflive, that there
can be no reafonable Ground for Debate upon the
Matter.
There are feveral Prophefies in the Qld-Tefta*
went, which look beyond the then prefent Day to
the Times of the MESSIAH, and plainly point out
the Appearance this Work of GOD will make in the
World. Such an one is that, 4. where it is pro-
mifed in thefe Words, I mil four upon the Houfe
cf DAVID, and upon the Inhabitants of JERUSALEM,
the Spirit of Grace and of Supplication ; and they ftall
look upon me whom they have pierced, and they /hall
4. Zecb, 12. 10.
mourn
I* INTRODUCTION,
mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only Son ; and
fhall be in Bitternefs for him, as one that is in Bitter-
nefs for his firfl-Born. I here take that for gran
ted, which is fuppofed by the Generality of Expo*
Jitors to be the Truth, that thefe Words look for
ward to the Days of CHRIST, and foretell the out
pouring of the SPIRIT, in a marvellous Work of Grace.
Whether they refer more immediately to the yews,
and were fulfill'd in the firfl Times of the Gofpel ;
particularly, when three Tboufand, who had been
confenting to the Crucifixion of CHRIST, were, upon
PETER'S Sermony tricked in the Heart: or concern
Sinners in general under the GofpebDifpenfation, I
difpute not. In which ever Senfe the Words are
underftood, the Effeft or Appearance of this Work
of Grace (which is alii now aim at) is the fame ;
viz. a great and bitter Mourning for Sin, fuch a
^Mourning as Parents are fubjec~t to upon the Death
of an only Son, or firfl-born. But then, you ob-
ferve the Rife of this Sorrow and Lamentation.
It flows from a Look to that SAVIOUR, whom by Sin
we have pierced ; and not from a Dread of Wrath
and Hell. There is, 'tis true, a Sorrow for Sin
which may be excited from a Fear of Punifhment ;
and this is commonly the firfl Kind of Sorrow,
and it has its Ufe in Religion : But its no Sign
of a truly penitent Heart, whatever Strefs Sinners
may be difpos'd to lay upon it ; Nor is it the
Mourning for Sin here prophefied of. This is a Sor
row taking Rife from Faith in CHRIST, and a
View of Sin as occafioning thofe Sufferings, HE
underwent to make Atonement for it. And 'tis no
Wonder if the Sorrow, which has fuch a Rife, is
.great like to that for a Firfl-Born. For there is
nothing ; no, not the Torments of Hell itfelf, that
will fo effe&ually move and melt the Heart, as a
Sight of CHRIST^ in his bitter Sufferings*
KM
INTRODUCTION 13
and dying slgonies, for our Sins* This, if any
Thing, will open the Springs of Grief, and over
whelm our Souls with Sorrow at the Remembrance
of our Tranfgrefllons.
And this, let me add, is the only Sorrow for
Sin, that is a Fruit of Grace, and evidential of a
faving Work of the SPIRIT upon the Sinner's Heart.
An Eye to CHRIST is the only Gofpel-Ground of a
Gofpel-Repentance. The Curfe of the Law, and the
Wrath of God, may alarm Confcience, and diftraft
the Sinner almoft with Anguiih and Terror ; but
all. will be to no Purpofe, unlefs CHRIST comes into
Confideration, and a believing Look to him gives
Spring to the Sorrow. This is the Life of true
Repentance : Without a View to CHRIST, 'tis but
as a dead Carcafs.
The out-pouring of the SPIRIT is again fpokefc
of *, where GOD promifes to give to his People a
new Heart, and to put his SPIRIT within them.- And
what is the Effect, the vifible Appearance ? It fol
lows in the next Words, f Ye /hall walk in my Sta
tutes, and ye /hall keep my Judgments and do them*
This is more fully expreft in the next Chapter, -jh
23, 24. Neither /hall they defile them/elves any mort
with their Idols, nor with their detejtable Things,
nor with any of their Tranfgrejfions : — They /hall
alfo walk in my judgments, and obferve my Statutes 9
and do them.
Another Prophefic, wherein the out-pouring
the SPIRIT, in a Work of Grace, is fpoken o
with a more particular Account of the Appearance
Ezek, 3(5. 29. f f- 2i>
It
14 INTRODUCTION.
it will make, we have in Ifa. 32. 15, 16, 17. Un
til the SPIRIT be poured out upon us from on high,
and the Wildernefs be a fruitful Field, and the fruit
ful Field be counted for a For eft. Then Judgment /hall
dwell in the Wildernefs, and Right eoufnefe remain in
the fruitful Field. And the Work of Right eoufnefs
fhall be Peace, and the Effett of Right eoufnefs, Quietnefs
and dffurance for ever. We have here an Account,
not only of a Work of Grace, but its Appearance, the
Effeft that will be produced by it. The Wildernefs
/ball become a fruitful Field, i. e. * " Thefe who have
" been as a Wildernefs^ barren and unfruitful,
€f bringing forth no Fruit to GOD, but wild Fruits
" of Sin, fliall be changed, tilled, converted, and
" made fruitful, to bring forth Fruits of Holinefs
" to GOD, And the fruitful Field {hall be counted
" for a Forefl. i. e. They that have a Principle of
€C Fruitfulnefs in them, and did bring forth Fruit
" before, yet now, upon the pouring out of the SPI-
" KIT upon them, (hall receive fuch Abundance of
*f Grace, and be fo eminent in the acting of it,
" that what they did before fliall be accounted,
« as the Fruit of a barren Forefl, in Comparifon
cc of what they do now. Or the Meaning may
*( be, Thofe that were before fruitful Fields fliall,
" upon the -pouring out of the SPIRIT, fruftify fo
" incredibly, that they fliall feem rather to be a
« Wood, a Forreft, a Thicket, than a Field of Tillage
*( (by an Appropiation of fuch Exprefllons as are
" fometimes
* I have parapbrafed this Text, in the Words of one of
t^ Fathers of this Country, the Rev. Mr. ADAMS of
DEDHAM j which I the more readily chofe to do, be-
caufelfind, in the Preface, to his Sermon, an excellent
Charader given of him, for his Piety as well as Learn
ing* by thofe two Lights in our Cburcfos, the famous
Mr, TORRY and Mr, FLYNT.
INTRODUCTION. 15
€e fometimes ufed concerning the incredible Fer-
" tility of fome Fields in Grain and Fruits, unto
ff the exceeding Fruitfulnefs of Perfons in Grace,
" and fpiritual and holy Attions}: And fo the Senfe
t( is the fame as before, f Then Judgment /ball
ff dwell in the Wildernefs. i. e. Thofe who were as
" a Wildernefs before, untilled, untaught, unre-
€f generate, and unfubdued to the Will of GOD,
€< being now converted, (hall give Heed to Judg-
€e ment, Equity, Righteoufnefs, Honefty and Pi*
<f ety ; abandoning all Ways of Prophanenefs,
" Debauchery, Diihonefty, Injuftice, Intempe-
" ranee, and Impiety, which once they lived in.
" And Righteoufnefs remain in the fruitful Field.
" i. e. Chriftians, Profeflbrs, who have given
C( up their Names to CHRIST, fhall be ftudioufly
ff careful, to hold faft Righteoufnefs, Sincerity
" and Uprightnefs in all their Carriages towards
" GOD and Man ; being plain-hearted, right-
" down fair and fquare in all their Dealings, be-
" having themfelves in all Things holily, juftly
€f and unblameably ; being harmlefs, and with-
ff out Rebuke : JPutting away all Semblance of
« Difhonefty, unjuft Dealing, Unfaithfulnefs^
*f Untruth, Encroaching, Covetoufnefs, Double-
« Dealing, Ui^fteadinefs, Shuffling, Winding^ Tur-
" ning, and whatfoever elfe is unworthy the Vo-
' f 'cation wherewith they are called. And thefe
ff fure are happy and blefled Times, when there
f( are fuch Fruits of Sanftification, fo generally and
f( univerfally appearing. And the Work of Righte-
" oufnefs /hall be Peace ; and the Effett of Righte-
" oufnefi, Quietnefs, and AJJurance forever. There
« (hall
f Vid. Englifh Annot. in Jfai, 25, 17, And Calvin
in Pol. Synop. Crit. ibid.
id INTRODUCTION.
<e (hall be Peace with GOD) and the Teftimony
4C of that Peace in their Confciences ; whence an
" hqly Serenity and Calmnefs of Soul, the Peace
€< of GOD which pafleth all Underflanding, keep-^
€ f ing their Hearts and Minds thro' JESUS CHRIST ;
fc a religious Compofure of Mind, reding quietly
(f upon GOD alone, and depending on him with
€f confident AfTurance of Mercy, Prote&ion ( and
*' all Good) from him**
The Appearance of this Work of GOZ), is again
particularly defcribed in that Prophecy, referring
to the Times of CHRIST, Ifai. n. <5, 7, 8, 9. The
Wolf alfo fhall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard
fhall lie down with the Kid : and the Calf, and the
young Lion, and the Falling together, and a little Child
fhall lead them. And the Cow and the Bear fhall feed,
their young ones fhall lie down together : and the Lion
fhall eat Straw like the Ox. And the fucking Child
fhall -play on the Hole of the Afp, and the weaned Child
fliall put his Hand on the Cockatrice-den. They fhall
not hurt, nor deftroy in all my holy Mountain : for the
Earth fhall he full of the Knowledge of the Lord, as
the Waters cover the Sea. The Meaning of
which Words, according to the Senfe of almoffc
all Expofitors, ftripped of Metaphor, and put in
to plain Engliih, is obvioufly this, That in the
Times of the Gofpel, when Men are effectually
wrought upon by divine Grace^ the Roughnefs of
their Temper {hall be fmoothed, their Paffions re-
ftrained and brought into Order, fo that they (hall
live together in Love and Peace, doing to each
other all- the Offices, not only of Humanity, but-
of Chriltian Kindnefs and Charity. Such Perfons
f Eng. 4nnQti in
INTRODUCTION. 17
as were once ravenous in their Difpofition, fliould
undergo a Transformation^ as if a Wolf (hould
change his Nature, and of Savage become gencleS
fo as to feed 'with Lambs, ; or as if the Leopard
ihould quit his Piercenefs, and lie down with the
Kids : Arid fuch as were once angry and ttchyt
fhould pafs through an Alteration, as if the Afp
fhould lofe its foriorn) and fiiffer a Child to play about
its Hole* There fliould, in a Word^ be no more
biting> oppofing and devouring one another; But
this Change in Men would make them mild and
gentle ; difpoflng them to behave towards each
other with all Tendernefs> loving one another as
themfelves.
But the beft Idea of the Appear am e of this Work
of GOD is to be fetched from the New-Teftamentj
where the Texts defcriptive of it, are fhll more
clear and exprefs,
Only, before I proceed, I mall make one Re
mark : It is this ,• That there is a two-fold Work
of the SPIRIT of GOD fpoken of in Scripture: The
one refpe6ls his extraordinary and miraculous Gifts
and Powers ; the other^ his common and ordinary In-
fluence> that by which a Work of Grace is begun
and carried on in the Souls of Men, to their bfeing
prepared in this World, for Glory and Honour in
the better World that is to come. Some Texts*
when they fpeak of the Work of the SPIRIT; may
include both his ordinary and extraordinary Work;
and fome may more efpecially mean the former *
and others the latter. But however this be, a Di-
ftinftion otight always to be made between thefe
of the SPIRIT,
And let it be carefully remembred,when the Work
of the SPIRIT, in the extraordinary Senfe, is the
G Thing:
18 INTRODUCTION.
Thing intended, the Effeft hereof, or its
ance, whether in Prophefyings, Vijions, Revelations,
Signs, Wonders, or any other Jtrange and .miracu
lous Events, is not the Appearance to be looked for,
from the ordinary Influence of the SPIRIT, i. e. his
faving Work upon the Souls of Men : Nor can ic
be collected from all the miraculous Gifts and Pow
ers that any were the Subjects of, when the SPI
RIT was poured forth in the Days of the Apoftles,
that they were among the Sanctified in CHRIST
JESUS. Some, who were then the Subjects of a
Work of Grace, were, no Doubt, endowed with the
extraordinary Gifts of the#OLT GHOST', but their
extraordinary Endowments were no Proof of their
having wrought in them an effectual Work of Grace.
Says the celebrated Dr. OWEN, * ff Thofe
" who were miraculoujly converted, as PAUL ; or,
(( who upon their Converfion had miraculous Gifts
" beftowed upon them, as had Multitudes of the
f. primitive Chriftians, were no otherwife regene-
(f rate, nor by any other internal Efficiency of the
" Holy SPIRIT, then every one is at this Day,
" who is really made Partaker of this Grace and
'* Privilege : Neither were thofe miraculous O-
" perations of the Holy SPIRIT, which were vi-
66 fible unto others, any Pan of the Work of Re-
" generation ,• nor did they belong neceflkrily
fc to it : For many were the Subje&s of them,
" and received miraculous Gifts by them, who
" were never regenerate ; and many were rege-
tf nerate, who were never Partakers of them I"
It's probable, we fhould generally be difpos'd,
at once, to look upon a Man as the Subject of a
Difcourfe of the SPIRIT. Page 178.
Work
ff
fi
INTRODUCTION. 19
Work of GOD's Grace, if he was endow'd with
extraordinary Gifts ; if> to all Appearance, he had the
S fir it of Prophecy ) the Gift of Tongues, the Gift of Heal*
ing, and had Faith fo that he could do Miracles : But
a Thoufand of thefe Gifts, confidered fimply in
themfelves, are no Argument of a regenerate State.
The lead Spark of true CHRISTIAN CHARITY is a
better Evidence of a Work of GOD in the Soul,
than the greateft Ability to /hew Signs, and work
Wonders. The learned Dr. HICKS has exprefs'd
himfelf upon the facing and miraculous Gifts of the
SPIRIT, in a Manner well worth tranfcribing *.
As for thefe ( the miraculous Gifts ) they nei-
ther fuppofed any faving Change in the gifted
Perfon, nor neceffarily brought any along with
" them, nor drew any after them* But as
€€ St. CHRYSOSTOM compares them to Riches, fo
" like Riches they tempted Men to Pride, Vani*
({ ty and Contempt of their Governors, as alfo
€f to envy and hate one another ; Nay, fo in-
ef confiderable are thefe Gifts for themfelves, and
€C fo unprofitable to any Chriftian, as to his main
€f Concern, that like the Sun and Rain they were
" given to good and bad.-— The Tongues of Men
(f or Angels, to fpeak in the dpoftles Words,
" could have faid nothing more plain or empha-
" deal [than what he has faid in the i Cor. 13.
(< beg.] to fhew how much more excellent the
" faving Graces of the SPIRIT are, than the infufed
*' miraculous Gifts, which can neither render us
" like GOD, nor qualify us for the Enjoyment
*• of him ,• and which Things have no intrinfical
€ worth to the Perfons who formerly had them,
*( nor made them more ufeful for the Church,
* See his Entbujiafm exorcifed. from the 54th to
the jpth Page. C 2 than
20 INTRODUCTION.
r than acquired Gifts, which are the ordinary
" Means of Faith and Repentance, make us.
sf Suppofe thou knoweft the Gofpel, like the Apo-
" flies, by Infpiration ; What then ? Another
" Minifter, who knows it by Reading and Study, is
" as capable, by the Bleffing of GOD, to ferve
" the Church as thou : And befides, if thou art
<( like a vain Corinthian, ambitious of Infpiration,
" know that it will add nothing to the Reputa-
" tion of thy Parts ; for an infpired Man is but
cf the Veffel to the Treafure, the very Inftrument
" and Machine of the HOLY GHOST, who can or-
" dain Strength out of the Mouth of Babes and
€f Sucklings, and make a Child, or an Idiot, if
<f he pleafe, preach as well as thee. Or,
(€ fuppofe thou hadft the Spirit of Prediction.}
" what then ? The Knowledge of Things
" paft being as excellent in its felf, and
" generally more ufeful to the World, than
" the Knowledge of Things to come, the Hiftorian
'* would then have as much to boafl of as thou?
" — But if thou couldefl do Miracles ; what if
" thou couldefl ? Hereticks and Magicians have
" done them, and JUDAS did them ; and many
" {hall fay to me in that Day, LORD, LORD, have
*' we not prophejied in thy Name, and in thy Name
<f cafl out D evils 9 and in thy Name done many won
't dcrful Works ? Then will I fay unto them, 1 know
*< you not : Depart from me ye Workers of Iniquity.
ff But thou art aMinifler, and wouldft fain preach
"by Infpiration ; why fo ? Not out of Corinthian
<f Vanity and Oflentation ; for then thou art a vain-
" glorious Man; but becaufe thou haft a^Defire to
" convert Souls : But alas, thou art not fure of that,
f( for the Words of the infpired PAUL were aStum-
<( bling-Block to the Jews, and a Scandal to the
tf Greeks, even the Savour of Death to many
'* who heard him. And the Souls of Thoufands
" who
INTRODUCTION. 21
(€ who heard infpired Sermons, from CHRIST and
" his Apoftles, and faw them alfo work Miracles,
€f lie roaring now in the Flames of Hell. But to
(f pray by the SPIRIT is a moil defireable Gifc ;
f( But thou canft cry Abba Father, without Infpi-
*f ration ; and thou mayft make Prayers and Sup-
" plications, and Interccffions, and giving of
« Thanks for all Men without Infpiration: Which
" if thou hadft, would not make thy Prayers
ff more excellent in themfelves, or more accepta-
" ble in the Sight of GOD : For whofoever
(f hath a devout Soul, and approaches GOD with
ft that Reverence which is due to his infinite
" Majefty,and heartily asks what he would obtain,
*< in the Name of CHRIST his dear Son9 (hall pre
€e vail as much as if it were infpired.
" From all which it appears how much more ex>
" cellent and defireable the faving Graces of the
<c SPIRIT are, than all thefe pompous miraculous Gifts:
f< In which there is really no intrinfical excellence,
€f —All which I would have thofe efpecially to
€f conflder whofe enthufiafli^al Tempers, or Educa-
(< tion, incline them firft to admire, and then to
" conceit thefe miraculous Gifts, till by infenflble
(f Degrees they impofe upon their own Imaginatir
f6 ons, and commence within themfelves illuii^ina,-
« ted Men. J
But having made this Remark, or Digrejfion, if
any ihould chufe to call it fo, I now come to
mention the A7<?-zu Teftament Texts, which defcribe
to us the Appearance of this Work of GOD,
And the Deftruftion of the Prevalence of Sin, and
Vicey they always reprefent as one of the curtain
Charafterifticks of this Work. The Paflages to this
Purpofe are many, and the Language of them
C various.
22 INTRODUCTION.
various and fignificative : f How ft<M w that are
Dead to Sin, live any longer therein ? And a little
onwards, § Knowing this that our old Man is cruel*
fied with him, (CHRIST) that the Body of Sin might
be deftroyed, that henceforth we fhould not ferve Sin:
For he that is Dead to Sin, is freed from Sin. And
the Apoftle fpeaking of thofe who are in CHRIST
JESUS, and to whom there is no Condemnation, gives
that as their Charafter, f who walk not after the
Flefb, hut after the Spirit: The juft Import of which
Charafter may be learned from that Defcription
of this fame Apoftle, * Now the Works of the Flefl
are mamfefl, which are thefe, Adultery 9 Fornication,
Uncleannefs, Lafcivioufnefs, Idolatry, Witchcraft^
Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Sedi
tions, Herejles, Envyings, Murders, Drunkennefs9
Revellings, and fuch like : Of which I tell you before,
as I have alfo told you in Time paft, that they
which do fuch Things /hall not inherit the Kingdom of
GOD. Or, from that Command of his, j Mortify
therefore your Members which are upon the Earth,
Fornication, Uncleannefs, inordinate Affeftion, evil
Concuplfcence, and Coveteoufnefs which is Idolatry ;
for which Things fake cometh the Wrath of GOD on
the Children of Dlfobedlence. The Apoflle JOHN is
is dill more peremptory in his Language, as to
this Deftru&ion of the Power of Sin, where there
is a Work of Grace,^ If we fay that we have Fel
low fbip with him, and walk in Darknefs, we He9
and do not the Truth. And again, in the next
Chapter but one, ** ffibofoeber abldeth In him fin-
ncth not ; Whofoever fmneth, hath not feen hlm9
neither known hlv\ And yet again, in a Verfe or
two onwards, Whofoever is born of GOD doth not
.2. §Rom.6.7.
19, 20, 2 1. | Col. 3.5,6. fijoh.i.6.
INTRODUCTION. 23
commit Sin, for his Seed remaineth in him ; and
he cannot fin, beCaufe be is born of GOD : Which
fame Thought is ftill repeated, f We know that
whofoever is born of GOD, finneth not ; but he that
is begotten of GOD keepeth himfelf^ ; and the wicked
One toucheth him not. The Meaning of all which
Texts is, not that thofe who have been effectual ly
wrought upon by divine Grace, may, in no Senfe,
be faid to commit Sin : Such an Interpretation of
the Words can't be reconciled with thofe Decla
rations, in this very Epiftle, wherein it is affirmed,
* That if we fay, we have no <$/';/, we deceive our
felves, and the Truth is not in us. And again, f If
we fay we have not Jinned, we make him a Liar,
and his Word is not in us. But the plain Import
of them is, That the Frame of Mind, in thofe
who have the Work of GOD wrought in them, is
fuch as renders Sin fo odious to them, that thejy
can't entertain the Thought of committing it, or
of a Temptation to do fo, but with Deteftation ;
nor can they live in the habitual Pra&ice of it ;
And if they fall into Sin, especially a hainous one, 'tis
but rarely, and then thro" Surprife, or the Violence
of Temptation : And when they come to confi-
der, they condemn themfelves, repent of what
they have done, and are upon their Guard parti
cularly againfl this Kind of Sin for the Time to
come.
If any would know what the Sins, infpeciatzre,
that Men will not live in the Pra6tice of, when
they have had a Work of GOD begun in them ;
even this we may fairly collecl: from fome Texts
of Scripture. "Tis obfervablea the dpoftle exhorts
f Chaf, 5, *8. * Chap. i. 8. f t- 10.
C 4 the
94 INTRODUCTION.
fh e Chriftians at COLOSS *, to pwf away all Thefe,
Anger, IVvcith, Malice, Blafphemyy filthy Communi-
fation out of their Mouths ; and enjoins it on them,
pot to He one to another: And that is the Ground
of his thus cautioning them, Seeing that they haqc
put off the OLD MAN with his Deeds, and have put
QU the NEW MAN, which is renewed in Knowledge after
the Image of him that created him. Parallel whereto
is that of this fame Apoftle, in his Epifile to the
EPHESIANS ,• where, having called upon them to be
RENEWED in the Spirit of their Mind, and to put on
the NEW MAN, which after GOD is created in Righ-
teoufnefs and true HoHnefs, he goes on with his
Exhortation, f Wherefore putting aiyay lyings/peak
every Man Truth with his Neighbour.— fie angry , and
fin not : Let not the Sun go down upon your Wrath.
Neither give Place to the Qft$L Let him that ftole,
jleal no more. — - Let no corrupt Communication fro-
'ceed out of your. Mouth.. — And grieve not the HOLT
SPIRIT of GOD.— Let all Bitternefs, and Wrath,
and Anger, and Clamour, and Evil-f peaking, be put
from you, mtb all Malice.
They likewife reprefent the Practice of
Right eoufnefs and Hotincfs, as another fure
Charafterijlick of this Work of GOD- Know ye
'not ( fays the Apojlle ** ) that to whom ye yield
your felves Servants to obey9 his Servants lye are to
whom ye obey ; whethei' of Sin unto Death, or
or of Obedience unto Right eoufnefs. Being made
free from Sin, ye became the Servants of Righte-
oufnefs. And again, * But now, being made free
from $iny and become. Servants to GOD, ye
t Col. 3. 8, 9, 10. f Eph. iv.23- and onwards.
J* Rom. 6. i<54 1 8, * Ver. 7,
INTRODUCTION. 25
lave your Fruit unto HoEnefs. Very exprefs
to the like Purpofe are the Words of the
Apoflle JOHN ft* He that faith I know him, and
keepeth not his Commandments, is a Liar, and the
Truth is not in him. But whofo keepeth his Word,
in him verily is the Word of GOD perfected: Here
by know we that we are in him : He that faith, he
abideth in him, ought himfelf alfo to walk, even as he
walked. And in the lafl Verfe of this fame Chap
ter, If ye blow that he is righteous, ye know that
every one that doth Righteoufnefs is born of him. So
in the next Chapter *, Little Children, let no Man
deceive you ; he that doth Righteoufnefs is righteous,
even as he is righteous. And in the loth if. In this
the Children of GOD are manifejl, and the Children of
the Devil: Whofoever doth not Righteoufnefs is not of
GOD.
And the Scripture is very clear as to the Particu
lars of this Righteoufnefs or Holinefs, as they will
appear in thofe, in whom there is a Work of Grace.
TheApoftle has enumerated fat Fruits of the SPIRIT.
i, e. the yifible, as well as internal Effefts of his
fpecial Work on the Hearts of Men. The Fruit of
the SPIRIT ( fays he f ) is in all Goodnefs, and
Righteoufnefs and Truth. Tne Enumeration is more
full in his Epiftle to the GALATIANS j ; The Fruit of
the SPIRIT is Love, Joy, Peace, Long-fuffering,
Gcntlenefs, Geodnefs, Faith, Meeknefs, Temperance :
#gainft fuch there is no Law.
Wherever there is the faving Work of the SPIRIT*
it will appear in Love; Love to GOD, and Love
ft i John 2. 4, 5, 6. * Vy. 7. f
| Cbap. 5/22,23.
26 INTRODUCTION.
to our Neighbour, on which two Commandments ( as
our SAVIOUR exprefTes it ** ) do hang all the Lai*
and the Prophets.
There will be Love to GOD ; the Reality of it
in the Hearty and the genuine Appearance of it in
the Life. It may difcover itfelf in the Paffi-
ens; and this in a lo-wer or higher Degree, accord
ing to the Temper, Education and other Circum-
ftances of the Perfons who are the Subjefts of it ;
And where the paffionate Appearance may be great-
eft, many may be ready to think, there is the tru-
efl and higheft Love: But this is a Miftake. The
yajjlonate Difcovery of Love is not the beft Evi
dence, either of its Being or Strength : The fureft
and mofl fubftantial Proof is, Obedience to the Com
mandments of GOD ; and the ftronger the Love,
the more uniform, fteady and pleafant will be this
Obedience. The Scripture is remarkably exprefs
in this Matter. Says our SAVIOUR f, If ye love
me, keep my Commandments. And in the 21 if. He
that hath my -Commandments and keepeth them, he it is
that loveth me. So, in the 23 t» If any Man love
me, he mil keep my Words. The fame Thing is
again repeated *, This is the Love of GOD, that we
keep his Commandments. It is added, and his Com
mandments are not grievous.
There will alfo be Love to our Neighbour ; a
Love unconfin'd as to its Objeft. We fliall love
not only thofe who love us, and are of our Opinion
and Party : This is nothing more than the Love of
Publicans and Sinners j : But we mall love thofe
** Matth. 22. 40. f Job* J4- ij- * i Joh. 5-3-
£ jffcr. '£. 4&
who
INTRODUCTION. 27
who hate us, and are our greatefl Enemies ; yea, we
(hall love all Men, but thofe efpecially, who are
of the Houftold of Faith. And our Love will be a
; Love like to that we have for our ourf elves ; like it
for unfeigned Sincerity, and all the genuine Ex-
! preffions of true Benevolence. It will be a Love,
<: not in Wordy neither in Tongue only, hut in Deed and
Truth. It will appear in all the Offices of Kind-
1 nefs, both to Men's Souls and Bodies; opening our
Hearts and Hands to minifter to their Help, as we
are able. Wherever this Love reigns, as it ought
to do, it will banilh ill Nature, evil Surmifings,
unchriftan Jealoufies : It willreftrain the Mind from
evil Thinking, and much more the Tongue from evil
Speaking. There will be no fecret Wintering and
Backbiting, much lefs open dealing in Slander and
Reproach : So far, will Chriftians be from injuri-
oufly treating one another, that they will rather
cover one another's Failings ; forbearing and for
giving one another, as GOD for CHRIST'S Sake
forgiveth us.
The next Fruit of the SPIRIT is Joy ; by which
we are to underftand, not meerly an animal Pajfion,
a free Flow of Spirits : This there may be where
there is no true Joy. And that Joy ought always
to be fufpefted, which rifes high in its fmfible Ap-
fearance, while the Temper of the Mind is not, at
the fame Time, proper tionably exalted in its real
Spirituality. Wherever there is this Joy, there will
be a Complacence of Soul in GOD, a holy Satisfac
tion and Chearfulnefs of Mind : And as it will be
mixl with a becoming Fear and Caution, fo will it
«xprds it felf in as low an Abafement of our felves,
as high Adorations of the free and rich Grace of
GOD.— But of this I fliall have Oceafion to dift
courfe largely afterwards.
Another
28 INTRODUCTION.
. Another of thefe Fruits is Peace ; by which ( I
fuppofe) is here meant, not fo much a holy Sere
nity of Mind ( that being before fpoken of ) as
that State of outward Quietnefs, and good Order,
which may juftly be expected, where Men's Paf*
fions are under a divine Government, and they
themfelves have been formed to a Temper, dif-
pofmg them to live peaceably with all Men^ if it be
pojjible, and as much as in them lies. The Afojtle has
told us, f that Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife,
Seditions, are Works of the Flefh. He alfo mentions
it as the Character of the Wtfdom that is from a*
love fj that it is peaceable, gentle and eafy to be in-
treated ; full of Mercy and good Fruits ; While he
declares ft* tnat if we have bitter Envyings and
Strife, this JVifdom defcendeth not from above ; but
is earthly, fenfual, and devilifl} : For where Envying
and Strife is, there is Confufion and every evil Work.
If Men are fierce and furious ,* if they foment Di-
vifions, and promote Contention and Schifm, they
are fo far fenfual, not having the SPIRIT', for the
Fruit~of the SPIRIT is Peace, a dwelling together
in Love and Unity. 'Tis true, our SAVIOUR has
faid *, Suppofe ye that I am come to give Peace on
Earth ? / tell you nay ; but rather Divifwn. For
from henceforth there pall be five in one Houfe divided,
three againfl two, and two againjl three. The Father
fhall be divided againjl the Son, and the Son againjl
the Father; the Mother againfl the Daughter, and the
Daughter againjl the Mother, and fo on. But this
Text is intended to reprefent, not the proper De-
Jign of CHRIST'S coming, nor yet the genuine Ten
dency of it ; but what would unhappily be the Ef-
f Eph. 5. 20. ft Jam. 3. 17. fi&\ 1.4, i$i 16.
* Luke 12.51,52,53.
feel
INTRODUCTION. 29
through the Prevalence of Men's Lufts, in
Oppofltion to the Precepts of the Gofpel : Nor
can it be fuppos'd, this _ (hould be the Effect, a-
mong thofe who are fawngly wrought upon by the
SPIRIT. Whatever Occafion the coming of
CHRIST may give to the working of Luft in
others, in refpeft of thefe, the Turbulency of
their Spirits has been fo check'd, their Paffions
brought under fuch Reftraint, their old Man fuf-
fer'd fuch a Mortification, that it can't be fuppof-
ed they {hould be given to Strife and Contention,
and go into the like mutinous and divifive Me
thods^ with Men that are carnal If the Fruit of
the SPIRIT is Peace, thofe, certainly, who pre
tend to the SPIRIT, muft be diftinguifh'd from
others by their peaceable Temper and Conduct :
Nor may it be thought, that they (hould be the
Difturbers of Society, the Inftruments to fow the
Seeds of Difcord and Confufion : They will rather
endeavour to keep the Unity of the SPIRIT in the
Bond of Peace. •
A fourth Fruit of the SPIRIT is Long-offering.
This fuppofes Injuries and Abufes, and is expref-
five of the Temper and Behaviour 'of one that is
fpiritual. He is flow of Refentment, loth to re
taliate ; not apt to take Offence, nor hafty to ren
der Evil for Evil ; but prone rather to overcome
Evil with Good : He is patient under Ill-treat
ment, firm againfl the Impreffions of Wrath ; can
fuffer a great deal, and endure Infill ts and bafe
Carriage, without being fill'd with Indignation, and
hurried on to Afts of Revenge ,* in thefe Ways
walking worthy of the location wherewith he is called^
with all LowlinefSy Long -fiffer ing and Forbearance.
Another
So INTRODUCTION.
Another Fruit is Gentlenefs. i e. a Difpofition tp
treat one another with Candour and Mildnefs.
Where this Fruit is, the Temper is foftened, and
rendered fweet and pleafant : And this it will ex-
prefs in a courteous and obliging Deportment. It
won't {land upon nice Points ; it won't be harft
and rugged ; much lefs will it be fierce and de-
ftruftive, calling for Fire from Heaven to devour
all who don't think juft as we do : It will
rather put us upon the Methods of Mildnefs, be
having towards one another with Kindnefs and
Lenity.
Goodnefs is alfo rank'd among thefe Fruits. This
is defcriptive, not fo much of a virtuous Character
in general, as of that, the diilinguHhing Mark of
which is Kindnefs and Benignity : As when our SA
VIOUR fpeaks of the good Man for whom one would
even dare to die, he means to point out, not only
a Man of Religion, but one eminent for his Hu
manity and Beneficence ! And this Kind of Good
nefs there will always be, in a lefs or greater De-
.gree, wherever there is a fpecial Work of the SPI
RIT. It will make Men tender-hearted and cotnpaf-
fionate ; kindly affettioned to each other, ready to
all the Offices of Love and Charity, apt to {hew
Favour : And this they will do, in all the Ways
they can devife; yea, they'll take more Pains, and
go through greater Difficulties for the Good of
Mankind, than, according to the Rigour of ftrict
Juftice, might be expected of them. The con
trary to this is that Selfifbnefs, which prompts Men
to feek their own, and not the Good of others ; that
Hardinefs of Spirit that is not touch'd with a feel
ing of other Men's Miferies ; that niggardly, cow-
tous Difpofition, which can fee a Brother have need,
faut up its Bowels of ComfaJJlon from him.
Faith
INTRODUCTION. 31
Faith is likewife nutnber'd among the Fruits of
the SPIRIT. By this fome fuppofe is meant that
Failhfulnefs, which coniifts in an Averfion to Ly
ing and i. allhood and Deceit ,• and in a Difpofi-
tion to aft with Uprightnefs and Sincerity : But
others incline to think, the Faith here intended
is that by which we are juftified. And to be fure,
this Faith is a Fruit of the SPIRIT, and fuch an
ejjential one too, that no Man may be faid to have
been wrought upon by the SPIRIT, in a facing
Senfe, that has it not. But then it muft be re-
membred, this Faith is not a meer fpeculative, nor
yet unaftive Thing : It will have a powerful
Influence both on Men's Hearts and Lives. 'Tis
fpoken of as that which purifies the Heart * ; as
that which works by Love f ; as that which over
comes the World $ ; yea, as that which is a living,
active, never-failing Principle of all holy Obedience
to the Laws of GOD : Infomuch, that if a Man
fays he has Faith, and it mews not itfeif by his
Works of Rlgbteoufnefs, 'tis a vain Pretence. Ob-
fervably exprefs are the Words of the Apoftle
JAMES to this Purpofe. \.[ What doth it profit, my
Brethren, though a Man fay, he hath Faith ; and
have not Works ? Can Faith fave him ? If a Bro
ther or Sifter be naked, and deftitute of daily Food ;
and one of you fay unto them, depart in Peace, be ye
warmed and filled : Notwithjlanding ye give not thojs
Ihings which are needful for the Body ; what doth it
profit ? Even fo Faith, if it hath not Works, is dead
being alone. So in a Verfe or two following, ##
But wilt thou know, 0 vain Man, that Faith without
is dead ? And again, \ For as the Body
*^Ji5. 9-
14, to i 8.
tGa/.5.6.
** far. 20.
I John 5. ±\
\. far. 26.
\.Jam.2.
without
32 INTRODUCTION
without the Spirit is dead, fo Faith without Works if
dead alfo*
Another of thefe Fruits is Meeknefsj i. e. a cer
tain Sweetnefs of Temper j making Men mild and
placid and quiet ; which they will difcover more
or lefs, in their whole Deportment in the World,
whether towards GOD or Man. In Refpeft of
GOD, they will be ready to believe what he fays,
to do what he contmands, and to fuffer what he
lays upon them with Patience and Chearfulnefs*
In Refpeft of Men, they will behave towards themj
if they are Superiors, with a modeft Deference
and Refpeft ,• if they are Inferiors, with Kindnefe
and Condefcenfion ; and if they are Equals, with
a friendly affable Freedom. The contrary to
this Fruit of the SPIRIT, is that Ungovernablenefs
of Temper, which is apt to exprefs it felf in An
ger, Wrath, Clamour; in Impatience, Difcontent,
Murmuring, and the like, according to the feve-
ral Ways wherein Men's Paffions may be excited.
The laft Fruit of the SPIRIT here mentioned is
Temperance, i.e. a Chriftian Moderation in the Enjoy
ment of the Things of Time and Senfe : Or, it
may rather mean the fame Thing with Chaftity ;
which wherever it has a predominating Influence,
will reftrain from all Filthinefs, not only in Speech
and Behaviour but in Heart alfo ; according to that
fpiritual Interpretation, which our SAVIOUR has left
us of the Seventh Commandment, in the jth Chapter
of MATTHEW'S Gofpel.
But befides thefe, there are other Things^
wherein a Work of the SPIRIT will appear. It
will fet Men a praying, and difpofe them to main
tain a conftauc Courfe of this Duty. This we are
taught
INTRODUCTION. 33
taught from the Inftance of PAUL, of whom, one
of the Things recorded, after his Converfion, is,
Behold heprayeth. Acts 9. n.
It will alfo beget in Perfons a Love to the War-
(hip and Ordinances of GOD in hh-Houfe, and u-
nite them in a continued Attendance thereon.
So, the firft Chriftians continued ft edf aft in the Apo~
file's Doftrine and Fellow/hip, and In breaking of
Bread, and in Prayers : Acts 2, 24,^46, 47. And
this they did with one Accord ; praifmgGQD, and
having Favour with all the People.
This now, in general, is the Appearance a Work
cf GOD will make, wherever, and in whomfoever,
it\akes Place. And if the Work be remarkable, fa
will be its Appearance in thefe Things : And 'tis
to delude Men to pretend the contrary. If great:
Numbers, in a Town or Land, are effectually wro'c
upon by the SPIRIT, it will appear in their Ceaf-
ing to do Evil, and Learning to do well. They will
certainly become better Men ; and it will be vifi-
ble they are fo. They will appear more like to
their SAVIOUR in the Temper of their Minds, and
in the Courfe of their Lives : To be fure, it will
be thus, if the Wwk is remarkable in the Degree
in which it is wrought. They will, in this Cafe,
be eminent for their Faith, Love, Meeknefs, Humi
lity, Patience, Juftice^Erotherly-Kindnefs, Forbearance,
Forgivenefs, and the like : And as for Bitternefs,
Wrath, Strife, Emulation,. Pride, Sedition, Schifm, and
the reft of the Works of the Flefh, it can't be fup-
pofed, that thefe mould abound, and be more pre
valent than before ; certainly, not among thofe,
who are remarkably the Sutjefts of this Work : This
would be to invert the Order of Things, to make
that to be the Appearance of a Work of Grace,
which is an Appearance arifing from Men's Lufts ;
and perhaps, the worft of them too.
D Having
34 INTRODUCTION.
Having thus, in as plain a Manner as I could,
fliown what a WORK OF GOD is, together with,
the APPEARANCE it will make ; efpecially, when
REMARKABLE, it will not be thought, my Defign,
in the following Treatife, is, to refleft Dimonour
upon any of thofe Things wherein I have made
a real Work of GOD, or its Appearance to confift. I
truft, I am not miflaken in the Idea I have given,
either of fuch a Work, or its Appearance ; and the
rather, becaufe what I have faid upon this Head,
I have moflly exprefl in the very Words of
Scripture : And fo far as the Work, I have above
defcribed, appears in this or any other Place,
I am, if I know myfelf, in a Difpofition to re
joice in it, and thank GOD for it ; And inftead
of faying any Thing to eppofe it, would do all in
my Power, to encourage and promote it. But
"tis eafy to obferve, a Work of GOD may be
thought to confift in thofe Things, in which the
Bible does not make it to confift ; and great
Strefs may be laid upon fuch Appearances as are
no fure Charafterifticks of a faving Change in Men's
Hearts : And 'tis too evident to need Proof,
that this has been too much the Truth of the Cafe
in thefe Times. Many have taken the Work of GOD
to lie in thofe Things, which are fo far from be
ing either Parts or Effects of fuch a Work, that
'tis rather a Reproach to the HOLT SPIRIT of
COD, to fuppofe he mould be the Author of
them : And one of the beft Ways to ferve the
Caufe of GOD and Religion, is, in my Opinion,
to poinC out, with Freedom and Plainnefs, thofe
Appearances, which inftead of being the genuine
Fruits of a Work of GOD, are real Hindrances to
the flourifliing of pure and undefil'd Religion :
And this prepares the Way to enter upon the
Buiinefs I have taken in Hand.
PART
PART I.
Particularly pointing out the
Things of a bad and danger
ous Tendency ) in the late reli
gious Appearance in NEW-
ENGLAND.
[HERE is not a Man, in the Country in the
fober Exercife of his Underffcanding, but
will acknowledge, that the late religious
been attended with many Irregularities
and Dlfordefs. Thefe, fome are pleafed to call,
Imprudencies, human Frailties, accidental Effects only,
fuch as might be expe61ed> conlidering the Re
mains of Corruption in good Men, even among
thofe in whom a remarkable Work of Grace is car-
tying on : Others are in the Opinion, they make
a main Part of the Appearance that has been fo
much talk'd of* and have arifen unavoidably, in
the natural Courfe of Things, from the Means
and Injlruments of this Appearance ; and that it
could not reafonably be fuppos'd^ it iliould have
been otherwife.
1 mall particularly fliow what thefe bad and dan
gerous Things are ; making fuch Remarks ( as I
go along) as may be thought needful to fet Mat*
ters in a jult and true Light*
D z Among
Thins 0V bad PART
Among the bad Things attending this' Work,
I fhall firjt mention Itinerant Preaching. This
had its Rife ( at left in thefe Parts ) from Mr.
WHITEFIELD ; though I could never fee, I own,
upon what Warrant, either frorn Scripture or Rea-
fon, he went about Preaching from one Province
and Parifb to another, where ,the Gofpel was -al
ready preach'd, and by Perfons as well qualified
for the Work, as he can pretend to be. I cha
ritably hope, his Defign herein was good : But
might it not be leavened with fome undefirable
Mixture ? Might he not, at firft, take up this
Practice from a miftaken Thought of fome ex
traordinary MiJJion from GOD ? Or, from the
undue Influence of . two high an Opinion of his
own Gifts and Graces ? And when he. had got
into this Way, might he not be too much encou
raged to go on in it, from the popular Applaufes,
every where, fo liberally heaped on him ? If
he had not been uqder too ftrong a Biafs from
fomething or other of this Nature, why fo fond
of preaching always himfelf, to the Exclufton,
not of his Brethren only, but his Fathers, in Grace
and Gifts and Learning) as well as. Age ? And
why-fo oftentatious and afliirning as to alarm fo
many Towns, by proclaiming his Intentions, in
the publick Prints, to preach fuch a Day in fuch
a Pariflj, the next Day in, fuch a one, and fo .on,
as he paft through the' Country ; and all this,
without the Knowledge, either of Paftors or Peo
ple in moft Places ? What others may think of T
fach a Conduct I know not ; but to me, it ne
ver appeared the moft indubitable Exprefllon of.
that Modefty, Humility, and prefering others in
which the Serif tuns highly recommend as
what
PART I. ani dangerous Tendency. 3^7 -
.what will adorn the Minifter's, as well as the Chri-
flian's Chara&er,
And what became of his little Flock all this
while ? This Gentleman (if I don't miftake) ex-
prefles a very contemptuous Thought of NON
RESIDENTS and PLURALISTS, when he makes that
Remark, in one of his • Journals f, ff The Towns
" through CONNECTICUT, and the Province of the
<f MASSACHUSETTS-BAY — are well-peopled. —
" Every five or ten Miles you have a Meeting-
" Honfe, and I believe there is no fuch Thing as
ff a PLURALIST or NON - RESIDENT - MINISTER in
(f both Provinces.'' And what is the mighty Dif
ference ( fo" far as a particular Flock is concerned
' in its Paftors Labours ) between an ITINERANT ,
PREACHER, abfent from his Charge feven Eights
of his Time, and a NON-RESIDENT-MINISTER ?
Or, between a PLURALIST, and one that acts as.,
though all the Pari/hes in a Country were his pro
per Cure ? 'Tis true, your NON-RESIDENTS and
PLURALISTS have their worldly Encouragements : ,
And fome are in the Opinion, it han't been to >
Mr. WHITEFIELD'S Difad vantage, on temporal Ac
counts, that he has travelled about the World in
Quality of an Itinerant- Preacher. He has certain
ly made LARGE COLLECTIONS : 'And if, in the do
ing of this> he had a Fellow- feeling with the Or
phans, 'tis no more than might be expected. Na
one, I believe, -befite himfelf, can t^^\\Q. Amount
of the 'Pfefenfs, 'he, received in this . Tcfwn, as
well as in other -Places, for his own proper Ufe.
The Aext Gentleman that practifed upon this
% new Method was. Mr. GILBERT TENNENT, who came
Journal of NEW-ENGLAND, Page 94,9-% •
D 3
§8 Things of a b*A PART If
in the Middle of Winter, from NEW-BRUNSWICK
(a Journey of more than 300 Miles ) to BOSTON,
" to water the Seed fown by Mr, WHITEFIELD ;"
the Miniflers in the Town, though a confiderable
Body, being thought infufficient for that Purpofe,
J mall not think it amifs to infert here Part
of an expoftulatory Letter fent to him, after he had
been preaching among us for fome Time,
*' Pray, Sir, (fays the Writer*) let me put it to
(e your Confcience ; was not the Reafon of your
" travelling fo many hundred Miles to preach the
ff Gofpel, in this Place, founded on the Infuffici-r
*c ency of the Minifters here for their Office ?
" Why travel fo far, in fuch a rigorous Seafon,
*f LO preach the Gofpel, if the Gofpel was really
*' preach'd by the Miniflers here ? Did you not
*' fear f, **that notwithflanding they pretend to
" water what Mr. WHITEFIELD, by the SPIRIT,
*' had planted, had fet up a Lefture, and; the like,
*( they would build with untempered Mortar, would
" build mod. Hay, Stubble, &c.?" Had you npt
" fome Sufpicion, that, either they had not a
ft true Knowledge of the Do&rines of Grace, or
fc if they had, that it was only a Head Knowledge^
*: that they were not converted, and of Confe-
*' quence not likely to be made Inflruments of
*' much good ? . Ijf this be the natural Conftruc-
f( tion to be put upon your coming hither, can
" you think, you are in the Way of your Duty ?
" Can you think, the bringing the Jlanding Mini-
« Jhy of a Place into Contempt, the Way to
*' promote the Intereffc of Religion, and the Sal-
?* vation of Souls ? But perhaps, you did not
See :the Bofton. Poft-Soy^ Numb. 353, f
Journal*
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 39
<f think, nor would have any Body elfe think,
€f quite fo hardly of the Minifters here ? Per-
ff haps, you only thought, that if they did a little
cc Good, you might do a great Deal more. Is not
" this approaching too near to Vanity ? Is it not
ff thinking more highly of your felf than you
*f ought ? Is it not contrary to the Scripture
" Rule of preferring others in Love ?" The An-
fiver to this Letter I never look'd upon as fatis-
faftory : And I have the more Reafon to think,
there was a Propriety in thefe Queilions, as I now
know what Opinion Mr. WHITEFIELD entertain'd
of the Generality of the Minifters in Town. I mall
only fay, I have had perfonal Converfation with
one, who join'd in the Prayers previous to this
Journey to BOSTON.
x /
Mr, TENNENT tarried in Town a great Part of
the Winter ; in all which Time, he never exprefl
a Defire ( fo far as I can learn ) of being affifted
by any one of the Minifters : But feem'd as fond,
as Mr. WHITEFIELD before him, of preaching e-
very Day himfelf ; and did fo, willingly taking
from the other Minifters even their own Turns in
the Jlated Leftures. : And if, by their Subimffion.
to him herein, they fell in the Opinion of the
People, who can wonder at it ? It would indeed
have been a Wonder, if they had not. For ei
ther the Circumflances of the Town were fuch as
to require Preaching every Day in the Week, or
they were not : If they were not, why did they
encourage fuch a Practice ? If they were, I
don't fee how they could anfwer it to GOD, their
ewn Confciences9 or their People, to fit flill, and let
one Man have [the fole Trouble of that which
was the proper Bufinefs of their Office. Such a
Conduit as this naturally taught People to,, look
D 4 -'upon
40 Things of a bad PART 1.
upon them as idle Shepherds : And if this was
the Re Heftion, fame caft upon them, it was no
other than might be expedted.
Mr. TENNENT went from BOSTON to PISCATA.QUA
in the Path of Mr. WHITEFIELD ; and, in fome
Places,, appeared very forward in tenclring his Ser
vice to preach,, though he knew it was not ( as
to Time ) agreeable to the Minifters. Upon his
Return home, he preach'd in moil, if not all the
Towns as he paft along : And if, in all the Pa-
ri/heSy he had the Confent of the Paftors, it was, I
am ready to think, by Conflraint. They might
give into it to prevent Difficulties among their Peo
ple ; not that they approved this Manner of Con-
dutt, the Conftru6tion of which feemed to be,
that upon him lay the Care of all the Churches.
From this Time, the Method of Itinerant Preach
ing became common. Many, in various Parts of
the Land, took upon them to vifit the Churches ;
preaching from Place to Place, wherever they
went : Sometimes, contrary to the known Judg
ment of the fettled Miniftersy and in Oppqfttion to
them ; and fometimes, where their Confent was
only a Matter of Neceffity to keep Peace among
their People. Sometimes, they have come into Pa-
r iilies of their own Accord ; and fometimes, by
Application made to them from a few difaffeft-
ecl Perfons. Sometimes, in order to get the Li
berty of the Meefmg-Houfe^ they have us'd mean
and indirect Arts ,• , and fometimes, when they
could not get into it, they have gone into pri-
i*jte Houfes, or gathered Aflemblies in the Fields.
Nay, Lay-Exbortcrs, Men of no Capacity, nor
Learning ; yea, fome of them of a fufpkious
Character for their Virtue, (not to fay any Thing
worfej^
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 41
xvorfe) have travell'd about from Town to Town,
calling AJfemblies, and fometimes exciting Prejudi
ces in People againft their Minifters, for not Jet
ting them into their Pulpits, or not encouraging
them in their diforderly Practice. I cannot better
defcribe the Manner of thefe Itinerants, than in
the Words of a Friend in his Letter to me, " The
" Itinerant Minifters that have .been among us,
fe have been (as I think) very irregular and dif-
" orderly in their Proceedings. It hath been their
fc Manner to eflrange themfelves, in a great Mea-
<6 fure, from me, and to aflbciate with a difaffeft-
" ed Party. , They appoint and warn Leftures
(* without my Confent or Knowledge, and juil
(f before the Time of Exercife they have com-
" monly fent for my Approbation : And upoa
(f my mamfefting a Diilike .of their Manage-
f( ments, they have preach'd fometimes in private
(< Houfes ; fometimes in a Barn , fometimes in
« the'op^w Air.
The Inconveniences, which have arifen from
this Method of a6ling, more efpecially in CON
NECTICUT, have been fo great, that the GOVERN
MENT there have taken the Matter into Conflde-
ration, and come into an Aft_9 whereby they have
retrained, both ordained Minifters 9 and licenfed Can
didates, from preaching in other Men's Parifloes,
without their and their Church's Confent ; and
wholly prohibited the Exhortations of illiterate Lay-
Men i.
It is not my Bufinefs to confider, how far an
Irregularity, in this Kind, may properly fall under
This 4tt we had printed in one of our News*
Fafers, at large. the
42 Things of a b^A PART I.
the Cognifance of the civil Maglflrate : What I
have to do with, is the Thing it felf ; which I
can't but reckon among thzDif orders of theprefent
Day.
I fee not but thofe, who make it their Praftice
to go about gathering Ajjemblies, in other Mens
Parifhes, properly come under the Chara6ler of
JSufie-Bodies. . Thefe were common, in the firft
Days of the Gofpel ; and there feems to have been
two Sorts of them.
Some were idle, not doing their own Bujinefs ;
but wandring about from Houfe to Houfe, talking, and
fpeaking the Things they ought not. This is the ve
ry Chara&er of fome idle Perfons, who have late
ly rifen up among us. And what is the Tho't of
the great St. Paul concerning them ? Why, he
lays, f They are diforderly Walkers , and commands,
that a Mark he fet upon them, that they be with*
drawn from, and admonifbed.
But befides thefe, there feems to have been an«
other Sort of Bufie-Bodies ; fuch as went out of
their own Line, intermeddling in other Men's
Matters, 'Tis obfervable, the Original Word,
anfwering to that Scripture Phrafe, $ a Bufte-Body
in other Men's Matters, is, allotrio-Epifcopos ; one
that plays the Bi/hop in another's Diocefs, takes up
on him the Infpeftion of another's Charge. The
Perfon defcribed is one, who qfficioufiy employs
himfelf about the Bufinefs that does not belong to
him ; ailing in the proper Sphere of others, as tho*
f 2 Theft. 3, frora the i oth to the ijth,
} i Pet. 4* JJ.
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 4.3
it was his, not their s. This is the Conduci the
dpoflle points out : And he has an ill Opinion
of it, or he would not have rank'd it with fome
of the greatejt Crimes.
It appears indeed to be a Fault of the fame Kind
with that, which the Apoflle PAUL blames in the
falfe Teachers, who had crept into the Church of
CORINTH, to their great DifTervice, Remarkable
are his Words upon this Head. I mall fet them
down at large. *f We dare not, fays he }, make
<< ourfelves of the Number, or compare ourfelves
* f with fome that commend themfelves ; But they
*' meafuring themfelves by themfelves, and com-
ff paring themfelves among themfelves are not
(C wife. But we will not hoajl of Things without
" our Meafure, but according to the Meafure of
*f the Rule, which GOD hath diftributed to us, a
*f Meafure to reach even unto you, For we
€C ftretch not ourfelves beyond our Meafure, as tho*
" we reached not unto you ; for we are come
*f as far as to you alfo, in Preaching the Gofpel
" of CHRIST : Not boajting of Things without;
*' our Meafure, that is, of other Mens Labours ;
€f but having Hope, when your Faith is encreafc-
*f ed, that we (hall be enlarged by you, according
" to our Rule abundantly, to preach the Gofpel
(c in the Regions beyond you, and not to hoafl-
" in another Mans Line of Things made ready to our
<f Hand." Three Things are fuggeiled to us
as faulty in tliefe Teachers.
The firft is, thefr- commending themfelves fo much.
We dare not, fays the Apofile, corn-pare ourfelves with
2 Cdr. io. from the 12 to the 17 Verfe.
few*
44 Tffiffge* of. a bad PART L
fome, who- cowttnend themfehes. The Language is
fatyrical, fetting forth, in the ftrongeft Light,, the -
undue Praifes tkefe Teachers heap'd upon them-
felves. They were vainly.' puffed up in -their
Minds, glorying in themfelves, as though they
were extraordinary Perfons, out-doing even the A-
poftles. Such was their Pride and Self-Conceit,
that they took all Occafions to proclaim their own
Goodnefs ; which they, no Doubt, did, with fuch
Art and Cunning, as hereby to infinuate themfelves
into the good Opinion of the People, to the pre
judicing them againft the very Jpjftles. They
are therefore called, in the next Chapter, $ deceitful
Workers .; and reprefented, f as transforming them
fehes into th^Minifters of Right eoufnefs, according
to the Example of Satan, who can transform him* '
felf into an Angel of Light. Mr. BURKITT'S Note '
here is very juft, and may be worth tranfcribing.* J
" It is very poffible, fays he, for Men to be real-
" ly Satan s Inflruments, animated and taught
" by him, to do -his Work againfl the Intereft
" of CHRIST and his Truth ; ,and yet, at the
" fame Time, to pretend to cxcellarid go beyond
*' CHRIST'S faithful Miniflers, in preaching Truth '
ff and Holinefs : So that the highell Pi'etence^1'
" to Truth, Orthodoxy, free Grace, Purity apd J
<f Unity, are no fufficient Evidences of a true
** Miniftry. Satan and his Inftruments, who love
" to transform themfehes fometimes into an An-
« gel of Light, may pretend to all thefe ,• and *
*' notwlthftanding, be the fworn Enemies of
« CHRIST arid hi§ Kingdom,"
Another Thing inllnuated to be Blame-worthy j
in thefe Teachers is, their entring into other Men's
13. 1, 15
.
PART L ani dangerous Tendency. 45
Labours, and making their Boaft'of Things mads
ready to their Bands. This Method of a&ing, the
Afoftle condemns by his own Example to the con
trary. It was not his Practice to beftow his La
bours chiefly on the ' Places where the Gofpel had
.been fetded, and was now preach'd by faithful
Men fee apart for that Purpofe : He chofe ra
ther io be the firft Founder of Chriflianity where-
ever he went. He did not neglecl ungofpelized
PlaceSy to go to thofe where the Gofpel was al
ready preach'd ,• [ This was the Practice of the
falfe Teachers he is arguing againft] but on the
contrary, he paft by the People, who enjoyed the
Gofpel, in the Jlated Preaching of it by fettled Paf-
tors, that he might; make known the LORD JESUS
CHRIST, to ihofe who had not heard of his Name.
Very exprefs are his- own Words to this Effect, f
-Yea, fo have I ftrived to preach the Gofpel, not where
CHRIST was named, left I fhould build upon another
Mans Foundation : But as ,it is written, to whom
•he was not fpoken of, they^fhallfee ; *and they that
have not heard; /hall undcrfiand. And if thole, in
this Day, who would b'e "thought more zealous than
their Neighbours to promote the intereft of Re
ligion, inftead of going, from Place to Place, where
the Gofpel is. already preach'd, and by Perfons
much better qualified for the Work than they are ;
I fay, if iriflead of this, they would carry the
Gofpel to the People fitting in Darknefs, and thaty^<?
no Light, (Multitudes of whom there are upon our
Borders) they might difcover as much truly Chri-
ftian Zeal, and do as great Service to the King
dom of CHRIST.
t Rom. 15. 20, 21.
4<5 Things of a ted PART I4
The laft Thing the Apoflle blames in thefe Tea*
chers is, their not keeping to Rule, their going be*
yond their Meafure. If this had not been a Fault
in them, it would not have been to the Commen
dation of the Apoflle, that his Conduft, in this
Matter, had been contrary to their' s. And yet,
this he glories in : He feems to exult in it, that
it could not be faid of him, as of thefe falfe
Teachers, that he had tranfgrejfed his Line, ex
ceeded his Meafure. Says he, comparing himfelf
with them, we Jlretch not our felves beyond our
Meafure. And again, Not boafting of Things with*
cut our Meafure, that is, of other Mens Labour?.
And yet again, Not to boafl in another Mans Line
vf Things made ready to our Hands.
This Language of the Apoflle appears fingu-
larly beautiful, as well as expreflive, to thofe
who have Acquaintance with the GRECIAN AGONES,
to which it evidently alludes. One of thefe was
RACING ,• concerning which, two Things may be
taken Notice of: The Stage of Ground they were
to run ; and the white Lines, which mark'd out
the Paths for the Racers to run in. Thefe were
as many as the Racers : Each Man had his Path
chalk'd out to him, out of which if he flept in*
to the Path of another, he went out of his Line>
and loft the Prize. To this the Apoflle alludes
in thefe Words. His Apofllefhip f , his preaching
the Gofpel, is his running in a Race ; the Province
aflign'd him to gofpelize, is the Meafure diftribu-
ted to him, his Stage or Compafs of Ground, which
GOD, as it were, by the Line in a Race, had
mark'd out for him to exercife himfelf in: And
f Vid. Doftor HAMMOND. Not. c. d. in Loc*
to
PART. L and dangerous Tendency. 47
to this he had kept. He had not, like thefe
falfe Teachers, gone beyond Ms Meafure ; he had
not ftept out of his own into the Line of another.
The obvious Import of all which is, that fuch.
are unlike to tbe holy Apoftle PAUL, and fland
condem'd by Ms Example, who keep not within
their own Bovads, but go over into other Metis
Labours : T^ey Jierein intermeddle in what does
not belong* to them, and are properly Bujie-bodies ;
efbeciallv, when they concern themfelves in the
Affairs of others uncalled, and fo as to introduce
Diforcter and Confufion into the Church of GOD*
And if, in the firfl Days of Chriftianity, when
the State of Things was fuch as to require the
travelling of the Afoflks and others, from Place to
PJace, to preach the Gofpel ; I fay, if, in thefe
Times, even an Apoftle thought it disorderly to go
out of his own Line, and enter upon other Men's
Labours, 'tis much more fo in the prefent fettled
State of the Church. The Paftor has now his fpe-
cial Charge. He is devoted to the Service of the
LORD JESUS CHRIST, in a particular Place, and o*
ver a particular People. His Work, as a Minifler,
does not lie at. large ; but is reftrain'd within
certain Boundaries. I don't mean, that he may'nt
ufe his Office, in other Places, within the Rules
cf Order, upon fp ecial Occafions, and where there
may be a jiift Call : But his flated, conftant Bu-
Cnefs is with his own People. Thefe have been
committed to his Care ; thefe, he has folemn-
ly engagd, before GOD, and the LORD JESUS
CHRIST, and holy Angels, to do all the Duties of a
Paftor to. And can he be faithful to his Ordina
tion VQW> or the Command of GOD, which fays,
' ffc Flock over which the HOLT GHOST hath
mi*
48 Things of a bad ; PART L
'made thce an Overfeer *, while he leaves his Peo
pie one Week and Month after another, beftow-
ing his Labours upon thofe, he has no particular
Relation to ? Are not. the Souls of his own Peo
ple as precious as the Souls of others. Han't he
Work enough, among his own People, that he
need feek for it elfewhere ? -That Man knows
little of the Work of a Minifter, xhat does not
know how to employ all his Time, & Strength, and
Tho't, for the Good of thofe of his ovn Charge.
He may here fpend all his Zeal, and bt as abun
dant in Labours, in Seafon and out of Seajov,9 as he
judges proper. And I ihould think, extraordinary
Pains are as fuitable among a Minifler's own Peo
ple, as Strangers ; and would be as evidential of
his Love to Souls, and Defire of their Salvation.
It was, in my Opinion, far from being exemplary
in Mr. WHITEFIELD, his taking fo little Care of
his own Flock. When he went from thefe Parts
to GEORGIA, notwithitanding his frequent Prayers
for them, and Expreffions of a more than ordinary*
Love to them, and longing after their Salvation,
he was no longer than Part of two Days at SA
VANNAH ,• nor did he preach there more than
two Sermons, if we may believe his own Account, f
It appears ftrange, he mould allow his own Charge
fo fmall a Share of his Labours, as he was fo to-
vifh of them elfewhere ! And 'tis obfervable, as
foon as he had left GEORGIA, and arrived at
CHARLES-TOWN in CAROLINA, his Journal again ap
pears with pompous Accounts of his Preachings.
He writes, Sunday, Jan. 4. " Preach'd twice this
f See his Journal from his leaving NEW-ENGLAND,
Oa. 1740. P. 34. 35. * A8s 20, 28,
•Day*
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 49
Day, and expounded to large Auditories." And,
Saturday, Jan. 10. " Preach'd twice every Day
this Week, and expounded frequently in the Even-
ing".* If this is watching for Souls, I mean, the
Souls, of our particular Charge, as thofe that mull
'give an Account ; it is not a Matter of fo much
Difficulty , as- 1 always imagined.
And as to others, who are fo forward in going
into other Parifhes, to preach there perpetually, I
can't learn that they do more among their own
People, than thofe who make no fuch Excurfi-
ons ? Nay, they have, fome of them, greatly
negle6led their own, from a Zeal to take Care of
other Minifter's People : And they have been
complained of on this Head, and fallen under'
fublick Cenfure.
One of the Charges exhibited by Mr. D T'S
People againfh him, and laid before a Council of
Minifters,- O6L 7, 1742, was, Cf His leaving his
*( Congregation, at feveral Times, for a great
" while together, at his Will and Pleafure, with-
€( out Leave or Confent of the Church, or So-
" ciety :" Upon which, the Council gave it as
their Judgmen^, "We think that his Congregati-
• tc on have juil Caufe to complain of his leaving
<f them, at feveral Times, for fo'long a Space
" as he has done, without their Confent ;
" Whereby he has not only left them,, deftitute
c-' of Gofpel Ordinances ; but has been too un-
" mindful of the Obligation he lies under, by
ff his paftoral Relation, to them who are his fecit-
" liar Charge."
? See P, 38 of his Journal
E Another
50 Things of a bad PART. I,
Another of thefe Itinerants was complained of,
by a confiderable Number of his People ; and
cne of the Articles they objected to him, before an
Ecclejiaftical Council, convened, June 15. 1742, was,
€< We are uneafy with his wandering from Town to
** Town, to the great Difturbance of Towns and
" Churches, and negle&ing his own Church at
(f Home*'. Upon which, the Council came into
the following Refult, " It appears to us, that
(f the Rev. Mr. - hath been too ready to
" wander from Town to Town, and invade the
«< Bifhoprick and Office of his Brethren, and ad-
" miniiter Occafion to Difturbance in feveral
" Places ( and we fear ) to the Negle6l of his
(f faithful Difcharge of his Duty, among his own
" Flock, and to give too much Encouragement
f( to Lay-Perfons exhorting publickly ; All of
€C which, are fo contrary to the Laws of CHRIST
" and his Gofpel, as upon no Pretence to be coun-
<f tenanced." I could mention fome other Inftances
in this Kind : But thefe fliall fuffice for the
prefent.
And what is the Language of this going into
ether Men's Parifhes ? Is it not obvioufly this 9
The fettled Paftors are Men> not qualified for
their Office, or not faithful in the Execution of
it ; They are either unfit to take the Care of
Souls, or grqfly negligent in doing their Duty to
them : Or, the Language may be, we are Men
of greater Gifts, fuperiour Holinefe, more Acceptable-
fiefs to GOD ; or have been in an extraordinary
Manner fent by him. Some of thefe Itinerants^
**is evident, have travelled about the Country
preaching, under the full Perfwafion of an imme*
diate Call from GOD ; And as to moft of them, ic
ma;
PART. 1 and dangerous Tendency. 51
may be feared, the grand Excitement, at t!?e Bo:-
torn, has been, an cverfond Opinion of t^
and an unchrijtlan one o!' their BreJiren.
therefore been their Praftice, too ceir.u.jnh, :,--,:
only to boaft of their oiw fuperior Goodnefs, vwrjie-
ever they have gone ; buc to inanaaut ilifpjd*
onsagainft the fixed Pajiorsytf not to preach aju.ut
them, and pray for them, as p<wr, corral, uucon*
•verted Men : Nay, meer Candidates lor the JVIU
niftry ; yea, illiterate Exhwters, raw, weak yottn.v
Men, ot Lads, have too frequently taken u:- n
them, openly to judge and cenfure i.heir Mimfiers ;
as I (hall have Occafion, afterwards, to liiow ac
large.
Moreover, what is the Tendency of this Prae*
tice, but Confufion and Diforder ? If one Paf*
tor may negleft his own People to take Care of
etherSyWho arealready taken Care of ; a .id, it ^r^ay
be much better thaa he can take care of them: I
fay, if one Paftor may do thus, why not ano
ther, and another ftiil, and fo on* 'till tliere i$
no jfuch Thing as Church Order in the Land ?
One Minifter has the fame Right to enter into
ether Men's Parifioes as another ; and may vin*
dicate his Conduct upon the fame Principles :
And if this fliould become the general Pra6lice>
what might be expelled, as the Effeft, but an
intire Diflblution of our Church State ? This
Itinerant Preaching, it is my firm Perfwafion, na
turally tends to it in the Courfe of Things ;
yea, and the Principles, upon which it is flip-
ported, will disband all the Churches in the
World ; and make the Relation, between Paf-
tors and People, a meer Nothing, a Sound without
It
52 Things of a bad PART I.
It will not be thought a needlefs DigreiTion to
infert here, the Sentiments of the Fir ft Fathers
of this Country, upon this Point of Order in the
Churches. This jtiftly lay with great Weight upon
their Minds ; For it is indeed the Strength as well
as Beauty of the Creation. Next to Faith, they
efleemed Order ; a Matter of NecefTity to the
Well- Being of thefe Churches. And to this it was
owing, that they held a Synod at Cambridge, Anno
1648, confuting of all the Churches of the MAS
SACHUSETTS-PROVINCE, by their Elders and* MeJJen-
gers ; when they agreed upon that Rule of
Church Order, commonly called, our Platform of
Church- Difc'ipline. Here it is declared as their uni
ted Judgment, f " That Elders are appointed to
ff feed, not all Flocks, but the particular Flock
€f over which the HOLY GHOST hath made them
fc Overfeers ; and that Flock they muft attend,
" even the whole Flock : And one Congregation
" being as much as any ordinary Elder can at-
(f tend, therefore there is no greater Church than
ff a Congregation, which may ordinarily meet in
" one Place."
And again,* ff Church Officers are Officers to
(f one Church, even that particular over which
<f the HOLY GHOST hath made them Ovefeers ;
€f infomuch as Elders are commanded to feed,
<f not all Flocks, but that Flock which is coni-
*( mitted to their Faith and Truft, and dependeth
*< on them : Nor can conflant Rejidence at one
(( Congregation be neceflary for a Minifler, no,
« nor yet lawful, if he be not a Minifler to one
Platform, Chapter 3, Se6l. 5. * Chapter 9.
Seft, (5.
Congregatioi)
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 53
ff Congregation only, but to the Church univer-
" fal ; becaufe he may not attend one Part on-
" ly of the Church to which he is a Minifter^
« but is called to attend unto all the Flock/'
And 'tis obfervable, though they allow of a
Communion of Churches, yet it is only in fuch Ca
fes, and under fuch Limitations, as may confift,
with the Rights both of particular Churches and
their Paftors ; yea, and with the Duties too they
mutually owe to each other.
On the one Hand, they concede to Minifters
officiating in other Churches befides their own ;
'but then, it is upon Suppofition of a mutual Con-
fent, not only between the relpeftive particular
Churches,* but their Elders f alfo : Nor is even
this allow'd, but occafeonally, and as the Circum-
ftances of other Churches may call for the Af-
fiftance of neighbour Minifters. If the Minifter
of one Church be feck, the Minifter of another (if
defired ) may adminifter Baptifm in his Room.f
In like Cafe g, " fuch Churches as are furnilh-
<tf ed with more Minifters than one, do willingly
<( afford one of their own Minifters to fupply the
u Place of an abfent or feck Minifter of another
<( Church^ for a needful Seafon." JTis evident
from thefe Paflages, and indeed from the whole
Scope of the Platform, that our Fathers never ima-
gin'd it warrantable, either from Reafon, or the
of GOD, for Minifters to aft in any Church
f See the Propofet. about a Confoclation of Chur
ches ; Prop. 5. and 8. t Platform, Chapt,
10. Sefti. 8- n. t flatform^ Chap. 15-
- 5 Seft. ibid,
E 3 befides
54 Things of a bad PART I.
befldes their own, unlefs with the Confent, not of
•a Purr.y only in the Church, but the Body of the
Chare//; >ea, and with the Concurrence alfo of
ILS Eider, if any it had. A Conduct contrary to
ti.'j.s, they would have tedified againft, with all
Severity \* as being oppoflte to Order, an In-let
Co Dijrurfranccfy and tending to Confufion.
On the other Hand, they allow that the Bre
thren of a particular Church may occafionally, and
as th'jre may be real Need of it, communicate
with other Churches in any A6h of Church Fel-
lowibip ; but then, they particularly give it as
their Judgment f, That " Church-Members may
'* noc remove or depart from the Church, and
« fo one from another, as they pleafe, nor with-
** ouc juft and weighty Caufe ; but ought to
<* live and dwell together, forafmuch as they are
'< comir aided not to forfake the AfTembling of
" themfeives together. Such Departure tends
*< to the Diflblution and Ruin of the Body, as
<c the pulling of Stones and Pieces of Timber
" from the Building, and of Members from the
<* natural Body, tends to the Deftrufticn of the
« Whole." And again, * « To feparate from
" a Church, either out of Contempt of their holy
« Fellowfhip, Ui or out of Schifm, or Want of
<c Love, and out of a Spirit of Contention, in
« Refpe6l of fome Unkindnefs, or fome evil on-
<* ly conceived, or indeed in the Church, which
*< might and mould be tolerated and healed with
«f a Spirit of Meeknefs, and of which Evil the
" Church is not yet convinced, ( though perhaps
« hijnfelf be ) nor admonifhed : For thefe, or
f flat for mi Chap. ;r, SeC, i. * Seft. 5,
thd
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 55
" the like Reafons to withdraw from publick
<f Communion in Word, or Seals, or Cenfures, is
«• unlawful and finfi.il."
Had thefe Paragraphs been wrote, on Purpofe
to defcribe the diforderly Separations of the prefent
Day, they could not have done it more exaftly :
And, at the fame Time, they clearly exhibit the
Opinion 'of our Fore-Fathers , as to the probable
Iflue of thefe Things ,• that they tend to break
the Church to Pieces. And what indeed can be
expected but Confuflon, when Church Members
will forfake their own Paftors for every waridring
Stranger ; and, rather than not hear them, will
break away from their own Church, forget their
Duty to him that has been fet over them in the
LORD, and treat him with Anger and Wrath > if
not with Contempt and Infult .
But notwithflanding all that has been faid a-
gainfl this Itinerant preaching, 'tis a Practice migh
tily pleaded for ; and many are the Things that
are offered in its Vindication.
'Tis faid, much Good has been done by it. And
han't there been much Evil likewife ? Han't it
been the Occafion, not accidentally^ but in the na
tural Courfe of Things, of uncomfortable Heats,
Animofities .and Contentions ? Han't Chriflians,
hereby, been divided into Parties, One faying, I
am of PAUL ; another, I am of APOLLOS ; ano
ther, I am of CEPHAS, to the difturbing the Peace
of Churches ? Han't People, by this Pra&ice.,
been led to glory in Men ? And han't they had
feme Men's Perfons fo much in Admiration , as to
throw unjuft Contempt upon others ? But, if more
Good had followed upon this Kind, of Preaching
E 4 than
56* Things of a bad PART L
than really has, it would not hereby be juftified ;
unlefs it can be made to appear, that Evil may
not, by the alwife and gracious GOD, be over
ruled for Good. The Queftion ought not to be,
whether Good has been done in this Way ? feut
whether the Way it felf is countenanced in the
Bible, or can be vindicated upon the Principles
of uncorrupted Reafon ? If not ; 'tis, in it's
Nature, bad, and unalterably fo, lee its Effeftsbe
what they will.
It is further pleaded, they are good Men that go
into this Practice : Their Hearts are fir'd with
a holy Zeal to ferve the Interefl of Souls ; and
'tis to forward their Salvation, that they thus tra
vel about Preaching. And are not the Miniilers,
into whofe Labours they enter, good Men alfo ?
Have they not a Love to the Souls of Men, and
ardent Defires of their Salvation ? Or, mufl they
be thought felfifh and carnal, becaufe they are
Heady, and keep within the Rules of Order in their
Endeavours to do good ? I know, 'tis a fpeci-
ous Thing for Minifters to go about from Place
to Place, profefling a compaffionate Concern for
Sinners, a Readinefs to do, or fuffer any Thing,
to. promote their Conversion ; efpecially, if this
is accompanied with a bitter Zeal, againfl all who
can't come into their Meafures : And they may
be flock'd after, on this Account, and held
in great Reputation, as more My than their Bre
thren, more like to CHRIST, and his Apoflks :
.But for my felf, I have liv'd too long in the
World, and feen too much of the Wickednefs of
it, to be over-pleafed with high ProfeJJlons ; ef
pecially,- when they are rewarded with a? high
popular* Applanfes. Pride of Heart ; an Itch to
come out of Obfcurity, and to be thought fome-
body |
PART. L and dangerous Tendency. 5
body ; a fecret Pleafure arifing from the Hofan-
nas of the Multitude ; an undue Self-Love, in
fome Shape or other, may urge on (as it aftually
has done in Hundreds of Inftances ) to as zeal
ous Pains in preaching the Gofpel, as any in thefe
Times, can pretend to ; and from as great a
feeming Regard to the Good of Men's Souls.
I mean not by what I here fay, to reflect upon
ALL thofe, who have gone up and down the Coun
try, making a more than ordinary Shew of Zeal
for the fpintual Welfare of their Neighbours ; as
though they were SOLELY afted, in this Matter,
from mean, and bafe Motives. They may, SOME
OF THEM, be as good as they,profefs to be, for
all that I know : But this Condu6l of theirs, is
not, in my Opinion, the flrongefl Evidence of
their being fo : Nor can it be collected from,
their Zeal to preach in othej- Men's Parifbes, that
they are better than their Neighbours ,* or that
the Pra6lice they are in, is fuch as it ought to
be. They may be good Men, and yet do that
which is Evil : They may have a Zeal for
GOD ,• and yet, aft without fufficient Know
ledge or Prudence. Meerly their being good
Men, or zealous for the Good of Souls, won't war
rant this Conduct of theirs : If it can't be ju£
tified from other Considerations, it muft be con
demned.
^ 'Tis again urg'd in Favour of thefe Itinerant fy
That "when the Time of Reformation was come
*' ony one of the moft effectual Things done to-
€f wards the Reformation in ENGLAND, about the
" Middle of the former Century, was to fend a-
ff bout the Kingdom certain Itinerant Preachers,
*< with a Licenfe to preach the Fundamentals of
Religion,
58 Things of a bzd PART I.
" Religion, inftead of the Stuff with which the
*c Souls of the People had formerly been famifhed.'*
This, which is a Quotation from Dr. MATHER'S
Magnal. Chrif. American, we had printed in the
BOSTON Weekly News-Paper f, " to give Check
( as is faid in the Letter introducing it to the
Publick} to the great Out-cry, and the bitter and
harfh Kefle&ions made by many againfl Itinerant
Preachers" To which I would anfwer, by giv
ing a brief Account of the Times and Itinerants
here referred to, together with the prefent Time*
and Itinerants.
As to the Times and Itinerants here refer'd to,
a jufl Account has been given of them, in the
Letter to the Author of the above Quotation, in
the following Words *, " At the Time when
" the Reformation came on, which began with
€€ the Reign of King EDWARD the VJ, and was
ef carried on by gradual Steps, through the long
" Reign of Q. ELIZABETH, the whole Land was
fc overfpread with Darknefs and Superftition : The
(e common People, almoft every where, were
" ilupidly ignorant. This may be fairly gather-
*< ed from your Quotation, which fuppofes they
€t knew little or nothing of the great Doctrines
<f and Truths of Chriflianity, the very Fundamen-
« tals of Religion : And indeed, it was fcarce
<f pofllble to be otherwife, when they were de-
" priv'd of the Key of Knowledge ; the Scrip*
s • lures, which are able td make wife to Sahation9
ff being lock'd up from them in an unknown
«* Tongue, in which the publick Offices of the
f Numb. 2016. * Seethe Bofton weekly News-
Paper, Numb. 2018*
Church
PART I and dangerous Tendency. 59
<f Church were alfo performed. And whatever
" Articles of Belief the People held, they receiv'd
" from their Priefts, by an implicit Faith, which
" naturally produces a blind Obedience. Nor
(f was the State of Things much better with
" the Clergy 9 who were, the greater Part of
*( them, grofly ignorant, and blind Leaders of the
(( blind. The chief Learning they had, was from
" Acquaintance with School Divinity, and the Wri-
<f tings of the ancient Fathers, which, however ic
ff might pafs for Science, in thofe Times, was
" falfly f° called. In ihort, the Clergy were fo
ic ignorant, that few of them were able to com*
*( pofe their Sermons ; to fupply which Defe6r,
" certain Homilies were fet forth by publick Autho-
" rity, and enjoin'd to be read, initead of Ser-
f( mons, to the People.
fe This was the true State of Things refpe6l-
*f ing Religion in England, when the Morning of
€f the Reformation began to dawn : Which leads
<f me to fay fomething of the Character and Mif-
ff fion of the itinerant Preachers employ'd in that
« glorious Work.
** As to their Character, they were Men of
« eminent Learning, and fubftantial Piety ;
" they were ready Scribes, well inftmfted in the
<c Things that pertain to the Kingdom of GOD ;
<c and able to communicate their Knowledge to
*< others : In fhort, they were every Way qua-
(C lified to teach the feople the great Fundamen
ts tals of Religion.
" As to their MiJJlon, it was from proper Authv-
'* rity. They did not follow the blind Impulfes
1* pf a wild Imagination^ or run before they
€o Things of a bad 'PART t
u fent ; no, your Quotation tells us, that they
" were ffrawW : They had a regular CVz// and
5* Cmwiffion to enter on fo great a Work,"f
• __ in
•(• The Account Bifhop BURNET gives of the Occafion
and Rife of thefe Itinerants^ in the beginning of the
Reformation^ is very obfervable. <c The Fryars^ fays
" he, ufed all the Force and Skill of their Induftry to
" raife the People into Heats , by pafTionate and affe£fc-
" ing Difcourfes ; that both inflam'd a blind Devotion*
*c and DREwMoNEY:--But there was not thatPains
*c taken, to inform the People of the Hatefulnefs of
1 Vice, and the Excellency of Holinefs, or the won-
" derful Love of CHRIST, by which Men might be
" engaged to acknowledge and obey him. And the
*' Defign of their Sermons was rather to raife a pre-
"fent Heat, which they knew afterwards how to
" manage, than to work a real Reformation on their
*' Hearers. They had alfo intermixt, with all divine
:t Truths^ fo many Fables, that they were become ve-
" ry extravagant j and that Alloy had fo embafed the
" whole, that there was great Need of a^5^ Difcern-
*' ing, to deliver People from thofe Prejudices, which
" thefe Mixtures brought upon the whole Chriftian
** Do&rine. THEREFORE, the Reformers ftudied
<c with all pofTible Care, to inftrucl the People in the
*' Fundamentals of Chriftianity, with which they had
*' been fo little acquainted. — And much Pains was
*' taken to fend eminent Preachers over the Nation ;
*' not confining them to particular Charges, but fend-
*' ing them with the King's Licence up and down to
** many Places/' It follows, " BECAUSE in that
*' ignorant Time, there could not be found ayz^fr/W
*c Number of good Preachers ; and in a Time of fo
<c MUCH JuGLiNG,they would nottruft thelnftrucli-
<e on of the People to every one : Therefore^ none
* c was to preach except he had got a particular Licence
*c for it, from the King, or his Diocefan. But toqua-
" lifie this, a Book of Homilies was printed, &c."
The whole Account is worth reading. Vid.BuRKET's
Hiftory of the Reformation, Vol. i. Page 302, 303.
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 61
In the fame Letter, we have alfo a jufl Account
of thefe Times and the prefent Itinerants. The Words
are, "I mall now proceed to fay fomething of the
" State of Religion in NEW-ENGLAND, about two
fc Years ago, when the Itinerant Way of Preaching
f( began to be pra6lifed among us. And if we
(f look into our Church at that Time, we fhali
" find them profefling the true proteftant Re-
€f ligion, in the Power and Purity of it, and
ff walking in the Faith and Order of the Got
'* pel. The Generality of our People were
(( well inflru6led in divine Things, and acquain-
fc ted with the Truths and Principles of the Chri-
<c ftian Religion : Great Numbers of them were
ff Righteous, talking in all the Ordinances and
<f Commandments of the LORD blamelefs. As to the
(f Minifters in this Land, I believe, it may be truly
fe faid.of thegreateft Part of them, that they were
Men of found Learning, and fcrious Godlinefs ; they
were skilful in the Word of Right eoufnefs, wife
Mafter-Builders in the Houfe of GOD. Accord-
" ingly, whatever you may think, their Sermons
" were not empty Stuffy tending to ftarve Men's
(C Souls ; but plain, and practical ,* and there-
" fore profitable. They took Pains to feed
« their refpeftive Flocks with Knowledge and Un-
** derftanding, and went before them in a blame-
^c lefs, holy. Converfation.'1
And as to the pr-efent Itinerants, it is remarked,
€C as certain and obvious, . that the moft, if not
(e all of them, are fwollen and ready to burffi
*' with fpiritual Pride, As to their Mijfion, they
have none, except from their own fond Ima-
ginations. They indeed tell us of an immediate
Call, and AJfiflances from Heaven ,• but can
we believe them, while the Divifions and Dif-
orders they create, wherever they come, a-
«< bundantly
fe
*<
*'
Things of a bad PART L
*( bundantly confute their Pretences. As to their
Furniture for Preaching, the mod of them are
Babes in Knowledge, meer Novices in fpiritual
Things, Workmen that have great Reafon to
be afhamed, becaufe they cannot rightly divide
" the Word of Truth. In one Word, they are
€f fo far from being able to inftru6l Mankind, in
€C the fundamental Doctrines of Chriftianity, that,
*' as the venerable Dr. COLMAN, fpeaking coii-
€* cerning them, elegantly exprefles it, " They
" can only give fome uncertain Flafhes out of
" Clouds and Darknefs.
(f From all which ( as the fame Writer adds )
" it plainly appears, that this Quotation from Dr.
" MATHER cannot ferve the Purpofe ; that no-
" thing can be drawn from it in Favour of our
(f Itinerants, and their diforderly Practice : And
€f therefore it can be no CHECK to fuch, as, with
ff great Reafon, fpeak freely againfl them. I
" believe Dr. MATHER could never have thought,
fc that this PafTage, in his Hiftory, would ever be
" wrefted to ferve fuch a wretched Deflgn : For
(C whoever reads the Hiftory, and other Works, of
" that venerable Perfon, will find, that he forever
*f infifts on the vail Importance of a learned Mi-
*f niftry, and always fets his Face againft fuch
*c ignorant, and mifcheivous Itinerants, as are now
" carefs'd and encouraged ; fpeaking of thofe
« Vagrants, with a juft Severity of Language^
" and in Terms of the higheft Indignation."
'Tis ftill pleaded, from i Cor. 3. 21, 21, where
it is faid, AH Things are yours, whether PAUL, or
APPOLLOS, or CEPHAS, that f " Minifters, with their
various Gifts and Labours, are for the Ufe and
f See Mr. EMERSON'S Exhortation to his People*
Page 5, Be?
t and dangerous Tendency. 63
Benefit of the Church and People of GOD. "
And who ever difputed this ? The Queftion is
not, Whether GOD has inftituted a Miniftry ;
and this, for the Good of his Church, i. e. The
whole Collection of Believers. This is acknow
ledged on all Hands : But the Queftion is, in
what Senfe, particular Churches that make up the
Catholic Church, have a Propriety in all Mini-
fters ; fo as that it may be faid, they are
yours. 'Tis only talking at Random, and to a-
mufe People, to tell them, PAUL and APOLLOS and
CEPHAS are yours, i. e. Ail Minifters are yours,
without faying, at the fame Time, according to
fome determinate Meaning, How they are fo.
The Apoftle, in this fame Text, fays, ALL
THINGS are yours. But does this deftroy private
Property, and make all Things common ? This,
I know, has been pleaded for from this, together
with fome other Texts ; and a Liberty here
upon taken to have Communion, not only with
other Men's Goods > but PFtve s alfo. ' All THINGS
are yours. 'JTis a Truth as to particular Chrifti-
ans, or Churches, in no Senfe but what will con-
fift with every Right, which GOD has given to
one Man, in Diftinftion from another : Nor
may they lay Claim to any Thing, but in that
Way, and according to thofe Rules, which are
laid down in Scripture, or pointed out by the
Laws of Nature and Reafon. Notwithftanding
thefe Words of the Apoftle, all THINGS are yours ;
particular Men have their own Wives, and parti"
cular Women their own Husbands ; this Man
has his own Houfe or Field, and fo has that :
Nor can they invade one another's Property with
out finning againft GOD. Chriftians can be faid
to have a Right in all THINGS, only fo far, and
under
64 Things of a bad PART L
under fuch Reftri&ions, as GOD has-been pleas'd
to give them a Title to them.
So when it is faid, PAUL and APOLLOS and CE
PHAS, i. e. all Miniflers are your's ; the meaning
cannot be, that every particular People have a
Right to every particular Minifter, in any Senfe but
what mall confift with the Order, GOD has fet
tled in his Church. They can have a -Propriety in
them, only in Subordination to prior Rights , and
-fo as that' there may be an Harmony among them
all. Though it be a Truth, when fpoken of par
ticular Churches, all Minifters aw yours ; yet each
particular Church has its own Paftor, and each Paf-
tor his own particular Church : And in Vertue
of this Relation that fubfifls between particular
Churches and Paflors, each Church has its f pedal
Rights with Refpe6l to its particular Paftor, and
each Paftor the like Rights with Refpedl to his
•particular Church : Nor may thefe Rights, either
of them, he broke in upon, under the Pre
tence that all Churches have a Propriety in all
Minifters. Their Propriety is reftrahrd within
.certain Limits, beyond which, if they extend
their Claim, it interferes with other Rights, which
can't, -without Sin, be invaded.
The Churches, upon this Principle, For all Things
arc yours, whether PAUL, or APOLLOS, or CEPHAS,
have been lately exhorted, f" To hear and im-
:". prove for their Benefit, not only the Minifter
ff that is ordained over them, and fix't among
" them, but as they have Occafion and Oppor-
**• tunity other Minifters alfo:" And have been
told, f " If any mould attempt to deprive them
,-JYMr. EMERSON'S Exhortation. Page 6. i Pag*
-ibid, of
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 65
" of this their Chriftian Priviledge, they are
" guilty of Robbery : They rob them of a very
*f great Priviledge, which the LORD has pur-
** chafed at the dearefl Rate ; and which he
" has, in Love to their Souls, confered on
<f them : " Whereupon they have been war
ned f, " To ftand fall in this Liberty of their's
wherewith CHRIST has made them free/' If the
Thing meant by this Exhortation, which was
«< apprehended mofl needful and feafonable at
this Day",* be only this, that particular Churches
have a Propriety in other Miniflers, their Gifts and
Labours, according to Gof pel-Order, and fo as
not to Infringe on the Rights of their own Paf-
torSy or other particular Churches, 'tis what all,
fo far as I know, are agreed in ; And 'twas per
fectly needlefs to found an Alarm, as though this
Liberty of the Churches was in Danger. But if the
Thing aimed at is, To give Countenance to that
rambling about from Parim to Parifh, which fome
Minifters have come into, to the Uncafimfs of
their own People, to the raifmg Factions among ci
ther People, and to the Invafton of the jujl Right?
of the Paftors among whole People they have
gone : I fay, if this be the Thing intended, the
Scripture upon which this Exhortation is founded,
has been grofly abufed : Nor indeed could an
Exhortation, to this Purpofe, have had its Pvife from
it, but in a mi/taken and perverted Senfe.
I complain not of People's hearing Miniflers
that are not their own^ as they may occafionally
happen among them ; Nay, I objeft not agaiml:
sue Minifter's coming among the People of am-
'**
f . Page ibid. *^Vid. Preface to the Exportation.
tf tbcf.
66 Things of a bad PART I
ther, on Purpofe that they might have the Bene
fit of his Gifts and Labours ; provided there
be a mutual Agreement between all the Parties
concerned, and the Cafe fuch as may properly
call for fuch an Expedient : But for Miniflers
to make a Bufmefs of going out of their own,
into other Mens Parifnes, unask'd ,• or, at the
Defire of only fome difaffe6led People ; And
this, in known Oppofition to the fettled Paftors :
it's contrary to all Reafon, as well as Scripture,
and fubverfive of all .Order in the Churches ;
Efpecially, when they carry the Matter fo far as
to creep into private Houfcs, when they can't any
longer force themfelves into the Pulpits, and in-
fmuate fuch Things againft the fixt Minifters, as
tend to leaven the Minds of their People with
Prejudices againft them, and hinder their further
Advantage from their Labours. Some may think
highly of this Manner of Conduct, and " blels
GOD for the many Sermons that have been
preach'd by fuch Minifters" * ,• but for my Part,
I have not fo learned CHRIST, nor the Order of
his Gofpel. And I (hall be much miftaken, if the
bad Effects of this Method of Conduft, don't
make fome Men fee with other Eyes than they
do at prefent.
'Tis granted in this Exhortation f, <e That
Minifters ought to be/well perfwaded concern
ing thefe Strangers that come among us, that
<f they are Men of Knowledge, Prudence and
" Piety ; Men of good Principles and Morals,
*c and that they have a Call to vifit us, before
" we invite them to preach to our People."
f iage 7. f Page 7,
And
Cf
'PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 67
And will any have the Face to pretend, that fuf-
ficient Care has been taken upon this Head ?
Nay, where'Minifters have not been fatisfied a-
bout, either1 the Knowledge, or Prudence, or call,
fome Perfons have had to come into their Pariflies,
have they not thruft themfelves in notwithftand-
ing ? And han't the Minifters, inftead of being
well thought of for their Caution, been reproach
ed as OPPOSERS of the Work of GOD ? And what
is it but to upbraid Minifters, to tell them, "they
ought to be well fatisfied about thefe Strangers that
come among them," when, if they an't fatisfied,
they {hall be call'd all the bad Names that can be
thought of ? Han't this commonly been the Cafe ?
Can it be denied ?
Thofe Minifters, I mould think, who don't fee
through the Propriety, or Reafonablenefs, or Ad
vantage, of Minifters going about into other Men's
Parilhes, have juft the fame Right not to invite
them into their Pulpits, as thofe have to take
them in, who think well of this Practice .' And
why mould their Chriftian Liberty be invaded ?
Why fliould ftrange Minifters force themfelves
upon them ? Is if not . an Ufurpation on their
Rights as Paftors to particular Churches ? Does
it not lead to Alienations and Contentions ? Does
it not naturally tend to hinder the Ufefulnefs of
fuch Minifters among their own People ?
It may be infinuated, as though their not ap
proving thefe Itinerants was owing to the Influ
ence of " a Spirit that lufteth to envy." And
might it not as juftly be infinuated, as though
this Itinerating Difpofition might have its Rife
from a Spirit too much puffed up with Pride ?
But however this be, I do not thitik> thofe who
F 2 are
<58 Things ofabzd PART I;
are for Order in the Church of GOD, and keeping
Things from running into. Confuflon, have any
great Reafon to envy thofe, who, from among our
jelveS) have been molt noted for their travelling
up and down the Country to preach. We gene
rally knbw who they are, and what Character they
bear in the World ,• and if difpos'd to Envy,
thefe are fome of the loft Men who would excite
It. And I am clearly of the Mind, that if " the
Spirit and Difpofition of the holy and humble Apo-
ille PAUL .more univerfally prevail'd among Mini-
fters ", they would not fo often imagine them-
felves to be Men of fo much more Importance than
they really are ; nor would they, from this vain
Conceit they have of themfelves, fo often go out
of their 0w;z, into the Line of others ; boafting
of Things beyond their Meafure, and made ready to
their Hand.
I had thought here to have left this Head ; but
can't do it without firft expreffing my Surprize ac
the late Ordination of a Perfon£0 go about the Coun
try as an Itinerant Preacher. The Account we
have in the Bojlon Evening-Poft f, " We have
*' lately heard from YORK, that on, or about the
«c 13 of July laft, one Mr. D— - L R— -s, a New-
" Methodifly fo call'd, fummon'd' together a fo-
" lemn (and we think) unlawful AfTembly, con-
" ilfling of the Elders, and pretended MeJJengers9
ff of fome of the neighbouring Churches, to or-
" dain the faid R— — s at large, to be a vagrant
" Preacher to the People of GOD in this Land ;-—
*< in which Tranfatlion we hear, that the Rev'd
^ Meffieurs M— Y, W — E, J. R-— s and G — K
t Numb. 381.
refolutely
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 69
€f refolutely proceeded, although fome other of
ff the neighbouring Minifters bore their Teflimo-
" ny againft fuch an irregular A6tion."
That late venerable Man of GOD, whofe
Praife is in all our Churches, Dr. INCREASE MATHRR,
has given the World his Thoughts at large upon
fuch a Tranfaftion as this ; which I Ihall here
prefent to the Reader*
In his Order of the Churches in NEW-ENGLAND
vindicated, he propofes this Queftion *, " May a
" Man be ordained a Paftor, except to zpanicu-
" lar Church ? " In Anfwer whereto, he af-
ferts, that " no Man ought to be ordain' d a Paf-
" tor except to a particular Church," And for
" thefe Reafons.
i. " We have no Inftance in the Scripture of
" ordinary Officers ordain'd, except unto a parti-
" cular Flock. A6ls 14. 23. They ordained El-
" ders by Election (fo does the Geneva Tranflation
" read the Words truly enough, as that learned
" Knight, Sir Norton KNATCHBULL, has critically
ff evinced f-) in every Church. PAUL left it in'
" Charge with TITUS, that he (hould ordain El-
" ders in every City, Tit. i. 5. He was not to
*( ordain them to be Individua vaga ; but a par-
" tlcular Place, a City wherein was fome Church,
<c was afllgn'd to them to labour in. He
(f mighjt not ( as Mr. BAYNES f , and from him
44 DIDOCLAVIUS, fpeaks ) ordain Elders as the U-
Vid. Page 101. And onwards, f In Am-
mad. in Lib. N. T. $ -Altars Damafcen.
Page 209,
F 3 niverfities
70 Things of a bid PART I.
€e niverfities create Dottors of Phyfick, without
ff aligning them any Patients ,* or as they make
fc Majlers of An, without providing for them
<f any Scholars.
2. Pajlor and Flock are Relates ; and therefore
ff one cannot be without the other, -r— To fay
€( that a wandring Levite, who has no Flock is a
ff Paftor, is as good Senfe as to fay, that he that
<c has no Children is a Father, and that the Man
€C who has no Wife is a Husband : Nor may
" it be pretended, that the Catholick Church is
(( his Flock ', for,
3. cc A Paftor is under an Obligation to feed
€< every one that is of the Flock, he is a Paftor
ff unto. A fits 20. 28. Take Heed therefore to your
*' fehes, and to all the Flock over which the HOLT
** GHOST has made you Overfeers. Is any Man a-
*f ble to feed all that Flock of the Church Catho-
'• lick vifible ? A Minifter muft give an Account
*' concerning every Soul in that Flock, he is the
ff Paftor of. Heb. 13. 17. They that fay, they
" are Pallors of the Catholick Church, may do
€< well to think, what Account they can give
" of the ten Thoufands of Souls belonging to
Cf their Flock, that were never inftrufted, nor fed
" by them.
4. Suppofing a Man to have a particular Church
<c to which he is related, if he is a Paftor to o-
<f .ther Churches befides that, then it is not in the
6f Power of that Church to deprive him of his
'* paftoral Office. If they mould rejeft him and
" that defervedly from being their Paftor, he
€i may pretend, I am a Paftor of the Catholick
f * Church, and will be fo, do you do your Worft.
This
PART. I. and dangerous Tendency. 71
({ This favours of the Papift's indelible Character,
" who pretend, if a Man has once been ordain'd,
t( he can never be a Laic again. Thus a Perfon
*/ who is juftly not only depos'd from his Office,
" but excommunicated, may be a Paftor ftill.
" Our Difcipline declares, not only fuch as never
" were related to a particular Flock, but fuch as
" have been, but now are not fo related, to be
" no Church Officers. The Words, in the Platform,
(t Chap. 9. Seft. 7. are, " He that is clearly
" loofed from his Office. Relation unto £/?#£ Church
" whereof he was a Minifter, cannot be looked
"' at as an Officer, nor perform any Act of Office,
" in any other Church, unlefs he be again orderly
" called into Office."
5. When Ordinations at large did, with other
f( Corruptions, creep into the Church, a whole Sy-
" nod found it necefTary, not only to bear Wit-
" nefs againffc that Practice, but to declare fuch
" Ordinations to be void and null, and the Or darners
(C liable to cenfure. It is well obferved by the in-
" genious Writer of the Hijlory of the Council of
'* TRENT,* that " in the golden Times of Chri-
u flianity, no Perfons were ordain' d but to a particu-
" lar Miniftry ; but that this pious Inflitution
fe was foon corrupted, Bifhops ordaining Men that
" had no Election by any Church.'' This caufed
" great Confufion, as the Magdeburgenfian Hijlo-
" rians have noted. As a Remedy, the Council
(f of CALCEDON made a Decree againft all fuch
(C Ordinations. The fixth Canon of that Synod
" declares, That if any Man /Jmild be ordain d ab~
(f folutely, that is, to the Catholick, without Rela-
* Hid. Trid. Cone. L. 6. Page 550.
F 4 tion
*<
72- Things, of a ^A PART I.
" tion to a particular Church, the Impofition of
ff Hands, which he has received, /hall be null ; and
*( that he flail ferve in the Church to the Difloonour of
" them that have ordained him. This Decree was
" confirmed by other Synods afterwards ; fo
fi that it became a general Rule in the Church,
" that no Man fliould be ordained without
" a Title. But the forementioned Hlflorlan
" ( with many others ) takes Notice that
" this Rule was in Procefs of Time perverted.
*c For whereas, at firft, to have a Title was to
have a particular Church, afterwards to have a
Title was to have Money. The Canons of the;
<( Church of ENGLAND will not permit any one to
f( be ordain'd without a Title.
6. The impleaded Ordinations are contrary to
*< the Judgment of our eminent Divines, and to
<e the Praftice of fome of the bed reformed Chur-
*' ches. JUNIUS * declares his Approbation of the
*' mentioned Canon of the CALCEDON Synod ; and
*' that fmce an Elder is not ordained to the Mi-
*.- niftry abfdutely, but to the Miniflry of this,
*' or that Church in particular^ it is fit the Church
" ihould be concern'd in the Ordination ; and,
" that in the apoftotical Times, in the Ordination
*f of a Minifter, there was firfh a Cheirotonia9 of
" Election by the People ; and then a Cheirothe-
<( Jia, or Impofetion of Hands ; that thefe two
" were always join'd together as the antecedent i
*f and Confequent. " Mr. CARTWRIGHT f fays,
" that " after Election follows Ordination, which
if is a folemn in veiling or putting a Miniiler in-
Animadverf. in BELLARM. Cap. 3. &c. ^. f
Reply. Page 272.
PART. I. and dangerous Tendency. 73
*' to the PcfTeffion of that Office whereunto he
f< was before chofen." To the like Purpofe does
" WHITAKER fpeak. It is needlefs, and would
" be endlefs, to heap up Teflimonies concerning
" this, fmce it is a common received Opinion a-
" mong our Divines, that the Election of a Mi-
" nijier by the Church ftould precede his Qrdina-
" tion."
I fhall add to what the Dottor has faid,
That there has appear'd, in all Ages, more or
lefs of a Difpqfition, in feme Perfons, to think
themfelves qualified, and called, to aft as tho 'they
were Paftors, not to particular Churches only,
but all the Flocks in a Neighbourhood, or Province*
The learned VOETIUS makes Mention of " a
*• Circumambulatwn of Miniflers f, the running a-
ff bout, or rather the -wandring and walking about
6 f of Men, who, without any certain Call and Af*
" fixlon to any -particular Church, frequently preach
<e Sermons, expecting COLLECTIONS or PRESENTS from
(( the People. Such as thefe (fays he) were formerly
" caird walking Levites, in Allufion to the Story
<c in Judges 17. 7. 8. Such there are (he adds).
" among the PAPISTS,, who appear at the Heads
" of Streets, and in die rnofl publick Places of
€( Refort, and offer themfelves to celebrate
<< Mafs."
The famous HOTTINGER, writing about the
Times of the Reformation gives an Account, *
t Vid. Polit. Ecclef. Part II. Lib, III. Traft. II.
Cap. X. * Vid, The laft Vol. of his Ecclef.
Hijtory.
of
74 Things of a bad PA&T. I.
of fome famous Itinerants, who diftinguiihed them-
felves by preaching abroad in the open Air, and by
many uncouth Ways of Management ; fuch as
wearing a CHAIN ABOUT THEIR NECKS, and fome-
times THROWING OPEN THEIR BREAST, and vehe
mently beating on it, and crying out with a MIGHTY
VOICE, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy ! and fome Inftan-
ces he here mentions of thofe, who pretended
to VISIONS and REVELATIONS : And thefc he
fpeaks of as fome of the worfl Sort of People.
But however prevalent this Itinerating Difpofi-
tion may have been, more efpecially at certain
Times, it was always ill thought of by the befl
Men, and the befl Churches : They have ever e-
fleemed it an Argument of Pride and Self -Conceit,
and as tending to Strife and Schifm, and every e-
vil Work ; and accordingly laid the Reflraints of
Ecckfiaflical Authority upon it, fo far as they could.
The united Brethren in LONDON declare, " That
ff ordinarily none (hall be ordained to the Work
" of the Miniftry, but fuch as are called, _ and
." chofen thereunto by a particular Church."*
One of the Articles of the ecclefiaflical Difcipline
of the French Proteflants is, « Minifters {hall
" not be ordain d without affigning them a fart leu*
« lar
The feventh Article in the Order of the Dutck
Churches is, that g « no one fliall be called to the
Vid. Dr. I. MATHER'S Order of the Churches
vindicated, P. 107. f Ibid. P. 106. S Vid.
VOET. PoKt. Ecclef. Part II. Lib. III. Traft.
II, Cap. X/ Miniftry
PART I. and dangerous Tendency, ?y
Miniftry of the Word, without Employment in
foirie certain Place ; unlels he be fent to preach
to Churches tinder Perfection, or otherwife to ga
ther Churches.
In the Church of SCOTLAND, fome of the Con-
clufions agreed upon, in feveral of their Affem-
biles, after fundry Conferences and often -Difpu-
tation and Reafoning, are thefe f. " All Of-
" fice-Bearers fliould have their own particular
" Flocks, among whom they excercife their
" Charge.
*f They that are called to the Miniftry, or
€( that offer themfelves thereto, ought- not to be
« elecled without fome certain Flock affigned to
« them,"
cc True Bifhops fliould addicl themfelves to a
cc particular Flock ; Neither fliould they u-
(f furp Lord/hip over their Brethren, and over the
" Inheritance of CHRIST*/*
« Paftors, in. fo far as they are Paflors, have
** not the Office of Flotation of .more Kirks joined
<f to the Pajtor/bip, without it be given to them."
" It agreeth not with the Word of GOD, that
« Bi/bops fliould be Paftors of Paftors, Paftors of
<c many Flocks, and yet without a certain Flock,
ff and without ordinary Teaching."
f Vid. CALDERWOOD'S Hiftory of the Church of
SCOTLAND, Page 105. * Ibid, Page 112.
It
76 Things of a \>*& PART L
<
€C It agreeth not with the Scripture, — that
*c they ufurp the Office of Fifitation of other Kirks,
" nor any other Fun6lion befide other Minifters,
Cf but fo far as {hall be committed to them by
« their Kirk."
And the like Ecckfiaftical Rules were made in
the more primitive Times of the Church, to give
Check to the Humour that then prevailed in
many, of going beyond their own Bounds.
The XlVth, XVth and XXXVth Canons, called
Jfpoft&tical ; the XVth and XVIth Canons of the
Council of NICE ; the Hd and Hid of the firfl
Council of CONSTANTINOPLE ,• the Xth of the
Council of CALCEDON, with others that might be
mentioned of thefe, and other Councils, flrongly
teflify againft this Practice of Minifters invading
the Parifhes of one another*
It may, as the Pra6lice with us is new, carry
with it a good Face, and be readily encourag
ed ; efpecially, for the Sake of fome Men, who
may be tho't more holy than their Brethren ; but
'tis the fame Evil now, it always has been, and
will be produftive of the like bad Effects ; fome
of which we have already feen and felt : And I
pray GOD, they may not prepare the Way for
ftill greater.
The next Thing I {hall take Notice of, as what
I can't but think of. dangerous Tendency, is that
Terror fo many have been the Subjefts of ; Ex*
* Vid. M. L. BAIL. Swnmam conciliomm om»
nium. Vol. L
preffing
PART I. *mrf dangerous Tendency.' 77
preffing it felf in ftrangt Effetts upon the Body9
fuch as fwooning away and falling to the Groundy
where Perlbns have lain, for a Time, fpeechlefs
and motionlefs ; bitter Shrieking* and Scr earnings ;
Convulfion-like Tremblings and Agitations , Strug
gling* and Tumblings, which, in fome Inftances,
have been attended with Indecencies I fhan't
mention : None of which Effects feem to have
been accidental, nor yet peculiar to fome particular
Places or Conftitutions ; but have been common
all over the Land. There are few Places, where
there has been any confiderable religious Stir, but
it has been accompanied, more or lefs, with,
thefe Appearances. Numbers in a Congregati
on, 10, 20, 30, would be in this Condition at a
Time ; Nay, Hundreds in fome Places, to the
opening fuch a horrible Scene as can fcarce be de-
fcribed in Words.
The Account, thofe, who have been under
thefe Circumftances, give of themfelves is vari
ous. Some fay, they were furprized and altoniib-
ed, and infenfibly wrought upon, they can't tell
how : Others, that they had prefented to their
View, at the Time, a Sight of their Sins, in all
their Number and Defert : Others, that they
faw Hell, as it were, naked before them, and
Defhru6tion without a Covering ; and that it
feemed to them as though they were juft falling
into it : Others, that they imagined the Devils
were about them, and ready to lay hold on them,
and draw them away to Hell. The iriore general
Account is, that they were fill'd with great Anx
iety and Diftrefs, having upon their Minds an o-
ver-powering Senfe of Sin, and Fear of divine
But
78 Thing f of a bad PART L
But whatever was the Caufe, thefe bodily Agi
tations were, at firfr, highly thought of by many ;
yea, look'd upon as evident Signs of the extraordi
nary Prefence of the HOLY GHOST. Hence, it was
common in one Congregation, to tell of thefe
wonderful Things, as they had appear'd in ano
ther, to pray for the like Teflimony of the divine
Power, to give GOD Thanks when they had it,
and lament it when religious Exercifes were at
tended, and no fuch Effects followed : And too
much Encouragement has been given People, to
depend on thefe Things as fufficient Tokens of
that Senfe of Sin, which is of the Operation of the
SPIRIT of GOD.
I have now Letters by me^ from different Parts
of the Country, all concurring in this Account $
and wrote by Perfons of as good Character as
moil among us, and upon their own Knowledge.
One, after he had given a Narrative of the ftrange
Appearance he had been prefent at, in all the A-
gitations and Out-cries above defcrib'd, con
cludes in thefe Words, " But what appear'd to
f< me mod dangerous and hurtful was, that Mr.
ff ( the Miniiler through whofe Manage-
" ment thefe Things were effected ) laid very
(€ much Strefjr on thefe ExtraordinarieSy as though
" they were fare Marks, or, at leail, fufficient _E-
€C vidences of a juft Conviftion of Siny on the one.
ff Hand : or, on the other, of that Joy there is
" ' in Believing, and fo of an Interefl in the Fa-
f( vour of tjod," Another, after an Account of
the Groaning, crying out, falling down and fcream-
ing, he had been a Witnefs to, in one of our
Places of Worlhip, among other Things, ob-
ferves, " That thefe Things were encouraged
" by Mr. ( a travelling Preacher ) and the
" Minifter
PART -I. and dangerous Tendency. 7$
" Minifler of the Town, who efteemed them un-
" doubted Evidences of the Operation of the BLESSED
" SPIRIT ,* which appeared by all their Difcourfe." A
third, having exhibited a Relation of the like
Effe&s, adds upon it, " I perceived by the
fc Preacher's Difcourfe, that he fuppos'd all thefe
tf Things, the Effeft of a ftrong Senfe of Truth im-
" prefs'd upon the Minds of the Auditors, by the
« HOLT GHOST:1
And thefe Accounts perfectly harmonife with
the Pleas, which have been made, both from the
Prefs and Pulpit, in Juftification of this Appearance
in Religion. We have been told of the falling
down of the JAILOUR, and of SAUL, afterwards
PAUL ; we have been minded of the Trembling
of FELIX, and of the Three Thoufand in the
Aft*, who were pricked in the Heart by PETER'S
Sermon : And the State of unconverted Sinners
has been reprefented to be fuch, that it ought to
be wondered at, thefe EfFefts are not univerfal,
rather than that fome of them have been feen
among us.
But thefe Pleas notwithftanding, I could never
yet fee Reafon, I confefs, to entertain a good O-
pinion of thefe religious Fears, with their Effects
vifible on Men's Bodies, confidered by the Lump.
I mean not by what I here fay, to exprefs a Dif-
like of that Fear, excited from a jufl Senfe of
Sin ; which, in Refpeft of adult Perfons, is 0r-
dinarily previous to their Converfion. The firft
Operation of the blefled SPIRIT upon the Minds
of fuch Sinners ufually is, to awaken their Fear
from a Perception of Sin, and Confeioufnefs of Guilty
as I have largely expreil my felt, upon this Mat
ter elfewhere ; But then, it ought to be care
fully
8o Things of a \>z& PART L
fully remembred, the Paflion of Fear may
be excited, not only from a juft Reprefen-
tation of Truth to the Mind by the SPIRIT of
GOD, but from the natural Influence of awful
Words and frightful Geftures. Even where the
Torments of another World are the ObjecT: of
Fear, the Paffion it felf may be mov'd, and to
fuch a Degree too, as to appear in all the vio
lent Effects of Horror and Surprize ; and yet,
the Origin of it be no other, than a mechanical 1m-
prejjlon on animal Nature : And this, I am in-
clin'd to think, has been too generally the Cafe,
in Refpeft of thofe Fears, and the Effects of
them, which have been fo much talk'd of among
us. A good Number, I truft, have been wro't
upon by the proper Influence of Truth, duly im-
preffed upon their Minds by the Divine SPIRIT,
but in Regard of a far greater Number, I have
no other Thought of their religious Fears, difco-
vered in their Cries, and Shrieks, and falling down,
than a mere fenfitive Commotion ', fuch a Sort
of Surprize and Aftonilhment as is affecled, not
by a rational Conviction of Truth, but a fud-
den and ftrong Impreffion on the animal 0 econo
my. My Reafons are thefe that follow,
'Tis with me, an Objection of fome Weight a~
gainft the Divinity of thefe bodily Effects, that
they have been, in all Ages, fo rare among 'fiber
and fdid Chriftians ; while among others, of a
contrary Character, they have, all along, been
common. So it was with the MONTANISTS of old ;
with the GERMAN-ENTHUSIASTS, in the beginning
of the Reformation ; and with the FRENCH-PRO
PHETS, within the Memory of many now living :
And fo it was with the QUAKERS'. They had
their Name indeed from the treiiibling and /baking
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 8r
ordinarily fell into, as though they were all over
convulfed ; Nor can there be given more re
markable Inftances of Groaning, and Foaming, and
Roaring, than from thefe People ; Whereas, if
we turn our View to the more fober Pan of
Chriftians, we {hall be at a lofs to find Examples
in this Kind.
A noted Writer on the Times f feems to have
been at a pritty Deal of Pains to collect -\lnjian-
ces : But how few has he been able to produce,
though he had the whole Chnflian World before
him, for more than Seventeen Hundred Tears 1
Nor are thofe he has brought to View fo much
to the Cafe as might have been expe&ed. '
The firfl Inftance is of a Jingle Perfon, the
exellent Mr. BOLTON, * " who being awakened
*f by the Preaching of the famous Mr. PERKINS^
" was fubjeft to fuch Terrors as threw him oil.
" the Ground, and caufed him to roar with An-
ff guifli ; and the Pangs of the New-Birth in
" him were fuch^ that he lay pale and without
*f Senfe, like one dead ; as we have an Ac*
t€ count, in the Fulfilling of the Scripture, the jth
<f Edition^ Page 103. 104." Thefe are the
Words of this Gentleman. How it came about,
I know not ; but he has very much mif-under-
ilood his Author, in reprefenting from him Mr.
PERKINS as the Perfon, by whofe Preaching Mr.
BOLTON was fubjefted to Terrors that threw him to
the Ground ; for it is not.fo much as infmuated
in the Fulfilling of the Scripture, either that Mr.
f Mr. EDWARDS, in his late Bookj Some Tho'ts on
of Religion in New -England. *F. 25,
G - PE&KINS
82 Things of a bad PART L
PERKINS was the Inflrument of Mr. BOLTON'S
Terrors, or that he was ever thrown into them
in the Time of Preaching ; unlefs the Edition I
life (, the Second) is different from that, this Gen
tleman has in his Hands, which I queftion, be-
caufe I have now before me the Life of Mr.
BOLTON, from whence the Author of the Fulfilling
of the Scripture took his Account : In which,
one Mr. PEACOCK is fpoken of as the Inflrument
of his Converfion ; and 'tis afcribed to his Ac
quaintance with this godly Man, and not to his
^Teaching, or the Preaching of any other Perfon
whatever, that he was awakened to a Senfe of
his Sins.
Nor is it fo clear to me, that Mr. BOLTOK,
literally fpeaking, was thrown to the Ground, or
reared out, or lay like one dead. The Fulfilling of
the Scripture has given the World, not the very
Words, but what he took to be the Senfe, of the
Writer of Mr. BOLTON'S Life ; and this Gentle
man has done the fame by the Fulfilling of the
Scripture. The bed Way therefore of judging,
in this Cafe, will be from the very Words of the
original Writer himfelf ; which are thefe, "The
(f fir ft News he heard of GOD, was not by any
ff foft and dill Voice, but in terrible Tempefls
" and Thunder ; the LORD running upon him
" as a Giant, taking him by the Neck, and fha-
(€ king him to Pieces as he did JOB ; beating
" him to the very Ground, as he did PAUL, by
" laying before him the ugly Vifage of his Sins,
*c which lay fo heavy on him, as he roared for
" Grief of Heart, and fo affrightened him, as
" ( I have heard him fay ) he arofe out of his
" Bed in the Night, for very Anguifli of Spirit.
" And to augment his fpiritual Mifery, he was
ex-
PART L mi dangerous Tendency. 83
ff exercifed with foul Temptations, horribllia ds
ff DEO, terribilia de fide" And thefe are repre-
fented to have been fo vehement upon him,
that, with LUTHER, " The very Venom of them
" drank up his Spirits, and his Body feemed
fe dead, that neither Speech, Senfe, Blood, or
€f Heat appeared in him." And this, it's faid,
*f Continued for many Months."
'Tis obvious at firft Sight, that fome of the
Language here ufed is figurative, and to be inter
preted as fuch> and not literally ; as where the
LORD is faid to have run upon him as a Giant ;
where he is faid to have been taken by the Neck
and fhaken to Pieces : As alfo where his Body is
reprefented as feemingly dead, without Senfe, Blood^
cr Heat. The Idea intended to be conveyed is
not, fc That the Pangs of the New-Birth in him
were fuch, as that he lay pale, and without Senfe^
like one dead." i« e. According to the Letter of
thefe Words, and as is commonly the Cafe in
thefe Times. The Meaning is evidently this^
and only this, that his Diftrefs was fo great, and
of fuch Continuance, that it had a vifible Effefil on
his Body, to 'make him look pale, and like one in
a languid, State. And if any fhould be difpos'd
to think, the Spirit of this Author's Words is ra
ther to be regarded than the Letter, when he
fpeaks of Mr. BOLTON, as beat to the very Ground*
and roaring for Grief of Heart, I don't know that
they would be to blame ; efpecially, as fuch a
Conftruftion of his Words is the only one, that
would, perhaps, have been thought of, if it- had
not been for what has happened among ourfelves*
He, no Doubt, defign'd to exhibit this Gentleman
as an Inflance of one, who was in great fpiritual
G 2 Diflrefs,
84 Things of a ted PART I;
Diftrefs ; but that he mean't any Thing further,
is not, to me, fo evident as to be beyond Dil-
pute*
Nor is this Kind of fpiritual Trouble uncom
mon, in Refpe6l of Perfons of a like Character
with Mr. BOLTON, before his Concern for his Sins.
For 'tis obfervable, and particularly remark'd by
the Fulfilling of the Scripture f, that he was " e-
" minently prophane ; a horrid Swearer ; and
(f much accuflomed to mock at Holinefs, and thofe
(f w/jo moft fhined therein ; "particularly , that excel-
" lent Man of GOD Mr. PERKINS." The Writer
" of his Life adds *, that " he loved Stage-Plays,
" Cards and Dice ; was a Sabbath -Breaker, a
" Boon-Companion, and one that for the Sake of Mo-
f( ney had actually accepted of a Motion to go over
(f to the Church of ROME." And has it not been
ufual, in all Ages, for fuch great Sinners, when
brought to a Senfe of their Sins, to be greatly
pained in their Minds ? There is nothing Jingu-
lar in the Cafe of Mr. BOLTON, unlefs, accord
ing to the Letter of the Words, he roared out,
and was thrown down to the Earth ; which, as I
faid, can't certainly be collected from the Man
ner of fpeaking us'd by the Writer of his Life :
Though if it could, it ought to be remembred,
his Concern lafted for many Months ; and by
this continued Prefllire on his Spirit, his Body
was reduced to an ill State, and it might be thus
with his Mind alfo. And under thefe Circumftan-
ces, though his Trouble was of a divine Origin^
there might be a Mixture in it of human Weak-
fiefs. It might be owing to himfelf, and not to
f Page 231, 232. * Page 12. 14.
thd
PART. I. and dangerous Tendency. 85
the SPIRIT of GOD, its arifmg to an undefirableEx-
cefs : Which is quite different from what is
fuppofed to be the Cafe in thefe Times ; viz.
That 'tis by the immediate Power of the HOLY
GHOST, that fuch Fears are excited in the Minds
of Perfons, as that they are, at once, ftruck to the
Earth, or forc'd to f cream out.
Mr. GEORGE TROSS ( "who of a notorioufly vi
cious, profligate Liver, became an eminent Saint,
and Minifter of the Gofpel") is the next Inftance
of a Perfon in " Terrors, occafioned by Awa
kenings of Confcience ;" and thefe are faid £
ff to have been fo over-pouring to his Body as
to deprive him, for fome Time, of the Ufe of
Reafon." I have carefully read over the Life of
TROSS, written by himfelf ; and he was not only
" for a Time deprived of the Ufe of his Reafon,"
but to a great Degree ; and it was thrice repeat
ed : Nor does it appear, that his Diftraftion was
occafioned by Terrors too great for his Brain ;
but feems rather to have had iRife from an ill
Habit of Body, and this, perhaps, bro't upon him
by his own Follies : f Nor do I remember, he
was ever in any extraordinary Terrors, unlefs
where 'tis evident, from his own Account, that
he was not himfelf. And very obfervable are the
Words, in which he relates his Deliverance out
of his horrid State of Mind.*" But at Length,
" through the Goodnefs of GOD, and by his
" BleJJlng upon Pbyfick, a low Diet, and hard keep-
Page ibid, f I fpeak thus only in general ;
becaufe I don't chufe to publifh to the' World
what Mr. TROSS has done himfelf,
His life, Page 63.
G 3 « ing,
86 Things of a bad PART L
€f ing, I began to be fomewhat quiet and com-
(f pos'd in my Spirits ; to be orderly and civil
" in my Carnage and Converfe, and gradually to
" regain the Ufe of my Reafon, and to be a fit
** Companion for my Fellow-Creatures/'
I mall add here, though fomewhat out of
Place ; this Mr. TROSS, in the Time of his De-
liquium, often heard Voices, and was much given
to Jlrange Impulfes ; upon which he makes this
Remark f, " I am perfuaded, that many of the
*f Quakers, formerly, were deluded by fuch Voices
<c and Impulfes, from the impure Spirit, which they
*' miflook for the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD ; many
<c of them having been grojly ignorant, and fo
" fitted to entertain fuchDeluJions of the Devil, as
*? I then was."
And befides hearing Voices, it was no uncom
mon Thing with him to fee Vifions ; \vhich, fays
he $, " I mention, the rather, becaufe I am ve-
f rily perfwaded, that the many Vifions and Voi-
f ces among the Papijts, which gave Occafion to
<c the Belief and Eflablifliment of their Purgatory
*' came from the fame Author, or Caufe ; viz.
f < a djjlurbed Brain, influenced by a deceitful and
*f lying Devil.
But thefe extraordinary, external Effe&s are faid
** to have been found, not only in here and
*< there a Jingle P erf on ; but there have been
*' Times, wherein they have appeared in Con-
*f gregations, in many at once. So it was, fays
€e this Gentleman'*, in the Year 1625, in the
f Ibid, Page 48. $ Page 62. * Page 26.
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 87
" Weft of SCOTLAND, in a Time of great Out-
(f pouring of the SPIRIT of GOD. It was then a
" frequent Thing for many to be fo extraordinarily
<f feized with Terror in hearing of the Word, by the
*c SPIRIT of GOD, that they felldown^ and were car-
" ried out of the Church, who afterwards prov'd
" moftfolid and lively Chriftians : As the Author
(' of the Fulfilling of the Scripture informs us, Pa,
" 185." I ihould have been glad, if this Author
had been a little more particular in his Informa
tion ; becaufe fo far as I can find, (and I have
been at the Pains to confult all the Writers I
could meet with, in fome of the heft and largefi
Libraries in NEW-ENGLAND, upon the religious
Affairs of SCOTLAND) He only has recorded this
Story ; and he has done it fo generally, that lit
tle can be^ argued from it. He has faid, 'tis true,
it was in hearing the Word^ they were feizM with
this extraordinary Terror : But how the Word
was preached, either as to Matter, or Manner, tie
does not declare ; which is a weighty Circum*
ft anc e in Effects of this Nature, as we fhall pre-
fently fee, from what I have to fay upon the
like Effects among our felves. He has like wife
faid, " They afterwards prov'd folld and lively
Chriftians :" But how were they at the Time ?
This is a material Queftion. For if they were
like others, among whom thG&fame Fffefts have
appear 'd, at other Times, and in other Parts of
the World, they may juftly be rank'd with
them ; at left, while under the Influence of
thefe Things, And there is the more Reafon for
fuch a Queftion as I have put^ becaufe this Au
thor has himfelf given an Intimation, as though
thefe Effefts, at the Time when they happened,
were, by fome attributed to another Cauft than
G 4 that;
8 8 Things of a bad P A R T L
that which is divine. His Words are thefe *,
" This, by the prop-bane Rabble of that Time, was
ff called, the STEWARTON SICKNESS ; for in that
" Pari/b firfl, and after, through much of the
*c Country, it was remarkable." If the fame
Temper prevailed then as does now, the bed Men
in the Kingdom might have been rank'd among
the propbane Rabble. I don't affirm,, this was the
Cafe : But I think, there ought to be good E-
vidence that it wan't ; and the rather, becaufe
'tis a known Fa&, that cenforioujly fpeaking of
others, to a very high Degree, has been an infepa-
rable Concomitant of thefe extraordinary Seizures, in
all Ages., and in all Places.
This Gentleman goes on, <f The fame Author
" informs of many in FRANCE, that were fo won-
^ derfully affecr,ed with the Preaching of the
^ Gofpel, in the Time of thofe famous Divines,
" FAREL and VIRET, that, for a Time they could
" not follow their fecular Bufinefs." I doubt
not, there was the Prevalence of real Chriftianity
in thefe Times : But was there not a vaft deal of
Entbufiafm alfo ? Thefe were the Times, in which
Vijions and Voices, extraordinary MiJJlons and Revela
tions ',' extatick Raptures and Swooning*, were at their
Height ; and gave the greatefl Shock to the
frogrefs of the Reformation of any Thing that
happened in that Day. And though I deny not,
that " many were wonderfully affe&ed under the
Preaching of FAREL and VIRET/' yet I muft be
excufed/ if I han't the beft Opinion of the whole
of this Affeftwn ; Efpecially, as excited by FA
REL : For he was a Man zealous even to Fury ;
Fulfilling of the Scripture. Page 416.
and
PART I and dangerous Tendency. I?
and his Preaching fuch, that it was rather called
thundering than /peaking* ERASMUS, a good Judge
of Men, and his Contemporary, has not given the
heft Charafter of him f : Or, if any fhould
think he might be prejudiced againft him, OECO-
LAMPADIUS, his fail Friend, plainly defcribes him
as a Man violent in his Temper, difpos'd to pro
nounce his Anathemaes upon others, and to treat
Mankind with Imperioufnefs :f. And if under the
Adminiflration
Fuit enim in hoc Viro, ---- Sermo Vehementiae pic-
nus ; uttonare potius, quam dicer e videretur, MELCH.
ADAM. Fit. Literat. in GERMAN. Sub Fit. PHA-
Page 115.
f In his Letter to the Official of BESANCON, arethefc
Words concerning FAR EL, " Habetis ifthic in Pro-
** pinguo-novum Evangeliftam, PHARELLUM, quo
<? nihil vidi unquam mendacius, virulentius, aut fe-
" ditiofius." And again, in a Letter to the Brethren
of the LOWER GERMANY, " Si nunc eft converfus
*' ad mdiorem Frugem, gratulor Homini : Qualis
<c olim erat, Mihi valde difplicuit, feditiofus, acidae
*e Lingtjas, vaniflimus. Sic Rem geflit in Monte
*{ PELLICARDI, ut bis inde profugerit. BASILIEN-
<e sis Senatus, quum cuperet, Civitatem efle tutam
«' a Seditione, juffit PHARELLUM ire exulatum."
Vid. BAYLE Crit. Hift. Sub Nom. FAREL. This
learned Writer remarks upon thefe PafTages from E-
RASMUS, *' that as he was perfonally offended with
FAREL, we are not oblig'd to believe, he lias drawn
his Character to the Life." But yet adds, " we
may reft perfw^ded, our Far el was one of thofe, who
hatfe more need of the Rein than the Spur.
% He fpeaks of him in that Language,— " Ut quanto
propenfiores ad Violentiam, tantomagis ad Lenita-
tera exerceas 5 Lconamque Magnanitatem, Colum-
bina
po Things of a bad PART. I.
Adminiflration of a Man of this Turn of Mind,
there were like Effefts with thofe among us, they
might arife from the fame Caufe. His Charac
ter indeed feems to have been very like to the
Character of fome Gentlemen, thro' whofe intem
perate Zeal, we have tbeen thrown into great
Diforders.
The next Account is from IRELAND, in 1628 ;
But as the Fulfilling of the Scripture has taken no
Notice of any ftrange bodily Effects., unlefs thofe
may be To called, which relate to the People's
making little Ufe of Meat, Drink, or Sleep, and not
feeling the Need thereof, through a Senfe of GOD ;
Thefe only are mentioned, but in a more advan-
tagious Manner, than by the original Writer. For
t>e ipeaks of fome only whofe Cafe this was, not
many. And he tells us, in general, how long it
was they went without a full Supply of thefe
Recruits, and does not leave the Matter at large.
It was, in that Day, according to him, a fweet
eafy Thing for Chriflians to go 30, 40 Miles, to
the folemn Communions, and to continue there
from the Time they came, till they returned, with
but little of thefe Supplies ; and this, in Regard
of SOME, without their feeling the Need thereof,
their Souls were fo filled with a Senfe of GOD ;
which
bina Modeftia frangas. Duel, non trahi, volunt Ho
mines.— Lib. 4. Epift. Pag. 916. And in another
Letter,— Evangelizatum, non maledi&um, miffus es.
Condono, imo lando, Zelum : Modo ne defideretur
Manfuetudo. Da Operam, me Prater, ut Spiritum
meum exhilares, hoc Nuncio ; quod inTemporefuo
Vinum et Oleum infundas : quod Evangeliftam, non
tyrannicum Legiflatprem pneftes." Lab, 4.
956.
PART I. 0»rf dangerous Tendency, 91
which is no incredible Account, unlefs they tar
ried longer., or eat, or drank, orjlept, in a lefs Pro
portion, than need be fuppofed.
The Story of CATHERINE BRETTERGH, I pafs o-
ver with this Remark only, that if nothing had
appeared in tbefe Times, but what is here record
ed of her, I believe no ferioas Perfon would
have cried out of Wildnefs and Diftr action ; tho'
.perhaps, they might have thought, there had
been, in fuch Inftances, fome Mixture of that
which is Humane.
Thefe are the Inflances brought from the
Fulfilling of the Scripture : And I Ihould have
had, I own,, a much better Opinion of them,
if the Author had not betrayed, by many of the
Stories contain'd in his Book, a Turner Mind,
too eafily difpofing him to a Belief of Jlic& Extra-
ordinaries, as few befides himfe.f would have re
lated to the World : Nor can I account for it,
that, among all the wonderful Things he has
recorded as Examples of a prophetical and apoftolic
Spirit, not fo much as one is mentioned ; unlefs
it was thought, the mentioning of tbefe might
have lefien'd the Credit of the whole.
This Gentleman now prefents us with a Letter
from his honoured Father, wherein we are told,
from a Letter he faw, which carne from SCOT
LAND, that at the Preaching of a Sermon in EDIN-
BURG, the People were fo affe&ed, that there
was a great and loud Cry through the AJfemhly.
And if the Faft be allow'd, is it poffible, from
fuch a general Account, to form a Judgment, as
to its true Origin 1 1 hat there have been Out-
fry s in Congregations, in diverfe Parts of the
Wo:ld,
92 Things of a bid PART I.
World, and at diverfe Times, every Body knows
that is acquainted with the Hiftory of the Church.
The Author of the wonderful Narrative has
mentioned a confiderable Number of fuch ; but
an Accouut of thofe Out-crys are here expefted,
which may juftly be fuppofed to be of a Divine
Rife. And can this be determined, unlefs we know
fomething in particular, of the Means, Manner,
and afier-Effefts ? "Tis impoffible. And the
fame may be faid of what is further related a-
bout the famous Mr. ROGERS of DEDHAM in ENG
LAND ; tho' he was fuch a Speaker, that if, under
his Preaching, People had fometimes cried out, it
ought not to be at once concluded, that it was
owing to the extraordinary Power of GO/X For
this is an Effett, Voice and Action may fome
times produce, as we (hall fee by and by.
The Account from Mr. FLAVEL, I leave as it
ftands, with only faying, that good Men may
differ in their Sentiments as to the Caufe of fuch
Effefts ; and if any (hould think, they are not
to be wholly afcribed to a divine Influence, I would
not be too peremptory in faying, their Judgment
was not according to Truth.
The Perfons " in NORTHAMPTON, and fome of
the neighbouring Towns 9 who formerly cried out,
and fell down," I never heard of 'till now : Nor
of thofe, " whofe Flefh waxed cold and benum-
med, whofe Hands were clinch'd, and their Bo
dies fet into Convulflons ;" Neither do I think,
that fuch Accounts tend much to the Credit of
Religion.
But
PART I* and dangerous Tendency. 93
But thefelnftances notwithstanding, and the wo/2
that can be made of the foregoing ones, it muft
be own'd, that fuch bodily Effetts as have prevail
ed in the Land, have always been rare among
fober Chriilians : Whereas, They are the my
Things, by which, thofe of another Complexion have,
ever been diflingtiifiied. Whole Volumes have
been wrote containing Accounts in this Kind :
And whatever Jirange Effetts, upon Men's Bodies,
have been common amcng us, the fame have been
common alfo among this Sort of Perfons, in all
Parts, and Ages, of the World : Nor is there
any Fa6t more notorious in the Hiftory of the
Church. But this I mention only as a Circumftance
worthy of Confederation with fome others, that:
are to follow. W7herefore to go on,
The Way in which thefe Fears have been excit
ed, in many Places, is not, in my Opinion, the
beft Evidence in Favour of them. People have
been too much applied to, as though the Preacher
rather aimed at putting their Paffions into a Fer
ment, than filling them with fuch a reasonable Sol-
licitude, as is the Effect of a juft Exhibition of the
Truths of GOD to their Underflandings. I have
myfelf been prefent, when an Air of Serioufnefs
reigned vifibly through a whole Congregation :
They were all Silence and Attention ; having
their Eye faflned on the Miniffcer, as though they
would catch every Word that came from his
Mouth : And yet, becaufe they did not cry out,
or fvooon away, they were upbraided with their
Hardnefs of Heart and rank'd among thofe who
were Sermon-proof, Gofpel- glutted ; and every
Topic made Ufe of, with all the Voice and Acti
on the Speaker was Mailer of, to bring forward
& general Shriek in the Affembly ; Nay, in or
der
94 Things of a bad PART L
der to give the People a plain Intimation of what
he wanted, this fame Preacher fometimes told
them of the wonderful Effects wrought by the
Sermon, he was then preaching ; how in fuch
a Congregation, they were all melted and diflbl-
ved, and in another 'fo over-poured, that they
could not help f creaming. out $ or falling down, as
though they had been ftruck dead. Nay one of
the Preachers, in this new PFay, was fo open fome
Months ago, as in plain Words, to call upon the
People to cry out, and plead with them to do fo :
This he did three feveral Times in "one Sermon,
and had upon it fo many loud Cries. And 'tis
too well known to need much to be faid upon it,
that the Gentlemen, whofe preaching has been
moft remarkably accompanied with thefe Extraor-
dinaries, not only ufe, in their AddrefTes to the
People, all the terrible Words they can get toge
ther, but in fuch a Manner, as naturally tends to
put weaker Minds out of Pofleffioii of themfelves*
A Friend in the Country, in a Letter to me, up
on thefe Matters, exprefles himfelf in thefe
Words, " Under the Preaching and Exhortati-
*c ons of thefe Itinerants and Exhort ers, ( the
" Manner of which is frequently very boiflerous
tt and {hocking, and adapted to the belt of their
" Skill to alarm and furprize the Imagination
l(t and Paffions ) 'tis no unufual Thing for Per-
cc fons to be plunged into the utmoft Anxiety
ff and Diftrefs, which is often attended with a
€( Trembling of the Body, fainting, falling down,
" &c. The •Preacher now frequently grows
tf more tempeftuouc, and dreadful in his Manner
" of Addrefs, and feems to endeavour all he can
" to increafe, and fpread the rifing Confternati-
" on, and Terror of their Souls ; which, by this
" Means, is fometimes fpread over a great Part
•f
PART. I. and dangerous Tendency. 95
€€ of an Affembly, in a Tew Minutes from its
€( firfl Appearance. I have feen the ftruck ( as
" they are called ) and diftreffed brought toge-
<e ther, from the feveral Parts of the Affembly,
" into the fquare Body by themfelves, and two
<f or three Perfons at Work upon them at once,
" fmiting, flamping and crying out to them with
" a mighty Voice > in the moft terrible Manner and
t( Language ; the poor Creatures fainting, fcreacb-
" ing and bitterly crying out under them. You
(< may eaflly think, what Terrors of Imaginati-
" on, Diftra6lion of Paffions, and Perplexity of
" Thoughts, they endur'd. I was laft Summer
" at an Evening Lecture, at a neighbouring Pa-
" rim, at which, one of the moft famous Preach-
<( ers in the new Method carried on. He had en-
" tered but a little Way in his Sermon, ( which
" was delivered in a Manner fufficiently terrible)
" when there began to be fome Commotion a-
€f mong the young Women. This infpir'd him
t( with new Life. He lifted up his Voice like a
(f Trumpet, plentifully poured down Terrors up-
" on them. About half a Score of young Wo-
" men were prefently thrown into violent hifteric
<( Fits. I carefully obferved them. When he
(f grew calm and moderate in his Manner, tho*
<c the Things deliverd were equally Awakening,
" they by Degrees grew calm and ftill ; when
<f he again affum'd the terrible, and fpake like
" Thunder, the like violent Struggling^ immediately
" returned upon them, from Time to Time.
" Sometimes he put a mighty Emphafis upon lit-
« tie unmeaning Words, and delivered a Sentence
*< of no Importance with a mighty Energy, yet
" the fenfible Effeft was as great as when the
*c moft awful Truth was brought to View. "
This Account may be relied on. For it is given
by
9(> Things of a bad PART I.
by one capable of making Obfervation, and who
bears as unblemifh'd a Charafter as moft Mmiftcrs
in the Country.
Agreable whereto is the Account we have
printed in the BOSTON Poft-Boy f; in which the
Writer^ fpeaking of the Itinerant Preachers, among
other Things, obferves> f( Their main Defign in
" preaching, feems not fo much to inform Men's
" Judgments, as to terrify and affright their Ima-
ff gination ; by awful IVords and frightful Repre-
<f Jentations, to fet the Congregation into hideous
" Shrieks and Out-cries. And to this End, in
f6 every Place where they come, they reprefent
<c that GOD is doing extraordinary Things in
" other Places, and that they are fome of the laft
" hardened Wretches that fland out ,• that this
fC is the laft Call that ever they are likely to have;
(f that they are now hanging over the Pit of De-
fC ftruftion, and juft ready, this Moment, to fall
(f into it ; that Hell-fire now flafhes in their
f< Faces ; and that the Devil now ftands ready
f( to feize upon them, and carry them to Hell
f( And they will oftentimes repeat the awful
ff Words, Damn'd ! Damrid ! Damnd ! thre<
f( or four Times over."
'Tis well known, no Preacher, in the new
has been more noted for his Inftrumentality in pro
ducing thefe Scbriekings and Paintings and Trem
blings, than the Rev. Mr. JAMES DAVENPORT of
SOUTHHOLD ; and yet, one of the Minifters of this
Town, ( who has always been a great Friend
to that which he efteemed, the good Work of
GOD going on in the Land) having been, one
t Numb 39 1- Night,
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 97
Night, a Witnefs to his inexpreffible Manage
ment among the People, and the terrible Effe6ls
confequent thereupon in their Screaming and Crying*
out) and the like, thought himfelf obliged in Con-
fcience to go to him the next Day, and declare
againfl fuch a Method of a6ling : And according
ly went, and told him to his Face ( as he himfelf
inform'd me ) that in the Appearance of the laft
Night) he was perfuaded, there was no Hand of the
SPIRIT of GOD ; and that it was no other than
might have been expefted, if a Man raving mad
from Bedlam, had gone among the People, and behaved
as he had done. And one of the Charges exhibited
and prov'd againft this Mr. DAVENPORT, when
brought before the General Ajjcmbly of CONNEC
TICUT, was, (f That he endeavoured by unwar*
" rantable Means to terrify, and affe6t his Hear-
" ers. And that,
" (i.) By pretending fome extraordinary Dif-
6f covery and Aflbrance of the very near Ap-
fc proach of the End of the World ; and that
" though he did not aflign the very Day, yet
" that he then lately had it clearly open'd to
" him, and ilroiigly inpreft upon his Mind, that
" in a very ftiort Time all thefe Things would
" be involv'd in devouring Flames*"
N. B. This fame ImpreJJion, he told the People
at BOSTON, he had lately had upon his Mind, and
was as fure the Day of Judgment was at the Door,
as of the Things he then faw with his Eyes ; and
made Ufe of this accordingly, as an Argument to
work upon their Paffions.
" (2) By an indecent and affe£led Imitation
« of the Agony and PaJJlon of our blcfled SA-
H
98 Things of a bad PA&T L
<f VIOUR ; and alfo by Voice and Gefture, of the
ff Surprife, Horror, and Amazement, of Perfons
" fuppos'd to be fentenced to eternal Mifery.
" And,
" (3) By a too peremptory and unconditioned
( c denouncing Damnation againft fuch of his Au*
" ditory, as he look'd upon as OPPOSERS ; ve-
" hemently crying out, that he faw Hell-Flames
" flafking in their Faces, and they were now ! now !
*' dropping down to Hell ! And alfo added, LORD
" thou knew eft, that there are many in that Galle-
*( ry, and in thefe Seats, that are now dropping
" down to Hell !" *
An Account of Mr. D-— T'S Preaching, not al
together unlike this, a Gentleman, in CONNECTI
CUT, wrote to one of the Minifters in thjs Town,
upon his own Knowledge, in thefe Words,
(f At length,' he turn'd his Difcourfe to others,
€( and with the utmoft Strength of his Lungs ad-
* ' dreft himfelf to the Congregation, under thefe
f< and fuch-like Expreffions ; viz. You poor un-
" converted Creatures, in the Seats, in the Pews,
" in the Galleries, I wonder you don't drop in-
" to Hell ! It would not furprife me, I fhould
" not wonder at it, if I fhouid fee you drop
*c down now, this Minute into HelL You Phari-
<( fees, Hypocrites, now, now, now, you are go-
" ing right into the Bottom of Hell. I wonder
*f you don't drop into Hell by Scores, and Hun**
<c dreds, &c. And in this terrible Manner* he
« ended the Sermon." 'Tis then added, " Af-
See the BOSTON Weekly-News-Paper. Numb.
1997^
ter
I. And dangerous Tendency. 95
« ter a fhort Prayer > he called for all the Dif-
" treft Perfons ( which were near twenty ) into
" the foremoft Seats. Then he came out of the
" Pulpit, and flripped off his upper Garments,
t( and got up into the Seats, and leapt up and
<( down fometime, and clapt his Hands^ and cri-
fc ed out in thofe Words, the War goes on^
(C the Fight goes on, the Devil goes down, the
<f Devil goes down ; and then betook himfelf
s< to ftamping and /creaming moft dreadfully. "
And what is it more than might be expefted,
to fee People fo affrightned as to fall into Shrieks
and fits, under fuch Methods as thefe ? Efpe-
cially, when they have firft been potted of the
Notion, that the Perfons who make Ufe of them,
are Men of GOD in an extraordinary Senfe ; as
being fent immediately, as it were, to deliver
his MeiTages to them. The Mind is now pre^
I pared to receive almoft any Impreffion from this
| Kind of Perfons ,* and 'tis no Wonder^ if^ by
i their terrifying Voice and Action, People are thrown
| into Agitations and Convulfions.
I doubt not, but the divine SPIRIT often ac
companies the preached Wordy fo as that, by his
Influence, Sinners are awakened to a Senfe of Siri,
and filled with deep Diftrefs of Soul : But the
lleffed SPIRIT muft not, at Random, be made
the Author of all thofe Surprifes, operating iri
flrange Effefts upon the Body, which may be feeri
among People. They may be produced other'
Ways ; yea, I truft, that has been already
faid, which makes it evident^ they have actually
been produced, even by the wild and extravagant
1 Vondutt of fome over-heated Preachers*
H &' M
loo Things of a bad PART. L
It will, doubtlefs, be here faid, thefe Out-cries
have fometimes arifen, when no other than the
great 'Truths of the Gofpel have been urg'd up
on the Confciences of Sinners ; and this, in a
becoming Manner, and by Preachers who have not
been noted, either for the Loudnefs of their Voice,
or the Boifteroiifnefs of their Action.
In Reply whereto, I deny not but this may
have been the Cafe : But, at the fame Time,
think it worthy of Notice, that thefe bodily Ef
fects were, at FIRST, produced, fo far as I can
Jearn, ONLY by fuch Preachers as were remarkable
for their terrible fpeaking, both as to Matter, and
Manner : Nor do I remember an Inftance, in
the Country, of Out- cries, by any other Sort of
Preachers, 'till the Noife of fuch extraordinary Ef
fects, as Arguments of an immediate divine Power,
in one Place and another, had alarmed the
People, and made many of them think, it was
neceflary they alfo mould be in like Circum-
ftances.
Befides, when thefe Out-cries have been effec
ted by your more moderate Preachers, (which, by
the Way, comparatively fpeaking, has been a rare
Thing ) have they not begun with one or two
only, and from them been propagated to o-
thers ? Nay, have not thefe, from whom they
took Rife, ufually, been fuch as were before ac-
cuflomed to the Way of J Ir earning out ? And
were they not, at firft, brought to it, under a
more terrible Kind of Preaching ? I believe,
upon Examination, this will be found to be nearly
the Truth of the Cafe.
I
PART I. and dangerous Tendency, lox
I ftiall only add further, ' that however diflin-
guiihed the Minifler who has preached has been,
for his exemplary Piety, and fowling Gifts ',
however agreeable to the Mind of CHRIST he
has delivered the Truths of the Gofpel ; and
however warmly he may have addreft him-
felf to the People's Paffions, if he wan't before
known to have been a Favourer of thefe Outcries,
j, he has not produced them : Nor do J believe,
! an Inflance can be given in the Country, of their
being brought forward by any Minifler, of whom
the People had a Sufpicion, that he did npt like
them : ' Which to me, is not the belt Argument
of their being fo wholly owing to the divine
Fo-wer, as fome may be too ready to imagine.
But to proceed.
Another Thing that very -much leflens my Opi
nion of thefe religious Fears, with the ftrange Ef-
fecls of them is, that they are produced by the
; Exhorters ', and this, in all Parts of the Land ; and
it may be^ in more numerous Inflances, than by the
Miniflers themfelves. And if thefe bodily Agitati
ons arife from the Influence of the SPIRIT, when
produc'd by the Miniflers, they are lo when pro
duced by the Exhort ers. . The Appearance is the
fame in both Cafes ; the like inward Diflrcfs is
effe6led, and difcovers it felf in like Cryings and
Swoonings : Nor is there any Reafon to think
well, in the general, of the one, and not of the
other. And yet, fome of the bed Friends of this
Work, both .among the Clergy and Laity, think ill
of thefe Things, as brought forward by the Ex-
horters : Nay, one of the greateffc Friends to
the good Work, among the Miniflers in Town,
freely declar'd concerning one of thefe Exh oners,
who c^ine into, this Place., and began the Qui
ll 3 arics
102 Things of a bad PART I.
cries we were before Strangers to, that he feared
the Hand of Satan was in his coming here to
throw Difgrace on the Work of GOD ; fug-
gefting, that the Wonders wrought by the Magi
cians in Egypt were, to all Appearance, like the
Miracles wrought by MOSES. I fee no Reafon for
fuch a Remark. The vifible Effects of this young
Man's exhorting here, and in the neighbouring
Town of DorchefttFy were jufl the fame that are
wrought by the mofl famous Preachers in the new
Way : And where there is no difcernable Dif
ference, there is no Ground, in Reafon or Scrip
ture, to fpeak well of the one, and ill of the o-
ther. Such are certainly inconfiftent with them-
felves, who attribute thefe Extraordinaries, as bro't
forward by the Exhorters, to a Spirit of Delufion,
or Enthufiafm, or any other inferior Caufe, ; while
they can't bear to hear a Word faid againft them,
when they are the Produce of thofe who are call
ed Minifters. For my felf, I put them both on
the fame Foot, as fuppofing they both arife from
the fame Caufe : Only, the Appearance of thefe
Things, in the fame Kind and Degree, when the
Ex barters are the Carriers on, admin ifters jufl
Ground of Fear, whether they are, in general, fo
much owing to the extraordinary Influence of the
divine SPIRIT, as fome may be too ready to i-
rnagine. If they are not owing to the wonderful
Operation of the HOLY GHOST, when the Exhorters
are the Occaflon of them, they may eafily be ac
counted for, when produced by others : And it
can't well be fuppofed, there fhould be the ex
traordinary Concurrence of the bleffed SPIRIT
with thefe Exhorters. For who are they but
fuch, concerning whom the infpird dpoftle has
faid, Not a Novice left be be lifted up qtitb Pride,
and fall into the Condemnation of the Devil ? Who
are
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 103
are they but fuch, of whom the fame Apoflle fays,
they walk diforderly, working not at all, but are Bufie-
Bodies ? With Refpedl to whom, he gives Com
mandment by the LORD JESUS CHRIST, that
with Quietnefs they work and eat their' own Bread.
"Who are they but fuch, as fet themfelves up in
Cppofition to their Pajlors^ though found in the
Faith and of a good Converfation, contrary to the
Order of the Gofpel, and to the Difturbance of the
Churches ? And can it be thought, that GOD
would countenance the Conduct of this Kind of
Perfons, by extraordinary Teflimonies of his Pre-
fence from Heaven ; and this, while they are in
a Method of acting that dire6tly contradicts his
own Appointments ? Befides, may it not be faid
of thefe Exhortersy in the general, that they are
very Babes in Understanding, . needing themfelves
to be taught which be the firfl Principles of the O-
racles of GOD ? That they are over-forward and
conceited ,• taking that upon them,, they have
neither a Call to, nor Qualifications for ? Yea, is
it not too true of fome of them, that they have
a£led under the Influence of an over-heated Ima
gination ; -or what is worfe, from low and bafe
Views ? This is now fo evident, that there is
no Room for Debate upon the Matter. And of
all Men, thefe, I fhould think, are the mod un
likely to be diftinguim'd with the extraordinary
ft\ fence of the HOLY GHOST.
\
There is yet another Thing that makes it look
as though thefe Terrors might arife from a lower
Caufe, than that which is Divine ; and that is,
their, happening in the Night. I don't mean,
that there han't been Out-cries in the Day Time ;
but the Night is more commonly the Seafon, when
thefe Things are to be feen3 and in their greateft
H 4 Per-
1 04 Thing of a bad PARTI.
Perfeftion, They are more frequent, and more
general, and rais'd to a higher Degree, at the
Night Meetings, when there are but two or three
Candles in the Place of Worfhip, or they are
wholly in the dark. I have often, in Converfa-
tion, heard this Remark made by thofe, who
have been in the Way of thefe Things ,• and
the fame Obfervations I find in the Letters that
have been fent me. Says one, fpeaking of thefe
Extraordinaries, " They are more in the Night
than in the Day :" Another, " They operate
mod flrongly in their Night Meetings ; " Ano
ther ftill, " They never happen'd [this mufl be
underftood of the particular Place, he is giving
an Account of] to any confiderable Degree, 'till
the Darknefs of the Night came on." And why
fhould thefe ftrange Effetts be more frequent, and
general, in the Gloominefs of the .Night, if they
were produc'd by the Agency of the Divine SPI
RIT ? Does he need the Advantage of the
dark to fill Men's Hearts with Terror ? This is
certainly a fhrew'd Sign, that there is more of
the Humane in thefe Things, than fome are will*
ing to own. We know every Thing appears
more difmal in the Night : Perfons are more
apt to be ftruck with Surprife and Conflernati-
on : And as this is a good Reafon, it may
be the true one, why a doleful Voice, and fright
ful Managements may take Effe6l more in the Night
than at other Times.
Tie Subjects ^\fo of thefe Terrors may lead us
to make the like Judgment about them ; and
thefe are Children, Women, and youngerly Perfons.
Not that others han't been wrought upon. In-
flances there have been of Men ; and thefe,
both middle-aged, and advanced in Tears^ who have
both
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 105
both cried out, and fallen down : But 'tis among
Children, young People and Women, whofe Paffions
are foft and tender, and more eaiily thrown into
a Commotion, that thefe Things chiefly pre
vail. I know, 'tis thus in thofe Places, where I
have had Opportunity to make Inquiry. And
from the Accounts tranfmitted to me from
Friends, in other Places, it appears to have been
fo among them alfo. The Account I have from
one Part of the Country is, " The Operation is
principally among Women and Girls m" From an
other, *' The Perfons wrought upon were gene
rally Women and Children ;" From another,
" Thefe Effects have been moil frequent in Wo
men and young Perfons." And are not thefe the
very Perfons, whofe Paffions according to Nature,
it might be expected, would be alarmed ? If
young People are, in a moral Senfe, more like
ly to be wrought upon by Divine Grace, than old,
I fee not that this is the Cafe with Refpe6t to
Women in Diftinclion from Men. Men may as
eaiily be overcome by the Power of the HOLY
GHOST, as Women ; and arc as likely, in a mo
ral View of the Matter, to be fo : And what
ihould then be the Reafon that they fliould be,
as it were, overlook'd, and Women generally the
Perfons thrown into thefe Agitations and Ter
rors ? It certainly looks, as tho' the Weaknefs of
their Nerves, and from hence their greater Lia-
blenefs to be furpris'd, and overcome with
Fear, was the true Account to be given of this
Matter,
Moreover, the Way in which thefe Terrors
fpread themfelves is a Circumflance, that does
not much favour their divine Origin. They
feem to be fuddenly propagated, from one to an
other
J05 Things of a ted PART I.
other, as in a great Fright or Conflernation.
Ti.ev often begin with a Tingle Perfon, a Child,
cr Woman, or 10</, whofe Shrieks fet others a
Shrieking ; and fo the Shrieks catch from one to
another, /till the whole Congregation is alarmed,
and fuch an awful Scene, many Times, open'd, as
no Imagination can paint to the Life. To this
Purpofe is that in the BosTON-Poft-Boy *, when af
ter an Account of the terrible Language made Ufe
of by the Itinerants, 'tis added, "This frequently
5* frights the little Children, and fets them a
€f Screaming ; and that frights their tender Mo-
€f thers, and fets them to Screaming, and by
<f Degrees fpreads over a great Part of the Con-
" gregation : And 40, 50, or an ioo, of them
€( fcreaming all together, makes fuch an awful
<e and hideous Noife as will make a Man's Hair
(( ftand an End. Some will faint away, fall down
<( upon the Floor, wallow and foam. Some Wo-
" men will rend off their Caps, Handkerchiefs,
" and other Clothes, tear their Hair down about
" their Ears, and feem perfectly bereft of their
« Reafon.J> f
Appearances in this Kind, I have often had an
Account of from thofe who have been prefent
at them ; and as begun by one or two Perfons
at fir (I : And where this has been the Cafe,
there is no great Difficulty in finding out the
Caufe
* Numb. 391.
•f- I ihould not have inferted this Account, it looks fo
txtravag<?nt)but that I have now by me two Letters^
from Gentlemen of known Worth and Integrity? in
the Minijlry, who particularly refer to it, and fay,
'tis a juft one,
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 107
Caufe : 'Tis far more reafonable to look for it
in Nature, than in Grace.
It may not be amifs to obferve flill further,
that thefe Terrors, with their Effects, are uniform
all over the Country ; operating upon all in whom
they take Place, much in the fame Way and Man
ner, be their moral Character what it will. Whe*
ther the Subjects of them be great or fmall Sin
ners, whether the Sins they have committed be
more or lefs, whether they have continued in Sin
a longer or fhorter Time, there is no Difference
as to their Fears, and the Operation of them ; but
they are all indifcriminately thrown into the like
horrible Circumflanees ; which it is not reafon
able to think would be the Cafe, if they were
put into this Condition by a divine Influence :
Whereas, its the very Thing that might be ex-
pefted, where Nature is fuddenly furpris'd, and
over-come, as in a Fright.
In fine, it's a Circumftance no Ways fa*
vouring the divine Rife 'of thefe Out-cries, that
many People now commonly make them, not
as urg'd hereto from an over-pouring Senfe of
their own Sins, but the Sins of others. Having
been converted themfelves, their Diftrefi, under
the Preaching of the Wordy is now raifed to
fuch a Height for the unconverted Sinners in the
Congregation, that they can't help for earning out ;
and fo many of them, fometimes at once, as that
the Worfhip is interrupted, or greatly diflurUcL A
Concern for others, whom we have Reafon to
fear, are in a State of Sin, is, no Doubt, reafon
able ; and there will be more or lefs of it, in
the Heart of every fincere Chriftian. Bun are
Skiieklngs a fuitabb ExpreiTion of this Concern ;
efpecially.
log fbingttfabzd PART I,
efpecially, in the Houfe of GOD ? And can it
be fuppos'd, the GOD of Order, would, by the
Exertment of his Power, raife this Concern to
fuch a Height, as that his own ^or/hip fhould be
broke up upon the Account of it? 'Tis impoffi-
ble. I never heard one fober, folld Perfon fpeak
a Word, in Favour of thefe Out-cries ; and am
heartily forry, any Thing has been printed,
encouraging fo grofs an Extravagance, J hope
none, from the meer Sound of fome Texts,
will juftify this fame Diftrefs for others, as it be
gins now to difcover it felf, among fome Perfons,
in another Form, in Travail-Pains and Throws.
Of this, I have now an Account by me, in a
Letter from a Friend, upon the Evidence of his
own Eyes and Ears ; which yet, I ihould not
have mentioned, but that I have fince perfonally
converfed with a Minifter in the Country, who
informed me of one, who had been in Travail
two or three Times fucceffively for him. i. e.
Under all the Signs of Diftrefs, that appear in Wo
men upon fuch Occafions.
Thefe are the Reafons, why I can't entertain
fo high an Opinion as fome others do, of the
Terrors appearing in ftrange bodily Effects, which
have been fo common of late in this Land.
It will, poffibly, be faid, I have, in faying thefe
Things, refle&ed Difgrace upon the Work of Con-
viftion. If I had had fuch a Thought of the
Matter, I ihould have fupprefled what is here of
fered. Thofe, in my Opinion, do the greateft
Dimonour to the blejjed SPIRIT, and his Influ
ence upon the Hearts of Sinners, in the Bulinefs
of Conviffion, who make no Diftinclion between
thofe Fears that are the Effett of Truth duly im~
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 109
preft upon the Mind, and thofe that arife from an af-
frightned Imagination. And to fpeak freely, I am
clearly in the Sentiment, that the great Strefs that
has been. laid upon fucb Terrors, as have evidently
been produced by the mechanical Influence of aw
ful Words and frightful Geftures, has been a great
DifTervice to the Intereft of Religion : Nay, I
am not without Fear, leaft the tremendous Threat-
ning of GOD have, by fome, been prophanely made
Ufe of, while, under the Pretence of Awakening
Men's Confciences, they have thunder'd out
Death and Damnation, in a Manner more fit for
the Stage than the facred Desk, and fo as to afto-
nifh the Imagination rather than poflefs the Mind
of a reafonable Convi&ion of thefe awful Truths
.of -GOD.- I am not againfl the Preaching of Ter
ror ; but whenever this is done, it ought to be
in a Way that may enlighten the Mind, as well
as alarm the Paflions : And I am greatly mifta-
kert, if this has been the Pra6Hce, among fome
Sort of Preachers, fo' much as it ought to be.
And to this it may be owing, that Religion, of late,
has been wore a Cominotion in the PaJJlons, than a
Change in the Temper of the Mind: Not but that,
I think, a lafling Change has been wrought in a
Number ; though I could wiili I had Reafon to
fay, it was fo great a Number as fome pretend :
Nay, I am not without Hopes, that fome even
of thofe who have been frightened into Shrieks
and Fits, are become new-Men ; but then, I have
no other Thought, in the general, of the Surprife
they were thrown into, than of the Surprife by
a terrible Clap of Thunder, or the Shock of an
Earthquake : They might hereby be awakened
to Confideration, and put upon waiting upon
GOD in his own Way, 'till a Work of Grace has
been effe&ed in them.
I
1 10 Things of a bad PAR T. L
I (hall conclude this Head with two general
Cautions.
The firft is, to beware of being prejudiced a-
gainft the real Work of Conviction, from theftrange
Appearance, in a Way of Terror, there has been
lately feen among us. Many, I have Reafon to
fear, have herefrom been led, both to think and
fpeak, very unfuitably of this Work of the HOLY
SPIRIT : But they are herein greatly to Blame.
There certainly is fuch a Thing as a Sen-fe of Sin,
expreiTmg itfelf in bitter Remorfe of Confcience.
*Tis indeed impoflible, that Sinners ftiould have
upon their Minds ajuftApprehenfion of themfelves,
and their real Chara6ler, as Children of PPrath, and
not be fill'd with uneafy Senfations : Nay, it
may be fear'd of all, who have liv'd to adult
Years, thoughtlefs of their Souls, that they know
not the Grace of GOD in Truth, if they have
had no Experience of the Troubles of an awa
kened Confcience : Nor is it any Obje6lion a-
gainft either the Reality or Neceffity of this Con-
viftion, that there may be a Refemblance of it in
the Workings of that Fear which is not excited
by the Influence of the HOLY GHOST : And in-
flead of being prejudiced herefrom againft the
SPlRITs Operation, in convincing Sinners, we
ihould take Occafion to be wifely cautious in diffcin-
guifhing between thofe Fears, with their Effects,
that are from the SPIRIT, and thofe that may have
Rife from other Caufes.
Very ferviceable for our Direftion in this
Matter, are the Words of that experienced Chriftian,
as well as noted Divine, Mr. CHARNOCK. Says he,f
f His Works, Vol. II- Page 584-
pointing
PART 1. and dangerous Tendency, in
pointing out the Difference between thofe Con*
visions that are from Nature and the SPIRIT, the
former " are fudden Frights and Startings, which
" foon fettle again ; as in a fudden fright and
<* Start, Nature is fpeedily reduced to its former
te Temper, and the Blood that was put on a fud-
*6 den into another Motion, is quickly brought
€t to its former Confidence. They are ufually like
*f a Land-Flood, which caufes an Inundation, but
" finks not into the Roots of the Soul. — - It is a
€f Work, not fo much upon the Judgment as up-
ff on the Affetlions : Therefore it is like a Fire
" falling upon Flax and other combuflable
€f Matter, which flames and expires ; and you
f< fee its Death almofl as foon as it begins to
€( be : Whereas thofe Convictions that arife
" from the SPIRIT, fettle upon the Judgment,
" and like a Fire in a Log of Wood, are kept
fc alive in the Soul, eat into the Soul, dive into
<c the Bottom, produce ferious and lafling Affec-
" tions. Confcience is ftaggering and unfix t ;
, €( therefore whatfoever arifeth from it, partak-
€f eth of the uncertain Nature of the Caufe.
ff We fhall be moveable in our Affections ; unlefs
" firft fledfafl in our Judgment." And again,
{hewing the Difference between thofe Convicti
ons, in which Satan may have a Hand, and thofe
that are from the SPIRIT, he fays,* " Satan works
" violently and fuddenly, and moft by the PaJJions
€f and Humours of the Body, rather than by Rca-
€f fon ; but the SPIRIT works upon the Mind,
therefore he is an enlightning SPIRIT. Satan
works upon the Reafon by the PaJJlon ; the
SPIRIT upon the PaJJlon by Reafon ; He firft
f H. Vol. P. 594,
fc enlightens
cc
Things of a* bad PART I.
fe enlightens the Mind, and brings Light into the
€( Heart, and the rational Faculties, the proper
f( Subjects of Light ; and by this Means winds
" up the Paffions to what Pitch and Tune he -
f( thinks fit. Satan firft works upon the Humour?
ff of the Body, as melancholy, and the like. Sa-
" tan works violently, as upon Pajfion, as he buf-
€C fetted PAUL ; boxes a Man to and fro,
(f fo that he hath no Time to do any Thing
" but confider his Mifery ; whereas the SPIRIT
" propofeth the Objeft, helps the Soul to confider,
<c ancj by Degrees leads to a further Knowledge
<f of the Light of the Gofpel, from a glimmering
<c to a {hining Light, 'till the Knowledge of the
" Lord break in, in its full Glory." And his
firft Inference from what he had faid about Con-
wttlon of Sin is,$ Cf The Gofpel doth not deflroy
ff Reafon and rational Proceeding. The working
*< of the SPIRIT is according to the Nature of
Cf Man, moves not in Contradiction to, but in
" an Elevation of Reafen. He doth not extin-
« guifli Rcafon, the Candle of the LORD, but
f< fnufFs it, and adds more Light, reduces it to
ff its proper Manner of Operation, and fets it
" in its right State towards GOD j brings firft
" Light into the Under'flanding, and new Moti-
" ons into the Will : He doth not dethrone Rea-
" fon and Judgment, but applies it to its proper
" Work, repairs it, fets it in its true Mqtion.—
" The Arguments the SPIRIT ufes, are fuited to
ff the Reafon of Men, otherwife, Confcience could
" not he mov'd ; for Confcience follows Judg-
(f ment : IT is NOT AN ACT OF JUDGMENT, BUT
" IMAGINATION, THAT REASON DOTH NOT PRECEDE.
Page ibid.
As
FART I. and dangerous Tendency. 113
f<- As the Service GOD requires, is a rational Ser-
" vice ; fo the Method he ufes in Conversion is
" a rational Method. "
The other Caution I would give is, to take heed
of Miftakes about the paffionate Pan: of Convifti-
on, i. e. The fenfible Workings of the AfFe6lions*
There are two Mifiakes, in this kind, People have
been ready to fall into*
Some, and great Multitudes, it may be
have plac'd their Religion too much in this extra
ordinary Terror ; trufting to it, and making a Righ-
teoufnefs of it : putting it in the Place of CHRIST,
or of that real Change of Heart and Life, without
which they can't be qualified for, an Admiffion
into the Kingdom of GOD. Holy Mr. BAXTER'S
Words are very pertinent to fuch Perfons as
thefe. Says he, ff Think not that you can fatisfy
<c the Juftice of the Z^w, or merit any Thing
<f of GOD, by the Worth of your Sorrows ; tho*
" you ihould weep even Tears of Blood. It is
' '* not true Humiliation, if it conflfls not in the
j " Senfe and Acknowledgement of your Unwor-
(f thinefs, and Defert of Condemnation ;, and if it
! ff do not lead you to look out for Pardon and
1<f Life from CHRIST, as, being loll and wholly in-
" fufficient for your felves. And therefore it
I cf would be a plain Contradi6lion, if true 'Humili-
(f ation iliould be taken as Satisfaction, or Merit ;
f{ or trufted on, inftead of CHRIST." To the like
Purpofe are thofe Words of the pious Mr. BOL-:
TON. Says he, f " Once for all, take this Ca-
Vol. II. of his Works, P. 566. -.In his In-
jlructions for a right comforting afflicted Confci-
ences, P. 173,
I
114 Things of a bad PART L
c* veat and Forewarning : If any fliould think
(f of thefe precedent A6fo, thefe preparatory
(< Workings of the Law and Gofpel, which make
tf Way for the Infufion of Faith, as any mtrito-
fc rlous Means to draw on CHRIST ,* it were a
€f mofl falfe, rotten, foolifh, execrable, popifli,
" abfurd, Lticiferian Conceit ,• and might juilly
cc merit, never to obtain Mercy at GOD's boun-
6( tiful Hands; nor part in the Merits of CHRIST-"
Others, from what they have feen, or heard of
the dreadful Terrors, fome have been in, difcover-
ing themfelves in Shriekings and Swoenings, have
been ready to queftion their good Eflate, meerly
becaufe they han't experienced in this Refpeft, as
they have done. But this is a wrong Way of
Judging in the Cafe. Hear how the famous Dr,
OWEN expreffes himfelf upon this Matter. Un
der the Work of Conviftion there will be, fays he,*
" difquieting and perplexing AfFeftions in the
<c Minds of Men ; nor can it be otherwife,
C6 where it is fixt and prevalent. As, (i) Sorrow
** and Shame, for and of what they^ have done*
ce (2) Fear of eternal ft/rath. This keeps the
** Soul in Bondage, and is accomjpanied with Tor-
*( ment. (3) Perplexing unfatisfaftory Enquiries
(( after Means, and Ways for Deliverance, out of
(f this Diftrefs, and from future Mifery. What
" {hall we do to be faved, is the reftlefs Inquiry
«« of fuch Perfons." He goes on,f " The Sub*
" ftance of thefe Things is ordinarily found in.
** thofe who are converted unto GOD, when
<tf grown up unto the Ufe of Reafon, and capa-
In his Difcourje upon the HOLT SPIRIT, P. 305.
t P. 306. '
« ble
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 115
sf ble of Imprefllons from external Adminiflrati-
(f ons : Efpecially, are they evident in the
*c Minds and Confciences of fuch, as have been
ff engag'd in any open fmful Courfe, or Practice."
He then immediately adds, 'f But yet, no certain
" Rule or Meafure of them can be prefcrib'd as ne-
ff cejfary in, or unto any, antecedaneouQy unco
ff Conversion. To evince the Truth whereof*
*' two Things may be obferved ,• ( i. ) Tine
" Perturbations, Sorrows, Deje&ions, Dread*
(f Fear, are no Duty unto any ; only, they are
" fuch Things as fometimes enfue, or are e-
<c mitted into the Mind, upon that which is a
€( Duty indifpenfible; namely* ConvWon of Sin.
*f They belong not to the Precept of the Law*
" but to its Curfe. They are no Part of what is
" required of us, but of what is inflicted on us.
" There is a Gofpel- Sorrow, and Humiliation after
" believing that is a Duty, that is both command-
<€ ed* and hath Promifes annext to it : Buc
€f this legal Sorrow is an Effect of the Curfe of
" the Law, not of its Command. (2.) GOD is
u pleas'd to exercife a Prerogative and Sovcreign-
*c ty in this whole Matter, and deals with the
<c Souls of Men in unfpeakable Variety. Some
" he leads by the Gates of Death and Hell un-
u to Reft ift his Love. And the Paths of others
f( he makes plain and eafy to them. Some walk
" and wander long in Darkriefs ; in the Souls of
" others, CHRIST is formed in the iirft gracious
*( Vifitation."
In a few Pages onwards f, He fpcaks of it as
an entangling Temptation Perfons under Conviction
iliould beware of; Namely, " that thev have not
t
I 2 ^ attain d
1 1 6 Things of a bad PART i.
" attain d~ fuch a Degree of Sorrow for Sin, and Hit-
" initiat wii$ as is neceiTary to them who are call-
(f ed to believe in JESUS CHRIST." And fays up
on it, " There was indeed more Reafon of giv-
" ing Caution againfl Temptations of this Kind
fc in former Days, when Preachers of the Gofpel
(f dealt more feverely, I wifli I may not alfo fay
" more fincerely, with the Confciences of convin-
" ced Sinners,, than it is the Manner of moil now
<e to do ; But yet, 'tis poffible, that herein may
" Jb a Miftake ; feeing no fuch Degrees of thefe
f( Things, as fome may be troubled about, are
" prefcribVl for any fuch -End, either in the
*6 Law or Gofpel." And of the fame Mind was
the celebrated Mr. SHEPARD, Mr. WILLA^D, and
others, I have elfewhere mentioned.
The Words of the pious Mr. BAXTER are fo
obfervable, I can't help tranfcribing them, for
the Conclufion of this Head. A Miftake, fays
he,! to be carefully avoided is, " The placing
" your Humiliation, either only, or principally, in
fi the pa f] mate Part, or in the outward Exprtjfions
" of the Paffions. I mean either in pinching
" Grief, and Sorrow of Heart, or elfe in Tears.
" But you mufl remember, that the Life of it is
" in the Judgment and the Will It is not the
Me 'aj lire of paffionate Sorrow and Anguijb, that
will bell fhew the Meafure of 'your fmcere Hu*
mill all on i much lefs is it your Tears, or out
ward Expressions. But it is your low Efteem of
your felves, and Contentednefs to be vile in
the Eyes of others ; and your Difplicency
with your felves, and Willingnefs to mourn,
f His Works. Vol. 2. Page 562, 563.
« and
(f
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 117
^ and weep for 'Sin as much as GOD would have
' < you, and the reft of the Acts of the Judgment
« and mil
fc Two great Dangers are here before you to
" be avoided, (i) Some there be that have tcr-
" ribk Pangs of Sorrow, and are ready to tear
fi their own Hair ; yea, to make away ihewfehes,
" as JUDAS, in the Horror of their Conferences ;
cc and thefe may feem to have tRie Humiliation,
<e and yet have none, And force can weep a-
" bundantly at a Sermon, or in a Prayer, or in
f mentioning their Sin to others, and therefore
t( think they are truly humbled ; and yet, it may
cc be nothing fo, For if, at the lame Time, their
e Hearts are in Love with Sin, or have not an
*f habitual Hatred of it, and a predorhinant fu-
€e perlative Love to GOD, their Humiliation is no
ff faving Work. ..... (2) Another Sort there are,
fe much better and happier than the former, that
f * yet, to their great Trouble, are rniftaken in this
" Point ; and that is, they that think they have
ff no true Humiliation, becaufe they find not fuch
(e Pangs of Sorrow, and Freedom of Tears as c^
c thers have ; whereas their Hearts are con-
ff trite, even when they cannot weep a Tear.
Tell me but this^ are you vile in your own
Eyes becaufe: you are guilty of Sin/ and that
againfl the LORD, whom you chiefly love ?
Do you loath your fclves becauib of your A-
bominations ? And could 'you heartily v/iih
you had been fuffering when you were fin-.
ning ? And if it were to do" again, v/oulcl
you choofe to fufFer rather than to fin ? ll:i\e
you a Defire to grieve, when you cannot paf-
fionately grieve ? Do you, think nieanlv of
your own Sayings and Doings, and better of
13 u others,
f
n8 Things of a b&d PART I.
?c. others, where there is any Ground, than of your
" feives ? Do you juflify GOD's Affliftions, and
fk "*• Ten's Rebukes, and think yourfelves unwor-
c< ;hy of the Communion of the Saints, unwor-
*• hy to live upon the Face of the Earth ? Yea,
' c would you juilify GOD, if he fhould condemn
ff you ? This is the State of an humbled
tf Soul. Find but this, and you need not doubt
** of GOD's Acceptance, tho* you were unable to
<- u:ed a '1 ear. There is more Humiliation in
" a. bafe Efteem of ourfelves, than in a thoufand
" Tears ; and more in a. Will or Defire to weep
" frr Sin, than in Tears that come through Force
" of Terror, or Moiflure of the Brain, or fajfionate
" Tendernefs of Nature. If the Will be right, you
*{ need not fear. It is he that moil hateth Sin9
< 'Hid is hardlicft drawn to it, that is truliefi hum-
f bled for it." He proceeds, a little onwards,
to obferve, "That that Part of Humiliation, which
<c c-.r' i:cih4in the A£ls of the Understanding, and
" Will, can't be too much, as to the Intention of
u the Ac~h To have too clear an Apprehenfion
<c of the Evil of Sin, and his own Vilenefs, this
" a Man need not fear. And in the Will it is
" more clear : No Man can be too willing to
" be rid of Sin, in GOD-s Time and Way ,• nor
<c be too much averfe from it, as it is againft
*' the LORD. But then, the other Part of Hwnilia?
" tion, which confifleth in the Depth of Sorrow, or
f4 m Tsars, may polTibly be too much" And 'in fe-
veral Panicuiars, he direfts Perfons how to difcern
v: en it is fo. As, " Firft, When your Sorrow is
" greater than your Brains can bear, without ap-
f parent Danger of 'Dijlraftion, or a nplancholh
<c Dijiurbance and Diminution of your Under/land-
fi ing, then it is certainly too much, and to be
6 ( retrained. For if you overthrow your Reafon,
<f you
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 119
fs you will be a Reproach to Religion, and you
<c will be fit for nothing that's truly Good, ei-
fc ther to your own Edification, or the Service of
« GOD" Again, " When Sorrow is fo great
fc as to difcompofe your Mind, or enfeeble your
" Body, fo as to unfit you fpr the Service of
is GOD, and make you more unable to do Good,
<( or receive Good, you have Reafon then to mo
" derate and reflrain it." Likewife, "When the
" Greatnefs of your Sorrow 'doth overmatch the
<c necefTary Meafure of your Love, or Joy, or
f( Thanks, and keep out thefe, and take up more
<c of your Spirit than its Part, having no Room
u for greater Duties, then it is excelfive and to
ff be retrained. There are fome that will flrive
« and flruggle with their Hearts, to wring out
t( a few Tears, and increafe their Sorrow, that
€f yet make little Confcience of other Affections,
" and will not flrive half fo much to increafe their
u Faith, and Love, and Joy," So " when your
<c Sorrow, by the Greatnefs of it, doth draw you in-
" to Temptation, either to defpair, or think hardly
" of GOD, and his Service, or to undervalue his
66 Grace, and the Satisfa6lion of CHRIST, as if ic
" were too fcant and inefficient for you, you
" have then Caufe to moderate and reflrain it."
The next Thing to be confidered, as what I
can't but look upon to be of dangerous Tendency
is that fudden Light and J/oy fo many, of lace,
claim to be the Subjects of. Not that I quefli-
on, whether there is fuch a Thing as religious
Joy. The Bible often fpeaks of rejoicing in GOD,
and in Hope of the Glory to be hereafter revealed.
The Kingdom of GOD is faid to coniiil in Joy, as
well as Peace and Righteoufnefs ; ' And Toy is
reckon'd among the Fruits of the SPIRIT : " And
this.
120 Things of a bad PARTI.
this Joy is faid to be unfpeakable, and full of Glory ;
yea., 'as called the Peace of GOD which pajfeth all
Undsrjlandmg. But then, there is zfalfe, as well
as true Joy ; the Joy of the Hypocrite, as well as
of the real Chriftian ; a Joy that has its Rife in
animal Nature, as well as from the HOLY GHOST.
And though I would hope, a Number, of late,
have been made Partakers of true Joy, the Joy
there is in Believing ; yet, there may be Reaibn
for Fear, left the Joy that has been fo much
boafted of, mould be no other, in the general,
than the joy, thofe may experience, who are
Chriftiaris more in Appearance than Reality, in Word*
than Deed.
I mall here take Liberty to examine this Joy ;
and fhall do it with all the Impartiality I am
able, as being a Matter in which 'tis exceeding
dangerous for Men to deceive themfelves, or be
deceived by others. And,
Three Things are obfervable with Reference
to 'true Joy ; the Foundation of it, its Caufe and
Effetls : And the'fe are the Things by which
I ihall try the Joy of the prefent Times.
' The Foundation of true Joy is always laid in
fuch a Faith, as embraces the SAVIOUR upon Gof*
-pel-Terms ; a Faith that purifies the Heart, and is
a living, aftive, powerful Principle of all holy O-
bedi:nce to the Commandments of GOD. The"
new Creature, the Man that has upon him the /-
mage of CHRIST JESUS, is the Subject of this Joy.
A Stranger to the Work of the SPIRIT, in Re.gene~
ration, intermeddles not with it : And however he
may pretend to it, or feem to be in Tranlports
of it, 'tis nothing more than Pretence, or the
Effec\
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 112
of a deluded Imagination. And this is a
plain Cafe : For where there is not a Work of
Grace in the Heart, 'tis impoflible a Man iliould
think juflly of hiinfelf, while he thinks there is ;
and his Joy therefore from the Apprehenfion of
his being a Child of GOD, and in a State of Fa
vour with him, muft be a Delufion.
And now, can it be pretended of all that have,
of late, been in great Light and Joy, that they
are among the Sanctified in CHRIST JESUS ? Would
to GOD it were thus ! Some have made it evi
dent by their after-Lives, that their Joy was only
a fudden Flaflo, a Spark of their own kindling : Nay,
fome have been made fenfible, their Joy was no
thing more than a meer fenfitive Pajjlon, and
have own'd they were under a Delufion, while
they imagined it was of a divine Origin. And
if the Foundation of Joy, in the Multitudes who
have had the feeling of it, was a renewed Heart,
this they would have made evident by their walk
ing in Neivnefs of Life : They would have ap
pear 'd new Men, being better in their whole ex
ternal Condutt, both towards GOD and Man, in all
the varying Conditions and Relations of Life. And
has this generally been the Cafe ? I believe few-
will have the Face to pretend it has ; and we
{hall prefently fee what Reafon there is to fear it
has not.
The Caufe of true Joy is another Thing that
muft be confidered; by which I mean, here, the
immediate Occafan or Reafon of the Excitement of
this Paffion. And this is the Man's Perception of
his being a true Believer, a real Saint ; and as
fuch, interefted in the Promifes of the Gofpel-
Covenant. A Man muft not only be a Janftified
Perfon,
122 Things of a b^ PART I.
Perfon, but difcern that he is fo, before he can
rationally have the Joy of Religion. The Spring
of his Joy, is the View he has of himfelf as a Per-
fon qualified, according to the Tenor of the New-
Teftament, for the Forgivenefs of Sins, and an
Inheritance among the Saints in Light. Hence
that Direction of the Apoftle, * But let every Man
prove his own Work, and then /hall he have rejoicing
in himfelf. Agreeable whereto we read, $ This
is our Rejoicing, the Teflimony of our Confcience, that
in Simplicity and godly Sincerity, not by flefbly Wtf-
dom, but by the Grace of GOD, we have our Comer -
fation in the World. The immediate Reafon of
true Joy, according to the Apoflle PAUL, is the
Witnefs of Confcience to the Work of Grace in our
Hearts. There is, no Doubt, the concurrent
Witnefs of the Divine SPIRIT with the Cbrif-
tians Spirit^ that he is a true Believer, a Child
of GOD by Regeneration ,• and from hence he
triumphs in GOD as his Portion and Happinefs.
Is this now the Way in which Perfons, in thefe
Times, come by their Joy ? Is it not rather,
in fome, a fudden, ftrange delightful Kind of
State, arifing they can't fay whence, or where
fore ? f I know it has been thus with fome I
have conversed with ; and I have Reafon to
think
* Gal. 6. 4. t 2 Cor- i. 12.
f Says Mr. BAXTER, " If I find a great deal of
" Comfort in my Heart, and know not how it
" came thither, nor upon what rational Ground it
** was raifed, nor what Considerations do feed and
<c continue it, I fliould be ready to queftion, how
" I knew whether this be from GOD ? And
" though,
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 123
think, it has been the Cafe with others alfo. And
are there not Multitudes, whofe Joy has fprung
from fudden Imprejfions, that their State was good,
without the Difcernment of a fpecial Work of
GOD, wrought in their Hearts V Has it not
been fecretly and ftrongly fuggefted to them, that
they are GOD's Children, that CHRIST died for
them, and. that they are interefted in his Me
rits ? And han't t^ey been fure of this, rather
from a dirett Light flrining in their Minds, than
from the Evidence they have had, from the Word
of GOD, that they were polTefl of fuch Marks of
Regeneration as no Hypocrite ever came up to ?
Nay, is it not an avowed Principle, that AJJiirance
is to be had from the immediate Witmfs of the
SPIRIT, telling a Man that he is a true Belie
ver, and not from the Perception of a real Work
of GOD, effected in him ? Thofe that don't
know, that the Joy of thefe Times is too gene
rally the Effeft of this fudden Light, and not of
a jirift and thorow Examination, and herefrom the
Witnefs of a Mans own Spirit, with the Tejlimony
of the SPIRIT of GOD, to a Work of Santtifica-
tion wrought in his Soul, are very much Stran
gers to the religious State of Affairs in the Land.
This may feem a glorious Way to Affitrancc
and Joy, but 'tis infinitely dangerous for Men to
trufl to this Light, and depend upon the Joy ari-
fing from it-, without the concurring Tejlimony of
thek own Confidences, upon clear and full Evi-
" though, as the Cup in BENJAMIN'S Sack^ it
*6 might come from Love, yet it would leave np
*c but in Fears and Amazements, becaufeoi Untetx
*« tainty." His Works, Vol. 3. Page 246.
124 , Things of a bid PART. I.
dence. And in this Sentiment do the moil expe--
rienced, and judicious Divines perfectly agree.
Says the pious Mr. BOLTON,* " That which the
*c SPIRIT reveals to our Conferences, we our-
" felves may colleci and conclude out of GODV
" Wordy upon the Confcience of our Faith, Re-
fc pentance, and other faving Endowments and
ff holy Graces, fliining in our Souls, and uprightly
cc exercis'd in our whole Converfation. When we
(f by thefe Means have aflurtd our Souls, that we
" are the Children of GOD, which is the Tefti-
" mony of our own renewed Spirit, the SPIRIT of
cc GODy as another Witnefs, fecondeth and con-
" firmeth this Aflurance by Divine Inspiration,
ce and by fweet Motions and Feelings of GOD's
f( fpecial Goodnefs, and glorious faving Pre-
*' fence ; and fo according to the Apoftlis
<f Phrafe, Rom. 8. 16. Beareth Witnefs with our
ff Spirits. Wherefore, if any Man prefumes upon,
(f or pretends any immediate Suggestions or Revela-
ff lation for his fpiritual Safety, and everlafting
" Well-being ,• and yet, wants utterly the Tefti-
(f mony of his renewed Confcience to the fame Pur-
cc pofe, the Teftijnony of Univerfal Obedience,
" of not lying wilfully and delightfully in any
" one known Sin, of crucifying the AfFe6tions
fe with the Lufts ; I can give him none but
" this cold Comfort, he is curfedly coozened by
« the DevilY counterfeit Glory of an Angel, caft-
" ing into his abftird Imagination fuch groundlefs
« Conceits, which, in Time of Trial, will vanifh
" into nothing, and fly away as^a Dream." To
the like Purpofe are thofe Words of Mr. BAXTER,
See his general Directions for a comfort able walk
ing with GODy Page 328.
Some
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 125
<f Some I have known, who have wanted Affu-
" ranee ; and falling among the ANTINOMIANS,
f( were told by them that they undid themfelves
tf by looking after Signs and Marks of Grace,
ff and fo laying their Comforts upon fome Things
" in themfelves ; whereas they ftiould look only
" to CHRIST for Comfort, and not at any Thing
" in themfelves at all. And for Affurance^ it is
" ONLY THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT, without
" any Marks that mull give it them ; and to
" fetch Comfort from their own Graces and Obe-
fc dience, was to make it themfelves, inflead of
" CHRIST, or the HOLY GHOST, and was a legal
*' Way. No fooner was this Dodlrine received,
« but the Receivers had Comfort at Will, and all
" was fealed up to them prefently by the WIT-
(f NESS OF the SPIRIT, in their own Conceit.
(f Whence this came, judge you. Sure I am,
" that the fuddcn Loofenefs of their Lives, anfwer-
ff ing their ignorant, loole, ungofpel-like Do6lrine,
(C did certify me that the SPIRIT OF COMFORT
cf.was not their COMFORTER ; for he is alfo a
fe SPIRIT OF HOLINESS, and comforteth Men by
" the Means of a holy Gofpel, which hath Pre-
« cepts, and Threatnirigs, as well as Promifes."*1
The lafb Thing, is the Influence of true Joy ;
and it operates in various Effefts upon thofe who
are the Subjects of it.
One of its Effefts is, a Heart and Tongue to
fralfe GOD. It exprefles itfelf in fervent Adora
tions of divine Mercy, in thankful Acknowledge
ments to the GOD of all Grace. And this, it
* His Works, Vol. 2. Page 869.'
muft
126 Things of a bad PART I.
mufl be own'd, is the Operation of the Joy of
the prefent Day : But then, is it not juft Mat
ter of Complain^ that its Praifes of GOD have
been too ojlentatiaus, too much favouring of a
Defire to be feen of Men ? Has it been content
with filerit Admirations of the Lovirig-Kind-
nefs of GOD in JESUS CHRIST ; venting it felf
in fecret Breathings of Love, and Returns of Gra
titude to the Father of Mercies ? No, but the
Houfes of PPorfhip, the Places of Concourfe, are
thofe in which it has generally broke forth, in
Acknowledgements to GOD : Nay, han't it
been common in fome Parts of the Land, and
among fome Sorts of People, to exprefs their re
ligions Joy by finding through the Streets, and in
Ferry-Boats ? And has not this Joy altnoil uni-
verfally fliown it felf in Raptures and Tranfports ?
Nay, in Swooning*, and Out-cries, and Screaming*,
fo like to thefe fame Effecls under Terror, that
it han't been known, whether Perfons were in
Joy or Sorrow, but by asking them the Reafon of
the Commotion their Paflions have beeii in f Yea,
has it not been a ufual Thing to fhew this Joy
by clapping of Hands, by jumping up and down, by
Congratulations in the Way of Kijfing, by breaking
out into hearty loud Laughter ? It may feem like
a Banter upon this Joy to fpeak thefe Things ;
but they are the exaft Truth of the Cafe, with
out a Figure : And known to be fo ; and this,
not in a fmgle Inftance or Place, but in Multitudes
of both ; yea, this has been the Appearance,
more or lefs, in all Parts of the Land, where
People have been in great Light and Joy.
This of Laughing, fo far as I am acquainted
with the Hiftory of the Church, is a Method of
expreffing religious Joy peculiar to the prefent
Times :
PART I. an d dangerous Tendency. 127
Times : Nor can I think from whence it fliould
take Rife, unlefs from Mr. WHITEFIELD and
TENNENT. The former of thefe Gentlemen was
fometimes obferved to fpeak of the Affairs of
Salvation, with a Smile in his Countenance ; but
'tis generally known of the latter ^ that he could
fcarce hear of a Perfon's being under the flightefl
Conviftion, but he would laugh. And if told of
any that were in great fpiritual Diftrefs, he would
fall into a broad Laugh. This always appear'd
{hocking to fome who were Witnefles of it, as
I have often heard them fay : But as it was the
Gentleman's Practice, he might be imitated by
others in this Imperfeftion, and from them by
others ftill, and fb the Humour be propagated
'till it becaLie general. I can'ty for myfelf, give
an Account of the Rife of, this Praftice from any
other Caufe. But from whatever Caufe it fprang*
'tis certainly one of the moft incongruous Ways
of expreffing religious Joy. It favours of too much
Levity, as it has to do with Matters of infinite
and eternal Moment. It difcovers the Want of
a due Reverence towards the divine Majejly ;
and feems inconflflent with that holy Fear and
Caution, which muft be thought reafonable, where
the Salvation of the Soul is the Thing it is con-
verfant about.
Nor is this all, but ^hefe Raptures and Extafies
have, in too many Inflances, come to yifwns,
and Trances, and Revelations. There are few
Places, where this Joy, in all its Height, has pre
vailed, but it has ended, in a greater or lefs
Number of Perfons, in thefe Things. I could
fill many Pages with the Accounts I have
.had of the Trances Perfons have been in, from
different Parti of the Country $ but fliall confine
myfelf
128 Thing of a bad PART L
my felf to a double Inftance, and give it in the
Words of a Friend, in his Letter to me. Says
he, (C The mod remarkable Thing which has
" happened fitice' Mr. D T'S Departure (from
" NEW-HAVEN ) is Vlfions and Trances, which
(c have befell fundry Perfons in this Place. I
" will endeavour to give Account of two Wo-
" men, who fell into a Trance together. It was
fc fometime in November lait. The beginning
c of it was at a Conference Meeting, or private
" Fafl, kept by a Number of the New-Light
" Party (as it was faid ) to pray that the gene-
" ral Council of Minifters, who were then fitting
fc at GUILFORD, might be reflrained from doing
" any Thing that fiiould be detrimental to the
" Work of GOD, or ({hall I be too uncharitable,
<f if I fay ) in other Words, to their Caufe. At
" this Meeting, two young Women were ex-
" ceedingly fill'd with Zeal, and their Affections
" rais'd very high : They were, in fome De-
" gree, deprived of their bodily Strength ,• but
" yet, were by Turns able to {peak, which they
" did, in AddrefTes and Exhortations to, and
ff Prayers for, thole prefent, who they fuppofed
""were unconverted. Their Minds remained
" very full of Zeal and Affeftion that Night,
(f and the next Day. The next Evening, as
" they were together walking the Street, they
" were both fo overpowered by fome Thing or
<c other, that they fell down unable to walk, and
" fo continued, for fome Time, lying in the
ff Street like Perfons dead or afleep. At length,
" one recovered herfelf fo far as to be able to
(f go to the next Houfe, which was within a
ff few Rods, and inform'd the People of the
" Condition of her Mate, who thereupon went
^ and brought her into faid Houfe ,• and thus
they
PRAT I. and daiigerous Tendency. 129
** they continued in a Sort of Extafie, either lying
*f as though in a Sleep> or uttering extatic Ex-
(f preflions of Joy> of the Love of CHRIST, and
M of Love to him ; of Concern for the Souls
ff of Sinners^ and the like. Many People refort-
f€ ed to lee them, for whom, and efpecially for
" thofe they fuppos'd were out of CHRIST, they
ff would frequently pray with great Earneftnefs,
(( and> to all Appearance, Engagednefs of Mind ;
ff to whom they would alfo addrefs themfelves
** in awful Warnings, moving Perfwafions, and
f( pathetic Exhortations, in which they would
(e life fome Expreflions, from whence it feem'd
f( that they fuppos'd themfelves to have a fpecial
€f Commiflion, or endow'd with fome fpecial Autho-
« rity; fuch as CHRIST has fent me> CHRIST has
•f bid me fay , and do,fo andfo. And indeed many
" People, efpecially thofe of their Party, feemed
ff verily to believe that they were infpir'd, and
ff did ever pretend to juftify the Separation from
cc the Authority of their Word, as though divine.
*c And they not only us'd many unwarrantable
ff Expreflions, but made flrange Declarations, as
ff that they bad been to Heaven, had feen the Book
fc of Life, the Names of many Perfons of their Ac-
ff quaint ance wrote in it ; that they had fecn the
(f Seats of the Blejfed, and their own Seats empty,
ff and the like. Many more Things they laid
fe and did of the like kind, which the Time will
" not allow me particularly to relate. In the
<f Condition defcribed, they remained about a
" Week, and then they came to themfelves, or
" to their former Condition by little and little/'
The Light and Joy that has operated in the
above ExtaJieSy and Swoon'mgs, and Langhlngs, and
at Length come to Fijions and Trances, ha^ beeii
K highly
130 Things of a bad PART L
highly fpoken of by" fome ; Nay, it has been
thought prophane fo much as to queftion its divine-
Origin : But the moil experienced, and celebra
ted Divines have always had other Sentiments of
this Kind of Illumination, as well as the Exulting*
proceeding from it. They have carefully cauti
oned againil it, as what ought not to be depend
ed on ; yea, they have effceem'd it a Reproach
to have it laid, they had a good Opinion of it.
Hear the Words of the pious and learned Dr.
OWEN. Says he, * " The Work of the HOLY
" SPIRIT, in Regeneration, doth not confiil in en-
ff thiifiaftical Raptures, Extajies, Voices, or any
" Thing of the like Kind. It may be, fbme fuch
(f Things have been, by fome deluded Perfons,
(e apprehended or pretended to. But the conn*
" tenancing of any fuch Imaginations is falfly
<tf and injurioufly charged on them, who main-
se tain the powerful and effectual Work of the
" HOLY SPIRIT in our Regeneration." And in
the next Page, (f The HOLY SPIRIT, in this
fe Work, doth ordinarily put forth his Power in
" and by the Ufe of Means. He worketh alfo
" on Men fnitably unto their Natures, even as
*' the Faculties of their Souls, their Minds, Wills
<f and Aife6lions, are meet tobeaffe6led andwro't
<f upon. He -doth not come upon them with m»
" voluntary Raptures, ufing their Faculties and
'* Powers, as the evil Spirit wreils the Bodies of
^ them whom he poflefleth : His whole Work
C6 therefore is rationally to be accounted for, by
" and unto them who believe the Scripture, and
« have received the SPIRIT of Truth, whom the
Hh Difcourft concerning the HOLT SPIRIT,
Page j g^.
«• World
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 131
" World cannot receive." It follows a few
Lines onwards, <€ This great Work therefore,
(( neither in Part> nor whole, confifts in Raptures,
fe Exiafies, Vifions, enthufiaflic Infpirations, but in
*f the Effeft of the Power of the SPIRIT of GOD
" on the Souls of Men, by and according to his
ff Word$ both of the Law and the Gofpel :
" And thofe who charge thefe Things on them
" who have aflerted, declared and preached it
(< according to the Scriptures, do it probably ta
*e countenance themfelves in their • Hatred of
« them, and of the Work itfelf." He ffill adds,
" Where by Reafon of Diftemper of Mind, Difor-
" ders of Fancy, or long Continuance of diflrefT-
ff ing Fears and Sorrows, in and under fuch pre-
" paratory Works of the SPIRIT, which fometimes
f( cut Men to their Hearts in the Senfe of their
« Sin, and finful loft Condition, any do fall into
u Apprehenfions or Imaginations of any Thing
(f extraordinary in the Ways before-mentioned, if
" it be not quickly and ftrittly brought to Rule, atii
*' difcarded thereby, it may be of great Danger to
" their Souls, and is never of any folid Ufe or Ad-
" vantage. Such Apprehenfions jfor the moft Part
" are either Conceptions of diftempered Minds, and
(l difcompofed Fancies, or Delufions of Satan tranf-
«f forming himfelf into an Angel of Light, which the
" Doftrine of Regeneration ought not to be ac-
*e countable for." Very obfervable alfo are the
Words of our famous SHEPARD to the like Pur-
pofe. Says he *, " There may be in a falfe
" Heart, a ftrange Knowledge of CHRIST without
<c Scriptures, which may ravim a Man's deluded
" Heart ftrangely, which is ufually the firil Temp-
'* Parable of the ten Fir gins, P.- 198.
K 2 " tatioa
132 Things of a bad PART L . .
<s tation of the Virgin Churches, that are of much
" Knowledge and little Love, 2 Cor. n. 2, 3, 4.
" Wherein Satan doth not feek to pull away Men
" to forfake the Gofpel, but from the Simplicity of
" the Gofpel. — And hence we have heard, that
*< feme have heard Voices ; fome have feen the very
" Blood of CHRIST dropping on them, and his
" Wounds in his Side ; fome have feen a great Light
" fliining in the Chamber ; fome wonderfully affeft-
" ed with their Dreams ; fome in great Diflrefs
" have had Inward Witncfs, thy Sins are forgiven,
^ and hence fuch LIBERTY and JOY that they are
" ready to LEAP UP AND DOWN THE CHAMBER. O
<( adulterous Generation ! — Wo to them that
*f have no other mamfefted CHRIS^ but fuch an
" one !" But to go. on,
Another Effect of true Joy is Humility, It abaf-
es a Man in his own Eyes. He is herefrom led
into a low Apprehenfion of himfelf, and his own
Worthinefs. He admires the divine Grace dif-
play'd towards fuch a Worm, fuch a Wretch /
With holy PAUL, he is ready to fay, By the Grace
of GOD, I am what I am : And inftead of en
tertaining a high Conceit of himfelf in Compare
with others, he is rather difpos'd to prefer them
in Love ; efleeming himfelf lefs than the kaft of
all Saints.
Is this now the Influence of the Joy of thefe
Times ? I hope it is fo in Refpecl: of fome ;
but of ho\v many may the Reverfe be juflly faid ?
And of thofe too, who have been in high Rap
tures. Who more vain and proud than many of
the Converts of the prefent Day ? Who more
puffed up with a fond Conceit of their own fu-
perior Attainments ? Why elfe fo forward and i
forthr
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 133
forth-puting ? Why fo ready to think themfelves
fit to be Teachers, and to thruil themfelves into
the Places and Offices of others ? An^l who more
apt to defpife others, while they truft in themfelves
that they are righteous ? How elfe fhould that
be Ib often the Language of their Pra6tice, if not
of their Lips, Stand off, I am holier than thou ? Thefe
Things are too well known to be called in Queftion :.
They are indeed common all over the Land.
That wonderful Man, Mr. BAXTER mentions
one' Thing as an Argument of the want of
due Humiliation, which I can't help giving a
Place here. *< When you begin, fays he,* to be
" leavened with Pride, and think highly of your
" felves, and have good Conceits of your own
<f Parts and Performances, and would be noted
*' and taken for fome Body among the Godly,
*' and cannot bear to be overlooked, or pafl by ;
" when you think meanly of other Men's Parts
(f and Duties in Comparifon of your's, and think
" yourfelves as wife as your Teachers, and be-
«* gin to hear them as Judges with a majeflerial
" Spirit, and think you could do as" well as this
<* your felves ; when you are finding Fault with
<c that which fhould nourifh yon, and in every
<f Sermon are moft noting the Defects, and think
*< that this you could have mended ; when you
" itch to be Teachers yourfelves, and think your-
" felves fitter to preach than to learn, to rule than
" be rukdy to anfwer than to ask for Refolution ;
« when you think fo wqll of your felves, that the
*< Church is not good, or pure enough for your Com-
<; pany, tho' CHRIST difowneth it not, and they
*( force you not to fin ,* when you
* His "fPorks, Vol. 2. 565.
K 3 « a;xl
134 Things of a bad PARTI,
cc and aggravate the Faults of others, and extenuate
" their Graces, and can fee a Mote in another's
w Eye, but will difcern none of their Graces, if
*c they be not as high as Mountains, and none can
*f pafs for GW/y with you but thofe of the moft
" eminent Magnitude ; when you are itching af-
" ter Novelties in Religion, and fetdng your Wif-
*c dom againft the prefent or ancient Church, and
*c affecting Singularity becaufe you will be of no
" common Way ; when you cannot hear this
" Minifter, nor that Minifter, though the Minifters
" of CHRIST, and you are harping upon that,
*c Come out from among them, and be ye federate, as
" if CHRIST had called you to come out of his
" Church, when he calleth you to come out of the
" Company of Infidels : All this cries aloud for
" further Humiliation ; you have a Tympany that;
^ muft be prick'd, to let out the Wind that puffs
** you up. If you be not for Perdition, and to be
*' forfaken, and given over to yourfehes, you mufl
*c ""be fetched over again, and humbled with a Wit-
" nefs. When God hath turned you infide outward,
€c and ihewed you that you are poor, and miferable,
^ and blind, and naked, and that you are empty
*<• Nothings, who thought fo well of yourfelves*
" he will then make you ftoop to thofe that you
<c defpis'd, and ttiink your felves unworthy the
*< Communion of thofe that before you thought
unworthy of yours. He, will make you think
you are unworthy to hear thofe Minifters, that.
*' you turn'd your Back upon : and he will take
*c down your Teaching, talking vain, and make you
'?' glad again to be Learners : In a Word, he
f; will make you by Converjion, as little Children,
" or you ihall never enter into the Kingdom of
*c Heaven." This I look upon to be fo exacl; a
Defcription pf thefe Times ,* yea, and of thofe
Perfous,
ic
PART I. ttnd dangerous Tendency , 135
Perfons, who have made Pretences to the greatefl
Light and Joy, and in the moft extraordinary
Ways, that I can't but think the Confciences of
all muft fall in with it. Upon which let me add
the Words of the fame Author that immediately
follow, as a Warning admirably fuited to the Cir-
cumflances of this Day, " This fpintual Pride is
" a moil lamentable Dijeafe, and the Iffue ufually
" exceeding fad. For with many, 'tis the Fore-
" runner of damnable Apoftacy, and GOD gives
<•' them over to their own Conceits, and the Wifdom
*' which they fo efteem, 'till it hath led them to
" Perdition. And thofe that are cured, are many
" of them cured by the faddefl Way of any Men
« in the World. For its uftial with GOD to let
*c them alone, 'till they have run themfelves into
" fome abominable Error, or fallen into fome
" mameful fcandalous Sins, 'till they are made a
" Hijfing and By-word among Men, that Shame
«' and Confufion may bring them to their Wits,
" and they may learn to know what it was that
*' they were proud of, and fee that they were but
'" filly Worms:'
Another Effeft of true Joy is a becoming Modejly
and Caution in the Affairs of Salvation. If it
makes Perfons bold in their GOD, they are alfo
jealous over themfelves with a godly 'Jealoitfy ;
Their Boldnefs is tempered with a holy Fear that
keeps them upon their Guard, and reftrains them
from- being over-pofltive and confident. They
rejoice in Hope, but with Trembling alfo ; as being
aware of the Treachery of their own Hearts, 33
well as the fubtle Devices of Satan,
And is this -generally the Character of thofe
•who have been in Joy, in thefe Days V, Are
K 4 they
136 Tlnngs of a bad PART L
they not rather too certain of their good Eftate^
too peremptory in their AiTurance ? Have they
not allow'd themfelves, fome of them at left, in
fpeaking too unguardedly upon this Head, being
as confident of their- Title' to Heaven, as tho
they were a£hially in PoiTeifion of it ? I believe,
it will not be pretended, but that many have
been wrought up, even to an Extravagance in the
Opinion they have had of their Intereftin CHRIST,
and the Purchafes of his Blood. And is this the
Temper of thofe in whom the Peace of GOD
reigns ? It looks more like the Spirit of thofe
who have been remarkable for the Warmth of
their Imaginations .
In fine, 'Tis ever the Influence of true Joy ta
make Men better Chriflians, more like to GOD
and the LORD JESUS CHRIST, more eminent for
their Faith and Holinefs ; and in a Word, the
real Sub fiance and Power of Religion : Which
does not confift only or mainly (to *ufe the Words
of Mr. BOLTON f) ^ in outward Shews, Profef-?
" flon, Talking ; in holding ftri6l Points, de-*
<c fending precife Opinions, contefting agairift
^ the Corruption of the Times ; in the W°rk
^ wrought, external Forms of religious Exercifes^
<( fet Tasks of Hearing, Reading, Confer encea
<< and the likex , in fome folemn outward extra-
V ordinary AbflinenQes, Forbearances, cenfuring
*< others, <$:c. But in kighteoufnefs and Peace,
**" as well as Joy in the HOLY GHOST ; in Meek^
+' nefs, Tender-hear tednefs, Love; in Patience*
*c Humility, Contentednefs ; iii Mortification of
His general Direction fw a coinfortablff Walking
with GOD> P. 57,. 58,
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 137
" Sin, Moderation of Paffion, holy Guidance of
€f the Tongue ,• in Works of Mercy, Juftice,
*< and Truth ; in Fidelity, Painfulnefs in ones
<< Callings, confcionable converfing with Men ;
" in Reverence to Superiors, Love of our Ene-
« mies, an open-hearted, real, fruitful Affection-
« atenefs, and Bounty to GOD's People ; in
? f Heavenly-Mindednefs, Self-Denial, the Life of
^ Faith ; in Difefleem of earthly Things, Con-
« tempt of the World, refolute Hatred of Sin ;
** in approving our Hearts in GOD's Prefence,
<c a fweet Communion with him, comfortable
*< Longing for the Coming of the LORD JESUS
« CHRIST, &c."
And is this the Effett of the Joy that lias been
fo common in thefc Days ? I cannot fuppofe, any
will venture to fay, it has generally been fo. The
contrary hereto is evident to all who have Eyes
to fee ; and if they don't fee, 'tis becaufe they
Ihut their Eyes againfl the Light. This, in Part,
has been made to appear already : And 'twill
be more undeniable^ the further we go on in this
Difcourfe.
I {hall only add, upon the whole, two Paflages,
which are well calculated for the Inftruftion and
framing of thole, who pretend to high Joy in
thefe Times. The one is from the great MrP
HOWE. Says he, * fpeaking of the Joy of the
true Chriftian, " It is a modefl humble Exaltation,
** a ferious fevere Joy ; fuitable to his folid, fla-<
*f ble Hope. His Spirit is not puffed up, and
•f His Bookj the Bleffednep of the righteous. P.
444^
J38 Things of a bad PART L
" fwollen with Air ; 'tis not big by an Inflation,
" or a light and windy Tumor ; but 'tis really
" filfd with effectual Pre-Apprehenfions of a
" weighty Glory. His Joy exceedingly exerts it
< felf with a Jteady lively Vigor, equally remo-
fe ved from vain Lightnefs and Stupidity, from
" Conceitednefs, and Infenfiblenefs of his blefled
(f State. lie forgets not that he is lefs than the
*4 leaft of GOD's Mercies, but difowns not his
*' Title to the greateft of them. He abafes him-
€€ felf to the Duft, in the Senfe of his own Vile-
" nefs ,* but in the Admiration of divine Grace,
ec he rifes as high as Heaven. In his Humilia-
(f tion, he affects to equal himfelf with W&nns9
(i in his Joy and Praife with Angels. He is never
" unwilling to diminlfti himfelf, but afraid of
" detracting any Thing from the Love of GOD,
" or the Iflues of that Love."
The other is from the celebrated Mr. BAXTER.
*' GOD, fays he *, muft give us Joy itfelf, as
" well as aiford us Matter for Joy : But yet
" withall it muft be remembred, that GOD
u doth work upon us as Meny and in a rational
u Way doth raife our Comforts. He enableth
<f and exciteth us to mind and ftudy thefe hea-
" venly delightful Objects, and from thence to
ff gather our own Comforts, as the Bee doth ga-
*c ther her Honey from the Flowers. Therefore
(( he that is moft skilful and painful in this ga-
« thering Art, 15 ufually the fulleft of this fpiri-
<<- tual Sweetnefs. Where is the Man that can
« tell me from Experience, that he hath folid
*' and ufual Joy in any other Way but this, and
t( that GOD worketh it 'immediately on his Affec-
* ffis Works, Vol. 3. P, 245. tions
PART I, and dangerous Tendency. 139
<f tions without the Means of his -Underflanding
" and Confidering ? It is by Believing, that we
*c atfefiU'd with Joy and Peace, (Rom. 15. 13.)
if and no longer than we continue our believing,
" It is in Hope that the Saints rejoice ; yea, in
\ Hope of the Glory of GOD, ( Rom. 5. 2. )
*f and no longer than they continue hoping.
" And here, let me warn you of a dangerous
*< Snare, an Opinion which will rob you of all
" your Comfort. Some think, if they ihould thus
f( fetch in their Comfort by believing and hoping,
C( and work it out of Scripture Promifes, and ex-
-" traft it by their own thinking and fludying,tha~t
*f then it would be a Comfort only of their own
" hammering out, (as they fay) and not the genuine
" fay of the HOLY GHOST. A defperate Miftake,
4f raifed upon aGround that would overthrow almofb
" all Duty, as well as this, which is their fetting the
(f Workings of GOD's SPIRIT, and their own Spirits,
*< in Oppofition, when their Spirits mud Hand in
" Subordination to GOD's. They are conjunct
" Caufes, co-operating to the Producing of one
" and the fame Effed. GOD's SPIRIT - worketli
" our Comforts by fetting our own Spirits awork
(< upon the Promifes, and raifing our Thoughts
" to the Place of our Comforts. GOD tifeth
<f not to call in our Joys while we are idle, or
*c taken up with other Things. It is true, he
" fometimes doth it fuddenly, but yet ufually in
-" the forefaid Order ; leading it into our Hearts
€( by our Judgment and Thoughts.-— GOD feed-
€f eth not his Saints as the Birds do their Young,
*f bringing it to them, and putting it into their
<c Mouths, while they be ffill in the Neft, anc(
*c only gape to receive it. But as he giveth to
*f Man the Fruits of the Earth, the Increafe of
f* the Land in Cprn *uid Wine^ while we plow,
and
€f
Things tf a bad PART 1. 1
and fow, and weed, and water, and dung, and
drefs, and then with Patience expeft his Blef-
fing ; So doth he give the Joys of the SouL
46 Yet I deny not, that if any ihould fo think to
** work out his own Comforts by Meditation, as
*c to attempt the Work in his own Strength, and
** not do all in Subordination to GOD, nor per-
«c ceive a Neceffity of the SPIRIT'S Affiftance,
' ct the Work would prove to be like the Work-
** man, and the Comfort he would gather would
€C be like both ; even meer Vanity : Even as
** the Husbandman's Labour, without the Su%
« and Rain, and Blefling of GOD,"
The next Thing that is amifs, and very much
fb, in thefe Times, is that Spirit of raft, cenforious
and uncharitable Judging, which has been fo pre
valent in the Land, This appeared* fir ft of aft,
in Mr. W- — B, who feldom preadi'd, but he had
fomething or other, in his Sermon, againfl uncon
verted Mhrifters : And what he delivered ; efpe--
cially, at fome certain Times, had an evident
Tendency to fill the Minds of People with evil
Sunnifings agamft the Minifters, as tho* they were,
for the moft Part, carnal, unre generate Wretches,
He often fpake of them, in the Lump, as Phari-
fees, Enemies of CHRIST JESUS* and the wrjt
Enemies he had : And in Truth, the Spirit of his
Preaching, upon this Head, was unhappily calcula
ted to leaven the Minds of People with Prejudices
againft the Jlanding Minifters ; alienating their
Hearts from them, and by this Means, in the
moft effectual Manner, obftru6Hng their Ufeful-
Befs. And as though he had not done enough,
in Preaching, to beget in People an ill Opinion of
the Minifiers, he exprefles his Fear, in his Journal f
4 P. 95, ""of
PART L and dangerous Tendency.
of NEW-ENGLAND, left " many, nay, tie mofl
<f preach do not experimentally know CHRIST." This.
Reiieftion he immediately levels againft the M-
wfters, in this Land : And its the more ram and
uncharitable, as he pall through the Country la
Woft-Haftc, having neither Opportunity nor Ad
vantage, to know the real Character of one tenth
Part of the Minifters, he thus freely, condemns.
I don't think this Gentleman had it in his Intention*
by his thus preaching and writing, to ' do an Injury
to the Intereft of Religion in thefe Churches £
but if this had really been his Defign, what more
effectual Method could he have taken, than to
reprefent the Body of the Clergy as out of CHRIST.
i. e. carnal and unconverted ? And if To, as unfir3
according to his other Doftrine, to be the Inftru-
ments of converting fpiritually dead Souls, as a
naturally dead Man is to beget living Children*
What is the Tendency of fuch a Conduct at this*
but to fet People againft their Minifters as not
fit to preach to them, and in this Way, to fow
among them the Seeds of Contention and Sepa
ration ?
I freely confefs, had the Minifters of, NEW-
ENGLAND loft their Character as Men of ReRgion>
by a Deportment of themfelves contradictory to
the Gofpel, I fhould have found no Fault with
any Representations of them as bad Men ; nay,
dangerous Enemies to the Kingdom of CHRIST :
For I am clearly of the Mind, that a vifibly wick
ed Minifter is the greateft Scandal to Religion, and
Plague to the Church of GOD : Nor is it a Hurt,
but a real Service to the Caufe of CHRIST, to ex-
pofe the Characters of fuch, and leflen their
Power to do Mifchief. But the Cafe is evidently
4ifferent, where the Profejfion of Minifters, and
their
Things of a bad PART L
their Character, fo far as appears, agree with one
another : 'Tis now an Abufe of them, and an
Injury to the Church of GOD, to infinuate Suf-
picions fagainfl them ; much more, plainly to
fpeak Evil of them. And may it not be faid of
the Body of the Minifters, in NEW-ENGLAND, that
they are a Set of Men, as found in the Faith, and
of as good a Life, as any Part of the Chriftian
World are favoured with ? Hear the Opinion
of that eminent Man of GOD, Dr. COTTON
MATHER upon this Head. Says he,* in Anfwer
to a Slander of GEORGE KEITH'S, upon the Mini*
Jlcrs of NEW-ENGLAND, (f There is not that Spot
" of Ground upon the Face of GOD's Earth,
«f which can proportionably match NEW-ENGLAND
u for Minifler s, that not only have, and ufe all
ff true Piety, but are alfo moft exemplary for it.
*c No Man becomes a Minifler in our Churches,
16 'till he fir ft be -a Communicant ; and no Man
" becomes a Communicant, until he hath been fe-
" verely examin'd about his Regeneration, as well
" as his Conversation. If any Minifler do misbe-
" have himfelf, he foon hears of it, and becomes
" either a Penitent, or a depofed Man. Let this
€* wicked SHIMEI find fo much as one ungodly Man,
" allow3 d as a Minifler, in. any one of our Church*
" es ! — :- Neighbours, you are bleft with Mini"
« flers that excel in Piety ; and you are very
" unjuft, if you do not fupport and honour them,
" You have Reafon to be thankful for fuch
" holy, humble, able, painful and prayerful Mi-
« nijlers, as GOD has generally bleft thefe Churchef
« with : And I exhort you, as you would
See his Book entitujed, Quakerism, difflayd, P.
" approve
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 143
" approve your felves worthy to wear the Name
" that was begun at ANTIOCH, that you do not
« forget that Command of our LORD, Heb. 13-17.
" Obey them that have the Rule over you, andfubmit
" yourfelves ; for they watch for your Souls"
There are yet other In/lances of uncharitable
Judging in this Gentleman. The fame Spirit ap-
pears in his Journals, which are gone forth into
all Parts of the Land ; but especially, in his
Letters, reprefenting ArchBp. TiLLoTsoN,as hav
ing no more true Christianity than MAHOMET. It
would be going too much out of my Way, or I could
| cafily mow, wherein he has greatly abufed thb
\ A. Bp ; more efpecially, in ibme Things he has
given the World from Dr.EowARDs, without care
fully reading ( as I charitably hope ) the Paflages
quoted, as they lie in the A.Bfis Writings. But
fuppofing the A.Bp. did not in all Things think
exactly with Mr. WHITEFIELD, muft he at once
be as bad as a TURK ? As ignorant of the Fun
damentals of Religion ? As much without GOD
and CHRIST, and beyond Hope ? Will Mr. WHITE-
FIELD fo far aflume to himfelf the Prerogative of
the SON of GOD, as to determine, that the
Things contained 'in the A.Bp's Writings are ab-
ifolutely inconfiftent with an upright Heart, a fin*
\ cere Defire to know and do the Will of GOD ?
And that 'tis impoffible, the all-merciful GOD,
fliould, according to the Tenor of the Gofpel, ad
mit him to Favour ? It appears to me flocking
Boldnefs, in any meer Man, thus to place him-
I felf, as it were, in the Throne of CHRIST, and
denounce the Anathemas of GOD againft his Fel-
low-Chriflians : Nor can I conceive how this
IhouJd be, where there is, in Exercife, a juft
Senfe
Things of a\>*& PART 1
Senfe of a Man's own utter Inefficiency to fit ift
Judgment upon the State of others.
The only Thing I can fay in Excufe for Mr.
WHITEFIELD is, that he was young in Tears, and
Chriftian Experience, as well as of raw Acquaintance
with Divinity, when he wrote thefe Letters : And
as it has been common for Perfons, in thefe Cir-
eumftances, to fpeak and write with Rafhnefs and
Indifcretion, and fo as to do Mifchief to the In-
tereft they would ferve ; fo when they have
come to riper Years and Judgment, and a better
Knowledge of the Difficulties in many Points of
Divinity,, they have often feen their Error, and
repented of their Condu6l : And to this, I believe,
this Gentleman will be brought, as he has been
in fcme other Inftances, if he ever thinks upon
the Matter as he ought.
Let me add here, as a further Reprefentatlott
of that monftrous Sprit of cenforious Judging that
has been let loofe upon the World, a few of the
Words of Mr. SEWARD ; which I the rather
chufe to infert,. becaufe they are the Words of
one of the deareft and moft intimate Friends Mr.
WHITEFIELD had, and relate to the Cafe of the
d.Bp. Says he in his Journal f, (C I wrote fe-<
" veral Letters.-— I told him, fome few of the
€f Clergy admitted our Brother into their Pulpits,
<( but that moft of them were violent Oppofers,.
** efpecially fince our Brother has fo openly con-
*' demned AJ$$. TILLQTSON; that, bleffed b£'
f SeGtheBofton-Ewnrng-PoftiNttmb. 280. where
thefe Paffages are extracted from Mr.SE WARD'S
Journal.
?! GOD,
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 145
" GOD, that DECEIVER was at laffc difcovcred,
tf and our Age muft have been grofiy wicket.,
<c or his Works could never have palled thus ion^j
€t for current Gofpel ; but that I trailed in the
*' LORD JESUS, he was about to deliver his Church
(f from fuch BLIND GUIDES."
A little onwards, " concerning A.Bp. TILLOT-
*f SON I obferved, that our Brother had wrote a
" fecond Letter againffc him, which I believed
€C would furprife mofl People to fee fuc'i bafe
" Coin fliould pafs for Current for fo many Ye^rs ;
" but that, bleffed be GOD, the TRAITOUR was
€f difcovered. JUDAS fold his LORD for thirty Pie-
" ces of Silver, the A.Bp got a better Price, pcr-
(c haps, THIRTY BAGS OF GOLD, or more : That's
tc all the Difference ; for the A.Bp was actually
*' bred in the Schools of the Prophets, was join a
(e with many ( as I believe) faithful Minifters in
" the Morning Lefture at Cripple gate ;-— But the
*c Love of Money is the Root of all Evil, and he
(f CHOSE HIS GOOD TlIINGS HERE, a TEMPORAL ra-
" ther than an ETERNAL CROWN." And yet again,
cc Iriclos'd I fent him our Brother's Letters againil
<( that PLAUSIBLE DECEIVER A. Bp. TILLOTSON^
(f whofe Books have fo long bewitched the World.—
(e BlefTed be GOD, the IMPOSTOR is difcovered ;
" neverthelefs our Brother expects for this to
(c fuffer many Things, and be fet at Nought by
" the Rabbies of our Church, and perhaps at Jaft
" be killed by them."
I can fcarce conceive wherein rafh judging can
J3e carried to a greater Height than in thefe Paf-
fages. The Gentleman is not content with con
demning the Doftrines. the A.Bp. preached, but
fnuft judge his State, condemn his Perfon ; which
L is
146 Thing of a bad PART L
is the more furprifmg, becaufe h£ was now dead,
and actually gone to be judged by him, who has
faid, Why doft thou judge thy Brother ? Or why
doft thou Jet at Nought thy Brother 1 For we /ball all
ftund before the Judgment Seat of CHRIST.
I believe it will not be denied, by the more fo
ber Men among us, but that thofe venerable Di
vines, the late Dr. INCREASE MATHER, and
the prefcnt Dr. BENJAMIN COLMAN, might know
as much of the Nature of real Chrijlianity, and be
as able to make a true Judgment of the Preachers
of it, as either Mr. WHITEFIELD, or SEWARD : I
{hall therefore fubjoin here the Sentiments of
thefe Gentlemen concerning A.Bp TILLOTSON ;
which may ferve, fo far as human Judgment is of.
Weight in the Cafe, to wipe off the Reproach
that has been injuriouily call upon him.
The firft of thefe Gentlemen exprefles himfelf I
in thefe Words f, " That EMINENT Perfon, Dr. j
" TILLOTSON (the late A.Bp of CANTERBURY) did,
" not above four Years ago, fometimes exprefs j
" to me his Refentments of the Injury, which- 1
u had been done to the firft Planters of NEW- j
" ENGLAND, and his great Diflike of A.Bp LAUD'S 1
<c Spirit towards them : And to MY KNOWLEDGE
<c there are Bl/bopf at this Day ( Anno 1695 ) j
tc cf the fame CHRISTIAN TEMPER and Moderati- j
" 011 with THAT GREAT AND GOOD MAN LATELY1]
ff DEAD. — Had the Sees in ENGLAND, fourfcore I
" Years ago, been fill'd with SUCH A-Bps and;;
" Bifiops as thofe which KING WILLIAM has pre- i
See his Preface to his Sons Book, Johannes in
Eremo.
ferred
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 147
fc ferred toEpifcopal Dignity, there had never been
(f a NEW-ENGLAND.*
The other fpeaks in that Language,* « We
€{ have feen the molt venerable Men in the
ff Church of ENGLAND for Learning, Piety, La-
<f bours, Ufefulnefs, Prudence, Meeknefs and Hu-
(( miiity, infulted and outrag'd while they lived,
c< pelted to their Graves, and their Names per-
(< fecuted after their Deceafe, for their Spirit of
€f Moderation, and faithful Services to the Church.
" So were A.Bp. TILLOTSON and Bp. BURNET,
f£ Men of whom the Age was not worthy ; of
*< CONSPICUOUS SANCTITY, abundant in Labours,
" Heady in their Conduct, of UNSPOTTED INTE-
<( GRITY, of an APOSTOLICAL SPIRIT, and ready, I
" believe, to have died either for their Country,
fc or for CHRIST : Yet thefe GREAT AND GOOD MEN
" have been loaded with Obloquy : but their
(f Names mufl needs' live in the Hifcory of the
" Church, if TRUTH do not perifh from the
" Earth." To go on,
Sometime after Mr. WHITEFIELD'S Departure
from us, we had the Difcovery of the like uncha
ritable Spirit in Mr. GILBERT TENNENT. His
Preaching in this Town was cenforious beyond what
can be eafily imagined. Says the Author of the
Letter , in the BOSTON- Evening- Pqft, Numb. 365,
" I have feveral Times heard Mr. TENNENT de-
" clare, that the greatefl Part, by far, of the
" Minifters in this Land, were carnal unconver-
" ted Men, and that they held damnable Armi-
" man Principles ; and have heard him pray,
Vid. Preface to Mr. COOPER'S Ordination Sermon.
L 2 " tTiac
14 S Things of a bad PART L
cc that the LORD would either convert them, or
u turn them out of ins Fineyard" I have my felf
been feveral Times prefent, when he expreft him-
feif much to the fame Pur pofe : Nay, I have
cften heard him publickly declare, that thofe who
were the Opfofers of the Work he was carrying
on, were the Enemies of GOD, and would have
opposed the Afvftles ; nay, CHRIST JESUS himfelf,
and flood it out againft all the Miracles they wro't,
had they lived when they were on Earth : Yea,
I have fometimes heard him openly fay ; and
this, without any cautionary Limitations, that they
were Blafpbemers of the HOLY GHOST, and in Dan
ger of committing, if they had not already com
mitted, that' Sin, concerning which our SAVIOUR
has faid, it (hall never be forgiven to Men, nei
ther in this World, nor in the World to come. I
But the Spirit in which this Gentleman preach'd,
particularly when he got upon Minifters^ can't be
better conceived of than by reading his -printed
Sermon^ entitled, The Danger cf an unconverted Mi-
niftry ; than which I never faw a Piece more
filled with Cenforioufnefs, or unhappily fitted to pro
mote Difcord and Schifm. 'Tis, in the general, a
continued Strain of bitter Reflections on the ftand-
ing Miniftry of the Land. This is plainly infinu-
ated in the Text placed on the Title-Page ; viz.
Jer. 5. 30, 31. A wonderful and horrible Thing is
committed in the Land ; the Prophets prophefy falfly,
and the Pricfls bear Rule by their Means, and my
People love to have it fo : And what will they do
in the End thereof ? But the Thing it felf is di-
reftly expreft in the flrongefl Language, in the
Improvement, of the Subjefl ; the firft Head where
of is, " If it be fo, that the Cafe of thofe, who
<f have no other, or no better than Pharifee-Teacb-
" crsj is to be pitied, then what a Scrole and
" Scene
PART L and dangerous Tendency, 149
(f Scene of Mourning and Lamentation, and* Wo,
" is open'd ! becaufe of the Swarms of Locufts,
(< the Crowds of Pharifees, that have, as covet eoufly,
" as cruelly, crept into the Miniflry, in this adtil-
*? terous Generation ! Who as nearly referable
" the Character given of the old Pharifees, in the
" doftrinal Part of this Difcourfe, as one Crow's
" Egg does another. It is true, fome of the mo-
" dern Pharifees have learned to prate a little more
" orthodox ly about, the New- Birth, than their Pre-
ff deceflbr Nicodeinus, who are, in the mean Time,
" as great Strangers to the feeling Experience of
" it as he. They are blind who fee not this to
" be the Cafe of the Body of the Clergy of this
*' Generation. And O ! that our Heads were
" Waters, and our Eyes a Fountain of Tears,
tf that we could Day and Night lament, with t{ie
>< utrnofl Bitternefs, the doleful Cafe of the poor
v Church of GOD upon this Account." — But
this Gentleman, I would hope, is now become more
charitable. His Letters, in the .pub lick Prints, cer
tainly avow fuch Principles as are a virtual Retrac
tation of a great Part of this Sermon ; though I
could wifli he had mentioned the Sermon by Name,
and own'd his over-Zeal when he wrote it. This
he has done to a private Friend in this Town ;
and if he had done it to the World, I am fure,
he would hereby have honoured himfelf, and
might have given Check to thofe uncomfortable
Heats and Animojities, which this Sermon has had
fome Influence in fomenting, in one Place and
another.
After Mr. TENNENT, there arofe a eonfiderable
JSTumber of other Itinerants, who weat for:h in
the Spirit of Bitternefs, fowing the Seeds of Dif-
' and Uncharitabknefs all over the Land. The
La r
150 Things of a bad PART I.
Writer of the Letter in the
Numb. 365, obferves of them, (e that the Engine
" which they artfully manage is that of Detrac-
<( tion : Accordingly, in every Place where they
" come, in the Courfe of their Perigrination, their
" grand Bufmefs is to perfwade the People, that
" their Ministers are unconverted, to alienate their
" Affe&ions from them, and thereby utterly to
" deflroy their Ufefulnefs among their Hearers.
*< From which Practice it is very juft to infer,
" that there is a Defign carrying on to fubvert
€e and ejeft the ftanding fettled Minifters." He
goes on in the next Paragraph, ce The Minifters
" of this Land, I have often faid, and continue
(C ftill of the fame Opinion, are a Set of Gentle-
cc men, as found in Principle, and exemplary in their
€C Converfatiun, as any of the like Number, in the
" Chriftian World : And I confefs, it has fome-
€c times rais'd in me the highefl Indignation,
€( to hear them revil'd in fo publick and outragi-
" ous a Manner, even in the Prefence of fome
ff of the mofl grave and eminent Divines among
" us." He ftill adds, " It has been no final!
€c Surprife to me, when I have fometimes feen
*< in thefe Aflemblies, a Number of grave and
" lerious Men, Members of our Churches, wha
*' could hear thefe imjuft and hard. Speeches belch-
cc ed out againft their own proper Paftors, not only
" with Patience, but with Pleafure. At the fame
<c Time, if you were to ask thefe Men, they
ff would tell you that they highly efteem aud value
" their own Minifters : But can this be poflibly
" true ? Will any one believe them, while they
" not only carefs, and adore the Itinerants, but
ce continually pamper their Bodies, clothe their Sacks,
*' and fill their Pockets."
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 151
I have my felf been Part of a crowded Ajjembly,
when one of thefe Itinerants has mentioned the
prefent Bp of LONDON by Name, and uttered it
with a Voice like Thunder, " That if the People
of his Diocefs mould come up to all that he pre-
fcribes in his paftoral Letters to them, and be the
very Perfons he would have them, they would not-
withflanding as certainly be damn'd as the Blble^
he then had in his Hand was the Word of the e-
ternal GOD" At the fame Time, I heard him
fray for the Minifters of BOSTON, fonie of whom
he as freely intimated in his -Prayer to be in an
unconverted State, as if he had been their author!/-
ed Judge. And in a Letter to me, giving an Ac
count of the Condu6l of this fame Gentleman, the
worthy Writer mentions fome Things, he was an
Ear-Witnefs to, which expreft the groj/eft Uncha-
ritablenefsy not only towards the Colleges in gene
ral, but the Governours of them in particular :
And, at the fame Time, he heard him publickly
fay of A.Bp TILLOTSON, " That when he wrote
"'his printed Sermons, GOD knew he had not a
" Spark of faving Grace : And if he was not con-
" verted afterwards •, he was now weltering under the
" fcalding Drops of GOD's Wrath In Hell, there to
*f remain a Monument of his Vengeance throughout
" Eternity."
But the mod remarkable Inftancc, in this Kind,
is the Rev. Mr. JAMES DAVENPORT of SOUTHOLD.
He travelled, fays the Letter to the BCSTON-
Poft-Boy, Number 391, from STONINGTON to
NEW-HAVEN, about 80 Miles, and condemn'd
almofl all the Miniilers ; particularly, that
finning Example of Piety, and Pillar (f our Cbur-
ches, the aged and venerable Mr. ADAMS, and
commanded his People to withdraw from him :
L 4 "'And
((
1 5 2 Things of a bad PART L
fc And accordingly a Number of the Communi-
" cants withdrew from him, as being 'a carnal, old
" Pharifee." This was objected to him by the
Minijiers in BOSTON, when ne came to this Town,
iome Months ago., as fent by GOD, to preach
here. He own'd the Fact ; , as alfo, that he had
fad out a few Minutes Converfation with Mr.
ADAMS before he publickly expreft his Fears of his
le: ig an -unconverted Man ; and that the Ground
of his Judgment of him as unconverted was, u his
" not finding that he had had Experience of a
(f Hatred of GOD, and of extraordinary Comforts and
" j°ys-' When that- had been obferved to him,
by one of the Miniflers, which tended much to
the Honour of Mr. ADAMS ; another took Oc-
cafion to ask him, whether he had felt no Unea-
fineis in his Mind, when he reflected on the un- 1
happy Effects of his condemning Mr. ADAMS, and
adviiing the People to feparate from him, in the
Contention and Divijion it had brought forward in
NEW-LONDON : His Reply was, f'That he had of
ten thought of the Matter with Thankfulnefs to
GOD, who had made him faithful," and gave
Glory to GOD for this his notorious Uncharitable-
r*efs, in the Face of all the Minifters.
I have now by me Accounts of the Jlrange
Spirit of raft? and uncharitable Judging^ this Gentle-
wan has discovered in many Places where he has
been. Some of them I ihall think fit to infers
here.
The firft is dated, SAY- BROOK, Auguft 25. 1741,
/nd is in the following Words, " On this. Day,
f; che Rev. Mr. JAMES DAVENPORT of SOUTHOLD,
" came to che Chamber of WILLIAM HART of SAY-
f? BUOOK, Pallor of the firjl Church there, and
" ask'd
PART I. and dangerous Tendency 153
« ask'd him, whether he was willing that he, the
*' faid DAVENPORT, fhould preach in his Pulpit that
f( Day r Upon which faid HART told him, that
ff there were fome Things in his Conduct, which
" he defir'd to inquire and receive Satisfaction
" about, firfl of all; to which faid DAVENPORT
" confenting, it was inquir'd of him, among o-
<c ther Things, whether he had not openly char-
" ged fundry of his Fathers and Brethren in the
" Miniftry, as being unconverted and blind Guides ?
" To which he anfwered, that he had ; and
ff did freely do it, when he judged fo of any.
" It was then further inquired of him, upon
" what Grounds he did fo, and what Evidence he
*< gave the Publick of the Truth of his Cen-
" fares ? To which he anfwered, that he did
ff this with a View to the Purification of the
" Church,, to the Difcovery of thofe that are un-
" converted, that they may be avoided, &c. It
ff was further inquired of him, whether he did
" freely and openly declare to People, whofe Ml-
ff niflers he did judge to be unconverted, that they
ff ought not to attend upon their Miniftry, but
*' advis'd them to go to other Churches, where
*' Minifters were converted, to attend Worfhip ; or
" if they could not, then to fet up private fepa-
" rate Meetings, to carry on the Worfhip of GOD
f( among themfelves ? To which he anfwered,
^ that he did freely do fo, and would have Men
" go ten or twenty Miles to hear a converted Mi-
<c nifler, or even fet up private Meetings among
" themfelves, rather than attend Worfliip un-
" der their own Minifters, being unconverted ;
" and that Parifh-Bounds are nothing ; and that
" himfelf would go ten Miles on Foot to hear a
?* private Brother, rather than an unconverted Mini-
*< fter. Upon this, being told the Liberty of the
J54 Things of a bad PART I.
" Pulpit could not be granted him, unlefs he
u would firft retract thefe Things, declare his
«' Repentance of them, engaging to conduct re-
€€ gularly for the Time to come ; he reply 'd,
" that he could not do this without pleafing Men
(f rather than GOD : And then, riflng to depart, he
" addreft himfelf to his Attendants, faying, Come,
<f let us go forth without the Campy after the LORD
ft Jefus9 bearing his Reproach ; and fmiling faid,
*' O this is pleafant to fuffer Reproach for the
" BLESSED JESUS / SWEET JESUS /" To the Truth
" of all which, we whofe Names are under
written, do teftify j having been Eye and Ear-
Witneffes to the above Conference.
SAMUEL LYNDE,
WM. WORTHINGTON,
ABRAHAM NOT,
GEORGE BECKWITII,
WILLIAM HART, and others,,
Another Account from the fame Place, bearing
Date Augufl 26. 1741. runs thus, " This Day,
'• about half an Hour after eleven, the Reverend
" Meffieurs WILLIAM WORTHINGTON, ABRAHAM
" NOT, GEORGE BECK WITH, and WILLIAM HART,
" went to the Rev. Mr. DAVENPORT'S Lodgings
" in Town, with Defign to difcotirfe further with
" him, upon thofe Things in his public Condudl,
" which had been objected to him the Day be-
<f fore at Mr. HART'S Chamber : Upon their
*' coming in, Mr. DAVENPORT, who was above
*< Stairs, fent Word he would come down, which
" he prefently did ; and after fitting a few Mo-
" ments prevented them by beginning a Dif-
^ courfe, which he dire6led to them, but with-
*' out mentioning either of their Names : In
this
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 155
" this Difcourfe he fpake of them, and to them,
*< as unconverted Minifters, and very freely repre-
«• fented them as Wolves in Sheep's Cloathing, blind
*' Guides, Enemies to GOD and his Caiife in the
" World, and P erf editors of CHRIST in the Perfon
u of himfelf his Servant ; and compar'd them to
if GOLIAH, who prophanely defied the Armies of the
ff living GOD ; laid, he wiih'd their Converfion,
" Ihould rejoice in it, and wiih'd to GOD he
<4 would ftrikd them through immediately, and
<f convert them, and a great Deal more of the
" like Kind. During this Difcourfe, one of the
" above-mentioned Minifters attempted twice to
*' fpeak, in order to turn the Difcourfe to what
" they came for, but Mr. DAVENPORT would not
" be interrupted, but went on without regarding
" them, and addreft himfelf to his Brethren1 pre-
*( fent ,• exhorting them to pray for the uncon-
<' verted Minifters then prefent, and fuddenly
" took his Chair, and prayed over them a Prayer
" of fome Length, agreeable to his preceeding
46 cenforious and vilifying Difcourfe, 'both as to
f( Matter, and Manner, and Spirit. Sometimes
u he prayed for them, and fometimes aga'mjt
*' them. When this was over, Mr. HART told
" him, that he and the other Minifters" were
(( come down to wait upon him, with a View to
*' difcourfe freely with him upon thofe Things
" in his Conduft, which ha'd been obje61ed to
u him the preceeding Day ; and defir'd to enter
<c into Conference with him about them, that he
" might juftify them if he could,- but he declin'4
^ it, faying, there was no Time for it before Meet-
*( ing. He being then ask'd, whether he would
cc- give them Opportunity for a free Conference,
" at fome other Time, before his Departure from
" the Town, he anfwered that he would confider
« of
Things of a bad PART I.
" of it, and that, if it appeared mofl for the Glory
fc of GOD he would ; but if it fliould appear
" more for GOD's Glory for him to fpend the
** Time that might be employed in difcourfmg
*f on thefe Matters, in praying for him the faid
" HART, that he might be converted, then he
" would fpend it fo. After fome other Things
fi had part not worth mentioning, he left the
f( Room, and returned to his Chamber without
<c taking Leave/' To the Truth of the above
Narrative, we, whofe Names are fubfcribed, do
teftify, having been Eye and Ear-WitneiTes to
what paft at that Time.
WM. WoRTHINGTONj
WM. HART,
SAMUEL CLARK.
The Account from another Part of the Coun
try, as I have it in a Letter to me, is thus, "Of
" all (i, e. the Itinerants) that have been here,
" Mr. DAVENPORT hath been the moft irregular
*' and diforderly in his Conducl. When he came
" firfl to Town, he called at my Lodgings, and
(( let me know that fome of the People had de-
" fir'd him to preach that Evening, and asked
" my Confent to his Preaching in the Meeting-
" Houfe : I reply'd, that before I refolv'd him,
(C I muft defire of him Satisfaclion in two Points ;
*f viz. by what divine Warrant he left his own
<( People, arid travelled through the Country, ac-
*f ting the Super- Intendant over the Churches ?
** And how he juftified his cenjorioujly judgingMen,
v and efpecially Minijlers, as he had done ? To
" which Queries, he gave me no fatisfa6lory An-
t< fwers 3 and thereupon was denied the Liber-
$' ty of the Houfa He then proceeded to inquire
" into
(C
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 157
" into my fpiritual State ; but an Account there*
*f of was refus'd him, until he mewed his right
ff to demand it : And thereupon he expreffed
" his Fears that I was a Stranger to CHRIST; and
u faid, that my refufmg to give him an Account
" was a dark Sign thereof. After this, he foon
tc departed the Houfe : And having mounted
" his Horfe, with his Company at the Door, they
" fet a Tune, and rodefinging through the Town,
all the Way to his Lodgings, which was near
a Mile. He preached at the Place where he
lodged that Evening, and the next Forenoon ;
and the following Evening, in his public Exer-
cifes, he declared the Minifter of the Place un
converted, and prayed for him, fundry Times,
that he might be either converted or confounded.
" He warned the People to withdraw from my
" Miniftry ; declaring, that to attend it would
*c be as dangerous to their Souls, as Bowls of Pol-
" fon to their Bodies."
The like Spirit he difcovered at NEW-HAVEN.
Says the Letter in the BOSTON- Pofl-Poy, f " Mr.
(C DAVENPORT, in almoft every Prayer, vents him-
" felf againft the Minifter of the Place, and of-
f( ten declares him to be an unconverted Man ;
<e fays, that Thoufands are now curjing him in Hell
<' for being the Instrument of their Damnation. He
" charges all to pray for his Deftru6lion and
" Confufion : He frequently calls him, a Hy-
" pocrite, a Wolf in Sheep's Cloathing, and a Lfevil
" incarnate : And ufes fuch vile and opprobri-
" ous Language, as that, had it been done by any
" other Man, he would have been immediately
« fent
158 Things of a ^A PART I.
*c fent to theWo'rk-Houfe. I think that few or none
" of his greateft Admirers undertake peremptorily
*< to juffcify thefe Things ; but they have conceiv-
*' ed fuch an extraordinary Opinion of his Ho-
(C linefs and Succefs, as that they feem to luppofe
ff that he has fome extraordinary Ajjiftame, or Com-
" mijjlon to do that which may'nt be done by
€€ any other Man. "
Agreeable hereto is the Account in the fame
Paper. Numb. 392. " NEW-HAVEN, Sept. 21.
" 1741. Sundry of the Brethren of the Church
ff in NEW-HAVEN, being offended at Mr. DAVEN-
<f PORT'S publickly condemning their Paftor, the
" Rev. Mr. No YES, as an unconverted Man ; call-
" ing him a Wolf in Sheep's Cloathing, with many
<c other the like opprobrious Expreflions, being
" met together at the Houfe of the Rev. Mr.
" NOYES, defir'd Mr. DAVENPORT to give the
" Reafons, why he has thus reproached and fcan-
" dalis'd their Pajtor : Which he did as follows,
" viz,
cc i. That a Woman told him, that me catme
" to Mr. NOYES'S under Convittion, and faid that
" me was the greatefl Sinner in the World ;
" and that Mr. NOYE'S endeavoured to abate
ic her Convi6lions : I'o which Mr. NOTES re-
« plied,
" That he did not remember the Inftance ;
" but fuppofed it might be thus, viz. That he
" might tell her, chat me was a very great Sin-
«c ner, and that me ought to be fenfible of it, and
" more fenfible of her own Sins than of any other
" Perfon's in the World ; but that he did not fup-
*< pofe flie was really the great-eft Sinner in, the
World.
PRAT I. and dangerous Tendency. 159
" World. Upon this, Mr. DAVENPORT declared,
" thatMr. NOYES'S faying fo, was an Evidence to
f( him that he was an unconverted Man ; and
" afterward, in explaining himfeif upon the Word
" Evidence faid, that it gave him Reafon to be-
*' iieve it was fo.
2. Another Reafon was, becaufe Mr. NOYES
€ { aifumed an Honour to himfeif, in the Miniftry,
<c which did not belong to him, becaufe a Wo-
(€ man told him that, fome Years ago, me came
<c to Mr. NOYES, and brought a Relation where-
" in (he mentioned the Names of feveral Mini-
6f flers, whom fhe fuppofed had been inftrumental
" of her Converjion, and Mr. NOYES ask'd her
(( if he had not alfo done fomething towards her
" Converfion, and ask'd her why his Name was
" not mentioned : Mr. DAVENPORT alfo added,
f( that feveral other Perfons had told him, that
<c Mr. NOYES diflik'd their Relations becaufe there
" were fo many Names in them befides his. To
" which Mr. NOYES replied,
fc That he did not remember any fuch Thing,
" and was confident that it was a Mifreprefenta-
« tion.
3. Another Reafon was, that Mr. NOYES was
ff not a Friend to this Work going on among
" them ; and that he did not countenance 2ti-
" nerant Preachers ; and that feveral Perfons
" had told him that they came to Meeting with
" their Affections rais'd, and that Mr. NOYES'S
" Preaching deadned and difcouraged them, and
« tended to ftifle their Conviftions. To which
Jf Mr. NOTES reply'd,
That
i <5o flings of a bad PART L
rc That his Preaching and Condutt in thefe
(< Things were publickly known, and that every
*• one was capable of Judging without his faying
•** any Thing upon them.
" 4. That Mr. NOYES, in private Conyerfation
(C with Mr. DAVENPORT., had faid to this Effeft,
ff that he had been deeply fenfible of the Vile-
*( nefs and Corruption of his own Nature ; and
" that every one that turned his Thoughts in-
" ward might eafily have fuch a Senfe : and
" that Mr. No YES, feem'd to fuppofe that it was
" an eafy Thing ; that' Mr. DAVENPORT thence
" concluded, that he had never experienced it
" himfelf. To which Mr. NOYES replied,
" That he, at that Time, utterly refus'd to give
" Mr. DAVENPORT any Account of his Experien-
<c ces ; but that they had fome Difcourfe upon
u fome doftrinal Points, but he could not think
" that Mr. DAVENPORT could reafonably under-
<c Hand him, to mean or intend, that every natu-
tc ral Man had a Senfe of the Vilenefs and Cor-
<c ruption of his Nature, or that it was an eafy
u Thing to have it. Several Things were faid
" upon this Head which could not eafily be mi-
*< nuted down ; but on the whole, there feem-
*6 ed to be a Mifunderitanding between them.
<f Upon the whole Mr. DAVENPORT declared,
" that thefe Reafons were fufficient to juflify him
" in cenfuring and condemning Mr. NOYES as he had
" done : Then, he faid he would make a Sort
f( of Acknowledgment ; and, without any No-
" tice given, while divers in the Room were
" talking loud, and others fmoaking, and fome
" with their Hats on, he began a Prayer ; but
« their
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 161
cc there being fo much Noife in the Room, he
(f was hardly heard at firft : Many kept on
*' talking, others cry'd out flop him; the Revd,
cc Mr. NOTES fpoke once or twice, and faid, Mr.
" DAVENPORT, I forbid your praying in my Houfe
" without my Leave ; but he perfifted, and
(e went on in the midft of the greateft Noife, Con-
ff fufion and Confternation, and declar'd Mr.
f< NOTES an unconverted Man, and Us People to be
" as Sheep without a Shepherd, and prayed, that
(( what he had now faid might be a Means of
cc his and their Converjion : Or elfe, according to
" thy -Will let them be confounded ; and after that
" Manner went on near a Quarter of an Hour.
<c And when he had done, Mr. NOTES — forbid
" him ever going into his Pulpit any more ; and
" fome declar'd to Mr. DAVENPORT, that his pray-
" ing in that Manner was a taking the Name of
" GOD in vain : And fo the Aflembly broke up
u in great Confternation.
ft This is the Truth according to the beft of
" our Remembrance ; and the Subftance of the
" Conference was minuted down at the Time of
<c it, and publickly read to Mr. DAVENPORT, and
" thei-eft immediately after.
THOMAS CLAP "") Rector of YALE-COLLEGE,
JOHN PUNDERSON 1
OHN MUNSON
THEOPH. MUNSON i
THEOPH. MUNSON f ' Subfcribers-
ANDREW TUTTLE
SAMUEL Mix J
The fame uncharitable cenforlous Spirit, this Gen*
tleman brought with him to BOSTON. I cannot
give a better Idea of it then by inferring, at large,
M the
I to Thirds of a bad PART L I
the Account in the BOSTON- Evening- P oft, Number |
370. It runs thus. " The late Profecution of j
" Mr. JAMES DAVENPORT, being fomewhat extra- I
" ordinary (as was alfo his Offence which procur- E
(f ed the fame) has doubtlefs occaflon'd various I
" Speculations, not only in this Town, but thro' I
" the whole Country. And inafmuch as manyli
" hard and unjuft Cenfures have been plentifully |
" beftow'd on the Grand Jury, and Witnejfes con- 1
" cern'd in that Profecution, by weak, ignorant \
" and enthitfiaftical Perfons ; it may not be im-*
tf proper to publifh the Preferment, exhibited by
*c the Grand Jury to the Court againft Mr. DA-
" VENPORT, with the feveral Fafts that were par-
" ticularly fworn to, by the Witnefles before the
*f grand Jury ; that fo every rational, fober and
" unprejudiced Perfon may fee clearly, on what
<f Grounds the Jurors (who were 23 in Number,
<c and only 6 of BOSTON) proceeded in this Af4
<f fair : Wherein 21 of them were fully agreed J
-*c and of the two .that diffented, one was an ig-:
*< norant Exhorter, and the other profefl himfelf;
" of the People called Quakers, and therefore could
" not in Confci^nce vote in fuch an Affair, but
<c faid the other Jurors were entirely right in what
4* they did.
It ought alfo to be obferved, that it was fo-a
<c lemnly given in Charge to the Grand Jury, toi
" enquire ftriclly into Diforders of an ccckfiafti^
*< cal Nature, and that upon giving in this Pre-l
"• fentment they receiv'd the Thanks of the Ccwfj
fi for that particular Service.
" There is one Thing more to be taken Notice
" of in this Introduction, and that is, a groundlefs
and
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 163.
" and malicious Calumny, indufltioufly fpread a-
" broad by Mr. DAVENPORT'S Adherents, — that
" the Grand Jurors of BOSTON were chofe on Pur-
" pofe to bring on this Prof edit ion ; than which
te nothing is, or can be more untrue ; for at the
ff Time of the Choice, Mr. DAVENPORT was
" preaching at IPSWICH, and it was given out by
" his Followers, that he would not return any
<( more to BOSTON.
The PRESENTMENT.
SUFFOLK ff. &c. omitting the Form-— fr The
Jurors of our Sovereign Lord the KING— upon
f Oath prefent— - That one JAMES DAVENPORT of
SOUTHOLD, in the County of SUFFOLK on LONG-
ISLAND, in the Government of NEW-YORK^
Clerk, now Refident in BOSTON, under the Pre
tence of praying, preaching and exhorting^ at di-
verfe Places in the Towns of BOSTON and DOR
CHESTER, both in the County of SUFFOLK, firfl
before mentioned, and at diverfe Times in the
Months of July lafl, and Augufl current, parti
cularly on, or about, the 20 Day of July lafl*
and the ifl and i6th Days of Augufl current,
did, at BOSTON afbrefaid, in the Hearing of
great Numbers of the Subjects of our Lord the
KING, malicioufly publim, and with a loud
Voice utter and declare many Jlanderous and
reviling Speeches, againfl the godly and faithful
Minirters of the Gofpel in this Province^but more
particularly againfl the Miniflers of the Gofpel
in the Town of BOSTON aforefaid, then and there
malicioufly publishing and declaring of, and con
cerning them, the faid Miniflers, thefe falfe and
fcandalous Words, and many others to the fame
M 2 " Effect
ff
Things tf <* bad PART IJ
ff Effect and Purpofe, viz. " That the great eft \
" Part of the faid Minifters (meaning the Mini-
" fters of the Gofpel in this Province, and more
" particularly of the Town of BOSTON aforefaid )
cc were carnal and unconverted Men ; that they
ff (meaning the faid Minifters) knew nothing of\
« JESUS CHRIST, and that they were leading\
<f their People blindfold down to Hell, and that they
*' were deft roy ing and murdering of Souls by Thou*
" fands ; the faid JAMES DAVENPORT, at the fame
" Time, directing and advijing their ( the faid Mi-
fc nifters ) Hearers to withdraw from them the faid
" Minifters, and not to hear them preach, nor fre-
" quent the Affemblm of publick Wor/bip, where they,
" the faid Minifters, taught and preach' d, for that
" the following and hearing of them the faid Mini'
" fters, was as definitive to the Souls of thofe who
" heard them, as f wallowing Rats- Bane or Poifoni
*' was to their Bodies ; -praying the LORD to pull
" them, the faid Minifters, down, and put others im
" their Places :" By Means whereof, great Num-i
<c bers of People have withdrawn themlelves from?
" the publick Worftnp of GOD, and the JJfembliem
tc as by Law required, the publick Peace of oura
<c Lord the KING hath, been much difturb'd, thm
<c LORD'S-DAY greatly prophan'd, the lawful Auj
cc thority had in great Contempt, all which is
^ contrary to the Laws, as alfo to the Peace
*< Crown, and Dignity of our faid Lord
Jos. GREEN. Foreman!'
" The faid JAMES DAVENPORT, being arraigned
cc upon the laid Prefenimefit, pleaded not guilty,-
" and for Trial put himfelf on the Country ; a
c< Jury being iworn to try the IfTue, Mr. BENJA-.
c- MIN LANG DON, Foreman, and Fellows, on Oath,
PRAT I. and dangerous Tendency. 165
lf fay, That the faid JAMES DAVENPORT uttered the
« Words laid in the Presentment, except thofe
" Words " that they (viz. the Minifters) knew
(( nothing of JESUS CHRIST :" and that at the
" Time when he uttered thefe Words he was non
u compos mentis, and therefore that the faid J.
« D— -T is not guilty.
Atteft. SAMUJEL TYLEY Clerk.
The WitnelTes for the KING declared on Oath
if before the Grand Jury (Auguffc 18.) as follows,
cc viz.
•
" Mr. H. G. fays, This Day three Weeks he
wa.s on the Common^ and heard a Woman cry
ing out very much, and feemed to be in Pain,
tnd he went to help her ; and Mr. J. D— T
charged all Men not to touch her, as they
<( would anfwer it at the great Day of Judg-
" ment : And he then heard the faid D T
" cry out againft the unconverted Minifters of the
" Town of BOSTON." And another Time he heard
" faid D — T in Prayer fay, " The great eft Part
'• of the Minifters of the Town of BOSTON were un-
" converted ;" and he heard faid D — T on the
" 30th of July fay, cc The great eft Part of the
" Minifters of BOSTON were unconverted, and were
" leading their People to HdL
Mr. J. S. fay?, He heard Mr. D T " fray
" for the unconverted Minifters of the Town of Bos-
" TON,'J and fay, " Good LORD, thoit knoweji
" the greatcft Part of them are unconverted."
Dr.E. E.fays, he heard Mr.D— T fay, " the great-
*' eft Part of the Minifters of the Town of BOSTON
" were unconverted, and were leading their People blind-
M 3 fold
166 Things of a bad PARTI.
"
fold down to Hell." It was in July : And he faid,
" 'The great eft Part of the Minifters thro1 the Province]
*f were unconverted" He heard him more than!
once on the Common, and he faid, f( Good LORD, 1
" convert thcfe unconverted Minifters^ or remove them \
^ and put others in their Office"
Mr. P. O, fays, he heard Mr. J. D— T fay,
(on Monday lafl) " That moft of the Clergy of the\
" Town of BOSTON were unconverted, and that if\
•' there were a Bowl of Poifon which would deftroy
" their Bodies, he would advife any of his dearejl
" Friends to drink it, asfoon as to go and hear then
" or either of them," This was an STRAUGHHAN'S
Houfe.
Mr. E. W. fays, he heard Mr. J. D---T fa;
on Monday lafl, at Mr. STRAUGHHAN'S Houfe, "
" am furc the great eft Part of the Minifters of the
" great Town of BOSTON are unconverted ;" and
faid, " Dear Souls, if there were a Bowl of Poifon
on that Table, I would as foon advije you to drink
it off, which would deftroy your Bodies, as to hear
them which would deftroy your Souls" And hei
heard faid D — T fay, " The unconverted Minifters \
" were leading People blindfold to Hell by Thousands
* and Millions"
Mr. H. V, fays, he heard Mr, D— T fay, (in
July lafl, on COPP'S Hill) in his Addrefs to the
Almighty, "Good LORD, (or oh LORD} I will not
*c mince the Matter any longer with thee* for thou know,^
" eft that I know, that the moft of the Minifters of the
" Town of BOSTON and the -COUNTRY are unconver-
*' ted, and arc leading their People blindfold to Hell."
And at DORCHESTER, he heard faid D-— T advife
the
4
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 167
the People there " not to go to hear, their Minifter,
" for he was an unconverted
Mr, N. T. fays, he heard Mr. D— -T, at Mr.
WELCH'S, fay, in his Prayer, " LORD, thou know-
" eft the mofl of the Minifters of the Town of Bos-
" TON are unconverted.'' In a Sermon on the Com-
" mon, he faid, " Good Lord, thou knoweft, the mofl
" of them are unconverted ; pull them down, turn
" them out, and put others in their Places.
Mr. R. A. fays, he heard Mr. J. D-— T (at
Mr. WARDELL'S, Auguft i.) fay in his Prayer,
ff LORD GOD, thou kwweft, that the greateft Part
<c of the Minifters of this great Town are in an un-
" converted State, and leading poor Souls on to De-
j flruction ; and therefore LORD, ive pray thee to*
" turn them out of the Miniftry. And you, dear
" Children of GOD, that are here prefent, I 'would
" advife you never to go near them to hear them, for
(f their Preaching to your Souls is as Poifonous to them,
<tf as Rats -Bane is to your Bodies*" This was
" LORD'S-DAY Afternoon, about an 100 prefent
<c to hear him in the Houfe and Sbopy in Service-
u Time.
Mr. R. H. fays, he heard Mr. J. DAVENPORT
fay, at Mr. WARDELL'S Houfe, in BOSTON, on the
Sabbath-Day in the Forenoon, in July lait, " He
(f hlejfed GOD}J>e had f@ many come out from among
" the unconverted Mmiflers." Near an Hundred
" prefent.
And one of the Grand Jury declared to his FeJ-
lows, that he heard Mr. JAMES DAVENPORT fay
loft Monday, " That the Minifters of the Toivn of
^ BOSTON knew, nothing of JESUS CHRIST ; and
M 4 iba*
1(58 Things of a bad PART' I.
" that they ivereferving the Inter eft of Satan" But
this wan'c fworn to in Court.'*
I may add, that fince the Date of the above
Preferment, and the Oaths relative to it, Mr.
DAVENPORT has often fpoken of ALL the Miniflers
in Town, as in a Combination againfl the LORD
and his Anointed, meaning, I fuppofe, himfelf ; And
as though this wan't enough, he has, in his public*
Prayers and Preachments, mentioned the moft, if
not all of them by Name, as unconverted Men, and
folemniy warned People to feparate from them,
and not dare to attend on their Miniftry : And
this he did, after having the Inanity to go. to them
all, one by one, to enquire into their fpiritual
State : Though I am glad, I am able to declare,
that they all, except two or three, were fo far
from entring into Converfation with him upon
that Head, that they chaftis'd his Infolence, and fe-
verely teftified againft fuch an unheard of Con-
duel:. 'Tis a Rule with this Gentleman, if a Man
won't give him an Account of his Chrifiian Expe
riences., to look upon that alone as a dark Sign, if
not a fare Evidence, of his being in a carnal State.
No Wonder then the Minifters in Town were
condemned by him,
But enough has been faid, and fome, perhaps,
may think, a great Deal too much, upon the Un~
charitablenefs of fome of the chief Ivftruments of
the religious Stir there has been in the Land.
I go on to obferve, that this fame Spirit has
been generally propagated all over the Country, a-
mong the common People ; infomuch, that I mall
not exceed the literal Truth, when I fay, that
there »never was a Time, fmce the Settlement of
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 169
NEW-ENGLAND, wherein there was fo much bitter
and rafb Judging ; Parents condemning their
Children, and Children their Parents f,- Husbands
their Wives, and Wives their Husbands ,• Maf-
ters their Servants, and Servants their Mailers ;
Minifters
f I fndl, as an Illuftration of this Cenforioufnefs^ infert
here fome Part of a Letter, Wrote to me by a Friend,
upon his own Knowledge. Sa)s he, " 'Tis remar-
" "table* thofe, who were faid to be ft ruck with
" Convi&ion, immediately feem'd to be filiM with
*' a cenfuring and judging Spirit againft almoft all o-
" thers ; Children againit their Parents, Servants a-
" gainft their Matters ; declaring them to be in 2n
" unconverted State. One In ft a net among many
" others, I fhall mention. There was a young Wo-
*c man about 15 Yeais of Age, who fell under this
*' Conviction, and for about four Hours together
" fte,in this Manner,exhorted. At firft, fhe began
*c with her Father, and told him, fhe could fee the
ct Image of the Devil then in his Face, and that he
" washing Poft-haile down to Hell ; and that all
" the Prayers he had ever made in his Family weie
' nothing but Abomination in the Ears of the Al-
4 mighty, and that all the Counfels he had ever gi-
" ven her, had no better aTendency than to inftrucl:
*' her,how (lie fhould pleafe the Devil ; and that both
*' he, and hfs Wife, were no better than the Devil.
44 Many fuch Inftances there were of Children con-
*' demning their Parents. And many old Perfons
44 alfo, though, as well as the Parents above, Per-
** foiis of unblemifh'd Characters, a good Profefli-
* on, fober, and Lovers of Religion, were called, and
' by Children too, old Hypocrites, Heirs of eternal
' Damnation, going the Road that would lead them
• ** to Hell, &c." I have other Letters by me from
whence I could tranfcribe like Account^ were it
needful.
j 70 Thing of a bad PART I.
Minifters their People, and People their Minifters.
Cenforioufnefsy to a high Degree, is indeed the con-
jlant Appendage of this religious Commotion. Where-
ever it takes Place, the Subjeftj of it, too gene
rally, are uncharitable to Neighbours, to Brethren of
the fame Community, to Relatives, to Minijlers in
an efpecial Manner ; yea, to all the World that
are not in their Way of thinking and fpeaking: And
what may be worth a Note, the Places where this
Appearance has been mofl remarkable, have common
ly been mofl filled with Uncharitablenefs, in all the
Expreffions of it.
It would take up too much Room to relate the
bard Speeches, the monjlrous Sayings which have
been uttered among us ; and this, not in a Jin*
gle Place only, but in mofl Towns throughout the
Provinces, where there has been any Thing con-
iiderable of this Commotion : Nay, to fuch an a-
bominable Height have fome fuffered their Uncbari-
tablenefs to rife, that they have declared, they
would as foon have Communion with the Devil, as
with many, both Mimjlers and People, againft whom
they have yet nothing to fay, but that they don't
judge as they do about the prefent Times. Some
of the moft valuable Minifters in the Country,
meerly on this Account, have been call'd all the
bad Names one can eafily think of : Nor have
even thofe efcaped, who, for 20, 30, 40 Years,
have fo caufed their Light to mine before others,
as that they have feen their good Works, and
might have learn't from their good Example to
glorify our Father in Heaven.
And as the Effeft of this Spirit, there is a very
great Appearance of Contention and Strife, which, if
GOD don't mercifully interpofe, will endanger a
Breach
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 171
Breach in all the Churches in the Land : Nay,
feparate Meetings are already begun in one Place
and another. Two have been fee up in this Town
of BOSTON ; another, at NEWBURY ; another,
at NEW-LONDON ; another, at NEW-HAVEN $
another ^at MILFORD ; and others flill in fome other
Places '; And there are a Number in CHARLES-
TOWN, in DORCHESTER, in MILTON, and elfewhere,
who han't Charity for their own Pajtors fo much
as to hear them preach ; though they have ob
tain 'd a univerfal good Character, not only for their
minifterial Gifts, but for being Examples to their
Flocks, in Word, in Conversation, in Charity, in Spirit,
in Faith, in Purity : Nay, I verily believe, there
is not so MUCH AS ONE MINISTER IN THE WHOLE
LAND, but the Minds of many are fo prejudiced
againft them, on one Account, or another, as that
their Power to do good is hereby greatly Jeffened.
The Things I have here mentioned are no Se~
crets : They are notorious, and mud be evident
to all who have Eyes to fee, and Ears to hear :
And fo far will the more zealous among our new
Converts be from difowning them, that they will ra
ther glory in having it faid, that they have come out
from unconverted Minijlers and Churches ; imagin
ing, they have herein complied with the Com
mand of GOD, which fays, Come out from among
them, and he ye feparate ; and ye fhall be my People,
and I will he your GOD.
Some may, if they pleafe, call this Spirit of
Cenforioufhefs, operating in Clamour, and Strife, and
Schifm, an Accidental Effect only of the Revival of
a good Work ,; but from what has been faid, de-
fcriptive. of the Temper and Conduct of the mam
Ivftruments
172 Things of a bad PART I.
Injlruments in beginning,and carrying on this PFork,
it appears with a Meridian Luftre, that it is no o-
ther than their Spirit, wherein it was bad, propa
gated to others. And fuch Effetts may always be
expefted from fuch Caufcs ; They are no other
than their natural and genuine Produce : And
'tis, to me, one of the flrangeft Things, that any
fhould be at a Lo(s to determine otherwife.
But let thefe Effects be produced how they
will, they are certainly very pernicious ones ;
and mud be accounted fo by all, who make an
Eilimate of them from the Scripture. Our SA
VIOUR is not more exprefs in cautioning againfh.
any , Vice whatever, than this of uncharitable Judg
ing. JUDGE NOT, is his peremptory Prohibiti
on ;f and weighty is the Argument with which
he backs it ; viz, That if we judge, we /hall be
judged. Men will judge us, who are feldom want
ing in this Kind of Retribution, but difpos'd
rather to give full Meafure, prefled down and
running over. But what is much worfe, GOD
will judge us. And don't we need his Pity and
Mercy ? Shan't we otherwife be cafh in the
Judgment ? And can we expecl any other, while
we are hard and fevere in our Treatment of our
Brother, and ready, without due Allowances, to
condemn him ? And very folemn is that Chal
lenge ^ the Apoftk makes to all who are given to
raft Cenfure, * Who art thou that judgeft another
Mans Servant ? Our Brother, we judge, is GOD'S
Servant j not ours. While therefore we call
him to the Bar of our Judgment, we invade GOD'S
Prerogative, exercife an unjuft Jurifdiftion. over
f Mat, 7. j. * Rom. 14. 4.
his
PART I. and dangerous Tendency , 173
his Servant ; a Power we have no Right, nor
Bufmefs to ufe. Who art thou that judgeft another
Mans Servant ? What Pretence haft thou to do
thus ? Who made thee a Judge ? Who gave
thee this Power over another Man's Servant ?
He Jlandeth or falleth to his. own Mafter. He only
can acquit or condemn him ; the Right of thus
judging is his, and belongeth not to another.
Thou art therefore inexcusable, 0 Man whoever
thou arty that judgeft thy Neighbour ; for herein
thou takeft that upon thee, which thou haft no
Claim to ,• herein thou fetteft thy felf up,
as it were, in the Room of the Almighty, and
art guilty of the Arrogance of afting as tho' thou
waft in his Stead'
I know, in fome Cafes, it may admit of Dif~
pute, what is uncharitable Judging : And fo it may,
what is Intemperance, or Injuftice, or Opprejfion, and
the like. But this does not argue, but that in o-
ther InftanceSj, the Intemperance or Injuftice may
be fo evident, as to leave no Room for Debate
upon the Matter. And this is the Cafe with Re-
fpe6l to the Judging that now prevails. If there
is any fuch Vice, it now takes Place : Nor can
it eafily be imagin'd, wherein Men could be more
grofly guilty of it. This Prohibition of our SAVIOUR
was never, I believe, more outragioufly trampled
upon, than it now commonly is by Multitudes of
thofe, who call themfelves good Chriftians. In
Refpe6l of many, 'tis as plain, they live in the
Breach of this Law of GOD, as that any do in the
Breach of the Law of Temperance or Right eoufnefs.
And it ought to be confidered with all Seriouf-
nefs, that uncharitable, cenforious Judging is a Sin
as well as Intemperance or Injujlice ; and, per
haps, as bad a Shi, if not a worfe : And it ought
not
174 Things of a bad PART I.
not therefore to be excufed. The fame Law-giver
and Judge who has faid, thou (halt not fteal, or
get drunk, has alfo faid, thou {halt not judge ; andx
the Law is guarded with the like Sanction of Death
and Hell. 'Tis' therefore dangerous to Men's
Souls, to fpeak of this mifcheivous Vice as a humane
Frailty only, a meer Imprudence, that will well enough
confift with a Work of GOD in their Hearts. JTis
true, good Men may be betrayed into this Sin ; and
fo they may into Drunkennefs, or Injujtice ; but if
they allow themfelves in it, if they live in the
habitual Pra6tice of it, it will as certainly damn
them as if they hVd in the Practice of any other
Sin. And they ought to be told the plain Truth.
1 am fure, the great St. PAUL plainly tells the
Corinthians j when there appear'd the Want of Cha*
rity among them, that nothing elfe, while they
were deilitute of this, would avail to their Sal
tation. He does not tax them with Imprudence
cnly, but folemnly allures them, in the Name of
the great GOD of Heaven, that all their other
Attainments were nothing, that no Work of GOD
could be wrought in their Hearts, if they were
without Charity ; that Charity, of which he has
given a large and beautiful Defcription, in the
J3th Chapter of his firft Epiftle to them. And I
leave it with the Conscience of every Man acquaint
ed with the State of Things at this Day, whether
this Charity, die genuine Effects of which, the Apo-
file has here enumerated, is not as notoriously want*
ing among us, as it can be fuppos'd to have been
among the Corinthians.
And is there any one Thing, in all the Reve
lations of GOD, that is more particularly and fo*
lemnly cautioned againft, than this Uncharitablenefs,
difcovering it fell in Strife, Sedition and Schifm ?
Arc
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 175
Are not thefe Effe£ls of an uncharitable Spirit reck
on 'd up among the Fruits of the Flejh f ? And
are not fuch as do thefe Things exprefly, and as
it were by Name, excluded the Kingdom of GOD*?
Is it not peremptorily declar'd, that if we have
bitter Envying and Strife, this Wifilwn defcendeth not
from above ; but is earthly, fenfual, deviliflo^l How
earned, and frequently repeated are the Calls in
Scripture, To put away all Bitternefe, and Wrath,
and Clamour, and Evil-speaking f ! How importu
nately are Chriflians befought to be kind one to an-
other, forgiving one another ; to live in Love, with
all Lowlinefs and Meeknefs, with Long-fuffering and
Forbearance ; endeavouring to keep the Unity of the
Spirit in the Bond of Peace f f ! And are not all
the Arguments made Ufe of to enfprce thefe In-
treaties, that can be fetch'd either from Earth, or
Heaven, or Hell ?
And what is worthy of particular Notice, this
Law of Charity is the Law of Christianity by Way
of Eminence. This is MY COMMANDMENT (fays our
SAVIOUR ) * that ye love one another, as I have love A
you. And again f, A NEW COMMANDMENT give I
unto you, that ye love one another : As I have loved
you, that ye aJfo love one another. And 'tis by this,
in a diftinguijbing Manner, that Men are to be
known to be Chriflians. Says our SAVIOUR g, By this
fhall all Men know that ye are my Difeiples, if ye
have Love one to another. Nay, if Men do net love
one another, neither do they love GOD. The Apo-
. file is exprefs in this. \If a Man fay, I love GOD,
f Gal. 5. 19, 20. * V. 21. g James 3. j/r [^
* EPh- 4- 31- tt Eph.A.2, 3. 5.32. i
15- 12. f Chapt. 13. 34. g John - 3
John 4. 20.
17<? Things of a bad PART I,
and hateth his Brother, he is a Liar : For he that lov-
eth not his Brother, whom he hath fern, how can he
love GOD whom he hath not feen ? Yea, ff In this
are the Children of GOD manifejl; and the Children
of the Devil : flPhofoever doth not Right coiifnefs is
not of GOD ', neither he that loveth not his Brother.
And fliall it be thought, after all this, a Mat
ter of flight Confideration, whether Men, profef-
fing ihemfelves Chriftians, dwell together in Love
and Peace ? And if they are hard and cruel in
their Cenfures and Reproaches of one another,
and fall into Strife, and carry it to fuch a Height
that they can't have Communion with one ano
ther, fliall this be made fo little of, that they may
notwithstanding be remarkably good Chriftians ?
There may, 'tis true, be an Appearance of Re
ligion, even in the groffeft Uncharitablenefs ; and
Men may pretend a Zeal for GOZ), while they
are trampling upon the Chriftian Law of Love :
But their Zeal, in this Cafe, is not a Fire kindled
at GOD's Altar ; nor will it atone for their Guilt.
If they are cenforious and uncharitable, and habitu
ally fo, be their Pretences what they will, and their
Profefftons ever fo pompous and glorious, they are
nothing in Point of that Chridianity, which will
ferve them at the great and laft Day.
I cannot better clofe this Head than in thofe
obfervable Words of the Apoftle PAUL,* Now I
lefeech you, Brethren, mark them which caufe Divi-
fions and Offences, contrary to the Doftrine which ye
have learned ; and avoid them. -For they that are
fuch, ferve not our LORD JESUS CHRIST ; but
>ft i John 3, 10. * ^^772. 16. 17, 18. .
their
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 177
their own Belly : And by good Word's, and fair
Speeches, deceive the Hearts of the Simple : Which
are gloifed upon, by the Continuators of Mr, HEN
RY'S Expofitions, in a Manner well worth our No
tice in thefe Times. " Thofe, fay they, who
•*' introduce and propagate dividing and offending
" Notions, which are mod erroneous, or juftly
" fufpe&ed ; who, out of Pride, Ambition, Af-
" fe&ation of Novelty, or the like, caufelefly fe-
" parate from their Brethren, and by perverfe
(f Difputes, Cenfures and evil Surmifings, alienate
*c the Affeftions of Chriftians from one another ;
< f — thefe caufe Divijions and Offences, contrary to,
" or different from, the Doftrines which they have
" learn' d. Now, Mark thofe that thus caufe Dim-
(c Jions ; obferve them, the Method they take,
f( the End they drive at. There is Need of a
," piercing, watchful Eye to difcern the Danger
" we are in' from fuch People : For commonly
tf the Pretences are plaiifible, when the Projects
a are very pernicious. Do not look only at the
<f Divijions and Offences ; but run up thefe
" Streams to the Fountain, and mark thofe that
" caufe them ; and efpecially that, in them which
ff doth caufe thefe Diviflons and Offences ; thofe
" Lulls on each Side, from whence come thefe
" Wars and Fightings. And avoid them. Shun all
4C iinneceifary Communion, and Communication
" with them, left you be leavened and infected by
fc them. Do not ftrike in with any dividing Intcr-
<c efts, nor embrace any of thofe Principles of
f < Pra6lices, which are deftruftive to ChriftianLove
" and Charity, or to the Truth which is aceord-
<c ing to Godlinefs.--— Such ferve not our LORD
:" JESUS CHRIST. They do not aim at his
" Glory, promote his Intereft, or do his Will,
*< what ever they pretend. But they force their
N
178 Things of a bad PARTI.
€f own Belly, i. e. Their carnal, fenfual, fecular |
" Incerefts. 'Tis fome bafe Luft or other they
*' are pleafing ; Pride, Ambition, Coveteoufnefs,
" Lafcivioufnefs: Thefeare the Defigns they are
" really carrying on. And what is the Method j
" they take to compafs their Defigns? By good
€C Words and fair Speeches, they deceive the Hearts
" of the Simple. Their Words and Speeches I
c< have. a Shew of Holinels and Zeal for GOD.
€ f Thus by good Words and fair Speeches the Ser-
" pent beguiled EVE. We have great Need there- <
(c fore to keep our Hearts with all Diligence j
/< efpecially, when J educing Spirits are abroad."
*.
Another Thing, I can't but think of danger
ous Tendency, is, that Regard to Impulfes and
Imprejfions, which has prevail'd among too many ;
their Aptnefs to take the Motion of their own Minds
for fomething divinely extraordinary, or to put thojs\
Conjlruftions upon common Occurrences, which there
is no Ground for but in their ^ovon Imaginations.,
Mr. WHITEFIELD had evidently a Turn of Mind too*
much difpoiing him this Way. This appears in
him all along from his being a Lad, according toj
the Account he has given the World of hini-j
felf. One of the firft Things he thought wor-J
thy of publick Notice is, f " That his Mother^
" was us'd to fay, even when he was an Infant,
" that ihe expecled more Comfort from him than
" any other of her Children." And adds upon
it, " This, with the Circumftance of my being
" BORN IN AN INN, has often been of Service to
" me, in exciting me to make Good my Mother's
" Expectations, and to follow the Example of my
" dear SAVIOUR, who was BORN in a Manger, be-'
f Account of his Life, Page i.
Ipnging
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 179
« longing to an INN/' He obferves, when at
BRISTOL, tho' in an unconverted State at that Time,*
" That GOD gave him great Foretajis of his
" Love, and fill'd him with fuch unfpeakable Rap-
« lures in St. JOHN'S Church, that he was carried
" out beyond himfelf ;-— But in the midft of thefe
" Illuminations (he adds) fomething SECRETLY WHIS-
" PERED, this would not lafh" In the next Page,
he has this Remark, " One Morning, as I was
46 reading a PLAY to my Sifter, faid I, / believe
" GOD intends fome Thing for me, which we knew
" not of. As I have been diligent in Bufmefs, I
" believe^ many would have me for an Apwen-
! " tice ; but every Way feems to be barred up,
| " fo that GOD, I think, will provide for me fome
I " Way or other. How I came to fay thefe Words,
1 " I know not.--- GOD AFTERWARDS SHEWED ME
" THEY CAME FROM HIM." A more obfervable
Note we have a little onwards,^ " As I was go-
" ing one Night on an Errand for my Mother, art
" UNACCOUNTABLE, BUT VERY STRONG IMPRESSION
" WAS MADE UPON MY HEART, THAT I SHOULD PREACH
" AND PRINT QUicKLYi----When I came Home, I
<c innocently told my Mother what had befallen
" me.— -But me (like JOSEPH'S Parents, when he
" told them his Dream ) turning fhort upon me,
" cried out, What docs the Boy mean ? Prithee,
u hold thy Tongue, or fomething to that Purpofe.
" SINCE GOD HAS SHOWN HER FROM WHOM THESE
" IMPRESSIONS CAME/' A ffill more furprifing
(and, as I think, very finjitl) Account, we have
in the 2pth Page, in thefe Words, " One Day
' perceiving an uncommon Drought, and a noifome
" Clamminefs in my Mouth, and uflng Things to
<s allay my Thlrft, but in vain ; IT WAS SUGGESTED
* P. ?. t P. ii.
N 2 TO
i8o Things of a fad PART I.
" TOME, that, when JESUS CHRIST CRIED OUT,
" I THIRST, his Sufferings were near over. — Up-
" on this, I threw my felf upon the Bed, CRYING
C( OUT, I THIRST, I THIRST. Soon after I perceiv-
" ed my Load to go of? ; a Spirit of Mourning
" was taken from me, and I knew what it was
€C truly to re joke In the LORD. At fir ft, after
" this, I could not avoid Jinging Pfalms wherever
" I was ; but my Joy gradually became more
" fettled, and, blefled be GOD, has abode, and
" incrcafed in my Soul, faving a few cafual In-
" termiffions, ever fmce." There are numerous
other In fiances of this Turn of Mind, both in this
Hiftory of his Life, and all Ms Journals. I mall
turn to only one or two more. The firfl is that,
where, having made Mention of BURKETT'S and
HENRY'S Expojitions, he goes on,* " Many Months
" have I kneeled to fludy and pray over thefe
" Books, as the* I had been fitting at my Maf-
" ters Feet. The HOLY SPIRIT, from Time to
" Time, has let me into the Knowledge of divine ,:
" Things ; and I HAVE BEEN DIRECTED, by watch-]
" ing and reading the Scriptures, in this Manner,
" EVEN IN THE MINUTEST CIRCUMSTANCES, as plain-1
" ly as the JEWS, who confulted the URIM and]
" THUMMIM at the HIGH-PRIEST'S BREAST.'* The]
other we have in the next Page, " At my firfl;
'" coming to GLOUCESTER, being us'd to vifit the
" Pr if oners at OXFORD, I prayed mofl earneHly,
" that GOD would open a Door for me to vilit
" the Prifoners here alfo. Quickly after, I
cc DREAM'D, that one of the Prifoners came to be in-
" Jlruttedby me.— The DREAM WAS IMPRESSED MUCH'
" UPON MY HEART. — In the Morning, I went to
" the Door of the County-Coaly I knocked, no
* p. 34.
" Body,
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 181
" Body came to open it ; I THOUGHT THE HOUR,
" WAS NOT YET COME. I waited Hill upon GOD
" in Prayer ; and in SOME MONTHS, came a Let-
" ter from a Friend at OXFORD, deiiring me to
" go to one PABWORTH, who had broken out of
" OXFORD-GO#/, and was letaken at GLOUCESTER,
« ~~As foon as I had read this Letter, it was
" SUGGESTED to me that iny Prayer was now anf-
" wered. Immediately, I went to the Perfon, AS-
" SUREDLY GATHERING THAT THE LORD CALLED ME
" THITHER/'
I have not tranfcrib'd the above Paffbges from
Mr. W----D with a View to reflect Difgrace upon,
him ; but becaufe I really believe, the Spirit dif-
covered in them (as well as in an hundred others
of the like Import, in his Writings ; more efpe-
cially, his Life and Journals} has been of great
DifTervice in propagating the like fanciful Difpo-
fition to others. I have all along encouraged a
Hope of this Gentleman as a real Chriflian :
And he has certainly been zealous and aftive be
yond moft of his Brethren. But has he not, thro'
the Inexperience of Youth, and an. Intemperature of
Zeal, been betray 'd into fuch Tilings as cannot
but be condemned ? I always had, I confefs, a
bad Opinion of his Conduct in many Articles ,-
as judging it led, in the natural Tendency of
Things, to produce Mifchief. And, in particular,
I was always afraid, left People, from him, fhould
learn to give Heed to Impulfes and ImpreJJlon^ and
by Degrees come to Revelations, and other Extra-
ordinaries, in this Kind. His fo frequently writing
after fuch a Manner, as to lead People to think,
•he imagined he was under the immediate, eqtraor-
! Unary Guidance of the IToLy GHOST, in almoft
N q all
1 82 Things of a bad PART I,
all that he faid or did£ never appeared to me in
the fame Light it did to fome others : Nor do I
think his Preaching about imvard Feelings was fo
fuarded as it ought to have been. I doubt not, the
PIRIT may be felt, i. e. Chriftians may have an
inward real Perception of thofe Things which
are the • Effects, of the SPIRIT s Influence ; but
this quite differs from an Immediate Feeling of the
SPIRIT hlwfelf, which, if I miftake not, is the
Thing always meant by this Gentleman : And
while he infilled upon this Kind of Feeling^ he to
tally neglecled giving People warning of the
Danger of a deluded, or over-heated Imagination ;
which I could not but wonder at, coniidering how
many, in all Ages, have impos'd upon themfelves,
thinking they felt the Divine SPIRIT a£ting in
them, when it was apparent to every one elfe,
that it neither was, nor could be any other than
the Motions of their own Fancies, or the Suggcf-
fions of Satan ; and herefrom my Fears, from
the firffc, rofe high, as to the unhappy Influence
of this Conduct upon many Sorts of Perfons : Nor
are the extraordinary Pretences to the Spirit in
Revelations ) Impreffions, and the like, which have
been common at this .Day, any Thing beyoncj;
what migjit have been expected.
But befides this Gentleman, others have paicl;
an undue Regard to Impulfes and Iwprejficins, and
given
J He fpeaks all along in his Journals, and Life, in the/
Language of the infpir'd Writers ; and as tho* he ^er
flgn'd to lead his Readers into an Opinion of him as,
Vr'der the extraordinary Influence of theHoLvGHOST,
in his whole ConduA. This is fo obvious, that it
jpiuft have been taken Notice of by all^who have read
them, however curforily.
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 183
given too much Heed to the Fancy of their be
ing, in an immediate and extraordinary Manner,
guided and affifled by the HOLY SPIRIT The
Rev. Meffieurs BARBER f and DAVENPORT claim Pre
cedence of all others.
I have received a particular Account of thefe
Gentlemen, upon the Head we are confidering,
from an able and faithful Friend, which I (hall
gratify the Publick with. It is as follows; " - —
" With Regard to Meffieurs BARBER and DA-
" VENPORT ; — When Mr. WHITEFIELD'S Fame,
<f and the wondrous SuccefTes of his Preach-
u ing in ENGLAND, firft reach'd us, they received
" him in their Minds as an Angel of GOD,
(f and thought furely the Time was at the Door,
€f when the Glory of the LORD ihould fill trie
" whole World, and the People be turn'd to him
" as one Man ; not doubting but that Mr.
« WHITEFIELD was a chofen eminent Inftrument in
** this Work. When he firft came to NEW- YORK,
" you know he was received and admir'd, and
(f what a mighty Influence he had upon the Paf-
" Jions of his Hearers. Thefe Gentlemen hearing
(C of thefe Things, were abundantly confirmed in
" this Thought, that vital Religion was beginning
" to have a glorious Revival, and aftonifhing Spread
" thro' the whole Land ; and that Mr. W — D,
(f whom they efteemed a wonderfully holy Man,
<f would be an eminent Promoter thereof. Here-
" upon they apply 'd thernfelves, iii an extraor-
N 4 dinary
This Mr. BARBER went with Mr. W D to
GEORGIA ; and is now at the ORPHAN-HOUSE,
and has ( as I have lately heard ) the chief Care of
inflrufting and bringing up the Children there*
j 84 Things of a bad PARTI.
" clinary Manner, to feek of GOD the Out-pour*
<( ing of fns Spirit upon the Land, to bring for-
*c ward the expefted happy Day ; and particu-
f( iarly, that he would pleafe more fully to in-
" ftrucl them, what he was about to do, and give
<f them a great Share • of his Spirit, and improve
*c them as eminent Injtruments in promoting this
« glorious Work, in the Expectation and Hope of
** which, their Minds were now fiwllowed up.
" After ibme Time of waiting and feeking in this
*c Manner, and frequently communicating their
" Thoughts to each other, and mutually Strengthen-
« ing and confirming one the other in thefe Expecr
« tations, thofe Words, in Habak. 2. 3. The
" Fifion is yet for an appointed Time, but at the
*' End it floallfpeak, and not lie : Though it tarry,
^ wait for it, becaiife it will fur ely come, it will not
" tarry : Thefe Words, I fay, were IMPRESSED
ic with uncommon Strength upon Mr. BARBER'S
" Mind, and polTeft his Imagination and Tho'ts
*s for feme Time. By this he underflood in ge-
*-6 neral, that the SPIRIT confirmed his former
" Thoughts of GOD's being about to eire6l a
" wonderful Revival of Religion, and directed him
<; to wait for further Difcoveries of that Matter,
" which fliould, in due Time, be made him. This
** rendered him. much more engaged in feeking
*5 and expecting forne extraordinary Difcoveries,
<4 than he was before ; and very earneft to know
^ tlie Fifion ; And this, being by him communi-
<* cated to Mr. D- — "r, had the fame Influence on
« him,
^<€ A fliort Time after this, Mr. BARBER, having
*c been up late one Saturday Night, and ibme-
" time retir'd the next Morning, in deep Medita*
" tion
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 185
" lion on thefe Things, in earneft Prayers for,
<6 andftrong Deferes and great Expectations of fome
^ further Difcoveries of this Matter, he at length
cc quitted his Retirement to attend the Morning
" Devotion of the Family ; as Part of which,
" he read the 102 Pfalm, in the I3th Verfe of
" which are thefe Words, Thou /halt arife, and
" have Mercy upon Zion : For the Time to favour
<c her ; yea, the fet Time is come : At the read-
" ing of which, it was POWERFULLY IMPRESSED
" UPON HIS MIND, that that was the opening and
" J peaking forth oftheFifion. And by thefe Words,
" he fuppos'd he had received certain Intelligence
" from him, who has referred the Times and Sea-
" fons before appointed, in his own Hands, that the
" Time, the fet Time, for the glorious Coming of
" the Kingdom of Grace was now fulfilled : The
ic Senfe of which", and other concurring Thoughts
" fb over-poured his animal Frame, that he funk
" down in his Chair,, and remained for fome Time
*c but jufl alive. At length recovering, though
" remaining exceeding faint and weak, he went
" out and attended the publick Service of the
" Sabbath.
" After this, he fpent about a Week, as I re-
" member, in going from Houfe to Houfe through
" all his Pariflo, declaring unto all, both great and
<; fmall, what Difcoveries GOD had made to him
" of what he was about to do, and how ht faint-
" ed at the beholding of the Fifion (which he coin-
6 par'd, as to his People, fo afterwards to others,
" in other Places, to EZEKIEL'S and DANIEL'S Faint -
" ing, and being weakened and aftoni/hed at be-
c holding fome of the Manifestations of the Glory
< aftd terrible Majefly of the LORD) and folemn-
tt ly warning and exhorting them to repent, for
" that
186 71%* $f a bad PART L
" that the Kingdom of Heaven was at Hand : And
" this he did as one extraordinarily injtrufted and
" commiffioned for that Purpofe. And from this
" Time he openly declar'd, that he had an ex-
" traordinary Call and MiJJion to go, and publifh
" abroad what GOD had reveal'd to him, con-
•c cerning the wonderful Revival of Religion, which
" was now to begin ; and to wa;a and call Pco-
*c pie to Repentance under the immediate Direction
« of the HOLY GHOST. Whether he founded his
" Call upon the above mentioned Texts alone,
" or on fome others with them I know not.
" After this, he left the OYSTER-PONDS, ( the
" Place where he had been Preaching) and went
" forth to publiih and preach the fame Things
" unto others; and came firft toSoirrnoLD, where
" he found Mr. D — T fully in his Sentiments as
" to thefe Things, abfolutely believing that the
" LORD had fpoken to him ; which he might be
" the rather difpos'd to do, as he had himfelf,
<c much about the fame Time, STRONG IMPRESSI-
" ONS, and, as he believed, PARTICULAR INTIMA-
" TIONS FROM THE HOLY GHOST, of the fame Things,
« in thofe Words of the 115 Pfalm, the I2th,
" 1 3th, 1 4th Verfes, The LORD hath been mind-:
" fid of us, he will bkfs us ; he will blefs the >
<c Houfe of Ifrael ; he will blefs the Houfe of
« Aaron ,• he will blefs them that fear the LORD, :
" both fmall and great. He /hall increafe you more
" and more, you and your Children.
Accordingly, Mr. DAVENPORT call'd an AJJem- \
«c bly of the People, in which Mr. BARBER declar- f
" ed the fame Things, which he had done before
c* at the OYSTER-PONDS ; and exhorted th,em in
" like Manner. From thence he went forward!
through |
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 18?
" through all the Parifies of that Town, faying,
*< for Subftance, every where the fame Things.
*c No B. When he went from the OYSTER-PONDS
*f upon this Bufmefs, as he counted his Mifflon
>< fomewhat ' like that of our LORD's Difciples,
" who were fent forth before him into every
*' City, whither he himfelf would come, so he
*' fuppos'd himfelf oblig'd to follow the Dire&iont
*' given them on that Occafion ; and accord-
<c ingly, took, no Money with him, neither Change of
* Apparel, nor Shoes, but was ihod with Boots : And
" as he paft along through the feveral Pari/hes of
* SOUTHOLD, he publickly declared, that he bad
*' laid afide all Study and Fore- thought of what he
" fhould deliver in his publick Speeches to the
" People, (fome who heard him thought fo) and
" depended wholly on the IMMEDIATE DIRECTION
" OF THE HOLY GHOST, and that 'twas given him
" In that Hour, from Time to Time, what he fhould
^ fpeak : Alfo, that he knew nothing where he
" was to go next beforehand ,* but was IMMEDI-
" ATELY INSTRUCTED as to that by the SPIRIT,
" from Day to Day. From this Time likewife,
" he took it upon him to judge and determine the
*' fpirtiwl 'State of People with great Affurance ;
*c in all which Things Mr. DAVENPORT concerted
*' with him, and has ever ilnce, in a great Mea-
** fure, profeffed and afted accordingly,
<< From the Wefi-End of SOUTHOLD, Mr. BAR-
cc BER'S Spirit led him to an obfcure Place about
^ twenty Miles forward, call'd the OLDMANS ;
" where, at his Coming, he call'd the People to-
*' gether, and fpake to them the fame Things he
afi along declarU Here he abode fome
Months,
i88 Things of a \>*& PART I.
" Months, refufing for a long Time to preach to
" them any more, though often defir'd, as I was
" informed about that Time : Neither could he
" be perfwaded to remove thence, or return to
<c OYSTER-PONDS, though much importun'd there-
<c to''by fome of his bell: Friends, who went from
<c thence for that Purpofe ; but led an inactive
*c idle Life, 'till he was grown very fat and rag-
" ged ; alledging in his Juftification, that he had
" received NO DIRECTION FROM THE SPIRIT TO RE-
"^MOVE THENCE, -and muft remain Jlationed there,
" fo long as the Cloud abode upon the Tabernacle.
" At length, after fome Excursions, he returned
" to OYSTER-PONDS, and from thence, over a
" while, went to RHODE-ISLAND to fee Mr, W— D,
" and join'd himfelf to him."
Before I go on with my Friend's Narration, I
would juft remark, that this Gentleman brought
this fame Spirit along with him to RHODE-ISLAND.
Mr. WHITEFIELD relates, f " that he told him,
" he came to RHODE-ISLAND, under a full Con-
" vi6Hon, that he iliould fee him there, and had
" been waiting for him eight Days ; for he faid,
" thefe Words were MIGHTILY IMPRESSED ON HIS
" HEART, Is not AARON the Levite thy Brother ?
" / know he can SPEAK WELL ; and alfo, behold, he
<c cometb forth to meet thee, and when he feeth thee9
<e he will be glad in his Heart : And I will be with
*' thy Mouth, and with his Mouthy and will teach
" -you what ye /hall do." But what is more wor
thy of Notice is the Letter he fent to Mr.
WHITEFIELD, which concludes with this unheard
of Paragraph.* " I (hall omit writing any Thing,
f See his Journal at NEW-ENGLAND^ Page 42.
* Ibid. %w^. Page' III
« snd
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 189
" and only hereby prefent my hearty Love ;
" and let you know, that I am now waiting
<f at the Pofl of your Door for AdmiJJlon. Tho'
" I AM UNWORTHY, MY LORD IS WORTHY,
" IN WHOSE NAME, I TRUST, I COME." How Mr.
WHITEFIELD could think fo well of this Part of
the Letter, as to publifh it to the World, I am at
a Lofs to conceive. It appears to me to be an,
A6t of downright grofs Idolatry. He makes Ufe of
the GREAT SAVIOUR as a Medium of Approach to a
frail mortal Man. I trufl Mr. W — D did not fee
it in this Light ; but it's the genuine Conftruft'wn
of the Thing : And I wifli it may be blotted out
of every one of thefe Journals, as not fit to be
feen among Chriflians. I now proceed,
« From the Time of Mr. B— -R'S paffing thro'
" SOUTHOLD, in the Manner above-mentioned,
" which was, as I remember, in March 1740,
fc Mr. D-— T betook himfelf to much the fame
" Method of addreffing and exhorting his People,
" with incredible Zeal and Earneftnefs, perfuaded
cc as he was, that the SPIRIT HAD REVEALED TO
" HIM, that the Kingdom of GOD was NOW coming
" among them with Power, and that he had an
u EXTRAORDINARY CALL to labour in the Advance-
" ment thereof.
" Particularly, at a Meeting of many of his Peo-
ff pie, at his Lodgings, he continued his Speech
to them for almofl twenty four Hours together,
'till he was quite wild, and fo fpent and over-
come, that he did not, recover his Strength and
Calmnefs of Thought and PaJJions, 'till after feme
Days Confinement to his Chamber ; all which,
was, with him, the pure Effect of the mighty
Energy of the Spirit upon his Mind.
"At
cf
190 Things of a baa PART I,
ff At this Time alfo, he began to make an o-
fe pen Difference between his Communicants,
fc fuch as he judged converted and others ; call-
" ing the one BROTHER, the other NEIGHBOUR,
" both in fpeaking to them, and of them : Which,
" at length, proceeded fo far, that he publickly
" forbid the NEIGHBOURS to partake of the Sacrament ,
« fome of whom were accounted as fubflantial and
" valuable Chriflians as any among them* By this
" new and flrange Method of Gonduft, uihur'd in
" as it was, the People's Minds were prefently
" thrown into mighty Tumults. Some believed
" this Gentleman's Fancies to be REVELATIONS OF
" THE SPIRIT ; and his Words 9 ORACLES : But
" the moft Part were aftonifhed and confounded
" in their Thoughts. Many were foon thrown
u into a tumultuous Concern and Terror, and Num-
" bers over a little while pronounced Converts*
" I muft acquaint you with one Thing more*
" worthy of Notice, which happened the Sum-
" mer following. There was a poor Woman liv-
" ing in the next Parlfh to Mr. DAVENPORT'S,
u counted religious, who had been totally dlftract-
" ed of a long Time, and dumb for a Seafon. Mr.
" DAVENPORT, pofTefl with a Notion, that he
" could pray her into her right Mind, and to the
" Ufe of her Tongue, though the Phllljllnes could
" afford her no Relief, fpent a Day of Faftlng
« and Prayer for that Purpofe, with a Number
46 of his admiring Brethren. At this Meeting (I
" think it was) he fet a certain Day, by which
" Time, if not before, he was affured, fhe would
" be delivered, and recover her Speech. On that
" very Day, the Woman died, without having
" fpoken a Word, or difcovering any Signs
" of being in her right Mind. When this was
" objected
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 191
" objefted to him, he faid, his Faith was verifi-
" edy and Prayers anfwered, in the Event ; for
" thac ihc w*;> delivered that very Day by being
" received to Heaven.
" I was my felf at SOUTHOLD flmdry Days, a-
" bout fix Weeks after the firft beginning of
tf thefe Things ; and then and there received the
" Subftance of this Account, fo far as it relates to
" Things trail fafted before my being there, partly
" from Mr. D ----- T'S own Mouth, and partly from a
" Gentleman of hisParifh of undoubted Credit, who
" had the greaceft Advantages to know thefe
" Things, perhaps, of any Man in the Place ; Mr.
« D— -i then lodging at his Houfe. And all the
" other Parts of it have been fo credibly related
<c to me, and fo often confirmed, that I know no
<c Reafon to doubt their Truth.
€e When Mr. D— T came to SAY-BROOK, which
was the latter Part of Augufl, 1741, he had
raifed Expe£lations of making many Converts
" there. I had heard, fundry Times, before he
" came from the ISLAND, of his Defign to come
" to this Place, and that he had exprefl a ftrong
« Belief i that the LORD had much People to be ga-
" thered out of SAY- BROOK. And while he was aC
" LYME, where he tarried fome Time, I heard
" frequently of his expreffing an Expe6lation of
" doing Wonders here. Some of his Difciples,
" and intimate Friends, and of the Chief of that
" Way, his own Par i ft oner sy who came over to
" this Town, from him, when at LYME, told
" fome of the ^People, that . the LORD HAD RE-
" MARKABLY SIGNIFIED TO MR. DAVENPORT, that
" he had a GRE-AT WORK to do at SAY-BROOK ;
c and that fome of the BRETHREN had had the
" like
192 Things of a bad P A R T I.
*< like INTIMATION, and that they themfelves were
" FULL OF THIS FAITH : And this feems to have
" been the general Expectation of his Adherents fo
" far as I can learn.
" I fuppofe, while his Imagination was fired
" with the Profped of 'doing Wonders here, he
" either read, or happened to recollect in his
cc Mind, the Story of JERICHO, whereupon it oc-
" cur'd to his Thoughts, that the Conqueft he ex-
" peeled to make of SAY-BROOK, was well repre-
" fented thereby : Upon which, his Imagination
" took the Hint, and painted out a moil pleafmg
" Comparifon, which raifed his Paffions, gladdened
" his Heart, inflam'd his Zeal, and increased his
u Confidence of Succefs, and fo beguil'd him into
" a fond Belief, that the SPIRIT OF GOD HAD RE-
<c VEALED AND CONFIRMED tO him what WONDERFUL
fc THINGS were to be done, in this Place, by his
" Hands > before hidden under the Difguife of that
" Piece of Scripture Hiftory.
<c My Reafon for this Suppofition, is, the Man-
ff ner of his fpeaking of this People, and bwtfelf,
(f when here, both in his Praying and Preaching.
ff JERICHO, according to hislleprefentationof the
" myjlical Senfe of that Piece of Hiftory, is SAY-
<c BROOK ; the Walls of it, the People's Oppofition to
" his Spirit, or according to his Senfe of the Mat-:
ff ter,to the SPIRIT OF GOD; The KING OF JERICHO,
" is the MINISTER of the Place ; the Prieft's
" compqffing the Walls, and founding 'Rams-Horns,
" is his compaffing the Town about, and preaching
" the Word here ; the feven Days that they
" compared the Walls, before they fell, figni-
« fies a fet Time for the People's falling from then*
(( Oppofition to his Ways, to GOD and Religion,
according
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 193
" according to him ; and that, at that Time, the
" King, the Minijler fliould be jlain, and the Peo«
" pie made willing Captives to him. This fet Time,
(( he had a great Mind fliould not exceed the Li-
" mits of feven Days, and exprefl himfelf publick*
*' ly, fome of thefirft Days of his being here, as
* ' flrongly expecting that, in that Thne, they fliould
<{ be brought over ; though fo far as I can
<f learn, he was fo cautious as never to declare
" pofitively, that this would be effe&ed within the
fc Compafs of the feven Days. However, he had
" the Mortification to tarry his Days, and was
" obliged, at lift, to leave the Walls flanding
" more firmly than when he came to demolilh
" them."
" Some of the loft Days of this Gentleman s be-
c< ing in this Place, he declared that the SPIRIT
cc HAD NOT TOLD HIM, when the Work fliould be
(f accompliihed, but only that it fliould be in the
" APPOINTED TIME ; and that he was ajjured, ic
" would be, when the SET TIME was come, which,
" whether it would be, this Tear or next, he knew
" not.
" Mr. D— - T came to this Town on Tuefday.
<c On Thurfday, or Friday^ of the fame Week,
u Capt. JOHN LEE, of the eaft Parifh in LYME^
*' came over, and brought the following Story,
" A Number of little Children, of that Parijb, held
ts a private Meeting among thgmfelves, one Even-
6 ing, after Mr. D— -T'S being at SAY-BROOK ;
4 in which, among other Things, they prayed
" very earneftly, that Mr. DAVENPORT might have
" great Succefs in that Place, ufmg the Pbrafes,
" he waS fo very fond of ; viz. that at the found*
" ing of his Rams- Horns, the Walls of JERICHO might
O " fall.
194- Things of a PART I.
" fall The Children were, to Appearance, under
" a great and ftrong Imprejfion ; many of them
" falling down. One of them ran and called
(f Capt. LEE, who, coming to the Meeting, found
<f them exceeding full, and wonderfully transported.
*( 'Twas reprefented, and received by Mr. DA-
<c VENPORT'S Adherents as a very remarkable Thing,
" that the Children, at the Diftance of a dozen
*c Miles, fliould be mov'd to pray for Succefs to
<f Mr. DAVENPORT'S Preaching in SAY-BROOK, in \
" the fame Pbrafes which he himfelf ufed in the
" Place, when they could not be fuppofed to know
" that he ufed the like ; and as a clear Proof,
" that he was guided by a good SPIRIT, and as
" a certain Earneft, that by the founding of his]
u Rams-Horns, the Walls of the Town mould be
" fhaken to the Ground. It was remark'd by others
« upon the Qccafion of this Story, that Mr. D-T]
" had publicity us'd the fame Phrafes, while yet'
« at LYME, with Regard to SAY-BROOK ; pray->
" ing, that, at the Sound of his Rams-Horns, the
" Watts of JERICHO might fall : And therefore,
Cf that the Children might well know, that he had
*' ufed thefe Exprejflions, and life them themfelves^
<c in Imitation of him, without any EXTRAORDI-!
«' NARY dilating of the HOLY GHOST.
" 'Twas alfo remark'd, that this Story camei
" very feafonably for Mr. D — T, his Rams-horns*
" beginning, by this Time, to grow into Con-
<c tempt among the People. And indeed, fo funk-
<c was their Reputation, that this Story, with all;
" the Colourings that could be given it, could not;
" procure them any Credit. Some were fo ex-
" travagant as even to imagine, that this look'd
<* very like a Romi/b Miracle, and to fufpeft fome
*' pious
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 195
" pious Fraud in the Matter.— -The Impartial will
" doubtlefs judge reafonably of this Affair/1
This Account I received from the Revd. Mr.
WILLIAM HART of SAY-BROOK, who Hands ready
to juftify every Article contained in it. It may
feem indeed to fome like a Romance, and be fcarce
thought worthy of the lead Credit. I (hall there
fore, to give Countenance to it, prefent the Read
er with fomc Part of Mr. D T'S Converfation
with the Body of the Minifters in this Town, and
the Minifters of CHARLESTOWN, who, upon his
coming here, fent to him to deflre to have fome
friendly Difcourfe with him : In which Conver
fation, will be feen ( if I miftake not ) the fame
Spirit, operating in the fame Manner, as has been
above defcribed, however extravagant it may
appear to the World. It is as follows,
" Mr. D T, being prefent with the Mni-
" fters, was ask'd by the Rev. Dr. COLMAN, in the
" Name of his Brethren, to give them an Account
" of his Opinion, with Refpecl: to the Operation
" and Influence of the SPIRIT of GOD on the
" Minds of Believers ; becaufe they had heard,
" that he laid too much Weight upon Impulfes
" and Impreffions. Mr. D — T, after lifting his.
" Eyes and Face to Heaven, and praying to GOD
" as if he expected immediate Direction from him,
" faid, that he would anfwer as the LORD fhould
" affifl him : And then began to talk as if he
" meant to give the Dottor a dirett Anfwer ; but
" having talk'd, it may be, a Quarter of an Hour*
" without coming to the Point, or giving the Mi-
" niflers any Satisfaction, the Dottor (lope him,
<e and deflred him to give a catagorical Anfwer to
*' the Queftion propofed : Upon which, he faid,
O 2, " he
196 Things of a bad PART I,
u he would give them an Account of his Conver-
" Jion, and GOD's Dealings with his Soul ; and
" then prayed again to GOD for Direction. When
" one deilred him to be mort, he anfwered, he
" would be as fhort as poffible, but that he would
" notftint the SPIRIT of GOD neither.
" The Account he gave of his Converfion, and
" GOD's Dealings with his Soul, or his Experiences,
" as he at other Times expreft it, laded from
" nine to eleven at Night : and for an Hour and
" half next Forenoon, with but little Interruption.
" Among a great many other Things, he told us
" the two following Stories.
ef The firfl was occafioned by his being ask'd,
" why Ije call'd his Fellow-Traveller his drmour-
" Bearer ? In Reply whereto, he faid, that be-
" fore he commenc'd Itinerant, this Brother that
<c was now with him, and had been his Fellow-
46 Traveller from the beginning, propos'd to him
4C to go and preach the Gofpel beyond the Bounds
*c of his own Congregation ; to whom he gave
" no Anfwer, as not knowing the Will of the LORD
" concerning that Matter. But after fome Medita-
" tion upon it, and Prayer to GOD, as he open-
" ed the Bible to read, the Story of. JONATHAN and
" his Armour-Bearer caft up to him, without his
" having the lead Thought of turning to it. He
" read, and faw ( as he faid ) every Line, every \
" Word in a new Light ; and the LORD caufed
" it to make a STRONG IMPRESS ION upon him. As
" JONATHAN and his Armour-Bearer went to the
" Gdrnfon of the Philjftinef, fo he thought the
".LORD CALLED HIM and the Man that was with
" him to go and preach to the People in EAST-'
44 HAMPTON. He communicated this IMPRESSION
"to
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 197-..
« to the Man, who anfwered as JONATHAN'S Ar-
u mour-Bearer did, do all that is in thine Hearty be-
" hold, I am with thee. Then they prayed to the
" LORD, and the IMPRESSION upon his Mind to
" go to EAST-HAMPTON was fo ftrong, that he was
" as furc the LORD SENT HIM as he was of his own
" Exiftence. Moreover, the LORD TOLD HIM,
" that he fliould convert as many of the People at
tc EAST-HAMPTON to CHRIST JESUS, as JONATHAN
" and his Armour- Bearer flew of the Philiftines.
" But then, he told the MAN, that as the Philif-
" tines called to JONATHAN and his Armour-Bear-
<c er, to come up to them, fo they muft wait, till
" they fliould receive a Call from the People of
" EAST-HAMPTON. Accordingly, fome of the
" People, in a few Days, fignified to Mr. D— T,
" that they would be glad, he would come and
« preach to them. Away they travelled, be and
" the Man, up to their Knees in Snow ; which he
" compared to JONATHAN'S and his Armour-Bearer's
" climbing up, upon their Hands and upon their Feet,
" to the Garnfon of the Philijlines. And according
" to the Faith which GOD had wrought in him, he
" faid, he flew twenty Perfons in EAST- HAMPTON-
" i. e. He converted twenty to JESUS CHRIST.
The other Story he told was this. The LORB
" COMMANDED him to go to a Town, the Name of
" which I have forgot, to preach to the People.
" As he rode along, he became very uneafy and
" troubled in his Thoughts, becaufe he knew not
" what he fliould fay to the People, to whom he
" was going. He prayed to the LORD, and thefe
" Words were brought to his Mind;, and made a
" ftrong Imprejfion on him, Take no Thought what
« you /ball fay, for it /hall be given you .in that Hour*
" Upon this his Trouble vaniihed3 and he was
O 3 « as
Things of a }>*& PART L
€e as firmly perfewded GOD would ajjlfl him, as he
" was of the Truth of his own Exijhnce. [ This
*c Way of fpeaking he generally us'd in fuch Ca-
" fes] When he began to preach, he had neither
* 6 Words nor Thoughts enough to go on ; but
<c very foon, GOD all at once darted a great Light
*' into his Mind, fo that for one Thought he was
*( able to utter (and he faid He fpoke very flu-
*f ently too ) GOD put ten into his Heart.
" It may be remarked, when he told the Mini-
€C flers of his having done any Thing, or gone to
*' any Place, he always expreft it in fome fuch
*f Language as that, GOD CALL'D ME, or GOD
f ' COMMANDED ME, Or GOD IMPRESSED IT UPON MY
ff MIND ; and particularly he told them, that
cc GOD SENT HIM TO BOSTON. Being ask'd, if
" by GO Us Calling, or commanding, or fending
*' him, or impr effing it upon his Mind, and fuch like
if Ways of fpeaking, he meant that GOD IN-
*' spm'd HIM as he did the ancient Prophets ; he
ff anfwered, that they might call it INSPIRATI-
€f ON, or by what other Name they pleafed.
(c From which, and many fuch like Things, attl
" the Miniilers concluded, ( as may be feen m;j
" their printed Declaration-} that he had upon him a,
<( STRONG TINCTURE OF ENTHUSIASM.
(f His Fellow-Traveller was of the fame Stamp,
" for being defir'd to give an Account of fome
" Things, which he knew better than Mr. D— T,
« he talk'd juft as he had done. The LORD
" CALLED me, the LORD MADE A STRONG IMPRESS i-
46 ON ON MY MIND, I was as fure of it as of my
" own Exigence, and the like."
N.
PART I. and dangerous Tendency, 199
N. B. This Felloe-Traveller is a Lay -Man, of
no Education, and but fmall Capacity. We had
often heard of him before he came to Town with
Mr. D — T : t And though he was always fpoken
of in the Style of his Armour- Bearer, it was gene
rally thought to be only in a Way of Ridicule.
But when Mr. D— -T came to Town, it was foon
feen to be the real Truth of the Cafe ,* for he
went no where without this Man, and he fo far
regarded the SOUND of his Character as his Armour-
Bearer, that, wherever he walk'd with him, he
would have him under one of bis Arms, to be, as
it were, a Support to it. And in this Form he al
ways went to the Place where he was to preach,
and in like Manner returned from it : And all^
no Doubt, in his own Imagination, by the Di
rection of the SPIRIT.
I have faid fo much about this Mr. D— T, that
I fear, I have been too tedious. But I chofe to
be thus particular, as he has all along had fo
great a Hand in the religious Stir, as it has ap-
pear'd, more efpecially, in mod Places in CONNEC-
TICUT, and LONG-ISLAND. 'Twas he that began
the Out-cries, Swoonings, Raptures, and the like
Extraordlnarles, in thofe Parts : Nor has any Man
been more fuccefsful this Way than he. He
ought indeed to be always mentioned as the moji
noted Inflrument, in the Production of thofe Re-
markahles, which have made fo much Noife in the
Land. And he has been as well ipoke of by
fome of the famous Men in the new Way, as any
among them all. Mr. CROSSWELL fays, Mr. WHITE-
FIELD declar'd it as his Tho't of him,* "That of all
Men living he knew of none, who kept a clofer
* BOSTON PoJl-Boy, Numb, 392,
O 4 H~alk
200 Things of a bad PART I.
Walk whb GOD ; " and that " Mr. TENNENT,
in his Hearing, gave him the Character of being
one of the moft heavenly Men he was ever acquaint^
ed with," And for himfelf, « he prays GOD
to- blefs and profper this wondrous Man, whom he
hath madeftrong for himjelf." And giving an Ac
count of his Preaching at STONINGTON, he fays,f
" The firft Day he preach'd, he believed, near a
" Hundred were flruck with deep Diflrefs almofl
« in a Moment, enquiring what they fhould do to be
** faved "? Many of his Oppofers, [among the reft, .
« came trembling, and asking Forgivenefs of
« GOD, and him, for all their hard Speeches, which
" they, ungodly Sinners, had ungodly fpoken againft
" him. The Hand of the LORD was with hW
" alfo, the following Days, fo that a confiderabls
** Number believed, and turned to the LORD."
He adds, " To be brief, the Number of thofe
t€ who were thought to have received the KING
" of GLORY into their Souls, in eight Days, in
^ three Towns, was computed to be about one
^ Hundred ; among which, fome were Negroes ;
" and, I think, about twenty Indians ; befides a
" vaft Multitude, who were left under hopeful
^ Convictions.
But from the Accounts I have given of Mr.
D^-'T is it poffible, thefe Gentlemen fhould think
jiiftly of him, or of his Succefs in Preaching. And
if the Converts of his making are of the like Spirit
with himfelf, ( as is commonly the Cafe ) what
jnuft be the Opinion of the World concerning
them ? I believe, in. general, they will entertain
a jufl Thought of them, while they imagine them
''' Ibid,
to
PART I. 'and dangerous Tendency. 201
to befuch Sort of Perfons as Mr. D-— T has himfelf
>een defcribed to be.
And notwithftanding thefe high- Encomiums of
is Gentleman, by Mr. W D, T T, C L,
and others that might be mentioned, he has been
a6tually pronounced non compos mentis by the whole
Government of CONNECTICUT.* The fame Opinion
1 2 Men, under Oath, had of him, here at BOSTON.!
And the Minifters in this Town and CHARLESTOWN
have declared it to the World as their Judgment,§
" That. he is a Gentleman much a6led by fudden
'* Impulj'es, upon fuch Explications of the Holy
" Scriptures to himfelf and his particular Friends,
" Defigns and Purpofes, as they can by no Means
" approve of, or juflify ; but muft needs think
" very dangerous and hurtful to the' Inter eft of Re-
" ligion ;" For which Reafon, among others, they
were united to a Man inrefufmg him their Pulpits.
After all, I deny not, but that Mr. D-— T may
have been the Means -of Good to Souls, i. e. Ac
cident ally 9 and as the Tendency of his Temper and
Conduft may have been overruled in GOD'S Govern
ment of the World ,• for in the natural Courfe of
Things, it led dire ft ly to Confufion and every evil
Work ; And this has, in Fa6l, been the Effeft,
more or lejs wherever he has gone.
I pafs now to fome other Preachers of the fame
Spirit I have been defcribing ,• among whom, if
I ftiould again mention Mr, D— -T, I hope the
See the Account at large, in the BOSTON News-
Paper, Numb. 1997. t Evening-Poft, Numb.
370. 5 Their printed Declaration.
Reader
202 Things of a bad PART I.
Header will forgive me ; efpecially, when he
fees it to be a Matter of Neceffity, in order to
my carrying his Thoughts up to the true Source of
this Quaker i/h Turn of Mind, in all thefe Gentle*
men, as well as thofe to whom, by their Means,
it has been propagated. The Gentlemen I have
in View, befides Mr. D — T, are Meflieurs POM-
ROY, WHEELOCK, ALLEN, BLISS ,• all of whom,
it is generally known, are of one Soul, and have
gone into the fame Method of Conduct : Tho'
I believe Mr. D — T has outdone them all. Thefe
are the Mmifters (excepting Mr. BLISS whofe Re-
fidence now is in thefe Pares) who have had the
chief Hand in raifing the Commotions in CONNECTI
CUT ; where fudden Impulfes and extraordinary Pre
tences to the Spirit, have been more general (in Pro
portion) and Extravagant, than in any of the other
Governments,
I have been at no fmall Pains to trace this Spirit
in thefe Gentlemen up to its true Origin : And as,
I think, it will reflect great Light upon the pre-
fent religious State of Things in the Land, and be
of publick Service, to communicate the Informations
I have received upon this Head, I lliall here do
it, without any further Apology.
I mall firit tranfcribe a Letter, from NEW-
MI LFORD, dated Nov. 16. 1742. This may feem
at firft View to be remote from the Bufmefs in
Hand ; but the Clofe of the Letter, together
with what may follow, will open its Defign, and
evidently ihew forth the Rife of the Enthiijiafm
of the abovenamed Gentlemen. Jt is as follows,
cf Dear Brother, Your's is before me, wherein
« you defire of me a Narrative of the Rife, Tranf-
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 203
<f aftions, and various Tenets, and prefent State, of
" thofe People among us commonly called, QUA-
<( KERS ,• a Task very difficult, almoft as much
(C fo as that of the whole Affair of the NEW-
fe LIGHTS, as they are called ; yet, for your Sa-
" tisfaftion, I fliall undertake ^ the Bufinefs, and
« give a fliort, general, and faithful Account, to
" the beft of my Ability ; though the doing of
4t" this will be a renewing of Grief.
Take the Account in the following Order.
" Some Time in the Year 1726 there appeared
(f a flaming Zeal for Religion, among a Number of
" our People ; the Occafion of which ( as was
<f faid ) was the dying Coimfel of a loofe young
ff Maa to his Companions. They fet up private
" Meetings, which they carried on by praying,
" reading good Books, finging, &c. The Meet-
" ings were chiefly of the younger Sort of People ;
if of CHILDREN about FIVE or six Years of Age,
" and fo upwards to about twenty one, or two :
cc And there were among them two or three of
*( thirty Years, or more ; tho' they were mainly
" of the more youngerly Sort. There feem'd to
" appear fo much of a Spirit of real Religion a-
(t mong them, that we were greatly encouraged
" with the Hope, that true Chriftianity was re-
" viv'd among us ; and we were flrengthened
^ in this Hope by their abundant Zeal and I/Far mtb *
" in religious Things, which was as great as you
may any where behold at this Day. After a
while, they multiplied their Meetings to three
or four in a Week, and I my felf frequently
met with them, and fome elder Perfons ; and
were ready to rejoice with them in the feem-
ing slppearance of Religion. The Town was then
birt;
cf
204 Things of a bad PART I.
" but fmall, I fuppofe under the Number of forty
" Families ; and yet, there was fuch a religious
" Progrefs, that there was added to the Church,
«- FIFTY, or upwards, in about the Space of 17
« or 1 8 Months.
" About the Space of a Year after they fet out,
te as I remember, Things evidently appear'd with
(C another Face. They firfl difcover'd a great De-
" gree of fphitual Pride, which wonderfully grew
" and increafed in them, and evidenc'd itfelf by
" its Fruits ; efpecially, a Spirit of difcerning and
" judging the State of others, fo that there were
cc fcarce any that efcap'd their Cenfure, either a-
cc mong the Living or the Dead, in their Memory.
<c Upon this they began to purge their Meetings,
" (to ufe their Language) and difallow the uncon-
" verted ( as they termed them ) to meet with
<c them ; for they gave out, that there werefalfe
" Brethren and Betrayers : And they fliifced from
" Place to Place that they might have none but
" Converts among them. By this Time, we be-
cc gan to be much alarmed, elder Perfons with-
" drew from their Meetings, and reflrain'd their
4< Children ; yet notwithftanding, there remain-
a ed a wonderful Itch in many to be with them,
" and fundry did follow them ; and they allow'd
" them fo to do, in Hope of prsfelyting them.
" Soon after this, they began to correfpond
" with the Opinionifts in the Country, and to be
" the Occafion of Talk and Noife. The Anaba$-
" tifts wrote to them from RHODE-ISLAND ; and
" fo did the ROGERS'S Crew, who afterwards made
" them a Vifit, and brought them Books, with
" which they were very much pleas'd and capti^
" vated. Now.it was that the Spirit of Pride
« and
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 205
" and Error began more openly and daringly to
" appear in the n. They fpeak very flightily of
" the Pfalms of DAVID, and fome other of the
" Books of f acred Canon ; not to mention many
t( Books of human Compofure, which they treated
" with Contempt ; tho' highly efteem'd by others
" as orthodox and judicious : Nor did it end in
" this only, but they proceeded further, even to
<f condemn Gofpel-Minifters in general, and the civil
" Magistrate alfo. To our civil Rulers they gave
" no better Style than the BEAST.— Thefe Things,
" with what followed, threw the Town into great
" Confufion, (as you may well fuppofe) which is
" fo well known, that I need only fpeak it :
" They were indeed generally lamented and dif-
" approved by the venerable Miniflers about us,
" as the Effects of & Spirit of Error.— But to go on,
" Upon their prof effing, and ufing Endeavours
* f to fpread thefe lyings, with other Errors, and
" difcovering at the fame Time great Rancour of
" Spirit, thofe, who were before enfnared by their
" fair Shew, were brought to confider ; and many
" left them, forfaking their Meetings. Upon this,
" the -principal Perfons in this Affair, to the Num-
" ber of about fifteen or fexteen in all, Men and
" Women, young and old, SEPARATED themfelves,
" went out from us, and were no more of us ;
fetting up and meeting by themfelves, on the
Sabbath, and alfo on the Thurfday, which were
their chief and conftant Meeting- Days. Tho'
they met on the Sabbath, yet they held no Sanc
tity in that Day more than in any other Day. They
alfo chofe a Speaker (as they termed him) whom
they principally depended on ; yet notwith-
tc
it
C€
^f
" Handing, any one preached that was moved by the
*c SPIRIT, whether Man or Woman ; tho' not
" without
20(5 Tilings of a bad PART I.
€e without they were thus moved by the SPIRIT :
" And fo they went on managing ; yet, as I
<c am credibly informed, fome Years ago, there
" was a Time when the SPIRIT fail'd them, and
" they had none but Jilent Meetings for a Year or
*c more. Befides their Speaker, they had another
*c Kind of Officer among them, whofe Bufinefs it
*c was to take Care of their Cloathing, as to its
" Colour, Fafhion, Make, &c. But his Title I
" have forgot. However, this is remarkable, that
" as they began with fpiritual Pride, fo this con-
« founded them ; for it was their Contention a-
" bout their Officers that divided them. Part are
<• returned to their own Sheepfold, Part gone over
«c to the Church o/" ENGLAND, and about fix or feven
cf Hill remain under the Influence of the fame
" Spirit, and in the fame Errors, unlefs (as in the
" Cafe of all Error) there may be a Variation in
*' fome Things : Though I muft add, that even
<c thefe fix or feven feem'd, of late Years, to be
" more moderate and fociable, and there was a
" Profpecl: of their returning back to us, before the
" Appearance of the NEW-LIGHT ; for now they
" feem to think, They are the Stone cut out of the
" Mountain, that (ball fill the wbole Earth.
" As for their particular Tenets,- it is difficult,
" they are fo much given to change, to defcribe
" them ; yet, in general, (befides their Notion
<* of the SPIRIT'S being In, and fenfibly, and Immedl-
" ately leading them, as I above faid) their Opinion
'c may be collected from the following Account.
" At their firfl fettlng out,zs they ftrongly mag-
" nified and afferted AJfurance In Believers, yea,
" all Believers ; fo they themfelves had the Faith
" of Jfflurance, and were not in Doubt, in the leajt
Meafure,
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 207
" Meafure, for the Space of a Year ; Nay, they
" affirm'd it to be a Sin, a great Sin, in any Mea-
fc fure, to doubt of their good Eft ate : And they
" had an Affurance ( as they themfelves faid ) of
u the Salvation of other Perfons.
" They deny theNeceJfity of human Learning, as
" a Qualification for the Work of the Miniftry.
" If Men are converted,, that they think is fuffi-
" dent : Nor may any but fuch take upon them
" the Buiineft of Preaching.
" They likewife hold, that none are converted,
cc but fuch as conform to them ; and therefore
" they join with none elfe in religious Affairs.
cc They us'd to deny and defpife the external
" Ordinances of Baptifm, and the LORD's Supper ;
" though they pretended a Regard to them
" according to fome fpiritual Senfe and Mean-
" ing : But of late they have fomewhat altered
" their Principles upon thefe Points, and fay they
" could receive the Ordinances, if adminiflred by
" a CONVERTED Man. And fince the late Stir in
" the Country, fome of them have faid frequent-
" ly, they wifli'd they could fee Mr. W— -D, or
" T — T, they could receive the Ordinances from
" them.
" And, as fpiritual Pride feems to have been
<c the Ground of all their other Errors, fo from
this Root of Bitternefs has fprung the vain Pre
tence they make to Jlnlefs Perfection : For this
abfurd and wicked Opinion they alfert and hold.
" They alfo declare as well as judge, that none
of our Minifters are fit to preach, or adminfter
« thA
(f
208 Things of a bad PART I.
€C the Ordinances ; and that none ought to
*f them : They have likewife an Opinion of
" our civil Rulers as not fit to fet at the Helm of
" Government, being unconverted.
" I muft not omit obferving to you, that as
" feveral of thefe Perfons have, at Times, re-
" nounced their Errors, and confefl the Spirit of
" Detujion they were under, fo fome of each of
« the three Parties, i. e. of thofe who have return-
" ed to us, or gone over to the Church, or flill re-
cc tain their former Spirit, do, to my Knowledge,
" afTert, that much of the Spirit that is produced
" by the ITINERANTS and their Preaching, is the
" SAME WITH THEIR'S : And fome of theftandiitg
<f QUAKERS, particularly ( for fuch are the. fmall
" Remnant of this Seft remaining) will gladly bear
" fome of thefe Itinerant Preachers ; and fay,
" they have the fame Spirit, they have, but don't ^
" know it ; for they them/elves did not know at firft,
" whither they <were going.
" As for DAVID FERRIS, of whom you defire an
" Account in particular ; what I can fay is this,
" viz, That as he was one of the NUMBER arid
" FAMILY that were ftrongly attached to, and deep-
" ly ting'd with, the Things above fpoken of, fo
<f he had alfo a ftrong Inclination to attain fome
" humane Learning. He began his Grammar with
" me. — I had a great many Debates with him. —
" At length, he told me, in fome Heat, that /
" and this Church were fuch Beafts as PAUL fought
cc with at EPHESUS : Upon which I difmift him.
(f From hence he went to Mr. Moss at DERBY ;
" but being uneafy there, went from thence to
u MILFORD, where hefcatterd fome of his Errors.
" From MILFORD he went to COLLEGE, where,
" ic
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 209
"" it is laid, he kept fomewhat hid for a Time ;
" though I plainly told the RECTOR of his Er-
« rors, and the Danger of his poifoning the Stu-
" dents. After fome Time he appeared a&ive,
" and with his plaufible Craft, and infinuating Be-
" haviour, and Bis Books, corrupted and led away
" fundry ; efpecially, WHELOCK, POMROY, BLISS,
66 DAVENPORT, &c«
" Thus, Sir, I have given, as you defired, a
" Succinct, and mort Account of our long Affair.
". I only add, as to the Fafts, they are the Truth.
" No more at prcfent, but that I reft your's &c.
DANIEL BOARDMAN.'J
The Gentleman to whom this Letter was fenc,
in his Letter conveying it to me, fpeaks of the
Author as the Minifier of the Place where chefe
Things happened, and a worthy, honeft^ valuable
Perfon ; and adds, that he defir'd him tp write
nothing but what might appear in public , and be
lieves that I may, if Need be, affix his Name with
out Offence ; For which Reafon 1 have ventur'd
to do it.
The Reader will eafily obferve, how the un-
happy Turn of Mind that prevail'd at Nsw-MiL-
FCRD got into the College ; and who the particu
lar Gentlemen were, that were led afide by it :
Though thefe Things will more fully appear in
the next Letter I fha.ll inlert , which is as follows.
" Sir, As you defir'd me, fome Time ago, to
" fend you what I knew, concerning thofe Evthit-
" fiftft* who were my Contemporaries at Y ALE- COL-
" LEGE ; agreable thereto I have written what
" follows. DAVID FERRIS, one ;,of the Nfiw-
P " MILFOHD
2 1 o Things of a bad PARTI,
" MILFORD Quakers, came to NEW-HAVEN in the
" Year 1729, and was admitted into College about
" June, or July, in that Year ; pretending to
" have forfaken his quakerifh and enthufiaftick Te-
" nets : But all was fal/e, for though he at firft
" did not think proper to own them, yet he en-
" deavour'd to lay a Foundation to propagate
" them, and infill his Poifon into all as far as he
" could ; which he did by acling under a Shew
.<< of Zeal and Sanftity, whereby fome were en-
" fnared by him, who have frnce been the Propa-
« gators of his Doftrines and Tenets. This FERRIS
" was the greateft Enthufiafi'I ever knew. I
" believe it was partly owing to his Conjtitutton,
" and partly to his ignorant, fuperflitious and il-
". literate NEW-MILFORD Companions. By his En*
" thufiafm and Superftition, he was led into luch
ic wild Errors and Abfurdities, that a Man, who
" was guided by Reafon and Scripture^ would be
" amazed at his Folly ; for when he found his
" Mind ftrorigly engaged in any Thing, although
" inconnftent with Reafon ar Revelation, yet he
" would confidently affirm THOSE IMPULSES to be
" from the SPIRIT OF GOD ; and that he could
" not be miftaken, any more than when the Sun
" fhines and he fees it, it may all be a Decep-
cf tion. It was impoflible, under this ftrong Per-
" fwafion of his being infpir'd, to convince him ;
" and it was to little Purpofe to reafon with him,
" for that internal Light was his fole Guide ; and
" by it he was led into all Manner of Errors.
" I cannot better defcribe the Man, than by
*' relating what he faid to me. He told me, he
<f was certain, not one in ten of the Communicants
<f in NEW-HAVEN Church would be faved ; but
" would go dire ft h down to Hell when they died.
" He
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 211
<f He faid, it was a Call from Heaven, his coming
" to College ; that it was reveal 'd to him, when
" he was fick, that he ihould recover ; that
" when he died, he knew he ihould have a higher
" Seat in the Kingdom of Heaven than MOSES,, ,
" which Knowledge was from the Illumination of
" GOD's SPIRIT ; that he knew GOD's Will in
" all Things, and Hv'd agreeable thereto to that
" Perfection* that if he were to die that Night,
" he would not deiire to have an Alteration made
" in one Article of his Life for fix Tears, for he had
" not been guilty of any Sin in that Time. He
" was, to be fhort, filled with Imaginary Revela-
" tions. He had a proud and haughty Spirit^ and
" appeared ftrongly defirous of Applaufe. He
" was blind to his own Faults, and other Men's
" Virtues ; but quick to fpy out fome Things
" amifs in his Neighbours, and would judge and
" condemn all but his own Party, and enthufiaf-
" tic Zealots like himfelf. He would do all in
" his Power to advance his own Opinions, and
u lov'd to head a Party, to whom he could dic-
" tate, and on whom he could impofe his Prin-
" ciples as Certainties : And as he would have
" it, fo it happened ; for by hiding himfelf un-
" der a Cloak of Zeal, fome gloomy Perfons among
" the Students were enfnared by him, who having
" mixed fomething of Devotion with their me-
" lancbolly Tempers, became his Admirers, and had
" his Perfon in Admiration to that Degree, that
" they believed all he faid to be true, and en-
" tertain'd fuch an Opinion of his Worth, that
" they drank in all his Errors without Examina-
vc tion. His Word to them was Demonjhatlon.
<c Verily, they feemed to think, he could neither
" deceive, nor be deceived. They endeavoured
*' to imitate him in all Things as far as they could,
P a " Miv
212 Things of a bad PART I.
" Mr. DAVENPORT, WHELOCK, POMROY, and others,
" were thofe who liv'd with this FERRIS .moft fa-
" miliarly, and have fince divulg'd his Errors, and,
" fili'd .Maces where they have preach'd with the
" Superjfitions and groundless Opinions, they learn'd
" from him, who was their FATHER and DICTA-
" TOR as to their Belief. This FERRIS liv'd with
cc us until March , 1732 ; and then he returned
" back to NEW-MILFORD to his old Friends the
" Quakers, before, and without ever taking his Degree
" at College"
The Gentleman in the Miniftry, thro' whofe
Hands, this Letter came to me, does not permit
the publifhing the Name of the Writer ; bun fays,
" The Facts you may depend upon as certain.—
" He was not only of the fame Clafs at College,
" but boarded and lodged with FERRIS a conildera-
" ble Time : — And he may be believed." — I
{hall add in further Confirmation of the above Ac
count, that, for Slibftance, 'tis the fame with what
I had myfelf from, at left, half a Dozen Gentle
men laft Commencement, when I ivas at Tale-Col
lege. The Affair indeed is well known in CON
NECTICUT. But to thofe not acquainted with it,
It may not be amifs to fubjoin the Narrative ci:
this Matter, as I penn'd it down from the Mouth
of a Gentkman in the Miniftry, of unblemiuYd Cha-
rafter, who was contemporary at College with Meff.
DAVENPORT, WHELOCK^ &c ; and was himfelf,
in a Meafure, beguil'd by this FEKRIS, and had the
Honour, at Times, of making one of his religion f
Club. It is thus,
" DAVID FERRIS came from a Neft of Quakers
" at NEV/-MILFORD, deeply ting'd with their Spi-
u rif . He made a great Shew of Sanftity, while at
" the
\
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 213
" the College ; by Means whereof, he was under
" Advantage to propagate his quakerifb Notions,
" and did do it, among a Number of the Students',
" Mr. POMROY, WHELOCK, ALLEN, DAVENPORT,
u BLISS, were familiar with him, and led ajide by him.
" They made a Club, and often met together.
u They did not open their Principles to all, but
cc to thofe whom they imagined they could work
" upon. — They laid great Strefs upon Imprejfionr
" and Impulfe-s ; particularly, upon any Senfe of
if Scripture that was fuddenly and ftrongly fugge/led
" to their Minds.— They were ftrangeiy imchari-
" table ; exprelllng tbemfelves cenforioujly of moft
*£ others : They had indeed no Opinion of any
" but themfehes on a religious Account. They
" pleaded for the SPIRIT'S immediate, extraordinary
" Guidance in the Manner 'tis now pleaded for ; and
* were in moil Refpefts then as they have ap-
" feared Jince. FERRIS left College before he took
c; his Degree, profeffing himfelf a Quaker ; and
" its faid to be now a Quaker -Preacher.1'
But, as a further Teilimony to the Truth of
the Account that has been given of the Corrup
tion of thefe Gentleman, at College, I mall ftill
•add a Letter that was fent from Mr. ALLEN,
when a Student at College, to Mr. BLISS then at
a Diflance from it ; wherein is difcovered the
very Spirit of their Father FERRIS, as well as the
Spirit 9 thefe Gentlemen have been remarkable for
in thefe limes. It was intercepted in its Progrefs,
snd brought to a Gentleman, who acquainted the
Governors of the Collect with it, and prefer ved it,
and allow'd me to take a Copy of it ; which,
fo far as the frefent Affair is concerned in it, is as
follows,
P 3 " N£W-HAVFA\
214 Things of a \u& PART I.
" NEW- HA YEN. July i. 1734. YALE COLLEGE.
Worthy Sir, I have of late been greatly at a
*' lofs what I ought to do, with Refpect to my
" tarrying at College ; being fully perfwaded,
" thac GOD HAS CHOSEN ME FOR HIS : And I
" know, my Buflnefs is to ferve GOD. But here
ic is the Cafe ; I have not, for fome Time paft,
<* thought, that I have long Time allotted me in
" this World : Therefore, it Teems I ought to
« improve while I have Opportunity ; and have
« been very much filled with this Thought, That
« I am not now preparing aright for any Service of
" GOD,, but that all this Time is and will be loft ;
" for it famed to me, that I ought to be about the
^ IVor^ which GOD has for me to do in the World,
" appearing very plain to me, as I thought, that THE
*; SPIRIT SHOULD TEACH ME ALL THINGS, John 14.
" 20, 26. I thought fure, the Arm of the LORD
" is not fhortened, and therefore that I WANTED
" NOT HUMAN LEARNING, in order to declare the
" Will of GOD to the World, which I fee periling
" by Heaps all around me ; and I defire not to
" come to Men with Excellency of Speech which is
" of Mans Wifdom, which it teemed to me I was
" heaping up Treafures of. But I think, I have
" found out to be contented here, until GOD
" {hall call me in the bed Way ; and I am not
** now concerned what GOD lhall do with me.
" / am fully perfwaded, he defegns ms to get Glory td
u his Name, and to do much Service for him fome-
<» where. And therefore, feeing I am defigned
u for others Good, I ought to be at GOD's Dif-
** pofe, who only knows how I can and iliall ef-
'( feft this Thing ; although it feems to me
" very hard and grievous to be, as it were, under the
" Harrows, and at ]the Mercy of evil Men fo long in
u this Place, 1 think it may be beft for the In-
tereft
PART J. and dangerous Tendency. 215
" terefl of Religion to tarry here.— What has very
" much contributed to my Comfort lately is, that
(( I "have found federal Friends in Town among the
" common People, and fome whom I long to have
" more Opportunity with ..... But whatfoever I do of
" this Kind, muft be done PRIVATELY : for there
" are thofe who daily and continually watch for my
" Halting. ....... Your's, &c.
TIMOTHY ALLEN.
For Mr. DANIEL BLISS at SPRINGFIELD.
This TIMOTHY ALLEN was, for a while, the
Paftcr of the Church at WEST-HAVEN ; but his
old Spirit, reviving and operating in the late Times,
in a Manner too extravagant to be born with, his
People enter'd their Complaints againft him, and
he was, after a fair Hearing of the Cafe, difmift
from them according to the Method of Difcipline,
in the CONNECTICUT Churches. Among the many
Articles exhibited againft him, I (hall fingle out
one ; arid this I chufe to mention lather than
any other^ becaufe it is fo clearly defcriptive. of
the dangerous Length, this giving Heed to Impulfes,
and the Notion of the SPIRIT'S immediate extraor
dinary Guidance will carry Men. It is in thefe
Wor4s of a Letter from a Friend, " SIR, at your
(f Defire I have look'd into the Papers on File, re-
" lating to Mr. T. A. late Minifter of WEST-
" HAVEN ; and find that one of the Articles
"" charged and prov'd againft him was, " that he
" had publickly .faid, that the Word of GOD, as
" contained in the old and new Teftament, is but
" as an OLD ALMANACK : For which, and various
" other Crimes prov'd againft him, he continuing
cf obftinate, was deposed by the Confociat'wn.
" Teft. SAMUEL WHITTELSEY. Scribe*
But
2i 6 Things of a ^A PART L
But leaving this I lead of ImpuJfes, and immediate
divine Revelations, as the Inftruments in the late Com
motion are concerned in it ; I proceed to obferve,
That the fame Things are become prevalent
among the common People, in one Place arid ano
ther, all over the Land. After the Example of
the Preachers they admire, they too commonly
miflake the Motions of their own Minds for divine
Suggs/lions? and look for thofe Communications
from- the HOLY SPIRIT, which are proper only to
INSPIRED Perfons. They talk not of the SPIRIT'S
Influence in the Language good Chriilians have
been us'd to ; but more in the Strain, of thofe,
who, in the Apoftles Days, were under his imme
diate, extraordinary Guidance, They have many.
of them, a low Opinion of ftudled Sermons, as not
favouring of the SPIRIT'S Help ; while they will
gladly hear any who will venture to fpeak to
them without previous Preparation, whether learned
or unlearned (if converted) ; imagining they are
wonderfully afiifted by the SPIRIT, as to Matter as
well as Manner : Nay, to fuch a Height have
many got, that they not only fee Fijions and hear
Voices ; but are enabled to fuch a Difcernment of
the internal State of others, that, in a few Mi
nutes, they will fix their Character, whether they
are Minijlers, or People, and fpeak of them, and
aft towards them, accordingly. And what is ftili
of mere dangerous Confequence, the Notions
many entertain of the SPIRIT'S Influence are fuch,
as reflect great Difhonour on -the written Word.
Their ExprefTrons, on this Head, have been ftrange-
ly extravagant ; as we may have Occafion to ob-.
ferve in another Place : And fo numerous are
the Perfons who give Heed to Impulfes and Im-
preffions, and fuch have been the evil Confequenccs
hereof
• PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 217
hereof, that fome of the warmeft Contenders for
the good Work, have been alarmed publickly to
fpeak againft this Spirit.
And I am glad, they begin to fee the Neceflity
of fuch a Conduct. For this enthufiaftical Spirit,
it appears to me, is one of the moft dangerous ones
that can take Place in a Land. 'Tis indeed the
true Spirit of QUAKERISM ; the Seed-Plat of Delu-
\Jion, and has all along been found to be fo.
Not that I would be tho't to inflnuate a Word
againft the genuine Operations of the HOLY SPIRIT.
There certainly is fuch a Thing (if we may be-
j lieve the Bible) as the Chriftian's being led, guid-
ed, taught, anointed, by the SPIRIT : And this is
as true of the prefent as of the apoftolic Times ;
though not in the fame Senfe : And the Want
of Care to diftinguim properly here has been the
Occafion of>/«/ Miflakes, touching the SPIRIT*
Influence.
In the firft Days of the Gofpel, the dpoftles and
many of the primitive Chriftians were under an ex
traordinary Influence from the SPIRIT. They were
fupernaturally help'd to fpeak without taking Tho't
before-hand what they ihould fay, to utter them-
felves- in Languages they did not underftand, to
cad out Devils, heal Difeafes, and do many won
derful Things. But befides this, there was, even
in that Day, another Sort of Influence from the
SPIRIT, forming Men to a Refemblance of the di
vine Being in moral Holinefs, and fo a Meetnefs for
the Glories of the heavenly World. And this is
that Influence which is common to all Agcs^ and
. . may be expected by Chriftians no-iv, as well as in
the firji Times of the Gofpel. And hereby it is,
that
si 8 Things of a bad PART I.
that Faith, Hope, Charity, Meeknefs, Humility, and
all thofe other gracious Difpojitions are wrought in
Men's Hearts, wherein the Image of GOD, the
Power of Godlinefs, and the Life of Chrijtianity do
truly corifift.
This Influence of the SPIRIT does not confift in'
fudden Impulfes and Impreffions, in ^jfeons, Revela
tions, extraordinary Miffions, and the like ; but
in working in Men the Preparations for Faith and
Repentance, by humbling them for Sin, and {hewing
them the Necejjlty of a SAVIOUR ; then by effeft-
ing fuch a Change in them, as fhall turn them from
the Power of Sin and Satan,, and make them new
Creatures ; and in fine, by carrying on this good
Work -begun, in them, enabling them to grow in
Grace, and patiently continue doing well, 'till of
the Mercy of GOD, thro' CHRIST, they are crown
ed with eternal Life : All which he does in a
Way agreable to our Make as reafonable Creatures,
by his Blefling on the inflituted Means for the
Accomplifliment of thefe Purpofes of Mercy.
Accordingly, the Spirituality of Chriftians does
not lie in fecret Whiffets, or audible Voices, or vi-
fible Appearances ; it does not lie in the Ufe of
more fuhlime and fpiritual Phrafes than are com
mon among fober and good Chriflians ; it does
not lie in immediate Revelations of Men's good Ef-
tat'e, without the Teflimony of Conference upon thorow
Examination, nor in fuch extraordinary Teachings of
the SPIRIT as fetthem above the Scripture 9 or their
own Endeavours,' in an Attendance on appointed
Means : I fay, the Spirituality of Chriflians does
not lie in fuch Things as thefe ; but in their
being Partakers of a fpiritual Likenefs to the LORD
JESUS CHRIST^ in Faith ; in Purity ; in Lowlinefs,
and
PART I. and dangerous Tendency.
and Humility ; in Love to GOD, and our Neigh
bours ; in Patience, Meeknefs and Gentlenefs ; in
Contempt of the World, Contentednefs with their
Condition, Refignation to God ,• and in a Word,
a Zeal to honour him, and do all the good they can
in the World. This is the Way in which Chri-
,flians are to be one Spirit with CHRIST ; and by
this Spirit it is we know, that we dwell in him,
and he in us : And in this Senfe it is, if any are
led by the SPIRIT of GOD, they are the Sons of
GOD ; and if any have not the Spirit of CHRIST
they are none of his. Such, in whom is found the
Fruit of the Spirit, Love, Joy, Peace, Long-buffering^
Gentlenefs, Goodnefs, Faith, Meeknefs, Temperance,
are, properly fpeaking, fpiritual Chriftians ; And
as this Fruit abounds more or lefs in them, fo are
they more or kfs fpiritual. And this ought always
to be the Rule of Judgment in this Matter.
It may be common in thefe Times, for Chriftians
to think themfelves fpiritual, not fo much accord
ing to the fpiritual Change of their inner Man, in a
Conformity to the Image and Will of CHRIST, as
on Account of fome fuppofed extraordinary Mani-
fejlations of the SPIR1 T1, by open Fifion, or fecret
Impulfe, or immediate Perception. But 'tis a dange
rous Thing for Men to judge themfelves to be
fpiritual from thefe Things, which if they really
experience, they may not be at all the better Men.
And the Danger is the greater, becaufe when they
once come to entertain high-fawn Notions of the
SPIRIT'S Influence, and expedl to be immediately
and extraordinarily inftrudled by him, 'tis great
Odds but, by Degrees, they are led afide into Er
ror and Delufion. 'Twould be no Wonder, if
their Imaginations foon brought them, into fome
Kind of Equality, with the Prophets and dpoftles of
old,
220 Things of a bad PART I.
old, and they ilionld be carried away with the
Conceit of GOD's revealing himfelf to them, in
a Manner not altogether unlike that of Infpiration.
And if they iliould now look down upon others
with Pity and Contempt, as Men in the Dark,
not having the SPIRIT,' to whom the Things
of GOD have not been inwardly revealed, and as
guided by carnal Reafon, and fiefhly Wifdom ; —
it would be no other than might be expeft-
ed. There are indeedjno Absurdities, either
in Principle or Practice, but they are capable of
falling into them ; Inftances whereof have been
common in all Ages of the World.*
Pertinent
A remarkable Inftance we have lately had at NEW-
LONDON, in the horrible Action performed there,
under the Influence of Meilieurs DAVENPORT, and
ALLEN ; a particular Account whereof was foon
fent me by an able faithful Friend, and has fmce been
confirmed, and is now generally known and ac
knowledged to be the Truth. It is in the following
Words.
" An Account of the extraordinary Conduct of the
" New-Lights at NEW-LONDON ; has doubtlefs be-
" fore this Time reach'd you at BOSTON ; but having
" been varioufly reprefented, the following Account
tc (which may be depended upon) perhaps may not be
<c unacceptable.
" The Separates at NEW-LONDON fent a Boat
*c over toLoNG-IsLAND to invite the grand Enthu-
" fiaft D---T over to Organize their Church, ( as
" they term'd it ). He arrived on,or about the fecond
" Day of March : He was no fooner come to Town,
<c than he began to rectify fomeDiforders,he fuppofed
<c were prevailing among the Children of God : He
tc publimed the Meflages which he faid, he received
<c from the Spirit inDreams and otherwife, importing
<{ the great Neceffity of Mortification and Contempt
"of
PART I. and dangerous Tendency.
Pertinent here are the Words of the excellent
Mr. FLAVEL. Says he, f " In the beginning of
" our Reformation by LUTHER, CALVIN &c, there
" fprung up a Generation of Men, call'd SWENK-
" FELDIANS, great Pretenders to Revelations, and
" Vijlons, who were always fpeaking of Deificati-
" ons ; and an higher Strain of Language they
" commonly ufed among themfelves, than other
" ferious Chriftians underftood, and therefore
" fcornfully entitled orthodox and humble Chri-
" flians, who ftuck to Scripture- Phrafe, and whol-
" fome Form of found Words, Grammatifts, Voca-
bulifts, Literalifts, &c. Thefe Men ( as SCUL-
TETUS in his Annels\ ad .Annum 1525^ obferves
of them) were fo entangled in certain enthufi-
'.aflit, Snares, that they tho't it the higheft Im
piety to renounce them : And they had be-
fooFd Multitudes with their magnificent Words
of Illumination^ Revelation, Deification.
" Much
f His Works, Vol. 364, 365.
41 of the World ; and made them believe that they
" muft putaway from them everyThing that they de-
" lighted in, to avoid the hainous Sin of Idolatry,
*' that Wjgs, Cloaks and Breeches, Hoods, Gowns,
" Rings, Jewels and Necklaces muft be all brought
*' together into one Heap into his Chamber, that
" they might,by his folemn Decree,be committed to
" the Flames; together with certain Books of De-
" votion, &c. which he determined to beunfafeto be
" in the Hands of the People. Accordingly, they
<c feern'd to be in a Strife who fbould be firit in this
<c meritorious Action, and then was prefently made
" a Pile of Men's and Women's Apparel and Orna-
" mentsto which the grand Director added a Pair
4t of Plufh Breeches which he wore to Town, and
'' which now he would greatly want, were he not
14 confined in Bed by a Diftemper fpr which I want
" a Name. " The
222 Things of q ted PART I.
cc
Much of the fame Spirit was THOMAS MTJNTZ-
ER, JOHN of LEYDEN, DAVID GEORGE, JACOB
" BEHMAN, &c whofe cloudy Non-fenfe, enigma-
" deal Expreffions, and wilful Obfcurity, drew
*' many into a ftrange Admiration of them :
f< They all pretended to an higher Knowledge of
" Myfleries than what the Gofpel is acquainted
cc with ; and yet give us, as Mr. BAXTER well
" obferves^t Neither Reafons with ARISTOTLE,
" nor Miracles with CHRIST and his s4poftles, to
" caufe us to believe any of their new Revelations,
- " Of the fame Bran were our late Familifts in
" ENGLAND, of whom HENRY NICHOLS was their
" chief Leader ; who decried the written Word
as
f His Book of the Sin again/1 tbeHoLY GHOST. P. 148.
" The Books which were committed to the Flames
<c were as follows, BEVERIDGE'S Thoughts on Re-
4tligion, part of FLAVEL'S Works, one piece of Mr.
*' HENRY'S, RUSSEL'S feven Sermons, DYER'S
'* Golden Chain, the Whole Duty of Man, one piece
" DF.INCREASEMATHER'S, one of Dr.CoLMAN's,
*' one of Dr. SEWALL'S, and Dr. CHAUNCY'S Ser-
<c monagainft Enthufiafm, Mr. ADAM'S Sermons,
" all that could be had; FLYNT'S 20 Sermons,
<c BARNARD'S, HOOPER'S, HART'S, SAMUEI.RUS-
<c SEL'S, BECKWORTH'S, TODD'S,SEABERRY'S and
i4 BLISS'S Sermons, with a Book of WILLIAMS and
<c WADSWORTH ; thefe being called over, were with
<c much Noife and Outcry burnt on the .Town
" Wharf in the Afternoon of the Sabbath Day,
" March 6th, jutt asPeople were coming from Meet-
<c ing, who ran to fee if Murder, or fome other Mif-
« cc chief was not about to be done, and fo were Wit-
<c nefles of this their horrid Delufion, and heard them
<£ fing Hallelujahs and Gloria Patri over the Pile,
" and heard them with a loud Voice declare, That the
" Smak
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 223
" as a dead Letter, and fet up their own fond Con-
<f ceits and Fancies, under the Notion of the
« SPIRIT ; again ft whom that heavenly, and
« learned Man, Mr. SAMUEL RUTHERFORD., fea-
" fonably and fuccefsfully appear'd. RACKET,
" COPINGER, and ARTHINGTON, were of the fame
" Tribe, who liv'd a while wrapt up in ANTI-
" NOMIAN Fancies, which at laft break forth into
" the highefl and moil horrid Blafphemies. .
Having mentioned thefe Inftances of an enthu-
fiafllck Spirit, he obferves upon them in the fol
lowing
ik Smzak oj the torments offucb of the Authors of the
" abovefatd B^cks, as died in the fame Belief \ as when
;c they fet them out , was now afcending in Hell in like
'c Manner , as they faw the Smoak of thefe Books rife.
' The next Day fundry other Books ( to me un-
:c known ) were burnt ; and theCloaths, &c. which
* were ready in a Pile for that Purpofe, would cer-
''* tainly have been confumed, but that one of the
c Fraternity who Jov'd the World better than the
'c reft, and was more apprehenfive of the ill Afpe£l
c this Tranfadlion would have on their Scheme and
>c Party, came running and diverted them from it for
" that Time.
" The New- Light Minifters round about are at a
" lofs how to conduct themfelves3 and how to make
" a PJaifter for this Sore.
' We are ready to hope, that God, who brings
>c Good out of Evil, Light out of DarkneG, and Or-
" der out of Confufion, by Means of thefe extraordi-
>c nary Things, will open the Eyes of People, and
<f put a Stop to the Growth of Error and Enthuiiafm
" in this Land.
^N.B the New- Light s> by a folemn Decree, ordei'd
'Mr. PARSONS'S wonderful piece ( preach'd and
!C printed at Bojtw ) into the Flames at New- London.
224 Things of a bad PART I,
lowing Words, cc The Defign of Satan in thefe
" Things is, to gain Credit to thofe Setts, as
" People peculiarly favoured and beloved of GOD
" above others, as if they were the peculiar Favour-
" ites of Heaven, as DANIEL was ,• and fo to
" draw the Multitude to admire their Perfons, and
" efpoufe their Errors.
The Remedies he has provided again ft ftich En-
tlntfiafm are thefe three 9 with which i ihall clofe
this Head.
" i. Whatever Doftrine or Practice feeks Credit-
" to itfelf this Way, falls juftly thereby underSuf.
" picion, that it wants a folld Scripture -Foundation.
" GOD hath not left his People to feek Satis-
" faftion in fuch uncertain Ways as thefe ; but
" hath given a furer Word of Prophecy, to which
they do well to take Heed.} He hath tied us to
the ftanding Rule of the Word, forbidding us to
give Heed to any other VOICE, or SPIRIT, lead'
" ing us another Way.* Serif lure -Light is a fafe
" and fure Light, a pleafant and fufficient Light.
" . The Scripture (faith LUTHER) is fo full, that as
u for fffions and Revelations, nee euro, ncc dejidero,
<• I neither regard, nor defire them- And when
<( he himfelf had a Fifion of CHRIST, after a Day
<f of Falling and Prayer, he cried out, Avoid Sa*(
" tan, I know no Image of CHRIST, but the Scrip-
" ture. An hankering Mind after thefe Things,
<c fpeaks a Jickly and dlftem-pered State of Soul ;
" as longing after Trafh in young diftempered Per-
" fons, doth a diftempered State, or ill Habit of
« Body.
f 2 Pet. 2. 19. * Ifa. 8. 19. 2 Thef. 2. i, 2.
Gal. i. 8.
2. Confider,
cc
PART I. and dangerous Tendency, 225
2. " Confider^ how often the World hath been
i€ abufed by the Tricks and Cheats of that officious
(i Spirit, the Devil, in fuch Ways as thefe. What
" hath propagated Idolatry among Heathens and
" Chriftians more than this ? //me fluxerent mult a
" Perigrinatlones, Monafleria, delubra, dies fefti, et
" alia, faith LAVATER, in Job 33. Pilgrimage s9
fc Monafleriesi Shrines of Saints, Holy-Days, &c,
" have been introduced by this Trick. 'Twere
" endlefs to give Inftances of it in the Hiflories
" of former Ages.*
3. <c Confider, how difficult, yea, and inipofli-
*' bie it is for a Man to determine^ that fuch a
" Voice, Fifion^ or Revelation $ is of GOD, and
• *e that Satan cannot feign or counterfeit it, feeing
; " he hath left no certain Marks by which we may
: " diftinguifli one Spirit from another. Sure we
; cc are, Satan can transform himfelf into an Angel of
" Light. And therefore abandoning all thofe «».
cs /?/<? and uncertain Ways, whereby Swarms of
" .Error? have been conveyed into the World, leer
us
Of the Prophecies, Fifions, and pretended Infpirati*
ons, of STORKE, PFEIFFERJ BECOLD, WAREN-
DORP, &c. with the Efficacy of them, On the delud*
ed People^ and the fatal Conferences^ both to the
deceived and Deceivers ; See Mr. SAMUEL RU
TH E R F u R D of the fpiritual Anticbrift. See alfo the
Gofpel Way confirmed by Miracles^ pablifhed in the
Year 1649 '> where you will find the free Confeffion
of ANN WELLS, MATTHEW HALL, &c. deluding
the People of WHATFIELD, in SUFFOLK, with
fuch pretended Voices^ Fifions, Prophecies, and Rgvt-
Jations, the like to which have been fcarcely heard of
in ENGLAND, fince the Reformation. Multitude
were deluded by them.
226 Things of a bad PART I;
" us cleave infeparably to the clear Word of Pro-,
" phecy, the Rule and Standard of our Faitb and
« Duty."
Another Thing that very much tends, as I ap«
prehend, to do Hurt to the Intereft of Religion,
is the Rife of fo many Exhorters. A Stranger t<
this Land, and the prefent Appearance in it, ma;
be at a Lofs to know, who are meant by the]
Exhorters : And I'm really amam'd to fay, that
the Pcrfons pointed out by them, are Men
all Occupations, who are vain enough to thin]
themfelves fit to be Teachers of others ; Mei
who, though they have no Learning, and butfmall
Capacities, yet imagine they are able, and without
Study too, to fpeak to the fpirituaf Profit of fuel
as are willing to hear them : Nay, there are a-
mong thefe Exhorters, Babes in Age, as well
Underilanding. They are chiefly indeed youni.
Perfons, fometimes Lads, or rather Boys : Nay
Women and Girls ; yea, Negroes, have taken up
on them to do theBuilnefs of Preachers. Nor has
this been accidental only, or in a fingle Place, or
at a private Houfe ; but there is fcarce a Town
in all the Provinces, where this Appearance has
been, but there have been alfo thefe Exhorters, in
fmaller or greater Numbers : Neither have they
contented themfelves to fpeak in the more private
Meetings of Chriftians, but have held forth in
the pub lick Congregations.
This has lately been, and flill is, the State of
Things in the Land, upon this Head. And how
ever fome may have a good Opinion of the Ex
hortations of thefe Perfons, and encourage them in
this Bra6tice, 'tis certainly a very bad one,^ and
portends Evil to thefe Churches.
The
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 227
The Apojlollck Canons, forbidding Women to
fpeak in the Church, are fo peremptory, that not
a Word can be faid in Favour of their Exhortati
ons We mult give up all Pretence to the Scrip-
jure as our Rule, if we may depart from it in a
Cafe, wherein the Mind of CHRIST has been, in
fo exprefs a Manner, made known to us. Read
i Cor. 14. 34, 35, and i Tim. 2. n, 12 ; and
then fay, whether their fpeaking in the Houfe of
GOD, can be reconciled with thefe pofitive In-
junctions to the contrary.
And as to others, who abide not in their own Call
ing, but take upon them the Bufmefi that is af-
figrid to others, they throw the Body of CHRIST
into great Diforder. For as in the 'Body natural
there are various Members, adapted to vari
ous Ufes ; fo 'tis in the myftical Body of CHRIST.
All are not Apoftles, and Prophets ', and Teachers ;
And if thofe who fuftain the Place of one Mem
ber, will take upon them to aft the Part that is
proper to another, what may be expe£ted but
Confufion ?— - But having largely -e^preft my
Thoughts upon this Head, in fbme late Sermons
that have been made public, inflead 'of 'repeating
what I have already faid, or offering any Thing
further of my own, I mall tranfcribe w*haf fome 0-
j thers have delivered to the World, whofe Names,
I know, are held, and juftly too, in great Venera
tion in thefe Churches.
The excellent Mr. GURNALL, in explaining what
it is for Chriltians to ftand, among other Particu-
~ws, mentions this,* " To ft and orderly, it is re-
quifite that we keep the Bounds of our Place
* See his Difcourfes upon Eph. 6. 14. Page 4.
<> 2 and
228 Things of a bad PART L
<u
tc
and Calling.— GOD allows no Stragglers from
" their Station in his Army of Saints. As the LORD
" hath called every Man, fo let him walk, i Cor, 7.
" 17. Our Walk muft be in that Path which
kc our Call beats out. We are therefore com-
" manded every one to do his own Bufinefs, i Thef.
" 4. ii.. 'That which is the 'Commander s Bufinefs
in an Army, is not the private Soldier s', the
Magiftrate's, not the Subject's ; the Minifter's,
" not the People's. That which is Juft4ce in the
" Ruler, is Murder in another. There are our own
" Things, that come within the Compafs of our
<e general or particular Calling : Out of thefe we
" are out of our Diocefs. O what a quiet World
" fhould we have, if every Thing and Perfon
" knew his own Place ! If the Sea kept its own
" Place,, we Ihould have no Inundation ; if Men
" had kept theirs, we ihould neither have feen
" fuch Floods, of Sin, nor Miferies, as this unhappy
" Age hqs been almoft drowned with. But it muft
" be a ftrong Bank indeed that can contain our
" fluid Spirits within our own Terms. PETER him-
" felf, .was' iliarply chid, for prying, out of a Cu-
" riofity, into that which concerned him not.
" What is that to thce ? John 21. 22. As if
" CHRIST had faid, PETER, meddle with thy own
" Mattersy'$his^ concerns not thee : Which fliarp
" Rebuke, fays one, might poffibly make PETER
" afterwards give fo ftricl: a Charge againft, and
u fet fo black a Brand upon, this very Sin, as you
" may find, i Pet. 4. 15, where he ranks the J?«-
" fa-Body among Murderers and Thieves."
And among the Confederations, which this pious
Divine propofcs as of Weight, in order to fix e-
very one in his Place, this is one,* " That it is
* The fame Difcourfes, P. 5. 6, art
PART L -and dangerous Tendency.
" an erratic Spirit that ufually carries Men out of
" their Place and Calling. I confefs (fays he) there
" is an Heroicus Impetus , an Impulfe, which fome
" of the Servants of GOD have had from Heaven,
" to do Things extraordinary, as we read in Scrip-
" ture of MOSES, GIDEON, PHINEHAS, and others.
" But it is dangerous to pretend to the like, and
" unlawful to expe6l fuch immediate Commiflionf
" from Heaven now, when he iflueth them out iii
" a more ordinary Way, and gives Rules for the
" fame in his Word. We may as well expe6l to
" be taught extraordinarily, without ufing the ordi-
" nary Means, as to be called fo. When I fee any
" miraciiloufly gifted, as the Prophets and Apoftles>
" then I ihall think the immediate Calling they
" pretend to is authentic. To be fure, we find
" in the Word, extraordinary Calling, and extraor-
" dinary Teaching, go together. Well, let us fee
" what that erratic Spirit is, which carries many
" out of their 'Place and Calling. It is not always
" the fame ; fometimes its Idlenefs. Firft, Men
" negleft what they floould do, and then are eafily
" perfwaded to meddle with what they have no-
" thing to do. The Apojlle- intimates this plainly,
" i Tim. 5. 13. They learn to be idle, wandring
" from Houfe to Houfe, and not only idle, but Bujie-
" Bodies. An idle Perfon is a Gadder ; he hath
" his Foot on the Threfhold, eafily drawn from
" his own Place, and as foon into another's Diocefs,
" He is at Leifure to hear the Devil's Chat. He
" that will not ferve GOD in his own Place, the
" Devil, rather than he fliall ftand out, will fend
<s him on his Errand, and get him to put his Sic-
tc kle into another's Corn. Secondly, Its Pride and
" Difcontent that makes Perfons go out of their
" Place. Some Men are in this very unhappy,
w their Spirits are too big ^nd haugnty for the
3 " Plan
4C
230 Things of a bad PART I.
" Place GOD hath fet them in. Their Calling,
<c may be, is mean and low, but their Spirits high
" and towring ; and whereas they mould labour
" to bring their Hearts to their Condition, they
" projecl how they may bring their Condition to
" their proud Hearts. They think themfelves
" very unhappy, while they are mut up in fuch
*c flraight Limits. Shall they be hid in a Croud,
<f lie in an obfcure Corner, and die before they
<c let the World know their Worth ? No, they
can't brook it ; and therefore they mufl get
on the Stage, and put forth themfelves one
Way or other. It was not the Priefts Work,
that COR AII and his Complices were to in Love
with, but the PriejTs Honour which attended the
Work : This they defir'd to fhare, and liked
f not to fee others run away with it from them :
Nor was it the Zeal which ABSALOM had to do
' Jlifiice> which made his Teeth water fo after
" his Father s Crown, though this mufl filver over
< his Ambition. Thefe Places of Church and State
<c are fuch fair Flowers, that proud Spirits, in all
<f Ages, have been ambitious to have them fet in
*' their own Garden ; though they never thrive
" fo well as in their proper Soil. In a third, 'tis
*tf Unbelief. This made UZZAH ftretch forth his
" Hand unadvifedly to flay the Ark that fnook,
" which, being not aLevite,he was not to touch.
" Alas ! good Man, it was his Faith iliook more
(' dangeroufly than the Ark : By fearing the Fall
" of this, he fell to the Ground himfelf. GOD
" needs not our Sin to ihoar up his Glory, Truth,
" or Church. Laftly, in fome it is mi/informed
" Zeal. Many think they may do a Thing, be-
« caufe they can doit. They can preach, and fo
" they may. Wherefore elfe have they Gifts ?
tc Cercainly the Gifts of the Saints need not be
" loft,
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 231
" loft, any of them ; though they be not laid
" out in the Minified s Work. The private Chri-
" fllan hath a large Field, wherein he may be
" ferviceable to his Brethren. He need not break
" the Hedge GOD hath fet, and thereby occafi-
" on fuch Diforders as we fee to be the Confe-
" quence of this. We read, in the Jewifb Law,
" Exod. 22, that he who fet a Hedge on Fire,
" and that Fire burnt the Corn Handing in the
'* Field, was to make Reftitution, though he only
" fired the Hedge (may be not intending to hurt
" the Corn) ; and the Reafon was, becaufe his
" firing the Hedge was the Occafion of the
" Corn's being burnt, though he meant it not. I
" dare not fay, that every private Cbnflian, who
" hath, in thefe Times, taken upon him the M-
" nifter's Work, did intend to make fuch a Com-
" buftion in the Church, as 'hath been, and Jlill fad-
" ly is among us. ( GOD forbid I !fhould think
« fo !) But O that I could clear them from be-
" ing accejjary to it, in that they have fired the
« Hedge which GOD hath fet between the Miniflcrs
" Calling and their s. If we will acknowledge the
" Miniftry a particular Office in the Church of
" CHRIST ( and this I think the Word will com-
" pel us to do ) then we mult alfo confefs, it is
" not any one's Work, though never fo able, ex-
« cept called to the Office."
The next Author 1 would trail fcribe from, is
holy "Mr. FLAVEL ; and the rather, becaufe he
has largely and clearly expreft himfelf upon this
Head. Among the r.ioji fuccefsful Methods us'd by
falfe Teachers to draw Multitudes of Difdples after:
them, one that he particularly mentions is,| " Their
f His Works, Vol. j. Page 633, 634.
( 4 granting
232 Things of a bad PART I.
<* granting to the ignorant and ambitious among
v- them the Liberty of Prophefying ; the flattering
<c them into a Conceit of their excellent Gifts,
" anc] Attainments, when (as he fays) GOD knows,
*' they had more Need to be catechifed, and taught
*' the Principles of Chriflianity, than undertake
" to expound and apply thofe profound Myfte-
1( rie.s to others.
" Satan (he goes on) hath filled the Church
" and World with Errors and Troubles this Way.
^ When ignorant and unexperienced Perfons begin
" to think it a low and dull Thing to fit, from
" Year to Year, under other Men's Teachings,
" and fo fancy that they are wifer than their
f Teachers, their Pride will quickly tempt them
^ to {hew their Ignorance ; and that mifchei-ious
" Ignorance will prove dangerous to the Truth 9 and
" troubkfome to the Churches. The Apojlk forbids
" the Ordination of a Novice, left he be puffed up,
*' and fall into the Condemnation of the Devil. And
" in i Tim. i. 7. he {hews us the Reafon, why
** fome fwerved and turned afide unto vain Jang-
" ling ; and it was this, that they defired to be
" Teachers of the Law, neither under jlanding what
*' they faid, nor whereof they affirmed. That is,
^ they affefted to be Preachers -, tho* not able to
^ fpeak congruoujly, with tolerable Senfe and Reafon.
*' I do not here cenfure and condemn the Ufe
f and Exercife of the Gifts of all private Chriftians-.
?'• There are to be found among them fome Perfons
" of RAISED PARTS, and ANSWERABLE MODESTY AND
*' HUMILITY, who may be very ufeful, when CALL-
i* ED to Service, in EXTRAORDINARY CASES, by the
" Voice of Providence ; or exercife their Gifts
V in a probationary If ay, or in DUE SUBORDINATION
" unto
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 233
*< unto CHRIST'S publick Offices, and Ordinances,
" by and with the Confent of the PASTOR, and Con-
" gregation,
ft But when unqualified and uncalled Perfons un-
^ dertake fuch a Work, out of the Conceit or
" Pride of their Hearts, or are allur'd to it by the
" crafty Defign of erroneous Teachers, partly to 0-
*' vert brow a publick, regular, and Jlanding Mini/try
" in the Churches, to which End the Scriptures are
<e manifeflly abufed, fuch as Jer. 31. 34. Rom.
tc 12. 6. i Cor. 14. i Pet. 4, 10. with many
" others ; this is the Pra6tice I here cenfure,
" which, like zTrojanHorfe, hath fent forth Multi-
^ tudes of erroneous Perfons into the City of GOD, to
P infejl and defile it.
" I cannot doubt, but many a fincere Chriftian
ff may be drawn into fuch Employment, which
" puts him in a Capacity of honouring GOD in
(t a more eminent Way, which is a Thing defira-
^ ble to an honeft and zealous Heart ; and that the
<c Temptation may be greatly flrengthened upon
f them, by the piaufible Suggejlions of cunning Se-
" ducers, who tell them, that tbofe Minifters who
" oppofe and condemn this Practice, do it as Men
" concerned for their own Inter eft, %s defirous to
*' monopolize the Work to themfelves, and as envying
*< the LORD's People ; and that CHRIST hath
" given them greater Liberty in this Cafe, than
" thofe Men win allow them. By this Means they
<c draw many after them, and fix them in their
" err onions Ways.
<c I have no Mind at all here, to expofe the
*? Follies and Mifchiefs introduced this Way ; as
'* neither being willing to grieve the Hearts of
the
234 Things of a bad PARTI.
" the Sincere on one Side, nor gratify fcoffing A-
" theifts, and profane Enemies to Religion, on
" the other Side : Only, this I will, and muft fay,
" that by this Means the facred Scriptures are moft
" injuriaufly wrefted, the Peace and Order of the Church
•c difturbed, and a great many Miftakes and Errors
The Remedies, he prefcribes for the Cure of this
Evil, are thefe that follow,
" i. Let all that encourage others, or under-
•" take by others Encouragement, fuch a Work
" as this, for which they are not competently qua-
" lifted, and unto which they are not regularly call-
" cd, confider ferioufly with themfelves, what Dan-
u ger they cafl their own and other Men's Souls
" upon. The Apoflle tells us, 2 Pet. 3. 16. That
" the unlearned and itnftable do wreft the Scriptures
" to their own Deftruttion. Danger enough, one
*' would think, to fcare them, from it, did not the
<c fame Sin of Ignorance, which makes them weft
" the Scriptures, caufe them alfo to flight and over-
" look the Danger of fo doing. Certainly, my
" Friends, it is a great deal fafer, and more ex-
" cufable, to put an ignorant Rujlick into an Apo-
" thecary'sShop to compound a Medicine of Drugs
" and Spirits, which he under (lands not, and con-
" fidently adminifler the fame to the Bodies of *.
<e Men, than for fuch Perfons as are led by Ig-
*' norance and Confidence, to intermeddle with the
" mmifterial Employment. The one, perhaps, by
cc Miilake, may poifon Men's Bodies ; but the
" other their Souls. An ignorant Pilot or Mafter>
'* that never learned the Compafs, are rather to
" be trufled, among Rocks and Quick-Sands,
' •« than
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 235
u than a proud, ignorant Perfon with the Condu6l
« of Souls.
"
2. What daring Prefumption is it to intrude
" ourfelves into fo great and weighty an Employ-
" ment, without any Call or Warrant of CHRIST"?
" Rom. 10. 14. If every Phaeton, that thinks
" himfelf able, fhall undertake to drive the Cha-
*' riot of the Sun, no Wonder if the World be fet
" on Fire. Gifts, and Abilities of Mind, are not
" of themfelves fufficient to make a Preacher.
" Some Lawyers at the Ear may be as skilful as
" the Judge upon the Bench ; but without a
" Commiffion they dare not fit there.
" 3. The Honour you affect, to vent your un-
" found Notions with Liberty, is, in Scripture-
" Account, your greateji Difhonour. The Scripture
" reckons falfe Teachers among the bafefl of the
" People. The Prophet that teacheth Lies, he is the
" Tail. i. e. the bafefl Part of the whole Body
" of the People, Ifa. 9. 15. And fo far is due
" Gofpel- Liberty from countenancing fuch danger
ous Irregularities, that we find in a clear Prophe
cy of Gofpel- Times, what Shame GOD will
pour upon them. Zech. 13. 4, 5. They /ball
be brought 'with Shame enough to confefs, I am no
Prophet, I am no Husbandman, or Man taught to
keep Cattle from my Touth.
" 4. How much more fafe, regular, and advan-
ts tageous were it for fuch as you, to fill your own
" proper Places, under able and faithful Gofpel-
" Mintfters, and to fuck the Breafls of fruitful Or-
" dinances, than to confume and pine away by
46 fucking your own Breafls ? I mean, living upon
a your
a
«.
cc
cc
cc
(C
236 Things of a bad PART L
cc your own weak and insufficient Gifts, in the fin*
" ful Negleft of CHRIST'S Anointments ?"
Worthy alfo of a Place here are the Words of
the famous Mr. BOLTON ; and the rather, as they
are admirably defcriptive of fome of the Exhorters
of the prefent Day.* " Others there are (fays
" he ) who may gloriouily pretend, and proteft
" with great Bravery and Confidence, their At
" fent and Affiflance to the beft and holiefl Cour-
cc fes ; put on a temporary counterfeit Profeffi-
" on, and fafliionable Conformity to the Commu-
" nion of Saints, that thereby they may pafs
•' more fairly and plaufibly, out of one Calling in-
<- to another ; from a bafer, lower, more neg-
" lefted, and toilfome Trade, into fome other of
« more Liberty, Acceptation and Eafe : Or elfe
*< break out of all Callings ; and fo, by the un-
" hallowed Myjlery of a f acred Cozening, if I may
" fo call it, live upon their Profejfion ; and by a-
^ bufing the tender Consciences of i^eak Chriftjans,
" with the controullng and countermanding Tyran-
{i nies, as it were, of an affefted, furious Zeal, fuck
" out of them no fmall Advantage^ and prey too plen-
« tif idly upon the People of GOD. Such as thefe
" are ready to pretend, and intimate, that fuch
«c bafe, earthly, and worldly .Employment, and
<< fpending of their Time, is difgraceful, and de-
« rogatory to the Providence of GOD, and their
« Chrijlian Liberty ; that with unworthy Detain-
« ments, and Avocations, it interrupts them in
<c the Purfuit of their general Calling ; difable.s
" and hinders them in Difcharge of holy Duties.
His general Directions for a comfortabfy
with COD, P. 48, 49. .
But:
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 237
« But let them know, that Chnjlianity, if found and
" true, doth not nullify, but fahftify our particular
" Callings. Thou oughteft to continue with Con-
« fcionablenefs and Conflancy in that perfona! Call-
" ing, where thy Calling to Grace did find thee, if
" it be warrantable and lawful." He proceeds in
the next Paragraph,
" If any Man then, upon giving up his Name
" to Religion, (hall grow into Negleft, Diftafte,
" or Dereliction of his honed particular Calling ;
" we may ever Jlrongly fufpett him of Hollownefs
and Hypocrify. It is the confident Conclufton of a
very learned and holy Divine, * " Though a
Man be endued with excellent Gifts, and be a-
ble to fpeak well, conceive Prayer, &c. with
fome Reverence to hear the Word, and receive
the Sacraments ; yet, if he pra6Hce not the
Duties of Godlinefs within his own Calling, all
" is but Hypocrify." And a little onwards, " A
" true Convert therefore is fo far from calling off
" his perfonal Calling, that after his calling to Cbri-
(<- ftianity, he is won't to difcharge the Duties
'• thereof with far more Care and Conference, tho'
" with a better Mind, more moderate Affeftions,
« and for a bleffeder End.11
I cannot break off more pertinently than in the
Words of Mr. BAXTER, which I can heartily re
commend, as containing the very Advice I would
give at this Day. f " dffbciation, fays he, breed-
u eth Familiarity ; and Familiarity breedeth Love ;
" and Familiarity and Love to the Godly doth
PERKINS of Callings, P. 734. f His Works,
Vol. 3. Page 203.
" lead
238 Things of a bad PART I..-
(C lead to Familiarity and Love to GOD and God--
" linefs. Ufe therefore often to meet together, be-
" fides the more publick Meeting in the Congrega-
" tion ; not to vent any unfound Opinions, nor yet
" in Dlflajte of the publick Meeting, nor in Oppofi-
tf tion to it, nor at the Time of publick Worfhip ;
" not yet to make a groundless Schifm, or tofepa-
u rate from the Church whereof you are Members ;
" nor to deflroy the old, that you may gather a
cc new Church out of its Ruins, as long as it hath
" the EJJentials, and there is Hope of reforming
" it ; nor yet would I have you forward to vent
" your own fuppofed Gifts, and Parts, and Teaching ;
(z — nor to attempt that in the Interpretation of
" difficult Scriptures^ or Explication of difficult Con-
" troverfies, which is beyond your Ability, though
" perhaps Pride may tell you, that you are as a-
" ble as any. But the Work I would have you
" meet about is this, to repeat together the Word
<f you have heard in public, to pour out your
<f Joint-Prayers for the Church, and yourfelves ;
" to. join in chearful Singing the Praifes of GOD ;
cf to open your Scruples, and Doubts, and Fears,
" and get Refolution ; to quicken each other
" in Love, and Heavenlinefs, and holy walking :
*' And all this, not as a feparated Church, but as
" a Part of the Church more diligent than the
cf reft in redeeming Time, and helping the Souls
" of each other Heaven-ward.
<f I know that many of late do abnfe private
<c 'Meetings to Schifm, and to vilify GOD's Ordi-
c-< nances, and vent the windy Iffue of their empty
" Brains, But betwixt thefe Extreams I advife
" you to walk ; and neither to forfake the Af-
" Jembling af yourfelves together, as the Manner of
" fome is ', 'not yet to be carried about with di-
wrfi
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 239
« verfe and Jlrange Dottrlnes : But let all your
« private Meetings be in Subordination to the pub-
« lie ; and by the Approbation and Confent of
" your fpiritual Guides, and not without 'them of
" your own Heads.''
Another bad Thing, I muft not omit to menti
on, is, the Confufwn that has been fo common, of
late, in fome of our Houfes for Worfhip ; I mean
not only on Account of the Screenings and Shriek-
ings of the People, but their talking, and praying,
• and exhorting, and finging, and laughing, and congra
tulating one another by /baking Hands, and fome-
times kijjlng ; and all at the fame Time, and in
the fame dffembly : On which Things their Hearts
have been zealoufly fet, that the fame Houfes have
fcarce been emptied for a Week together, Night
or Day. It may feem incredible fimply to relate
thefe Fafts ; but they are the real Truth. Says a
Friend, in giving an Account of fome Things, he
was himfelf a FPltnefs to, — " Half a Score of
" them would be exhorting all together, and more
" flfcmy Times; and fome would be praying ; fome
" again would do nothing but fmg, and that for
" an Hour, or more : And thus there would be
" exhorting, praying, finging, all at the fame Time
" by thofe different Perfons ; whereby the Noife
" was fo confufed and loud, that a Perfon could
" fcarce fpeak to another fo as to be heard. "
And a little onwards, — " The Meeting was car-
" ried on with what appeared to me great Confu-
" fion ; fome {creaming out in Diftrefs and An-
" guim ; fome praying ', others Jinging ; fome a-
" ^m jumping up and down the Houfe, while o-
u thers were exhorting ; fome lying along on the
" Floor, and others walking and talking : The
" whole with a very great Noife, to be heard at a
« Miles
146 Things of a bad PART L
tf Miles Diftance, and continued almoft the whole
" Night/' And yet again, " Many of the young
" Women would go about the Houfe praying and
rc exhorting ; then they would feparate themfelves
" from the other People, and get into a Corner
*c of the Houfe to Jing and rejoice together ; and
" then they would break forth into as great a
" Laughter as could be, to think, as they exprefl it,
" that they fhould go Hand in Hand to Heaven.
" Then they would fpeak it over again, and fhout
u out into a great Laughter, laughing and Jingmg,
u jumping up and down, and clapping their Hands
" together; andfome would be fo filled with Joy,
c* as they pretended, that they eould not Jiand or*
<c walk : And all this, when, at the fame Time,
" there t^ere threefcore Perfons lying, fome on the
" Floor, fome acrofs the Seats, while others were
" held up and fupported in great Diflrefs." And,
after fome other Things upon the Times he adds,
" Thus they fpent more than/rjmDays. TheMeet-
<f ing-Houfe was fcarce empty, but fome or other
" were there, the whole of the Time, both Night
" and Day." Agreable whereto is another Ac
count from another Part of the Country, " — -
<c They had a publick Exercife every Day, and for
" nine Nights fucceffively. Numbers of the Peo-
<c pie continued the greateffc Part of the Night,
" in the titmofl Diforder. They were groaning,
" crying out, fainting, falling down, praying', exhort*
" *ng 9 fagging, laughing, congratulating each other,
" which they did by flaking Hands and Embraces.
" (the latter was commonly praftifed by diffef-
" ent Sexes) and by the fifth Night, there were
" almofl three Hundred thus affected, who were
" afting their different Parts at the fame Time ;
<f which occafloned inexpreiTible Confufion, and
<f render'd it impoffible to make a juft Obferva-
" tion
L and dangerous Tenancy.
ic upon all that paffed; but I evidently foutid.''---
To the like Purpofe is what we have printed
in the BOSTON Poft-Boyrf ~ " He (Mr. D— - T) atid
" fome other Minifters, and young gifted Bre-
tc thren, held forth every Day on the Commence*
" ment Week, and generally continued 'till ten or
" eleven at Night, and then a great Part of
" their Carryings on tyas, not by praying, fingtng}
" and Preaching upon a Text as ufual ; but ones
" would make a fhort Prayer, then another givei
" a Word of Exhortation : Then one would prb^
" pofe a Pfalm, then another a Prayer, then ailo-
" ther a Word of Exhortation, and fo ori, without
" any certain Order> or Method ; fo that iri on£
tf Meeting of two or three HourSj there: would
u be, it may be, 20 br 30 .diftincl; Exercifes car-
*( ried on, by 5 or ID difliii6l Perfons ; fotb&
" Handing in the, Pulpit, fome in the Body df
*c the Seats, fome in the Pews, and fome up Gal-
" lery ; and oftentimes, feveral of them would
lf fpeak together : So that fome praying, fome <?#-
*' horting, and terrifying, fbme finging, fome fcream-
" ing, fome crying, fome laughing, arid fome /b/^-
u t/2^ made the moil amazing Confufion that ever
u was heard/'
I could go on with Accounts of this Nature^
as I have had them from Numbers of F'erfons^
Upon the Evidence of their own Eyes and Ears j
but 'tis needlefs in fo plain a Cafe. There are*
few Places^ where the late Commotion* has been ;
efpecially, where it has been fpoken of as remark
able, but there has been this Appearance alfo in a
lefs or greater Degree : Yea> and fo high were
the People in their Opinion of it, as a, Sign of
i Numb. 391.
R
242 Things of a bad PART I.
the extraordinaryPrefence of the SPIRIT with them,
that if you talk'd with them to ihew them the Inde
cency of fuch Carryings on, they would only pity
you, and fpeak of you, as poor carnal Sinners, de-
flitute of the SPIRIT, and in the broad Way te
Hell.
To fuch as may ftill be of this Temper of Mind,
I have nothing to fay, as not thinking them fit
Perfons to be reafoned with ,• and as to others
in the fober Exercife of their Under/landing 9 the
bare Relation of fuch Extravagancies is enough to
expofe them ; efpecially, when* they are com-
par'd with the like Dif orders in the Church of CO
RINTH, condemned by the Apoftle PAUL,* and up
on this eternal Maxim of Truth, That GOD if
not the Author of Confufion, but of Peace, as in all
the Churches of the Saint s.$
The laft Thing I {hall mention as of dangerous:
Tendency, is that Spirit of Error which is gone forth
into the Land. And here it will be neceflary to
defcend to Particulars, under each of which I
might eafily enlarge, but find my felf obliged to
contract, left this Volume fwell beyond its in
tended Size.
The fiiil Error I would take Notice of, is that
which fuppofes MinJjIett, if not converted, unca-
pable of being the Inftrumenls of fpiritual Good to
Men's Souls. Mr. WHITEFIELD very freely vent
ed this Error. I have my felf been prefent, when
he delivered that from the Pulpit, upon this Head,
which I could not but think very unfafe ,* and,
in what he has wrote, his Language is fuch as e-
* i Cor. 14. 23, 26. £ V. 33.
evidently
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 243
evidently tends to lead People into wrong. Senti
ments about the Preaching of Minifters, if thought
to be unconverted. His Words are thefe,:f " The
" Reafon why Congregations have been fo dead,
" is becaufe they have dead Men preaching to
" them. •— For how can dead Men beget living
" Children ? Its true indeed, GOD may convert
" People by, the Devil, if he pleafes ; and fo
" he may by unconverted Minifters. ., But I be-
" lieve, he feldom makes Ufe of either of them
" for this Purpofe.* No, the LORD will chufe
" Veflels made meet by the Operation of the
" BLESSED SPIRIT for his facred Ufe." And a few
Pages onwards, g " I infilled much, in my Dif-
" courfe upon the Doclrine of the New-Birth,
< ' and alfo the Neceffity of a Minifter's being con-
" verted, before he could preach CHRIST aright. ~
<c Unconverted Minifters are the Bane of the Chri-
" ftian Church." And in his Sermon at GLASGOW,
Journal at NEW-ENGLAND, P. 70.
Mr. TENNENT'S Language upon this Head of un
converted Minifters is much the fame. In his Ser
mon at NOTTINGHAM, P. 8. He has thefe Words,
** Is a dead Man fit to bring others to Life ? Sad
" Experience verifies the Unprofitablenefs of the
" Miniftry of unconverted Men. ---- "What if feme
44 fnftances could be fhewn of unconverted Mini-
<c fters being instrumental in convincing Perfons or"
" their loft ERate ? The Thing is very ;;;re and
" extraordinary. And for what f know as many
" Inftances might be given of Satan's convincing
'* Perfons by his Temptations. Indeed, its a Kind
of Chance- Medley , both in Refpecl: of his Fa-
44 ther and his Children, when any fuch Event
happens."
P. 85, 86.
R 2 ©n
*'
'fc'4'4 , Things of a bad PART I.
on Lake 4. 1 8, 19. " It is abfolutely neceflary
44 before a Minifter undertake to preach the Gof-
" pel, that he have an experimental Acquaintance
*4 with JESUS CHRIST." Page 6. " It is indeed
( c impoflible in the very Nature of Things, that
" a Man ihould preach CHRIST who doth not
" know him." Page 8. " I believe GOD doth
" not convert others by unconverted Men." P. 12.
I don't obfer/e, in thefe PafTages, any Diftinc-
tion between Minifters in a private Capacity as
Chrijtians, and as Officers in the Church of CHRIST.
In the fir ft Senfe, Converilon is as necejjary for
Minifters as People ; nor can they, except they
be converted, enter into the Kingdom of GOD.
But Converfion does not appear to be alike necejfa-
ry for Miniflers in their public Capacity, as Offi
cers in die Church. That they {hould be con
verted is, no doubt, a Matter of great Impor
tance ; nor will it be denied, that converted Mi
nifters, cateris paribus, are much the beft qualifi
ed Perfons to ferve the great Ends of the Mini-
flry, in forming Men to Holineis, and building
them up through Faith uuto Salvation : Eut that
this is necefltiry to their being true Miniftcrs, we
no where find in. the Word of GOD ; much lefs
that they can no more beget (i. e. as Inftrumnti)
Children- in they/;r>fto/, than dead Men can in the
natural Senfe : Nor are they, any where in the
Bible , compared to the Devil, and put upon a Par
with him in Refpe6l of Unfitnefs, as Inftruments in
the Bufinefs of Converfion, or the Likelihood of
GOD's making Ufe of them as Inftfufhents in this
Work. Suggeflions of this Nature are the Fruit
of Men's own Imaginat ions, and not what they have
fecch'd from that unerring Rule, the Scripture of
Truth.
Neither
PART L and dangerous Tendency: 245
Neither does this Gentleman diilinguiili between
vijible and real Converjion ; which is a very necef-
fary Distinction in this Cafe. 'Tis readily own'a}
VISIBLY unconverted Men are unfit to be Minfiers,
and ought not to be fo. That is to fay, Men
who are vtfibly unfound in the Faith, or of a bad
Life, mould, upon no Terms, be admitted into the
Mini/try ; or if, after they have been in the Mi-
niffcry, this Ihould appear to be their Charafter,
they ought to be turn'd out of it. But can this be
truly faid of thofe who are vifibly, though not re
ally, the Men it is required they fliould be ? By
no Means. The LORD JESUS CHRIST has given
his Church no Rule by which they can difcover
fecret Hypocrify : And notwithffonding the clofeft
Adherence to Scripture Diredlions, Hypocrites may
be admitted into the Miniftry, and being admitted,
can't but on vifible Evidence be excluded ; nay, as
the Cafe may be, it would be an open Violation of
the Laws of JESUS CHRIST to difplace them from
their Office. And would CHRIST have fliffsred it to
be thus, if Perfons vifibly holy, tho' not really and
inwardly fo, might not be employ'd in the ffork
of the Mlnlftry- ? If fuch were as unfit as the
Devil for this Employment, and as unlikely to be
us'd as Injlruments for Good to Men's Souls, is it
poilible the compafflonate JESUS fliould leave his
Church without fome certain Criterion, by which
they might know, who were inwardly hypocritical
when their outward Appearance was good, avid who
were not ? And for Want of fuch a Mark, rnuft
not the Minds of ferious, weil-ciifpos'd People,
be in eternal Perplexities about their Minifters,
as not being able to know whether they are. really
.converted, and not having fnfficient Means to
know ?
R 3 The
Things of a bad PART I.
The Truth of the Matter, in fhort, is this ;
VISIBLE ffolinefe is that alone, the Laws of JESUS
CHRIST will ailow us to judge by ; and if Mini-
flers are holy in this Senfe, they are to be treated
as the Mlnlfters of CHRIST ; and People may
in Faith attend their Preaching, hoping for a di
vine Bleffing :
Nor is it reafonable to think a merciful GOD
would withhold his Bleffing, meerly becaufe the
Preacher is not the Man Inwardly, he profefles to
be outwardly. 'Tis indeed a downright popifb Prin*
clple to make the Efficacy of Ordinances depend on
the unknown fecret Holmefs of the Admlnljlrators of
them.
Agreable to thefe Sentiments is the following
Article, in the WESTMINSTER Confeflton of Faithrf
*' The Grace which is exhibited in, or by the Sa-
" craments rightly us'd, is not conferred by any
*' Power in them : Neither doth the EFFICACY
" of a Sacrament depend upon the PIETY^ or Jn-
" tent ion of him that doth adminifler it ; but up-
" on the Work of the SPIRIT, and the Word of
1 L:jlitutlon, which contains, together with a Pre-
*• cept authorifing the Ufe thereof, a Promife of
^ Benefit to worthy Receivers." It may be worth
a Remark, this Article has a Place, Word for
Word, in the NEW-ENGLAND Confeffion of Faith,
drawn up, own'd and confented to, by the Elders
and Meffengers of thefe Churches, afFembled in Bos-?
TON, May 12. 1660 ; being the fecond Seffion
of that Synod* And confonant hereto is the 26th
Article of the Church of ENGLAND. The Words
are, ff Although in the vifible Church, the Evil
f Chapter 26. Seft. 3, * Chapter 28. Se&, 3.
be
PART I. and "dangerous Tendency. 247
" be ever mingled with the Good, and fometime
" the Evil have chief Authority in the Mlnljtrat'wn
" of the Word and Sacraments : Yet, forafmuch
" as they do not the fame in their own Name, but
" in CHRIST'S ; and do mimfler by his Commif-
" fion and Authority, ' WQ may ufe their Miniftry,
" both in hearing the Word of GOD, and in receiv-
" ing the Sacraments. Neither is the Effeft of
" CHRIST s Ordinance taken away by THEIR WICK-
" EDNESS, nor the Grace of GOD's Gifts diminifljecl
" from fitch, as by Faith, and rightly, do receive the Sa-
" eminent s miniftred to them ; which be EFEECTUAL
" becaufe of CHRIST s Inflitution and Promifey al-
" though they be minijlred by evil Men."
Upon which I would obferve, This is one of
the Articles, Mr. W-— D fubfcritfd at his Ordinati
on ; exprefling both his AJfent and Confent to it
as the Truth of GOD : Yea, this is one of thofe
Articles, he, fome Time before his Ordination, made
Obfervations upon, and prov'd by Scripture, as he him-
feif declares.* And as he has fo often publickly
chaftis'd others for contradicting with their Lips,
and Pens, what they had fubf crib' d with their Hands,
I hope he will confider his own Conduct, and, for
the Time to come, pay a greater Regard to this
Article he has fubfcrib'd to as true, and proved to
be Jo from Scripture ; or no more fault that in others^
for which he is to blame himfelf.
The Words of Bp BURNET, in his Expqfition of
this Article will come in pertinently here. Says
he,f "TheOccafion that was given to this Article ,
See his Life, Page 40. f His Exfofu'wn of
the 39 Articles, P. 295, 296*
R 4 was
Things of a bad PART L
f< was the Heat of fome in the Beginnings
f* of the Reformation ; who being much offend-
ff ed at the public Scandal which was given by
«f the enormous Flees that were,, without any
ff Difguife, praftifed by the Roman Clergy, did
& from thence revive the Conceit of the DONA-
*< TISTS, who thought that not only Herejy and
'< Schifm did invalidate facred Functions, but that
?' perfonal Sins did alfo make them void." Upon
which he thus argues., " Sacraments are to be
£< confidered as public Afts of the Church ; and
f though the Effeft of them, as tq him that re-
f celves them, depends upon his Temper, his
fc Preparation and Application, yet it cannot be
<c imagined, that the Virtue of thofe foederal A£ts,
*f to which Chriftians are admitted in them, the
** Validity of them, or the Blejfings that follow
fc them, can depend on the fecret State or Tempe?
ff of him that officiates. Even in the Cafe of pub-
^ lie Scandals, — we muft diflinguiili between the
K Things which the Miniflers of the Church do,
$f as they are public Officers, and what they do as
^ they are private Chriflians. Their Prayers and
<c every Thing elfe that- they do, as they are pri-
*'. vate Chriflians^ have their "Effe6t only according
ff to the State and Temper they are in, when they
fc offer them up to GOD ; but their public Func-
ff tioris are the Appointments of CHRIST in which
f ' they officiate : ' They can neither make them
" the better, nor the worfe by any Thing that
" they join to them." He therefore concludes j
f* This Opinion which was taken up, perhaps.,
" from an inconfiderate Zeal againil the Sins and
^ Scandals of the Clergy, is without all Foundation,
" and muft needs caft all Men into endlefs Scru-
f pies, which can never be cured."
f ART I. and dangerous Tendency. 249
I {hall only add, this Error, which, among us,
took Rife from Mr. W — D, has been propagated
to fo many, that 'tis now the prevailing Opinion
among our new Converts, and I wim I could not
fay, among fome of their Leaders alfo : And to
fuch a Height are they grown in it, that the ivorft
Names are not thought too bad to beftow upon
many Minifters^ not becaufe of any Thing amifs
in
A furprifing Inftance of this, we have in Mr.
TENNENT, notwithstanding his Character by Mr.
WHITEFIELD, as a mighty charitable Man. Per
haps, there cannot be produced, out of any Author,
a greater Number of moie Jlanderous Names than he
has freely beftowed upon the Body of the Clergy of
this Generation. I fhall here prefent the Reader with
a Lift of them, as they have been collected out of
his Sermon at NOTTINGHAM, and publifh'd by the
Synod at PHILADELPHIA. They are therein repre-
fented as " Hirelings ; Caterpillars ; Letter- learn-
** fd-Pharifees ; Men that have the Craft of Foxes,
*' and the Cruelty of Wolves ; plaijlered Hypocrites ;
" Varlets -, the Seed of the Serpent ; foolijb Build-
<c ers, whom the Dtv.il drives Into the Miniflry ;
*c dry Nurfes ; dead Dogs that canmt bark ; blind
<; Men ; dead Men ; Men pojffffed ivith the De-
^ vil ; Rebels and Enemies to GOD ; Guides
*{ that are Stone- blind, and Stone-dead ; Children
" of Satan, that, like their Father, may do good to
*c Men's Soul$ by Chance- Medley ; Daubers with
ft untempered Mortar ; moral Negroes ; Salt with-
*' out Savour, thatjiink in, the Noftrils of GOD and
<c Man > JUDAS'S, whofe chief Deftre is to finger
" the Penny, and to carry the Bag ; murderous
*' Hypocrites, that are to take Care left they feel the
" Force of a Halter in this JVorld^ or an aggravated
" Damnation in the next ; fubtle felfijh Hypocrite?,
Jc that ivwld not let one banejl Man come into the
Miniflry
250 Things of a bad PART I.
in their Doftrine, or Converfation, but becaufe they
are pleas'd, in open Violation of the Chriftian Law
of Charity, to look upon them as unconverted :
And as to all ,fuch, however exemplary they may
have been for the Purity of their Doftrine and
Manners ; and this, for a Courfe of Years, they
are fo far from owning them as true Miriifters,
that they freely fpeak of them, as Pharifees, blind
Guides, Solves in Sheep's Charting, Minijlers of
the Devil, and what not. Which leads me to
mention another Error naturally fpringing from
this, viz.
That which juftifies People in a Withdraw from
•thofe Minifters they look upon as unconverted,
though found in the Faith, and of a vijible good Con-
verfation. The many feparate Meetings in the
Land are a Proof of the general Spread of this
Error : Nor are the Gentlemen unknown, who have
gone up and down the Country, preaching this
Doctrine, andfpiriting People to Schifm and Faction.
'Tis- pretended, " they ought not to hear un-
" converted Minifters" If fo, they ought furely !
to]
" Miniflry if they could help it ; Swarms of Lo~
<c cufts ; Crowds of Phartfees^ that have as cove~
<c teoujly, as cruelly , crept into the Miniftry^ in this
" adulterous Generation^ who as nearly refemble the
** Char 'after given of the old Pharifees^ as one Crow's
C* Egg does another , zvbofe Hearers are as blind as
*€ Moles, and dead as Stones ; Succejfirs of Nico-
<c DEM us ; blind Leaders of the Blind ; Forma-
" lifts ; dead Drones -9 Sons of SCEVA, with a
<c fine long String of Prayers ; falfe Apojlles \ de-
*c ceitful Worker^ Minijhn of S'atan, &c." See
the Examiner 3 P. 149.
PART I. and dangerous Tendency* 251
to be well fatisfied, that they are unconverted :
Noi; will evil Surmifmgs, or unchriftian Jealouiles
fuffice in this Cafe. There mud be good Proof,
vijible Evidence ; or, the Gofpel of CHRIST will
never juftify them in their fffiihdraw. And can.
this be juftly pleaded, in Refpecl; of any one Sepa
ration in the Land ? Will any venture to fpeak
it out, in plain Words, of any of the Minifies
who are withdrawn from, that they are unfound
in the Faith, or of a bad Life ? How then can
it be proved, that they are unconverted? They may
be fo, 'tis true, notwithftanding the moft goodly
Appearance ; but 'tis not evident to the World, that
they are : And 'tis contrary to the Gofpel to
judge ill of a private Brother, much more of a
public Officer, but upon vifible Evidence.
But fuppofe they are unconverted, and this is e-
vident by what is vijible. Is Jeparating from their
Miniftry the firfl Thing neceiTary ? Even a
f elf -condemned Heretick is not to be rejected, till af
ter a firft and fecond Admonition,, The firjl Thing
to be done is, to enter a Procefs againfl them,
according to Gofpel-Rule. They are CHRIST'S Of
ficers, 'till the Difcipline of his Kingdom has been
exercis'd upon them : And 'till then, they ought
not to be feparated from, (unlefs it can't' be ob*
tain'd ) though we mould think, and upon good
'Grounds too, that they are unconverted : And
this is the Method prefcrib'd in the ORDER of
thefe Churches, and of every other Church in the
whole Proteftant World,
(f But their Preaching is bad, and tends to lead
€4 Souls to Hell" But does this neceflarily follow
upon their being unconverted ? They may not
withftanding preach the Truth as it is 'in JESUS ;
and,
252 Things of a bad PART I.
and, if they are Men of fuperior Attainments, may;
fet it in a clearer and flronger Light, than others
of f mailer Gifts, though converted. And can it be
any other than the Fruit of grofs Prejudice to fay,
that the Truths of the Gofpel lead to Hell, only
becaufe preach'd by Minifters fuppos'd to be un-4
converted ? Are the fame Truths fating or damn^
ing, as delivered by converted, or unconverted Mini- j
fters ? 'Tis impoffible the differing Characters*
of Men fhould make fuch a Difference in the
moral Effects of the fame Truths. Or, if thefe
Minifters, who are called unconverted, preach Doc
trines inconfiftent with the Gofpel, and in the
Nature of them deftru&ive to Men's Souls, let it
be made to appear : Nothing would be more ef-
feftual to put them to Silence.
" But 'tis feen there is no good Effect of the§
" Preaching of unconverted Minifters.'' If by un
converted Minifters be mean't fuch, as have been
guilty of the moft filthy Uncleannefs, under the.
highejl Aggravations, the Preaching of fuch han't
been without good Effect, even according to the
Mind of thofe who make this Objection. For
'tis generally known of a famous Preacher, horj
ribly guilty in this Kind, and prov'd to have been
fo, and depos'd from the Miniftry on this Acl
count, that the Effect of his Preaching, in the
Extraordinaries of the prefent Day, equal'd, for a
Time, all that the moft noted among our new.
Preachers could pretend to. He fo preach'd as to
be flock'd after by Multitudes of all Sorts ; and
fo far as fhrieking, and Jcr earning, and falling down,
and being in Agonies of Diftrefs, or Raptures of
Joy, are a Sign of the good Effect of Preaching, he
might compare with any for the Evidences of it:
But he was a converted Minifter, in the Opinion of
the
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 253
the People ; and there han't been, 'tis true, thefe
Extraordinaries following the Word preach'd by
thofe called unconverted ; though they hope not-
withftanding, they have not laboured altogether
in vain. Oiher Effefts they could fpeak of, which
they think a Sign of fome Succefs ; though they
defire not to boaft, and would lament that they
have feen no more real Fruit of their Endeavours.
But if their Preaching had been attended with
lefs Succefs, 'tis no Argumeut, either that they
fare unconverted, or that People fhould not own
them as the Miniflers of CHRIST. The Wind blow*
-.eth where it Hfteth. The beft Minifters in all Ages
have complain'd for Want of Succefs : Even
that mournful Lamentation of the Prophet,^: Who
bath believed our Report ? And to whom is the Arm
of the LORD revealed ? The great SAVIOUR of
the World applies to himfelf, and the Unfuccefs-
fulnefs of his own Labours for the Good of Souls.§
And 'tis obfervable, when the Prophet ISAIAH had
faid, * I have laboured in vain, I have fpent my
Strength for Nought and in vain, he not only adds
. upon it, yet furely my Judgment ir with the LORD,
and my Work with my GOD ; but the LORD that
formed him from the Womb to be his Servant, is in
troduced declaring,! that he jloould be glorious in
the Eyes of the LORD, and his GOD flmld be his
Strength.
In fine, 'tis pleaded thefe unconverted Minifters
are to be withdrawn from, " becaufe there is no
" Validity in their Adminiftratiqns." This is more
eafily faid than prov'd. And People ihould be
t Ifa. 53- I- 5 John 12. 38. * Chapt. 49. 4.
f Verfe 5.
careful
254 Things of a bad PART I.
careful how they advance fuch a Principle as
this ; for they may not be aware what it will
end in. GOD only knows who, among Miniilers,
are really converted ; and if the Adminiilrations
of fuch only are valid, who can with Safety ven
ture to fit under the Preaching of any Minifter
living ? But this is not all ; " if real Conversion
is neceflary to the Validity of minifterial Admini-
ftrations, who can fay they have been validly bap
tized, or admitted into the Church ? It mud
forever remain a Perplexity to a Man's Mind ;
and the fame Difficulty would return, if he was
to be baptifed, and admitted into the Church ten
Times over : Yea, fo definitive a Principle is
this, that no Man can know whether there is any
true Church, or valid Ordinances, in the Town, Pro
vince, or Kingdom, he belongs to* The plain
Truth is, the Validity of Gofpel-Adminiflrationsj
(as has been faid) does not depend upon the real
Converfion of the Minifter, nor upon our Opinion
of him in this Refpe6l, but upon his being CHRIST'S
Officer, improved by him to difpenfe the Ordinan
ces of his Kingdom, which he may be, though
he is inwardly another Man than he appears to be
Giitvsardly.
Pertinent to this Purpofe are the Words of Mr.
JOHN STILLINGFLEET. Says he, f " If the Mini-
" Her be bad, yet if he preaches the Word of
" GOD, we muft receive the Word, becaufe we
" are not fo much to regard the Man preaching,
" as the Word f reached. — 'Tis not the Per/on, but
f See his Demonftration of the Divine Prefence in
the Places of religious Worfloif, Page 132, 133,
135-
<r the
PART I. and dangerous Tendency.
" the Office ; not the Man, but his Miniftry ;
" not his Ufe9 but his Doftrine, we are to look
« to. — When CHRIST fent out his twelve Allies
" to preach, of all of them he faith, He that re-
" ceivetb you, receiveth me ; yet, one of thefe was
M JUDAS ISCARIOT, 'who alfo betrayed him. We
" plainly fee by CHRIST'S own Words, we may
" receive CHRIST by the Miniftry of JUDAS, a
" Traytor, I might fay, a Devil. The Expreffion,
" 'tis true, is harili ; but our SAVIOUR fears not
" to fpeak thus of one, whom he had perfonally
" fent to preach the Gofpel, one of you is a Devil,
" meaning JUDAS : Nay, the Scripture makes no
" Difference between JUDAS, and the other Dif-
" ciples, in the Succefs of the Miniftry. They
" all twelve were fent out, they all did Miracles,
(i they all returned to CHRIST, and gave him an
" Account of their Succefs. To them all CHRIST
f c faid, he had ordain d they fhould go out, viz. in
preaching, and bear much Fruit, viz. in their
Miniftry. And Philip. 3. there were falfe
Apofiles who preached CHRIST out of Envy, fup-
pofmg to add more Affliction to PAUL ; which
muft needs be an high Degree of Malice and
Wickednefs : Yet, PAUL faid, he rejoiced that
CHRIST was preached however ; which could
" not be, if their preaching did no Good.'* And
a little onwards, " If this Principle once prevail,
" that a Minifter ought not to be heard that is un-
" godly 9 though he preaches nothing but found
" Dottrine, it would lay a certain Foundation for
<c SEPARATION from the outward Means and Or-
" dinances, at left, from the Admin iftration of
u them, as now they are enjoyed. For the Cafe
<c would prefently return hither, as it is with
" MANY ALREADY, not whether the Minifter be re-
" ally ungodly or no5 but whether he feems fo
" to
256 Things of a bad PART L
c< to them ; and if he anfwers riot thofe Cha-
" rafters of Godlinefs they have- laid down, theri
" they are oblig'd to hear him no more. Such
" fad Works do bad Principles, and erroneous Confci-
" ences make in the Church of GOD. A fad Ex- ;
<c ample of this may be feen among the QUAKERS,- \
<f who, upon the fore-mentioned Principle, reject
" and throw off all the now Minifters of ENGLAND,
" making no Difference. ..... How much better
*c may we determine thus$ the Office of the Mi-
" niftry is facred, tho' Minifters may be ungodly.
" The Promife of CHRIST'S Prefence is made to
" Perfons for the OFFICE SAKE, and not to the \
" Office for the Perfons ; fo to the Office more l
" than to the Perfons/'
A third Error of the Times is, a prefumptuous I
Dependance on the blejjed SPIRIT. I lay a prti- 1
fumptuous Dependance, becaufe I mean not to ;j
blame in any a true Gof pel- Reliance. For the' \
Divine SPIRIT is the great Operator in the King- j
dom of Grace. 'Tis he that begins a Work of 1
GOD in Men's Hearts ; 'tis he that muft car- \
ry it on ; and by his Power only can they be \
kept from falling, and preferv'd blamelefs to the v:
heavenly World. And we are not only allow'd^ |
but required, to place our Dependance on him for \
thefe Things : Nor can we, in any other Way, i
expe6l to be form'd to a Meetnefs for the Favour j.
of GOD here, or the Enjoyment of him hereaf
ter. But inftead of depending, Men may prejume
upon the WeJJtd SPIRIT : And this is the Error
of the prcfent Day, and it appears in the following
Inftances.
The firft is, their fo depending on the
of the SPIRIT as* to defplfe Learning. To this it
is
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. ..257
is owing, that fo many fjp&lk'Jligbtily of our Schools
and Colleges ; difcovering a Good-Will, were it in
their Power, to rafe them to their Foundations, f
To
f It may not be amifs to remark here, that the Church-
£s, in this Province, afTembled together by their
Elders and Mejfengers, particularly mention it as a
ncceffary Expedient in order to a Reformation^ " that
food and effectual Care fhould be taken, refpecl:ing
cbeels of Learning." And they reafon upon it in
the following Manner. " The Intereft of Religion
and good Literature have been won't to rife and fall
together. We read in the Scripture of Mojltrs and
Scholars, and of Schools and Colleges. I Chron. 25*
8. Mai. 2. 12. Ads 19. 9. and 22. 3. And
the moft eminent Reformers, among the LORD'S
People of old, thought it their Concern to erecl: and
uphold them. Was not SAMUEL ( that great Re
former) PRESIDENT of the College at NAJOTH, r
Sam. 19. 18, 19 ; and thought to have been one of
the firft Founders of Colleges ? Did not ELIJAH and
ELISHA reftore the Schools creeled in the Land of1
ISRAEL ? And JOSIAH (another great Reformer,)
fhew'd Refpe& to the Cellege at JERUSALEM, 2
Kings 22. 14. Ecclefiaflical^^ij informs, that great
Care was taken by the dpofths, and their immediate
Succeflbrs, for the fettling of Schools in all Places,
where the Gofpel had been preached, that fo the In-
tereft of Religion might be preferv'd, and the Truth
propagated to fucceeding Generations. It is menti
oned as one of the greateft Mercies that ever GOD
beftowed upon his People ISRAEL, that he raifed up
cf their Sons for Prophets, Amos 2. 1 1. Which had
Refpccl: to their Education in Schools of Learning.
And we have all Caufe to blefs GOD, who put it
into the Hearts of our Fathers to take Care con
cerning this Matter. For tbefe Churches had been
in a State mijl deplorable, if the LORD had not
S bkifc
258 V: Things of a bad PART I.
To the fame Caufe it may, be afcrib'd, that fuch
Swarms of Exhort ers have appeared in the Land,
and been admir'd and run after, though many of
them could fcarce fpeak common Senfe, under the
Notion of immediate Imprefflons from the SPIRIT,
"and that his AJJlflance would more than fupply the
Want of Learning. And to the fame Caufe ftill
it muft be attributed, that fo many Minifters preach,
not only without Book, but without Study ; and
juftify their doing fo, left, by previous Preparation,
they ftiould flint the SPIRIT.
But what is this better than Preemption ? 'Tis
not now as it was in the firft Days of the Gofpel.
Men were then affiiled in a miraculous and extra*
ordinary Manner ; but they have now no Reafon-
to expeft the SPIRIT s Help, only in the Way of
Means ; upon the due Ufe of their own Powers,
by attending to Reading, and Meditation, and
Prayer.
bleft the College, fo as from hence to fupply mofl of
the Churches as at th'sDay. When NEW-ENGLAND^
was poor, and we were but few inNumber comparative- .
ly, there was a Spirit to encourage Learning, and the
College was full of Students, whom GOD hath made
BleiTings, not only in this, but in other Lands ;>
but it is deeply to be lamented, that now, when we
are become many, and more able than at our Be
ginnings, that Society^ and other inferior Schools, are
in fuch a low and languifhing State. Wherefore, as
we defire that Reformation and Religion fhould fiourifli,
it concerns us to endeavour that both thzCsllege, and all
other Schools of Learning, in every Place, be duly in-
fpecled and encouraged. See the Refult of the Sy-
n^l, afiembled Sept. 10. 1679. under the Anfaer
to their fecond §u eft ion.
This
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 259
This fame Error was common in the Country,
in former Times. It was then faid, they needed
m Books but the Bible ; and inftead of ufing
Learning, they rimft rely on the SPIRIT. Private
Men's Prophefying became too much the Practice,
to the Negleft and Contempt of the Miniflry. They
pleaded, there was no Need of Learning in preach
ing, and that one of them could by the SPIRIT
do better, than the Minifter by his Learning ; as
if the SPIRIT and Learning were Oppoiites : which
is fo far from being the Truth, that Learning is
a fpecial Injlrument, the SPIRIT ufes in the Bimnefs
of Preaching. I have elfewhere iliown at large,
the Sentiments of our Fathers upon this Head,
and with what Faithfulnefs they teftified againfl:
fitch Notions of the SPIRIT, as render 'd Learning z
Thing ufelefs.
I mall only add here, fome Words from the
celebrated Mr. BAXTER, wonderfully adapted to
the prefent Cafe. " It is (fays hef) a defperate
" and deflru6live Conceit in any Man, to think,
" that becaufe he hath the SPIRIT, he is therefore
" more able to expound Scripture, or teach it to
" the People, or underfland Controverfies, than
" learned Men who have not the Spirit of Holinefs,
" —-And upon this Account, Men cry down bii-
" man Learning, and Minlflers for efteeming it,
" and cry up the SPIRIT, to a Ufe that GoD doth
<e not intend it. I have no Mind, the LORD
" knows, to fet up any Thing of Man againfl
" GOD ; nor GOD's common Gifts, above his,
u fpecial ; nor to draw any Soul into an undue
u Efteem of any Thing that is in their Guides,
" but only to {hew them the naked Truth/' I
f His Works. Vol. 2. Pag, 28(5. «*
S z would
260 Things of a bad PART 1
" would intreat therefore all poor deluded Souls,
" that are carried away with thefe foremen tion'd
" Miftakes, to lay by their Prejudice and Pa<Tion
" a while, and to weigh impartially the following
" Things.
cc Can you underftand any Scripture) without
cc the Help of Learning in yourf elves, or others ?'
u The SPIRIT delivered it to the World in GREEK
" and HEBREW ; Can you underftand it before
'• it is translated ? If not, then the Knowledge
c< of thofe Tongues is necejjary in the Tranjlators.
" And would you have us fo wholly take up alii
" on Truil from them, from Age to Age, ever
" after, as not to know, whether they tranflatel
" it true or falfe ? Or, whether there be any]
" fuch Thing as they tell us ? If you yourfelves
" mud take it upon Truft, from thofe who d<
" underiland it, when you do not, methinks, yoi
" mould fo much the more honour and reverena
" them, whom you are fain to be fo much behold-
*' en to, and whom you muft trufl in a Mattel
<c of fuch Concernment to your Salvation ;
<• whether any of this was ever in the Text
" the Hebrew and Greek, which you find in th<
<( Englifl}. Sure, that which is fo laudable in th<
" Tranjlators, is not to be contemn'd in yoi
u Teachers \ What if the Rhemift Papifts tell yot
" that the Bible is falily tranilated, I pray yoi
" what Anfwer will you give them, if none
" your Teachers knew it to be otherwife, who!
" Words you muft take as credible Perfons ? Sen<
" a Hebrew and Greek Bible into WALES or IRJ
•c LAND, and when that convert eth Souls without ai
" Interpreter, then I will begin to think Learnh
" lefs neceiTiry.
•
-PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 261
" Confider, your very learning to fpeak,ot read,
" or write, is as much human Learning, as the
« Learning to know the Nature of Creatures, and
I " Senfe of Jlrange Languages. And if you renounce
\ " thefe ( which you neither have by Nature or
! " Grace ) what Perfons would you be ? You
I <; may as well fay therefore, that the SPIRIT will
1 " ferve without Learning to write, or ready or
I " fpeak ; for the Difference in the Cafes is only
^ " in Degree, and not in Kind.
*
" Confider well, that there are feveral Employ-
fc merits that GOD hath for Men in the World,
cc and in the Church ; and accordingly, there are
" feveral Gifts of the SPIRIT. For Salvation, he
" giveth the Spirit of faving Grace, which {hall
" teach Men-effe£tually their Need of CHRIST,
" the Evil of Sin, and the like,- but not every o-
" ther Truth. Thofe whom he will employ as
<c Interpreters of Scripture, and Teachers, and Guides
" to others, he will ftirnilli with Gifts that are
" neceffary for fuch Employments. And a Man
(c may teach others, that may not be fanftified
" or faved himfelf ; and many are fan6Ufied and
te faved, that are unfit to teach others. Are all
" Prophets ? Is all the Body an Eye, or Hand ?
u GOD may give Teachers a Spirit of Teaching, as
" he gave SAUL a Spirit of Government, and deny
" it to better Men, becaufe he intendeth not them
" to the fame Ufe. Public Gifts are for public
« Ufes.
" Confider, whether, under Pretence of magni~
nifying the SPIRIT, you do not bewray moft no
torious Pride, in the magnifying of your felves,
and the Contempt of thofe, whom you are bouod
to karn of ? Is it not palpable Prifo, for you
S 3
<c
a Things of aj&d PART I.
that never beftow'd the twentieth Part of the
Study and Pains, as the Minifters of the Gofpel
have done to underftand the Scripture, to be
conceited that you underftand it as well as
they ? — Is not the SPIRIT, and diligent Study
together, like to do more for Increafe of Know-
ledge, than the SPIRIT will do without fuch
Studies ? Why fliould you, in proud Cenfori-
" oufnefs, think, that godly Teachers have not the
tf SPIRIT as well as you ? They value it as
" much ; they pray as hard for the SPIRIT ;
" they confefs their Need of it as much as you :
*' They have the fame GOD, the fame CHRIST,
'* and the fame Promife as you ; They (hew forth
" the Truits of it in Holinefs, as much as you :
«c And yet, proud Men dare lift up themfelves in
" boafting of the SPIRIT, and defpijing their godly,
" painful Teachers, as being without the SPIRIT !
" Not only faying, as CORAH and his Confpira-
« tors, Te take too much upon you ; are not all the
« WRD's People holy ? But alfo faying, It is
" only the People are holy, and the Priefts are unho-
« /y.,-.-You will confefs, that a Man that hath
" fhidied Pfa.fick all his Days, is likely to be a
" better Phyjidan than you that never ftudied it ;
*6 and a Man that hath (ludied the Law, is like-
u ly to be a better Lawyer ; and that he were
" a proud Man that would fay, though I never
« fiudied thefe Things, yet by the SPIRIT I know
" them as well as you. "And you would fee your
" Pride as well in this Cafe of Theology, if you
" dkl but know andconfider, that the SPIRIT work-
ce erh by Means, and Mans Indufiry ; and that
^ the Gift of Interpretation, undemanding Lan-"
rinses, and the Creatures, is not a Gifc of
mftificatton ; but fuch as is common to un-
" fanfilified Men, and efpecially to make Men
* ¥ f f |
uferlu
"
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 26$
« ufeful to others, and publickly ferviceable to the
" Godly where they live.
" Lajlly confider, whether it be not a moil vile
" Abufe of the SPIRIT of GOD, to make it a Pa-
" iron and Shelter of Idlenefs. GOD fets Men
tf to fearch the Scriptures, to feek, and cry, and
" dig, for Knowledge ; to inquire of Teachers,
" and one another ; to meditate, and ftudy the
" Scripture, Day and Night, that their profiting
" may be known to all : And thefe wretched
te Souls will not only difobey GOD, and indulge
" the Flefli by Eafe and Idlenefs ,• thinking thefe
" laborious Studies too dear a Price to pay for
Knowledge, or too hard a Means to ufe in Sub-
ferviency to the SPIRIT : But befides this car
nal Contempt of the Light, they will reproach
" thofe that are more diligent and ftudious than
" themfelves, and moft impudently lay their own
" Fault on their Teachers, calling them lazy Drone?
" and idle, becaufe they fpend their Life and
" Strength in moft laborious Studies, and fearch-
" ing of the Scripture: — And which is the very
" Top of their Wickednefs, they dare father all
" this upon the SPIRIT ; as if Labour and Study
" were needlefs, becaufe they have the SPIRIT.
" Is it not enough for you to defpife GOD and
" his Word by your fiefhly Eafe and Idlenefs, re-
" fufing to ftudy and meditate on Scripture, Day
" and Night, but you muft alfo blame them who
" are at more Pains than yourfelves ; yea, im-
" pudently blame them for your Fault of Idle-
" nefs ; yea, and pretend the SPIRIT for all this
« Wickednefs. No Wonder if GOD be aveng'd
" on fuch Dealings by giving you up to a SpiriP
^ that doth indeed befriend, and 'own youvCourfe.'*
26V Things of a bad PART L
Another Infbnce of undue Dependance on the
SPIRIT, is that which oppofes a diligent Ufe of
appointed Means. And fuch too commonly is the
Dependance of thefe Times. It has been declared
from the Pulpit, and by one of the famous Preach
ers too, in the new Way, that " for Minifters to
advife Perfons under Concern to pray to GOD,
and apply themfelves to the reading the Scriptures
for Light and Direction, is the worft A-hice that
could be given ,• nay, as bad as the Devil himfelf
could give." And if a celebrated Minijler could
venture publickly to fpeak after this Manner, 'tis
no Wonder, if fome of the Exhorters have been
heard, in Difcourfe with Perfons under Convicti
on, to advife them, not to fray. I know the Plea
is, that the Thing mean't by this Advice is,"That
People fhould not reft in their Prayers, and Ob-
fervances of the Means of Religion." But whe
ther, (as Mr. TURELL juftly remarks*) " Thofe
" who deliver fuch' unfafe Paradoxes are always
" careful (at the Time of it) to diftinguifh and
" interpret, may be qtieflioned. ' Some worthy
*c Gentlemen (now in thefe Parts) who have been
" difcourfed with by me and others, fay, they are
" wanting/' And 'tis too well known to need a
lahour'd Proof, that fome Preachers as well as Ex-
horters, have expreft themfelves in a moft unguard
ed Manner upon this Point ; and fo as to lead
People into an unhappy Miflake, as to their Ufe of
the Means of Divine Appointment.
For 'tis certainly a Mifhrke, and a dangerous
one too, for any to depend on the SPIRIT, fo as
to negle£l an Attendance on Means. No one that
* See his Dialogue, 2 Edit. P. i<5,
has
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 265*
has the Bible in his Hands, and will Jook into it
without Prejudice, can be at a Lofs to know, that
GOD has appointed certain Means to be attended
in Order to the Obtainment of that Help from the
SPIRIT which is needed : fuch as Prayer, read
ing and hearing GOD's Word, and the like. And
thefe being Duties of divine Inftitution, it can't be
fuppofed, when we are call'd to depend on the
SPIRIT, it is in fuch a Senfe as to exclude thefe
Duties, or render an Obfervance of them infigni*
ficant. This would be to oppofe the SPIRIT' s In
fluence to the Appointments of GOD, and make -one
Part of the Scripture contradict another ; which is
grofly abfurd.
Some may imagine, it is more for the Honour
of the bleffed SPIRIT to afcribe the Sinner's Cm-{
verjion to him abfolutely, and in Oppqfition to alt
Means ; but this is to be wife above what is
written ; yea, contrary to what is written. 'Tis
to fet the SPIRIT OF GOD, and the INSTITU
TIONS OF GOD at variance with each other ;
which can never be for the Honour of the divine
SPIRIT. 'Tis true, GOD may -be fought of them
who asked not for him, and may be found of them who
fought him not : But this is not the ordinary Method,
in which he gives his SPIRIT to effect a Work of Grace
in the Hearts of Sinners. The common Way is in the
Ufe of appointed Means : Nor is there Ground of
Hope, in the Revelations of GOD, to be faved a-
ny other Way. 'Tis indeed Prefumptlon to expect.
GOD will be fought of us, if we don't feek to him*
He may manifeft himfelf to us ;" but we have no
Reafon to hope that he will ; yea, all Hopes of
this Kind are unfcriptural, as having no Bottom in
the Word of GQD : And notwithftanding any
fuch Hopes, we may pfcrifh in our Sins ; and
what
266 Things of a bad PART I.
what is more, the Hazard will be infinite, left
this mould be our unhappy Cafe.
The lafl Inftance of this undue Dependence, is
that which reflects Dif/jonoiw upon the written Re
velations of GOD. And who is ignorant, how com
mon it has been, in the paft Months, to throw
Contempt on the Scripture, under the Pretence of
being guided by, the SPIRIT ? The Talk of ma
ny, upon this Head, has been juft like that of
Entkufiafls. Says the Letter to Mr. TURELL, *
" Many afiert, that the Bible is of no Service to
" the unregenerate ; and tho' they iliould read
" it, while in a State of Nature, they underfland
" no more of it than a Stone. — They likewife
" maintain, that the receiving Light and Comfort
*c is a fiifficient Evidence of a Man's good Eftate ;
tf And he may depend upon it, without examin-
*' ing whether it be agreable to the written Word.'''
And in another Letter, in the fame Book, among
the Irregularities of thes Times, this is mention
ed, f " People's fpeakirg of the My Scriptures
" verycontemptuoiijly, as if they were a dead Letter,
" and it were not worth while for the unconvert-
" ed to confult them." And it has been too often
fuggefted, " as tho' the Word of GOD was need-
" 'left to fuch as have the SPIRIT." And what
indeed is the Language of thofe inward Whifpers,
and extraordinary fpmtual Motions ', which fo many,
pretend to in thefe Days, but that they are above
the Scripture, as having a better and more fafe
Guide, even the SPIRIT himfelf ? And no
Wonder, if, with, them, the, Scripture Is held in
Contempt.
Se&his Dialogue, 2Edition.Page 19. fPage 20,
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 267
It may, perhaps, feem to fuch as though they
magnified the blejfed SPIRIT, while they fo de
pended on his Suggestions and Influences, as to make
thefe their chief Guide in all Things. But what if
the Influences 'they take to be from the SPIRIT,
are the Fancies of their own Minds, or Suggestions
of Satan transforming himfelf into an Angel of Light ?
Who is their Guide now ? And inftead of Ho
nour, is not horrid Reproach reflefted on the Divine
SPIRIT ? And is there no Danger of fuch a
Miftake ? Han't it been common in the World ?
What Age has there been, fince the Times of
the dpoftles, wherein many have not, in this Way,
deluded themfelves ? And may not this always
be expe&ed to be the Cafe, when fuppos'd Influ*
ences of the SPIRIT are fet up in the Room of
Scripture, and made, inftead of that9 the Guide in
Matters of Salvation ?
It ought to be remembred, 'Tis the SPIRIT OF
GOD who fpeaks in the Scripture. Though holy
Men wrote it, it was not of their own Heads ;
but as both moved and infpired by the HOLY GHOST.
'Tis not therefore the Word of Man, but of the
Divine SPIRIT ; and as fuch, ought to be re
curred to, as the only fare Rule in Matters of Re
ligion. GOD has given us no other ; nor is
there any other that may, with Safety, be relied
on. To the Law and to the Teftimony. PFkat fay-
eth the Scripture, ought to be the Queflion, not
only in Points of Faith and Practice, but in all Pre
tences to Suggestions and Manifestations from the
SPIRIT : If they agree not with this infallible
Rule, they are not from him ; and we may be
as fure of it, as that he is the Reveakr of the
Things contained in the Jtibk.
'Tis
Things of a bad PART I.
'Tis a great Error, when Men have their Ima
ginations warmed, or feel within themfelves flrong
and unufual Impreffions, at once to conclude they
are under a divine Influence, and to think and aft
accordingly, without examining their inward Mo~
tions and Suggejlions9,bj the SPIRIT'S Declarations
in the Scripture : And 'tis this that expofes them
to Delufion ; to deceive themfelves, and to be
deceived by the grand Enemy of Souls : Nor is
there any one Thing that has led on to more or
wilder Extravagances, both in Principle and Prac
tice.^ If Men will haftily judge themfelves to
be
•j- Obfervable are the Words of Mr. JOHN STILLING-
FLEET, fpeaking of fuch as depend only upon the
Teachings of the SPIRIT, ^uithout the Word of GOD.
*' If, fays he, there be any Delufions in the World,
<c we muft own this as the BELZEEBUB among
" them. This is the Mafter-Plot the Devil hath
** us'd, in late Times, to Jay Gofpel Ordinances
<c under the Brand of the grofleft Contempt. Oh !
<c,i:s an eafy Way to be fplntua!y to fay the
*' SPIRIT teaches 5 and then we can condemn
<c all for carnal that ftick to Ordinances, and call
" thefe outward Forms, beggarly Elements. Ic is
<c an encilefs Delufion, and grofly uncertain in the
<c very Foundation, that fuch give themfelves up to,
*6 who wait for the SPIRIT'S Teaching^ without the
*c Word. For what Rule have I to try the SPIRIT
<c by, but the Word revealed, and written in the
<c Scriptures ? When as CHRIST fays, Search the
" Scriptures ; and St. JOHN, Try the Spirit;, whe~
<c ther they are of GOD or no. But how fhall I
*6 know, whether I am taught of the SPIRIT, or
" no, unlefs the Word direct me ? As for thofc'
*' who are deluded out of GOD's Way into this
" endlefs Path of Error, I look upon their Cafe as
fad
PART I. ani dangerous Tendency.
be under the immediate Guidan.e of the SPIRIT,
they willfoon be ready to fay, wt/H the Hand of
GOD moving us within, .and the Impulfes of his
" fad and miferable ; and yet, it calls for the
" Prayers of all their Friends, Relations and Ac-
<c quaintarice." See his Divine Prefence in the
Places of religious Worjbip, Page 222, 223, 224.
To the like Purpofe he fpeaks in a few Pages pre-
ceeding, u NEW-LIGHT in the Faculty we acknow-
<c ledge, NEW-LIGHTS as to the Objefi we rejeft,
" as that, which -if once admitted, proves the un-
** controulable Guide to the groffeft Delufions. For
." when once the Mind is pre-pofleft with an Ex-
" peclation of fuch NEW-LIGHTS, then any Sug-
*c geftion of the Devil is prefently embraced in its
" felf, and propounded unto others, as divine
" Raptures , and heavenly Vifions and Revelations.
<£ And then how miferably forlorn are fuch deluded
" Creatures, when, they, by fuch Courfes, tempt
<c GOD to work Miracles for their Recovery, or
<c they are forever undone. For the Pretence
*c of the SPIRIT in its Di&ates of Truths,
<c befides and above the Word^ will fetch Argu-
" ments from the fame Spirit to maintain them
" ( though the groffeft Delufions ) ; and fo, the
<c Word^ and all ordinary Means of reducing fuch
4< Souls to their right Wits again, become wholly
<€ ufelefs and unprofitable. We have had too many
ie Years Experience of the difmal fad Effecls of this
<c grand Principle of Enthufiafm^ and Delufions.
" AFRICA was never more fruitful of Montters of
" Nature ', than ENGLAND hath been of Mongers
" in Morality and Divinity, fiflce fuch NEW-
<c LIGHTS and Revelations bave been pwn'd, and
** greedily entertain'd. Admit once of NEW-
<c LIGHTS and Fifons of the SPIRIT, as they are
" term'd,and you cannot keep out the rnoft devilifh
i; and damnable Errors from following after."
SPIRIT^
Things of a bad PART I.
SPIRIT, and fee and know that they are his, and
need no other Proof of it but their own Percepti
on? ; and when they are come to this Pafs, they
are got beyond the Reach of fober Argument ;
They'll deipife all Applications to their Under-
ft anting : And if they retain any Regard to the
Scripture, 'tis only in that Senfe they fancy they
are taught to underfland it, by the Immediate Di
rection of the SPIRIT ; and 'tis not the Scripture
(whatever they may pretend) that is their Rule,
but their fuppofed Dictates from the SPIRIT. Tbefe
are placed in the Room of Scripture, and the Scrip"
ture regarded only as it may be interpreted to fall
in with thefe. And having thus a Rule fuperior
to the Bible, even the immediate Teaching of the
Holy SPIRIT, they are prepared for whatever
Delnfions, a heated Imagination, or fubtle Devil, may
fuggeil to them under the Difguife of divine Com
munications ; and this, in Oppofition to the clear-
eft Dictates of Reafon, as well as the exprefs Re
velation of GOD. How many Enthifiafts, vainly
conceiting they were extraordinarily taught and
guided by the SPIRIT, have gone on from one Ab-
furdity to another, 'till they have appear 'd to the
World to be quite wild ? There is fcarce any
Thing fo extravagant, but they have been the
Patrons of it, and under the Notion too of being
immediately inftru6led by GOD to do fo.
'Tis therefore exceeding dangerous for any to
truft to any fuppsfed Influences, Dictates, or Sttggef-
tions, from the SPIRIT, to the Neglect of the Scrip-
ture ', much more in Oppofition to it. This has
never yet fail'd of leading Perfons into Error :
And the EfFeft will be the fame now as it always
has been ; and it is indeed, in fome Meafure,
feen to be fo among our felves. We fnould
therefore
£ART I. dwTdangerous Tendency: 271,
therefore be upon our Guard, confider the Scrip
ture as the Revelation of the bleffed SPIRIT, and
make it the grand Rule by which to try, not only
our Experiences, but all our fuppos'd fpiritual Sug-
geftions, reje&ing them as Bblufions, if they accord
not with this only Teft of what we .are to receive as
coming from GOD.
I A fourth Error of the Times is, the making Af-
furance effential to Conversion. This, one of the
moft zealous Preachers, in the new Way, was fo
far from denying, when it was publickly menti-
on'd f as an Error prevailing in thefe Days, that
he rather owns the Charge by faying,* " For my
" Part, I believe alfo, that there is no true Be-
" liever, but hath Affurance for fome Space of
" Time, longer or fhorter ; fo that he could once
" fay, He knew in whom he had believed; and that
" he had faffed from Death to Life."
But whoever the Perfons be, who teach this
Do6lrine, they offend againjl the Generation of GOD'X
Children ; many of whom do walk in Darknefs,
labouring of Doubts and Difficulties, and even go
out of the World with prevailing Fears, left they
iliould not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. — —
The Caufes of thefe Doubts are various. Some
Times, a humbling Senfe of their own Unworthinefs
may be fo ftrong upon their Minds as to prevent
their taking that Comfort, which really belongs
to them ; and which others take, who have no
better a Right to it than they. And a humble
f Mr. TURELL'S Direction to his People, Page u.
* Mr. CROSSWELL'S Letter to Mr. TURELL,
Page 10.
Chriflian,
272 Things of a bad PART I.
ChrifHan, afraid to hope fo well of himfelf as he
may have Reafon to do, is, in my Opinion, a
much better Man than he that is bold and confi
dent ; efpecially, when he has not been over-ex
emplary in his Life and Converfation. — Some
times^ even very good Men may be under Mif-
takes about the Evidence of a good Eft ate, thinking
that neceflary which is not ; and not having
bad Experience of what they faljly fuppofe ne-
ceflary, walk in Darknefs. — Sometimes, there
may be undefirable Out-Breakings of Corruption;
where there is not the reigning Influence of it ;
and no Wonder, when this is the Cafe, if Men
are in Perplexities about their State.— Sometimes,
a Senfe of the Danger of deceiving themfelves may
keep very good Chriftians too much under the
Power of Fear. They deny not, that they are
poffeft of that, which looks like Faith, and Repen
tance, and New-Obedience ; but they are difpos'd
to be jealous of themfelves, in an Affair of fuch
infinite Importance. Others have been deceived,
and why may not this be their unhappy Lot : They
can't be too flow, nor cautious, they imagine, in
a Conclufion upon which their eternal Salvation
depends.-— Sometimes they may neglecl the pro
per Means of coming to a true Gofpel AJJurance ;
placing fudden Whifpers, immediate Impuljes, in the
Room, of ferious Self -Examination : And not hav
ing that Experience of thefe they expected, they
are under Clouds. — Sometimes, there is an'
unhappy Mixture of Melancholly in the Tempers
of good People; and they are herefrom inclin'd,
efpecially, at Times, to turn every Thing againil
themfelves, to their being over- whelmed with
gloomy and groundlefs Fears. —
But
•
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 275
But whatever be the Caufe, whether the Things I
have mentioned, or any other, it is a real Truth,
that good Men may be in the dark about their fpiri-
tual Condition. So it was under the Old-Tefta-
ment ; and no Reafon can be given, why it
may'nt be fo in the Times of the GofpeL— The
Scripture no where makes Affurance to be of the
Effence of favlng Faith :-— Nor was it ever tho't
to do fo, by any of thofe experienced and found
Divines, whole Memory has been precious in our
Churches. The WESTMINSTER Affembly fpeak upon
the Matter in thofe peremptory Words,*, 77; is infal
lible Affurance doth not Jo belong tQ the Effence of
Faith, but that a true Believer may wait long, ami
conflicl; with many Difficulties, before he be Partake?
cf it. And thefe are the very Words in which
the Elders and Meffengers of thefe Churches exprefl
their Faith upon this Head, in the Year 1680 f ;
as they had done it before, when convened ac
CAMBRIDGE, in 1648. And it may be worth No
tice, the firft Synod that was ever aflembled in
this Country ; and a famous Synod it was, con
fiding of thePaftors of the Churches of the MASSA|
CHUSETTS-BAY, with many worthy Meffengers ; and
all of them original Planters : I fay, the firft Sy
nod in this Country declare it to be an Error to
fay, £ " That a Man is not effectually converted,
" 'till he hath full Affurance ;" and confute it as
fuch in the following Words, " This is crofs to
* See their Confe/ton of Faith, Chapt. 18. Se<£ 3.
And Confirmation of this Truth, from ijohn 5. 13,
Ifa. 50. 10. Mark 9. 24. Pfal. 68. throughout, and
77 to the 12 Verfe. f See the NEW-ENG
LAND Cinfejjion of Faith, Chapt. 18. Sea. 3.
J See the Bijiory of the Rife and Ruin of dnrinomiaq~
ifm, &c. P, 13.
T Serif ture^
274 Things of a bad
" Scripture, Ifa. 50. 10. Wherein we fee, that,
" a iVian may truly fear GOD ( therefore truly
" coi, verted ), and yet walk in Darknefs, without
" clear Evidence, or full Affurance"
A fifth Error is, the connecting a Knowledge
of the Time of Converfion with the Thing itfelf, as
though there couid not be the one without the
other. It will not be denied, that this has been
the Way, in which many have talk'd in thefe
Times ; and Abundance of ferious, good People,
who could not fix the precife Time, when they
fuppofe they were converted, have been deemed
Hypocrites by their Neighbours : And if they
han't eritertain'd fuch a Thought of themfelves,
their. Minds have been perplext with needlefs
Fears and Scruples.
I fay, with needlefs Fears, becaufe the Know
ledge of the Time of Converfion is a Circninftance
only, and therefore feparable from the Change it-
.feif : And it actually is feparated from it in many
Inftances, or there will be no Room for the Ex-
ercife of Charity, in Refpeft of fome of the bed
of Chriftians, fo far as \ve are able to judge. .....
But I have elfewhere fpoken largely upon this
Head, and therefore go on to fay,
A fjxth Error is, the vilifying of good
And who does not know, that this is too general
ly the vSpirit of thefe Times. A Man muft be a
great Stranger to the religious State of Affairs in
the Land, who is unacquainted with the contemp
tuous Manner, in which good Works have been
fpoken of by many. The Expreffions, publickly
delivered
PART I. and dangerous Tendecy. [$75
delivered upon this Head, have been raih and un
guarded, almoft beyond Example. I have myfelf
been prefent, in a large AiTembly, when the
.Preacher (and he would take it ill not to be tho't
a firft-rate one too) fpake of good Works, with a
loud and vehement Voice, in that Style, your dbo*
minable, filthy, curfed good Works : At the fame
Time, alluring the People, " that if they did good
Works they would be damned ; and the more of
them they did, the more they would be damned :"
And this, without explaining himfelf upon the
Matter, and fo as that I could ^not but judge, the
Tendency of wiiat he faid, was to lead People into
a miftaken contemptuous Thought of good Works*
And the Preaching of fome other Minifters has
been too much in the fame Strain ; infomuch,
that thofe weightier Matters of the Law, Judgment,
Mercy, and Faith, are become low in the Efteern
of many : Nay, to fuch a Height are Numbers,
among our new Converts, grown in their pretend
ed Spirituality, that they can fcarce bear to hear
a Sermon upon the Subject of good Works : "And
the Minifler that dares pradlice .upon the infpired
Command of the Apoftle PAUL,* In affirming con*
Jtantly, that they which have believed in GOD might
be careful to maintain good Works, may be fure of
being branded with the opprobrious Name of an
ARMINIAN : Nay, the Apoflle JAMES himfelf is
too legal for thefe fpiritual Chrifrians ,• and if
they an't very much abus'd, they have fome of
them,, given him the Character of an ARMINIAN,
and voted his Epiftle not worthy a Place in
cred Canon.
Tit. 3. 8,
276 Things of a bad PARTI.
Nor is this Contempt of good Works peculiar to
the frefent Day. It was the Fault of fome, even
in the firft Times of the GofpeL The Apoftle JUDE§
lakes Notice of certain Men, who had crept in una
wares, turning the Grace of GOD into Lafcivioufnefs.
And St. PAUL has thefe fame Abufers of the Doc
trine of Grace, feveral Times in his Eye. Hence
thofe PafTages in his Epijiks.^ Shall we continue
in Sin that Grace may abound ? GOD forbid ! And
again,* Shall we fin becaufe we are not under the
Law, but under Grace ? GOD forbid ! And yet
again,} Is CHRIST the Minijler of Sin ? i. e. on
Account of the Sinner's free Justification thro' his
Right eoufnefs : GOD forbid !
And fuch has been cc the WickeSitefs of fome,
" and the Weakness of others, ( as Mr. FLAVEL
" exprefTes it ff ) that, in all Ages, Men have au-
" dacioufly broken in upon the Doftrine of free
*c Grace, and notorioufly violated, and corrupt-
" ed it, to the great Reproach of CHRIST, Scan-
" dal of the World, and hardening of the Ene-
" mies of Reformation. Behold ( faid CONTZEN
" the Jefuit ) the Fruit of Proteftanifm, and their
" Go/pel Preaching."
In the beginning of the Reformation, under the
Pretence of exalting CHRIST, and free Grace,, Mul
titudes ran quite wild, throwing the utmoft Con
tempt on the divine Law, both in Word and Deed.
CALVIN mournfully obferves of thofe Times,**
" That under Pretence of Chriftian Liberty, they
trampled all Godlinefs under Foot."
§ Verfe 4. of bit Ep'iJUe. f Rom. 6. I. * Verfe
15. J Gal. 2. 17. ff 2 Vol. Page 662. ** In
Lib. aduerfus Liber tin > Cap. 2.
And
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 277
And thus it was in this Country above an hun
dred Years ago ; and in our Nation at the fame
Time, and for many Years after. It was com
mon to hear it then faid, " that GOD could not
fee Sin in Believers ;" that " they were not o-
blig'd to be forry for Sin, or to beg the Pardon
of it, becaufe pardoned before committed ;" that
" CHRIST by taking their Sins became as finful
as they, and they by having his Righteoufnefs as
i righteous as he ;" that " CHRIST has repented,
and believed, and obeyed for them, and in their
Stead, and therefore that they are not under O-
bligations to thefe Things."* Bp HOPKINS ob-
ferves it of thefe ANTINOMIANS, f " That they
" think the Grace of GOD is fo free, as to fu-
cc perfede all Neceffity of working for it, or with
" it ; aud that it is enough for us to fit (till
" and admire it, and fo to be hurried away to
" Heaven in a Dream : Nay, fome have, upon
" this Principle, arrived to that Height of Blaf-
<f phemy as to affirm, that we can never fo much
" glorify free Grace as when we make Work for
" it by flout finning."
I would not be underftood to charge thefe
Things, upon thofe, among our felves, who have
fpoken contemptuoufly of good Works ; though
I am not without Fear, I own, left they fhould
be carried away with the like Errors. The Spirit
too generally prevailing, at this Day, is certainly
the 'fame for Kind with that, which, in former
* Vid.RuTHERFURD's Survey of fpiritual
where there is a large Colledtion of fuch Stuff as
this, from their Writings,
t His Works. Page 458..
Times,
278 Things of a bad. PART L
Times, reflected fo much Difgrace on Religion,
and was the great Obftacle in the Way of it's
Progrefs. The old ANTINOMIANS began, at firfl,
with much the fame Language about the Law and
good Works, that is now in Ufe : And it was
gradually that they arriv'd at thofe Heights of
Extravagance, for which they have juftly been
ftigmatifed. And is there no Danger, left this
ihould be the Cafe, with many, in thefe Days ?
The Danger is greater than we may be aware
of. — Some are already grown quite wild ; and,
if the Miftakes of many others are not in Time
rectified, they may increafe in their Malignity,
and be of fatal Confequence to the Intereft of
Chriflianity in thefe Churches.
I doubt not, but a Number of thofe, who have
fpoken, in a very unguarded Manner, of good
Works, are ferious, honeft Perfons, having at
Heart the Honour of GOD and the' REDEEMER.
Their Abhorrence of the Error of placing Works
in the Room of CHRIST, or free Grace, may have
led them into a dangerous Extream, the other
. Way.' So it was at the Reformation. Through
an indlf creet Zeal againft the Papifts, who had cor*
rupted the Do6i:rine of Juftification by the free
Grace of GOD, through the Right eoufnefs of CHRIST,
" They almoft bended (as Mr. FLAVEL exprefles
<c it f) the Grace of GOD as far too much the o
" ther Way, and fpake, and wrote, many Things
(C very unbecoming the Grace of GOD, and tend-
" ing to Loofenefsi and a Negleft of Duty" And
there is always Danger of thus running from one
Extream to the other : And this is that where*
in Satan has commonly gain'd an Advantage, to
t His Works, Vol. i. Page 663,
the
PART I. and dangerous Tendencfy. 279
the Hindrance of the -flourilhing of Truth and
Holme's.
I fault none for a Care to diflinguifli between
good Works in a Gofpel-Senfe, and fucli as may be
fo term'd, only becaufe die Matter of what is
done is good. Let Men fpeak as ftrongly as they
pleafe, againft thofe Works as evangelically good
ones, which proceed from a View to the Appuufe
of the World, or the Profpe6t of foroe temporal
Advantage ; or, that are only the meer out-ward
Afts of Piety, Honefhy, Generofity, Chanty, and
the like ; or, that have no higher Rife tnan
carnal Nature, however civilifed and poiiihed.
Thefe are not good Works in a religious Senfe ;
and Men ought to be plainly told fo : Nor can
Works be gcoi, (in the Senfe I am now confider-
ing them) only as they proceed from a Principle
of Faith in CHRIST, and fuch a Temper of Soul as
will argue Men to be the Children of GOD, and born
from above.
Neither would I be underftood to blame any
for their Chriflian Endeavours, that the Grace uf
GOD, and Merits of CHRIST, might have the whole
Honour that is due to them in the great Affair of
Man's Salvation.
'Tis plain from the Scriptures, that we are-^u-
ed by Grace. To Grace do they always lead up
our Thoughts, as the original eternal Source of
Mans Salvation. To this do they always afcrihe
Salvation, ANTECEDENT to all other Caufes and Con-
federations, of whatever Nature, or Kind ; and
in a Senfe fo glorious and exalted, that had it not
been for this, we never fllould, never could have
been faved.
T 4
280 Things of a bad PART I.
'Tis plain likewife from the Scriptures., that we
are favcd by CHRIST. He was the glorious Perfon
who lay, in the Counfels of GOD, as the Founda
tion in the Scheme of Man's Redemption ; He
k was that, in the Fulnefs of Time, appear'd ,in
the World, in Fafhion as a Man, and did, and
fuffff&d) all that was neceflary in Order to make
Way for the Recovery of undone Man ; and
'tis with a View to HIM, for HIS SAKE, and on HIS
ACCOUNT, that the Sinner is justified and faved.
Thefe Bleflings are made over to him, only in
Confederation of the mediatorial Performances and
Sufferings of the LORD JESUS CHRIST : This is the
true Reafon of their Beftowment, in Oppofetion to
all Warh of Right eoufnefs, that he ever did, or
was capable of doing, to recommend him to the Fa
vour of GOD,
And 'tis as plain from the fame Scriptures, that
Salvation by Grace, through CHRIST, is in the
Way of Obedience ; fuch an Obedience as pro
ceeds from a Heart purified by Faith, and purged
frorfi dead Works to ferve the living GOD. This is
evidently the Doftrine of the BIBLE. — It makes
no Provifion of Mercy for Sinners continuing fuch ;
but poiltively excludes them the Kingdom of
Heaven, notwithstanding the Grace of GOD, and
the Merits of the REDEEMER. The Texts to
this IJurpofe are fcattered all over the Writings
of the Evangelifts and dpoftles : Nor is there
any Room for Difpute upon the Matter. '
Nor is there the lead Inconfiftency between
the fe Scripture-Doctrines :> and we may be fure, we
miftake their Meaning, if we interpret them fo
as to make them daft with one another. Nei
ther the Grace of GOD, nor the Merits of CHRIST,
take
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 281
take away the Necejfity of a koly Life, in Con
formity to the Preempts of the Gofpel : And
'tis fo far from honouring the Grace of GOD, -or
the Merits of the REDEEMER, to fuppofe fuch a
Thing, that it cafts Reproach upon them both.
'Tis to feparate between thofe Things, which GOD
has join'd together, f.
Men may, 'tis true, place good Works in the
Room of CHRIST, or of divine Grace ; and fo they
may, under Pretence of exalting CHRIST, and Grace,
entertain the Notion as tho' good Works wereneed-
lefs. And in either of thefe Cafes, Diflionour is
J Worthy of Notice are the following Words of Mr.
BAXTER. Says he, " If you fet up the Duties of
" the Gofpel in CHRISTs Stead, you err. CHRIST
" hath his Place and Work ; DUTY hath its Place
*c and Work too. Set it but in its own Place, and
<c expecl: from it but its own Part, and you go
*' right ; yea more, (how unfavoury foever the
<e Phrafe may feem) you may fo far as this comes
<e to, truft to your Duty and Works, i. e. for their
<6 own Part. For if Duty have no Share, why
" may we not tntf CHRIST in a Way of Dif-
*c obedience as well as of Duty. In a Word,
" you muft both ufe, and truft Duty in Subordi-
<c nation to CHRIST ; but neither ufe it, nor truft
*' it in Co-ordination with him. So that this dero-
*e gates nothing from CHRIST ; for he has done, and
<c will do all his Work perfectly, and enableth his
<4 People to do their's : Yet, he is not properly faid
<{ to do it himfelf. He believes not,repents not, &c;
<c but worketh thefe in them. i.e. enableth and excit-
ce eth them to do it. No Man muft look for more
*6 from Duty, than GOD hath laid upon it : And
fo much we may and muft. Vid. BAXTER'S
Vol. 3. Page ii.
done
282 Things of a bad PART I.
done to the REDEEMER, and that Grace of GOD,
which 'tis impoffible ihouW give Countenance to
a Negleft of the Duties of Religion. Whattho*
good PForks are' not the Motive to Salvation, but
the free, unmerited Mercy of GOD ? What though
'tis not for the Sake of good Works ', that we are
juftified, but on Account of the Righteoufnefs of
CHRIST ? Does this argue that good Works are not
neceflary in other Refpe6ls ? They are fo in. re-
fpe6l of the Appointment of GOD : " Nor was this
Appointment a meer arbitrary Thing, but plainly
founded in the Wifdom of the divine Government.
'Twas not fitting thatGODfhould faveMen in their
Sin-, that he fhould. receive them to Heaven, while
going on in Rebellion againfl his fovereign, rightful
Authority : Yea, it would be repugnant to all the
Conceptions we have of GOD, as a Being infinite
ly wife, and jufl, and holy, for him to grant it
to Ms Kind of Perfons, to fit down with the LORD
JESUS in his Kingdom. In this View of the Mat
ter, what mud we think of his Holinefs and Juf-
tice ? What would become of his Authority as
Governour among the Nations ? What more ef-
feftual Method could be taken to lead Men to
think, there was no Difference between moral Good
and Evil^ That Finite was of no Account in the
Eye of Heaven, and that the Diftinftion between
that and Fice, was not worthy to be regarded m
Men's Conduft of themfelves? And indeed, what
would they have to fear, either from the Petfefti
ons9 or Government of GOD ? And inflead of be-
ing under Reflraint from Sin, would they not be
very much at Liberty to follow their own Inclina
tions, and to live and aft jufl as they were mov'd
by carnal Nature ? But far be it from our Tho'es
to fuppofe, that the alwife and good GOD would
allnr/ of fuch a State of Things. He never would,
.he
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 283
he never could : He has a greater Regard to
his own Honour, and the Welfare of Man.
But beficles all this, that Temper o/ Mind which
always was, and will be, a never-failing Source of
good Works , is previoufly neceflary, in the Na
ture of Things, in Order to a Meetnefs for the
Happinefs of the heavenly World. This is an in
tellectual, rational Kind of Happinefs ; confiding
in the Contemplation of the divine Perfections,
ardent Love to the blefTed GOD, and a perpetual
Employment in his Service. But can thofe take
Pleafure in contemplating the Glories of the infi
nitely perfecl Being, the Temper of whofe Souls
is fo carnal, as to have the highejl Relifh for the
Things of Time and Senfe ? Can they place their
intire Delight in GOD, who have fo fond an Af-
fe£tion for that abominable Thing which his Soul
hates ? Or, is it poffible they fhould be happy
in ferving GOZ), Night and Day, without Interrup
tion forever, the Bent of whofe Minds is turned
quite another Way ? Light can as well have Com*
muni on with Darknefs, or CHRIST with Belial.
And let not any imagine, that CHRIST, by obey
ing the Law in our Stead, has made void the Ob
ligations we are under to conform to it, in our
nvn Perfons, as a Rule of Life. The BIBLE, that
facred Teft of all religious Truth, gives not the
lead Encouragement to any fuch licentious Senti
ments, On the contrary, it every where repre-
•Tents our Obligations to Obedience as mightily in-,
hanced, on Account of CHRIST, and what he has
done andfiffired.fbr finners. Nor is there fo ftrong an
"Argument to enforce religions Practice, as thatwhich
is fetcht from the bleeding and dying of the SON of
GODj when he flood in the Place of miferable,
fmful
284 Things of a bad PART I.
finful Man. 'Tis indeed the great Gofpel- Argument
to Repentance and a good Life ; and of mofl weight
and perfiiafive Influence to this Purpofe. And fo
far were the Apoftles of our LORD, from thinking
Men difcharged from their Obligations to obey
the Law, on the Account of CHRIST, or any Thing
he has done, or fuffered for them, that they par
ticularly mention it, as one of the great Ends of:
his giving himfelf for us, that f he might redeem us
from all Iniquity, and purify to himfelf a peculiar Peo-
fie, zealous of good Works : Nay, the Reafon ex-
prefly given, why he had the Name JESUS called
upon him was that, f For he /hall fave his People
from their Sins. And the Apoftle peremptorily deJ
clares, * it was for this Purpofe the Son of GOD was
manifefted, that he might dejlroy the Works of the De-:
vil. 'Tis therefore a bafe Reflection on CHRIST,
and the great Defign of his Undertaking for Sin
ners, to entertain a Thought, as thoY by his Obe
dience, he had taken away the NeceJJlty of ours^
The infpir'd PAUL was quite of another Mind.,
For though he concludes, after a Train of Rea-
foning, § That a Man is jujlificd by Faith, without'
the Deeds of the Law; yet to prevent all Miftakes,
he adds thofe obfervable Words in the Verfe, or
two following, Do we then make void the Law thro9
Faith? GOD forbid ! Tea, we eftablifh the Law.
And the Grace of GOD is fo far from encourag
ing a Negleft of good Works, that it is one of the
itrongeft Excitements to the Performance of them.
It applies to our Ingenuity , and is wonderfully a-
dapted to foften the Heart, and render the moil
flubborn Will pliant and yielding. And if 'tis the
f Titus 2. 14. f Matt. i. 21. * i John 3. 8-
§ Rom. 3. 28.
Temper
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 285
• Temper of any to take Occafion from the Grace
of GOD to fin againft him, rather than love and
obey him, they, of all Men, have the lead Right
to be look'd upon as good Chriftians. The Tho't
of continuing in Sin,' under the Pretence of exalt
ing free Grace, the Apoftle rejefts with a GOD
' FORBID ! And well he might, for it argues a moft
» accurfed Frame of Mind. 'Tis a vile Abufe offered
to the gracious and merciful GOD. 'Tis a being
; evil becaufe he is good. It difcovers a Mind loft
'to all Senfe of Gratitude, and that is bafe and
; fordid to the laft Degree. — • But I may not en-
; large. To go on,
The laft Error I (hall mention is that, which de
cries Sanftification as an Evidence of Justification.
None, I believe, will deny, that this is a common
Tenet, in thefe Times. It has been pleaded for
in Print. And 'tis indeed the known Charafteriftick
of a thorow-pac'd new Convert.
This was one of the Errors prevailing in this
Country, foon after its firjl Settlement ; and as it was
withftood and condemn'd by the whole Body of theje
Churches, aflembled at CAMBRIDGE by their Elders
and MeJJengers, I {hall, inftead of offering any
Thing of my own, tranfcribe what THEY then
faid in Confutation of it.
Jf A Man cannot evidence his purification by his
fanftification, but he mud needs build upon his Sanfti-
f cation, and trujt to it," was one of the Principles of
the Opinionifts in that Day ; which the Synod con
fute thus. ^'Firft, This is contrary to i Joh. 3
f The Hijtory of the Rife, &c of Antinomianifm
&c in this Country. Pag. 15.
286* Things of a bad PART I.
" 18, 19. Where the HOLY GHOST faith, that
" by unfeigned and hearty Lov&'we may have A$ur-\
" ance ; and yet, neither there, nor any where,
" elfe, would have us truft to our Sanckification :
" So Verfe 7. He that doth "Right eoufncfs is righ-
" teous, as he is righteous. Secondly, If Poverty
" of Spirit, which emptieth us of all Confidence
" in ourfelves, may evidence a Man's Justification,
" without trufting to it, then may Sanftification l|
<c without trujting to it ; but the former is true,.!
" therefore alfo the latter.- /Thirdly, If it be an"
« Ordinance of GOD to evidence our Juftification*
" by our San&ificafioh, then we may do this with- ]
" out trujling to it ; but that is apparent from '.
" 2 Pet. 3. 10. Ergo.'9
Another of their Principles was, " That it is a
Fundamental, and Soul-damning Error, to make '
Santtification an Evidence of Jujtification :" Upon!
which the Synod exprefs themfelves thus,* " 1'his i
" is contrary to thefe Scriptures. Rom. 8- n.
" They that walk after the SPIRIT, are freed from
" Condemnation, and are in CHRIST, and fq fafti\
" fed. So, i John 3. 10. In this are the Chit-1
" dren of GOD manifeft, and the Children of the
^ Devil : H^hofoever doth not Right eoufnefs is not*
" of GOD."
Another of their Notions was, " That the]
SPIRIT giveth fuch full and clear Evidence of my
good Eftate, that I have no Need to be tried by
the Fruits of Sanftification : This were to light
a Candle to the Sun :" To which the Synod an-
fwer,f <f This Opinion, taken in this Senfe that
" after the SPIRIT hath teilified a Man's good E-
* Ibid. P. i(5. f Ibid. P.IbidT
ftatc,
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 287
« ftate, the Perfon need ^ not to be tried by the
'" Fruits of Sanfiification, is contrary to the Scope
" of the whole firjl Epiftle of St. JOH^ ; where
i" Variety of Arguments are propounded to all
" Believers, in common, to diftinguiih the Perfons
" of Believers from Unbelievers, i John 5. 13.
" Thefe Things have I written unto you that believe
*f on the JName of the SON of GOZ), that ye may
" KNOW that ye have eternal Life. The Water is
" annexed to the SPIRIT and Bloody i John 5. 8."
Another of their unaccountable Fancies was,
" That SanCiification was fo far from evidencing a
good Eftate, that it darkens it rather ; and a
Man may more clearly fee CHRIST, when he
Teeth no Santlification, than when he doth : The
darker my Santlification is, the brighter is my Juf-
tification" Tne Reply is,* " This is contrary to
" the Scripture of Truth, which rather giveth
" the Name of Light to Sanftification "and Holi-
" nefs, and even for this Ufe, to clear our Jufti-
'*•* fication, i John i. ,j5, 7. 1^ or the HOLY GHOST
<c concludes, as from a clear and infallible Pro-
•" mife, and Propofition., that if we walk in the
c Light, as he is in the Light, then doth the Blood
' of CHRIST cleanfe us from all Sin ; meaning,
' that then, and thereby, it appeareth, that it is
ic done : 'As on the contrary, Unholinefs, and un~
IC My Walking, is like Datjkwfs, which obfcureth.
l< ail tho goodly Prefumption, Flourifiies, and
" Hopes, of an unregeherate Man, Verfe 6. For
" this Purpofe, (i John 5. 8.) The Water of
" Sanctification is made a Witnefs : Now the
" Mature of a Witnefs is not to darken and ob-
" fcure Matters in Queftion, but to clear them.
* Ibid. P. 17.
" And
288 Things of a bad PART I.
<c And when DAVID (Pfalm 51. 10, u, 12.)
" his Heart fo unclean, and his Spirit fo altoge-
" ther out of Order, his Jiiflification was not then
" brighter ; for then he fhould have had the
" Joy of his Salvation more full, and not fo to •
" fink, as' that he begs it might be reftored to
" him ; as implying, that his Joy, for the pre-
te fent, was wanting to him."
And one of the Sayings in that Day was,"Here
<c is a great Stir about Graces, and looking to
<c Hearts ; but give me CHRIST. I feek not for
" Graces, but for CHRIST ; I feek not for Pro-
" mifes, but for CHRIST ; I feek not for Sanfti-
" fication, but for CHRIST ; Tell me not of Me-
" ditation and Duties, but tell me of CHRIST." To
which the Synod fubjoin, f " This Speech feem-
*' eth to make a flat Oppojition between CHRIST
«' and his Graces, contrary to that, in John i. 16.
" Of his Fulnefs we all received, and Grace for-
*' Grace. And between CHRIST and his Proniifes,:
«c contrary to Gal. 3. 13, 14. CHRIST was made!
" a Curfe, that we might receive the Promife of the]
" SPIRIT ; And, Luke i. 70. with 74. And]
cf betwixt CHRIST and all holy Duties, contrary to';
" Tit. 2.14. And therefore holds forth Expreffi-;
" ons not agreeing to wholfome Doftrine."
In fine, another of their Sayings was, cc If!
CHRIST be my Sanclificatiou, what need I look to :
any Thing in my felf, to evidence my Juftification.'"
Upon which the Synod obferve,* " This Pofltion
" is therefore unfound, becaufe it holds forth
" CHRIST to be my Sanki fication, fo as thai I need
S not look to any inherent Holinefs in my felf ;
f Ibid. P. 21. * Ibid. P. 22.
" whereas
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 289
<c whereas CHRIST is therefore faid to be our
" Sanftification, becaufc he works Sanftificaiion in
" us y and we daily ought to grow up in him,
" by receiving new Supply, and Increafe of Grace,
" from his Fulnefs, according to 2 Pet. 3. 18.
" Grow in Grace, and in the Knowledge of our LORD
" JESUS CHRIST.
But as this is an Error unhappily fpreading a-
mong People, and of fatal Tendency, I mall, as
a further Guard againft the Infection of it, be at
the Pains to lay before the Reader, what two
Divines, of great Repute, in thefe Churches, have
faid in Confutation of it.
The firft is Mr. SHEPARD. He liv'd in the
Times, when this Error was rife in the Country ;
and he has ftrongly teftified againft it, particular*
ly in his Parable of the ten Virgins. Says he, *
" The Teftimony of the SPIRIT does not make a
€t Man a Chriilian, but only evidences it : As 'tis
(f the Nature of a Wilnejs^ not to' make a Thing
" to be true, but to clear and evidence it. And
" therefore, whether the SPIRIT, in the frft, or
66 fecond Place, clears GOD's Love, I difpute not ;
" becaufe 'tis doubtful : Yet be fare you find
46 out the Difference ; viz. SOME WORK IN YOU,
" that no Hypocrite under Heaven has : Elfe
• " what Peace can you have ?" And a little on
wards, " The great Doubt of GOD's People is
" not only, am I elefted ? Am I juftified, and
" accepted ? But am I called ? Am I fanftifi-
" ed ? Are not my Defires, my Faith, my Love,
" counterfeit ; which I may have, and yet go
*< to Hell ? Now, the SPIRIT, when he comes,
* Vid. P. 136, 137.
V clears
Things of a bad PART I.
" clears tip all Doubts, not fully, but gradually ;
" for 'tis the moft clearing Witnefs : And there-
c fore, John 14. 18, 19, 20. At that Day, you
*f fhall know, that I am in you, and you in me, and
** I in tke Father. The SPIRIT does not only fay,
<c CHRIST is out of you in Heaven, preparing and
ct interceeding ,• but in you, fanftifying, prepar-
" ing thee for Glory, who art a Veflel of Glory ;
*c and you in me by Faith, by JLove, Defire, &c*
c< Now, when a Man ihall fay, JT look to no Work,
«< but only for the SPIRIT to reveal the LORD'S
<c Love ; in feeming to defire the SPIRIT, he doth
« refifl the SPIRIT of GOD." And in a few Pa
ragraphs following. " Jf you look to the SPIRIT
" without a JF<?r£, whilft you do feek Confolation
" from the SPIRIT, you cannot avoid the Condem-
cc nation of the ff^orj. You fay, the SPIRIT has
" given Peace to you : But do you love CHRIST ?
" I look not to that, but to the SPIRIT ; why,
" the Word fays, he that loves not him, let him be
" Anathema. So, is the League between your
<c Sins and your Souls broken ? I look not to
cc that : Why, JOHN faith, he that committeth Sin
" is of the Devil, i John 9. 8, p. Are you new
" Creatures ? I look not to that : Why, the
" Word faith, Unlefs you be born again, you cannot
c< enter into the Kingdom of GOD. And the LORD
" knowsj but on your Death-beds, thus Satan may
•c aifauk you ,• and then the LORD will fay,
*€ nay, look to your felf. The Word fliall be
** BELSHAZZAR'S Terror. Confider Pfalm 32. i. 2."
And yet more plainly a Page or two further, "A
c; Man is firft a Believer, and in CHRIST, and juf- /
« tified, called, fan&ified, before the SPIRIT does .
" Mftnefi it : Elfe the SPIRIT mould witnefs to
" an Untruth, and a Lie. For Unbelievers are
« wider Wrath. If the SPIRIT does not witnefs
this
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 291
4< this peculiar Work to be in you, and clear it up
" to you, tell me, how you can efcape Anguifh
" of Confcience, and the. Terrors of Hell in your
" Heart, unlefs Confcience be feared, and blind-
" ed ? When the LORD mall fet Confcience to
" ask, and fay, I cbufe none but whom I call ; I
" call none but whom I juftify ; I juftify none
" but whom I fanftify, and that not with a com-
" mon, but peculiar. JVork ; is it fo with you ?
" If it be dark, or doubtful, can you but think
" all your JOYS have been DREAMS ; and your
" WITNESS, DELUSIONS : Therefore look to this.
« —-If you do not, you have no Peace. For
" the LORD'S Sake, do it before Fire try you, or
ic you ftand fcorching before the Tribunal of
** GOD. — If you defpife lVor\^ you defpife Pro-
" mifes, and fo defpife CHRIST ,• and the LORD
" knows what Ufe you may have of them before
" you die."
The other is, the excellent Mr. FLAVEL, who
has very clearly, and ftrongly, expreft himfelf
upon this Point. Speaking of the ANTINOMIANS,
he fays,f " They deny SdnElificatim to be the E-
vidence of Justification ;" and reafons againft the
Tenet in the following Words,* " (i) I grant in-
4C deed, that many vain Profeflbrs do cheat, and
<f deceive themfelves, by falfe, unfcriptural Signs
c< and Evidences, as well as by true ones mifap-
" plied. (2)! grant alfo, that by Reafon of
" the Deceitfulnefs of the Heart, Inftability of
<e the Thoughts, fimilar Works of common Grace
« in Hypocrites, Diftra6lions of the World, Wiles
4< of Satan, Weaknefs of Grace, and Prevalency
" of Corruption : The clearing up of our Jufti-
f His Wor\s> Vol. i. Page 1678. * P. Ibid.
V 2 ficatiw
Things of a bad PART I.
" ficatlon by our San$ification, is a Work that meets
" with great and manifold Difficulties ; which
" are the Things that mofl Chrifrians complain
" of. (3) I alfo grant, that the Evidence of our
t( Juftification in this, or any other Method, is
" not eflential, and abfolutely neceflary, to the
" being of a Chriftian. A Man may live in
*c CHRIST, and yet not know his Intereft in him,
(f or Relation to him, Ifa. 50. 10. Some Chri-
" ftians, like Children in the Cradle, live, but mi-
" derfland not that they live ; are born to a
" great Inheritance, but have no Knowledge of
" ic, or prefent Comfort in it. (4) I will further
" grant, that the Eye of a Chriilian may be too
" intently fixt upon his own gracious Qualificali-
ff ons ; and being wholly taken up in the reflex
ff A6ls of Faith, may too much negledl the dire ft
" Acls of Faith upon CHRIST, to the great Detri-
" ment of his Soul.
" But all this notwithftanding, the Examinati-
" on of our Jujlification by our Sanffification, is
" not only a lawful, and poffible, but a very excel-
" lent and necejjhry Work and Duty. 'Tis the
4C Courfe that Chriilians have taken, in all Ages ;
" And that which GOD hath abundantly bleft
u to the Joy, and Encouragement of their Souls.
" He hath furniihed our Souls, to this End,
" withxnoble felf-reflecling Powers, and Abilities.
" He hath anfwerably furniflied bis Word with
" Variety of Marks and Signs, for the fame End
" and Ufe. Some of thefe Marks are exclufive*
" to dete6l and bar bold preftimptuous Pretend-
" ers, i Cor. 6. 9. Rev. 21. 8. 27. Some are
" inclujive Mark?, to meafure the Strength and
<c Growth of Grace by, Rom. 4. 20. And others
" are
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 293
" are pofitive Signs, flowing out of the very Ef-
" fence of Grace, or the new Creature, i John 4.
" 13. Hereby we know, that we dwell in him, and
" he in us, becaufe he hath given us of his SPIRIT.
'" He hath exprefly commanded us to examine
(f and prove ourfelves ; upbraided the Negle6t-
" ers of that Duty, and enforced their Duty up-
" on them by a thundering Argument, 2 Cor. 13.
" 5. Examine yourfehes, whether ye be in the Faith ;
<f prove your own felves : Know ye not your own
" felves, how that JESUS CHRIST is in you, ex-
96 cept ye be Reprobates. In a Word, for this End
" and Purpofe, among others, were the Scriptures
" written, i John 5. 13. Thcfe Things have I
" written to you that believe on the Name of the
" SON of GOD, that ye may know that ye have e-
" ternal Life. And therefore, to neglect this Duty
" are exceeding dangerous ; but to deny and de-
" ride it, intolerable. It may be juftly feared,
" fuch Men will be drown'd in Perdition, who fall
" into the Water, by making a Bridge over them
" with their own Shadows.
" For my own Part, I verily believe, that the
" fweeteft Hours Chriftians enjoy in this World,
(f is, when they retire into their Clofets, and fit
" there conceaFd from all Eyes, but him that
," made them : looking now into the BIELE, then
(e into their own HEARTS, and then up to GOD ;
*( clofely following the grand Debate about their
" Inter efl In CHRIST, 'till they haVe brought it to
" the happy, defired Iflue."
Thefe now are the had and dangerous Things
of the prefent Day ; for fo. I think it juft to
fpeak of them, and not under the foft Name of
V 3 Imprudences :
294 Things of a bad PART I.
Imprudences : leaving it to the World to judge,
whether they are not well worthy of fuch a Style.
Many, who are zealous for what is call'd, in the
grofs, the glorious Work of GOD, will, probably,
be, "heartily fick " of the above Reprefentation :
But if they are become " prejudiced ( as has been
" publickly declared £ ) againft the very Sound of
" Imprudences and Disorders " they may not be
fuppos'd to be in a proper Temper of. Mind to
receive the Truth >: Nor is it any Wonder, if
they have unhappily fallen injo Miilakes ; jufti-
fying thofe Things, which, if they had feen in
their true Light, they would have condemned.
Nothing more tends to blind the Mind than Pre
judice; and this, fome have been made fenfibleof,
who could not be brought to believe, the Dif orders
In the Land were fuch as had been reprefented, till
Conviction was forced into them, by what they
faw with their own Eyes, and heard with, their
cwn Ears.
I mall only fubjoin, in Confirmation of the a-
bove Accounts, two public Testimonies, which I
can't but think worthy of particular Notice.
The firft is from the Government of CONNECTI
CUT, in their Proclamation, this Year, for a general*
which runs thus.
By the honourable JONATHAN LAW, Efq; Go-
.*' vernour and Commander in Chief, in and;
" over his MAJESTY'S Colony of CONNEC-
rf See Mr. EDWARDS'S Book, on the late Revival
•of Religion in NEW-ENGLAND. P.i88.
TICUT
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 295
<c TICUT in NEW-ENGLAND. A Proclamation
" for a Day of publick Fading and Prayer.
" Confidering the various Frowns of divine Provi-
cc dence. Particularly, the mortal. Sicknefs which has
" prevailed in feme of our Towns ; the ^cutting
" ft>ort fome of the precious Fruits of the Earth by
" the Drought in the Summer paft ; the ill Sue*
" cefs of our Troops in the late Expedition againft
tf the Spaniflj Weft-Indies, in which mofl of them
" have peri/bed by Sicknefs ; the fearful Profpeft that
" our Nation and all Europe may be involved in a
" more general and bloody War^ which may prove
*' much more fetal and di fluffing to thefe Plantations}
<c and the unhappy Divifions and Contentions
" which ilill prevail, both among Miniflers and
" People, in the Dodlrines and Practice of Re-
" ligiori, and the bitter Spirit of Uncharitablenefs
<c and Diforder, which too much prevails among
" all Orders in the Land : All which call for
" our deep Humiliation before the LORD.
(f Conjidering tikeivife the Fruitfulnefs of the Year,
" and all the Mercies we hope for, depend upon
" 'the Bleffing of GOD, wbich we ought humbly to
ff implore.
" I Have therefore tho't fit, by and with the
ec Advice of the Council, to appoint and do here-
" by appoint, Wednefday, the thirteenth Day of
" dprilnext to be obferved as a Day of publicFAST-
" ING and PRAYER thro'out this Colony : exhort-
ic ing both Miniflers and People deeply to hum-
" ble themfelves before the LORD, uncler all the
<c Tokens of his Anger and Difpleafure, and hum-
bly to confefs and bewail all our Sins which are
" the procuring Caufe of them : PARTICULARLY,
The great Negleft and Contempt ofths Gofpel and
V 4 ti>t
Tbingf of a bad PART I.
the Miniftry thereof, and the prevailing of a Spirit
of Error, Difurder, Unpeaccablenefs, Pride, Bitter-
nefs, Uncharitablenefs, Cenforioufnefs, Difobedience,
calumniating and reviling of Authority ; Divijions,
Contentions, Separations and Confufions in Churches,
Injustice, Idlenefs, Evilfpeaking, LafciviQufnefs9
" and all other Vices and Impieties which abound a-
*' mong us.
" And that fervent Supplication be made toAl-
u mighty GOD, that he would preferve and blefs
" our Sovereign Lord King GEORGE, their
" Royal High nefl"es the PRINCE and PRINCESS
" of Wales, the DUKE, the PRINCESSES the ISSUE
" of the PRINCE and PRINCESS of Wales^ and
(i the reft4 of the ROYAL FAMILY : That all
" the public Affairs of our Nation may be under
" the Conduct and Smiles of Heaven; that GOD
" would direct and blefs his Majefty's Councils,
u fucceed his Arms in the War he is engaged in ;
" that he would mercifully interpofe to flill the
" Jarrs and Confufions of Europe, to prevent the
" Effufion of Chriftian Blood and the dreadful
u Calamities" of a general War : That GOD
" would fmile upon and protect the JSnf //& Planta-
cc tions in America, and efpecially that we in
" this Colony may have all our juft Rights and
" precious Priviledges CIVIL and SACRED continu-
" ed unto us inviolate : That GOD would blefs
" our civil Rulers, and fucceed all their Admini-
" ftrations for the Promotion of Juftice and Pro-
" te6lion of Religion : That he would direft the
tf Minifters of the Gofpel, heal their Divijions, and re-
" jlore Unity and Harmony in their Sentiments and
tf Practifes : That Religion might flourifh, and a
" Work of Converfion, vital Piety and true Holinefs
(6 might be powerfully carried on ; and that all Er~
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 297
" rors, Cenforioufnefs, Divifions, Separations, Difor-
" ders and Confufwns might ceafe and fuhfide in our
" Churches ; and that Love, Charity, Peaceablenefs,
" Meeknefs, Humhlenefs of Mind and other genuine
" Fruits of the Spirit may be manifefl ; that Religion
" might appear in its native Excellency and Beauty :
" That GOD would blefs the COLLEGE, and preferve
<c Purity and Order in that Society : That the
" Gofpel might flourifh among the Heathen Na-
tf tives : That GOD would blefs the fucceed-
<f ing Year with Health, Peace and Plenty ; and
" profper us in all our Affairs both by Sea and
" Land.
cc And all fervile Labour on faid Day is hereby
" ftriclly forbidden.
Given under my Hand at the Council Chamber
" in New -Haven, this ninth Day of February
" in the fixteenth Year of the Reign of our
" Sovereign Lord GEORGE the Second, of
" Great-Britain, &C. KING. Annoque Domini,
" 1742,3
y. LAW.
GOD fave the KING.
The other Teftimony is that of the Paflors of
thefe Churches y at their late Convention, in this Town,
in thefe Words,
" We, the P } afters of the Churches of CHRIST
in the PROVINCE of the MASSACHUSETTS-
BAY in NEW-ENGLAND, at our annual Conventi
on, May 25th. 1743, taking into Confideration
feveral Errors in Doftrine^ and Disorders in Practice,
that have of late obtained in various Pf.rts of the
Land, look upon our felves bound, in Duty to our
great
Things of a bad PART
L
great LORD and MASTER, JESUS CHRIST, and in
Concern for the Purity and Welfare of thefe Church-
es, in the moft public Manner, to bear our Tefli-\
mony againft them.
I. As to Errors in Doftrine \ we obferve, thad
fbme in " our Land look upon what are called
fecret Impulfes upon their Minds, without due Re-n
gard to the written Word, the Rule of their Con-
duel ; that none are converted but fuch as know
they are converted, and the 'Time when ; that ^f-\
furance is of the Effence of faying Faith ; that]
Sanftificatioti is no Evidence of Juftif cation, with,
other ANTINOMIAN and FAMILISTICAL Errors,,
which flow from thefe : All which, as we judge,,
are contrary to the pure Doctrines of the Gofpell
and teftified againft and confuted, by Arguments^
fetched from Scripture and Reafon, by our venera-5
ble Fathers, in the Acts of the Synod of Auguftj
1637 ; as printed in a Book entitled, The RifeJ.
and Reign, and Ruin, of ANTINOMIAN ISM &;c, in
NEW-ENGLAND.
II. As to Diforders in Practice, we judge,
I. The Itinerancy, as it is called, by which CH
ther ordained Minifters, or young Candidates, go from
Place to Place, and without the Knowledge, or con*-T
trary to the Leave of theftated Paftors in fuch Pla
ces, afiemble their People to hear themfefoes preach,
arifing, we fear, from too great an Opinion of them-
fefoes, and an uncharitable Opinion of thofe Paftors,
and a Want of Faith in the great Head of the
Churches, is a Breach of Order, and contrary to the
Scriptures, i Pet. 4. 15. 2Cor.io. 12, to the EndJ
And the Sentiments of our Fathers exprefl in thei^
Platform of Church Difcipline, Chapt. 9. Sect. 6.
2. Private
PART I, and dangerous Tendency. 299
2. Private Perfons of no Education, and but low
Attainments in Knowledge, in the great Dodrines
of the Gofpel, without any regular Call, under a
Pretence of exhorting, taking upon themfelves to be
Preachers of the Word of GOD, we judge to be
an heinous Invafion of the miniflerial Office, offen-
five to GOD, and deftructive of thefe Churches,
contrary to Scripture Burn's. 16. iCor. 12. 28,29.
And teflified againft in. a faithful Advice to the
Churches of NEW-ENGLAND by feveral of our ve
nerable Fathers.
3. The ordaining and federating of any Perfons
to the Work of the evangelical Miniftry, at large ^
and without any fpecial Relation to a particular
Charge, which fome of late have unhappily gone
into, we look upon as contrary to the Scriptures,
and directly oppofite to our Platform, Chapt. 6.
Seel. 3. And the Practice of the proteftant Churches,
as may be feen in the Order of the Churches vindicated,
written by the very Rev. Dr. INCREASE MATHER.
4. The Spirit and Practice of Separation, from
the particular Flocks to which Perfons belong, to join
themfelves with and fupport, lay Exhort ers, or Iti
nerants^ very fubverfive of the Churches of CHRIST,
oppofite to the Rule of the Goipel, Gal. 5. 19, 20.
Judever. 19. i Cor. 12. 25. i Cor. 3. 3. And
utterly condemned by our Platform, Chapt 13.
Sect. i. 5. And contrary to their Covenant Engage^
ments.
5. Perfons afTuming to themfelves the Preroga
tive of GOD, to look into and judge the Hearts of
their Neighbours, cenfure and condemn their Brethren,
efoecially their Mini/ten, as Pharifees, Armmians,
blind
300 Things of a bad PART 1.1
Hind, and unconverted, &c. where their Doftrinesl
are agreable to the Gofpel, and their Lives to their]
Chriftian ProfeiTion, is, we think, moft contrary to]
the Spirit and Precepts of the Gofpel, and the Ex
ample of CHRIST, and highly unbecoming the Cha
racier of thofe who call themfelves the Difciples of
the meek and lowly JESUS, John 13. 34. 35. i Sam*
16. 7. Matt. 7. i. Rom. 14. 10.
6. Though we deny not, that the human Mind,
under the Operation of the Divine SPIRIT, may be
overborn with Terrors or Joys : yet, the many,
Confufions that have appeared in fbme Places, from
the Vanity of Mind, and ungoverned Paflions of
People, either in the Excefs of Sorrow or Joy,
with the dij orderly Tumults and indecent Behaviours
of Perfons, we judge to be fo far from an Indica
tion of the fpecial Pre fence of GOD with thofe
Preachers that have induftrioufly excited and coun
tenanced them, or in the Aflemblies where they
prevail, that they are a plain Evidence of the Weak-
nefs of human Nature ,• as the Hiflory of the Enthu-
Jiafms that have appear 'd in the World, in feveral
Ages, manifefts. Alfo i Cor. 14.23,40. At the
fame Time, we bear our Teftimony againfl
the impious Spirit of thofe, that, from hence,;
take Occaflon to reproach the Work of the Diving
SPIRIT, in the Hearts of the Children of GOD.
Upon the whole, we earneftly recommend the
Churches of this Country to the gracious Care and
Conduct of the Great Shepherd of the Sheep, with our :
thankful Acknowledgement for his merciful Regard
to them, in fupplying them with faithful Paftors, .-.
and protecting them from the Defigns of their E-
nemies, and advancing his fpiritual Kingdom in the
Souls of fo many from the Foundations of this
Country to this Day ,' and where there is anyfpe-
cial
'ART I. and dangerous Tendency. 301
:ial Revival of pure Religion in any Parts of our
Land, at this Time, we would give unto GOD all
the Glory. And earneftly advife all our Brethren
in the Miniftry, carefully to endeavour to preferve
.'their Churches pure in their Do&rine, Difcipline,and
Manners^ and guard them againil the Intrufions
'of Itinerants and Exhort crs, and to uphold a Spi-
jrit of Love towards one another, and all Men ;
f which, together with their fervent Prayers, will be
the moil likely Means, under GOD, to promote
!the true Religion of the Holy JESUS, and hand it
uncorrupt to fucceeding Generations."
Sign'd, NATHANAEL EELLS, Moderator. In the
. Name, and by Order of the Convention.
iAnd now, if it be Fatt, as I have given too
much Reafon to believe it to be, that thefe BAD
THINGS have prevail'd in all Parts of the Land,
and among all Sorts of Perfons, the Anfwer is, at
once, ready to what has been faid, whether in
Vindication of fome particular Diforders, or in Ex-
eufe of the whole taken together.
Some particular Irregularities have been vindi
cated as Things right and good. But how ?
Why, by flopping them, in a great Meafure, of
thofe Circumftances which .rendered them bad, and
fetting them forth, not as they really are, but as
they ought to be, or are wrongly fuppofed to be ;
and in this Way, reflecting Blame upon the Com-
plainers of thefe Things, inftead of fixing it where
it juftly belonged, upon theThings themfelves. To
illiterate this in a few Inilances.
The Manner of addreffing to the Paffions of
People, in thefe Times, has often been complain
ed of : But the Complaint, it is faid,f "has been
f Vid. Mr. EDWARDS'S Thoughts on the late Re
vival of Religion in NEW-ENGLAND* P. 149.
without
303 Things of a bad P A R T 1
without or beyond juft Caufe." And in order to
make this appear, a deal of Pains has been taken
* to reprefent the Propriety of applying to People
with Affeflnm and Earneftnefs about eternal Things ;
ard not in a dull, cold, and indifferent Manner.
And who are the Perfons that ever thought o-
therwife ? I know of none, among thofe cailed
'Oppofers but were always in the Sentiment, that
the Paflions were planted in the human Conftitu-
tion for very valuable Ufes ; that it was reafona-
Ik they fliould be excited ; and that it was one
Part of a Minifter's Bufmefs to ftir them up to a
finable Exercife. But what is all this to the pre-
fent Cafe ? The Queftion is, whether it be'nt a
flain, ftubborn Faft, that the PaJJlons have, gene
rally > in.thefe Times , been apply'd to, as though the
mairi Thing in Religion was to throw them into
Difturbance? Can it be denied, that the Preachers,
who have been the Inftruments of the Commotions
in the Land, have endeavoured, by all Man
ner of Arts, and in all Manner of Ways, to raife
the PaJJions of their Hearers to fuch a Height,
as really to unfit 'them, for the prefent, for the
Exercife of their reafonabk Powers ? Nay, in or-
-der to alarm Men's Fears, has it not been com
mon, among fome Sort of Preachers, to fpeak and
'aft after fuch a wild Manner, as is adapted to af
fright en People out of their Wits, rather than pof- ,,
fefs their Minds of fuch a Conviftion of Truth, as
is proper to Men, who- are endow'd with Reafon>.
and Underflandmg ? And under the Notion of
fpeaking to the Affe^wns^ were the Things of
GOD and another World, ever preached with '\
more Confufion of Thought ; with greater In-j
coherence ; with the undue Mixture of morel
i •
* Ibid. P. 149. aud onwards.
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 333
rafh, crude, unguarded Expreffions ,• or with
Conceit to a higher Degree, appearing in fulfome
Self-Applaufes, as well as unheard of Contempt
of others ? Thefe are Things of too publick a
Nature to be denied : They have been too often
pradlifed, and in Places of too^ great Concourfe,
to admit of Debate. So that it's only reducing
this Article of addreffing to the Paffions of People,
to the Teft^of Faft, and it won't bear a Vindica
tion : Nor can thofe who have complained of it
be faulted, unlefs by placing their Complaint in a
wrong Light.
Another Thing that has been complained of is,
" The fpeaking Terror to them that are already
« under great Terror, inftead of comforting
" them." But this Complaint alfo is faid to be
unjuft,-"* and in Order to {how it to be fo, the
Way in which Terror ought to be difpenced to
this Kind of Perfons has been opened,f with the
Reftri&ions under which it mould be done. I
am far from thinking, that what is here faid is
unexceptionable ; but fuppofing it to be fo, what
is it to the Point ? The Matter in Debate is,
whether Terror has not, in Faft9 been heaped up
on Perfons already diftracled almoft with Terror,,
in a Manner that juftly deferves to be blamed ?
And will any, pretending to be acquainted with
the late Managements in the Land, calmly deny
this ? Has no Method, but that of a faithful
Reprefentation of the Truth of the Cafe of fuch
Perfons, been ufed to heighten their Fears ? Has
not Voice and Aftion, even to an extravagant Ex-
cefs, been too often repaired to ? Have no poor
iftrefTed Creatures been praftifed upon, and this
,> Ibid. P. 156. f P. Ibid, and onwards.
by
.304 Things of a bad PART I.|
by Numbers at a Time, and in Ways unfit to be
mentioned, whereby their animal Nature has been
thrown into the moft horrid Confufion ? I could
mention a Plenty of Inflances in this Kind, but:
that I rather chufe they Ihould be buried in per
petual Oblivion. So that if this Article alfo be
brought to the Truth of Faft, it may flill be com
plained of with great Juilice.
It has {till been mentioned as an Objection a-
gainft the Times, " that there has been too great
a Frequency of religious Meetings, and too much
Time fpent in an Attendance on thefe Externals
of Religion." But the Obje&ion, it is faid, is in
the general groundlefs. f And why ? Becaufe
*' 'tis fit, that, at fuch an extraordinary Time,
" when GOD appears uriufually prefent with a
<f People, in wonderful Works of Power and
*' Mercy, that they fhould fpend more Time than
" ufual in religious Exercifes, to put Honour up-i
<f on that GOD that is then extraordinarily pre- ]
" fent, and to feek his Face*." And fuppofe this I
be allow'd ; is there notwithftanding juft Ground ;
of Complaint ? Is it not undoubted Faft, that Peo- |
pie have generally, through the Land, gone into \\
an Excefs upon this Head of attending Meetings, !
either public, or private, or both ? Han't there
been too many Inflances of Houfes of Worlhip, j
that have been Icarce empty, Night or Day, for ]
many Days together ? Han't it been common,
among thofe who have been wrought upon, in
thefe Times, to devote themfelves, as it were,to the
Bufmefs of attending Leftures and Meetings,either to
J'peak or hear, as though herein lay the Sum of Religi
on? And han't this been done by great Numbers of,
* Page Ibid.
Perfons,
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 305
Perfons, to the Negleft of their Callings, and the
-real Damage of their Families ? And while
People have expended fo much of their Time, in
attending the Preachings and Exhortations of all
planner of Preachers, and Exhwters, what has been
their Care about thofe Laws of GOD, which re
gard their Conduft, in the feveral Relations and
Capacities of Life ? Have they been, in any Pro
portion, zealous to be better Husbands and f^ives9
better Mafters and Servants ? Have they been
as remarkably forward' to fpeak the Truth every
Man to his Neighbour, to do Juftice, and love
Mercy, and walk humbly with GOD ? Thefe
are Duties to be attended, as well as religious
Meetings: But han't the Zeal of People to attend
the latter, been fo great, as to leave little Room
for the obfervable Praftife of the former ? This,
I believe, few will venture to deny. ,. The plain
Truth is, People have generally behaved, in thefe
Times, too much as though they thought Reli
gion confifted, chiefly, if not only, in an Attend
ance on Meetings for praying, and Preaching, and
exhorting, and fmging and the like ; which is
certainly a Fault, and will remain fo, notwith-
flanding all that can be faid to the contrary.
The Way in which Out-cries, Paintings, and
other bodily Effecls, have been fpoken of as fure
Arguments of a divine Influence accompanying the
Word, has likewife been complained of. And
what is the Anfwer? Why,* " that, they are in
deed probable Tokens of GOD's Prefence ; and
when excited by preaching the important Truths of
GOD's Worcl^ urg'd and enforc'd with PROPER IVIo-
P. 172.
W *ives
306 Things of a bad PART I.
?:
'•
tives and Arguments, or are confeqtienc on other
Means that are GOOD, that they may be fpoken
of, and rejoiced in as fuch. For that Cry Ings out, I
in fuch a Manner, and with fuch Circumjtances, is *
as much an Evidence of their general Caufe as
Language. The Meaning of it has been learn' d
the fame Way that Perfons learn Language ; viz.
by Ufe and Experience" But what is all this to
the Purpofe of thofe Out -cries, and Swoonings, and
bodily Agitations, that are not effected fo much by
Truth as by other Things, or not by Truth PROPER
LY urg'd and enforced, nor yet by any other Means
that are GOOD ? And have there been no fuch
Out-cries in the Land ? Yea rather, have not
the Out-cries too generally been of this Kind 1 Han't
they been prov'd to be fo in thefe Papers t And
this, I know, is the Tho't of a very great Number
of as wife, and pious, and judicious Chriftians a-
bout them, as any we have in the Country ; and
they have been led into this Sentiment,, by at- jj
tending to the Means, and Manner^ and Circumftan- j
ces of their Excitement, which have been fuch as
to leave them at no lofs to judge of the Caufe, any
more than others may be at a lofs to judge of
the Meaning of Language. And what is the
Way, in which thefe Out-cries have been fpoken
of as Tokens of an extraordinary divine Prefence ?
Has it been commonly in Words expreifive of a
Probability only 1 Or, have they been delivered '
with an Air of Modefty, and as became thofe who y-
might poffibly be miftaken 7 So far from it,
that the moil pqfitive, peremptory Affirmations have
been us'd ; and thefe, accompanied with bitter ,
Language againft thofe who could not bring them-
felves to think, and fpeak after the fame Manner M
with them. So that if this Complaint likewife bel
confidered as it relates tpFaft. there is jiift Ground^
for
Ifc.
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 30?
for it, notwithftanding all that has been offered to
make it appear unjuft.
I might, had I Room, have mentioned many
other Inftances ; tho' indeed there is no
real Need of it, for 'tis only doing by them
as I have done by thefe, that is, reducing them
to the Truth of Faft, and they'll appear at once
not to have been vindicated ; nor could they
have been, but by uncloathing them of fuch Clr-
cumftances as are unalterably bad, and will be
judged to be fo as long as there are any remains
of true Senfe and Reafon in the World.
But befides a Vindication of fome particular Dif-
crders, the whole confidered in the Lump have
been excused ; but with fuch Arguments, as I can't
fuppofe will be thought to carry in them much
Weight. To illuftrate this alfo iby a brief Am>
madverfion on fome of thefe Excufes.
It has been fuggefted concerning the bad Things
of the prefent Day, taken colleftively, that they
are only accidental Effefts of a good Work f. But
how do we diftinguiih between accidental Effefts,
and thofe that are natural ? Is it not by the Fre
quency , and Uniformity of their Production ? If
fuch and fuch Effe6ls are found, in Experience, to
be the common and general Attendants of fuch
and fuch Caufes, at one Time and another, in this
Place and the other, don't we always fpeak of
them as natural, and never as accidental only ?
Yea, is not the Doftrlne of Caufes and Effects
f Vid. Mr. EDWARDS'S Thoughts on the late Revi
val of Religion in NEW-ENGLAND, P., 33.
W 2 wholly
3o8 Things of a bad PART I.
wholly founded on this Kind of Objervation and
Experience ? And if, in this Way, we judge of
the bad Things prevailing in thefe Times, can it
be thought they are nothing more than accidental
Effects of a good Caufe ? Will any pretend, that
they are rare Produ6lions ? Or, that they have
been peculiar to here and there a Per/on, in here and
there a particular Place ? Is it not a known, unde
niable. Faft, that they have appear'd in all Pans
of the Land ; yea, in every Place upon the whole
Continent, in a greater or lefs Degree ; and this, a-
ipiong Perfons of all Ranks, Ages, Sexes, and Condi
tions, who have been wrought upon in thefe Days?
And have not thefe Effects been moft remarkably
vifible in thofe, who have been fpoken of as the
moil: remarkable Subjects of the prefer.t Operation ?
Thefe are Truths that can't be difown'd. They
are as evident as the Light filming at Noon-day.
And is it poffible, if thefe Effects were meerly ac
cidental, that they ihould be thus uniform, and al-
mofl univerfal? We mufl give up out Underftand-
ings^ before we can entertain fuch aTho't of them.
It has been faid,* " more has been look'd for
" from Perfons under the Operations of the SPIRIT,
<c in thefe Days, than is reafonable ; , that,
" when any profefs to have received Light, and
"Influence, and Comfort, from lieaven, and fo
" have had fenfible Communion with GOD, many
" are ready to expect that now they appear like
ce Angels, and not like poor, feeble, blind and fin-
" £ul Worms of the Duft." For my felf, I know
of none who ever had fuch Expeditions ; but
if any were fo weak and ignorant, they have
leen that which is Abundantly fufficient to fhow
" * P. Ibid.
them
PART L find dangerous Tendency.
them their Miftake. 'Tis readily own'd, it ought
not to be expe6led of Perfons under the fcwing
Operations of the SPIRIT,, that they fliould appear
like Angels ; but yet, it may, with all Reafon,
be expedled, they ihould appear like Men who
have been renewed after the Image of GOD, in Know
ledge, and Right eoufnefs, and true Holinefs. 'Tis
not enough that they have Heat in their dffefti-
cns, but they mufl have Light in their Minds ;
'tis not enough that they talk fpecioufly, and frofefs
highly, but they mufl be really poffeft of a truly
Chrijtian Temper : And this they mufl difcover by
pitting away from them all Bitternefs, andWrath9and
Anger, and Clamour, and evil-fpcaking, with all Ma
lice ; and not only fo, but by living in the habitual
Practice of that Piety towards GOD, and Right eoufnpfs?
and Charity towards Men, in all the genuine Expref-
fions of them, which are required in the GofpeL
'Tis not too much to expe6l this of thofe, who
have been changed, by the Grace of GOD., into
New-Creatures. 'Tis true,, they are far from be
ing perfe$ly holy, notwithftanding this Change ;
but 'tis as true, becaufe the Bible affirms it, that
they are not worthy to be fpoken of as thofe who
have beeo turn'd from the Poiver of Sin and' -Satan
to' GOD, unlefs they are fuch Perfons as have been
defcrib'd. And has this generally been the Cha-
rafter of thofe, who have been highly fpoken of
in the late Times ? It cannot reafonably be fuppo£-
ed, while fo many, and fuch grofs Diforders have
been prevalent among them.
It has been pleaded, f " fo careful are fome
" Perfons left this Work fhould be defended, that
t P. 35-
W 3 " now
310 Things of a bad PART I
" now they will hardly allow, that the Influences
" of the SPIRIT of GOD on the Heart, can fo
*' much as indirectly and accidentiy be the Occi-Ji-
" on of the Exercile of Corruption, and Commiffion
" of Sins." I don't believe, among the whole
Number of thofe called Oppofer'Sy one can be men
tioned, who ever made the leaft Difficulty of al
lowing this : Though they have always enter
tained fo high an Opinion of the real Influences of
the Divine SPIRIT, that they can't fuppofe, theie
fhould GENERALLY be the Occafion of the Comiffi-
on of Sin, and in repeated, bare.-fac'd Acts, a-
mong thofe who are the Subjects of thefe Influen
ces, and in a remarkable Degree. If great Num
bers of Perfons, of all Capacities, Tempers, and JE-
ducations, and in moft Places throughout a Land,
are betray'd into fuch a Conduct as is plainly con
trary to the moft exprefs, and peremptory Com
mands of the G off el of CHRIST, and go on in fuch
a Conduct ; and this, in Contempt of Advice,
and all Means of Conviction : I fay, when this
is the Cafe, I muft think better of the Influences
cf the SPIRIT of GOD ; efpecially, when they
are powerful and extraordinary beyond what they
were ever known to be before, than to fuppofe
they fhould be the Occafion of fuch Breaches of
the Chriftian Law : Nor do 1 efteem it an In-
ilance of that Refpect, which is clue to the blejfed
SPIRIT of Grace, to make him the Caufe, though
it be only in the Way of a fine qua non, of thofe
Effects, which are vifibly owing to the Lnfls of
Men, venting themfelves without any tolerable
Reftraint, either from Reafcn or Religion, and fo
as is not known among Multitude:, even of thofe
who are thought to deferve no better a Name,
than Children of the Devil. And I have a worfe
Thought of this Excufe for the bad Things reign*
ing
I
PART I. and dangerou Tendency. 311
ing in the Lard, asfo many Scripture Examples have
been mifapplied in their Vindication.
It has been urg'd,* " It is a Thing not ; to be
" wondered at, that at a Time when Multitudes,
" all over the Land, have their Affe&ions greatly
" mov'd, that great Numbers fhould run into
" many Errors and Miftakes with Refped to their
" Duty, and cohfequently into many A6ls and
" Praftices that are imprudent and irregular." I
own it is fo far from being Matter of Wonder,
that its the very Thing that might be expe<5l-
ed ; nor could it have been otherwife. When
Men's Paffions are in great Commotion, and they
generally acl under the Guidance of them in this
tumultuous State, 'twould be miraculous, if they
did not run into the Wilds of Error and Ex
travagance. Its the very Thing that has often
happened in the World in former Times : Nor
may it be thought ilrange, if fo it has hap
pened now, or fhould fo happen yet again in Time
to come. But then, great Care mould be taken,
not to afcribe that Confufion in Men's PaJJions to
the Divine SPIRIT, as its Author, which will
make it even a Wonder, if it does not run them
into Errors and Miftakes ; and this, by Multi
tudes : Efpecially, fhould we be in the Exercife
of Caution, when the Miftakes are fuch palpable
ones, and of fuch dangerous Tendency, as many
have been hurried into, at this Day.
It has been reprefented f " as no infuperable
et Stumbling- Block, that Imprudencies and Irregti-
" larities of Conduct fhould abound, when fuch
" Multitudes of all Kinds of Capacities, natural
~P. 38, tP-39-
W 4 " Tempers
Sis Things of abzd PART I.
" Tempers,xEducations, Cufloms and Manners of
" Life,, are fo generally and varioufly affefted ;
<c efpecially, in a State of Things fo uncommon,
*k and where the Degree, Extent, Swiftnefs and
" Power of Operation is fo very extraordinary,
fi and fo new, that there has not been Time and
*' Experience enough to give Birth to Rules for
*c People's Conduct, and fo unufual in Times pall,
*' that the Writings of Divines don't afford us
" Rules to direcl: us in fuch a State of Things."
To all which it is obvious to reply, if Multitudes
of all Sorts of Perfons were affefted, and the
Diforders to be feen, were among only a few of
them, comparatively fpeaking, there would then
be no jufl Occaflon of Offence : But, if they
prevail among Multitudes, and thefe Multitudes are
of all K'mds of Capacities, Tempers, and Conditions,
how does the Number of Perfons affected, or the
Variety of their Charafters, remove away the.
Ground of Exception ? The Difficulty, in this
Cafe, remains juft the fame.— Nor is the State of
Things in the Land, fo new and unufual, as has
been faid, 'Tis true, there never was fuch a
Scene of Things before, in our D.ay ; but there
has feldom an Age pafl, flnce the Days of the A-
foflles, but this has been the State of Things :
And the Degree, Extent, Swiftnefs and Power of
the Operation, has often before been as extraordi
nary ; ^yea, in all thefe Refpefts, it has been
far exceeded. The Operation, its granted, vhas
been fivift ; but not fo fwift, but Birth has, in
Fa ft) been given to many excellent Rules of Con-
duft ; which, if they had been received in the
Spirit of Love and Meeknefs, and acled upon with
the Temper of Chriftians, would have made thefe
Times happy, in Compare with what they now
are. And 'tis fo far from being a juil Remark,
that
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 313
that the Writings of Divines don't afford Rules to
direft in this State of Things, that they are full of
them. There are no Diforders prevailing in the
Land, but the mod pious, and orthodox, and
well- approved Writers have (as we may fee in
-thefe Papers ) exprefly taken Notice of them,
and laid down the wifeft, atnd moil effectual Pre-
fcriptions, whether for the Prevention, or Cure
: of them. The fame Imprudences, Irregularities,
Extravagancies, or whatever other Name any
may chufe to call them, which now appear among
us, were common in ENGLAND, no longer ago than
?• the laft Century, lower down than the Middle of
it ,• and they were freely wrote againfl by fome
- of the beft Men that were then upon the Stage,
andfuch Caution?, Directions 9 Admonitions, anti Warn
ings given, as would have been effectual, if duly
regarded, to have prevented much of the Maa-
Inefe of the prefent Day : Nay, fome of the
,'worft Things that have been complained of, were
.general even in this Land once before ; and the
Rules of Conduct then given by our Fathers, are as
well futed to the prefent State of Things, as any
'could now adapt them had they ever fo much
Time to do it in ; as may. be feen in the fore-
.going Pages. It could not therefore be from
JiVant of good Rules of Conduct, already prepared
for the Ufe of People, in the Writings of Di-
l^ines, that they have been thrown into Difor-
Mer. Only thepra&ical Works of that Jingle Man,
^Mr.BAXT£Fv(which I heartily wifh were in every Fa-
Imily throughout the Country ) afford every Dr-
Itreclion needful at this Day ,• and are the more
jp-prthy cf Notice, becaufe form'd upon long Ob-
ovation and Experience.— But if therd'were no
ties; in the Writings of Divines, futed to the pre-
int Day, why need JPeople " abound in Impru-
tf deuces
Things of a bad PART I.
dences and Irregularities," for Want of a Rule
of Conduct, when they are favoured with the writ
ten Revelation of GOD ? Is not the . Scripture^
which was given by Infpiration of GOZ), profitable
for Doftrine, for Reproof, for Correction, for Injtrufti-
cn in Right e ov fnefs, that the Man of GOD may be
perfect, throughly furniflfd unto all good Works ?
And can the SPIRIT be fuppofed to be poured out,
in fuch extraordinary Influences as< to render the
Bible a Rule inefficient for the Behaviour of thofe
who are the Subjects of them ? Does this re
flect due Honour upon the facred Writings ?
Muft they not be conceived of, in this Light, as
very defective, and imperfect ?
It has been hinted, f " That the Weaknefs of
" human Nature has always appeared in Times
" of great Revival of Religion, by a Difpofition
" to run to Extremes, and get into Confufion ;
<f efpecially in three Things, Entbujiajm, Super-
" ftit'wn and intemperate Zeal So it appear'd in-
" the Time of the Reformation, very remarka-
€£ bly ; and alfo in the Days of the Apoftles."
*Tis very true, there was in the Time of the Re
formation, the Prevalence of Enthufiafnij Superfti-
tion, and intemperate Zeal, in all the rPildnefs and
Extravagance, that can be conceived of : But
who were the Perfons among whom thefe
Things prevailed? Were they generally the Chil
dren of GOD ? Thofe who were under the fpecial
Guidance of the HoLyGnosx? 'TisaDiflionour to
the SPIRIT of Grace to fuppofe fiich a Thing.
They were rather vain Pretenders to the SPIRIT ;•'
Men, who were fpiritual only in their own fonc
Imaginations. And fo far were they from bei
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 315
Inftances of the Work of Reformation, that they
were a Scandal to it, and the greateft Obftacle in
the Way of its Progrefs. And the fame may be
faid of the Times of the Apoftles. There was then
among thofe called Cbrtftians, the Appearance of
Pride, Emulation, Wrath, Strife, Sedition, Schifm,
.and many other evil Works. But among whac
Sort of Chrijlians did thefe Things appear ? Were
they thofe,, upon whom the HOL^ GHOST had been
poured ;out in his faying Graces ¥ It may, perhaps,
upon Trial, be found a very difficult Task to
;prove this. There were many, in thofe Days,
who could claim the Chara6ier of Chriftians, only
in Afpsarance and Profejfion ; yea, among thofe
who had the Spirit fent down upon them in an
extraordinary Manner, i. e. in miraculous Powers,
fo as that they could fpeak with Tongues, and
fliew Signs, and work Wonders : I fay, even
among thefe, there were many, concerning whom
our SAVIOUR himfelf has laid, that they fhall be
bid to depart away from him, at the lafl Judg
ment. And who will venture to affirm, that the
Diforders complained of, in thefe Days, were not
prevalent, chiefly, among this Kind of Chriflians ?
There was a Number, in this and the other Chri-
ftian Church, no Doubt, who were truly fpirituaf
Men, making it evident that they were fo, by
their bringing forth the Fruit of the SPIRIT, in all
Righteoufnefs, and Goodnefs, and Truth : But
at the fame Time, there was a Number, and per
haps a greater Number, of meer nominal Chrifti-
;:'ans, puffed up with Pride, and in a Temper to
ijbe led afide either by Satan, or their own Ltifts.
•&nd are not thefe the Perfons, among whom it is
•noft likely Diforders iliould prevail ? Thofe e-
•peclally, which are grofs, and feem to argue a
'^Spirit unmodified to Sin and Luft.
The
3i<5 Things of a bad PART I.
The Language in which the infpir'd PAUL fpeaks
of the falfe Teachers in this and the other
Church, and thofe who were led afide by them, if
fairly examin'd, would, I am apt to think, import
thus much. And 'tis true, in Faft, ( as we (hall
fee in its proper Place) of many, in thefe Times
of the Apoftles, that they fell into Errors in Prin
ciple, as well as Practice, inconfiftent with the
Being of real Chriftianity ; and this, notwith-
flanding they had "infallible Apoftles to guide and
dire6l them, to rectify Diforders, and reclaim them
when they were wandring."
It is (till pleaded,! " If the Affair be ferioufly
f( weighed in its Circumftances, it will be no
" great Difficulty to account for it, fuppofing the
" Work, in general, to be from a great Outpour-
" ing of the SPIRIT of GOD, that many have
" run into great Errors, and juft fuch Errors as
<f they have." And in order to account for it,
It is faid,* That " fome who have been im-
" prov'd as great Inftruments to promote this
" Work, have been very young : And how na-
" tural is it for fuch, being newly brought out of
" a State of Darknefs, Infenfibility, and Death,
cc and having in View the Reality, the Vaftnefs,
u and infinite Importance and Nearnefs of fpiri-
" tual and eternal Things, and not having the
" Advantage of Age and Experience, and but lit-
(t tie Opportunity to ftudy Divinity, or to con-
" verfe with aged experienced Chriftians and Di-
" vines ,* how natural is it for fuch to fall into
" many Errors." — The Anfwer to all which. is,
ready at Hand ; viz, That if fome of the In-'
f P. 43- ~~* P. Ibid.""
ftruments
"PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 317
ftruments in this Work were very young, and had
but little Acquaintance with Divinity, and were
'but newly brought to a Senfe of the Importance
of eternal Things, they were, for thefe Reafons,
very unfit to be employed as Inftruments ; and
it may be- feared, whether great Diihonour han't
been done to the Caufe of GOD, and Religion,
by not checking their Forwardnefs to engage in
the miniflerial Work, for which they were fo evi
dently unqualified. JTis obfervable, the Apoftle
PAUL, in his Direftions to TIMOTHY about intro
ducing Men into the Miniftry, particularly gives
fuch a Caution as that,* Not a NOVICE left being
lifted up with Pride, be fall into the Condemnation of
the Devil. The Original Word, anfwering to the
KEngli/b one, NOVICE, is Neophuton ; which properly
:flgnifies, a raw young Chriftian, one who has but
*'" newly been waked out of Sleep, and had open
ed to his View, the Reality and vaffc Importance
"of fpiritual Things :" And 'tis the exprefs Direc
tion of an infpir'd Apoftle^ that fuch an one fhould
not be employ 'd in the Miniftry. And the Rea*
fon he fubjoins is very folemn and weighty, left
being puffed up with Pride , he fall into the Condem
nation of the Devil ; obvioufly implying that Per-
-fons newly brought over to Religion, and not ful
ly inflrufted in it, are in great Danger, if em-
*ployed as Minifters, of falling into 'Pride, the De-
\pil' s S'm-> and hereby expoiing themfelves to. Con-
)Sdemnation9 the Devil's Punifhment. 'And the Apoftle
certainly judged right in this Matter. For none
|are more apt to be proud and vain-confident, than
•gthis Kind of Perfons ; as has been abundantly
, verified in Fa6l, in thefe Times : And the Dan-
is greatly increafed, when, together with the
8i8 Things of a bad PART I.
'Newnefs of their Acquaintance with fpiritual
Things, they are young, very young in Years. It's
vaft Odds, whether the encouraging fucb Novices.
to a6l as Minifters, won't be the Means of their-
falling into fuch Miftakes, both in Judgment and
Condutt, as may be deflruftive to themlelves, and
the Intereft of CHRIST too. It's natural to expect
Confufion, when meer Youths in Age, as well as
Chriftian Knowledge and Experience, are invited
into the Pulpit, and admir'd for their bold and ig
norant fpeaking of Things they little ti n e'er flan d.
And (hall the Want-of Years, and Knowledge, and
Experience) in thefe Perfons, be pleaded in Ex-
cufe for the wretched Miftakes and Follies they
run into ? It ought rather to be urg'd as one of
the ftrongeft Reafons, againft their "taking upon
them the Bufmefs of the Mmiflry ; which would,
at once, prevent all this Mifchief.
The Plea goes on, and in Subftance is thus,*
" That as the Influences of the SPIRIT, upon thofe
" who have lately had Experience of them, are
" what they were unacquainted with, and had
" never felt before, its no Wonder they don't fo
" well know how to diftinguifli one extraordinary
" new ImpreflLon from another, and fo (tothem-
u felves infenfibly ) run into Entbufiafm, taking
" every ftrong Impulfe to be divine. As Multi-
" tudes of illiterate People ( moft of whom are in
" their Youth ) are brought into fuch new, and
" before (to them) unheard of Circumftances, its*
<c natural to fuppofe they fhould pafs wrong and
ic ftrange Judgments both of Perfons, and Things,
" beholding them in fuch a new Light. And
" as they fcarce ever heard of fuch a Thing b
* P- 44> 45-
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 319
'" fore, as the Outpouring of the SPIRIT, or had
," no Notion of it, its nothing ftrange that they
" don't know how to behave themfelves in fuch
" a new and flrange State of Things : Nor is
(f it unaccountable, that they (hould be ready to
€< hearken to thofe, who have been the Inftru-
f*c ments of this Work, in them and others, or
" that they fliould receive every Thing they fay,
" and drink down Error as well as Truth from
>*c them." To which I would return Anfwer, as
follows. The Influences of the SPIRIT are always
new and unknown to Perfons, in Experience, 'till
they are the happy Subjects of them : And why
'{hould they, at this Day, be more apt to run ge
nerally into Miftakes about them, than at other
Times : The Pretence, that they are now more
powerful and extraordinary, won't do ; for the
more powerful thefe Influences are, when real
and from the Divine SPIRIT, the lefs liable
Perfons are to Miftakes, and the fewer of them,
and of fmaller Moment, they will fall into. The
true Account to be given of the many and great
Miftakes of the prefentDay, about the SPIRIT 's
Influence, is not the Newnejs of the Thing, the
not having felt it before ; but a notorious Error
generally prevailing, as to the Way and Manner
of judging in this Matter. People, in order to
know, whether the Influences they are under, are
from the SPIRIT, don't carefully examine them
by the Word of GOD, and' view the Change
they produce in the moral State of their Minds,
and of their Lives, but haftily conclude fuch
I and fuch internal Motions to be divine Imprejfi-
rfc, meerly from the Perception they have
§' them. They are ready, at once, if this is
wfual, or ftrong, to take it for fome Influence
om above, to fpeak of it as fuch, and to act s'c-
cordinglr.
320, Things of a bzA PART L
cordingly. This is the Error of the prefent Day ;
and 'tis indeed the proton Pfeudos, the fiifl and
grand Delufion : And where this prevails, we 1
need not be at a lofs ta know die true Spring of
other Errors.— As to the Multitudes V/ho are bro't
into fuch new, and (co them ) unheard of Circum-
fiances, 'tis true, they are, Illiterate, and young Peo
ple ; but this notwithstanding, if the ftfewnefs
of their Circumftances is fuch as is proper to new
Creatures, they will, in their general Behaviour, difco-
ver the true Spirit and Genius of this Sort of Per-
fons. 'Tis a great Miflake^to think, that the new
Nature, or thofe Influences that produce it, how
ever extraordinary, are apt to put Men upon
making wrong and ftrange Judgments, either of
Perfons or Things : They have a contrary Ten
dency : and 'tis a Reproach to them both, to
fuppofe otherwifel A meer paffionate Religion, 'tis
true, has always led to this, and always will ;
but not that, which enlightens the Underflanding,
renews the Will, and makes the Heart good and
honeft.-— How far 'tis a Truth, that this People
have fcarce heard of fuch a Thing as the Out-
•pouring of the SPIRIT of GOD, or- had no Notion
of it, may admit of Difpute ; but that the Out
pouring of the SPIRIT (hould introduce fuch a State
of Things, as that thofe upon. <wbom he has been
foured out, {hould -not know how to behave, will, I,
think, admit cf no good Plea in its Defence!
'Tis a plain Cafe, one of the main Ends of the
Out-pouring of the <??I:UT, is to difpofe and enable'
People to behave as ( :r, in their various
Stations , Relations and %s of Life ; and if
inllcad of this, they are thrown into fuch zftrangA
State, as that they can't behave as they ought tql
do, not in here and there a perplext Cafe, but ii|
fome of, the •moil obvious ahd ejfintial Points on
Pra&ices
PART L and, dangerous Tendency. 321
•Praftice ; let who will call this an Out-pouring
Of the SFIRIT, 'tis not fuch an one as the Bible
I knows any Thing of. And 'tis nothing iliort of
a grofs Refleftioh on the bleffed SPIRIT, to fpeak
of him as wonderfully poured out upon a People^
land, at the fame Timej to fuppofe fuch a State
t)f Things ariflng therefrom, as that People may
run into very ill Conduft, and it not be thought:
Jlrange^ if they do fo.— What is obferv'd of Peo*
pie's Readinefs to hearken to thofe, who have been.
thelnftruments of bringing them into their prefent
Circumflancesj I own, is no other than might be
expefted : Nor have I any Doubt, upon my
Mind, whether the Difofderf, fo general in this
-Land, had their Rife from thefe Perfons. But
~n> and Confufion, and other evil Works, won'c
change their Nature, be their Origin in Pvopfc
themfelves, or their Leaders,
It is ffill urged,* " That when Perfons ate 'ex
traordinarily affefted with a recent Difcovery
" of the Greatnefs and Excellency of the divine
Being, the Certainty and infinite Importance of
ff.- eternal Things, the Precioufnefs of Souls, and
the dreadful Danger and Madnefs of Manldndj
together with a great Senfe of GOD's diftin-
guifhing Kindnefs and Love to them ; no
Wonder that now they think they muft exert
themfelves, and do fomething extraordinary,-
for the Honour of God, and the Good of SouJs,
and knoxv not how to forbear fpeaking and ad-
ing with uncommon Earneftnefs and Vigour*
And in thefe Circiimflancesy if they ben't Per
fons of uncommon Steadiness and Difcretion,-
or han't fome Perfons of Wifdoin to direct
p. 45.
X . them,
322 Things of a bad PART I,
" them, 'tis a Wonder, if they don't proceed
" without due Caution, and do Things that are
ff irregular, and will, in the IfTue, do more Hurt
" than Good." 'Tis readily granted, Perfons un
der a juft and ftrong Senfe of divine Things, will
exert themfelves with an awaken'd A6livity in
the Bufinefs of Religion. 'Twould be no Won
der, if thofe who had extraordinary Difcoveries of
GOD, were, to an extraordinary Degree, filled
with Lowlinefs and Humility, and fuch an Awe
and Reverence of the divine Majefty, as would
make them eminently circumfpeft in their whole
Deportment towards him ; if from the uncommon
View they had of his Perfe£Hons, they were, in
an uncommon Manner, transformed into his Like-
nefs, appearing in the World lively Images of that
Goodnefs, Righteoufnefs, Faithfulnefs, Kindnefs,
Mercy, Patience and Long-fuffering, which are
the moral Glory of the infinitely perfect Being.
'Twould be no Wonder, if thofe, who had up-,
on their Minds an extraordinary Senfe of the Pre-
cioufnefs of Souls, difcovered extraordinary Care
and Pains in working out the Salvation of their
cwn Souls ; if they were obfervably diligent in
adding to their Faith, Venue ; to Venue, Know
ledge ; to Knowledge, Temperance ; to Temperance,
Patience ; to Patience, Godlinefe ; to Godlinefs,
'Brotherly -Kindnefs ; .and to Brotherly -Kindnefs, Cha
rity : "For they that lack thefe Things are blind to
the Worth of their own Souls ; whereas, they
that do them make it evident that they regard their
Souls : For fo an Entrance /ball he minijlred to them
abundantly, into the everlafting Kingdom of our LORD
and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. . In like Manner^
'twould be no Wonder, if thofe who had an
tracrdinary View of the Danger and Madnefs
thofe'
PART I. ant dangerous Tendency. 323
thofe who neglect their Souls, were froportionably
aftive, within their proper Sphere, in Endeavours
to do them all the Service they could ,• if they
were ready with their Advice, their Counfel,
their Prayers, their Intreaties, to beget in them a
jufl Concern about Salvation : Nor would they
be " worthy of Indignation, and be beyond Com-
-pajjion," if, through an indifcreet Zeal they mould,
now and then, be betrayed into WeaknefTes and
ExcefTes. Thefe are Things, not to be wonder
ed at ; they are no other then might reafonably
be expe6led. But the Wonder is, how an extra
ordinary Difcovery of the Greatnefs and Excellen
cy of GOD, the Importance of eternal Things,
and the Precioufnefs of Souls, and the Danger of
.their perifhing, fhould make Men vain and con
ceited, full of themfelves, and apt to throw Con
tempt on others ; how it fliould loofen Men's
Tongues to utter fuch Language as would not be
feemly, even in thofe who profefs no Senfe of
GOD, or divine Things ; how it fhould lead them
into wrong Sentiments in Religion, blind their
Eyes as to fome of the moft plain Points of Doc
trine ,• and in a Word, difpofe them to fuch
Things as are called in Scripture, the Works of the
'jtyjb.
Thefe don't look like the Fruit of extraordinary
Difcoveries of GOD ; but they are the very
Things which may be expedled, where Men's
Pajjions are rais'd to an extraordinary Height,
without a proportionable Degree of Light in their
Underftandings*
Such high dffeftiom, I know, are freely fpoken
of as owing to the Influence of the SPIRIT of GOD;
and this, when there is not given " Strength of
X 2 Under/landing
324 Things of a bad PART 1, I
Under/landing in Proportion ; and by Means here- I
of, the Subjects of thefe Affections may be driven, I
*' through Error, into an irregular and finful Con- \
ducLf" But it may juftly be queftion'd> whether!
extraordinary Warmth in the Paffions, when therefl
is not anfwerabie Light in the Mind, is fo much I
owing to the SPIRIT of GOD, as fome may be>|
ready to imagine. For is it reafonable to think, I
that the Divine SPIRIT, in dealing with Men in I
a Way of Grace, and in Order to make them I
good Chriftians, would give their Paffions the chief I
Sway over them ? Would not this be to invert I
their Frame ? To place the Dominion in thofe I
Powers, which were made to be kept in Subjec- I
tion ? And would the alwife GOD introduce
fuch a State of Things in the human Mind ?l
Can this be the Effect of the Out-pouring of his
SPIRIT ? It ought not to be fuppofed. One of I
the moft ejjential Things neceflary in the new-form-M
ing Men, is the Reduction of their Paffions to a I
proper Regimen, i. e. The Government of "a I
fanftified Under/landing : And 'till this is • effect-1
ed, they may be called New- Creatures, but they
are far from deferving this Charafter. Reafonable^
Beings are not to be guided by Pajfien or Affefti-\
on, though the Objecl of it fliould be GOD, and
the Things of another World: They need, even
in this Cafe, to be under the Government of a
well inftrucked Judgment : Nay, when Men's Paf-
Jions are raifed to an extraordinary Height, if they
have not, at the fame Time, a due Ballance of
Light and Knowledge in tjieir Minds, they are foil
far from being in a more defirable State on thi-s
Account, that they are in Circumflances of ex
treme Hazard. There is no Wildnefs, but theyj
f'P. 48.
are !
'FART I. and dangerous Tendency. 325
are liable to be hurried into it ; there is no
Temptation, bur they are expos'd to be drawn^a-
fide by ic : Nor has the Devil ever greater Ad
vantage againfl them, to make a Prey of them,
and lead them captive at his Will. And this has
-often been verified by fad Experience. Who
can boaft of greater Tranfports of Affe&ion, than
the wildeil Enthufiafls ? Who have had their
Paffions excited to a higher Pitch, than thofe of
the ROMISH Communion ? Who have been more
artful in their AddreiTes to the Pafliom, than Po-
Priefts ? % And who more fuccefsful, by
heating
J Obfervable to this Purpofe is the following Story, in
the Book entitled, The Frauds of the Romijh Monks,
and Priefts^ fet forth in eight Letters. The Author
fpeaking of a particular Sort of Romifh MifTionaries
moftly Capuchins, tells us, that " after they have
<c furnifhed themfelves with a good Stock of Ser-
C{ mons upon different Subjects, they fend to ROME
" and demand aMiffion from thePopE; that is, leave
•c to go and preach their Sermons in certain Towns
<c and Provinces. The firft, faith he, that ever I
te faw of this Sort, was at MONTEFIASCON, two
tf Days Journey and an half from ROME. Thefe
*c were Capuchin:^ who, befides their Habit which
cc was very odd and antick, with their great Beards,
*c had on their Heads great red Calots, or cloje
8C Caps to fignify their Z^/, and the red hot Ardaur
c of their Charity for the Converfton of Souls.
<c I had the GUI iofity to go and hear them preach,
<e I entred the Church where I faw one of them in
-c- the Pulpit, with a great Rope or Cord about his
*c Neck, and a Crucifix in his Arms, who
c did his utmoft Endeavour, to excite fenfi-
€C ble Affeclions in the Hearts of his Auditors.
<c The chief Aim of tfrefe Preachers is to make ths
325 Things of a b&d PART I.
beating the Affeftions of People, to eftablifli Error
and Delufion ? Nay, what Engine has the Demi
himfelf ever made Ufe of, to more fatal Purpofes,
in all Ages, than the PaJJlons of the Vulgar height
ened to fuch a Degree, as to put them upon aft-
ing without Thought and Underftanding ? The
plain
€C People weep ; if they can once effect this they
cc are happy, and this is all they defire ; for
*c this procures them the Reputation of being great
<c Miflionaries, and Men of a truly apqftolick Spirit.
<c To this End they make Ufe of the moft tender
<c melting and affectionate Expreffions they can think
*c of, to draw Tears from their Hearers.
" ThePreacher I heard at thisTime,was paraphraf-
<e ing the Hiftory of the Paflion of our SAVIOUR,
*• and after he had employed his utmoft Skill in fet- I
<c ing forth our SAVIOUR as the moft lovely, beau- 1
<c tiful of Men ; he on the other Hand reprefent- I
*e ed thofe pitilefs Tormentors, who with great Cords I
*6 tied his fair Hands, white as the driven Snow, and I
** beat his lovely Countenance where the Lilly and I
<e the Rofe did urge for Mattery. He added to all I
** thefe Expreflions a moft JamentabJe and affec-ling I
*€ Tone, with Geftures very proper, and according |
<s to the Subjedl:. I perceived that this Father was f
*c an excellent Declaimer, when on a fudden fome ii
?c good Women wholly melted into Tendernefs and jj
56 Companion fas were thofe Women of JERUSA- Ii
<6 LEM, who wept feeing JESUS CHRIST carrying Jl
^ his Crofs to Mount CALVARY, and whom our \
?e SAVIOUR bad not to weep for him, but for them- •
** felvesj caus'd their Sighs to be heard aloud ; and •
<? a few Minutes after, all that Quarter where theJ
*' Women fat, being all in Tears, the Emotion foo^Q
*' caught amongft the Men^alfo 5 fo that the whole T
** Church was filled wiih Groans, Sighs and Sobs.
Whereupon ;
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 327
plain Truth is, an enlightened Mind, and not raff
ed Affeftwns, ought always to be the Guide of
thofe who call themfelves Men ,• and this, in the
Affairs of Religion, as well as other Things;: And
it will be fo, where GOD really works on their
Hearts, by his SPIRIT. 'Tis true, " the End of
the
" Whereupon, the Capuchin refolved to profecute
cc his Conqueft, caft himfelf down upon his Knees,
*( and fixing his great Crucifix upon the Pulpit, he
** lifted up both his Hands to Heaven ; and with a
" mournful and terrib]eVoice,twifting theCord about
*c hisNeck as if he had a^Mind to ftrangle himfe!f,he
<c cried out, Mercy , Mercy ; and continued in the
" fame Manner to repeat the fame Word about 40
" or 50 Times, 'till he had made all his Auditory
*c cry fo after him. Then there was a moft dreadful
<c Noife heard in the Church, which continued fora
" good Quarter of an Hour, 'till their Breaths being
*' fpent, the Noife began to lefTen by Degrees, and
" at laft ended in Silence ; which gave Occafion
<c to the Father to refume his Difcourfe, which he
*c continued with the fame tender Affeclions to the
" End." Vid. Vol. i. Page 261. This Author
fays of himfelf, " That he was once a fecular Priejl
" in the Church of ROME." Vid. Pref. 5th Edit,
printed 1725.
He adds to what is before faid,"I don't pretend in
<c the leaft to blame here the Senfiblenefs and Ten-
*' dernefs of Men's Hearts, with Refpedt to our
46 SAVIOUR'S Pajf/lon ; I am fo far from that, that
*c I wifti it were in my Power to make a moft deep
" Impreflion thereof in the Hearts of all Men : But
" withal, this fhall never hinder me from owning,
<c that thefe Affections do ordinarily pafs away like
<c Lightning ; and that good folid Motives laid down
<£ in a Sermon, to engage People to a truly Chrifti-
" an Life, make a longer Stay in a Man's Mind,
" and
28 Things of a bad PART L
the Influence of the SPIRIT of GOD is not to in-
creafe Men's natural Capacities :" But 'tis to fit
their Powers for religious Exercife, and preferve
them fe a State of due Subordination. JTis as
much intended to open the Undemanding, as to warm
the Affections ; and not only fo, but to keep the
Pafflons within their proper Bounds, retraining
them from ufurping Dominion over the reafonable
Nature. 'Tis true like wife, " GOD has not o-
blig'd himfelf immediately to increafe civil Pru
dence, in Proportion to the Degrees of fpiritual
Light." But if it fhall pleafe GOD to viiit Men
with the Influences of his SPIRIT, it may juflly
be expe6led, that he fhould increafe their moral
or
<c and are there ready upon Occafion to move
<c the Will ; and this is what theft Miffionaries.
<c wholly negleSi. Accord! ngly we don't find that
<e the Italians (after all thefeMifiions) are yet a whit
" the better Men."
I have the rather inferted this Account,becaufe agree
able to another I received, fome Time ago, from a
Gentleman in NEW-ENGLAND, known to many
among us, and of an eftablifh'd Reputation ; who
teing in a Romijh Country, went from the high Cha-
ra&er he had given him of a certain -dignified Clergy-
Man to hear him preach. He obferv'd there was a
beautiful Image of our SAVIOUR hanging on tbeCrcfs,
near the Defk. He could not at firft tell the Ufe of
it ; but prefently faw how very ferviceable it was ;
for as the Gentleman was preaching, though what
he faid was in Latin (a Language unknown to moft
of the Aflembly) ; yet by the rapturous Manner in
which he hug'd and kifs'd the Image, the Congrega
tion was thrown into a general Scream ; and
when he had feveral Times produced this Effeft by
repealing this farce, the People were difmiftj no
doubt, greatly edified.
PART L and dangerous Tendency. 329
or religious Prudence ; that, if he fliould give
them fpiritual Light, it fhould be for their Inftruc-
tion in the Knowledge of what is Sin, and what
is Duty : Nor can it be fuppofed, that thofe
who are favoured with extraordinary Meafures of
Light from the SPIRIT of GOD, fliould be in grofs
Darknefs as to the Knowledge of fome of the
moil important Points of Chriftian Practice : Which
yet, may be truly faid of many in thefe Days ;
I unlefs they are allow'd to be under the Govern
ment of a vitiated Will, which is much worfe.^
But befides what has been offered in Excufe of
the Errors of the prefent Day, from Man and his
Infirmity, it is further obferv'd, that if we confl-
der them * " in Refpect of GOD, and his righ
teous Permiffion, they are not fbange, fuppofing
the Work, as to the Subftance of it, to be his."
To which, nothing more need be faid than only
this, that thefe Errors are ,as eafily to be account
ed for, in Refpect of the Wefled GOD, fuppofing
they are as many, and as great ; as any have repre-
fented them to be. The holy GOD may have wife
Ends in fuffering fuch a Scene of Diforder to take
Place in die Land.
If he intended it as a Punifhment, 'tis no more
than we juflly defer ve : Nor is it a Punifhment
; different in Kind, from what other profeffing, fin-
ful People have, often before, been vifited with.
Falfe Pretenfions to extraordinary 'Communications
from the SPIRIT ; over- heated Imaginations ;
vain Boaflings of high Degrees of Sanctity be
yond other 'Men ;' Contempt of the flan ding
i Miniftry ; Animofities, Contentions, Schifms and
" * P. 49. 'A
Separations,
330 Things of a bad PART I.
Separations, have often been the Scourges of
GOD upon fmful Churches. No new, nor ftrange
Thing has happened to us : — - It has been a
frequent Difpenfation, in GOD's righteous Govern
ment of the World.
And the Difpenfation is fuch, as is capable, in
the Wifdom of GOD, of being over-rul'd to great
fpiritual Advantage. Hereby Occafion has been
given for great Talk about Religion ; and many,
by this Means, may have been brought into an
Acquaintance with it,, who might otherwife never
have made any Enquiries about it.— Hereby Oc
cafion has been given for the fetting forth fome
of the great Truths of the Gofpel, in a clearer
and ftronger Light, than might have been ex
pected, if it had not been for fuch Errors.— Hereby
Occafion has been given for many to look more
critically into the Ground of their Hope, than
they might have done, if it had not been for that
Spirit of rafh ^fudging, which has been fo generally
prevalent.— Hereby Occafion has been given for
an eminent Difplay of many Chriftian Graces, in
thofe who have been reviled, and had all Manner
of Evil falfly fpoken againfl them, for Righte-
oufnefs Sake ; and by the frequent Opportuni
ties they have had for the Exercife of thefe Gra
ces, they may have been more firmly rooted and
fixed in them. In a Word, hereby Occafion has
been given for a more particular and faithful Ap
plication to Multitudes of Perfons, by the Mini-
Hers of CHRIST, both in public and private, than
otherwife there might have been Opportunity
for ; which may, in Time, appear in the Fruits
of Righteoufn.efs.-~ -
But
PART I. and dangerous Tendency. 331
But whatever the Aim of GOD might be, in
the Permijfion of thefe evil Things ; or, whatever
Good they may be capable of being over-rul'd to ;
there is no Unrighteoufnefs with. him. Clouds
and Darknefs may be about him, but Righteouf-
nefs and Judgment are the Habitation of his
Throne. His Mercy is in the Heavens, and his
Faithfulnefs reacheth to the Clouds. His Righte-
oufnefs is like the great Mountains, and his Judg
ments are a great Deep.
In fine, 'tis remark'd, in Excufe for thefe Dif-
orders,* ff That we have no Caufe to wonder
" at them, if we confider them, with Regard to
" the Hand of Satan ; who, becaufe the Out-
cc pouring of the SPIRIT is greater, than has ever
•c been in NEW-ENGLAND, is now alarm'd and en-
" raged, and exerts himfelf more powerfully to
<c tempt and miflead thofe, who are the Subjects
" it, or it's Promoters" Whatever may be the
Reafon, 'tis generally believed, Satan has been
very bufy in thefe Times. He has, no Doubt,
had a great Hand in fomenting the Divifions, and
promoting the Extravagancies, which have, of late,
been fo detrimental to the Intereft of Religion :
And if, inflead of contriving Excufes for thefe
Things, we had been more vigilant, becaufe our
Adversary the Devil, as a roaring Lion, ivalketh a-
bout, feeking 'whom he may devour ; and had rcjifl-
cd him more couragioufly, as thofe who are fled-
faft in the Faith, it might have been as much for
the Honour of CHRIST, and the Service of his
Caufe and Kingdom. —If 'tis no Wonder the De
vil is now a6live and bufy, and has had an Influ
ence in the Production of the bad Things among
us,
332 Things of a bad, &c. PART L
us, it ought not to be wondered at, when thefe
are fo many, and of fuch dangerous Tendency (as
has been largely reprefented), if there are thofe
who think they ftiall ferve CHRIST, while they 0j7-
fofe the Devil, in doing what they can to give
Check to fuch Diforders, and in opening the O-
Wigations all are under to do fo ; which is the next
Part of the Work T have undertaken.*
'• I have purpofely omitted taking Notice of the large
Defcription,which has been given of tbeWork of GOD
(aid to be going on in the Land ; partly, becaufe the
whole of what has been hitherto offer'd,may belook'd
upon as a juft Correction of the Exceffes of it ; but
principally^ becaufe 'tis little elfe ( excepting the 16
Pages which are taken up with the Character of a
ftngle Perfon, who yet was not anlnftance ofConvtr-
Jion in thefe Times) but a Repetition of the Account
before publifh'd to theWorld, which has lately receiv
ed an Anfwer^ and particularly upon this Head. Vid.
jinfwer to Mr. EDWARDS'S diftmguilhing
PART
PART II. Tbt Obligations, &c.
335
PART II.
Reprefenting the Obligations
which lie upon the Paftors of
thefe Churches in particular ,
and upon all rin general, to ufe
their Endeavours to fupprefi
ihzDiforders prevailing in the
Land ^ with the great Dan
ger of their Negle£t in fo im
portant a Matter.
RE the lad Things ', accompanying the
prefent religious Commotion, no other than
a few accidental Imprudences, it would not
"worth while to expend much Pains to guard
People againffc them : Neither would it look like
Friendlhip to the Caufe of CHRIST, if any were
abundant in infifting on, and fetting forth fuch
Blemiflies ;" efpecially, if it were fo done as to
r>f manifeft that they chofe rather, and were more
forward, to take Notice of what is amift, than
is good and glorious/' But the Cafe is
widely
334 Th* Obligations to PART II,
widely different, when the Diforders, which may
juflly be complained of, are generally prevalent, and
fuch as tend to the Definition of Peace, with
Truth and Holinefs* And as this is the real State
of Things in the Land, at this Day, (if any Cre
dit is due to the foregoing Pages) 'cis certainly
Time, high Time, to appear openly and boldly
for GOD, and lay ourfelves out to the utmoft, in
all proper Ways, to give Check, if poffible, to
the Irregularities, which have fo mingled them-
felves with Religion, as to " eclipfe the Glory of
ic, and beget Jealoufies and ill Thoughts in the
Minds of many, about the whole of it."
The Obligations to this are folemn and weigh
ty : And they are binding upon the Pajlors of
tbefe Churches in particular , and upon all in general.
We, who have been made Overfeers of the
Fkcks in this Land, are peculiarly obiig'd to ufe
our Endeavours, in all futahle Ways, within our
proper Sphere, to fupprefs tbefe Dif orders.
Faithfulnefs to CHRIST requires this of us. We
are his Servants by Office : And our Bufinefs,
as fuch, properly lies, in doing all we can to pro
mote the Intereil of his Kingdom. This is what
we have been called to, and let apart for : And
the Vows of GOD are upon us ; and wo be
unto us, if we are unfaithful / And is this a
Charge we (hall be able wholly to efcape the
Guilt of, if we can behold the Rife of Error., in
Oppofmon to the Truth as it in JESUS ;' and
the general Spread of Diforders, in various Kinds,
in Contradiction to the plain Precepts of the
Gofpel ; and yet fit flill, and hold our Peace ?
Who will ftand up for CHRIST, if we don't ? Who
are
PART II. dif countenance Irregularities. 335
are called hereto, if not his authorifed Officers ?
This Matter belongeth to us. 'Tis the proper Bufi-
nefs of our Station ,• and we {hall negleft our
Duty, and be faithlefs to the Charge committed
to us, if we are meer Lookers on, and infert not
ourfelves in the Caufe of Truth and Virtue, which
is the Caufe of CHRIST.
'Tis true, we (hall do well to ceafe from Strife
about Words to no Profit : And as for foolifh and
unlearned Quejlions, they ought to be avoided, left
they increafe to more Ungodlinefs. But when the
Order of the Gofpel is openly broke in upon ; the
Faith once delivered to the Saints grofly mifinter-
preted, to the fubverting of Souls ; and many evil
Pra6tices, in Confequence hereof, are generally
gone into : I fay, when this is the Cafe, where
is our Fidelity to our MASTER and LORD, if we
fland by unconcerned ? Or, what is as bad, if
we fold our Hands together, and do nothing ?
Are we not fet for the Defence of the Gofpel ? And
though as Servants of the Lord, we muft not ftrive,
but be gentle to all Men ; yet, ought we not in
Meeknefs to inftruft thofe that oppofe themfelves, if
-per adventure GOD mil give them Repentance, to the
acknowledging of the Truth ? And is not this the
injlituted Way of recovering fuch out of the Snare
of the Devil, <$ho have been taken captive at his
Will ? Has not the Bible made it an ejjential In
gredient in the Chara6ler of Gofpel Minifters,*
that they be able by found Doctrine, both to exhort
and convince Gain-fayers ? And what will fignify
fuch an Ability, i£ when there are many unruly
and vain Talkers, and Deceivers, who fubvert whole
Hoafes, teaching Things which they ought not, we
* Tit. i. 9.
make
3 s 6 The Obligations to PART II
make lio Ufe of it to flop their Mouths ? Is ie
not the Command of GOD,t that they be rebuked,
fharply, that they may be found in the Faith ; not
giving Heed to the Commandments of Men, that turn
from the Truth ? And can we fatisfy our Confci-
ences, while we live in the Negle6l of fo plain a
Duty ? Ant we very Cowards in the Caufe of
CHRIST ? Don't we difcover a Want of Faith-
fulnefs towards him, who has put us into the
Miniftry ?
We may preach often, and profefs a great Af*
feftion for the Work of GOD, and have it perpe^
tually in our Mouths ; but if, at fuch a Day as
this, when Error in Doftrine, and Prattice, covers
the Face of the Land, we are illent about the
Matter, or mention it only after fuch a Manner*
as to make it evident we are not in earneft in
what we fay, how can we be any other than cul
pably defective in our Duty to CHRIST ? 'Tis
for the Honour of his Name, and the Intereil of
his Kingdom, that we cry aloud and fpare not.
The Errors of the Times are not fpeculative Nice
ties, nor Matters of doubtful Difputation, but evi
dent Breaches upon the Law of Faith, or the Rule
of Duty, and in Inftances of high Importance*
The Gofpel feverely teftifies againil them, and
Faithfulnefs to the REDEEMER faould put his Mini*
fters upon doing fo likewife/
But Faithfulnefs to our People as well as CHRIST
obliges to this. The Overfight of them has been '
committed to our Charge ; and we have fo-
lemnly engag'd before GOD, and the LORD JESUS
CHRIST, who {ball judge the quick, and the Dead, at
t V. 13, 14.
MS
>
ART !!. dif countenance Irregularities. Q Q 7
his Appearing, and his Kingdom, not only to preach
the Word to them, being inflant 'in Seafon, and out
if Seafon ; but to reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all
Lpng-Juffering and Ddftrine* And how lhall we be
able to fulfill this Engagement, if, when the Tims
is come that they will not endure found Doftrine, but
after their own Lufts heap to themfehes Teachers,
having itching Ears, and turn away their Ears from
' the Truth, and are turned unto Fables : I fay, how
fiiall we approve ourfelves faithful, if we are now
wanting in our Care to warn them of their Dan
ger, and put them under the Guard of heedful
Caution ? When can we more feafonably, or
pertinently 4 apply to our People for their Directi
on, Admonition and Rebuke, than at a Time when
they are either led into Error and Delufion, or are
in Hazard of being fo? We are fet as I-Patchmen
to our Churches ; and whofe Bufinefs is it to
efpy Danger, and give Warning, if not our's ?
Or, if, when we fee Danger, wcT negleft to give
Warning, where is our Faithfulnefs ? We are
called Shepherds ; and {hall we behave as>% ilich,
if, when the Wolf comes to devour the Flock,
we don't watch in all Things that we may be then-
Defence ? Or, if they mould wander out of the
Path of Truth and Holinefs, we don't ufe our
Endeavours to reduce and bring them back ?
'Tis one fpecial Part of the Duty which we, -
who are Minifters, owe our People, to guard them,
as much as may be, againil the bad Influence of
all Error, whether in Principle or Prance. And
if Error fhould prevail, and begin generally to ap
pear in its9 bad Effects^ we fhould now be upon
the Watch more than ever. Now is the Time,
when we are particularly called to (land up for the
good old Way > and bear faithful Teftiinony againft
Y every
338 The Obligations to PART It
every Thing, that may tend to caft a Blemifh
on true primitive Chriftianity. 'Tis the proper
Work of the Day : And if we are filent, I fee
not but we are finfully fo. Says the excellent
CALVIN, f whofe Words are as well worthy of
Regard in this, as in other Articles, " When any
" pernicious Seel: begins to arife, but chiefly
ff when it grows, 'tis the Duty of thofe whom
" GOD hath appointed to build up his Church,
*"' to oppofe it ftrongly, and appear againft it,
" before it gets Strength to corrupt and deflroy
" all. And certainly, when there are Paflors of
u the Churches, they ought not only to difpenfe
4t choice good Food to the Flock of CHRIST, but
cc they muft alfo watch againfl Wolves and
" Thieves, that if they will come in to the Flock,
<c they may fet them far away by their loud Out-
" cries and Vociferations." And LUTHER fpeaks
much in the fame Strain, * " Miniflers ought not
" only to build up, but to defend. In a Time of
" Peace, their Duty is to teach ; in a Time of
" War, to fight with and refift Satan, and errone-
" ous Men." And 'tis, as he elfewhere exprefTes
it, " A mrnanijb Thing to fit in a Corner, and
" lie hid in fome Hole ; but worthy a Man to
" plead the Caufe of GOD and Truth." And fo
bad a Thought had he of mmlfterial Silence in
the Caufe of CHRIST, that, in a Letter to STAUPI-
TIUS, he exprefles himfeif in thofe very ftrong
Words, " Let me be found any Thing, a proud
" Man, and guilty of all Wickednefs, fo I be
"not convicted of wicked Silence, whilil the LORD
" fufiers."
f Prof at. adverf. fanaticam Sift am Libert.
* Epift. ad SPAIAT.
We
PART II. dif countenance Irregularities. 339
We may think it enough, if we preach good
Doftrine, and are laborious therein ; " but, at
" fuch a Day as this, if we don't {hew to our
*' People a hearty Difaffeftion to the abounding
*( Diforders in the Land, but feem rather doubt-
cc fui and fufpicious of their evil Tendency, we
" {hall probably be the Occafion of Hurt inftead
" of Good." People will take Advantage from
what they obferve in us, and be likely to make
an ill Ufe of it : Nor would it be any Wonder,
if, through the Subtilty of Satan, they Ihould be
led into Error. " We, who are in the f acred Of-
" fice, had Need to take Heed what we do, and
<" how we behave at this Time. A lefs Thing
" in a Minifter will encourage Diforders than in
" other Men. If we are filent, or fay but little,
*f in our publick Prayers and Preachings, about
" the bad Spirit appearing in fo many evil Effefts^
tf or feem carefully to avoid fpeaking of it in
" Converfation, it will, and juftly may, be inter-
" preted by our People, that we, who are their
" Guides, and to whom they are to have their
*' Eye for fpiritual Instruction, have no ill Opini-
*' on of it ; and this will tend to produce the
" fame Sentiments in them, and what may be ex-
€e pefted, as the Confequence, but the Increafe
" of Confufion ?" And may it not be feared, that
the Extravagancies, which are now fo general, are
very much owing to the want of minijlerial Faith-
fulnefs in teftifying againft them, in Time ? Are
there none of the Paftors of thefe Churches, who,
inftead of condemning the Things that were evi
dently hurtful to the Caufe of CHRIST, have plead
ed on their Behalf ? Or, at left, palliated and
excufed them ? Nay, have none daubed and
flattered, beyond all Meafure, the known Promot
ers of the worft Things prevailing in the Land ?
Y 2 And
340 The Obligations to PART If.
And is it any other than might be expefted, when
this has been their Conduct, that the People
fliould be thrown into fuclra State of Diforder ?
Had we, who are intruded with the Care of Souls,
been generally careful, in the Beginning of thefe
Times, to point out the Things that were amifs ;
and had we, upon their firft Appearance, ufed our
faithful Endeavours to difcourage their Growth,
we fliould have feen, I doubt not, a quite differ
ent Face of Things : And if we would now give
Check to the Evils, which have gain'd Strength
by being let too much alone, it muft be by com
ing out boldly, and fpeaking plainly. And is it|
not Tim .2 to do fo ? There are few of ourj
Churches, but Dif orders are to be feen in them :
And as to feme of them, are they not broke to
Pieces with Strife and Schifm? Were ever poor
Churches in a State, of more doleful- Confufion ?
And (hall we ftill remain filent ? Falthfulnefs to I
our Peofk calls upon us to ftir .up our felves, no]
longer {landing by as Idle Spectators, nor yet balt'\
ing betwixt two.
And this is what we are further obliged to, froj
the Example of thole holy Men of "COD, wh<
have gone before us in a bold and open Tefli-
mony againft the like evil Things in their Day5
which appear in cur's. Soon after the Setdemei
of this (Country, there was (as we have alread1
iecn) ihe Rile cf :i Spirit very like to that whicl
now prevails : And it occasioned like Difturi
ance fo the Churches. And what was the Me
tliod, our lathers, in the XSniJi.ry, took for tl
Prdl-rvarion of Religion, in a Time of fuch Dii
orders ? Were they afraid to fpeak freely
c^un'l; them ? Were they dlfpos'd to make
nothing of them '? Did they flrengthcn tl
Han/
PART IL difcQunttnance Irregularities. 341
Hands of thofe who fomented them, by facrifi-
cing undue Honour to them ? So far from it,
that they did, in all the Ways they could devife,
lay themfelves out to put a "Stop to the Growth
of them. They pray 'd and preach'd againft the
Errors of their Day ; they privately convers'd
with the Opinionifts, ufing their bcft Endeavours to
enlighten "and convince them ; they confulted
with one another, and with their Churches ; and
at length, there was a general Ajfembly of all the
Churches in the Province, by their Elders and Dele
gates, who not only declared to the World their
Dif approbation of thefe Errors, but laboured to iliow
the People that they were Errors, by the Light
'of Holy Scripture.
•
And when the fame Spirit, which now troubles
us, appear'd in ENGLAND the la ft Century, what
was the Behaviour of thofe who were adeemed
the mo ft pious, and eminently faithful Minifters
of CHRIST ? Why, they lifted up their Voice
like a Trumpet, teftifying againft the Entlrt/nfm
which was crumbling the Church into numbcrlefs
Sects, and threatning to over-run the Nation.
Many now approved themfelves Champions for the
Church, and Caiife of GOD ; and their Name?,
on this Account, have been handed clown to Pof-
terity with Honour. There has not appeir'd
among us any Error in Principle, any Wildne'fs
in Imagination, . any Indecency in Language,
any Irregularity in Pra6tice, but we might have
learn'd how to teftify againft it, from what they,
in Faithfulnefs to CHRIST, and the Souls of "Pev,-
ple, have left in their Writings/'
And the fame Method was taken by the firft
Reformers, when Entbufiafw and Error began to
Y 3 life
The Obligations to PART II*
lift up their Heads in GERMANY, and threaten to
carry all before them. They did not confult how
they might pleafe Men, but appeared openly for
GOD, and were refolv'd, at all Hazards, to plead
for his Caufe againft the Diftraftion of the Times,
LUTHER had no lefs, than fix public Difputations,
at WiTTiNGBURG,t againft the Antinomians. I fup-
pofe the Perfons he difputed with were STORK and
MUNCER, and thofe other pretended Prophets, who
boafted of angelic Revelations, and immediate Con"
verfe with GOD ; for thefe* were the Men, who
fcattered the Seeds of falfe Do&rine in WIT-
TINGBURG, and were hearkened unto by Reafon
of their great fpiritual Pretences.§§
And he wrote an excellent Treatife, upon this
fame Subject, in a Letter to his good Friend Mr..
GASPER GUTTIL ; admirably futed to thefe Times.§
He wrote likewife an Epiftle to the People of ANT
WERP, when in Danger of being feduced by thefe
EntkiifiaftS) tending to guard them againft the Infec
tion of fuch erroneous Spirit s.$ And fo far was he
from giving out, in the Caufe he was engaged,
that, in one of his Epiftles, he exprefles himfelf
In the following noble Chriftian Style,* " I have
determined with myfelf, to fear nothing in this
Caufe, but to contemn all Things ; yea, the
higher the Errors rife, and the more mighty
they grow, the more to rife up againft their*"
"
•f RUTHERFURD'S fpiritual Antlcbrifi, Page 86.
§§ Vita LUTHERI, a MELCH. ADAM. Page 124.
§ It may be fcen in Eagli/h, translated out of the
high Dutch Original, in RUTHERTURD'S Survey of
fpiritual Antichrift, Page 69, and onwards.
J Vita. LUTHERI, Page 131.
* Epiflol. ad SPAJ.ATINUM,
CALVIN;
PART II. dif countenance Irregularities 343
CALVIN alfo, that great Reformer, boldly fet
his Face againft that very FFildnefs in Opinion and
Behaviour, which is revived, in the Beginnings of
it, at this Day. The Book he publilh'd againft
the GERMAN Enthufiafts and Libertines * is an il-
luftrious Inflance of this ; In which he has thefe
obfervable Words, f " I am not ignorant, it will
" not be well taken by all, that I name thefe
cc Men : But what fhould I do, when I fee three
*€ or four Seducers who lead to Deflru6tion many
€€ Thoufands of Souls ; making it their daily
" Work to overthrow the Truth of GOD, to
" fcatter the poor Church, to fpread abominable
ic Blafphemies, and to difturb the World with
" Confuflon ? Ought I to be fllent, or diflem-
ff ble ? O how cruel ihould I be, for the fparing
cc or pleafing of fome, to fufFer all Things to be
*' deftroyed and wafted, and not to warn Men
" to take Heed !"
But befides thefe, many other of the frft Re
formers boldly declared againft the Errors of the
Times ; among whom I (hall further mention
only the famous ZUINGLIUS, who, inftead of en
couraging the Extraordinaries many pretended to,
*A very greatChara&er is given of thisBook^by
of CALVIN'S Life, in thefe Words, " Eodem Anno
(1544) CALVINUS, turn Anabaptiftas, turn Liberti-
jios, (in quibus vetcres omnes, quamtumvis portento-
fae, renovatae funt Hserefesj duobus libellis ira refuta-
vit ; ut nemineni iis attente Ie6lis arbitremur exti-
tifle, qui vel ab iftis, nifi Sciens et prudens, decipj
potuerit, vel fi antea deceptus erat, non ultro in rec-
tam viam redieret. Vit. CALVINJ a MELCH. A-
DAM. P. 96. 97.
\ Injlruftiv adverfus Libcrtin. P. 603. &c.
publickly
344 7hs Obligations to PAPvT II,
publickly difputed, * and wrote againft them. Li
his Book upon this Subject, he has thefe Words
in his own Excufe, capable of a good Ufe at this
Day.f " Good Reader, thefe Things which I
*' propound to thee may, perhaps, be fomewhat
" againft thy Stomach, but be allured no Vio-
<ii lence, or Rage of Mind hath drawn me to it,
" but my faithful Care, and Sollicitude for
<; the Churches, For there are many of the
<c Brethren, who, when they did not know what
c; Kind of Men thefe were, thought whatever was faid
« againft them, was too harfli and bitter : But
" now, when their Flocks begun to be dejlroyed by
*' them,, they then, by Letters and Cries, have
" called upon us, conceding thofe Things to be
*' more than true, which before they had heard,"
I am fenfible, thefe were but frail fallible Men,
even the beft of them, and not worthy, on that
Account, to be fet up as perfect Patterns : Nor
^re we obliged, by an implicit Faith, to do as
they did, I therefore go on to obferve,
That this Conduct of theirs, was the very fame,
the wfpird./lpoJUes went into, upon the Appear*
?ince of Irregularities in their Day. This is par
ticularly evident, in what we find recorded of the
fratlice of the great St. PAUL. There never was
a more bold and faithful Servant of JESUS CHRIST,
He readily ventured his Name, his Intered, his
Life, in bearing Teflimony againft every Thing
that reflected Difgrace on the Gofpel, and tended
* Vita ZUINGLII, a MELCH. ADAM. P. 30.
| Kenclms ZUINGLII contra Cat abaft ifias. Page
PART II. difeffuntendnce Irregularities.
to introduce Diforder and Confufion into the
Church.
When the Chriftians at CORINTH, had got into
Parties, fome crying up one Miniiler ; others,
another,, to theDifturbance of the common Peace ;
what is the Behaviour of the Apoftle ? Does he
fay a Word that might give Encouragement to
this Party Spirit ? Does he ftand by as a filent
Speftator of the Envying, and Strife, and Divijir
fins, that were among them ? So far from it,
that he feverely chaftifes their Ignorance ; faith
fully points their View to the true Source of thefe
Diforders, the undue Prevalence of carnal Affetti-
ons : and folemnly gives it in Charge to them, Not
to -glory in Men.]
When they grew conceited of their extraordina
ry miraculous Gifts, and exercifed them after ftich
a dJforderly Manner, as that, if an Unbeliever had
come into their Place of Worfhip, he would have
been apt to fay, they were mad # how -does he
fet himfelf to rectify fo grofs an Irregularity, not
only by calling them to Decency and Order, but
by "giving them an Idea of the blelled GOD, as
the Author, not of Confufion but of Peace, as in all
the Churches .of the Saints ?*
When there appear *d among them a Difpofhi-
on to aft out of Character, to turn every one Ex-
horter or Preacher, leaving their, own Bufinefs to
do the Work which was proper to Minifters ;
does he efcecm this a Matter of flight Coniidera-
f i Cor. 3. Chapt. £ I Cor. 14. 23. * Ibid.
Vcrfe 33. 40.
tion *
$4<5 The Obligations to PART II,
tion ? Does he let them alone to go on in this
Diforder ? Inftead of this, he faithfully warns
every Man to abide in the fame Calling, wherein he
was called ;* and repeats the Exhortation,! Let
every Man wherein he is called, therein abide with
GOD : Nay, as tho' he could not too ftrongly
teftify againft this Humour of every one's fetting
himfelf up for a Teacher, he fpends a whole Chap
ter $ in fhowing, that it evidently oppos'd the
fFiJdom of GOD in the Diftribittion of his Gififc,
as well as his Appointment of fome, in Diflin&ion
from others, to be Prophets and Teachers.
In a Word, when a Spirit of ram, cenforious
Judging difcovered it felf, in their Treatment of
one another, and arofe to fuch a Height as even
to reproach and condemn him, though an Apoftk
of CHRIST ; what is his Conduct ? Does he go
about to excufe the Matter ? Does he lead them
into a Confideration of fuch Inftances of rafh
Judging as might be met with in Scripture, to
reconcile this Practice of their's with the Truth
of a Work of GOD in their Hearts ? Nothing
more diflant from his Thoughts !-— -He turns the'.r
View to the Judgment-Seat of CHRIST, and per
emptorily charges them § to judge nothing before
the Time, until the LORD come, who will both bring
to Light the hidden Things of Darknefs^and will make
manifefl the Counfels of the Hearts : And as tho*
he had not faid enough upon a Matter of fuch
high Importance, he largely defcribes to them the
Nature of Chrijlian Charity, and gives them plain
ly to underftand, that if they were not pofleft of
* i Cor. 7. 20. f Ver. 24, | i Cor. 12.
§ i Cor. 4. j.
PART II . difcountenance Irregularities. 347
it, they were nothing in Point of real Christianity,
though they fhould be able to fpeak like Angels,
and had Faith fo that they could remove Mountains.*
And this fame Apoflle was alike faithful, when
he beheld any Thing amifs in other Churches, to
apply to them for their Correction, and Inftruftion
in Right eoufnefs, as the Cafe required. Some fig-
nal Proofs of this, we have in his Epiflles to the
Churches at ROME, and GALATIA ; especially, the
latter, who had been perverted from the Truth,
of the Gofpel, by the coming in of falfe Teachers
among them. The whole Drift of his Letter to
them fhows, that he fought not to pleafe Men, for
that he fhould not then be the Servant of CHRIST.
He feverely reprimands them for giving Heed to
fuch as would pervert the Gofpel of CHRIST ; and
folemnly declares to them, as he had done before,
That if any Man fhould preach to them any other
Gofpel than that they had received, he ought to be
efteem'd accurfed. f
And is there no Regard to be paid to thefe no
ble Examples of Courage and Faithfulnefe in the
Caufe of CHRIST ? May we not learn our Duty,
« when we have the Conduct of infpird Apoftles for
our Direction ? Can it be thought, we are OP-
TOSERS of the Work of GOD, while we tread in
their Steps, and conform our Practice to their's ?
Are not Diforders, in the Church, as dangerous to
Religion now, as in the Apoflle 's Days ? Is it
not as fit they fhould be couragioufly teftified
againil now as then ? And are not the Mlnljters
i Cor. 13. Chapter.
Gal i. Chap.& thro' the whole of the Efiftk.
of
348 The Obligations to PART IT<
of CHRIST under Obligations to exercife this Faith*
fulnefs, as they are compared about with fo great a
Cloud of Witneffcs, among whom they may behold
even the dpoftles and frft Founders of the Religion
of JESUS ?
Bat we, who are CHRIST'S Minifters, are ftili
further obliged to difcourage the Rife and Growth
of Diforders in the Church, from the great Dan
ger of a Neg!e£l in fo important a Matter.
There will be Danger in Refpeft of ourfekes.
For we have the Charge of Souh ; and very
•awful is the Charge. [Tis not altogether unlike
that, * Keep this Man : Jf by any Means he be
miffing, then flail thy Life be for Ins Life. Not
that the Blood of any will' be required at our
Hands, if we have been faithful to warn them of
the Error of the Wicked, that they may turn from
it : In this Cafe, if they turn not from their Way,
but die in their Iniquity, we have delivered our Souls.
But if through Cowardice, or a Man-pleafmg Dif-
pofition, they are Jet alone to be drawn into Er
ror and Delujion, how can we anfwer for our Con-
duel: ? Shall we behave like faithful Miniflers
of JESUS CHRIST, if, at a Time when Diforders
are become general, we take little or no Notice
of them ? Is there no Danger in fuch a Neg
lect ? .Should thofe of our Charge, by Means
of our Silence, entertain a favourable Opinion of
very ill Things , and go into the Practice of them,
fliould not we, in a Senfe, be chargeable with
their Sin ? 'Tis true, if, from an upright Heart
we have endeavoured to do our Duty, according
to our befl Light, we may hope for the Mercy
* j Kings 2 p. 3p.
of
PART If. difewrilentntt Irreguiaritiet. 34$*
of our Judge, though we fhould have fallen into
Miftakes. But we had Need take. Heed to our*
felves that we be 'found faithful.
To be ftire, thofe ought to do fo, in a particu
lar Manner, who, inflead of guarding People a-
gainft Error and evil Practice, have unhappily been
the Injlruments of. leading them into it. It may
be worthy the fpecial Notice of fuch, that thofe
are rank'd among falfe Prophets, and threatned
with awful Judgments, in the Prophecies of Scrip
ture, of whom the blefled GOD may fay, / have
not fent thefe Prophets, yet they ran ; / have not
fpoken to them, yet they prophejied. — They fpeak a
njion of their own Heart, and not out of the Mouth
cf the LORD. — They prophefy Lies in my Name ;
yea, they are Prophets of the Deceit of their own
Hearts* 'Tis againft this Kind of Minifters, or
Shepherds, that Jer. 23. is particularly written.
And they are again mentioned, in the 14 Chapt.
14 Verfe, In the 29 Chape. Ver. 8, 9. And
in many Places, in other Prophecies. I don't
determine who the Perfons are, to whom thefe
Texts are applicable ; but, in general, 'tis too
evident to be denied, that fome in thefe Days,
have run, when they were not fent : And they
have alfo delivered the Suggejlions of their own
' ever-heated Imaginations, in the, Name of the LORD,
and for his Truths ; hereby deluding many poor
Souls. And however high an Opinion fuch may
entertain of themfelves, or however well they
may be thought of by their Admirers, they may
be in as great Danger of the Guilt cf the Blood of
Souls 'as others, they are fo free in fattening this
Guilt upon. They have Reafon to look to them-
* Jer. 23. i<5, 21, 25, 2<5.
felves :
350 The Obligations ta . PART IT;
felves : Nor would it be amifs, if they would
.fuppofe themfelves capable of being miftaken.-—
Their Danger is greater than they may be aware of.
But befides the Danger in Refpeft of ourfelves,
great will be the Danger of our Churches, if we*
don't faithfully warn them. There is no Reafon
to expeft that Diforders, when they have arifen,
will die of themfelves ; they will rather increafe,
and to what a Height they will grow, without
Difcotiragement, none can tell. The fatal Pro-
grefs of Error at other Times, and in this as well
as other Countries, may well fill us with Concern.
The Churches in this Land, upwards of an
Hundred Years ago, were almoft ruined with their
religious Difturbances. The Spirit which then ope
rated was, fuprifingly fimilar to the Spirit of thefe
Times (as we have had an Account in the Pre
face*) ; and it jwiftly fpread through the Pro
vince 9 foon appearing in above eighty Errors ;
fome of which were deftrudtive in their Tenden
cy, and muft, in the End, root out Religion,
wherever they take Place. I know it was plead
ed then, as it is now, " That as to, fome of
thefe Errors, they were not held by any. "
This was given, to the Synod convened upon
thefe Affairs, as a Reafon why they fliould not en
ter upon the Confideration of them : To which the
Reply was in thefe Words, " That they were in
deed maintained in the Country, by forre or o-
ther, either by their Speech, or elfe by Writing
under their own Hands, as the Elders were able
to prove by two or three or four Witnefles, and
that in every Particular."!
»— ' • ' 4
f This is a Tranfcript from a Manufiript Copy 1 nave
now by me, of the Proceedings of the Synod in 1637 ;
in which are fome Things, well worthy of Notice f
whi^h have never yet feen the Light.
PART II. difocuntenance Irreguaritics 351
And in the Engllfh Nation, no longer ago than
the laft Century, to what a monflrous Degree
did Error, Faclion and Confuflon prevail, in a
little Time ? Says Mr. BAXTER, in the Dedication
cf his Saints eve/lofting Reft to the People of his
Charge, " Do not your Hearts bleed to look up*
« on the State of ENGLAND ? And to think
*( how few Towns or Cities there be (where is
ic any Forwardnefs in Religion) that are not cue
<c into Shreds, and crumbled as to Duft, by Se-
*< parations and Divifions ? To think what a
<f Wound we have hereby given to the very
" Chriflian Name ? To think how we have har-
" den'd the ignorant, confirmed the doubting ?
" And are our felves become the Scorn of our
" Enemies, and the Grief of our Friends ? And
" how many of our deareft, beft efleemed Friends
" are fallen to notorious Pride, or Impiety ; yea,
<f fome to be worfe than open Infidels ? Thefe
" are Pillars of Salt : See that you remember
" them." Yet more obfervable to our Purpofe,
are the Words of Mr. EDWARDS, in his Addrefs
to Lords and Commons aiTembled in Parliament, f
" Things now are grown to a flrange Pals (tho*
" nothing is now ftrange ) and every Day they
*c grow worfe and worfe, and you can hardly
" conceive and imagine them fo bad as they are.
" No Kind of Blafphemy, Herefy, Diforder, Con-
" fufion, but is found among us, or a coming in
" upon us : For we, inftead of a Reformation9
" are grown from one Extreme to another, fallen
*' from Scylla to Charibdis, from popifh Innovati-
•j- See the Dedication to his Catalogue and Difcovery
* of the Errors* Blafphemies, &c. Of the Seflaries
in ENGLAND frsm 42 to 46.
The Obligations to PART IL
*' ons and Superftitions to damnable Herefies,
" horrid Blafphemies, Libertinifm and fearful A*
" narchy. Our Evils are not removed and cured,
" but only changed ; one Difeafe and Devil
<c hath left us, and another as bad is come in the
" room ; yea, this lafl Extremity, into which
" we are fallen, is for more high, violent and
*c dangerous in many Refpefts.--- You have moil
" noble Senators, done worthily againft Papifts,--*
** you have made a Reformation ; but with the
'ff Reformation have we not a Deformation, and
•" worfe Things come in upon us than any we
*< ever had before ? — Many among us have
" put down the Scriptures, flighting, yea, blaf*
'" pheming them. We have thofe who overthrow
'fc the Doftrine of the Trinity, oppofe the Divi*
" nity of CHRIST, flight the Apoftks. We have
<c many who call down to the Ground all Minif-
" ters in all the reformed Churches ; who have
<c caft "out the Sacraments, .Baptijin and the Lord's
ic Supper ; who make nothing of LORD'sDays ;
" with whom all public Prayer is queilioned, and
" minijlcrial Preachings denied. Many of the Sec-
" taries, in thefc Days, deny all Principles of
" Religicfn ; are Enemies fo all holy Duties, Or-
" der, Learning ; overthrowing all. What
" Swarms are there of all Sorts of illiterate^ me-
" chanic Preachers ! Yea, of PFomen, and Boy-
" Preachers ! What a Number of Meetings,
« of Sectaries in this City, eleven at lead in one
<c Parifh ! And are not thefe Errors, Herefies,
u and Schifms, Blots in our Reformation ,? Do
" they not blemifh, and call a dark Shadow upon
" all the light Part ? Are they not the dead Flies
*e in the Apothecaries Ointment, fending forth a
rt {linking Savour ? Arc they not our Reproach,
•and
PART if. dlfcountenance Irregularities. 353
<c and the Rejoicing of the common Enemy ?
<f The Scandal of the weak, and the blazing-Star
" of the Times ?"
And in the Book to which thefe PafTages are
prefixt, we are prefented with a moil: awful Ac-
: count of the Power of Enthufiafm, in fuch Inftan-
ces of Wildnefs, both in Matters of Faith and
Praftice, as are enough to make one fland afton-
ifh'd. No lefs than 172 Errors in Dottrine are
particularly noted down, with many blafphemous
Speeches, and Jlrange Actions ; all which, there is
Reafon to think, are Charges juftly made againfl
thefe Times : And they befpeak the dangerous
'•State of the Churches, when Men's PaiTions are
over-heated, and, as the EiFeft hereof, Diforders
begin to make Difcovery of themfelves in one
Place and another.
I might go on and {hew, that, in the Times of
the firft Reformers, the Spirit of Error wrought af
ter juft the fame Manner ; proceeding from one
Thing to another, 'till it had deluded Multitudes
with extatic Raptures, Vifions and Revelations ;
and, at lad, prepared them, by falfe and danger
ous Principles in Religion, for Actions grofly crimi
nal, and carnal— But I forbear; and only add,
That even in the Apoftles Days, there was a
dreadful Spread of Error, with its ufual mifcbic-
vous Effects, through the wicked Craft of fome,
Uand the mifguided ignorant Zeal of others, who
were admired as Preachers* Many, by their
Means, were then deluded, and kept under the
.Power of Delufion, notwithilanding the Care of
'infpired Men to undeceive them : Nay, fo
ftrangely were they besjuil'd, that they preferred
Z 'M
354 The Obligations -to PART If;
falfe Teachers to the very Apojlles ; yea, they
were, at length, brought to entertain fuch Preju
dices againfl them, as a&ually to withdraw Com
munion, both from them, and the Churches under
their InfpeClion. THEY WENT OUT FROM us, fays
the Apoftle JOHN. $ And thefe are they, as JUDE
expreffes it, f WHO SEPARATE THEMSELVES. They
were Men, it fliould feem, of two great Spiritual
ity to hold Communion with the apoflolic Churches :
But it was only in their own vain Conceit ; for
whatever Opinion they might have of themfelves
as fplntual Men, they were really fenfual, not hav
ing the SPIRIT. * And fo far were they from
being a more holy Community, after their Separati-
cn, that they might rather be called, the Syna
gogue of Satan ; as the Phrafe is in the Revela
tion of JOHN. § There were many Deceivers in
the apoftolick Times ; and through their Influ
ence, many and great Errors got into the Church,
to the Hindrance of the Gofpel. The Myjlery
of Inquiry began to work, while the dpoftles 'were
yet alive.-— Damnable Herejies were broach'd in
their Day ;-— the main Do6lrines of Chriftianity,
either wholly denied, or explained away, or fo
corrupted with Jewijb or Pagan Mixtures, as that
they were removed from the Religion of CHRIST
to another Gofpel. The Doftrines of Grace were
abus'd then, as they have been fince, into an Oc-
cafion of LASCIVIOUSNESS ; -— yea, the Quakirija
Notion of Jinhfs Perfection began to take Place,,
in thofe Days, and almoft every other bad Tenet,.
or difirderly Practice, which has plagued the Churck]
of GOD, in other Ages.
J i John 2. 19. f Verfc 19. * Jude Verfe
§ Chapt. 2. V. 9.
PART II. difcountenance Irregularities. 355?
We may fee, from thefe Hints, the pernicious
Tendency of Delujion, and what a fad Effecl it
has on the Well-Being of the Church. And can
it then be too carefully guarded againft ? 'Tis
true, it may do a great Deal of Mifchief, not-
withftanding our moil faithful Endeavours to fup-
prefs it. It has often made fad Havock in the
World, as we have feen. But how much more
fatal would have been its Influence, if it had not:
been reftraine'd and check'd ? What would have
become of the poor Church of GOD, if it had not:
been for the faithful Care of the Apoftles in their
Day, and of other eminent Servants of CiiRisr
in their's, to guard People againft the Infection
of it ? This, under GOD, is the only Way to
Hop its Progrefs. And mall we, who are Mini-
flers, let] it alone to take its Courfe? What can
be more dangerous to the Churches ? How
fhould it be, but they fliould be filled with Con-
fufion ? And can we fuffer our felves to fit ftill,
and not exert our felves to prevent the coming
on of fuch a State of Things? We are objig'd to
nothing, if not to the Ufe of our moft faithful
Endeavours for the Prefervation of our Churches,
when in fuch Danger.
Thefe now are the Obligations, we are under ta
appear againft the Dif orders- of the Times : They
are thus folemn and weighty. And yet, whac
little Influence have they had upon thofe, from
whom better Things might have been expefted,
in fuch'a Day as this ? What a ftrange Back-
wardnefs have fome, in the Miniftry, difcovered
to fpeak plainly and freely, in the Caufe of
Truth and Holinefs ? How ready have they
been to excufe themfelves ? How eafily per-
Z 2 Iwaded
356 The Obligations tQ FART II.
fwaded to Silence, upon one Confideration or
another ?
Some have been unfettkd in their Thoughts,
net knowing what Judgment to make about the
Sta'e of Things in the Land. This was, at firft,
I believe, the real Truth of the Cafe, as to many ;
and to this it might be owing, they faid fo lit
tle, either one Way, or 'tother. But they have
now had fufficient Opportunity to form their Judg
ment : And 'tis indeed high Time, for all to.
know their own Minds, and aft fteadily according
to fome fi-xt Principles or other. Nor may it be
fuppofed there are any, unlefs fuch as are evi-
dencly carried away with their Imaginations, but
muft be convinced there have been horrid Extrava
gancies afted in the Land : And however they
behave in other Things, can they be excus'd, if
they don't condemn thefe, and endeavour in all,
proper Ways to guard People againft the bad In
fluence of them, whether on the right Hand,'
or the left ?
Some, I doubt not, would have appeared againftj
tb.e Irregularities of the Times, but that they wen
fearful, left,. if they fpake againft what was badj(
they fhouM difcourage what was good. They fa1
the coming on of foire Things they could not bi
difapprove, yet dare not exprcfs their Sentimeni
with Freedom left they fhoulddawp the good Won
they, were in Hopes GOD was beginning to can
on in the Land. This was, at firft, the true Reafoi
and may be fo ftill, in Refpeft of fome, why the;
have faid and done fo little, to the Difcouraj
ment, even cf fuch Things as they would
glad were fuppreilcd. But 'tis certainly an Ern
they have fallen into. For hew fliali Religic
iulfc
PART II. difc mint enance Irregularities. 357
.
fuffer by pointing out faeh Things as are real
ly evil, and endeavouring in reafonabfe Ways
.- to give Check to them ? 'Tis true, the mod
! Chriftian Methods of Conduct maj be abufed
by the Lufts of Men, and made an Occiiion
I of Sin : But if this is a good Reafon, why xve
; Cioald fit Hill, and do nothing for the Suppref-
foi of Difordtrs, we may, for the fame Rea-
•' fon, be excus'd from ever exerting our felves in
I the Caufe of GOD ; for we can neither fay, or do
any Thing, but it may be turu'd to an ill life.
I The only Queftion is, whether 'tis not reafonable,
$ when Diforders arife, all futablc Care iliould be .
j- taken for the Suppreilion of them ? And if it
;• is, the Fear left an ill Improvement fnould be
jj made of our faithful Endeavours to this End, is
• no fufficient Excufe for the Non Uie of them.
I \fhis indeed iliould make us cautious ; putting
:us upon our Guard again ft all Methods of adling,
(but fuch as are juft, and wife, and good : And
! while thcfe are the only ones we life, we are cer-
jtainly in the Way of our Duty : And as there
is no other Way prefcribed by the Law of Chrif-
Itianlty to keep Things^from running into Confu-
lion ; fo neither will any o:her be effe6lual to
;this Purpofe : And we have feen enough, one
would think, fully to fatisfy us of, this. What
: ..has been gain'd by Silence, and doin^; nothing ?
! Has Religion been at all ferved ? 1 lave D-.for-
:«ders abated ? 'Have they not rather increafed ?-
ij Han't they ipread themfelves ail over the Land,
• and got fuch Head as to dene Opposition ? Hiii'c
:they broke many of our Churches to- Pieces, giv
ing a moil dreadful Shock to the Intereft of
CHRIST in them ? And will any bs ftill afriid-
to rife up againft them ? This Fear of harting
the tVorkof GOD) by particukrly pointing one
Y 3 the
358 The Obligations to ' PART II.
the working of Satan, or Mens own Lufls9 and
faithfully teftifying againfl it, has, I verily be
lieve, been a Means of giving the Devil as great
an Advantage over us, as any one Thing in thefe
Times : Nor unlefs it be taken out of his Hands,
may we expe6l but that he will baffle us in all
our other Attempts.
Some, again, have been reftraihed from fpeak-
ing, through that Fear of Man which bringeth a
Snare. And, if I may be free to declare my
Thoughts, this I take to have been the great
Fault of the Clergy, in thefe Days. Have we not
too generally conniv'd at foine Things, we were
clearly fatisfied were much amifs ? Han't we
betray'd a Want of Courage openly to fpeak our
Mind, and make a Stand, in Time, againfl: that
which has prov'd very mifchievous ? Some, it
may be, were afraid of hurting their Ufefulnefs
among their People, and upon this Account kept
their Thoughts to themfelves, inflead of commu
nicating them for the Good of their Flocks ; not
having Faith enough to leave the Affair of their
further Serviceablenefs with their Mafter and
LORD. — Some, perhaps, may have been under aa;
undue Influence, thro' Fear of a Removal from
their People, and being turn'd out into the wide
World, without the Profpe6t of any Means for
the Support of themfelves and Families ,* not
duly confidering, that their heavenly Father feed'
cth the Fowls 'of the Air, and that he has taught
them to argue herefrom, are not ye much better than
they ? — Others might be too much in Fear of
the Breath of frail, fallible, mortal Man. They
foon faw the Fate of thofe, who put on Refolu-
tion, and declared againfl: the Errors of the pre-
fent Day, that they were reproach'd and vilified,
having
1? A R T II. dif countenance Irregularities. 3 59
having all Manner of Evil falfly fpoken agairrft
them for Righteoufnefs Sake ; that all the op
probrious Names, that could be thought of, were
freely called upon them, as Pharifces, Hypocrites,
Oppofers of the Work of GOD, Betrayers of CHRIST,
, Wolves in Sheep's Chathing, Injtruments of the De
vil, and what not : And they might be too will-
Ing to efcape thefe Cenfures ; not remembring,
that 'tis a real Honour to be flandered for the
Name of CHRIST, and in Defence of bis Caufe
- and Kingdom.
And 'tis remarkable, the Slanders which have
been eaft upon fuch as have ventured openly to
fland up for the Truths, and Ways of CHRIST, at
this Day, are the very fame, for Kind, with thofe
which have been thrown upon the tike Difcourag-
ers of Enthufiafm and Dif order, in all Ages of the
Church. In our own Land, when the like Extra-
ordinaries difturb'd the Churches, in former Times,
which do now ,* what was the Language in
which thofe eminent Servants of JESUS CHRIST, who
teftified againft the prevailing Errors, were then
fpoken of ? Why, they were th.Qugh.t- worthy
no better a Style than that, Legal Preachers*
"Baals Fr lefts, Popifh Faftors, Scribes, Pbarifees ;
yea, Oppofers cf CHRIST himfelf. And thefe were
the Names commonly beftow'd upon the beft
Men, in our Nation, by the Sectaries of the laft
Age. Mr. BAXTER carries the Matter yet fur
ther, when he fays,* "-.As I have feeii "Letters
" of the Ranters fo full of the moft hideous
cc Blafphemies againft GOD, as I thought had ne~
" ver come from g»y but the damned ; fo have*
" I had Letters from thefe Men my felf, fo full
* Vol. 2. P. 322-
Z 4. ' ** of
The Obligations to PART . II;
«c of railing and reviling from End to End, as I
«< never faw before, from the Pen of Man, either
Ci mad or fober, nor ever heard from the Mouth
<c of any." And the like Treatment, the moil
celebrated firfl Reformers* met with, in GERMANY,
from the Ptfionaries and Errorifts, in their Day.
LUTHER'S Name was as odious to the Sectaries, as
to the Papjfts. MUNCER, that Ring-Leader of re
ligious Dijlurbance^ wrote a Book, againft him, full
of Bitternefs and Rage, wherein, among other
Things, he reproaches him as one deflitute of the
Spirit of Infpiratim9 and favouring only the Things
that are carnal, f He thundered out Raikries a-
gainft him, faying, he -was as bad as the Pope ;
^ea, worfe than the Pope himfelf, and that he
preached only a carnal Go/pel : And the like Re
proaches were cafe upon him by the other over-
kcated Zealots, againfl whom he defended the
Truths of the Gofpel, CALVIN alfo, that glorious
Leader in the Reformation, was bafely reviled,
not only by the Cathollcks^ but the Libertines and
JLnthufiafts ; who charg'd him with Herefy, Am
bition, affecting a new Papacy, ftudying to heap up
Riches ; with being a Raikr, and every Thing that
was bad : Yea, fo hateful was CALVIN, to
the Sectaries, in his Day, that fome named their
Dogs CALVIN in Contempt of him ; others changed
CALVIN into CAIN ; many were fo cut of Charity
with him, that they profeft they kept away from
the LORD'S Supper, becaufe they could not hold Com-,
minion with kirn. * But more than all this, the
f LUTHERUM flapellat, quod entbufiaJiicQ Spiriiu care-
ac ; et nihil, nifi carnalie^ fapiat. Vic. LUTH. a
MELCH. APAIVI. Page 128.
* Vita CAJ.VINI a MELCH. APAM. et B£?>A.
PART II. dif countenance Irregularities. 361
jjpoftles themfelves were fpoken of with great
Contempt, by fome bold Pretenders to Religion,
in thofe primitive Times. There were thofe
then who could boaft of their fuperior Excellen
cies, and fet themfelves above the very Apoftles
of JESUS CHRIST. This is alluded to, in that far-
caftical Language of the dpoftlc, * We dare not
make our f elves of the- Number^ or compare our felves
with fome who commend themfehes. And in a few
Verfes onwards, Not he tbat conmendeth himfelf
Is approved, but whom the LORD commendetb. And
at the fame Time, that they thus exalted them
felves, they craftily endeavoured to leflen the
Character of the dpoftles, and lead People into a
.mean and pitiful Thought of them. His Letters,
fay they are weighty ; . but his bodily Pre fence is
weak, and his Speech contemptible. £ Perhaps, the
great St. PAUL was not able to deliver himfelf
with that Noife and Vehemence, for which theft
Preachers might be admir'd among theCoRiNTHiANs;
and they afperfe him on this Account, as a con
temptible Speaker j fcarce worth hearing. Nor is
this the worfh Treatment he met with : He
had probably been fpoken of in Terms of great
Ignominy and Difgrace, and fb as to put People
out of all Conceit of him. Hence that Language
of his, f Being reviled, we blcfs ; beihg defamed,
we intreat : We are made as the Filth of the IVorld^
and are the Off-f cowing of all Things to this Day.--*
fBut the great SAVIOUR himfelf could not efcape
the Reviling* of Men. He was called as bad
Names as any of his Difciples have ever been
fince. Deceiver, Iwpoftor, Blajpbemer ; yea, Reel-
* 2 Cor. io,
4. 12. 13,
12. £ 2 Cor. 10. 10. f z Cor.
362 The Obligations to PART II.
b, were the flanderous Names, freely heaped
on him. — And Ihould it not reconcile us to the
Reproaches we may have call; upon us, for our
appearing in Vindication of the Faith and Order
of the Gofpel, that we fuffer no more than the
beffc and greateft Men in the World have done
before us, and in the fame Caufe ? Yea, that
that we are Fellow-Sufferers with the Apoftles of
CHRIST ; yea, with CHRIST himfelf. Is the Dif-
ciple above his Mafler ? Is the Servant above his
LORD ? If they have called the Mafler of the
Houfe Beelzebub, how much more flail they call them
of his Hou/bold ? What is it more than may be
expe&ed ? And fliall we think much of it, when
it is no other than our MASTER and SAVIOUR
fuffered before us ?
In fine, there are yet others, who may have
been kept from teftifying againft the bad Things
of the prefent Day, from a Man-leafing Difpqfi-
tion. They have not, perhaps, been fo careful to
confult, what was their Ditty, what was for the
Intereft of the Redeemer and his Kingdom, as what
would beft fecure them in the good Opinion of the
People. Are there none, whofe Conduct has dif-
covered them to have been too much the Ser
vants of Men ? /Have none criminally accommo
dated themfelves to the Times, behaving as might
[ beft take with the Populace ? Would to GOD it
were injurious to fugged fuch a Thing againfl
any one Minifter in the Land / And the
rather, becaufe it argues a Spirit fo different from
that which appear'd in PAUL, that glorious Cham
pion for- CHRIST. Do I fcek to pleafe Men, fays
he ?f He difdains the 1 hought ; and for that
f Gal. i- 10.
noble
PART II. dif countenance Irregularities 3 63
noble Reafon, If I pleafed Men, I jloould not be the
Servant of CHRIST.* And he triumphs in that Lan
guage, in the Behalf, not only of himfelf, but his
Fellow- Labourers in the Kingdom and Patience of
JESUS CHRIST,§ As we -were allow d of GOD to be put
in Tntft with the Gofpcl, even fo we fpeak, not as PLEAS
ING MEN, BUT GOD,, who trieth our Hearts : For
neither at any Time ufcd we flattering Words, as ye
know ; nor a Cloke of Righteoufnefs : GOD is
Witnefs. Neither of Men, fought we Glory, neither
of you, nor yet of others.
Let me add here two or three Things from
Mr. BAXTER, well worthy the ferious Conildera-
tion of fuch of us, as may over-value the Fa
vour or Cenfure of Man, and herefrom be under
Temptation to fall into the bafe Sin of Man-
pleajing.
" Confider, fays he,f what a Slavery you chufe
" when you thus make your felves tiie Servants
" of every Man, whofe Cenfures you fear, and
" whofe Approbation you are ambitious of, What
" a Task have Man-pleafers ? How needlefly do
" they enthrall themfelves ? They have as ma-
" ny Matters as Beholders / No Wonder, if it
" take them off from the Service of GOD. —
" Remember, what a pitiful Reward you feek.
" O mifemble Reward / The Thought and
" Breath of mortal Men / inflead of GOD, in-
*c ftead of Heaven, this is their Reward ! — - If
"u nothing elfe will cure this Difeafe, at left let
" the Impoffibility of pleafing Men, and attaining
* V. Ibid. § i ThefT. 2. 4, 5, 6.
t Vol. i. of his Works > P. 176. and onwards.
" your
<;
<c
The Obligations to PART II;
your Ends, fuffice againft fo fruitlefs an At
tempt. And here I {hall fliew you, how im-
poffible it is, or, at left, a Thing which you
cannot reafonably expe6t ( i. ) Remember,
<f what a Multitude you have to pleafe, and
<f when you have pleaied fome, how many more
" will be flill unpleafed, and how many dipleaf-
" ed, when you have done your beft.— -(2.) You
(( will have many factious Zealots to pleafe, who
" are ruled by the Intereft of an Opinion or a Seft ;
<f and thofe will never be pleafed, unlefs you
" will be one of their Side or Parry, and conform
" your felf to their Opinions. If you be not a-
galnjl them, but fet yourielves to reconcile the
Differences in the Church, they will hate you
as not promoting their Opinions.— If you will
be Neuters, you fhall be us'd as Enemies. If
you be never fo much for CHRIST, and Holi-
nefs, and common Truth, all is nothing, unlefs
you be alfo for thsm, and their Conceits. (3. )
You have Men of great Mutability to pleafe :
That may one Hour be ready to worfhip you
as Gods, and the next to flone you, or account
you as Devils ; as they did by PAUL and
CHRIST himfelf. What a Weather-Cock is the
Mind of Man ? efpecially, of the Pulgar and
the Temporanious ? When you have fpent all
your Days' in building your Reputation on this
Sand, one Blaft of Wind, at laft, does tumble
it down, and all your Coft and Labour is loft.
Serve Men as fiibmiffively arid carefully as you
can, and, after all, fome Accident, or failing of
their unrighteous Expectations, may make all
that you ever did forgotten. Jf ever you put
fuch Confidence in a Friend, as not to coafider
it is poffible, he may one Day prove your E-
nemy, you know not Man ; and may, perhaps,
" be
PART II. iKfcwntenance Irregularities.
" be better taught to know him to your Coft.
" (4.) There is, among Men, fo great a Con-
" trariety of Judgments, and Diipofitions, and In-
ff terefls, that they will never agree among
" themfelves ; and if you pleafe one, the reft
" will be thereby difpleafed. — - Church Differ-
" ences and Se6ts have been found in all Ages :
" And you cannot be of the Opinion of every
" Party ; and if you be of one Party,you muft dif-
" pleafe the re ft. If you are of one Side in contro-
" verted Opinions, the other Side accounteth you
" erroneous ; and how far will the fuppos'd In-
<c tereft of their Caufe and Party carry them?—
" You cannot be every Thing ; and if not, you
u muft difpleafe as many as you pleafe. Yea,
" more, if mutable Man fliould change never fo
" oft, they will expeci that you mould change as
" faft as they ; and whatever their contrary
" Interefls require, you muft follow them in :
" Whatever Caufe or Aftion they engage in, be
*' it ever fo devilifh, you mufl approve of it, and
" countenance it, and all that they do, you muffc
" fay is well done. In a Word, you mufl teach
your Tongue to fay any Thing, and you mufl
fell your Innocency, and hire out your Copfci-
" ence, or you cannot pleafe them. MICHAIAH
" mufl fay with the reft of the Prophets, Go and
" pro/per ; or elfe he will be hated, as not pro-
" pbejying Good of AHAB, but Evil, I Kings: 22.
u 8. And ho\v can you ferve all Interefts at
" once ? It feems, the Providence of GOD hath,
" as of Purpofe, wheeled about the Affairs of
" the World to try, and fliarne Man-pkafers, and
" Tcmpmfcrs in the Sight of the Sun. It is evi-
" dent then, that if you will pleafe all, you mufi:
" at once both fpeak and be filent, and verify
" Contradiftions,
"
«66 The Obligations to PART II;
fc Contradictions, and be in many Places at once,
« and be of all Men's Minds, and for all Men's
« Ways. For my Part, I mean to fee the World
" a little better agreed among themfelves, before
•c I will make it my Ambition to pleafe them.
" If you can reconcile all their Opinions, and In-
<f terefts, and Complexions, and Difpofitions, and
" make them all of one Mind and Will, then hope
" to pleafe them."
He has Abundance more upon this Head,
which we may, fome of us, do well to confider,
as what is well adapted to our Cafe at this Day,
I have hitherto confidered M'mifters as the Per-
fons, more efpecially obliged to difcountenance the
bad Things, prevailing in the Land ; and now go
on to obferve.
That this is the Duty of all in general. Not
that I would put any upon acting out of their
proper Sphere. This would tend rather to Confu-
fion than Reformation. Good Order is the
Strength and Beauty of the World. — The Prof-
perky both of Church and State depends very
much upon it. And can there be Order, where
Men tranfgrefs the Limits of their Station, and
intermeddle in the Bufinefs of others ? So far
from it, that the only effe&ual Method, under
GOD, for the Redrefs of general Evils,- is, for*
every one to be faithful, -in doing what is proper
for him in his own Place : And even all may pro
perly bear a Part, in rectifying the Dlforders of this
Kind, at this Day.
Civil Rulers may do a great deal, not only by
their good Example, but a wife Ufe of their Aur
PART II. dif countenance Irregularities:
thority, in their various Places, for the Suppreffion
of every Thing hurtful to Society, and the En
couragement of whatever has a Tendency to
make Men happy in the Enjoyment of their
Rights, whether natural or Chriftian. And herein
chiefly lies, (as I humbly conceive) the Duty of
Rulers, at this Day. 'Tis true, as private Men,
they are under the fame Obligations with others,
to make their Acknowledgments to CH R i s T ;
and doubtlefs, if HE was vifibly and externally (ac
cording to the Cuftom among Kings and Cover*
nors ) to make his folemn Entry into the Land,
as their SAVIOUR and LORD, ( <- it would be ex-
" peeled they fhould, as public Officers, make
" their Appearance, and attend him as their Sove-
" reign with fucable Congratulations, and Mani-
" feftations of Refpeft and Loyalty ; and if
« they fliould (land at a Diilarice, it would be
ff much more taken Notice of, and awaken his
•c Difpleafure much more, than fuch a Behaviour
" in the common People." f ^ut ^ie Cafe is
widely different, where his fuppofed Entry is iu a
fpiritual Senfe only, and after fuch a Manner even
in this Senfe, as that there is a great Variety of
Sentiments about it, among the befl Sort of Men,
of all Ranks and Conditions : Nor does it ap
pear to me, when the Cafe is thus circumftanc'd,
that it is either the Duty of Rulers, or would be
Wifdom in them, by any authoritative Afts to de
termine, whofe Sentiments were the moil agreable
to Truth. And as to their Appointment of Days
of Tkankfgiving, or fafting, on this Account, there
jnuft be an Impropriety in itr fo long as that
f Vid. Mr. EDWARDS'S Book of the late Revival of
Religion, Page 125, and fome following Pages.
Complaint
The Obligations r* PART IL
Complaint of GOD againfl the Jews is to be feent
in the Bible, Behold ye fafl for Strife and Debate !
Their Duty rather lies in keeping Peace between
thofe, who unhappily differ in their Thoughts
about the State of our religious Affairs : And
their Care in this Matter ought to be impartial.
Each Party, without Favour or Affe£lion, fliould
be equally reflrain'd from Out-rage and Infult.
Thofe, who may think themfelves Friends to a
Work of GOD, Ihould be protected in the Exer-
cife of all their juft Rights, whether as Men, or
Chriftians : So on the other Hand, thofe who
may be Enemies to Error and Confufion, have the
fame Claim to be prote6ted.
And if, on either Side, they invade the Rights of
others, or throw out Slander, at Random, to the
Hurt of their Neighbour's Reputation and Ufeful-
nefs,and the -bringing forward a State of Tumult and
Difordcr ; I fee not but the civil Arm may jnftly
be ftretched forth for the Chaflifement of fiich
Perfons ; and this, though their Abufes fhould
be offered in the Name of the LORD, or under
the Pretext of the moft flaming Zeal for the RE
DEEMER'S Honour, and ferving the Interefl of his
Kingdom : For it ought always to be accounted
an Aggravation of the Sin of Slander^ rather than
an Excufe for it, its being committed under the
Cloak of Religion, and Pretence for the Glory of
COD ; as it will, under thefe Circumffonces, be
of more pernicious Tendency. I am far from
thinking, that any Man ought to fuffer, either
for his religious Principles, or Cou drift arifing from
them, while he is no Difturber of the civil Peace ;
but when Men, under the Notion of appearing
zealous for GOD and his Truths, infuk their Bet
ters, vilify their Neighbours, and fpirit People to
Strife
PART II. dif countenance Irregularities. 369
Strife and Faftion, I know of no Perfons more
fu table to be taken in Hand by Authority : And
if they fuffer, 'tis for their own Follies ; nor
can they reafonably blame any Body but them-
felves : Nor am I ailiam'd, or afraid, to profefs
it as my Opinion, that it would probably have
been of good Service, if thofe, in thefe Times,
who have been publicity and out-ragiouily reviled,
had, by their Complaints, put it properly in the
Magijlrates Power, to reflrain fome Men's Tongues
with Bit and Bridle.
Private Chriftians alfo, of all Ranks and Condi
tions, may do fomething towards the Suppreffioa
of thefe Errors, by mourning before the LORD
the Diflionour which has hereby been reflected
on the Name of CHRIST, and . Injury done to
Souls ; by being much in Prayer to GOD for
the Out-pouring of his SPIRIT, in all defirable In
fluences of Lightj and Love, and Peace ,• by
taking good Heed that they ben?t themfelves
drawn alide, avoiding to this End, the Company
and familiar Converfe of thofe, who, by good
Words and fair Speeches, might be apt to deceive
their Hearts, but efpecially an Attendance on re
ligious Exercifes, where the Churches and Mini/try
are freely declaimed againft by thofe who have
gone out from them, under the vain Pretence of
being more holy than they ; and in fine, by a
faithful Performance of thofe Duties, which arife
from the various Relations they fuftain towards
each other : As thus, if they are Children, by heark
ening to the Advice of their Parents, and obey
ing and honouring them in the LORD ; and if
they are Parents, by counfeling, reproving, warn
ing, retraining and commanding their Children,
as there may be Occafion : If they are Servants,
A a ' by
37° The Obligations to PART IL
by pleafing their Mafters well in all Things, not
defrauding them of their Time or Labour, but
accounting them worthy of all Honour, that the
Name of GOD be not blafphemed ; and, if
they are Mafters, not only by providing for their
Servants Things honeft and good, but by keeping
them within the Rules of Order and Decorum,
not fuffering them to negleft the Religion of
the Family at home, under Pretence of carrying
it on elfewhere ; efpecially, when they continue
abroad 'till late in the Night, and fo as to unfit
themfelves for the Services of the following Day.
In thefe, and fuch like Ways, all may exert
themfelves in making a Stand againft the Progrefs
of Error : And all are oblig'd to do fo ; and
for this Reafon, among others I han't Room to
mention, becaufe the lafl Days are particularly
mark'd out in the Prophecies of Scripture, as the
Times wherein may be expefted, the Rife of , SE
DUCERS. Says the Apoftle PAUL, in his fecond E-
fjftle to TIMOTHY, f ' This know alfo, that in the
LAST DAYS perillous Times /ball come. And the
Description he gives of the Perfons, on whofe
Account the Times would be perillous, is, in
Part, that,f Of this Sort are they which creep into
Houfes, and lead captive filly Women ; laden with
Sins ; led away with divers Lujls ; ever learning^
and never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth.
He further charafterifes them,* as thofe who refijl
the Truth ; and Hill adds,g But evil Men and Se
ducers fhall wax worfe and worfe, deceiving, and be
ing deceived, The like unhappy Times he has in
Chapt. 3. Verfe i. f Verfc 6. 7. * Verfe 8,
§ Verfe 13.
his
PART II. dif countenance Irregularities* 37 X
his Eye, when he fays, in his former Epiftte,^
the SPIRIT fpeaketh exprefly, that, in the LATTER
TIMES, fome [ball depart from the Faith, giving Heed
to feducing Spirits :-— Nor is this any other that!
what our SAVIOUR himfelf foretells, when he fays>
*Falfe Chrijh, and falfe Prophets /hall arife, and /bait
/hew Signs and Wonders, to /educe, if it were
ble, even the Elect. And very obfervable is
Caution he adds hereupon, f But take ye Heed i
Behold, I have foretold you all Things. And 'tis
certainly very feafonable, as well as good AdviCei ;
and we {hall be much wanting to our felves^ if
we don't a6l upon it as thofe, who efteem them*
felves oblig'd, by it, to the ucmoft Watehfulnefs
and Circumfpe&ion*
'Tis true^ we read of the comiiig oti of a g!o~
rious State of Things in the LAST DAYS : No?
will the Vifion fail. — -We may rely upon it, the
Prophefies, foretelling the Glory of the RE*
DEEMER'S Kingdom, will have their Accompli fli-
ment to the making this Earth a Paraaife, ill
Compare with what it now is. But for the
f articular Time when this will be, it is not for u£
to know it, the Father having put it in his own Poitf*
er : And whoever pretend to fuch Knowledge*
they are wife above what is written; and thV
they may think they know much, they really knoW
nothing as to this Matter*
It may be fugge{ted,g that " the Work of GOD'S
" SPIRIT that is fo extraordinary and wonderful*
is the dawning, or, at left, a Prelude of thafi
glorious Work of GOD, fo often foretold in
$ Chape. 4. Ver. i. * Mark 13. 22, f Vet. 23*
§ Mr. EDWARD'S late Bppk, P, 96,
A a a Scripture*
"
372 The Obligations to PART II.
" Scripture, which, in the Progrefs'and Iflue of
** it, fhall renew the whole World." But what
are fuch Suggeftions, but the Fruit of Imaginati*
on ? Or at beft, uncertain Conjefture ? And
can any good End be anfwered in endea\rouring,
upon Evidence abfolutely precarious, to inftill in
to the Minds of People a Notion of the millen
nium State, as what is NOW going to be introduc
ed ; yea, and of AMERICA,* as that Part of the
World,
While I was writing this Page, I received a Letter
from a worthy Gentleman, in which, fpeaking of
Mr. EDWARDS'S late Book* he has thefe Words,4 c I
*' am furpriz'd at his long Labour to prove the Mil"
<c lennium fhall begin in AMERICA. He has been
*c fo modeft as to conceal the Reafon of this ; but
*' it may eafily be gathered from what he has often
" faid to private Perfons, viz. that he doubted not,
'* the Millennium began when there was fuch an A-
" wakening at NOR-TH-HAMPTON 8 Years paft."
«« So that Salvation is gone forth from NORTH-
" HAMPTON, and NORTH-HAMPTON muft have
** the Praife of being firft brought into it."
To which let me add a few Words, from the late
venerable Dr. INCREASE MATHER, which will
(hew, how widely good Men may differ from one
another, in Matters of meer Conjecture. They are
thefe, " I know there is a blefied Day to the vifible
" Church not far off : But it is the Judgment of
** very learned Men, that, in the glorious Times
*' promifed to the Church on Earth, AMERICA will
*' be HELL. And, ahhough there is a Number of
<6 the ElecT: of GOD to be born here, I am verily
'* afraid, that, in Procefs of Time, NEW-£N-
*' GLAND will be the wofulleft Place in all AMERI-
<c CA ; as fome other Parts of the World, once
*6 famous for Religion, are now the dolefulleft on
«* Earth, perfea Pidures and Emblems of /////'
Wiien
PART II. d'fcountenance Irregularities. 37 £
World, which is pointed out in the Revelations of
GOD for the Place, where this glorious Scene of
Things, " will, probably, firft begin ? ): How
often, at other Times, and in other Places, has
the Conceit been propagated among People, as if
the Prophecies touching the Kingdom of CHRIST,
in the latter Days, were NOW to receive their Ac-
compliment ? And what has been the Effect,
but their running wild ? So it was in GERMANY,
in the Beginning of the Reformation. The ex
traordinary and wonderful Things in that Day,
were look'd upon by the Men then thought to
be mod under the SPIRIT s immediate Dire&ion,
as " the Dawning of that glorious Work of
GOD, which fliould renew the whole World ;"
and the Imagination of the Multitude being fired
with this Notion, they were foon perfwaded, that
the Saints were now to reign on Earth, and the
Dominion to be given into their Hands ; And
it was under the Influence of this vain Conceit,
(in which they were ftrengthened by Fifwns, Rap
tures and Revelations) that they took up Arms a-
gainft the lawful Authority^ and were deftroy'd,
at one Time and another, to the Number of an
HUNDRED THOUSAND.^
It was owing to the fame Delufion, propagat
ed, the following Century, by KOTTERUS, DRABRI-
cms, and PONIATOVIA, under the pompous Shew
of immediate Revelation from GOD, that great
" When you fee this little Academy [ The Words
cc were fpoken in the College- Hall ] fallen to the
** Ground, — then know it is a terrible Thing,which
<c GOD is about to bring upon this, Land." Vid.
MATHER'S Difcourfeon^forc knows not hi sTi me. "P. 27.
§ Vid . RUTHERFURD'S fpirltual Antichrift. Page 7 m
A a 3 Difturbances
Tbt Obligations to PART II,
Pifturbances were again revived. The learned
COMENIUS was carried away with this Dream ;
yerily believing, that the happy State of the Church
^ras NOW to take Place, And 'tis well known,
that this fame Pretence of the near Approach of
the MILLENNIUM, the promifed Kingdom of the
MESSIAH, was the Foundation-Error of the French
Prophets, and thofe in their Way, no longer ago
than the Beginning of this Century ; And fo
infatuated were they at laft, as to publifh it to
the World, that the glorious Times they fpake
pf3 would be mamfeft over the whole Earth, within
the Term of THREE YEARS. And what Set of
Men have ever yet appear'd in the Chriftian
World, whofe Imaginations have been thorowly
warmed, but they have, at length, wrought them*
felves up to a full Ajjltrance, that NOW was the
Time for the Accompliftiment of the Scriptures,
$nd the Creation of the new Heavens, and the new
jLarth ? No one Thing have they more united
ly concurred in, to their own fhameful Difap-
pointment, and the doing unfpeakable Damage
to the Interefl of Religion. — A fufficient Warn
ing, one would think, to keep Men modeft ;
and reflrajn them from Endeavours to lead Peo
ple into a Belief of that, of which they have no
fufficient Evidence ; and in which, they may be
Deceived by their vain Imaginations, as Hundreds
Thoufands have been before them,
There are unqueflionably many Prophecies con-.
periling CHRIST, and the Glory of his Kingdom, flill
to be fulfilled ; and it may be of good Service
to labour to beget in People a Faith in thefe
Thipgs ; or, if they have Faith, to quicken and
flrengthen it .* But 'it can anfwer no good End
to leacl People into the Belief pf any particular
- Time,
PART II. difcountenance Irregularities. 3 75
Time, as the Time appointed of GOD for the Ac-
complifliment of thefe Purpofes of his Mercy ;
becaufe this is one of thofe Matters, his Wifdom
has thought fit to keep concealed from the Know
ledge of Man. Our own Faith therefore upon this
Head can be founded only onConjefture; and as 'tis
only the like blind Faith we can convey to others,
we fliould be cautious, left their Conduct mould
be agreeable to their Faith. When they have
imbib'd from us the Thought, as if the glorious
Things, fpoken of in Scripture, were to come for
ward in their Day, they will be apt (as has often
been the Cafe ) to be impatient, and from their
Qjficioufnefs in tendring their Help where it is riot
needed, to diflerve the Intereft of the Redeemer.
Pertinent to the prefent Cafe, and to thefe Times,
are the Words of Mr. WILLIAM ALLEN, with
which I {hall finilli this Part of our Difcourfe.
Says he, f fpeaking of CHRIST, cc He (lands in-
" Need of no unrighteous, or irregular Help from
" Men, to give him Pofleffion of his Kingdom in
'* the World. He who hath given Laws to his
" Subjects, to direcl: and govern them in their
" Aftions, will never take it well from any of
" them, if they (hall break any of his Laws, in
" Zeal for him, or to advance his Kingdom in
u the World.-— The Scripture faith, he that bc-
" Heveth, doth not make hafte, Ifa. 28. 16. He doth
" not ufe any indirect Means to haften that,
<* which GOD hath promifed, as being impatient
" of his Delay to fulfill and perform it. And
« therefore all irregular Pra&ices of Men to haft-
«c en the fetting up of CHRIST'S Kingdom in the
<c World, are an Argument rather of Diffidence
** and Diftrufh in CHRIST, as Kng of his Church ;
t His fPorksP. 6j6
A a 4 cither
576 The Obligations, &c. PART II.
<c either of his Power, as if he could not fet up
" his Kingdom without fuch human Helps as they
" deem neceflary-to that End ,* or, of his Wif-
" dom, as not regarding the heft Time, and fit-
" teft Seafon to do it in ,• Or, of his Care of
<c his Church, in not hailening more to her Re-
<c lief and Deliverance from all powerful Ene-
*c mies. When Men will take Chrift's Work out
" of his own Hands, and lead the Way, and go
" before him in it, as if they expefted he ihould
4C fecond them, and affift them in it, it is. never
" like to profper in their's, who fo ufurp that
<c Authority.— - And' when they find themfelves
*' entangled with infuperable Difficulties, its very
" likely they will thereupon entertain hard and
" unbecoming Thoughts of CHRIST himfelf, as if
fc he had defer ted his own Caufe, in leaving them
f- to themfelves in their raili Undertaking. And
<c its well if they do not thereupon bring them-
" felves under a ftrong Temptation, either to
" Difobedience, or to queftion whether thofe
<c Grounds, upon which judicious and fober Chrifl:-
<£ ians expe6t the Churches great Deliverance
f ' from the Hands of her Enemies, be true or
<( no : Nay, its well if they don't thereby bring
" themfelves to queftion the Truth of the other
<c great Do6lrines of Chriftianity, and flip into
<c Atheifm^ as its certain fome have done, upon
cc the Mifcarriage of their raili Undertaking.
" Let none then out of a hafly and miftaken
<c Zeal, and under Pretence of ufhering the King-
*c dom of CHRIST into the World, attempt any
" Thing in Order thereto, that tends to diilurb
u the public Peace,"
PART
PART III.
Shewing, in many
wherein thofe, who have ap-
pear'd againft the Diforders
prevailing in the Land, have
been injurioujly treated.
will not be fuppofed, unlefs by Per-
fons evidently weak, or prejudiced, that I
have it inView,in thisPart of myDifcourfe,
to plead for thofe who have appear 'd' a-
gainft the Diforders of the Times, in every Thing
they have faid, or done : Nor will , any imagine,
I am fo unbounded in my Charity, as to enter
tain in the grofs, a good Opinion of ALL, who
cry out of Irregularities, as though they muft
needs be true Converts, becaufe they fpeak againft
fuch Things as ought to be condemned.
There are, no Doubt, both fecret Hypocrites,
and open Sinners, among thofe, on the one Hand,
who have an ill Thought of many Things going
on in the Land, as well as among thofe, on the
other, who fpeak of the prefent Commotion as, in
the main, a marvellous Work of divine Grace : And
on either Side, fome may have conducted them-
felves in a Manner not to be juftifted. Where
in any, in teitifying againft what they might
judge
378 Tbofc ill-treated, who have PART III
judge amifs at this Day, have afted unworthy their
Chara&er as Men or Chriftians, let their Behavi-
our be fairly pointed out, and all the Blame fatt
ened on them they deferve. I have nothing to
objeft againfl this.-— But what I think injurious
is, the wrongfully and indiscriminately accufing thofe
who complain of the Times ; or the doing this
in an unchrijlian Manner, and fo as to reflect an
unjuft Odium on them.
To come to Inftances ,* in mentioning of
which, I fliall not trouble my felf about Order,
but fet Things down as they may occur to my
Mind.
The Difcouragers of the bad Things of the prc-
fent Day, have been publickly faulted as to their
Method of Judging about the ' (f religious Operati
on, on the Minds of Men, that has been carried
on of late in NEW-ENGLAND :" And-" fo far as
the Ground of their Error has been in the Un-
derflanding, and not in the Difpofition," it has
been faid,u Fundamentally to lie inthreeThings."
I. They are faid *c to have greatly erred in
" the Way, in which they have gone about to
« try this Work, whether it be a Work of the
" SPIRIT of GOD, or no ; viz, in judging of it
te a Priori, from the Way it began, the Inftru-
<c ments that have been employed, the Means
" that have been made Ufe of, and the Methods
« that have been taken and fucceeded, in carry-
" ing it on." If by this Remark, the Gentleman,
who makes it, intends, that they have form'd a
j Vid, Mr, EDWARDS'S late Boak, Page 2. and
'onwards. Judgmen>
PART III. fpoken agalnjl Dif orders. 379
Judgment from the SOLE Confideration of any, or
all thefe Things, he grofly mifreprefents them to
the World. I never yec heard of one, among
the whole Number of thofe, who think differently
from him about the prefent religious Affair, who
fettled his Opinion, in the Way he fpeaks of. If
he knew of any, he fliould have named them ;
and not charged this partial Manner of judging
upon all in general But if he means only, that,
in Order to judge fairly of the State of Religion,
in our Churches, they take into Confideration
the Things he has mentioned, among many o-
ther ; they own the Charge, and think they
fhould aft below their Character as Men, if it
could not be made good upon them.
They are as willing as he can be to leave it
with the alwife GOD, to ufe what Means and /«-
flruments he pleafes, in beginning .and carrying
on his own Work, in the Hearts of Men ; and
can heartily join with him in fubfcribing to the
Truth of every Text he has brought to View ;
though not to the Pertinency of any one of them,
to the Purpofe to which has adduc'd them. For
can it, with Juftice, be called " avdire6ting the
SPIRIT of the LORD, or a Being his Counsellor,"
to make the bed Inquiry we are able into a
Work faid to be his, and to fetch in Light in all
the Ways proper to be made 'Ufe of by reafona-
ble Creatures ? 'Tis true, if a Work has before
been proved to be a Work of GOZ), and nothing
can be objefted againfl it, but only that the
Means and Instruments employed in it, are fuch
as the Wifdom of Man would not have pitched
upon, this is fo far from being a juft Ground
of Exception, that it would be to reply againfl
to infill upon it j and it might be proper
in
3 8o Thofe ill- treated, who have PART III.
in fuch a Cafe, to fay, " God gives no Account
*' of his Matters ; his Judgments are a great
€f Deep : He hath his Way in the Sea, and
" his Path in the great Waters, and his Foot-
" fleps are not known : And who ihall teach
" GOD Knowledge, or enjoin him his Way, or
" fay unto him what doeft thou ?" But what is
this to the Affair -under Confederation ? Is it
not the great Queftion of the Day, how far, and
in what Refpe&s, the Work, going on in the Land,
is the Work of GOD? And are there not great
and numerous Difficulties attending it, if confi-
dered a Pojieriori ? Are not the Effefts fuch, as
the befl and wifefl Men in the Country have tho't
themfelves oblig'd to teflify againfl ? And in an
Affair fo circumftanc'd, mould not we be juflly
chargeable with partial Negleft, if we did not
fairly confider every Thing that might give Light
into it ? Is not this the Expe&ation of GOD
concerning us ? And can we otherwife acquit
our felves as Beings endowed with Reafon and
Underftanding ?
Befides, it ought to be remembred, tho' GOD
may ufe what Means and Inftruments he pleafes
in carrying on his own Work ; yet, he will ne
ver fleafe to make Ufe of thofe which are in them
felves unfit and improper. And may not the"
Means and Inftruments, employed in a Work
faid to be his, be of this Sort ? Is this impofli-
ble ? Han't it often been the Cafe in Faft ?
And how iliall we know but the Means and In-
Jiruments, faid to be ufed by GOD, are unlutable
in their Nature, or fuch as would refleft Diflio-
nour upon the JVord and Institutions of GOD, if
we may not, in the regular Exercife of our Un-
derflandings, judge of them ? What greater
Arrogance
PART III. fpoken againfl Diforders. 38*
Arrogance is it to judge of Meaps and Inflruments
faid to be employed by GOD, than of a Work
faid to be his ? If we may judge of the one
without " direfting the SPIRIT of the i LORD/'
we may with as much Propriety judge of the 0-
ther : Nor can we, in many Cales, form a juft
Judgment of the latter, without duly confidering
the former ; and if any have attempted to do
this in the prefent Cafe, " they may not wonder
if they are perplext in their Thoughts and con
founded." Perhaps, no one Thing will better
enable ferious, well-difpos'd Perfons> to make a
true Judgment of the late Operation upon the
Minds of People, than an impartial and thorow
Inquiry into the Means and Inflruments of it's
Rife and Progrefs : Nor can I conceive, why
any fliould object againft fo reafonable a Method
of Judging, unlefs they are apprehenfive, if thefe
fhould come under a ftri6l Examination, the Ufe,
at left of fome, of them would appear to be inconfift
en t with the Perfections of GOD,or the ftanding Re~
relation of his Will in the Scriptures.
I am fenfible, with this Gentleman, that " this
Work has been carried on by the weak and fool-
ijh"' and I may add, the finful Things of this
World : And if the Work it felf has, in many
Inftances, partook of the Weaknefs, and Fooli/hnefs,
and Sinfulnefc, of the Means and Inftrumetits, thefe
Things will mutually illuftrate each other, and
mightily help in forming a true Judgment a-
bout the State of our religious Affairs. And if
this Gentleman has erred, in any material Points, in
the Sentiments he has expreiTed, upon this Head,
one Reafon may be^ his throwing out of his
Mind thofe weighty Confiderations, that might
bave been fuggefled to him, had he duly thought
upon
382 Thofe ill-treated, who have PART IIL
upon the Means, and Manner, and Injlruments, of
carrying on the prefent Work : Nor muft he
take it amifs, if notwichftanding all that he has
offered, others frill think, thefe Things require a
diftinft and full Examination.
I am fenfible alfo, that " the Minifters who
have been chiefly employ 'd, fome of them have
been meer Babes in Age and Standing/' Nor do I
deny, that " GOD has fufFered their Infirmities to'
appear in the Sight of others :" Nor that " he
has made Ufe of their Infirmities and Sins for
the Chaftifing ,'" yea, the doing real Service to
others * But then, it ought to be confidered, the
Good that may arife out of thefe Evils, . is no
Argument, either that GOD approbates them,, or
that we mould : And though we ought to make
a wife and holy Ufe of all GOD's Difpenfations ;
yet, we may warrantably look upon thofe Things
in Providence as Evils, which really are fo, and
deprecate them, and do whatever is proper to
fupprefs them ;* and this, notwithftanding the
Wifdom of GOD may know how to make them
work for good, to them that love him, and are the
Called according to his Purpofe.
" II. Another Foundation-Error of thofe, who
" don't acknowledge the Divinity of this Work,
" is, the not taking the Holy Scripture as an
" whole, and in itfelf a fufficient Rule, to judge of
ic fuch Things by. ' The Meaning of this
Charge is explained in thefe Words which follow,
" Thofe that I am fpeaking of will indeed make
" fome Ufe of Scripture, fo far as they think ic
*' ferves their Turn ; but don't make Ufe of it
" alone, as a Rule fufficient by it felf, but make
" as much, and a great Deal mote Ufe of other
Things,
PART III. fp oken againft Diforders. 383
" Things, diverfe and wide from it, to judge of
" this Work by." Who could have thought to
have met with fuch a Charge as this againft thofe,
who have ventured their Characters to Hand up
for the Scriptures, in Oppofition to Impulfes ; and
publickly pleaded for them as the one only Rule,
by which to try all Matters of Faith, as well fe-
cret Whiff ers and fudden ImpreJJlons ? — Are there
any who have done more Honour to the Bible,
in thefe .Times, by calliftg Men to the Law and
to the Teftimony, both from the Pulpit and the Prefi9
than the Perfons here reflected on as making an
undue Ufe of this facred Book ? Was it not by
Men of this Character, that a famous Inftrument
in the late Extraordinaries, was depofed from the
Miniflry, for the Contempt he had caft upon the
infpird Writings ? And {hall they, notwithfland-
ing, be condemn'd, and by the Lump too, as pay
ing a greater Regard to other Things, than even
the Bible 9 in judging of the State of Religion in
the Land ? I cannot but look upon this Charge,
in the Manner in which it is levelled, as a down
right Abufe ; and would hope, the Gentleman,
upon fecond Thoughts, will be fenilble of it
himfelf. But he goes on to Particulars.
" i. Some make Pbilofophy, INSTEAD of the ho-
fe ly Scriptures their Rule of Judging of this
" Work ; particularly, the philofophical Notions
" they entertain of the Nature of the Soul, it's
" Faculties andAffe£tions." There is an evident
Difference between uilng Philofophy as an Help in
order to underftand the Scripture, and the placing
it in the ROOM of Scripture. In the former Senfe,
I ftippofe this Gentleman will not deny, but Scrip"
ture and PhllofopKy may very well confifl toge
ther.-— If no Ufe might be made of Pkilofophy,
in
384 Thofe ill-treated, who have PART III.
in explaining the Scripture, how monftrous muft
our Conceptions of the infinite GOD be, while
he is reprefented, according, to the Letter of num-
berlefs Texts, as having Eyes, and Ears, and
Hands, and Feet ; and as being fubjeft to the
various Paffions of Love, and Hatred ; Joy and
Grief ; Anger, Wrath, Revenge, and the like ?
We muft be allow'd the Exercife of our Reafon,
( which is but another Name for what is here
meant by Philofophy ) or we fhall be liable to be
wretchedly impos'd on by our Imaginations : Nor
is there any Error, however extravagant, but we
fhall be in Danger of falling into it. If we
give up our Underftandings, how fhall we be a-
ble to afcertain the Senfe of any one Text of
Scripture ? What fhould hinder our running in
to all the Wilds of Delufion ?-— But this Ufe of
Phikfophy, I conclude this Gentleman will not ob
ject againft. If he does, I fee not but he will
be felf-condemn'd ; for he has himfelf, ufider
this very Head, made Ufe of more Pbilofophy (and
in a Manner not altogether exceptionable, as we
may fee afterwards, if I can find Room ) than a-
ny one that I know of, who has wrote upon the
Times.-- And as to the other Senfe of ufing Phi-
lofophy, the placcing it in the Room of Scripture,
who among all thofe who are differently minded
from this Gentleman, about the prefenc Work,
have ever made fuch a Ufe of it ? Can a fin-
gle Inftance be produced ? Some, perhaps, may
have faid, " There is but little fober, folid Re-
" ligion in this Work ; it is little elfe but flafh
" and Noife. Religion now-a-Days all runs out
" into Tranfports, and high Flights of the Paffi-
" ons and Affeftions." And will it hence fol
low, that they make Phylofophy, INSTEAD of Scrip
ture, their Rule of Judging in th^s Matter ? Where
is
PART III. fpoken againjt Diforders. 385
the Connection between thefe Things ? Perfons
may undoubtedly be of the Opinion, that the Re
ligion of the prefent Day confifts chiefly in a Com-
motion in the Pajfions, and yet pay all due Honour
to the Bible.
" 2. Many are guilty of not taking the holy
" Scriptures as a fufficient and whole Rule, where
(f by to judge of this Work, whether it's a Work
" of GOD, in that they judge by thofe Things
" which the Scripture don't give us as any Signs
" or Marks whereby to judge one Way, or the
« other ; and therefore do in NO WISE belong
" to the Scripture-Rule of Judging, viz ; the
" Ejfefts that religious Exercifes of Mind have
" upon the Body." This Gentleman, fome may
be ready to think, inadvertently forgot what he
was about, when he wrote this. For who are
the Men that judge of the prefent Work, by the
Appearance of extraordinary bodily Effects ? Are
they not known to be thofe, who have laid great
Strefs upon Shrieking$,andSwoonmgs,andconvulfive-
like Agitations., as though they were fure Marks of
.a divine Influence ? Han't they publickly pleaded
for them as fuch ? Han't they openly given
GOD Thanks for thefe Manifeftations ot his
Power ? Han't they often prayed for the like
Tokens of his Prefence ? And have not the
Perfons here blamed for judging of the prefent
Work by thefe Things, INSTEAD of the Scripture,
ever difclaim'd doing fo ? Han't they perpetually tc-
ftified againft thefe bodily Exercifes as a fure Evidence
of the SPIRIT'S Operations ? Yea, have they not,
in this very Article, done Honour to the Bible,by
pleading that they are not, in that facred Book,
made a Mark by which to judge of a Work of
B b ' GOD
3S<5 Thofe ill-treated, wio have PART IIL
GOD upon Men's Hearts ? I may appeal to all,
acquainted with our religious Affairs, whether a-
ny, in thefe Times, have fpoken more freely a-
gainft; a " Concern about the involuntary Moti
ons of the Fluids, and Solids of Men's Bodies ?"
Or, whether they han't, all along, been united to
a Man in faying, as this Gentleman here does,
" I can't fee which Way we are in Danger, or
" how the Devil is like to get any notable Ad-
" vantage againft us, if we do but thorowly do
" our Duty with RefpecT: to thofe two Things,
" viz, the State of Perfons Minds, and their moral
« Conduft ; feeing to it, that they be maintain-
« ed in an Agreeablenefs to the Rides that CHRIST
" has given us" Is not this the very Thing they
have always fpoken ? And if fame others had
been alike flam and faithful in urging upon Peo
ple a Conformity to the Gofpel, in the moral Tem-
per of their Minds, and Courfe of their Lives, as a
more fefiptwal Evidence of the Reality of a Work
of Grace, than that which arifes from a Commotion
in their Pajjlons, we had. probably been in better
Circumflances at this .Day.
I (hall only add, if the " Effefts that the Af
fections have upon the Body, do in NO WISE belong
to the fcriptural-Rule of judging of this Work,"
there was no great Need of the Labour of five
or fix Pages in their Vindication ; and we may
hope for an eafy Pardon, if we forbear remarking
upon what is there offered.
" 3. Another Thing that fome make their Rule
(- to judge of this Work by, INSTEAD of the holy
" Scriptures, is Hiftory, or former Obfervation." It
may be here faid of ffijloryi as of Pbihfophy under
the
PART III. fpoken againfl Diforders. 387
the former Head, that, in Subordination to the
Scripture, it may be of good Service. And this is .
the Thought of this Gentleman, or he condemns that
in others, which he pra6tifes himfelf ; for in this
very Place, where he is fpeaking againfl; the Ufe
of Hi/lory, he has made as free with it as thole
he finds Fault with. I conclude therefore, 'tis
not meerly the Ufe of Hiftory he obje£ls againfl:,
but the ufmg it INSTEAD of the Scripture. And if
any, in thefe Times, have gone into fucb a Ufe
of it, they are certainly to Blame : But then,
Care flaould be taken not to fatten Blame publick-
ly on them, without Evidence that they are re
ally chargeable with it. It is not fufficient to
fay, " If there be any Thing new and extraor-
€< dinary, in the Circumftances of this Work,
** that was not obferv'd in former Times, "that is
" a Rule with them to reject this Work, as not
" the Work of GOD/' This is nothing more
than a Repetition of the Charge, by Way of
meer Affirmation ; which 'ought to be look'd up
on as of no Weight, in a difputed Point. Nor
does it much mend the Matter to go on affirming, \
" Another Way that fome err in mating-' Hljlory
" and former Obfervation their Rule to judge of
<c this Work, - INSTEAD of the holy Scripture, is
" comparing fome accidental, external Circutn-
'* fiances of this Work, with what has appeared
" fometimes in Entlmjiajls ; and as they find
*' an Agreement in fome fuch Things, fo they re-
" je6b the whole Work, or, at left, the Subftancs
" of it, concluding it to be Entbujiafm." This
is only qfferting what others deny, and are firmly
perfwaded cannot never be prov'd. Some {hew
of Proof, 'tis true, is here offered. " So, great
" Ufe has been made, to this Purpofe, of many
" Things that are found among the QUAKERS.—
B b 2 "So
388 Tbofe- ill-treated, who have PART III.
" So, to the fame Purpofe, fome external Appear*
" ances that were found among the FRENCH PRO-
" PHETS, and fome other ENTHUSIASTS, in former
" Times, have been, of late, trump'd up with
" great Aflurance and Triumph." If inftead of
roundly affirming ( which is the eafieft Thing in
the World) this Gentleman had condefcended to
fhow, wherein the Perfons, he here blames, had
made Ufe of any Thing, either among the QUA
KERS, or FRENCH PROPHETS, or other ENTHUSIASTS,
as their Rule in judging of this Work, INSTEAD
of the Scripture, he might have done fomething
towards confirming his Point ; but what he has
offered, as it now (lands, can't be thought to be
of any Force, unlefs it be taken for granted
(which is fo unreafonable, I can't fuppofe, this
Gentleman will defire it) that no Ufe may be made
of the Hiftory of ENTHUSIASTS, with Relation to
the prefent Work, but to the Diilionour of the
Bible, and fo as to place the former in the ROOM
of tiie latter.
(f 4. I would propofe it to be confidered, whe-
*< ther or no, fome, INSTEAD of making the Scrip"
" tares their only Rule to judge of this Work,
" don't: make their own Experience the Rule to
" reject fuch and fuch Things as are now pro-
" feiTed and experienced, becaufe they never
"'felt them tbemfelves." As this is a Matter pro-
pofed to be confidered, I have accordingly taken
it into Confideration, and thereupon think, there
is a very great Difference between making Ufe
uf Experience with the Scripture, and in Subfervi-
ency to it, and the fetting it- up as a Rule INSTEAD
of the Scripture. The former, this Gentleman, I
) am fatisfied, will not object againft : And for
the latter, 'tis fo great a 1 auk> that none ought
tt
PART III. fpoken againfl Dif orders. 3 89
to be publickly charged with it, unlefs upon bet
ter Evidence than that of meer Insinuation by
Way of Query. I will not fay but fome, among
thofe, who are Enemies to the prefent Diforders,
may have made an undue Ufe of Experience ;
though I know not of one who ever fet it up as
a Rule INSTEAD of the Bible, This is not the
Fault of the Perfons, this Gentleman is here fpeak-
ing of, but of the Friends to that which is called,
without Difcrimination, the Work of GOD going
on in the Land. I don't query, whether, among
thefe, there are not fome, who make this Ufe of
their Experience, but affirm that there are ; part
ly upon my own perfonal Converfation with
them, and partly by Information from others of
known Judgment and Integrity. 'Tis with them
a fufficient Reafon to think, and fpeak of a Man
as carnal and unconverted^ if he han't felt the like
Extraordinaries they have experienced : Nor has
it been an uncommon Thing for them, to pro
nounce others pharifaical and unregenerate, upon
this Ground folely ; as though what they had
experienced was a fure Teft to try the State of
their Neighbour by. And how this Gentleman
came to charge the known Fault of fome of the
Zealots of this Day, upon thofe who have ever
appeared againft it, I am at a lofs to conceive.
" III. Another Foundation Error of thofe that
" rejeft this Work, is their not duly diftinguifb-
" ing the good from the bad." 1 can't but think
this Gentleman fpake more from 'a fpeculative Con-
fideration of the Matter, than the Reality of Fact,
when he wrote this. For who are the Perfons
chargeable with not duly diftinguifloing in the late
religious Commotion ? Are they not thofe, who
have accuilomed themfelves to fpeak of it, both
B b 3 publickly
390 Thofe ill-treated, who have PART III.
publickly and privately, as an extraordinary Work
of GOD, in the grofs, and without Diftmction ?
And have they not often been faulted for this /'«-
djjcrimnate Way of fpeaking upon the Matter ?
Han't they t^een openly call'd upon, yea, ferioufly
and folemnly argued with,to diftinguiih and feparate
between the good and bad ? And have they e-
ver done it to this Day ? Do they not rather
go on in the fame general, indifcriminate Way of
fpeaking ? Whereas, the Perfons, this Gentleman
blames, have plainly faid, at left fome of them,
over and over again, what the bad Things of the
prefent Day are, which they condemn : And
this indeed is that for which they have been fo
bafely treated. They are certainly in an ill Cafe ;
for they are mifus'd for pointing out the bad
Things prevailing in thefe Times, and at the fame
Time blamd for not doing that, for the doing of
which all Manner of Evil has been fpoken a-
gainft them, to the great Detriment both of their
Reputation, and Ufefulnefs in the World. To
proceed,
Another Thing charg'd upon thofe, who have
fpoken again ft the Disorders of the Times is, f
*c That they have watched for the halting of the
" Zealous, and catch'd at any Thing that has
" been wrong, and have greatly infifted on it,
" made the moft of it, and magnified it ; efpe-
" daily, that they have watched for Errors in
" zealous Preachers, that are much in reproving
" and condemning theWickednefs of the Times."
I never imagined, but, among thofe who have
mamfefted a Diflike to the prefent Commotions^
t Mr. EDWARDS'S late Book, P. iSp.
there
PART III. fpoken again/I Diforders. 391
there might be fome of a prophane Chara&er ;
and how far the Temper and Conduct of this
Kind of Perfons may be pointed out in thefe
Words, I difpute not : But the Charge is very
unfair as laid againil thofe, in general, who are
for keeping Things from running into Confu-
fion ; and the more fo, as the juft Occafi-
ons of Offence have, of late been fo frequenc
and numerous. This Gentleman mufl be flrange-
ly unacquainted with the Scate of Affairs in the
Land, if he does not know, that the late Zealots,
and the Preachers among them too, have, in ma
ny Inflances, behav'd after fuch a Manner, that
others could not help obferving the Extravagan
cies they fell into ; and inftead of cc. catching
at any Thing wrong," they were rather moved
with Pity and Grief, to behold the Mifchief that
was doing to the Caufe of Religion : And fo*
far were they from " magnifying real Errors, "
that, I fcruple not to fay, they have never yet
fet them in their full Light ; nay, as to foine
of the Diforders of the Times, I don't think it
is in the Power of the word Oppofer of them all
to defcribe them to the Life. This Gentleman
may further fugged, " that Diforders have been
too muoh infifted on ;' but others, as much
concern'd for the Honour of GOD, and the In-
tereft of Chriftianity, are of Opinion, they have
not been infifted on enough : To be fure, they
were not at-firft; if they had, much of the prefeiu
Confufions would, I believe, have been prevented.
I (hall add, there are as awful Texts of Scripture,
as well worthy a ferious Confideration as that, this
Gentleman has here particularly mentioned :
Such as that, Prov. 17. 15. He that jiiftifieth the
and he that condemneth the Jitft-, even they
bttb
392 Thofe ill-treated, who have PART HL
loth are Abomination to the LORD. And that, in
the 24th Chapter, the 24th and 25th Verfes.
He that faith unto the Wicked, thou art righteous ;
him /hall the People curfe, Nations fhall abhor him :
But to them that rebuke him fhall be Delight) and a
good Bleffing fhall come upon them.
Another Thing injurioufly reflefted upon thofe
who have fpoken againft the Diforders of the
Times is, " That they are OPPOSERS of the WORK
of GOD :" Nor have they been thus charged
by the Vulgar and Illiterate only, which' is no
Wonder ; but by thofe who would take it ill,
not to be accounted Men of another Chara&er.
And to this, as much as any one Thing, may be
owing, the Alienations, Contentions and Separati
ons, that are now common in the Land.
But why muft they be fpoken of, in the harfli
Language, of Oppofers of the Work of GOD ? Is
this their real Character ? 'Tis true, they don't
think the Work of the Spirit lies in Impujfes, Vi-
fions and Revelations ; they don't think, that
Streamings, and Shriekings, and Swoooings, are fure
Marks of a genuine Conviclion of Sin ; they
don't think, that extatic Raptures are an infallible
Sign of faving Faith : Nor have they any great
Opinion of the Exhortations of weak; illiterate
Men, Women, or Lads, and other Extraordina-
ries, which are common at this Day. And fhall
they, upon thefe Accounts, be called Oppofers of
the Work of GOD ? Will any, from hence, up
on a mature Confideration of the Matter, fix up
on them this Character, and in fuch a Senfe too,
as that they mufl be Enemies to the REDEEMER,
and his Kingdom ? Are not many of thofe, call--
ed Oppofers, Men of the befl Character in the
Country,
PART III. fpoken againjl Diforders. 393
Country, fo far as can be judged ? Han't they
always been fo accounted, 'till thefe Times ?
And is there not the fame Reafon to think well
of them now as formerly, fave only that they
have teftified againfl the bad Things of the pre-
fent Day ?
The Gentlemen, who are mod free in fpeaking
of others as Oppofers of GOD's Work, feem to
look upon themfelves as the only Friends the
LORD JESUS CHRIST has in the Land : But will
their own Conceit of themfelves make it true,
that they really are fo ? And if thofe, who
think they are miftaken in the Judgment they
form of themfelves, fliould follow their Example,
and go into their extravagant Way of fpeaking,
what would be their Opinion of it ? How would
they like to be call'd Oppofers of CHRIST, Ene
mies of GOD and Religion ? Would they not
efteem themfelves fliamefully reviled ? And yet,
I believe, it will not be pretended, but fome of
them have fo a6led, as to bring as great Reproach
on CHRIST, and the Divine SPIRIT, and the Ways of
true Religion, as many of the worft Oppofers (as
they are term'd) put together.
It has been remarked, thofe, who call others
Oppofers of the Work of GOD, don't care to explain
themfelves upon the Matter : Nor has any one
of them yet done it that I know of, unlefs the
Gentleman, I have fo often refer'd to, may be
fuppofed to have attempted fomething of this Na
ture. He thinks it not enough for Perfons to
fay, f " they believe there is a good Work going
t Mr. EDWARDS'S Tho'ts on the late Revival of Reli
gion, P. 143, 144.
" on
394 Tbofe ill-treated, who have PART III.
" on in the Country ; and that they fometimes
" blefs GOD, in their publick Prayers, in general
" 1 erms, for any Awakenings, or Revivals of
" Religion, there have lately been in any Parts of
'• the Land." Notwithftanding this, " Some (as
" he goes on) are fo far from acknowledging,
" and rejoicing in the infinite Mercy of GOO, in
" caufing fo happy a Change in the Land, that
" they look upon the religious State of the Coun-
" try, take it in the whole of it, much more for-
" rowful than it was ten Years ago." And, u if
" it be manifeftly thus with us, ( he adds ) and
" our Talk and Behaviour with Refpecl to this
ff Work be fuch as has (though but) an indirecl
" Tendency, to beget ill Thoughts and Sufpici-
(f ons in others concerning it, we are Oppofers of
" the Work of GOD." What is the plain Engliih
of all this, but that thofe who don't fpeak upon
the Times jufl as this Gentleman would have
them, are Oppofers of the Work of GOD. 'Tis
true indeed, it may, in a Senfe, be faid even of
all who either do, or fay, any Thing that has on
ly a remote Tendency to diflerve the Caufe of
GOD, that they are Oppofers of GOD's Work :
And juft the fame Thing may, with as much
Trath, be affirm'd of thofe, who neglecl what
is proper for them to do, to remove away that
which hinders the flourifhing of Religion. And
fliould thofe, upon this, whofe Talk and Behavi
our, with Refpecl to the Errors and Dif orders in
the Land, have been fuch as tend ( though but)
indireclly to beget favourable Thoughts, in Peo
ple, of the bad Things among us, or not fo
ill Thoughts of them as they really deferve : I
fay, fliould fuch as thefe be reprefented to the
World as Oppofers of GOD's Work ; and this,
though " they fometimes fpeak againft Diforders
< in
PART III. fpoken agalnft Dif orders. 395
in their -public Prayers, in general Terms," would
it not be highly relented ? Efpecially, if it was
before known, that the applying this Style of Op-
pofers to them, would be underflood by Multi
tudes, as giving them no better a Name than
that of the Enemies of GOD and CHRIST, and the
Caufe of Truth and Religion in the World. And
if fuch a Reprefentation would be unjuft on one
Side, 'tis equally fo on the other.
I am fenfible, this Gentleman profeiTes more
Charity for Oppofers than many who give them
this Name. He fpeaks of it as a difficult
Thing,* " to determine how far, and how- long,
" fome Perfons of good Experience in their
f< Souls," may be Oppofers of this Work ; and
owns, " that he has feen that which abundant-
" ly convinces him, that the Bufinefs is too high
<c for him, and that he can leave it wholly in his
" Hands, who is infinitely fit for it, without med-
" ling at all with it himfelf." This is well faid ;
and who that reads it would expect to find this
Gentleman declaring, in this very Page, agalnft
any Man's obliging him to fet under the Minlftry of
one he there marks out for an Oppofer ? Who would
think to fee him ranking Oppofers with Deifts ?
As he does, when he propoles it to Coniiderati-
on, whether,! u any good Medium can be found,
where a Man could reft with any Stability, be
tween owning this Work, and being a Delft! Who
could fuppofe, that he fhould, in all Parts of his
Book, fpeak of Oppofers in the moft fever e and
bitter Language ? — If a Colle6lion was to be
made of all the hard Speeches he has freely made
P. 300. f'P-337*
Ufe
Thofe ill-treated, wJo have PART "III.
Ufe of, few, perhaps, would appear to have
carried their Uncharitablenefs to a greater Height.
And what is the true Reafon of this Out-cry
againft Perfons, as Oppofers of the Work of GOD ?
Is is not this, and only this, that they don't think
of the Work going on in the Land, at this Day,
juft as fome others do ? And (hall they, on this
Account, be fligmatifed as Oppofers of GODV
Work ? Is there no Difference between this
Work, as the Phrafe is vulgarly and indefinitely
ufed, and a Work of COD in the Senfe of the
Gofpel ? May not Perfons entertain a juft Idea
of Faith) Converfion, the New-Creature^ or what
ever elfe the Scripture means by a Work of GOD,
and yet differ from others in their Sentiments a-
bout the Workthat has, of late, bee:i fo much the
Subjeft of Converfation ? Even the Friends to
this Work vary in their Thoughts about it. Some
think it has a greater Mixture of Error and Dif-
order ; others a lefs : Some think the Diforders
accompanying it, are of a very pernicious Ten
dency ; others look upon them as rather par
taking of the Nature of Frailties and Infirmities :
Some have a higher Opinion of the good that
has been done ; others a lower. Perhap?, there
are no two Friends to this Work, but they differ
in their Thoughts about it : Nay, have not the
fame Perfons conceived a very different Opinion
of it, at different Times ? Yea, han't they chang
ed their Sentiments in Refpeft- of thofe very
Things, for oppofmg of which they once condemn
ed others as Oppofers of the Work of GOD ?- —
And if thofe, who are called Friends to this Work,
inay differ from one another, and from their own
felves too ,• why may not the fame Liberty be
given
PART III. fpoken agamfl IXf orders. 39?
given to others, without pointing them out by *
Name of Odium and Difgrace ?
In a Word,. If any mufl be called Oppofers of
GOD's WQr^ 'they ought to be particularly told,
why they are fpoken of in this Style : And then
it will be feen, whether it be, becaufe they real
ly oppofe any Thing that the Bible makes the
Work of GOD to confift in, or only becaufe they
are faithful to teflify agamfl fuch Errors and Dif-
wders, as are a Dishonour to true Religion, and
tend to hinder its Progrefs in the Land. This has
often been defired ; and 'tis a Requeft, I can't
but think, thofe Gentlemen are oblig'd, in all
Reafon and Confcience, to give a plain, and dif-
tin6t Anfwer to, who have publickly advis'd Peo
ple to feparate from Oppofers ; as they would not
incur the Guilt of encouraging Strife and Schifm,
by the Ufe of certain loofe, general and indefinite
Words, which People may put a Meaning to, juft
as they are led by their Imaginations.
Another Thing mentioned to the Difadvantage
of thofe, who han't fo good a Thought of the
Times as fome of their Brethren is,* " That they
are Men of ARMINIAN, PELAGIAN and DEISTICAL
Principles." It is conceded indeed, " that there
are fome weaker Brethren, both of Minifters and
People, who are led in to oppofe this Work, who
are yet no Arminians :" But for the u moft
principal and inveterate Oppofers, they are Men of
ARMINIAN and PELAGIAN Principles ; and thofe
others are only Deputy, or fecond-band Oppofers."
Vid. Mr. McGREGORY's Sermon on the Trial of
the Spirits.
The
Tbofe ill-treated, who have PART IIL
The Idea here conveyed to the World is evi
dently this, that the Gentlemen of mod Weight
and Significancy, in the Oppofition to the Difor-
ders in the Land, are known to be of bad Prin
ciples. And is this the real Truth of the Cafe ?
So far from it, that a more palpable Mi/lake could
not have been publiih'd to the World ; and the
Man who publifh'd it, muft be either grofly igno
rant of the Characters of thofe he undertook to
write againfl, not knowing whereof he affirmed ;
or otherwife, muft be look'd upon as afting a
very difhoneft Part. For 'tis notorious to all, in
any tolerable Meafure, acquainted with Men, or
Things, at this Day, that the principal Oppofers are
among, thofe of an eftablifli'd Reputation for their
Orthodoxy. CALVINISTS in Principle, now are,
and always have been from the Beginning, the
principal and mofl inveterate Enemies to our grow
ing Confuiions : Not fuch CALVINISTS as are
weak, and fit only to be made Tools of by Men
of other Principles ; but Men of as good Parts
and Learning as any we have in the Land, and
univerfally acknowledged to be fo. I could wifh
it were here proper to mention Names : No
thing would fo effectually tend to wipe off this
Reproach, which has been publickly reflected up
on, fome of the great eft Men, and beft Friends to
Religion, we have in the Country.
There are, no doubt, among thofe who fpeak
againft Diforders, fome of bad Principles ;' yea, of
no Principles at all : [The Number ofthefe latter^
inflead of being dimimmed, has, perhaps, of late,
been greatly increafed ] But to give it as the Cha
racter of the principal Gentlemen, who have en
deavoured to prevent Confufion in the Church of
GOD, that they are ARMINIANS and PELAGIANS,
becauie
PART HI. ffokcn agamfl Dlforden. 39?
becaufe this may be true of fome, who an't much
concerned about Religion, nor pretend that they
are, is very Abufive : 'Tis efpecially fo, to fug
ged fuch a Thing of the Ministers ; and the ra
ther, becaufe they are generally in a quite differ
ent Way of thinking. As for PELAGIANJSM, 'tis a
bafe Slander, to publim it to the World, as if any
Mimfters in the Country entertain'd a favouraole
Opinion of it: Nor can I fuppofe, there are fo ma
ny, as fome fugget, who think with AKMINIUS. 3ut
if they were more numerous, \ea, if they w^re
generally ARMIN i A i?,(which is far from theTru )
how would tuis juitify the Dif orders thev corn-
plain of ? Theie may be as bad in their Nature
and Tendency, and as of great Extent, as if they
were flrong CALVINISIS. And to fpeak freely, the
railing a popular Clamour againft Minifters, by
giving them a Name of Odium, carries with it no
reafonable Ground of Convi6Hon : Nor can it
t>e of any real Service. It may obftruft their
Ufefulnefs ; but has no Tendency to clear up
the Truth : It may excite their Palfions, and
provoke to Wrath, and feldom fails of doing fo,
to the great Hurt of Religion ; but it can
never inftru6l their Underftandings, or alter their
Sentiments. It would difcover a much better
Spirit, if they have oppos'd any Thing that is
really good, to ihow plainly, and difhinclly,
wherein they have done fo, from the Bible 9 that
facred and only Teft, in all Matters pertaining
to Confcience and Salvation. — This would be to
fpeak to the Purpofe, and to argue like Men and
Chriilians. —
In fine, The Difcpuragers of the Things amifs,
at this Day, have been reprefented, " as Men
deftitute of all feripus Senfe of Religion, as loofe
in
400 Thofe ill-treated, w/;0 havf PART III.
in their Lives, and no real Friends to the Power
of Godlinefs." And if this fliould be allowed to
be the Truth as tofome, why muft others be tho't
the worfe of upon their Account ? Have >none,
among the Friends to the Extraordlnaries of the
prefent Day, made it evident to the World, that
they were the bafeft of Hypocrites ? Have none
of them been guilty of Wickednefs, aggravated
to a far greater Height, than can be proved up
on the worft Oppofer in the Land ? And would it
be fair, becaufe of the Hypocrify and Vilenefs of
fome, to fpeak, in general, of the Reft, as meer
Pretenders to Religion ? Would not this be com
plained of as horribly unjuft? And if 'tis foon one
Side, muft it not be fo on the other ?
I know, the Injlruments and Subjects of the
prefent Work, do, many of them, make high Pre
tences to Sanftity above other Men ; while thofe,
who have teftified againft the Diforders prevail
ing in the Land, have not, in like Ways, com
mended themfelves. They have not indeed tho't
it decent to proclaim their ownGoodnefs, fo as to
defpife others, and it may be, their Betters ? But
they may be good Men notwithftanding^ And,
perhaps, if a ftrift Scrutiny was to be made, as
eminent Chriftians, both Miniflers and People,
would be found among thefe, as are to be met
with any where in NEW-ENGLAND. Compaiifons
(as the Vulgar phrafe it) are odious ; otherwife
the Men might be called for, who Ihould equal
many who are fpoken of as Oppofers. We know
indeed the Perfons that would be pitch'd upon :
And what are their Chara&ers, in Compare with
a very confiderable Number of thofe who have been
evil-fpoken of, in thefe Times ? Have the Men,
through whofe Means, a Clamour has been rais'd
againfl
PART III. fpoken againft Difordm. 401
againft them, ever given the World, one tenth
Part of the Evidence, either of their Goodnejs as
ChriftianSj or Diligence and Fidelity as Pajlors to the
particular Flocks committed to their Charge ? Are
not the Gentlemen, who have been moll admir
ed, generally young in Years, and Chriftian Expe
rience, as well as of fmall Attainments in Learn
ing ? And is it poifible, they could have given
fuch Proof of a good Character as thofe, who, for a
Courfe of Years, have faithfully preach'd the Truth
as it is in JESUS, and fet an Example to their People
of all the Virtues and Graces of the Chriftian
Life ? And may not this be juftly faid of many
who have been injurioufly refiefted on, for not
falling in with the Times ? The plain Truth is,
as valuable Men, in all Refpefts, as any we have
in the Country, are in the Oppofition to the bad
Things prevailing in it ; and the ranking them
with Perfons of loofe Lives, and no Religion, is
bafely to reproach them.
Other Inftances, wherein Blame has been UIK
juftly thrown upon the faithful Witnefles againft
the Errors and Diforders of the Day, might have
been mentioned ; but as they are of finaller Mo
ment, I muft leave them, to make room for what
yet remains to come under Consideration,
C c PART
402 Things to le PART IV.
PART IV.
Shewing what Things ought to
be cor refleijfj or avoided, in
teftifying againft thelrregu/a-
rities of the prefent Day.
perhaps, of all Characters, have
found Fault with the Diforders prevailing
in the Country, at this Day : And a-
rnong fuch various Sorts of Perfons, it may not
be thought flrange, if there are thofe who have
condufted themfelves in a Manner liable to Ex
ception. Wherein any have been faulty, 'tis rea-
fonable they ihould fubmit to Correftion, and take
Care to avoid the like Miftakes for the Time to
come.
Some, it may "be, have been too free with their
Complaints againft the Times, who have had lit
tle Opportunity to know the real State of Reli
gion in the Land, and not a fufficient Capacity to
form an adequate Idea of it. — This, it muft be
own'd, is a Fault, and ought to be corre&ed. - —
3Tis a Diflervice to the Caufe of Truth and Vir-
tue, for Perfbns of weak Minds, and fmall Ac
quaintance
PART IV. correfted, or avoided. 403
quaintance with Matters in Agitation, to fpeak of
them with AfTurance and Confidence, as though
all Knowledge would die with them. And this
may be worthy the Confideration of thofe, who
would be thought the beft Friends to the Work of
GOD, as well as others ; for I can't fuppofe it
will be denied, that thofe among them, whofe
Capacities and Advantages to know the Truth,
have been fmalleft, have yet been confident and
out-ragious in their Speech, as well <as Behaviour :
Whereby, inilead of ferving any good End, they
have rather excited the Pity, and expos'd them*
felves to the Contempt of others.
Some, it may be, have expreft themfelves with
too much Warmth, and in Language favouring
rather of Anger and Wrath, than that Meeknefs
of Wifdom, which is the Glory of Chriftians, as
difcovering in them a near Refemblance to the
lovely JESUS. — Wherever there has been fuch a
Spirit of Bitternefs^ appearing in unkind harfh
Words, it ought to be corrected, and, for the
Time to come, avoided. — A foft Answer turnetb
away Wrath, but grievous Words Jlir up Anger.
Some, it may be, have fpoken of the Extrava
gancies they have feen others running into, with
an Air of Levity : Inftead of being inwardly
concerned for the Difhonour reflected on GOD,
and the Hurt done to Religion, they have rather
made merry with the unadvised Conduct of the
Zealots of the prefent Day ; taking Notice of
it only for their Diverlion. — Wherein this has
been the Manner of any, they will not, in calm
Tho'ts, go about to juftify themfelves.--- 'Xis cer-
tainly a Fault they are chargeable wkh; and it may
diflerve thelntereft of CHRIST, if it be not amended,
C c 2 '-Some
404 Things to be PART IV.
Some, it may be, have been fevere in cenfur-
ing the Miftakes of others, who order their own
Converfation, rather by flefhly Wifdom than
the Grace of GOD ; who live according to
the Courfe of this World, rather than the Di
vine Law : .And though they cry out of Ir
regularities, they have no View herein to the
Honour of the REDEEMER, and the flourifliing of
his Kingdom. Such are faulty in the main Tem
per of their Minds.— They cannot more proper
ly be applied to, than in our SAVIOUR'S Words,
Why beholdefl thou the Mote that is in thy Brother's
Eye, but confiderefl not the Beam that is in thine
own Eye ? — Thou Hypocrite, firft cafl out the Beam
out of thine own Eye ; and then [halt thou fee clear
ly to cafl out the Mote out of thy Brother's Eye. —
It would be more for the Intereft of Religion, if
fiich were filent about the Imprudences and Fol
lies of their Neighbours. Their declaiming a-
gainfl them, puts thofe under a Difadvantage,
who are real Friends to the Caufe of Vertue,
and would gladly do what they could to pro
mote it.
Some, it may be, have taken Occaflon, from
what they have feen in fome enthufiaflical Perfons,
to fpeak flightily of the bleiled SPIRIT, if not to
decry his Office, and ridicule his Influences upon
the Minds of Men : Than which there is fcarce
-a greater Fault : Nor will any, who are Friends
to Revelation, think favourably of it. — - I could
heartily wifh, nothing had appeared, in thefe
Days, that might have given a Handle to unwor
thy Reflexions on the Divine SPIRIT. 'Tis true,
its no juft Objeftion againft the Operations of the
SPIRIT, that fome, under the Power of an over
heated Imagination, have miflaken the Motion of
their
PART IV. correfted, or avoided. 405
their own Minds, or the Suggeftions of Satan,
for divine Impreffions. But an ill Ufe may be
made of fuch Miftakes : And it may be feared,
whether this han't been too much the Cafe, in
thefe Times. If any, from the Wildnefs and En-
tbujiafm they have feen, have had Prejudices ex
cited in them againfl the SPIRIT, as the appointed
Difpenfer of GOD's Grace ; or been led to exprefs
themfelves in an unbecoming Manner of thofe
Influences, by which the Work of GOD is begun,
and carried on, in the Souls of Men, they have
much to be humbled for, and corre6l : Nor
can they be too much upon their Guard, for the
Time to come ; for 'tis only by the Operations
of the Divine SPIRIT, that they can be form'd to
a Meetnefs for the Favour of GOD here, or the
Enjoyment of him hereafter : And, of all Men,
they will be the mofl: unlikely to be wrought up
on by him, if they fuffer themfelves to think or
fpeak contemptuoufly of his Operations, as tho*
they were nothing more than Delufion and Ima
gination.
, In fine, fome, not futably diftinguifhing between
Religion in its own Nature, and as exemplified
in the Condu6l of fome over-zealous Perfons, in-
flead of entertaining an ill Thought only of: that
\vhich is ill, may have condemned Religion in the
whole, as a wild imaginary Thing. An unhappy
Miftake this /—"Nor can it be too foon correft-
ed. It is juft Matter of Lamentation, that any
have fet Religion in fuch an ugly Light by their
extravagant Behaviour, as to excite Prejudices in
the Minds of others againfl it : Though Reli
gion, in itfelf, is not really the worfe, nor fliould
it fuffer in the Opinion of any, becaufe of the
Imprudences and Follies of thofe> who call them-
C c 3 felves
4cS Things to be PART IV.
felves it's very good Friends. This is unreafon-
able.— -It ought not to be mentioned to the Dif-
advantage of Religion, that fome, who have made
high Pretences to it, have fet it forth, in their
Conduct, as fomething wild and fanciful. Is Re
ligion accountable for the Madnefs of thofe, who
fay they have a Regard to it ? Is it fit, any
fhould fpeak of it as a phrenfical Bufinefs, becaufe
Men of 'an enthujiaftical Turn have given, in their
Lives, fuch an Idea of it ? In judging of the
Truth, or Sobriety of Religion, the Queftion
ought not to be, what is it as exemplified by its
ProfefTors ? But what is it as contained in the
Revelation of GOD ? If, as 'tis here exhibited,
it approves itfelf to the Underftanding and Con-
icience, appears worthy of GOD, and in the beft
Manner calculated to promote the Good of Man
kind, it ought to be received, and fubmitted to^
as the great Rule of Faith and Praftice ; and
this, notwithflanding its forbidding Afpeft, from
the Copy of it, by Men of heated Fancies.-—-
We ought to be upon our Guard, that we don't
take up Prejudices againfl Religion ; efpecially
at a Time, when inch Things pafs for high
Flights in it, which rather argue fome Degree of
Disturbance in , the Imagination : And our Cau
tion mould be the greater, becaufe of the bad In
fluence of a wrong Biafs on the Mind, — It will
flrangely tend to blind our Eyes, and prepare the
Way to our treating Religion with Negleft, or
Contempt ; than which, nothing can be more
dangerous to our Souls, or put their Salvation to a
greater Rifque.
i
Thefe are the chief Things ( fo far as my
Knowjege extends) that need Corre6lion, among
the Cpmplainers of Irregularities in the Land :
Not
PART IV. correfted, or avoided. 407
Not that I would infmuate as if all were faulty
in thefe Articles ; or, indeed any confiderable
Number, unlefs among the loofe and prophane,
of which Sort, it muft be own'd, there are too
many : And it has unhappily been an Occafion
of unkind Reflections on thofe of a very different
Character.-— On both Sides of the prefent Con-
troverfy, which is become general, there ate, no
doubt, bad Men as well as good ; but they ought
to be denominated one, or 'tether, from their
known habitual Temper and Condutt, and not from
their being on this, or the other Side of the
Queflion in Debate. This, is very unfair ; and
would certainly be complained of as fuch, if thofe,
who would be thought Friends to the Work of
GOD, ihould be fpoken of as a Parcel of Hypo
crites, becaufe fome among them have difco-
vered this to be their true Chara&er. It were
to be wrfh'd, that all who call themfelves the
Friends of CHRIST really \vere fo, and that all who
complain of Dif orders had upon their Minds a jufl
Senfe of the Importance of eternal Things, This
would have a good Afpec~l on Religion ,• and
we might hope foon to fee a new Face of Things
in the Land.
PART
40 8 Expedients to promote the PART. V.
PART Vth.andlaft.
Directing more pofitively to
what may be judged the beft
Expedients to promote theln-
tereft of Religion at this Day.
HIS is an important Head of Difcourfe,
and would have required Enlargement,
but that many Things are well faid upon
it by Mr. EDWARDS, in his late Book ;
which, if He, and I, and Others, would carefully
attend to, it might do much towards putting an
End to our prefent Difficulties.
He is certainly right in faying, *" That a g/eat
f( deal need to be done at confeffing of Faults, on
" both Sides" ; though, perhaps, none are fo
proper to make a beginning, as fome among the
chief -Inftrnments in the late Commotion : For they
are the Perfons, who have openly injur'd their
Brethren, by exciting Prejudices in the Minds of
People againffc them, to the great Hurt of their
Reputation and Ufefulnefs in the World : Nor
* P. 328.
can
PART V. Inter eft of Religion. 409
can I fee, how they will anfwer it to their own
Conferences, or GOD, unlefs, in this Way, they
repair the Damage they have done their Chara&er.
And wherein thofe called Oppofers have, in like
Manner, publickly done that which is a Diihonour
to GOD, or an Injury to their Neighbour, they
alfo are equally oblig'd to make public Satisfaction.
— But if Retractations are made, it may be hoped,
they will be different from fome that have been
publifhed of late, which feem rather calculated to
qualify the Perfons who made them to do ftill
more Mifchief, than to take the Shame to thefn-
felves that is their jufl Due.
I heartily join with him likewife in calling Peo
ple to f " the Exercife of extraordinary Meeknefs
" and Forbearance"; the contrary whereto,
" * is each Party's fligmatifing one another with
€e odious Names, as is done in many Parts of NEW-
*f ENGLAND ; which tends greatly to widen and
<f propagate the Breach. Such diftinguifliing
(e Names (as it follows) do, as it were, divide 'us
" into two Armies feparated and drawn up in
c< Battle-array, ready to fight with one another ;
<( which greatly hinders the Work of GOD." I
could wifh this Gentleman had wrote more under
the habitual Influence of this Advice: He would
not then, fo often in his Book, have fpoken of
thofe, who may'nt think jufl as he does upon the
Times, as Oppofers of the Work of GOZ), and under
fome other Names of known Difgrace. And as
he has here taken Liberty £ <c to intreat thofe
that oppofe this Work, to leave off concerning
themfelves fo much about others, and look into
their own Souls, and fee that they are the Subjects
t 33°- * 332- t 337-
of
41 o Expedients to promote the PART V.
of a true, faving Work of the SPIRIT of GOD ;" I
would, in the Spirit of Love and Meeknefs, return
back the fame In treaty to thofe, who call themfelves
the Friends of GOD's Work^ begging that they
would look more narrowly into the State of their
own Hearts, and not cenfure and condemn others.
Nor will it be thought, that this Advice is un-
feafonable, fo long as 'tis a known Fa6l, that un
charitable cenforious Judging is a Fault that has
generally prevailed, and to a high Degree of
Guilt, among thofe who would be thought the
belt Wifliers to the Intereft of CHRIST, at this
Day.
" Prayer alfo with Faflmg " is an excellent
Means to be attended at fuch a Time as this ;
though I fee not of what peculiar Advantage it
would be,:f: " if there could be fome Contrivance
" that there fliould be anAgreement of all the Peo-
" pie that are in AMERICA, that are well affe&ed to
" this Work, to keep a Day of Fading and Prayer,
" wherein they fhouldall unite in humbling them-
" felves before GOD,&c." A warm Imagination
may conceive of great Things from fuch a Faft ;
but I know not that it would be more acceptable
to GOD, or to better Purpofe, than one of lefs
Extent.
Nor will it be denied,f ce That Care fliould be
*' taken, that our Colleges fliould be fo regulated,
" that they fliould be Nurferics of Piety," as far
as is poffible ,• tho' fome take it amifs, that this
Gentleman has here faid that which is capable of
being interpreted as an Inlinuation of a Want of
due Care in this Refpeft ,* elpecially at a Time,
* 3*3- t 349-
when
PART V. Inter eft of Religion. 4,1 r
when the Prejudices of many, againft the Colleges,
are flrong, and operate much to their Difadvan-
tage. — - I can't but think we have Reafon for
Thankfulnefs, that thefe Societies are under fo
good a Regulation ; having thofe at their Head,
who are fo capable and well-fpirited to ferve the
great Ends of their Conftitution. I have known
the general State of the College in this Govern
ment, upwards of 20 Years ; And, if it might
not be thought afluming too much, I would ven
ture to fay,, that it was never, in that Time, un
der better Circumflances, in Point of Religi
on, good Order, and Learning, than at this Day.
There are thofe, I am feniible,, who have faid
that which has a Tendency to hurt the Credit
of the Colleges ; but they notwithftanding flill
flourifli as our chief Glory ; And I pray GOD
they may go on to do fo, as long as the Sun and
the Moon fliall endure.
Another Thing I concur with this Gentleman
in mentioning as of very great Importance, at
this Day ; and that is, People's f " taking Heed,
V- that, while they abound in external Duties of
" Devotion, fuch as praying, hearing, finging, and
" attending religious Meetings, there be a pro-
*' portionable Care to abound in moral Duties, fa
" as A6ls of Righteoufnefs, Truth, Meeknefs, For-
(f givenefs and Love towards our Neighbour ;
« whi ch are of much greater Importance in the
" Sight of GOD, than all the Externals of his Wor- __
^ fliip.— They are abundantly more infifted on by
*' the ProphstSy in the old Teftament,andCHRisT,and
his jipoftks in the new. When thefe two Kinds of
*c Dimes are fpoken of together, the moral ones are
f 367. and onwards. „
ever
412 Expedients to promote the PART V.
6f ever-more greatly preferred. Often, when the
€t Times were very corrupt in ISRAEL the People
ft abounded in external Duties, but were at fuch
" Times always notorioufly deficient in moral
" ones. — Hypocrites and felf- righteous Perfons
" do much more commonly abound in the former
" Kind of Duties, than the latter ,- as CHRIST re-
*' marks of the Pharifees, Matth. 23. 14, 15, and
" 34. When the Scripture directs us to fhew our
tf Faith by our Works, it is principally the latter Sort
" that are intended. — And we are to be judged
" at the laft Day, efpecially by thefe latter Sort
" of Works.-— Thefe latter Sort of Duties put
" greater Honour upon GOD, becaufe there is
" greater Self-Denial in them. The external A6ts
" of Worfhip, confiding in bodily Geftures,
" Words and Sounds, are the cheapeft Part of
" Religion, and lead contrary to our Lufts :
" The Difficulty of thorow Religion don't lie in
" them. Let wicked Men enjoy their Covete-
" oufnefs, and their Pride, their Malice, Envy,
" Revenge, and their Senfuality and Voluptuouf-
<f nefs in their Behaviour among Men, and they
" will be willing to compound the Matter with
" GOD, and fubmit to 'what Forms of Worfhip you
" pleafe, and as many as you pleafe ; as is mani-
« feft in the JEWS of old, in the Days of the
<c PROPHETS, and the PHARISEES in CHRIST'S Time,
" and the PAPISTS and MAHOMETANS in this Day."
Several Things, further offer'd to Confideration
by this Gentleman, are well calculated to promote
the Intereft of Religion, in this Day of Diforder:
But inflead of repeating thefe, I (hall add a few
Expedients of another Nature, a due Regard to
which, I cannot but think, would happily jend,
under GOD, to fet us free, in a good Meafure,
from
PART V. Inter eft of Religion. 4 1 5
from our prefent Difficulties, and greatly ferve the
Caufe of CHRIST and his Kingdom.
The firft is, the putting a Stop to Itinerant
Preaching. This,. I doubt not, is the true Caufe of
mod of the Diforders, we have feen in the Coun
try : And 'till this be removed, other Attempts
to bring us into a better State, will be likely to
prove ineffeftual. I know, it will be faid, Good
has been done by this Way of Preaching ; why-
then fhould it be difcouraged ? And don't the
fame Men who fay, Good has been done by the
preaching of Itinerants, allow that Good alfo has
been done by the Exhort ers, whether Male or Fe
male 1 And yet they are now made fenfible, even
the mod zealous among them, that Exborters ought
to be put down. And why not Itinerants? If they
liave been inflrumental in doing Good, have they
not alfo been a Means of doing Hurt ?-— If this
Itinerancy is in it felf a diforderly Praftice, ( as has,
I trufl, been made evident in thefe Pages) it ought,
though fome Good ihould have followed upon it,
to be difcouraged : Nor otherwife may it be ex-
pe6ted, Things will be reduced to an orderly re
gular State in the Land. And it fhould be dif
couraged univerfally, if at all. The doing it in
refpeft of fome, while others are encouraged in
the Praftice, is downright Partiality. If the Thing
it fe4f is bad, 'tis fo in one as well as another.
No one, let his Chara&er be what it will, ought to
be countenanced in this vagrant Way of Preach
ing, where Churches are already formed, and have
Paftors fixed in them.— If any Man thinks he may
do more abundant Service by Itinerating, let him
go where he won't invade other Men's Rights,
and promote Strife and Schifm ; and there will
then be no Ground of Complaint. — Let him go
among
414 Expedients to promote the PART V.
among the Natives to the Eaft, or Weft ; or^
if he don't chufe that, let =him go into VIR
GINIA, or rather NORTH-CAROLINA, where
( as I have lately had Information that may
certainly may be depended on) there is fcarce a
Bible to be met with, in Multitudes of their Houf-
es, or a Minifter for a hundred Miles together. I
can't indeed learn, that there are above two or
three Minifters within the Confines of that Go
vernment.
But how fliall a Stop be put to this Itinerant
Preaching ? To which, if it might not be thought
taking too much upon me/ 1 would fay, that, if
the Miniftcrs, in their feveral Affbciations, would
come inco an Agreement among themfelves to ad-
mit no Itinerant into their Pulpits, and propofe
I their Agreement to their refpeftive Churches that
^jthey might ftrengthen them in it ; I can't but
think, it would have a powerful Tendency to
give Check to this Praftice, which has occailoned
I fo much Alienation in the Minds of Minifters to
wards each other, and of People towards Minifters*
I am fenfible, all would not be pleas'd with fucli
an Agreement ; but if I am not exceedingly mif-
taken in the Sentiments of by far the greateft Pare
of the Minifters and Churches in this PROVINCE^
they would not aft in Contradiftion to, their Prin
ciples, by coming into fomething of this Nature.
But whether this, or any other Method, may be
judged mod effe&ual to difcourage the Itinerancy,
the Difcouragement of the Thing it /<?/f appears to
me to be a Matter of no fmall Importance to the
Well-being of thefe Churches : And if the Minifters9
at their Ajfociation -Meetings, would ferioufly con-
fider of forne Way, in which this might be beft
done, it would not be Time ilMpent,
Ic
PART V. Intereft of Religion.
It might alfo be of good Tendency, at this Day,
If the Pulpits, in our feveral Churches, were fo ,
guarded, as that no raw unqualified Perfons might
be fuffered, upon any Terms, to go into them : ;
And if the Cmdidatj^of_the Mimjlry were obliged
to pafs other Tryals than have as yet been inUfe,
before they might preach, we mould, I believe, in
Time, fee the good Effecl of it. The Want of
proper Caution, in this - Refpecl, has long been
complained of ; though the Inconveniencies a-
rifing herefrom have not been fo fenfibly perceiv
ed, as in the late Times. I can think of no Re
medy more futable in this Cafe than char, which,
about 40 Years ago, was provided by a Convention
cf Minifters at BOSTON, and published in the follow
ing Words, f
« PROPOSALS ,• for the Prefervation of Re-
<c ligion in the Churches, by a due TRIAL
« of them that {land CANDIDATES OF
« THE MINISTRY.
"It is a thing of Great Confeqtience to the
5f Safety and Welfare of our Churches, and the
tf Interefts of our Holy Religion are not a little
" concerned in it, That the Candidates of the E-
" vangelical Mini/try, from time to time arifing a-
" mongus,fhould ftill be offered unto the Accept-
" ance of the Churches, under the Advantage
" of their having undergone a due TRIAL of
" their Qualificatians, for fo folemn, and facred a
" Service. And it hath long been the Wiiri of
f See Dr. COTTON MATHER'S Account of the Dif-
ctpline in the Churches of NEW- EN GLAND, Page
119, 120,
^ grudent
41 6 Expedients to promote the PART V,
" prudent Men, who wifh well to the Interefts of
«< Religion, That none of our Chriftian Congrega-
(f tions may countenance any, who fhall fet up
" for publick Preachers of the Gofpel, until they
" can produce a Tejlimonial of their having been
*c duely proved and approved, as Qualified for fo
" Weighty an Undertaking.
Therefore,
" I. It is propofed, that every Candidate of the
« Miniftry, be furniflied with a TESTIMONIAL,
" under the Hands of at lead Four or Five fettled
" Pajlors in our Churches, of his having been
« Tried upon the EXPECTED ARTICLES,
" and of his being upon Trial found competently
" Qualified, for the Encouragements of a publick
tf Preacher among the Congregations of GOD in
" the Land. And that none prefume to enter up-
" on a Courfe of treating any of our Congregati-
" ons with their Sermons, until they have ap-
" plied themfelves unto fuch a Number of our
" Pajlors, for fuch a TeflimoniaL
« II. It is propofed. That the EXPECTED
t( ARTICLES on which the Candidates of the
« Miniftry (hall be Tried, fhall be thefe : '
" i. ^He fhall be one of a Blamelefs 'Life ; and
" therefore one that hath aftually joined unto a
(f particular Church, for Communion in all fpecial
" Ordinances.
" 2. He fhall give the Triers an Account of
" the Principles that a6l him, in his Defire to
" Preach the Gofpel ; which may fatisfy their
" Judicious Charity, that he is a&ed by the Evan-
" gelical Principle of Love to CHRIST and Souk,
" in his Intentions.
t
«< 3. The
PART V. Interejt of Religion. 417
" 3. He fhall be tried, how far he is acquaint-
" ed with the Three learned Languages, and with
«c the Sciences commonly taught in the Academical
" Education : And fo much Acquaintance there-
<c withal fhall be required, as may be judged ab-
" folutely needful for .the Services whereto he
" is defigned.
" 4. Before Three of the Triers at leaft, he fhall
*c Preach a Probationary Sermon, on a Text, .at a
<c T/m*, and in a P/0c£, which ffoy fhall appoint ;
" and they fhall upon Hearing pronounce hisAbi-
" lities for Preaching and fraying to be fuch as
*« give them Satisfaction.
" 5. He fhall be examined, What Authors in
4C Theology he has read ; and he fhall particularly
if make it evident, That he has confiderately
" read, Ames his Medulla Theologies : [ Or*
" fome other generally allowed Body of Divi-
" nity. ]
" 6. His Abilities to Refute Errors are to be
" tried, by putting Inflances unto him, as
fs the Triers may judge mofl convenient.
ic 7. He fliall declare to the Triers his Adhe-
<c rence unto, the ConfeJJlon of Faith, agreed by the
" Churches of NEW-ENGLAND, and the Affembly
*' of Divines at WESTMINSTER.
" III. It is propofed, That if the Pajlors of our
" Churches are fo unadvifed, as to employ in
" publick Preaching any Candidate of the Miniflry
" who hath neglefted or contemned the Trial
" propounded for fuch Perfons, it fhall be' count-
" ed an Offence ; and it fhall be, by the Paftort
" in the Neighbourhood, fignified unto fuch an
<f one, that if he do not acknowledge his Offence,
" he flialt be dealt withal, as one that Walks dif-
? orderly.
D d " IV. Ic
<c
4i 8 Expedients to promote the PART V.
L " IV. It is propofed, That if any Congregations
" be fo unadvifed, as to invite unto publick Preach-
f( ing any Candidate of the Mlniftry, who has a-
<c voided the Trial aforefaid, the Paftors of the
ff Churches in the Neighbourhood, (hall not only
" refufe to concur in 'the Ordination of a Perfon
" who has fo /fanned the Light, but alfo write unto
" the faid Congregations a fuitable Admonition for
" the Dif order, by which they thus expofe them-
" felves to the Devices of Satan.
" V. It is propofed, That when any Tried
" Candidate of the Minijlry is to be ordained unto
•" the Paftoral Charge, he (hall, unto the Elders and
" MeJJengers of the Churches, who are invited •un-
" to his Ordination, make due anfwers unto fuch
Queftions as their 'Moderator fhall propound, re-
lating to his prefent Capacities and Inclination,
" to ferve the Kingdom of GOD, and unto the
" Flock unto which he fhould now become re-
" lated."
If this, for Subflance, or fomething of the like
Nature, might be united in by Minifters and Peo
ple., as a Rule of Con duel, fo as none but fuch as
had gone thro' the proper Tryals might be fet up
in our Pulpits, it would prevent thofe Diforders,
which may naturally be expected, when meer No
vices are encouraged, (and without Examination)
to take upon them the Work of Miniilers.
A wrong Ufe of the Pajjlons, in the Eufinefs of
Religion, Is likewife a Matter highly needful to
-be guarded againfl at this Day. There is, no
Don be, a good Ufe to be made of the Paffions.--
Thcy'Wdre not in vain planted in our Nature ;
— • but becaufe wifely adapted to ferve many Pur-
pofes_,
PART 'V. Interejl of Religion. 419
pofes, in the religious as well as the natural Life.
—But they are capable of being labufed, and have
actually been fo ; as is abundantly evident from
many of the Diforders prevailing in thefe Times.—
As a Prefervative againfl fuch Abufe, I know of
nothing more effe6lual than what has been wrote
by the excellent Dr. WATTS, in his Difcourfes upon
this Subjeft. I {hall tranfcribe from them a few
Inftances of the Abufe of the Paffions, which, I be
lieve, will not be tho't, by the more fober among
us, unworthy a heedful Attention at this Day.
The firft is, f " When they run before the
* Undemanding^ or when they rife higher towards
" any particular Obje6t than the Judgment di-
" refts." As an Illuflration of which he obferves,
"Some Perfons, as foon as they begin to find fur-
" ther Light dawning upon their Minds, and are let
" into the Knowledge of fome Doftrine or Senti-
" ment which they knew not before, immediate-
" ly fet their Zeal to work : Their Zeal is all on
'e a Flame to propagate and promote this new
(f Leflbn of Truth, before their own Hearts are
" well eftabliihed in it upon folid Reafonings.—
" How common a Cafe is it among Chrijlians,
" and too often found among Minifters of the
cc Gofpel, to give a Loofe to their /(fFeclions at
ff the firft Glimpfe of fome pleafmg Opinion, or
<c fome frefh Difcovery of what they call- Truth?
*' They help out the Weaknefs of the Proof by
" the Strength of their Paffions:---This confirms
" their AiTent too foon, and they grow '.deaf to
" the Arguments that are brought to oppofe it.
f Vid. His Difcourfes of the Ufe and Abufe of the Paf-
fons% P, 2223 223.
" They
42 o Expedients to promote the PART V-
" They conftrue every Text in the Scripture to
" fupport this Do&rine, they bring in the Pro
" phets and Apoflies to maintain it. They fancy
" they fee it in a thoufand Verfes of their Bi-
€f lies ; and they pronounce all Men Her clicks
" that dare maintain the contrary Opinions."
He further observes,
" There have been fome weak Chriflians when
u they have heard a Sermon, or read a Difcourfe
" full of fublime Language and Darknefs, and e-
" fpecially if the Stile and Manner has been ve-
" ry pathetic, they have been raptured and tranf-
cc ported, as though it contained the deepefl
Cl Senfe, the noblefl Truths of Religion, the high-
*' efl Difcoveries of Grace and the Gofpel : Where-
" as, perhaps, there may be fcarce any Thing in
" it which has a juft Agreement with Reafon or
" Scripture ; but, when well examined, it proves
" to be a meer Jargon of Words, a Mixture of
" unintelligible and unmeaning Sounds, with fome
ff affectionate Airs among them, whereby their
" Paffions were fir'd, and that without Knowledge,
(f and beyond all Reafon.'*
The next Abufe of the Pafllons he mentions is,
* << When we encourage them to rife high, and
" grow very warm about the lefler Things of
4C Religion, and yet are content to be cold and
" indifferent in Matters of the higbeft Importance.
" There are too many Chriflians whofe warmeft
" Zeal is employed about the Mint, the Anift9
cf and the Cummin of Chriflianity, Mat. 23 * 23.
u And have few Pafllons awakened, or engaged,
( < in the weighty Things of the Law, or the Gof-
" pel ! They are funouily intent upon fpecula-
* P, 22(5, 5>27o
« tivi
PART V. Interejl of Religion. 42 j
" the Notions, and fome peculiar Opinions that
fc diftinguim the little Parties of Chnftendom, and
« crumble the Church to Pieces : Their Fears,
" their Hopes, their Wiftes, their Defires, their
" Grief and Joy, are all employ'd in Party-Quar-
" rehy and a Strife of Words : But they are
" thoughtlefs about the momentous Duties of Love
" to GOD and CHRIST, of Juftice to Men, of
« Charity to Fellow-Creatures, and Fellow-Chrif-
" tians. So a fickly Fancy is fond of Trifles,
*' and carelefs of folid Treafures : So Children
cc have their little Souls wrapt up in painted
" Toys, while the Matters of manly Life awak-
« en no Defire, no Delight in them."
The laft Abufe I fhall mention from this valu
able Author is,f " When the PaiTions are fuffer-
" ed to entrench upon other Duties either to
** GOD or Man, and withhold us from the pro-
" per Bufinefs of our Place and Station in the
" World. Though the Paflions fliould be indulg- , \
cc ed at proper Seafons, yet they fhould not ib
<f far govern all the Powers of Nature, and in-
" grofs the Moments of Life, as to make us neg-
«tf lecT: any neceflary Work to which the Provi- i
<f dence of GOD hath called us.
This is the Cafe, when Perfons find fo much
e{ Sweetnefs in their religious Retirements, that
u they dwell there too many Hours of the Day,
" and neglect the Care of their Families, the
cc Conduct of their Children and Servants, and o
" ther neceflary Duties of Life, and let all Things
" run at Random in their Houfhold, under the
" Excufe of Religion, and Converfe with GOD.
t P. 234, 235.
« 'Tis
422 Expedients to promote the PART V.
<c 'Tis the fame culpable Conduft, when Chri-
" flians are tempted to run from Sermon to Ser-
c< mon, from Lefture to Le6ture, in order to
<f maintain their fpiritual Pleafures, with a flight
" and carelefs Performance of relative Duties.
" 'Tis yet more criminal in Perfons of low Cir-
" cumflarices in the World, who would fpend all
ff their Time in hearing, or reading good Things,
" or at fome religious AfTemblies or Conferences,
" while they grofly and grievoufly neglect their
[ *' common Duties of providing for themfelves
" and their Children. They are ready to expe6l
" the Rich ihould maintain them, while they
f( make their devout Affe6tions an Excufe for
" their ihameful Idlenefs and Sloth. Let us re-
" member there is a Time for working as well as
" a Time for praying or hearing. Every Thing is
" " beautiful in its Seafen."
Inftances of the Abufe of the Paffions, in thefe
Ways, have not been wanting in thefe Times :
Nor unlefs fome Perfons are made fenfible of it,
and take Care to keep their Paffions within the
/H Reflraints of Reafon, may it be expefted that
UjLThings fliould be reduced to a State of Order.
There is the Religion of the Underftanding and
Judgment , and Will, as well as of the Affeftions ;
and if little Account is made of the former, while
great Strefs is laid upon the latter, it can't be but
People ihould run into Diforders. " A meer paf-
fionate Religion lies very much expos'd to all the
wild Temptations of Fancy and Enthuflafm :"
Nor can it be too much guarded againft.
Another Thing very neceflary, at this Day, is
the Ufe of a Jtrift Difcipline in our Churches.
From whence it arifes that our Difcipline has been
fo lax, efpecially in the Years that are lately pad,
PART V. Inter eft of Religion. 423
I {hall not take upon me to determine. The Fa6t
is notorious.— Han't diforderly flPalkers been fuffer-
ed to take their Courfe, without the Adminiftrati-
on of thofe Cenfures which are proper to theKing-
dom of JESUS CHRIST ? Nayijyhere Perfons have
openly behaved in an unchriflian Manner towards
thofe of the Community they were join'd to, both ;
Paftors and People, have they been fo much as!
reproved for it- in a Church I/Fay ? Have they'
not rather been left to tiieinfelves to aft as they
pleafe, without pi;', lie Notice, any more than if
they fuflained no Relation to the Church of GOD?
And if it fliould, in a Meafure be attributed to
this, that there has been the Increafe of Diforders,
would is be befide the Truth ?-—Difcipline is ne^
ceffary in all Societies whatever : And where this
is neglected, if there is the Appearance of Confti-
fion, what is it more than. may juflly be expect
ed ? — I prefume not to dictate ,•— - But 'tis eafy
to foretell, without a Spirit of Prophecy, if there j
is not a Revival ofDiftipline, there will be the (5k- j
tinuance "of Dljof tier.— Our fathers, under the like
Difficulties with thofe we now complain of, have
fet us an Example: And I wifh, we their Pqfterity
had upon our Minds as juit a Senfe of the Necef-
fity of ORDER to the Well-being of the Church of
CHRIST, as they difcovered in all their Managements.
The lad Thing I fhall mention as necelTary,
at this Day, is, a_clue Care tc^frpve all Things,
that we may hold f aft that which is good. This
an infpir'd Apoftle has directed to : ' And, per
haps, there never was a Time when a Regard
to this Advice was more needful. We have
feen enough to convince us, that Man may not be
tmfted in ; that the Determination*, wnedier of
fmgle Perfons , ci fuhlic Bodies of Men, be they who
they
424 Expedients to promote, &c. PART V.
they will, or their Pretences what the will, are
not to be received with an implicit Faith. — if \ve
would act up to our Chara&er as Men, or Chrifti-
ans, we muff; not fubmit blindfold to the Dictates
,j}f others ; No,, but we (hould ourfelves exa
mine into the Things of GOD and another World:
Nor can we b£ too follicitous, fo far as we are
able, to fee with our own Eyes, and believe with
our own Under Handings.
Only in all our Inquiries of this Nature, let the Word
cfGOJDbe our R.ulet This only may with Safety be de
pended on.-— u I fee plainly, and with my own Eyes, (faid
*' the excellent Mr, CHILLINGWORTH ), that there are
*' Popes againft Popes, Councils againft Councils, fomeFa-
** thers againft others, the fame Fathers againft themfelves,
*' a Confent of Fathers of one Age againil aConfent of Fa-
" thers of another Age, the Church of one Age againft
<e the Church of another Age." He adds the following
noble Words, in which, if we could all heartily join, it
would be happy for us at this Day ; " Ther" is no fuffi-
<c cient Certainty but of Scriprure only. — THs therefore,
** and this only, I have Reafon to believe : This I will
*' profefs j according tp this I will live ; and for this, if
;' there be Occafion* I will not only willingly, but even
" gladlv, looie my Life.-— Propofe me any Thing out of
** this Book, and require whether I believe it or no ; and
!< feem it never fo incomprehenfible to humane Reafon, I
:* will fubfcribe to it with Heart and Hand : as knowing
cc no Demonftration can be ftronger than this j GOD
4t hath ;aid fo, therefore it is true,"
I have now finifhed what I at firft propofed, tho' with
the Omiflion of many Things I intended to have faid.
The LORD give us Understanding In all Things. — The
GOD of Peace make us per f eft in every good Work to do bis
Will) working in us that which is well-pleaftng in his Sight,
thro' JESUS CHRIST -, to wham i>$ Glory for Wtr and
ever. AMEN'
FINIS.
'
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7 1
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