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whom I fhall fend fhall lead you into all Truth. The former of these Paffages, The Spirit of Truth fhall testify of me, relates particularly to the Testimony given to Chrift by the extraordinary Gifts and Operations of the Holy Spirit in that firft Age. And accordingly our Lord after thofe Words immediately adds, fpeaking to his Apoftles, And ye alfo fhall bear Witness, because ye have been with me from the Beginning. John xv. 26, 27. The other Text relates to the in-→ fallible Guidance promised to the Apostles to affift them in the executing of their Office. And accordingly, after faying, The Spirit whom I shall fend fhall lead you into all Truth, he adds, and he will fhew you Things to come. Ch. xvi. 13. And before this, in the fame Discourse, he had promised, The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghoft-fhall teach you all Things, and bring all Things to your Remembrance, whatsoever I have faid unto you. Thefe Texts which plainly relate to the Apostles, and which in that View have nothing in them but what is proper and neceffary, and highly for the Honour of Chriftianity, are applied by this Gentleman, as if they contained a Promife of an infallible Guidance of the Spirit to all Christians in every Age*; that they might not be left liable one Moment

* In like manner he endeavours to draw an Argument for that univerfal Inspiration of all Chriftians which he contends for, from the Promife made by our Saviour to his Apoftles, Matt. x. 19, 20. where having told them

Moment to a Poffibility of Error and Impofition, as he expreffes it, p. 60. A thing which is evidently abfurd and falfe in Fact. But then this Falfhood and Abfurdity is not chargeable on the Scripture Scheme, or upon the New Testament, but on our Author himself and his Mifreprefentation of it.

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of the Perfecutions to which they should be expofed, and that they fhould be brought before Governours and Kings for his fake, he bids them take no Thought how or what they fhould fpeak; that is, not to be anxiously follicitous about it, which otherwife they might be apt to be; for that it fhould be given them in that fame Hour what they fhould fpeak; and adds, For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you. By which, though our Saviour does not intend to fignify, that all ufe and exercise of their own Reafon was to be entirely fuperfeded, as if they were not to have so much as a single Thought or Suggestion of their own, as our Author gloffes it; yet he certainly defigns to fignify that on fuch Occafions they should not be left merely to themselves, and their own Thoughts and Expreffions, but that the Spirit fhould affift them in both in an extraordinary manner: and this was wifely and graciously provided for the Encouragement of the Apoftles under the amazing Difficulties they were to encounter with in the firft Promulgation of a Religion that was to meet with fo much Oppofition in the World. Yet from this extraordinary Cafe our Author feems willing to infer, that the Spirit dictates Sentiments in fecret to the Understandings of all Chriftians in every Age, and miraculously speaks to them for their Inftruction, and gives them what to think as well as what to fay. p. 108, 109. And with equal Strength and Justice he might argue, that all Chriftians have the Power of working Miracles, of healing the Sick, cleanfing the Lepers, and raifing the Dead, because our Saviour in that Chapter commiffions and empowers his Apoftles to do fo. ver. 8.

Befides the extraordinary Influence of the Holy Ghoft upon the Apostles to endue them with miraculous Powers, and to guide them infallibly in delivering the Doctrine of Chrift; there was also a plentiful Effufion of the Spirit upon the firft Chriftians, though not in the fame degree with the Apoftles, which contributed mightily to the fpreading and propagating the Chriftian Faith. And confidering that the Christian Religion at its first Publication had almost infuperable Obftacles to encounter with in a World funk in Idolatry, Superftition, and Vice, there was then great need of an extraordinary Measure of divine Influences to accompany the preaching of the Gospel among those to whom it was published. And its making fo speedy and wonderful a Progress as it did in face of the greatest Oppofition, when it had the inveterate Prejudices, the corrupt Appetites and Paffions of Men engaged against it, and no worldly Advantages on its fide, furnisheth an additional Proof of its divine Original, and fhewed a fignal Interpofition of Heaven in its favour, and a divine Light and Power accompanying it. And if a Revelation that was at first propagated in a way that bespoke an extraordinary divine -Power and Prefence, is alfo of fuch a nature, that it will bear the coolest Examination; if its -Proofs and Evidences approve themselves to our impartial Reason, and its Doctrines and Laws appear to be worthy of God and of the most excellent Tendency, there is every thing that

can

can justly be defired to make our Affent to it rational and well-founded. And this is the Cafe of the Chriftian Revelation.

I doubt not, that upon a critical Examination of the Texts produced by this Writer, it would appear that feveral of them, befides thofe already mentioned, relate to the first Christians, and to the extraordinary Effusion of the Holy Ghost in that Age. Of this kind that Text appears to me to be, which he mentions in the first place, and on which he seems to lay a particular Strefs, No Man can fay that Jefus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghoft. It is taken from 1 Cor. xii. 3. where St. Paul is profeffedly difcourfing concerning the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit poured forth in that first Age, and the Perfons endued with thofe Gifts. And after declaring, that No Man fpeaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jefus accurfed, which relates to thofe Jewish Teachers that went about anathematizing the Name of Jefus, and at the fame time made high Pretenfions to the Holy Ghost, which they would not allow any Gentiles could be Partakers of; he adds, No Man can fay that Jefus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost, where he probably refers to those who in that first Age preached the Gospel, and confirmed it by Miracles, and the extraordinary Gifts conferred upon them; which fhewed fuch Perfons were Partakers of the Holy Ghoft, though feveral of them had been originally Gentiles, without whose divine Affistance and Influence they could

not

not have done this: This feems to be the proper Intention of this Paffage. Though if it were taken in a more general Senfe, to fignify that the gracious Affiftance of God's holy Spirit is neceffary to our believing and acknowledging Chrift in a right manner, fo as heartily to receive and fubmit to him as our Lord (for no body can fuppofe that the bare faying in Words, that Jefus is the Lord is all that is intended) there is nothing abfurd in fuch an Interpretation. I freely grant what Chriftians have generally acknowledged, that there is an Influence of the divine Spirit ftill communicated for affifting Men of fincere and upright Minds in the Knowledge and Belief of the Chriftian Religion, and in the Practice of the Duties there required. Nor is there any thing in this, but what is perfectly agreeable to right Reason, and the justest Notions we can form both of Man's prefent Weakness and Infirmity, and of the divine Wisdom and Goodness; provided we take this along with us, that thefe gracious Affiftances are communicated in a way perfectly agrecable to the just Order of our Faculties, and without offering Violence to the Freedom that belongs to us as reasonable Creatures, moral Agents, and fo as not to render our own Endeavours needlefs, but to affift and animate our Endeavours *. And it is manifeft, that fuch is the Repre

*That God can communicate his gracious Affiftances to the human Mind in a manner perfectly well accommodated

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