What sort of enthusiasm or inspiration is owned by the church of England.
THE word enthusiasm signifies inspiration, and may mean a good as well as an evil inspiration; though, from the frequent false pretences to it, it is generally used in the worst sense. Therefore to cut off any mistakes upon this account, and because these poor misled Quakers, and other enthusiasts among us, are made to believe that the church of England does wholly throw off all inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and rests only on their outward forms, I will here briefly set down the doctrine of the church of England in this point, and shew what sort of inspiration she allows, and what it is which she rejects.
(I.) She constantly teaches, that all the saving graces are wrought in our hearts by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, insomuch that of ourselves we are not able so much as to think a good thought: and that this inspiration is as necessary to our fructifying, or bringing forth good works, as the influ ence of the sun is to the earth's bringing forth of her fruits: that whatever may bear the appearance of good works in us, and is not wrought by this in spiration, is not good, nor acceptable to God; as it is expressed in our thirteenth Article:
Works done before the grace of Christ, and the inspiration of his Spirit, are not pleasant to God —yea rather, for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done, we doubt not but they have the nature of sin.
What fuller can be said for the necessity of this inspiration? And if the Quakers will have this called the light within, we will not dispute with them about a word, it is the thing and meaning that we contend for.
This is the constant tenor of all our prayers. Almighty God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves, keep us, &c. And because we can do no good thing without who seest that we put not our trust in any thing that we do We humbly beseech thee, that as by thy special grace preventing us, thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good Grant us by thy Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, &c.
And in the ordering of deacons, this is the first question demanded by the bishop from those who are to be ordained: Do you trust that you are in wardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon you this office Do you think that you are truly called according to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, &c. The same is demanded in the ordi nation of priests and bishops. And the words of consecration of a bishop are, Receive the Holy Ghost for the office and work of a bishop in the church of God. Spiritus is sung:
Come Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
And lighten with celestial fire, &c.
And, according to this, we pray that God would Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of his Holy Spirit: that he would prevent and further us in all our works: and that of his only gift it cometh, that we do unto him true and laudable service: nay, not only our works or prayers, but that out very desire to pray is his gift. We pray for persons to be baptized, that God would wash them and sanctify them with the Holy Ghost. And our Catechism teaches, that we are not able of ourselves to walk in the commandments of God, and to serve him, without his special grace. And, lastly, (for I must transcribe our whole liturgy to name every place where the inspiratiion of the Holy Ghost is witnessed and prayed for,) thus the bishop prays for persons to be confirmed: Strengthen them, we beseech thee, O Lord, with the Holy Ghost the Comforter, and daily increase in them they manifold gifts of grace, the spirit of wid-sdom and understanding, the soirit of counsel and shostly strength, the spirit of knowledge and true godliness; and fill them, O Lord, with the spirit of thy holy fear now and for ever.
Here is an enumeration of the principal gifts of grace for which we pray: and in the exhortations before the communion, it is earnestly inculcated upon us, that if we be not thus spiritually prepared, all the outward ordinance will avail us nothing: for otherwise (as it is there worded) the receiving of the holy communion doth nothing else but increase your damnation. And there is not one book of devotion used among us that does not tell us the same: that the inward is the soul of religion, with out which, the outward part is but a dead carcass, and stinks before God; and that the inward purity of the heart cannot be wrought but by the opera tion of the Holy Ghost, who is the only author of all holiness. So exceedingly groundless is that mistaken prejudice taken up against the church of Eng land in this point, that I do not believe there is one man to be found in our communion so ignorant, or so ill taught, as to think the outward performance can make us accepted with God, unless the inward does go along with it. And if the Quakers, or any other, thought that we too much neglected the in ward, their admonitions and example would have been well received; but they ought not to accuse our doctrine, as denying inspiration; for this doc trine of the inspiration of the Holy Ghost is the alpha and omega of our religion; I have shewn it in our offices of baptism, confirmation, and holy orders of bishop, priest, and deacon; in our cate chism and common-prayers. And to all who are acquainted with these, I have taken very heedless pains; at least they might think that one quotation or two had been sufficient: but I have enlarged for the sake of these Quakers, and other enthusiasts, who are possessed with the most false and violent prejudices against our doctrine and worship, and then are strictly forbidden so much as to look into our liturgy, articles, or homilies, whereby to unde ceive themselves, and are led in as blind and implicit a faith in their leaders, as any is to be found in the church of Rome itself.
If they think I have wronged them, let them then be persuaded to read, and judge as they shall find. And for this particular subject we are now upon of enthusiasm; as to what sort of enthusiasm is allowed, and what censured in our church, besides our homilies and liturgy, I recommend to their serious perusal Dr. Hammond's Postscript concerning new Light, or divine Illumination, which is added to his Annotations upon the New Testament: and that excellent sermon of dean Hicks, called, The Spirit of Enthusiasm Exorcised, preached before the uni versity of Oxford the 11th of July, 1680.
Now this sort of enthusiasm or inspiration, which is allowed and owned in our church, is full as much as any sober Quaker can mean by the light within: which therefore, in this sense, is not disowned, but avowed by us. And as much stress is laid upon it as they can reasonably desire: it is made necessary to every good work and thought, and the cause of all the good that is in us; and we are directed to it, to follow and be guided by it, and are assured that it will lead us to all truth that is requisite and necessary for our eternal salvation. It is this which opens the scriptures to us, and our understandings rightly to apprehend the true sense and meaning of them; and which inclines our will to love, and duly to follow the divine precepts therein commanded.
If any Quaker (as I am confident all that are in the least soberminded will) say that this is all they mean by their light within; then where is the dif ference? Why do they break off, and separate from our communion upon the pretence of the light with in, wherein we agree with them? What reason have they to censure ours, and all other ministers but their own 2 as Mr. Penn says, in his preface to Fox's Journal, p. 38; We have seen the fruit of all other ministries by the few that are turned from the evil of their ways.
First, This is a very bad argument: for men's being evil may proceed from their own perverse ness, and not from the fault of the ministry. We find but few that were converted by the ministry of Christ in all his lifetime, Acts i. 15.
And, by Mr. Penn's consequence, this must be charged upon the ministry, and as a proof that it was not good: and would further justify the ministry of Theudas, Acts v. 36, 37, who got about four hundred to follow him; and Judas of Galilee drew away much people.
But, secondly, this is a most uncharitable presumption, and the height of spiritual pride, to condemn all the world but themselves; while they can not deny that there are many in other communions of sober, honest, and, to all appearance, religious conversation. But that is no matter, it is all form ality in them The Quakers only have the Spirit, and truly follow its inspirations, or the light within' Therefore Mr. Penn, in the same page of his pre face, censures ours (with others) as a dry doctrinal ministry that can teach but the ear, and is but a dream at the best. And, p. 21, They (the many ministries in the world) declare of religion, say many things true in words, of God, Christ, and the Spirit, of holiness and heaven, &c.; but which of them all ever directed a man to a divine principle or agent, placed of God in man to help him, &c.
I answer, which of them has not? Not one that I know of. Did any ever yet deny the candle of the Lord, searching the inward parts 2 Prov. xx. 27. I have sufficiently vindicated the church of England in this; and the sects amongst us, Presbyterians, Independents, Anabaptists, and all the way down to Muggleton himself, have set up upon great pretences to the Spirit. But Mr. Penn says, that is only in word, none feel or experiment the power of the Spirit but the Quakers; and being infallible, we must take their word ' As likewise, That it is plainly possible for one that hath re ceived the word of the Lord to miss in the divi sion and application of it: which is a very perti ment caution Mr. Penn bestows upon his beloved and much honoured brethren that are in the exer cise of the ministry among the Quakers.
And if they may miss, how do we know but they have missed? How did he know they could miss, but by their having missed? And how does this missing consist with infallibility; such infallibility as they set up, (sect. VI.) and Mr. Penn, in this same preface, p. 36? For being quickened by it (says he, that is, by the light within) in our inward man, we could easily discern the difference of things, and feel what was right and what was wrong, and what was fit and what not, both in reference to religion and civil concerns.
Here is an infallibility of as large a latitude as can be desired; it is both spiritual and temporal.
And yet it may miss in the division and application of the word of the Lord, and be nothing the less infallible.
But will they give nobody leave to miss but them selves? Must we be conjurers and they apostles, and all for our missing? Is their missing too from the mouth of the Lord? If not, then George Fox has pronounced them all to be conjurers. Even dear George! thou who excellest them all -----
(II.) I have shewn what inspiration or enthusiasm is owned in our church, which is that of sanctifying and saving graces; I come now to speak of that enthusiasm which is extraordinary and miraculous, such as the gifts of tongues and prophecy, and miraculous cures, &c.
And these miraculous gifts, as they are of much less value to us than the saving graces, so are they not greatly to be coveted, or prayed for: we must be wholly passive in this case, and leave it altogether to the wisdom of God, when, where, and how to be stow these: but to pretend falsely to any such gifts, is downright diabolical, it is express blasphemy against God, and by his law to be punished with death.
All such enthusiasm or inspiration is most cer tainly from the Devil; and therefore we must be well aware of it, and examine all such pretences diligently; and having detected falsehood in them, oppose them with all zeal, cry aloud, and give the world warning of the spirit of delusion broken loose among them.
And there can be no neuters in this war; who ever can be patient to see the name of God thus openly and presumptuously blasphemed is no Chris tian, has no zeal for God, nor love for the souls of men, but is such a latitudinarian Laodicean as God will spue out of his mouth.
Had the Quakers pretended to never so great talents in sanctifying graces, though greater than they had, they should not have been opposed by me, because I wish to them, and to all men, much greater than they have, and Death increase of them.
But when I found them pretend to miraculous gifts, and upon this fund to set up schism, and seduce multitudes from the peace and unity of the church, and introduce damnable heresies, I thought it an unpardonable sin any longer to forbear to warn others, and seek to undeceive the poor and simple sort among them, who are led blindly in their snares. The Lord rescue them of his infinite mercy. Amen.
If G. Fox had set up for the greatest zeal towards God, and to the most extraordinary impulse of spirit, and experiences (the then cant) of God; and that, upon this pretence, he had been carried even to excesses, much might have been allowed to such a well intended zeal, though not according to knowledge. But in his Journal, p. 83, he despises such a low dispensation, which he turns over to the priests, as he calls them, who disputed against him. One of them, says he, told me, that he could speak his experiences as well as I: but I told him, experience was one thing; but to go with a mes sage, and to have a word from the Lord, as the prophets and apostles had and did, and as I had done to them, this was another thing; and there fore I put it to them again, Could any of them say he had ever had a command or word from the Lord immediately at any time? Thus he.
And here can be no mistake, because he puts the distinction himself betwixt immediate revelation and inward impulses, those ordinary assistances or in spirations which good men experiment of the Holy Spirit of God in their studies and meditations upon the holy scriptures, their preaching, praying, and other means of grace which God has appointed: such experiences the priests owned to G. Fox. But he pretended to further, that is, to immediate com mand from God, to go with such a message, &c. as the prophets and apostles had; not a mediate com mand, by the mediation of the use and knowledge of scripture, preaching, praying, or any human means, but immediately, without help of scripture, or any thing else, from God himself, as when he spoke to Abraham, or any of the prophets or apo stles. If George had pretended only to have rea soned with us out of the scriptures, we could have borne with him.
If Mr. Penn had contented himself to have told us of his great knowledge in the scriptures, (not to give us new,) to have celebrated himself for a thou sand virtues, or for his learning, or any other natural or acquired abilities, he should have peaceably en joyed all these trophies (however deserved) for any pains I had taken to the contrary.
But when, p. 29 of his preface, Mr. Penn would persuade us that this Fox had outward revelations and visions from God, upon a very high mountain in Yorkshire, and there had his commission given by God to go to the north, &c. this obliges us to look more narrowly into the matter; for there is no medium left by this, but either that all these na tions, and all the world, (to whom he directs some of his papers,) are fighters against God in not sub mitting to his message by his prophet Fox; otherwise, that this Fox was a wizard, possessed with the Devil, and that all are deluded fatally who follow him, or would recommend him.
And when all this is but the preface to pretended miracles, exhibited in his foolish legend of a Jour nal, as vouchers of his mission.
When miraculous gifts are not only ascribed to G. Fox, but to the rabble of these Quakers, whom Mr. Penn (ibid. sect. x. p. 23.) compares to the an cient prophets, and tells us of their prophecies, par ticularly of the plague, and fire of London, in express terms, says he, and likewise particular ones to divers persecutions, (I suppose it should be persecutors,) which accordingly overtook them, and which were very remarkable in the places where they dwelt; and in time they may be made public for the glory of God.
But, Mr. Penn, this would be the best time; for one prophecy before it be fulfilled is worth twenty that are published afterwards.
Besides, people will be apt to say that you pick and choose out of your register of prophecies, and, having many, (most, if not all, curses and judgments,) some must likely happen, or towards it, and that you give us only them, but throw all those that miscarry behind the door.
And some may suspect even forgery, that pro phecies are coined after the facts come to pass.
Therefore, to obviate all these objections, and to prevent the deceiving of after-generations, who may not be so well able to examine into matters of fact said to be done long before their time, it is desired that Mr. Penn would now publish his register of Quaker prophecies, or for ever after hold his peace.
But we must take them as he pleases to give them, and by what he has told us we may guess at the rest: he names prophecies of the plague and fire of London, in express terms; and there he leaves us in the general, but tells not who, where, when; that is reserved for after-ages, when there shall be none alive to disprove it.
But notwithstanding, it is fair in us freely to own what is come to our knowledge, though the modesty of the persons concerned might let it sleep in generals unexamined.
Be it known then unto all men, that one Solomon Eccles, a Quaker preacher and prophet, did go naked through Bartholomew fair the year before the fire of London with a pan of fire upon his head, warning the people to repent, &c.
But it must likewise be known, that there is not a year, hardly a month, wherein some Quaker or other is not going about our streets here in London, either naked, or in some exotic figure, denouncing woes, judgments, plagues, fire, sword, and famine; [and it was never more likely that some or all of these may be coming towards us;] nay, so frequent are these Quaker prophets amongst us, especially in curses, (wherein they wholly deal,) that there is not a bill of mortality wherein many of their prophecies are not fulfilled. But nothing of a public calamity of any sort can come, but what is bespoke and claimed by hundreds of them.
But if the Quaker prophets knew so particularly of the fire of London, how came it to pass that they were not better provided against it? For it is well known that the Quakers in London did suffer as much by the fire as the rest of their neighbours, and were as much surprised by it; as themselves have confessed.
But worse than all this: when Thomas Ebbit, another prophet of theirs, came out of Huntingdon shire to London, a day or two before the fire, (as a Quaker tells us the story,) to warn them of it; the Quaker sanhedrin of their elders at London took him to task, and having examined his gifts, rejected him, and did almost persuade him that it was a delusion, as that Quaker author words it; and so refusing to take warning, they shared with others in that judgment.
But now as to Solomon Eccles, (who, I suppose, is the prophet Mr. Penn points at,) I refer the reader for a taste of his prophetic talent to what is before ſaid of him, p. 67, 68 of this vol.
But Mr. Penn has liberty to produce any other prophet he thinks fit upon this occasion, and he shall have a fair hearing.
In the mean time, let all impartial men judge be twixt that sober and Christian enthusiasm which is professed, taught, and prayed for in the church of England; and that mad and blasphemous enthusiasm which is set up amongst the Quakers, to give forth pretended prophecies, and vent the greatest of delusions, in the name of the Lord.
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