A N ESSAY Ο Ν INSPIRATION. B. W PART II. ELL, Sir, if you please let us now proceed to the other Head of our Difcourfe, viz. To confider the Qualifications neceffary to a True Prophet, or Infpired Man, in order to convince others of his Divine Authority or Miffion. A. I perceive then you acquiefce in the Suppofition, That a Perfon truly fent from GOD, with any Important Meffage or Doctrines, muft be endu❜d with Means, of giving fuch as he is fent to, all reafonable Satisfaction, as to the Truth of his Pretenfions. B. No doubt: The contrary would be highly Ridiculous; for fuch a Perfon appears under the Character of a Divine and Heavenly Ambaffador baffador; and who did ever read or hear of a Wordly King or Prince fo fottifh, as to fend forth his Minifters and Agents to reprefent his Perfon, and tranfact Things in his Name, without their Credentials, without the ufual Marks of their Character and Diftinction? Would any Wife Man go on fuch an Errand, or any Wife People receive him? And if this wou'd be the greatest Dotage in Men, can we suppose the Great and Wife King of Heaven and Earth capable of it? Or fhall we afcribe fuch Stupidity to Him? A. In Cafes of this Nature, all the World expects Proof, and a Man's bare Word will pafs for little. But yet as clear and confefs'd a Point as this is, it is furprising to behold how little the generality of Men are govern'd by it; when they are fo diffident of one another, fo careful against Cheats in other Cafes, that none shall receive another, or give him Entertainment upon his bare Word, as coming, not only from a King or Prince, but a much inferiour Perfon, a Friend, or a Relation; when any fuch Pretence fhall not pafs without fevere Examination; I fay, it is wonderful to fee the readiness of Men, to receive and believe every Pretence of a Man's coming from GOD, without any Examination or Proof, any Credentials and Marks of a Divine Miffion or Authority. B. The Confequences of this have been furely difmal, exceedingly detrimental to the true Religion. For what hath bred more Divisions and Disturbances in the Church of GOD, than this Eafinefs in Men, to receive every Pretence of Divine Infpiration? What hath, and does ftill hold fo great a part of the World, under falfe and abfurd Religions but the want of Examining into the Grounds of their Founders Pretences Pretences to Infpiration, or Divine Commiffion? Upon what Pretence is it, that the common fort of Men quit the Communion of our Eftablish'd Church but that other Teachers are more Spiritual, That is, more Infpired? This is plain as to the Quakers. It is in lefs Degrees true of the reft. Whofoever fhall imagine the Government of our Church by Bishops and the like, the main Objections with Common and Illiterate Diffenters, is really far wide. of the Matter. It is generally an Imagination of more Spiritual Worfhip, more Spiritual Praying and Teaching, that is the Ground of their Separation. 4. I am of your Opinion. And the Reasons of this extream Negligence in Men, that in thefe Pretences of Infpiration, where doubtless they fhould examine moft, there they leaft of all examine, appear to me thefe Three. Men's tion. First, The very Pretence it felf of a Man's com- The Rea ing from GOD, or being immediately Infpi-fons of red, or fent by him, is apt to raise in common Pronenej Men, a fort of an Amazement, that deters to receiz them from all Examination. There is ufually every Pr a great Dread in Men of the Deity, and this sence to makes the Pretence of a Man's coming from Divine GOD carry Terror with it; and they that Infpirawould not be afraid in leffer Cafes, to examine, to fift a Pretence narrowly, here out of meer Awe and Reverence to the Being, from whence the Perfon pretends to proceed, are mightily check'd and deterr'd, and it looks to them like a Prefumptuous Thing, to Examine, to ask Reafons, to ftand Arguing with the Meffenger of GOD, whom they ought to Receive, they think, and Reverence, not to Difpute and Cavil with. As a Perfon pretending to come from an Earthly King, at firft fight, is apt to ftrike Men with Dread, to render them very cautious how they treat him; fo the pretence of coming from GOD is much more apt to confound Men; it fets a Man, in their Opinion, above all Examination, and all Proof; and it is an Affront to the Being, whence he came, to be call'd to an Account, and Try'd at the Bar of Human Reafon and Understanding. Thus the Natural Apprehenfions and Dread of the Deity, which poffefs the Minds of Men, often prove a great Inlet to Impofture, and render them more liable to Error here, than in any other Thing; because in this, they are more apt to fubmit their Reafon and Understanding, lefs apt to Examine (the only Security againft Error) than in other Cafes. B. This muft, without all queftion, be the Reason, why many Men within my Obfervar tion and Knowledge, that otherwise appear Acute, that Reafon well, that love to hear Rational Difcourfe from others, that are as apt as any, to difcern and explode idle incoherent Talk in common Converfation; will yet approve of, and receive any loofe, rambling, idle Stuff at their publick Meetings; and that which they would deride and reject as Folly in common Talk, they fhall revere, when utter'd by a Speaker in Prayer, or Preaching, at their Religious Affemblies. The Caufe of this muft be, what you have affign'd; they are over-aw'd by the pretence of Infpiration, and instead of stripping themfelves of all Carnal Lufts and Prejudices, in order to profit under Outward Preaching, they feem to reckon it more neceffary to ftrip themselves of their Reafon, as of a Thing fit indeed to accompany and direct them in Trade, in Converfation, and in those common and ordinary Matters ferviceable enough; but altogether |