take it to be) for the true Prophet to appear in the Guife and Manners of a Man diftracted; and as this could not be the Prophet's own Election and Choice, to put on fuch an abfurd Appearance; fo much lefs can it be fuppofed, that Infpiration, or the Influence of the Divine Spirit on a Man, fhould transport him beyond the Rules of common Decency and right Reafon, and difpofe him to a wild frantick Behaviour, in all Refpects refembling Natural Diftraction; because we fuppofe GOD Almighty gracioufly fends fuch a Meffenger, fo exprefly to denounce his Judgments, with Intentions that Men fhould hearken to, and receive him as a Prophet, in order to Amendment; and that fuch a One fhould appear like a distracted Man, when he is deftitute of Miracles and other External Proofs of his Miffion, could never be reconcileable to fuch an End in the Almighty. For if a Man acts not agreeable to the common Rules of Reafon and Difcretion, all Spectators muft judge him bereav'd of his Wits; whatsoever be the Caufe of it, whether it be Natural or Supernatural; whether a Diftemper or Infpiration fet him befides his Reafon, this matters not; becaufe Men cannot know it, nor the inward hidden Caufe of fuch an Irregularity and Deviation; but the Irregularity they fee, and that this fhould be a fit Garb for a Meffenger of GOD to appear to the World in, where the moft reasonable Sufpi-. cion Men can entertain against him, is this very Thing; and were they fire he was not Distracted, they would be likely to receive him as a Prophet: That I fay, the Prophet here, through Infpiration, fhould be determin'd to fuch a Carriage, as all fober Men efteem the

*

Effect

Effect of a diforder'd Imagination, is unaccountable, abfolutely irreconcileable to the Goodness and Wisdom of GOD.

B. I perceive your Drift. If in any Cafe a Man may be credited without Miracles, you conceive it then reasonable, when the Event or Judgment foretold, is to come to pass within a fhort and determinate Space of Time; becaufe, no Man in his Wits would adventure on fuch a Phophecy, without believing himself Supernaturally directed; and the greatest Objection, that Men could start against the Miffion of fuch a Man, and the Truth of fuch a Prophecy, is a diforder❜d Imagination. To clear himself of which Suppofition, that he was not impofed on in this Apprehenfion of his being Infpir'd, or Divinely Commiffion'd, you apprehend it neceffary; that Reasonableness, Confiftency of Thought and Action, and other Things that denote Soundness of Judgment, fhould accompany him; and truly I am of your Opinion in this Cafe, and cannot perceive upon juft Grounds, how a Fool or a Mad Man fhould be credited in fo high a Pretenfion; because the Point being, whether the Man be impofed on or not, no Man can have any fort of Security againft it in fuch a Man; becaufe every Body knows Folly and Madness is very eafily impofed on or

mistaken.

31

100%

A. When a Thing denounced or foretold, is very fuddenly to come to pass, there feems not fo great need of Miracles, because the Event will foon determine it, and is very often it felf intended, as a Sign or Proof of a Divine Au-H thority or Commiffion. But,

Fourthly,

0

Fourthly, There can be no fupporting the Character of a Prophet, not attended with the Power of Miracles, nor the Accomplishment of his Comminations or Predictions, in Cafe where Men exprefs not a true and fincere Repentance. The People of Nineveh apprehended Jonah a true Prophet, and confequently univerfally betook themselves to the deepest Humiliation and Repentance, under a ftrong Prefumption that this might prevent the Evils denounced; and this being their Opinion, that fincere Repentance might obtain Mercy from GOD; the Non-accomplishment of the Prophet's Comminations could be no reasonable Ground of their efteeming him a falfe Prophet; because their very Practice fuppos'd, that upon their Change of Life, GOD might change his Purposes towards them. The fame might be alledg'd in behalffany other, who profeffes himself a Prophet, and comes to denounce Evils; where these Evils come not to pafs, it may be pleaded, that their Repentance interven'd, and ftopt the Hand of Juftice; that is, where the Cafe is Parallel, where the Meffage has the fame Effect, and apparently produces in Men fuch Sorrow and Humiliation. But if inftead of this, the Meffage and the Prophet be contemned and rejected, and yet the Evils come not to pafs, as denounced; what fhould intervene to change the Divine Purposes? Or what can be pretended to fupport the Authority of fuch a Prophet? Or reconcile the World to an Opinion, that he was ever really fent of GOD? He muft ftand convicted of open and palpable Vanity and Imposture.

What

IV. Cafe. B. I expect you on the Fourth and Laft Cafe; Suppofe a Perfon fent by GOD, to clear the will be fuftrue Senfe of any former Revelation, through ficient Evi dence to the Prejudices and Lufts of Men much obfcur'd, induce One or mifunderstood; what conceive you neceffato believe ry to give him Authority in the World, a Sent from Proper Means of Perfuafion and Convicti

a Person

GOD to

clear the

velations.

on?

A. I confefs here feems not that abfolute neSenfe of ceffity of Miracles, becaufe, as we have often former Re- faid, the neceffity of these arifes from a Man's publishing new Doctrines, under the pretence of Inspiration; which becaufe it is unreafonable to admit without Proof, Miracles become needful, because without thefe, fuch a Pretence will be precarious. But when a Man profeffes to add nothing to former Revelations, but only to explain and declare the Senfe of them, the Expectation and Demand of Miracles, is not fo fair and reasonable.

B. I do not quite comprehend you here. For what if this Prophet or Infpir'd Man is to add no new Doctrines to the Scriptures, is only Infpir'd with the fame Doctrines or Truths that were reveal'd to former Prophets; yet if the true Sense of these former Revelations escapes the World, the Doctrines that this new Prophet teaches, although in Truth nothing different from former Revelations, yet muft appear now as new as if never before reveal'd. For it is the fame thing to fuppofe Doctrines not apprehended in the true Senfe, as not before reyeal'd.

A. To this I answer, firft; It is a Cafe hardly fuppofeable, that in a piain and clear Revelation, Men fhould fo far mistake, as entirely mifs the true Sense of it. For a Man may be fuppofed

&c. Mi

fuppofed capable of writing as plainly and intelligibly, as he can fpeak; and the Comments of this new Prophet may be as liable to Mifconftruction, as the original Text. This therefore cannot be well fuppos'd in thofe Parts of à Divine Revelation that contain Duties, Laws, and Rules of Life, in which the Intention of the Divine Spirit, and the Revealer was at firft to be clearly understood. Secondly, There may be other Parts of Scripture that may be Prophetical, Enigmatical, or Parabolical, wherein there may be greater poffibility of Mistake, and need of farther Revelation, or Infpiration to If a Man explain; and indeed this fwerves from our first professes by Infpiration Suppofition: For if a Man declares himfelf fent of GOD, to open thofe dark Paffages, dark Pafwhich to all reafonable Men, lay in great ob-fages of fcurity, and Men are bound to receive his Scripture, Senfe and Conftruction of these Places; this is racles are in Truth, adding to Scripture, as the Prophets necessary in the Old Teftament fucceeding Mofes, by lit- to give tle and little open'd the Senfe of the Ceremonial Law, and more clearly pointed out the Meffias; which they could not do, as meer Expounders of the Law of Mofes, but as Extraordinary Prophets; and confequently their Writings were not receiv'd as the common Expofitions of the Scribes and Jewish Doctors, but as the Word of GOD and Canonical, which muft be, because of fome Extraordinary Warrant and Teftimony that accompany'd them. This, I fay, is clearly adding to the Divine Writings, because it is confeffedly giving a plain clear Senfe to that, which in thofe Writings lies dark and obfcure, and cannot be pretended to be the Doctrines reveal'd in Scripture and confequently are new, and if an equal Affent S

17 and

bim Au

thority.