New Teftament. Now does not this aim to draw Men off from a dependance on the Scri pture, from making that their immediate Rule? And if instead of this, what every Man can fanfie to be a Dictate of the Spirit, is to be his immediate Guide and Authority; Is not here like to be bleffed Work? What Folly, Extravagancy, Superftition, may not the Devil through this inlet pafs upon Men! If every One does as A. B. did, never read the Scripture, but depend upon immediate Revelation, fure great and notable Advantages may hence eafily accrue to the Kingdom of Darknefs. And efpecially when they are taught too, that the Spirit now more clearly reveals Things than in the Apofties Days. Will not this introduce any extravagant Conceit in Oppofition to Scripture?

B. It is my Opinion, that it is highly to the Advantage of the Devil's Kingdom, that Men change the Scripture for any other Rule or Di rection.

A. Thirdly, Confider farther as the Doctrine of A. B. that only the fame Spirit that dictates can understand or explain Scripture; that is, the Spirit that she has, and is now to be pour'd out on Men, can only explain Scripture.. Hence fhe may very agreeably magnifie Scripture, when no Senfe of Scripture is to be receiv'd, but what fhe authorizes. In this The doth not fo much magnifie Scripture as her own Infpiration, for Scripture is not the Word of GOD but according to the Explication that the Spirit gives of it, which is to refolve all into her Authority of her Spirit. Now fuppofing A. B. Infpir'd with an Evil Spirit, can there be a more advantageous Thing to DiaboBb 3 lical

The Con

ber Wri

tings to

lical Ends and Purposes, than that no Scripture fhall have Authority but as he explains it?

B. Here are like to be fine and egregious Comments on Scripture.

A. Lastly, What fignifies recommending, preffing Men to the Love of GOD, if fhe difcourages the Means that GOD hath appointed to advance it; and fuch I take to be the Ordinan ces of the Chriftian Faith? I have mention'd before the Practices of her own Society, what fhe directed to carry Men to Perfection. For fear of Hypocrifie the banish'd all Prayer, all Ordinances, left every one to pray by himself, to do as he pleas'd. Which are fuch ways of carrying Men to Perfection, that the more a Man thinks of them, the lefs apt will he be to believe them to proceed from the Divine Spirit.

2

B. I am throughly fatisfy'd as to this; Are there many other Things advanced for the Proof of her Infpiration?

A

A. There is much Talk, Thirdly, about the formity of Conformity of her Writings to the Word of GOD. But fhould we admit it, this affords the Word not the leaft fhadow of an Argument for Diof GOD, vine Inspiration. For altho', to speak contrary another to the Divine Writings, demonftrates the Falthing urg'd fhood of the Pretence to Divine Inspiration, for her inSpiration. yet fpeaking agreeably to Scripture can never prove a Man immediately and Divinely Infpir'd, unless a Man cannot fpeak agreeably to Scripture without immediate and extraordinary Revelation, which is a moft abfurd Conceit. For of what great ufe can a ftanding Revelation be to the World, if Men cannot understand it, and fpeak agreeably to it, without the fame Degrees of Infpiration, that thofe Men had that firft made it? And yet without admitting this,

there

there is no colour of an Argument for one's immediate Inspiration, from fpeaking or writing agreeably to Scripture.

B. I never theght any thing in this.

ration.

A. Lastly, The Knowledge of Men's Thoughts The Know is exceedingly prefs'd for her Divine Infpiration. Men's ledge of This we contefs would be fomething, if it were Thoughts true. But how doth the Truth of it appear?urg'd for A few Inftances of this kind fhould not pafs as ber Infpimiraculous. Many have made this Pretence, to know others business with them, and have fo well acquitted themfelves of it, as to raife to themfelves a good Maintenance, and no common Fame and Reverence amongst the Vulgar. So that this is not the firft time the World hath heard of this Pretence. Conjurers, Fortunetellers, Gypfies do the fame by meer Aftrology, and converting with the Stars, as they pretend, and have rais'd in fuch as have confulted them a mighty Opinion of their Art, and pafs'd undetected a long while. But this is all Cheat. Men that have not a wonderful Opinion of A. B. may impute her Gift to the fame Caufe. But without having recourfe to any thing Supernatural; are there not many blind Sides in Men, many Paffions, many accidental Hints and Words, that lay a Foundation of fhrewd Gueffing? Politicians have many Arts and Rules to this Purpose, whereby they unlock Men's Breafts, ftrike a Light into the inmoft Receffes of their Minds, and tollerably difcern their fecret Aims and Purpofes. Many things with great proba bility fhew the inward State of the Soul, which this Lady pretended to have known in fome Inftances, and which fhe and her Difciples make fuch a Noife about. Did fhe never hear of this Maxim, Out of the Heart the Mouth Speaketh? The Actions and Words of a Man will very far

fhew us his inward Frame. But fhe had not always this Difcernment of Men's Spirits. In fome Cafes fhe was ignorant of Men, and where one would have thought this owledge highly neceffary. (a) She was ignorant of the Girls of the Hofpital, over whom the long prefided, and at last they prov'd all, or the greatest part, in Compact with the Devil: A notable Effect of her Education, and living without any Vocal Prayer, permitting every Body to pray by himfelf! I fay, here one would think the should have had this Gift, if only to have prevented the lofs of fo much time, which fo great a Light, fent to fuch extraordinary Purposes, one would ftill imagine, could illy fpare. Much less Perfons, the Apostles of our Lord, were forbid by the Holy Ghott to preach the Gofpel in fome Places; doubtless because of Men's Indifpofitions to receive it, and the unfuccefs that would attend their Labours there, which could be better imploy'd amongft Men more qualify'd and prepar'd. But that fo great a Perfon as A. B. who had the Gift of difcerning Spirits, fhould be permitted to spend so much of her time to no other appearing End, but her own Vexation and Difparagement; is contrary to the Measures of Providence, in regard to the Apostles; and is in Truth a very unaccountable Difpenfation. For is not here a great Temptation to the World to believe her not altogether free from Diabolical Arts, when thofe, of whofe Education fhe had the immediate Care, who had the Influence of her Inftructions and Example, prov'd Witches and in Compact with the Devil? But to let this pass. No Man fhe had a more extraordinary Opinion of, than of one Saleu; whofe Interior fhe was far from difcerning, who inftead of being (a) Apology for A. B.

poffefs'd

poffefs'd with the most ardent Love to GOD and Man, burn'd with another kind of Paffion, with the fouleft and moft brutal Luft towards her felf; of which he was not in the leaft fenfible, till he himself difclofes the Matter to her, in a Strain beyond the most extravagant and Romantick Lover. This appear'd very unaccoun-table to her felf; and indeed well it might, that The who knew all things to the end of the World, fhould be ignorant of a Matter, that fo immediately concern'd her felf and Honour. This is like the Quakers, many of whom profefs too this Gift of Difcerning Spirits, who have it, where it fignifies little to them, but want it, where efpecially they have been concern'd to have it; where it would be of ufe to prevent Frauds and Cheats on themselves. In fine, A. B. and her Followers prefs this Gift very hard, make it the greatest Proof her Divine Infpiration. Muftit not therefore be pretty Univerfal? Muft it not appear in Inftances unexceptionable? The Primitive Chriftians frequently made this Addrefs and Appeal to the Heathens for the Truth of their Religion; if they did not difpoffefs fuch among them whom they efteem'd Divinely infpir'd, if they did not filence their Spirit, if they did not make him confefs himself a Devil, when adjur'd in the Name of Chrift, they would difclaim their Religion, and contentedly fuffer as Impoftours. In this Cafe, muft they not be very fure of their Gift, in any Inftance the Heathens fhould felect? Suppofing their Adverfaries had joyn'd Iffue on this Challenge, had produc'd a Person of their own, and the Chriftians had fail'd in their Attempt; would it not have been a ridiculous Evafion to have faid, That often times they had done this, altho' now they had miscarry'd"? How extreamly foolish to have pretended a Re

velation