velation from GOD, why they had not succeeded. If this Revelation had been real, and had given themselves Satisfaction; What Satiffaction would it have been to the Heathens? For this is the thing in queftion, Whether they were Divine Meffengers, or Divinely inspired; and if they could have believ'd this latter Pretence to Revelation, they could have with much more Reason, believ'd the former Pretence to it, before any Proof of it had been attempted. This is fuch a way of proving a Man's Divine Miffion, as every Impoftour may produce. The Cafe is much parallel. A. B. appeals to the Knowledge of Mens Interior or Thoughts, as a Proof of all thofe high and wondrous things the af ferts of her felf. Was there ever a fair Tryal of this? Was ever a Perfon difinterifted, produc'd in the fight and hearing of many, the Miracle perform'd? I never heard of any fuch thing, and yet fure this is needful. It is true, our Bleffed Saviour would not gratifie the vain Curiofity of the fews, in fhewing them a Sign from Heaven; and there are feveral good Reafons for this to be affign'd: One is, because whatsoever this Miracle was, for certain he had perform'd as great, altho' of another kind. But as he granted them not this fort of Miracle, fo he ne ver appeal'd to it, for the Proof of his being the Meffias; had he appeal'd to it, had he made this a Proof of his coming from GOD, that he could give them Signs from Heaven; the Defire of the Jews had not been unreasonable, to fee one of this kind, that was clear and unexceptionable. So had a Man demanded of A. B. a clear Difco+ very of another's Thoughts in fome clear and unconteftable Inftance, in the Sight of GOD the thing could never be impious; because to this fort of Proof fhe appeals; and 'tis no more

than

than to defire, to be convinc'd in the way that her felf chooses, and conceives reafonable to be afforded. Had the fail'd in fuch an Attempt, one of thefe two things muft have follow'd: Either that she was not a Divine Meffenger, or elfe, if a Divine Meffenger, GOD did not intend to give the World Satisfaction this way; and then it follows that fhe vainly urges this Gift, as a Proof of her Divine Character.

B. Sir, I thank you, for the Trouble I have given you, and I fee plainly the Proofs upon which fuch mighty Pretences are made are very vain and frivolous. If you have any thing more to obferve in regard to this Prophetess, pray be brief, for I begin to be furfeited on this Head.

4. Some things I told you, Thirdly, inftead Some of proving her Divinely infpir'd, plainly fhew things that her under ftrong Delufions. I might urge many monftrate things to this purpose, but in regard I begin to ber under be tedious, I will only offer two.

First, Her moft horrid Mifinterpretation of Scripture. If her Doctrine agrees not to the reveal'd Word of GOD, fhe her felf discharges us from all Belief in her. Pray remark how admirably fhe agrees to Scripture in these spiritual Comments he makes on it. In order to this, I will repeat to you her words, and the Words of Scripture. (a) St. Paul fays, fo ought Men to love their Wives as their own Bodies; he that loveth his Wife, lovetb himself. For no Man ever hated his own Flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church. Would you not think here the Apoftle is fhewing how Men ought to love their Wives? This is the Blindnefs of your natural Spirit; but

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(a) Ephef. Chap. 5. ver. 28, 29.

Delufions.

the

Part II. but the infallible Spirit of A. B. tells you quite otherwise. Her Words are thefe: (a) And we find the greater part of Mankind now in this state, which the Scripture declares, faying, no Man bateth bis own Flesh; as if it would admonish us, that none bate this Corruption. By which we are to underftand, the Apoftle would foretel fuch a Degene racy of the Chriftian Church, that none would hate their own Flesh. A fad Matter, by which is imply'd, that it is a very good thing to bate ones own Flesh; and because it is clear, the Apo ftle commands Men, to do by their Wives, as by their own Flesh; It follows, that it is a very good thing, to hate ones own Wife ; and becaufe again, fhe would reprefent it,a Mark of bad and degenerate Times, when none hate their own Flesh, but nourish and cherish it, even as the Lord the Church. It follows, this is another Mark of thefe degenerate Times, and a bad thing, for the Lord to love the Church.- Shall I go on far ther?

B. It is enough. Such idle blafphemous Stuff really offends me.

A. I doubt you will be much more offended, if you attend to that Affertion of hers, that we have already mention'd, viz. That fhe was more especially the Seed of the Woman.

B. This Expreffion I ever understood to be long only to our Bleffed Saviour. I never heard or read of any Mortal fo fanciful and prefumptuous as to apply it to himself.

A. I think this one Notion in the Confequence of it, would overthrow the Doctrine of the New Teftament. 'Tis in effect to ftile her felf the Saviour of the World. For if fhe be that Seed

(a) Renovat. of the Gospel-Spirit, 313.

which should defpoil the Devil of his Kingdom and Empire over Mankind, our Saviour will make but a diminutive Figure in the Eyes of all Chriftians. If her Writings be that Seed, that should perfectly and entirely accomplish this Work, enlighten, reform Men, difpoffefs the Devil of the Power he has on their Hearts and Minds, if this be entertain'd and believ'd, for whom are we moft efpecially bound to thank and praise GOD? Whofe Writings are we to look upon as the greatest Bleffing to the World, to read and value moft? Surely fuch as are of the greateft Efficacy to a good Life, and thofe it feems are A. B's.

B. Sir, have done. It really furprizes me to fee the Danger that I have efcap'd. Why, the Refult of this Matter is, this Woman, I perceive, would fecretly and infenfibly withdraw a Man from that Name and Faith, on which our Hopes of Eternal Life depend. Without Miracles or any fuch Proof to affume to her felf fuch a Style and Character, what ftrong Infatuations! What Luciferian Pride!!!!

London

Prophets.

A. Of the fame Nature, feem the Pretenfions of the of our prefent Prophets. (a) A Friend of theirs present fums up their Doctrines in these words: That GOD in his Love thro' Jefus Chrift, will restore to Mankind what Man loft by his Corruption and Degeneracy, viz. That the whole Creation shall appear in its primitive Beauty, and Man regain the Perfection of Adam, and his immediate Communion with GOD. And that this great Restoration fhall be brought about by the Spirit being poured out on all those that thirst after it, and the wicked Defpifers of it, being destroy'd with Judgments from off the Face of the Earth...

(a) Impartial Account of the Prophets, p. 19.

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This Account of their Doctrine and Pretenfions, is given in much Favour and Kindnefs to them: For it is not to be imagin'd, that they deliver themselves thus appofitely, or fo clearly fpeak out the Ends of their own Miffion; but thefe Particulars are collected out of a vaft deal of Rhapsody and incoherent Difcourfe. But granting this the Sum of their Doctrine. This is very much the End of the Miffion of A. B. fhe afferted immediate Infpiration as the fuperiour Rule and Guide to all Chriftians, declared her felf a Divine Meffenger to the World of aftonishing Evils and fuch an Effufion of the Holy Ghoft, as no Age, not that of the Apostles hath known. To this our prefent (a) Prophets correfpond, and in fundry other Particulars, too long to recite. But in other things they differ; as in the Manner of their Infpirations, A. B. utterly disclaiming all fuch as were attended with violent Motions and Agitations of the Body, all fuch as were not immediately directed to the Mind or Intellect; and confequently by her Principles fhe muft have condemn'd the Infpirations of the London Prophets, as he did thofe of the Quakers in her time. She likewife difown'd all Pretenfions to Miracles, look'd upon them as human Cheats and diabolical Delufions; in which the widely differs from the prefent Pro phets, they making the moft confident Preten ces to Miracles, giving out they have wrought fome already, and promifing themselves and the World, they fhall perform many more and greater. Was it not for fome fuch Singularities in these Prophets, it would be needless to make them a diftinct Head of Difcourfe, what we have

(a) Warm. Part II. Page 28.