Their Ec ftacies,&c. another

vine In

Spiration.

thefe Prophets had been acted by the Spint of Delusion, it could not have ended worfe.

B. While we fend forth great Fleets and Armies, had this handful of Men prevail'd against the Tyrant, recover'd the Liberty of their Eftates and Confciences, and enforc'd on him an honourable Peace, Imuft confefs, this would have been fomething, here would have been good Ground to believe the Hand of GOD in it, and that these Men fought by his immediate Direction; and confequently had they hence proceeded in their Miffion, and profefs'd to beIpeak this Nation in the Name of GOD, all wife and good Men would have been better prepar'd to hear them. But when these Prophets come to us from an Affair, undertaken by Infpiration, which is baffled, this must look fufpi

cious.

A. We go on Thirdly. The manner of their Seizure is another ftrong Ground of Prejudice Argument against this Miffion. The Tremblings, the Gulagainst pings, Hiccupings, Foamings, Distortions and Convul their Di- fions of the Body, the (d) utter Ignorance of what is deliver'd in their Agitations, the Drumming, Whifling, Laughing, Threshing, and many other odd things with which this Infpiration is attended, reprefent the Men Frantick, rather than Infpir'd, more refemble them to the Heathen Priefts than the true Prophets of GOD. 'Tis true, Mr. Lacy fays he preferves his Understanding, and is confcious of what is fpoken under Agitations. But it was otherwife with the Prophets in the Cevennes, their Agitations ufually thook them out of their Senfes; and I take it, what proves against them will affect Mr. Lacy (d) Cry from the Desart, p. 26.

in

10.

in the Point of his Miffion; because his Spirit owns theirs, and he deriv'd his Infpiration from them. And I fay, that Men fhould not know what they fay or do under Inspiration, if a Man confiders Things foberly, muft appear ftrange; becaufe Infpiration certainly tends to inform the Mind of him that is immediately Infpir'd, if not more, yet at leaft equally with thofe that hear him. But if out of thofe Fits or Agitations, the Prophet knows nothing of what was utter'd or commanded, he muft neceffarily be beholden to others that heard him for this Knowledge. They muft tell him what the Divine Will or Command is (for he remember'd it not himfelf) and confequently the Hearers will more properly ftand in Relation of Prophets to him, than he to them. And further, If thofe Hearers forget or mistake the Words or true Senfe of the Infpiration, he cannot rectifie them; (for he knows not, remembers not what was utter'd in Infpiration) and if the Prophet be Infpir'd again to remedy this Misfortune, to explain a former Inspiration, this will be still liable to the fame Inconvenience; unless out of Infpiration the Prophet knows what was deliver'd in it. If the Scribes miftake in taking the Infpiration the Prophet cannot rectify the Text. If any Appeal be made to the Perfon Infpir'd, he knows nothing of the Matter, the People know better than he; which is fuch an Abfurdity, as alone would make one fufpect the Truth of that Infpiration, which deprives a Man of his Memory, Understanding, &c. Farther, I appeal to all fober Men, whether it doth not look more likely, that a Man came out of a fit of Diftraction or Light-headedness, than out of Divine Inspiration, when he knows nothing

P

nothing of what pafs'd in it? Infpiration is an immediate Application of the Deity to the Mind, a more efpecial Communion with GOD; and is not that a ftrange fort of Communion with the Divine Spirit, which when the Man returns to his Understanding, leaves little Remembrance or Knowledge of what pass'd, of what was directed or commanded? If it be imagin'd that this looks more Miraculous, to be us'd as a meer Inftrument or Organ, and gives greater Security, that nothing of Man mixes with it, when the Understanding of the Infpir'd is totally confounded: Ianfwer; If this was the End of this Stupefaction that the Infpiration introduces, it would be much more wonderful and miraculous if the Divine Will was communicated by Creatures, naturally incapable of either Understanding or Speech. In this Cafe every Man would be fecure, there could be no mixture of the Creature; But how can any Man be fecure, that there is nothing of Man in Words and Sentences utter'd as in Frenzy, of which he knows nothing afterwards, but is as one coming out of a Dream or Fever! Befides, if a Man knows not what he fays or does after the Agitations, how doth he know he was Infpir'd? The People fure muft tell him this. To return to Mr. Lacy.

.

This must not be urg'd against him, because he declares himself confcious of what he fays and does under Inspiration. And yet he fays fomething that doth not quite agree to this (a): His Words are these. Speaking of his Warnings in Latin. As to my felf, I know that I do not now fo much as understand the English of many Words of them, (a) Warn. Part I. Pref. p. 10.

(the

(the Warnings in Latin) but as the Inspiration it Self does at the time teach me inwardly the Senfe of them. I know not what he means here, unless it be although in the Inspirations he underftands the Latin, yet out of them he does not. If this be the Cafe in Fact, out of his Agitations he muft have others that better understand La tin, to expound the Divine Will.

But in the Infpiration Mr. Lacy and others preferve their Understandings. Really one would hardly think fo by their Actions, as Drumming, Trumpeting, Laughing, Whistling, Hiffing, Kicking and Beating one another. Are not thefe wonderful fober Actions? But they are Signs; very ftrange ones, as let any Man in his Wits judge. I fhall give one Inftance for all. It is to be premis'd, Mr. Lacy was in Agitation, and that we may have a clear Notion how every thing was done, it is explain'd in thefe Words. (a) About two Hours after, fays the Scribe, the preceding Reprefentations, Mr. L. is feiz'd with the Agitations, and under that Inspiration, is taken with a grievous Cough, that makes him groan, and almost faint away. He fits upon the Beds-feet, leans his Head upon a Table, and moans and looks pitifully. At the fame time alfo the Spirit came upon J. A. who with Agitations expreffing much Foy, and with exceeding great Laughter fits down by Mr. Lacy, and turns him about by the Arm, to laugh at him in his Face. Mr. L. with great Averfion avoiding the fame infulting Mirth, &c. Let any Man fanfie to himself this Scene, and I am ftrangely mistaken if it will not favour ftrongly of Bedlam. 'Tis true, all thefe Extravagancies they endeavour to justifie by the Examples of fome Prophets among the

(a) Warn, Part II. p. 98.

Dd

Jews,

I

Jews, but thefe Men do not confider, ift. The great Evidence that attended the Jewish Prophets, that they were acted by the Divine Spirit, their Miracles, &c. which diftinguish'd them from Mad Men. 2dly, Neither do they weigh the Genius of the Jewish People, their Cuftoms/ and ways of Expreffion, in which there is almoft as great a variety, as in Habit and Drefs. It would be judg'd amongst us an odd Expreffion of our Humiliation and Repentance, by Sackcloth and Afhes, and yet we hear of this very frequently in the Old Teftament. And particularly in antient Times, and efpecially in the Orien tal Nations, how Signs and fenfible Reprefentations did prevail, diverfe Learned Men have fhewn. As to the Jews, the greateft part of their Religion was Typical, and it was no wonder therefore, that the Prophets upon fome Occafions, did accommodate themfelves to the Temper, Manners and Customs of the People to whom they addrefs'd. Thefe Signs, which it was Wisdom in them to ufe, would be defervedly efteem'd Folly in others to imitate, where there was no fuch Ground or Induce-, ment. 3dly, There is nothing like this to be found in the Inspiration under the Chriftian Religion. Where do we find St. Paul a Drum-· ming, Whistling, Trumpetting to his Hearers

under Infpiration? And this is the Infpiration that we should principally regard. And agreeably hereto, the antient Chriftian Church made this a Teft of Divine Inspiration, and condemn'd the Infpiration of the Hereticks, that exprefs'd it felf in fuch odd uncouth Freaks and Actions. Neither have we for this the Authority of the Church, but that of St. Paul like

wife,