What a foul Miftake was that, which one of the Infpir'd was guilty of, in requiring my Lord's Chief fuftice, in the Name of the Lord, to stop aq Proceeding in Law against them, which wasn not his Business, nor in his Power to do. This Fact hath been often alledg'd against them, and their Silence about it makes it unquestionable.I Again, the Predictions of the Birmingham Prophets are both unquestionable and direct against them. In the Cry from the Defart (a) one of the InSpir'd declares fuch happy as fhould live to fee, the Year 1706. What is arriv'd to make the Proteftants in France happy? I fhall mention one more very clear to this purpose. (b) The Tower Guns in London fhall roar, fays one under Infpiration, in a few Days, within this Day feven Night Would not one think fome great matter to hap pen by this way of fpeaking? The Time is long fince pafs'd, and nothing hath follow'd. 'Tis true, in another Infpiration they thus explain the Prophecy; by the Tower Guns was meant, Tormenta de turre etherea. This is ftill ftronger a gainst their Infpiration: For how vain and idle is this? If Prophets were allow'd this Liberty of explaining themfelves, who would ever be con victed a Falfe Prophet.

B. I am fatisfied, there is not the leaft proba ble Ground to conclude thefe People Divinely Infpir'd. But pray what are we then to think of them? Are they Cheats? Do they knowingly and wilfully impofe upon the World?

A. I am not willing to fay this of them all: Did they know themfelves Cheats, they would never fix the Time of the Fulfilling of their Pro

(a) Cry, p. 29. (b) Warn. Part II. p. 39.1.

phefies

phefies within fo fhort a Period. I therefore conclude fomewhat of Diftraction to be the principal Cause of this Delufion; yet I would not fo charge it on Diftraction, as utterly to exclude all Diabolical Affiftance. But yet I fee nothing that these Men have faid or done, that Disorder of Mind may not perform. This, the impartial Account of them oppofes; but in my Opinion very weakly, altho' he profeffes to have confider'd the Matter duely, and upon this Head to have confulted the Books of Phyficians. Well, what is the Refult? That mad Men appear with Rage and Fury, are abfurd and ridiculous in every thing they do. I know not what Authors this Perfon confulted, to be inform'd in the Symproms of Difeafes, but 'tis ftrange Physicians fhould fay any fuch thing as this, a thing fo contrary to common Obfervation and Experience. I appeal to himself, whether he did never hear of a Man's being mad quoad hoc,in one particular thing, altho' in other Matters he may fpeak and act with common Difcretion and Sobriety. Madnefs likewife, he fays, is betray'd by the Vifage and ghaftly Countenance. Here is enough of this fure in thefe Prophets, or else they have been ftrangely mifreprefented. When they laugh, whistle, thrash, drum, kick,&c. is not this like Madness? But out of their Fits they are more fober: A thing common to many Men diftracted. To leave this Author.

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Mr. Lacy in (a) one of his Infpirations reckons the feveral Reasons that induc'd him to believe himself Divinely Infpir'd. Let us hear him: First he declares, It arofe not from the Study of prophetick Schemes. It may be not. I rather be

(a) Varn. Part. II. p. 182, c.

lieve it first arofe from the Impreffions that the Actings and Difcourfes of thefe French Prophets made upon his Imagination or Fancy. And this is no fuch Wonder; for the Spirits of fome Men are very fufceptible of Impreffions, and what Power the Fancy has to make Men difeafed, all acute Physicians know. The Sight of fome cruel and barbarous Murder, or of much lefs things, have thrown fome into Fits upon the fpot, which ever after have return'd upon being again prefented with the like Sight. And why may it not be altogether as conceivable, how the Sight of the Fits of thefe French Prophets, their violent Motions and Agitations, their Tone, and the like, may leave an Impreffion on those that hear them, and being rightly difpofed, at laft produce in them the fame Mif fortune. Will not good Actors make Men laugh, and weep, and infpire them with the fame Paffions that they reprefent? A Perfon addicted to Mufick, and Dancing, and ftanding as a Spectator at a Ball, fhall move his Limbs by a fort of Sympathy; let his Imagination be a little higher moved and exalted, and he fhall almoft forget himself and Dance with the rests The Sight of what other Men do, doth strangely difpofe us to do the fame; and if fome Men were every day to fee mad Men, and believe them Divinely Infpir'd, and confequently look upon Madness as the higheft and greatest Gift they were capable of, we fhould fee what Effect it would have. The Difference is, all Men look upon Perfons in Bedlam mad, and confequently they are the Object of no Man's Veneration but Pitty; no Defires poffefs Men to be like them, none go there to admire and to hear the Divine Will; all Men dread to be furpriz'd with the

..

fame

fame Spirit, but was it generally given out they were Prophets. And confequently were Men prepar'd with ftrong Hopes, violent Inclinations to be like them, 'tis not impoffible, but fome upon frequent hearing and feeing them, in time, might, to their great Joy, find the Symptoms of the fame Spirit coming on them apace, as it happens it feems to fuch as attend the prefent Prophets.g

Another Reafon urg'd by Mr. Lacy for his Divine Miffion is, His Fingers were over-rul'd to write, as well his Body to shake, and his Tongue to Speak. What is this? Nothing but involuntary Motions, and fure this is a very weak Proof of fo great a Point, as a Man's being under Divine Inspiration. How many Difeafes and Diforders in the Spirits will produce involuntary Motions? If the Spirits that ferve to voluntary Motion be fo exalted or diforder'd, as not to be under the Government or Direction of the Will, but move contrary to it, this Motion will appear as to the Mind, as arising not from it felf, but fomething else, as if the Parts of the Body were forcibly mov'd or acted. It is unaccountable to Mr. Lacy, how his Body fhould Shake without the concurring act of bis Will to fhake it. Did he never fee a Man in an- Ague, that he makes fuch a Matter of this? But bus Fingers were mov'd to write without any Thonght or Direction of his. Is this fuch a Miracle? What does he think of Men diftracted? Do they not per form many Things without the Direction of their Wills or Understandings? In this confifts their Distraction. What does he think of Men that walk and talk in their Sleep? They move their Tongue, and especially their Feet with a dexterity that they are not capable of when a

wake.

wake. Do thefe Men walk in their Sleep by the Direction of the Understanding or Will? If they did, fure they would be awake. It is the Work of the Fancy or Imagination, and the Man in this Cafe little differs from a Machine. I faw a Lad once that had a fort of Fits, which at first appear'd Convulfive, but afterwards concluded with fuch exquifite Imitations of many kinds, that I believe few Actors could exceed. Mr. Lacy's writing a few Lines deferves not to be nam'd with what this Lad perform'd. Of this many were Witneffes. As to other Matters, the Lad appear'd infenfible, anfwer'd not to any thing was faid to him, but went on with his own Sayings and Reprefentations. If any Man fhould ask, what fhould determine this Youth in his Fit or Ecftacy to fuch particular Imitations? To me it is clear, this Lad's Spirits or Fancy being very delicate, of fome things he receiv'd very strong and deep Impreffions, when in his Senfes; and when the higher Powers of the Mind were fufpended, all those Matters were re-acted, as Fancy mufters up when we are afleep, what we have been chiefly intent on when awake; and had this Lad feen thefe Prophets, I doubt not but he would foon have been a Proficient.

A Third Reafon of Mr. Lacy for his Divine Infpiration was, the Tone of his Voice has been feveral times fuch, that naturally he is not capable of This deferves no Answer. For what Tone could this be! Still this fignifies to me diforder of Mind.

His