The fecond Part contains the Grounds, on which a Man fhould believe another Divinely Inspired or Commiffion'd. And after fome particular Cafes propounded, in which, Men may profess themselves infpired, and a confideration bad of what will be fufficient Evidence to induce a wife Man to admit them, under thefe feveral Characters and Pretences; by the aforefaid Rules, I endeavour to guess at the Inspiration of the Sibylline Oracles, the Oracles of later date amongst the Heathens, the Infpiration of Socrates, of the Quakers, of that famous Leader abroad Mrs. Boùrignon, and lastly, of the Inspiration of our present London Prophets. How well I have acquitted my felf in this Undertaking, I must leave to the Candid Fudgment and Interpretation of others to refolve.

to them

I am likely, I know, to draw on me the feverest Cenfures from the Quakers, one of whofe Principles I have bere mention'd and tax'd of Abfurdity and Falfhood. Their Reafon I do not fo much fear, as their Anger, which, if they did confider calmly, must appear to extreamly undefer'd. For I am not of their Principles, I believe them under great and dangerous Miftakes, and while I am of this Perfuafion, why should they be more offended with me for not being of their Opinion, than I am with them, for not being of mine? Or why bave not I as much Right to publish my Opinions, as they have to publish theirs? Should we grant the Matter yet in fufpenfe, who is in the right, yei we all believe our felves in the right; and while I believe my Opinions true, I may have their Leave to be zealous for them, as their Zeal fufficiently appears for theirs, and they expect to be allow'd in it. But what if I fhou'd be in the right? Am I then become their Enemy, becaufe I tell them the Truth? This is furely the greatest good I can do them, the greatest Mark of Charity and Friendship I can fhew them... And that I intended them this Good, I take GOD to witness. But they cannot be in the wrong, they cannot err. I hope,

few fober Quakers think fo. Thofe that do not, I pray them to read impartially and candidly this Book, as I affure them I have many of theirs.

I should here difmifs the Reader to the Book it felf, was it not to give him fome fhort Account of this fecond Edition, and likewife to clear my felf of aCharge brought against me fince the Publication of the first. As to this Edition, I fhould reckon my felf an unfortunate Man, if it should not appear to him more perfect than the first, because I have made it very much my Endeavour to render it more compleat, by purging it of Faults, that ufually adhere to the first Impreffion of Books, and especially of unknown Authors; and by making large Additions to it, as upon the Point of the Divine Prefcience upon Bourignonifm, and our present London Prophets, &c. I made thefe Additions, partly from the Suggestions of ingenious and learned Men, who did me the Favour to point out to me fome places wherein I might be liable to Mifconftruction, and others wherein they conceiv'd the whole might be improv'd; as I am highly oblig'd to thefe Perfons Candour and Civility, fo I hope others will receive no Detriment from it.

And altho' I know not well how to answer for their difappointment who have bought the first Impression of this Book, otherwife than by fuggefting, that their damage is not very confiderable, nor the Cafe peculiar to this Effay only. Yet that none may be difcouraged from venturing at this Second Edition, for fear of a like defeat by any farther Addition and Improvement, I think it proper to Advertise, that care has been taken, both by my Self and the Publisher, to have this fo Correct and Perfect, that no farther Alteration fball be made in it for the future.

But I was engag'd to confider Bourignonifm more largely for two Reasons: One was, because of the Zeal with which fome Men appear to propagate it; but more efpecially, because of a Charge, as I said, brought against me, for misreprefenting the Opinions of this pre

tended

tended Prophetefs. I will venture upon the Readers Patience fo far, as to fhew him very briefly the Unreafonableness and Injustice of this Perfon's Accufation. His Words in the Preface of the Tranflation of Mrs. B's Renovation of the Gofpel-Spirit, are thefe. He fays, he (A. B.) pretended to a greater and more extraordinary Infpiration than the Prophets or Apoftles, which is utterly falfe, and I admire with what Face he can affirm it. Other things this Perfon taxes me with, but this is my greateft Tranfgreffion. But to clear my felf of it.

First, I must obferve, the Indignation that this Author expreffes at my reprefenting A. B. as pretending to greater Inspiration than either Prophets or Apoftles Seems strongly to imply, were this true, or had she made any fuch Pretences, fhe had been very faulty and obnoxious, and I had had good Ground to cenfure her, and warn others against her. It is my Fault, that I mifrepresented her in this particular; but fuppofing this a true Account, and she does thus magnifie her felf, what will this Perfon think of her? Will he still believe her Divinely Infpir'd? Or will this prove a real Objection to him as it did to me? If I were fure my proving that A. B. held her felf more inspired than the Prophet's or Apostles would moderate his Zeal towards Fourignonifm, I would take some Pains in it ; and really methinks it should weigh much with him, for it will be a very hard thing to believe her more infpir'd than the Apostles, and much more to justifie fuch a Belief. That A. B. thought her felf more inspired than either the Prophets or Apoftles, I will undertake to prove, and I think it will become this Gentleman in the Virtue of this,either to difownBourignonifm, or else to vindicate thefe Pretences of A. B. and prove her infpir'd beyond any that went before her. For if he hath made Declarations touching her Inspiration which are not true, if fhe fets her felf off beyond the Prophets or Apostles, without Proof, Reafon or Truth, it will follow, I

think, that she was a proud, fanciful, dangerous Perfon; which Character I gave her, and is what this Gentleman exceedingly diflikes. But to the Point, whether the pretended to greater Inspiration than either the Prophets or Apostles I will produce fome Paffages, that if I understand common Sense, are clear to this Purpose.

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Light rifen in Darkness, Part III. pag. 84. Lett. 15. fhe fays, It was faid to me, you fhall fhake the Earth. I know not what this meaneth, mean while I difcover every Day new Wonders. I have feen very near all that fhall happen to the laft Day, that the World fhall endure. If this be true, furely fhe was more infpired than either Prophets or Apoftles. For who can believe they were infpired with a Knowledge of all things that fhall happen to the End of the World? None of their Expreffions imply any fuch thing, but many the contrary. But whatfoever the Apostles thought of themselves, A.B. thought no fuch thing of them, for no Expression is fhe more fond of, nor doth more conftantly ufe, than that they understood only in part. Again, Light Rifen in Darkness, Part I. Lett. 8. p. 31. She has thefe Words. The Law ofGODfhall in every Senfe have its compleat Perfection. We are in the Fulness of Time, wherein all fhall be accomplish'd, and the Holy Spirit pour'd out on all Flefh. Farther, That the Apoftles receiv'd only a fmall Measure of it, as there was but one fmall Glimpfe as it were of Jefus Chrift's Glory fhewn in the Flesh upon Tabor. She goes on Suppofing all these things to be true (as indeed they are) what Difficulty will you find to hear of things, which neither the Fathers nor the Apoftles themfelves have understood? What do thefe Expreffions imply, but that he thought he had a greater Measure of the Spirit than the Apostles, that in her Writings would be found things that they understood not? And

this fhe conceiv'd would be a Difficulty to her Difciples, as in Truth well it might. I fhall produce one Paffage more out of Light rifen in Darknefs, Part IV. page 25. Lett. 3. She thus expreffes her felf, Speaking of the Manna: I believe this is a true Figure of 'what happens now to Chriftians, because GOD fends them a Truth, which is to teach them all -forts of Truth. This is alfo, as it appears to me, the Promise which Jefus Chrift made them, when he was leaving this World, faying, I will fend you the Holy Spirit, who fhall teach you all Truths. Don't you think,Sir, that we begin to fee the Accomplishment of this Prophecy, which Jefus Chrift pronounc'd? For the Holy Spirit has never yet come in full Perfection, feeing the Apoftles affure us, that they understood and prophefied only in part, affirming in the prophetick Spirit, that in the Fulness of Time, they fhould underftand and prophefie in full Perfection. Who can doubt, but that the Time is now come, fince we fee things that we have never before seen, and understand that which was never before understood? Where do we fee thofe things that were never feen or understood? She afterwards tells us. If you proceed in reading more of my Writings, you will there difcover the hidden Treafures of the Kingdom of Heaven, &c. I fay still, I do not understand what common English Words do fignifie, if these carry not her Inspiration beyond the Apostles or Prophets. Many more Expreffions of the fame Nature are there in Light rifen in Darkness, which one would wonder fo great an Admirer of A. B. fhould over look. But it is yet stranger to me that this Objector should forget even what he himSelf has tranflated. For many places there are in the Re novation of the Gofpel-Spirit that hold forth A. B. under this extraordinary Light and Character,that make her greater than the Prophets or Apostles.I shall bring to