bis Remembrance a Paffage or two (for fhould 1 collect all, this Preface would fwell to a vaft Length). What thinks he of this? Renov. of the Gospel-Spirit, Part II. pag. 263. I know my Children, that GOD hath revealed many things, and many high Divine Myfteries unto me, which are not abfolutely neceffary for you to know, in order to your Salvation; fuch as the glorious Eftate in which Man was created, the Birth of Chrift coming from Adam, as the Firft-born of every Creature, that all GOD's Works fhall endure for ever, and fuch like other Myfteries, feeing they are hidden Secrets, which our Fore-fathers knew nothing of, tho' fo many holy Prophets and Patriarchs, and other particular Perfons, have been fav'd without the Knowledge of all these things, and GOD was not pleas'd to reveal them, until the latter Ages wherein we now live. Did thofe many holy Prophets and Patriarchs know thefe Mysteries? She declares not. Did the Apoftles know them? No, they were never reveal'd until the latter Ages wherein we now live. I bave only one Question more to ask; Did the know thefe Myfteries? She exprefly declares it. I am fure, then he was more infpir'd, bad farther Revelations than the Prophets, Patriarchs or Apoftles. I fhall cite one Paffage more to this purpofe. The Introduction to the Renovation of the Gofpel-Spirit. She thus difcourfes, p. 130. 'Tis true, honeft and well-meaning Men, have at all times receiv'd of the Holy Spirit fome neceffary Lights for their Salvation. But they have not always had the Grace to know all Truth The ancient Prophets did receive the Light of the Holy Ghoft, as to what they have declar'd from GOD, yet they fail'd in feveral things, as may be feen in the Old Teftament; that fome were chaftis'd by GOD for having difobey'd him and even the Apoftles, tho' they receiv'd receiv'd the Holy Ghoft at Pentecoft, did: not for all that understand. all Truth, feeing. they difputed amongst themselves, whether it was fit to circumcife or not, and had feveral other Differences, &c. Nay, they faid of themfelves, we know in part, and prophefie in part, but when that which is perfect (the Fulness of Time) is come, we fhall know and prophefie in full Perfection. Thus we fee at large, how it ftood with the Apoftles, what a little diminutive Light they had. Now bebold A. B. She goes on. So that the Holy Spirit which was promis'd to come and teach us all Truth, hath not appear'd 'till now, that he begins to difcover himself, in teaching all Truth, &c. I would pray this Perfon. to acquaint us, where the Holy Spirit began to come. in full Perfection, when she utter'd thefe Words, Was it not in her felf? And doth not this infer her more inSpir'd than the Apostles? It would be needless to mul tiply Quotations in fo plain a Cafe, and indeed, I ought to beg the Readers pardon for this impertinency already; and if this Perfon wants a farther Fuftification, of what I have afferted as to A. B's Pretenfions, if he pleafes to turn to the Head, where I particularly confi der ber Doctrines, he will find more to his purposes In the mean time, what a Spirit acts thefe Men, that pretend to Inspiration? He reprefents me as attempting to blacken and calumniate A. B. to have no regard to Truth or my own Reputation for fuggefting of her that the pretended to greater degrees of Infpiration than the Prophets or Apoftles. He admires with what Face I could fay this, he declares it utterly falfe that he has faid any Such thing. After this would not one think that he bad dropt no Expreffions that would bear fuch an Interpretation? That she was the farthest in the World from this Prefumption to exceed the Apostles in the business of Inspiration? Yet I declare there is hardly any thing fhe more 2 more frequently afferts. And I hope the Reader in those few Inftances I have given, will perceive, he doth affert it. This still adds farther confirmation to me that all Perfons piously difpofed were much better to return to found Reafon and Scripture, to make these their Rule, to endeavour to improve in thefe, than expect immediate Revelation, as the Apostles had. For I cannot fee, that this Principle makes Men either wifer or better than others, that it improves either their Understandings or Morals, of which this unknown Perfon feems to me a fresh and clear instance;for mudled and intoxicated with conceits of Infpiration, he seems appa-.. rently not to apprehend or remember what his own Apoftle or he himself writes; and is fo four'd in his Temper, as to charge a Man immediately with the bafeft Crimes, with an intent to blacken and calumniate, because he cannot inftantly fall in with his Fancies. If this Difcourfe tends to draw Men off from fuch abfurd and Enthufiaftical Conceits, and beget in them an entire Reverence and Submiffion to the Word of GOD, to make Men rationally and foberly Religious, inftead of being whimsical and distracted; I have abundantly my End, and I doubt not but my Intentions and Endeavours will be kindly received by Good Men, bowfoever lame and deficient the Performance proves. 1 THE The Lives of many Quakers, a strang. Argument 6 That she gives no folid nor fatisfactory Proof of her Infpira- tion. 7,8 Two Things neceffary to his Character, 1ft. He must certainly know himself Infpir'd, or fent of God: 2dly, He must be capable of giving rational Proof and Sa- tisfaction to others, touching his Divine Inspiration or True and Divine Inspiration is accompanied with something The Belief of a true Prophet as to his Inspiration, is found- ed on Reafon, or is a rational Affent. 16, 17, &c. An Objection drawn from the Belief of common and illiterate Chriftians, who often seem firmly to believe the Revela- tions of the Gospel, to the producing of which Belief or Faith, the Affiftance of the Spirit of God is fuppos'd neceffary, which Faith feems not founded on the Evidence The Contents of the Firft PART. The Anfwer to this Objection. 1.The Difference between a blind Affent and a true Faith. 19 2. The Faith that the Spirit of God concurs to beget in the Hearts of true Chriftians, differs from the Faith or Be- lief, that meer Prejudice or Education inftils the one is built on rational Grounds and Motives, the other is It is not needful to a true Faith, fuch as the Spirit of God begets on the Minds of Good, altho' illiterate Chriftians, that it should be accompanied with such other Abilities, as to qualifie them to answer all the Objections, that Wit and Sophiftry may raise against it. The Pertinency of Mr. Keith's Reply to fome Quakers. The different ways of Divine Revelation by outward Repre- 27 1. Of Divine Calls or Voices. How Men have mistook these.28 Several Circumstances attended this way of God's revealing himself, which evidently distinguish'd it from Delufi- on. p. 30, 31, &c. as is confirm'd from Inftances out of Sacred Writ, particularly from the Revelations made Sometimes the Power of Miracles conferr❜d on fuch as God hath truly reveal'd himself to. Yet not this always fo, neither is always needful. And the Altho' a Power of Miracles is not always necessary to a Per- Something Miraculous must attend this Inspiration, must be feen or heard, &c. to denote it to come from God, 42 This confirm'd from Scripture. Good Men have often ask'd Signs of God, in order to fatisfie them, touching particu lar Revelations, and they have been granted them. 43, &c. A Perfon may truly receive a Divine Revelation, and yet not he fo abfolutely and throughly fatisfy'd as to the Truth of it, at the inftant of its being made, as afterwards. 45, 46. Of Revelations by way of Dreams. Diverfe Conjectures how |