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ject to any sensible feelings or perceptions. For what communication can there be between feelings which are properties peculiar to matter, and the suggestion of the Spirit?

-All reasonable Christians believe, that he works his graces in us in an imperceptible manner; and that there is no sensible difference between his and the natural operations of our minds."

I conceive this to be the strength of your cause. To support that conclusion, that the operations of the Spirit are imperceptible, you here allege, 1. "That all reasonable Christians believe this." So you say. But I want proof. 2. "That there can be no communications (I fear, you mistook the word) between the suggestions of the Spirit, and feelings which are properties peculiar to matter." How! Are the feelings now in question, properties peculiar to matter? The feeling of peace, joy, love? Or any feelings at all? I can no more understand the philosophy than the divinity of this. 3. "That the Scriptures declare, the operations of the Spirit are not subject to any sensible feelings." You are here disproving, as you suppose, a proposition of mine. But are you sure you understand it? By feeling, I mean, being inwardly conscious of. By the operations of the Spirit, I do not mean the manner in which he operates, but the graces which he operates in a Christian. Now be pleased to produce those Scriptures which declare, “That a Christian cannot feel or perceive these operations.”

3. Are you not convinced, Sir, that you have laid to my charge things which I know not? I do not gravely tell you, as much an enthusiast as you over and over affirm me to be, "That I sensibly feel, in your sense, the motions of the Holy Spirit." Much less do I "make this, any more than convulsions, agonies, howlings, roarings, and violent contorsions of the body," either "Certain signs of men's being in a state of salvation," or "necessary in order thereunto." You might with equal justice and truth inform the world, and the Worshipful the Magistrates of Newcastle, that I make seeing the wind or feeling the light necessary to salvation. Neither do I "confound the extraordinary with the ordinary

operations of the Spirit." And as to your last inquiry, "What is the best proof of our being led by the Spirit?" I have no exception to that just and scriptural answer, which you yourself have given, “A thorough change and renovation of mind and heart, and the leading a new and holy life.”

4. "That I confound the extraordinary with the ordinary operations of the Spirit, and therefore am an enthusiast," is also strongly urged in a Charge delivered to his Clergy, and lately published by the Lord Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry. An extract of the former part of this I subjoin in his Lordship's words. "I cannot think it improper to obviate the contagion of those enthusiastical pretensions, that have lately betrayed whole multitudes, either into presumption or melancholy. Enthusiasm indeed, when detected, is apt to create infidelity: and infidelity is so shocking a thing, that many rather run into the other extreme, and take refuge in enthusiasm. But infidelity and enthusiasm seem now to act in concert against our established religion. As infidelity has been sufficiently opposed, 1 shall now lay before you the weakness of those enthusiastical pretensions." Page 1, 2.

Now to confute effectually, and strike at the root of those enthusiastical pretensions; "First, I shall shew, that it is necessary to lay down some method for distinguishing real from pretended inspiration." Page 3, 5. “Many expressions occur in the New Testament concerning the operations of the Holy Spirit. But men of an enthusiastical temper, have confounded passages of a quite different nature, and have jumbled together those that relate to the extraordinary operations of the Spirit, with those that relate to his ordinary influences. It is therefore necessary to use some method for separating those passages, relating to the operations of the Spirit, that have been so misapplied to the service of enthusiastical pretenders." Page 5, 6, 7.,

"I proceed therefore to shew, Secondly, That a distinction is to be made between those passages of Scripture about the blessed Spirit, that peculiarly belong the primi

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tive church, and those that relate to Christians in all ages. Page 7. "The exigencies of the apostolic age required the miraculous gifts of the Spirit. But these soon ceased. When therefore we meet in the Scripture with an account of those extraordinary gifts, and likewise with an account of his ordinary operations, we must distinguish the one from the other, and that not only for our own satisfaction, but as a means to stop the growth of enthusiasm." Page 8, 9, 10. ".And such a distinction ought to be made, by the best methods of interpreting the Scriptures: which most certainly are an attentive consideration of the occasion and scope of those passages, in concurrence with the general sense of the primitive church." P. 11.

"I propose, thirdly, to specify some of the chief passages of Scripture that are misapplied by modern enthusiasts, and to shew that they are to be interpreted chiefly, if not only, of the apostolical church; and that they very little, if at all, relate to the present state of Christians.” P. 12.

"I begin," says your Lordship, "with the original promise of the Spirit, as made by our Lord a little before he left the world." I must take the liberty to stop your Lordship on the threshold. I deny that this is the original promise of the Spirit. I expect his assistance, in virtue of many promises, some hundreds of years prior to this. If you say, "However, this is the original or first promise of the Spirit, in the New Testament;" I answer, No, my Lord; those words were spoken long before: "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." Will you reply, "Well, but this is the original promise made by our Lord ?". I answer, not so neither. For it was before this, Jesus himself stood and cried, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink: he that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. And this he spake of the Spirit, which they should receive who believed on him,” (& εμελλον λαμβάνειν οι misevovles eis autov.) If I mistake not, this may more justly be termed our Lord's original promise of the Spirit. And who

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will assert, that this, "is to be interpreted chiefly, if not only of the apostolical Church ?"

5. Your Lordship proceeds: "It occurs in the 14th and 16th chapters of St. John's Gospel; in which he uses these words."-In what verses, my Lord? * Why is not this specified? Unless to furnish your Lordship with an opportunity of doing the very thing whereof you before complained, of "confounding passages of a quite contrary nature, and jumbling together those that relate to the extraordinary operations of the Spirit, with those that relate to his ordinary influences ?"

You cite the words thus: "When the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth, and he will shew you things to come." (These are nearly the words that occur, chap. xvi. ver. 15.) And again, "The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you.' (These words occur in the 14th chapter, at the 26th verse.)

But, my Lord, I want the original promise still; the original (I mean) of those made in this very discourse. Indeed your margin tells us, where it is, (chap. xiv. ver. 16;) but the words appear not. Taken together with the context they run thus:---"If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever: Even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him." Chap. xiv. ver. 15, 16, 17. My Lord, suffer me to inquire, why you slipped over this text? Was it not, I appeal to the Searcher of your heart, because you were conscious to yourself, that it would necessarily drive you to that unhappy dilemma, either to assert that for ever, Els Tov alava, ́meant only sixty or seventy years; or to allow that the text must be interpreted of the ordinary operations

I take it for granted, that the citation of texts in the margin, which is totally wrong, is a blunder of the Printer's.

of the Spirit, in all future ages of the Church? And indeed that the promise in this text belongs to all Christians, evidently appears, not only from your Lordship's own concession, and from the text itself, for who can deny, that this Comforter, or Paraclete, is now given to all them that believe? but also from the preceding, as well as following, words. The preceding are, "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father"---None surely can doubt, but these belong to all Christians in all ages. The following words are, "Even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive." True; the world cannot; but all Christians can, and will receive him for

ever.

6. The second promise of the Comforter, made in this chapter, together with its context stands thus :---" Judas saith unto him, (not Iscariot) Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" ver. 22. "Jesus answered and said unto him, if any man love me, he will keep my word. And my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him," ver. 23. "He that loveth me not, keepeth not my word: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me," ver. 24. "These things have I spoken unto you, being yet with you," ver 25. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you," ver. 26.

Now, how does your Lordship prove that this promise belongs only to the Primitive Church? Why, 1. You say, "It is very clear from the bare recital of the words." I apprehend not. But this is the very question, which is not to be begged, but proved. 2. You say, "The Spirit's bringing all things to their remembrance, whatsoever he had said unto them,' cannot possibly be applied to any other persons but the Apostles." "Cannot be applied!" This is a flat begging the question again, which I cannot give up without better reasons. 3. "The gifts of prophecy, and

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