and thofe cloven fiery tongues to be emble matical, it does not feem to help the cafe. For if the gift of tongues had not followed those frightful appearances, then they would have been like the trumpet which gives an uncertain found, no one would have known what was pointed out by them. And as the gift of tongues is fuppofed to follow those emblems, they thereby became as useless; seeing the thing explained itself, and did not need any fuch emblematical representation, Again, we have an account in this history of the Acts of the Apoftles, (chap. xix. ver. 11, 12.) that God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul, fo that from his body were brought unto the fick handkerchiefs, or aprons; and the difeafes departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. That the apoftles, like their mafter, employed their miracle-working power in curing all manner of fickness and difeafes among the people, when properly applied to, was, I think, fuitable to their character; but then, what has this to do with handkerchiefs and aprons? Did the healing and difpofing power, which took place in St. Paul, pafs from his body into thofe handkerchiefs and aprons? And when thofe garments were carried carried to the fick and poffeffed, did the aforefaid power pass again out of those handkerchiefs and aprons into the persons they were brought to, fo as to heal the fick and drive the evil fpirits out of those who were poffeffed by them? This, or fomething like this, must have been the cafe, according to The curing it was the account that is given of it. diseases, and cafting out of devils by, or through the inftrumentality of handkerchiefs and aprons, favour ftrongly of fiction; because those cures could have been as effectually wrought without thefe, if they were the product of divine power; but for St. Paul to have spoke the word, and the diseases and evil spirits would have departed forthwith, fuppofing handkerchiefs and aprons to have been out of the cafe. Matthew viii. 7, 8. And Jefus faith unto him, (the Centurion) I will come and heal him. The Centurion anfwered, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak the word only, and my fervant fhall be healed. The cafting out of devils, and curing difeafes in the use of handkerchiefs and aprons, look too much like juggling, and feem more fuitable to Q4 fraud fraud truth, or than to be applicable to the fupreme Deity; and therefore, I think, the authority of one fingle nameless hiftorian is not fufficient to fupport the credit of fuch relations as thefe. Again, we have an account in Acts v. 15, 16. That the people brought forth the fick into the streets of Jerufalem, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the leaft the Shadow of Peter paffing by might overshadow fome of them. There came alfo a multitude, out of the cities round about, into Jerufalem, bringing fick folk and them which were vexed with unclean fpirits, and they were healed every one. This is carrying the business of working miracles and healing diseases to such a height, as naturally leads one to suspect it. The people, according to this account, were healed of their respective difeafes, whether the apoftles would, or not. For as the power of healing did not only refide in the apoftles, but alfo in an atmosphere that furrounded their bodies; fo whoever came within that atmosphere was healed of whatfoever and impofition, than bonefty and *This hiftory of the acts of the apostles feems likely to have been the product of the fecond century, in which, according to the learned, fraud and impofition took place in great abundance. whatsoever difeafes he had; this, I fay, seems to have been the cafe. And this was done in great abundance, not only with respect to those who lived at Jerufalem; but multitudes were brought in from the cities round about, and the fick were healed, and many devils were forced to quit their habitations. This, one might think, fhould have fo prejudiced the multitude in the apostles' favour, as to have put it out of the power of the priests to hurt them. For had the apostles cured all the fick, infirm and mad people in and about Jerufalem, as the history sets forth, it would, of courfe, have drawn the world after them; the good effects of their power would fo generally have been seen and felt, that the multitude would certainly have been captivated by them, without any nice enquiry from whence their power was derived, or what kind or degree of evidence arofe from it; and the exercise of fuch power, thus kindly directed, would, surely, have been a fufficient protection to those who used it, whatever prejudices may have been taken up against them, and whatever oppofition may have been made to them. Were a certain number of men how to make their appearance in London, and go to the several hofpitals of Bethlehem, St. Bartholomew, &c. and cure, in an inftant, all the fick, lame, and mad people, together with all others in and about London; this, I dare fay, would be a fufficient protection to them, let them preach what doctrine foever, and yet it was no protection to the apoftles in a like cafe, tho' this feems to me past belief. Suppofe thofe men who are engaged in that new miniftry commonly called methodifm, who go forth to preach in like manner as the apostles did, without any defignation from men, and who declare themselves to be actuated, influenced and guided by the fame spirit as the apostles were; if the fame power did likewise attend these men, and was exercised in like manner by them, as is faid to have attended and to have been exercised by the apostles, and which may well be fuppofed would attend them, were their cafes the fame, seeing conviction is as defireable, as neceffary and ufeful now as heretofore; I fay, suppose those perfons employed in the ministry of methodism did really cure all the fick, lame, deaf, dumb and blind people, where-ever they came, that were offered to them for help, and which, no doubt, would be offered to them in great abundance, were fuch power once |