fully fhewn in his writings against them, wherein a strange myftery of iniquity is detected. Few people know at this day what the Quakers were at their first fetting out.

The Character of Enthufiafm.

ENTHUSIASM has no principle but imagination; to which it has committed itself: and when there is no rule but fancy and impulfe, every thing a man does is right, and he can think himfelf in the exaltation of charity, when he is in the gall of bitternefs. He rifes to a sphere above others, from whence he looks down upon them with difdain, which he calls piety. From a loose, idle, and disorderly life (for so it hath often happened) he is converted without repentance, and commences teacher without knowledge. He finds latitudinarianism very convenient, and can take the colour of every company he is in. He thinks well of every thing but a churchman; yet he can keep himself within the church, while he makes his court to her enemies. He boafts that he has conquered the fear of man, when he is past shame or feeling.

A certain perfon, who after a profligate life, took to the reading of Mr. Law, without preparatory knowledge, fell into a state of great mortification; preferred fafting to the facrament, and told his friends he received more benefit by it. He foon began to talk freely of the other facrament; decried infant baptism, and and all water baptifm*: and the church having fet apart Wednesdays and Fridays, as days of mortification, he fixed on Monday as his fasting day. He waited for new revelations to his mind, while he neglected that already given, which is fufficient for every purpose. He fpake flightly of an acquaintance, as having once been in a fair way to be a Chriftian. The fact was this: that acquaintance had been inftructed from his childhood in the Holy

In a history of the church, during the three first centnries, by Mr. Milner, the following obfervation occurs on the facrament of baptism:-" In Cyprian's time, to call baptism itself the new-birth was not very dangerous. In our age it is poison itself ¡ for it has long been the fashion to fuppofe all baptized perfons regenerate of course." P. 358. It does not appear how baptifm and the new-birth can be feparate things, when the express words of our bleffed Saviour-BORN of WATER-have joined them together: neither do we know who has been poisoned by any established falfe doctrine concerning baptifm; when the church teaches us to pray for spiritual regeneration, and beavenly virtues, and that every baptized Christian may lead the rest of bis life according to that beginning. If the Gospel does not promise the new-birth to water-baptifm, where and when doth it teach us to exped it without baptism 8

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Scripture, which enabled him to see through the deception, and

avoid it.

The Evils, of Enthusiasm.

ENTHUSIASM has been the root of the greatest evils that have befallen the Chriftian church. From this arofe the Popish legends of their faints, which have been used as inftruments, in the hands of evil-minded perfons, to induce them to reject the belief of the real miracles of Chrift and his Apoftles: and from hence our feveral forts of Diffenters took their rife; till they were once fettled and established, and then dropt it by degrees, because it would infettle themselves. It is a perfect oppofition to all rule or government; and there can be no order kept where it is admitted *.

Among the other evils of Enthusiasm, it is not the least, that a difgrace is thereby brought on all appearances of godly zeal, and Chriftian piety. An evil word goes out against a good man, and the effect of his labours is leffened, if not entirely defeated. The beft gold may be brought under fufpicion, if malice takes advantage of the counterfeits that are abroad, with design to poifon the ignorant, who know not how to diftinguish. Thus said the Jews of our bleffed Saviour," he hath a devil, and is mad, why "hear ye him?" At the time of Chrift's miniftry, many were poffeffed by devils; and the fact being true in general, would be credited of any particular; but the scandal was raised by perfons

Preface to the Snake in the Grafs, p. 12.

“ Extraordinary inspirations are not to be credited, unless vouchsafed by miracles, which God always fent to atteft an extraordinary commiffion. And if they are pretended to come from him, and do not, we are fure they must come from the devil.

"Enthufiafts have no principles: they have no rule but their own fancy, which is ftrongest in madmen: and this they mistake for inspiration, and then their madness is at the height. It is as inconftant as the wind; for they can promise themselves nothing for an hour together.

"Enthusiasm is an art, by which we impofe upon ourselves as well as upon others. They fay a man may tell a lie, till he comes to believe it himself: and a strong en thusiastic habit may fix a man's thoughts upon a beloved object, till it dazzles his un ́derstanding, and glares so in his fight, that the worst abfurdities will go down, and the highest blafphemy obtain the character of piety and devotion. It is a fatal mistake of the foul, and generally irrecoverable, when it falls in love with its own disease. In a calenture, the unhappy patient mistakes an unfathomable ocean for a pleasant field, as the enthusiast mistakes prefumption and blafphemy for holy contemplation and hu mility; which, in effect, is mistaking hell itself for heaven."-[From Bishop Horne's Remarks on the latter Writings of Mr. Law. }

who had neither godlinefs nor honefty. And if he who fpake as never man fpake, and confirmed his word with miracles and figns, could not escape the fouleft cenfure, the best man upon earth, be his caution and prudence what it will, can hardly preferve an uninjured reputation: they that fcrupled not to call the Mafter of the houfe Beelzebub, will never fpare those of his household. The character of a fober Chriftian will always be in danger from two forts of people, the lukewarm, and the fanatic; from those who have too much religion, and those who have too little. With the former fort his piety will be lifeless and formal; and the latter will brand him for an enthufiaft. Thus it was, and thus it ever will be: true piety, like all other virtue, is in the middle, between two extremes.

The Prevention and Cure.

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THE caufes of Enthufiafm being known, its cure must be oppofite to its caufes, on the principle of what the physicians call medicina contraria. If Enthusiasm arifes, from ignorance of the Scripture, and the doctrine and discipline of the primitive church, let the Scripture be studied, and the religion of the first Chriftians enquired into. One way to be fecured against any root of evil, is to fee and confider the fruits of it; and the fruits of Enthusiasm, with all its extravagances, were never more confpicuous than in our English Quakers; whofe errors are completely laid open in Mr. Leflie's Snake in the Grass; a piece too curious and useful to be neglected and there is a preface to it, (already quoted) -describing the enthusiasm of Antonia Bourignon: fhewing, from her example, the marks by which Enthufiafm may be known, and detecting it under all its difguifes. To that preface the reader is referred for any thing that may be wanting in these short obfervations.

N. B. The above discourse, though excellent for its method and matter, is written with fuch abbreviations and references in the author's manufcript, that the Editor has been obliged fometimes to interpret, and fometimes to fill it up to the best of his judgment.

S CHI S M.

秘

TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE RELATING TO IT.

T tends to fubvert the kingdom of Chrift. Matth. xil. 25. "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to defolation; and every city or houfe divided against itself shall not "ftand." It is a work of the flesh. 1 Cor. iii. 3. Ye are yet

carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and ftrife, "and divifions, Sixosaoiai, are ye not carnal, and walk as men'?" Gal. v. 19, 20, "The works of the flesh are manifest, which ❝are thefe, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, ftrife, feditions, "herefies." 2 Tim. iv. 3. The time will come when they "will not endure found do&trine, but after their own LUSTS "they fhall heap to themselves teachers, having itching, ears. "And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall "be turned unto fables. But WATCH thou in all things, &c." -2 Pet. ii. Io... "The Lord referves the unjuft unto the day of judgment to be punished; but chiefly them that walk after the flefb, in the luft of uncleannefs, and defpife government: pre"fumptuous are they, felf-willed; they are not afraid to speak " evil of dignities." Jude 8. "Thefe filthy dreamers defile "the flesh, defpife dominion, and speak evil of dignities." II. "Woe unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain." 18. "They [the Apostles] told you there should be, mockers in the

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laft time, who should walk after their own ungodly lufts. These "be they who separate themselves, fenfual, having not the spirit." Jam. iii. 13. Who is a wife man, and endued with knowledge among you? Let him fhew out of a good conversation his works with meeknefs of wisdom. But if ye have bitter "envyings and ftrife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.. This wifdom defcendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and

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"ftrife is, there is confufion, and every evil work. But the wif"dom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, "and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrify. And the fruit of righteousness "is fown in peace of them that make peace. From whence "come wars and fightings (or brawlings) amongst you? come "they not hence, even of your lufts which war in your "members?"

Schifm excludes from the kingdom of heaven. Gal. v. 20, 21. "They that do fuch things, fhall not inherit the kingdom of "heaven." It is to be rewarded with the fire of judgment. John xv. 4. "He that abideth not in the vine, is cast forth as "a branch, and is burned." Heb. x. 25. "Not forfaking the "affembling of ourselves together, as the manner of fome is." St. Auguftin, Serm. 11. on Matth. xii. 32. makes it the fin against the Holy Ghoft. Schifmatics are to be confidered as exotics. Matth. xv. 13. "Every plant that my heavenly Father "hath not planted, fhall be rooted up." They are withered branches. John xv. 6. Falfe brethren. 2 Cor. ii. 26.. "False "brethren unawares brought in." Gal. ii. 4. Matth. vii. 15. "Beware of false prophets, that come to you in sheep's clothing, "but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye fhall know them "by their fruits." Acts xx. 29. "Grievous wolves enter in, not "fparing the flock." Matth. xxiv. 11. "Many false prophets "fhall arife, and fhall deceive many." I John iii. 14. "He "that loveth not, abideth in death. Whofoever hateth his bro"ther, is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath "eternal life abiding in him." 1 Tim. vi. 3. "If any man "teach otherwife, and confent not to wholesome words, even to "the words of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and the doctrine which is "according unto godlinefs, he is proud, knowing nothing, but. "doating about queftions and ftrifes of words, whereof cometh

envy, strife, railings, evil furmifings, perverse difputings (or, "gallings one of another) of men of corrupt minds, and deftitute "of the truth, fuppofing that gain is godliness: from fuch with"draw thyself." Tit. i. 10. "Many unruly and vain talkers and "deceivers." John v. 14. "This is the confidence we have in "him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth -Woe unto that man by whom the offence cometh." Mark ix. 42. "It were hetter that a milftone were hanged about his "neck, &c." Phil. iv. 21,"Salute every faint in Chrift Jefus;

<f us.