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did not fee him, who attended at the time and place appointed for that purpose. The grave,

therefore, were as worthy of credit as any other evidences in the like cafe; or, rather, they were more worthy than such evidences as are at a great diftance, either in point of time or place; because the knowledge of their general behaviour (upon which their refpective characters are to be formed) may with more eafe and certainty be obtained, and thereby they become the more proper objects of our confidence. These French Prophets made many Profelytes, of which, very foon, fome became infpired, and were under bodily agitations, like those Frenchmen; and fome went out on missions for the farther propagation of this midnight cry. Of thefe newly infpired, Mr. Lacy, in his collection of prophetick warnings published in the year 1708. enumerates fifteen, viz. Mary Afpinal, Mary Beer, aged 13.Thomas Dutton, Thomas Emes, (or Dr. Emes) John Glover, Anne Good,aged 11. Elizabeih Grey, Mary Keemer, Anna Maria King, aged 13. John Lacy, John Moor, John Moult, aged 15. John Potter, Mary Turner, and Ann Wats. Some time after the opening this new prophetick miniftry, the above-named Thomas Emes Doctor of phyfick died; and at, or after his interment, Mr. Potter being under agitations, which was the vifible token of the divine fpirit's being upon him, foretold that Dr. Emes would rife from the dead on the first of May next enfuing. This prediction being publickly known, it occafioned a great collection of people, who attended the place, at the time appointed, to be fpectators of this wonderful event; but in this they were disappointed, the Doctor did not rise from the dead, as had been foretold, at least he did not fo rife and appear as to be seen by those who went on purpose to behold him. The prophefy thus failing, it occafioned various fpeculations upon the cafe, and many reflections were caft upon this new ministry; fome inferring from this failure, that the whole was an impofition or cheat, in that what they apprehended to have been offered as an evidence of it's truth, proved to be itself a falfhood. How

grave and coffin,in which Dr. Emes's dead body was laid, may have been opened by fome in

vifible

ever, this failure gave no check to the promulgation of this midnight cry; it's promulgers infifted that this failure, or false prophesy as it was called, was given forth and intended by the Deity to be a trial of the faith and conftancy of believers, and to be a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence to unteachable and obftinate gainfayers. A cafe like this we have in God's commanding Abraham to kill his fon Ifaac, not with an intent that the command fhould be put in execution; but it was given only to be a trial of Abraham's faith and obedience. And thus God, by the mouth of his Prophet Mr. Potter, foretold the refurrection of Dr. Emes, not with an intent to raise him from the dead; but that the failure of prophefy, in this inftance as well as in others, might answer the purposes aforefaid. And, admitting in this inftance Mr. Potter predicted what he had no authority for; yet these men infifted that this was no just objection against the divinity of his miniftry in general; because every divinely inspired perfon has it in his power, and is alfo in great danger of mixing his own conceptions with what is dictated to him by the spirit of God, and this, they faid, may have been Mr. Potter's cafe. According to thefe modern Prophets every inspired person is a free being, and as such, it must be in his power to mix and blend his own conceptions with what is dictated to him by the holy spirit ; and, as it requires much watchfulness, care and attention, for a Prophet clearly to diftinguish and Separate what is the produce of his own conceiving power, and what is impressed upon his mind by the fpirit of God; fo, hereby he is in great danger of mixing and blending thefe in the promulgation of them, which blending may fometimes bet the cafe. So that, except a Prophet is exceeding watchful and careful in diftinguishing and feparating, as aforefaid, he is in great danger, unwittingly, of exhibiting that to others as a divine oracle, which is no other than the produce of his own imagination. And this, thofe Prophets faid, was the ground of that diffidence St. Paul expreffed,

I

visible agent, and the Doctor may have come forth alive, and may have paffed away

unfeen

a

1 Cor. vii. 4. and I think also that I have the spirit of God, or I think what I now deliver to you is the produce of divine dictature. And, indeed, this seems to be the case, except human agency be fufpended all the time a person is promulging what he receives by divine inspiration. For as the organs of fpeech are ordinarily moved and directed by the human mind; fo that mind must be capable of exerting itself by acting upon them, even whilft under divine infpiration, except human agency be fufpended; and confequently, must be capable, and may be in danger of mixing it's own conceptions with the dictates of the fpirit. And this fhews what uncertain and unsafe guides, even divinely inspired men must needs be; because they may, through inattention, unwittingly or without design, and even with concern, deliver that as the word of God, which is no other than the produce of human weakness. But farther, thefe Prophets urged, in their own vindication, that the ways of God are not as man's ways, that they are unfearchable and past finding out; that as the wisdom of men is foolishness with God, fo the righteousness of men, or what they judge to be fuch, may be unrighteousness with him; and therefore, the human mind muft of neceffity be uncapable of forming any judgment about them. And this they endeavoured to fupport, by appealing to what they called parallel cafes of the divine conduct, as recorded in holy writ; which cafes they not only averred to be alike repugnant and unfearchable to the human understanding, but they alfo appealed to the judgments and declarations of their opponents for the truth of it; and therefore, faid they, nothing can fairly be concluded in prejudice of this new ministry,from the failure of prophefyin Dr. Emes's,or any other cafe. For, faid they, if God did a&t herctofore in fuch a way as appears to be repugnant and unfearchable to the human mind in but one inftance, of which it is evident from holy Writ that he did in many, then he may act the fame part now, and then the failure

of

may

eyes

of

unseen by all that were prefent; this, I fay, have been the cafe, feeing the all that were then prefent may have been withheld that they should not fee him. And, indeed, if the fenfes are fometimes overruled as aforefaid; then the evidence of sense will be ever uncertain; because we have no rule by which we can judge when fuch power is exercised, and when not.

THESE difficulties do obviously attend the fact of Christ's refurrection, as the evidences. are held forth to us; whatever colouring and Shading may be used to conceal them. And here I dare appeal to the most fanguine believer, whether fuch a conduct as this, viz. Chrift's appearing in fuch a form, after his resurrection, as not to be known by thofe

who

of prophefy, with regard to Dr. Emes's refurrection, can be no juft objection against the divinity of this new dif penfation, fuppofing it, in fome inftances, to be repugnant and unfearchable to the human understanding. But tho' the failure of prophecy in the cafe of Dr. Emes's refurrection, and in other inftances, did not check the progrefs of this new miniftry, which at the firft was confiderable in fome places; yet as it had not in it the feeds of worldly wealth and power, which are the only springs of fuch continued application and diligence as are necef fary to procure fuccefs in any undertaking, whether of religious confideration or otherwife; fo the zeal of it's abettors by degrees grew cold, and the thing itself gradually decayed and wore away, infomuch that in less than forty years it was fcarcely to be heard of.

who were most intimately acquainted with him before his death; his appearing in one form at one time, and in another form at another time; that the eyes of those who faw him fhould be withheld at one time that they might not know him, and that their eyes should be opened at another time that they might know him; and for Chrift to appear, and become vifible in a moment of time, and then instantly to disappear, and become invisible; I fay, whether fuch a conduct as this be not much more fuitable to, and much better adapted to answer the purposes of impofition and fraud, than of bonefty, fincerity, and truth? The playing fast and loose and the acting such a part as above, is what truth does not need to be Supported by, because it can be better fupported without it; it is what truth can gain noreputation from, but rather difcredit; and therefore, it cannot be it's friend; but then, whether the Deity, or one fpecially commiffioned by him, would act such an unaccountable part as this, in an affair of such moment, must be fubmitted to more capable judges.

THAT the Deity should intereft himself, and be so far concerned in the propagation

of

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