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undue compliments to Chrift's perfon, I do not know that these are marks of discipleship at all. I have obferved above, that, from the premises there laid down, this conclufion follows, viz. it is probable Christ's misfion was divine; by which I mean, it is probable that Jefus Chrift was fent of God to be an adviser and an inftructor to mankind, by communicating fuch useful knowledge to them as otherwise they might not have attained to, and by refreshing their memories, and awakening their attention to fuch propofitions as otherwife might have been greatly neglected by them, even where their highest interest is concerned. I have alfo obferved above, that Christianity's prevailing in the way and to the degree that it did, or that it is represented to have done, renders it probable that the hiftory of Christ's life and miniftry is not a fiction: but then, it will not follow, from these premifes, that every thing which greatly prevails oppofition is well grounded. Mankind are not only capable of, but also, as experience shews, are much difpofed to follow every leader, who affumes a divine character, provided he addresses them with the appearance of great ferioufness and a deep concern for

against great

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the good of their fouls; and likewife lárds his doctrine with fomething fublime and myfterious, which affects the paffions rather than the understanding; it's being felt, but not understood, paffing for a fure mark of it's divinity; and alfo garnishes his miniftry with profeffions of strong faith, frequent and fervent devotion, great felf-denial, and a contempt of this world; recommending these as much more valuable than virtue and good works; the latter being like paying Tythe of mint, annifs and cummin; and representing the want of the former, and particularly the want of faith, as being moft dangerous. Such addreffes as these usually make their way upon weak and tender minds, and, fometimes, where the appetites and paffions have been greatly vitiated, as they are adapted to affect both. And the more oppofition any pretence of this kind meets with, the more it is ftrengthened and confirmed; and it's votaries are the more difpofed to credit every thing that is offered in it's favour, and to disbelieve every thing that is offered against it; they being eafily led to think that all fuch oppofition is ftirred up by that common reputed enemy both of God and Man, viz. the Devil, who

it;

is the father of lyes. And as miracles are ufually confidered as proper evidences of a divine miffion; fo the converts to any pretence of this kind easily and readily go into the belief of them, if the times will bear that is, if the credulity of the age is fuch as will prevent a strict scrutiny, and thereby will encourage any bold adventures of this kind. This, furely, has been fully evinced in times paft, and is, I think, in some measure now, by the present run of methodifm; wherein many weak minds feem to be hunting after they know not what, nor for why; and by which fome vitiated ungoverned minds have been corrected and reftrained; and this, no doubt, has given artful men the opportunity of making it fubfervient to their worldly intereft. I have not, indeed, heard that miracles have yet been appealed to, in order to fupport the divine character of our Methodists ministry; but then, this, I imagine, is, in some meafure, owing to the great inquifitiveness of the age, which renders fuch an attempt most bazardous. And, as Methodism seems to fpring from, and to be a compound of art in fome, of great weakness in others, and an indulgence of imagination, poffibly,

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moft extravagant in all; fo it has introduced an oppofition, perhaps, equally as extravagant; as it's impugners load the methodists with imputations which, probably, in many inftances, are moft unjust and groundless, and as they ufually make fuch oppofition as militates upon the profeffion, and principles, and practices of the oppofers. And if fuch a ministry as before mentioned becomes popular, and meets with a general acceptance, which happened to be the case of Mahometanism *, then it may ftand it's ground for many generations; but if it meets with the contrary fate, which feems to be the cafe of the late ministry commonly called the modern prophets, then it may prove very fhort-lived. The pretenfions of this kind are usually confidered, by those who are not prevailed upon to go into the belief of them, to be the produce either of impofition or enthusiasm. By impofition or impofture, I apprehend, is meant a pretending to be under a divine dictature,

*That the great prevalance of Mahometanism was owing to it's being propagated by the fword, cannot furely be true, because it must have prevailed to a very great degree before the fword could have been drawn in it's favour; and then, indeed, it may have been farther propagated and established by the fword, which likewife feems to have been the cafe of Chriftianity.

tature, when the promulger himself judges the case to be otherwife. By enthusiasm, I conceive, is meant a groundless perfuafion that the Deity dictates to, and impresses upon the mind of the promulger, the subject matter of his miniftry; and therefore, fuch a miniftry is fuppofed to be, not of or from man, but of and from God only; that is, it is not, nor cannot be the offspring or produce of human difcernment and human judgment, but wholly of and from and by a divine interpofition. And as it is thought that the subject of fuch a miniftry cannot be the produce of human intelligence; fo it is confidered as what the human under

ftanding is incapable of forming any judg ment about; the spirit of the prophets being only fubject to the prophets, 1 Cor. xiv. 32. that is, what is the produce of a divine dictature, and is promulged by a prophet, as it is not difcoverable by human intelligence, fo it is not to be tryed, nor judged of by it, but by thofe alone who partake of the prophetick fpirit; and this involves the cafe in great perplexity: For, unless a man does himself partake of the prophetick fpirit, he is incapable of forming a judgment upon any thing that comes forth under a divine character;

VOL, II.

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