A Defense of the Principles of Love, Part 2 · Exception 16
EXCEPT. XVI. p. 9. Answered. Having Dir. 27. given five proofs by which I knew many to be mistaken that expound Texts of Scripture, by the Impressions on their own spirits, I said Dir. 28. [It is very ordinary with poor fanciful women and melancholy persons, to take all deep apprehensi…ns for revelations; and if a Text come into their Of melancholy misinterpretations of Scripture.minds, to say,—This text was brought to my mind, and set upon my spirit, as if nothing could bring a text to their minds but some extraordinary motion of God? and as if this bringing it to their mind, would warrant their exposition.] Whereupon I advise men to know the necessity of the spirits ordinary sanctifying work, and not to despise mens pretences of revelation; but yet to believe none against Scripture. As to the ground of this passage, it is such as is not disputable with me, being matter of sense; (so impossible is it for me to escape all the heinous accusations of this brother.) It is not many years since I have had several persons with me (two or three out of one County) that brought me books written for the Press, and urged me to procure them printed and shewed to the King, in which were abundance of Scriptures abused to many daring predictions of things presently to come to pass, and all upon pretence of Visions and Revelations, and the setting of such an exposition on their hearts: And the men were ignorant, melancholy, and craz…d persons, and the Scriptures almost all fal…ly interpreted, and the predictions fail. And all of them had the fifth Monarchy notion without conference (that I could learn) with any about it.
When I lived in Coventrey, Major Wilkies a Learned Scot, lived in the house with me, who professed to have lived many years in a Course of Visions and Revelations, and had abundance of Texts set upon his heart, and expounded to him by Vision, most for the Millenary way, and for Prophecies about our times and changes, (and some against preciseness) many of his expositions were considerable: some palpably false: some of his predictions came to pass, and some proved false: He was of a hot melancholy temper, and as I heard, after distracted.
If this brother had known how many (if not many score) of deeply melancholy persons have been with me, that have had some of them prophecies, most of them almost in desperation, and some of them comforted by such or such a Text, brought to their mind, which was of a quite different sense, and impertinent to that which they fetcht from it, and some of their Collections contrary to the rest; he would take heed of doing Gods spirit so much wrong as to father poor crazed peoples deliratio…s on it? And this is as common, I think, among the Papists themselves, that meddle less with Scripture than we do: What abundance of Books be there, of the phantasmes of their Fryers and Nuns, as Prophecies, Visions, and Revelations, which the judicious Reader may perceive are but the effects of melancholy and hysterical passions, improved by ignorant or deceitful Priests.
But what is the Charge against me here? Why he saith [He calls them poor fanciful women, and melancholy persons, that ordinarily receive comfort by suggested Texts of Scripture.]
Answ. This is the 16th. visible Untruth. 16 Untruth.Indeed here are are two gross untruths together. 1. He changeth the subject into the predicate, and then affirmeth me so to have spoken. I said [It is ordinary for such fanciful and melancholy persons, to take deep apprehensions for Revelations, and if a Text come into their mind, to think it is by an extraordinary motion of the spirit. And he feigneth me to say, that they that ordinarily receive comfort by suggested texts are melancholy. Is it all one to say, It is ordinary for melancholy persons to pray, to fear, to erre, &c. And, They that ordinarily pray, fear, erre, are melancholy.] Again, Brother, this is not well.
2. He feigneth me to speak of them that [ordinarily receive Comfort] when I have no such word, but speak of them that would draw others into error and separation by confident asserting false expositions of Scripture as set on their mind by revel…tion from the spirit. This is not well neither.
He addeth [If this be not to sit in the Chair of Scorners, what is?] This needeth no answer.
[For (saith he) is not this the very language of holy men; Answ. Alas, brother, how impertinent is your question? The question is, Whether this be the language of no melancholy person? or of none but holy men? and that as holy? Is it not the language of many … Popish Nun and Fryer that pretend to Revelation? Have not I heard it with these ears from multitudes in melancholy and other weakness that have perverted the Texts which they alledged? Have I not read it many books of Experiences? Is he a scorner that saith, that a man may speak the same words mistakingly in melancholy which another speaketh truly? Do you well, brother, to trouble the World at this rate of discourse? For charges on me, I pass them by. And for his saying that the bare recital of their usual words is fitter for a Iester than a judicious Divine, and when he hath done, to be so angry that they be not all ascribed to Gods spirit, I will not denominate such passages as they deserve, lest I offend him.
Lest you deny belief to me, I intreat you and the Reader to get and read a book published by Mr. Brown (as is uncontrolledly affirmed, who lately wrote against Mr. Tombes against the lawfulness of Communion in the Parish Churches) concerning the experiences and strange work of God on a Gentlewoman in Worcester (whom I will not name, because yet living, and God may recover her, but is there well known.) This Gentlewoman having been long vain, and a constant neglecter of publick worship, was suddenly moved to go into the Church while I was there preaching (on Rom. 6. 21.) The very Text struck her to the heart; but before the Sermon was done she could hardly forbear crying out in the Congregation: She went home a changed person; resolved for a holy life. But her affection (or passion) being strong, and her nature tender, and her knowledge small▪ she quickly thought that the Quakers lived strictlier than we, and fell in among them. At last perceiving them vilifie the Ministry and the Scripture, her heart smote her, and she forsook them, as speaking against that which by experience she had found to do her good; And desiring to speak with me (who lived far off,) opened this much to me. But all these deep workings and troubles between the several waies, did so affect her, that she fell into a very strong melancholy; Insomuch that she imposed such an abstinence from meat upon her self, that she was much consumed, and so debilitated as to keep her bed, and almost famished. Mr. Brown (and others) were her instructers, who were very zealous for the way called The Fifth Monarchy, and having instructed her in those opinions, published the whole story in print (which else I would not have mentioned) I shall say nothing of any thing which is otherwise known, but desire the Reader that doth but understand what melancholy is, better than the Writers did, to read that book, and observe with sorrow and pitty, what a number of plain effects of Melancholy, as to thoughts, and Scriptures, and actions, are there ascribed to me…r Temptations on one side, and to Gods unusual or notable operations on the other side! In the end he saith [And indeed when a soul oppressed with sorrow before, shall suddenly find ease, by having some Scripture brought to their mind which before they thought not of if this be not the spirits work as a Comforter, we shall be alwaies doubtful how aad when he performeth that office; which way of Doubting Mr. Baxter's Divinity leads into, which sufficiently shews, it is not of God: For God calls us to hope perfectly, and to rejoyce in the hope.
Answ. The Divinity which I think true and sound, doth teach Enthusiasts, whether Fryers or Nuns, or any such Phanatick, not to believe every spirit, but to try the spirits whether they be of God; And to believe that Satan can transform himself into an Angel of Light; And to doubt whether their suggestions, revelations or prophecies be of God, till it be true and sure: For instance, I would have had your fellow prisoner have doubted of his three after mentioned prophecies uttered in the Pulpit, as from the spirit of God (That we should have no more King, Tythes, or Taxes:) Be not angry with me for giving you such instances; It is only to save others from wronging the Holy Ghost, and exposing Religion to profane mens scorn. And I would not have one turn Anabaptist, if in their sorrow or musing that Text should be set upon their mind, Act. 22. 16. Why tarriest thou, arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins.] Nor would I have another turn Papist, if that Text be set upon his heart, Act. 9. 6. Arise and go into the City, avd it shall be told thee what thou must do: And if it be a Popish Priest that he …irst me…teth with, and think… … … … th… m…n that must inform …im.
I wo…d not …ember of any Church, upon an insufficient reason separate from it, if that Text be se… upon his heart, Come out of her my people, &c. Or … Cor. 6. 17. Come out from among them, and be y… separate, &c.
Nor would I … … Hypocri… …r ungodly person con…lude himself to be sincere▪ if that Text do suddenly come into his mind (how affectingly soever) Ioh, 1. 47. Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile.
Nor would I have an upright doubt…g Christian conclude himself an Hypocrite … that text come into his mind, Act. 8. Thy heart is not right in the sight of God, &c. I think that there is somewhat else besides the sudden coming into our minds, and the deepes… affecting of us, that is necessary to prove the true meaning of a Text, and the soundness of our Conclusions from it. And yet I never doubted but that the spirit doth both cause our comfort, and our resolutions and other gracious effects, by bringing forgotten Texts to our remembrance.
But the way that I think the spirit cureth our doubting by, is all these things following set together. 1. Supposing that he hath infallibly guided the writers of the Scripture. 2. And hath set to it the infallible seal of God (which is the Impress of his Power, Wisdome, and Goodness.) 3. And that he helpeth Ministers to preach this Gospel to us. 4. He next doth help us to Remember, and to Understand it; And no false exposition is from the spirit of God: And he hath left us sufficient means to discern (as far as is necessary to our Salvation and our Comfort) whether it be rightly interpreted or not. 5. And he helpeth us firmly to believe the Truth of it: And of the unseen Glory which it promiseth. 6. And hereby he kindleth in us Repentance, Hope, and Love, and reneweth both soul and life to the Image of God, and the example of Jesus Christ. 7. And then he helpeth us to Act or Exercise all this Grace. 8. And he helpeth us to discern the sincerity of it: And And so by the spirit we know that we have the spirit, and have the witness of Christ, and the seal of God, and the pledge, earnest, and first fruits of eternal life within us, whilest the spirit doth make known himself to be in us. And all true signs of Sanctification, or the Divine nature in us, are signs of this in-dwelling sealing spirit: But so are not the sudden passions, and fancies, and change of parties, sides, or by opinions, or strong conceits unproved, from whence some use to fetch their comforts. 9. And next he helpeth us hereupon to make a true application of the promise of Justification and Salvation to our selves: Having before applied or received it by Faith and Consent, and being Iustified, he helpeth us to apply it to our Assurance and setled Hope and Comfort; and to argue, There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus, that walk not after the flesh but after the spirit: But I am in Christ Iesus, and I walk not after the flesh but after the spirit; Therefore there is no condemnation to me. 10. Next the same spirit exciteth actual Hope and Ioy in the soul, by the said application of the promise; that we shall not only conclude from it, that we have pardon and right to Heaven in Jesus Christ, but also shall have the Will and Affections duly moved with that Conclusion. 11. And the same spirit helpeth us to answer all the false Cavils of Satan, the World, or our misgiving hearts, which rise up against this hope and Comfort. 12. And lastly he helpeth us in the use of all those holy means, by which this Hope and Comfort is to be maintained, and helpeth us against the sins that would destroy it, and so keepeth it in life, and exercise, and perseverance, till we finally overcome. By all these twelve Acts together the spirit causeth the Hope and Comfort of Believers, and saveth them from their doubts and sorrows.
And now, Brother, when you can calmly think of it, I should be glad that you would consider, whether to say this Divinity leadeth to doubting, and that it is not of God, be not, 1. An untruth, 2. An injury to him whom you calumniate, 3. An injury to the souls of men that must be thus comforted, 4. And an injury to God, by telling the World, that his own doctrine is not his own, and by feigning Gods truth to be mans error. And whether your way here opened (by receiving sudden Comfort by a remembred Text) be sounder doctrine? And be not such a way as Papists, Quakers, and most deluded people commonly boast of? And if you bring poor souls no better directions for their full assurance, peace and joy, whether in the end you will not prove a miserable Comforter?