CHAPTER XIII.

The author's charge against the apostles, examined. His pretence that they themselves were far from claiming infallibility, considered. It is shown that they did profess to be under the unerring guidance and inspiration of the Holy Ghost, in publishing the gospel of Jesus; and that they gave sufficient proofs to convince the world of their divine mission. The attestations given to Christianity, and to the doctrines taught by the apostles, by the extraordinary gifts and powers of the Holy Ghost, considered and vindicated, against our author's exceptions. His pretence that those gifts of the Holy Ghost might be used like natural faculties and talents, according to the pleasure of the persons who were endowed with them, either for the promoting truth or error; and that the false teachers, as well as the true, had these extraordinary gifts and powers, and made use of them in confirmation of their false doctrines, examined at large.

HAVING examined our author's insinuations against the Lord Jesus Christ, let us now proceed to consider what he offers with a view to subvert the authority of the apostles, and to show that they are not at all to be depended on, in the account they give of the religion of Jesus, of which they were the first authorised teachers and publishers to the world. He affirms that they themselves never so much as pretended to the infallible guidance of the Holy Spirit; or if they had pretended to it, their great differences among themselves about the most concerning points of revelation would have been an evident demonstration to the contrary: that they preached quite different and even contrary gospels: they reported the doctrine of Christ according to their own Jewish prejudices, and made a wrong representation of several facts, ascribing to him things which he never did, and prophecies which he never uttered, and doctrines which he never taught; that besides this, the New Testament was farther corrupted and interpolated afterwards by the Christian Jews, so that, as it now stands, it is a strange mixture of religions, of Christianity and Judaism, though they are the most opposite things in the world.

I shall first begin with the attempt he makes against the infallibility and divine inspiration of the apostles. He alleges that There was no pretence in those apostolical times to any Spirit or Holy Ghost, that made men either infallible or impeccable; that set men above the possibility of erring or being deceived themselves as to the inward judgment, or of deceiving others in the outward sentence and declaration of that judgment. This was the wild and impudent claim of the church of Rome in after ages, which the apostles themselves, who really had the Holy Ghost, and the power of working miracles, never pretended to. And though this has been liberally granted them, and supposed of them

by our Christian zealots and system-mongers, yet it is what they never claimed,' pp. 80, 81.

As to what he calls their being impeccable; an absolute impossibility of ever sinning at all, or doing a wrong thing in a single instance, in the whole course of their lives, neither the apostles themselves, nor any for them, ever did pretend to this. Nor is it at all necessary to suppose such an impeccability as this in order to their being depended upon. It is sufficient if they were persons of such honesty and integrity as to be incapable of contriving and carrying on a deliberate solemn imposture in the name of God, and of putting known falsehoods upon the world under the pretence of a divine revelation. This is all the impeccability, if the author is resolved to use this word, that we are concerned to stand up for with regard to the apostles, and surely this is no more than may well be supposed concerning many persons that are not absolutely raised above all the passions and frailties of human nature, in its present imperfect state. And this the apostles certainly claimed. They affirmed that they did not follow cunningly devised fables; that what they heard and saw, and what their hands had handled of the word of life, that they declared.' That they knew that their record was true, and called God to witness to it. They declared with a noble confidence, arising from an inward consciousness of their own integrity, that their rejoicing was this, the testimony of their conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, they had their conversation in the world.' That they did not corrupt the word of God, nor handle it deceitfully, or walk in craftiness, but had renounced the hidden things of dishonesty; and as of sincerity, as of God, and in the sight of God spoke they in Christ.' And could appeal to those that beheld their conversation, and 'to God also, how holily and unblameably they behaved themselves.' And this author himself seems to grant, that it is probable that men so qualified and acting, as the apostles are supposed to have done, could have no design to deceive us.' p. 93.

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As to infallibility, it is true that in the sense in which this author seems to understand it, as signifying that absolute infallibility which he tells us is the sole prerogative of God himself, or of an omniscient being, see p. 9, and p. 83, viz. an utter impossibility of ever erring, or being mistaken at any time, or in any thing whatsoever, it is certain the apostles never pretended to it: for they never pretended to be gods, or to be omniscient. Nor have any of those whom this writer contemptuously calls system-mongers ever ascribed it to them. But if by infallibility is meant no more than their being under an unerring guidance of the Holy Spirit, so as to be kept from error or mistake in teaching and delivering the doctrines and laws of Christ, it is certain they did pretend to this. They declared that Christ had expressly promised his Spirit to teach them all things concerning him, and to bring all things to their remembrance whatsoever he had said unto them.' John xiv. 26. And had assured them that when the Spirit of truth came, whom he would

send unto them from the Father, he would guide them into all truth. For he should receive of his, and show it unto them,' John xvi. 12, 13, 14. It is evident therefore that if this promise of our Saviour was accomplished, and it is certain that they themselves believed and professed that this promise was fulfilled to them, they were guided by the Spirit of truth in the whole of the gospel doctrine; and accordingly they claimed a regard to the word they preached, as the word of God and not of men,' and urged the disciples to be mindful of the commandments of them the apostles of our Lord and Saviour,' 2 Pet. iii. 2; 1 Thess. ii. 13. The apostle Paul, who was not one of those that attended Christ during the course of his personal ministry, but was afterwards taken into the number of the apostles, by the immediate call of Christ himself, doth also in the strongest manner lay claim to this divine guidance and inspiration. He usually begins his epistles with declaring that he was an apostle of Jesus Christ, in order to challenge a regard to the instructions he gave and the doctrines he taught. He affirms, that the things which he preached unto others God had revealed unto him by his Spirit, that Spirit which searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God,' 1 Cor. ii. 4, 6, 10, 12, that he had or knew the mind of Christ, ver. 16, that the things which he writ 'were the commandments of the Lord,' 1 Cor. xiv. 37. He talks of Christ's speaking in him,' 2 Cor. xiii. 3. He could not more strongly assert his own divine inspiration, and the certainty and divine authority of the doctrines he had preached, than by declaring, though an angel from heaven should preach any other gospel than that which he had preached, let him be accursed,' Gal. i. 8, 9. And again, ver. 11, 12, 'I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.' And he plainly supposes and asserts the divine inspiration of the other apostles too, and their entire harmony in the doctrines they preached in the name of Christ, when he represents Christians as 'built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone,' Eph. ii. 20. And declares that the mystery of God was 'revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.' Eph. iii. 5.

It is plain then that the apostles did profess to be infallibly guided by the Holy Spirit in the doctrines they taught, and the laws they delivered in the name of Christ. If it be asked, which this writer seems to say is the proper question in this case, whether they were not mistaken themselves, or what proof they gave to the contrary? see pp. 93, 94; I answer: that they were not mistaken in imagining themselves inspired by the Holy Ghost is manifest from the extraordinary gifts and powers of the Holy Ghost conferred upon them, and discovering themselves by the most wonderful effects; whereby it plainly appeared, that the promise Christ had made to them of sending his Spirit to guide them into all truth, and to endue them with power from on high,' that they might be his witnesses unto the uttermost part of the earth,'

Acts i. 8, was fully accomplished. The evident design of all these wonderful gifts and powers, which showed they were under an extraordinary influence, and had an extraordinary assistance, and of all the miracles they wrought, was to confirm the word they preached, and to engage mankind to receive what they taught as the authorized ministers and witnesses of Jesus Christ, commissioned and sent by him to teach all nations in his name, and for that purpose furnished with those extraordinary gifts and powers, both to enable and qualify them for the right discharge of their work, and to be the proofs and credentials of their mission. Accordingly the apostles all along appealed to these extraordinary gifts and miraculous powers, as the great confirming evidence of the divine authority of the doctrines they taught, and the laws they delivered in the name of Christ. This is what the apostle Peter insisted upon in his first discourse to the Jews on the day of Pentecost, Acts ii. 32, 33, 36. And what he and the other apostles appealed to before the Jewish council, Acts v. 32. The apostle Paul often refers to those extraordinary gifts and miraculous powers of the Holy Ghost, as a glorious confirmation of the gospel which he preached. His preaching and that of the other apostles was not with enticing words of man's wisdom' the demonstration they gave of what they delivered was the 'demonstration of the Spirit and of power: a demonstration of a peculiar kind, but strong and powerful and convincing, 1 Cor. ii. 4, 5. They preached the gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven,' 1 Pet. i. 12. God bearing them witness with signs and wonders, and divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his will,’ Heb. ii. 2, 3, 4.

But though such a mighty stress is laid upon this in the New Testament, as the great confirming evidence of the Christian religion, this writer would have it all pass for nothing. It yields no more evidence to it, than if there had been no such extraordinary powers given at all. This is very strange. Let us consider the reasons he gives for it. It is because the extraordinary powers and gifts in the apostolic age were never confined or annexed to any moral character, but the false prophets and teachers had them as well as the true; and because those extraordinary gifts and powers did not make men either infallible or impeccable, as they did not destroy natural liberty or free agency, but they who were endued with them might make either a good or bad use of them, as much as of any natural faculties or talents.' See Pref. p. 9. And again he observes, that they who in apostolical times had those extraordinary gifts and powers, were left at liberty to exercise them upon the common principles of reason and human prudence. And from hence we find that some made a right use of them for edification; and others employed them only to serve the purposes of emulation and strife, which introduced great confusions and disorders among them. And this is an evident proof

* Rom. i. 11; xv. 18, 19; 1 Cor. i. 6, 7; 1 Thess. i. 5; Ga!. iii. 2, 5.

that the persons vested with such extraordinary gifts and powers were neither infallible nor impeccable, that is, they were not hereby made incapable either of deceiving others, or of being deceived themselves. And then he repeats what he had observed before, that false prophets, and the most wicked seducers might and did work miracles, which they could not have done, had miracles been any evidence or proof of truth and sound doctrine,' pp. 80, 81.

As the main foundation of all he here offers lies in supposing it as a thing not to be contested, that all those extraordinary gifts or powers, when once given, were as much in men's own power as any of their natural faculties or talents, and might be equally made use of to promote and propagate truth and falsehood, I shall distinctly examine this supposition with regard to the principal of those extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost, that were poured forth in the apostolical age.

The only extraordinary gift concerning which there is any just pretence of making that supposition is that of tongues. Those that had this gift probably had as much command of that language or languages which they had once communicated to them by the immediate operation of the Holy Ghost, as any man hath of any language that he hath learned or acquired in the common way. It seems to have been in the nature of a permanent habit to be used according to their discretion, and accordingly some in the church of Corinth used it unseasonably, and are reproved for it by the apostle Paul, who gives directions for a proper and seasonable use of it to edification. But then it must be considered that it was only the first conferring of the gift of tongues on any person or persons that was properly miraculous; the consequent use of it was not so, and was not immediately and properly designed so much to confirm the truth of the doctrine they delivered, as to enable them to communicate that doctrine to others, which was confirmed by other miracles. The gift of tongues conferred upon the apostles on the day of Pentecost was signally miraculous. That plain, simple, and unlearned persons should be enabled at once without any previous instruction to speak with divers kinds of tongues which they had never known before, and which tongues they continued to use always afterwards: this was evidently supernatural. No force or power of a man's own enthusiastic imagination could ever produce such an effect. For who will pretend to say, that a man can speak any language that he pleases by only strongly imagining that he can speak it, though he never heard it before? And as the force of a man's own imagination could never effect this, so neither could the power or skill of any other man, or of all the men upon earth, enable him in a moment, without preparation, or previous instruction to understand and speak several languages, to which he was before an entire stranger. Such an immediate and wonderful operation upon the human mind, in impressing so many thousand new ideas at once upon it, is evidently supernatural, and seems peculiar to the author of our beings, whose inspiration hath given us understanding. This therefore was a most illustrious confirming