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LETTER VI.

I

Wherein fome Ob

jections against the internal Evidences of Chriftianity, are confidered and anfwered.

SIR,

Do not wonder to find you prejudiced against "the extravagant Claim to extraordinary Ex"periences in Religion, lately made by fome who "are evidently under enthufiaftic Heats and Delu"fions;" but I cannot fee any Force at all in your Reasoning, that, "because there are many "eminent Profeffors of late, who really have no"thing in them but Heat and Shew, and yet make

as high Pretenfions to the divine Influences, and "to fpecial Experience of the Operations of the "Spirit of God in their Hearts, as any others '' can do; therefore all Pretences of that Kind may justly be fufpected to flow from the fame Caufe, "and to be the Offspring of a like irregular Fan<< cy, and heated Imagination."

Do not you indeed think it just arguing, because Some Men make vain and false Shews of what they really are not, that therefore all other Profeffors of Religion are Hypocrites as well as they? Will it follow, becaufe fome Men pretend to Literature which they have not, that therefore there are no Men of Learning in the World? Your Discovery of faife Pretenders to religious Experiences does indeed give you just Reafon to prefume, that fome others may but no Reafon to conclude, that all others must in the fame Manner impofe upon the World by mere delufive Appearances.If you have difcovered any to be falfe and deceitful in their Profeffions of religious Experiences, it must be becaufe

cause you fee fomething in their Conduct which contradicts their Profession. But what Reafon does this give you, to fupect thofe in whofe Conduct you fee nothing which contradicts their Profeffion?

If you have Reason to conclude the Hypocrify of the former Sort, from the Evidences which ap pear against them, you have alfo Reafon to conclude the Sincerity of the latter Sort, from the Evidences which appear in their Favour, and which teftify the Reality of the Change they profefs.

If you have Ground to fufpect the Careless, the Loofe, the fenfual Profeffor, because he is fuch, by the fame Way of Reasoning, you have Ground to conclude in favour of the ferious, the watchful, and mortified Profeffor of Religion, because he is fuch. - If the Licentious and Profane, the Fraudulent and Unjuft, the Cenforious and Uncharitable, the Defpifers and Calumniators, or their Brethren, are therefore to be fufpected of a false Pretence to the divine Influences; by the fame Argument, they who are fo changed as to become remarkably holy and righteous, meek and humble, charitable, benevolent and beneficent, have a just Claim to be esteemed fincere, and to be credited in their Profeffion of religious Experiences.-There are (through the Mercy of God) Numbers of fuch yet among us, all of whom have this Change in its vifible Effects obvious to the World; and though fome of them may be doubtful of their own State, yet all of them declare, that they have received all their Attainments from the Lord Jefus Chrift; they have looked to him, and depended upon him for them all; and have always found that their Progrefs in Picty towards God, and in Justice, Kindness and Charity towards Men, has borne Proportion to their chearful Dependence upon Chrift for Righteousness and Strength.- If fome Men are Liars, yet others

are

are credible, and may be trufted, especially when they give us undoubted Evidence of their Truth and Fidelity. Even fo in the prefent Cafe, if fome Men are Hypocrites, and evidence themselves to be fuch, we have no Reason from thence to fufpect the Truth of others Profeffion and Experiences, whofe wonderful Change of Life, and whole future Converfation, are a continual Teftimony to the Sincerity of the Profeffion they make, and to the Credibility of the Experiences which they relate.

But it seems you are especially prejudiced against religious Experiences, by the "irregular Fancy and heated Imagination," which you have obferved in fome Pretenders to extraordinary Attainments in Religion; from whence you feem to argue, that because some of their " pretended Expe"riences are extravagant Flights of a diftur ed "Brain, and evidently flow from Pride, Self"esteem, and Uncharitableness towards others, and "end in Faction, Divifion, and Alienation of Af"fection," that therefore, fince fome of their Pretences are manifeftly falie, and airy Imaginations, you have juft Reafon to conclude, that all the rest of their Pretences are of the fame Sort, and flow from the fame depraved Mind.

I acknowledge, Sir, this is one of the moft plaufible Objections that ever I have heard of, against the internal Evidences of Chriftianity-And no Doubt, our grand Adverfary the Devil has had an efpecial Hand in blowing up this falfe Fire, that he may turn away our Eyes from the Glory of the Lord arifen upon Zion.- No doubt, Satan hath transformed himself into an Angel of Light, in the late extravagant Heats which have appeared in fome Places, that fo by overdoing he might undo, and might bring Reproach on the wonderful Work of divine Grace, which has made fuch a glorious

Progrefs

Progrefs in thefe Parts of the World.—A Permiffion cf thefe dreadful Delufions may be esteemed a juft Judgment of God upon fuch as have remained careless and fecure in a remarkable Season of Grace, who have refifted the Calls of the Gospel, the Convictions of their Confciences, and the Strivings of the holy Spirit, that they might thereby be hardened in their Prejudices against vital and experimental Religion, and perhaps finally Stumble and fall.

But how plaufible foever your Objections may be, your Reasoning is far from conclufive. What Inconfiftency is there in the Supposal, that a true Convert may have fome very false Apprehenfions and Imaginations? that the fame Person may have a fanctified Heart, and a confuled Head? and that he may build upon the true Foundation, fuch Wood, Hay, and Stubble, as must be burnt up ?

-Our bleffed Saviour has undertaken to fanctify the Hearts of all those who fincerely truft in him; but has never promised to make them infallible in all their Conduct.-If therefore, from a Principle of Love to God, these Men fhould zealously endeavour to ferve him, and yet through heated.Imaginations, or erroneous Apprehenfions of their Du. ty in fome Cafes, they should mistake their Way, and fuppofe that they are doing God good Service, when they are acting counter to the true Interest of Chrift's Kingdom, what then? Is it any Abfurdity to fuppofe they may act from a right Principle though in a wrong Manner? The Error is in their Opinions, but not in their Wills: Their Hearts are engaged in God's Service, though their Heads mislead them. -They may have experienced a real Change (in the Manner defcribed in my laft Letter) though through Ignorance and Mitake their Endeavours to ferve God are, in fome

Inftances,

ftances irregular and finful.They may have had real Experiences in true and vital Piety, at prefent, though their Imaginations are impofed on by Enthusiasm and Delufion. Thefe Allowances

may be made, and ought to be made, for those who hold faft the fundamental Principles of Chriftianity and practical Godliness, and for none but thofe.- -There ought to be fuch Allowances made for thofe, because there is nothing in their Character inconfiftent with true and vital Piety; ye there ought not to be fuch Allowances made for at ny but those because Chrift has undertaken to lead his fincere Followers into all neceffary Truth. -I think I have good Reason to conclude, that the Cafe is truly, and in Fact, just as I have here described it, with refpect to Numbers of those, who have run into fome of thofe Irregularities you complain of. This appears in that fome of thofe, who have been convinced of, and penitently bewailed, thofe Mistakes, do yet (their former Irregularities notwithstanding) walk worthy their profeffed Experience of a faving Change, and approve themselves holy, humble, and charitable Christians. And I have the more Hopes of others, who have not yet been convinced of their Mistakes, upon Account of their having been feduced into thefe Errors, by fuch zealous Leaders, of whose Piety they have fo great an Opinion.--But you'll perhaps enquire, what I can fay for thofe Leaders, who have influenced others to thefe irregular Heats? To which I must anfwer, that as far as I am acquainted with them, I have Reason for a much better Opinion of the Hearts of fome of them, than of their Heads; and must bear them Witness, that they have a Zeal of God, though not in every Thing according to Knowledge.

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