Origen,' Lactantius, Chrysostom, and Austin, confessed that they had entirely ceased in their time; or at least that they were very rare.2

Now put all this together, with the several places I have quoted, to explain the teaching and witnessing of the Spirit, and it will stand thus. Joel prophesies of this great event. John Baptist, against his own interest, and in diminution of his credit and authority, foretels this by a special revelation from God, as the distinguishing character of the Messiah. This, in effect, the our evangelists relate. Our Saviour foretels it in the course of His ministry to the people, says St. John; and to His disciples just before His death, say Mark, Luke, and John; and over and over in His discourses with them. He repeats it to them after His resurrection, and just before His ascension, say St. Luke and St. John. St. Luke says, He foretold the place and time when it should come on them; and ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, nor begin to testify till they received it; which should be soon after He had received the promise of the

Cels. l. i. p. 7. 20. 1. vii. p. 334. 376. 53. Orig. de Orat. part ii. n. 11.

2

Brokesby, p. 154.

Chrysost. in 1 Cor. Xoy. s'. Ethic. Xoy. Ko'. in 1 Tim. Xoy. . Ethic. in 1 Cor. Xoy. κơ. in Col. λoy. n'. August. de ver. Rel. c. xxv. n. 47. De util. credend. c. 16. in Psal. cxxx. n. 6. Vide Dodw. Diss. in Iren. Dis. ii. p. 205.

Father. St. Luke relates to us accordingly, that it did come upon them, agreeably to John Baptist's and our Saviour's prediction, with cloven tongues, like as of fire. It illuminated their minds with knowledge, and enabled them to communicate that knowledge in all languages with great freedom and boldness. He asserts,that it came down on the first converts from among the proselytes of the gate: and, as I think, fairly hints, or rather asserts (considering the phraseology he uses, and the force of that phraseology in the Acts), that it also fell on the first converts from among the heathen; and his expressions are such from whence we may fairly infer, that the apostles conferred it on all Christians where they came, by the laying on of their hands. St. Paul either fully expresses, or hints the same, in all his epistles: as James, Peter, John, and Jude do, in theirs; and in the manner I have observed. Finally, that these gifts were exercised by vast numbers, differently, frequently, and publicly, in a great many great cities of great countries (as Judæa, Syria, Asia, Macedonia, Greece, and Italy), and for a long track of time. When all this is considered, I think nothing in Christianity, nor any fact in antiquity, will appear so well and so fully proved.

CHAPTER IV.

ON THE MANIFESTATIONS, AND EFFECTS, OF THE MIRACULOUS INFLUENCES IN THE APOSTOLIC AGE.

SECTION I.-The prophets, before the time of the apostles, and the partakers of the miraculous gifts in the early church compared.

THE fourth thing that I have undertaken to shew is, "In what this superior teaching and witnessing of the Spirit consists." This will be best understood, by comparing the Spirit of prophecy under the Old Testament, and a little before, at, and after our Saviour's birth, and during His life, with these gifts after His ascension. For it would not be to my present purpose to consider some other gifts of the Spirit under the Old Testament: such as the faith of miracles, the Spirit of wisdom, judgment, government, strength, valour, or the like; by which "they subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the

VOL. I.

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armies of the aliens." But as to a comparison between the prophetic gifts, it will stand thus. It was but now and then that God communicated Himself to a patriarch or a prophet under the Old Testament. When God made such a communication, it was to send him on a particular message. The word of the Lord came now and then to the prophets, and the Spirit of the Lord came now and then upon them. There were great intervals at some times, when the Jews, as they complain, were without any prophet; and when the word of the Lord was scarce: and at last the world was without a prophet above three hundred years, namely, between Malachi, Zacharias, and Elizabeth. There was seldom above one eminent prophet at a time; though I think we once read of seventy-two:2 and it was yet more seldom, that two eminent prophets prophesied at the same time. The prophets that prophesied were often sons of prophets, or bred up in the schools of the prophets. When God gave answers by the urim and thummim, it was only in cases which concerned the whole nation of the Jews. The prophets were not always under inspiration: nor did they know when they should be. We have instances of this in Samuel,' Nathan,* Elisha; they had but particular revelations ; and those they had were either of less conse

'Heb. xi. 33, 34. 2 Numb. xi. 25, 26. 1 Sam. iii. 3-11. 4 2 Sam. vii. 1-18. 52 Kings iii. 15.

quence, or so obscure that they oftentimes did not understand them themselves: we see this particularly in the case of Daniel.' So that not unto themselves, or their own age, but unto us did they minister. They never pretended to make prophets, or communicate their gifts to others; unless in the case of Joshua, who was full of the Spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him. But in the case of the seventy,' Moses was so far from communicating the Spirit, that "God took of his (Moses') spirit, and gave it unto, or put it upon them, and then they prophesied."

It is true, that Moses had the two tables of the law, and a plan of all things relating to the tabernacle, delivered him in the Mount; God not speaking to him in dreams and visions, and now and then, as He did to other prophets, but frequently, and "face to face." But the two tables contained but ten commandments: nor could those commandments, or the plan of things delivered, or what God said to Moses afterwards, in consequence of the two tables, or the plan delivered him in the Mount, make those who lived under that dispensation perfect. We find also, on the revival of prophecy, just before, or at, our Saviour's appearing in the world, a few instances of persons having revela

* Dan. xii. 8, 9.

2 Deut. xxxiv. 9.

Numb. xi. 17-25.