cerity in Religion, which may be confidered as it were the feal, whereby God knows his own. But the Enthufiafm to which we allude bears no affinity to either of the above exalted affections of the mind. Properly speaking, it denotes that felf-fufficient fpirit, which, placing the conceits of human fancy on a level with real infpiration, has ever proved by its very fruit, that it is not of God. Perhaps then there is no enquiry which is more immediately fuggefted by our text, and certainly there is none which can be productive of more general good, than that which may tend to ascertain the origin and the confequences of religious Enthusiasm. For fuch an investigation is important, not only with regard to the immediate object of its research, but as it ftands connected with many other points which are abfolutely fundamental in our holy Religion. It will lead, for instance, to the explanation of those principles on which alone religious faith can with fecurity be founded it will confirm the neceffity of a ftrict adherence to established forms, not as the arbitrary inventions of men, but as the appointed means of grace; it will vindicate the facred and the falutary restraints of law ; and at the fame time will fhew the neceffity of exercising that Chriftian moderation, which inftead instead of quenching, by duly tempering, ferves to animate the flame of Chriftian piety. This then is the enquiry which will be attempted in the courfe of the following Lectures; and I trust it cannot be thought invidious to fuggeft, that there is fomething in the character of the prefent times, which may render it not unworthy the attention of the younger part of this affembly. To the elder part of it, to them who have long fince formed their opinions on much mature and difpaffionate reflection, it is not presumed that any thing new can be offered. But it may not be unprofitable to convince those who recently have been ordained Minifters of the Established Church, or who are preparing themselves to exercise that most facred of all functions, that in the regulation of their religious conduct, whether it regard their faith, or their practice, they cannot too carefully reject every thing that proceeds from a spirit of Enthufiafm. To establish this important truth, we must begin by defining, in the prefent Lecture, the precife meaning in which it is conceived that this Spirit fhould be understood. Having done which, it fhall be briefly fhewn in the fecond, that Enthusiasm uniformly tends to create fchifm in the Church; of which offence B 4 fence the danger, and the guilt, will be more particularly confidered. These points being as it were premised, in the third, fourth, and fifth Lectures, the conduct of fome Schifmatics, who feem to have been governed by the fpirit of Enthusiasm, shall be attentively examined: and if we can expose the fallacy of their pretenfions, we may then hope to establish a method, by which, not only in that particular inftance, but in every other, the principle itself may be combated successfully. We then shall proceed to fhew of what importance it is to fociety, that the spirit of Enthusiasm should be carefully repreffed; and that this may be made confpicuous, in the fixth and feventh Lectures we will endeavour to prove, that the injury which is offered by it, not merely to Ecclefiaftical, but also to Civil Establishments, is both infinite in its extent, and alarming in its confequences. After which we may urge, with greater confidence, as the general conclufion, that the restraint which we are required to lay on every religious opinion, that is not truly authorised by Scripture, is by no means an arbitrary impofition, but one that arifes from the very properties of Revelation: a restraint in no shape prejudicial to that liberty of conscience, which all men men are fo proud to exercife, but which tends to promote equally the honour of God, and the happiness of mankind. We are then firft of all to confider the nature, and the origin of Enthusiasm. And here, that no part of our enquiry may be liable to mifconception, it will be neceffary to define accurately the meaning of our terms. For fhould it be thought that they were employed in a general and indefinite fense, when in fact they are used in one that is abfolute and particular, many might object, that our conclufions were not just. This caution therefore must be previously adopted; a caution in every cafe highly proper, and in the prefent altogether indifpenfable; fince there is hardly any word which is fo vaguely understood, or so incorrectly applied, as Enthusiasm; fome efteeming it to be a virtue, and a proof of an exalted mind; others condemning it as a fault, the refult of a corrupted judgment, and, in fome degree at least, of a corrupted heart d. 4 Lord Shaftesbury, in his Letter on Enthufiafm, has very artfully availed himself of the vague meaning of the word. For omitting to define in what sense he confiders Enthusiasm, he takes occafion to mock Religion under every fhape; confounding the pure and rational faith of the pious Chriftian, with the extravagances of the Fanatic. Every one who has read It is remarkable however that the word Enthusiasm is no where to be found in Scripture. To afcertain its precife meaning therefore, we must enquire in what fenfe it was employed by thofe, with whom its ufe has been familiar. To Enthusiasm the Gentile world attributed two diftinct fignifications. In its primary fenfe they believed it to be an actual and a violent poffeffion of the mind, by fome fupernatural power; a poffeffion, which fufpended for the time the operation both of the reason read that very profane and infidious Effay, will perceive the force of the obfervation of old, is av ειδη τα ονόματα είσεται και τα πράγματα. Plato. * Cafaubon, in his Treatife concerning Enthusiasm, makes the fame general divifion. His definition however of fupernatural Enthufiafm muft be, in part, objected to. "By fuper "natural, I understand a true and real poffeffion, whether di"vine or diabolical, producing effects and operations, altogether "fupernatural." P. 22. Now this confounds Infpiration with Enthufiafm; making them the fame. To combat this opinion, and to fhew that they are things effentially different, is one great object of these Lectures. Chryfoftom has marked the difference with much accuracy. Εν τοις ειδώλοις, ειποτε κατέχεθη τις ύπο πνεύματος ακαθάρτε και εμαντεύατο, ώσπες απαγόμενος, οὗ οὕτως είλκετο ύπο τω πνευματος δεδεμενος, εδεν ειδως ὧν λέγει. τελο γαρ μανίεως ίδιον, το εξέςηκεναι, το αναγκην ὑπομενειν, το ωθείσθαι, το έλκεσθαι, το συρεῖθαι ώσπερ μαινομενον· ὁ δὲ προφητης ουχ οὕτως, αλλα μιλα διανοίας ψηφούσης, και σωφρονουσης κατατάσεως, και ειδώς ο φθεγίεται, φησιν àπavτa. Homil. xxix. in 1. Epift. ad Corin. ed. Benedic. vol. x. p. 259. and |