The Holy Ghost on the bench, other spirits at the bar, or, The judgment of the Holy Spirit of God upon the spirits of the times recorded in Holy Writ / and reported by Richard Hollinworth.

CHAP. VII. Of the Spirit of Prophecy, mentioned, Act. 2.17, 18. (Book 7)

THE Lord here promiseth a plenti∣ful, powerful, and withal, a pru∣dent effusion of his Spirit (for he saith he will not only drop, but pour, and yet not all my Spirit, but of my Spirit) on all flesh, men of all Nations, Gen∣tiles as well as Jews; men of all con∣ditions, sons or servants; men of all ages, old or young; persons of both Sexes, sons or daughters; and that they shall Prophecy: Now Prophe∣cying frequently in holy Scripture, and probably in this place, is a speak∣ing to men to edification, and exbor∣tation and comfort, 1 Cor. 14.3. The Sum and Substance of their Speech, for the matter thereof, was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,

the great things of God, vers. 11. Probably such great things as the blessed Virgin did praise God for, viz. the Incarnation, Conception, Nativi∣ty of the Lord Jesus, Luk. 1.49. and also the Innocency, Miracles, Death, Passion, Resurrection, Ascension of the Lord Jesus, who is called won∣derful, Isa. 9.6.

As for this Sermon of Peter, it is not recorded for an Epitomie of what they spake, but an Apologie and Justi∣fication of their persons from that base imputation of drunkenness, and also of their Doctrine, from Falsehood and Novelty, by proving it by the old Testament.

Visions and Dreams, being both of them divine representations of things to men, do thus differ: Dreams are to a man when asleep: Visions are re∣presentations of things to the eye, ei∣ther of the mind or body when awake. Dreams & Visions are but dimmer & darker representations of Gods mind;

God did speak more freely, clearly, friendly, familiarly to Moses, Numb. 12.6, 7, 8. And now in these last days he hath spoken to us by his Son, Heb. 1.1. they both of them differ from Pro∣phesying (though such were called Seers and Dreamers, 1 Sam. 9 9. Deut. 13.1. Prov. 29.18. Isa. 1.1. for man is meerly Passive in the one, and Active in the other; by Dreams and Visions God speaks to men, Psal. 89. 19. Numb. 12.6. by Prophesying one man speaks to another, 1 Cor. 14.3. In the one they receive Instruction, and by the other they vent it; their Dreams and Visions did furnish them for Prophesying. The great Que∣stion is, When, and in Whom this Prophesie was fulfilled: which I shall endeavour to answer in certain Pro∣positions.

The First is, It is most plain and certain, that the Prophesie was fulfil∣led at that time; so Peter doth assert, vers. 16. and the Spirit did then de∣scend

upon them, and they began to speak with other Tongues, Act. 2.2, 3, 4. and they that (probably) in the morning could understand none but their Mother Tongue, Act. 10.44, 45. nor could read one letter of the Book, were by the Spirit enabled not only to read, but to understand and translate the Hebrew, Greek, Syriack, Arabick, into their own Mother Tongue; yea to speak and Preach in several Tongues, the wonderful things of God, vers. 11. as able, yea more ably then if they had been Masters of Arts, Doctors of Divinity, Professors of the Hebrew, Syriack, Chaldee, and the other Lan∣guages; yea they were able to deli∣ver sound Doctrine, and to dispute for it, Act. 6.9. This was a wonder∣ful and miraculous pouring out of the Spirit, shortly after Christs Ascension into Heaven, and for the honor of it, Ephes. 4.8. and in performance of his promise to his Apostles, Act. 1.4.5. and immediately preceding in order of

time, as well as of the Text; those strange prodigies that threatened the ruin of Jerusalem, Vers. 19, 20. That God might have a Church amongst the Gentiles, before the fall of the Jewish Church: And as the miracu∣lous confusion of Tongues was the ca∣sting off of the Heathen, Gen. 11.7. so the gift of Tongues in this variety, was a means of their conversion. And if the Prophecy was fulfilled at this time (as doubtless it was) it is enough. Sundry Prophesies neither have been, nor shall be any more fulfilled then once, it is too much when a Prophesie is fulfilled once, to expect it should be fulfilled again; or because it was ful∣filled in one Age, therefore to expect it shall be fulfilled in every Age.

If this Text was fulfilled after this time, it must be understood principally of the Apostles, for they that spake in this place were Peter and the Eleven, Acts 2.14. called Galileans, vers. 7. and therefore their Preachings and

Prophecyings were the principal ac∣complishments of this Prophesie: And then Secondarily, of Prophets and Prophetesses, 1 Cor. 12.28. Such as Agabus was, and the Daughters of Philip the Evangelist, Act. 11. & Act. 21.10. Indeed it were to be wished that all the Lords people were Prophets, but not that they may Prophesie till they be Prophets, and may lawfully do it: Now the word Prophet al∣ways imports a distinct Order, Office and Calling from others; The Apo∣stle forbids women to Preach, though the Corinthian women might be as well or better gifted then any woman or man now adays is; yet certain the Apostles did not forbid those women whom my Text doth allow to Pro∣phesie, and whose Prophecying is here mentioned as a blessing, as well as the Prophecying of men: had such Prophetesses as Deborah and Huldah, and the Daughters of Philip the Evan∣gelist, came to Corinth, or if they

were now alive, they might Prophe∣sie by virtue of a special Calling and Office, and none should either forbid them to Prophesie, or being uncalled (what ever gifts he may seem to have) imitate them in Prophesying. And Thirdly, Of the ordinary and perpetual Officers of the Church, 1 Cor. 12.28. for some of the gifts which Christ gave to men at his Ascension, did fall upon them also, Eph. 4.11.

The third Proposition, This Pro∣phesie is not rightly and regularly ful∣filled, in the Preaching of uncalled and ungifted men: For First, As they have no lawful ordinary Call (as might easily be proved; yea, is alrea∣dy by those which professedly under∣take that work) nor have either Dreams or Visions, or any other extraordina∣ry ways of receiving the materials of their Preaching. so they have not any extraordinary Call, above what ma∣ny others have, which are gifted as well as they (save that possibly these

are less bouted and adventurous then then they (to give it no worser name) which yet do not, dare not Preach, nor can it be charged on these as a sin, that they do not Preach, as it would be a sin, and a great one too, if they did not Preach which are called to it. Secondly, They seem to be highly conceited of their Parts and Gifts; they judge any one sufficient for these things, being swift to speak, slow to hear, like humor, hardly kept within its own bounds; no Text too hard for them to expound; no difficulties which they cannot unty: once them∣selves said, that the work of the Mi∣nistery, was enough to take up the whole man; and that it was not fit that the gravest, godliest, ablest Mini∣ster should be a Justice of Peace, or in any civil Authority; but not only Mi∣litary men, but even Handicrafts-men, can all the week day entangle them∣selves in the affairs of this life, and on the Lords day discharge the highest

and hardest work of the Ministery, whereas it is more scriptural and rati∣onal, that Ministers should execute civil Offices, then that Souldiers or Handicrafts-men, should execute Mi∣nisterial Offices, and there are more presidents of the one, then of the other. Thirdly, They very frequently despise the Ministry (which is an Of∣fice, and a worthy work, 1 Tim. 3.1.) and Ordination by the hands of the Presbi∣tery, which is an unquestionable Or∣dinance of God, used and approved by the Apostles and Apostolick men, upon whom God poured out more of his Spirit, then these can pretend unto; and also prescribed and commanded by them, in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus. Fourthly, All the Errors, Heresies, Blasphemies, Rantings, Quakings, of these times, have been bred and fed by the Preaching of un∣called persons in New-England; the Doctrine of the Familists, Anabap∣tists, Antinomians and Libertines,

was bred and brought up in those Nurseries, saith M^r Weld: All the Ministers of England, since the Refor∣mation, have not broached so many Heresies and Blasphemies, nor per∣verted a fourth part of the number that these pretended Prophesiers have done in a few years; hence it is that the Arminians in the Netherlands, and Heritical and Schismatical persons elsewhere, are usually for this liberty of Prophecying; now the abounding and tollerating of errors (not to speak how distructive it hath been by con∣sequence to the lives of men) is far worse the most cruel persecution; for the one is but destructive to the body and outward welfare of Christians; but this is destructive to the souls of men, divides and subdivides the Church, subverts the faith and graces of the Spirit: In the one true Religion was crowned with Martyrdome, whereby the Gospel was much honou∣red, and sanguis Mariyrum, was se∣men

Ecclesiae; but in the other true Re∣ligion is extreamly dishonoured; yea lost in a crowd of false opinions, and patience and perfeverance also; the one did but occidere Presbiteros, the other Presbiterium. Fiftly, These gifted mens preachings are either rude, rambling, loose discourses, having no method nor matter of weight in them; whereas the Spirit of God gave the Apostles 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉to speak apo∣thegms, Act. 2.4. wise and weighty sentences, not many words to little purpose, as phrantick, phantastick men do, Act. 26.25. or if their Preach∣ing be sound and solid, they either steal their matter from others (as (pos∣sibly) some idle ignorant Ministers al∣so do) to pretend that they are Pro∣phets too, but the Lord is against them, Ier. 23.30. or they have little varie∣ty thereof, if our gifted men should be so much and often for many yeers together in one place employed, as some Ministers of the Gospel are,

their shallowness and emptiness would easily appear. Sixtly, Satan I fear hath an hand in this business, for how easily can he transform himself into an Angel of light, 2 Cor. 11.14. and counterfeit the Spirit of God upon the soul, as amongst the Jews he made use of false dreams, and lying visions, Ier. 23.25.27.32. Deut. 13.1. Isai. 28.7. & 14.14. Ier. 23.16. so also a∣mongst Christians I read, that septemes pueri concionantur, in the order of St. Francis, and Cornelius, Mus. was an eloquent Preacher at twelve yeers of age, and an assertor of Popery in the Council of Trent, and many amongst us were much taken with the child-Preacher, and though some gifted men (as in charity I am bound to judge till the contrary appear) have sincere aims and ends, and do intend to glori∣fie God, and edify the Church; yet finis operis, the end of the work (though not finis operantis, the end of the Worker, and yet the end of the Worker also,

so far as Satan hath any hand in it) is to cause the Ministry to be dishonou∣red and despised, as the most eminent Ministers, the Apostles were amongst them that did abound in all utterance and all knowledge, and came behind in no gift, 1 Cor. 1.5. and Chap. 4. yea to destroy the Ministry; to make every one a Minister and a Magistrate, is to de∣stroy the Ministry and Magistracy, to cause the Seals of the Covenant of Grace, Baptisme, and the Lords Sup∣per, to be sleighted and set at nought, to cause sundry to turn aside unto vain jangling, desiring to be teachers of the Law, under standing neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm, 1 Tim. 1.7. being not able to clear up any one truth, or solidly state, or determine any controversie, or interpret any obscure part of Scripture, or vindicate the truth of God from Popish, Socinian, Arrian, Arminian Errors: To open a door to the Popish Priests and Jesu∣ites that are come from beyond Sea to

Preach to our Assemblies, to revile and raile against Protestant Ministers; to vent Errors and Heresies, to the re∣proach and dishonour of the Prote∣stant Religion, To furnish all sort of men, and scratch their itching eares with an heap of teachers, for they will not abide called officers or sound Doctrine, 1 Tim. 4. as the adulteress too often pleaseth the unchast Hus∣band more then the beautiful yoke∣fellow, as Witches and Wizzards are merry at their diabolical fancied Feast, as though they did eat and drink the most pleasant and whole∣some meats and drinks: How strange∣ly did Satan fill the heart of Hacket Copinger and Arthington, whose story you may read in Camdens Elizabetha, as well as see the like in very many now adays: To promote those sins that (in opposition to the sins of the world, and the sins of the flesh) are properly and purely Sathanical, viz. Errors, Heresies, Seduction; for Sa∣tan

is not a drunkard, adulterer, a swearer or a covetous person; but a lyer, seducer, that abode not in the truth: to disturb the unity and peace of our Congregations, whilest almost every man is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, an absurd man out of his place, 2 Thes. 3.2. multi∣tudes of souls perverted, very few, sa∣ved; a good Protestant of the old stamp, whether conformable or non-conformable, is worth a thou∣sand of these new Saints: Finally, I have heard an ignorant, one distem∣pered in brain and overcome with me∣lancholy, speak excellently of the most divine and deep Mysteries of Religi∣on; and Doctor Merick Causabone, indeavors to shew how this may be done by natural causes, and we read that the Anabaptists in Munster, ha∣ving made a Law that all the Ci∣tizens should bring their goods in∣to a common stock, there were Maids amongst them, could tell how much every man had left at

home, like as Paul did discern Ana∣nias and Saphirah: It is easie to guesse who taught them: Little did Peter, (a pious and eminent Apostle) think that he acted Satans part, till Christ discerned and discovered Satan, Mat. 16.