Gifts yet more abundantly, Spake with other Tongues, as the Spirit gave them Utterance'; difcerned the Secrets of Mens Hearts, foretold Things to come, performed the very greatest of Miracles, had frequent Revelations from above, seem to have done nothing of Moment without an especial Guidance. Surely then, they, who were thus under God's Direction, did not write the New Teftament without it: they who confirmed in this Manner what they taught, were not capable of leaving unmentioned any fundamental Truth, and yet lefs of teaching any

Error.

Now two of thefe, Matthew and John, Apostles and Companions of our Lord, are also Evangelifts. The latter was peculiarly beloved of our Saviour while on Earth, and afterwards faw in Vifion and heard from his Mouth, and that of an Angel, all that is contained in the Book of Revelation: whence we not only infer its infallible Authority, but are strongly confirmed in our Belief, that the Spirit of Jefus was prefent with him in writing his Gospel and Epiftles alfo. The two other Evangelifts indeed, Mark and Luke, were not Apostles: but their Works were approved by St. Peter and St. Acts ii. 4.

... Paul,

Paul, who were: and all the four Gospels have ever been held in equal Efteem. The Book of Acts is a Sequel of the third, which the Writer would not fail to lay before the fame Apostle, who had infpected his Gofpel: efpecially as it principally relates to him, and ends at the Time when they were together at Rome, and at full Leifure to revise it jointly.

It is true, St. Paul himself was not one of the twelve. But he was not a whit behind the the very chiefeft of them; being miraculously called to fee that just One, to hear the Voice of his Mouth, and to receive his Gospel, not of Man, but by the immediate Revelation of Jefus Chrift. Certainly then he was not fuffered either to mifreprefent or fupprefs any Part of it, whether speaking or writing, or to deliver any Thing, as comprehended in it, which was not. But let us hear what he faith of his own Preaching. We speak the Things given unto us of God, not in the Words, Which Man's Wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghoft teacheth". When ye received the Word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it, not as the Word of Men, but as it is in Truth, the Word of God *. Let us hear

what he faith of his own Epiftles. If any Man think bimfelf a Prophet or Spiritual,”that is, indued with fupernatural Gifts, let him acknowledge, that the Things, which I write unto you, are the Commandments of the Lord". He therefore, that defpifeth, defpifeth not Man, but God, who hath alfo given unto us his holy Spirit. Yet we may be confident, that he did not boast of himself beyond his Meafure, or dare to Speak of any Thing, which Chrift had not wrought by him, to make the Gentiles obedient, by Word and Deed, by mighty Signs and Wonders, by the Power of the Spirit of God. And observe, he doth not, after all this, any where exalt himfelf above the other Apoftles: but he places all the Apostles above the Prophets: which likewife in Effect St. Peter doth, when having first exhorted Chriftians to be mindful of the Words, which were spoken before by the holy Prophets, he adds, in yet stronger Terms, and of the Commandment of us, the Apoftles of the Lord and Saviour. St. John also, in his first Epiftle, ufes Language, in general, of the fame high Import. He that knoweth God, heareth us: he that is not of God, heareth not

y 1. Cor. xiv. 37. Rom. xv. 18, 19.

4

Z I Theff. iv. 8. 1 Cor. xii. 28.

a 2 Cor. x. 13: 2 Pet. iii. 2,

us.

us. Hereby know we the Spirit of Truth, and the Spirit of Error. Could fuch eminent Saints, could any religious and humble, or commonly honest, Men, provoke God, and attempt to deceive their Fellow Creatures, by making fuch Claims as these, without Foundation? Would not he inftantly have withdrawn his Gifts from them? Would not their Enviers and Rivals, for fuch there were, have expofed them? Would not all Chriftians by common Confent have rejected them? Certainly they would: yet certainly they did juft the contrary.

The only two Writers of the New Teftament, whom I have not yet named particularly,' are St. James and St. Jude of whom it may be very fufficient to obferve, that they were both Apostles, and near Kinsmen of our Lord, and therefore might well expect the same Regard with the reft; which, by the whole Tenour of their Epistles, they appear to do, though without demanding it fo expressly, for which they had probably no Occafion.

Still we acknowledge, that fome Christians at Antioch difputed one Part of what Paul and Barnabas taught there: and afterwards, when the Apostles held a Council at Jerusalem upon it,

certain Pharifees, who were Believers, debated the fame Point. But no Wonder, if new Converts, full of old Prejudices, were backward to part with them, where the Honour of the Law feemed to be impaired by it, considering how obftinately refractory their Forefathers had been to known Prophets, and to Mofes himself. However, being with great Condescension heard, then inftructed by St. James and St. Peter, they fubmitted. Yet, we own farther, in the Decree made on this Occafion, where the Apoftles fay, It hath feemed good to the Holy Ghoft and to us, they join the Eldersand Brethren with them. But fordoth St. Paul join one or other with Him in no less than eight of his Epiftless: and in both Cafes the Meaning plainly is, hot to allow them equal Authority, but merely to exprefs their Con

currence.

Indeed the Apostles themselves were not led into all Truth at once: but this is véry confistent with being fecured from any Error. Error. They

were also liable to act imprudently : >as St. Peter did, when he separated himself from the Gentiles at Antioch, fearing to offend the be