But, my Lord, what reasonable evidence does your Lordship require? Did I not receive letters dimissory from your Lordship’s own hands to be ordained a priest? Did I not, when ordained deacon, affirm, “that I was inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost, to take upon me that office and ministration?” Did not my Lord of _Gloucester_, when he ordained me priest, say unto me, “Receive thou the Holy Ghost now committed unto thee, by the imposition of our hands, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost?” And is not this, my Lord, a reasonable evidence that I act by a _divine Commission_? If this be not true, must not all those whom your Lordship, or the other Bishops ordain, act only by a _human Commission_? Nay, to use the words of Bishop _Burnet_ in his _Pastoral Letter_, “must not they who are ordained, lie not only unto man but unto GOD, by saying, they are inwardly moved by the Holy Spirit?”
If your Lordship in any wise disputes my acting by a _divine Commission_, you disclaim your own divine right and authority; nor can you possibly avoid the dilemma, of either allowing _my divine Commission_, or denying _your own_.
After your Lordship has insinuated a demand for the evidences of my _divine Commission_, immediately follows these words; “when they tell us of _extraordinary communications_ they have with GOD.”
If by extraordinary communications, your Lordship means the extraordinary operations of the Holy Spirit, as working miracles, and speaking with tongues; your Lordship may assure yourself, I never pretended to any such thing. If, by extraordinary communications, your Lordship means more assistance and comforts from GOD, at some times, than I have at others, (which is all I mean by extraordinary communications) I own the charge? And what is there, my Lord, _extraordinary_ in that?
Again, your Lordship says, (page 28.) “When they talk in the language of those, who have a _special_ and _immediate mission_ from GOD.”
And does your Lordship, and the rest of the Bishops, ordain any, without obliging them first to give good proofs, that they have a special call or immediate mission from GOD to the work of the ministry? If ever you so do, my Lord, do not your Lordships lay hands too suddenly upon men?
Page 29. Your Lordship writes thus. “When they profess to think and act under the immediate guidance of a _divine Inspiration_.”
And does not your Lordship think and act by the same rule? Why, otherwise, does your Lordship pray when you administer the holy Communion, “that GOD would cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of his Holy Spirit?”
Page 31. Your Lordship says, “when they speak of their preaching and expounding, and the effects of them, as the _sole work of a divine Power_.”
And would your Lordship have me ascribe any, the least thing to myself? The good that is done upon earth, doth not GOD do it himself? Does not the Apostle say, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of GOD?” And where then, my Lord, is the absurdity of ascribing the effects of expounding and preaching to the sole work of a divine Power?
Again, (page 33.) “When they boast of sudden and surprizing effects as wrought by the _Holy Ghost_, in consequence of their preaching.”
Where, my Lord, is the enthusiasm of such a pretension? Has your Lordship been a preacher in the church of _England_, for so many years, and have you never seen any sudden or surprizing effects, consequent upon your Lordship’s preaching? Was this my case, should I not have reason to doubt, my Lord, whether I had any more than a bare human commission? Or might I not take up the Prophet’s lamentation, “O my leanness, my leanness!” My Lord, the gospel, like its author, is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever; and, if preached as it ought to be, will prick numbers to the heart, and extort the cry of the trembling goaler, “What must I do to be saved!” as surely now, as it did seventeen hundred years ago.
These then are the sudden and surprizing effects, my Lord, I always desire to have, and I heartily pray GOD, your Lordship and all your clergy may always see such effects in consequence of their preaching.
(Page 34.) “When they claim the spirit of _prophecy_.”
What I have said about my success, GOD has been pleased to fulfil already. What I have said about sufferings, they who without cause are my enemies are fulfilling daily. And as for the promises mentioned in my Journal, I freely own there are some particular promises, which GOD has so strongly impressed, and does still impress on my heart, that I verily believe they will be fulfilled.
(Page 35.) “When they speak of themselves in the language, and under the character of _Apostles of Christ_, and even of CHRIST himself.”