Farther, what a blindness is it, to charge persons with the _enthusiasm_ of holding the necessity of continual, immediate inspiration, and to attack them as enemies to the established church, when every body’s eyes see, that collect after collect in the established liturgy, teaches, and requires them to believe, and pray for the continual inspiration of the Spirit, as that alone, by which they can have the least good thought or desire? Thus, “O God, forasmuch as without thee, we are not able to please thee; mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts.” Is it possible for words more strongly to express the necessity of a continual, divine inspiration? Or can inspiration be higher, or more immediate in prophets and apostles, than that which directs, that which rules our hearts, not now and then, but in all things? Or can the absolute necessity of this be more fully declared, than by saying, that if it is not in this degree both of height and continuance in our hearts, nothing that is done by us, can be pleasing to God?
Now the matter is not at all about the _different effects_, proceeding from inspiration, as whether by it, a man be made a _saint_ in himself, or sent by God with a _prophetic_ message to others, this affects not the _nature_ and _necessity_ of inspiration, which is just as necessary to _all true goodness_, as to all _true prophecy_. All scripture is of divine inspiration. But why so? _Because holy men of old, spake_ as _they were moved_ by _the Holy Ghost_. Now the above collect, as well as Christ and his apostles, oblige us in like manner to hold, that all _holiness is by divine inspiration_, and that therefore there could have been no _holy men_ of old, or in any latter times, but solely for this reason, because they LIVED, _as they were moved by the Holy Ghost_. Again, the liturgy prays thus, “O God, from whom all good things do come, grant that by thy holy inspiration, we may think those things that be good, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same.” Now, if I have ever said any thing _higher_ of the nature, and necessity of _continual, divine inspiration_, than this church-prayer does, I refuse no censure. But if I have, from all that we know of _God_, shewn the utter impossibility of any goodness in us, but from the _divine nature_ in us, if I have shewn, that Christ and his apostles, over and over say the same thing; and that our _church liturgy_ is daily praying according to it; what kinder thing can I say of those churchmen, who accuse me of _enthusiasm_, than that which Christ said of his blind crucifiers, _Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do_!
It is to no purpose to object to all this, that these kingdoms are over-run with enthusiasts who are acting in the wildest manner, under the pretence of being led by the Spirit. Be it so, or not so, the doctrine I am upon is not in the least affected by it. For what an argument would this be; _enthusiasts_ make a bad use of the doctrine of being _led by the Spirit of God_, ergo, he is _enthusiastical_ who _preaches up the doctrine of being led_ by _the Spirit of God_. Now as absurd as this is, was any of my accusers, as high in _genius_, as _bulky_ in learning, as _Colossus_ was in stature, he would be at a loss to bring a stronger argument than this, to prove me an enthusiast, or an abettor of them.
_Except ye be converted_, and _become as little children_, _ye cannot enter_ into the kingdom of God. Now as sure as this is necessary, so sure is it, that no one can be thus converted, till _natural reason_, and his own will, are equally denied.
Now whether this reason, broken off from God, contendeth about the difference of scripture words and opinions, or reasoneth against them, the same evil state of fallen nature, the same separation from God, the same evil tempers of flesh and blood, will be equally strengthened by the one, as by the other. Hence it is, that Papists and Protestants are hating, fighting, and killing one another for the sake of their _different, excellent_ opinions, and yet, as to the _lust of the flesh_, the _lust of the eye_, and _the pride of life_, they are in the highest union, and communion with one another. For if you expect a _zealous Protestant_ to be _therefore_ alive to God, or a _zealous Papist_ to be _therefore_ dead to all goodness, you may be said, to have lived in the world without either eyes or ears.――And the reason why it must be so, is because _bad_ syllogisms _for_ transubstantiation, and _better_ syllogisms _against_ it, signify no more towards the casting _Satan out of our souls_, than a bad, or better taste for painting.
Hence also it is, that Christendom, full of the nicest decisions about faith, grace, works, merits, satisfaction, &c. is full of all those evil tempers, which prevailed in the Heathen world, when none of these things were thought of.