Now, How does your Lordship prove that this promise belongs only to the primitive church? Why, 1. You say, “It is very clear from the bare recital of the words.” I apprehend not. But this is the very question, which is not to be begged, but proved. 2. You say, “_The Spirit’s bringing all things to their remembrance, whatsoever he had said unto them_, cannot possibly be applied to any other persons but the apostles.” “Cannot be applied!” This is a flat begging the question again, which I cannot give up without better reasons. 3. “The gifts of _prophecy_ and of being _guided into all truth, and taught all things_, can be applied only to the apostles, and those of that age who were immediately inspired.” Here your Lordship, in order the more plausibly to beg the question again, “Jumbles together the _extraordinary_ with the _ordinary_ operations of the Spirit.” The gift of _prophecy_, we know, is one of his _extraordinary_ operations; but there is not a word of it in this text: nor, therefore ought it to be “confounded with his _ordinary_ operations,” such as the being _guided into all truth_, (all that is necessary to salvation) and _taught all_ (necessary) _things_, in a due use of the _means_ he hath ordained. Verse 26.
In the same manner, namely, in a serious and constant use of proper _means_, I believe the assistance of the Holy Ghost is given to all Christians, to _bring all things_ needful _to their remembrance, whatsoever_ Christ _hath spoken to them_ in his word. So that I see no occasion to grant, without some kind of proof, (especially considering the occasion of this, and the scope of the preceding verses) that even “this promise cannot possibly be applied to any other persons but the apostles.”
7. In the same discourse of our Lord we have a third promise of the Comforter, the whole clause runs thus:
_If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go, I will send him unto you._ Chapter xvi. verse 7.
_And when he is come, he will reprove_ (or convince) _the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment_. Verse 8.
_Of sin, because they believe not on me;_
_Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more:_
_Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged_; verses 9, 10, 11.
_I have yet many things to say unto you; but ye cannot bear them now_: (Verse 12.) _but when he shall come, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you into all truth――――And he will shew you things to come._ Verse 13.
There is only one sentence here which has not already been considered, _He will shew you things to come_.
And this, it is granted, relates to the gift of _prophecy_, one of the _extraordinary_ operations of the Spirit.
The general conclusion which your Lordship draws, is exprest in these words. “Consequently all pretensions to the Spirit, in the proper sense of the words of this promise (_i. e._ of these several texts of St. _John_) are vain and insignificant, as they are claimed by modern _Enthusiasts_.” And in the end of the same paragraph you add, “None but the _ordinary_ operations of the Spirit are to be now expected, since those that are of a _miraculous_ (or _extraordinary_) kind are NOT PRETENDED TO, even by modern _Enthusiasts_.”
My Lord, this is surprizing. I read it over and over, before I could credit my own eyes. I verily believe this one clause, with unprejudiced persons, will be an answer to the whole book. You have been vehemently crying out all along against those _enthusiastical_ pretenders; nay, the very design of your book, as you openly declare, “was to stop the growth of their _Enthusiasm_; who have had the assurance (as you positively affirm, page 6,) to claim to themselves the _extraordinary_ operations of the Holy Spirit.” And here you as positively affirm, that those _extraordinary_ operations “are not pretended to by them at all!”
8. Yet your Lordship proceeds, “The next passage of scripture, I shall mention as peculiarly belonging to the primitive times, though misapplied to the present state of Christians by modern _Enthusiasts_, is what relates to the _testimony of the Spirit_, and _praying by the Spirit_, in the 8th chapter of the epistle to the _Romans_.” Page 16.
I believe it incumbent upon me thoroughly to weigh the force of your Lordship’s reasoning on this head. You begin, “After St. _Paul_ had treated of that spiritual principle in Christians, which enables them _to mortify the deeds of the body_――he says, _if any man have not the Spirit of |Christ|, he is none of his_. This makes the distinction of a true Christian, particularly in opposition to the _Jews_.” I apprehend it is just here, that ♦your Lordship turns out of the way, when you say, “particularly in opposition to the _Jews_.” Such a _particular_ opposition I cannot allow, till some stronger proof is produced, than St. _Paul_’s occasionally mentioning six verses before, “the imperfection of the _Jewish_ law.”
♦ “you” replaced with “your”