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than this? Is not fuch boasting bumility itfelf? And yet for this he makes many apologies, expreffing the greatest uneasiness inbeing obliged to fpeak thus of himself, even in his own vindication*. When, in the fame epiftle, and for the fame purpose, he mentions the vifion he had of heaven, how modeftly does he do it! Not in his own name, but in the third perfon, I knew a man in Chrift, &c. caught up into the third heaven†. And immediately after he adds, but now I forbear, left any man should think of me above that which he feeth me to be, or that he heareth. of me. How contrary is this to a spirit of vanity! how different from the practice of enthufiaftick pretenders to raptures and vifions, who never think they can dwell long enough upon thofe fubjects, but fill whole volumes with their accounts of them! Yet St. Paul is not fatisfied with this forbearance; he adds the confeffion of fome infirmity, which he tells the Corinthians was given to him as an alloy, that he might not be above measure exalted through the abundance of his

2 Cor. xi. 1, 16, 17, 18, 19, 30." xii. 2. 2 Cor. xii. 6.

+ 2 Cor.

revelations *.

revelations*. I would also observe, that he fays this rapture or vifion of paradife hap pened to him above fourteen years before. Now had it been the effect of a mere enthusiastical fancy, can it be fuppofed that in so long a period of time, he would not have had many more raptures of the fame kind? Would not his imagination have been perpetually carrying him to heaven, as we find St. Therefa, St. Bridget, and St. Catherine † were carried by theirs? And if vanity had been predominant in him, would he have remained fourteen years in abfolute filence upon fo great a mark of the Divine favour? No, we fhould certainly have seen his epiftles filled with nothing else but long accounts of these vifions, conferences with angels, with Christ, with God Almighty, myftical unions with God, and all that we read in the works of thofe fainted enthufiafts, whom I have mentioned before. But he only mentions this vifion in answer to the falfe teacher who had difputed his Apoftolical power, and comprehends it all in three fentences, with many ex

2 Cor. xii. 7.

See their works and lives.

cufes

cufes for being compelled to make any mention of it at all*. Nor does he take any merit to himfelf, even from the fuccefs of those Apoftolical labours which he principally boasts of in this epiftle. For in a former one to the fame church he writes thus, Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but minifters by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. • So then neither is he that planteth any • thing, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increafe.' And in another place of the fame Epiftle he fays, By the

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grace of God I am what I am, and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me†.'

I think it needlefs to give more inftances of the modefty of St. Paul. Certain I am, not one can be given that bears any colour of vanity, or that vanity in particular, which fo trongly appears in all enthusiasts, of fetting

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their imaginary gifts above thofe virtues which make the effence of true religion, and the real excellency of a good man, or, in the fcripture phrafe, of a faint. In his first epiftle to the Corinthians he has these words, though I fpeak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as founding brafs or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith fo that I could remove mountains, and ⚫ have no charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the

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poor, and though I give my body to be • burned, and have not charity, it profite th

me nothing*. Is this the language of enthufiafm? Did ever enthufiaft prefer that univerfal benevolence which comprehends all moral virtues, and which (as appears by the following verfes) is meant by charity here; did ever enthufiaft, I fay, prefer that benevolence to faith and to miracles, to thofe religious opinions which he had embraced, and to thofe fupernatural graces and gifts

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which he imagined he had acquired, nay even to the merit of martyrdom? Is it not the genius of enthusiasm to fet moral virtues infinitely below the merit of faith, and of all moral virtues to value that leaft which is moft particularly enforced by St. Paul, a fpirit of candour, moderation and peace? Certainly neither the temper, nor the opinions of a man fubject to fanatick delufions, are to be found in this paffage; but it may be justly concluded, that he who could efteem the value of charity fo much above miraculous gifts, could not have pretended to any fuch gifts if he had them not in reality.

Since then it is manifeft from the foregoing examination, that in St. Paul's difpofition and character thofe qualities do not occur which feem neceffary to form an enthusiast, it must be reasonable to conclude he was none. But allowing, for argument's fake, that all those qualities were to be found in him, or that the heat of his temper alone could be a fufficient foundation to fupport fuch a fufpicion; I fhall endeavour to prove, that he could not have impofed on himself by any power of enthusiasm, either in regard to the miracle that caused, his converfion, or to

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