hold his peace." And again: "Any one who has the spirit of prophecy is not compelled to speak involuntarily, as those who have unclean spirits, but speaks when he pleases and reason requires: and when it shall not appear a fit opportunity to speak, is silent, well knowing there is a time to be silent and a time to speak."*

But let us once more turn to their own professions, and try them upon another point.

It appears, then, not only that they are constrained to speak, whether willing or unwilling, but that oftentimes they neither know, nor profess to know, what they speak. Thus we are told in the statement before alluded to," I heard *** say to her neighbour, in a low voice, I didn't speak in English, did I?" therefore clearly not knowing what she had spoken. While one, who has himself escaped from this fearful delusion, plainly declares, If I understood not the words I was made to

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* Origen in Rom., c. viii., lib. 7, tom 2, pp. 567-8.

utter, it was consistent with the idea of the utterances of the Spirit that deep and mysterious things should be spoken." And again, one now speaking as a prophetess amongst them, has declared, if she were" to attempt to exercise her understanding upon what she utters, she should soon stumble."* How different is all this from the example of the true apostles and prophets of God, and yet strange to say, again so perfectly in unison with the pretenders and heretics of the early ages, that we have again the answers of the fathers at a distance of between fourteen and fifteen centuries perfectly conclusive upon the point. We find Origen,† A. D. 235-247, distinctly says, "The throwing her who prophesies into an ecstacy, so that she does not understand herself, is not the work of the Divine Spirit." Again, Basil the Great, A. D.

*"Narrative of Facts," by Baxter, p. 127. Origen contra Cels., lib. 7, sub init.

Basil. Comment. in Is., vol. i. p. 806.

370:-"But there are some who say that they prophesy in a state of ecstacy, their human understanding being overshadowed by the Spirit. But this is irreconcileable with their boast of having the Divine presence with them, that should abstract the mind of him who is divinely inspired." So, again,* Epiphanias of Constantia, A.D. 375" They have cut themselves off, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, saying that it behoves us to receive the gifts." "But whatever the prophets spoke, they spoke intelligently, understanding what they were saying." "But what these people

profess to prophesy, they appear to do neither in a calm state of mind, nor understanding what they say, for their words are extraordinary and incoherent, and have no propriety." Lastly, St. Chrysostom : "This is the peculiar mark of a soothsayer, to be in an exstacy, to suffer constraint, to be under a violent impulse, * Epiphan. adv. Hær. in hær. 45. vol. i. p. 402.

to be exceedingly moved, to be agitated like one mad. But a prophet is not so, but speaks every thing with a sober judgment and a sound state of mind, and understanding what is spoken. So that even before the event, you may distinguish from hence between a soothsayer and a prophet."

We have, then, two distinctive marks given upon their own confession, according to the testimony of men whose veracity has never been impeached, in which the present claimants differ widely from those whom the Church of God has in all ages recognised as the prophets of God, while they agree as closely with those whom the Church has, in all ages, pronounced to be under deep and dangerous delusion.

I shall, in conclusion, apply myself, as I proposed in the former Discourse, to resolve" some difficulties which have arisen in the minds of many candid inquirers into this deeply important subject."

* Chrys. Hom. 29. vol. iii. p. 430.

The first inquiry which I shall endeavour to answer, because it is one that has staggered more minds, and obtained more proselytes to this delusion, than any other, is this: Can it be possible, that when God's children ask Him for bread, He should give them a stone or a scorpion? If not, say the inquirers, then since many of the claimants of these extraordinary gifts are certainly among the children of God, and they have long been seeking these gifts, would He thus have given them over to delusion?

The answer to this appears plain and undeniable.

We are quite ready to acknowledge that God's true children can never ask bread, and receive a stone or a scorpion. We are equally willing to admit, that many of these claimants are God's true children. But we deny that they have been asking for bread. In seeking for miraculous powers, for extraordinary gifts, we contend that they are not seeking for bread. Such