A23636:63
The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession…
The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession and exercise thereof defended against all the calumnies of one George Keith, a Quaker, in a book lately published at Pennsylvania, to undermine them both / by the ministers of the Gospel in Boston.The principles of the Protestant religion maintained, and churches of New-England, in the profession and exercise thereof defended against all the calumnies of one George Keith, a Quaker, in a book lately published at Pensilvania, to undermine them both / by the ministers of the Gospel in Boston.
printed by Richard Pierce, 1690
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Introduction › Reflections on Cap. 2. of New Revelations and Inspirations.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
As to the Word [Inspiration] it is vulgarly understood (in Divinity) to intimate an Inward, extraordinary Discovery of the mind of God, made by the Holy Ghost in the hearts of His servants; so, 2. Tim. 3.16. and so we difference it from those ordinary and mediate ways in which we come to this acquaintance. [Revelation] is applicable indeed to any way in which a thing is made known to us which we knew not before: and so the word may be (as sometimes in Scripture) applied to any Discovery which is made to us of the Will of God. But this word hath also attained a particular Appropriation to such a Knowledge of Divine Truths, as would never have been attained by the best Improvement of natural light or reason, without the Manifestation of the Spirit: and this is either Immediate or Mediate, ⟨p. 23⟩the Immediate is the same with Inspiration: ••e Mediate is that which is commonly called Illumination, the Spirit of God helping us •ith His Influences, whenever we are in the •se of means. The word [New] may be applied either to the kind of the things revealed •r to the Act of Revealing. Here then our Belief in this matter may be reduced to •hese Heads. We do believe, 1. That Sav•ng Illuminations of the Spirit, influencing the hearts of His people with the knowledge of Christ and His Truths, are common & needful to all Believers in all ages, Rev. 8.9. 2ndly. That in this sense, there are new Revelations made from time to time to God's Children, i. e. subjectively, 2. Pet. 3.18. 3dly. That such inspirations as the Prophets and Apostles of old had, by which God discovered His mind to them immediately, enabling them to declare these things to others, were not common to believers in these times. 1. Cor. 12.29. & vers. 10. 4thly. That the Scriptures do so fully contain the mind of God in all things necessary for Faith and Salvation, that there need no such Inspirations to be afforded to any and therefore they are now ceased.