Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

Once more let me ask thee O Enthusiast, who criest up the spirit, the spirit above Scripture, dost thou seek the spirit aright, or follow him faithfully? I fear thou doest neither. Thou doest not seek the spirit aright, because not in his own way, which now is not in visions and immediate revelations, but in the Scripture. Thou wouldest have the spirit, but wilt not stay upon the mountains of the Prophets and Apostles for him. Thou doest like Joseph and Mary, they sought Christ among their kindred and acquaintance, when he was in the Temple. Thou seekest the spirit among thy own fancies and imaginations, when he is in the Scripture, My spirit and my words shall not depart out of thy mouth, saith God, Isa. 59.21. Observe, the spirit and the word are by Gods own ordinance in a sweet conjunction together, he that sunders them loses both of them. For a man to wave the Scripture and seek the spirit, is as if he should forsake the beams, and search after the Sun in some place where it shines not. The French Kings use to be crowned at Reims, because there is the ⟨p. 63⟩sacred oil, which (as they say) came down from heaven. If thou wouldest be crowned with heavenly wisdom, be in the Scriptures, there and there only is the holy Unction which will teach thee all things. Neither dost thou follow the spirit as thou oughtest: the spirit, if followed in his own way, will lead thee into all truth, but if thou wilt follow the spirit in an extra-scriptural way, thou doest not follow it indeed, but thy own fancy, and whilst thou seemest to soar above Scripture, thou art like to fall far below it, into the ditch of error and wickedness. In no better place have thy predecessors been, after all their high-flying imaginations. Montanus that early Enthusiast called himself the Paraclete, and magnified the writings of his two Prophetesses above the sacred Gospel. The Messaliani thought they could corporeally see the sacred Trinity, and dance upon devils, and receive the holy spirit in a visible way? Oh Satanical illusion! John of Leydens visions teemed out Polygamy and a bloody Rebellion. Into what wild assertions did Swenckfield and Henry Nicholas come by their Enthusiastical spirit, the first saying, that the Gospel is the Essence of God; nay, faith in the heart is so. The other blasphemously alleging, That the believer is Godded with God, and the spirit of love is God incarnate?

Once more let me ask thee O Enthusiast, who criest up the spirit, the spirit above Scripture, dost thou seek the spirit aright, or follow him faithfully? I fear thou doest neither. Thou doest not seek the spirit aright, because not in his own way, which now is not in visions and immediate revelations, but in the Scripture. Thou wouldest have the spirit, but wilt not stay upon the mountains of the Prophets and Apostles for him. Thou doest like Joseph and Mary, they sought Christ among their kindred and acquaintance, when he was in the Temple. Thou seekest the spirit among thy own fancies and imaginations, when he is in the Scripture, My spirit and my words shall not depart out of thy mouth, saith God,