The suppressed evidence : or, Proofs of the miraculous faith and experience of the church of Christ in all ages, from authentic records of the fathers, Waldenses, Hussites, reformers, United brethren, &c
" My father had some days before written out a lease ; and with this, by mistake, he had taken up and locked up the lost paper, which was folded to the same size *." * '^ Nu ga ik mijne belpAe in de aanspreak (ep § 14) ge^aan, ▼erv^l^D^ en een^n droom verhalen, njij zelven op mijn 17e jaar bejegeiid. — In het jaar 17T9, ten huize Tan mijne geliefde Ouders te Berkel wonende, alwaar iDijne Vader Predikant was, en mij in de yoKulsereidende akad^mi^he wetenschappen onderwees, had ik den vrijen toegang tot bet studeer- vertrek. — Mijn vader had, als lid der Eerw. klassis van Deift en Delftand, op zijne beurt, zeker gewigtig papier (dat op de aanstaande synodale vergadering dienen^ en binnen weinige dagen a^n een' ander' Predika^ die hem in rang volgde, verzonden moast worden) op z\jne leestafel liggen : dit papier raakt weg, en daar er nooit buiten mijn* vader en mij, ien^and op ae studeerkamer kwam, hebbende ik zelf, als mijn vader yan huis was, den sleutel onder mij, was het zeer natuurlijk, dat ik bij mijn' vader in verdenking geraken moest, dit papier te hebben weggenomen, en misschien gebruikt tot eene of andere behoefte. " Vruchteloos en te vergoefs werden alle binnen kort gebruikte boeken, zooveel men zich kon herinueren, nagezocht en doorbladerd — Paar hei nlet bewezen was,[of kon worden, dat ik, het zij opzettelijk of bij ongeluk, de oorzaak van het wegraken was, hehoefde ik ook voor geene straf zoo zeer te vreezen, — dan, de angst, waarin ik mijn geliefden vader gedurig zag, wegens een pand, zijner zorge toevertrouwd, en waaraan zooveS gelegen was, — gevoegd bij de vrees, dat ik mijn vaders vertrouwen tooh zpu verlieiien, deden n\\i eenige nachten alapeloos doorbrengen.^-^Den vierden nacht geraakte ik eindelijk in slaap en aan het droomen. — Ik verbeeldde mij te zitten in zeker klein kamertje of kabinetje, dat achter de studeerkamer is, en meest altijd gesloten bleef, om dat aldaar effecten en andere zaken van waarde geborgen werden* — Ik verbeeldde mij te Kitten voor eene geopende bureau, die ik toen nog nimmer open gezien had, zeker laadje uit te halen, het onderste boven te keeren, en, ziedaar, tot mijne groote verba^ing, valt er het Ung gezochte. vermiste papier, dat i ik zeer wel kende, uit. — Ik wordt van blijdschap wakker, wil mijpen vader f met die goede tijding verassen, — dan het is nog stikdonker nacht! — ik 6tel zulks uit tot den morgenstond ; val door vermoeidheid, in drie nachten niet geslappen hebbende, weder in slaap, en droom andermaal onder dezelfde omstandigheden. — Nu wakker wordende, zie ik de eerste schemering van den dageraad, en daar mijn vader altijd voor aonne- 9pg|^ng op^tond, spring ik blijrooedig bet bed uit, yipd den ni%Q rei^ds TO THE PRESENT DAY. 316 r ''As sure as there is a notion that the time of miracles is pasty even so sure does it appear to me that the hand of God in no respect is shortened ; that that which has happened heretofore may happen still, and perhaps does happen much oftener than is commonly thought *J' Having been favoured with these extracts by Mr. Thelwall, I here feel constrained to add^ that nothing can be more disgraceful or scandalous than the attempt of the Chkistian Observer to confound my friend with the school of Regent beneden, en roep met groote blijdscbap hem toe: Het is gevonden/ VADER. Waar ? ik. In uwe bureau, yader. Hoe, of vanwaar hunt gij dit weten ? ik. Ik heb het gedroomd ! vadbr. <' Mijn Vader had eenige dageu te voren eene huurcedel geschreven, en met dezelve het verloren papier, dat even eens gevouwen was, bij ver^ gissing opgenomen en wegglesloten." pp. 33 — 36, ♦ " Zoo reker als er eene stelUng is, dat de tijd der wonderwerken voorhij is ; even zoo zeker komt het mij voor, dat de hand Gods in geenen deele nog verkort is, dat hetgeen, wat vporheen gebeurde, nog geschied«D kao, en misschien nog meer geschiedt, dan men gemeenlijk wel denkt.'' p, 43* 316 THE CHURCH Square, from which he is farther removed than many of those who now profess themselves op- posed to it. If a man is to be represented as of that school because he believes that a miracle may happen in his own times, so might Grotius, Tillotson, Bengel, and Bp. Hall. But, so far from admitting the peculiarities of the school in question, — those, for instance, respecting the Humanity, — Mr. Thelwall is the only person I have yet met with who seemed able to give any clear statement of the scriptural reasons for rejecting them *. The Church of England. — Whatever at- tempts may now be made to suppress the fact, the Church of England, as etablished at and after the Reformation, will be ^nd to have distinctly recognized the doctrine of miracles; and that, (Ij in her Canons, (2) in her Liturgy, and (3) in her Homilies. To be consistent, indeed, no epis- copal church can do otherwise : for the doctrines of apostolic succession and miraculous succession must stand or fall together. 1 . The Seventy- second Canon directs, somewhat quaintly, that no minister or ministers shall, with- out the licence of the Bishop of the diocese, ** attempt, upon any pretence whatsoever, either of posses- sion or obsession, by fasting and prayer, to cast * I may add, that Mr. Thelwall resisted the party in the Committee of the Trinitarian Bible Society, who stand before the public as the op- ponents of this school, because he thought their measures intemperate, irregular, and overbearing ; and because they appeared to him to be mixed up with personal feelings of enmity, and with a spirit of perse- cution, which ought not to be allowed an entrance in a religious insti- tution. When, on the contrary, he feared that the other party, from with- standing one evil, had run into another, and shewed, as he thought, a disposition to admit members belonging to the school in question, he withdrew from them also, till he could be satisfied that this was not the case. f \ TO THE PUESENT DAY. 317 out any devil or devils, under pain of the imputa- tion of imposture or cosenage, and deposition from the ministry." It is clear that this direction does not deny the possibility of Satanic posses- sion, or of dispossession ; but requires only that it be not attempted without due authority from the diocesan. Thus irregularities are repressed, but the thing itself is admitted. I know there has been an attempt to explain the words away. But, if they mean nothing, what need of trick and con- cealment ? The present case affords another in- stance, of the endeavour to suppress truth by small verbal iniquities. In the Table of Contents of the Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastical, the reference to the Seventy-second Canon stands thus : ** Ministers not to appoint public or private Fasts or pro- phecies, or to exorcise, but by authority." But it so happens that the same canon says something about exercises : advantage was taken of this to get rid of the mention of exorcism by the variation of a single letter : and, in other copies, the reference stands thus : ** Ministers not to appoint public or private Fasts or pro- phecies, or to exercise, but by authority *." If the sentence in the Canon about posses- sion, obsession, and the casting out of devils, really mean nothing, why this attempt to keep it out of sight by a miserable trick ? 2. The Book of Common Prayer also, in its iwabridged form, contained a distinct recognition * Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastical. London. 1678. Sm. quarto. 318 TH« CHURCH of miraculous gifts, f refer to the gift of healing, said to have been exercised by the kings of England. The reality of this gift thus exercised, is a sub- ject which I am not here called upon to discuss : though, if any feel disposed to reject the idea at once, as absurd, they will only betray their own ignorance ; for people are little aware how much has been written on this subject ; and perhaps it would surprise them to be told that there yet exists a mass of evidence to the fact, which would be deemed amply sufficient to establish any other feet in English history *. The point now to be mentioned is, that the service used on the occa- won, when people came to be healed, and the king performed the ordinance of touching, was formerly apart of our Prayer-book ; and I understand there are editions as late as 1721 or 1723, in which it yet retains its place. The service may also be found, with all the particulars^ in the work of Browne to which I have just referred in a notef. But this is not the point which I now wish to urge. The circumstance of most import- ance is, that we have distinct evidence of the recognition of this gift of healing by our Church, in her Protestant character. That is, we find the recognition of the same gift in popish times : * See, for example, " An Anatomick-Chirurgical Treatise of Glan- dules and Strumaes, &c. Together with the Royal Gift of Healing, or Cure thereof by Contact or Imposition of hands, performed for above 640 years by our Kings of England, continued with the admirable Effects, and miraculous Events, &c. All which are succinctly described by John Browne, one of his Majesties Chirurgeons in Ordinary, and ChiruFgeon of his Majesty's Hospital." — London. 1684. t See part the third, Entitled the Charisma Basilicon (The Royal Gift), p. 83, &c. TO THE PRESENT DAY. 319 but does our church > on becoming Protestant, Reject or disown it ? By no means. First of all, we find the Roman- Catholic service, xised previous to the Reformation, and framed accordingly : it commences by the King's confessing, and that not only to Him who pardons sin, but ** to thq blessed Virgin Mary and to all saints *." But, secondly, wc have the Protestant service— a part, till times comparatively recent omitted it, of our Protestant Prayer-book — perpetuating the prac- tice, though cleared of Roman-Gatholic peculiari- ties. Thus the confession to the Virgin Mary is excluded, but the recognition of a miraculous gift is retained. — This is no such fanciful matter, as many would suppose. To this miraculous gift it is, that reference is made by Bishop Bull, in a passage which the kindness of a friend enabled me to quote on a former occasion, and which I now quote again. The Bishop, preaching upon St. Paul's thorn in the flesh, observes that tlie gift of miracles, and particularly the gift of curing diseases, was so given by Christ to his Apostles, as not to be at their own absolute disposal, but to be dispensed by them as the Giver should think fit^. He instances the example of St, Paul, in not curing himself, and in not curing Timothy. H« then proceeds : ''And (by the way) perhaps this is the ^est account that can be given of the relique and remainder of the primitive . * See " Ceremonies for the Healing of them that be diseased with the King's Evil, used in the Time of King Henry VII." in the Literary Museum. — London. 1792. t Sermon on 2 Cor. xii. 7 — 9. Second Observation. Sermons. Vol. I. London. 1713. 320 THE CHURCH gift of healing, for some hundred years past, visible in this our nation, and annexed to the succession of our Christian Kings: I mean the cure of the otherwise generally in- curable disease, called Morbus Regius or the King's Evil. That divers persons desperately labouring under it have been cured by the mere touch of the royal hand, assisted with the prayers of the priests of our Church attending, is unquestionable, unless the faith of all our ancient writers, and the consentietU report of hundreds of most credible per- sons in our own age," (the writer died 1709-10,) *' attest- ing the same, be to be questioned." He then proceeds to shew that, if some were not cured, this was because God had not given the gift so absolutely, but that he still kept the reins of it in his own hand ; as he had shewn, just before, in the case of the Apostle. Thus, up to not many years before the service was finally excluded from our Prayer-book, we find a Bishop — whatever might be his doctrines on some important points, certainly a respectable authority in a matter of fact — asserting the gift, and assert- ing it upon the consentient report of hundreds of most credible persons in his own age, attesting the same. 3. The sentence of the Common Prayer and the Canons being such as we have seen, those who seek the denial of miracles in the authorized formularies of the Church of England will in vain turn for comfort to the Homilies. The Homily ** Against Peril of Idolatry " plainly admits (in accordance with the Reformers, as we have already seen,) that, '* where images be," some miraculous acts may have been done by illusion of the devil ; observing, that " Neither ought miracles to persuade us to do contrary TO THE PR£S£NT DAY. 321 to God*s word. For the Scriptures have for a warning hereof foreshewed, that the kingdom of Antichrist shall be mighty in miracles and wonders, to the strong illusion of all the reprobate*." The same Homily, also, to prove the estima- tion in which Epiphanius, who flourished towards the end of the fourth century, was held, cites a passage recording miracles wrought by him. — ^' And in the Tripartite Ecclesiastical History, the ninth book, and forty-eighth chapter, is testified, that ' Epi- phanius, being yet alive, did work miracles, and that after his death devils, being expelled at his grave or tomb, did roar.' Thus you see what authority St. Jerome, and that most ancient history,'' (I cite only the latter authority, as referring to our present purpose,) " give unto the holy and learned Bishop Epiphanius, whose judgment of images in churches and temples, then beginning by stealth, to creep in, is worthy to be noted +." And this Homily also represents, as a miracu- lous sign, a darkness of the sun as late as the eighth century, which continued seventeen days : " In this history, joined to Eutropius, it is written, that the sun was darkened by the space of seventeen days most strangely and dreadfully, and that all men said, that for the horribleness of that cruel and unnatural fact of Irene, and the putting out of the Emperor's eyes, the sun had lost his hght. But, indeed, God would signify, by the darkness of the sun, into what darkness and blindness of ignorance and idolatry all Christendom should fall, by the , occasion of images. The bright sun of his eternal truth,. Y I I I 322 THE CHURCH But to come to more recent times, the Homily for Whitsunday distinctly represents the Holy Spirit as still working miraculously, and con- ferring miraculous gifts. ''Now, let us consider what the Holy Ghost is, and how consequently he worketh his miraculous works towards! mankind *." It may be ui'ged, that here his internal opera- tions, only, are intended ; as where it is said, afterwards, *' Did not God's Holy Spirit miraculously work in Matthewf?" I answer. His internal operations may be in- cluded : but these are plainly not the only ones meant ; witness the next page : ** Here is now that glass, wherein thou must behold thyself, and discern whether thou have the Holy Ghost within thee, or the spirit of the flesh. If thou see that thy works be virtuous and good, consonant to the pre- script rule of God's word, savouring and tasting not of the flesh but of the Spirit, then assure thyself that thou art endued with the Holy Ghost : otherwise, in thinking well of thyself, thou dost nothing else but deceive thyself. The Holy Ghost doth always declare himself by his fruitful and gracious gifts ; namely, by the word of wisdom, by the word of knowledge, which is the understanding of the Scriptures by faith, in doing of miracles, by heaUng them that are diseased^ by prophecy, which is the declaration of God's mysteries, by discerning of spirits, diversities of tongues, interpretation of tongues, and so forth. All which gifts, as they proceed from one Spirit, and are severally given to man according to the measurable distribution of the Holy Ghost ; even so do they bring men, and not without good cause, into a wonderful admiration of God's Divine power J." • p. 388. t p. 390 X p. 391. TO THE PRESENT DAY. 323 And in the next page, '' Much more might here be spoken of the manifold gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost, most excellent and ivon- derful in our eyes; but to make a long discourse through all, the shortness of time will qot serve *^." ) I must now, then, turn to those opponents of | post-Apostolic miracles who profess themselves j members of the Church of England, and tell them, with the evidence here before their faces, that their extreme wrath, and persecuting bitterness of opposition, are any thing but churchman-like. What a shameless and scandalous deception ; when it is clear not only that miracles were wrought, admitted, or experienced, both by the Reformers, and by those most resembling them before and after the Reformation, but that the doctrine is distinctly recognised by our Church, to choose out that amongst all modern heresies which is vievred with the greatest horror, but a few years after they themselves blinked it in another quarter, and to write, under the name of every one who thinks the Christian dispensation mira- culous, that he belongs to this ! The fact, how- ever, is, that the bulk of those modern opponents of miracles, who pass for churchmen, are not churchmen, but liberals. Whenever a man per- secutes, I know him for a ** liberal"^ beforehand : and whenever a man sets up for a *' liberal " he is sure to prove a persecutor. So much for the doctrines of the Church of England. Advancing to particular occurrences of recent date, we find the subject branching * p. 392. y 2 324 THE CHURCH out into so many details, that I feel a diflSculty in taking it up, unless with more leisure than 1 can at present command. I may observe, however, that the narrative respecting the convert from Popery, who once met a maniac in the streets, and was dashed by him to the earth, given in the Morning Watch, and derided in the Chris- tian Observer as anile and absurd, is taken from the life of the celebrated Boos, a life well known on the Continent, and distinguished by many miraculous circumstances. Fire certainly came down from heaven, and consumed his paper, while he was meditating to preach a written sermon, and thus to evade the preaching of the truth. The writer of his life is the excellent Gosner, a distinguished and pious minister, now living at Berlin, who knew him well. Any person acquainted with the religious state of Germany, especially if he has resided in that city, will be able to inform the Christian Observer that Gosner is a well known and highly respected pastor, not at all wanting in sobriety of mind, and not at all despised or persecuted by his pious brethren in the ministry abroad, because he has written a book recording miraculous occurrences which happened within his own knowledge. And Gosner himself, in conversing with a beloved and honoured friend of mine, respecting the times to which his book relates, and respecting what Boos and other believers then experienced, assured him that their persecutions were so sharp that they needed miracles to sustain their faith. And here let me mention an occurrence, which I find recorded in the '' Memoirs, Sermons, and TO THE PRESENT DAY. 325 Letters of the Rev. W. A. Gunn," by the Rev. I. Saunders, A. M. It is related in Mr. Gunn's common-place book, and refers to an exemplary young believer, by name Comley. " His constitution was naturally weak. A fever, about three years and a half ago, rendered it more debilitated still. Myself as well as others heard him say, — the ex- pression is remarkable, but no comment shall be made, — * The Lord Jesus has been with me, and says he will return in three years and a half.' — So he did, for then J. Comely died." Here also I must be permitted again to put on record the miraculous .cure of Miss Fancourt. Many have discredited or denied it, to whom the particulars of the case are unknown. I do most sincerely both rejoice and sympathize with the ve- nerable father, who, discrediting modern miracles, was in a most unlooked-for manner brought to believe in them, by a supernatural work of heal- ing which took place in his own family, without having been in the least expected or even dreamt of, the moment before, by any member of his household : and who thus, in a manner equally un- looked-for, found himself and his beloved daughter suddenly, without any thing sought on their part, made the objects of vulgar clamour, suspicion, reiterated obloquy, and absolute falsehood. I now proceed to record the case : and I do so, (as in that related by Milner, of the believers, who spake, to the glory of God, after their tongues had been cut out,) for the sake of upholding the principle that truth, when it has been assailed, is still truth ; and that we are not to give up miraculous facts, merely because unbelief or pre- judice has attempted to falsify them. 326 THE CHURCH Miss Fancourt's. STATEMENT. — " In the month of November^ 1822, having for some months been in a bad state of healthy it pleased God to visit me with a hip disease. Perfect rest was recommended by the late Mr. Pearson of Golden Square, as absolutely necessary : cup- ping and blistering were immediately, resorted to : the next summer, 1823^ sea air and warm sea-bathing were ad- vised ; which advice was followed, but deriving no benefit, by the wish of Mr. Pearson, Mr. Jarvis placed in the hip a caustic issue. The following winter was spent in London : in the spring, 1824, Margate air and warm sea-bathing were again tried. Here, by the advice of Mr. Jarvis, who considered the disease abated, I used crutches ; though still there was much pain, and it was long before the leg affected was put to the ground. Again the winter was spent in London, and, the pain increasing, Mr. Travers saw me: he ordered leeches and bUsters, which were ap- plied with some little relief. The second time he saw me he ordered the issue to be closed, and to endeavour to leave off the crutches, fearing the back should be injured, or- dering tonics. His advice was followed : still the pain increased : leeches were s^in applied ; and in the spring, 1826, Margate was s^in tried. Here for Bome months I gradually became better, so as to be able to walk about, though feeling occasionally much pain in the back ; but in the month of October, imprudently walking out in a high cold wind, the pain greatly increased : leeches and blisters were again applied, and entire rest recoinknended. Finding no relief, another large caustic issue was placed in the hip* This winter was passed at Margate; and fever attacked me, so as to produce dangerous illness. By the blessing of God on the means used, the fever left me. Recovering from this, the back feeling much pain, as well as the hip, Mr. Jarvis found it necessary immediately to burn an issue in the back : in the course of a month, another was placed on the opposite side of the bone. It pleased God to bless these means: the following summer, 1826, all the issues were closed : permission given to attempt to walk. In July I returned to London, able, with the assistance of a TO THE PRESENT DAY. 327 sticky to walk a short xlistance, though always feeling pain : having been at home about ten days^ the pain very much increased both in the back and hip. By Mr. Par- kinson perfect rest was recommended. Different applida- tions were made ; but not having the desired effect, two more issues were placed in the back^ and in a short time a seton itt^ the hip : these> not giving essential rdief, were closed: Devonshire air advised. In February, 1827, I went. Here, under Mr. Tripe, ia course of mercury was given; leeches over and over again applied; many times bled in the arm, he being of opinion it arose from the liver being diseased. This did not produce the effect desired : another issue was placed in the hip. In the winter another dangerous illness attacked me, from which it pleased God to recover me : the old disease still as strong as ever ; ano^ ther seton was applied. This was the last application ; and in September, 1828, I returned home as unable to walk as when leaving it : once or twice the attempt was made, but produced much pain. From this time no means have been used, excepting constant confinement to the couch. Within these few weeks, even on the very day in which Jesus so manifested his Almighty power, I had at- tempted to walk : scarcely could I put one foot before the other : the limbs trembled very much. Thus it continued till the 20th of October, 1830 ; when a kind fHend, who had seen me about two months before, had been led by God to pray earnestly for my recovery ; remembering what is written, ' Whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.' He asked in faith, and God graciously answered his prayer. On Wednesday night, my friend being about to leave the room, Mr. G begged to be excused a short time. Sitting near me, we talked of his relatives, and of the death of his brother : rising, he said, They will expect me at supper, and put out hi^ h^tid: After asking some questions respecting the disease, he added. It is melancholy to see a person so constantly con- fined : I answered. It is sent in mercy. Do you think so ? Do you think the same mercy could restore you ? God gave me faith, and I answered, Yes, Do you believe 328 THE CHUKCH Jesus could heal» as in old times ? Yes. (Between these questions he was evidently engaged in prayer.) Then, he added^ get up and walk : come down to your family. He then had hold of my hand : he prayed to God to glorify the name of Jesus. I rose from my couch quite strong. God took away all my pains, and we walked down stairs, — dear Mr. G. praying most fervently. Lord have mercy upon us ! Christ have mercy upon us ! Having been down a short time, finding my handkerchief left on the couch, taking the candle, I fetched it. The next day I walked more than a quarter of a mile ; and on Sunday from the Episcopal Jews' Chapel, a distance of one mile and a quarter. Up to this time God continues to strengthen me, and I am perfectly well. To Jesus be all the glory.— Nov. 13, 1830." To this must be added a part of the state- ment of the Rev. Mr. Fancourt. — " Under this peculiar dispensation of mercy, there rests on my mind a solemn conviction that the glory of God and the interest of religion are deeply involved in the pub- licity which it will probably acquire. But without shrink- ing from the responsibility attached to the declaration, I profess myself ready to bear my open testimony to a notable fact ; namely, that, as I view it, God has raised an impo- tent cripple, in the person of my youngest daughter, to instantaneous soundness of her bodily limbs, by faith in the name of Jesus, being taught by her mother church to know and feel that there is none other name under heaven given to man in whom and through whom she could receive health and salvation, but only the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this faith, through the instru- mentality of * the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man (for God heareth not sinners), which availeth much, God has done exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think.' I am aware that there are questions of diflScult solution, as to the instrumentality by which the TO THE PRESENT DAY. There have, indeed, been some references and allusions, oblique or anonymous. But the abso- lute abandonment of all attempt at honest and open reply to my statement, may be cited as affording a perfect specimen of controversial con- futation. I say confutation, not conviction ; be- cause the adversary'- is evidently silenced, without having abandoned his error : he has not cordially received the truth ; but he has nothing more to say against it. Meanwhile the miraculous cure itself, having been thus questioned at first, but questioned no more when the facts of the case were set in their true light, may now be regarded as PROVED and admittep: and the vindictive expedient of so precipitately retreating from the discussion, in order to go on assailing me by a series of personal attacks, serves but to render the proof and the admission more complete. Other occurrences of recent date might here be mentioned : but this is an extensive subject. The reader will recollect a remarkable instance of re- covery, in answer to the prayers of our pious \ 330 THE CHURCH King Edward, and positively foretold by him before it took place, although the patient had been given up by his physicians. It may here be proper to mention, that this occurrence is re- corded, in. the *' Selection from Early Protestant Divines of the Church of England," by that last representative of a better race of evangelical di- vines than he left behind hin^^ the Rev. Legh Richmond*. He, good man, expressed to mq once his surprise, that his work found so little acceptance with evangelical professors. He knew not, nor could I then tell him, the reason. The fact is, that we do not follow Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley, and our Reformers, who were church* men. We follow the later Puritans. A republi- cation of their works would have met with greater success. There is a repugnance, amongst us, to the genuine doctrines of the Reformatioii, which even the name of Legh Richmond in the title-page could not vanquish. In closing the present chapter I beg leave once more to remind the reader, that the question, as stated by our opponents, is not merely one of facts, but of opinions. In other words, they not merely deny the actual occurrence of post- Apostolic or of recent miracles ; but go so far as to assert, with much face, that there has not been any belief or admission of such things, in the Christian church. Of these notions, the reader has, in the last two chapters, seen contradiction upon coutra- diction ; in quotations, or exaniples, fron> Huss, Calvin, Martyr, Bucer, Pellican, Beza, BuUinger, * p. 321. Selection, &c. London. 1817. TO THE PRESENT DAY. 331 Luther, Musculus, Knox, Wisheart, Fox, Zuing- lius, Baxter, Cartwright, Hall, Rogers, Bengel, the United Brethren, and the Church of England. From these citations it is perfectly clear, that the admission and belief of miracles has never de- parted from the Church ; and thus the question of opinion is settled. But still, be it remembered, this is not all. We have seen gifts of healing in the Church of the United Brethren. We have seen Knox and Wisheart predicting local occur- rences. We have seen Luther raising up Mecutn and Melahcthon . These occurrences, and others of the same order, not merely determine virhat have been the opinions of the Church, but prove, by incontrovertible facts, that it has not been left destitute of miraculous ea^nence. I • 332 CHAP. VL CONCLUSION. Fellow-travellers sometimes bicker upon the road ; but, as they approach their journey's end, they begin to feel mutual relentings, and a wish to part friends. No doubt, if any of my remarks have given offence, such is now the feeling of my readers towards me. Taking this, therefore, for granted, I now beg leave to express the same amicable disposition towards them : and, could any explanations tend to cordiality at parting, I should be very happy to offer them. That I ever called all persons Neologians, who do not think a certain recent case miraculous, is a great — mistake. I freely pardon the individual who set the accu- sation about ; and I now beg pardon of all, whom any thing in my own language or sentiments has offended. With a few more remarks let us now conclude. I. On what footing does the close of the present brief sketch leave the subject of miracles ? It leaves much to be done ; many points to be followed out, and illustrated by fuller details. Some matters it leaves wholly untouched ; nor has it gone so largely as might be into any. There is one topic, which is a subject by itself. I refer to alleged miracles of the time present, whether they have occurred in this country, or on the CONCLUSION. 333 Continent. Should any brother be disposed to take up this part of the subject, I may mention, for his information, that the foreign part of it has, in some respects, much less diflficulty than the domestic. Amongst true Christians on the Con- tinent, there exists not, as far as I have been able to ascertain, and I believe I may venture to make the assertion with very little qualification, any particular disposition to discredit modern mi- racles; but, on the contrary, where they are properly attested, a reasonable degree of readi- ness to admit them. I have heard of an instance, where the intelligence of a recent and much agi- tated case, which occurred in the metropolis, reached a Protestant university on the Continent, and was brought before a considerable number of pious students and divines. There was no dispo- sition whatever, I understand, to reject it. The general language was, ^' This is no new thing to us. We have met with such miraculous occur- rences in our own experience." — Of course any Christian Brother, who takes up this part of the subject, should have some acquaintance with the state of things abroad, so as to know when he is quoting authorities that can be depended oh. — Yet, supposing this point to be well ascertained, I certainly would not advise him, in the state- ments which he extracts, to be over-fastidious. There is no occasion for this, and there would be no good in it. If we would please the squeamish, we must let alone the miraculous subject alto- gether. The offence is already given, by any avowal of our belief in miracles : therefore, this avowal once made, we shall gain little by nicety 334 CONCLUSION. in particular statements. Ascertain, then, what is truth, and give it without reserve. If, however, the present sketch leaves much to be done, I trust I may say that it also leaves something ascertained and determined. .It shews that the argument against miracles, from their (alleged) long absence in the church, is an empty boast: that from the very authorities appealed to, for instance by Mr. Noel, to prove that there ^ has been nothing of the kind for centuries, we can sufficiently prove both miraculous faith and miraculous experience: and that therefore the challenge, to account for the ^' general unbelief," the ** strange consent," the rushing " consenta- neously into error," is not warranted by the facts of the case. "On other points," it is said, '' which the natural mind is much more indis- posed to receive, their faith was triumphantly strong ; why was it here only so weak ? " We answer, you have not proved that it was weak. Your citations fail. We turn to them, . compare them with the context, or extract them whole ; and, behold, they are either useless for the pur- pose of disproving what you question, or available for the purpose of proving it. The more we examine, the more we find to confirm us in our persuasion, that such things have always been believed and experienced. Thus, also, we acquire sounder views, as to alleged miracles which may now occur, from time to time. Suppose a miraculous occurrence to be alleged; our system frees us, at any rate, from the obligation to reject it at once as impossible, without examination ; which we should be bound CONCLUSION. 335 to do, if it were certain that the age of miracles is passed. Facts and testimonies, succeeding in order, satisfy us that this assertion is groundless : satisfy us that the kge of miracles is not passed: and that, consequently, when a particular case is alleged, there is no antecedent impossibility^ which obliges us to set it down as false. There have been such cases, and therefore there may be : and therefore we are left at liberty, on being told of a miracle, to act precisely as when we are told of any other extraordinary occurrence: — that is, to hear the statement ; and, if the statement be found unsatisfactory, to wait ; if satisfactory, to believe. And further, if a case shall arise, in which a miracle is needed. Inasmuch as we find the opinion, that miracles are withdr^iwn from the church, to be, after all, not true, we are left at liberty, in such a case, to ask what we need, and to hope that it will be granted. Observe, I speak only of our liberty. I do not say that this will be done in every case. In fact, it might perhaps be maintained, that every miracle, in which man is an agent, is double : in other words, that ere the outward work, the visible miracle, is performed, there must bean inward miracle, specially wrought by God upon his own heart, to signify to him that this is the time, to assure him beforehand that the outward work shall be performed, and to prompt him to seek the performance. Here, however, we are opening a new field of discussion. At present I am observing, only, that miracles may be sought ; that the time for miracles is not irrecoverably gone by ; and that, as others have asked and ob- tained,so we mayalso. Cautions will suggestthem- 336 CONCLUSION. selves, and they are various. Cautions, however, are needful in all prayer. But, both with prayer for miracles, and prayer in general, what we now seem to want is not so much the bridle as the spur. You cannot shew me a single passage, where men are blamed for having too much faith, throughout the whole New Testament. I can shew you many, where they are blamed for having too little. And the remarkable circumstance is, that in most of such passages, if not in all of them, it will be found that the faith blamed by Jesus Christ as too little, was so blamed because it looked not for something extraordinary or miraculous*. Well, then, may we consent to have our faith treated of men as presumption and credulity, as if it were too great ; while the Lord teaches us that the real danger lies wholly on the other side, and that it is after all too little. II. On what footing does the close of the pre- sent work leave the Religious World ? Here I must beg for a little further lengthening out of patience. We spoke, just now, of shaking hands at parting, after having fallen out by the road ; but I certainly intend to profit by the good feeling of these last few moments, to speak a fur- ther friendly word or two of truth. The miracu- lous discussion, (and, the more we go into it, the more this truth will stand palpably forth,) leaves the Religious World— that is, the body of Chris- tians in this country bearing the title, with whom we may perhaps join a corresponding body in the * Matt. vi. 30 ; viii. 26 ; xiv. 31 ; xvi. 8 ; xvii. 20. CONCLUSION. 337 United States, &c.— standing alone. They have their own notions on the subject of miracles, which they have fallen into the great error of mistaking for the general notions of the Church of Christ. But I say, they stand alone ; and that, however unconsciously, in a twofold sense. First, they stand alone, as separate, with respect to this matter, in faith and experience, from those who have gone before them : for by our fathers, as we have seen, the doctrine of miracles, cor- rupted by Popery, was cleared, qualified, puri- fied, and maintained ; but by us it has been re- jected. Secondly, they stand alone, as separate from the Church of Christ now upon the Conti- nent of Europe. We talk of neology, indeed, and send missionaries. But, on this particular point, continental theology has not by any means fallen off like our own ; and, owing to various causes that might be enumerated, partly perhaps to more correct views of the sentiments of Luther on this subject, partly to the comparative absence of disseuterism, (dissenterism tending to the denial of miracles, as I have shewn in my dedication of a former v/ork to the Bishop of London,) but chiefly, I think, to a better acquaintance with church history, and the experience of the United Brethren, the admission and the experience of miracles have not generally disappeared from the continental churches. Thus we are left alone, in our igno- rance, and in our arrogance : standing up for that, as the general doctrine of the church for centuries, which in fact is a thing of our own, a conformity amongst ourselves to the opinions of the world. 338 CONCLUSION. originating in peculiar circumstances Connected with our ecclesiastical history*. In those who maintain this error^ I have com- plainedy on the one hand, of great '^ deceiveable* ness;" on the other, of a ** tacit conspiracy:** (1) a tacit conspiracy, in those who, having adopt* ed the erroneous view, are influenced, though, it may be, without any agreement or mutual expla* nation, by a common wish to uphold it ; and many of whom, by a remarkable coincidence of conduct, arising from their coincidence in views, feelings, and wishes, have been led to use kindred means to gain their end, such as suppression, pro^ scription, cabal, misrepresentation, persecution, and appeals to vulgar opinion : and (2) deceive- ableness, in those who have readily adopted the views of the former, either in disregard and igno- rance of what the Scripture teaches, or against the impressions of their own hearts and con- sciences. And error, unfortunately, has taken advantage of the present controversy, to gain a further step. For, in opposing the opinion that miiracles have occurred in recent times, the oppor- tunity has been promptly seized to bring forward a notion, not generally held before, even by those who questioned this opinion ; I mean, the notion that there have been no miracles since the days of the Apostles. This has, accordingly, been done ; and done without rebuke, though in absolute de- fiance of ecclesiastical history : so that we have ^ This topic is discussed in the dedication, just referred to, of '' The Christian Dispensation Miraculous.'' "V CONCLUSIONT. 339 the utmost need to be on our guard : for, if the present discussion fail of placing us on higher ground than before, and so setting us right, there is the greatest danger of its leaving us lower: and the more so, because, just now, in most matters of doctrine, our tendency is, unhappily, down- wards. 