P. 137.-" Enthusiastic writings abound, like the " history of Mahomet, with the accounts of nocturnal " visions, &c." Vid. Koran, chap. 17. Abulfeda's History, chap. 19. Maracci, prodromi ad refutationem Alcorani, tom. 2. Part 2. p. 13. " Sometimes like the priestesses of old, overpower"ed by the influence of their god, or like the devo" tees proftrate at the tombs of modern faints, their " inspiration is displayed by convulfions and agitati 66 ons, &c. Sometimes like Lord Herbert, when " wound up to the height of devotion, they mistake "the voice of a still small wind, as a voice from God." Vid. Leland's deistical writers, vol. i. p. 24. 4th edition, 1764. For an account of pagan enthusiasms, confult Plato's Timæus, Operum tom. 3. p. 71.-Editio Stephani, cum Interpretatione Serrani, 1578. Jamblichus de Mysteriis Ægypti, paffim, particularly cap. 8. in fine. Plutarchus de Defectu Oraculorum, Operum tom. ii. p. 432 and 436. Editio Xylini Francofurti, 1620. Cicero de Divinatione, particularly lib. 1. fec. 37. Edit. Oliveti. Conformable to the representations of these authors, are the poetic fictions of Virgil, Æn. lib. 6. line 45 to 50, and 76 to 80, and Lucan's Pharsalia, lib. 5. line 110 to 120, and 148 to 195. Plato and Jamblichus are so much to my purpose, I am tempted to translate a short passage from each. Plato having defcribed the different parts and uses of the human frame, afferts, that the structure of the liver rendered it a fit inftrument for carrying to the imagination nocturnal visions and impres sions, sometimes gloomy and terrific, sometimes gentle and delightful; and adds, that here also was fixed the feat of pro. phetic vifion (μαμτεια); for, fays he, They who formed "the human frame, remembering the command of the fu preme Father, that they should make man as excellent as " poffible, formed even this less noble part, that it should have " some apprehenfion of truth, and therefore they placed in it "the feat of prophetic vision; and it is a fufficient proof that "God. "God connected this power of prophecy with the irrational " part of man, that nobody ever attains to true and inspired " prophecy while in his sober reason; but when the power of " his understanding is impeded by fleep, or subdued either by " disease, or fome direct divine inspiration; for, it is the sober " man alone who can understand what is spoken or fignified, " whether in dreams, or directly by this prophetic and inspired " nature; and to explain the visions thus beheld, and to diftin"guish what any thing points out and to whom, whether it be "good or evil, future, past, or present; for it is not the part " of the person agitated by the fury of inspiration, whether " he still continues under its dominion or not, to judge of what is seen or spoken by himself, &c." Jamblichus is still more express in describing the agitation, and even frenzy that attended the supposed inspirations of paganism. He is endeavouring to prove the reality of these inspirations; and he argues, that divination and prophecy do not arife from the paffions of the mind, nor the different tempe. rament of the body, nor from both together." Let us then, " says he, investigate the causes of this divine fury, which are " nothing else than illuminations descending from the gods " themselves, and the spirits by them infused; and a complete " and absolute poffeffion, by which they overpower the whole " man, which absorbs all our faculties, and puts a stop to " every natural operation, and motion, producing words which " are not understood by the speaker, but which they pronounce " with a tongue moved by a divine fury, while they are entirely " subservient, and instrumental to the energy of the god who " possesses them. Of this kind is every true inspiration “ (Ενθεσιασμος); and from these causes does it arife, &c." This is therefore the regular and allowed description of pagan inspirations; and conformable to this are the representations of the poets, as well as the philosophers. If the reader wishes for a curious and entertaining view of fanaticism, let him confult Stillingfleet, on the Idolatry of the Church of Rome, chap. 4. entitled, Of the Fanaticism of the Romish Church. Stillingfleet's Works, Vol. V. page 90 to 136, edition of 1709. He will read of St. Bridget, "in whose holy " extafies were five rays coming from the five wounds of our " Saviour * Saviour to five parts of her body; and the prayed that the *" wounds might not appear, and immediately the colour of the " blood was changed into pure light, and her confeffor faw " these splendid wounds on her body." But by what inftrument, (adds Stillingfleet), did he see the wound in her heart. Vid. p. 94. Alfo, of the virgin Juliana, "who had many ex"tafies and raptures, and in her prayers, almost always raw "the moon in her brightness, but with a snip taken off from " her roundness, at which she was much troubled. At last "it was revealed to her, that the moon signified the church, " and that fraction, the want of one folemnity more to be ob" served in its upon which she received a command from hea"ven to proclaim the observation of this folemnity." And a friend of her's Isabella, in an extafy, " saw all the heavenly "orders upon their knees, supplicating God, that, to confirm "the faith of Christians, this feast should be observed, &c. &c." Ib. p. 97, 98. quoted from Bzovius, a Roman Catholic author. St. Benedict, saw the foul of Germanus, bishop of Capua, in Above all, he faw Stillingfleet, ut fu a fiery circle, carried by angels to heaven. all the world under one ray of the fun. pra, p. 101. a "St. Francis was converted by dreams and visions, in which " he was sometimes swallowed up in God, as Bonaventure, the "author of his life, expresses it. One day, when he was alone " in a folitary place, he fell into an extasy of joy, and had full "afsurance of the remiffion of his fins; and being transported " beyond himself, he was catched up in a wonderful light, " wherein his mind being enlarged, he foresaw all that should " come to pass concerning his order." But still more diftinguished for fanaticism, was Ignatius Loy. ola, founder of the order of the Jesuits. Vid. Stillingfleet, ut fupra, from p. 118 to p. 124. who quotes only the lives written of him by his own order. "His zeal having been inflamed by " studying the lives of the faints, he in a fit of zeal one night "got out of his bed, and fell down on his knees before the " image of the blessed Virgin, and in that posture vowed him" felf her devotee. - He foon after put on a long coat of fack" cloth, with a cord about it, at which he hung a bottle of wa"ter, with a wicker shoe on one foot, and the other naked, and "his " his head exposed to the violence of the weather, he proceed. "ed on his journey. At Marnesa, he took up his lodging in "the town hofpital, and let his hair and nails grow, and begged " from door to door, and fasted fix days in the week, and "whipped himself thrice a day, and was seven hours every day " in vocal prayer upon the bare ground; and he shortly after " had fuch clear divine revelations, say his biographers, that in " a moment of time he understood the greatest mysteries of re"ligion, and the most subtle speculations in philosophy, espe*cially the way of God's making the world was made clear to " him, but not so as he could express it to others. In one of " his extafies, he continued eight days, in which, fays his " biographer, he saw the frame and model of the society of the "Jesuits. He went a pilgrim to Jerufalem; in returning through Spain, he was brought before a Spanish com" mander; now fays his historian, it had been his custom not " to give men any titles of respect, but to call them only by " their common names; and being brought before the com" mander, would not so much as take off his hat to him, &c. &c." If the reader wishes to know more of this celebrated fanatic, let him consult, befides Stillingfleet, Douglas's Criterion, from p. 69 to 75. Bayle's Dictionary, article Loyola, and Mr. Wharton's Enthusiasm of the Church of Rome demonstrated, in obfervations on the life of Ignatius. About the end of the 16th century, there arose in Savoy a fect of enthusiasts who pretended to be prophets, and who afterwards made many disciples in London, where they were patronized by Sir Richard Bulkeley, a man of some note and learning, on whom they had wrought a cure, which he conceived to be supernatural. A very particular and curious account of them was published in 1709 at London, and annexed to the 4th edition of Dr. Hicke's Spirit of Enthusiasm exorcised-it is entitled, "The New Pretenders to Prophecy exa" mined, and their Pretences shewn to be groundless and " false," by N. Spinckes, M. A. This author gives a particular account of their conduct, and quotes their own predic tions. These pretended saints, affected to speak languages, when inspired, of which, out of their extafy, they declared themselves incapable. But they were Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Latin, tongues unknown, and therefore useless to those whom they addressed; nay, they declare, that they themselves, when out of their extafies and agitations, understood not what they faid in them. They spoke even those languages barbarously, imperfectly, and almost unintelligibly, and improved as learners might be supposed to do; but what is most decisive, they could not speak the living tongue of the nation wherein they came to teach; the French prophets could not speak English, nor the English, French. They also pretended, that miracles were wrought by them; but, of fifteen persons whom they attempted to heal, they themselves reprefent, that to the tumor of one a bladder was applied, and that it was dressed three or four times a day; that a second was only beginning to recover; that five had received no benefit; a fixth but little; a seventh no benefit at the time, though she afterwards recovered. They also pretended to prophecy, but their prophecies were sometimes of events of the most trifling nature, eafily produced, and therefore easily forefeen: as, when one is faid to tell them by inspiration, " that there was a number of good people " at hand, who, in looking for the assembly, had lost their way " in the woods or fields:" or, when rational conjecture might avail, as of the deaths of persons in fickness, or peculiar fituations of danger, without however specifying the particulars that should attend them. Sometimes their miracles are plain frauds, as in the case of E. Gray, recited as above by Mr. Spinckes, p. 397. and in that of Mr. Lacy, 405. Some were antic tricks and strange agitations, "falling flat upon the floor " at once like a board, &c. &c." But the confummation of their folly, as it was the period of their influence, was their celebrated prophecy of the refurrection of Dr. Emes, which it was positively predicted, should take place on the 25th of May, 1708, five months after his interment, publicly, by a miraculous power to be exercised by Mr. Lacy. This prophecy was pronounced repeatedly while the prophets underwent great agitations; but when the time came, and the city bands were placed around to prevent any difturbance, no Mr. Lacy appeared, no refurrection took place. Mr. Lacy published fome foolish reasons to account for the divine promise not being fulfilled, but, alas! they could not reftore the |