mena of nature, that it was received with great. applaufe by the learned. But when it came to be examined afterwards with rigor, and was found irreconcileable to fact and experience, it gradually loft ground, and is now generally rejected by men of Science.

"

The cafe is the fame in Theological, as in natural inquiries: it is experience alone, and the obfervation of facts, which can illuftrate the truth of principles. Facts are stubborn things, deriving their existence from nature, and tho' frequently mifreprefented and disguised by art and falfe colors, yet cannot be totally changed, or made pliable to the Systems, which happen to be in fashion; but, fooner or later, will always reduce the opinions of men, to a compliance and conformity with themselves.

1

Wherefore, as we learn from daily experience that prejudice, paffion, want of memory, knowledge or judgement naturally produce obfcurity, inaccuracy and mistakes in all modern writings whatsoever; fo when we fee the fame effects in antient writings, how facred foever they may be deemed, we must neceffarily impute them to the fame causes. This is what fenfe and reafon prescribe, and what will be found at laft the onely way of folving all the difficulties above intimated: whereas our Theorifts, who come provided with systems which they impofe as the Catholic rule, by which the Christian doctrine must be explaned, are driven to fuch miferable shifts and abfurdities, in their attempts to accommo

date that rule to the particular facts of the Gofpel, that, instead of clearing it of its difficulties, they never fail to obfcure and perplex it still more, till they render it incompatible with any confiftent and rational belief.

AN

A N

ESSAY

ΟΝ ΤΗΕ

GIFT OF TONGUES.

TENDING

To explane the proper notion and nature of it, as it is described and delivered to us in the Sacred Scriptures;

As it

AND

appears alfo to have been understood by the Learned both of the ancient and modern times,

A N

ESSAY

ΟΝ ΤΗ Ε

GIFT OF TONGUES.

T

HE gift of tongues, of which I am now going to treat, was firft confer

red by Chrift on his Apoftles, about

ten days after his Afcenfion, in a public and folemn affembly of all the Difciples in Jerufalem, 'on the feast of Pentecoft; as the account of it is delivered to us by St. Luke, in the following words:

Acts ii.

1. And when the day of Pentecoft was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2. And fuddenly there came a found from heaven, as of a rufhing mighty wind, and it filled all the houfe where they were fitting.

3. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it fat upon each of them. 4. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5. And there were dwelling at Jerufalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.