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039 - A Caution against Bigotry · Sermons on Several Occasions, First Series

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  Speaker 1: Section thirty eight of Sermons on Several Occasions First Series.
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  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings from the
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  Speaker 1: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox dot org. Recording by Robert Smith. Sermons on Several Occasions,
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  Speaker 1: First Series by John Wesley a caution against bigotry, and
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  Speaker 1: John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out
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  Speaker 1: devils in thy name, and he followeth not us, And
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  Speaker 1: we forbade him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus
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  Speaker 1: said forbid him not Mark Chapter nine, verses thirty eight
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  Speaker 1: and thirty nine. In the preceding verses we read that
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  Speaker 1: after the twelve have been disputing which of them should
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  Speaker 1: be the greatest, Jesus took a little child and set
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  Speaker 1: him in the midst of them, and taking him in
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  Speaker 1: his arms, said unto them, whosoever shall receive one of
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  Speaker 1: these little children in my name, receiveth me. And whosoever
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  Speaker 1: receiveth me, receiveth not me only, but him that sent me.
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  Speaker 1: Then John answered, that is said with reference to what
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  Speaker 1: our Lord had spoken just before. Master, we saw when
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  Speaker 1: casting out devils in thy name, and we forbad him
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  Speaker 1: because he followeth not us, as if he had said,
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  Speaker 1: ought we to have received him, and receiving him, should
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  Speaker 1: we have received thee ought we not, rather to have
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  Speaker 1: forbidden him? Did not we do well? Therein? But Jesus
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  Speaker 1: said forbid him not. The same passage is recited by
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  Speaker 1: Saint Luke, and almost in the same words. But it
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  Speaker 1: may be asked, what is this to us? Seeing no
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  Speaker 1: man now casts out devils? Has not the power of
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  Speaker 1: doing this been withdrawn from the church for twelve or
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  Speaker 1: fourteen hundred years? How then, are we concerned in the
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  Speaker 1: case here proposed, or in our Lord's decision of it,
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  Speaker 1: perhaps more nearly than is commonly imagined, the case proposed
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  Speaker 1: being no uncommon case, that we may reap our full
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  Speaker 1: advantage from it. I design to show first in what
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  Speaker 1: sense men may and do now cast out devils. Secondly
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  Speaker 1: what we may understand to buy he followeth not us.
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  Speaker 1: I shall thirdly explain our Lord's direction forbid him not,
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  Speaker 1: and conclude with an inference from the whole. I am
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  Speaker 1: in the first place to show in what sense men
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  Speaker 1: may and do now cast out devils. In order to
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  Speaker 1: have the clearest view of this, we should remember that,
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  Speaker 1: according to the scriptural account. As God dwells and works
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  Speaker 1: in the children of light, so the devil dwells and
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  Speaker 1: works in the children of darkness. As the Holy Spirit
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  Speaker 1: possesses the souls of good men, so the evil spirit
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  Speaker 1: possesses the souls of the wicked. Hence it is that
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  Speaker 1: the apostle terms him the God of this world, from
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  Speaker 1: the uncontrolled power he has of a worldly man. Hence
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  Speaker 1: our blessed Lord styles him the Prince of this world,
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  Speaker 1: so absolute is his dominion over it. And hence, Saint John,
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  Speaker 1: we know that we are of God, and all who
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  Speaker 1: are not of God the whole world and toy panloi
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  Speaker 1: k Tai not lieth in wickedness, but lieth in the
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  Speaker 1: wicked One lives and moves in him, as they who
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  Speaker 1: are not of the world do in God. For the
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  Speaker 1: devil is not to be considered only as a roaring
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  Speaker 1: lion going about seeking whom he may devour, nor barely
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  Speaker 1: as a subtle enemy who cometh unawares upon poor souls
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  Speaker 1: and leads them captive at his will. But as he
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  Speaker 1: who dwelleth in them and walketh in them, who ruleth
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  Speaker 1: the darkness or wickedness of this world. Of worldly men
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  Speaker 1: in all their dark designs and actions, by keeping possession
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  Speaker 1: of their hearts, setting up his throne there, and bringing
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  Speaker 1: every thought into obedience to himself. Thus the strong one
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  Speaker 1: armed keepeth his house. And if this unclean spirit sometimes
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  Speaker 1: goes out of a man, it often he returns with
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  Speaker 1: seven spirits worse than himself, when they enter in and
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  Speaker 1: dwell there. Nor can he be idle in his dwelling
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  Speaker 1: is continually working in these children of disobedience. He works
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  Speaker 1: in them with power, with mighty energy, transforming them into
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  Speaker 1: his own likeness, effacing all the remains the image of God,
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  Speaker 1: and preparing them for every evil word and work. It
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  Speaker 1: is therefore an unquestionable truth that the God and Prince
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  Speaker 1: of this world still possesses all who know not God.
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  Speaker 1: Only the manner wherein he possesses them now differs from
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  Speaker 1: that wherein he did it of old time. Then he
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  Speaker 1: frequently tormented their bodies as well as souls, and that
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  Speaker 1: openly without any disguise. Now he torments their souls only
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  Speaker 1: unless in some rare cases, and that is covertly as possible.
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  Speaker 1: The reason of this difference is plain. It was then
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  Speaker 1: his aim to drive mankind into superstition. Therefore he wrought
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  Speaker 1: as openly as he could. But it is his aim
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  Speaker 1: to drive us into infidelity. Therefore he works as privately
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  Speaker 1: as he can. For the more secret he is, the
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  Speaker 1: more he prevails. Yet, if we may credit historians, there
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  Speaker 1: are countries even now where he works as openly as aforetime.
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  Speaker 1: But why in savage and barbarous countries only? Why not
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  Speaker 1: in Italy, France or England? For a very plain reason.
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  Speaker 1: He knows his men, and he knows what he hath
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  Speaker 1: to do with each. To Laplanders, he appears bare faced,
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  Speaker 1: because he is to fix them in superstition and gross idolatry.
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  Speaker 1: But with you, suing a different point, he is to
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  Speaker 1: make you idolize yourselves, to make you wiser in your
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  Speaker 1: own eyes than God himself, than all the oracles of God. Now,
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  Speaker 1: in order to do this he must not appear in
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  Speaker 1: his own shape. That would frustrate his design. No, he
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  Speaker 1: uses all his art to make you deny his being
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  Speaker 1: till he has you safe in his own place. He reigns. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: although in a different way, yet is absolute in one
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  Speaker 1: land as in the other. He has the gay Italian
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  Speaker 1: infidel in his teeth. As surely as the wild tartar.
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  Speaker 1: But he is fast asleep in the mouth of the lion,
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  Speaker 1: who is too wise to wake him out of sleep.
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  Speaker 1: So he only plays with him for the present, and
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  Speaker 1: when he pleases, swallows him up. The God of this
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  Speaker 1: world holds his English worshipers full as fast as those
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  Speaker 1: in Lapland, but it is not his business to affright them,
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  Speaker 1: lest they should fly to the God of Heaven. The
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  Speaker 1: Prince of darkness therefore does not appear while he rules
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  Speaker 1: over these his willing subjects. The conqueror holds his captive
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  Speaker 1: so much the safer because they imagine themselves at liberty.
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  Speaker 1: Thus the strong wind armed keepeth his house, and his
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  Speaker 1: goods are in peace. Neither the deayest, no nominal Christian
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  Speaker 1: suspects he is there. So he and they are perfectly
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  Speaker 1: at peace with each other. All this while he works
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  Speaker 1: with energy in them. He blinds the eyes their understandings.
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  Speaker 1: The light the glorious Gospel of Christ cannot shine upon them.
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  Speaker 1: He chains their souls down to earth and hell, the
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  Speaker 1: chains their own vile affections. He binds them down to
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  Speaker 1: the earth by love the world, love of money, of pleasure,
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  Speaker 1: of praise, and by pride, envy, anger, hate, revenge, he
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  Speaker 1: causes their souls to draw nigh unto Hell, acting the
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  Speaker 1: more secure and uncontrolled, because they know not that he
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  Speaker 1: acts at all, but how easily may we know the
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  Speaker 1: cause from its effects? These are sometimes gross and palpable,
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  Speaker 1: so they were in the most refined to the Heathen nations.
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  Speaker 1: Go no far than they admired the virtuous Romans, and
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  Speaker 1: you will find these when at the height of their
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  Speaker 1: learning and glory, filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness,
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  Speaker 1: full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, deceitful,
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  Speaker 1: proud boasters, disobedient to parents, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.
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  Speaker 1: The strongest parts of this description are confirmed by one
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  Speaker 1: who some may think a more unexceptionable witness, I mean
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  Speaker 1: their brother Heathen, Dion Cassius, who observes that before Caesar's
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  Speaker 1: return from Gaul, not only gluttony and lewdness of every
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  Speaker 1: kind were open and bare faced. Not only falsehood, in justice,
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  Speaker 1: and unmercifulness abounded in public courts as well as private families,
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  Speaker 1: but most outrageous robberies, rapin and murders were so frequent
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  Speaker 1: in all parts of Rome that few men went out
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  Speaker 1: of doors without making their wills, as not knowing if
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  Speaker 1: they should return alive. As gross and palpable are the
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  Speaker 1: works the Devil among many, if not all, the modern Heathens.
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  Speaker 1: The natural religion of the Creeks, Cherokees, Chickasaws, and all
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  Speaker 1: other Indians bordering in our southern settlements, not of a
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  Speaker 1: few single men, but of entire nations, is to torture
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  Speaker 1: all their prisoners from morning till night, till at length
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  Speaker 1: they roast them to death, upon the slightest undesigned provocation,
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  Speaker 1: to come behind and shoot any of their own countrymen. Yea,
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  Speaker 1: it's a common thing among them, for the son, if
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  Speaker 1: he thinks his father lives too long, to knock out
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  Speaker 1: his brains, and for mother, if she is tired of
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  Speaker 1: her children, to fasten stones about their necks and throw
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  Speaker 1: three or four of them into the river, one after another.
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  Speaker 1: It were to be wished that none but Heathens had
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  Speaker 1: practiced such gross, palpable works the devil. But we dare
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  Speaker 1: not say so, even in cruelty and bloodshed how little
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  Speaker 1: have the Christians come behind them? And not the Spaniards
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  Speaker 1: or Portuguese alone, butchering thousands in South America, not the
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  Speaker 1: Dutch only in the East Indies, or the French in
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  Speaker 1: North America. Following the Spaniards step by step. Our own countrymen,
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  Speaker 1: too have wanton in blood and exterminated whole nations, plainly
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  Speaker 1: proving thereby what spirit it is that dwells and works
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  Speaker 1: in the children of disobedience. These monsters might almost make
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  Speaker 1: us overlook the works the devil that are wrought in
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  Speaker 1: our own country. But alas we cannot open our eyes
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  Speaker 1: even here without seeing them on every side, is it
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  Speaker 1: a small proof of his power? The common swearers, drunkards, hormongers, adulterers, thieves, robbers, sodomites,
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  Speaker 1: murderers are still found in every part of our land.
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  Speaker 1: How triumphant does the Prince of this world reign in
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  Speaker 1: all these children of disobedience? He less openly, but no
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  Speaker 1: less effectually works in dissemblers, tale bearers, liars, slanderers, and
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  Speaker 1: oppressors and extortioners, and the perjured, the celler of his friend,
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  Speaker 1: his honor, his conscience, his country. And yet these may
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  Speaker 1: talk of religion or conscience still of honor, virtue, and
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  Speaker 1: public spirit. But they can no more deceive Satan than
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  Speaker 1: they can God. He likewise knows those that are His,
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  Speaker 1: and a great multitude. They are out of every nation
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  Speaker 1: and people of whom He has full possession at this day.
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  Speaker 1: If you consider this, you cannot but see in what
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  Speaker 1: sense men may now also cast out devils. Yea, And
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  Speaker 1: every minister of Christ does cast them out. If his
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  Speaker 1: lords work prosper in his hand, and by the power
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  Speaker 1: of God attending his word, he brings these sinners to repentance,
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  Speaker 1: an entire inward as well as outward, change from all
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  Speaker 1: evil to all good. And this is in a sound sense,
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  Speaker 1: to cast out devils out of the souls wherein they
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  Speaker 1: had hitherto dwelt. The strong one can no longer keep
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  Speaker 1: his house. A stronger than he is come upon him,
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  Speaker 1: and hath cast him out and taken possession for himself,
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  Speaker 1: and made it an habitation of God through his spirit.
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  Speaker 1: Here then the energy of Satan ends, the son of
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  Speaker 1: God destroys the work of the devil. The understanding of
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  Speaker 1: the sinner is now enlightened, and his heart sweetly drawn
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  Speaker 1: to God. His desires are refined, his affections, purified, and
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  Speaker 1: being filled with the Holy Ghost, he grows in grace.
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  Speaker 1: Tlea is not only wholly in heart, but in alle
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  Speaker 1: manner of conversation. All this is indeed the work of God.
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  Speaker 1: It is God alone who it can cast out Satan,
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  Speaker 1: that he is generally pleased to do this by man
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  Speaker 1: as an instrument in his hand, who is then said
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  Speaker 1: to cast out devils in his name, by his power
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  Speaker 1: and authority. And he sends whom he will send upon
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  Speaker 1: this great work, but usually such as man would never
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  Speaker 1: have thought of, for his ways are not as our ways,
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  Speaker 1: neither his thoughts as our thoughts. Accordingly, he chooses the
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  Speaker 1: weak to confound the mighty, the foolish to confound the wise,
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  Speaker 1: for this plain reason, that he may secure the glory
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  Speaker 1: to himself, that no flesh may glory in his sight.
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  Speaker 1: But shall we not forbid one who thus casteth out
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  Speaker 1: devils if he followeth not us. This, it seems, was
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  Speaker 1: both the judgment and practice of the Apostle, till he
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  Speaker 1: referred the case to his master. We forbade him saith
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  Speaker 1: he because he followeth not Us, which he supposed to
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  Speaker 1: be a very sufficient reason. What we may understand by
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  Speaker 1: this expression he followeth not us. Is the next point
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  Speaker 1: to be considered. The lowest circumstance we can understand thereby
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  Speaker 1: is he has no outward connection with us. We do
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  Speaker 1: not labor in conjunction with each other. He is not
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  Speaker 1: our fellow helper in the Gospel. And indeed, whensoever our
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  Speaker 1: Lord is pleased to send many laborers into his harvest,
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  Speaker 1: they cannot all act in subordination to or connection with
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  Speaker 1: each other. Nay, they cannot be personal acquaintance with nor
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  Speaker 1: be so much as known to one another. Many there
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  Speaker 1: will necessarily be in different parts the harvest, so far
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  Speaker 1: from having any mutual intercourse, that they will be as
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  Speaker 1: absolute strangers to each other as if they had lived
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  Speaker 1: in different ages. And concerning any of these whom we
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  Speaker 1: know not, we may doubtless say he followeth not us.
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  Speaker 1: Second meaning of this expression may be he is not
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  Speaker 1: of our party. It has long been matter of melancholy
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  Speaker 1: consideration to all who pray for the peace of Jerusalem
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  Speaker 1: that so many several parties are still subsisting among those
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  Speaker 1: who are all styled Christians. This has been particularly observable
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  Speaker 1: in our own countrymen who have been continually dividing from
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  Speaker 1: each other upon points of no moment, and many times
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  Speaker 1: such as religion had no concern in the most trifling
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  Speaker 1: circumstances have given rise to different parties which have continued
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  Speaker 1: for many generations, And each of these would be ready
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  Speaker 1: to object to one who was on the other side.
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  Speaker 1: He followeth not us, the expression may mean, thirdly, he
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  Speaker 1: differs from us in our religious opinions. There was a
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  Speaker 1: time when all Christians were of one mind as well
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  Speaker 1: as of one heart. So great grace was upon them
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  Speaker 1: all when they were first filled with the Holy Ghost.
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  Speaker 1: But how short a face did this blessing continue? How
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  Speaker 1: soon was that unanimity lost, indifference of opinion sprang up again,
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  Speaker 1: even in the Church of Christ, And that not ahenominal
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  Speaker 1: but in real Christians, nay, in the very chief of them,
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  Speaker 1: the apostles themselves. Nor does it appear that the difference
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  Speaker 1: which then began was ever entirely removed. We do not
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  Speaker 1: find that even those pillars in the Temple of God,
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  Speaker 1: so long as they remained upon the earth, were ever
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  Speaker 1: brought to think alike, to be of one mind, particularly
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  Speaker 1: with regard to the ceremonial law. It is therefore no
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  Speaker 1: way surprising that infinite varieties of opinion should now be
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  Speaker 1: found in the Christian Church. A very probable consequence of
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  Speaker 1: this is that whenever we see any casting out devils,
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  Speaker 1: he will be one that in this sense followeth not us,
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  Speaker 1: that is not of our opinion, this scarce to be imagined.
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  Speaker 1: He will be of our mind in all points, even
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  Speaker 1: of religion. He may very probably think in a different
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  Speaker 1: manner from us, even on several subjects of importance, such
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  Speaker 1: as the nature and use of the moral law, the
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  Speaker 1: eternal decrees of God, the sufficiency and efficacy of His grace,
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  Speaker 1: and the perseverance of his children. He may differ from us. Fourthly,
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  Speaker 1: not only in opinion, but likewise in some point of practice.
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  Speaker 1: He may not approve of that manner of worshiping God
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  Speaker 1: which is practiced in our congregation, and may judge that
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  Speaker 1: to be more profitable for his soul, which took its
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  Speaker 1: rise from Calvin or Martin Luther. He may have many
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  Speaker 1: objections to that liturgy, which we approve of beyond all others,
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  Speaker 1: many doubts concerning that form of church government, which we esteem,
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  Speaker 1: both apostolical and scriptural. Perhaps he may go farther from
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  Speaker 1: as yet, he may, from a principle of conscience, refrain
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  Speaker 1: from several of those which we believe to be the
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  Speaker 1: ordinances of Christ. Or if we both agree that they
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  Speaker 1: are ordained of God, there may still remain difference between us,
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  Speaker 1: either as to the manner of administering these ordinances or
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  Speaker 1: the persons to whom they should be administered. Now, the
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  Speaker 1: unavoidable consequence of any of these differences will be that
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  Speaker 1: he who thus differs from us must separate himself, with
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  Speaker 1: regard to those points, from our society. In this respect, therefore,
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  Speaker 1: he followeth not us. He is not, as we phrase it,
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  Speaker 1: of our church, but in a far stronger sense, he
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  Speaker 1: followeth not us, who is not only of a different church,
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  Speaker 1: but of such a church as we account to be
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  Speaker 1: in many respects anti scriptural and anti Christian. A church
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  Speaker 1: which we believe to be utterly false and erroneous in
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  Speaker 1: her doctrines, as well as very dangerously wrong in her practice,
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  Speaker 1: guilty of gross superstition, as well as idolatry. A church
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  Speaker 1: that has added many articles to the faith which was
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  Speaker 1: once delivered to the saints. It has dropped one whole
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  Speaker 1: commandment of God and made void several of the Yes
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  Speaker 1: by her traditions, and that pretending the highest veneration for
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  Speaker 1: and strictest conformity to the ancient Church, has nevertheless brought
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  Speaker 1: in numberless innovations without any warrant, either from antiquity or scripture. Now,
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  Speaker 1: most certainly he followeth not us, who stands at so
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  Speaker 1: great a distance from us, And yet there may still
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  Speaker 1: be a wider difference than this. He who differs from
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  Speaker 1: us in judgment or practiced, may possibly stand at a
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  Speaker 1: greater distance from us in affection than in judgment. And
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  Speaker 1: this indeed is a very natural and a very common
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  Speaker 1: effect of the other. The differences which begin in points
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  Speaker 1: of opinion seldom terminate there. They generally spread into the affections,
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  Speaker 1: and then separate chief friends, or any animosity so deep
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  Speaker 1: and irreconcilable as those that spring from disagreement in religion.
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  Speaker 1: For this cause, the bitterest enemies of a man are
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  Speaker 1: those of his own household. For the father rises against
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  Speaker 1: his own children, and the children against the father, and
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  Speaker 1: perhaps persecute each other even to the death, thinking all
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  Speaker 1: the time they are doing God's service. It is therefore
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  Speaker 1: nothing more than we may expect if those who differ
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  Speaker 1: from us, either in religious opinions or practice, soon contract
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  Speaker 1: a sharpness, ee a bitterness towards us, if they are
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  Speaker 1: more and more prejudiced against us, till they conceive as
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  Speaker 1: ill an opinion of our persons as of our principles.
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  Speaker 1: An almost necessary consequence of this will be they will
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  Speaker 1: speak in the same manner as they think of us.
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  Speaker 1: They will set themselves in opposition to us, and as
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  Speaker 1: far as they are able, hinder our work. Seeing it
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  Speaker 1: does not appear to them to be the work of God,
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: but either of Man or of the devil. He that thinks,
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: speaks and acts in such a manner as this, in
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: the highest sense, followeth not us. I do not indeed
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: conceive that the person of whom the Apostle speaks in
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: the text, although we have no particular account of him,
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: either in the context or in any other part of
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: Holy writ, went so far as this. We have no
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: ground to suppose that there was any material difference between
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: him and the apostles, much less that he had any prejudice,
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: either against them or their master. It seems we may
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: gather thus much from our Lord's own words, which immediately
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: follow the text. There is no man which shall do
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: a miracle in my name that can lightly speak evil
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: of me. But I purposely put the case in the
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: strongest light, adding all the circumstances which can well be conceived,
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: that being forewarned of the temptation in its full strength,
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: we may in no case yield to it and fight
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: against God. Suppose then a man have no intercourse with us,
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: Suppose he be not of our party. Suppose he separate
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: from our church yea, and widely differ from us, both
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: in judgment, practice and affection. Yet if we see even
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: this man casting out devils, Jesus saith forbid him not
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: this important direction of our Lord. I am in the
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: third place to explain, if we see this man casting
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: out devils. But it is well if in such a
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: case we would believe even what we saw with our
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: own eyes, if we did not give the lie to
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: her own senses, he must be little acquainted with human nature,
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: who does not immediately perceive how extremely unready we should
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: be to believe that any man does cast out devils
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: who followeth not us. In all or most of the
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: senses above recited, I had almost said in any of them,
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: seeing we may easily learn even from what passes in
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: our own breast. How unwilling men are to allow anything
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: good in those who do not in all things agree
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: with themselves. But what is a sufficient reasonable proof that
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: a man does, in sense above cast out devils? The
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: answer is easy. Is there full proof one that a
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: person before us was a gross open sinner, two that
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: he is not so now that he has broke off
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: his sins and lives a Christian life, And three that
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: this change was wrought by his hearing this man preach.
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: If these three points be plain and undeniable, then you
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: have sufficient reasonable proof, such as you cannot resist without
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: wilful sin, that this man casts out devils. Then forbid
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: him not. Beware how you attempt to hinder him, either
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: by your authority or arguments or persuasions. Do not, in
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: any wise strive to prevent his using all the power
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: which God has given him. If you have authority with him,
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: do not use that authority to stop the work of God.
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: Do not furnish him with reasons why he ought not
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: any more to speak in the name of Jesus. Satan
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: will not fail to supply him with these. If you
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: do not second him therein persuade him not to depart
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: from the work. If he should give place to the
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: devil and you, many souls might perish in their iniquity,
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: But their blood would God require at your hands. But
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: what if he be only a layman who casts out devils?
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: Ought I not to forbid him? Then is the fact allowed?
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: Is there reasonable proof that this man has or does
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: cast out devils? If there is forbid him? Not? No,
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: not of the peril of your soul. Shall not God
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: work by whom he will work. No man can do
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: these works unless God is with him, unless God hath
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: sent him for this very thing. But if God hath
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: sent him, will you call him back? Will you forbid
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: him to go? But I do not know that he
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: is sent of God. Now herein is a marvelous thing.
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: May any of the sea of his mission say any
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: whom he hath brought from Satan to God? That ye
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: know not whence this man is? And behold yeth open
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: mine eyes. If this man were not of God, he
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: could do nothing. If you doubt the fact, send for
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: the parents the man, Send for his brethren, friend's acquaintance.
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: But if you cannot doubt this, if you must needs
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: acknowledge that a notable miracle hath been wrought? Then with
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: what conscience? With what face can you charge him whom
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: God hath sent not to speak any more in his name?
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: I allow that it is highly expedient whoever preaches in
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: his name should have an outward as well as an
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: inward call. But that it is absolutely necessary, I deny, nay,
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: is not the scripture express. No man taketh this honor
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: unto himself, but he that is called of God, as
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: was Erin Hebrew five. Four numberless times has his text
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: been u on the occasion as containing the very strength
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: of the cause. But surely never was so unhappy a quotation.
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: For First, Erin was not called to preach at all.
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: He was called to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin.
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: That was his peculiar employment. Secondly, these men do not
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: offer sacrifice at all, but only preach, which Erin did not. Therefore,
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: it is not possible to find one text in all
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: the Bible which is more wide to the point than this.
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: But what was the practice of the Apostolic age? You
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: may easily see in the Acts the Apostles. In the
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: eighth chapter we read there was a great persecution against
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: the Church which was at Jerusalem. And they were all
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: the apostles verse one. Therefore, they that were scattered abroad
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: went everywhere preaching the word verse four. Now were all
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: these outwardly called to preach? No man in his senses
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: can think so. Here, then, is an unders deniable proof.
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: What was the practice the Apostolic age? Here you see
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: not one but a multitude of lay preachers. Men there
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: were only sent of God. Indeed, so far is the
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: practice the Apostolic age from inclining us to think it
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: was unlawful for a man to preach before he was ordained.
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: That we have reason to think it was then accounted necessary.
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: Certainly the practice in the direction the apostle Paul was
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: to prove a man before he was ordained at all,
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: Let these, the deacons, says, he first be proved. Then
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: let them use the office of a deacon. Firs Timothy
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: three ten proved, how by setting them to construe a
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: sentence of Greek and asking them a few commonplace questions,
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: how amazing proof of a minister of Christ. Nay, But
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: by making a clear open trial as is still done
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: by most of the Protestant churches of Europe, not only
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: whether their lies be wholly and unblameable, but whether they
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: have such gifts as are absolutely and indispensably necessary in
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: order to edify the Church of Christ. But what for
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: a man has these and has brought sinners to repentance,
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: and yet the bishop will not ordain him. Then the
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: bishop does forbid him to cast out devils. But I
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: dare not forbid him. I have published my reasons to
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: all the world. Yet it is still insist that I
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: ought to do it. You who insist upon it, answer
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: those reasons. I know not that any have done this yet,
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: or even made an attempt of doing it. Only some
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: have spoken to them. Is very weak in trifling, And
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: this was prune enough, for it is far easier to despise,
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: at least seem to despise an argument, than to answer it.
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: Yet till this is done, I must say, when I
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: have reasonable proof that any man does cast out devils,
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: whatever others do, I dare not forbid him, lest I
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: be found even to fight again God. And whosoever thou
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: art that fearest God forbid him, not either directly or indirectly.
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: There are many ways of doing this. You indirectly forbid
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: him if you either wholly deny or despise make little
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: account of the work which God has wrought by his hands.
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: You indirectly forbid him when you discourage him in his work,
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: by drawing him into disputes concerning it, by raising objections
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: against it, or frightening him with consequences which very possibly
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: will never be. You forbid him when you show any
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: unkindness toward him, either in language or behavior. And much more,
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: when you speak of him to others, either in an
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: unkind or contemptuous manner. When you endeavor to represent him
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: to any either in an odious or despicable light, you
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: are forbidding him all the time you are speaking evil
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: of him, or making no account of his labors. Oh
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: forbid him not in any of these ways, nor by
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: forbidding others. Do hear him by discouraging sinners from hearing
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: that word which is able to save their souls. YEA,
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: if you would observe Our Lord's direction in its full
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: meaning and extent, then remember his word. He that is
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: not of us is against us, And he that gathereth
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: not with me scattereth. He that gathereth not men into
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: the Kingdom of God assuredly scatters them from it. For
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: there can be no neuter in this war. Every one
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: is either on God's side or on Satan's. Are you
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: on God's side, then you will not only not forbid
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: any man that casts out devils, but you will labor
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: to the uttermost of your power to forward him in
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: the work. You will readily acknowledge the work of God
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: and confess the greatness of it. You will remove all
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: difficulties and objections, as far as may be out of
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: his way. You will strengthen his hands by speaking honorably
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: of him before all men, and avowing the things which
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: you have seen and heard. You will encourage others to
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: attend upon his word, to hear him whom God hath sent.
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: And you will omit no actual proof of tender love,
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: which God gives you an opportunity of showing him. If
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: we willingly fail in any of these points, if we
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: either directly or indirectly forbid him because he followeth not us,
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: then we are bigots. This is the inference I draw
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: from what has been said the term bigotry. I fear
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: as frequently, as it is used as almost as little
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: understood as enthusiasm. It is too strong an attachment to,
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: or fondness for our own party, opinion, church, and religion. Therefore,
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: he is a bigot who is so fond of any
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: of these things, so strongly attached to them, as to
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: forbid any who casts out devils because he differs from
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: himself in any or all these particulars. Do you beware
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: of this? Take care one that you do not convict
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: yourself of bigotry by your unreadiness to believe that any
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: man does cast out devils who differs from you. And
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: if you are clear thus far, if you acknowledge the fact,
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: then examine yourself. Two? Am I not convicted of bigotry
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: in this in forbidding him directly or indirectly? Do I
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: not directly forbid him on this ground because he is
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: not of my party, because he does not fall in
• 32:29
  Speaker 1: with my opinions, or because he does not worship God
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: according to that scheme of religion which I have received
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: from my father's Examine yourselves? Do I not indirectly at
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: least forbid him on any of these grounds? Am I
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: not sorry that God should thus own and bless a
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: man that holds such erroneous opinions. Do I not discourage
• 32:50
  Speaker 1: him because he is not of my church by disputing
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: with him concerning it, by raising objections, and by perplexing
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: his mind with distant consequences. I show no anger, contempt,
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: or unkindness of any sort, either in my words or actions.
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: Do I not mention behind his back his real or
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: supposed faults? His defects are infirmities. Do not I hinder
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: sinners from hearing his word? If you do any of
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: these things, you are a bigot to this day, Search me, o, Lord,
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: and prove me, try out my reins and my heart.
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: Look well, if there be any way of bigotry in me,
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: and lead me in the way everlasting, in order to
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: examine ourselves thoroughly. Let the case be proposed in the
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: strongest manner. What if I were to see a Papist,
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: an Aran, a Sacinian casting out devils? If I did,
• 33:47
  Speaker 1: I could not forbid even him without convicting myself of bigotry. YEA,
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: If it could be supposed that I should see a Jew,
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: a Deist, or a Turk doing the same, or I
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: to forbid him either directly or indirectly, I should be
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: no better than a bigot. Still, Oh, stand clear of this,
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: but be not content with not forbidding any that casts
• 34:09
  Speaker 1: out devils. Tis well to go thus far, But do
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: not stop here. If you will avoid all bigotry. Go
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: on in every instance of this kind, whatever the instrument,
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: be acknowledge the finger of God, And not only acknowledge,
• 34:25
  Speaker 1: but rejoice in his work, and praise his name with thanksgiving,
• 34:29
  Speaker 1: and encourage whomsoever God is pleased to employ to give
• 34:32
  Speaker 1: himself wholly up there too. Speak well of him wheresoever
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: you are, defend his character and his mission, and large
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: as far as you can his fear of action, show
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: him all kindness and word and deed, and cease not
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: to cry to God in his behalf, that he may
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: save both himself and them that hear him. I need
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: add but one caution. Think not the bigotry of another
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: has any excuse use for your own. It is not
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: impossible that one who casts out devils himself may yet
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: forbid you so to do. You may observe this is
• 35:11
  Speaker 1: the very case mentioned in the text. The apostles forbade
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: another to do what they did themselves. But beware of retorting.
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: Tis not your part to return evil for evil another's.
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: Not observing the direction of our Lord is no reason
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: why you should neglect it. Nay, but let him have
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: all the bigotry to himself. If he forbid you, do
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: not you forbid him. Rather labor and watch and pray
• 35:39
  Speaker 1: the more to confirm your love toward him. If he
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: speak all manner of evil of you, speak all manner
• 35:46
  Speaker 1: of good, that is true of him. Imitate herein that
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: glorious saying of a great man, Oh that he had
• 35:54
  Speaker 1: always breathe the same spirit. Let Luther call me a
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: hundred devils, I will still reverence him as a messenger
• 36:01
  Speaker 1: of God. End of Section thirty eight. Recording by Robert Smith.