This  sound  divine,  having  been  informed  in  his
Patmos  of  the  extraordinary  pretensions  of  these  men,
had  all  along  beheld  their  conduct  with  a  jealous  eye  ;
and  had  answered  the  inquiries  of  Melancthon  with
much  discretion. "  As  you  are  my  superior,"  said  he,
(J  both  in  discernment  and  erudition^  I  cannot  com-


mend  your  timidity  in  regard  to  these  prophets. la
the  first  place,  when  they  bear  record  of  themselves,
we  ought  not  implicitly  to  believe  them  ;  but  rather
to  try  the  spirits  according  to  St. John's  advice. As
yet  I  hear  of  nothing  done  or  said  by  them,  which  ex-
ceeds the  imitative  powers  of  Satan. It  is  my  par-
ticular wish  that  you  would  examine  whether  they
can  produce  any  PROOF  of  having  a  Divine  commis-
sion. For  God  never  sent  any  prophet,  who  was  not
either  called  by  proper  persons,  or  authorized  by  spe-
cial miracles,  no,  not  even  his  own  Son. Their  bare
assertion  of  a  divine  AFFLATUS,  is  not  a  sufficient
ground  for  your  receiving  them;  since  God  did  not
even  choose  to  speak  to  Samuel,  but  with  the  sanc-
tion of  Eli's  authority. So  much  for  their  pretensions
to  a  public  character. In  the  next  place,  I  would
wish  you  to  sift  their  private  spirit,  whether  they  have
experienced  any  internal  distress  of  soul,  the  attacks
of  death  and  hell,  and  the  comforts  of  the  new  birth
unto  righteousness. If  you  hear  nothing  from  them  but
smooth,  tranquil,  and,  forsooth,  what  they  call  devout,
religious  contemplations,  regard  them  not ;  for  there
is  wanting  the  characteristic  of  the  Son  of  Man,  of  the
Man  of  sorrows  ;  there  is  wanting  the  cross,  the  only
touchstone  of  Christians,  ami  the  sore  rliscerner  of
spirits. Would  you  know  the  place,  the  time,  the
manner  of  divine  conferences  and  communications  ?
Hear  the  written  word,  "  As  a  lion  will  he  break  all  my
bones."  And,  "  I  am  cast  out  of  th'e  sight  of  thine
eyes. My  soul  is  full  of  trouble,  and  my  life  draweth
nigh  unto  hell."  The  majesty  of  the  Divine  Being
Bpeaks  not  IMMEDIATELY,  in  a  way  that  man  should  see
HIM  :  none  can  see  HIM  and  live. 