ous Spiritual Enemy on the Minds of Men, rendered the Apostle's advice necessary!" Try the Spirits whether 66 they are of God!"-That is, whether the Spirits of the Prophets were obedient to "the Spirit of God," which is expressly mentioned in the very next verse as THE SPIRIT to be distinguished, or known, on the one hand (viz. "Hereby know ye THE SPIRIT OF "GOD," &c.) or whether, on the other hand, they were deceived and influenced by the contrary SPIRIT, mentioned in the 3d verse, viz. " that of Antichrist” (τό το αντιχριστο) which was permitted to come INTO THE WORLD," and even 66 66 now already” (said the Apostle) IS "IT IN THE WORLD." But notwithstanding the extraordinary power which (apparently for the probation and trial of Mankind) is allowed to our spiritual Enemy IN THIS WORLD, yet his power can have no effect on those Men that are truly Christians, and partake of the Spirit of God, or as the Apostle ex- * "He that is in THE WORLD"-is elsewhere called "the Spirit of THE WORLD," (1 Cor. ii. 12. wherein he is expressly mentioned as the opposite Spirit to "the "Spirit which is of God"). He is also intituled “the "Prince of THIS WORLD," (John xii. 31, xiv. 30. xvi. 16.) whereby is plainly declared his power IN THIS WORLD. ter, 1 ter, we are expressly assured that "God dwelleth in us," if we entertain that brotherly LOVE, which the Gospel requires. This cannot mean the mere Doctrine of God that" dwelleth in us,” but" the Spirit of God"-" the Spirit of Truth," which, throughout the whole context, is so clearly contrasted with "the Spirit of Antichrist,' -"he "that is in the world,"-" the Spirit of "Error:" so that it would be absurd to suppose that the words лvɛvμalı and AVEVuala Spirit and Spirits, mentioned in the first verse of this chapter, signify mere Doctrines, when the first Causes or promoters of the Doctrines, the real spiritual Agents themselves, are so distinctly mentioned and contrasted together in the context throughout the whole Chapter! And yet my learned Friend the late Rev. Dr. Gregory Sharp was unwarily led away by the See his "Review of the Controversy about the "meaning of Demoniacks in the New Testament,” (printed in 1739) pages 29 and 33. Authority Authority of Mr. Mede to adopt the same unwarrantable interpretation! This Text, therefore, from the First Epistle of John (Chap. iv. ver. 1.) by no means proves what Mr. Mede proposed by citing it; so that in construing the other Text from 1 Tim. iv. ver. 1, 2, &c. we have no just authority to set aside the literal meaning of the Words προσεχονίες πνευμασι πλάνοις " attend"ing to seducing Spirits;" which consideration enables me to retort Mr. Mede's conclusion on the opposite side of the question," So if this Sense "So (says he) "be admitted, we are some"thing less IN SUSPENSE than we were," &c. (p. 170, 171.) He means A SUSPENSE concerning the true construction of the words which immediately follow, viz. Διδασκαλιαι Azoviav Doctrines of Demons, which he is pleased to render-" Doctrines con "concerning Demons" (p. 771.)—a sense which cannot be admitted, when the preceding Words πνεύμασι πλάνοις to Seducing Spirits are rendered according to their literal and proper meaning; for these fix the sense of the following words "Doctrines of Demons," and shew that the Apostle spoke of seducing Spirits and Demons, as the promoters of those wicked Doctrines which he expressly foretold in the following Context, viz. " Forbidding to marry, (and commanding) to abstain from meais,' &c. Doctrines which unquestionably mark and distinguish the Papal as well as the Heathen Antichrist, though the learned Mede has unaccountably overlooked them: for he says" but sup 66 pose it to be so" (i. e. that the words which literally signify seducing Spirits may be construed "Erroneous Doc"trines")" yet still" (says he) "are in suspense what these ERRONE "OUS 66 we and IDOLATROUS DOCTRINES |