would expofe them to the Cenfure of Infidels. 25. 371 very furprizing and unaccountable; infomuch that Sect. 27. I might also urge, upon this Head, the great pray, Cafes of Nathaniel, and the Woman of Samaria, John i. 47. Chap. iv. 18.) fome fecret Facts, relating to a Stranger, might in fome Inftances be revealed to the Prophet; perhaps the Illdefigns, which had brought them into the Affembly when they came only as Spies: And this was well fuited to the Purpose of producing strong Convictions of the Prefence of GOD with Chriftians. But I chose to paraphrafe the Words in fuch a Manner, as to include any remarkable Correspondence between what was spoken, and the Thoughts and State of the Mind, which fuch a Stranger might be confcious of. Many memorable Inftances of which ftill happen, where Minifters preach in an experimental Manner, and lafting Effects have often been produced, in Confequence of fuch Impreffions. 26 372 26. Thofe, who speak with Tongues, fhould speak in Course: Sect. 27. pray, bath a Revelation of fome Mystery to pro- a Revelation, hath an Interduce, bath an Interpretation, which perhaps he pretation. Let all Things 1 Cor. XIV. immediately begins, while the Perfon from whom he is to interpret, hath but begun to speak; and thus five or fix (d), if not more, may be fpeaking at the fame Time: In Confequence of which no one can be diftinctly heard, and the Affembly degenerates into a Kind of tumultuous Riot. I beseech you, my Friends, to rectify this, and to proceed upon the general Canon, which I would recommend to you upon all fuch Occafions, let all Things be done, not for Oftentation, but for Edification (e), in fuch a Manner, as you do in your Confciences believe, will be moft like to do Good to the Souls of Men, and to build up the Church of Chrift. 27 And in particular, if any fhould fpeak with an [unknown] Tongue, [let it be] by two, or at most, [by] three in one Meeting, and that by Course; and let fome one prefent ftill interpret what is faid (f). 28 But if there be not an Interpreter, let him be filent in the Church (g), where he can do no Man 27 If any Man fpeak in an unknown Tongue, let it (d) Five or fix, &c.] Five fuch Cafes are mentioned. It feems probable, that fome of thefe Chriftians were fo full of themselves, and fo defirous of exercifing their refpective Gifts, that without waiting for the Permiffion and Direction of him who prefided in the Aflembly, (which in the Synagogue the Apofiles themselves feem to have done, Compare Acts xiii. 15.) feveral began fpeaking, or finging, in the fame Minute, and fome began, while others were fpeaking. The Manner, in which Difcourfes were carried on in the Schools of the Philofophers, where feveral little Knots of Difputants feem to have been: engaged at the fame Time, and what happened in Jewish Synagogues after Worship was concluded, might poffibly have given fome Occafion to an Irregularity, which to us feems fo fhocking. (e) Done for Edification.] I muft prefume to fay, that it appears probable to me, that had one Officer been appointed, as a Reprefentative of the Apofile, to whofe Direction the Society would in Confcience have been obliged in all indifferent Matters to fubmit, fome Hint would have been given of it, amidst the many Opportunities, which the State of this Corinthian Church especially, gave, both to St. Paul, and afterwards, to Clemens Romanus. (f) Let ane interpret.] In this Method it is evident, that any Difcourfe thus delivered, would take up more than twice the Time, in which it might have been delivered, had it firft been fpoken in a known Tongue. (g) If there be no Interpreter, let him be filent.] Dr. Whitby thinks this was only enjoined to avoid the Oftentation of a Man's fpeaking,. firft in an unknown Tongue, and then acting as his own Interpreter; but I think it evident from this Text, compared with Verfe 13. that a Man might have the Gift of fpeaking with Tonges, who could not interpret; and the great Difficulty is to fay, how this could happen, and yet the Thing wanting not be another Tongue; which the Diftinction between the Gift of Tongues, and the Interpretation of Some one prefent fhould interpret what is faid: 29 Let the Prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. 373 28. 27. let him speak to himself and ner of Service by uttering what none but himself Sect. to GOD. can understand; and let him speak to himself, and to GOD: Let him make Ufe of this Language I Cor. XIV.. in his own private Devotions, if he has a Mind by Exercife to keep up his Readiness in it: But let him not produce it fo unreasonably, as in the prefent Cafe. And as for these Prophefyings 29: which we chiefly fpeak of, when Scriptures are explained; let only two or three of the Prophets Speak in one Affembly; and let the reft judge, and compare one Doctrine with another for the farther Improvement of all. But if while the Dif- 30: courfe continues, [any Thing] be revealed to another that fitteth by, let him not immediately arife, and interrupt the firft; but let him fit ftill, till he have done Speaking (b). For by this Means ye 31 may all, who are thus furnished for it, prophesy one by one, that your Inftruction and Confolation may not be thrown away, which would be the Cafe, if many were speaking at once; but all may learns 30 If any Thing be reby, let the firft hold his vealed to another that fitteth Peace. 31 For ye may all prophefy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. of Tongues, feems to demonftrate that it was not. I can only offer a Conjecture here, which it becomes me to do with the greater Modefty, as I think it is a pretty fingular one, (as indeed the Difficulty itself great as it is, has feldom been ftated by Commentators.) The Miracle, which conferred the Gifts of Tongues, feems to have been the inftantaneous impreffing on the Mind the familiar and perfect Knowledge of a Language, with which the Person was before unacquainted; yet fo, that from that Time the Perion receiving it fhould be able, without any new Miracle, to use it as he thought fit; and this, as Dr. Leland well obferves, is the only Hypothefts, on which the Abuse of this Gift can be accounted for. (See Leland against Morgan. Vol. I: Chap. xiii. pag. 375.) But I apprehend, that tho' every Man ufing this Gift, and understanding what he faid, must have been able to have rendered his Difcourfe Sentence by Sentence, into his native Language, he might be unable to render it into a third, which might be that of many prefent. Now in fuch a Circumstance, the Gift of Interpretation might take Place, if it confifted, as I'conjecture it did, in an inftantaneous Capacity of understanding a strange Language, juft for that Time, and rendering what was fpoken in it, into the native Tongue of the Interpreter. (Compare the Paraphrafe on Chap. xii. Verse 10.) On this Hypothefis, and truly I think on this alone, one who had the Gift of Interpretation, might not be able to fpeak any foreign Language at all; and he who had the Gift of a Tongue, might not in fome Circumftance be able to inter.. pret to those who were then his Hearers. In this Cafe, the Gift of Interpretation, enabling a. Man only to act a fecondary Part, would be lefs fplendid; but whenever it was exercised, it would always argue the Perfon under an immediate Agency of the Spirit, and conduce to his Usefulness. (b) Let the firft have done fpeaking.] So I think anyara must here be rendered; for if the Direction had been, "Let him that was speaking immediately hold his Peace, as foon: as another intimates, that he has a Revelation ;" it would introduce a Confufion, which this Advice was intended to prevent; and I think fuch an Interpretation equally inconfiftent< with Reafon, and the Connection of the Place, Compare Verse 32, 33. 374 Sect. 27. 1 Cor. XIV. 32. 34 Prophets. For GOD is not the Author of Confufion, but of Peace. 33 of uttering his Oracles. For GOD is not [the] and 33 For GOD is not the Author of Confufion, but of Peace, as in all Churches of the Saints. 34 Let your Women keep Silence in the Churches: For it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under Obedience, as alfo faith the Law. 35 And if they will learn any Thing, let them afk for it is a Shame for a Woman to fpeak in the Church. their Hufbands at Home; (i) A Woman to speak, &c.] There is an apparent Difficulty in reconciling this with Chap. xi. 5, 13. in which the Apofle feems to grant a Liberty, which he here denies. Be I fides The Apoftle exhorts them to regard thefe, as Divine Precepts; 375 ́and fuits very ill with that Modefty and Referve, Sect. 27. I know the prefent Custom among you is 1 Cor. XIV. 36. And if any of you appear to be a Prophet; or 374 A I am fides the Solution, fuggefted in the Paraphrafe on Verse 34. fome have thought, he intended in the former Paffage only to fay, how Women should speak if they spoke at all; but here abfolutely to prohibit their doing it: But I cannot think, he would debate and adjust the Circumstances of doing an unlawful Action. Taking this Prohibition to be univerfal, I should fuppofe with Dr. Whitby, that Prophefying in the foregoing Place, fignified finging Pfalms, and praying, not leading the Devotions, but joining with others in Prayer. (k) Did the Words &c.] That Scoticifm, whether did the Word of GOD come forth from: you alone, would be the exacteft Verfion of n a vua, &c. (I), Let him be ignorant] Dr. Whitby would render ayvosila, let him not be acknowledged to be a true Prophet; but that is changing the Interpretation of the Word, in a Manner one would not chufe to admit without greater Neceffity. (m) Decently, |