“Human and worldly wisdom is not needful to the understanding of scripture, but the revelation of the Holy Ghost, who inspireth the true meaning unto them that with humility and diligence search for it.” ibid. Part II.
“Make him know and feel, that there is no other name under heaven given unto men, whereby we can be saved.”
“If we feel our conscience at peace with God, through remission of our sin,—all is of God.” Homily on Rogation week. Part III.
“If you feel such a faith in you, rejoice in it, and let it be daily increasing by well-working.” Homily on faith. Part III.
“The faithful may feel wrought tranquility of conscience, the increase of faith and hope, with many other graces of God.” Homily on the sacrament. Part I.
“Godly men feel inwardly God’s Holy Spirit, inflaming their hearts with love.” Homily on certain places of scripture. Part I.
“God give us grace, to know these things, and to feel them in our hearts! This knowledge and feeling is not of ourselves. Let us therefore meekly call upon the bountiful Spirit, the Holy Ghost, to inspire us with his presence, that we may be able to hear the goodness of God to our salvation. For without his lively inspiration, can we not so much as speak the name of the Mediator. No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Much less should we be able to believe and know these great mysteries that be opened to us by Christ. But we have received saith St. Paul, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; for this purpose, that we may know the things which are freely given to us of God. In the power of the Holy Ghost resteth all ability to know God and to please him. It is he that purifieth the mind by his secret working. He enlighteneth the heart, to conceive worthy thoughts of Almighty God. He sitteth in the tongue of man, to stir him to speak his honour. He only ministreth spiritual strength to the powers of the soul and body. And if we have any gift, whereby we may profit our neighbour, all is wrought by this one and the self-same Spirit.” Homily for Rogation week. Part III.
27. Every proposition which I have any where advanced, concerning those operations of the Holy Ghost, which I believe are common to all Christians in all ages, is here clearly maintained by our own church.
Under a full sense of this, I could not well understand for many years, how it was, that on the mentioning any of these great truths, even among men of education, the cry, immediately arose, “An Enthusiast, an Enthusiast!” But I now plainly perceive, this is only an old fallacy in a new shape. To object Enthusiasm to any person or doctrine, is but a decent method of begging the question. It generally spares the objector the trouble of reasoning, and is a shorter and easier way of carrying his cause.
For instance, I assert that “till a man receives the Holy Ghost, he is without God in the world; that he cannot know the things of God, unless God reveal them unto him by the Spirit: no, nor have even one holy or heavenly temper, without the inspiration of the Holy One.” Now should one who is conscious to himself, that he has [♦]experienced none of these things, attempt to confute these propositions, either from scripture or antiquity, it might prove a difficult task. What then shall he do? Why, cry out, “Enthusiasm! Enthusiasm!” And the work is done.