Caroline [nee Fry]
Wilson(1787-1846) writing to a lady friend about an apparently charismatic
movement taking place: "The party
with whom it originates, and among whom it is at present confined, is certainly
not marked with any character of sobriety.
They are pious and talented, but they are not sober-minded; they love
novelty better than their daily bread.
The simplicity of divine truth, and the equal dealings of divine
providence are not to their taste; they have mystified the plainest doctrines
of the Gospel; they have made war upon every thing common and received; they
have quarreled with their mother-tongue, because it can be understood. Having thrown the whole church into
confusion, they have called their own uproar, a 'sign of the times;' and denied
salvation to all who will not run with them to like excess of riot….Pious
people are not always wise, and clever people, by reason of their temperament,
are peculiarly liable to extravagances where their feelings are
interested. ….You know that I expect as
fully as they do, the events of 'the last days;' but the more I believe of
this, the more I am upon my guard against the 'Lo here! Or Lo there!' with
which the levity of men anticipates the majestic walk of Deity. I know that God can do what he will, and will
do what he has promised; but I am accustomed to adjust my faith to the promise,
not the promise to my faith, as is the fashion now with some. Though it is true the Scripture no-where says
that miracles shall cease, I am equally sure, it no-where says that they shall
not. We can only judge therefore of what
God meant to do, by what he has done, and it is certain they have ceased for
many centuries. Whether God recalled
these gifts for some good purpose of his own, or whether man forfeited them by
unbelief, I do not know, - for the same reason; the Scripture has not declared
it. If the former, I doubt not God will
fully manifest His purpose, to restore them when His time is come; and I can
wait till He does so. If the latter, I
must have some evidence that the faith of James Macdonald, and Mary Campbell,
is more than the faith of Luther and Latimer, of saints and martyrs, of men of
God both dead and living, who, with equal zeal and sounder minds, have followed
Christ, but worked no miracles, before I believe that increase of faith has
brought back the gifts.
There is one who
says, 'If I testify of myself my testimony is not true; ' but these people not
only testify of their own gifts, but give the credit of them to their own
faith, which they represent to be more than all the faith that has been in
exercise for sixteen or seventeen centuries.
Perhaps you will say, 'But here are facts, how can you account for the
delusion without supposing willful imposture in the witnesses?' This I cannot, neither can I explain how
Papal Rome performed her well-attested wonders, nor how Joanna Southcote's
absurdities deluded 40,000 people; nor how Prince Hohenlohe made the lame to
walk; nor how Wesley and his people
raised their ghost. All must
stand together till these new miracles have some better ground to stand on,
than the honest credulity of those who think they have witnessed them. Respecting the recoveries, I am not prepared
to say how far the senses may be the dupes of the imagination. I have seen enough of this, to believe much
more; and without a miracle, we see every day, the 'speculations and
anticipations of physicians,' baffled by the recovery of the patient, from a
seeming deathbed; and that often by no means but strong mental excitement. As for the tongues, I can imagine nothing
easier for man or woman, than to utter what neither themselves or any one else
can understand……I must really wait the interpretation of their tongues, and the
use to made of them, before I treat this part as any thing but a gross
absurdity, calculated to discredit all the rest. To tell the truth, if the Spirit would
constrain some of these people to hold their tongues, rather than to talk; I
should be much more disposed to admit a miracle: the gift of silence would be an extraordinary
blessing to the Church at this time. Mr.
E--'s letter is not the writing of a sensible man. His talent and piety we all know; and it is
sad indeed, that men who have been distinguished in the Church, should occupy
themselves with turning the heads of silly women, by over-excitement of their
pious feelings…….
Caroline Wilson
