Dæmonologia Sacra; or, A Treatise of Satan's Temptations: In Three PartsGilpin, Richard
Religion
Dæmonologia Sacra; or, A Treatise of Satan's Temptations: In Three Parts
Gilpin, Richard
Devil -- Early works to 1800; Temptation -- Early works to 1800
‘How oft have we with admiration hung
On the angelic Gilpin’s pow’rful tongue,
Who in perfection had the mighty art,
To form the soul and captivate the heart;
Pour Gospel balm into the wounded soul,
And vengeance on the harden’d conscience rowl.
When he hell’s gloomy stratagems did clear[70]
Man ceased, and Satan then began to fear
His empire’s utter ruin drawing near.
Great man! whom goodness did to greatness raise,
Nor forced applause, nor warmly courted praise.
The tempting dignity he did despise
Made him more glorious still in good men’s eyes.’[71]
(As before, pp. 20, 21.)
I have next to set forth the famous ‘story’ of THOMAS STORY the
Quaker missionary-preacher—of his interviews with Dr Gilpin; wherein
it will be seen he shews the deepest respect for him, albeit in
his self-opinionativeness unconvinced of the erroneous tendency of
his ‘views’ and practice. These ‘notes’ are found in a folio that
has now gone out of sight, and become among the rarest of rare
Quaker books.[72] The narrative is too tedious for reproduction in
full; but a specimen will interest. Having told of his conversion
to the principles of Quakerism, and more especially of the result
of the reading of ‘three small books,’ he goes on: ‘Some time
after this, [1691,] Dr Gilpin, before mentioned, sent his son, a
counsellor-[at-law], under whom I had been initiated into the study
of the law, and who was one of those at the tavern aforesaid, and
still retained a great affection for me—to invite me to his house
at Scaleby Castle, and desired to see some of the Quakers’ books,
supposing I had been imposed upon by reading them; and I sent him,
as I remember, all that I had. Soon after I had parted with these
books, I observed a cloud come over my mind and an unusual concern;
and therein the two sacraments—commonly so termed—came afresh into my
remembrance, and divers scriptures and arguments _pro_ and _con_: and
then I was apprehensive the Doctor was preparing something of that
sort to discourse me upon; and I began to search out some scriptures
in defence of my own sentiments on those subjects: but as I proceeded
a little in that work I became more uneasy and clouded: upon which
I laid aside the Scripture and sat still, looking towards the Lord
for counsel. For I considered the Doctor as a man of great learning,
religious in his way, an ancient preacher and writer too, famous in
Oliver’s time, and a “throne” among his brethren: and that he might
advance such subtilties as I could not readily confute nor would
concede to, as knowing them erroneous, though I might not be suddenly
furnished with arguments to demonstrate their fallacy; and so might
receive hurt. And then it was clear in my understanding that as he was
in his own will and strength, though with a good intent, in his own
sense, searching the letter [of the Scripture,] and depending upon
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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