The Poems of John Byrom :: :: University of Virginia Library

You wonder'd much why any Man of Parts
Would use in Preaching low, invective Arts;
By which the vain Disputings that infest
The Christian World have seldom been supprest,
But often heighten'd, and that use destroy'd
For which fine Talents ought to be employ'd.

If one can judge from reading this Divine,—
Whose Parts and Talents would be really fine,
If juster Notions of the Heav'nly Grace
Taught but the earthly not to quit their Place,—
If one can judge, I say, from stated Laws
In his Discourses what should be the Cause
Of such Perversion of a lively Wit
In erudite Possessors, this is it:

They think that now Religion's sole Defence
Is Learning, History and critic Sense;

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That with Apostles as a needful Guide
The Holy Spirit did indeed abide;
But, having díctated to them a Rule
Of Faith and Manners for the Christian School,
Immediate Revelation ceas'd, and Men
Must now be taught by apostolic Pen;
Canon of Scripture is complete, and they
May read, and know what Doctrine to obey.
To look for Inspiration is absurd;
The Spirit's Aid is in the written Word:
They who pretend to His Immediate Call,
From Pope to Quaker, are Fanatics all.

Thus, having prov'd at large to Christians met
What no one Christian ever doubted yet,
That the New Testament was really writ
By Inspiration, which they all admit,
He then subjoins that “this inspir'd Recórd
“Fulfill'd the Promise of our Blessed Lord;”—
Fulfill'd it “eminently,” is the Phrase;—
“For tho' the Faithful, in succeeding Days
“Occasionally find in ev'ry Place
“The Spirit's ordinary Help, and Grace,
“His Light Supreme, His constant, fixt Abode,
“Is in the Scriptures of this Sacred Code.

This was the Sense, not easy to explore,
When, reck'ning up the Spirit's Fruits before,

260

“Scripture,” said he (which this Account explains)
“Does not record them only, but contains,”—
“CONTAINS,” in Capitals: as if he took
The Scripture to be something more than Book,—
Something alive, wherein the Spirit dwelt,
That did not only tell His Fruits, but felt.
“The sure Deposit of the Spirit's Fruits
“In Holy Scripture,” he elsewhere computes,
“Fulfill'd the Saviour's Promise in a Sense
“Very sublime.”—So it should seem from hence,
That “eminently,” and “sublimely,” thus
The Holy Spirit should abide with Us.

If I mistake him, or misrepresent,
You'll shew me where, for 'tis not with Intent.
I want, if possible, to understand
A Sentence coming from so fam'd a Hand.
Tho' plain the Words, 'tis difficult to solve
What christian Sense he meant them to involve;
In ev'ry Way that Words and Sense agree,
'Tis perfect Bibliolatry to me.

261

No Image-Worship can be more absurd
Than idolising thus the written Word,
Which they who wrote intended to excite
Attention to our Lord's Predicted Light,—
To that same Spirit, leading human Thought,
By Which themselves, and all the good were taught
Preaching that Word, which a Diviner Art,
Which God Himself had written on the Heart.

How can the best of Books,—for 'tis confest
That of all Books the Bible is the best,—
Do any more than give us an Account
Of what was said, for Instance, on the Mount;
Of what was done, for Instance, on the Cross,
In order to retrieve the human Loss?
What more than tell us of the Spirit's Aid,
Far as His Fruits by Words can be display'd?
But Words are only the recording Part;
The Things contain'd must needs be in the Heart.
Spirit of God no more in Books demands
To dwell Himself, than “Temples made with Hands.”

“Fruits of the Spirit,” as St. Paul defin'd,
“Are Love, Joy, Peace,”—the Blessings of the Mind,
The Proofs of His “Abiding.”—Who can brook

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A meek, a gentle, good, long-suff'ing Book;
Or let true Faith and Temperance be sunk
To Faith in Writings, that are never drunk?
In fine, whatever Pen and Ink presents
Can but contain historical Contents;
Nor can the Fruits of Spirit be in Print
In any Sense, but as recorded in't.

Plain as this is, and strange, as you may think,
The learnèd Worship paid to Pen and Ink,
It is the main Hypothesis, you'll find,
On which are built Discourses of this Kind;
Which yet can give us for a Scripture Clue
What contradicts its very Letter too,
As this has done—be shown, as we go on,
By these important Verses of St. John!