Spirit of Prophecy Defended, The
Edited by J. Ramsey Michaels
Number of quotes: 20
Book ID: 451 Page: 250
Section: 2D3A
Not only was it thus in Asia, but in the churches of Africa and Europe also; for there were vast numbers who called themselves all by the one common name of [GREEK], or the inspired, as those who had received the Holy Spirit: and they all with one accord consented to deny and quit every name, such as distinguished them by their leaders; whilst their opposers did in contempt fix upon them divers names derived from their leaders, such as Montanists, Alcibiadists Proclians, Ӕschinists, Priscillists, Lucians, Tertullianists, Artemonists, and the like, and also some other names….
Quote ID: 8896
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 252
Section: 2D3A
…he was the first under an irreproachable character as to doctrine, and in respect to morality, that spake evidently by a Spirit upon him, and was known however to have a sentence pass upon him as possessed by an evil spirit, after ages did fix upon the prophetical or inspired teachers the name of Montanists.
Quote ID: 8897
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 253
Section: 2D3A
…he, under the character of a prophet, as an order established in the church, appeared (without bringing any new doctrine) for reviving what was decayed, and reforming what might be amiss. Whereas others that had been judged for heretics were not only preachers of strange and monstrous opinions, but were utter enemies to all manner of discipline in the church.
Quote ID: 8898
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 254
Section: 2D3A
‘…they and particularly Montanus, were condemned by the church for blasphemously assuming, each one to himself, the name and title of the Paraclete. But this seems to have been invented in latter times, lest he and they should appear to have been anathematized for heretics on little or no ground. But certainly, the greatest doctors of the church would never had been at such pains, and wrote so many learned books, in order to confute him, had he been really guilty of so gross and mad a blasphemy; neither is it to be thought, that he could have had, in those early times, so very near the Apostles, almost any followers at all, had he been either so wild an enthusiast, or such an open blasphemer against the Holy Ghost.….
…none of his contemporaries, nor any of his most professed adversaries, ever knew anything of it, or took the least notice, as surely they would have done, of so horrid a blasphemy. Wherefore it must needs have been a fictitious heresy imposed upon him, for the better colouring of the proceedings against him.’
Quote ID: 8899
Time Periods: 23
Book ID: 451 Page: 259
Section: 2D3A
Miltiades alleged against them, that neither the prophets of the Old or New Testament had such ecstasies and gestures when they delivered their prophecies; ergo, the Montanists were erroneous.
Quote ID: 8900
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 262
Section: 2D3A
And nothing could be more absurd than some of the nick-names their accusers gave them about bread and cheese, and about putting a piece of wood into their nostrils for devotion, and about dancing around a great covered bottle in their assemblies, jovial and drunken as the heathen; which sort of stories furnished to the scornful unbelievers, an occasion of laughter, and to others occasions of reproach.
Quote ID: 8901
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 263
Section: 2D3A
‘After these things, even in the time of the so-named Christian emperors, they, the Montanists, were driven out of their cities in a violent manner, and had their books burnt; whilst, on the contrary, their accusers were cried up for heroes and champions of the church….
Quote ID: 8902
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 263
Section: 2D3A
…there have been several before us, and those no obscure modern writers, that have publicly affirmed Montanus to have been inspired by the Holy Spirit, and not by a devil, as is greatly concluded.
Quote ID: 8903
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 265/266
Section: 2D3A
Says the History of Montanism, ‘The reasons and principal grounds on which the Bishops of Asia went in their trial and condemnation of Montanus, Maximilla, and Theodotus….….
First, That the spirit of Montanus, and of his prophets could not be the Spirit of Christ, because it was not the spirit of the church.
….
Fourteenthly, The authority of that spirit could not be Divine which was for encouraging private persons to set up a new order of discipline in the church, how good and holy soever in itself, and thereby despising an authority in the rulers of it, which was certainly Divine.{1}
Quote ID: 8904
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 268
Section: 2D3A
The conclusion of this article, ‘That the Spirit in a prophet cannot be true unless he is acknowledged by the existing church,’ I take to be a system of mere human invention, and utterly antiscriptural: for in the Old Testament there is nothing more remarkable than the complaint of the prophet himself, in being despised, hated reproached, rejected, and persecuted for the word of the Lord spoken by him….
Quote ID: 8905
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 268/269
Section: 2D3A
And when the mother of harlots and revolters from Christ, or the great whore, distinguished from lesser ones, comes to be judged, in her will found the blood of prophets slain upon the earth (Rev. xviii. 24): so that “Babylon the Great” meaning an apostatized estate of the Christian church, there must be of necessity have been some prophets whose blood she is there charged to have shed.
Quote ID: 8906
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 270
Section: 2D3A
There was also, probably, among the learned men and apologist writers for this cause, Miltiades, Alcibiades, and Theodotus. And indeed the writings of the orthodox in this controversy were generally but answers to what had been written in favour of the Phrygian prophets by some that were considerable among their followers. But of these we know nothing: the only Montanist author remaining to this day is Tertullian; and yet of his we have nothing left of what he wrote purposely on this subject.’ So far did the imperial edicts for burning all the books of the Montanists take place, to disarm them of a just defence, and rob future ages of the means of due information in this case.
Quote ID: 8907
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 271
Section: 2D3A
When the Catholics, therefore, had condemned them, they pretended, in the establishment of their separate communion, they were not the innovators: wherefore, they appealed also to catholic prescription and the custom of the church, as if it were wholly on their side….
Quote ID: 8908
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 272
Section: 2D3A
…Especially since Ireneus carry’d the Letters written by the Martyrs of Lyons [among whom who were several Prophets] to plead in Favor of Montanus with the Bishop of Rome.
Quote ID: 8909
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 272
Section: 2D3A
‘In the trial of the extraordinary gifts,’ says Mr. Dodwell, ‘it was not performed by those who were without them; but the judgment was to be made by the extraordinary gifts themselves. And with respect to the call of ministers, it was committed to the Discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart, and so the spiritual man or prophet decided of it; and no man was admitted into the public offices of the church but who was so approved.’
Quote ID: 8910
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 309
Section: 2D3A
…about the same time, or soon after, there was Alcibiades, Theodotus, and Montanus; and which of these also was the first in prophesying, we cannot tell….
Quote ID: 8911
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 309
Section: 2D3A
…Montanus, who appeared distinguished in working signs and miracles. Concerning this man , the annalist supposes he might at first act by the operation of God; but whether it were so, or by that of the devil transformed, it was in such a manner that no body was able to discern, because both his life and doctrine were holy and blameless.
Quote ID: 8912
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 316
Section: 2D3A
…the reproofs of the Spirit in Montanus were highly resented; because, though there was something of moral looseness connived at or indulged in those churches, the bishops could not allow to the Spirit a liberty of such reproof…….
…it is evident thence that there was in the judges of him a disposition to turn their backs on, and do despite to, the true testimony of Jesus, and therein to his authority.
Quote ID: 8913
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 318
Section: 2D3A
…Miltiades asserted, That ‘all new revelation tendeth to break the unity of the church,’ which affixes an evil necessarily upon the Spirit of prophecy itself.….
The wilful contempt of the Spirit of prophecy, the testimony of Jesus, by the bishops of Asia, is Apparent.
Quote ID: 8914
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 451 Page: 323
Section: 2D3A
And because now-a-days, through the long cessation of prophecy, or rather the Antichristian rejection of it, some may be so ignorant of the word of God as to think that there was in those ages no guilt in rejecting, or any moral obligation to submit to the Spirit of prophecy then existent.
Quote ID: 8915
Time Periods: 2
End of quotes