I'm going to quote from an article which was originally published in the Westminster Theological Journal: Smith, Dean R. “The Scottish Presbyterians and Covenanters: A Continuationist Experience in a Cessationist Theology.” WTJ 63 (2001): 39-63. Dean Smith currently teaches at Geneva College.
The article is illustrative in two respects. First of all, there's the question of whether continuationism is "truly Reformed." I myself don't find that a terribly interesting question, but other people do. The other reason is to present documented cases of predictive prophecy and the "gift of prophecy" in modern church history.
Whether or not we believe it is a different question. That depends on your worldview, as well as how you evaluate testimonial evidence.
The Scottish Presbyterians and Covenanters:
A Continuationist Experience in a Cessationist Theology
Many Reformed people have assumed that Warfield adequately summarized the history of the church in regard to the continuation of charismata. Generally both cessationists and continuationists have until recently either ignored or overlooked the history and the testimony of the Scottish Presbyterians and Covenanters in regard to the continuation of both prophecy and healing.
Scottish Presbyterians were those early Protestants of Scotland who struggled for religious reformation in Scotland.. The first Scottish Confession of Faith was signed in 1557, subscribed again in 1581, 1590, 1596, and 1638. The Covenanters were those who signed the Solemn League and Covenant in 1638 and lived from 1638-1688, a period during which some 18,000 people suffered death or other penalties of hardship for their faith. This same period, however, experienced a remarkable outpouring of the Spirit of God on his suffering church. Some of the experiences were recorded in a series of books: John Knox’s History of the Reformation in Scotland; Robert Fleming’s The Fulfilling of the Scriptures, first published in Rotterdam in 1671; Patrick Walker’s Six Saints of the Covenant, originally published 1724; and John Howie’s The Scots Worthies, first published in 1775. Howie’s work, based on the earlier accounts, is primarily inspirational biographical sketches of the Scottish martyrs, arranged chronologically according to the date they died for their faith. Howie’s work is also more popular, written to encourage later generations of believers. The 1870 edition was reprinted in 1995 by the Banner of Truth Trust, thus making it readily available today.
One question that needs to be addressed is reliability. Many of the things recorded in these books are so remarkable that they naturally produce a response of skepticism, if not outright disbelief. Are the records reliable or are the events merely reflective of myth and Scottish folklore?
Knox was present at George Wishart’s martyrdom and heard Wishart’s prophecy of Cardinal Beaton’s death. Knox himself gives indication of his own experience of prophecy in writing “A Godly Letter to the Faithful in London, etc.” in which he clearly identifies the judgments of God coming through a variety of plagues. How does Knox know this?
But ye wald knaw the groundis of my certitude; God grant that hearing thame ye may understand and stedfastlie believe the same. My assurances are not the Mervallis of Merline, nor yit the dark sentences of prophane Prophesies; But (1.) the plane treuth of Godis Word; (2) the invincibill justice of the everlasting God; and (3.) the ordinarie course of his punishmentis and plagues from the begynning, ar my asurance and groundis. Godis Word threateneth distructioun to all inobedient; his immuntabill justice require the same. The ordinary punishmentis and plagues schawis exempillis. What man then can ceis to prophesie?
It might be argued by some that Knox is here referring to prophecy only in the sense of the proper exposition and application of the Scriptures. However, in the same letter Knox cites several ministers who prophesied specific coming judgments:
Almost thair wes none that occupyit the place, but he did prophesie and planelie speake the plagues that ar begun and assuredlie sall end. MAISTER GRINDALL planelie spak the death of the Kingis Majestie; complaynyng on his houshald servandis and officeris, who neither exchameit nor feirit to raill aganis Godis trew Word, and aganis the Preacheris of the same. The godlie and fervent man, MAISTER LEVER, planelie spak the desolatioun of the commoun weill, and the plagues whik suld follow schortlie. MAISTER BRADFURDE (whome God for Chrystis his Sonis sake comfort to the end!) spared not the proudest, but boldlie declareit that Godis vengeance suld schortlie stryke thame that then wer in autoritie, becaus thay abhorrit and loathed the trew Word of the everlasting God. And, amangis many uthir, willit thame to tak exempill be the lait Duck of Somerset, who became so cold in hearing Godis Word, that the year befoir his last apprehensioun, he wald ga visit his masonis, and wald not dainyie himself to ga frome his gallerie to his hall for ehring of a sermone. “God punissit him (said the godlie Preacher) and that suddanelie, and sall He spair yow that be dowbill mair wickit? No, He sall not!
This letter was written in 1554. Can there be certainty that Knox really believed that God was giving special insights into the future to these men? Writing on September 19, 1565 a prefix to a sermon preached on August 19, 1565 in Edinburgh, Knox says:
For considering my selfe rather cald of my God to instruct the ignorant, comfort the sorowfull, confirme the weake, and rebuke the proud, by tong and livelye voyce in these most corrupt dayes, than to compose bokes for the age to come, seeing that so much is written (and that by men of most singular condition), and yet so little well observed; I decreed to containe my selfe within the bondes of that vocation, wherunto I founde my selfe especially called. I dare not denie (lest that in so doing I should be inhurious to the giver), but that God hath revealed unto me secretes unknowne to the worlde; and also that he made my tong a trumpet, to forwarne realmes and nations, yea, certaine great personages, of translations and chaunges, when no such thinges were feared, nor yet was appearing, a portion wherof cannot the world denie (be it ever so blind) to be fulfilled; and the rest, alas! I feare, shall follow with greater expedition, and in more full perfection, than my sorrowfull heart desireth. These revelations and assurances notwithstanding, I did ever absteyne to commit anye thing to writ, contented onely to have obeyed the charge of Him who commanded me to cry. (Emphasis added).
This is perhaps the clearest of Knox’s statements about God revealing events to him in advance so that he could warn kingdoms and rulers of things about to come. Some of these he had seen come to pass, and some would yet come. Knox is recording things out of his own experience and awareness.
What about Robert Fleming? Deere notes:
Fleming and his contemporaries should be considered credible because they saw many of these things with their own eyes. Fleming’s spiritual fathers and other witnesses had passed on accounts of miracles before his time or the events were a matter of public record.
The events recorded in The Fulfilling of the Scripture are carefully documented. Dates are frequently indicated and often the names of people present are given, with frequent notes that the observers are still alive. Steven notes the high regard in which Fleming is held:
Annexed to the folio edition is an extremely favourable attestation by Dr. Isaac Watts, Mr Jabez Earle, Mr. Daniel Neal, the historian of the Dissenters, and other eighteen distinguished ministers in London. The writer, they observe, “is universally known to have been a person of singular worth and piety, and his works declare him a diligent and careful observer of the provides (sic) of God towards his church and people. Many such instances, which no other author has taken notice of, and which, were they not well attested, would appear almost incredible, are to be met in his book called The Fulfilling of the Scripture; a performance which has so far entitled itself to the esteem of all serious Christians, as not to need our recommendation.” The work was originally published in Holland, where, as throughout the British Empire, Mr. Fleming acquired a lasting reputation. It is designed to shew the workings of particular providence, and, in our opinion, is a production which does much honour to the piety and sound professional learning of its author. Few Christians more habitually recognised the overruling hand of the Almighty than did Mr. Fleming; and indeed in every object and event, he devoutly traced the divine operations. From the history of all nations, and especially from that of his native, as well as of Holland, his adopted country, he has gratefully recorded several ever memorable instances of a public and private kind, which afforded evident proofs of the merciful interference of heaven in the hour of extremity.
Similar statements are made about Patrick Walker. Even though Walker traveled over 1000 miles in Scotland and Ireland, while collecting reports and historical facts, his accuracy was attacked from the beginning and he was accused of inadequate documentation. However, D. C. Lachman notes: “In so far as his work can now be verified, his quotations are substantially accurate and his facts and dates correct.”
D. H. Fleming, editor of the1901 edition of Walker’s Six Saints of the Covenant states:
Many of Patrick’s (sic) statements can now be neither verified nor disproved; but, in going carefully over his printed works, I have been agreeably surprised to find that a number of his marvellous stories can be corroborated from other works, some of which he never saw. His quotations are fairly accurate, and his dates are on the whole amazingly correct. When he records what he had personally seen or heard, his statements, may, I think, be taken as absolutely truthful, subject of course to some allowance in details for lapse of memory, seeing that some of his stories seem to have floated in his mind for forty years before they were committed to paper. Although he appealed at the close of each pamphlet for additional information, it must not be supposed that he was credulous enough to believe everything and to insert anything. Credulous in some ways he undoubtedly was, he was not destitute of the critical faculty, as some learned to their cost who tried to trip him up.
The conclusion to be drawn is that the unique and amazing accounts from this history are reliable accounts of actual events. This is how they were understood at the time and by later historians and scholars who have evaluated the records.
