Doctrine Divine Worship c. as I.O. states it to be and T.D. also exclusively of the internal Light Word Spirit c. And what though we should grant you that Christ sayes to the Scribes Search the Scriptures Well he might for they testifie of him as the life whom they never came to for it who if they had known either the Scriptures aright they so search't in and scribled about or the Power of God they could not have erred from the knowledge of him in his Light as they did Matth. 22.29 We say the same to you Schollars that think you study and know the Scriptures more then any men as Christ to them and as I.O. to all by way of command whereas some can't read it in his Title-page to flourish his Frontispiece and vent his vindication pro Scripturis more then ought else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Search the Scriptures for they testifie of Christ the Light the Word that Spirit Way Life Truth we talk of they send ye to the same Light and inward Word in the heart as the Rule to walk by as the Qua. do and as Christ said of them Ioh. 5.46 47. having told them they needed no other to accuse them then Moses in whom they trusted Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me but if ye believe not his Writings how should ye believe my word So say I of you Ye need no other witness against you though ye have another even the Light within which ye despise then the Letter in which ye trust for did you believe the Letter ye would believe in the Light for it writes of the Light the Qua. call ye to and write of but if ye believe not the Writing ye so write for how shall ye believe in the light Howbeit when all 's done as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being both the Indicative and Imperative Mood will as well bear it so the Context doth much more clear it that the Verb is rather indicative of their doting doings then imperasive of their duty and is rather to be rendred ye search then search ye the Scripture and contains rather matter of condemnation of them for that profitable deal of Do they made in their busie minds about the outward Scriptures while in the mean time they heeded not Gods own voice nor regarded the inward words abiding in them then either commendation of their great fruitless pains that way or commendation of the Scripture to them to search or commandment of them who were too mad already for the Scripture as their grand Idol receiving it as thou faist p. 236. with the honour and veneration due to God and his living word alone to search therein Yea verily both that verse and those about it do all consist of matter of sad complaint against them for their ever-reverencing the Scripture and negecting to receive or rather refusing and rejecting the Word of Life it self to any single eye ye have saith Christ to them of the Father neither hear his voice at any time nor seen his shepe Joh. 47. and 38. Ye have not his word abiding in you vers 39. Ye search the Scriptures ye look there often for in them ye think but mistake your selves to have eternal life and true enough they are they which testifie of me as the way to life and yet ye will not come to me that ye might have the life On this wise doth Christ rather expostulate with them for their ignorance and negligence of the Word then either command or commend any searchings of the Scriptures And as to the second Classis of Texts cited by the J.O. in proof of the Scriptures being the only standing Rule in which Texts all additions whatsoever to the written Word of God are expresly rejected I answer what though God doth reprove condemn threaten to plague and curse such as adde to his Word bring any other Gospel then what Paul preached make void his Commands by their Traditions enjoyn men to seek not to such as peep and mutter but to the Lord himself Paul would not have the Corinthians think of him and Apollo above what he writes of himself and him as men only by whom as means they beleeved which is the summe of the seven Scriptures by thee produced to that purpose what proof at all is there in all this such a way it is true enough there must be no adding to the Word Gospel Commandement Testimony of God or alterings or varyings or detractings therefrom in a tittle but is any of this intended of the outward Writing Letter or Scripture which are not that Word Gospel Commandement but only declare this and other things concerning it Is the Scripture that only set firm fixt standing Rule that may neither be augmented nor diminished on pain of Plagues and cursing as ye say it is then tell me 1. How much Scripture or Writing hath been added to the five Books of Moses since Deut. 4.2.12.32 was written wherein it is said Ye shall not adde to the word I command you neither shall you diminish from it and since that of Prov. 30.6 was written where it is said Adde thou not unto his Word lest he reprove thee and thou be found a liar And since Isa. 8.20 where it is said To the Law and Testimony And since that Gal. 1.8 where it is said Let him be accursed that brings other then we have preacht though we or an Angel from heaven 2. Whether were the Prophets and Apostles that have added so many books since those prohibitions justly reproveable and accursed as Lyars 3. If ye say nay they were not lyars nor to be reproved nor accursed then tell me as to the measure and bounds and close of your Canon which ye suppose to be the Revelation why he that by the same Spirit moving shall in writing reveal the same truths now is accursed reproved plagued for adding to the Word and Gospel upon the account of Johns saying Rev. 22.18 If any man shall adde unto these things God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this booke any more then Iohn himself who added his Scripture and Revelation after Pauls Epistle to the Galathians or Paul who added his Scriptures after Isaiahs or Isaiah and the other Prophets who added theirs after Solomon or Solomon that added his Writings after â—â—sâ—s hiâ— inhibition in Deuteronomy 2. Beleeve it that the Scripture is not that thing nor standing Rule to which no more must be added and from which no new Scripture may be diminished on pain of cursing and plagues but the Word Doctrine Gospel Commandement Law Truth told in it to which cursed be he that addes another or any new Word Gospel Doctrines c. or detracts a Tittle from that And so John sayes If any adde to these things and take away from the words of this Book God shall adde plagues and take away his part out of the book of life and from
prove that general ignorant audacious Assertion of thine Doth any one of them respectively prove the particulars thereof that it is particularly alleadged to Doth Gal. 1.8 because it is said If we or any man or Angel from heaven bring any other Gospel then what we have preached to you twice over let him be accursed prove him cursed that writes more Scriptures of the same Gospel by the same Spirit if so was not Iohn hereupon accursed that wrote more Scriptures of it after Paul was dead by a new Revelation not the same and was not Paul if he wrote any Epistle after to Galatia cursed out of his own mouth by saying though wee bring any other Gospel let us be accursed if that were his meaning ' that no more Scripture must be written is every new Revelation and new writing by way of Revelation of the old Gospel a new Gospel or doth Rev. 22.18 prove there must be no more Scripture nor Revelation within nor new outward Scripture and Revelation of the Gospel by motion from the Spirit after by Iohn because he saith If any shall adde to the words of this Booke God will adde the plagues of it to him Said he therein any more then what was said long before Deut. 4.2.12 ulz. Prov. 30.6 Adde thou not to his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a liar were all those adders to Gods Word or words and reprobate and liars as they must be if the Scriptures bee Gods Word and the adding of more Scripture be additament to his Word that added all that Scripture which was written after Deuteronomy and the Proverbs and if the Scripture were the Word of God is not taking away his name out of the Book of Life threatned to him that takes away from the words of that Book as well as plagues to him that addes and so ye in that ye discanonize most of what was writ there by the Prophets are discarded from the comforts of the Scripture by the places of you own quotation Doth Col. 2.18 twice over cited and allowed two votes in this Section vote either of those particulars it is cited for Doth the Spirit there condemn Angelorum alloquia alias called by thee Colloquia Angelica s. 28. all conference with Angels or only that worshipping of Angels forbid more expresly as I hinted to thee before in Rev. 19.10.22.9 where I also told thee of the lawfulness of talking with Angels or receiving of Revelation of the truth from Angels unless thou wilt Tax such as received the Law which was given by the disposition of Angels and Daniel and Mary and Zachary Cornelius and Paul and Iohn that wrote the Revelation and Christ himself who all were spoke to and ministred to by Angels were these all guilty of sin and condemnation Look again I.O. on the words in English which thou Greekest out perhaps to the further hoodwinking of Idiots that ken not Greek lest they should finde out thy folly who settest it for a Cypher if rendred in plain Latine which to give thee the reading as they stand in your Translations run thus Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility or worshipping of Angels Is the talking of Angels to men here deeply damned by the Spirit of God as thou dreamest And 2. what 's that Text to prove there must be on pain of cursing no additament of more Scripture or Writing to that Scripture that is in your Bibles with pretence of immediate Revelation of the same Doctrine Truth or Gospel there taught from the same inward Light and holy Spirit which is the second purpose for which it s cited a second time And again as to Heb. 1.2.4 cited Heb. 1.1 3. for thus thou citest that twice to the 2. same purposes with Col. 2. what hath that in it to the evincing the Spirits damning of either all talk with Angels or addition of more Scripture thereof from the Revelation motion or inspiration of the same holy Spirit to that Scripture of the Truth that is now truss'd up as the close of the whole Councel of God that ever must be declared in writing or counted upon as part of your Canon according to the Clergies Councel who first caused that consignation of it by Book-binders within the bounds of your Bibles thus run the words God who at sundry times and in diverse maners spake in times past the Fathers to the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken to us in his Son who is better then the Angels c. Must not his eyes be out that sees any such things hinted at here as those above the proof of which I.O. intends by this quotation Because Angels are here named inferiour unto Christ therefore Anathematized is he that hears or heeds any thing that shall be spoken to him by an Angel though he reveal the same Truth and not another seeing that truth is already written in the Scripture yea cursed be hee from henceforth even for ever there 's one of I.Os. Concâ—usions who consequently concludes Iohn accursed that wrote the Revelation from thenceforth even after this of Paul to the Colossians and the Hebrews were written from whence forward I.O. drives his execration downward to this day sith the said Iohn had his Revelation immediately from an Angel by whom Christ who had it from the Father sent and signified it to his servant Iohn Rev. â— 1 And because Christ is better then the Angels and God in these last dayes speaks in and by him his only begotten Son the light of the world the great Shepherd and Over-seer of the soul whose own voice his Sheep hear warning all to hear him to hear his voice in all things what ever he sayes on pain of being cut off from among his people therefore the Scripture must have no more writing though of the same truth that is there added to it on pain of damnation for ever there 's the t'other of I.Os. Conclusions from Heb. 1. from which Conclusion I can much more clearly conclude that a cloud of darkness is drawn over I.Os. understanding and that a beam is in his eye then draw such an untruth as that no more Scripture since Iohns time was to be written by the holy Spirits moving and added to that from that Text which tells the truth if I.O. would once heed it viz. that the hour now is wherein God speaks to the Sons of men in and by his own Son whom he hath given to be a Light and Leader to all people wherein the dead must hear his voice before ever they live to God who since God speaks by him and hee by his own light Spirit Voice in I.Os. conscience why doth not I.O. heed him then but scoffe at him in his inward Light and Spirit the Qua. call to as at Christum quendam Imaginarium infallibilem Doctorem nescio quod lumen scu verbum internum nescio quem Deum seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deoforsan quopiam
wherein he requires it to be done by them as being never possible to be done in that to come if neglected here Yea then the Doctrine of full freedome from sin here is contrary to the Tenour of the Scripture quoth T. D. yea in short no better nor worse then a very doctrine of Devils quoth T. D. and T. Rumsey both in their Book which is so largely answered already in mine above said So then we have the Ministers mind in this poynt tripliciter or rather quadrupliciter at least about the time of the Saints perfect purgation from all sin First It is somewhere that they all confesse at first Secondly 'T is not here in this World cry they that comes too near the Copyhold of the Qua and we would not be ensnared with their beguiling Doctrine Thirdly 'T is not in that to come cry they this puts us poynt blank into the Purgatory of the Pope We must beware of that lest fleeing too farre from the Qua snare we fall into the Papists pit Fourthly 't is not in any World between this and that to come for there 's no such middle World that we know of therefore Fifthly to goe quite round to where we were before we began for Incidit in Seyllam qui vult vitare Charybdim It 's somewhere as we said at first but we know not where which to go round again is as much as to say for ought we know just no-where at all Howbeit some are not so well aware yet of the Traps they talk themselves into thereby but that they will be taking on them precisely to determine where it is when we closely urge them but their Testimony hangs as handsomely and is as well tangled together as the links of a pair of Pothangers where of every one draws a different way from another for some if askt when the full purging is it is say they while the soul is passing between here and heaven after its departed from the body This as A. P. informes me was T. Ds. answer to L.H. when askt at Sandwich in an assembly of many the precise time and period of the perfect purging so making a purgatory after death notwithstanding which it seems is in the aire and therein only different from the Popes which is seigned to be under the earth Others that I have put the Question to say t is a little before the soul departs out of the body to whom when I have redoubled my Query thus if a little before the soul depart why not a little sooner sith before is but before let it be a longer or a lesser while and if a minute why not an how if an hour why not a day and so caeteris paribus the same means attended to why not a month a year and years many as well as few I have received no answer and good reason why because there 's none to give and so we take it for granted from them that it 's before death however as we say if at all though these contradict T.D. who sayes with the Pope it 's after death Others not knowing which to say seeing according to our Argument which is thus viz. perfect purging if at all must be in this World as the Qua say or in that to come as the Pope says who seigns a Purgatory there for the remnant of sins that remain unpurged away here or else in another World betwixt this and that to come which Chimara who ere heard of being now somewhat wary left if they say before the soul go out which is in this World they yield to the Qua and if after it 's gone out which is the World to come they appeare too near a kin to the Pope in his poynt of Purgatory affirme it to be in the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or moment or instant of the souls departure which is not in tempore it seems not in any time at all but in instanti and so sith Instans non est Tempus but as it were punctum temporis the instant being but a poynt of time and not properly Time it self it seems that Accidit in puncto quod non speratur in aevo That happens in a poynt of time which could never be so much as hoped to he attained in all the life time before Thus the Divines dance between this world and that to come not knowing yet where Purgatory is nor daring to say distinctly one thing nor other whether here or hereafter in this World or that hovering like Caesar at Rubicon with one foot over the dore sell t' other on this side one in t'other out one in that World t'other in this World saying with him yet I may go on and when afraid yet I may go back So 't is Somtimes one way then another Somtimes both wayes the and t'other Somtimes one o' th' two take either Somtimes 'twixt both worlds in neither Some say 't' si'th ' aire some say 't's i' th' earth Of knowledge where 't is there 's a dearth Some say 't's here there some some O Riddle Nor here nor there but just i' th' middle Contradictions and various self-confutations absurdities riddles and rounds about their Rule of Scriptures V. As to their Doctrine about the Scripture or Letters and not the spirit and lights being the Word of God the fixt firme foundation stable standard truest touchstone or tryall of all truth only sure inalterable invariable infallible Rule of holy life They tell us one while not the light within but the Hebrew and Greek Texts and Transcripts only and those at least though no Translations but as agreeing therewith are all those things abovesaid that one only Lydius lapis unchangeable measure for all doctrines spirits faiths truths and things of God and sayings to be measured by yea both it self and its own sayings also the Word of God properly the foundation rule inalterable and unaltered in so much as points tittles iota's or losse of one letter or syllable and what not Quarrelling with the Qua as siders with Papists in denying it only to be all this and for calling it a nose of wax that is flexible and may be twined and wrested by mistakes and mistranscriptions as themselves confesse it may by many mistranslations and for calling it as I.O. himself calls that most ancient Translation of it the Septuagint therefore see what an infallible rule and Word of God poor people have that know not Heb. and Greek a Lesbian Rule c. Witnesse I. O. whose businesse in all his Book above mentioned is to prosecute the proof of the Scripture in those and the like particulars and T. D. in his Books where he disputes the Scripture to be the Word of God and only Rule of faith and life and that there 's no other standing Rule but the Scriptures p. 25 26. 1 Pam. p. 16.2 Pam. Otherwhiles yea no further off then in the self same Books wherein they prosecute the proof thereof yea and T.D. no further
for thy Credits sake concerning our mouths being stopt our being silenced our having nothing to say our sitting down as astonish'd and p. 8. 13. 18. as if it had been with T.D. as 't was with Christ when the Scribes were silenced by him So that from that time forward none durst ask him any more Questions being so astonisht at his Vnderstanding and Answers Matth. 22.46 Whereas I who was as likely to have seen it as T.D. discern'd no such thing among any of us as being silenced and having our mouths stopt from having any thing to say save only that we were often silenced and stopt from uttering that we ever had to say by the wicked ragings of thy turbulent spirited people who were ever foaming out their own shame and casting up mire and dirt in a restle's manner till we were silent when uttering any thing whereby they perceived thee likely to be hampered Nor know I any of us that were astonished at any thing that was seen in T.Ds. Disputes more then ordinary save the bruitish stupidity of some of his Dâ—ctrinal Assertionâ— which though he sayes he blushes not at himself in his Epistle to the second Pamphlet but is so far from being asham'd of that as he two or three times own'd them audaciously before so he there professes if all the World could hear his voice he would confess as his Faith to this day Yet I know some asham'd and astonisht at his un-Saint-like sottishness therein more especially those two or three which I shall name only here being elâ—ewhere to examine them viz. his holding it with T.R. that 't is a Doctrine of Devils to preach a possibility of mens freedome from sin in this life p. 47. 2 His saying that David when he was guilty of Adultery and Murder was not in a condemned state but in a justified estate 3 That Pauls own righteousness and so all the Saints righteousnesses inherent are Christs and no other then what they receive from him and he works in them and serve though not for Iustification and right to the Inheritance yet for Sanctification and to make meet for possession of it and yet are no other then dung and filthy rags p. 15.22 As for any Astonishment unless it were at the grossness of these other of thy absurd Doctrines and thy own impudent persistance in them I know none in any of us But 't is like T.D. thou wast concern'd on the account of thy prayer thus to relate our mouths to be stopped Thou tellst the world p. 1. That after a brief Account of the occasion of the Dispute and after a short prayer thou mad'st for a blessing on the Meeting which as short as it was will be long enough ere it be heard considering first that God hears not sinners and secondly that the things askt were not according to the Will of God for as one of the two grand Petitions of it was That we poor wretches might be made to acknowledge the Light in us to be darkness which we never have done nor shall do I trust any more then its utterly unfit we should for we know its the Eternal Light of the Lord Iesus Christ and the only true Light that leads to Eternal Life so the other was that our mouths might be so stopt that we might not say any thing Which two Petitions as we did not joyn with thee in thy putting up so since thou sawst thou purst up in vain there being no answer to them from God 't was as vain for thee in the Account of thy Prayer to set them down whereupon or else upon some other occasion thou forbearst it which that it might not seem altogether unanswered as I hear say it was we have now and then such a showre as this sprinkled up and down here and there in thy Account of the Dispute that we were silent had nothing to say sate down astonisht and had our mouths stopt And as I said above if there were all we said that thou sent down though as it stands in that cursory way thou renderst it in it stands strong enough against thy pitteous Pot-gun Pellets and poor Replyes it might also seem true that as thou prayedst and mad'st intercession against us so it fell out indeed viz. that we were sometimes silent having well nigh nothing to say for of about twenty houres conference that was held between us three and T.D. in those three daies nine or ten whereof may well be supposed to be ours thou 〈◊〉 down to us as much as may be spoken over in about half one half hour or in half a quarter and yet entitlest this thy diminutive doings A true Account of those Discourses A true Relation of what passed and yet in all this thou art so far from blushing or being asham'd that though G.W. truly and justly charg'd it on thee in his book how thou wrongedst us by laying down things in our names which we never spake and diminishing from our words and making false â—oâ—structions In the Epistle of this Second part to the same tune thou impudently declarest that howbeit thou art come upon the Stage once more not without a blush yet 't is not as one ashamed of thy Doctrines nor yet as one conscious to thy self of wronging the Qua. in thy Relation of the Disputes between thee and them either by laying down things in their Names they never spâ—ke â—r diminishing from their words or making false constructions of them which is enough well nigh to make a modest man blush to hear thee say in Answer to G.Ws. Charge and yet not blush at it since its most notoriously evident to all that will see when they may thou hast both added to and altered by false construction and diminisht from our words to the absolute abusing of us to the World 1 Altered thou hast and faultred fonly in that very thing wherein G.W. instances as concerning Justification by the Righteousness of Christ and his Spirits working in us which the Spirit calls Ours which thou constâ—uest and so represent'st it to the world as if I had said we are justified by such Works of Ours as are filthy rags as we confess all Our Righteousnesses wrought one of Christ are but not any of those of the Church which Christ works in them as he did in Paul after his Conversion which thou mayst blush at thy blasphemy in calling filthy rags as if Christ vvrought a righteousness in his people which is no better then an unclean thing â—ung and filthy rags of vvhich more anon Whereas I said only by those good vvorks vvhich are vvrought by him in us and vve vvork in his Povver and Spirit Did I say T.D. vve stand just before God by any unclean thing by dung and filthy rags 〈…〉 indeed the Righteousness of Christ vvhich is imparted to the Saints and Inherent in them by vvhich they stand pure in Gods sight truly and not suppositively only dung an unclean thing and
our friends who by a meer mistake charged one of your Ministers Peter Domsell who was cleare instead of another who was guilty of it as slandering me falsely with taking pay from the Pope Rep. Which mistake of one man for another though confessed freely and publickly by our friend which is more then for your many flat lyes against us we can expect ever to extract from you and thereupon with much ado professed by you all fit to be never more mentioned to him yet is not only reckon'd up by thee in print p. 56.57 to the shaming of him if thou could'st but also to thy own shame of a single slip â—gregiously multiylyed by thy lies about it into severall unsingle â—ordid shifts and double dealings which thou falsly fatherest and fainedly fast'nest on him and me too T.D. First thou say'st he pretended to say that he said from the Lord as one immediately sent of him so to speak and yet was mistaken as to the right man whereupon thou concludest the Qua. as far from infallability in Doctrine as in matter of fact Rep. Which is but a silly conclusion of thine if it had so been and contrary to thy own principles for if Christ knew not Iudas to be a Devil and so choâ—e him for his Minister upon that mistake as thou little less then Blaâ—phemously intimatest p. 36. for in truth Iudas was no Devil when Christ chose him and yet Christ was infallible in Doctrine though Secundum te who ignorantly so fanciest ignorant in that fact why may not a mistake in a matter of fact stand now with infallibility in Doctrine T.D. Thou sayst I holp him with a lyâ— saying he said not from the Lord but in the feare of the Lord so that the people then Houted at me Rep. For all the then 〈◊〉 and the still stout standing of thy Rout of rude ones to the contrary I still say the same viz that he â—aid not in thy pretended phrases of from the Lord or as immâ—dâ—ately sent of him but in the feare of the Lord which may be consistent with the mistake of one Person for another or else tell me T.D. for ad hominem I now urge how Isaac mistook Iacob for Esau and Paul wot not that was the High Priest when he term'd him a whited Wall Yet what a stirr what a ditty what a deale of Do mak'st thou in aggravating that diminitive business till by the rash Rendition of it thou Render thy self as Ridiculous as P. Dâ—msell himself whom it most concern'd then did who like one that to kill a Gnat which makes his Nose Itch strikes so hard as to make it bleed was so over obstreperous and frivolously fervent in his own defence from the offence of that Fly and more would have been if for shamâ— ye had not stopt him that he offended himself more otherwise by stirring up thy light-spirited people to Laugh more at that folly which then fell from himself then to Lament the innocent injury which befell him as from us T.D. Thou sayst that the Reader may see how great a stress we lay upon small matters thou wilt tell him a true story which perhaps may move his Laughter that a Kinsman of D G. offering to salute her she went two or three steps back with these words I have renounced the Devill and the flesh long since prethee forbear that custome of the world and that these things thou thought'st good to add at the desire of some worthy persons that the world may take notice not only of the wickedness but of the absuâ—dity of these peoples the Qua. principles Rep. This last part of thy first Narrative is not a more true then strange story as Ridiculously Related as it is a Ridiculous Relation What if thy Kinswoman D. G. refused thy offer to salute her at thy houâ—e because she could not conscientiously close with thee in the Carnall course of that Customary Complement which in the world it self weares out now too and begins to Savour â—o far is it from the Christian plus Coloni quam Aulici more of the Clown then of the Courtier must thou needs be so obstreperous in Print against her for it Thou dost it to shew how great a stress we lay on small matters but thou shew'st indeed how great a stress thou lay'st upon the small matters and how bad a Construction thou puttest upon the good intentions of thy own Kinsfolks when they are as thou Ironically Term'st it p. 56. of that perswasion of Quakerisme Thou dost it to move thy Reader to Laughter at her and our Wickedness and Absurdity but if he be one whose heart is not among the Wise in the House of Mourning but among the Fools in the House of Mirth he will with Laughter thereat take much more notice of thy own Thou thoughtest good though thy thoughts in it were not good at the desire of some worthy friends to do it A worthy peice of business indeed like thy self and thoâ—e worthy persons who desired thee so to do to add at the end of thy Renowned Narrative of Remarkables as it were to Pin the Basket to bring up the Reare and as some weighty substantiall matter to adde weight to the rest of that Windy Frothy Husky Chaffy stuff and matter of Story with which thy Book is abundantly Stored Had'st thou been wise thou might'st have learnt of thy Kinswoman to do the same that was undertaken for thee long since viz. to forsake the Devill and all his Works the Vain Pomp and Glories of the world so as no more to follow nor be led by them but now in this thy Printed Publication and so Iack-Pudding-like a Passage at the very Tayl of all thy merry matters and lying Tales of the Qua. to move thy lewd more Risible then Râ—asonable Animals to Laughter at them thou hast rather vented thy own vanity to the advantage of the truth thou treatest against then disparag'd it having acted herein much below that Gentility Civility Courtesie Common humanity and ingenuity that becomes one that calls himself a Kinsman and would be counted more then a common Christian by not so much finding a great fault where there is none at all as a wrong rendring of that to the Reader as some gross vâ—ll in D. G. which he to whom Christs Cross is not yet a Riddle will Read to be as great a good as thou mak'st a gross evill of it Of so slender Credit is Truth among its foes that if the least fault be among its freinds it shall be sooner found then find forgiveness on Confession if it be but a weakness or mistake of one man for another by night it s magnified into some impardonable wickedness or mighty mischief if it be but a Mole hill that every wise man would step over and none but blind Guides and their Giddy guided ones who strein at the Saints Gnats and swallow their own Camells can well stumble at it s made a Mountain which
they cant see over if but a Mot it s sooner seen in a Brothers ey then a Beame by them in their own if it be but some pittifull passage not fit to be Printed a Narrative must be made of it as of some Remarkable Passage that can't be omitted if but as Ridiculous a thing to Relate as Serious in it self it must be related to move Fools to Laugh at it but Wise men will Laugh most at its Relator T.D. As to thy Conclusion of thy second Narrative which is a desire of thy Reader to peruse the Qua. Answer to the Questions thereto annexed which were proposed to and Answered by Ioseph Fuce whereto thou settest both his name and answers to them Rep. I say thus much to thee that howbeit thou hast set down so much of I. Fs. return as neither thy silly self nor Io. Corbet the Priest who put forth the Queries and was accordingly answered above two years ago by Io. F. will ever be able to render any Reasonable Reply to for if ye could have refuted them the Press was as open for your Reply to them as your bare Narration of them and so much as will stand over your heads for ever as a Testimony of the Duncicall Darkness and Groaâ—able Blindness of you both in the Misteries of the Gospell of which for silthy lucres sake ye do but fancy your selves to be the Ministers yet either one or both of you two V pers have done the best or rather the worst ye could to abuse both Io. F. and the Qua. and the truth by that Cut-short Counterfeit Account thou T.D. givest the world of those Queries and Answers that passed between Priest Corbet and Ioseph Fuce For there were 17 Queries put by thy Couzen Corbet every one of which were at large and as to any likelihood of their being answered by you unanswerably Replyed to by Io. F. of which 17 thou bring'st out but eight 2. As thou bringest out not one half of Corbets Queries so I judge I may safely say not so much as the 20th part of I.F. his Answers but only here and there some such broken bits and pieces of them as ye thought would represent them as weak and naked to mens aspect though indeed as piece-meal as ye have rendred them they may well be left to stand against all your Priestly Prate and pedling pelting at them Why did ye not seeing ye had a Quarrell at them publish every inch of all I. F. his Answers to the 8 Queries ye have set down yea why not all the 17 Queries and the whole of his returns to each of them together with your own Replyes to those his Returns that men might be undeceived by you that call your selves their Ministers and take on you to be their Masters so as to teach them truth since ye deem them to be deceived by I.F. his Doctrines and then ye had saved your selves from the guilt and censure of that guile and deceit that now ye are found in while ye are found shuffling and cutting picking and culling out here and there a â—aying leaving out such adjoyning sentences yea somtimes that half of the same sentence which being set down would have shew'd his true sence of the whole which ye scrue and wrest as far as ye can tell how into another then that intended by him Expertus loquor I speak what I know having whether I shall Print it or no I yet know not the whole entire Copy by me of those Queries and Answers amounting in all to two sheets thy Cutted Account whereof comes not neer to the 8th part of one Surely either one or both of you two Brethren in iniquity T.D. I. Corb saw ye could not Reply to them and so had made a swinging Rod for your Tayls and slasht your selves as foundly therewith also had ye put forth the whole truth which ye have not told the Tithe of whereupon ye have thrust out only some meer fragments of it with as much manglement of them too as ye well durst make and with no other then this dribling answer of thine T.D. p. 6 of thy second Narrative viz Surely by these Principles in Conjunction with the rest in the Book to which this Narrative is annexed though the said Principles remain as unrefuted as impossible to be refuted by T.D. the Qua. have for ever forfeited the name of Christians and are to be reputed Heathens T.D. Thou tel'st and that twice over viz. in thy Narrative and in thy Witness W. W's reinforcing Reply to L. H. a Tale of L. H s saying The Priests shall be destroyed by the people called Qua. Rep. But L. H. hath already so sufficiently disproved that in his Reply to thy 〈◊〉 styled the Devils how unstringed by three persons who as I laid above testifie his words to have been otherwise and so prov'd thy Witness Will Winâ—field Minister of Word to be no Minister of the Word of truth nor such a Godly Minister as thou printest him out for who can joyn so cordially with thee in printing lyes that I need say nothing yet that the Preists shall be destroyed by the Qua. though L. H's words were not so is true enough I here affirm it yet not by outward Gan Sword or carnal Weapon but by the Sword of the Spirit or Word of God in their mouths Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord Zach. 3. T. D. Thou sayst in the second page of E. B's Book or word of Advice to the Souldiers he bids them give the Ministers or Priests blood to drink for they are worthy Rep. True enough that the Priests will have as much blood as they are worthy of from the Lord though the Qua. desire the salvation of their souls and bodies too if yet it may be and the destruction of nothing but that sin blindness and darkness which destroyeth them in both Howbeit in the second page of E Bill's book unless there be another of his or of E. Bur's so stiled I find no such words as thou artes est to be there on thy own personal knowledge and so all thy proofs of thy Grand Lye for ought I see fail thee and Lie in the Lake together with it Many more absurd and foolish frivolous tales thou tellest that â— omit but two more of thy lying accusations of the Qua. more Remarkable then all the rest of those Remarkable passages of thy two for nothing more then the many lies thereof most Renowned Narratives remain yet to be Remarked that all may see how thou and thy heard of hearers and drove of ear-wigs have not so much me al honesty as to speak truth in matters of fact which is the very fault thou chargest us with and the worse in thee sith Turpe est Doctori cum culpa red arguit ipsum And then I shall be at liberty to take a view of the many Lyes of thy Doctrine Thoâ—e two one whereof is prosecuted in thy last
infallible holy chair 8 Our Doctrine of the fallibility of the bare naâ—ed letter of the Scripture and of its lyablenesse to corruption and its being corrupted and falsified by mistranscriptions so as to have various Lections in the most Originall Copyes of it that are extant in Greeke Hebrew at this day which remains to be in its proper place proved against I. O. who pleads that kind of purity of it to every tittle and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad nauseam usâ—uâ— is no fair In-let to the Popâ—sh Bag Baggage though I find I. O. So supposing giving us out his sole suppositions and thoughts that 't is but a supposition that it is corrupted and such a one as by which Pâ—peâ—y is supported speaking in at least three places of his English peice to this same purpose viz. p. 147. What use haâ—h been made and is as yet in the World â—f this supposition that corruptions have befallen the Oâ—iginals of the Scripture which those various Lection meaning those that the Prâ—lâ—gamâ—na to the Biblia polyglotta do declare at fiâ—st view seem to intimate I need not dâ—clare It is in briefe thâ— foundation of Mâ—humetisme thâ— chiâ—fâ—â—t and principall prop of Popery the onely pretence of Fanaticall Antiâ—cripturists and the Root of much hâ—dden Atheisme in the World also p. 196. Now if this couâ—se be taken and every Sâ—igmaâ—ized câ—ppy may be seaâ—ched for differences and these presently Pinted for various Lections there is no doubt but we may have enough of them to fâ—ighten poor unstable souls into the Aâ—mes of the pretended inâ—allible Judge also to say nothing here of the hideous affrightments dangers fears of I. O. Who is oft moâ—e afraid then hurt and other of the dreadfull and desperate consequences of this Imaginationâ— as he calls it though a reall truth that corruptions and various Lections are crept into his Originall Text of the Scripture and that Protestants begin now to sent it as well as Papists and to be infected with the Leprosy of that Opinion which he trembles think of as an iâ—convenience which he knows no whither it will grow and fears whether many will not be ready to question the foundati of the letter as dubious and uncertain and not fit to be the Rule as sure enough they will when they begin to see what some have felt and cry out with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeing that their supposed firm foundation to be fallible and falsified as it is having no more yet to releive himselfe against this uncertainty of his standing then that miâ—erable comfort viz. that the generality of leaâ—ned men among Protestants are not yet but how soon they may be he is not aware iâ—fected with this leven which hurries and pittifull Puthers and dreadfull deale ado that the Doctâ— makes in his Dâ—eam about this up and down in the 13.14.15.20.25 and other pages of his preface and throw out the 4th little Chapter of his 2d Treatise which is so falsly figured that the pages cannot easily be coted are enough to make some wise men smile that never meant it I say to let passe all that at present among other mischiefs that he conceives will accrue if men conceive the Scripture to have had by mis-transcriptions the fate of other books and that in their Originall Copyes this must needs be one that they have no where else to betake themselves for a Rule but to run back to Rome witnesse his last words of that forecited Chap. which are these viz. and if this change of judgement which hath been long insinuating it selfe by the curiosity and boldnesse of Criticks should break in also upon the Protestant world and be avowed in publike works it is easie to conjecture what the end will be We went from Rome under the conduct of the Purity of the Originalls I wish none have a mind to return thither under the pretence of their corruption But stay a while I. O. is there for such as are lost no way out of the Wood but that one of thy own fancying or else that other of the Papists which is worse then none Is there nought for men to doe but either they must stare with thee or else for fear of they know not what run stark mad with them either fall in with thy meer figments about the Scripture or else if they find it not as infallible in every Apex of it as thou foolishly fainest be frightend strait into the more fallible fantasmes of that fantasticall holy Father Sure if that judgement that the same fate as to the creeping of corrupttions into it hath befallen that writing as hath done other Scripture be a Prâ—p to Popeâ—y where Popery at preâ—ent stands yet thou wilt find some who are of the Papists mind about the Scripture as far as to the variety of Lections which are found in the very Originaâ—l Text thereof who yet have betaken themselves to and doe stand on such a sure foundation as will sâ—and when Popery and Common Pâ—otestanism too shall faile for ever with whom neither one nor th' other of these whâ— are i th' same nature still though fighting for their different outwardâ—faulty foundations and foolish formes so standing can have any fellowship who instead of returning to Râ—me under a pretence of Corruption in your Originalls under the conduct of your conceited purity of which ye came from thence are running further and faster then ever from Rome and you too that live within her lines of Communication still and feed upon the Taile of her traditions more then on the true word of God for all your wording it so much against them and for the word under the infallible conduct of the pure Originall it self even the pure light living Word and Spirit of God by which Abell Enoch Noah walked with God of oâ—d before your but pretended Rule was written in respect of which the eldest of your Originalls are but upstarts and from which the best of your Originalls had their being Nevertheless who hath believed our report to whom is this Arme of the Lord Revealed c. O nugas hâ—minvm O quantum est in Râ—bus inane quis legit haec vel duo vel neimo I. O. cannot see this and few or none of our skilful Scribs and Scripturists can read this though the Scripture sends them from it self to that it came from nor yet how by raking so unreasonably to make men believe that of the Scripture which 't is unposible for any that can truly read them to believe of them or find from themselves himself frightens honest souls from any further giving of much heed to his own judgement when by a serious search they shall find the falshood of it in so plain and palpable a case as that is he so miserably miscarries in but whether they will give most heed to Christ himâ—elf or no and to his Light in the Conscience and word in the heart or to the bare Letter of
applicable to the very best But whether thou intend one or two only or all these Three throughout thy Book when thou contendest for the Scriptures to be now entire to a tittle as at first giving forth to be the Light Word Power of God and such like is not easie to learn If ever we hear of thee again about the Scriptures I desire thee to speak home as to these particulars and to write thy mind more fully and plainly and singly out as in all places of thy Book thou hast not done but as one that hates the Light and is not willing to come to close pinchest in thy mind and winkest and twinklest and triflest and keepest back as if thou wert afraid as no doubt thou art though he that doth truth is not Ioh. 3.20 21. to look the Light too fully in the face or Ex. 4 S. 14. Subtilius Disputare to dive too deep in thy Dispuration about the Light or as the Elephant to drink more then needs must in fair water for fear of seeing a foul face but veritas non quaerit Aâ—gulos For my part I shall deal ingnuously with thee in this There are some things thou affirmest of the Scriptures which I can grant to be true of some one of these Three viz. of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that are not true of either the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Translations And there be some things to be said truly of these two that are not true of the first and some things of the second that are not true of the first nor of the third and somewhat of the third that 's not true of either of the other But when thou scarest so high as to affirm the Scriptures as thou dost in general to be the same in every tittle syllable and iota as at first to be the Word of God the Living Word the Spiritual Light the Power of God and much more as will appear when I come to Reckâ—n up and rank the things thou Praedicatest of the Scriptures in Order in order to my Answering of them I who shall ever put a difference between the Writing of the Word and the Word it self Written of do absolutely deny all these things of all the Three sorts above mentioned and if it stand so as that thou understandest all these Three as thou dost of one of them at least and that of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Transcriptions if but of one the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first Manuscripts being all lost and mouldred and Translations all corrupted by thy own confession when thou affirmest all these things of the Scripture then so let it stand for me till I have tryed the truth of thy Positions after which I hope all that stands not upon good ground will of it self to the ground come tumbling down And as by the Word Scripture I mean excepting where such things only are Praedicated as are peculiar only to either One or Two of them and not to all the Three no less then all these three sorts of Scripture in the main Controversie with thee so no more then these three sorts and these not one jot more not yet any farther then quâ tales 1 So far only as they are Scriptures properly truly and formally so called and considered or outward Writings Expressions or Declarations ad extra by Letters legible to our bodily eyes however extant upon what ever outward matter capable to receive their impression Tables of Stone Walls Skin Parchment Paper by the finger of God or hands of men whether Writing the issue of which is Propriissime stiled Scripture or Cutting Graving Stamping Printing in which way since that Art came up the Scriptures are now most extant the effect of which though most properly it be called Print or Scuâ—pture yet not to be too close and curious in Criticizing about Cockle-shells shall be allowed by me as to our purpose properly enough to passe under that name of Scripture I say then 't is the Letter and not the Matter the Writings and not the Subjects Things Truths Doctrins or Word written of that is the Subject to come under Consideration between us whatever those things are that are therein declared though 't is like we shall not passe them by neither without taking some useful notice of them yet that makes nothing to us in the State of our Question as it stands before us nor will all thy tumultuous hudling it over in haste hinder this nor thy shuffles about it shuffle it off it is the Declaration that thy Disputation with the Quakers is about considered as abstract from what is thereby declared for by the Scripture I intend not the Law it self written nor the Gospel nor the Light nor the Faith therein exhibited to us and held forth to be read of in the Writing for these are not the Scripture nor is the Scripture any of these but the Writing it self that holds these forth I call no other thing the Scripture then that which is truly the Scripture and that is no other thing then the Scripture it self I call the Scripture or the outward Declaration no other things and by no other Names then those it calls it self by or are truly answerable to its nature and that is no other then the Scripture a Declaration of those things that were believed and of the Word of the Faith that was preached a Letter a Writing Holy Scriptures Scriptures of Truth Books of Writing that consist Treat of and Declare in forms of plain true suitable and sound words various true things sound Doctrines by which many unsound Doctrines of Divels of false Prophets Priests Scribes and Pharisees of false Brethren ungodly Men that creep in and turn the Grace of God into lasciviousness of false Apostles that brought in Doctrines contrary to that at first delivered and served their own bellies and not Christ Taught for Doctrines Traditions of men of Iannes and Iambes that resisted the Truth of Baldam the Nicolaitans of Iezebel and Satan which are all written of and declared in the Scriptures of Truth as well as those of God Christ the Spirit the Light and Truth it self do stand not approved but reproved and condemned useful Histories of what was done and spoken in sundry times and ages past by God and Christ and the Divel himself and Men good and bad and by Balaam and his Asse also Pretious Prophesies of things viz. of good to the good of bad to the bad Comfortable Promises to the seed that is the Heir of them Terrible Threatnings to the seed of Evil doers and Woes to the Wicked Profitable Epistles to such as they were Wrote to Blessings Curses Prohibitions Commands Copies of Psalms and Songs that were sung Proverbs that were spoken Letters that were written from men to men some by good men at the motion of the Spirit of God some by Evil men out of malice against Gods Servants at the motion of the Devil Some not without
the Spirit by such as lived and walked in the Spirit and were in all they did led by the Spirit to some private Christians about some worldly Affairs as that of Paul to Philemon Some by Chief Captains to their Presidents and by Presidents to their Princes about Prisoners and Tumults and divers other sorts of passages So that as written in the Spirit the Holy Scriptures may be said to be Homogeneous Writings all of one kind but in respect of the several businesses written of therein they are at Heterogeneous I a body or bulk of as various Writings as any extant in the World-besides them Now by the Scriptures I mean these Writings that contain the matters abovesaid and many more and not the matters themselves therein contained And if thou mean by the Scriptures any other things then the Scriptures themselves as like a Reed shaken with the wind thou seemest sometimes to do and again sometimes not to do and which things the Scriptures are not or by any other things which are not the Scriptures when thou speakest of them viz. the Law Word of God the spiritual Light c. meanest the Scripture as sure enough thou dost well-nigh throughout thy confused discourses and disputations about it then thy meanings are too mean to be any otherwise at all then meanly accounted on among any that mean honestly and plainly and know the Truth as it is in Jesus By us when we talk of the Scriptures to use thy own words onely vice versa Ex. 1. Sect. 26. non sanctissima ista veritas seu materia Scripturarium sed scriptura formaliter considerata intenditur honestly and plainly we intend that onely which is so even the form of writing it self and not the matter or holy truths of the Scripture the Scripturam and not the Scriptum or at most the Litteram Scriptam not the rem scriptam not the Verbum Scriptum the Declaration and not the Doctrine declared the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the letter in the oldnesse of which thou art yet serving who knowest not the newness of the spirit the Scripture or Writings of the Prophecy and not the Prophesie of or contained in the writing nor the Prophetical VVord the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the writing for so the word is there translated truly 2 Chron. chapter 21. not the VVord Written or word of Prophesie that came to Elijah and was sent in a Writing to the King which thou falsly sayest p. 12. that Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for in that Text and every wise man that is truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially in a dispute where the Question is whether the writing of the Word of God be the Word of God Written of or no while sub judice lis est will till the thing in debate one way or other be clearly determined remember still to keep these two things as two asunder So thou dost thy self while thou art well in thy wits witness thy words above cited by myself Ex. 1. S. 28. where thou puttest a plain difference between the Scripture it self formally considered and the most Holy Truth or matter therein delivered yea when ever thou keepest in any measure of sober-mindednesse thou keep'st these two as distinct in thy discourse as the two sticks of Iudah and Ioseph Ezek. 37 19 17. that were superscribed with two several superscriptions vouchsafing to each its own proper name and not communicating the name of either unto the other but clearly dividing between them so as that any one may see thou thy self dost not believe one of them to be the other nor yet darest affirm them to be Synonymous witness p. 12 13. where thou makest them two and writest of one of them all along as in contradistinction to the other in these Terms viz. not the Doctrine in it but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it self The Providence of God no lesse concerned in the preservation of the writings then the Doctrine contained in them the Writing it self being the product of his Counsel for the preservation of his Doctrine Satan hath no lesse raged against the Book then against the Truth contained in it it was no lesse crime of old to be Traditor libri then to be Abnegator fidel which sour last Assertions of thine though they are all four false tales for Providence is not so much concerned to preserve the Writings as the Doctrine neither is the Writing so necessary for the preserving of the Doctrine that as thou there hintest it must it must needs perish if the Writings perish for it was before them and may be without them and will be after them Neither thirdly is the malice of Satan so much against the Book called the Bible as against the Doctrine of the truth for he is willing to let hypocrites alone long enough to carry gaudy Bibles under their arms so be they serve him and abide not in Christs Doctrine nor in the Truth the Scripture tells of neither 4ly is it or ever was it so great a Crime to betray the Book called the Bible as to deny the Faith and the Word of Faith therein written of for the Book is not worth a Pin as to salvation without the Faith but the Faith is sufficient thereto without the Book and was so before the Book was witnesse the Worthies from Abel to Moses whose sufficient faith is written of Heb. 11. and would be if the Pope and the Devils rage should reach so far as to burn all the Bibles in the World so here 's four utter untruths asserted together neverthelesse as they are Tru-lies yet are they true enough to serve the truth I here summon them in proof of viz. that thou thy self who countest it as bad not to be as trusty to the Bible as to the Truth that 's in it as it is to betray the Truth and deny the Faith dost deny the Book or Scripture the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Writing to be one and the same with the Faith Truth and Doctrine or the Doctrine to be the Writing or that these can truly be denominated each of other I say then that here being more sober minded as to thy discerning between the writing and the written verity though drunk enough elsewise to lay so many lyes or at least so many tales that are not true upon the top one of another in so small a space as one short Section thou art freely willing fairly to distinguish them into two Yea further yet that thou dost not judge these two to be one it may appear plainly to thy self or any that are free to peruse the places in the 16. and 17. Sections of the same first Chapter for if thou didst then in the enjoyment of the one thou wouldest be satisfied as
judging thy self consequently enjoying the other but that thou art not in any wise for howbeit by thy own confession there Sect. 16. Capellus grants thee that the full enjoyment of the saving Doctrine of the Scripture is yet to be had or obtained by such as look chiefly after that let the Letter be never so corrupted yet thou art at no hand content with this but piteously pinest after something else which is not this saving Doctrine of the Scripture nor the Doctrine in it but another thing from which this contained Doctrine is distinguished and that is the Scripture it self which thou judged thou hast not notwithstanding thou hast its Doctrine unless thou have the Letter or Writing also and that so exactly and entire without alteration and ablation that not a tittle of it nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be found lacking these are thy words Sect. 17. Nor is it enough to satisfie us that the Doctrines mentioned are preserved entire every tittle and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture in that Writing see Sect. 13 in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we have must come under our care and consideration and to say the truth as thou putest a difference between the Scriptures of Truth and the Truth written of in the Scriptures sometimes as I ever do so it is the Scriptures of the Truth more then the Truth it self of which they are the Scriptures that thou mostly scrawlest for in those thy Scriptures for them which yet as is said above are not more for in shews and words then in deed and in truth they are against them nor is it the most substantial parts of that bare Letter that thou wranglest for so much as for the more accidental parts thereof viz. the points trivial tittles and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So then it is concluded hitherto on both hands First by thy self as well as â—ly by me that the Scripture and its Doctrine are not one but two several businesses whereof the First viz. the Scriptures are the subject matter so contended about between thee and the Quakers As for T.D. he draws his neck out of the Coller here and after he had engaged me to discourse it publickly with him whether the Scripture were the Word of God or not and at the dispute desiring to know what I held about it when he heard how I on the Quakers behalf declared what we meant by the Scriptures viz. the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Writing the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. the Letter and that we onely deny that Denomination of the Word of God to that not to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Word or Doctrine or Truth of God written therein he gave us the Question without more ado saying thus You cannot believe us to be so simple surely as to affirm the Scriptures in that sense the Word of God but we mean the matter contained in the writing whether that be our Rule of Faith and Life P. 26. of his first Pamp. which subject matter or Doctrine and Truth contained in the Writing and testified to in it which was before ever the Writing was and is as to the substance of it eternally and unchangeably the same Christ the Word the Wisdom Righteousnesse of God the War Truth Life both yeaster-day to day and for ever we never denyed to be the Word and Rule and Foundation and what ever else I.O. and the whole School of our English Scribes do ignorantly and falsly say the Scripture is though we are mistaken by most as denying the holy Matter it Treats of so to be but the matter is not the Writing or the Scripture but that which is onely written oâ— in it but the outward written Letter or Scripture much more the Book in which the writing is which I.O. is so busy for and for every point written title and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this not onely we deny to be the Word of God but all our rash reproachers of us as denying the Scripture to be the Word when we come to their faces are fain to fall in and deny the same with us also so Christopher Fowler after a long hot Publick Dispute at Reading with E.B. and my self upon this question Whether the Scripture be the Word of God or no in which he contended a great while together it was at last confessed openly and plainly before all the People and Magistrates there present that the Scripture or Writing and I know not what else is properly and truly the Scripture but the Writing is not the Word of God after which concession of C.F. they would hear no longer dispute but the Quakers were driven out of doors But I.O. standeth stifly to it that the Word of God is the Proper Name of the Scripture and even of every tittle and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it against the Quakers for that the Truth and Doctrine of it or of Christ declared in it is Spiritual Powerful saving Perfect so that Cursed will he be that adds to or detracts from it no Quaker will deny and to fight for the perfection and integrity of that with them is but to fight without an Adversary Howbeit I.O. when thy Brains as it were begin to crow as they often do like a man in a maze thou fetchest another turn back again upon the wheel and as inconsiderately as contradictorily to thy self thou blendest and confoundest these two sundry things that were before so severed by thy very self into one again so that as the two sticks aforesaid became one in the Prophets hands so these two that were sometime put asunder and with thy own hand inscribed with different Titles are joyned Indentically Intituled denominated each of other as Synonymous of two that stood divided made one individual of two sticks become one under thy own hand which writes of the writing and the thing written as of one and in its handling of them handles and feels no such matter of distinction between the Scripturam and the Scriptum the Literam Scriptam and the rem or Doctrinam or veritatem Scriptam the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scriptiunculam Verbi de Verbo and the Verbum Scriptum the Letter or VVriting and the Doctrine or Truth written the Scripture of or concerning the Law Light Gospel and VVord of God and the Law Light Gospel and VVord of God it self of which the Scripture is but a true writing or Declration Yea whereas in that one single Section lastly cited Tr. 1. ch 1. S. 13. thou makes distinction in thy sound no lesse then four times between them first the VVritings and the Doctrine secondly the Writing and the Doctrine thirdly the Book and the Truth fourthly the Book and the Faith in the very Section immediately foregoing viz Sect. 12. which is as small as this thou all things well considered as they stand therein almost if not altogether as frequently dost confound them
and by your Words without Knowledge I say which of these Two the Quakers or your Schollers bring forth Fruits most meet for God and like those of the Spirit Peace Meeknesse Patience Temperance c. Gal. 5. Let them be the Good Trees and so known and owned to be by their Fiuits and let them be the true Flock of Christ and be by us as I am sure such are by himself accounted as his Sheepfold And which abounds most in those Fruits and Works of the Flesh there spoken of also viz. uncleannesse lasciviousnesse wrath hatred Drunkennesse Revellings and such like and which wallows most in that kind of mire let them be the Hogs and Swine and not Christs Flock and Fold but he held hence forward for a Hog-sty Now for my part if I were to judge by what Fruits have come forth in and from our Two Nurseries of Religion of latter years and as well in and from Oxford it self as Cambridge and how many of them in the time of I. O's Vice-Chancellourship there I. O. knows as well as I even such as are not sit to be named among Christians and what Fruits of Righteousnesse have been found among the Quakers both there and elsewhere who have suffered innocently and as to rendering evil for evil patiently under them and others I could quickly determine the matter but sith its like I.O. will hardly let me be Judge in my own Case lest I cleave too much to my own Cause and Company let such Books as are Extant of the Schollers Misdemeanours against the Quakers in their own Meetings who have been alwayes bound to their Good behaviour towards the other by that of God in their Consciences in the midst of all their abuses to the Quakers and then let all men Judge which Generation of men the Quakers or University Schollers and their Respective Assemblies do most exactly resemble the deportment of Swine in their Hog-styes Besides those sundry Relations that are Extant in Print of the Imprisonments Whippings and other Persecutions of the innocent Servants of the Lords sending among them to warn them of their Wickednesse at Cambridge there are Two at least viz. one stiled A true Testimony of the Zeal of the Oxford Professors and University-men put forth by R.H. And one much more lately under the Hands of 8 Witnesses stiled A true Relation of some of the Sufferings inflicted upon the Quakers as the Fruits of the Evil doers viz. the Proctors and Schollars at Oxford in which who reads may see the matters of Fact to which I Refer such as are minded to be Judges between me and I.O. an Oxford man in this Case who if they be not such as are loath to call their Brothers Theeves and their Sisters Swine will assuredly from those Arch-Abominable and Antick-Actions conclude from thence with me the Actors and Abbettors look much more then like the Sheep of Christ like Foxes and Bears and Wolves and Dogs and Wilde Boares and Swine However whether it shall stand with I.O. or nay it matters not I shall from thence infer my Conclusion That if Innocency Quietnesse Patience under Sufferings Temperance Godlinesse Reproving Wickednesse and becoming fools for Christ exposing themselves for Truths ' sake as Signs and laughing stocks to an Adulterous Generation be the Characters of such men as the Scripture calls Swine then that House and Family of the Quakers is become a Hog-stie But unless turning and tearing and renting and trampling under feet when Pearls and holy things are held out to them and devouring and hurting to death and tying Maids Arm to Arm together and tumbling them into Graves and dirting them and dragging them into Pools and setting them on their Heads with their heels upwards and Pumping well-nigh stifling them Mocking Stoning Scourging putting poor innocent Strangers that came in love to Truth and them into Cages and out of their Coasts and haling the Quakers out of their own quiet Meetings by the hair of their Heads and breaking the Doors to pieces and Windows where Quakers meet and carrying away the Keys and knocking tenters in the key-holes pulling up part of the houses squeezing them in their passing to and fro between the doors turning up the forms and seats where they sit and like wild Horses and Colts riding upon the backs of men and women and smoaking their Roomes with Gun-powder Squibs and stamping rudely like Tavern-hunters in their Holy meetings and crying out give us Beer and Tobacco and Wenches and Whores and bringing in strong Beer and drinking to them and for refusing to pledge throwing it on their Cloaths and Bands and powring it down their Necks and singing Bawdy Songs and Cursing and Sweating and such things as would be counted as favouring more of Bedlams and Swine then Saints if Quakers should ever have done so in their Masse-Houses and obscaene Carriage toward Women puffing and blowing with Tobacco-pipes in their Mouths raising Doctrines and Uses and Points about Coblers and Tinkers and Tobit and his Dog offering to put their hands under Womens Aprons asking if the Spirit was not there and many more such filthy stinking sordid actions as Hooting Yelling Laughing any thing to hinder the Hearing of what was spoken of Truth drawing some into Colledges and there most unseemly and inhumanly abusing them and this not only Tolerated and Connived at by Officers that should have punish'd it but also Countenanced too much in part by some of them I say Unlesse these boarish bruitish Gestures Cum muliis aliis qua nunc praescribere longum est be the behaviour of Christs Sheep then for all the uncessant pains of Interpreting of the Scripture at the Well-head of Religion and for all I. O's saying That if what we see and daily hear would sway us we would be ashamed to deny the fruit of Expoundings of the Scripture to be best where they are most Expounded as they are pro forma in the Universities as fair and far from it as they seem to be to themselves they look more like Hog-styes to the view of men after Gods heart and the Children of these Mothers more like Herds of Swine then the Places and Persons of the people called Quakers do among whom there 's not such a busling and such a businesse about mens Books in order to it nor such Clamorous noises about Opening the Scriptures as is among the Scribes that are Strangers to them but the words of the wise even of Wisdom it self Christ Iesus are heard in quiet by them that are Wise more then the Cry of him that Ruleth among Fools And as for what Fruits of saving Knowledge of God and Righteousnesse and Holinesse of Truth are abounding in most Academies Towns Cities and Places in all the Reformed parts of Christendom more or better then is to be seen among Turks and Heathens unlesse Couzening Cheating Lying Drunkennesse and some such like as abound more among Christians then Turks that never talk out of the Scripture be
my businesse with I.O. lyes into that Name of his Word and into the Authority of the Foundation of Faith the infallible Rule of Interpretation of itself of Tryal and Examination of Spirits Doctrines c. of the Supream Iudge also by which all Controversies of Religion are to be determined the only pure Authentical Standard unto which the Church is finally to Appeal in whose Sentence it is to Rest into which all Faith is finally to be Resolved so if such Synods of men either Antient or Modern as have shouldred out all those at once from sharing with the other Writings in what they can lay just claim to had been as Spiritually discerning as they were Spiritually blind shallow and undiscerning they would have seen cause to have joyned some at least of those Apocryhal Scriptures to an Equal Participation of that Plea of divine Original and inspiration with the rest as without Cause they justled them all out from it by their joynt Consent And though it be the declared Faith of that Assembly of Divines that both Houses of Parliament advised with 1648. and of the Congregational Churches in England whose Confession is put out this instant 1659. as to that Article about the Scriptures word for word in the same words with the other That the Books commonly called Apocrypha not being of divine Inspiration are no part of the Canon of the Scriptures and therefore are of no Authority in the Church of God nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of then other humane Writings yet this I declare to the whole World as my Faith concerning them that though I own neither them nor the best bare Wriing or outward Text or Letter of the other Scripture at so high a Rate as I.O. does who makes the naked Letter in all things equivolent to the holy matter yet whatever is truly to be praedicated of the one or can solidly be pleaded on the behalf of the one which ye call your Canon as to the divinity of their Original the same may be pleaded on the behalf of not a few of the other And as they all that in general are stilled Apocryphal can plead their Authority from long before the Apostles dayes and also the special Care and Providence of God which is an Argument of such weight with I.O. and T.D. pag. 27. as swayes them not a little into their frivolous Faith about the rest in the preservation of them to this very day So that all of them have been kept by the Church that kept the rest bound up and Translated into various Languages and as publickly allowed to be publickly Read as the rest and highly esteemed by Austin and other Fathers ye Divines cannot easily be ignorant And as for sundry of them ye are ignorant with a witnesse if ye see them to be as ye say they are not of divine Inspiration or see them not to be of as divine an Original as some or even any of the other which ye own so to be As for that Fourth Book of Esdras which is but the Second as it stands in the Apocrypha besides that it s acknowledged by Clem Alexandrinus Faber and many more men of Renown among you and by many Holy men in these latter times as well learned as your selves at least in the Wisdom of Gods Spirit to be written by his immediate Inspiration so is it such a plain Prophecy consistent of many Particular Praedictions of things to be fulfilled in these last Ages as the like to it or a least clearer is hardly to be found in all the Scripture besides it insomuch that he who reads it in the 11 12 13 16 Chapters of it and some other places and sees not the beams of a divine Majesty in it and sees not the Matters now managing upon the Stage in the World that are there foretold in it reads not in the Light of that Holy Spirit that moved in the Writing both of that and all other Holy Scripture and may come before he is well aware to feel ere long the dint of that divine displeasure that is denounced against the Sinners of the latter Ages and thereby come to be convinced of the Divinity and Truth of that Scripture which our Divines that usually see altogether by the lump and are loath to see any Truth Sigillatim till they are all made to see it whether they will or no will hardly yield to if they be their Old-wonted-selves till very Necessity forces and frights them into the Faith of it And the same may be said as to the divine Original of Ieremiahs Epistle which was written and sent to them that were to go Captive into Babylon and of Ecclesiasticus and the Wisdom of Solomon which favours so much of the Wisdom of the Spirit that he is yet in that Wisdom only which is from beneath which is Earthly Animal Deceitful who doth not acknowledge the finger of God writing those deep and precious Truths and Praedictions in the heart of him whose hand was the Committer of them to outward Writing which whether it were not Solomon after whom it was so Entituled Nil ultra quaero he uttered 3000 Proverbs whereof scarce 300 are extant in that Book of his Proverbs some of which as standing inserted there in the Hebrew Text are not the Original Copy but a Transcript only at best out of that or some Second hand Copies taken and Copied cut long after Solomons dayes by the men of Hezekiah 8 or 9 Generations from him Prov. 25 1. The 30 Chapter of which Book also are the Words of one Aguâ— the son of Iaketh but sure I am that Book of Wisdom was inspired or breathed into the Penman that expired or breathed it out from no lesse then that Wisdom which is from above The main Argument that ever I have seen against the divine Original of these Books are First Their being not written in the Hebrew Tongue which what a poor pedling piece of Disproof it is he is no wiser then he should be that does not see for what warrant is there that all that was not Pen'd in the Hebrew Tongue is no Scripture of divine Inspiration Or if there be is it not as conclusive against much of the Scripture which I.O. counts Canonical the whole of wch he reckons at random was wrote in the Hebrew Tongue since its evident that much of that Book of Hester 9 Chapters and 3 Verses of which are set among the Canonical Scripture and oh the Wisdom the other 6 Chapters and 10 Verses of the 10 Chapter by you self-will'd Choppers and Changers because written in Greek are reckoned and rank'd with the Apocryphal was written not in the Hebrew but in the Caldee as much of Ezra Nehemiah and Daniel also were And besides if being written Originally in the Hebrew will avail toward the evincing of them to be Canonical this will help some of your Apocrypha into your Canon since that of Tobit or Tobias is not
I. O. I am to Answer him in else-where So say I to I.O. T. D. or any other Thinkers or Seemers to themselves to see Proferant Fantastisi c. let these Pretenders to the Vision of this matter produce but one place of the Holy Scripture or any Testimony from Heaven but such a one from above they can't who deny Gods Spirit so speaking in these dayes as of old wherein God Christ or the Apostles set out the distinct bounds of their Canon Directory or Standard of the Old or New Testament by such a precise parcel of Books as are in your Bibles and exclusively of any other holy Writ whether mentioned or not mentioned therein and wee l not say but they have Cause in this Case though if 't were as they say they must hang down their heads with shame in 20 more to triumph in earnest Si autem de suo tantum loquuntur mendaces sunt neque verum est eorum Testimonium if they talk of their own heads of things about the Scripture which the Scripture Testifies not of it self they are Lyars and their Testimony is not true As to the Canon as ye call it or Standard of the Old Testament there 's not the least Tittle of Tendency to any such thing hinted there that it should consist of so many Books and such shall stand in it and such other though as legitimate and mentioned to be of God therein as well as the rest shall be shut out and stand by And in very Ezra alias Esdras his dayes when there was such a Paucity of Copies as thou well sayest I.O. Pag. 177. That in very deed the who'e Law was burnt as to the Originals its like at least 2 Esdras 14. 21 22 c. The Care of him and his Companions was great as thou sayest as to the Restoring of the Scripture to its Purity when it had met with the greatest Tiyal that ever it under-went before insomuch that what Books could be gotten together were copied cut or else written de novo by the light of understanding kindled in Esdras his heart by the Lord and many excellent thing done as to the Recovery of the Law into more purity in the very Letter of it out of the Babilonish rubbish c. but what 's all this as to the settling of this and that and t'other Prophecy into the distinct measure of a Standard by divine Appointment and dis-Canonizing all others save such as are in your Bibles called Canonical whether those of the Seers Gad Nathan Iddo and the rest abovesaid that are specified in your Bibles or those later which are allowed a room and standing in your Bibles though not a room and standing in your Rule and Standard thereof called Apocryphal of which some were Esdras his own as well as some of the rest Besides 't is evident that Esdras and his Companions if the Consigration and Bounding of the Canon were in their dayes or by their Sanydrim set a work and ordered by the insallible Spirit of God therein wrote a number more of Books 2 Esdras 14. 42. 44. then are now Extant in your Bibles which if all lost it makes against I.O. still that sayes not an Apex of what was by divine inspiration is lost and so his great Engine out of which he shoots short against the Truth his Standard and Canon comes still lame and short and halting home And also though Esdras and his Company Compiled many yet the last Volume of the Psalmes is more credibly supposed if I would enter into I. O's Work of Answering Conjecture with Conjecture to be truss'd up together in the dayes of the Maccabees but all here is uncertain and carried to and fro by Conjectures and so there 's nothing sure on I. O's side And as to the newer and later Scripture since Christ where is the least touch of such a businesse of Constituting some few certain Books of those many more then we have which were then written into a Canon and discarding othersome whether such as we want or such legitimate ones as we have as that to Laodicea from within the Coasts and Quarters of your Canon Nay rather the Scripture of the New sayes as in the places above Cited Rom. 15.4 1 Cor. 10.11 2 Tim. 3.16.17 2 Pet. 1.20.21 That all Scriptures that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given or written by Inspiration of old time were to the same purpose that any at all were so that if any of it all then all of it is to be listed into that Lydium Lapidem and to be Confederate with the rest and to come by right into the Confines of your Canon all what ever was so written being alike written for our Instruction alike profitable alike publick and none of it of a more private Interpretation then the rest Does that of T. D's Citing and I. O's also Ex. 3. 26. viz. Iob. 20.30.31 prove any such thing If that be Exclusive of any Scripture at all it must be of all that which was written after it forasmuch as according to T. Ds. Exposition of it it intimates a sufficiency in that which was already written and if wee l be befool'd with his sinister senses and mindlesse meanings on the Scripture that when he had written that there was as much as God himself thought sufficient to be written at all as a rule of Faith or in order to mens beleeving pag. 28. These are Written that ye might be'eeve and have Life as if he should say Here 's enough what need more And as the Preacher said of old Of making many Books there 's no end by these be thou Admonished they are words of Truth therefore heed no more Eccles. 12.10.12 Will any of you say that in Iohn yet T. D twines it such a way will bear such a Construction as to be Conclusive of some Scriptures of Spiritually Inspired men into the use of a Canon or Standard and exclusive of others as much of God as those On this account as one might Interpret Solomon as cutting off from the Canon all the Prophets Writings that succeeded his in the Old Testament Scripture so one must Interpret Iohn as Excluding out of the Standard of the New Testament all ensuing Writings of Holy men but his own and his own Epistles and Revelation also which were Posterior or Successive to his History then in hand as utterly uselesse and superfluous Credat Apelia Doth that Gal. 6. 16 As many as walk according to this Rule or Canon do it which blind Guides and People so hastily patter over as if that mentioned the whole Bible and all that Writing and not a Tittle more then what 's bound up in it besides the Apocrypha when I shall shew in its proper place it s spoken of no External Scripture of Writing at all I say will that prove some to be Authorized of God for the Standard and some even of the same Holy mens Writings though yet extant not to be so Is there
any such distinction in the sound of that Term This Rule whereby if it were meant of Scripture as it s nothing lesse to give us to discern that Paul in that Expression includes his Two Epistles to Corinth and that one to Ephesus and this to Galatia and the rest of his own and other Apostles Writings even the Revelation it self that was not wrote in his dayes that are Concincinated in your Copies as intended of God to be the Standard and excludes his first to Corinth his first to Ephesus and that to Laodicea as not intended of God to stand in the Standard but to stand below it to be tryed and judged by it Or by this Rule did he mean no more then what was already Written which of you Wise men that render in your Interpretations that Term Rule there of an outward Letter can Riddle me this If so as ye say then he quite cuts off what should be Written after this either by himself for any other Inspired Writer and so all Iohns Epistles and his Revelation rom coming into that right it hath to Rule as the Standard among the rest Or if no then that place and indeed it doth not makes not at all to I. O's purpose who yet quotes it in proof of his Canon as carelesly as others do for customs sake among a vast Company of other Texts that he crowds on a heap one a top of another not one of which proves the Point he there Propounds viz. Scripturam post completum ejus Canonem esse Regulam perfectissimam ita ut nullae Revelationes sint admittendae That the Scripture is so perfect a Rule or Canon that after the Compleating of its Canon which was not when Paul wrote to Galatia if Iohns Epistles and the Revelation be a part of it mark that no more Revelations must be admitted See Ex 3. S. 25 26. not one iot more then the Green Circle that is seen about it in some misty Nights proves the Moon to be made as they say of Green Cheese And now I am upon that Term of thine I. O. Post completum ejus Canonem let me take it while it is in my mind I much muse what ye mean by this so often Compleating and Bounding of your Canon and marvel what Epoche Iuncture and Period of time this perfecting of your Canon and Standard as to all its Integral parts must take its being and beginning as such and be counted from so that before that time it can't be called a perfect Rule or Standard If it be from that time which I. O. calls the Close of the immediaâ—e Revelation of Gods Will Pag. 28. made when Iohn had written the Revelation after which I.O. thinks nothing more was ever to be added by way of new Inspination which Thought of I. O's I shall think to talk with hereafter it from that time I say and not before then t was not compleat it seems when Iohn wrote that Iob. 20.31 nor yet when Paul wrote that Gal. 6.16 And so neither of those Two places cited by both I.O. or T. D do prove their Rule-perfect as to its Integrals and compleat already when Paul and Iohn wrote them And yet for all that I can find by I.O. and T.D. both they not only count their Canon compleat and perfect at the time of the Writing of those Two verses but likewise produce those very Two verses viz. I.O. both and T D. one of them viz. Joh. 20.31 and expresly and in effect the other to prove their Rule to be a most perfect Rule and compleat Canon already long afore the supposed Close thereof in the Revelation yea counting from the time of the Penning of that place Ioh. 20.30 31. we have already quoth T.D. Pag. 28. as much as God thought sufficient as if that History of Iohn had pin'd the Basket and brought up the Recto all the whole Standard of outward Scripture and compleated it alâ—eâ—â—y as sufficiently as God thought fit it ever should be yea so sufficient as that all that should be written after should be held superfluous No more then a most perfect Rule it is now a compleat Canon sufficient Standard adaequate to all Cases that come to be tryed by it inalterable Touchstone immutable Measure to measure all Spirits by to which nothing may be added and I confesse if the Writing be the Rule Standard Measure true Word of God which its but a Writing of it ought to remain from the first to the last ad amussim exactly the same as to its Measure as well as to its Nature and to have not one iot not an inch not a tittle added to it to make it larger longer or wider then at very first Canonizing and Authorizing into its Office it ought to be steady and standing stedfastâ—y the same within it self as well in its Quantity as Quality as a Substantive and not such an Adjective as can't stand by it self without more and more and more Words and Writings still from time to time newly adjoyned to it to shew its sense and signification about those things its to measure determine and to be the All in All even both the Rule and the Iudge of as ye make it I say it can be no more now it s thus compleated as it is by successive Additaments from Moses himself to the Revelation and not one jot lesse it was according to you conceited Canonizers thereof before Iohn or Paul or any of the New Wâ—iters ever wrote no lesse then a perfect Standard that had its Consignation and Canonical Bounding and its borders so set out that what came not to hand what appeared not at the Session of that Sanydrim that sate in Ezraes dayes to Try and Iudge on and Authorize what was fit to be the Iudge and Rule for themselves and all after Ages to be Tryed by must be Condemned as Apocryphal for ever and no lesse then so that little was that was in the dayes of Isaiah before himself or any of the Prophets aâ—ter him had Written To the Law to the Testimony cry out Anti-Testimonists from Isa. 8. 20. like Rooks and Frogs that gape and croak all alike for Companâ—es sake to the same Tune as if that were that little of the Letter only that then was which I shall shew anon was another matter and no lesse then a compleated Canon that little was that was in Davids dayes which was little more then the meer Five Books of Moses if Ioshua and Iudges and Ruth were then written the Word was a Light to Davids feet the Law the Commandement of God David said was perfect converting the Soul enlightning the Eyes rejoycing the Heart giving wisdom to the Simple say the Simpletons of these times never heeding that that Commandement is the Lamp Prov. 6.23 and the Law that Light in the Heart the Quakers speak of Maâ—th 25.8 Luâ—e 12 35. and that Word by which the young Man was to walk and cleanse his way and that was a
guide and a Light to Davids Paths was not the outward Letter only of Moses Law for Moses Scriptures and Writings and Davids too did only Testifie of it Deut 30. 14. 18. Rom. 10.8 Psal. 119. 9105 But the Word that was nigh in the Heart which David had and hid also within him that he might not sin against God Psal. 119. 11. yea no lesse then a Canon that had its compleat Consignation and Bounding for all Truth which was the same then as it is now substanâ—ially to be Tryed by when no more then Moses Five were extant so long before it was enlarged into such a Volume as now the Bible is by adding to the Old Word were the Letter that Word of God that 's the standing Measure I know not what to make of all these Additions to the Word if the Letter be the Word which have been made from Moses downward to this day but matter of Plagues Woes and Reproofs to the Adders of their Writings to the First Writings but this I can say to the Excuse of such as call Moses Five only a compleat Canon and in compleat Authority as a Standard and a Rule and the Word of God and such like full well may Five or any one Book of Moses or any one Chapter or one Verse never so small in either his or any other Prophets Scripture be so when if wee l believe I. O. when he Lyes every Tittle and Iota of any of these outward Writings is not only Part of the Word but The Word of the Great God as Pag. 168.169 Yea every Apex of it equally Divine and as immediately from God as the Voice wherewith or whereby he spake to or in the Prophets and is therefore accompanied with the same Authority i.e. as the whole is both in it self and unto us Pag. 27. so then every Tittle is no lesse then a compleatly constituted Canon and the whole is no more then so And further as to the New Testament as ye call the Letter of it as there is not the least Evidence that any such thing as the specifying of what and whose Scriptures or Writings the Canon should consist of and what not so can any of you that stand up so stifly for your fancied stable Standard shew us where any Order is given out by Christ or his Apostles to such as should succeed them to take Care to gather up their Writings and Judge and try which of them they thought fit and which not to own as their Rule and Iudge and accordingly digrading the rest to Canonize such as liked them best to submit themselves to the Tryal and Iurisdiction of into the high Names and Authority of the Word of God the Iudge the Rule the standing Canon both to them and all the world and all after Ages of it to the Worlds end Doth 2 Tim 3.13.14 twice at least cited by I O. for fear of failing viz. Ex. 3. S 26.31 prove it And doth 2 Tim. 2.2 which is without either heed or wit urged and by heedlesse I. O. as well as others quoted though mis-quoted in the Margin of Pag. 166. to that purpose prove in the least any such matter If it do then say I am a Dunce if not then see whether they are fit to be Doctors or Teachers in Divinity that by reason of the beam in their eyes cannot behold but divine so darkly besides a businesse that is as clearly contrary to what their brain conceives about it as if it were written with a Sun beam For the words of Paul to Timothy are these viz. The things that thou hast heard of me among many Witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be Able to Teach others also And in the other place these But Evil men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived and so they do at this day for all their scufling for the Scripture but continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them Whence it is by many that would look upon themselves as wronged if not looked upon as learned as hastily concluded as the places are hand-over head alledged That Paul bids Timothy take the Scripture first committed to him by himself and commit it downwards to faithful men that must commit and continue it downwards still to others and so successively to the worlds end as a Common Continual Permanent perpetually remaining Canon and only Standard for all Nations and Spirits Gods and Mans and Doctrines true and false to stand or fall by from thenceforth even for ever Which what a crooked Consequence it is who but Ignoramus can be ignorant whenas if the Scripture had been the subject spoken of there by Paul either it had extended no further then to his own Scripture to Timothy which is but a petty Portion and poor Pittance of Pauls Epistles or if to all the rest of his Epistles then it had been conclusive of that to Laodicea and his first to Corinth and Ephesus which have no being in your Bibles which you say Contains all your Canon and are by T. D. excluded from any Claim to it but in very deed there 's no such thing at all as the Scripture or outward Text there either talkt on or intended but the things Timothy had learn't and heard from Paul by word of mouth as well as writing which though I own to be Truths and Doctrines and things which are evermore according to the Scripture the Spirit from which that was never contradicting it self yet were another thing then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Writing or Scripture it self Paul sayes not those Scriptures which thou hadst of me c. commit to faithful men to make a Standard of but those Doctrines Truths which thou hast heard of me commit and those Truths were concerning the Light which Paul was sent to turn men to and not the Letter for he sayes God made him and the rest Ministers not of the Letter but of the Spirit Act. 26.18 2 Cor. 3.6 And the Gift of God within Timothy which he bids him stir up 2 Tim. 1.5 Neither did Paul go up and down testifying to the Scriptures as a Standard and telling men which should be the Touchstone and which Scriptures not but the things which were Witnessed to there testifying no other things Quod Essentiam to be believed or done then what were written in and spoken by the Law and the Prophets Acts 24. 14. 26. 22. And those things Timothy heard learned and was assured of from Pauls both Words and Writings As also the things the Thessalonians 2 Thess. 2.15 had delivered to them partly by Pauls Preachings and partly by his Epistles and were accordingly to stand fast and continue in but they were not the bare Bible it self or Writings or Scriptures themselves which were not then by Paul or any bundled up and carried about in a Book to take a Text and Talk out of
purpose howbeit sometimes again I O tells us truly enough that what ever means God appoints to any end it is sufficient thereunto and thereupon not imperfect but perfect and so fearing belike to loose his Word and Doctrine and not knowing any other way all others failing save that of Pen and Inke in his Providence betook himself to that way of Writing which Providence also saw it self concerned to this day to preserve entire Copies to a Tittle of all that Writing much of which yet is lost both to reduce men to a Consideration of it self in that one particular and also that his Word not a jot of which I confesse can ever fail though all Writing in the World come to perish might be secured for ever from perishing and altering by that most alterable and perishing way of Writing which if it should happen to be all lost he had no way to save his Word Doctrine and sacred Truth from dying irrecoverably by a very dreadful and mortal Distemper pag. 314. So seems I.O. summarily to say out of the sacred Secret of Gods Councel which was never with any save such as fear him more then I. O. does whose Position of it Credat Apella So Pag. 14. God by his Providence preserving the whole Text entire suffers lesser variety to fall out in or among the Copies we have for the quickning and exercising our diligence in our search into his Word Reply O nescio quo horrendo percusse Sentomate Whence came this whiffe and whimzy within the Circumference of thy Figmentitious Fancy Who told thee this Toy which thou preachest out for positive Truth Dost thou teach this for a true Doctrine of Christ if so from what Text Or wilt thou own it to be but a meer Tale of thy own a Tradition of I.O. which it thou wilt then own it that in vain thou worshippest God while thou art Teaching for Doctrine thy own Thoughts and the Traditions of thy self or any other men Thou talkest sometime at such a rate as if thou wouldst make all the World believe the variety of our Copies were absolutely none at all no not in the leaft not in one Apex Tittle Iota not in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which how contradictory it is to or consistent with that lesser variety here talk'd on who is so silly save I. O. whos 's own silliness and self Confoundings are never seen by himself as not to see But to let passe that ordinary matter of self-contradiction sifh it s as Common with thee almost as to Talk at all and to take it as it falls Is this the end why God who as thou sayest who knowest not whether thou hast the half or no of what was by Inspiration written preserved the whole entire suffered that variety that is in your Copies to quicken your diligence in your Search into his Word If that be the end as indeed it may well enough be of the total losse of so much of the Letter as there is and non-Integrity nor Indentity of your Transcript Texts that remain that ye should diligently search into his Word it were happy for you that there 's so much variety and uncertainty as there is in your Copies and nere the worse had you none of them at all so ye would betake your selves to the Hearing of the Word of God and the receiving it more immediately and purely from his mouth which the Letter of it tells you is nigh in your own hearts and mouths â—o that ye need not go any where ad extra for it that ye may both hear and do it But alas poor men by the Word ye mean the Letter still the External Text or Writing of it and then so far is your so diligent searching and poring and striving and scribling one to another as the Scribes of old did Iob. 5. that never heard the Voice and Word of God it self from being any end of God at all in giving it out at first or in deriving that part of the Scripture ye have down to you whether fully the same with or falsified from the first Copies that he loaths and detests your long Tales about its Tittles and your idle Treating away your pretious time in such Trivial talk as this That the whole Word of God and all saving Doctrine and sacred Truth is lost and fails for ever without Relief Remedy or Recovery if every Tittle of the Text without losse or variation be not upheld and preserved Entire to this day which yet is some not to say the sum of that unsound Doctrine the proof of which is driven on by thee I. O. As in pag. 18. 314. and many other Pages is to be seen throwout thy Book as well as by other Doctors and Divines So Pag 34. speaking of the Scriptures uncontroulably manifesting themselve so to be that on pain of eternal Damnation men are to receive them as the Word of God thou sayst that they afford unto us all the divine Evidence of themselves and that 's none at all as I shall shew anon of their being his Word which God is willing to grant us or can be granted us or is any way needful for us Reply Another odd Conceited saying this is as like thy self who urâ—erest thy self Doctor-like still as to thy usurped Authoritativenesse but seldom as to the truth of thy Assertions as if it were spit out of thy mouth Who told thee this Vntruth that thou so uncontrollably utterest here for truth that God is not willing to grant more divine evidence of the Scriptures being what thou falsly sayest they are or where they are indeed and that more neither can or need be granted then what the Scriptures themselves do afford sayest thou this of thy self or did others tell it thee of the Scripture of thy own head surely or very likely at least and neither from God nor the Spirit nor the Scriptures no nor the Synods nor the Congregational Churches of England to which thou belongest nor the Doctrinal Catechismes of late Divines for these thy brethren though erring with thee in stiling them the Word tell thee of another not humane onely but Divine Testimony or evidence that may be and is needful to be granted and that God is willing to and doth also grant of the Scriptures being what they call it beside that which thou here so absolutely assertest as the onely one that must or can be afforded viz. the Testimony of the Spirit of God in the heart and not that of the Scripture alone concerning itself or of the holy Spirit speaking without us ad extra onely in the Scripture which is the dream wherein thou drawest aside not onely from the truth but also if it were a truth that the Letter is Gâ—ds Word from the joynt Testimony of thy fellow Testifiers to it for they say the Testimony of the Spirit within us also not 〈◊〉 â—â—stimony without uâ— and onely in the Scripture divinely evidences the Scripture to be what
it from what is suggested to his own Thoughts from Hear-say and other mens Talk to and fro and Tradition and as he Confesses all along â— heap of Vncertainties and Conjectures so that all the tumblings and tossings snapings and snarlings of even the Protestant Divines about their Scriptmre is but about their remote Transcribed I cannot say well neither for most Transcribed Copies too are out of the way since Printing came up but Printed Copies of the Text which are all not more lyable in any thing to be then in many things they are already falsified which since the Primitive Copies are concluded to be gone and the infallible guidance of the Spirit by I. O. T. D. and all Divines excluded out of the World also though they tell us Translations must be Rectified by their Transcriptions yet if they happen to be as an hundred to one they are and none knows in how many in any things crooked or various from the first there 's no means of Rectifying or Reducing their supposed Rule to Conformity to the first literal Rule nor of amending it any otherwise then uncertainly for ever But suppose I say ye had the Primitive Copies could you make more ado in Adoring them then ye Doctors and your People that dote on you do about your various respective Transcripts and more various Translations out of them into sundry Tongues and Languages which Translations yet are all in somethings not more several in their sorts then the Tongues into wch they are translated and divided into as many Senses as the many men that Translated them thereinto which said numerous untrue Translations also are as to the Letter if they look not to the Light within and live not by that all that the poor blindly guided mis-led Priest-befoolled People who ken not Hebrew and Greek many of whom can't read English neither have to trust to whose Faith about the Scripture it self which thou callst pag. 155. the Foundation of that Faith and Obedience God requireth at their hands and whose belief of the Truth or untruth of this or that Translation is as much pin'd upon the Priests sleeve here in England still as it is at Rome it self in this and some other matters for there they Believe as their Church alias Clergy believes and take things on Trust being not suffered if they were able as here though suffered they are not able to try the Truth hereof and by meer Tradition from their illiterate Purblind Priesthood and no otherwise do they here as to their Tratslâ—tions then upon Traâ—iâ—ion â—rusting to the fidelity and to that infalible certaines of their supposed learned leaders the Serâ—â—es then whom no men are more humpered in a heap 〈◊〉 uncertainties about the Scriptures What would ye do more to the very writing that was inscribed with Gods own finger if you had it in way of homage then ye are doing to your respective doted on derived copies Do you not dance about them as Israel about their Calf saying these are thy Gods O England that brought thee out of bondage to thy sin to which yet they committing it they remain servants to this day Iob. 8 and must save thee and lead thee into life and are perfectly sufficient without the light and spirit within the Quakers talk of as that which the letter came from and alone can do it to instruct thee in the knowledge and worship of God and thy obtaining of everlasting Redemption Do you not Canonize and crown them with the Titles of the only Perfect Rule Foundation Light Witnesse Living Word of God the Lydius Lapis Unaltered Unalterable Standard Touchstone immediately come forth from God to us without the least interueniency of Wayes or Mediums obnoxious to fallibility or capable to giue Change to the least â—ota or Syllable Are not these as high Titles as ye could give to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if they were here Do you not say and do this and much more to your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the People to no more then their meer Translation Yea do the Iewes say or do more in way of Adoration to their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their Synagogues then beautifie adore guild lift up in their hands exâ—al them with high Applauses Hugge and Kisse them as ye do when ye Swear upon a Book and such like outward magnifyings and makings honourable of them which is the utmost that I have seen them do in their Synagogues throw many Nations without living that substantial Holy Life the letter calls for And do you do any lesse as to outward Adoration or any more as to inward and real Observation towards your Bibles Yea do ye not all as well the People that have no better then their uncertain yet certainly untrue Translations from you as so many of you of the Clergy as can read the Copies of the Originals for many cannot read the Hebrew Text at all and some the Greek as â—etle as that as necessary as these Tongues were made a while since to the very esse or being of Christs Ministers who have no better â—hen your uncertain Transcriptions cry up your several Transcribed and Translated Copies respectively that best like you and every one hugge his own at least as most insallible however crying down others as corrupted And how beit if any one of them were so as none of them at all are yet all of them can't be right as each one faith that is that he takes toâ— Are ye not all noysing it out as the Iewes at â—eâ—usaâ—em and the Gentiles at Ephesus Jer. 7. Act. 19. of their Respective broken Reeds the Temple and Diana to which they trusted Great is Diana The Temple of the Lord The Word of God The Word of God Inspired The insallible Word oâ— God are these The perfect Living Liâ—e giving Soul saving Word the very Power of Gâ—d unto Salvation Are the Iewes more mad upon their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 theâ— People are upon their untruly Translated and you Divines upon your untruly Transcribed and both on the more Kreanously yet Trans-printed Sculptures Talking and Treating up your Respective Texts into the Throne where Christ the Light and Living Word alone should sit making little lesse of your Copies then some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Cornu-Còpia Deo forsan quapiam melius For what are all the Ephesian like Glamours eager Out-cryes loud Noises of the people here for against the Quakers Are they not for the bare Bulk of that Book called the Bible the out-side of which they are at great Care and Cost to Paint and Guild and Bind and Beautifie and Adorn and Adore while the Truth exhibited in the Writing or Text thereof lyes trampled under their feet Saying the Ruâ—e the Foundation the infallible Standard the Word of God of no more then their by the self Conâ—essed in many things corrupted Translations counting the Quakers not fit to live in the Land any otherwise then Out-law'd because they can't
own nor hold their Iâ—o in that height of honour as they do nor fall down and worship that golden corruptible Image that they set up though they honour the Truth that 's told in the Scripture and submit to it as the euerlasting powerful Word of God What are thy high English Transcendant Treatises about and thy exceeding ample Apologetical Latine Exercitations and thy many Execrations Anathcmaes thundred out and Subpoenaes pag 31.34 56. 59.60 81. sent abroad in those and sundry other Pages of thy Paper Summoning and Requiring all men as from God to the Subjection and Submission of Soul to the Scriptures which is due only and alone to the Word of God on peril pain and penalty of inexcusablnesse in damnable unbelief damnation eternal damnation eternal displeasure of God eternal Ruine c. in case it be not own'd as so What are all thy excessiue Commendations and direful Comminations and Condemnations denounced by thee against all that Commend it not so ignorantly as thy self and thy many needlesle Negotiations and pitiful Proofs and Pragmatical Pratings and prehemineâ—t Pleas for its Reception in Comparison with and Opposition to all other wayes of coming to the knowledge of God and Attendance and Submission to its Supream uncontroleable Authority pag 57.58 upon the account of its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or divine inspiration as being the most perfect Rule firm Foundation staple Standard infallibly true Touâ—hstone entirely in every Tittle to the least 〈◊〉 the Word of the Great God the Writing that comes immediatly from God to us who live to many 〈◊〉 after the mouldring of the first Manuscripts of it without the leâ—st interveniency of any medium obnoxious to fallibility or capable to give Change to the least sota or Syllable of it pag 113. The Book which God wrote or at least immediately indited and commends men it thou could tell where to receive as his under the penalty of his eternal displeasure which Book makes a sufficient discovery of it self to be his pag â—20 reveals and â—clares and professes it self from the beginning to the ending that no where 〈◊〉 I shall shew anon to be unquestionably the Word of God pag. 140. And avers it self in euery place and that every place with 7 0. himself is 1.0 place at all if Ex. 1. Self 28 be true as will be seen anon to be the Word of God pag 117 the most glorious Light in the World above t'e Sun dearer to God then all the World besides and scores more of wonderful strict strains of Talk in which thou stretchest the Text and letter beyond its liue and screwest the Scripture within Diana's Shrine till thou crack'st thy own Credit with uttering ten times more then thou art ever able to stand under the tryal of or any wise man is to understand 〈◊〉 what is all this Adoratory ado thou makest about Is it not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 57. the Writing And what Writing Is it not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only confessing that all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is long since lost And if thou should spend so much time as to Talk to this Age of that as the Rule Foundation Touchstone Standard that is not now standing but fallen and that as the inalterable incorruptible Word of God and yet whether the Decalogue of Gods own Writing were not as incorruptible as thy cobled Copies of it let who will judge that is already altered yea corrupted wholly out of the World thy folly would more fully shew it self Is it not if not the totteâ—ed Translations which the people at least magniste and make a God of as much as thou of the other thy meer Perigraphy or rather Typography that passes from under not the Pens of careful faithful infallible Transcribers but the Presses of carelesse fallible falsifying faithlesse Printers whose hands few Pamphlets passe without need of an after Errata sic Corrigas Thy meer Typographically correctible corruptible Copies of the Text are the Common Theame of all thy Laudatory labours and truthlesse Treatises and Theses that are thrust out about them As for all Translations that I may not wrong thee but give thee thy due thou givest them their due I confesse in some measure so as to slate them a little lower then either the true Word of God or the first true immediate Manuscripts of it either Yea I must needs say that though by some EXPRESSIONS and DENOMINATIONS thereof as namely that of the Word of God partly at least thou settest them above themselves yet thou pullest them down so far below thy Idolized meer imperfect Images of the frost Writings that to say the Truth within a little thou as much disparagest the very best of them as they are commonly counted as beyond measure thou manifiest thy own insomuch that well-nigh the whole Scene of Sections in thy last Chapter of thy Second Treatise seems to be set to drive on no other Design then a louder decrying of all Translations then that of theirs whom thou cryest out on for decrying thy Transcriptions or then thy own crying up of them Yea thou dost not more strictly and absolutely avouch that untruth concerning the absolute unity of your Copies of the Original both with the first Originals and among themselues without any discrepancy in the least then in that Chapter principally and partly elsewhere viz. pag. 15. thou avowest and purtest thy self to prove that vast variety that is in all Translations among themselves and that deep discrepancy that is in them also from both the first Original Text and your Transcripts of it which variety discrepancy and corruption yet that is in them thou art so far from covering from the view of the Vulgar whose Souls Interest lies mainly in Translations they being not able to read the Original Text as their Soul sayst thou and bodily Interests also say I are concerned in your Transcription that thou openly proclaimest it that all may see it as it were upon the house top and lest any should be startled at so strange a sight as thou presentest them with in that Chapter as that vast variety of Translations of the Text from the Originals of it and each from other and begin to question whether that be the incorruptible Word of God or no which so many Corruptions could creep and are crept into thou art so shamelesse as to help an Old lame Dog ore a stile as the Proverb is so as to render these so many mis-representations of the literal sense and meaning of the Original Words which the Translators moped into till they have torn and twined the Waxen Nose of your naked Letter whereby â—e may see what a sixt and firm Foundation true Touchstone stable Standard inalterable Rule infallible Guide incorruptible Word of God ye have among you while you trust and stand to no other Word then your outward Letter defying that within in the heart which the Quakers point you to into more then twice if not
or a whole Iury impannel'd to Try this Case of which this is the Foreman that speaks more then they all for it s insisted on or hinted at or'e and o're and or'e in I know not how many places of thy Book as if thou laydst more stresse and purrest more trust in this than in all the rest and indeed though it is a most piteous poor one yet seeing I know no better it may be called as its rank'r before the Rest the very best in all the pack Let 's see then what force this consideration viz. the love providence care and promise of God to his Church and Word Engaging for the preservation and continuance of it to a Tittle without losse hath in it to evince the entirenesse of the Hebrew and Greek Text to a Tittle That the Love Care and Providence of God is to or ore his Church and so ore his Word for his Churches sake I deny not in the least and that his Word he speaks he magnifies ore all his Name as the most glorious product of his Wisdom and Goodness as his great concernment in this world dearer to him than all the world besides which his Promise is for the continuance of it so inalterably entire and uncorrupt that Heaven and Earth it self shall pass away as Christ saies Matth. 5.18 before one jot and Tittle thereof shall fail or pass away and that not one Apex Tittle or Point of that hath yet failed or been altered or is liable for capable to be altered or corrupted All this I grant for his Word is the incorruptible Seed that lives and abides for ever But what 's all this to thy purpose I. O. whose talk is only about the outward Writings Image Copy Letter Text which talks of that Word and who producest all this to prove every Tittle of that Text to be entire Wilt thou never learn to put or at least to keep that difference which somtimes when thou art deliberate thy self puâ—test between the Word that is written of and the Text which is the meer Writing of it Dost not thou p. 12.13 though I know thou blindly blendest them together both there and throughout thy Book make the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Writing the Book the Letter one thing and the Faith Word Doctrine declared in it another Dost thou not distinguish now and then as every wise man does ever between the Text it self that talks of the Truth and the Truth it self which the Text talks on We know the Truth and Faith and Doctrine and Word of God which is but One and the same in its Nature Essence Being and Substance whether written or not written of whether cloathed or not cloathed in this or that outward accidental forme whether displaying it self through the vail of the Letter or shewing it self more immediately in its naked Native lustre is to a Tittle the same now that it ever was in Substance though all the shadowy Discoveries of it wax old and vanish and as a vesture are folded up and changed and Pass away as a Scrole that 's Roled up and grows out of Date when all Letters and Literal Appearances of it shall be mouldered away The Word was before the Letter was aud is neither more nor less what it was now the Letter is and will be no less than it was of old or what now it is as to its preservation in every point when the Letter shall be no more So that what are all thy Propositions about Gods Promise and Providence and Love and Care of his Church and Word to evince or prove the entire preservation of every Iot and Tittle of an outward Text or an old uncertain Transcript of what was by the Holy men of God some thousands of Years since written between which Word and the Writing or Light and the Letter which leads only to it there 's no more proportion as I may shew thee more anon than is between the Lanthorn and the Light the Glass Window and the Sun that shines through it or then as thy self intimatest there is between the Ark and the Testament or Covenant that for a while was used to be kept in it Dost not thou count the Letter the Ark p. 236. saying the Iews have now the Letter as somtimes they had the Aâ—k among the Philistims to their further ruine and p. 315. For my own part I am sollicitous for the Ark or the sacred Truth of the Original Yea such proportion say I as the Ark that kept it bore to the Letter of the old Testament that was laid up in it the same doth the Old Testament it self the whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or bare Letter or Shadowy Dispensation bear unto the Light Word of God or New Testament which is not a Literal but a Spiritual Administration Now as it would be fâ—lly and absurdity in the abstract for a man to Argue the Light to be the proper name of the Lanthorn which exhibits it the Sun the proper Name of the Glass it shines through and the Writing or Letter of the old Testament the proper name of the Ark in which it was laid up and then to affirm all the Properties that appertain peculiarly to the Light Sun Letter belong to the Lanthorn Glass Ark respectively and to plead from the unchangeableness of the Light the permanency of the Sun the long duration of the Letter Some of which in some uncertain Copies abides to this day that the Lanthorn is unalterable the Window inviolable the Ark abiding the self same and not one jor or inch of it is lost or altered to this day but in all points in the same that it was when Moset made it because some Copies Imagess and Pictures of it are found painted on Walls aud Printed in Books or so to this day Semblably as Ridiculous it is to the full to Argue the Letter is immediately come to us from God without interveniency of any Medium obnoxious to fallibility the Text is not capable to be altered not is altered in one Tittle so but that its intirely the same that it was at first in every Point Syllable and Iota because the Light Faith Doctrine Truth and Word which is as the Sun the same still and preserved in the Providence of God full firm and sure as all the Ordinances of Heaven are whether it shews it self through a Glass only or without it Now then howbeit we own all that which I. O. tells of the Providential care and Promise of God as to the preserving of his Word to his Church to be true as told of his Word yet as spoken of the Letter as Gods great Concernment in this World dearer to him than all the World the most glorious Product of his Wisdom and Goodness and such like and as urg'd in proof of the Text and each Tittle of that to be Entire and Eternal as the Heavens I say as so every Tittle of it is false And I would fain know of I
O's wisedom in this point yet I am not such a fool yet or not so wise or something as to believe him howbeit who e're believes or believes him not in such wise as this aforesaid he talks in effect while p. 12.13 he sayes thus without proof as he does most things according to his own vain thoughts as followes viz. I. O. The Providence of God hath manifested it self no lesse concerned in the preservation of the writings then the doctrine contained in them Rep. Which is a loud one for many Holy Prophets writings are lost but not a Doit of the Doctrine I. O. The writing it self being the product of his own eternall Councel for the preservation of the Doctrine after a sufficient discovery of the insufficiency of all other means for that end and purpose Rep. Which is another for the Doctrine can never perish if every Tittle of the Text should I. O. The malice of Satan hath raged no lesse against the Book than the Truth certained in it Rep. Which is a third For Satan will allow people Bibles and Texts enough to talk of Truth out of so they walk not in Truth I. O. It was no lesse Crime to be Traditor libri then Abnegator fidei Rep. Which is a fourth false Tale for the burning the Book can't murder the faith as having the light does which with it's fellows I have disproved and given Reasons against above and while p. 17.18.19 in answer to Capellus his honest Grants that the Saving Doctrine of the Scripture as to the matter and substance of it in all things of moment is preserved in the Copies of the Original and Translations that do remain J.O. assenting first to it as Truth to the overthrowing of himself as he often does that notwithstanding all the errours and mistakes in the most corrupt Translations yet every necessary saving fundamentall truth is found sufficiently Testified to therein or if he deny that of Translations let him do it and see what a pickle he puts poor people into who upon the account of that denyal will be found not to have all saving Truth in their Bibles he asserts I. O. That 't is not enough to satisfie him that in his doted on Transcribed Copies of the Original the doctrines mentioned are preserved entire every Tittle and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must come under Care and consideration or else injury is done to the Providence of God towards his Church and care of his word and that it will not be found an easie matter upon a supposition of such corruptions of the Originals in Tittles and points c. as is pleaded for against him to evince unquestionably that the whole saving Doctrine it seâ—f at first given out from God continues entire and uncorrupt Rep. Oh grosse as if the entirenesse of the eternall Truth that was before all external Text was was now so subjected as to depend on the entirenesse of a tottering Text for its security or else is lost for ever and yet yielded to be preserved entire in Translations that are corrupt in more then Tittles but not possibâ—e to be kept entire in Transcriptions if any Tittle be mis-transcribed therein I O That the nature of the doctrine is such that there is no other principle and means of its discovery no other Rule or measure of Iudging and determining any thing about or concerning it but onely the writing out of which it is taken Rep. As if the Doctrine comes from the writing when as the writing came from the Truth and Doctrine I. O. It being wholly of divine Revelation and that revelation being exprest onely in that writing Rep. Absit absurdum de quo vere dicitur quod posito uno sequuntur millia As if Revelation were not made more truely clearly distinctly and immediately by the light and Spirit then mediante litera by the mediation of the letter that comes from it in which thou sayst Revelation only is made before which yet the doctrine was revealed I. O. That upon any corruption supposed in the Transcript Copies of the Originall but not the Translations there 's no means of rectifying the Doctrine Rep. No by no means its like as if the Spirit and Light could not now possibly reveal it as easily as at first and as if Truth were not as equally by the Spirit exposed to the understanding of men in all ages as in some and as if pure Revelation were not made now by the light and Spirit of Truth which depends solely on Revelation as it ever did and not on a letter that came from it Thus much to the first of those Scriptures urged by thee I. O. to prove the promise of God to preserve the Scripture even every Tittle of the external Texts in Transcripts not Translations for Ever and the second is like unto it viz Math. 5.18 where though Christ talks of not one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Tittle failing he that shall understand him speaking there of the outward writing and outward Tittles of the Law of it many Tittles and Books of which were lost before that and not of the light it self which is that Law the Letter is but a Copy of and of the word it self that Christ speaks which is that that is heard by his sheep onely in the heart and that comes immediately from his own mouth understands neither what he says nor whereof he affirmes yet in three places I. O. quotes it to evince the Integrity and Identity of every Tittle of the Text as 't was at first viz. p. 13.155.317 The Third is as little alias not one jot not Tittle to I. O's purpose viz. 1 Pet. 1.25 where Peter speaks no more of any outward Texts or Transcripts then if he had said nothing at all nor of such a corrupting thing as Manuscripts Texts and Transcripts Titles and dead Letters are but of the incorruptible seed the Word of God that liveth and endureth for ever ver 23. Even the word of the Gospel which was that word of faith Paul also writes of Rom. 10.8 which was preached by the Apostles and Testified to by them and their Scripture and Moses Scripture Deut. 30.14 and all outward Scripture that its nigh within in the heart and mouth The Fourth viz. 1 Cor. 11. no verse of which is quoted is so far from adding a cubit to I. O's cause about the Scripture that there 's no mention made of any Scripture at all thoroughout the whole Chapter so that what verse he should infer or scrue any thing from to evince the Scripture to be entire to a Tittle I can't imagine Paul tells of things he had delivered to them before which-whether it were by word of Mouth or Epistle he intimates not there but whether it were by Orall preaching or writing is much at one to I. O. for if by writing which serves I O. most yet he means not the writing it self or Epistle but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things he delivered as he
did to the Thessalonians 2. Thes 2. by word or Epistle and if I. O. will have it so that t was by a former Epistle then he serves me against T. D. and himself more than himself against me acknowledging the first Epistle of Paul to Corinth which he wrote before the first of the two we have and mentions 1. Cor. 5. to be Authentick and Canonical and so that a whole Canonical Epistle of that holy Apostle and that 's more than a Tittle or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is utterly lost The Fifth viz. Math. 28.20 Teaching them to observe whatever I command you and so I am with you alway even to the end of the world which way I. O. can from thence conclude a promise for every Tittle of inspired Scripture to be preserved for ever entire without losse or alteration I see not but I see one thing that if I. O. hobble but upon a Text of Scripture he thinks at a venture it must serve his Turn about the entirenesse and integrity of the Text and its Tittles though there be no mention of Scripture made at all in it for here 's none in this in which Christ bids them Teach the Nations to observe what he commanded them and that they did he promised then to be with them alway to the end of the world as he was and is ever with his people by his light word they being turned to it themselves but what 's all this to the Tittles of Hebrew and Greek Texts unlesse I. O. say they are the Christ that he meant when he laid I will be with you never did I see men in two Books so miserably wrest and mis-interpret Scripture on pretence of vindicating Scripture as T. D. and I. O. do Yea I. O. there is scarce any or but very few of all the Scriptures thou quotest in all thy Books but thou pervertest them more or lesse as T. D. does the most if not all he meddles with whether about the Scripture or the word or foundation or Rule or what ever else And as for these five last examined if thou hadst not sent me to them to that end I should as soon of my self have gone to seek a Dolphin in the woods as lookt into any one of them to find God promising in his love to his Church and Word and in order to the preserving of them both to be carefull to set his providence so on work as to lay the Transcribers of the Scriptures in the Hebrew and Greek Tongues but not the Translaâ—ors of them into other tongues in which yet his care and Love to his Church though not to the Clergy that trade out of their Original Texts would as much appear and his Truth and most mens souls are as much concerned and more too then in Hebrew and Greek Texts if the Scripture were the onely way to life under his loving aspect so as to see they should not misse nor falsifie in a Tittle though he would leave Translators out of the lists of that loving aspect to erre and corrupt as much as they would for howbeit I ken not the mystery of I. O's mind in this nor any Reason why if God love his Church and Word he should not in his care to preserve both oversee with a loving Aspect that Translators should not mis-translate as well as Transcribers not mis-transcribe yet I. O. allowes the loving Aspect of God to Transcribers but whether God himself do so or no I dare not say denying that great favour as in which his Church is much concerned as in the other to Translators for p. 334. speaking of the Chaldee Paraphrase he sayes thus viz. Seeing it hath not lain under any peculiar care and mercifull providence of God whether innumerable other faults be not get into it and errours not to be discovered by any varieties of Copies as it is happened with the Sepmagint who can tell No promise nor providence nor mercy nor loving aspect to the poor peoples Scripture still which is that of Translation onely for they cannot read Hebrew and Greek their part may go whither it will God looks not after it but such darlings do our Doctors and Clergy men deem themselves to be with God that his love care oversight promise providence and all is towards every Tittle of their Transcripts that they may trade with their Text and mete out what they will to men for money from it should any Qua. make such mad conclusions their Books would be good enough to be burned and thou I. O wouldst Iudge them no better Egregiam vero laudem spolia ampla refertis Tuque liberque tuus magnum memorabile nomen Having foild the Front-Guard of that Ragged Rout the Rest that have far lesse Reason in them if lesse can be are soon Routed Arg. the Second is the Religious care of the Church not of the Romish Synagogue sayst thou to whom these Oracles of God were committed Rep. What Church then if not the Remish Synagogue hath had that Commission of the Scriptures to her and that Religious care thou here talkst on to keep every Tittle of the Text entire without losse or change I do not say that the now Romane Harlot hath now or ever had in her Apostatical slate such a Commission of the Scripture to her as she pretends to as if they were the onely Trustees to whose care and custody the Text was committed of God for as to their proud prate and peculiar claim to such a preheminent power to be keepers and preservers of the Scripture I deny it nay with thy self in the 2.3.4.5 pages of thy Epistle I disown and damn their deceitfull pretence to such a trust reposed in them and if they had enjoy'd any such they have as thou sayest truly manifested a treacherous mind and falsified their Trust egregiously and so cannot stand in Judgement if called to account upon their own principles having indeed so far as they have had to do with the Scriptures altered added detracted depraved vitiated interpolated and done what not to corrupt them during the long time of their Dominus fac-totum-ship in whole Christendom about Scripture and every thing else ad extra that had any pretence toward the Truth and while the Scripture of the Old but the New Testament more specially seeing the Iewes reject it lay lockt up from all the Laity within the lines of her conclavical clerical Conemunication for though de jure they ought not so to have impropriated it but were Arrogant usurpers in so doing yet that de facto they had the grand Custody of that ye call your Canon and changed it as they pleased I should judge thee more silly then I am willing to do if thou shouldst deny it there being no visibly constituted Christian Church as to outward Order in all Europe that was other then a member of that blind Babylonish Body for at least a thousand years together But if that Church had not as I say
high unjust Adorations of it and as for the holy Truth that 's declared in it I have bought and paid so dear for that that no lesse then All that I had in the world of what sort soever lust pleasure honour riches or righteousnesse of mine is gone for the sake of it and to have all that ever I lost for it I would not sell it again yet All the Tittles and Letters Accents Iota's and Points which I. O. counts his such a rich possession p. 252. that are in All the Hebrew Bibles and Greek Testaments I have and I have more than one of each sort any one shall have of me for five pound and lesse money and the Books themselves to boot and that is lesse then the whole world and yet I shall hope to enjoy not a Tittle the lesse of the word of Truth that is therein told if I sincerely attend to the light the Letter calls to though I should never neither buy nor so much as look into any outward Copy of the Original Text more while I live And whereas I. O. sayes p. 163. somewhat sutably to what he sayes here that the Church of God doth now and hath for many ages enjoyed the Copies of the Original Languages as her chiefest Treasure I say that is one of the chiefest untruths that have been told yet among those many that he hath Treated out of that whole Treasury of Tales and vaÌ„in thoughts that are in his heart out of the abundance of which evil Treasury his mouth speaketh and pen bringeth forth evil things for though the Churches of mans constituting of which I. O. is yet a member and the Ministers of mens making at the Vniversities do now rejoyce in Transcripts Copies of the Hebrew and Greek Texts and Iota's and Points and Tittles and such like Toyes and Trappings and fruitlesse furniture as their chiefest Treasure rich possession and inheritance which they glory and blesse themselves in for the whole world will not he deprived of knowing that they must be deprived of all their worldly excellencies if they come once to part with them and do cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that all Truth tumbles to the ground if any jot and Tittle of their Original Texts and Hebrew punctation fail and they see no way to be delivered from utter uncertainty in and about all sacred Truth Ep. p. 25. in such wise as the Antichristian Churches did in darker times behind us and do still in the dark places of their several habitations count old mouldy Latine masse books and new moulded Engâ—ish Liturgies Letanies and Scottish Directories meliori â—ute of a little better mould yet then the other two a thousand fold before the best of which yet I prefer the Scripture Directory whether in its Original Transcripts or but Translations their chief spiritual treasure crying out that all true faith worship Church Word of God Religion and all is like to be utterly lost if these be taken away till the Remove of which Religion was never rightly found Yet the Church of God which is now the some that it was in substance before any Scripture at all was in rerum natura both ever did and doth still count Christ the Light and Life of whom the Letter onely Testifies her chiefest Ioy and Treasure Luk. 1.57 Joh. 8 56 and not the outward Text that doth but talk of him much lesse the meer Accidental Adventitious parts thereof quae possunt vel adesse vel abesse sine Scripturae interitu which as the whole Scripture it self may be either present or absent from without the corruption of the substantial Truth or word But whose Treasure the Scripture is or is not it 's little yea nothing to I. O's purpose to prove a non-mis transcription of the Scripture we see I. O. and many millions more make much of and more ado about every Tittle and lota of the Text then they need do at this day and yet with a non obstante to all that the variety of Lections are a thousand times twice told in Transcripts and Translations and if we will believe I. O. p. 16. frequent insinuations of an infinite number more are yet to be collected Arg. the Eighth as to the old Testament in particular is the care of Ezra and his companions in restoring the Scripture to its purity when it had met with the greatest tryal that ever it underwent in this world considering the paucity of Copies then extant Rep. Ezra and his companions care was as great no doubt as mans could well be in that case but ultra posse non est esse they could do no more then they could do as to the restoring the purity of the Scripture when corrupted and that 's Questionable whether they restored it so perfectly as not to leave out some Tittles or Iota's yea and whole Books too because they could not find them witnesse all those forenamed whole Prophecies that are wanting but what if their endeavours had succeeded so as to set all to rights as perfectly and exactly to a Tittle as 't was at first giving our might it not as likely and much more be corrupted vitiated altered in points Tittles and Iota's between Ezraes dayes and now through the many Tumbles Catastrophes Revolutions and greater changes of times and things then that of the Babylonish Captivity that have happened then in the dayes of its so long steady standing while it was reserved within the bounds and confines of the Iewish Church onely and yet here thou intimatest it to have been then exceedingly charged depraved and defective or else how could Ezra and his fellows be said to restore it to its purity thou art very hard put to it for a proof of the present integrity and purity of the Hebrew Text to a Tittle that goest two thousand years backward asserting that it was restored to its purity then and thence concluding that it stands as entire to a Tittle now as then it did thou mightst as well have gone a little higher and argued thus from before Ezra viz. the Hebrew Text was at first written by the Holy Penmen Moses David Isaiah and the other Prophets truly and according to the mind of the Spirit therefore it stands so entihe 〈◊〉 this day but thou seeing for all the Iewes great care to keep it thou makest such an Argument of it was much corrupted before Ezra therefore beginnest thy account of its integrity to a Tittle no higher then him in whose dayes thou deemest it was de novo most perfectly rectified ad amussim reckoning rashly as thou mostly dost and in no wise considering that thou hast no more but much lesse security against its alteration from Ezra downward to this day not knowing what heedlesse hands of carelesse Scribes it hath since come under then there was from Ezra â—â—â—ards from the time of its most pure giying out in which juncture yet it so fell out that as that which they found of it
not to be believed when she talks the Truth p. 225. So I may say of thee though I believe thee when thou speakest truth yet thou utterest so many untruths that thou scarcely deservest to be believed when thou tellest the Truth but yet if thou be of any credit with thy self and thou wilt but take thy own word then we are well enough and have wherewith to answer thy challenge having thy self in the self same Book we have here to do with speaking more then one word at least and that 's enough ad bominem to this purpose viz. that there was in the world a Copy of the Bible different from what we now enjoy in one word at least and that 's in more then Tittles which thou who art Callidus more then Callidus in thy Re frigida contendest for sith the Keri and Ketib those 840. words which are confest by thee to vary in their Consonants from what they should be written with if what is in the margin were in the line are confest by thee not to have been so from the beginning which if not then there was once a Copy different from what we now enjoy but of this thou wilt hear more from us by and by Secondly p. 300. thou sayest the difference in the sense taken in the whole context is upon the matter very little or none at all at least each word both that in the margin that in the line yield a sense agreeable to the Analogy of faith Rep. Here thou mendest thy bad cause as well as one can well do that makes it two-fold worse then 't was before for if there be welnigh a thousand words not onely different in Consonants which is greater then that of Tittles but also such as makes the least difference in the sense of the Spirit which how many so e're the Text may bear is acknowledged by all but your selves that make many to be but one alone ever to one word or place then thou thy self overturnest that certainty and Identity of not onely the Text it self thou so loudly contendest for but also in some measure of the Truth it self contained therein which we say is eternally entire let the Text run which way it will but thou here art forced to confesse that in the Keri and Ketib there 's not onely a variation in words but also thereby in the very sense it self And though thou wouldst fain mend it when thou hast done by mincing the matter making as if the Context considered the difference in the sense is upon the matter very little and agreeable either way to the Analogy of faith as ye often speak whereby if not blinded ye might see how for all ye call the Scripture your Rule of Faith yet ye more serne the Scripture into the sense of a suitablenesse to your modern devised model of faith still then suit and model your faith according to the true sense of the Spirit and mind of Christ in the Scripture yet that 's a meer false seeth and â—â—gment of thy own for in some places there arises from the Keri and Ketib a very vast variety not to say clear contrariety in the sense such as if the Context be consulted with is consistent with the faith but one way onely and not the other and sith thou puttest it to the tryall by the variety of those two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are the same in sound yet most distinct in their significations and so of all the varieties that are of this kind seeming to thee of the greatest importance of which it is observable that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose signification is not is fourteen or fifteen times put in the Text or line instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose signification is to him or it which is set in the margin I am willing to be tryed by that very variety that is of thy own naming the better to satisfie thee And whereas thou sayest that though these seem contrary one to the other yet wherever this falls out a sense agreeable to the Analogy of faith ariseth fairly from either word instancing in some places picke out by thee for thy own purpose I say if it do hold it s not worth a pin or point to the proof of what thou sayest if in any one of those fourteen or fifteen places it appear to the contrary and that it does let me be so bold fith thou instancest in two that are fittest for thee to instance but one that makes against thee and then I shall trouble my self no more with thy Keri and Ketib which would make one if not sick yet at least sorry for thee to see how sorrily thou shifts by it Isa. 9.3 thou hast multiplyed the Nation not encreased the joy say the Ketib or word in the Text but the Keri or word in the Margin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to it which marginal Reading though Translators following the mistake of the mis-transcribers keep to the Ketib is undoubtedly the true and onely sense of the Spirit for the reading in the line as it is in both Transcripts and Translation is considered with the Context a piece of meer non-sensicall contradiction thou hast encreased the Nation not encreased the Ioy they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest as men rejoyce when they divide the spoil what a jarre does the word not encreased the Ioy make in the sense of that verse yea it makes it meet confusion and contradiction to say the joy is not enlarged and yet it is enlarged like to that of men that rejoyce in harvest and at the dividing of the spoil but read it by the Keri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to it thus viz thou hast multiplyed the Nation thou hast encreased joy to it or its joy they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest as men rejoyce when they divide the spoil and then there 's no discord in the sound but it s all sweetly sutable and harmonious and agreeable to the Analogy of the true faith also Arg. thy Eleventh is The security we have that no mistakes were voluntarily or negligently brought into the Text before the coming of our Saviour who was to declare all things in that he not once reproves the Iewes â—n that Account when yet for their false glosses on the word be spares them not And this Argument is urged o're again p. 316 interrogatively thus viz. can it be once imagined that there should be at that time such notorious varieties in the Copies of the Scripture through the negligence of that Church and yet afterword neither our Saviour nor his Apostles take the least notice of it yea doth not our Saviour himself affirm of the word that was then among them Scripture with thee that not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should passe away or perish Rep. 1. Leave calling Christ thy Saviour as thou often dost till thou witnesse thy self saved by his grace from
wherewith thou standest out Pushing and Warring on in vindication of thy Assertion which looses ground more and more at the tayl of which thou again usherest in thy Conclusion viz. The Iewes silly superstitious sayings and doings which thou minglest with thy own shall we thinks as if thou didst not only justifie and side with them in their Absurdities but also build much as to the Evincing of thy Position thereupon there lacks little to be Replyed as to the Routing of them every one that hath any little solidity in him being easily capable to see and feel the foppicalnesse thereof yet at least I shall do thee so much Right who perhaps placest more in them then many a wise man would do as to nominate them The Iewes sayest thou pag. 169 170 171 173. have a Common saying That to alter one Letter of the Law is no lesse sin then to set the whole World on fire The truth is they are prodigious things that are Related of the Exact Diligence and Reverential Care of the Antient Jewes in this Work Ben Asher spent many years in the Careful Exact Writing out of the Bible Let any consider the things which they affirm to Prophane a Book or Copy One is if but one Letter be wanting and Another if but one Letter be Redundant and shall we think that is Writing it they took no more Care then a man would do in Writing out Aristotle or Plato Considering that the Word to be Transcribed was every Tittle and Iota of it The Word of the great God c. that if any failings were made innumerable Eyes of men owning their Eternal Concernment to lye in that Word were open upon it to discover it c. It is no hard work to prove their Care and Diligence to have out-gone that of Common Scribes of Heathen Authors Even among the Heathen we will scarce think that the Roman Pontifices going solemnly to Transcribe Sybills Verses would do it either negligently or Treacherously or alter one Tittle from what they found written And shall we entertain such Thoughts of them that knew they had to do with the living God in and about that which is dearer to him then all the World besides Let men then Clamour as they please and cry out of all as ignorant and stupid which will not grant the Corruptions of the Old Testament they plead let them propose their Conjectures of Mistakes crept into the Original Copies with their Remedies as Capellus We shall acknowledge nothing of this nature but what they can prove by undeniable and irrefragable instances which as to any thing done by them appears upon the matter to be nothing at all It can then with no colour of Probability be Asserted which yet I find some Learned men too free in granting namely that there hath the same Face attended the Scripture in its Transcription as hath done other Books Let me say without offence this Imagination seems to the to border on Atheism Surely the Promise of God for the Preservation of his Word with his Love and Care of his Church of whose Faith and Obedience the Word is the only Rule require other Thoughts at our hands We adde that the whole Scripture entire as given out from God without any losse is preserved in the Copies of the Originals yet remaining What varieties there are among the Copies themselves shall be afterwards declared in them all we say is every Letter and Tittle of the Word Reply Because the Children of the Letter of the Old Testament nor of the Gospel the Spirit and the New are so sortish and senslesse as to surmise that the bare Copies of the Letters and Points and Tittles and loâ—aes are dearer to God then all the World besides so that its a greater sin to mis-transcribe one Letter by either Alteration Ablation or Addition which change by Deficiency or Redundancy may befal the most Critical Curious Careful Scribe that ever was does prophan a Copy so that it s not the Holy Scripture for Prophane and Holy are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is as great a sin and a matter of as much moment as the fiâ—ing the whole World and upon such uncircumcised Conceits are men Excrementiâ—ously exact and diligent to very doâ—age and careful of Pins Points Vowels Accents Tittles Iotaes Apices and Letters of the Text ad Extra not Tantamount to the least of the Truths therein contained no not to so â—uch as Tyth while the Law for it stood of Mint Anâ—is and Commin to utter Carelesnesse of the grand Truths and reverentially respectful to their Book as they were of old to their Brazen Serpent of as divine Original and to as divine an end as the Letter is to very idolatry and spending their time in tedious transcribings of every Apex to the very total loss of many years from the more weighty matters of Judgement Mercy Righteousnesse Faith and Truth which the Text doth but testifie of and prodigious to very Superstition I say because that blinded Generation of men viz. the Iewes whom sometimes thou seemest to tax for their undue Veneration of the Letter and over-weenings of it pag. 236. and to set them at nought as men feeding themselves all their dayes with vain Fables addicted to figments profoundly Ignorant Idolatrous full of foolish Contradictious Triflings bewitched with their Dunghilly Traditions doing how seriously of nothing how Childishly in serious things fools sots froth smoke nothing whose sayings and doings are no more to be heeded then that of wick'd blind mad-men c. pag. 236 239 242 243 246 247. do so adore the letter and dote on the Tittles of it must thou needs be foolish and doting and sottish and superstitious and Idolatrous and so Childishly serious in taking up thy Time and Thoughts so totally and piningly after Toyes and Trifles and Iots and Tittles together with them Vin tu Curtis Judaeis oppedere c. Wilt thou sometimes flert at the Iewes Fancies and Fopperies and odde Conceits and over-curious Carriages of themselves in Boyes Toyes and at that which is the fruit of their fidling minds as not fit to be any other then forgotten and yet forget thy self so other whiles as to entertain their vain Thoughts so as to own them as thine own and own them as thy grounds and foundations to frame thy Arguments upon so as both â—o think the same with them and from thence to impose upon the thoughts and faith of others for if thou judg them ridiculous why dost thou alledge them in so serious a Case as thou dost and if thou justifie them art thou not one with them and because thou think'st as they so superstitiously think and from thence thrusts out thy confident Conclusions in that thy wonted Interrogative way of shall we think this and that shall we entertain such Thoughts can it be imagined c. or if positively then thus it is not unprobable it can with no colour of probability be Asserted this or that
his Expressions over all bounds and limits of sobriety rather then deny himself downrighthly so as to expose himself Obvious to all as one that hath been ignorant and that he may render the ridiculousnesse of his lost Labours as remote as may be from the observation of the many let the fruit and Issue be what it will he will seem to own and stand to them to the utmost Apex as long as possible he can that he doth not Resign up the Truth of his Arch Assertion but upon Honourable Terms and with certain Limitations Restrictions Distinctions Reserves to himself and upon Articles and Grants back again to him from his Antagonists as though they help not much to heal and cure his Cause from sinking yet shall serve at least as Drums beating Trumpets sounding Colours flying Bullet i' th Mouth Bag and Baggage use to do to keep up the half-crack'd Credit of Conquered Fort-Keepers to salve the Credit and Reputation of the wrestling Rabbi The said Grants are on this wife viz. Though the Point at first propounded positively and treated and insisted on very earnestly to be proved was that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Copies which we have do contain every Iota that was in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first Writing both of Moses and the Prophets and also of the Apostles and Evangelists pag. 13. Yea every Letter and Tittle of the Old Testament without Corruption and entire without various Lections pag. 14 16 18 19. and what is spoken thus of the Old Testament must be affirmed also quoth I.O. of the New p. 27. And pag 153. The Scripture of the Old and New Testament are preserved unto us entire to the least Iota or Syllable in the Original Languages And pag. 173. That the whole Scripture entire as given out without any losse is preserved in the Copies yet remaining Yet pag. 167. he sayes It is known it is granted that failings have been among Transcribers and that various Lections are from thence risen and we are ready to own all their failings that can be proved p. 169. so notwithstanding what hath been spoken we grant quoth I.O. p. 178 that there are and have been various Lections in the Old Testament and the New As for the Old among the many other he instances in which I have also spoken a little to above he sayes of these of Ben Asher and Ben Nepthali thus pag. 179. viz in their exact Consideration of every Letter Point and Accent of the Bible wherein they spent their lives it seems they found out some varieties Reply 1. An unprofitable improvement of mens whole Lives that live no more according to the Scripture then I.O. sayes the IEWES do as honourably as he seems to speak here of it for his own ends 2. There are some Varities then it seems though thou canst find none or else they could not have found them I.O. sayes Of those Various Readings of the East and Western Jewes that he is Ignorant of them and can't a while to look much after them to inform himseâ—f of their Original and all that he knowes of them is that such there are and appear in Bombergius his Bible pag. 180. Reply Whereby I.O. Confesses himself to be no competent Person to make any Creditable Censure of them so that save that he Credits Capellus whom he credits little when he speaks Truths that make against I.O. that they are not so they may be very momentary for ought I.O. knowes As to the New Testament besides what I.O. sayes Epist. pag. 27. viz. That he evidently finds various Lections in the Greek Copies which we enjoy and so Grants that which Ocular Inspection evinces to be true His whole Third Chapter of his Second Treatise is Totally taken up with Treating of them in which he grants ore and ore again That there are various Lections yea he is sain to Confesse pag. 188 189 That of the various Lections in the Copies of the New Testament Protestants for the most part have been the chiefest Collectors of them and that though at first very few were observed yet now they are swell'd into such a Bulk that the very Collection of them makes up a Book bigger then the New Testament it self And pag. 190. That there are in some Copies of the New Testament and those some of them of some good Antiquity diverse Readings in things and words of lesse Importance is acknowledâ—ed And pag. 191. That so many Transcriptions as there are of the New Testament should be made without some variations is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. impossible Repâ—y All which if it be not a point blank giving of the Point and Position at first Propounded to be proved viz. That there is no Change or Alteration in the least Iota or Syllable from what they were at first in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament pag. 153. The proof whereof also was for a while more frivously and fiercely then forcibly followed and prosecuted and if contrary to the said Assertion it be not an yielding that there is much Change Alteration and various Lection then I know not what a Resignation or Rendring up of a Cause is or else understand not well what I.O. means but mistake him to be one that means as he sayes while he sayes one thing and means another matter Notwithstanding by one means or other but fair or fowl hook or crook right or wrong effectual or weak concurring or self-contradicting is much at one with I.O. he lifts up himself again but alittle too late having perforce once yielded so far to look after his lost Assertion again to recover it and if possible to try one touch more to see if he can make it stand up in its former strictnesse wherein at first he laid it down And so in one of his wonted fits of dangerlesse fear least his giving way so much should create a Temptation to his Reader that nothing is left sound and entire in the Letter which he falsly calls the Word of God and his only perfect Rule stable Bottom true and sure Foundation pag. 193. He Summons his Sentence back into its first Rigidity saying and that not out of Hopes but that some may be so foolish as to believe him that with them that rightly ponder things all his own Confessions and other Protestants professions notwithstanding there ariseth nothing at all to the prejudice of his Assertion Yea all that yet appears impairs not in the least the Truth of our Assertion That every Tittle and Letter quoth he remaines in the Copies preserved pag. 181. The Grounds which he judges his Assertion viz. That there 's no Alterations or various Lections in Tittles and Letters to stand firm upoâ— notwithstanding all his Grants that there are many various Lections in the present Copies of the Oâ—iginal are the small Number the small Time of standing in the World and the small importance of those various Lections and Alterations that are On these small
learned Collectors of various Lections pag. 196 197 in Oâ—ere longo obrepsit somnus and that while he had his hands and mind busied about many Things sundry mistakes did fall into his Work of Disproving various Lections 3. What intendest thou I.O. by that Clause if any various Readings shall be gathered where no mistake can be discovered as their Cause they deserve to be considered Is there any various Lection that mistake in Transcribing is not the cause of Where there various Readings of one Text to be found in the Writing as given out from God at first Was there not Identity and perfect exact likenesse to it self in every Text Term and Tittle of Scripture when 't was written And if there be any varieties now as there are not a few are not those very varieties so many as they are so many mistakes and is it not the Position it self to be vindicated by thee against all those whom in the wildnesse of thy heart thy hand is against that there are no mistakes befallen the Scripture nor such miscariages as befel the Transcribers of Heathen Authors p. 168 See also 167. and pag. 171. Let men sayest thou propose their Conjectures about the Mistakes they pretend are crept into the Original Copies we will acknowledge nothing c. And pag. 177. We have security that no Mistakes were in the Text before the coming in of our Saviour So 191. To relieve their Mistakes c. So 343 345. So pag. 18. in all which places he whose eyes are in his head may see how thou makest Mistakes and Corruptions Mistakes and Errours Mistakes and Falsifications Synonomaes and yet here p. 180. thou makest as if there were various Lections where there 's no Mistake as their Cause And also pag. 192. Thou quarrellest with the Appendix to the late many Tongu'd Bible in that therein whatever varying Word Syllable or Tittle wherein any Book varieth from the common received Copy though manifestly a Mistake superfluous or deficient inconsistent with the sense of the place yea Barbarous is presently imposed as a various Lection And pag. 199. it is sayest thou against all pretence of Reason that every Mistake should be admitted as a various Lection in which self-same page thou renderest Copies corrupted or mistaken as all one And pag. 200. speaking of different places To what end sayest thou should the minds of men be troubled with them or about them being evident mistakes of the Scribes as if mistakes of the Scribes were one thing and Corruption or various Readings from the first Copy were another Was there ever the like piece of Confusion and meer Mangonization of Matters made before by any Master in Israel as this which is here made by thee I.O. who one while makest Mistakes and various Lections one and the same and otherwhiles makes them Two Things so that though they do ever ponere se invicem yet often it s so with thee that posito uno non ponitur alterum Surely whether various Lections and Mistakes be in that Text of Scripture or no and whether various Lections and Mistakes be all one or no here 's both various Lections Corruptions Confusions self Contradictions and abominable grosse Mistakes also in thy talk about the varieties and mistakes of the Letters Transcribing and such an uncouth unhewen indigested disjointed incongruous unharmonious tottered kind of Round-about discourse as no reasonable man ever ran in and no reasonable man can find either head or raylin insomuch that should any Quakes have uttered the Tyth of that Confusion that thy Speech in this matter abounds with thou wouldest have said and justly too what thou unjustly chargest them with in thy Latine Letter ad Lectorem viz. that their Speech is so Crude and nonsensical that thou canst not well perceive their meaning I shall therefore here again as before I have done and might do of Twenty more places of thy Book not without good Cause bespeak thee much-what in thy own words of the Quakers Quiâ— Sermonem illum quo hic uteriâ— bene intelligat Quis inconditum illum verborum sonum omni sano sensu vacuum quo non tantum omnibus aliis qui veritatem asserunt sed ipse tibi in dicendo contradicâ—â—e videris mente percipere possit Epist. ad Lectorem Ex. 3. S. 17. Quaenam sit Tua de diversis Scripturae Lectionibus haud facile quis declarabit praeaâ—erquam enim quod Sermones tui inter se non Conveniant ita ineptè atque odiose in explicando animi tui sensu garris dubiae incertae significationis vocibus ludis nihil sani sensus aut quod ab ullis sanae mentis intelligi possit continentibus ut multo facilius sit argumenta tua profligare quam mentem percipere imo cum Turpis inhonesta est vel ipsam non Palam Eloqueris vel verbis itae consutis consarcinatis ut nibil paene omnino significent eam mangâ—nizas atque ita inscite consilium Sermonibus obtenebrans nibil magis cavere videris quam ne intelligaris Who is able to make any thing of that raw self Contradicting kind of Talk thou tracest to and fro in devoid of all sound Sense uncertain doubtful undistinct patcht together cloudy foolish Childish unsavoury as if thou tookest care more to hide thy meaning then to speak it out plainly or make it manifest as if bâ— Foring and Poking so long into Pococks Miscellanyes thou hadst left thy eyes behind thee there and contracted to thy self some certain Miscellaneous Spirit that cannot tell how to distinguish any thing but mingles all things together into a disorderly Masse and immethodically Messe of impertinent Confusion But to let it passe and proced to an Observation of the rest of thy poor put offs in this kind whereby though-thou grantest various Lections yet thou little lesse then denyest it again that there are any that can properly be so denominated How deservedly is this to be Noted to the shame of thy Confusion and of thy self Conâ—ounding self in it that thou struglest and yieâ—dest and struglest and yieldest and then struglest again like a drunken minded man that reeleth and staggereth to and fro in his vomit in most places of thy Book wherein thou handlest the Point of various lections For as pag. 13 14. thou first sayest That your Copies contain every jot that was in the fâ—â—st without alteration of one Tittle then that it s no doubt but there are some diverse Readings or various Lections in the Copies ye enjoy Then again That the whole is preserved without Corruption in every Letter and Tittle Then again That there is variety in the Copies ye have But then again and that 's the final Resolution of the whole matter which stands to salve all from sinking That where there are any varieties fallen out by Gods permission thereof it s alwayes in things of lesse indeed of no importance So pag. 198 199 200 201 after many Grants
his Transcripts and Greek and Hebrew Copies and the absolute integrity thereof to a Tittle that the sole and final dissolution determination and discovery of all saving doctrine and distinct discerning and knowledge of all sacred Truth from cunningly devised fables does dâ—â—â—rd â—holly and alone upon the outward Greek and Hebrew writing and Scripture of it and that so necessarily and eternally that upon any corruption supposed therein that Truth Doctrine can't unquestionably be supposed to câ—â—â—â—ue entire and uncorrupt but must be consequently supposed to be without any other principle means rule or measure of judging recovering rectifying it and to be for ever â—medilâ—sly brought to nought p. 18. 68. Shall we think because I O. so thinks and sâ—lliâ—y supposes so that to suppose corruptions to have befallen his undoubtedly yea confessedly corrupted Copies and the same fate to have befallen the Hebrew and Greek Bible in its Transcribing that hath befallen other Books in theirs is a Plea unreasonable in it self devoid of all reall ground of Truth injurious to the Love and Care of God over his Word and Church in a high degree and an imagination bordering on Atheism asserted on deliberation p 18. 173 Surely the improvidence oscitancy negligence ignorance unskilfulnesse and carelesnesse that may as groundedly be supposed to have been if there was never so much care and diligence in others of them in some of the Scribes that have copied out the Scriptures as well as in some Printers that have printed them and in some Transcribers of Heathen Authors and the non-evidence of any promise of God to take any of the Scripture Transcribers under such a loving Care and Aspect as I.O. ascribes to them and I O's own concession of them being not any of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallible but under possibilities of mistakings and I O's confessions and grants and acknowledgements that known failings have been amongst them and that various Lections are from thence risen 167 169. and that some of those are of importance consisting of superfluity and redundancy of unnecessary and deficiency of necessary words which is destructive to the sense and arising out of Copies apparently corrupted and notoriously corrupted by old Hereticks and many more matters then are fit to repeat o're again do require other thoughts at our hands Shall we think because I.O. so thinks very cogitantly but little cogently to us conjectures that if the Points be mans invention and the Text under alteration as undoubtedly it is and therefore all the Priests Religion who live on the naked Texts and their own Traditions and not the Truth it self is at a losse however that then all is likely immediately utterly and remedilesly to perish for ever viz. Church Word of God Doctrine Truth certainty of the Gospel Gods promise Providence and care of his eternal incorruptible good and acceptabâ—e mind will and pleasure Life Spirit Light Law yea that all this and much more is little lesse then eternally undone as to our knowledge of them so that God himself can find no other sufficient means having tryed already quoth I.O. the insufficiency of all other before to save all these thing from corrupting but that of a perishing uncertain flexible at mans will fallible changeable meer dead to the light novell corruptible mouâ—dâ—ing and in its first Manuscripts already long since mou'dred moth eaten and corrupted Letter p. 12. surely the promise of God for the preservation of his word which was before the Letter and will be after it induring for ever so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one jot or Tittle of it shall never fail what ever become of all the jots and Tittles of the Letter and his Providence Love and Care of his Church of whose faith and obedience that word of his in the heart and not the Letter both was now is and ever will be the onely Rule require other thoughts at our hands p. 173. Shall we think because I.O. faâ—sly so thinks that such a fallible flexible alterable and corruptible thing as the Letter is by I. O's own confession not in its Translations onely but in the very Original Transcripts which is the onely businesse he is so busie about and so bestirs himself to bustle for is that which can justly claim and supreamly challenge to it self those preheminent Titles excellent properties extraordinary effects peculiar prerogatives marvellous successes c. which I. O attributes thereuunto throwout his first English Treatise and Latine â—hesâ— also wherein under that glorious name of the Word of God by which yet as by that which he undertakes to prove to be it's proper name he as if not more ordinarily denominates it then by its own and oneâ—y proper name of Scripture he magnifies the Text as to those Hebrew and Greek Copies of it he is pleased to crown as the Canon and set his stamp upon as the Standard while he stigmatizes not onely all Translations as mens own Altars and altered things that must not stand as the Standard by the Posts and high Altar of his said unalterable Copies but other Copies also as novel spurious and noâ—â—â—iously corrupted above all that hath any being under God insomuch that he cannot likely utter more concerning it in way of exaltation unlesse he should extoll it so far as to stile it God himself So I have done at present with I. O's unprofitable prate about the preciousnesse profitablenesse and divine Original of his high prized possession of the Hebrew punctation and with his peremptory Postâ—â—n and absolutely absurd Assertion of the non-corruption of his Canonized Copies of the Original Text to a Tittle which howbeit I have scarce gone above half so far as I might in discovering the deep dotage and folly that is to be found in his mingled management and miserable mangâ—nization of those matters yet I have gone farther by the hall then I should have done considering how far off all such husky chaffy accomplishments as those Pedantick parts of the Letter are from that wherein the Life of God chiefly lyes viz. the Spirit Light and Word that 's nigh in the heart and how little concernment the more substantial parts of the meer outward Text are of thereto in comparison of them much more such Accidentals as the meer figure of the Accents and Vowels But onely that I found I.O. manifesting his foppery so far as to render these Ticklish things of such eminent Tendency to the saving knowledge of all sacred Truth as to give them out to be the most reall Rule stable standard Gospel guides grand ground chief infallible foundation of all in which respect though otherwise it is little lesse then loathsome to me to leave the life I live in the enâ—oyment of my self with God to meddle so much in such muddy matters yet in service to the Truth and in love to the soules of the Schoolmen and Scribes that they may see the sandy fickle fâ—undation they build and
true participation of the others essential properties or nature so that â— like the Fisâ— Caepia that being pursued by its adversaries flings a flood of black inky stuff behind it to hide it self from being seen and taken by a blind blending and cloudy confounding of things together which being treated of formaliter and discoursed of divisim each under its own peculiar form and proper name and nature both thy own folly and the falseness of thy propositions should be discovered yea by pidling and pedling and playing fast and loose thou seem'st to puzzle the minds and put out the eyes of such as shall ever prosecute thee for thy rotten principles insomuch that I may truly say of thee what thou untruly utterest concerning the Qua. pag. 69. of thy Latine Tract viz. Quaenam sit horum hominum sententia haud facile quis declarabit c. And so mutatis mutandis turning all thy Verbs out of the 3 d. person Plural into the 2 d. person singular I may safely sing back to thee in thy own words as follows viz. What thy mind J.O. is in this Question Whether the Scripture be the Word of God or no one can hardly declare for besides that thou agreest not with thy self thou dost so foolishly and nauseously prate in the opening of thy mind and meanings and playest about in words of an uncertain and dubious signification and usest for the most part certain forraign phrases containing no sâ—und sence that can well be understood by any that are well in their wits which are enough either to astonish or bewitch unskilful men so that it 's more easie to confute thy Arguments then conceive thy meaning yea when thy Opinion is so foul and dishonest that if the fair pretences and covers be removed and it distinctly unfolded it sufficiently destroyes it self amongst all honest men that are not openly dishonest endeavouring what thou canst so delude either thou speakest is not out openly or else manglest it to pieces in such a sticht and patcht up forme of speech that can signifie well-nigh nothing at all and so darkening thy Counsel by words without knowledge thou seemest to be afraid of nothing more then least thou shouldst be understood In such wise as this I.O. dost thou proceed in thy present Paper Works that are now under Examination having in thy hast heedlesly uttered forth some faucied high-flown falsities about the bare Letter and meer outside of the Scriptures and every Tittle and transcribed Iota thereof viz. That these are the true spiritual Light and Authoritative Powerful Word of God and such like and after fearing the falshood of such forward expressions from which as most of thy fellow wise men are in the like case who though they are foolish and ignorant enough yet of all things in the world are loath to seem and even abhor to be accounted so to be thou art ashamed totally to recede and recant so as altogether to go back which rather then do when ye are once over Shooes thou and thy generation chuse to be over Boots also thou staggerest and reelest now this way now that and to mend and moderate the rigidity of thy Positions about the Scripture for the saving of thy credits sake as far Salva celâ—itudinis ac celeberrimae sapientiae tâ—ae gloriâ as is consistent with thy credit another way thou wheelest about and frequently foisting in the Predicate into the place of the Subject and that Term the Word of God in the room where this Term only viz. the Scripture should stand even while thou art but in thy proof of the Scripture to be the Word thou darknest thy counsel by words utterly without knowledge and rendrest thy self ambedextrously and ambiguously that thy Reader may not well read thy meaning in what thou writest nor whether when thou avowest the Scripture to be the Word of God and powerful c. thou intend'st the Scripture it self that one individual thing call'd the Letter or Writing which alone is the very formality of the Scripture or the other individual thing which is not at all the outward Scripture though so called often by thee viz. That Word of which the Scripture only speaketh for one while thou singlest out that grand subject of thy Dispute i. e. the Scripture and setting it apart from the Doctrine Faith Divine Truth and VVord it writes of seemest as if all along thou wouldest discuss the things thou praedicatest of it under that single notion of its being an external Writing apart from the Doctrine and Word of Faith written of therein as Tr. 1 C. 1. S. 12 13. expressing thy self thus viz. not onely the Doctrine in it but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very writing writings book it self is so and so thereby leading thy Reader up and down by the Nose up into the air into a high expectation of thy handling the Scripture formally quatenus Scripta as a Writing as written which is the onely subject promised to be treated on and for in the Title pages and of thy proving it as suchâ— to be the Word and mighty power of God from whence thou tumblest him down again and frustrating those his former expectations other while conjangletim thou jumblest these two as Synonomaes into one in many such or the like expressions viz. the writing or wâ—rd written the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Doctrine as written and Tr. 1. C. 4. S. 2. the Scripture or written VVord of God and S. 6. Now the Scripture the VVord of God is light the innate Arguments that the Word of God is furnisht withall for its own manifestation contain the full or formal grounds of our answer to that question why we receive the Scripture see how these terms are twisted one into another to be the word of God Tr. 1. C. 4 S. 1. Thus thou usest them so promiscuously as if they being with thee entirely one 't were indifferent and no matter at all which of the two thou expressest thy self by saying sometimes the Scripture is a light a moral and spiritual not a natural Light as Tr. 1 C. 4. S. 8 9. The Scripture makes a proposition of it self as the VVord of God Tr. 1. C. 4. S. 14. for the proof of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures if the Booke be brought to him or them that acknowledge it not c. the VVord there thou goest off again left with them it will evidence it self S. 15. The Scripture it enroll'd among things that are able to evidence themselves S. 16 17. Iâ— i.e. the Scripture is absolutely called the Power of God S. 18. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament do abundantly and uncontroulably manifest themselves to be the Word of the living God so that meerly upon that account of their proposal of themselves to us in the Name and Majesty of God as such without contribution of help or assistance from any thing else without themselves we are obliged upon the penalty of
eternal damnation as all are to whom by any means they came or are brought to receive them with that submission of soul which is due to the Word of God T. 1. C. 2. S. 5. The Scripture being brought unto us it doth evidence it self infallibly to our Consciencet to be the Word of the living God T. 1. C. 4. S. 2. If the Question be VVhether the Doctrines proposed to be believed are truths of God or fables we are sent to the Scripture it self and that alone to give the determination T. 1. C. 3. S. 16. Surely men will not say the Scripture hath its power to command in the Name of God from anything but it self T 1. c 2. s. 6. Them that own the Booke whereof we speak to be the Word of God T. 1. c. 3. s. 12. How know we that the Scripture is the Word of God How may others come to be assured thereof the Scripture say we beares testimony to it self that it is the Word of God T. 1. c. 4. s. 31. And in thy two Treatises which treat all along of the Text thou tellest it more loud-lye that every letter and tittle that they were transcribing and to be transcribed of the Old Testament by the Jews was part of the Word nay the Word of the great God wherein the eternal concernment of souls doth lye These and much more ejusdem furfuris are the wayes wherein thy minde makes out it self sometimes sometimes again as if thou wert somewhat sensible of having not a little overshot thy self by thy too too eminent expressions and lofty undertakings for the naked scriptures which can never possibly be made good of them to palliate all thy proud boastings and broad shews and too too ample settings out of a bare body or bulk of Letters and â—â—ward Writings thou drawest thy neck out of the Collar wherein it hung slylie flink'st away and shrinkest back standing like Caesar at Rubicon with one foot over he Dote-fel and the other on this side saying Yet I may go on and by and by Yet I may go back not resolved which way to betake thy self whether to go on in thy high and hasty undertakings for the Scripture upon that old single score of its being but barely Scripture least thy proof should not hold at so high a rate or whether to double thy files by bringing them two both into one again that were sometime sundred viz. the Scripture and the Doctrine or Word of truth it treats of the outward Writing and the Word of Faith within that is written of which could not be made appear consider'd sigillatim or apart to be both of them the Word of God and at last though that be bad enough there being no better way in the sight of one that loving the praise of men more then the praise of God is loath among men to be mock't at as the builder that begins and cannot carry it to an end having another string to thy Bow thou strengthenest thy weake business what thou art able furtively clapping a greater glory light power and honour in respect of titles about that dark dead weak and naked body of the writings then that which considered by it self it can duely and lawfully challenge Notwithstanding thy unwary assertions not onely elsewhere but also Ex. 1. S. 26 27. viz. That scriptura hoc verbi Dei nomen sibi vendicaâ— The scripture challengeth this Name of the Word of God unto it self even that of the inward living Word of God it self to which alone all that glory and those glorious Names by right are due and not to the Letter and were due before the Letter was when thou hast laid the true unchangeable inward truth and Word of God instead of the Letter the outward and thy outwardly beloved Changeling and subtilly shrowded it under that name and notion of the Word of God which is the very thing in question and the name to be disputed on whether it be due to it or no and is as much still denied by us as it is by a piece of sophistical thievery taken by thee to be its undoubted right before it be either proved by thee or by us or any but Ignoramus himself granted to theâ—â— Then O come let us sing a new song thou marchest forward again 〈◊〉 driving on thy self same Old Dispute concerning a new stol'n different Subject which is now prest to serve as both thy Subject and thy praedicate and to supply the proper place of both which being denominated and praedicated all along of it self all thou sayest of it is most undoubtedly true and uncontroulably thou carryest all clear before thee crying it up to this purpose viz. that of a truth the Word of God is a light the Word of God is living the word of God is perfect of Divine Authority the Word is the most glorious light in the world a shining illuminating light preferr'd abâ—uâ— that of the sun c. the Word of God is furnisht with innate Arguments for its manifestation of it self i e. to be the Word of God There is in the dispensation of the Word an evidence of truth commending it self â—â— the consciences of men some receive not this evidence is it for want of Light in the Truth it self No that is a glorious Light that shines into the hearts of men Where-ever the Word comes by what means soever it hath in it self a sufficiency of Light to evidence it self to all that Authority of God its Author Which Authority is with I.O. its power to command as the Word of God The Word makes a sufficient proposition of it self where-e ver it is He that hath the witness of God need not stay for the witness of man for the Witness of God is greater Where-ever the Word is received indeed as it requireth it self to be received and is really assented to at the Word of God it hath its power of manifesting it self so to be from its own innate Light thy VVord is Truth c. s. 14. Thou hast magnified over all thâ— Name the Word thou hast spoken the Name of God is all that whereby he makes himself known yet over all this God magnifies â—his Word c. T. 1. C. 4. sect 15. Leave the Word with men and is it evidence not it self unto their consciences it is because they are blinded In all which sentences and many more that might be mentioned there 's no mention of the scriptures by the old true Term of the scriptures though that Name is interwoven too in wel-nigh every page to denote that although the Discourse that is in proof of their being the Word of God is driven on in their behalf under that new Name of the Word of God yet by that word the Word we may know that by I.O. the Scriptures are still intended but as if the sole use of that single Name of Scriptures might prove too weak a term to venture the stress of the whole
Cause upon and too empty an Engine to carry it by it s carryed along also under that more trusty term of the Word of God by which Name I.O. by a thing call'd Petitio Principij granting himselfe leave to call the Let ter before it 's given undertakes to prove it to be the Word of God and most uncontroulably proves it so to be so far as the Letter he calls the Word of God is really so though for all his seeming to himself to have won all not one jot farther then it s so indeed that indeed is not at all having gotten such a noun substantive as the true Word of God is which can stand by it self under its own Name of the VVord of God without objection in all propriety of speech and signification and is every way able to evidence it self to be the VVord of God and is seen felt heard of them that heed it and understood not denyed so to be by the Qua. to stand by his noun adjective assertion of the scripture so to be which cannot stand by it selfe under that Name in any propriety of speech or sound sence reason or signification then he runs an end nemine c ontradicente none opposing or withstanding him in his progress nor however reserving alwayes a liberty to themselves to dissent as they see occasion from his meaning so much as once gain-saying him in his terms with a hideous Hue and Cry for the Word of God striving to restore it by his over-often repetitions of it to that title which it never lost among the Qua. who being begotten and born again into the Image of God by it are by whom onely it stands truly justified â— the children of it and of the Truth scribling it over with all his might the Word of God the Word of God the Word of God is a Light and the Word of Life the Word of God is the powerful and living and efficacious Word of God the Word of God is the Word that dwells and dives within the heart the word of God doth evidence it self to be and therefore is without controle the Word of God yea thus with a non obstante to all that deny the word to be the word which are none at all J.O. if it may be first granted him that the Scripture is the Word will undertake to prove it beyond without all further question to be the word Thus JO. howbeit by that terme the Word of God he means the Scripture all along in his book saving in one place where he calls the Word essential and effective yet as if he had utterly forgot that his business is to prove the Scripture to be the Word of God as if he had remembred himself after he was entred that his proof would not hold out without a palpable appearance of piteous weakness if he should have prosecuted it throughout under that terme of Scripture takes his predicate and makes that his subject also and in terminis goes all along asserting and assuring us the word of God is un doubtedly the word of God yea Tr. 1. cap. 2. sect 14. he goes on to prove that the word of God doth evidence it self to be of God and is of as much or more excellency and efficacy then his works and innate light to reveal God and give the knowledge of his will not so much as once mentioning the letter or Scripture at all which is the subject he there takes on him to speak of in all the following sections to the Chapters end so be labouring him all along to prove another question then that he affirmed viz. that the word is so and so when his business was to have proved the Scripture to be the known word of God for who denies that the word of God is assuredly his word but that the letter is that word is that which is denied and by him undertaken to be proved yet on he goes in his wonted blundring manner upon that term the word of God the word is undoubtedly evident to be the word making that both Suject and Predicate whereas he should have said all along if the light and Gods outward works do so much more doth the Scripture or the letter evidence it self to be the Word of God so giving his Reader no more to understand what his meaning is but that we know it some way else nor which is which by any distinction in his found or shewing when he speaks of the Scripture which is the Copy of it or the word it self which is that in the heart declared of in Scripture which he was to prove the Scripture to be then the Welch-man that being to give evidence before a Court between two that were fighting who began and was most in fault answered no otherwise then in this confused manner viz. If Him had struck Him as Him did Him either Him had killed Him or Him Him without any indignation of which of the two he meant either this or that by any or by all of his many Hims In this confused indistinct manner doest thou J.O. dispute for the Scriptures being and appearing to be the word of God so that none but folk knows what thou pleadest for viz. whether the Scripture it self singly and formally considered about which the controversie is whether it be the word of God or no or the Word of God it self about which no controversie iâ— at all with the Qu. â— who own Gods Word to be his Word yea draw up all thy Rambling matter into a closer form and thy Arguments which though thou call but some of them Inarteficial and the rest Arteficial yet are in truth the most inarteficial ones that ever I saw fall from the hands of an Artist or ever heard called truely by the name of Arguments into a nearer compass and set them in a true fair syllogistical form and order and they will appear either most false or foul or disorderly or sophistical or deformed Reader for a taste take one or two of J. O.'s mediums letting alone the examination of the strength and force of his Arguments whether such as he calls Arteficial or Inartificial and of their true consequence or inconsequence as to the Scriptures appearing to be the word to its due placeâ— and see what a mamockâ— kinde of matter they make or amount to as J.O. orders or rather disorders his matters by his impostural intruding of one subject in place of another and thrusting in of that terme the Word of God which is the main thing predicated of the Scriptures to stand instead of that terme the Scriptures of which it is by him predicated and to be proved both in esse reali cognoscibili Ex. 1. sect 1. that they are and are assuredly known to be the VVord of God and so properly to be called Having first in T. 1. cap. 1. sect 25. laid the divine original of the Scripture as the Basis of all his Babylonish building and as he saith T.
1. c. 2. s. 3. opened the manner of the Words coming forth from God to prove the Scriptures of the old and new Testament to be the VVord of God much of which makes against himself at large in a long Train of perplexive prittle prattle throughout his whole second third and fourth Chapters from the self-evidencing property and efficacy of the Scriptures which aforehand still he calls the VVord of God but to shut it all up together in short to this purpose viz. That which evidenceth it self to be the Word of God that is and is known assuredly to be the Word of God But the Word of God doth evidence it self unto us to be the Word of God therefore the Word of God is and is known assuredly to be the Word of God The minor in this Syllogisme none denieth it being true in those termes it here stands in◠yet it is false and sophistical as falling from him who by that term the Word of God in the sore part of the Proposition means the Scriptures the utter falshood of which minor and so consequently of the conclusion which is now true but aliud a negato would have too plainly appeared if he had not sophistically placed that subject i.e. the Word of God as it stand formost in both in the room of the right subject i.e. the Scriptures or if he had not changed his minor term but exprest himself thus viz. But the Scriptures do evidence themselves to be the Word of God therefore the Scriptures are and are known assuredly to be the Word of God And to prove that minor J.O. useth another medium viz. Gods magnifying his Word above all his Name by which à minore ad majus i.e. from the self-evidencing power of smaller matters as he counts them i.e. the Works of God and the Light in the conscience the Law written in the heart and the notions inlaid there with his own finger which he calls the voice of God in nature for these are low ◠darke obscure principles and means of revealing God and his will with J.O. in comparison of the writings and letters that are inlayed in parchment and paper with the finger of meer man which low principles yet are able to plead their own divine original and evince them to be of God he argues at large that the Word of God Scripture again he should have said doth much more evidence it self to be his Word and to put his lax and loose words into a narrower room and into a more Argumentative or Syllogistical posture thus viz. If those inferiour Names of God whereby he makes himself known even his works without and his Light his Law written in the heart and conscience to which there need be no other Witness that when they testifie God's Righteousness or Holynesse and call for moral obedience which is eternally and indispensably due to him they speak from God do evidence themselves to be what they are and to be of him then much more his Word the Scripture he should have said which God magnifies over all his Name must evidence it self to be his Word But those inferionr Names do evidence themselves and therefore much more doth the Word of God the Scriptures again he should have said evidence it self to be the Word of God Rep. What a strange story is here as if a man should tell a tale of two things a Cock and a Bull metamorphos'd into one whereof the one having been as confidently as untruly avowed to be assuredly known to be the other viz. The Cock to be a Bull is being denied as Ridiculously as Reasonlesly profer'd to be proved in this illegal and illogical way of Argumentation viz. That which evidenceth it self to be a Bull both is and is assuredly known to be a Bull but the Bull alias the Cock for so he means should say evidenceth himself to be a Bull Therefore the Bull or the Cock both is and is assuredly known to be a Bull. In this shameful manner and sorry sort doth I.O. having once audaciously avouch 't it go about to prove the Scriptures to be and to be assuredly known to be the VVord of God by Anticipation sophistically substituting that subject the Word of God in his disputation for it in the room of the legal subject i.e. the Scriptures taking it perforce from such as give it not for granted that it is so while to them-ward it s yet no more but the thing in Question and utterly unproved so to be which question I.O. not onely begs but also begs so unworthily and basely that I never saw the like to it but once before in all my life and the like to it can't likely be seen again unless a man should beg it on his knees little less then plainly confessing that unless it be aforehand granted him that the Scripture is the Word of God he cannot possibly prove it so to be What wise man that is as willing to do the Truth Right as thee I.O. no wrong can make any better construction of thy own words as they are to be read in the ◠sect of the 4. chap. of thy first Treatise where professing that in the remainder of thy Discourse thorowout that Treatise which is all in proof of the Scriptures being assuredly the word of God thou shalt endeavour to clear and vindicate the self evidencing efficacy of the Scripture and the grounds thereof by such common Mediums as shall as well reach the Reasons of such men as acknowledge not the Scripture to be the Word of God as of such as do thou desirest in effect onely to have thus much first granted thee that thou mayest have leave the Scripture being that out of which thy proofs for and grounds of this self-evidencing efficacy of the Scripture to be the Word of God are to be taken to consider the Scripture as 't is the written word of God or else all thy proofs will be weak and able to prove just nothing This onely quoth I.O. to recite his own words I shall desire to promise that whereas some grounds of this efficacy seem to be placed in the things themselves contained in the Scripture I shall not consider them abstractedly as such but under their formality of being the Scripture or written Word of God without which consideration and resolution the things mentioned would be left naked and utterly divested of their Authority and Efficacy pleaded for and be of no other nature and importance then the same things found in other Books Which is as much as to say Being by the Scripture to prove the Scripture or writing both to be and to evidence it self to be the Word written or the written Word of God let such as deny it deny that their denial of it and but first own it with me that the Scripture or writing formaliter is the written Word of God and let us but under that name nature notion and formality consider it and then let
Doctrines Instructions stories Promises Prophesies given out by the Writers of the Scripture were not their own conceived in their minds nor form'd by their Reasonings nor retained in their memories from what they had heard nor by any means before-hand comprehended by them 1 Pet. 1.10 11. But were all of them immediately from God so as that there was onely a Passive concurrence of their Rational faculties in their reception without any such Active obedience to as by any Law they might be obliged pag. 5 6. Rep. Many things in this Parcel are utterly false being uttered as they are of the whole Scripture and all its first Pen-men for what is said of the Old as to the immediate manner of its giving forth is said also saist thou pag. 9.27 of the New insomuch that it s not onely very fond but savouring also of no small ignorance both of and in the Scripture for any such Minister of no more then the meer Letter of it as our Divineâ— are much more below the Ministers of the Spirit to hold out for truth or so much as to imagine within themselves and as they are utter untruths so much lesse are they of force to evince that false Assertion to be Truth which thou J.O. wouldst conclude from thence viz That their Writings are uncontroulably known to be the Word of God 1. What a crude conception of thy vain mind is this that the Laws Doctrines Instructions Stories Promises Prophesies written which I confess were not their own formed as many if not most of thy false Doctrines and strange stories about the Scriptures are thine own formed by unreasonable Reasonings were not so much as conceived in the minds of the Pen-men Were they not conceived in them by the Holy Spirit And â—ly by them so as that for the most part at least they understood knew and believed them as Truths before they committed them to Writing as they were moved by the Spirit of God to do for the use of others And though they wrote not but at the Will of God and his spirit pressing them thereunto and under the burthen of the Word of the Lord that lay upon them till they had discharged themselves of it yet art thou so silly as to conceive they delivered things before they were conceived in them So far at least they were conceived in and by them too as to prove thy saying little less then senselesse and absurd 2. VVhereas thou sayest they were not retained in their memories from what they had heard nor by any means before-hand comprehended by them Is not that as absolutely absurd and false as the rest Did they in writing declare things for truth and teach Doctrines and give out Instructions and tel stories relate passages before they had so much as heard of or seen or believed or embraced what things they wrote rehearsed or entertained them as such or by any means beforehand comprehended them Is not this directly contrary to what the Apostles say who had and wrote from the same spirit of Faith with them of old who write thus 2 Cor. 4.13 As it is written Psal. 16. 10. I believed and therefore have I spoken so we also believe and therefore speak c. 1 Joh. 1.1.3 That which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes look's on and handled declare we to you And when Isaiah wrote things of Christ did he not see his glory Isa. 6.1 Iob. 12.40 41. Lev. 1.2.11.19 Is Iohn commanded to write anything in his Booke but what he had seen And did he write or bear record of the Word of God or the Testimony of Iesus that he did by no means before-hand comprehend or of any things but those he saw And is not seeing one means of comprehending 3. Sith thou saist The things they wrote were not retained in their memories from what they had heard Did they first heare and see and believe and comprehend and entertain them into their memories and then not retain but let them slip and quite forget them before they wrote and then began to write when they had and not before they had remembred to forget them For of the things thou writest this is the sum the whole sum of which though 1 Pet. 1.10 11. is cited to add weight to it which gives not the least dram of evidence to the truth of one tittle of it is found by such as weigh it in the Ballance of right Reason to be a lye and lighter then vanity it self Belike then according to thy fancy Paul when he wrote to Timothy to bring his Books and Pâ—rchments Cloak left at Troas with Carpus wrote that not as a matter conceived in his mind or retain'd in his memory but as a thing forgotten that he had no comprehension of afore-hand Did he not write that and a hundred more matters as retain'd in his memory And though he wrote them as mov'd by the spirit in the wisdom of which he liv'd walk't and did all he did as he saw service in it yet did he not write of his Revelations and Temptations after them by the thorn in the flesh 2 Cor. 12.1 c. and of his many perils and hazards he had gone through and his whippings and stonings and shipwracks and other sufferings and services 2 Cor. 11. as things retained in his memory though some of them fourteen years behinde And when he wrote of the Fornication 1 Cor. 5. and the Divisions 1 Cor. 11. that were among the Corinthians did he not write of them as things he had by hear-say and common Report And did he not retain in his memory what was told him by them of the House of Cloe and thereupon wrote to them thereof as of a matter heard remembred and afore-hand believed For L partly believe it quoth he and comprehended aforehand VVhat innumerable instances of the like fort of stories written as retained in the memories of holy VVriters might be given out of both the Old Testament and the New But this little is enough if thou be not wilfully blind to bring thee into a remembrance of thy babling about the Bible of the writings whereof thou writest as if thou hadst never read it all but in a dream And when Matthew the Publican wrote of his own being called from the Receit of Custom and of his entertaining Christ in his house Matth. 9.9 Did he it not on the account of his retaining that passage in his memory And whereas thou saist they wrote all immediately from God so as that there was onely a passive concurrence of their rational faculties in their reception without any such active obedience as by any Law they might be obliged to I say thou renderest thy self as Ridiculous oâ— Reasonlesse in this thy Reasoning as if thou wert one that had never read any otherwise then at random For hadst thou been as observans as thou art oscitant in thy Readings and Writings of the Scripture thou wouldst
other good work when called by him to it i.e. not without but with such an active obedience as by his Law or Light within they are obliged to not without an active concurrence of rational faculties reduced to their primitive perfection not without but with ability thereto from an habitual light knowledge and conviction of truth and use of their wisdomes and understandings memories not without but with an aforehand containing and comprehending of the truths they wrote in their mindes as things they had heard seen beleeved acknoledged c. God who who is the giver of every good gift and the chief Author and Actor of all good works in his Saints Isa. 26. using every instrument according to what he hath fitted it for a Beast as a Beast a Man as a Man a Saint as a Saint a Prophet as a Prophet and not a Man a Saint a Prophet a spiritual man as a stock or stone but being a reasonable creature and prepared by him naturally with such a soul such faculties and supernaturally and spiritually with such gifts and graces as whereby he is capable to act when by him commanded and a body suitable as a fit instrument to move in such a work as writing his will revealed when it is revealed also to be his will that he should write it he uses him so to write as that though himself be the principal or primum movens not only in act◠primo as he gives the pomer faculties gift graces c. but in actu secundo also he holds the hand of the Scrib◠so that he would else draw but mishapen characters and guides assists and acts in and by him yet he lets the action bear its denomination from its next and immediate Agent which is not God himself who gives the word for the writing of what he will have written in the penning of the Scripture except that little i.e. the ten words as is abovesaid but men as being moved by him to write or to dictate to others whom they willed to write from their mouthes so that the immediate spring and emanation of the Scripture was not from God but men who were the agents in it under him which overturns J. O's Apish opinion of every Apex of the writing being equally divine and as to its original as immediately from God and of the same Authority in itself and to us i e. of being received as his word sub paena c. on pain of peril of eternal condemnation as his voice in the Prophets which indeed was immediately from himself and his own witness whereas the letter was mostly but the immediate work of man witnessing for God as moved by him as first given out and as we now have it by so remote away of Transcription welnigh as far from being immediately from God to us as J.O. imagines it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And as it is with Saints indeed when they pray beleeve preach write c. as moved by the Lord it is not denominated ever by the Author of it all which is God who speaks and works all in such and is in such of a truth 1 Cor. 14. but the Saints who are said to pray beleeve preach write so was it in the giving out of that Scripture or writing that was of old called the Bible which J.O. calls his Canon to which no Title more must ever be counted which was not nor is not so immediate from God to us as his own voice is that is at this day to be heard in the heart but onely mediantibus manuscriptionibus yea by the interveniency of mediums and hands of Transcribers and Translators obnoxious to fallibility and capable to give change and alteration in more then the least syllables and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 's but at the first it was no more immediately from God than the writings of his moved and inspired Prophets are at this day whom he stirs up to reprove the madness of the Priests and false Prophets which is as that was but the spiritual mans testimony for God though specially assisted by him in it concerning all whom from the beginning of the world to this day so many as have spoken or written or done any thing for the truth in his name I here say and so conclude as to that above Certum est no ◠velle cum volumus dicere cum dicimus praedicare cum praedicamus scribere cum scribimus facere cum facimus sed Deus est qui facit ut faciamus J.O. Thou addest pag. 26. They invented not words themselves suitable to the things they had learned but only expressed the words they received their words were not their own but immediately supplied unto them from God himself and so they gave out the writing of uprightness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 words of truth Rep. And yet it 's said Eccles. 12.9 10 11 12. as concerning the Writings and Proverbs of Solomon the Wise the Preacher which very place thou alludest to though thou quotest it not which if thou hadst there 's few so unwise but they might see thy folly therein for that Scripture clearly confutes thy self who touchest at it that in teaching the people knowledge as he did by those Writings and Books of Proverbs he gave forth he took good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs even thousands more besides above a thousand Songs more then are systematiz'd into thy standing-Canon and that he sought to find out acceptable words or words of delight or rather as thy self expoundest it more clearly to the confounding of thy self as if thou wert accustomed and wonted to that work and course of self-contradiction words of will or choice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all which if it be not Tantamount to this He invented words suitable to what he himself had framed whereby to utter and express the wisdom he received to people in writing and yet what was written was upright too and words of truth not beside the spirit of truth and so I.O. consequently confuted by I.O. himself about the Scripture If the Scripture it self had not confuted him then self-confounding which I.O. is so often found in shall pass for me for current confirmation and confusion which I.O. is a most eminent Author of shall go from henceforth for good order and to dance the rounds as I. O. often doth in his shall be held the rightest way of sound Doctrine and of all Divinity Disputation For as if he had not been satisfied with his own gain-saying what he uttered concerning their not inventing of words and non-improving of their understandings wisdoms minds memories p. 25. to order dispute give out what truth they wrote in such words as they saw best suited for the things they had learned of God by saying to the contrary thus Viz. Their mind and understanding were used in the choice of words they did use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 words of will or choice I.O. to go round again gain-sayes this latter
and doth God reveal the hidden mysteries of the Gospel any way but by his Spirit to his Saints which searcheth all things even the deep things of God and doth any know the things of God but the Spirit of God and the spiritual men who in it and not by the letter which letter the world hath yet hath not the other have minde of Christ 1 Cor. 2.9 to the end And in that of Peter coted by thee is there the least hint of the Scriptures or of the Prophets searching the Scriptures or of any signification of the things they ministred to others in their writings by the Scriptures but only by the Spirit And as for Daniel it is true he understood by the books of Jeremiah the cerâ—ain number of seventy years how long the Captivity should last but what of that num ex puris particularibus aliquid sequitâ—â— universale Wilt thou argue from one to all much more wilt thou infer from thence that neither Daniel nor any other Prophets understood their own writings but by the Scriptures of the other Prophets which is the absurdity thou assertest And as for Davids saying Through thy Precepts I get understanding Hast thou got no more understanding yet then to beleeve that the Precepts Statutes â—udgements Laws Commandments Testimonies Word Ordinances Wayes Truth Name one or other of which names is either in the singular or in the plural number used in every individual verse excepting two throughout that long 119. Psalm consisting of an 176. verses no other thing is meant but the outward letter writing or Scripture of Moses five books very little more than which was extant in Davids dayes wherein the ten words which God wrote with his own hand and a few more Ceremonious matters were recorded by the hand of Moses Is not the Commandement or Word or Law of God as the letter speaks the Lamp or Light that the letter only speaks of Psal. 19.7 c. 119.105 Prov 6.23 And if all the other Prophets that succeeded Moses studied the writingâ— of Moses and one another in order to the knowledge of their own Prophetical writings without which they understood them not savingly as thou sillily sayest yet I wonder what other Prophets writingâ— Moses himself who was one of the Prophets not excepted by thee searched and studied that he might get a saving understanding of that truth that was penn'd by himself sith as thou thinkest at least there were no Scriptures extant before him for Enochs Prophesies have no standing in your Standard I wonder Quae colliquia cum Angelis vel ficta velfacta quis enthusiasmus quis afflatus caelestis aut reapse vis mali spiritus did suggest these fantasms into thy fancy Ex. 1. Ex. S. â—8 thou hast little need to detest the Qua. as Enthusiasis that entertainest and utterest to the world as undoubted truths such Amick Enthusiasmes as these Sundry other such shallow furmises and suppositions are very positively propounded and set down by thee in thy first Chapter of thy first Treatise which I shall let pass here some of which may possibly be touch't on elsewhere But this may suffice to give a taste of that untruth which thy two Treatises are under-propt with whereby from the falsenesse faultinesse foolishnesse and unsoundness of thy ground-work and foundation and from the brittleness of thy Basis so thou call'st p. 1.28.30 this Original part of thy Book concerning the Divine Original and immediate manner of the Scriptures coming forth from God to us the reasonable Reader may read aforehand what a Come-down Castle the rest of thy Babylonish Building is like to be for howbeit I grant that the Word of God and the holy truth in its first coming forth from God to the holy Pen-men that heard his voice and so wrote it as moved by him was of an immediate Divine original in which respect it is said no Prophesie of the Scripture is of private Interpretation or to be counted no more upon than a private mans wriâ—ing which writes of his own head as thou dost the figment and imagination of whose heart fancies thoughts are the fountain of all that is uttered but as that which holy men of God were moved to write and the outward Scripture it self may be said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. penned by men as they were inspired by God or the fruit and effect of no self-afflation but according to the motion or inflation of the holy Spirit yet that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou makest such a deal of work about as the Original of the Copies of the Original of the Scripture and their coming forth from God was not so immediately from God to those that lived when they were first given out much less to us now as thou imaginest in thy vain mind who dotest that every Apex of that Text is equally Divine and as immediately from God to us as the very voice of God in the Prophets was to them without the least mixture or interveniency of any mediums or wayes obnoxious to fallibility or capable of giving change or alteration to the least 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or syllable thereof pag. 10.30.153 for that came from God at first excepting the Decalogue and that little to Belshazzar which ye have now but remote Copies of not without the interveniency medium and way of mans hand-writing which is it were as being infallibly guided by the Spirit obnoxious to no fallibility yet as it comes to you who own that and no other to be your inalterable Standard it s far from coming immediately from God sith it is not without the interveniency of the hands of welnigh innumerable unknown Transcribers the very first and best of whom were so far from non-obnoxiousness to fallibility that thou thy self sayest pag. 167. that neither all nor any of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallible or divinely inspired so that it was impossible for them to mistake and that religious care and diligence in their works with a due reverence of him with whom they had to do is all thou ascribest to them and p. 10. that the wisdome truth integrity knowledge and memory of the best of all men is obnoxious 〈◊〉 fallibility and also that it s known they did fail Neither if the Question were about the Autographae or first Manuscripts that were far more immediate then thy far fetcht Apographae or modern Copies are howbeit thy main business is about the magnifying thy confestedly mistranscribed Transcripts and fallible Copies and not the other which being acknowledged by thee to be lost perished and mouldred out of the world nemo post homines natos aequè ac tu delerasse censendus esset si pro scripturis ipsis scriptis hisce argumentare statueris thy dotage would justly be deemed of a deeper die than any mans to argue for them if he be a fool of al fool that fightâ— for the non-corruptibility of what is long since corrupted but I say were thy
emananation from God of the letter as the sole foundation of all that Divine Authority as the Word of God thou ascribest to it and as thy Basis as thou sayest p. 2.24.30 thou beginnest thy Building in thy second Chapter and so onward throughout thy book in both Treatises and Theses laying and thwacking Title upon Title Land upon Land Honor upon Honor Exaltation on Exaltation Crown upon Crown on the head of the Copies of the original or Hebrew and Greek Texts of the Bible as they are at this day come down to you from the Generations of old thorough the hands of the sundry successive Transcribers extolling and magnifying it in such an exceeding high unlimited and boundless way of Benediction till like one that being busie in beautifying with Gold his carved Image and blessing his more then ordinarily beloved Idol forgets that it s but a perishing piece of Wood or mouldring matter fashioned into that form and fabrick wherein it appears outwardly and immediately to him by the handywork of meer erring man Thou carriest thy Castle into the clouds with aery applauses till by thy lofty liftings up of the letter and thy windy whiffling to and fro talkings for it and Weathercockly commendations and setting up of every Pinnacle Tittle Point Syllable and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it thou hast trimm'd up thy Tower of Babel with a Top welnigh as high as Heaven and made no less of it even of the letter and Text of thy meer modern Greek and Hebrew Transcripts of the Scripture then appears by thy own words J.O. The only and most perfect Rule of All faith and good manners The truest and most unerring touchstone for the trial of all truth The most immoveable inalterable certain stedfast and stable Standard The only firm and infallible foundation of all that beleef and obedience that God requires at mens hands A stedfast Releef against all that confusion darkness and uncertainty which the vanity fossy and loosness of the minds of men drawn out by the unspeakable alterations that fall out amongst them would certainly have run out into pag. 28. The most effectual means of bringing men to repentance on which all faith and repentance is immediately to be grounded That which alone gives the determination of Doctrines proposed to be beleeved whether they are truths of God or cunningâ—y devised fables Tr. 1. Cap. 3. Sect. 16. That by which we are commanded to examine and prove Tanquam ad lydium lapidem all those things that are to be examined and proved That which pleads its reception not only in comparison with but in opposition unto all other wayes of coming to the knowledge of his minde and will founded thereon p. 58. That which is necessary in such an high degree of necessity in its daily use not only ad ingenerationem fidei to the begetting of faith where it is not bâ—â— in ea edificationem to the edification of the highest Saints in it while they draw breath here that there is not more need to us of food and rayment to uphold our very natural life than there is of the Scriptures that we may be daily instructed in the knowledge and faith of Christ. That which doth not only most exceedingly exceed all others but as to the saving ends thereof is the only and singular means that God uses in order to the revealing the knowledge of himself The light the most glorious light in the world above the Sun c. p. 43. The witness of God the power of God to salvation ipsa doctrina quam à Deo docemur yea no lesse than â—he very powerful living quickning soul-saving Word of God That which challenges to it self that glorious Title of the Word of God as its own proper name That which is so tum in esse reali cognoscibili i.e. so and so known evidently by its own light and power so to be That which manifests and testifies of it self from the beginning to the end of it p. 140. to be the Word of the living God yea abundantly uncontrolably to men p. 3 That which is often even welnigh a thousand times mentioned indigitated Ex. 1. Sect. 5.32 by that name the Word of God That which calls for attendance and submission to it as such with supream uncontroleable Authority p. 58. That which is expected from us and required of us by God himself on penalty of his eternal displeasure if we fail in our duty 2 Thess. 1.8 9 10. That we receive it not as we do other books with a firm opinion only but with divine and supernatural faith omitting all such inductions as serve only to ingenerate a perswasion that it is his Word p. 31.32.34 c. And many more such transcendently glorious Epethites and Compellations thou denominatest the Scripture by as that which as to the integrity of the Text is unaltered in every tittle and also every tittle and iota of which is a part of the Word yea the Word of the great God wherein the eternal concernment of souls lyes for of the Scripture or under that terme of Scripture or of the Word thou restisiest all this yea and very much more dost thou found out and sing of the Transcripts of the Greek and Hebrew Text to the same tune which though they are all true of the true Word of God indeed which is properly so called and in the Scripture it self which never which no where calls it self so is often and only so stiled yet being by thee uttered all concerning the Scripture which is intended by thee when thou praedicarest any thing of it under that Name or Term of the Word of God saying the Word of God is a light powerful glorious above the Sun c. as well as when thou speakest of it under its own true and only proper name of Scripture saying the Scripture is the Rule the foundation c. the Scripture is so or so it is every whit of it utterly false as thou utterest it the falsehood whereof I shall now come to make some Animadversions of more particularly And for as much as I own all those high-flown glorious denominations thou runnest out into to be true to a Tittle if spoken of Gode word indeed but deny utterly the truth of any one of them as they are spoken by thee of the Scripture as the most commodious way that I can take for the disproof of thy untrue talke of the Scriptures whereby thou ignorantly not to say Idolatrously attributest such glorious Titles and Epechites thereunto as are the due and only peculiar properties of the true and living Word of God indeed which is Christ Jesus himself and also for the vindication of the Word of God from that Robbery and Spoil that is done to it by thee who pullest it down from the Throne and statest the meer Texs and Letter of it in its place and also for the further vindication of the poor deluded Fanatical Qua. as thou callest them
in whom thou foolishly fanciest Satan assaults the Sacred truth of the Word of God in its Authority purity integrity and perfâ—ction against whose abominations as thou sayest in thy Epistles thou subjoyned thy Latine Theses in the close of the other Treatises for the instruction of the younger sort of students to whom thou dedicatest thy dribling doings and for the clearing of the Qua. in their principles from thy shallow rash censure of them as being therein confused opposers of the truth I shall endeavour to comprize the whole Truth not only about the Word of God but also about the Scripture of it as to Name and Thing most miserably mistaken by thy poor deluded self in this one general Argument the minor Proposition whereof being plainly proved to be true in each particular of it for the major is not only undeniable but also undenied or rather absolutely affirmed by thy self the conclusion which is perfectly contradictory to the main matter and principal Proposiâ—ion contended for throughout thy Book viz. That the Scriptures known to be the Word of God and that is the proper name thereof will necessarily follow as true to its full and final confutation and overturning The Argument is on this wise The Word of God is the most stedfast relief against uncertainty and confusion the firm foundation the most perfect Rule of all faith and obedience that God requires at mâ—ns hands the most effectual means of bringing men to repentance and which immediately it is to be grounded upon the chiefest among all wayes of coming to the knowledge of Gods minde and will the truest Touchstone stable Standard Lydius lapis that gives determination of Doctrines by which all is to be examined and proved necessary to beget and increase faith perfect in its integrals the most glorious spiritual light in the world above the Sun the Witness of God the very Doctrine of God the power of God to salvation the powerful living quickning soul-saving Word of God that which challengeth that glorious title to its self as it own proper name that which evidenceth manifests and testifies of it self to be the Word of God and is so stiled welnigh a thousand times in the Scripture to be received as such on peril of eternal ruine every tittle of which is the Word of God the great God in which the eternal concernment of souls doth lye and such other things as J.O. denominates the Scripture by But the Scripture is none of all this therefore the Scripture is not the Word of God much less known so to be nor so properly to be called That the Scripture is none of all that which thou testifiest above that it is and which no Qua. do deny the Word of God to be is the business which now lyes before me to make good in order whereunto I shall take the several particulars into examination and make some Animadversion of what thou sayest in proof of those particulars in the Affirmative affirming I that not the Scripture but the light the letter came from is the only most stedfast relief against contentious confusions darkness and uncertainties Thou sayest indeed the Scripture is the stedfast Relief against all that uncertainty darkness confusion c. That the mindes of men heightned by the unspeakable alterations that are found among them run out into But I say not blaming the Scripture as the cause of it which is holy just and good when wise men have the handling of it that throw the doting disputers of this world about it who in their wrangling mindes and restless pens wrest the Writings of it to their own and the worlds ruine the Scripture canoniz'd by men as their rule of faith is become as the Gospel of peace is of war to the lewd mindes the occasion or causa sine qua non of all the confusion darkness uncertainty which by the vanity folly and loosness of mens mindes drawn out a whoring after the letttr without from the light and spirit within by divine dotages on it and dim divinations out of it for means and the unspeakable alterations of it and endless enmities and hatreds and envyings one of another about their own sottish senses and mishapen meanings on it hath too certainly been heightened and is already long since run out into So that as Aristotle and Ramus the two received and respective Standards for the junior Sophisters of our two Nurseries Oxford and Cambridge to fight under in their Logical scoldings So the Scripture is made by our senior School-men in their Scholastical Theological Sâ—nffles a Standard more to squabble about and fight under than a Standard to try and determine Truth by as they call it and is nothing but an ample Armory from which they fetcht most of their furniture where with all in their mad malicious mindes to fence against each other concerning the Scriptures it self and such plain truths as lye open to all honest capacities therein and lye hid from none more than these wise and prudent Praters of it who like the Horses and Riders Zach. 12.4 being of the Lord smitten with madness blindness and astonishment run on to battel as Warriours Isa. 9. with confused noise till the Nations where they live lye languishing for their wicked wills sakes with their Garments rolled in blood Yea the Scripture as canoniz'd into an Authentick common Standard to themselves stands but as Truncus locorum c. a certain Topick or Common place from whence to scrue Arguments to the assaulting one of another and from which to fetch fuell to feed the fire of their wrathful and hellish life of disputing out their giddy guessings to each other so nauseously that some Saints have been weary of the world and wisht to be out of it upon nothing more than a desire to be rid of the angry direful doings and divisions of the men called Divines which Topick of theirs too they chop to pieces and criticize into such crums and bits the better to beat one another out of and about it that as the Oxonians used to say of Ramus In tot Ramos Ramulos Ramusculos locorum hunc Truncum dividit c. So I may say of all our admired Erasmus's or supposedly learned Divines that either hate or dote on each others Divinity doings of the best of whom when all is done as renouned as they seem to themselves I can say no better yet such Dunces are they in the School of Christ than I can of Erasmus himself of whom as to the things of God were he now living it might be said Mus at Erasmus eras Mus at Erasmus eras In quot Puncta Punctula Punctillula c. into how many points punctualities and punctilioes do they spring out in their pratings pratlings and prittle prattles upon and concerning it till as Heterogeneous as the Scripture is in the sense above shewed in respect of its various matters they make the bare writing so Homogeneous a thing that every point tittle
which we deny which matter notwithstanding when it comes to the point of proof before people they dare denominate only to be the only Rule and Word denying those high Titles to the naked Letter as well as we crying out with a dreadful ditty against the Qua. in their Pulpits as deniers of the Scriptures the Bible to be the Word of God the Rule c. and when we enter the lifts with them then finding themselves unable to carry it against us falling down before us in confessions to us that it is the Divine truth and matter only contained in the Scripture which is the Rule to all men so far as it that is that Truth and matter is revealed to them as it is here confessed also by T.D. to be to the very Heathen in their hearts that have no Scripture and was so before it was put into writing that is before the Scripture was which seeing it is so confest in the same way as I argued above about the Foundation against I.O. so may I here against T.D. and him both about the Rule viz. Arg. 1. The Rule must be something that is in being before the faith and life that is to be Regulated by it 2. Must be that the Scripture testifies to be the Rule 3. Something that is firm fixt sure stable inflexible infallible inalterable else all the work wrought by a Lesbian Rule a soft waxen measure may be ad infinitum crooked scanty erroneous disorderly in all Dimensions at mens pleasure who may as our Priests mostly do transcribe translate expound rectifie the Scripture according to their crooked conceits and their Antichristian Analogy of faith as they use to speak and not their crooked conceits and false faith according to the true Theology that is plain to godly honest hearted men in the Sâ—ripture wrest their Rule to their own wills self-ends interests and where it likes not their unruly selves to be Ruled by it Run from it or rather Rule over ir as they list But the Light and Spirit and Truth and living Word and holy Doctrine was in being before the faith and life of any man 2. Is testified by the Scripture at is above shewed to be the Rule 3 Is inalserable firm c. and the Scripture it self is already proved and is yet more to be proved not to be so therefore the Light Truth c. not the Scripture Text c. is the Rule Be sides what Ioh. Tombs and Rich. â—axter who must here be wrapt with their own weapon argue falsely against the Lights being the Rule I may truly argue against the Letters being it For page 51. of their Book entituled The true old Light Thus they dispute viz. That which is variable and alterable cannot be a persons Rule for its the property of a Rule to be invariable and the same at all times The Rules Measures and Weights and Dialls and Squares and what other things are made if they be varied they cease to be Rules for Rules should be fixed and certain But there is nothing more variable then mens light in them say they falsely but say I truly then a Letter or Writing without That which is to day say they taken for light is to morrow judged to be darkness and that light which is this day in a person may be lessened to morrow a person may become Fanatick and dote who yesterday was heard with applause therefore each persons light cannot be his Rule so us that at all times he should be bid to look to it as a safe guide as the Qua. do And say I that which is to day Transcribed Translated Interpreted so and in such a sense by some may be through Mis-transcription Mis-translation Mis-interpretation be wrested as a Nose of wax to morrow by others into a clear contrary sense by Transposition of Hebrew letters which in shape and sound are alike either in way of mistake among the most careful Scribes in the world or at the mâ—er will and pleasure of Criticks who ad libitum may turn the Text into twenty senses one after another as seems good to them witness I.O. himself who as is elswhere shewed in many pages together of his Epistle Dedicatory tells how easie it is so to do yea to turn that one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the different pointing of it into 8 sundry senses some whereof are clear contrary to each other yea it is but doing so or so saith he and as many various lections arise in the very original Text as a man pleases to make It being so then with the Letter that it is so variable and flexible and contrariwise the Light being fixt firm stable without variation as it is for all their lying of it it 's eternally and unchangeably the same even yesterday to day and for ever as Christ is from whom it comes one and the same in all the Foundation and witness of God which stands sure and keeps its place in the consciences of men let them go whether they will testifying the same truth as Gods witness in all men that it doth in any mâ—n both de jure defacto also never consenting to any evil but condemning it all in all men more or less Therefore say I in consutation of I O. T. D. I.To. and Rich. Baxter out of their own Books the Light Word and Spirit of God within every one may and ought to be every mans Rule so as that at all times he should be bid to look to it and follow it as a guide as the Qua. do But the Text or Letter without however owned as it is by me above to be useful and profitable for men of God that know how to use it cannot be the most perfect stable Standard much less the only infallible Rule and guide of mens faith and life as the blind guides say in words it is though in works they themseves live and walk besides it as much as any Again if the Scriptures be the Rule and not the Light and Spirit then either there was no Rule before the Scripture or else they who lived before the Scripture had one Rule we another and so consequently there are two Rules for the one faith of the one holy Church But all these whimsies are most absurd for then the one Church hath tot regulus quot novas explicationes ejusdem veritaetis as many Rules as particular wayes of Revelation of the truth And T.D. said the Truth was one and that the matter was the Rule before the writing was and I.O. sayes Ex. 4. s. 22. Vnicus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divinus the Divine Rule is but one and so say I of the one general Catholick Church or Assembly of the first born from Abel to this day therefore the Light Spirit and not the Scripture is the Rule As for I. Os shallow shuffling off the Lights being the Rule and sleight slinging at it Testaque lutoque with his muddy pellet in that Section
written for the ends above specified in the Scriptures mentioned yet will it not follow that it was intended for the Rule to the Church much less the only perfect Rule or Standard of Faith and Life because God did not give order for â—s so to be but assured her before the Scripture was at all as much as God thought sufficient to create and preserve faith in the Gospel she had before she had it written in an outward Letter viz. the inward Light Word and Spirit that was in the beginning from which the Letter came And p. 43. to make a Rule much more then the only sâ—anding Rule exclusively of all other of all internal Light Word Spirit Revelation as JO. and T.D. both hold the Scripture to be is necessary Gods appointment of a Writing to that end to which he did and even in the Scripture it appears appoint the Spirit and inward Light and Word as I shew'd above but never at all appointed the Scripture it self And p. 17 18. of T. D's 2 d. Pam. the difference lyes in God's Arbitrary dispensation who from of old disposed the Light Word and Spirit alone to be the Rule without and before the Letter as being far more excellent and fully sufficient without it as to the nature and being of a Rule but never ordered intended designed appointed or established the Writing alone as the Rule as my two Vniversity Antagonists dispute without and câ—â—lusively of the other And as for the third and fourth Classis of J. O's Scriptures which seeing they are so near a kin to these of the first therefore I shall consider them here before those of the second they are of the same kind so that the same general Answer might satisfie sapienti cui verbum sat but seeing such stress is put on them by J.O. to the stablishing of a wrong Standard which iâ— of so great concernment to be stated right or else all the Building faulters I am free to insist a little more particularly on them then else I need to do They contain as thou sayest J.O. commendations of the Scriptures as to all uses of Religion both by the practises and precepts of Christ and the Apostles searching and expounding proving and trying all things by them themselves and also commending and commanding the searching of them and the trying of all things by them in and among all others Rep. That all the places enumerated by thee do contain any such matter at all I utterly deny for some of those thou citest as well as sundry of those afore spoken to neither expresly nor intentionally relate to the Writing or Scripture but onely to the Word of God and the Things and Truth and Commands of God written of onely in the Letter which things in what Text soever thou find'st them talkt of thou present'y run'st blundering on in thy wonted blindness which discerns no difference between the Writing and things written interpreting them without more ado of the Scripture as namely Deut. 28.58 whereby the words written in that Book is not meant the Writings but the Commandmenâ— therein rehearsed the Ceremonials and Morals of which they were to observe before that Booke of Deuteronomy was penn'd which is a story of Moses his repetition by word of mouth a little before his death of such things as he had from the Lord enjoined them to observe and some of them God also from his own mouth well-nigh forty years at least before that was penned Also that in Acts. 26.22 where Paul sayes he witnessâ—d no other things or truths as to the substance and matter of them though the manner was different the one testifying de Christo exhibendo the other exhibito one saying they should come t'other they were come then what the Prophets and Moses said should come Which things Paul could now witness were come if he had not seen their witness that they should And what mention is there of the Scripture at all in that Scripture Also John 1.7 where it s said of John Baptist he was not that Light but came to bear witness of that light which John Baptist wrote no Scripture at all that I know of which Light he testified to was not the Letter or Scripture but the same the Qua. bear witness to even that measure of its light within wherewith he inlightneth every man that comes into the world so that there is no Scripture mentioned or so much as meant in that Scripture Wherever thou seest in thy Concordance the word Scripture written of in the Scripture thou art ready to think straightway it Concuâ—r'â— and hath no â—mâ—l Concordance with thy cause and where thou findest the Words Rule Foundation Law and Prophets of God Light Word Commands Statutes Testimony Prophesie and such like thou as rashly and rawly imaginest the Scripture or meer outward Writing meant and mentioned by them in what ever is predicated of them and that it makes something for thy bâ—inde business of the Scriptures being the only standing Rule and Foundation But alas hoc aliquid verè nihil est this something is plainly nothing at all to that purpose for as it makes not a mice toward the proof thereof as appears above because the Scriptures were written for good ends and are prefiâ—â—blâ— to such and such good uses unless God had Canonized them as a Rule so neither doth it that Christ expounded the Scriptures and that some did search them and were mightily read in them as some are at this day who are supposed to deny them to the confounding the Scribes that searched them daily and therein lookt for life as their only Rule but never came to him that they might have life who was the Life and Light they came from but never heard him whom they testified of that his voice was now to be heard in whom God who under the Law before his coming spake in his servants the Prophets speaks under the Gospel as by his only Son 'T is true Abraham who lived long after Moses and those Prophets whose Writings ye have were born in that Parable which illustrates a precious truth that as to the mystery of it lyes yet hid from thee is brought in by Christ as saying of the Rich mans brethren by way of prevention of their coming into torment They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them if not they 'l not be perswaded by a miraculous message of one to them from the dead but what iâ— this to prove what thou here alledgest it for and more largely inferrest from it p. 63 64 65 66 67. where thou preachest on that Text a Sermon as long as little to thy purpose improving it and that of 2 Pet. 1.19 to the utmost to prove Moses and the Prophets Writings to be the best and most effectual means of bringing men to repentance on which that and all faith is immediately to be grounded and to prove the Scriptures to be that alone which we are sent to to be more effectual
hearts of men though witnessed to without in the Ministry of Prophets and Apostles preaching and writing of it as that in which they were to beleeve in which beleeving according to the Voyces and Scriptures of holy men calling them thereto and beleeved by them they thenceforth and not before were said to beleeve on the Name of God through which beleeving in it they had life but what 's this to evince the Writing to be that Word â—hus spoken thus written of which was another thing which was as truly beâ—eeved in to life before it was written of as after Oh quoth J.O. as were the persons speaking of old so are the Writings now True whence in his own words I argue back ad hominem on him thus As were the persons speaking the Word of God old so are the Writings now Buâ— not the persons preaching no nor yet their preachings and speakings were the Woâ—â— of God they preached and spake of but only means by which men were brought to beleeve in the Word of God What 's Paul what 's Apollos but Ministers by whom ye beleeved 1 Cor. 4.5 Therefore the Writings now are not the Word of God written of but only an outward means by which men are brought to beleeve in another thing then the â—ritings for life even in the Word of faith nigh in their own hearts which the Prophets and Apostles preached and wrote of that iâ— order to life men should beleeve in it I.O. And now as to that Text Heb. 4.12 which thou citest also p. 85. reciting the words of it which are these The Word of God is quick and powerful or as thou there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 living and effectual sharper than any two-edged swâ—rd piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Rep. I cannot but stand almost astonished at thy stupidity in expounding that Text of Scripture of the Text of Scripture and of that terme there the Word of God of the Book called the Bible which the business of thy Book is mostly about sith the efficacy and power of the Word here spoken of is far beyond that of the Letter or Scripture it self the inefficacy and weakness of which I have shewed above specially abstract from the Spirit and Light within in which way thou asserts the sufficiency of it witness thy own words above rehearsed as to any such mighty matters as are here mentioned Is the Letter the Scripture sharper then any two-edged sword to divide asundâ—r soul and spirit c. a diver into a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart what thinkest thou by the two-edged sharp sword that goes out of his mouth that rides the white horse with his vesture dipt in blood and the Armies in heaven following not in Lawn Sleeves Sarcenet Scarffs Sattanical Goâ—ns Canonical Coats Scarlet Formalities White Surplices Velvet Plush black Gippoes and such like Scholastick Superfluities but in fine linnen white and clean i.e. The righteousness of the Saints Rev. 2.12.19 11 12 13 14 15 22. Is it the Letter or is it the Sword of the Spirit a prime part of that Armour of God Armour of Light intimated Rom. 13.12 Eph. 6.11.17 which is the Word of God and the sharp soul-searching heart-piercing living life-giving Word that is here spoken of for it s the Spirit that quickneth the Letter killeth and is dead the Sword of the Spirit is the Spirit or words of Christs mouth which he speaks which are Spirit and life not Leâ—ser which Word of Christ is the Word of God also as Christ himself the Lord that Spirit is 2 Cor. 3. which was in the beginning before Letter was and was with God and was God for the three that bear witness in heaven the Father Word and Spiriâ— are one and all three Spirit and Light and the Letter is none of them all and these without the Letter are effectual and werâ— so before it though T.D. sayes the Spirit was not wont to be effectual without the Letter p. 42. of his 1. Pamph. but the Letter and its revelation is not sufficient and omnibus numeris absolute c. as J.O. darkly divines to effect and perfect all things as to Gods glory and our salvation of it self so that there 's no need at all of any other witness or revelation by the Spirit and Light within T.D. indeed if any save such as are bewitcht and befooled already would be such fools as to follow his foolish fancy would and what Parish Preachers do not the like make men beleeve by his non-sensical blinde wayes of proving it as if it were so at leaâ—t and that is a little more moderate then I.Os. boundless elevation of the Letter which hee makes little less than All in All that the Spirit was not wont to be effectual without the Letter in proof of which his false Assertion â—e urges Rom. 10.17 the same Text that I.O. wrests the same way Faith which is the Spirits work quoth he in the forenamed page comes by hearing hearing by the word of God which terme the Word of God there T.D. and I.O. and their Adjutants generally take to be the Scripture Text though if any measure of right reason did Rule in them they might see in the same Chapter that the Word of faith by which it comes is that they preached to be brought nigh in mens hearts and moâ—ths by God himself that there they might both hear and do it Deut. 30.13 but so far is his Position from having any truth in it as much as he stands up agâ—inst R.H. who justly withstands him in it that if his own eyes were but half open he could not but see the flat falsehood of it yea it is so palpable that before all the world I will here lay down the very contrary as the truth viz The Spirit was wont to be effectual without the Letter And why he should lose any of his Authority power and efficacy by mens writings as they were moved by him he is either wiser then I that can tell or else very fond in asserting what he can tell no reason for And that the Spirit or Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God whether we understand it of Christ himself that Spirit 2 Cor. 3. that quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 who is called the Word of God Rev. 19.13 or the Spirit of God and Christ which is so called also Eph. 6.17 was wont to be effectual without the Letter of old before there was any Letter for him to work by is so clear that t were to light a candle to see the Sun by to go about to prove it yea as I.O. sayes in a case that is clear I mean clear contrary to what he asserts in it Ex. 3. s. 31. so say I in this ad Solem caecutiâ—â— necesse est c. he must be so blinde as not to see the Sun
uncontroleablely as he doth even to blinde and obstinate persisting in it for Ex. 3. s. 40. where hee infers the Qua. urging against his Letters being the only most perfect Rule on the behalf of the Spirit hee sayes thus J Oj. Ob Scriptuâ—a est litera mortua spiritus vivificat quis literae mortua nisi ipsâ— fiâ— mortuus adhaerere velit the Scripture is a dead letter it s the spirit that quickneth who but he that 's dead himself will look for life from a dead letter Rep. Falsissima est ista assertio scriptura est verbam Dei quod vivum est efficax neque uspiam litera esse mortua dicitur occidit quidem sed ido viva est That is a most false Assertion the scripture is that Word of God which is living and powerful Heb. 4.12 Neither is the Letter any where at all said to bee dead Reply Verumne Itane Ocyus adsit huc aliquis is it so I.O. that the Letter is no where called dead what no where nec clam nec cum scrobe nusquam hic tamen infodiam Some honest body come hither a little and let us dig up and dive a little deeper into I.Os. own Divinity doings to see if wee cannot finde it so called there by his own self if that be the same I.O. as no doubt it is that wrote the two English Treatises and the blinde Latine Theses about Scriptures in his own book for the Bible which may be cogent to him however in the 237. page thereof vici vidi ipse libelle I finde I.O. himself saying thus of the Letter yea and of the Word too and that is more I dare say then any Qua. dare say that they are both dead without the Spirit as living perfect in all respects efficacious to accomplish all as the Scripture was Ex. 3. s. 28 29. so that there is no need of any other revelation by the Spirit and Light within but those all are uncertain vain useless detestable c. Now t is without the Spirit a dead letter yea the Word is so too with I.O. as if the Word of God and Christ which is Spirit and life was sometimes dis-joyned from the Spirit Take it in his own terms then Reader lest thou think I wrong him all this while The Jews enjoyed the Letter of the Scripture as they do at this day yea they receive it with the honour and veneration due to God Their possession of it is not accompanied with the administration of the Spirit without which as we see in the instance of themselves the Word is a dead letter of no efficacy for the good of souls They have the Letter amongst them as sometimes they had the Ark in battel against the Philistines for their further ruine Here needs no more illustration of this palpable contradiction â—hâ—t I.O. gives to himself t were to suppose men that read his book to be Idiots to shew it more to their sight then it shews it self so with his own in operâ— langâ— obrepsit somnus I shall quit it here but not acquit it quite till he acquits the truth he quarrels with Only as to his occidit quidem ideo viva est the Letter kills for this he cannot deny being the Letters testimony of it self only he concludes as he is wont to do the clean contrary way therefore its living I 1. deny his consequence for many things are said to kill as dead instruments used by living Agents as a Knife a Dagger a Sword which when they have so done as in that subordinate way of an instrument cannot quicken though I own the Letter as healable and honourable an instrument as any is in the hands of men when they are used and moved to use it as an instrument in the hands of God yet as dead a thing as applied by the stealers of it in these times as it was in the mouthes of the old Theevish Prophets of whom God said They shall not profit people at all Jer. 23. And as to I Os. labouring to lick himself whole of this with his litera occidit quatenus litera legis est ab Evangelio seperata quatenus à spiritu verâ— sensu voluntatis Dei destituuntur qui literae adhaerent quae judaeorum conditio fuit contra quoâ— eo loci disputat Apostolus The Letter kills as 't is the letter of the Law and separate from the Gospel and as they are destitute of the Spirit and true sense of Gods will who adhere to the Letter which was the Jews condition against whom the Apostle there disputes Rep. I say Mutato nomine de te fabula c. the self-same is to be said of your selves against whom we dispute since your condition is the same with that of the Iews if once ye would savingly come to see it for liâ—era legis the letter of the Law is but the Old Testament still and not the Gospel and the New which is spirit and life and a life-giving Light to them that according to the call thereof will take heed to the light for life and while you not taking heed to the light for life adhere to the Letter so as yee doe when receiving it with veneration due to God yee fight against the light and spirit within for the sake of it of the Spirit and true discerning of the minde and will of God declared in the Letter and revealed in the light ye are ignorant taliter if not totaliter and as uttely destitute as were the Iews And now as to that Text which remains yet with one more to bee touched on viz. Psal 119.105 Thy Word is a light to my feet and a lamp to my paths which thou also appliest to the Letter as the light and lamp there spoken of and upon that account from that and many more as little to thy purpose and as much to ours as that is lettest out thy minde into a long peece of dark prate about the Letters being the most glorious light in the world as if it were that in Ioh. 3 19. which is not the Letter but the measure of the light come from Christ into all mens consciences almost throughout the fourth Chapter of thy first Treatise I must here have a little parley with thee about that and the other places thou producest which are all parallel with it against thy self and so hasten on what I can towards an end as one more grieved sick and weary in my spirit to see thy confusions then by the power of God upon me bearing me up under the else unsupportable burden of it I am in either body or spirit with confounding them Those other Texts are Iob 24. They are of those that rebel against the light they know not the way nor abide in the paths thereof Psal. 19.8 9. The Commandement of the Lord is pure in lightning the eyes Psal. 119.130 The entrance of thy words giveth light Prov. 6.23 The Commandement is a lamp and
it s a Spirit that quickens even the words he speaks which are Spirit Life not an outward flesh much less an outward Letter but this is a great mystery when we speak of Christ and his Church that eats his flesh and drinks his blood to cleansing from all sin and to life as the eaters and drinkers of bread and wine yet do not and are flesh of his flesh bone of his bone this is childrens bread a knowledge too wonderful for our Accademical Scribes and Scripture-searchers for the life while they hate the light who are so lost in their laudings of the letter and hampered in their heads about their senses of the History and taken up with tattle for every tittle of the Text that they have not time to turn in to the light whereby to see it and so miss the mystery of the Gospel which is revealed only to them that live and walk therein by the light and spirit in the heart As to that Hos. 6.5 hee must bee more then Moon-blinde that takes the word Light there to be intended of the Letter since the place sufficiently explains it self in the next clause before that and expresses it to bee the words of Gods own mouth the same that I have said enough to above even that Sword and Spirit and Rod of his mouth and breath of his lips and brightness of his own coming wherewith he Smites the Nations Consumes the man of sin Reproves for the meek and slayes the wicked T is true he sayes in the first clause of the verse hee hews them by his Prophets for hee comes not to do any judgements on the wicked which hee reveals not first to his servants the Prophets who go forth and warn them of the the doom that from the Lord himself is drawing nigh upon them but t is the words of his own mouth the light from himself that condenms them in their own consciences for their evil deeds by which he slayes and executes his wrath and judgement under which they are left inexcusable upon them which judgements are as a light that goeth forth purging away the sin and preparing a way for the Lords coming in mercy to such as wait quietly on him in the way of his judgements while they pass as at the house of God they do whereat they begin till her Righteousness at last go forth also as brightness Isa. 62.1 2. and her glory and salvation as a lamp that burneth As to that Ioh. â— 20 21. One would not think it that had not seen the Lord hiding the plain truth of the Gospel as it lyes open in the Text from the wise and prudent which hee is revealing unto Babes that one of the Renowned Scribes and disputers of this world should be so confounded as to conceive that by light there is meant the letter since t is as clear as the light it self from the verses themselves and those that go immediately before them that that light alone which the letter only points to and not the letter it self can so much as possibly be there intended Where 's th Scribe where 's the Disputer of this world for the Scriptures that he cannot see the Scriptures themselves he is so scraping for is hee not a miserably be-moped mis-led Leader that would lead men to mis-beleeve the letter in its Testimony to the light which letter hath no higher end then to bring men to beleeve in that true light of the world which it self doth but testifie of which light is no other then that which shines immediately whether the glass of the letter be beheld yea or nay from himself who is the Sun of Righteousness into the world that is in mens hearts condemning the evil-doer and his deeds laying open to them not de jure only what the lusts of it are and in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they are to bee avoided even those of the eye flesh pride c. but de facto how far forth they are or are not avoided and accordingly censuring them within themselves where the Letter cannot come in the inmost cells of the consciences of such men of the world as live where the Letter without was never so much as outwardly seen or heard of is not hee of whom and whose light all that iâ— spoken vers 16 17 18 19 19 20 21. recorded by the same Evangelist Joh. 12 35 36 46. c. saying I am come a light into the world that whoever beleeveth in me may not abide in darkness and Ioh. 8.12 Hee that followeth me â—â—ark me the true light Joh. 1.9 that enlighten every man that cometh in the world shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life is all this and much more in that book Joh. 9.5 and much more throughout the Epistles of the same holy man who speaks of the word that was in and was the light from the beginning before any letter was and of the Son of God and the holy unction c. intended and to be interpreted of no other then the little letter and of no more then that little of the letter that was written by motion of that Spirit which is bound up and bounded within the brief bounds of your now hide-bound Bibles Pellibus exiguis Arctatur Fili usingens Pellibus exiguis Arctatur Spirit usingens O thou that art named Mic. 2.7 The house of Jacob is the Spirit of the Lord so straitned are these his doings do not his words which are heard from his own mouth do good to him that walketh uprightly by them now as well as in former dayes Moreover the Letter is not come into all the world so universally de facto actualiter for de jure potentialiter it may by right and possibly enough be so transmitted but that were too much cost for our covetous Clergy to bestow Bibles without coin upon poor heathenish Nations into all the dark corners of the earth as the light spoken of Ioh. 3. must necessarily bee supposed to do or else it is not adequate to the case there handled for the Letter is actually seen and read but in a small part of the world but the world into all which the Word that is the true light is said to come both in Col. 1.6 Joh. 1.9 and in Joh. 3. which is parallel to them is the whole world that lyes in wickedness and every man in it thaâ— dwells in darkness and shadow of death yea where ever the spiritual darkness is and that is in all mens hearts where the Letter comes not among such as carry it under their arms there is this true light said to shine though the darkness doth not comprehend it Joh. 1.5 I know the narrow pinching conceits of such as would winde the wide World here spoken of within the short circuit of his Church or the Elect which they confess though as personally predestinated to life as all the rest are peremptorily to damnation without any respect to
Truth Law Doctrine or Commandement which is a Light and Lamp is within as Rom. 10.8 witnesses it for me so my two Antagonists I.O. and T.D. do both from the Testimony of that very Text testifie the same with it and me against themselves the one viz. T D. sying p. 30 31. of his 1. Pamph. 't is evident that the word spoken of in the heart Rom. 10.8 is meant of the matters contained in the Scriptures for the Apostle sayes expresly that is the Word of faith which wee preach whereby it seems by your selves the Letter is neither the Word there said to be nigh in the heart and mouth nor yet the Word of faith the Apostles preached but some other thing that was actually properly truly and formally within the heart even the holy Word Law Light Truth Spirit of Truth and Doctrine which wee together with the Scripture do testifie unto and you contrary both to us and the Scripture are continually testifying against and the other viz. I.O. saying Ex. 1. s 40. The Word in us is that Word of faith the Apostles preached but they preached nothing but what was written by Moses and the Prophets Rom. 16.26 yea that that Word was a Word written the Apostle professedly testifies in that place vers 10. 2. The Scripture is nigh us in our hearts and mouth not in respect of the Letter written or the Scripture formally considered as written but of the divine Truth or as it contains and holds forth the divine truth it self Reply V. 11. Thou meanest sure for there the Word Scriptures is named but what of that and who doubts or denies but that the Word in the heart was written as well as preached and testified to by writing as well as by word of mouth but wilt thou ever be so blinde I.O. as to make no difference but when it serves thy turn to do it as thou thinkest against the truth for then thou makest a difference See p. 12. 13. between the Word written Doctrine declared and Declaration Book and Truth Scripturam rem scriptam preaching and thing preached publication and will of God published proclamation of good things and the tidings or good things proclaimed and told of Suppose a man should stand at a Market-cross or in Cheapside and preach publish or proclaim by Word of mouth or set up a Bill or Writing that there is special good Wheat Bread Flesh or the like laid up under the custody of the Lieutenant of the Tower enough for all the poor starvelings of the rich City of London where the more shame and wo to the rich Gluttons in it they ly perishing about the streets by him freely to be dispenced who is sealed or authorised to that end to give to all comers according to their wants or in a time of distress or danger that there is safety in the Tower for all that are willing to run in thither within so many dayes or else the gates shall be shut for thus the Publishers of the glad Tidings of the Gospel of peace and salvation by Christ the Light alone and his Spirit and Light which reproves sin is the heart do declare both by Voyce and Letter or Writing in their times as he himself Isa. 45.22 Look to me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth viz. That in him who is the Light is the life of men to be had and not in the Letter which rather killeth Hee is the strong Tower where safety alone is Him hath God sealed to be the giver of the bread of life and the meat that endureth to eternal life to all that come to him in that time wherein he shines in his Light Now if people should run only to the Cryer and hang alwayes on the hearing of his voice or stand reading the good news in the writing he hath set up doting on and delighting only to read that day by day because its comfortable as it tells of good things and never at all according to the counsel thereof betake themselves to the Tower where they only are might they not stand there poring till they perish pine and starve and would they not lose time and perhaps totally withstand it and would yee judge them to bee well in their wits if they should run up and flock all together to the Proclamation or bare Writing supposing to injoy the things themselves though they never look after the said Lieutenant spinning out the time limited in looking upon the writing and so far dote as our Dr doth that the coming to the Scriptures is the only proper way of coming to Christ himself which he counsels us to Rev. 3. as to think that their comming to that Paper every day is their next way to the Tower their very only proper going to the Lieutenant that is required Mutatiâ— mutandis de te fabula the case is your own O ye untaught better fed then taught Teachers it is yours O ye more letter-lauding then letter-learning Preachers and Priest-admiring people Christ is come from God that men might have life and have it abundantly calls all to look and come to him for it yee like the old Scribes search the Scriptures and therein look for the eternal life because they are they that testifie of it and of him who is the life but yee will not come to him that yee may have the life Ioh. 5.35 c. 2. What need I say more but with T.D. and I.O. to heed and beleeve themselves because they are so dull of hearing that they will neither heed nor beleeve the Qua. for they give the cause in Question between the Qua and them about the Scripture or the Letters being the World of faith or light shining in the dark place of mens hearts which Peter sayes men are to take heed to which said dark place that is the heart and consâ—ience where by their own confession so gross a thing as a formal outward Letter cannot come but only some more subtil thing then that is even a spiritual light as that is not is as evident in the Text as the Word and Light it speaks of is to him that is not blinde for the dark place wherein the Word and Light here is said to thine is the same wherein as the Light is taken heed to the day dawns and the day star i.e. Christ him self arises first as that bright and morning star Rev. 2.28 whereby the day spring from on high visits such as sate in darkness Luke 1.78 79. and at last as the Sun of righteousness it self Mal. 4.2 but that is said expresly to be the heâ—rt so far as from Ioh. 1.5 we argue Where the spiritual darkness is which comprehends not the Light within which darkness the light shines There the true light shineth but that is within in the conscience of all men therefore there the true light in some measure is shining As if the dark place within which the Sun shines be a room within
the house then some light from the Sun must be within the said Room also so wee argue Retro from hence If the dark place where the day is to dawn as the lesser light therein is observed be the heart then the place wherein the lesser light shines which even therefore secundum vâ—s O ye bâ—nighted ones cannot be the Letter must be the heart also but verum prius c. the first is true therefore the latter We have a more sure word of Prophesie to which ye do well to give heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts 2. The word of Prophesie or Prophetical word is a phrase that of it self seems to any but blinde Expositors to intend another thing than the outward Letter and to found forth no less then that more inward Word or immediate Testimony of Christ himself in the conscience elsewhere stiled the Words of Prophesie or Word of God and Witness or Testimony of Iesus or Spirit of Prophesie from which of which and to which the holy men that were internally illuminated thereby and made acquianted with Gods secrets bare Record or Testiminy without by Voice or Writings Rev. 1 2 3.19 10. the trâ—e and faithful words of the Lord himself inlightning such as wrote the Letter who having no need so to do the Lord and the Lamb being their light wrote not by though not against the Directory of I.Os. outward Candle Moon or Sun ad extra i.e. the external Text of others Writings Rev. 21.23 22.25.6 the Words of the Prophesie of this booke as Iohn calls it Rev. 22 8. i.e. the inward Spirit of Prophesie or Testimony of Iesus from which all Prophesie went forth whether by voice or writing which the Angels and Gods servants the Prophets had and kept Rev. 22 9 compared with Rev. 19.10 which book I.O. dreams 't is like was the outward Writing or Copy that Iohn gave forth the uncertain Copies of which to say nothing of the doubts of the old dimn sighted Doctors that were at oddes about the outward Book called the Revelation and some others even of those that are owned as Authentick whether they are not spurious yea or nay only are extant at this day little deeming that was an inward Book which I.O. tells us of too if he will own his own words p. 9. 25. which Iohn took in at first from which he gave out the the other and prophesied in the way of manual wiriting even the inner book of Gods secrets which are only with such as fear him revealed to Christ by the Father and by Christ to Iohn and opened by Christ to his servants at this day who eat it and prophesie out of it again before many Peoples Nations Tongues and Kings though sealed with 7 seals to the Scribes on the backside or outside of it on which backside or outward letter they are busily poring but they cannot read it neither learned nor unlearned because it is a Book sealed Rev. 5.3.10.2 9 10 11 12. Isa 29 9 ao 11 11. 3. That very Epethite which to the Word of Prophesie here spoken of is annexed doth even infallibly evidence it to be intended of that inner Word Spirit and light in the conscience which the Qua. call too and thou scoffest at and not at all of that fallible external Text which thou art so talkative for for it s called a sure permanent firm or stable Word which is more then can be saving all thy blinde bable about it asserted of the best and most original Copies of that Letter thou contendest for that are extant in the world in these dayes and not only so but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a more sure or stable word then that voice which Peter Iames and Iohn heard immediately from heaven out of the Fathers own mouth concerning his beloved Son Christ the light of the world given as a light to the Nations shining and shewing the will of God to them in every one 's own heart so Gods salvation to the ends of the earth saying unto them Hear ye him v. 17. comp with Mat. 27.5 which voice coming from the excellent glory which was infallibly sure to them no cunningly devised fable they heard when they were with Christ in the holy Mount Now the Word Spirit voice and light of Christ in the conscience is properly and truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a more stable firm and permanent Word or standing Rule constant Canon and lasting light and so more sure to us ward then that voice to them not surer in respect of its evidence to the hearers of it or the security given by it that it was no fable nor fancy in which sense thou most foolshly fanciest p. 66. that the immediate voice above said absit absurdum was not so sure i.e. not so certainly evident to be Gods voice as the Letter is certainly evident to be Gods Word for in that sense the said voice was to them that heard it most infallibly sure or evident so as nothing can bee surer to be God and I.O. in saying as he dotingly doth p. 66. that comparatively we have greater security from and by that written Word meaning the Scriptures or Writing for that is the Word written with all along such is his illiterate language then they had in and by that miraculous voice as he calls it and that the Scripture is more sure in respect of its giving out of its evidence to us then that voice of God was doth thereby absit blasphemia render the very voice of God himself whereby he spake in and to the Prophets that wrote the Scriptures to us less sure and certain more doubtful and questionable whether it might not be a mistake or no then the outward Writing or Text they wrote as it is transferred to our hands at this day through the hands of such a mighty multitude of fallible Transcribers none at all of which no not the first were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallible or divinely inspired so that they could not in any thing mistake by his own confession p. 167. where I.O. confesses and grants also that it s known that failings have been among them from whence various lections of which it cannot be ascertained to men now which is right which wrong are arisen which so variously transcribed Scripture it is shame enough for I.O. to assert as he doth p. 10. under that term of Word by which he terms it and p. 153 under its own name of Scripture that it is come forth to us from God without the least mixture â—r intervenience of medium obnoxious to fallibility as is the wisdome truth integrity knowledge and memory of the best of all men or capable to give change or aâ—teration to the least Iota or syllable and more shame yet to say as hee doth p 27. that every Apex of it is equally Divine and as immediately from God as the voice wherewith or
that if he were set to extoll and set forth Christ Jesus himself in all his Dignity Authority Dominion Might Majesty and Glory unless it be the express names of the only beloved and begotten Son of God King of Kings Lord of Lords Mighty God the Ever-Father the Prince of Peace and perhaps some few more I can scarcely suppose on a sudden that he could finde any other or at least any more eminent Titles to dignifie him by then those by which hee dignifies not to say Deifies his adored dead Transcript Text and Corps of the Greek and Hebrew Copies of the Scriptures which hee vermilions over with the honour and veneration as to sundry of the most excellent glorious Titles and properties hee attributes to it that is due either to God or Christ or his living VVord Light and Spirit alone For howbeit every such particular expression of VVonderful Councellor Leader and Commander to the people Redeemer Saviour Salvation c. that Christ is stiled by may possibly not bee used in I.Os. book to express the outer Scriptures by yet I beleeve there is but little asserted in honour of Christ the Spirit the living Light and VVord througout the Scripture which is not asserted if not in the same yet in Termes equivalent in honour of the Scripture it self Witness all those most high flown phrases and eminent strains he flyes out and strikes up in in way of ascribing little less then all Authority Dominion Exaltation Transaction self-evidencing efficacy Light Power Dignity and Glory here on earth at least unto the Scriptures as if the Father had sealed it and not his Son and Spirit to be the disposer and orderer of all things next and immediately under himself as supream Iudge Rule Ruler Head and Governour over the sons of men and the giver and dispenser of the meat that endureth to eternal life CHAP. IV. ANd now I return to take more notice of what more is urged in his Latine Theses as concerning the Scriptures being the only most perfect rule of faith life worship and knowledge of God as to salvation The second Argument in proof whereof is its perfect operation and efficacy Ex. 3. s. 29. omnia perficit necessaria c. it accomplishes all that is necessary to Gods glory and our salvation in vindication of which a whole Dozen of Scriptures are urged eleven of which are above answered and one onely remains to be a little spoken to viz. Isa. 55.10 11. And as to that of Isa. 55 10 11. I grant That the Word of God as the Rain and Snow comes down and returns not without watering the earth and causing it to bring forth and bud and give seed and food so it returns not void at any time without working that for which he sends it to any person or people and prospering to the accompliâ—â—ment of what he pleases but I am half amazed to see that thou I.O. shouldest bee so silly as to interpret that of the Scripture since it so expresly speaks de verbo oris sui of the Word of his mouth which is asserted immediately from himself with his own voice so shall my Word be that goeth out of my mouth which Word expressed by his own voice speaking who so upon second thoughts and serious consideration shall say the Scriptures are properly too as I.O. excusing his ignorance for as much as not for want of incogitancy I my self sometimes so thought while I ran as our National Ministry now doth making haste and saying he saith before himself had sent mee howbeit I wanted no sending of man or had spoke to me or I heard his voice I shall make bold to accuse him of arrant Absurdity miserable mistake wretched blindness and utter unâ—â—rthiness to bee denominated a Doctor in that thing which our Divines call Divinity Nevertheless not having so well minded the matter as upon occasion they may do in time to come being carried in times past by custome to take things and term and talk of them according to tradition more then true discerning of them in their proper natures the very preachers of this Nation as well as the poor people that have lived on their lips have been so habituated by common Metonymies to miscall the Scriptures by names not proper to their natures that they now stand up to depend them to be most properly denominated by those Metonymical and improper names so that howbeit we are never so willing to allow them to express themselves by such figurative phrases as are frequently found in the Scripture it self as Act. 13.27 the voices i.e. Scriptures of the Prophets are said to be read in the Iews Synagogues every Sabbath and that satisfies them not but the Qua. are deniers both of the Scriptures and of the Word of God and spoylers of them of their proper names if they yeeld not to their as absurd as arbitrary Appellations of them by those glorious Titles of Gods Words Gods Voice as their proper names yea in this dotish disquierness and peevish perversnes of his prejudiced spirit doth I O. quarrel with the Quakers as bereavers of the Scripture of its proper name because they own not his improperties in ignorantly and impudently imposing the names of the Word of God and the spiritual Light on the Letter as its Proper names which it chalâ—engeth to it self from its preheminent participation of the nature and properties of the Word of God and of Light viz. Life power to quicken and save and to shine to the evidencing of it self J.O. I am now to deal against the Qua. about the proper name of the Scripture for this sort of men are glad that the care of this business is committed to them by Satan that they may spoil the Scriptures of that glorious Title the Word of God This name doth the Scripture challenge to it self So p. 49.73 74 77. That the Scripture is light we shall see that is so or can be called so unless it hath this nature and properly to evidence it self as well as to give light to others cannot in any tolerable corespondency of speech be allowed Whether spiritual intellectual light regarding the minde or natural with respect to bodily sight be firstly or properly light I need not inquire both have the same properties it is spiritual moral intellectual light with all its mediums that hath the preheminence as to a participation of the nature and properties of light Now the Scripture the Word of God is Light a Light â—hining in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 with an eminent advantage for its own discovery c. a glorious shining Light an illuminating Light compared and preferred abâ—ve the light of the Sun Psal. 19.5 6 7. Rom. 10 18. The most glorious light in the world the most eminent reflexion of increased Light and Excellencies the Psalmist ascribeth light power stability and permanency like that of the Heavens and Sun in commutation of properties to the word i.e. Scripture with I.O.
Spirit of God Visions inward Light or Word are to be expected or admitted as any Rule to walk by the only guide and directory of all mens beleeving and living so that who have not that have none at all of any sufficiency to lead them to life though they should follow what light they have from God vouchsafed them to the utmost So that there is no principle to speak in his own words T. 1. c. 1. s. 16. or means of discovery of the saving Doctrine or sacred Truth no other rule or measure of judging or determining any thing about or concerning it but only that writing from whence it is taken the Revelation of it being expressed only in that writing upâ—n suppossâ—ion of any corruption in which the saving Doctrine Truth or Word of God as at first given out from God which say I whatever becomes of the Scripture is ever entire and for ever incorruptible and unquestionably uncorrupt 1 Pet. 1. cannot be evinced unquestionably to continue entire and incorrupt hee must then bee fed as himself and his fellow unlearned learned ones do feed their poor blinde pâ—râ—-blinde unlearned people viz. with a bit and a knock and bee kept close to so much as reason and Scripture can well spare him be caned into a just compass with his own Canon and Rapt into the right measure he runs out of with the Rule and measure of his making and bounded within the due bounds of equity which beyond all measure he breaks beyond for the bare Bibles and Letters sake by that Letter and Book it self which is called though by I.O. the Word of God Tr. 1. ch 1. s. 12. yet by it seâ—f never so honourably at all but only by such like Titles as a Declaration Letter Scripture Book or Bible And if he shall go on undervaluing that antient covering of Christ the Light of the world and the Armour of his light which is unchangeable and which the True Church which hath the Moon and all such moveable and changeable things as the best outward Writings are under her feet stands ever cloathed with Rom. 13.12 14. Eph. 4.23 24. Col. 3.8.12 Rev. 12.1 casting it away as some old menstruous cloath cast clout or rotten rag as he doth while in his imparralleld both ignorance and impudence he flerts at it as if 't were a meer Puppet patcht up of shreds as a fictitious imaginary Christ fain'd in the fancies of Fanatick fools and mad men Nescio quod lumen quos Enthusiasmos quem Deum c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vere nihil Ex 3. s. 11. Ex. 4. s. 15.21 Ex. 1. s. 5 6. and rejecting that covering of the Spirit of God which Wo be to him that is not covered with or is covered with any other Isa. 30.1 to cut out the outward Scripture and grave out the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into a Gâ—rment into an Idol covering to himself stealing Words from thence and therewith cloathing himself which will once wax old as a garment that is moth eaten and at last being old yea oldness it self though younger the Spirit and not the antient newness of the Spirit wherein the true worship and service stands is to vanish as an Idel that must go to the Moles Bats as the brazen Serpent be taken down and among other Idols of mens earthly Elements wordly Rudiments and carnal Ordinances that were good in their own times and places yet but imposed till the time of Reformation be sent away with Get ye hence Isa. 2.20.30 22. Rom. 7.6 Heb. 8.13.9 10. It s high time to strip I.O. naked and discover his shame which is seen by such as live in the light through his covering which is a prate of words about the Scripture and other things which yet he knows not and to summon him to sit in silence before the Lord undressing himself out of his stollen Ornaments which till he doth he shall not know what a work of spoyling the Lord hath to do unto him till it come irresistably upon him And if hee shall flye out so far in his whifling words as to call the Letter which to the Light bears the same and no better proportion then that of the Lanthorn to the Candlelight the Light as the name that is proper to it and flye up higher yet till according to his flashy fancy thereof he affirms it in Print as hee doth before the world that not only the Word of God written of in the Writing which none denies so to be but the Writing it self also which he means well-nigh in every place by that terme the Word or else hee strikes beside the Iron and lies hammering on the Anvil beating the Air and meaning another matter then that hee meant when he began and makes men beleeve that he means all along which is no more to his purpose then if he meant nothing by it at all is an illuminating shining spiritual light and higher yet preferred above the light of the Sun T. 1. c. 4. s. 8 9. the most glorious light in the world and higher yet the Sun one dayes light of which is unspeakably more then that of seven others as to the manifestation of the glory of God T. 1 c. 2. s. 15. a Sun that more eminently then any inferiour fire discovers and evidences it self by such properties as it hath viz. Light and Heat and Power T. 1 c. 3. s. 10. and c. 4. s. 16.20 and much more of such like high strains I.O. strikes up in till he stretcheth the bare Letter so far upon the â—enters as to strain it into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and make it even every thing that the true Word and Light within is when as howbeit it hath its excellency above other Writings as an instrument yet as to these peculiarities and precious prerogatives of the living Word is vere nihil then I must summon I.O. as warm as hee seems to himself to sit and as much as he seems to see by the painted flame of his fained fire and the sparks of his own kindling that if he know no other way to salvation then the Scripture and own not the light as the way which the Scripture speaks of this he shall have at the Lords hand Hee shall lye down in sorrow Finally to persue yet a little further and prosecute our present matter under the Metaphor of the Parliament and the House If a man should arise and stand up and contend that the House the Parliament meets in is the Parliament properly and none shall perswade him to beleeve otherwise but he will try it out with them that allow him to call the House by a figure or metonymy of the thing containing for the thing contained so as to say this House is the Parliament and will say the Parliament is the proper name of the House and it may properly challenge that to it self and they rob it of its true and due name and are enemies to both the Parliament and
future and if he be indeed so blinde as he makes himself and so mean of memory as not to remember any name whereby the Lanthorn or Letter can bee called but that name of the light and VVord though himself calls it not the light or word only but by the name of lanthorn letter or Scripture also save that Trapezantius-like who in a long fit of sickness forgot his own name I.O. forgets himself and heeds not that himself often calls the letter as others do by its only due and proper name of letter or Scripture 't is fit he should be plainly told what to call it and minded of it as I here do tell and minde I.O. who calls to the Qua. to tel him what to call the letter that the name of Lanthorn by which though he forget that hee doth so himself doth call the lanthorn and the name of Scripture by which he though heâ— forgets it calls the Scripture is a more proper name then those of light and the Word of God and the most proper names that can possibly bee given to them And if for all this he will obstinately oppose the truth and wilfully wa'k on without wisdome then nescio quid indeed the dotage being so deeply dyed into him that its scare like to depart if he be brayed in a Morter I know not what more to say but Nescioan Anticcyram ratio illidestinet omnem Now I.O. ne Kideas be not so merry about the mouth for such a man there is and nigher to thee too then thou thinkest he is so nigh that thou canst not step an inch from him -- nete quaesiveris extra hee is a well known to thee as any man in thy cloaths and thou canst not bee ignorant of him if thou be not willingly ignorant of thyself yea verily Thou art the man that art found in that folly and falsehood that is aforesaid about the lanthorn and the light as is shewed so abundantly above that there needs little more to be said in proof thereof Tu Dominus Tu vir aut Doceas nos quid sibi vuls santa blateratio mugitus c. what means such a blâ—ating and bellowing out for the letter such a pleading it to be the true light which it doth but plead for such a striving to have it stiled the light and the meer writing and every tittle of it to be called the Word of God which bears in truth caeteris paribus but such a reference to the true light and Word of God respectively as the lanthorn doth to the light of the candle which is set up and held forth in it Quid sibi vuls detestaâ—io execratio tanta c. what means such direful detestation extrâ—am execration and thundring out of little less then Anathama Maranathaes against the light within and word within and all that confess to it as I.O. himself doth too but that hee forgets it and so curses himself by craft Ex. 1. s. 4. as Fantastical foolish deluded Enthusiastical enemies to denyers and reproachers of the Scripture because they deny the letter to bee that light and Word of God which as through a lanthorn glass or vail and not so brightly but more dimly then when viewed with open face as shining in the heart are seen and shew themselves through it siccine se gerunt ministri lucis sicut vosmet vos geritis O ministri literae tantaene a nimis caelestibus irae Quid sibi vuls tanta terminorum transpositio verborum ista tua mutatio mussitatio mangonizatio c. supradicta If there bee not such a man and I.O. be not he teach us I.O. plainly what thou meanest by that peeping and muttering out of thy minde by that mumbling and fumbling in such foul fallacious wayes about things wherein if thou wert not minded to mask over thy meaning that men may not minde too much where thy lame cause halteth nor finde where its false and falters thou mightest have made it fairer in it self I cannot say for the fairer and fuller thy openings of it are the falser and fouler it appears but tenfold fairer to bee seen in its falsness and foulness then now it is tell us what means that mess of medley that Mangonization and mixture thou makest of both thy matter and thy meaning that Tohu Vabohu that tangled and tangling kinde of talk that thy Treatises do consist of wherein not only like him that talks up the lanthorn into the name of the light and talks down the light as nothing thou triest to turn the outside inwards and that which should be uppermost downwards i.e. the light within which is the Truth it self out of doors and the outward letter which is but a Writing of it in its room place power use and name but also in the proof and prosecution of that most subsenseless subversion dost in one place or other one place well compared with another subvert thy self by thy own sayings and unsayings how much more I cannot say but little less I dare say then twenty times over tumbling about like a Bull in a net turning things to and fro transposing thy termes and introducing the prime praedicate in place of its own prime subject one while using the terme Scripture Letter Writing which witness thy â—itle pages is the sole subject expected by thy Reader according to thy intimation of no less to be proved to be the Word of God and treated on without varying from it under that terme of Scripture Letter Writing other while in thy very Argumentation for the Truth of thy untrue affirmation which is that the Scripture in esse both reali cognoscibili is the Word and in answer to that queston how is it known that the Scripture is the Word of God promiscuously putting all these termes viz Book Faith Bible Truth Writing Doctrine Letter Light Scripture Word of God Declaration minde will of God and things declared together again as if 't were already out of question which is the matter in question that these are all one thing and termes Synonymous and compounding and confounding them into one Chaos or lump of confusion chopping and changing popping out and pulling in mounting up and then dropping down as if thou wert sensible of being got too high then hiding they head again and there as those that are afraid out of their close places moving out of thy ho'e as a worm of the earth and twining every way fair or soul to secure the main chance and to make good thy bad cause and carry what thou contendest for which yet when all 's done beside the getting to thy self among seeing men the blot of blindness ignorance weakness folly falshood fallacy and confusion thou wilt which way soever thou orderest or disorderest thy Arguments for it even by thy own Management of it bee on the losing hand till at last thou hast lost it altogether for though thou makest as much of it to the utmost as another can well do that hath taken
heavy on themselves is to be seen in a book of E.B. stiled a Word of Reproof where hee mentions about fifty sad examples of Gods vengeance on the Qua enemies where Dean Owen is also marked out for no great good but his excessive pride to which I refer thee And to this very day the Righteous God every morning brings his Righteous Iudgements to light but the unjust knows no shame Another Argument whereby I.O. would prove the Scripture to be the Word of God is on this wise I. O. It will easily appear to any one that never so sleightly reads it that the holy Scripture is by the holy Spirit very often indigitated by that name So p. 117. in every place it avers it self to be the Word of God So p 140. If the Scripture be what it reveals and declares it sef to be it is then unquestionably the Word of the living God for that is prosesseth of it self from the beginning to the ending Reply 1. In proof of thy Minor thou producest Mar. 7.13 which is nothing at all to such a purpose for its the Commandements written which were Gods commands before they were written and we confesâ— to be the Word of God whether they be written or not that are there spoken of under that Term Word of God and not the Writing or Scripture of the Commandements 2. Exer. 1. s. 28 Thou overturnest thy self clear as to thy minor saying thus Where the Word of God is said to be preached published multiplied received in innumerable places almost the Scripture formally considered is not meant nor intended Which is so though I know thou contradictest this again blaming the Qua. because they allow not the Scripture to bee meant in those innumerable places of Scripture where the Word of God is said to bee preached published and received Ex. 〈…〉 then how canst thou say the Spirit in the Scripture calls the Scripture from one end of it to the other calls the Scripture the Word of God and that the Scripture every where calls it self so Another Argument whereby thou wouldest evince the Scripture to bee the Word of life and so the Rule is a certain absolute necessity vel ad esse to the spiritual being of the Saints that thou fanciest to be in the Scripture saying Ex. 3. s. 39. Non pâ—usopuâ—est victâ—â— vestiâ—â—uâ— vitam haeâ—â—animatem traducamus quam Scripâ—utis 〈◊〉 ejuâ— cognitioâ—â— Dei sâ—iliâ—et atque side in dies â—â—udiamur We have not more need of food 〈◊〉 to the natural life then of the Scriptures to the knowledge of God and â—â—â—th and that its evident that the Qua. have with Less danger and loss assayed to fast forty dayes then they can lead a spiritual life free from deadly sins without the Word of God Rep. Without the Word of God I grant it but the Word still is in the heart and is not the Scripture formally or Lieâ—â—er without which thou with shame enough due if thou takest it to thy self sayest men cannot live spiritually without nor free from sin without As if there were no holy spiritual men that did no iniquity as the world doth or that were free from deadly sins before the Letter was What Letter had Abel Enoch Noah righteous and upright men that walked with God in crooked generations to live by and if they lived without the Letter to God is it as impossible to do so now as to live bodily without food that which is necessary ad esse and not bene esse only must be necessary for them as well as us and so the Word of God is which was before the Letter and which they then had who had not the Scripture yea both outwardly inwardly men live by the Word that proceeds out of Gods mouth else outward bread doth not keep men alive bodily Matth. 6. yea every creature that man lives by must be sanctified by that else it s a curse 1 Tim. 4. And for the Qua. fasting forty dayes without hazard There 's a miracle told by I.O. himself concerning the Qua. if that may convince such as look for miracles yet will not men beleeve 2. More Texts there are used and quoted often over and over again in proof of many particulars respectively about the Text or Scripture not one of which either of them truly serves one jot toward the proving of as namely that it is the Word of God and that so assuredly that who receive 〈◊〉 not as so are inexcusable in damnable unbeleef that that is asserted to bee The Rule and Standard The Touchstone of all speakings whatsoever That which pleads its reception not onely in comparison with but in opposition to all other wayes of coming to the knowledge of Gods minds and will the best and most effectual means of bringing men to Repentance That which all faith and repentance is immediately to be grounded upon Thâ—t by which God gives us greater security against all preâ—ences and pleas of unbeleef to the excluding of them and to the enforcing of beleef as a sure foundation for faith to repose it self upon and more moving then any evident miracle That true voice of God which assertains the soul beyond all possibility of mistake That which not only it self to be discerned from al delusions but determines al Doctrines also propos'd to be beleeved whether they be truths of God or cunningly devised fables more then the most signal miracles imaginable more then that greatest of Miracles even Christs Resurrection and otheâ— mans rising with him from the dead more then any voice from heaven it self not only then one counterfeited by men or Satan in the air but then any True voice of God himself speaking to us from heaven as he spake to Moseâ— or as he spake to Christ yea as safely to be rested in as such aâ— any voice coming from heaven with such divine power as to evidence it self 〈◊〉 be of God and to be rested in as such yea giving greater certainty and security then that voice which came to them in the holy Mouns That Moses and the Prophets which who hears not wiâ— not be perswaded to repent though one arise to them from the dead That which as to its certitude is preferr'd before the certitude of even true and miraculous Revelations That beside whiâ—h after the compleating its Canon no new Revelations about the same faith and worship are to be expected or admitted no more 〈◊〉 it as from the Spirit to bee added which is to stand alone as the only most perfeâ—â— Rule inalterable Standard for the trial of all Doctrines Visions Revelation Spirits Gods own not excepted to which we must stand come and are sent alone to stick stedfast and earnestly attend to without hearing or heeding Angel or Spirit without listning to any new blowings or inspirations of the Spirit which is now imited to the Letter though it was once at liberty and had the licence as well since the Letter was written as before
eare to what he saith and â—tar him should have his secrets revealed in them which God did then to his own people reveal to them within by his own Spirit in them which knew and made them know all things that were hid from meer 〈◊〉 men though never so wise even the deep things of God or that any man now that lives not in the flesh as ye do but in the Spirit should say he is moved to speak or prophesie or reprove or warn or councel or exhort and teach or is inspired to write by the holy Spirit or that any who learns at the mouth of God as ye do not out of which cometh knowledge and understanding and not any way else and ministers as he is moved of what he hath learnt there should say he ministers no more then what he hath heard immediately from God himself or that any that have the spirit of God for their guide as ye have not who walk not after the Spirit but after the Flesh in your conversations and after your own conjectures about a Letter liable to be changed or corrupted in your Congregations should say they are guided by an infallible Spirit Is the Spirit of God the light of Christ fallible as the Letter is Are they not infallible certain unchangeable incorruptible so that such as are led thereby cannot erre nor be deceived Do they lead into any iniquity or uncertainty those that walk after them Is it not they that leave the paths these lead in and walk after the flesh and live by their own thoughts and opinions of the Letter that is to be altered with ease at Criticks wills whom thou I.O. teachest too to alter it in their Religions who run into by wayes for such the flesh leads to and into a wood of uncertainties which the baâ—e Letter as it is now leads them into that look to it onely and besides the light that gave it forth And are any the Sons of God save such as led by the Spirit of God And doth not that Spirit of God witness to the spirits of such within them that they are his children Yet what a marvellous monstrous business what a mighty dirty what a deal of Do dost thou I.O. make in the 8 9 10 11 12. Sect. of the 3. ch of Tr. 1. about this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or inspiration of God also elsewhere about the motion of the holy Spirit T.I.C.I. S. 21.22 and elsewhere viz. T. 2. C. 2. S. 4 5. T. 1. C. 5. S. 1. about both Infallibility and Divine Inspiration and the infallible spirit and the guidance and infallible direction of the spirit Repl. Thou writest of these things as if they were as indeed they are not onely far off from thee but also far above out of thy sight and not only so but measuring all by thy self and others corn by thy own narrow bushell and as thou falsely sayest of the Qua. Ep. p. 29. Measuring other men by thy own ignorance and what thou knowest not thy self thinking its bid from others also thou removest them far away from all others also for many ages together and from this very age wherein thy fallible erring self hast yet thy being as if because thy motions and inspirations and spiritualities are fallible and carnall and thy own spirit hypocriticall and imaginary there were now none of that kind of spiritualnesse nor infallible inspiration either in writings or speakings or walkings or actings any such direction and guidance of that true holy spirit of God as was of old as if because thy self and they that are after thy likenesse neither hear at any time the voice of God nor see his shape nor have any such familiarity with his Spirit as you have with that in you which lusteth another way nor such as his Ministers and Prophets had in former ages therefore none in these days witnesse any nearer communion and communication therewith then your selves do or at least none such as his messengers of old did but all were left to gripe for the wall with you add for the doore like the blind Sodomites your figure that ran in wrath upon Righteous Lot as if they had no eyes as if the Spirit of the Lord were streitned from its immediate illumination of any because it is so to you that strive against it And there were no such men because ye are not those men as perfectly learn without book what lessons by word of mouth God teacheth out of the sealed Book of â—his own councels to them that are willing to be taught by him as all his children are Isa. 54. 14. Ioh. 6.45 Ier. 31.33 34. concerning the knowledge of himself and of his will As if there were none at all now nor ever to be any more while the world stands because your selves are not so any such as were heretofor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of God inspired by the Spirit of God infallibly guided moved acted or led in their preachings writings doings by the infallible guidance and direction of that holy Spirit As if to be thus were to be more then mer and so indeed it is then such men as you who being in the fall and out of that Wisdome and Image wherein ye were created must for all that wisdom ye are since then entred far into know your selves to be but the beasts that perish Ps. 49.20 Eccl. 3.18 but not a jot more then to be men indeed What mean'st thou else by those the like phrases in the places above pâ—â—â—ted at wherein with limitation and restrictively to the Primitive times and exclusively of all after ages thou writest thus of these things viz. They were born acted carried out by the Holy Ghost to speake deliver and write all that and nothing but that to every tittle that was brought to them c. Suppose a man were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divinely inspired and should so professe himself in the name of the Lord as did the Prophets of old Amos 7. supposing I say he were so indeed c. Repl. As if thou didst suppose that if any man in these dayes should professe himself to be sent of God as Amos was he must undoubtedly be a Deluder As if because ye witnesse no stronger motions from people to people place to place in your ministrations then the assurance of some bigger benefice better booty or sweeter subsistence which is the primum mobile in most nationall mens minds in their movings and removings to and fro and no more immediate mission from God then what is mediante Magistratu c. by the Magistrates and Patrones of the place or at the best the bare benevolence or good wil of the people whose ill will if ye have ye will obtrude your selves up-them too if the living like you and you can but procure the patent it must needs be supposed and taken for granted thereupon that such a sending as that Amos had is but falsly pretended
turn then and his people must be contented with it so making them like the Popish Priests and people of the world which have as at Rome and elsewhere ordinary Ornaments Lessons Anthems Songs and Services that must serve for every ordinary day and extraordinary shewes and sing-songs and ornaments and number of candles and fine candlesticks plush canopyes and copes Altar-clothes white Surplices Pictures Pompes and pipings as on some great Saints holyday or festivall times or general proecessions or as our poor still bepoped people have here one fine suit for Sundayes and holidayes and a cheaper and lesse costly one for working dayes Or when this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or divine guidance and inspiration is pleaded by thee as peculiaâ— to those first times I inquire of thee whether there be any middle way T. 1. C. 3. S. 8. but either that the Saints in after-times if guided by the guidance of the spirit of God at all and that thou darest not deny though thou own his guidance by the letter onely be guided by it as an infallible spirit giving them that infallible guidance which thou callest extraordinary or as a fallible spirit allowing them not so much as the Saints of old but affording them onely some kind of ordinary or fallible guidance and direction for it remaines according to thy principles that it must be one of these or else there is some middle way some midling spirit of God and some middle sort of direction of that spirit that is neither fallible nor infaâ—lible but between both partly faâ—lible partly infallible some participie that iâ— neither one nor the other but taking part of both fallibility and infallibility And howbeit this is such a messe of mixture as may well make awise man and excuse him in it too believe him to be no wiser then he should be and to have Hand plus cerebâ—i quam cimex sanguinis that makes it yet I know not why thou mayst not as well make God to have two spirits and his spirit two guidances viz. one infallible one fallible or one absolutely infallible and another neither fallible nor infallible as thou makest God to have two Words viz. on that infallible living Word which the fallible dead Letter declares of the other that fallible dead Letter which declares of that infallible living Word for each of these thou makest the Word God yea O the depths of the Doctors and Divines of our times thou art not onely so exceeding expert in cutting and cobling dividing and botching and piecing and patching for thy own turne as when thou wilt to turn two into one and one into two but also so well vers'd and exactly taught in the point of Trinitizing as to turne that one Word of God at first into two and at last secundum quid into three for whether we examine what thou sayest of either the Letter or the Word it self this testimony thy book beares to them both 1. as to the Word thou sayest in one place truly it's Living T. 1. C. 4. S. 19. in another place thou sayest horresco referens more then I dare say for the world whatever I say of the Letter that the Word is dead T. 2. C. 5. but falsely figured our with the figure of 4. S. 12.2 as to the Letter thou sayest in one place viz. Ex 3. S. 4. It is living and no where said to be dead yet in the forcited falsely figured chapter S. 12. thou thy self as no where as the Letter is said so to be sayest thy own self that the Letter is dead Thus Gods one Word is cut out by thee into two viz. the Letter and that Word it witnesses of and then each of these are cut out into three for which ever of these two be that tâ—ue Word of God or if thou taking these conjunctively wilt have them one at least thy opinion as exprest in those places put together is tantamount to no lesse then this viz. that God hath 1. a living Word 2. a dead Word 3. a Word that is both dead and living And why sayest thou of the Prophets and Apostles they were borne acted carried out by the Holy Ghost to speake deliver write c. and suppose a man were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspired by the Spirit indeed As if it were a matter now not to be expected in this age as if it were no lesse then a wonder but so the Saints and Prophets were in every generation to thy generation therefore I wonder not that thou fo wonderest at it that any should now professe so to be though sapiens miratur nihil and the things of God are no where wondered at or evil spoken of but where ignorance of them is to see such a man as can truly say he is moved of the Lord and inspired with his spirit whereas when was it otherwise in any age wherein God had Saints And who is otherwise that is not in name onely but a Saint or a Christian indeed and truth Was ever any otherwise or lesse then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspired of God that was born acted carried out by the Spirit and was any otherwise or lesse then so that is moved guided led by that Spirit to act speake write c. and ought any now any more then formerly or do any now that are truly Saints act write speak think any thing more then formerly out of the Spirit â—or in the Flesh that is of any savour or hath any acceptance in the sight of God Is that accepted of God that is done written spoken thought ministred out of the Spirit or in the Flesh not in and by the motions of the Spirit but in and by the motions of the Flesh and in the wisdome and will of the Flesh Is not all that Cains sacrifice that is offered in that nature of his or while men are yet but in the Flesh not in the Spirit which Sacrifice is as all wicked mens are while their ear is turned from the Law in the Spirit i.e. the light and Spirit of God within abomination unto God And are not all I. O's prayers preachings writings who dare not pretend to have live in be moved or guided by the infallible Spirit of God in ought that he does acted and done in the Flesh and the oldnesse of the Letter and is any thing that 's done in the fleshly minde thoughts imaginations wisdome worth a Rush when the very wisdome of the flesh is enmity against God and â—all the enmity is to be slain and not any of it accepted or to be reconciled for ever Do not all the Israel of God that are Israel not after the Flesh or the Letter but after the Spirit the Iewes and the Circumcision not outwardly in the Flesh and Letter but inwardly in the Heart and Spirit Do not all these minde the same thing that one and the self-same spirit and as far and in such a measure as every one hath attained it walk by the
they areâ— seldome in unless Out be In with them as In is Out with T. D. the people whose eyes all as of one man should be as the true Israels are Zach. 9.1 toward the Lord being towards their Spiritual Lordships the Clergy do all as one man erre after them and drop together in gross with their blind guides into the Ditch And whereas all have hitherto following the old Interpreters who say the truth with the Quaâ— read that Text thus The true Light enlightens every man that comes into the world they if I.O. may have his will against the Qua. must now read otherwise 4. Suppose we should for Tryals sake and no otherwise will we grant thee that the Greek Text in respect of the words as they may be construed may equally bear I. Os. construction as well as that of the Qua. and of most or all Translators and Interpreters hitherto does not this then overturn the whole business thou so much buslest for throughout thy book viz. the Greek and Hebrew Texts being such a sure fixt steady stable infallible unchangeable inalterable Rule Canon Measure Touch-stone Standard for all Truth to be tryed by and all Spirits Lights even that infallible one which gave it out as well as any other the infallible guidance of which thou deniest to be now in the world or to be the stable Rule Standard or Direction about Doctrines Duties c. for verily if it be so as in some places it is confesâ— by me to be so far more clearly then in this viz. Iob. 5.39 where Ereunate may be read either Indicatively as a Complaint Ye search the Scriptures and look for life there which is Christs mind there or Imperatively as a Command Search ye that one and the same phrase in the Greek may bear â—ivers constructions from which being differently construed according to mens meer different conceits upon them may arise not only various 〈◊〉 ons and senses such as T. D. gives when he sayes it is either 〈…〉 of else perhaps it may be so and the word or phrase may import so and may impâ—rt so c. up and down in his book but also such as are even contrâ— y contradictory and absolutely destructive one to another must not he then pâ—t out the eyes of men first that makes them believe that which I. O. contends and spends himself throughout his whole Book about that not the Light Spirit Word and Truth of Christ in the Hearts and Consciences of men nor any immediate Vision or Revelation of the old inalterable infallible eternal Will and Truth of God to man in his own heart as he waits at Wisdomes gates at Gods own Mouth for counsell is to be the Rule but such an uncertain doubtful fallible flexible thing as an external Text and Letter that may be and is turned twenty wayes and made to stand even in one verse many wayes at once according as men in their foolish vain thoughts are minded to thrust it Art thou so benummed I. O. and hardened against this Truth that the Light is the Rule and not the Letter that because the Quakers rell it thee against whom thou art risen in wrath therefore thou wilt not believe it no not though preached to thee by thy own mouth hand and pen as well as theirs Quid cum iis agamus qui cum revera sintadeo infeliciter stupidi ut nulla neque ratione neque experientia erudiri possint quasi tamen ipsi soli superent vanaperswasione siderati in contemptu eorum quae non intelligunt audaciter persistunt atque cum Comicoillo clamant dicat quad quisque volet nos exhae opinione non dimo vebimur Ex. 2 S. 28. Read that to thy self I. O. if thou canst tell how and see how thou loosest thy ground against us one way while thou seekest to gain against us another way by thy extortion of the Text and thy playing Legerdemane about the Letter 5. Suppose we should as for tryals sake again we will not otherwise for our Nay is stronger then thy Tea as to this place give thee thy own reading of that Text wholly to thyself Jet's see what thou canst make of it against the â—ue lights enlightning every man which is the thing thou denyest and wouldest disprove by it Nempe To Pan hoc est vere nihil just as much and not a jot mere then thou had â—â— before If thou wilt not read it the true way â—ake it then in thy own and make thy best on'r The true light coming into the world enlightens every man here is thy reading which amounts not to one attome more against every mans being enlightned with the true light then if thou quietly without quarrelling with the Quakers read'st it with them thus The true Light enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world for it still proves that every man in the world since the true Lights coming into it is enlightned by it and all that thou thyself concludest and entailest at the end of thy tale about it is no more then an exclusion of that part of the world that died before Christs fleshly coming into it from being mentioned in this Text for so run the words of thy Conclusion Ex. 4. S. 24. Ad maximam ideo partem humani generis quaescilicet ante adventum Christi in mundum fato functa fuerit non pertinet haec assertio Therefore to the greatest part of mankind namely such as died before Christs coming into the World this Assertion appertains not Repl. In which Assertion of thine thou according to the manner of Errour which is a Quick-sand that when men are once in it sucks them in further art sunk more over head and eares then before considering thy meaning of thy own words for how beit if rightly understood there are no men that ever lived or died in the World who had a being in it before Christ and the true Light of the World or Word of which it is said Iohn 1.1 2 3. It was in the beginning with God and was God and as God is not denyed by any of you to have enlightened all men from of old before that Juncture ye count from and by which men and all things were made so that without it not any thing was made that was made in which was the life which life was the light of men which shineth in the darkness even the wicked who are yet darkness though not comprehended thereby Yea to the Wisdome of God 1 Cor. 1. That leads men in the way of righteousness in the midst of the paths of Iudgement that it may cause those that love it to inherit substance and fill their treasures was the very beginning of Gods way was set up from everlasting and in being when the heavens and earth were founded and established rejoycing in the habitable parts of the earth and delighting in and lightning the sons of men ever since there were men and blessing those that attended to him Prov.
matter quoth T.D. I make not the Apostle a Lyar for the indefinite phrase hath a restrained sense as elsewhere in the Scripture Christ tasted death for every man Heb. 2.9 when as he died but for a certain number And as for I. Tom and R. Baxt. which two heads that knock so hard against each other about Baptisme make but one hasty head to push against the Qua. and the true Light in that Book of I.T. publish't by R. Bax. â—â—il'd True Old Light Exalted c. many blind passages whereof are here animadverted in which piece of work of theirs there is as there is in I.Os. not only Light but more or less in one place or other all sorts of Light treated and tasted of yet little or no Light at all found but rather a meer mist of darkness these two I say are neither less bold nor less blind then the other two in their confused opposition of this eminent Truth viz. the universality and sufficiency of Light or Grace from Christ in men to save them if they take heed to it from both transgression and condemnation about which I shall â—et down so much of that their book as whereby it may appear how far they are contradictory to the Qua. and then shew how all of them who yet speak out no other then the sense of the whole Brotherhood of the personal particular Electionists that deny the general love of God and his gift of Saving Grace to all men are therein no less contradictory to the Truth And for as much as R. Baxt. is found justifying of what ever is said by I.T. falsly in that foresaid book I do R.B. no wrong in my judging them both for it in my Reply if R.B. had not as he hath vented out his vehemency of blind zeal in his Epistle so ridiculously as to excuse such as accuse him of ignorance and errour in words enough of his own for which I.T. not only mutually justifies him but All-to-be-reverences him also as R.B. does him and most Divines do each other mutually when they joyntly roar out their rude reasons against the Truth though they rather tear and rend then reciprocally reverence one another when they open at each other about their own Opinions To let pass then their unanimous impatient prittle-prattle against the Qua. as Popish and promoting the Papists Interest as savouring of Popery Polagianism Arminianism Socinianism page 36. and such like stuff and strange out-cryes with which the Clergy ever fills poor peoples minds to the rendring of them ill-affected to Friends of Truth as Anti-Scripturisme Enthusiasm Fanaticism c. having dealt with I.O. and T.D. already about that trish-trash of our being Iesuits Papists to which I refer them all who eodem cum idis herentes luto found it out to the same tune against us in that and the rest Arminiana sunt omnia jamdudum profligata they are all Arminius his matters quoth I.O. Arminiaâ— points quoth T.D. thus they stun mens minds not knowing that Arminius though deemâ—d and doom'd an Heretick by that Divine and domineering denunciation of the Divines at Dâ—rt was as no less learned so full as holy and honest as themselves Letting pass also abundance of other lyes and abuses of the Qua. sundry of which call aloud for a Rod of as rough reproof as the rest have had for the backs of both Tombs and Baxter among which I shall here hint at no more then that of R. B. in his Epistle concerning Iame Nayler which as he sayes is regardable and so say I to R. Bs. shame who so basely belyes Iames Nayler therein representing those words at large wherein I.N. renounces those unclean Spirits that are gone out to the dishonour of God by many wild actions from the unity of the Truth and Light into which the Qua. are called gathered and in which they abide as if therein I. N. had written a Recantation of all that ever he wrote against R. Baxter and others for the Truth held out by the Qua. and as if I. N. had for ever renounced the Qua. as unclean spirits and Ranters and such like when as its most evident to any but the blind that as I. N. still iustifies the Truth and Light and all the Qua. that abide in it and to which by the Grace of God he now stands a true and faithful servant so that his Recantation and Renunciation is of no other then of that old Spirit of the Ranters which makes head against the Light of Christ condemning filthiness in every conscience and Life of the Cross which however many may turn away from as they did of old yet many thousands of Qua. continue walking in to this day But I say passing by all I T and R B gross abusiveness of this sort against the Qua of that Vniversal Light and sufficient or saving Grace of God to all which the Qua testifie to they assert thus Bax Ep p 7 Their great pretence when they dishonour the Scripture and the Ministry is to lead men to a Light or Word of God within themâ— and this is their cry in our Assemblies and our streets Hearken to the Light and Word within you and the sufficiency of this they clamorously defend and accuseâ—us grievously for contradicting them c. So p 34 Out of the Principles of those men viz Pelagians Arminians c. these People meaning the Qua have drawn their Tenet of an Vniversal Light in every man that cometh into the world without Bibles Preachers Church-Communion Christian Ordinances to know his duty so as that he may be perfect which is indeed the reviving of old Pelagianism or worse and tends to the making of Christian Religion if not all Religion whatsoever unnecessary Sol 35 36 by way of complaint against the Qua they say This is their conceit that every man that cometh into the world even the Gentiles that have not the Letter yet have from Christ a Spiritual Light c. That every one hath a Light within him or there is such Revelation imparted to every man in the world that if he would use it he might come to saving knowledge This Vniversal Light is so magnified by G. Fox that he tells us it shews all the ungodly wayes that ever a man hath acted in with it a person will come to see Christ the Saviour of his Soul from whence the Light comes to save him from his sin it brings to Christ to confess him gives the knowledge of the God of the world that rules in them that are disobedient this Light gives the knowledge of the Glory of God the true knowledge of the Scriptures its one in all they that come to and love it come into fellowship one with another out of this they are in jarrs and confusions it lets see Sin that hath separated from God and the Mediator and the Kingdome of heaven and lets men see they must be meek and humble keeps from errour guile all distraction
of God and Christ within leading them back into it out of that corrupt one by which Light they are a law to themselves before God are said to perform by nature what things are required in the Law which are as ye say moral duties indeed yet such as saving your ignorance in that are truly righteous and acceptable with God and evangelical being done in Christ though they know not his person whilst done in his light for men may do much by the light that comes from the Sun while they see not the body of the Sun it self and be guided and strengthened to do much by the Light of God and Christ that is his Will and acceptable and good though yet they have not heard of nor known him so much as some that hear and read of such things by the letter as to his appearance in that body of flesh or meer external incarnation Witness Cornelius whose Prayers and Almes were heard and accepted being done by one that feared God and eschewed the evil which by the light he had discovered whilst as yet he had not heard of Christs personal Birth Life Death or Resurrection Acts 10.1.2 c. Yea every moral duty that is done in some obedience to the light that is in the Conscience and not for base ends and glory of men which ends have been and are found more among many Literarists Iews and Christians too then among many that by them have been lighted as Heathens are Evangelical also yea whatever is done from an honest and not selfish principle in the Light or Law in the heart is of the same nature as that both Moral and Evangelical Law is even spiritual and holy and iust and good and all transgression that is acted against the Law is not only against the Light of God and Christ whose Commandment that is and against the Gospel or free Promise of life held forth also therein but also against nature not that corrupt naâ—uâ—e into which men are run for the sin is committed in that but that divine nature or similitude of God or right Reason in which men stood at first til they ran out into a reasonless kind of Reason of their own which is not after God a remnant of whose nature is in man still and his light in the Conscience which is right Reason it sâ—lf leads to itâ— and therefore all sinners who are in the deeds of darkness and out of the true faith of Christ which is in his light are said to do things contrary to nature though pleasing and answerable to the viperous nature they are gone out into Rom. 1. 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32. and to be without natural affection or against nature unnatural and unreasonable 2 Tim. 3.3 2 Thes. 3.2 and wicked for all men that have the true Light in them have not Faith in it I say then the Heathen who have not the letter by the Light of God which is saving are a law unto themselves and do shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience also by the Law inlightned bearing witness within them and their thoughts thereby accusing and excusing one another so that the Law is not only a light and saving but universal also and common in some measure to all men To which may be added as an Argument Ad hominem at least to the stopping of their mouth in proof of the universality of Christs enlightning All men another consideration out of R. B. and I. T. his own Book and that is the need that all men that come into the world have of Light from Christ and the universal necessity of Christs enlightning them all because of that universal corruption and blindness which is asserted by them to be in all men at birth P. 24 25. John 1.9 Where it is said of man coming iâ—to the world must be meant say they of humane birth and accordingly this point is thence say they deducible That every one that comes into the world needs light from Christ which Position say they is true 1. Because every man is boâ—n destitute of spiritual light in the things of God concerning his duty and the way of salvation 2. Because every man is liable to death and trouble and wrath and evil from God as he is born into the world and Christ came into the world to remove both these sorts of darkness and none else can do it These are the express words of these two men R. B. I. T. from which howbeit they most unreasonably conclude against our doctrine saying The former of these overthrows the main Position of the Qua. That every man hath a light within him sufficient to guide him so as that following it he may please God and be saved without the light of Scriptures or preaching of publick Teachers Yet I do and may most truly argue and conclude to the fuller establishing of the said Position from their own words on this wise Arg. 17. If every man that comes into the world needs light from Christ and there be a necessity of Christs enlightning in regard that every man is irrecoverably lost else and not some only then Christ doth enlighten so far at least as to a possibility for salvation every man and not few men only otherwise God were as is abovesaid a most apparent respecter of mens persons as he is not and his wayes were not equal as they are and his words were not true as they are when he sayes he would have all men to be saved unless they will die and to come to the knowledge of the truth and such like nor were his clearing himself and charging of men that perish right as it is when he sayes their destruction is of themselves but in him is their help nor were his Iudgements iust and righteous as they are in condemning men for not believing in the light while they had it when they never had it nor were his pretended great Love rich Grace matchless Mercy to All peâ—ple in Christs birth Luke 2. â— Iohn 3.16 17 18. so sincere as it is but raâ—hâ—r feigned sith else he did not so much as put them all into a possibility of coming out of their mâ—sery but rather left a thousand to one to perish in it unavoidably without remedy nor were his fairest offers of salvation and life to all if they will walkin his light so fair as they are but meer mockage since else he had not given them any measure of any such light as could lead them to it nor were his saying What could I have done more for them that I have not done any other then a lye as it is not since else he had not done so much as was needful yea so absolutely necessary towards their living that it was not possible they should live without it when he both could should and ought in equity by some measure of true light to have made them capable to come to life and see their
of their own hearts the Light within word quoth I. O. meaning still the Letter makes a sufficient Proposition of itself and is sufficient to save where ever it is and he to whom it shall come As it is to all in their hearts who refuses it as Darkness Errour Delusion Euthusiasone Fanaticisme c. ' because it is testified against as so and worse by I. O. and his Followers who calls it Nihil and in a mockage an Imagined Christ c. whether it be I. O. himself in whom Satan testifies all this against it or any other that refuse it upon I. Os. false testimony against it from Satan in him will give an account of his Atheisme and Infidelity He that hath the Witness of God which is the Light within for the Letter without is but mans witness for God as moved by his Spirit to declare outwardly what he inwardly knows of him need not stay for the witness of man which is the Letter without which Letter yet doth abundantly testifie to the Light as greater then itself Wheresoever the Light within word quoth I. O. meaning the Letter still is received indeed as it requireth itself to be received and is really assented 〈◊〉 â—â— the Word of God sufficient to save it is so received upon the evidence of that Light and sufficiency which it is found and felt by such as walkin it to have and hath in itself to such manifestly declaring it self so to be It s all one by what means by what hand whether of a Child or Babe of stammering lips or of a Church of God for both those wayes it s witnest to without the intimation and knowledge of the Light within us comes to us from God and towards us by being the Word of God it hath its power of manifesting to us the way to life and of manifesting it self so to be from its own innate Light Now this Light in the Scripture i. e. which the Scripture which is not it declares to be in the heart for the sufficiency of which to lead to life without the Scripture as it did before that was we contend hath an impress far more then the Letter hath of Gods Excellency upon it distinguishing it by infallible Tekmeria from the product of any creature or of the meer principles of nature as I. O. dreams for though it was in men from the Creation yet it is not his natural faculty of understanding or the mind or the conscience as he and his fellows foolishly fancy Ex. 4. S. 18. but some thing that is of God and from him which is a witness to him in the conscience and in the mind it is that Spirit in man and Inspiration of the Almighty which giveth him understanding Iob 32.8 that he may know him 1 Iohn 5.20 though all that have it do not know him by it for from may to must there is no arguing by this God dives into the consciences of men into all the secret recesses of their hearts into a which such a gross thing as a meer outward Manuscript cannot get guides teaches directs determines and judges in them upon them in the Name Majesty and Authority of God if the men who are blinded by the god of this world will yet deny this light and not come to it that they may be saved by it because they perceive it not to be sufficient to save them it shall not prejudice them nor hinder their Salvation who do By this self-evidencing sufficiency I say doth the Light within Scripture quoth I. O. make such a Proposition of itself as the Light and Power word quoth I. O. meaning the Letter of God that who ever rejects it doth it at the peril of his eternal ruine and thereby a bottom and foundation is tendred for that faith which it requireth to repose it self upon For the proof then of the sufficiency of the Light within Divine Authority of the Scripture quoth I. O. to lead to life unto him or them who as yet on no account whatever do acknowledge it I shall only suppose that by the Providence of God he or they be brought to the Light Book quoth I. O. so as that he or they be ingaged to the consideration of it or do attend to the leadings of it upon a supposal hereof I leave them and the Light Word quoth I. O. together and if it evidence not its own sufficiency unto their consciences it is because they are blinded by the god of this world which will be no Plea for the refusal of it at the last day and they who receive it not on this ground All never receive it on any as they ought The Light within Scripture quoth I. O. is enrolled among things of that nature as do manifest their own conditionâ— It is absolutely called the Power of God and that unto its proper end i.e. Salvation which way lyes the tendency of its efficacy in operation Rom. 1.16 the word concerning the Cross that is the Gospel or the Light for the Light is the cross to the carnal mind will and wisdome is the Power of God 1 Cor. 1.8 and faith which is built on that Light word quoth I. O. not the Letter without other helps or advantages is said to stand in the Power of God 1. Cor. 2.5 This and not the naked Letter is the Rod of his Power or Strength Psa. 110.2 giving all manner of assurance and full perswasion of its own Authority Efficacy and Sufficiency By vertue of this power it hath ever brought forth fruit among such as came to it in all the world in which it is and into which it is come without sword without for the most part miracles without humane wisdom or Oratory without any inducements or motives but what were meerly and solely taken from it self consisting in things that â—y hath not seen nor ear heard nor could enter into the heart of man to conceive hath it doth it and will it much more now then ever exert this its power and efficacy to the conquest of the world causing men of all sorts in all times and places where its Ministry comes so to fall down before its Divine Authority as immediately to renounce all that was dear to them in this world and to undergo whatever as dreadful terrible and destructive to nature in all its dearest concernments it is now the work of many to insist on the particulars where in this power exerts it self yea it sel f doth more and more manifest its own sufficiency to condemn and save so that I need not inlarge upon them the workings thereof are spiritual such as have their seat dwelling and abode in the hearts and consciences of men whereby they are not liable to any exception as though they were pretended men cannot hard in themselves in the rejection of the testimony the Light gives by sending for Magicians to do the like or by any pretence that it is a common thing that is bâ— fallen them on whom the
own perverse mind and meaning why cannot that be meant of freedome from sin but that men who are not fully willing to be freed from it and are in love with it and being loath to leave it are loath to see it It s more hard not to see then it is to see that it is meant of freedome from sin What should or can it be meant of else Are not freed me from sin and not committing of sin made synominous as committing sin and not being freed from it are made by Christ himself opposites to each other Ioh. 8.32 33. 34. 35. 36. The Iews thought they had the fullest freedome that men could have in this world because they were the visible Church Abrahams Seed and such like externals as they then trusted in as ye now do though not yet freed from that thing call'd sinning to serve the Lord alone whose service the very common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book it self was wont to call perfect freedome But Christ learns them another Lesson viz. that they had none of that true Gospel freedome that the saving knowledge of the truth gives and which he makes such as continue in his words and so are his Disciples indeed and not in word only as ye are free withall which is a full freedome in deed and truth and not half a one or by the halves such as that is ye talk of who upon the account of some private Patent alias particular personal Election thereto from everlasting prattle to your selves of freedome from guilt while ye remain in your filth and of a general Iustification anâ— pardon for all sins past present and to come in this world expecting your purging or Iustification as to Sanctification from sin and â—ncleâ—â—ness not in this world but that to come But verily verily I say unto you quoth he he that committeth sin is yet the servant of sin and must know for all his boasting he has not long to abide in the House and Church of God wherein Ishmael-like he scoffs at the right Heir Isaac as if himself alone who is but a Bastard born of fornication should inherit all and will prove an out-cast himself at last before the Son who is born of God and free indeed and the only true Heir of all things full freedome from sin and committing of it are oppos'd to each other by Christ therefore freedome from it and not committing it are the same To wind out of this T.D. would seem to say somewhat but of two things he can't tell which but one of the two must be it rather then the Truth Either there is quoth he an Emphasis in the word sin intending under that general term one kind of sin viz. sin unto death or if not in the Substantive on the Verb Poiei which notes to make a trade or business of sin as the Devil does who sinneth from the beginning and never ceased from sin since he began Thus indeed the Saints sin not c. Rep. As to they Emphases they are the foolish empty conceits of thy own and other mens brains there 's no such Emphasis either in the Substantive or Verb as ye all prate whereby the Spirit should be understood as speaking otherwise then he truly means or meaning otherwise then he plainly sayes whose words are plain to the honest heart though not to Idol Shepherd who by the Sword of the Lord hath his right eye utterly darkned because he hath darkned the Lords Counsel by his own words without knowledge And if the eyes of the Seers were not shut up from seeing the very Letter they prate about as well the mysteries of the Spirit which the animal man can never know by all his searchings they being revealed only by the Spirit they might see that the Text it self makes no difference between sinning and committing sin and that the one is no more Emphatical then the other And if T.D. who in the same page 9. where he mentions the words were not so busie in his mind about the meaning and did not make such a warbling noyse as shallow waters ever do more then those that are deepest with harping at this that and t' other silly sense he might in coolness have considered that in the same ninth verse as well as the eigth and others about it the Spirit makes no difference between Amartian Poiein and Amortanein to commit sin and to sin but uses them promiscuously Ouk Amartanei every one that abides in him sinneth not So ver 8. He that commits sin is of the Devil for the Devil Amartanei sinneth from the beginning And because T.D. seems to put an Emphasis upon the word sinneth as well as committeth sin making the word sinneth as here used to amount to somewhat more then an ordinary sort of sinning as here it intends some high or desperate degree of sin even that which 1 Ioh. 5.16 is call'd Kat ' Exoken a sin unto death without remedy or forgiveness for ever because never to be repented of as in opposition to all other sins that men do commit which when this alone being ever joyâ—'d with impenitency is impardonable are all upon that true repentance they are yet in possibility of who commit them pardâ—nable or possible to be forgiven for this is T. Ds. emphasis on the Substantive Sin for I shall not wrong him so much as to take him meaning as the Papists do who put such difference between peccatum veniale and mortale as if some sins only without repentance were mortal or to death and some venial or not to death though not repented of at all your Church of England opposing them in this and holding every sin yea the least unrepented of unto death though T. D. would have suspected me to be a Iesuite for a less matter This concludes him that is born of God to be even qua sic as born of God as easily liable to and excludes him no more then it does the very wicked themselves from the committing of any sin that the wickedest can commit except that ye call the sin against the Holy Ghost it self which is so gross an absurdity that he can be no spiritually wise man that does not feel him to be spiritually infatuated that so imagines For still though the Devil sinneth and he that is of the Devil doth nothing else but Nicodemus though a Master in Israel can't read this Birth of God which is Anothen from above of water and the Spirit John 1.12 John 3. which blows where it lists and the Priests hear an outward sound thereof but know not whence it comes nor whether it goes nor how he is that is born of the Spirit as plain as 't is in the Text which they read more then that truth tells of yet as he that sinneth is of the Devil and he that is of the Devil sinneth altogether so he that sinneth not but doth righteousness only is of God and he that is born of God and the Spirit which is Spirit and not flesh sinneth not at
all the former are asserted abundantly ore and ore again as truth by I O himself Ex 3 5 28 22 Therefore the conclusion is consequently true that its either here or no where Again they all say in opposition to the Pope ther 's no Purgatory in the world to come therefore it must be here or no where unlesse they know any other world between this present world that which is to come which middle world though I have heard some talk of a world in the Moon I am not yet acquainted with There be some therefore that sin not in whom the Law is not transgrest but sin condemn'd and judged in their flesh so that the Righteousnes of the Law by Christs Power is fulfild in them and they walk not after the the flesh but after the Spirit which is the end of Gods sending his Son in the likenesse of sinful flesh and of his sending out his light into mens hearts even that Law of the Spirit of Life which is in himself viz to make men free from that law of sin and death which sometimes they obeyed to condemnation and to condemn sin in the flesh and out of it also by his Iudgment brought forth into victory over it that his Righteousness might be Revealed and the Righteousness of the Law which he fulfilled in himself might be by him fulfilled in us also Many more passages truly there are in T D's and I O's books besides these many that have bin spoken to some of which are worth no more being but confusion then confutation and some of which also are not worth so much and therefore I shall draw to an end making many books and much writing being wearisom but by these men maybe admonished what a meer Fallible kind of guidance they must expect from their University Admired leaders while they hate the Light of God in their own hearts and hang only on their lying lips for their learning the plainSoul-saving Truth of Christ FINIS AN ADDITIONALL APPENDIX To the Book Entituled Rusticus ad Academicos OR The Country correcting the Clergy WHEREIN In somewhat a smaller Compasse and closer Circumference then that of the Volume it alludes to some few of those Rabbinical Riddles which yet are obvious enough in the other to any observant Reader are rendred more conspicuous to the observation of all To the end that all that have Eyes may see and a Heart may understand How the Scribes and School-men are unskild in the Scriptures How the Sun is set upon the Seers How it's night to the Diviners that they cannot divine How the Vision of all is become unto them as a Book sealed How blindnesse has befallen the Babel-Builders How the Race of the once Reverenced and Renowned Rabbies is wrap't up in Rounds in their so much respected writings against the Light How the Doctors are doting on a Divinity of their own The Teachers and Text-men tangled in their own talkings about their Text and the Priests pull'd down by themselves in their own Prate pretensively for i.e. Pro Scripturis but in very deed against both the very Text and the very Truth it talks on How among the Gameliels in general but more particularly among those four choice ones T. Danson I. Owen R. Baxter I. Tombs who as Representatives of the rest whose sense they speak and in whose behalfe they reason are reckoned with in the bigger Book abovesaid Ishmael-like Every mans hand is against every man and each mans hand against himselfe R.B.I.T. sometimes confuting I. O and T.D. and these foure sometimes confounding and contradicting each man himself and in a word dancing the Rounds together in the dark tracing too and fro crossing and capering up down in out and sometimes round about in the Wood of their own wonted wisdom in the clouds of their self-created confusion about sundry Doctrines they concurre in together by the ears against the Quakers Contradictionibus scatet Spiritus Enthusiasticus Vnusquisque asslatum habet ita faedè et apertè inter se aspiritu immundo committuntur ut vix duo eorum in eadem doctrinâ conveniant sed mirè digladiantes adversas et contrarias sententias quotidie venditant etiam in Nomine Dei se aliquotiès mutuò devovent et execrantur Itaque Nihil Certi ab i◠expectare licet The Enthusiastical spirit flows with Contradictions So fowlly apparently are they whifled by the evil spirit among themselves that scarce two of them can agree in one Doctrine but clashing wonderfully they daily vent opposite and contrary opinions often they even curse one another in the name of God therefore there 's nothing certain to be expected from them Quoth Iohn Owen Exer 3. Sect 34. Quid rides O sacerdos de te fabula narratur In Homine Domini ac in Nomine Domini saith the Proverb Incipit Omne malum By S. Fisher. London Printed for Robert Wilson 1660. AN ADDITIONALL APPENDIX c THat flood of Follies and Absurdities that loud of Confusions and self Contradictions which diffuses and shatters it self up and down by plats in sundry showers thorowout the sun dry Pages of these four mens Books Every eye that reads them as they lye at a distance in theirs and in mine by which theirs is more largely answered may possibly not set sight on them easily Therefore I shall cull some few of them only out for the whole number passes my skill to cast account of and clap them a little closer together Not so much to shame them as to honour the Truth which they would shame That they may be the more ready to be read and apparent to the view of every ordinary Reader That any save such as seeing will not see may see the Sword of the Lord already laid on the Arm and Right-eye of the Idol-Shepheard To the drying up of the one and the darkning of the other For perverting the right way of the Lord so that he not only seeth not the Sun of Righteousnesse which he loves not that it should shine as Elimas of old did not for his seeking to turn away the Governor from hearing the Faith Acts 13.10 11 13. nor yet the Moon of so much as common sense and reason but groaps about with him in the mist of his own muddy mind so as to need some to lead him by the hand and to shew him in answer to his Question 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereabouts he is and what a shaking sandy ground he stands on Self-Contradictions Confusions and Rounds about Iustification 1. As to the Doctrine of Iustification by Christ and his Righteousnesse within us 1. They tell us one while that the 3. Question debated on at Sandwich and held in the affirmative by the Quakers was stated in these terms Whether Our Good works are the meritorious cause of Our Iustification which is a Lye with a witness witnesse T.D. who tells it P. 14. of his first Pamphlet Otherwhiles to go round again leaving out
off then in one of the self same pages wherein he begins his discourse with me about it to go round again they plainly enough confesse the Scripture to be neither the Word of God nor the Rule witnesse T. Ds. words who when told what the Scripture is viz. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the letter writing that holy men wrote replies you cannot think us so silly sure as to affirm the Scripture in that sence which yet is the only sense in which it can properly be called Scripture to be the Word of God but we mean the matter contained in the Scripture which is another matter then the Scripture whether that be the Rule of faith or no witnesse also I. O. who Ex. 15.50 sayes Scriptura non verbum Dei vocatur formaliter quatenus scripta c. The Scripture formally considered and if not so not properly say I for forms dat esse et est id per quam resest id quod est is that by which every thing is what it is is not called the Word of God And yet to go round again p. 140. If the Scripture be what it reveals and declares it self to be it is then unquestionably the Word of the living God for that it professeth of it self from the beginning to the ending and Exer. 1 S. 32. Scripturam saepius eo nomine a spiritu sancto indigitari cuivis eas vel leviter inspicienti faâ—ile apparebit that the Scripture is very oft specially pointed out by that name is plain to him that but lightly looks into it Exer. 1. S. 28. Scriptura verbum Dei est locis poene innumeris verbum Dei dicitur The Scripture in well nigh innumerable places is called the Word of God Joh. 17.17 a Text that vel leviter inspicienti touches on no such matter and yet to go round again in the self same Section in the very next clause for all those innumerable places if there were as there are not so many in the book as the Scotchman said ubi verbum Dei ennarratur promulgari c. where the word of God is said to be preached publisht multiplyed received that most holy truth it self which is in mens hearts and is the matter of it is but the Scripture formaliter formally considered in no wise is intended And yet to go round again Exer. 1. S. 3. Fault is found with the Quakers by I. O. as meer seigners from them of that verbum internum or inward word they talke of because they do no more then I.O. does i.e. not own the Scriptures to be intended in those well nigh innumerable places but that holy matter truth or Word the Scripture speaks of as nigh in the heart of which I.O. himself Ex. 1. S 40. sayes also thus verbum quod in nobis est c. The word in us is that word of faith the Apostles preach Which well nigh innumerable places also I. O. himself sayes cannot be intended of Christs person neither quoniam autem millies fere mentio facta est verbi Dei c. because there is well nigh a thousand times mention made of the word of God and its preaching publishing receiving in those places which can't possibly be meant of the person of Christ and the Qua will not acknowledge the Scripture as intended there neither they carve from thence and wrest from thence I know not what Internall Word of which they are possessors in chief Haeredes ex Asse of such as held it shut up among themselves of old So shewing himself to be none of those Disciples of Christ among whom his Testimony is bound and his Law sealed up and hasting in his haughty mind to quarrell with the Qua for that which is no fault unlesse it be his own also he proves himself to Haeves ex Asseitlorum quos tenebrae antea inclusos tenuerunt who were justly shut up in groapable darknesse for despising the true light so as to groap for the Wall like the blind as if he had no eyes to stumble at noon day as in the night and as one horrendo percussus scotomate to run round with other blind guides in his giddy mind without sense or reason so as not to feel when he interferes and hacks one leg against another yea somtimes he confesses that the very Greek and Heb. copies or Transcripts are not only as well as Translations by the fallibility of the Scribes and the Criticall faculties of men liable to be turned eight wayes in one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some as contrary one to another as life to death and what way any Critick will and that the very immediate Transcribers of the Originall both might and also did erre faile mistake and that thereupon various lections when as I.O. at first said there was none at all not in a Tittle are risen witnesse I. Os. own confession and so not fit to be a foundation or a rule which to goe round again they say witnesse R.B.I.T. must not be variable and those though nickt in at next word by I. O. into the lesse offensive and formidable number of a few yet at next word to go round again both clearly confest and plainly cleared by I. Os. own self to be many among which though I. O. at the next word nullifies them all under that diminutive name of Apicular inconsiderable accents not at all intrenâ—hing on the sense or at all of any moment of no importance yet some to go round again are confessed to be of some importance and those of importance quoth he are considered by Glassius and consisting not only in superfluity of words unnecessary but in deficiency of words necessary to the sense of the places and that some of them are of such moment as Textum sacrum et in literis et sensu corrigere that they do alter the Text both in its letters and its sense And though to get from under that grievous gash which this grant of his own gives to his grand assertion of no variation of the Text in Tittles I. O. glazes it over with this glosse viz. That those that are inconsistent with the sense in their stations of more or lesse weight or moment are but private obscure and novell not above two or three hundred years standing in some late but no antient copies yet by and by to go round again I. O. denyes not but that some are not only of such publick and open observation as to be obvious to the view of all but also of long standing witnesse his words p. 190. There are quoth he in some Copies of the new Testament and those some of them of good Antiquity diverse readings in things or words of lesse importance and those which are of importance quoth he p. 193. have been already considered by others specially Glassius is acknowledged the proof of it lyes within the reach of most in the Copies that we have and I shall not sollicit the reputation of those who have afforded us
the same Text sence against the Quakers is against him to the confounding of him which Text is Ioh. 1.9 Where the true light is said to enlighten every man coming into the World for howbeit I. O. cloudily concludes with all the other three viz. T.D. R.B. I.T. in concluding and crouding that most universall Terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every man within the little compasse and narrow corner of his wheel in a wheel i. e. The Elect men only saying Synagogically with the rest Hoc est Syncategorema istud omnis non absolute sed relate ad Electos dicitur This is the Consignification of that Term All it s meant not absolutely but relatively to the Elect yet when he sayes Non dicitur Christum illuminare omnem hominent venientem in mundum sed quod ipse veniens in mundum omnem hominem illuminat Christ is not said to enlighten every man that comes into the World but that becoming into the world lighteneth every man and that this is the sence of those words the falsenesse silliness of which sence the insufficiency nothingness of it also to serve his turn against the Qua if granted him I have shewed in the book it self to which this is but an Appendix Here not only each of his three friends forsake him for T.D. himself among all his many meanings meddles not with this but two of them viz. I.T. and R.B. who backs I.Ts. Book make bold to fight against him for it as well as the Qua. do Witnesse their words p. 1 2. There is a doubt whether it should be read thus that was the true light coming into the World which inlightneth every man by a trajection or as ours read it as the words are placed That was the true light which inlightneth every men which cometh into the World Grotius after Cyrill and Austin and some others see how the Divines are divided and the Founders confounded among themselves likes the former as best but first such trajection disordering the words 2. The phrase being as fitly interpreted of birth as of appearing as a Teacher I rather chuse the reading of our Translators And p. 24. They tell us over again how coming into the World here is related to every man coming and not to Christs coming into it and how they before gave reasons against I. Os. sence So having been walking the Rounds with these men to give the World a Review of the Riddles they are wrapt in and the manifold Contradictions they are by the network of their own hands snared catcht and tangled in about their letter till I am come with them to that main Text at which they leave me because it talks so plainly of the true light which they love not and I leave them to dance about still in the darknesse of their own divinations I proceed in the light in which I see them though they being out of it see not themselves to open briefly to all people who love not to live with them rather in their darknesse then in Christs light the mist of darknesss wherein they mope about and dance the Rounds in their discourses about the Light in their fiery fluttering against which the wicked now is as he ever was snared in the work of his own hands Psal. 9 16. Higgaion Selah consider and note it Contradictions Absurdities and Rounds concerning the Light in the Conscience which the Qua testifie to As concerning the True Light or gift of Gods grace in every man the four men aforesaid do as all their fellowes do uno ore babble somwhat about it and bear witnesse either for or against it but each mans witness agrees no better together within it self then that they give about the other matters abovesaid Somtimes they call it Light truly really naturally and properly so and not metaphorically nor by way of allusion to what is so Witnesse I. O. p. 74. It is spirituall morall intellectuall light that hath the preheminence as to a participation of the nature and properties of Light Otherwhiles the same who excluded it from the name of Metaphoricall by that of naturall and proper to go round again do conclude it to be metaphoricall as in opposition contradistinction to both naturall and proper Witnesse I. O. who confounds his own foresaid saying p. 74. with another division Ex. 3. S. 4 5 6 7 8 c. Where under that same term of metaphoricall he distinguishes that Light he calls morall spiritual intellectuall as respecting and exercising mens minds whether in matters morall civill or spirituall from that which respects bodily sight which he call'd naturall and proper Somtimes they call this very light whereby duties and divine things are discerned universall and common to all as the Qua do i. e. in some measure though not to all in the same but when so then no other but naturall as in opposition to supernaturall and spirituall Witnesse T.D. p. 1.1 pamp Naturall and supernaturall light are two an I though all have the one yet few the other and I. O. Ex. 4 S. 17. Lumen internum omnibus commune naturale est c. The light within common to all is naturall and to be called so S. 18. If this light that is common be not naturall the very Intellect is not naturall So S. 25. Concessimus reliquias primavae lucis esse in omnibus sed eas esse spirituales id pernegamus some relicks of the primitive light we grant to be in all but deny these to be spirituall Nihil non naturale nihil spirituale communicatum c. Nothing but what 's naturall nothing that 's spirituall is common or communicated to all So also R. Bax. I. Tom. A naturall light from Christ is yielded to be in every man c. pag. 33. Otherwhiles this very universall light in all which before was said to be not supernaturall or spirituall but meerly naturall to go round again is by these men yielded to be at least more then naturall and so no lesse according to T. Ds. division of light into two then supernaturall and spirituall Witnesse against themselves R.B. I.T. p. 37. It can hardly be avouched that that knowledge in morality and divinity which they i. e. People that never had the Law nor Gospell made known to them as the Jewes and Christians have had attained to was by meer light of Nature and in Baxters Epistle p. 7. he tells us of a Common supernaturall light given to the unsanctified I might also call in Iohn Horn and the two Thomas Moores that push with him against the truth as Witnesses of the same confusion that is among all the Priests in this matter who in their book stiled A fuller Discovery c. p. 61. affirm the light wherewith Christ lighteth every man is both naturall and spirituall but as my businesse lyes mainly with the other four men So George Whitehead hath sufficienly thrust down the vain thoughts already of those three in his Book stil'd The
Scripturarum c. Sect. 21. Haec summa horum hominum sententia Sect. 22. * Inter se distant Judaei Pontifices Fanatici Ex. 3. S. 2. Qui in rebus aliis omnibus diversissimè sentiant in hanc blasphemiam conspirent omnes S. 14. Perpetuo invicem digladiantur Pontificii atque Fanatici 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ex. 3. S. 2. Internecioni se mutuo devovent S. 3. Caeterum non iisdem rationibus ducti sed illi pro traditionibus bi pro Enthusiasmis atque Revelationibus suis tanquam pro aris focis contendentes atque ita non secus ac Sampsonis vulpeculae obversis Caudis ignitas faces in segetes Ecclesiae ferentes cuncti amicissimè è loco suo sacram Scripturam deturbate aggrediuntur S. 4. Eam a loco suo in Ecclesia depellere satagunt iisdem vestigiis insistunt Panatici nostrates quibus ad nequitiam hanc viam patefecerunt qui inter Pontificios spirituales dicuntur Ex. 3. S. 10 11. Adversus verbi sui hostes Ex. 3. S. 16. Contra quosvis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. 26. * As J.O. does in his late shuttling sheet of Answers to some Queries about Tythes * Ex. 1. S. 4. Non tantum Scripturas omni suâ Authoritate spoliare easque è loco suo mouere sed ipsum Christum Personalitate suâ atque divinâ existentiâ exuere hoc unico stratagemate intendunt conantur * De nomine Scripturae proprio contra Fanaticos nostrates c. I am to encounter our Fanaticks at present about the proper Name of the Scripture the part of the Question which is about the proper Name of the Scripture respects the Quakers Ex. 1. S. 12. * Ipsum Verbum Dei omnem ejus usum quod attinet penitus respuere c. Ex. 2. S. 27. * Apparet eos omni usu authoritate ac perfectione sacras Scripturas spoliare Ex. 3. S. 22. Nullt dubium esse possit quin si res eorum secundum vota successissent eas dudum penitùs rejectssent Ex. 3 S. 19. Utinam deleantur inquiunt Fanaticorum nonnulli ut omnes ad lumen illud quod in iis est attenderent magis Ex. 3 S. 13. * Ex. 2. S. 28. Enimvero si omnium seculorum omnium qui unquam extiterunt Christianorum experientia si ea quae ipsi vident spectant audiunt quotidie ullius apud eos ponderis essent aut momenti usum necessitatem fructum interpretationis Scripturarum per solennem verbi praedicationem expositionem viva voce aut scriptis factam negare verecundarentur spectemus utique utrumque gregem cùm illum qui verbo licet fruantur interpretatione ejus destitutus est tum illum qui una cum verbo Dei aliis etiam mediis cultus divini quae in verbi interpretatione plurimum consistant fruitur si modo ex fructibus arbor dignoscenda fit bona apparebit illa quae istiusinodi fructus cientiae Dei tulit quibus ubique progerminavit legitima Scripturae interpretatio * For every Prophet did not write down either all he said in his dayes nor all that which in writing is set down of his seeings and sayings doings sufferings with his own hands witnesse Jeremiah for whom Baruch wrote and who wrote the latter end of the 5 Books of Moses which ye dream he wrote every little and Iota of himself Deut. 34.5 to the end Did he write of his own Death and Burial and of Israels Mourning for him after he was dead * Pag. 3. So Ex. 3. S. 27. Post completum quem vacant ejus canonem nullae novae revelationes circa fidem coÌ„munem Sanctorum aut Dei cultum aut expectandae sint aut admittendae credimus prositemur * It seems then thy Word of God so called may be and was corrupted i.e. the Scripture secundum te who sometimes sayest it can't be corrupted in its Original Text and is not to this day But were it the Word of God indeed as that is it speaks of and as thou sayest it self is it were incorruptible indeed * Mark The Salvation of God was Common to all men then however it s now Impropriated by the Personal Electionists unto themselves * See I. O's words pag. 13. Hebraea Volumina nec in Vnica dictione corrupta invenies Citing Pagn and Matth. 5.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Pag. 316. 317. Speaking of the bare Copies of the Scripture Doth not our Saviour himself affirm quoth he of the Word that then was among the Jewes that not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sof it should passe away or perish Where let not the Points but the Consonants themselves and their Apices be intended or alluded to in that Expression yet of that Word which was Translated by the 70. according to this Hypothesis not only Letters and Tittles but Words and that many are concluded to be lost And say I Speaking not of Translations all of which I.O. seeks to prove deficient from Pag. 320. to Pag. 344. See it at large in above 24 Pages together but of the Original Text it self which he Pleads the Entirenesse and Integrity of without loss to a Tittle that upon this Hypothesis that all the fore-mentioned Books are lost not only Points and Consonants and Apices and Letters and Tittles and Iotaes but Words that many yea Books and that many are contrary to his Arch-Assertion concluded to be utterly lost * Though this I consesse which makes little for J.O. but much against him where he talks as one that meddles with what 's out of his reach of Gods putting every word so into their mouths and speaking by them in every Tittle they wrote that somethings in Pauls Writings he as himself sayes spake and not the Lord 1 Cor. 7.12 * Though I affirm it is not from Laodicea were it truly rendered being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 4.16 which Arias Montanus renders more rightly Quae est Laodicensium or Quae est Laodiceae the Epistle which belongs to the Laodiceans or is of or to Laodicea * Quid vero cum iis agamus qui adeo infeliciter stupidi sunt ut nulla ratione nec experientia c. Dicat quod quisque volet ex hâc Opinione non dimovebimur Ex. 2. S. 28. * Hoc Nâ—men viz. Verbum Dei Proprium sibi Vendiâ—at Scriptura I. O. Ex. â— S. 1 2 3 26 27. * For shall we Think quoth he Pag. 168. and so on many pages c. * Pag. 240. Whilst they keep the Scripture we shall never want Weapons out of their own Armory for their Destruction Like the Philistims they carry the Weapon that will serve to cut off their own heads quoth I O. of the Iewes and I of himself and his fellow Students * Quamvis enim ex justo Dei Iudicio sermo eis non est unicus imo ita sunt inter se confusi ut vix intelligant alter sermonem
Apprentices and Prateis and Players and ungodly Scoffers and Children of the Devil that make a Mock and a May game of Holy Matters and would never band so bitterly against the Quakers and their Meetings if there were not something of God in both Secondly In their Meetings there may be some Antick tricks done by some that have run out from the Truth and lost their Conditions and being not stedfast in their Watch to the Light have degenerated into Darknesse and Delusion by whom some things have been done and many more then T.D. mentions that are not owned by the Quakers to whom they are wise men the while that blame the Quakers for it who can't prevent it as Vice-Chancellors and Proctors might young Schollars rudeness and Magistrates the Peoples bruitishnesse in Parishes but will not And Thirdly In the silent Meetings of the Quakers there may be some that get no further then the outward Form of Godlinesse and not grow out into the Power and here and there one that may be over-taken with a fault which if they be it shall be found with a witnesse by the Wicked that Watch for their Halting and will make more of one Malefactor that 's found among all the Quakers then of 40 Drunkards Swearers Cursers Scurrilous Scoffers and Scorners Gamesters Couzeners Cheaters Lyars Laughers Light-Talkers and Lewd-Livers in a Parish and then many Scores of High-way-men Theeves Fellons Murderers and hainous Malefactors that are Hanged and Trussed-up every year that live and die under the Ministry of the Church of England But make the worst that can be made of the Quakers Crimes if they were 40 fold worse then they are or rather single out the very Excrements and Dreggs that depend that way to say something against yet Hoc astquid nihitest that something is nothing in comparison of that open prosessed Prophannesse and Iniquity that abounds beyond the bounds of Modesty yea of ordinary Immodesty and of Impudency it self among the Parish People where there is such a constant Custom and deal of Expounding of and Preaching from the Scrirture by the Ministerss of their own meanings upon it in which meer Anthropo Theological Labours of the Clergy the extraordinary high Acceptance of which by the Powers and Parliaments and Priests each from other is Expressed and Accosted ordinarily with the Common Complement of Great Thanks for their Great Pains and as eminently fruitful and Profitable as thou professest it to be it is evidently more profitable to the Preachers Purses then the Peoples Persons whether we Consider the Bereavings of poor mens Bodies of their Right or the Successelessnesse of thereof to their Souls which from year to year are little or nothing the better for the blasted Ministry of these Word-stealing Money-Mongers and Self-Sending Prophets which the Lord is against as fast as they run in his Name and Blesses not but sayes they shall not profit People at all and as apparent it is they do not as 't is that God sayes they shall not For from Generation to Generation what Fruit is found in the Parish Churches of the Popes Constituting and what successe to Sanctification and Salvation from Sin by the Great pains of the Successive Sermonists of several sorts that Simonically have got their Gifts at University and as freely given them out as they have freely received them if so to do be to Sell them for more Money then they cost them there is seen by the true Seers who can see little lâ—sse Ungodlinesse and Worldly Lusts and Moral Wickednesse since the Old Homilies were Read by the Non-Preaching Animatum Curates were Succeeded by the Powerlesse Preachers that are more Reformed from the more grosse Idolatry and Superstitions of those dismal Seasons Is there any Parish any better mannered then in Ages above Doth not every Priest that hath stood 10 20 years in his Parish leave it for the most part as Blind Ignorant Dissolute Lascivious Revâ—lling Riotous Luxurious as he found it whether he dies among them or departs from them to a bigger booty A Coming together there is for Customes sake in their Best Cloathes as finely as they can afford to do when their supposed Sabbath comes about in its turn a sound comes from a Money-Merchants mouth and enters in at one Ear of the People as fast as it can get out at the Other and while it stayes it Swims in the Head but sinks not down to Renew the Heart and some Psalms may be Sung to the Praise of him whom the Dead in Sin that live Sin cannot praise and so there 's an end of the businesse for that day till it come again till when Hell breaks loose and the Devil is served for the most part all the Week after insomuch that it is but for the Kettle to upbraid the Pot with its black ugly Hue for the Priest and his People to make Narratives of the worst of that Naughtinesse that is found anong the very worst of those that are own'd as one in Fellowship by the Quakers and their Ministry Secondly Let both Flocks he viewed viz. the Young and Old Schollars at Universities to begin near home at Oxford and Cambridge behold those that sit under your Grave Divine Doctorly Expositions and at the Ocean of Books that are bound down beside what a number each hath in his private Musing place by your Library Benches And the Quakers that sit in silence and wait only on the Lord let both Flocks be tryed by their Fruits and see which most resembles Christ and whether the Quakers carriage or the Schollars since the Quakers came among them have been most Innocent Vninjurious and Harmlesse and which look most like the Swine Wolves Bears Tygars c. and which most like the Fold and Lambs of Christ. And which of these Two viz. the Quakers that have the Word and yet are Retired from you to wait upon God alone for their Teaching and to learn of him at his own mouth and light in silence in all Subjection not making such a noise as ye empty Casks do in your busie brains about Formal set times set by the will of man for Expositions and Interpretations nor in Tumbling ore of Tomes Bulkie Books and Contentious Commentators or your Selves and your University Schollers that make such an infinite ado in your Inventions about Interpreting things sometimes that would be ten fold plainner then they now are if Natural Schoolmen had let them alone who when in aperto facili posita est salus the way to Life lyes as plainly laid down and declared by the Letter in a thousand places as it does in that one Tit. 2.12 13 so that there need be no such heaps of Books as there are more bulky then all the Bible to open some one small Book of it do draw Cloudes over the clear Face of it by interposing and imposing on People the Thicket of your own Thoughts and darken the open Counsel of it by your Writings without End
for Money as Ministers do now adayes And if I. O. insist upon the next words viz. 2 Tim. 3.15 which place mentions the Holy Scriptures and is mentioned I know not how many times over in I. O's Book in proof of that which it in no wise evinces and must be more plainly spoken to by me in due place Rep. I Confess that next Verse doth mention the Scriptures but more against then to J. O's purpose and more disproves then proves what he draws from the other yea it assures us that it was not the Scriptures in any wise meant in the 14. Verse for Paul saith to Timothy That from a Child he had known the Holy Scriptures i.e. of the Old Testament for those of the New were not as yet Canonized nor All Written if any of them were at all Written in Timothies Nonage but the Things he had heard and learned of Paul and was bid to continue in and commit to other faithful men to Teach were such as he had come into the Knowledge and Assurance of after he was taken by Paul Acts 16.1 2 3. to Travel with him which was not till he was grown past a Child If that Expression Knowing of whom thou hast learned Vers. 14. be granted to relate to Paul which yet for ought you Literatists are able to gain say may rather relate to the Lord himself by the Gift of whose Grace i e the Light and Spirit in him Timothy was and yet according to the Scriptures taught both more lately 1 Tim. â— 14 and from a Child So that neither of these two Texts teach any such matter as any of the outward Text of the New Testament Scriptures being either Canonized by the Apostles in their dayes or ordered by them to be stated as a Standard in the Councels of succeeding Ages And whatever men did de facto that way in the Second or Third Centuries the Antiquity whereof as venerable as it is to some Anti-Scriptural and Anti-Spiritual Antiquaries is with us but Novelty and Superstition if it appear not to descend de Iure from the first yet we Quary still quo Iure by what Authority from God Christ or the Apostles the Synods and Men that so Authorized and Canonized what Scriptures seemed to them as Challenging so high a Title and Office as the Word of God Rule Foundation Canon Standard and such like secluding other Writings as Holy as these were Authorized or Commanded so to do themselves Neverthelesse how weakly doth I O. Confessing first That it doth not appear that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the several Writers of the Scriptures of the New Testament and the same say I of the first Manuscripts of the Old which were burnt and lost and scambled away before Ezraes Sâ—nydrim if the Consignation and Bounding of the Canon thereof was done by him and his Companions as I.O. sayes were ever gathered into one Volume there being now no one Church to keep them for the rest and that the Epistles though immediately transcribed for the use of other Churches Col. 4.16 as I. O. thinks at least all were because some were were doubtlesse kept in the several Churches whereto they were directed which Confession if true as sure enough it is clears it that the Original Copies were never viewed together in one Bulk by any Councel or Synod whereby to put it into a Capacity to Iudge and Determine of their fitnesse to make a Canon of but only mens Copies of the Original which but that every man will think his Think and I.O. think as well as may be of it yet who can assuredly insallibly uncontroleably tell as I O. sometimes though sometimes again he will seem but to Think so undertakes to do in his grand Assertion that they answer the first Original in every Tittle and Iota I say before-hand Confessing all this how weakly doth I.O. Assert with Confidence his Thoughts in this as a point of Faith Pag. 166 167. that from those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there were quickly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Transcribed Copies given out to faithful men whilst the infallible Spirit continued yet his guidance in an extraordinary manner alluding to 2 Tim. 2.2 as his only Proof thereof out of which Original Copies or rather Copies of the Originals so Transcribed for the Originals themselves never came together to be considered of by any Councel this supposed Canon was Composed by the Annexing of the Revelation to the rest by I O. said to be finally Compleated Paâ— 28. God quoth he doth Command the close of the immediate Revelation of his Will to be Written in a Book Rev. 1 â—â— And so gives out the whole of his Mâ—nd and Councel to us in Writing as a stedfast Relief against all Confusion Darknesse Vncertainty c. Reply As if all Canonical certainty were no where but in a Written Letter then which in regard of its liablenesse to be altered easily many wayes by lewd Criticks whom I. O. Teaches to do it Pag. 21 22 23 24 25. As also by meer mis-Transcriptions mis-Translations misâ—Constructions nothing is more uncertain to make a Standard of unlesse it be the unutterably erring Breast or Head of that Harlot that Rides the Beast and the unwritten Traditions that are Traducâ—d ad infinitum from the same 2. As if the Light and Spirit that shines and breaths in the Hearts of all but most brightly and powerfully in the Hearts of such as heed it were not more infallibly self evidencing and certainly and stedfastly demonstrative of the Mind and Will of God when looked on in its naked Native lustre then when beheld thorow the vail of a Letter which while Moses put over his face the Children of Israel could never see certainly nor distinctly discern nor look stedfastly to the end of that which is abolished but were blind in their minds as our Ministers of the Letter are at this day upon whose hearts the vail is untaken away and ever will be till according to the Call of the Letter they turn to the Light within that comes from and leads to the Lord himself Christ Iesus that Spirit in whom only the vail is done away 2 Cor. 3. Per totum 3. As if the truest and most infallible Demonstration were Non ex veris prioribus certioribus notioribus causis internis Scripturae but Ex fallibilibus flexibilibus posterioribus obscurioribus effectis not by the internal Causes the Truth and the Word it self the Scripture came from which are before it more certain and known then it save to such as are willingly ignorant of them but by the Scripture which is but Effectus per emanationem the Effect that externally flowes from it flexible fallible as alterable at Criticks Wiâ—ls and unavoidably by mens weaknesse in Transcribing Translating Expounding c. at a Nose of Wax a Lesbian Rule more obscure yea obscurity iâ—leâ—f in the most plain Places to the Seers that search it not in the Light and
the things written in this book meaning that particular Writing he was now in hand with not if any man shall write any more Scripture with so high a pretence as by Revelation from the Spirit or loose or shut out any of the Scriptures that are already written by inspiration from the Canon for if he had meant so then as brisk as ye are to breath out Threatnings and Plagues and Curses to such as pretend to write any thing by inspiration revelation or motion from the holy Spirit since the dayes of the complearing and closing of your Canon as you call it which you count from Iohns writing his Revelation though ye are far from adding any inspired Scripture to the Bible but only such Scripture as is the fruit figment and imagination of your own hearts which thou confessest to be the Fountain of all that other men that are not Apostles as ye say ye are not do deliver p. 9. not daring to pretend to the infallible guidance of the infallible Spirit in your Ministry yet yee 'l not scape the taking your names out of the Book of Life and from the good things written in the Revelation for your fault of taking away detracting and diminishing from the Scriptures for ye exclude from your Canon very much of that inspired Scripture that was written some of which is extant at this day too or hath been shewed before But considering the nature and true being of your guilt I confess in this case of varying from the Rule if that were the onely standing Rule of the outward Scripture should be found to be much more in the Ablative than in the Dative Case But of this more hereafter These are J.Os. inartificial Arguments or Testimonies of Scripture used by him as mediums of artificial ones that may be drawn from thence of which Scriptures he affirms that they are as commonly cited so already vindicated à nosâ—â—i Theologis by our Divines from exceptions of Papists and others that hee need not insist any more on them to name them of which say I as he Communiter citantur nonproprie they are commonly but not properly cited but not yet vindicated from the exceptions of all I shall now come to consider his more Artificial Arguments drawn â—rom some of these and some other Scriptures by the Cart Ropes of J.Os. Carnal Reasonings in proof that the inward Light Word Spirit and its Revelations are not at all but the outward Letter Text Writings Scriptures are only and altogether the standing Rule to the Church and all men of all Truthss Doctrines and things that are to be done beleeved tried or determined in point of Gods worship and our obedience J. O s. Arg. 1. The first is on this wise Ex. 3. s. 28. Si Revelatio c. If the Revelation of the will of God in the Scripture be so perfect compleat and every way absolute that there is no need of any other Revelation by the Spirit and Light within Enthusiasm Heavenly breathing discsurses with Angels fained or true to instruct us in the knowledge of God 〈…〉 in order â—o the attaining eternal life then its plain that all those wayes and means of knowing God and his will which the Fanaticks fain to be the means thereof are uncertain dangerous unprofitable and in no wise necessary thereunto and therefore to be rejected and detested But it s so c. Therefore c. Rep. Oh full of all fallacy as well as falsity folly and blindness in the things of God of whom I may truly say Et si non casâ—etamen cause thou art not so little honest in it but thou art well-nigh as much crafty to hide what thou canst the dishonesty of what thou holdest not only from the Qua. as thou thinkest in the Latine language but also from all that would handle thee for thy ill handy-work by thy dark discoursing in words of a double and doubtful reference and signification that thou mayest the more privily pervert the right wayes of the Lord and prepagate thy perverse Propositions the more securely to the prejudice of them what means else thy foisting in of that foolish phrase quae simulant fanatici by the inserting whereof thou mayest either intend thus viz. that all wayes that are fained by the Qua. are unprofitable unnecessary and to be rejected and detested and so creep thy neck out of the collar and shelter thy self from that censure of falshood thou fore-sawest would else befall the minor for meer fained mediums of knowing God and his will wherever found are to be rejected as useless unnecessary and no less then detestable indeed that is true enough who doubts it but then withall how Serpent-like wouldest thou hereby subtilly insinuate it into the younger sort to whose use thou devotest this thy peece of dotage under that Vnive sâ—y vendible Title of Theological determinations Theses or Apologetical exercitations pro Sâ—ripturis as if the Qua. professed means were but a fained Light and Spirit as if thou foughtest against nought but the Qua. fictions and not any true internal Light or Spirit of God or heavenly Revelations or inspirations but only such meer imaginary spiritual Divine motions and notions as the Qua. fain or falsely fancy so to be Whereas no figmentitions matters are found formented or sought for by the Qua. to be the Rule but only the true Revelations Light and Spirit of God himself within the heart Or else thou mayest intend thus as thy words express that forenamed clouding clause being excluded viz. That the Scriptures alone make such an absolutely perfect Revelation of Gods will that there is no need at all of any other Revelation by the Spirit and Light of God within which the Qua. affirm to be useful and needful to instruct in the knowledge of God and his will to the attainment of life eternal but those are uncertain perillous unnecessary means of knowing our duty and so to be rejected and detested in which way understanding thy minde there is so much the less fallacy indeed but the more falsely even so much as amounts to little less then great blasohemy and so thy minor is to be denied with a witness ex duobus malis absurdis hisie unum saltem est elegondum utrum horum mavis accipe if the first which is fallacy and foolery it s the least and the best yet too bad if the last which is falshood and blasphemy it s so bad that its worse then nought yet judging by thy undertaking to prove thy minor which else were true and needing no proof thou intendest the Letter which is the greater of the evils I enter the lists with thee about that and deny utterly thy minor which thou proceedst in proof of by man particular confiderations viz. 1. Of the Author of the Scriptures namely God from whom sayest thou Nothing can come that is imperfect any way much less in respect of that end to which he decrees any work J.O. from a