preach you the Truth or no and send me word what they say that I may learn to speak after them If they say they be Sure ye know what followeth If they say they be Vnsure when shall ye be sure that have so doubtful and unsure Teachers Thus much of Infallibility when he has answer'd this we may give him some more mean time we shall proceed Rep. But further sayes W. P. Cannot one Man be another Man's Brother and not the Eldest Brother This hath done your Work or all Hope is lost It seems the Scriptures and your Writings may without Offience call one another Brother yet not be thought to aspire to Equallity But why Because for sooth you do not say they are the Scriptures Elder Brother I thought till now that Brethren had been a term of Equallity And though in Humane Births there is a Natural Right to the First-born above the Rest yet not in the Productions of Scripture for the new Excelleth the old Testament in Glory Rejoyn In Similes there is some Allowance with honest Men but none to be hoped for from J. Faldo But if it be so hard for him to bear I cannot help it Several Writings may be given forth from the same Spirit without coming upon the Vy If we must needs equaâ— some of our Writings to the Scriptures because given forth by the same Spirit then must every the least True Christian be equal to the greatest Apostle because indued with the same Spirit The Pouring forth of the Spirit which was the Promise of the Father we have proved the very Substance of the Gospel and Inspiration as necessary as divine Knowledge because the only Way to it Whatever therefore hath been writ from Adam's day to this or shall yet be to the End of the World from the Motion of God's Spirit in the Hearts of any of his Children stands as nearly related to the Scriptures as his several Manifestations of his Spirit in his Servants Writing The Ancient Christians were Brethren having one Father Were they therefore equally dignified in Degree of Fellowship And that was the Meaning of my former Simile disingenuously taken by my Adversary For as there is a Degree in natural so in spiritual Births The Dignity of the first lies in Priority of Time the Dignity of the last in a more full Discovery of Immortality and eternal Life Thus the Scriptures of the New exceed those of the Old Testament Where there is the first and most ample Declaration there must be the Preheminence Now alas what can we boast of that was not formerly testified unto we exalt no singular Spirit neither walk we in an untroden Path 't is the Everlasting Gospel we bear witness unto and to the Revival and Breakin gs forth of that ancient Life Truth Spirit and Power which according unto divers Dispensations hath made People true Children of God What do you esteem your own Meanings and Interpretations Do you not intitle them to a very near relation the Text interpreted We never intended to bring our Writings upon the Vye and dispute with it the Scriptures for the Preheminence But our Writings further declaring of the same Truth from the same Spirit are related to them If to testifie and exhort to the same Truth the Scriptures declare of and that in the same Spirit of Christ by which they were given forth be offensively to equal or prefer such Testimonies we are indeed guilty of great Presumption But if it be Scripturally True That as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God and that such as so led may by that Spirit further be drawn forth to fresh Testimonies to any ancient Truth or Truths declared of in the holy Scriptures whether by way of Prophecy Information Exhortation Reproof or Comfort to Believer or Unbeliever as must not be denyed since God cannot be limited it cannot be Presumptuous or Arrogant to affirm any Kindred or Relation between any such Writing or Wrirings of the Scriptures of Truth In short Either there are never to be more Inspiration after the Apostles Decease and consequently no more Testimonies nor Prophecies to be then what the remaining Scriptures give us or the Pouring out of the holy Ghost belongs as well to after Ages as to that as hath been abundantly proved and therefore fresh Testimonies and Prophesies by way of further opening or pressing the ancient Truth recorded in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament may in after Ages be given forth unless God and his Spirit should be limited and many parts of the Scripture remain unfulfilled If any shall object 'T is Adding according to Revel 22. 18. I would have them know that the Addition intended was not of other Writings but other Doctrines I will conclude this with a very notable Passage delivered in a Book entituled An Examen of the late Assembly of Divines Confession of Faith presented to the Parliament Anno 165â— pag. 8 10. It is evident that the Lord will have Prophets in all Ages especially when he is about to bring extraordinary Judgments upon the World in general and upon the Church is special and that the Last Times shall abound most of all with the Prophetical Spirit So that these extraordinary Wayes of God's revealing himself neither are ceased nor shall determine in the militant Church Thirdly whereas you say in the sixth Section that nothing at any time is to be added to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament whether by new Revelations of the Spirit or Traditions of Men We desire to know what Warrant you have thus to determine If you say that in Revelat. 22. 18. it is written That if any Man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the Plagues that are written in this Book We answer That so much in effect was forbidden long before as Prov. 30. 6. Add thou not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a Lyar yet many Books of the Holy Prophets and Apostles have been added since the written Word of those times Yea the same Inhibition was given by Moses Deut. 4. 2. 12. 32. Ye shall not add to the Word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it Therefore this Addition thus probibited must necessarily be understood of any new Doctrine in substance differing from the Old but even that of Moses But that there should be a Vindication of the same when mis-understood or a more full and free Publication of the same by the Prophets of the Old Testament or Inspired Men of the New Rep. My Adversary tells me a Blind Story a preferring our Writings above the Scriptures as being from God essentially in us But this saith he P. has not one word to Rejoyn I had little Reason for it He confesseth pag. 43. of his former Discourse that he expected not to find any such word as Essentially in our Authors Doth he think I was to play the
Besides the Apostle tells us That though an Vnknown Tongue might render him as a Barbarian to him that understandeth him not will it therefore follow that he was a Barbarian or that he had not the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him By no means for he might speak Mysteries in the Spirit as saith the Apostle vers 2. Men may also pray in the Spirit in an Vnknown Tongue vers 14. A Man may Bless Praise and give Thanks to God in an Vnknown Tongue vers 14 15 16 17. Nay the Apostle saith of such a one Verily thou givest Thanks well Now how all this can be and yet that such a Person should be acted by another Spirit then the Spirit of God and the Apostle for my own part I cannot see In short The Apostle tells us That Tongues are for them that believe not vers 22. But our Friend spoak among them that believed and though they did not all know what her bare words imported yet they might be and were sensible of the Divine Power in which she spoak which gave a general Refreshment unto them of that Assembly that were acquainted with it otherwise all Fellowship in Spirit must be renounced But 't is to be any thing J. F's Froth will have it because its unknown to his thick and carnal Understanding However the want of a Known Tongue may render one less Profitable but not less a Christian for a time should come the same Apostle said that Tongues should cease but never that Christianity or having the Spirit of Christ should cease Therefore to reâ—ute all that cannot speak in a Known Tongue Antichristian or of another Spirit then the Spirit of God and his Apostle is unworthy of any Man that makes any the least Pretence to the Christian-Religion indeed to common Sense One Passage more then we conclude this Chapter Reply p. 60. To my Reflection upon their affirming she spake by the Spirit because they all found Reâ—reshings viz. so have Children many a time of Puppet-Plays W. P. calls me all to nought especially because I could not as he saith but think it meant by Refreshings what came from God But let not Penn think we take our selves bound to reverence such Fooleries Rejoynder That it was a Reflection he confesseth whether it were not an Unseemly one I refer to every Man of Conscience I did not intend to obliege J. Faldo to believe what we say but reprove his prophane Scoffs at what we believe I would have so much regard to any People seriously professing Religion as not to explain what they mean by their Refreshment by the Pleasure some irreligious People take at the vain and frothy Sport of Puppet-Play And the worst Word I gave him and his Comparison was Prophaness further adding that it out-did Ben. Johnson's Alchimist a Play made in Scorn of Puritans which all good Men detest and himself dying abhorred But why may not People be refresht in their Souls from that divine Power which may attend a Person speaking in a Language unknown Suppose a Godly Assembly of English People and an English Preacher endued with God's holy Spirit and there happen into such a Congregation some serious Forreigners of the same Judgment is it absurd to say That notwithstanding their Ignorance of the Signification of the Words spoken they may have an inward and spiritual Sence of the Zeal Power and Spirit that eminently attends the Preacher if it be how much more ridiculous is it then for People to say It gladâ—ed their Hearts to see such a Godly Countenance or to hear the Voice or Sound of this or the other good Man though they had no distinct Understanding of his Words I am in this Case a more allowable Witness then J. Faldo who have seen Sinners struck the Weak strengthned and the Strong confirmed at the hearing of the Truth of God declared in a Language they could not understand The divine Power and Vertue went forth and they were judged comforted or confirmed in themselves and they no Fools though J. Faldo calls such things Fooleries and Pupppet-Playes To deny this is to overthrow Spiritual Fellowship in the Ground of it and to center in this Atheistical Notion That all our Knowledge of God comes in by our carnal Eyes and Ears that is What others have written and what others have told me that I believe and therefore I believe and not from the Testimony of this Infallible Spirit of God in my self which Credulity renders him more like Rome in that wherein she is condemnable then any thing he can truly suggest of us but this gross Doctrine being so obviously taught by our Adversary in his first Book second Part p. 91. we have the less Reason to wonder that Fooleries and Puppet-Playes are the best Words he can bestow upon the divine Consolation Refreshment and Communion of the holy Spirit within Men. We will add these Testimonies as the Conclusion of this Chapter W. Tindal in his Works p. 250. Church the Elect in whose Hearts God hath written his Law with his Holy Spirit and given them a feeling Faith of the Mercy that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. D. Barns's Works p. 244. The Holy Church of Christ is nothing else but that Congregation that is sanctified in Spirit redeemed with Christ's Blood and sticketh fast and sure alonely to the Promises that he made therein So that the Church is a Spiritual Thing and no exteriour Thing but invisible from Carnal Eyes I say not that they be invisible that be of the Church but that holy Church in her self is invisible as Faith is and her Pureness and Cleanness is before Christ only and not before the World for the World hath no Judgment nor Knowledge of her but all her Honour and Cleanness is before Christ sure and fast Peter Martyr fourth part of Common Places cap. 1 pag. 1. The Name of a Church is derived of the Greek verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to call for none can be Partakers thereof which come not thereunto by the Calling of God And to define it we say that it is a Company of Believers and regenerate Persons whom God gathereth together in Christ by the Word and the Holy Ghost It is every where called the Body of Christ because all the Members thereof have him for their Head of whom by the Joints and Sinnews they take their growing and attain unto Life by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost Christoph Goad p. 37. 'T is a sad thing that there are Churches that think it is enough there is a Form of Godliness that we are in Church-Fellowship and so lie down together and sleep I have no Quarrel with Churches or any Form but such as have not the Spirit in them here are all asleep asleep in Death T. Collier's Works p. 42. The Church of Christ under the Gospel are the Spiritual Seed the Seed according to the Promise T. Collier p. 102. The Church which is Christ's Kingdom are a People Saints
nay the Evangelist is not yet come so much as to mention any Thing of his Manifestation in Flesh and if we will believe J. Faldo the Verse concerns the Word Creator and not Redeemer which he stints to his Coming in the Flesh see pag. 89. But by his Interpretation THAT is not relative to his Appearance in the Flesh but to the Word which was with God and was God as p. 84. and so the Spanish Translation hath it That WORD was the true Light c. so that either the Word was not before that Appearance or if it were being that true Light that true Light was before that Appearance Therefore Man-kind may very well be said to have alwayes been enlightned by that Light or that the Word should be before that Appearance and that true Light which is the very Life of the Word or Word it self should be stinted to that Appearance is as absurd as any thing well can be Now Reader comes that part which he cited but more regularly That we should take That was the true Light c. to deny Christ now to be true Light that enlightens all because he was so is a strange Impertinency and gross Falshood In Reply to all which next to what I have already transcribed he sayes no more then this Reply p. 82. W. P. should have undertaken to prove that Christ was before that time and is now God manifest in Flesh as he was then and to those Ends. Rejoynder I did abundantly prove it in our Sence and nothing solid hath been offered to invalidate what I alledged but let it suffice that he hath granted my Charge First In denying Christ to have been either Christ or the true Light before that Time a manifest Contradiction to himself p. 84 85 86 87 88 89. of his first Book second Part. Next He therefore denyes that Christ is now the true Light because he is not at this Day God manifested in Flesh in the same Manner as he was then and thus much further that he was the true Light before that Appearance Socinianism in the abstract I do not say so in Disgrace but because he pretends to disown it For his saying I should have undertaken to prove them is absurd unless he had denyed them This with me is matter enough to impeach my Adversary of blackest Sacriledge I need add no more nor no more will I add then this The Question was not whether we affirm Christ to be that Light by his visible and bodily Appearance Life Doctrine Miracles Death Resurrection c. in this Day which he was in that But whether these Words that was the true Light did not relate to the Life of the Word which was with God and was God and consequently if he did not enlighten Men before he took Flesh in the Flesh and after his Resurrection and Ascension by his Eternal Power and God-head as the great Sun of Righteousness and spiritual Luminary of the Invisible and Intelligible World Unto which his Words bear no Relation unless it be any to deny the Question In short I told him the very next Words to those he cited That should we grant the Evangelist to refer to that Appearance Joh. 1. 9. yet it would conclude no Denyal of Christ's being the true Light that enlightens every Man that cometh into the World both before and since that Appearance because it was the most eminent breaking forth of the divine Light which doubtless had been enough to satisfie any moderate or modest Man but not satisfying him I must infer as before that his Displeasure is against our believing Christ to have enlightned before and since that visible Coming which if I understand any thing is in so many Words to deny his Divinity The next Scripture by him exposited and by me rescued was Rom. 10. 3. The Word is nigh thee c. he doth but touch upon it and gives so little of my Answer that there is scarce Head or Tail to be made of his Paragraph I will contract my Answer and give his Reply He made the Word to be the written Laws Statutes and Commandments given by Moses his first Book p. 94. I answer'd It could not be so understood for the Question was not about them but about the Commandment of Commandments and Word of Words which he resolves thus Let none say who shall ascend descend or go beyond the Seas to fetch the great Word and Conmandment but the Word is very nigh thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the innermost Parts of Men whereinto the outward Commandments could never come Besides without the Word nigh in the Heart there could be no Conviction upon the Conscience c. Reply p. 82 83. W. P. puâ—s to fetch the great Word and Commandment in the Letter of the Text as the very Words of Moses A Crime to be abhorred yet frequent with him that pretends a sacred Esteem of the Scriptures In few Words to answer all Moses said of this Word verse 12. It is not in Heaven which may be said of the Book of the Law or written Word but not of Christ the Word also as I cold him before 't is such a Word as uses to be in the Mouth which is the Organ and Instrument of speaking the Greek Word for the Word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is never to be understood of Christ not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is sometimes intended of Christ the Word Rejoynder This looks more like a Reply then any thing we have had a great while yet that it only looks so will ly on our Part to show First He charges me with Forgery Let 's see what it was I said to fetch the great VVord or Commandment and the Scripture sayes to bring the VVord or Commandment Now I know no Difference betwixt fetching and bringing 't is true I added Great which of God's VVord or Commandment be not I did amiss If it be he is an idle Caviller fitter to kill Flies all day with the foolish Emperour then to write Books of Religious Controversie It is called Commandment Deutr. 30. 11. and Word ver 14. But it is not in Heaven therefore it is not Christ sayes our Adversary I believe J. Faldo knew in his own Conscience that those VVords were spoken on purpose to prevent the Excuse of being without a Commandment and that so nigh as their own Hearts or innermost Parts and not to exclude the VVord Heaven but rather thus The Word is not so in Heaven as that it is excluded your Consciences or that ye need to say who shall go up to fetch it down for it is in your Hearts to instruct you that you may do it and reprove you if you do it not God was never the less in Heaven for being nigh unto the Consciences of the Athenians which was Paul's Doctrine Acts 17. 27 28. for sayes he in the Name of their own Prophets In him we live move and
for Instruction and Comfort Penn objects against my first Proof as not bet having any such Consequence pag. 63. And this is the meaning of our Doctrine to bring People to the Everlasting Word of God in themselves Smith Cat. pag. 95. bestowing on me within Eight Lines Deeply-â—gnorant Malitious Vngodly Possessed by an Evil Spirit Wretched Impious Grosly-blind Malignity Frothiness Envy Impious Injustice Rejoyn If ever Man had to do with an Vnjust Adversary it is my Lot And let this very Passage be the Measure First What are those Words cited out of William Smith that prove we take Men off from Reading the Scriptures What Reason has he urg'd or Argument attempted that were by me employed in Defence of the Passage and Illustration of our Innocency Shall this pass for my Confutation Must my Book be no better answer'd and yet led captive by J. Faldo's meer Pretences to wit Reason Religion and Learning It s a Shame to Professors of Religion to Countenance his Attempts that maintains his Controversie with so much Weakness and silly Evasion He tells you of my Rebukes but is as true in that as just in the rest For neither has he given all those â—ords which abate that Harshness they seem now to carry with them nor do they lie within the compass of Eight Lines as he would have you believe But be they as they are what Man not possessed with a Malitious Spirit would charge Untruths upon a Body of People and then lay sound Expressions upon the Rack if possible to extort a Confession of them Who but one deeply ignorant would repute it an Vndervalue of Scripture to bring People to the Everlasting Word of God that gave them forth that only gives to understand rightly and esteem them And can he be less then Impious and Frothy that sports himself with our serious Belief as well as very Vnjust that draws Conclusions our Premises will not bear and then call them Charges proved out of the Quakers own Writings To give the greater Authority to what I said I urged the Testimonies of Calvin Erasmus and Beza concerning which hear him Rep. But pag. 64. he fathers his Error on Calvin Eras Beza He directs precisely only to Erasmus and Beza in Nov. Test 2 Pet. 1. 19. Beza ' s words on the place which I have examined are these So it may be taken for the Doctrine of the Prophets which was to those to whom Peter wrote more without Exception to whom he may be said to have a respect in this Passage Thus this Man can abuse Scripture Reason Reformers all at once Rejoyn If it be an Error Calvin Beza and Erasmus held it as I will breifly prove But why must Beza's words be cited and Calvin not deny'd so to have writ neither Erasmus by him consider'd who of the rest I most precisely cited But it made not for his turn He seems to adventure at my Dishonesty provided it may bring Disgrace or Weakness to the Quakers Cause But to make good my Quotations J. Calvin expresly tells us Idem spriritus qui per os Prophetarum loquntus est in corda nostra penetret necesse est ut persuadeat fideliter protulisse quod divinitus erat mandatum Calv. Institut lib. 1. cap. 8. That is It is necessary the same Spirit that spake by the Mouth of the Prophets should pierce into our Hearts to perswade us that they faithfully delivered that which was committed to them of God What sayes J. Faldo to this Now let 's to Beza Our Adversary seems resolv'd to mistake me that he may render me mistaken I cited him to one part of the Chapter and Verse and he to another For my Purpose was to prove that Beza held it to be the Right Way of understanding the Scriptures to have recourse to the Everlasting Word and he takes a piece of the Nineteenth Verse which related to the Comparison 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or more sure Word of Prophesie which is sufficiently cleared in my Answer to his first Book But to pass by this part of his Dis-ingenuity I will set down Beza's words on the 19th Verse it self thus Imó quid si 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocavit solem ipsum i. christum ipsum exhibitum qui simul et ipsa lux est et veram lucem mundo intulit That is Yea What if he called the Day-Star the Sun himself that is Christ himself exhibited which both is the Light it self and brought the True Light into the World Then He was to arise in the Heart if He was the Day-Star in the Heart And on the 20th verse of the same Chapter thus Vt prophetiarum intelligendarum et ad verum scopum referendarum rationem sciant ab ipso spiritu petendam qui prophetis ipsis illas dictavit That is It was required that they might know the Way of understanding Prophesies and referring them to the right Scope must be SOUGHT or FETCHT FROM the SAME SPIRIT which dictated them to the Prophets themselves and more to that purpose Now let us come to Erasmus by him willingly passed over who on that place sayes thus in his Paraphrase The Thing that is set forth by Man's Device may be perceived by Man's Wit but the Thing that is set forth by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost requireth an Interpreter inspired with the like Spirit Further rendring the Scripture so mystical and allegorical as not to be understood without it Nor shall this serve me I will yet add Two or Three Testimonies more and begin with Luther Scriptura non nisi eo spiritu intelligendae sunt quo scriptae sunt i. The Scriptures are not to be understood but by that Spirit by which they were written Peter Martyr that famous Italian Protestant teacheth thus The Spirit is the Arbiter by whom we must assure our selves for understanding of the Scriptures that thereby we must discern between Christ's Word and a Stranger 's quoting Christ's Words My Sheep know my Voice and follow not a Stranger 's and among many other Scriptures he cites these The Spirit searcheth out the deep things of God The Comforter shall declare all things that I have said unto you The Spiritual Vnction shall shew you all things Again The Spirit of God reveals the Truth in the Holy Scriptures Lastly I find him expressing himself in his Oration to the Vniversity of Strasborough thus concerning the Scriptures The School of this Philosophy is Heaven Moreover saith he We must remember that the Teacher hereof is the Holy Ghost And Doctâ—r Ames a great Father of the Independents and both a Learned and Good Man his Day considered in his Disputations against Bellarmine takes this Advantage upon Bellarmine's Acknowledgment that the Unction 1 Joh. 2 taught though not all things yet all those Doctrines which they had already received of the Apostles We require no more sayes Dr. Ames the Anointing of the Holy Spirit doth teach the Faithful to understand those
to enable People to understand the Romish Translation for we never yet heard of so much as any part of the Scripture that was Originally writ in that Tongue 'T is strange to me he should so much despise the People whose Language he so much extols and count the one serviceable to the Knowledge of God whilst with more Reason he reputes the other such gross Idolaters Luther jerks the Papists for their laying that Stress J. F. doth upon Humane Learning W. Tindal rejects it W. Dâ—ll and T. Collier write expresly and unanswerably against the Necessity of it or that it can give Man the Knowledge of God In short Common Experience and the Christian-Spirit and Conversation of Thousands that understand nor one Sentence of Hebrew Greek or Latine make good the Assertion of our Honest Friend and is a sufficient Rebuke to this vapouring Adversary whose Defiance to me to encounter his Proofs return Weakness with Shame upon his Head For though he thought to fling me to the Dogs or give me a Prey to Fierce and Lyonly Seconds behold they are my Friends and unananimously turn with me against himself who had designed them upon such ill Service a Recompence may he ever find at what time he shall endeavour to abuse our Friends and pervert their Writings And so I shall end this Chapter wishing for his sake as well as mine own that I may meet if not with more Reason yet with more Moderation in the remainder of his Discourse CHAP. VIII That we do not deny the Scriptures to be any Means whereby to resist Temptation in Opposition to and Denyal of our Adversary's Charge THe Charge by him endeavour'd to be defended in his Eighth Chapter is this That the Quakers affirm the Scriptures to be no Means whereby to resist Temptation I will set down his words Rep. He passes over no less then Six Testimonies without a word to invalidate them among the rest this If you use any other VVeapon then the Light within in-this Spiritual VVar you cannot prevail against him that is the Devil So I more then proved my Assertion Rejoyn I therefore avoided considering every Testimony he brought first because many of them were so forraign that there could be no Pretence for bringing them And next that I might not be prolix I thought it sufficient to examine three in six and with good Conscieâ—e I can assure my Reader I took as I thought those he built most upon if he doubted of any he should not have brought them I have answer'd the Law in the case For this now recited 't is as weak as Water to his Purpose though a strong Truth in it self For the Intent of the words could be no other then this that the Armor of Light the Apostle exhorted the Church at Rome to put on was sufficient to Encounter the Power of Darkness and that such as would overcome should not neglect or exchange that Armour for other Weapons thereby not in the least excluding other such Instruments as this spiritual Light might arm or give Strength and Invigourate to our Help And I am so far from doubting that I firmly believe that God's Spirit not only in times past hath made this use of the holy Scriptures to Instruction and Comfort but doth even yet to them who read them in his holy Fear and Wisdom Reader I am truly weary not because I find my way difficult from the great Perspicuity and Reason that are on the Side of my Adversary no nothing less in this VVorld But I know not which way to turn my self but I meet either with School-Boy Jeers Insolent Language Equivocations or horrible Perversions God is Record between J. Faldo and I who of us two hath behav'd himself with most Ingenuity in encountering the strongest and fullest Arguments and shown most Reason and Moderation in Confuting them Two or Three Instances of his Failure in both respects this Chapter presents thee with Rep. The first thing VV. P. deals with is a Passage of James Naylor ' s For those only are the Children of God who are lead by the Spirit of God to whom they who were led by the Letter were ever Enemies From whence saith Penn He concludes that we account it a very dangerous thing to read the Scriptures Now if this Passage hath any relation to his Charge or Conclusion no Man ever saw the like He should have added that was alwayes stark blind Rejoyn Here he has given my Reflection upon his ill Application of the Passage omitting both my Exposition and Argument An Injustice I do affirm every Page of his Book to be guilty of VVhat I said to explain the Sentence was this That there are Children of the Fleshly Literal and Historical Knowledge of the Scriptures and Religion who are Srrangers to and therefore Persecutors of the Children born of the Spirit and that in all Ages there hath been more or less of this among outward Jews and Christians And let J. Faldo deny this if he dare To all which and much more he sayes nothing but to his blind Squib before-mention'd he adds this Wrestâ—ing of the Passage by me so clearly exposited Rep. It is a Sign his Judgment is very feeble that â—ould not or would not know that it is dangerous to be â—od by the Letter if they that were so led were ever Eâ—emies to the Children of God Rejoyn What is this but to make us Enemies to thâ— very Scriptures who without any Distinction gives so Wretched a Meaning to words so far from bearing it whose true Sense was as I observ'd already to which I may add for further Explanation thus That those who have Confidence in the Letter Erring from and Grieving the Holy Spirit are not withstanding Enemies to the Children of God who are led by the Spirit according to the true Meaning of Scripture which the meer Letter-Professor as such can never attain to so that the Danger lies here to be led by the Letter without the true Meaning of the Letter or rather by his own dark Apprehensions concerning the Mind of it in the stead of it As the Jews when they crucified Christ by the Law of God against Blasphemers This is the genuine Sense of our Friend's words For had they been writ in the Sense in which John Faldo takes them we had then as greatly detested them as he has now wrong'd them A second Passage is in his first Book pag. 109. his words these Isaac Penington who speaking of Knowledge gain'd by the Letter of the Scriptures writes thus Making him wise and able in his Head to oppose Truth and so bringing him into a State of Condemnation Wrath and Misery beyond the Heathen and making him harder to be wrought upon by the Light and Power of Truth then the very Heathen Upon which J. Faldo bestows this Comment If reading the Scriptures and getting Knowledge from them puts us into a bad Condition beyond the Heathen I scarce know what is more
as said of the Scriptures out of W. Smith's Book which was one part of my Stress he was willing to shake off but it will not so easily acquit him Observe his Reply Rep. And whereas W. P. saith No such Words can be produced he intends no other but that Smith doth not accuse himself in so many words of Blaspheming the Spirit of God in the Scriptures and the Doctrines from thence received Rejoyn His first Words belye me nor can any Man be so sottish as to believe I intended any such thing as he would have his Reader believe for that were no Answer to the Objection but an arrant yet fond Cheat and Illusion My Meaning went with my Words and my Words meant as I just now explain'd them the substance of which was in my Answer though evaded by his Reply and perhaps my Rejoynder will meet with no better Usage For his Phrase of Blaspheming the Spirit of God in the Scriptures I will tell him and that upon very good Authority that he now playes the Canter with us and that shamefully The Spirit of God IN the Scriptures a Scripture for that I intreat him You may see what a Doctor he is you that believe in him that thinks he can clasp up the Spirit with his Bible It seems thus far John Faldo and Simon Magus agree for the one thought he could buy it of Peter and the other implies he may have it of his Book-seller Indeed if I thought J. Faldo could believe what he sayes I should be the tenderer of him for Ignorance is to be pittied But when he shall shut the Spirit of God out of Men and shut him up in the Scripture though it call Men the Temples or Tabernacles of God and his Spirit whilst it never calls it self so but Holy Writings or a Declaration of things certainly believed he is to be censur'd for his improper and ambiguous Terms and the rather because his Charity is so small to others in Cases more excusable and that no Man acts the Doctor of the Sentences to others more snappishly and imperiously then himself however I shall be so favourable as to take his Words in this Sense else I know not which way he will turn himself viz. The Spirit of God speaking when it pleaseth by the Scriptures which brings him and his Cause unavoidably over to us But let us see if J. F. can honestly fasten any of those fore-cited Epithetes upon W. Smith's Book If he can we will condemn the Book as heartily as J. F. traduceth us in his But if he shall be found to have wrong'd W. S. God that lives forever will avenge our Innocency upon him which we desire may extend no further then to work him into true Repentance and effectually to vindicate us in the Understandings of the Mis-informed His words are these Rep. But that all that Inventory of execrable Names W. Smith doth intend of the Scriptures and the Holy Doctrines grounded on the Authority of the written Word take these Testimonies John 1. 9. He that is John beheld him and his Glory and felt his Power and what his Power took away then he declared him as he knew him and not from any Tradition or Writing before him why then do teach for Doctrines Men's Traditions running into the Lines of what others have written Morn Watch pag. 6. Rejoyn The Passages from whence the particular Epithetes are taken shall be consider'd anon This is one of those Testimonies he brings to prove he rightly cited and apply'd his former Testimonies out of the same Author which had he intended in reallity he should as well have inserted the one as the other to help such as had not seen his other Book into a true Judgment of this but then may he say I should not make the best of my Case which to do him no Wrong he studies more then the Truth or any thing else next to his making the worst of ours And now Reader that this Proof is as lame as his former and wholely as silent to his Wicked purposes consider I entreat thee the Drift of this Man as his Discourse at large manifests Two things he had in his Eye First to beat People off from the Doctrines and Traditions of Men in the Sense Christ once spoke those words to wit not the Scriptures but Men's humane Interpretations of them with such Forms and Worships as they had invented in the Apostacy from the true Spirit of Christianity as these words by J. F. purposely omitted notwithstanding they lay between the two first Sentences which therefore make an absolute Break though he makes none do undeniably evince to wit VVeigh this Truth all ye Priests and Professors and ponder it in your Hearts have you beheld Christ and seen his Glory Have you felt his Power to take away your sin If yea then why do ye teach for Doctrine Men's Traditions Again pag. 16. For they being from the Life that gave forth Scriptures their Vnderstandings are darkened and they err and know not the Scriptures nor the Power of God Lastly in the 14th page he hath these words All the vain Worships and Customs which People at this day are in who yet abide in Forms and Traditions are all come up since the dayes of the Apostles and are after Men's Traditions and not after Christ And the Conception of all hath been in Man's Imagination and hath been brought forth in his own Will and Wisdom By all which Reader it appears that he distinguisheth between Men's Traditions and God's Tradition For first how can he mean the Scriptures in the first Passage the middle of which our Adversary so wilfully dropt when he implies that from feeling the Power of Christ to take away Sin Men would leave off Teaching for Doctrine the Traditions of Men making them thereby sinful and a Sin to teach them when J. Faldo confesses that upon the Spirit 's moving and giving us the understanding of Scripture we do allow the Doctrines therein deliver'd to be rightly preach'd In the second Passage he undeniably distinguishes between the Scriptures rightly understood and their Mistake of them to whom he wrote Not knowing says he the Scriptures nor the Power of God being darkned which imports that truly to know and teach according to the sense of Holy Scripture is a quite differing thing from Teaching for Doctrine the Traditions of Men. Nor is his third Passage less clear in the Point pag. 14. sinâ—â— he explains what he means by those offensive Words to J. Faldo's Ear by such Customs Worships and Traditions as were not of Christ and that took their rise since the time of the Apostles and proceeded from the Imagination Will and Wisdom of Man therefore not the Writings of either Prophets or Apostles that were before such Apostacy and which were given forth as they were mov'd of the Holy Ghost The second thing greatly in the Author's Eye and with which his Spirit seems to be prest through the
we declare against all who come not in by the Door but seek to clime up another Way by their Study Inventions and Sepentine Wisdom and Knowledge and so are Thieves and Robbers Such Ministers and their Ministry we deny for the Hand of the Lord is against them c. Great and true Words No Man can minister that which he hath not no Man can have those things which qualifie him a true Minister but by the Inspiration of the Almighty and the effectual Operation of his Power and Spirit God's Messengers were ever led taught and furnisht by God's Spirit not by human Invention and Acquisition which Paul counted Dross and Dung in Comparison of the Excâ—llency of the Knowledge of his Lord Christ Jesus through the Revelation of the Eternal Spirit But that J. Faldo may be the better understood about the Ministry he pleads for take Reader a Passage he cites out of G. F's Book called Gr. Myst which doubtless he reputes very hetrodox or he would never bring it to prove a Charge containing such Matter as he counts so Thou the Priest art corrected by the Scripture and the Apostle corrects thee who said I have not received it of Man nor by Man and bid others look at Jesus the author of their Faith Their Writings saith J. Faldo are abounding with Matter of this Nature So much the better say I for it is old Scripture Doctrine and J. Faldo gives us plainly to infer by his Dislike of this Passage that he maintains a Ministry received of man and by man and that People ought to look unto them and not to Jesus the Author of their Faith If this be one of J. F's Christian Ordinances as his Discourse evidently makes it I hope my Reader will the less wonder at those hard Names he gives us in it for the plain English of his Charge against us is this The Quakers deny the Ministry that is of man or by man therefore they deny the Gospel-Ministry Poor Man what a pass hath he brought his Affairs to Indeed I pitty him and fear the Consequence of his Disappointment since a Man of his Stomach to charge so high and make so little of it may with the Loss of his Honesty for ought I know hazard his Wits too To wind up this Chapter and prove to all the World I have not mistaken him hear him Reply p. 55. W. P. produceth one of my Testimonies out of J. Parnel yet but by halfs And here is the Difference of the Ministers of the World and the Ministers of Christ The one of the Letter the other of the Spirit To which he replies Strange Impudence to call this a Proof But I cannot help it if P. will say the Sun is Darkness Before I part with him here I will furnish my Reader with that part of the same Testimony he treacherously leaves out for they are meer Deceivers and Witches bewitch People from the Truth holding forth the Shadow for the Substance and what is the Chaff to the Wheat Add this to the other as it was in my Book and I dare trust my Reader that is willing to speak Truth to pass his Censure It follows in the same Author before quoted And so the Devil takes Scripture to mantain his Kingdom and this he delivers by the Mouth of his Ministers which he sends abroad to deceive the Nations leading People in Blindness Rejoynder Let the Reader observe that what he here pretends to quote out of J. P. follows as himfelf said what we have just before transcribed Three things contain my Rejoynder First He reports not my Answer which was to this Purpose It is a Proof indeed but against him for if a false or worldly Ministry under the Form of Godliness may not be farewell Scripture But if such a Thing will be allowed us then since the Letter or Scriptures are not by such rejected but in Shew most highly admired and that they pretend to collect all they believe or know from thence though indeed they understand them not we have great Reason to say That those who are Ministers only from the Letter with what they imaginarily comment upon it they are not Christ's Ministers p. 110. Of which and much more he hath not given us a Word how can he reply honestly and intelligible who neither gives nor takes notice of the Answer he should reply to J. Parnel's Words plainly relate to a Ministry not gifted nor qualified by the holy Ghost and J. Faldo tells us in so many Words that without it none are worthy of the Name or Thing Yet doth he make it as unreasonable for me to say J. Parnel's Words prove not our Denyal of a Gospel-Ministry which so obviously own it as for him to assert the Sun is Darkness Secondly I did not leave out that which he chargeth me to have done Treacherously the best Word he can afford me on the like Occasions he must be quite bereaved of his Sences that thinks I should fear defending J. P. in calling such Decâ—ivers and Witches as bewitching the People from the Truth who are made Ministers by the Will of man without the Inspiration of the Spirit Gift of the Holy Ghost Will of God and are Coveters of men's Silver or Gold Preachers of their own Inventions Persecutors Revilers stirring up of the Magistrates to stone stock whip imprison c. all which J. P. gives as the Character of the Ministry he writ against for if this be the Gospel-Ministry the Devil is a Saint The Truth is John Faldo's Book is generally to be read backward Lastly There is no such Passage of the false Ministry much less of the true in page 15 16 or 17. of J. Parnel's Shield c. as J. F. suggests however I believe the Devil useth sometimes Scripture and that he hath had and hath many Ministers whom he sends abroad to deceive the Nations leading and keeping People in Blindness under a Pretence of Christianity and Conformity to the Doctrine of the Scriptures in order to maintain his Anti-Christian Kingdom all true Protestants were of that Mind but J. F. is none of that number Doubtless the poor Man is brought to a low Ebb that brings this to prove we deny Gospel-Ministry which the honest Martyrs primitive Reformers and what is more to our Purpose the Scriptures themselves say again and again The contrary will unavoidably prove the Ministry of the Church of Rome to have been not Anti-christ's but Christ's true Ministers since they both use Scripture preach Scripture and call themselves the Ministers of the Gospel by Apostolical Institution and Succession In this disarmed Condition we leave him and the Chapter confessing to all the World that such a Ministry as hath effectually known the Operation of the Spirit of God in themselves as to those things which concern Redemption and Eternal Salvation and that he draws sorth by his holy Spirit indues with his Heavenly Power for the turning of Men from Darkness to Light from
upon what Foot his Resurrection standeth if it may be said to have any or to stand at all Faellacious is but one of his hard words for if the Body rifeth with the same Matter it carried to the Grave it riseth with gross Matter unless it carried no gross Matter thither Let him chuse of the two which to deny But is this to answer my Argument to tell us with so much unwarranted Confidence that the Body shall be the same Matter Substance and Essence c. the very Question What is this but to say It shall be so because it shall be so If he would have done any thing he should have demonstrated how Matter can be without Grosness and the most gross and Material part of the Body to be but the Accidents But he thinks he hath said something to the Point Reply pag. 89. To talk that it the Body cannot be incorruptible because beyond the Nature of Matter it self is to talk like an Atheist making Nature to be God and not acknowledging the God of Nature Rejoynder Did I dare sport in Religion scarce ever Man gave a fairer Occasion in his Compass But he practises it and I abhor it This is such a riddle me riddle me as I never heard of before W. P. sayes The Nature of Matter admits not of Incorruptibility ergo W. P. is an Atheist ergo he makes Nature to be God and ergo he acknowledges not the God of Nature This is the very Man that not a page off reflects Ignorance upon my Philosophy Doubtless a Peerless Disputant one way or other May he evermore thus confute me which is all I will say to such subtil Reasoning and losty Argumentation in this place Yet he has not done Reply p. 89. If God be omnipotent which he is or he is not God he is able as the Apostle speaks to subdue all things to himself with which words he answers all Cavils from Impossibility in Nature Rejoynder The Question was not about God's Power nor was it so much as any Part of the Question But whether Matter is not by Nature corruptible and how that which is corruptible by Nature may be by Nature incorruptible This Scripture he urges to prove his carnal Resurrection will as well prove the Popish Transubstantiation or any the most unreasonable Conceit in the World for it is but saying All things are possible with God and God is able to subdue all things unto himself and the Business is done at J. Faldo's rate of arguing But the Question is not about what God can do but what he hath done and has declared he will do I know there are Impossibilities in Nature which God's Omnipotency makes possible but if J. Faldo doth not know that there is a Difference between Impossibility in Nature and Contrariety to Nature I now tell him there is one and that so wide as though Almighty God frequently supplies Nature's Want of Power yet he rarely if ever acts contrary to and inconsistent with the Nature of his own Creatures What is spiritual remains spiritual what is material material and what is corruptible corruptible But let us see how much better he acquits himself of another Passage which he ventures to cite and in my Opinion doth no more Reply p. 89. W. P. proceeds farther in this vain Reasoning and wicked too p. 202. I say we cannot see how that which is of the Dust should be eternal whilst that from whence it came is by Nature but temporal and that which is yet most of all irreconcileable with Scripture and right Reason is that the Loss and Change of Nature from corruptible to incorruptible natural to spiritual should not make it another Body That it is according to Scripture I have given large Proof in my Book to no one of which he replyeth as also how unreasonable it is to call that a Resurrection which is not of the same numerical Body Rejoynder We may guess how well he proved it in his first Book by the Strength he hath employed to maintain it in his second But let all sober Men judge if this Reply be pertinent to this Part of my Answer yet he promised he would answer my Arguments For the Scripture it is clear That Corruption shall not inherit Incorruption neither can Flesh and Blood inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15. 50. Thus Anota cert Divin anno 1645. upon the Place and if he will know the true Resurection set him learn to understand this weighty Passage For we know that if our Earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a Building of God an House not made with Hands Eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. And I cannot but wonder my Adversaries Understanding should be so benighted as that contrary to express Scripture he should assert a Resurrection of the same Body that is buried properly and strictly so the Apostle teaches us to believe that it is not that same Body that is sown that shall be for though we shall be changed from Mortality to Immortality Corruption to Incorruption 2 Cor. 5. 1. and 1 Cor. 15. 37 50. yet mens Bodies of Flesh and Blood shall not inherit the Kingdom of God For the Word Resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth hot strictly imply a taking up of the same Numerical Body as he would have us believe from his new found Relative IT first Book 2. Part p. 138. for which Beza shall give him a Release both from the Latin and original Greek there being no Word in either for his Relative IT on which he and his factious Brother Hicks have so relatively insisted Indeed as their last and best Refuge The Text lyeth thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Seritur corpus animale resuscitatur corpus spirituale i. e. Anatural Body is sown a spiritual Body is raised that is They lay down a natural and take up a spiritual Body or in lieuof a Natural receive a spiritual Body not that the Natural Body shall be transubstantiated into a Spiritual Body or that admitting of such an Exchange that the Spiritual is the same Numerical Body that was the Natural for so the Natural and Spiritual Body would be one and the same but suppose J. Faldo ' s Relative IT to hold I do utterly deny that this Text is concerned in the Resurrection of Man's Carnal Body at all I will recite it with the five following Verses as they ly in our English Translation It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a spiritual Body There is a Natural Body and there is a Spiritual Body and so it s written The first Man Adam was made a Living Soul the last Adam was made a Quickning Spirit howbeit that was not first which is spiritual but that which is Natural and afterward that which is Spiritual The first Man is of the Earth Earthy the second Adam is the Lord from Heaven As is the Earthy so are they that are Earthy and as is the Heavenly so are they also
Substance or Inventions for Texts or Wrestings for Meanings or Gibes and Taunts for pertinent Replies I have hitherto abundantly satisfied my self concerning him and I hope all that read me both of him and his Essayes against the People called Quakers If not it ought not to be charged upon me as wanting good Will to do it I was never more sedulous and I think never more faithful in any such Affair And to the End my frequent Complaint of his unfair Dealing may be further justified and confirmed and his Deportment in the whole of this Controversie more exactly related I intreat my Reader to consider what I have now to tell him CHAP. XIV Of Reflections on Persons and Things IF we will believe John Faldo in his own behalf he abhors that sordid Way of Writing which some Practise of Reflecting Nick-Naming giving Ill-Language c. either to his Adversary or his Doctrine But as it fares with most Men they condemn in others what they indulge in themselves so truly No Adversary in the midst of all his severe Censures of that unchristian Way of procede hath made more bold with his Reader nor fallen more fouly upon his Adversary yea Persons unconcerned then J. Faldo hath done We were as quiet as Men that had scarcely known there was such a Person in the World when our Peace was disturbed by a great Book intituled with no more Modesty nor Mercy then in plain Terms QVAKERISM NO CHRISTIANITY In this he chargeth us at once with whatever all our Adversaries put together had from time to time insisted upon to render us Odious almost every Charge as scandalous and impious as rankest Blasphemy and both rendred and called so for ought I know more then Twenty Times in that Discourse This Book I thought I answered with more Moderation then either it deserved or the Law of Retaliation would have granted At the latter-end of it I ran up a few of his many unworthy Reflections Jeers and Scoffs together that I might the better help my Reader to a true Relish of our Adversary's Spirit He sayes nothing to them which makes me conclude I have not injured him nor in one word done him wrong for had I without doubt he had not past over my Collection with so deep Silence I think it fit to transcribe them that my Reader may see what Provocations I met with to draw Rebukes from me Horrid Imposture Ditch of Grossest Delusion Subverting Christianity Their Feigned Christ Folly Madness It began in Blasphemies against Christ Gratifying Pride Idleness Giddiness In Professors Prophane Vanity Folly Non-sense Error Whether it smell more of the Fox or the Goose Imposture Babble Blockish Person QUAKERISM ENTERED THE WORLD AS IF SATAN BROKE LOOSE and POSSESSIONS BY SATAN WERE TO MAKE WAY AND FIT SOULS FOR THE QVAKERS SPIRITS O the Hell Dark Expressions of the Quakers Teachers What bitter Curses and Execrations Dismal Howling Horrible Roaring Blasphemy Wretch Vain Fictions Quakers Glow-Worm Deck their Idol Real Non-sense But 't is Pitty not to lash a little Idiots Stark Blind Steel Hard Your Crooked Unholy Principles Their Light grows Wiser and Wiser Opium of Quakerism The Quakers Divine Spirit Dumb Refreshments at Quakers Meetings so there is at Puppet-Playes Impudent Fore-Heads Non-such Ignorance Proud Dreaming Intollerable Notions Ignorance and Delusion Outstrip all in the Crooked Way Blasphemers of the Lord of Life and Glory Surely God has given them up for their Pride Giddiness or Idle Ignorance and that in Justice And the Devil hath blinded their Minds with a Witness Horrible Abomination Gross and Dark Conceits The Rankness of Quakerism And though I have carefully avoided his ill Example yet such is my Unhappiness that my Reproofs are stiled Railing and Religious Censures given forth from a grieved Spirit counted Ill-Language But what seems yet most insufferable this very Man that calls every sober Reprehension by an Hard Name is most profuse in his black Epithetes upon us as if notwithstanding the Circumstances he mostly confesseth he is under in the World as his complaints tell us which is no Fault lay'd to his Charge he thinks it more intollerable that we should censure his Domineering Scoffing Strain against an intire People be they what they will in Reputation Merit Honesty or Acceptance among Men then that he should use it What Blindness hath seized him that he should not see this a Fault in himself Is he fit to reprove who out-does the Reproved in that for which the Reproof is given But before I reflect his Miscarriages of this Nature upon him he hath something to say to me It seems I have not behav'd my self towards him with that Subjection to his unprovok'd Abuses which he thought became me to a Man of his Quality Let us hear what hath stumbled him and how patiently this pretended Enemy to Personal Reflections takes it The first is this I happened to let fall in my Answer not material to the Point this but as a passant Expression and so intended I find him more in Words then Matter and I suppose more are of that Mind or else what means his Pains to be made Waste Paper of already QUAKERISM NO CHRISTIANITY hath exchanged the Book-sellers Stall for the Tobacco-Shops This so harmeless and true Saying hath given him great Offence at least he hath taken it what had become of me had I bin either as petulant or vain-glorious I will give his words that my Reader may judge if the Man have any Vanity After his Debate of serious Matter Now Reader sayes he I am come to a Passage which makes me conclude its Author desperate As if all the Error and Blasphemy he laid at my Door in his fore going five Chapters had been Toyes and Trifles but dark Conjectures and meer Guesses to this great Discrimen of my desperate Condition Oh monstrous Vanity of Vanities But he goes on A Passage sayes he that renders W. P. careless how justly odious he becomes with Thousands so he may but lessen the Reputation of my Book Better and better or worse and worse which my Reader will Doth my Reputation depend upon the Good-liking of J. Faldo's Ungodly Charges propt with falâ—e Citations Perversions c I am miserable then No Head not empty would make so great a Sound It seems his Books have Thousands of Votaries Hundreds are a Number too diminutive to vow Maintenance to his Labours These words show the great Vanity of the Author or the Debility of the Cause that must have whole Regiments of Auxiliaries to his Protection chuse him whether But that he may leave no part of his Picture undrawn by his own hand for who can or will do it so well hear him yet further The Acceptation my Book hath had in the World becomes not me to express A cleaver Way to tell us both his Book 's Acceptance and his own Modesty Yet he so loves the Theam he can't give over The second Impression of above 1250. may be abroad ere
Friendship to him yet so invincible was his Displeasure that there was no holding for me of his Good-will and believing Christ to be God They were with him as inconsistent as Light and Darkness I know no other Reason if this be any for his Sharpness to me And God knows this is the very Truth I leave it with my Reader to satisfie his own Conscience concerning this Matter But he never wrote against me Truly he needed not who hath another Instrument so nimble and so able a Scribe as J. F. for the Purpose But if calling me the basest Names undervaluing detracting and traducing me in almost all Companies behind my back and in a Garden at Hogfdon where I went to accompany some of my Relations to affront me with opprobrious Names as many can witness who demean'd my self with all Gentleness towards him and to act in the Quallity of an incessant Agent against us by Informations Reports Books c. WHO ONCE DID ALL THESE THINGS FOR US and we are no worse Men then we were If these things be no just Provocations to mention two Letters I am to blame Yet that I name him in almost all my Writings or all that he hath read is false for in the Spirit of Alexander the Copper-Smith c. which J. F. quotes he is not named and of above Twelve Books he was mention'd but in Three and that obscurely this makes the Fourth against my Will The Occasion besides what hath been already toucht upon was this H. H. one of his Friends writes a Book against us or rather to us against G. F. J. Faldo's Mr. T. F. was the Promoter and Scatterer of these Pamphlets especially upon the Exchange where not in private Converse as J. F. sayes and makes to be the only Reason of my taking notice of him that he may render me base to his Readers before several and those of divers Perswasions called G. Fox Knave Puppy Logerhead with such like unhandsome Terms unworthy of a Man of T. F's Consideration in the World This I would never have repeated had not J. Faldo drawn yea compelled it from me by suggesting an Untruth and substituting it in the room of the True Reason Well But if his Information fail him not I have been engaged by T. F. to another kind of Deportment And suppose all this hath he not dis-engaged me sufficiently I owe no Man any thing beyond Truth nor will be fettered from my Testimony by any Obligations But I never was engaged to him beyond what I have faithfully related except it was his lending me as he thought by one that was my Servant at that time of my Tower-Imprisonment about Forty Pounds he coming in my Name counterfitting both Messages and Letters as I made appear to him afterwards which though mine Eyes never saw one Penny of it nor was there a Penny employed in my Service or to my use I did when God enabled me having then no Estate in my Hands faithfully repay as if I had really had every Penny believing then and still that it was Kindness in him to me that was abused by a Knavish Servant and I would never let him suffer for it If herein I have wronged him he may forgive me But because in my Answer to J. Faldo and what he said in his behalf against us I told him that some thought it a Shame that so ill a Tongue should go unrebuked of those whose Principles and Interest give them the Liberty of doing it in a way that might be more effectual then all the Moderation and Reason that can easily be shown to him J. Faldo exactly like himself strains these words all the Moderation and Reason which I intended of our bearing his Abuses only showing their Vnreasonableness by writing to nothing below some Vnjust and Violent Course to rid him out of the way which are but softer words for down-right Murder and to Countenance this Comment of his I was told I think by one that had it at T. F's Mouth that he was advised to take the Law of me for his Security But to put all this out of doubt those that thought it a Shame he should so frequently violently and publickly revile honest Men bringing their Common Credit into Question by scurvy Names meant by the way that might be taken only the Law which was what some counselled him to use to secure himself against me These Men had need have good Consciences that are thus affraid before they are hurt Thus have I vindicated those Reflections J. Faldo lay'd such Foundation for and if T. F. be troubled at this I must tell him so am I but I cannot help it Let him better advise his Scribe next time for I have nothing but hearty Love and good Wishes for him nor have I said any thing harsh or disgraceful in this Defence of my self imputing much of what hath happened more to his Natural Haste and sometimes ungoâ—â—rn'd Speech then a Premeditated Injustice He knows how often I have caution'd him in those respects while we conversed together Nor hath it been my only Observation and Admonition by a great many others and some of his own Friends too Thus I leave T. F. â—n perfect Good-will to see what Leave it is that J. Faldo is taking of us His Epilogue degenerates not one jot from the Book it self And as if he would do me a great Deal of Mischief in a little Compass and say whatever is rude and unjust once for all he tells his Reader That I have egregiously played the Forger that I am a Cheat that all Men understanding Controversie will judge me worthy to be made a Proverb of and when they would express an impudent Forger to say no more then W. PENN Rep. pag. 95. And that he may add Prophaneness to his Railing he proceeds A Great Poet of their own hath these words worthy to begin all Mr. Penn's Books on that Subject as it ends this of mine If a meer Scoff in Scripture-Phrase be prophanening Scripture then I have not over-charged him in calling this Phrase wherein he useth Paul's words to the Athenians but with Scorn and Levity against us Prophaneness But let us hear these so much Derided Words And they that would be satisfied concerning us any way they must find us and know us in the Principle of Life where we are and not in their own Reason where we are not and so let none REASON about us for there they can never know us nor come unto us W. Smith's Cat. p. 94. But why so much Contempt upon this Passage unless it be to show us that he can still Scoff at that Principle of Life which is the Strength and Habitation of God's Children as he hath done already throughout both his Books Did the Disciples or the Pharisees find out Christ's Meaning by their Reasoning about it John 6. or would not either have relisht the true Meaning of his Words had they dwelt in the Divine Principle of Life
God himself and so God saves God and God worships God This my Reader may find in his Vind. from p. 75. to 87. particularly this following of E. B. about the Soul 10. From E. Burroughs affirming the Light of Christ in every Man to be one with the Spirit as good as the Spirit of Christ in order to prove it the same J. Faldo infers he made the Soul of Man God because that which is as good as the Spirit of God is God Book 1. Part 2. p. 122. Vind. p. 85 86. As if E. B. had spoken it of the Soul of Man and not the Light of Christ shining in the Soul of Man as his Words express it 11. Lastly from our Denyal of his carnal Resurrection as inconsistent with Scripture and Reason he takes Heart to tell all People that W. P. and all the through Quakers deny the Resurrection of the Dead and are guilty of not believing a future Reward in an other World with a Train of Ill Language too long to bring in Vind. p. 88 89 91. This Friendly Reader hath been the Entertainment we have received at J. Faldo's Hands but all things shall work together for good III. of his evading my Answer and Arguments It is very frequent with him next to leaving out what I say or fastening false Consequences upon what he transcribes to evade the Strength of mine Answer either by pretending to have said enough in his first Book as if that had foreseen my Answer and anticipated his Reply with a Refutation or by some one Word which will serve him to play at or by being in haste or else my Answer deserves no Reply at all c. An Evidence of this Sort of Carriage my Reader may find in his Reply p. 5 17 18 38 51 57 58 59 69 71 76 91 93 One at large for all To my several Arguments in defence of Immediate Revelation Inspiration as he terms it he returns three or four Lines This W. P. is so far from denying that he pleads for it but after such a Rude Impertinent manner that I should but injure you and shew my self idle to animadvert upon it p. 17. The cheapest Way that ever Man took to confute his Adversary Doth this become any Man of his Pretence to either Schollarship or Christianity IV. Of his Forgery or Perversion I am sorry I have such reiterated Occasion to charge him with Forging that is foisting in Words into our Writings and Sayings that are wholly inconsistent with them or perverting those he delivers to the End he may make them ponounce his Mind the more plainly A few of many Places I have observed as in page 22 25 41 42 50 51 92 93. Of which I shall give four Instances more particularly 1. â— Pennington speaking of Knowledge according to the Flesh By Flesh sayes he The Quakers understand the Vse of our Vnderstandings though sanctified first Book p. 41. Vind. p 24 25. 2. His second is making W. Smith to call the Scriptures Traditions of Men Earthly Root Darkness Confusion Corruption Rotten Deceitful the Whore's Cup the Mark of the Beast all out of the Life and Power of God and not that the meant them of those who had degenerated from the Power of Godliness and had set up their own Imagination in the stead of God's Institutions teaching for Doctrines the Traditions of Men first Book p. 117. 119. Vind. 41 45. 3. The Third is his making I. Pennington to call visible Worship the City of Abomination Vind. p. 50. 4. Lastly That he gives in our Name this Interpretation of the Vail is over them i. e. the Belief of the Man Christ Jesus which was of our Nature to be the Christ c. Vind. p. 93. V. Of his grand Improbabilities and downright Untruths This Charge I know must needs be very unpleasant to a Man as Vain Glorious as many Places of his Book declare him to be but I cannot help it 'T is Truth if there be anâ— Truth in the World that he hath writ a great many unlikely and absolute untrue Things Let my Reader take the Pains to look over these following Pages of his Reply and I am well assured if impartial he will not think that I have in a Tittle wrong'd him p. 6 7 19 21 33 35 38 39 42 46 47 48 49 55 56 65 70 72 73 89 93. Of which I will only instance four 1. First he affirms that he quoted forty Places out of our Friends Books that would prove the Light within as within us to be the only Lord and Saviour and very God p. 6. whereas he brought not any one that either proved the Terms or the Matter 2. Secondly He confidently accused us of charging the Miscarriage of Mens Souls on the Knowledge the Letter of the Scriptures by God's Blessing doth convey p. 21. 3. Thirdly Whereas I said that W. Smith's Words reflected not in the least upon the Scriptures nor those Doctrines truly received thence neither that any such VVords can be produced by our Adversaries he boldly tells his Reader I intended no other but that Smith doth not accuse himself in so many Words of Blaspheming the Spirit of God in the Scriptures and the Doctrines from thence received as much as to say We both knew it to be Blasphemy but W. Smith did not call it so p. 41. There is no ingenuous Man that will not abhoâ—â— the Falseness of this Passage 4. Lastly I opposing his Affirmation that we did not profess or believe Eternal Rewards thus pretends to confute me W. P. opposes me rather because he would not be thought to subscribe to me then that he believes not what I say to be true p 69. But if this be true sure I am there is no Truth in the World And indeed there is no giving this Sort of Carriage at large but by transcribing far the greatest Part of his Book VI. Of his idle Jeers and frothy Expressions I have not met with any Man writing upon so serious a Subject as Religion is that gives himself the Liberty of so many vain Expressions as if he had intended his Discourse for vulgar Merriment not to Christian Information If my Reader please to trouble himself with the Perusal of these following pages he shall find enough to nauseate p. 6 22 23 26 27 29 30 34 37 40 47 50 51 53 58 60 69 71 72 95. Take two Instances He cackles like a Hen when he had laid a WORSE THING then an Egg p. 47. Again because we said God spoak once by Balaam's Ass thereby proving that he did not alwayes speak by the Scriptures he thus reflects I wonder not that they leave the Teachings of God by the Scriptures to attend on the Ministry of Asses thereby calling us Asses p. 27. Which how Witty soever he thinks such sort of Sayings to be sure they are more Frothy and Irreligious then becomes a Man professing Religion much less writing of the Weightiest Points of it
118. G. Fox Great Myst Part 2. pag. 10. G. Fox Gr. Myst 12 J. Parnell Shield of Truth 22 23. W. Smith's Cat. 27. W. Smith's Prim. 37. Love to the Lost 40. W. Smith's Prim. 42. W. Smith's Prim. Part 3. pag. 94. W. Smith's Prim. Vindic. pag. 6 70. Thus much at present of False Citation which to say no more makes any Book uncapable of being answered IV. Several Passages Clipt and Maim'd J. St. Short Discovery Book 1. Part 1. pag. 42. Short Discovery 80. W. Smith ' s Prim. 88. J. N. Love to the Lost 89. E. B. Answ to Choice Experience 89. J. Story Short Discovery 89. W. Smith ' s Prim. 114. J. N. Love to the Lost 120. J. N. Love to the Lost Part 2. pag. 6. I. Penington ' s Quest 19 23. W. Smith ' s Cat. 26. W. Smith ' s Prim. 37. G. Fox Gr. Myst 40. J. N. Love to the Lost 43. W. Smith ' s Cat. 69. Love to the Lost 103. Reader These are but a very few of what we could offer for indeed there is scarcely one Passage that he hath not mangled on purpose to make it speak the better on his behalf which given at length would have cleared it self V. Certain Places more particularly Perverted by Adding or Mis-applying I. Penington ' s Question Book 1. Part 1. pag. 41. E. B' s Answ to Choice Exper. 89. I. Peningt Quest 109. W. Smith ' s Morning Watch 119 W. Smith ' s Morning Watch 126. Love to the Lost Book 1. Part 2. pag. 25. J. N. Love to the Lost 27. W. Smith ' s Prim. 42. I. Peningt Quest 46 47. W. Smith ' s Morning Watch 48 49. I. Peningt Quest 70 71. I. Peningt Quest 81. I. Peningt Quest 126. I. P. Quest 129. These Reader are but some Hints I was willing to give thee of our Adversary's Disingenuous Carriage towards us either in letting drop that which may be most material at least might be more explanatory of our Friends Intentions foisting in words wholely inconsistent with the Scope of our Passages or mis-applying them in favour of his black Charges all which may clearly be seen by a Comparison of his Books with our Friends Writings a great part of which I must confess it will be difficult to procure since to prove his Miscarriage in Citations I have not been able to compass above the one half of the Books he names but that carries this Woful Reflection with it if his use of 15. Books in Thirty affords us so many gross Instances of his Unfair Dealing with us what might we have expected upon our Examination of the rest In the mean time we shall without leave suspect him having so much Reason for it To compleat what I have done in this Particular let me tell thee Reader that in his Comparison of us with the Papists he sets down Twenty several Passages as our Doctrines and Opinions not producing so much as one Person Book or Page to avouch them a piece of Justice he denies not to the Papists themselves at what time he refuseth it to us though not they but we were the People against whom the Discourse was writ which though gross enough yet nothing compared with his Disingenuity at the end of his First Book where under the Pretence of furnishing his Reader with a Key to understand the Quakers Meanings by he sets down no less then about two Hundred and Fifty Particulars in our Name without so much as the bare mention of one Author Book or Page to countenance his Attempt Yet after all this he cannot bear to be told of his unfair Carriage and his Unjust Dealing towards us His Quality or his Pride is so great it will not bear a Reprehension I never met with a Man of so much Falseness and Stomach together He thinks it so great a Punishment to be told of his Miscarriages that if we will not let him pass for a Faithful Sober Meek and Christian Author however he hath proved himself the Contrary we must expect all that his Scorn and Anger can cast upon us But such Vindications of his Essayes will be Hand-writing enough against themselves and their Author who ought not to flatter himself after these great Evils with the Hopes of Impunity for such as he hath sown against us such shall he reap at the Hand of God the Righteous Judge of all who will reward every Man according to his Works But I desire with all my Soul that God may show him Mercy that Repentance may yet over-take him and this Iniquity be blotted out before he departs this World and is no more seen I would beseech him in the Love of God to fight no longer against the Truth and for a Cause his Conscience might it speak would tell him is not the only true God's but the Honour and Interest of the God of this World whom the formal Christian is lead and ordered by that is so sharp against us Let him not be afraid to take Shame for that which is shameful lest vain Credit here brings Sorrow hereafter I cannot be otherwise perswaded but that Reputation prevailed more with him then Conscience in this Controversie he tugs so hard to prop the one and there is so little savour of the other God could never be in that Design nor amidst those Thoughts that were laid with so great Mistake and which have been vented with so much Fury I must needs say There was neither Truth to inform us nor Charity to gain us It stumbled the Weak grieved the Tender offended the Peaceable among those Professions he pretended to vindicate gratifying only such as are of a Litigious and Contentious Nature whose unreasonable Heat it had been his Duty rather to abate by Sweet Perswasion and a meek Example I have this Comfort in my Conclusion of this Controversie that I most heartily forgive him all the Injustice and Vnkindness he hath shown at least so far as I am therein concerned and that I think is more then any Man And with the same Love that God hath loved me I do with all my Soul fervently wish his Solid Vnfeigned Repentance that he may receive the Love and Mercies of God in the Remission of his Sins and Reconciliation of him by the Power and Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord that he may knoâ— the Excellency and Glory of the Truth in the inward pâ—â—ts and what are those good things no Carnal Eye Ear or Heart hath ever seen heard or understood that God hath laid up for them that truly fear him and which he daily reveals unto all such by his Eternal Spirit The Conclusion THus Friendly Reader are we come to the End of our Task wherein I hope the Doctrines of that despised People in Derision called Quakers their Worship and Church-Practice are evidently and firmly vindicated against vulgar Mistakes and Reports and more especially those many black Charges so confidently exhibited by J. Faldo in his first
His Disingenuity great His Perversions and Wrestings about his Key pretending to open our Words Detected pag. 389. CHAP. XIV Of Reflections on Persons and Things pag. 397. CHAP. XV. His several gross Miscarriages summ'd and further observed p. 420. Authors Testimonies Occasionally cited in Defence of this DISCOURSE R. Allen pag 16. Ambrose p. 371. D. Amesius p. 98. Arnobius p. 21. Augustin p. 15 130 285 360 361. D. Barnes p. 129 234 292. H. Barrow p. 176. M. Barker p. 247. T. Beza p. 96 97 333. J. Bradford p. 48 227. T. Brooks p. 247 383. Brownists p. 176. H. Bullinger p. 115 143 245 292 360. J. Calvin p. 46 92 93 96 245. J. Camero p. 358. J. Cann p. 153 176. J. Caryl p. 129 172 247. S. Castalio p. 36 172. D. Cave p. 22. J. Chrysostom p. 46 118. M. T. Cicero p. 92 93. J. Clarius p. 36 43 172 357 372. Clemens Alex. p. 22 173 292 329. P. Codurcus p. 172 358 376. T. Collier p. 73 114 120 154 202 215 236 316 341 377. Council Laod. p. 36 37. G. Cradock p. 43 246. D. Cradock p. 277. J. Dallaeus p. 78. W. Dell p. 45 46 75 120 153 215 230 246. Annot. cert Divines p. 368 372. Doctor and Student p. 91 93. B. Downham p. 293. J. Drusius p. 43 172 357 358 376. Epictetus p. 93. Erasmus p. 36 43 96 97 325 333 358. Ethiopick Version p 331. D. Everard p. 200 239 247 285. Eusebius Pamph. p. 21 22 P. Fagius p. 326 360. Farellus p. 378. D. Featly p. 118. Mart. Finch p. 342. C. Goad p 128 200 214 226 235 315 341. W. Greenham p. 217. H. Grotius p. 36 295. B. Hall p. 383. D. Hammond p 295 378. C. J. Hobert p. 91. P. D. Huetius p. 378. E. Hutter p. 329. Jerome p. 379. B. Jewel p. 113 314. Irenaeus p. 291. Ignatius p. 340. Justin Mart. p. 340 359. Lactantius p. 92. H. Latimer p. 46 50 51. M. Luther p. 46 47 98 120. Lutherans p. 43. P. Martyr p. 98 107 118 360. D. H. Moore p. 358 374. S. Munsterus p. 172 357. Origen p. 292 379. D. Owen p. 172 W. Parker p. 54. D. Patrick p. 277. W. Perkins p. 246. Philo p. 172. J. Philpot p. 47 50. Plato p. 329. Plotin p. 172. Plutarch p. 93. P. S. Polano p. 37. J. Robinson p. 176. A. Sadeel p. 285. Samaritan Copy p. 326. B. Sanderson p. 16 92 93 C. C. Sandius p. 78. Scapula p. 329. Seneca p. 93. W. Sherlock p. 277. Spanish Translation p. 322. J. Sprig p. 127 201 202 293 315 342. D. Stillingfleet p. 89 277. Synesius p. 378. Syriack Translation p. 331. Theophil Antiochenus p. 21 371. Tertullian p. 21 118 360. D. Tillotson p. 89 277. W. Tindall p. 46 113 115 120 226 234. L. Valla p. 36. F. Vatablus p. 36 43 172 357 358. Vossius p. 378. B. Usher p. 16. Waldenses p. 76. J. de Wessalia p. 418. J. Wickliff p. 46. D. Wilkins p. 33 226. R. Woodman p. 341. N. Zegerus p. 36 358. V. Zwinglius p. 46 47. THE INVALIDITY OF John Faldo's Vindication Of his Book called Quakerism No Christianity The Introduction THis Controversie not of Choice but absolute Necessity thus continued and which hath swell'd this Rejoynder beyond both my Desire and Expectation through such great Provocations and multiplyed Wrongs as are utterly inconsistent with the Honour of Truth to put up and which require our serious Notice in its Defence was begun by J. Faldo a Non-conforming Minister at Barnet in a large Discourse entituled QUAKERISM NO CHRISTIANITY disgusted as I have heard at the coming over of some of his Hearers to the Way we profess in which he not only accused us of the Blackest Errors but pretended to prove every Charge out of our own Writings an Essay none had ever yet fallen on besides himself At what Rate soever he proved them certain it is he charged us home and managed it with Equal Disingenuity This it was my Lot to answer which I did in a Book call'd QUAKERISM a New Nick-Name for Old CHRISTIANITY c. Chiefly intending by it to discover how grosly he had mistaken our Principles and unworthily perverted those Words we had employed to maintain them and finally to confirm our true Sence with the Authority of holy Scriptures Unto which he has ventured to give us a Reply doubtless that he might not be thought to have nothing to say so little hath he said to the Purpose which is already become the Discourse of the Moderate and Regret of his Party But what he wants of Solidity he fills up with Air and places his Reflections to the Account of Arguments and when he comes to a Pinch he gives us Confidence for Evidence attended most commonly with a Rout of hard Names to drive it more forcibly home And truly herein he has deceiv'd me for I must needs say I did not take him to be one that would withstand such manifest Conviction and that with no other then Froth Rant and very Obstinacy I hop'd that when I had given him a Serious Answer to his Book he would either have ingenuously acknowledged his Mistake of our Writings with this Satisfaction that he found us not so Heterodox as he apprehended us to be or else have bestowed upon us such a sober and convincing Reply as might have sufficiently proved our Error and justified his own Undertaking But instead thereof behold a Pamphlet stuffed with Rage and scornful Abuse by him entituled A Vindication but is indeed his Condemnation with God and all Good Men. He seems to have deserted the Matter as giving that for gone and under pretence of answering my Book fully payes himself of my Person Of that he has no Mercy I am all that a Man swelled with Passion Prejudice and Revenge can character me to be He complains much yet himself is the Injurer Forgery he layes at my Door and 't is his own beloved Crime He sayes I boast of Victory yet John Faldo is the great Crack Where I rebuke his Froth he returns me Railing and if I improve his own Similes against him then Disingenuous W. P. Devotion he fleers at as if it were an old-fashioned thing My Reprehension of his Ill-Language he counts intollerable Is this your Meek Christian sayes he making it a greater Sin in me to Defend my self then in him to Accuse me Personal and Principâ—â— Reflections run fluently through his first Book My Reproof of that unprovoakt Asperity he storms at and will needs have it to be Reviling and instead of Repenting of his ill beginning with us he hath greatly encreased his score by a more Scurrilous Reply as if the Man's Business were not to make us Better but prove and justifie his own being Worse He would make us in Love with our Errors if such we held that uses so ill a Way to reclaim us Does he think we are to be Jeered or Railed out of our Religion No No. In his first he
unworthiest Reflections however unprovoked without any Reproof is to merit their sharpest Retorts in the most vilifying Terms I know not what to infer from such an humorsome Carriage but that it is expected from the Quakers Religion it should bear that which J. Faldo's Vindication tells us his cannot a great Credit to our Cause against his Will Thus far of Christianity and Quakerism as they are contra-distinguished by our Adversary CHAP. III. Of the Scriptures MY Adversary begun his first Chapter in his former Discourse upon this general Charge The Quakers deny the Scriptures The Proof he offered was this The Quakers deny the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the Word of God and therefore they deny the Scriptures Upon this account I thus delivered my self He entitules his Chapter That the Quakers deny the Scriptures I was almost astonished at it because he pretended to prove all out of our own Books and none such had ever come to my Hand but upon Perusal I found this to be the Upshot That the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God My Adversary's Reply is Rep. This is not the first Cordial you have made of a wilful Vntruth nor yet the last by a great many And you who summed up nine Arguments of mine more which were the Contents of the nine Chapters next following should have been ashamed of calling this one which was the first of ten the Vpshot and then insult But I shall try how you break this single Cord this one of ten Rejoyn I will not say he has Wilfully wronged me but Wronged me he has I did not say that it was the Upshot of his whole Discourse concerning the Scriptures but of that single Chapter For had I reputed his nine following Arguments undeserving of any notice I might have called this single one the Upshot but having singlely refuted his subsequent Arguments I could not in good sense call the First the Vpshot 'T was not therefore the Vpshot of the Whole but of that Chapter in which the Word is used I had good Reason so to term it since the Proof was too particular for the Charge It was not my wilful Untruth but his Mistake His suggesting as if I only encountered that single Cord is very Disingenuous for I throughly considered Nine following Chapters Hear him further Rep. That you deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God you grant But you say pag. 25. I declare to the World that we own them to be a Declaration of the Mind and Will of God with many other things which I have shewed to be short of the main Ends of the Scriptures Rejoyn Whether those other things left out are short of the main Ends of the Scripture or no will best be seen by considering what those Things are I do declare to the whole World that we believe the Scriptures to contain a declaration of the Mind and Will of God in and to those Ages in which they were written being given forth by the holy Ghost moving in the Hearts of holy Men of God That they ought also to be Read Believed and Fulfilled in our Day being Useful for Reproof and Instruction that the Man of God may be perfect Now if this belongs not to the main Ends of Scriptures either there are none or they are unknown However it was 〈◊〉 much the End as name of Scripture that was then controverted Again he goes on thus Rep. I shall easily grant that one Word may stand representative of many An odd Phrase that represents him not able to express himself congruously I have heard of Persons as Parliament-men but never of a representative Word before Rejoyn He might have pardoned me an Incongruous Phrase if such it had been for I have twenty times over been so kind to him But I must tell him it is not less proper though less used in Words then in Persons He shews Ignorance in that Philosophy he pretends to be a Master of where there are many single words or Terms that are significative of entire Sentences but argumentum ad hominem granting to the Scriptures that they are the Word of God does not our Adversary repute that Title Representative as well as Expressive of those many thousand Words contained therein if so then there is a Representative Word If not it can never be called so in our Adversary's sense Again he brings me in thus I think it is as good sense to call a King's Letters King as the Scriptures the Word of God Rep. But by your favour Mr. Penn It is neither non-sense nor bad sense to call a King's Letter the Word of a King Rejoyn This is nothing to the purpose the Stress lies here The Word of God being a Title given to Christ as the Title King is to a supreme Magistrate whether it be Reverent or Significant to call the Declaration Christ the Word of God any more then to call the Declaration of a King by the Title of King For we therefore decline to give that Title to any thing below Christ himself to whom the Scriptures most emphatically ascribe it Because I said that it might be the Word of Advice Reproof Instruction which Christ the Great Word of God livingly sows in the Hearts of Men and Women that Christ spoke of when he said The Cares of the World choak the Word and it becomes Unfruitful He replyes Rep. Here you have yielded the Cause to save Christ from being the choaked and unfruitful Word Rejoyn I need not have done so for any such Reason since Christ may in a sense as well be Choaked as by Sin afresh Crucified and the Spirit Quenched Nor could unfruitful obliege me to give away the Cause since the Word is alwayes Vnfruitful where rebelled against But is there no Difference J. Faldo between a Word of Advice spiritually livingly and powerfully sown in the Heart by Christ the great Word of God and that Advice Reproof or Instruction declared by Writing This brings to the Point Whether the Scriptures or Christ may most deservedly be stiled the Word of God Christ is God's living Oracle and rightly called the Word of God because that which livingly speaks forth the Will of God to the Souls of Men The Scriptures are but that Revelation declared and recorded consequently they can have no right to that Title which is so suitably ascribed to the Author of that Revelation To be sure J Faldo acknowledges that they are not the Living Powerful Self-sufficient Word of God Nor does he pretend to dispute for them to be such a Word of God as the Quakers deny them to be Though it seems very strange to me that there should be Two Words of God the one quite differing from the other or that any Word of God if two there were should be of it self Impotent or Insufficient as he seems to allow in his first Book pag 20 27. Vind. pag. 14 16. That the Word of God
within in that Blasphemous Saying then against the Spirit in the Prophets Apostles and every good Christian who by his infatuated way of Arguing would make us believe that Lucian and Julian acted from the Light within because they acted from something within and that there is no Distinction to be made between their Writings and the Scriptures themselves upon our Principle because they writ according to the Light that was in them as he sayes VVhat is this but to deny all Testimony within or at least allows but of such a one as gives equal Evidence to Apostates and Christians Men acted by the Power of Darkness and the Principle of Light It shall now rest with my Reader to point where the Pinch was For the Ill Language he sayes I gave him to wit a Line and a half made up out of six pages given on distinct Provocations Let us examine Base Comparison pag. 43. This fell out upon his comparing us with the Papists which we shall anon consider How slovenly I was in doing so I will not be mine own Judge Black as Hell it self in Malice page 46. fell from me on this Occasion sayes J. Faldo I know not hardly any worse Lucian and Julian said of Jesus of Nazareth the Scripture and Christianity THEN THE QUAKERS HAVE DONE VNDER OTHER NAMES Now Reader if thus to Unchristian Unscripture in fine Unreligion Prophane yea Atheize a whole Body of People bringing them into parallel with loose and heathenish Scoffers and Persecuters of the Christian Religion who all this while reverently believe in Christ Jesus the Saviour of the VVorld in his Life Death Resurrection Ascension Doctrine and Miracles I say If thus to use us is not as black as Hâ—ll in Malice against us there can be nothing Black Hellish or Malicious For the last piece of Raiâ—ing as he calls it The Impudence of his Wâ—ckedness p. 4 9. VVhat could it be else to charge the Impiety of Julian and Lucian upon the Light within and telling the VVorld That upon the Quakers Principle they may conclude their Writings as Canonical as the Scriptures of Truth But this man studied Personal Reflection more then the Cause or he would not have given but five Lines of nine Pages of my Answer and never have considered that as he ought I could be glad to read one page of his Vindication without unnecessary Reflection who for a Line and a half of pertinent Rebuke by him out of six Pages of my Answer hardly pickt and by me fully defended cryes out of my impertinent slovenly hard Names and that gentiler Railing may be learned under a Hedge where I leave him to be better taught But he is very angry I contract his Comparison of us with the Papists in the Matter of Infallibility and Inspiration thus He tells the VVorld the Papists own Revelation and the Quakers hold Revelation also therefore the Quakers are Papists or very near them Hear his Reply Rep. How can I guide W. P's Pen to write Truth in Matter of Fact If he find such an Argument in my Book I will be content to be his Bond-slave Can you believe that a man can be blest with Apostolical immediate Revelations for every thing in Religion that is not so honest as to use the very Eyes in his Head Rejoyn By this we may perceive it is high Tide with J. Faldo First Reader I deliver not the words in a different Character from my own because I did not pretend to quote him But that it was the drift of the Comparison and so no wrong to his Intention the thing it self abundantly proves The Papists hold Revelation and the Quakers own Revelation what 's the meaning of these two Propositions unless it be the Conclusion I drew But lest the Man should be believed hear what he sayes himself in his first Book It is no little Absurdity in the Quakers to make Out-cry against Popery while they plant and hug the Root in their own Bosoms Again in the same page It were no hard matter to prove an Agreement in a multitude of Particulars between the Papists and Quakers Besides all this he brings in a Story pag. 55. of a certain Romanist who coming into England and being asked which of the multitude of Sects came nearest unto the Roman Church replyed The Quakers And this J. Faldo sayes he remembers How then he should forget to that degree of Abuse that there is any Argument in his Book to prove the Quakers very near to the Papists who in his Story uses that very Word to make People believe it I cannot tell unless his great Desire to bedirt William Penn transported him beyond all remembrance of what he had writ I might now demand his Promise of being my Bond-Slave But alas Proud Man and Insolent he is too high for that Office if such I could accept of Though I know not how he can come off unless with this Passage p. 57. The Quakers out-go the Papists FAR therefore the Quakers are not Papists nor NEAR them He thought I made him abuse us beyond his Intention and he both intended and abused us beyond what I represented If in that I wronged him he has more Reason to Forgive then Revile me But how comes it to pass that he sayes nothing of my argumentum ad hominem The Papists own a God a Trinity of Persons c. And J. Faldo owns a God and a Trinity of Person therefore J. Faldo is a Papist or near a kin to one VVould this be just If not neither is his Conclusion of force against us J. Faldo holds something in common with Jews Turks Heathens and Papists he would not take it kindly if we should therefore conclude him to be all or any of them But he gave this the go-by which shews he seeks not the Promotion of Truth but Disgrace of his Adversary indeed his very good Friend though his own Indeserts will not let him believe it CHAP. V. Of the Scriptures being the Rule of Faith and Life and Judge of Controversie THe first thing in this Chapter he chargeth me with is Forgery Let us see how he proves it Rep. The Charge in my fifth Chapter is That the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be a Rule of Faith and Life or a Judge and Determiner of Religious Controversies but P. as if he had sworn not to repeat my words faithfully trans-scribes them That we deny the Scriptures to be a Rule of Faith and Judge of Controversies Rejoyn Reader observe the Forgery lies here that I left out Life after Faith and Determiner after Judge and Religious before Controversies But because that which is the Rule of Faith is the Rule of Life and that Judge and Determiner are all one and that the Controversies intended were not about Questions in Mathematicks Philosophy Trade or Law common or civil but purely about Religion I thought it no Forgery to leave out words not necessary or what from the Nature of the
and the Assistance of the Spirit of God are not these in my Book all made necessary to render the Scriptures such a Rule and Determiner Rejoyn But why such a trivial Rant for a Reply and why such hard words from a Man of his Circumstances one on many Accounts so near what he represents me to be Is it not true that if something be more firm then Writing that which is more firm and not the Writing is the Judge and Determiner Suppose a Scripture for every Case that ever did or may happen which we know there is not and therefore not THE RULE yet if such Scripture need an Exposition who is most truly the Judge and Determiner the obscure Text or the clear Expositor Certainly where the Stress lies the Power of Determination must be and there the Judgeship rests but that is alwayes in the Interpretation since the Difficulty is not about believing the Text but the Exposition given of it therefore the Expositor is both Judge and Rule and not the Text exposited And since J. Faldo has granted to us the Assistance of the Spirit for knowing the Scriptures the Spirit then which gives us how to understand and believe and enables us to fulfil them must needs be the Rule and Judge and no Writing whatever I shall conclude this Point with my Rejoynder to this following Passage in his Reply Rep. But W. P. hath not done triffling yet neither is the Law the Judge but there is a Judgâ— who interprets and speaks from the fresh Discoveries of his own Reason the Meaning and â—â—â—tendment of those written Laws But Mr. Penâ— The Judge is the Mouth of the Law and subject to thâ— Law and prescribed in his Judgment to that sense 〈◊〉 the Law which is expressed by the Letter of it If soâ—â— of the Judges had the handling of you for imposing yoâ— canting fresh Discoveries of his Reason upon them thâ— would tell you they give Judgment from a Deep Stuâ— and Weighty Consideration of the Letter of the Lâ—â— and moreover give you some hard Names or worse for youâ— canting Law added to your canting Gospel and yet the LIGHT IN THEIR CONSCIENCES NOT GIVE THEM THE LEAST REBUKE FOR SO DOING Rejoyn I perceive he measures the Judges Displeasure by his own Indeed they would be very Vnfit Persons to sit for our Judges that should be like him Men that would call hard Names and do worse to any Man for allowing them to be guided by a Living Reason would greatly evidence they had little or none and therein indeed that we mischaractered them But who most dishonours them I that suppose them to judge and explain Written Reason by the Living Principle of Reason in themselves or he that renders them so many Posts or Pillars that are to be moved by incens't Letters without relation to any Reason inherent to themselves and not otherwise But hear my forme Answer before I further rejoyn His Instance about the Law is same For the good Laws of any Land are but Reason written or rather declar'd by Writing which is oblieging against the Corruption of a Judge but not the Reason of the Judge neither is the Law the Judge but there is a Judge who interprets and speaks from the fresh Discoveries of his own Reason the Meaning Intendment of those written Laws If the Laws be sufficient without a Judge why is there a Judge If then they are Dark Obscure and Doubtful in many Cases so as to need a Judge and Interpreter which I call living and immediate Reason since the Scriptures are Writings in which are many things difficult to be understood it follows that there must be an Immediate Living Judge which must be therefore the Spirit of Truth that gave them forth because none knows the things of God save the Spirit of God And that those who are the Makers of Laws are the only Persons who are fit to judge and determine in Case of Difficulty by a Declaration of their Mind and Intenâ—ion in any such obscure Passage In short Either the Scriptures are not obscure a thing we daily see or if so yet sufficient which is impossible or they must have a Judge which is most true and necessary and what Judge but the Spirit of Truth which leads into all Truth p. 61 62. Now one would have thought that an Answer so sober and reasonable might have deserved a Reply more civil and pertinent then my Adversary gave me But I do the less wonder at it since he makes it his Practice to give hard Words instead of solid Answers But to his Reply as it is Rejoyn He tells me the Judge is the Mouth of the Law and Subject to the Law But I would have him consider two things First that the Scriptures of Truth were never given forth after that formal regular course that the Laws of England were but to particular Persons or Churches on particular Cases though together with hearty respect I acknowledge and enjoy the Benefit of them Secondly The Question is not about things obvious but obscure and herein the Judge is not only the Mouth but Interpreter of the hidden Meaning of the Law This our Adversary's own words import For if the Law were so plain as only to need a Mouth what need would there be of deep Study and Weighty Consideration which he makes necessary to a Judge the bare reading of the Law would be sufficient to determine all Cases Nay it would end all going to Law But inasmuch as the Laws are both numerous and intricate as the Vexatious Cases and Disputes of our Times fully prove 't is manifest that some other Judge and Determiner must be found out one that understands compares and rightly applies Law whose Judgment must decide and determine the Controversie Now though every such Judge may be said to determine according to the Mind of the Law yet his Interpretation and not the bare Letter is recorded for the Determination of the Case depending from whence come our Book-Cases Nor indeed is this only referrable to any certain Person explaining the obscure Passages of Law but the Application of the Law to the Fact in which not only the whole living Reason of the Judge is deeply and circumspectly exercised but the Understanding and Conscience of the Jury respecting the Nature of the Law the Evidence of the Witness the Heinousness of the Fact and Variety of Circumstances wherein the obnoxiousness to Error lies according to the Greâ—k Proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Error is about the Circumstances all in order to a definitive Sentence or Determination about the Point handled Now for any Man to call the written Law the Judge and not Synteresis or living sound Reason and Conscience in the Judge and Jury to me seems very absurd Besides Let it be considered First that the Law is added because of Transgression and such as live to that noble Principle from whence all good Laws come have
things which they received of the Apostles therefore to understand the Scriptures in those things which are necessary to Salvation for those things those Believers had received of the Apostles With much to the same Purpose in that Chapter I could produce many more Testimonies from Great and Famous modern Writers besides the Pathetical Expressions of a multitude of Martyrs both English and Forreign as well famous for their Learning as great Fidelity that express themselves fully in Defence of our Assertion That to bring Men and Women to the Obedience of the Everlasting Word nigh in the Heart is so far from being repugnant to or undervaluing of the holy Scriptures as without their Acquaintance with it and Conformity to it they can never be read by any with Instruction and Comfort But if God please there may be a time for our more full Disquisition of this Point But be thinks to supply his Wilful Omission and Disingenuous Carriage about my Answer to the ill use he made of my other Proof by reflecting upon my Honesty in transscribing his Second taken out of our Friend James Parnâ—ll his Book entituled The Shield of the Truth pag. 10. because I added not these words Seeking the Living among the Dead at the end of this Sentence By the same Light do we discern him to be in Darkness who putteth the Letter for the Light and so draw People's Minds from the Light within them to the Light without them And as if he had fully obtain'd his Will upon us by making us speak what he untruly sayes we own and practice he goes on This needs no Comment to render its Proof valid and is out of the Reach of the utmost stretch of Penn ' s Wit and Confidence to put any Appearance of another Construction upon it But methinks this Sound renders him very Empty It must be a very plain Case if not so much as the Appearance of another Construction can be made upon it then what he would have it to import but I am wholely of another mind and that there is no Difficulty in making a very free and sufficient Defence for the Passage I ought to take it for granted that the whole of his Objection lies against the Words I omitted inasmuch as he pretends not to reply to my Vindication of the former part of the Sentence which was to this purpose That by turning People to the Light of Christ we did not teach them to undervalue but how they should most truly understand and value the Scriptures that the Spirit was more excellent then the Letter the Power then the Form of Godliness yet both Letter and Form to be respected in their place and that we only took our Aim against such as put the Letter in the Place of the Spirit thereby keeping People from the Holy Spirit by which alone the Scriptures are read and understood unto Edâ—fication and Comfort My Adversary I say taking no notice of this I must think he had nothing to say saving his Charge of the fore-mention'd Omission To which thus much It was not designed I took and defended the Substance of the Passage For I would faiâ— know what Life is to be had in the Letter without the Aâ—â—â—stance of the Light or Spirit of Christ If then the Letter is Dead without the Spirit which is Old Protestant Doctrine Can it be any thing else then seeking the Living among the Dead to draw People from the Light and Spirit of Christ within to seek for Life in the meer Letter without â—or so the Question ran This was the State of the Jewish Church in her Apostacy and is the Condition of Thousands at this very day who under Pretence of Honouring the Scriptures despise grieve and in a sense quench the Spirit that gave them forth for which God is wroth with the false Christian and his Religion Worship is an Abomination in his Sight and great sudden will be their Distress for his Indignation is kindled aud his Fury ready to be revealed and in that day shall such lofty Boasters as my Adversary be brought â—â—ow their Spirits faint and Hearts fall within them â—at what time the Light Spirit and Life of Jesus shall be unto all that trust therein a Rock of Everlasting Strength an immoveable Foundation and Sanctuary full of Comfort Peace and Joy forever And indeed this thing â—oth so deeply affect my Soul that I cannot refrain from â—rying Wo Wo Wo against all such Watchmen of the Night who rack their Wits for Tales and Stories to care well-meaning and devout People from the Enjoyâ—ent of the Life Vertue and Substance of the Scripâ—ures Nick-naming that only Way by which so great â—nd heavenly Benefit can ever be procured I mean the â—nspiration of the Almighty with such hateful Terms â—s Enthusiasm Quakerism Familism a more refined â—rt of Ranterism c. and what else may keep them â— their Snare stop their Enquiery and render the â—iving Eternal Truth of God odious in their Sight â—etter were it for such that they had never been born then â—nder Pretence of being Ministers of the Gospel to â—urder the Life and Spirit of it estranging the minds of People from that unchangeable Covenant instead of inâ—teresting them in it thereby manifestly depriving their Souls of blessed and Eternal Priviledges They are like Troops of Robbers indeed as the Prophet anciently said they murder by Consent most of them combining against the in-dwelling Life of Jesus and immediate Springings and Flowings forth of his Spirit in the Hearts of his Children Let it never be forgotten that the first Murderer was a Sacrificer and the deadliest Persecutor a Pharisee Nor has there been a more Venemous Enrag'd Blood-thirsty Generation of Men then the Formal Literal Professor who ever called God Father and Christ Beelzebub who crucified his Son and persecuted the Apostles reputing them Mad Men that is Phanaticks or Enthusiasts Seditious Fellows Sect-Masters Introducers of New Doctrines Innovators upon the Church Turners of the World up-side down in fine Despisers of the VVritings of the Law and the Prophets while they themselves thought to have Eternal Life therein being of the Circumcision Sons of Abraham and Children of the Promise Oh! that these of our Day might Repent which those of that Day did not lest neglecting God's present Visitation neither entering themselves nor suffering others to enter into the blessed Rest the miserable Doom of that Hard-hearted Generation overtake them and that speedily CHAP. V. Of Scripture-Commands what are binding and what not Our Adversary's Disingenuity observed BUt however he has fail'd in his last Chapter doubtless he thinks he has done my Business in this he begins like himself Rep. My Charge and Argument in this Chapter is The Quakers affirm the Doctrines Commands Promises holy Examples expressed in Scripture as such not to be at all binding to us such an Argument and so proved by me mark Reader as a Thousand Penns can never invalid it
Rejoyn What can there be more conceited then this He must live very lonely and far from Neighbours that proclaims so much Praise to himself and have wonderful Confidence to bid Defiance so vainly to others Reader I beseech thee for the Truth 's sake on whose side soever thou shalt find it to be to examine with all impartiallity his Charge our Answer his Reply and our Rejoynder If his Honesty Reason and Justice hold any proportion to his great Confidence we yield But if upon an impartial Consideration he shall be found to clip and pervert our Matter and to shuffle with us in his own once do a poor People Right in giving Judgment against his horrible injustice The Charge thou hast heard the Proof was this That is no Command of God to me what he Commanded to another Did any of the Saints which we read of act by that Command which was to another not having the Command to themselves c Now before I give my Answer as it was set down in my Book I shall insert his Quotation of my Answer Rep. To this saith P. I answer briefly and plainly and he is as good as his word No Commands saith he in the Scripture are any further oblieging upon any Man then as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience otherwise Men should be eâ—gaged without if not against Conviction a thing Vnreasonable in a Man Rejoyn He has a notable Way of Contracting his Adversary's Answers I will set down what I writ faithfully plainly and briefly Edward Burroughs's Expression may be taken two ways both safe enough to the Honour and Credit of the Scripture though not to the Charity or Honesty of J. Faldo Now follows that part he cited No Command in the Scripture is any further oblieging upon any Man then as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience otherwise men should be engag'd without if not against Conviction a thing Unreasonable in a Man Therefore the Apostle when he wrote to the Churches exhorted them not to do those things whereof they were ashamed to shun what was manifested to be Evil and affirms that whatever might be known of God was manifested within for God had shown it unto them So that Conviction can only obliege to Obedience and since what works that Conviction is the manifesting Light universal Grace or quickening Spirit in the Heart of Mankind it follows that the principal Ground for our Faith in the Scriptures and Reason of our Obedience to the Holy Precepts therein contained is the Manifestation Conviction and secret Drawings of the Light or Spirit of God in the Conscience And thus E. B's words are sound and scriptural Again Such Commands either relate to Ordinary or Extraordinary Cases By Ordinary Cases I mean such as chiefly concern Faith and holy Life which are general permanent and indispensible and then I deny his Consequence By Extraordinary Cases I understand Moses's going to Pharoah the Prophets several manners of Appearance to the Kings Priests and People of Israel with other Temporary Commands relating to outward Services c. And so we say that what is commanded One Man is not binding as such upon another But when the Lord shall say If thou sinnest thou shalt dye If thou keepest my Commands thou shalt live Be ye holy for I the Lord your God am holy For your selves KNOW YE NOT how ye ought to follow us c. I say these Precepts and Examples are oblieging upon all why because they more or less meet with a Conviction in the Consciences of all For I am perswaded none that has a reasonable Soul who has not out-liv'd his Day but would readily say These are true and weighty Sayings For Faith in God and a holy self-denying Life are necessary both to Temporal and Eternal Happiness It was Reader to this sober Answer he flung out his fore-going Rant and makes this following Comment and Reply Viz. sayes J. Faldo Rep. They are no Commands unless we think so 'T is no Sin to break all the Commands in the Bible if our Consciences can be so blind dead or hardened as not to tell us 't is a Sin They who thought they did God good Service in killing his Servants did not sin in the least because they were not convinced of a Command to the contrary To vindicate my whole Chapter concerning the Scriptures 'T is a Principle that hath all Iniquity in the Womb of it Who can find Names for such Impious Principles Penn hath opposed scorned the Truth vilified its Teachers and Defenders so as scarce never Man did vented the most pernicious Errors told abundance of those things that are known to himself to be false Rejoyn Reader This is all the Justice and Reason I can have from this pretended meek and suffering Non-conforming Parson What would such Men do had they as much Power as Anger But I shall leave him with his Pride and Passion Is there any thing more clear then that he extends the words of E. Burroughs to Ordinary Cases which were wholely writ about Extraordinary and that he takes no more notice of my Distinction then if there had been none made As if it had been formerly an equal Sin for any not to be Circumcised and to Murder his Father or Prince or that there was the same Conviction universally upon the Consciences of all Men not to wear Linsey-Wolsey as to do by others as they would have others do to them That what we say was E. Burroughs's Meaning his own words undeniably prove One sayes he was sent to baptize and another to preach the Gospel which were particular and extraordinary Commands He clearly shuffles evades the dint of my Answer would run us within the Borders of Rantism The Question is not Are God's Commands no Commands unless we think so and therefore no Sin to break all the Commands in the Bible which is the Comment he bestows upon us but whether this or that especial Injunction to any Particular Person or Persons to this or that parculiar End be warrantably imitable without sufficient Conviction and Commission Must J. F. Baptize because John Baptized or turn Preacher because Peter was one E. B. only denyed Imitation of Ancient Times in Temporary and Shadowy Services and all those Preachings Prayers Ordinances and Churches that have not as Peter Martyr well expresses it the holy Spirit for their Root So that instead of his holding a Principle that hath all Iniquity in the Womb of it John Faldo first perverts his words and then to confute them both implies a Denyal of the holy Spirit to be the only right Leader to the Performance of Gospel-Prayer Preaching and Ordinances and of gathering of Evangelical Churches and does as good as tell us that God's Commandments are such to him not because of any Conviction in himself of the Justness of them but from the Testimony of the Scriptures which for all his high Boasts of Christianity is a State
dangerous then reading the Scriptures Reader 't is worth our while to see if I. Penington be as bad a Man as J. Faldo represents him in order to which I ask First May a Man that reads and pretends to value the Scriptures from up an Vnderstanding of them and yet be absolutely mistaken for want of the True Interpreter the Spirit of Truth I cannot think but J. Faldo himself will say that such a thing may be I am sure I believe so for it hath often been so already and J. Faldo's present Writings are an Unanswerable Instance for the Point The next Question I would ask is this Whether such Persons so mistaken are not very apt in Defence of their own Conceivings to oppose the Truth it self Methinks the whole Jewish Church at the time of Christ's Visible Appearance in the World in disputing against him and decrying of his Religion while they magnify'd the Scriptures as the only great Doctors of them should without further Labour answer that Question in the Affirmative Next Let me ask J. Faldo If the high Conceit the Jews had of their Knowledge in the Commands Doctrines and Prophecies of Scripture however Erroneous for want of the True Interpreter did not render them more captious and obdurate then the Heathen themselves If he can read the Scriptures of the New Testament he may answer this Question to our Mind and his own Shame Lastly Was not this State more dangerous then that of the Gentiles God himself long since resolv'd this Question when he brought such heavy Judgments upon the Jews and turn'd the Stream of his Love to the Gentiles It was not for nought those words were left upon record He came to his own and his own received him not That is He came to the Nation and People of all others God had selected for his Service to whom he had been propitious beyond measure whom he redeem'd by wonderful Miracles and blessed with Holy Leaders Just Judges a Righteous Law True and Faithful Prophets whose were the Covenants and Scriptures who were the Seed of Abraham and of whom Christ came as concerning the Flesh yet they received him not as God over all blessed forever manifested in Flesh in the Fulness of Time for their Deliverance but vehemently rejected him under the Title of Beelzebub Prince of Devils By this time I hope Isaac Penington's Passage is vindicated from the Malignity of our Adversary's Comment whose Perversion must needs be open and conspicuous to all that read him First in charging him To have made this Reflection upon the Knowledge gained by the Letter of the Scriptures which are none of I. P's words Next in concluding that by I. P's Doctrine nothing can well be more Dangerous then Reading the Scriptures who alwayes was and yet is a great Respecter and Reader of them making the Stress of I. P's Saying to lie in a Dislike and Contempt of the Scriptures absolutely instead of their dark Interpretations upon and Carnal Deductions from the Scriptures which he only levell'd his Discourse against Thus have we been serv'd in every pretended Proof he has brought out of our Friends Writings to prop and enforce his feeble and incredible Charges For where we reprove Men's forming unto themselves Religion from the Letter of the Scriptures according to their own Conceptions of it and give a Check to their great Eagerness to comprehend the most weighty Mysteries therein expressed and their continual Questioning Cavilling and Contending concerning them whilst they themselves are Ignorant of the very first Principles of Religion being yet Strangers to Unfeign'd Repentance fâ—om Dead Works and Fear towards the Living God with Loud Voices and Clamorous Tongues they thus exclaim against us after this Unruly as well as Unjust Manner The Quakers Deny the Scriptures The Quakers say they are not binding upon them The Quakers say it is Dangerous to read them but I say in their Name Blessed are they who reading truly understand them and live according to them I might here break off but I intreat my Reader to peruse Two notable Testimonies given by University-Men and such as were reputed Famous Thirty Years ago The first is out of Joshua Sprigg's Book entituled A Testimony to an Approaching Glory pag. 96. Christ desires that his Disciples may be sanctified not by planting the Knowledge of the LITERAL Word in their Minds but by ingrafting the Nature of the DIVINE Word in their Hearts Again in pag. 107. Christ may offer himself long enough in the LETTER in the HISTORY of the Gospel but if he appear not in the SPIRIT and sit in our Consciences to quiet them we shall never have any true Understanding of the Word aright And in page 79 80. We may see what is to be done by looking upon the HISTORY of Christ but till we find the same things done in us in some measure in the MYSTERY we can find little Comfort The whole HISTORY of Christ will profit you nothing nor all that you know except you find EXPERIMENTALLY the same things done in you by the Spirit The second is afforded us by Christopher Goâ—d stiled Bachellor of Divinity and Fellow of King's Colledge in Cambridge in his Book entituled Refreshing Drops c. pag. 12. There is no Knowledge of Christ nor of the Scripture but by REVELATION it is that the Apostle prayes for That God would give unto us the Spirit of Revelâ—tion Again in pag 18. It is neither Moses nor the Scriptures nor Christ's Works can settle our Hearts unless the Father be in them c. Also in pag. 89. To go forth in Man's Power in the Power of a Letter of the Scripture only is not safe Yet again pag. 87 upon Acts 17. Here they hold Paul play in Reasoning and Disputing Paul holds up Christ out of the Scriptures and the Jews do dispute against Christ by the Scriptures And this is that that all the Learning of Man doth all his Knowledge in the Scripture doth but serve him to oppose the Spirit The greater Knowledge in the Scriptures and the more Learning if it be only of Man the greater Opposition unto Christ and unto the Spirit These Jews had LEARNING AND KNOWLEDG IN THE SCRIPTURES MEERLY TO OPPOSE THE TRUTH THE POWER AND LIFE OF THE SCRIPTURES And lastly that we may not be too prolix we shall content our selves in the over-looking many more with this Passage in his last Testimony pag. 71. upon Esa 25. There are that have devoted themselves to the Law and the Letter of Scripture There are others that have their Life in the Creature God will shortly draw all Life unto himself and all they that run after other Gods shall starve and famish They and their Gods These Passages Reader speak for themselves and which is more so much for us that till J. Faldo and his Fellow-Separatists have publickly renounced them and their Authors we have great Cause to say that such as themselves have hitherto reputed their Spiritual and
Learn'd Ministers do defend and rather out-word us in Testimony to the Truth But before J. F. proceeds to any such Excommunication let him remember that he cannot do it without Disturbance to the Grave and Injury to the Memory of Joseph Carl that Famous and Ancient Independent Pastor who Licensed J. Spâ—â—gg's Book Ann. 1647. and consequently entituled himself to the Doctrine therein exprest And for Christopher Goad's not only J. Sprigg perform'd the Friendly Office of Publisher after his Decease but himself was Pastor of a very eminent Congregation of Independents in his Life-time Strange that the Men of these dayes should not know the Principles of their Admir'd Fathers and Teachers when they meet them but that worthy Witness C. Goad in his Conclusion of his last Testimony pag. 74 77. gives a good Reason for it He that hath Ears to hear let him hear he that hath not it may be will cry Whimsie Fancy and turning the Scripture into an Allegory and whilst the Vail is over Error Heresie Blasphemy I had thoughts of adding no further Testimony but a most remarkable Passage of that Christian and Learned Martyr Dr. Barnes Burnt for his Faith in King Henry the Eighth's dayes after having been his Ambassador and in high repute pressed hard upon me and I know not but his greater Distance from us then those before cited may carry more Authority and obtain greater Favour with our Enemies who will at least make shew of Reverence to his Autiquity and Martyrdom his words are these That Man's Will Reason Wisdom Heart Soul or whatsoever thing is in Man without the Spirit of God is but the Wisdom of the Flesh let him intend his best do all that lieth in him with all his Might and all his Power and yet can it not please God for it is but all Flesh Again It is the Spirit of Christ that maketh him Christs and the Spirit of God giveth witness to our Spirit that we be the Children of God Our Spirit giveth no witness to himself thâ— he is Christ's for then were the Spirit of God frustrate wherefore let our Spirit as well as he can study his best to apply himself to Goodness or to the uttermâ—â— of his Power and yet it is but WISDOM OF THE FLESH and HATH NO WITNESS OF GODâ— yea it is but an ENEMY and it must needs bâ— SIN as St. Austin saith He that feedeth without mâ—â— feedeth against me Thus far D. Barnes which is but a little of the greaâ— deal that he writes to the same purpose against thâ— Papists about their Doctrine of Free-will And iâ— deed he cleaves the Hair and hits the Mark above moâ— Ancient Writers for as he unanswerably argues in thâ— very Smart Discourse that Man's cleaving to his oâ— Power brought him into transgression and consequenâ—â—ly could never redeem him out of it So doth he eâ—â—press the absolute Necessity of Man's having Recourseâ— the Spirit of God in himself for Counsel and Assistanâ— in order to understand and fulfil the Good-will of Goâ— which implyes that all those who call it opposing 〈◊〉 Spirit to the Scripture and vilifying the Knowledge Scripture to press the understanding of it and witnessing the Truths therein declared of from the Revelation and Operation of the Eternal Spirit only are upon the rankest strain of Free-will that was ever yet broach'd among Men and there we leave our bitter Enemy J. Faldo I am now come to a Passage more immediately concerning my self which he thinks touches me to the Quick but I know not why unless he measures me by himself being a Man so quick to be touch'd that at the soberest and solidst Answer which I could give him he doth so gaul and fret that there is no coming near him without being kick't and abus'd His Carriage towards me in this Particular amongst many Instances already past and yet to come proves what I say In a Book of mine called The Spirit of Truth Vindicated c. in Answer to a Socinian who seem'd to deride the Quakers asserting a Necessity of having a Right Faith in God and Knowledge of the Scriptures from the Revelation and Operation of the Eternal Spirit I used these words But I assure them they shall grope in the Dark till they come into the daily Obedience of the Light and there rest contented to know only as they Experience At this he scoffed What know God only as they experience Can we experience his Omnipotency That W. P. of all others should talk at this rate is most ridiculous To which he brings me in thus answering 'T is Unchristian in John Faldo to assert the right Knowledge of God obtainable any other Way then by Experience Here 's my Reflection by way of Consequence but where 's my Argument That he left behind as being better able to jeer it then confute it some short Account of it I will give That it is the Light or Spirit of God that by its illuminatition giveth the right Knowledge of God that such Knowledge never goes without Experience Again The World without in its Make Order Perservation Providences his Powerful Work of Redemption within prove what I writ But of this he takes no notice Now his Dis-ingenuity thus far is two-fold First his stretching the word Experience to all Cases when the Scope and End of my words went no farther then every Man 's particular Saving Knowledge of God with respect to his Repentance Conversion and Eternal Salvation 2 ly He not only has taken no notice of my Argument but has abused the Consequence viz. That the Right or Saving Knowledge of God is not obtaiâ—able but by Experience after this manner Rep. Reader you have his Character of asserting that Reason Faith Scripture yea the Spirit of God too all which are not one and the same thing with Experience are any Means by which to obtain the Right Knowledge of God Rejoyn How like a Disputant or an honest Man he deals with me may be seen First In that no Man can have Experience without Reason because Reason is that part of a Man which is eminently concern'd in receiving that Experience therefore not the Giver of it nor yet it without Reason Secondly The Work of Faith is one great thing experienced Thirdly The Scripture is oftentimes an Instrument to that Experience Lastly The Spirit of God is the efficient Cause or Worker of the Experience in the reasonable Soul For must not He be very Blind or Malicious that can suppose I meant by the Knowledge of Experience such an one as God's Spirit brings not to who have been all this while pleading for that Knowledge and Experience which the Spirit of God can only give and abused with a Witness by J. Faldo for doing so but that he should suppose me to exclude Reason from Men in their Experiences which is to render them Brutes and because therefore unreasonable to be sure most uncapable of Experience unless Men may Experience without their
whole Book is this Men ought to teach and preach to others no further then they have a living Sense or Experience of what they so teach or preach that this was his Meaning by those Words Running into the Lines of what others have written hear the following Words in his Defence How dare any of you saith he make mention of his Name or speak of his Glory or of his Power seeing you have not beheld him yet made manifest in your selves Again thus For John testified that the giving forth of the Law was by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ John 1. 17. Mark says he Grace and Truth were come unto John by Jesus Christ and he had felt the Vertue of it by which Moses ' s Admistration was fulfilled in him I say Reader his whole scope was to inforce the Necessity of coming into the Enjoyments of the Holy Ancients and an Experiencing of the Truth of those Doctrines they declar'd before Men are fit to teach them unto others And as this is the Tendency of his Words so does holy Scripture strongly warrant the same Particularly Jeremiah and the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians in Jeremiah thus He that hath my Word let him speak my Word faithfully What is the Chaff to the Wheat saith the Lord Is not my Wordlike a FIRE saith the Lord and like a HAMMER that breaketh the Rock in pieces Therefore I am against the Prophets saith the Lord that steal my Word every one from his Neighbour Chap. 23. Vers 28 29 30. The Meaning of which notable place is plainly this Such as have God's Word to declare which is known from all False Pretenders who steal the Word from their Neighbour and then cry he saith as the 31th Verse expresseth by the Resemblance it bears to Fire a thing easily to be felt let them faithfully speak it But those who steal and preach the Word or Testimony that came from the Lord by and through another as if the Lord spake the same by them unto whom the Lord never spoak it such Prophets the Lord is against which strikes J. Faldo dead respecting his Pretence for Preaching who abundantly proves it to be his Belief that such are as Good Ministers as any yea the only Orthodox and the other but a Pack of giddy-headed Enthusiasts The next place is in the Apostle's 2d Epist to the Corinthians Chap. 10. Vers 15 16. Not boasting of things beyond our measure that is of other Men's Labours but having Hope that when your Faith is encreased that we shall be enlarged by you according to our Rule abundantly to preach the Gospel in the Regions beyond you and not to boast in another Man's Line of things made ready to our Hands Of this sort of Boasters is John Faldo who hath nothing for his Religion but the mâ—er Bible and but an usurpt Title to that Reader take notice that all along J. F. hath made no Difference between the Truths the Scriptures truly declare of and Man's dark and unregenerated Conceptions upon Scripture about Truth and Error Thereby confounding that which in it self is most clearly different to the end he may bring all those Blows we give at Men's Traditions and Doctrines which they pretend to be rightly deduced from Scripture but in Reallity are their own Imaginations to bear hard upon the Scriptures themselves and those Doctrines and Traditions that are truly delivered by them which is a wretched begging of the Question that was not about the Scriptures to which he would turn it but his and their way of understanding them as if it were the same thing to decry the Scriptures as to disclaim against J. F.'s false Opinions concerning them But he thinks he has quite done our Business and sav'd himself from the Black Blemish of Forgery by another Testimony produced to the same purpose which is this And reading in the Scriptures that there were some who met together and exhorted one another they observe and do as near as they can what they read of the Saints Practice and so conceive a Birth in the same Womb and bring it forth in the same Strength that others do and in the Ground it differs not W. S. pag. 22. But what of all this J. Faldo Can this Saying rise higher then a Reproof of those who are but in the Form of Godliness whom the Scriptutes exhort us to turn away from But why was he so disingenuous as to refuse us our Friends words at large thereby making People believe that the Imitation reprov'd by W. S. concerns the holy Life and Conversation of the Saints For it s not two Lines before that he tells us expresly what sort of Practice he means when he writes thus And because they Baptists read of some that went into the Water and were baptized they do the same In short The Zeal of his Spirit runs against all Apish Religions and those Persons who take unto themselves the Name and Form they are Strangers to the Nature and Power of being not led by the Eternal Spirit to Worship God but with an Unregenerate Mind and Ambitious Will eagerly rush into those things for which they have neither Commission nor Quallification I could urge several Testimonies out of Authors that neither liv'd nor dy'd in Fellowship with the Quakers as a further Vindication of their Sense in this Particular but Three shall suffice at this time The first is given us by Jo. Canne stiled by Parson Ball an Eminent and Early Presbyter The Leader of the English Brownists or Independents at Amsterdam more then 30 Years ago viz. Labour to Experience the Power and Leading of the Spirit It is very dangerous to rest in any thing that comes from the Creature till you have the Witness of the Spirit which is not fleshly heady or empty but powerful inward and abides and settles the Soul In thy Light shall we see Light and no where else let them pretend never so high Attainments A Knock to J. Faldo The second is a Passage in W. Dell's Tryal of Spirits writ as I take it while he was Master of Cains Colledge in Cambrige They says he who want Christ's Spirit which is the Spirit of Prophecy though they preach the EXACT LETTER of the Word yet are FALSE PROPHETS and not to be heard by the Sheep And one Reason among many for this Assertion was this Under the New Testament we are not to regard the Letter without the Spirit but the Spirit as well as the Letter yea the Spirit more then the Letter And therefore Paul saith That Christ shall destroy Antichrist with the Spirit of his Mouth and the Brightness of his Coming He scarce saith this Author takes any notice of the Letter but calls the true Preaching of the Gospel the Spirit of Christ's Mouth or the Ministration of the Spirit His next Reason is this They that preach only the outward Letter of the Word without the true Spirit they make all things outward in the
Church and so carry the People with whom they prevail only to outward things to an outward Word to outward Worship outward Ordinances outward Church outward Government c. whereas in the true Kingdom of Christ all things are inward and spiritual and all the true Religion of Christ is written in the Soul and Spirit of Man and the Believer is the only Book in which God himself writes his new Testament pag. 19 20. The third Testimony is out of T. Collier's Works p. 249. How can they teach others who know not Truth themselves as they say but as they read it without them And so at the best speak but other Men's Light And if they mis-understand what other Men have written then they speak Falshood instead of Truth Thus much in Countenance of W. Smith's Expression from Three Men of great Note among our English Separatists But let us hear what Use J. Faldo makes of the Testimony he brought and which we have thus clear'd and confirm'd Rep. Then follows in this and pag. 23. all that rabble of villifying Expressions of both their Practices and Authority quoted by me in Quakerism No Christianity p. 119. Rejoyn If this be true W. Smith's Book shall yet be blam'd as much as J. F. will otherwise have abus'd him I will set down his words faithfully They said he hope to be sav'd after this Life is ended by Christ though they be Sinners and so are set down in a Carnal Security and rest at ease in the Formality and are Strangers to the Quickening Spirit and the Faith that they have made is not held in a pure Conscience but is conceived in the Heart that is Degenerated and Corrupted I Query of my Reader if this was meant of the Scripture upon whom J. F. makes W. S. bestow the word Corrupted Again And what was by the Saints given forth and appears in VVritings without them that their Life is in and that they contend about and all strive to set up their own Conceivings and teach for Doctrines Men's Traditions Mark that Reader He speaks not against the Scriptures nor of them but their Blindness in using them and mind not the Measure of God in themselves that is Reader God's Measure or the Grace of God which teacheth to deny those sins he told them a little before they liv'd in with Carnal Security But sayes he stretcht beyond it in the Comprehension and run into other Men's Lines and Labours That is They out-run their own Experiences and intrude themselves into those things which were beyond their own Growth which W. S. rebukes them for making it his Business to turn them to that Grace which obeyed teaches them not to vilifie Scriptures but brings them into the right Possession of them and Title to them which he make appear to be more to their Advantage then to dispute and contend about them whilst in Sinful Security Formality Estrangedness from the Quickening Spirit Humane Faith Impure Conscience and in a Degenerated and Corrupted Heart All which is in his 22th page and give Light enough to any Man that has not like J. F. put out his Eyes of Reason and Candour unto these following words which can no more relate to the Holy Scriptures then that Spirit from whom they came to wit They are all upon the Earthly Root and in Darkness and Confusion in their Practice and Worship Now Reader What does the Scripture practise and whom and how doth the Scripture worship if the word they relate to the Scriptures and not those several ranks of Professors to whom he expresly dedicated his Book Yet further That from the Crown of the Head to the Sole of the Feet the Image that is the several Sects hath no whole part in it but is full of Putrefaction and Corruption and every Branch rotten and deceitful and no good Fruit is found for the bringing forth of all is from the Heart that is deceitful and corrupted which lies faln and degenerated from God What Man Reader that ever thought to have his Proofs examin'd would have dar'd to apply in the Author's Name these terms to the Scripture that so particularly and plainly relate to Man in his fallen State But please to consider what better Authority he has for the rest viz. And are all found Wanderers in the Night of Apostacy and in the Darkness have taken the VVhore's Cup and do drink it And unto all those is the Cup of God's Indignation poured out because they are Bastards and not Sons Upon which I query with J. F. who are the VVanderers If the People then the fore-going word They of which the word Wanderers must be the Relative concern Professors and then all those Terms before-mention'd belongs not to the Scripture and consequently mis-apply'd by our Enemy But if he says VV. S. meant the Scriptures how could they be said to wander or drink the VVhore's Cup And if the Whore's Cup be the Scriptures as J. F. makes W. S. to mean either the People drank up the Scriptures in the Apostacy or the Scriptures drank up themselves Next VVho are those Bastards to whom the Cup of God's Indignation is pour'd fourth Certainly they are Disobedient Children and not as J. Faldo would have it the Scriptures and holy Doctrines deduced thence Reader Doubtless the Man is desperate and to me he seems to have laid Violent hands upon himself to the destroying of his Reputation among Men and his Soul in the Eye of God since after all this Injury to our deceased Friend he dares yet appear in so impudent a Strain as this following Passage makes him guilty of All this Penn KNEW to be true when he dared to make such Hypocritical Appeals to Delude the World Save the Quakers Credit and Abuse me as a Forger The Righteous God judge between us whether I writ otherwise then I knew or he in affirming it more then he knew My Appeals were solemn in the Grief of my Spirit to see a Man arriv'd at that pitch of Falsness as to pervert and forge about Sacred Things even while himself would pass for a Minister of them and I can scarce think any Man so prejudic'd against us as not to conclude with me that his Aim in this untrue Passage to say no more was to bear People down as to the Honesty of his Quotation by the mighty Vehemence and Confidence of his positive Charge against me to have known what in Reallity I never knew and to have appeal'd hypocritically to God concerning our Innocency who did it in the Humility and Sincerity of my Soul because the Man had no other way left him to secure himself from the deserv'd Imputation of Forgery or wilful Perversion scarce a remove from it But that by which he would clear himself from it fastens it inevitably upon him and renders him one of the daringst and most harden'd Perverters I have ever yet met with in all my Life The next Testimony he brought to prove our Opposition
of the Spirit to the Scriptures and which he pretends to justifie against my Explanation was this Of this sort are the False Prophets who have their Preaching from Study and other Men's Mouthes charging me that I treacherously left out or from the Letter and not from the Mouth of the Lord. But as I us'd no Treachery neither omitted it in Design nor thought it Prejudicial to his Cause since my Answer as himself hath trans-scrib'd it shews that I understood it to be the Letter of the Scripture that was meant from whence they stole their Preaching and not that they receiv'd it from the Mouth of the Lord so in the end it will prove more my own Disadvantage to have omitted it then any Bodies else I shall set down my Answer as he has trans-scrib'd it and his Reply the equall'st Way of Judging The natural Purport of the Words said I can be no more then this That though the Things declar'd of in the Scriptures were the Word of the Lord to the holy Ancients and Jeremiah as God's Mouth not his Mouth therefore to the People Israel yea much of it mark the Mouth of the Lord to us also yet for Men to say any part of it by rote especially if they add mark their own Comments and Glosses framed from study OF any part of the Scripture and say Thus saith the Lord or Hear the Word of the Lord and not in the same living Sense nor upon the like Commission every such one doth rob his Neighbour and steal his words This is so much of my Answer as he trans-scribes which seems thus far ingenuous that in three times a larger Answer he has not trans-scrib'd one third of this perhaps he thought it not so much for his turn But before I set down his Reply I shall find two Faults with this recital First That he has I will not say treacherously or that I knew he did design'dly mis-give my words as he is frequently pleas'd to charge me falsly set down one part of my Answer for in my Book it is If they add their own Comments and Glosses framed from study TO any part of the Scripture and he trans-scribes it Framed from study O F any part of the Scripture as if the studying O F the Scripture and adding Men's own Glosses TO the Scripture were one and the same thing All I shall say of it is this 'T is a scurvy Mistake and looks very suspitiously The second is That he has left out the most material part of my Answer The Stress of which in brief lay here Parrots imitate Men But if such Creatures are not therefore to be reputed Reasonable though the Sentence be rational in it self because it proceeds from meer Imitation and not a Principle of Reason neither is He a true Prophet nor That the Word of the Lord with respect to that Prophet who has not receiv'd what he delivers from the immediate Word of God himself but by Hear-say or meer Imitation But of all this part he takes no notice I now come to his Reply which I will faithfully set down and I hope as clearly enervate Rep. The Errors Self-Contradictions and Absurdities of W. P. I shall express briefly First what he saith they mean I say they mean also viz. The Scriptures are not the Mouth of God Rejoyn The Mouth of God is a most uncouth Expression for which he has not one Scripture from Genesis to the Revelation nor do I see how he should since it is unsound if not Blasphemons for by calling them not A Mouth but THE Mouth it renders them the most constant necessary and excellent Mouth by which God who is a Spirit utters forth his Mind to his Children thereby excluding the Word of God nigh in the Heart and his Spirit in their Inward Parts But to proceed What does he mean by Mouth or how does he take it Properly or Metaphorically If the first I deny it If the last I thus far concede That the Scriptures as other things may be in a sense so stiled when God pleaseth livingly to speak by them otherwise I chuse to express my self as in my Answer by him also omitted The Eternal Word of God is the Mouth of God and the true Prophets and Apostles in all Ages have been as the Mouth of the Word of God declaring the Mind of it either by Word of Mouth or Writing to the People and the Scriptures are the Writings of those inspir'd Prophets and Apostles What more would he have Nay there is not only no such Negative as he charges upon us in my Answer but I do expresly say The Scriptures are not in a sense without a Mouth and that for God too being a Declaration of much of his VVill and Works though I cannot allow them to be the Mouth of God in the sense my Adversary throughout his whole Book tugs hard to get for by that means we should with him shut up the Mouth of the Eternal Word which is God's Living Oracle to the Souls of his People But he proceeds Rep. VV. P. saith the things spoken of were the Word of the Lord. Then the Word of the Lord is or was more then one a Contradiction to himself Rejoyn Reader take notice that there is no such thing as he pretends to reply to in this part of my Answer he brings into his Book It seems he has left it behind him and I must go back to look for it My words were these The Scriptures then are to us oblieging as the Thing they declare of was the Word of the Lord to several Ages Temporary Commands excepted VVhich import no more then this That the Word of the Lord declared the Mind of the Lord by the holy Prophets And the Mind of the Lord is not distinct from the Word of the Lord though the Declaration be different from the thing declar'd of I cannot see any Contradiction in what I writ Sure I am I meant not by the thing they Declare of the Declaration either by VVord of Mouth or VVriting but the Wisdom Will Glory and Power of the Eternal Word as they are Eternally One with and in the Word before so declared He was a little too nimble in the Business but if I should let him make the worst Construction he is able it can rise no higher then this I should mean by the VVord of the Lord the living Command of the Lord in the Heart of his Prophets afterwards declared by VVord of Mouth or VVriting For Word sometimes signifies Command as thus This is the VVord of the Lord or this is the Command or Mind of the Lord which are equivalent Rep. 3dly That God hath a Mouth in a proper Sense Rejoyn This is untruly charg'd upon me My Adversary's Reason for this indirect Consequence was my saying that Jeremiah was as God's Mouth not his Mouth therefore which to me is a good Reason why he ought to have inferr'd the quite contrary since as his
the gaudiest Titles and sweetest Entertainments this Temporal World can bestow It s for God against the Devil his Power and Spirit against Satan's the Spiritual against the Formal Man and the real Life of Jesus and Heavenly Experience of his Salvation within whereby the Doctrine of the Gospel is accomplish'd in Men against all Transformation into Likenesses and but meer verbal Immitations and Outsides of Religion For every Plant that the Heavenly Father hath not planted will he root up in this the Day of his Power in which the Lord will make his People a willing People and that notby indulging but rebuking and taking Men off from their own Willing and Running For the Lord has decreed to over-throw the Banks which the False Prophets of the Nations have cast up in the Night of Darkness whereby all Refreshment has been damm'd up from them and the Nations have been like a parched Heath and desolate Wilderness that his Life Power and Spirit may flow over every Kindred Nation and People under the whole Heaven and they shall be all taught of God and in Righteousness will he establish them and there shall be one Sheep-fold and one Shepherd and the Idol Shepherds who have no Vision neither have any Bread of Life wherewith to feed the Flock God will utterly scatter and make an end of and his Name shall be Famous and Renowned through all Generations Amen But Reader my Adversary is not yet willing to leave me he proceeds to tell us That the Quakers charge him and such others with the Sin of Idolatry to believe and live according to the Iustructions and holy Examples expressed in and by the Scriptures except they have them by Immediate Inspiration And though the Substance of it hath been already consider'd by me yet I shall not grudge my Pains if the Reader will bestow his perusal and perhaps he may find something not unserviceable to the further Clearing of our Sense and Detection of our Adversary's Dis-ingenuity He writes thus in his Reply Rep. I produced among others two Testimonies which W. P. takâ—s notice of My first is out of Morn Watch page 23. And this is Babylon the Mother of Harlots and the Abomination of all Uncleanness Rej. I need say the less to this because I have so clearly and lately defended W. S. in that Book and Page from any such wretched Meanings and Applications which J. F. has employ'd his Wits to rack his Words to Only Reader observe his Fallacy that he sets not down what Examples and what Instructions but confounds Moral with Ceremonial Precepts on purpose to make us at one Blow cut off all Regard to Scripture indifferently Next mark his Antichristianism in that he maketh the Mind of God and Doctrines and Lives of the holy Ancients in Scriptures capable of being understood and follow'd without the Inspiration of God's holy Spirit thereby giving the Lye to the most express Texts of holy Scripture and the plainest Assertions of the purest Fathers most famous Reformers and constant Martyrs I will say no more to this then that our Adversary himself hath in the same page cited so much of W. S. as declares his Perversion of the other part of his Book viz. And are all out of the Life and Power of God that is Those that say they have God to their Father speak high things of Holy Scripture and bedeck themselves with the Passages thereof and notwithstanding are out of the Life and Power of God are not true Jews or Christians but are of the Synagogue of Satan the Abomination of all Uncleanness and which help to make up Babylon the Mother of Harlots For the other Proof he brought which indeed was his first though in his Reply he tells us it was his last he was affraid to meddle with it and there was great Reason for it For he knew not which way to handle it but would bite his Fingers I will set it down with my Answer contracted that I may help the Reader to another Instance by which he may take his just Measures of the Man in hand respecting his sort of Fair Dealing or Strength of Argument W. Dewsbury he cites thus in his Discovery of Man's Return pag. 21. All People may search the Scriptures and see how you have been deceived by your Teachers who have caused you to seek your lost God in Carnal and Dead Observations WHICH THEY HAVE NOT ANY SCRIPTURE FOR. Now Reader was not this an extraordinary Passage to prove J. Fâ—do's Charge viz. That it was Idolatry to act according to Scripture c. which is given by our Friend as a Reason why People ought not to follow their Blind Teachers But be pleased to read my Defence as I then writ it W. Dewsbury is so far from making it Idolatry to live up to the Scriptures that he condemns the seeking for the True God where he was not to be found which saith he they have no Scripture for As much as to say that such seek after God not according to Scriptures And therefore are both Deceivers and Deceived Unto which J. F. reply'd nothing unless it be that he had nothing to Reply except an Acknowledgment which he thought would not make for his present sort of Credit He winds up this Chapter with a Justification of his Comparison of our Doctrine about the Scriptures with that of Jesuits and Papists I will set him down at large Rep. Concerning my Parallel between the Jesuits and the Papists in the venomn Spit against the Scriptures W. P. hath thus little to say It is Ridiculous and every way unworthy our notice a meer begging of the Question We can never allow of the Comparison But why all this Contempt Rejoyn Contempt pinches his proud Stomach But Curteous Reader ask J. F. why he left out the Words immediately proceeding viz. He has been so Cunning or Vnjust rather as to quote their Authors and not ours and some Passages we justly doubt What base Juggling is this with his Reader and Abuse of his Adversary It concern'd him more to be just in this then to ask Why all this Contempt And had he not had less Honesty then Stomach we might have expected that Justice the want of which brings greater Contempt upon him then my sober Reflection upon such unfair Dealing But he proceeds to cite these words as the whole Reason why we disallow the Comparison Sence the Papists place the Rule and Judgship in a Pope and General Council and the Quakers in the Eternal Unerrable Holy Spirit of God To which he replies thus Rep. The first is as I said the second is Blasphemously False for the Quakers call their Light within the Spirit of God which I have sufficiently proved to be a BLASPHEMER of the Spirit of God a SORDID SINFVL CORRVPT and RIDICVLOVS THING Rejoyn What he means by his first I know not unless that he said true of the Papists And if any of them have writ or spoak
unworthily of the Scriptures we utterly detect their Actions For his second I confess I am greatly at a stand I have travell'd several Nations convers'd with Men of most Ways of Religion read a great many Books for my time but never yet did I meet with such an Insolent Blasphemous and Scornful Expression as this I now transcrib'd word for word out of his Reply 'T is true there was an Old Peevish Priest in Ireland who to get a little Money as clearly appear'd writ an Envious Book against us in which he called the Light within an Ignis Faetuâ—â—s a Dim Light c. who lived long enough to vex himself to Death with our Answer as we are credibly informed not long surviving its Arrival and general Acceptance of most sorts of People in those Parts But never yet have I heard or read of such hard Names from the worst of our Adversaries For Tho Hicks himself in his Dialogues against us acknowledges that the Light within checketh for many Evils and excites to many good things c. It were too large to go over the Praises given it by the best Jews Gentiles and Christians Philo the Jew calls it an Immortal Precept Plotin a Gentile sayes it is the Root or Life of the Soul That this Divine Principle in Man makes a true and good Man Clemens Alexandrinus a Christian-Father speaks of it thus The Light will shine out of Darkness therefore it shines in the hidden part of Mankind in the Heart Again Man cannot be void of Divine Knowledge who naturally or as he cometh into the World partaketh of Divine Inspiration c. Thus Munster Vetablus Clarius Castellio Drusius and Codurcus upon this Passage in Job And upon whom doth not his Light arise acknowledge both its Vniversallity and Sufficiency too where obey'd I could produce a Multitude of approved Protestants without being beholding to one Papist whatever J. F. says of us in Commendation of the Universal Light within but will conclude with J. Caryl one of the most ancient and eminent Pastors of the Independent Way in his Exposition on Job and J. Owen that great Doctor of Independency in his Latin Exercitations formerly writ against the Quakers under the Name of Phanaticks a Term since bestowed and improved by he knows who upon such as need no pointing at J. Caryl on Job 32. 8. says that Wisdom and Knowledge in the Things of God come from the Inspiration or In-shining of the Light or Spirit from above And on Chap. 24. 13. That Light there mentioned shined in Wicked Men's Hearts as well as Good or to that purpose And that it is not a Natural or Proper Light as the Sun in the Firmament but such as reproved them for their Iniquity and comes from above c. J. O. abundantly confesseth to the Morallity and Vniversallity of the Light calling it also a Supernatural and Spiritual as well as Moral Light as he frequently phrases it Good Use of which hath been made by our Christian and Learned Friend Samuel Fisher in Answer to Him Rich. Baxter J. Tombs and T. Danson unto which they have never attempted any the least Reply that we hear of though it greatly concerns their Cause and Credit to do something in it For my own part I shall say no more to J. Faldo's Refutation then that he calls the Light within us by which it hath pleased God to redeem us from our Vain Conversation against the Judgment of many Good and Learned Men in several Ages A BLASPHEMER OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD A SORDID SINFUL CORRUPT AND RIDICULOUS THING for which God rebuke him But there yet remains a notable Testimony of our Friends to be consider'd which J. F. produceth to prove our great Affinity with the Papists Rep. If any pretend to be of us and in Case of Controversie will not admit to be tryed by the Church of Christ Jesus nor submit to the Judgment given by the Spirit in the Elders and Members of the Church but kick against it such we testifie ought to be rejected as Heathens Rejoyn Nothing but Rank Ranterism can call this Popery in such Disgrace or reject it as unsound as I will make appear The Church of Christ indued with his Spirit hath a Judgment This Christ allows her and that every Individual ought to rest satisfied in it in Case of Difference therefore said Christ Tell the Church and if he refuse to hear the Church then let him be as an Heathen and Publican The Saints shall judge the World and much more by their Judgment determine or reconcile things among themselves No Caution or Resolution could be more soundly and scripturally laid down First It is the Church of Christ that judges Secondly It must be the Judgment of the Church by the Holy Spirit or rather the Holy Spirit in the Church not consisting of Elders only but Elders and Members which make the whole Church Lastly The Persons rejected are such as first kick or spurn against the Admonitions of the Church of Christ VVhat Man not bereaved of his Senses or as Irreligious as a Ranter can so scornfully upbraid us with this Serious Christian and Necessary Discipline Yes J. Faldo who pretends both to his Wits and Religion dares offer something against it Rep. Oh the Charity of the Quakers Leaders All that will not submit to their little Juncto are with them numbred with Heathens and Infidels Here the poor Quakers may see the Image of the Beast among themselves Rejoyn It were well if J. Faldo would show more Charity in pretending to rebuke us for the want of it But will he allow of those Aggravations the Episcopatians and Presbyterians made upon and against the first Brownists about Gathered Churches Did not they draw as large Conclusions And had they not as much Ground for doing it as our Passage can give to J. F. since they deny'd in most harsh Terms The Church of England to be the Church of Christ The same did the People call'd Anabaptists both of the Church of England and National Presbytery But why our little Juncto otherwise call'd the Spirit of G. Fox and his Ministry or Representative Body Is not this cast out on purpose to insinuate as if G. F. with other publick Travellers in the Service of the Church were Lordly or Domineering as J. Faldo a little further calls it who rarely meddle with those things leaving every Meeting to their own Power But what Occasion had he for this Reflection of our Friends Paper even as by himâ—elf given us Doth it not mention the whole Church and afterwards explain who that Church is by those two Words Elders and Members for such is the Practice of J. F. in his pretended Discovery of us Nor iâ— there any Reason why J. F. should so much stomach the Word Heathen since he thinks it a Priviledge to be so to us at least to call us so Besides we own every such one to have a Saving
Light which he denys to us therefore less Charitable nay Unjust to the Light for he esteems us only fit Company for the worst Sort of Heathens such as Julian and Lucianâ— It seems we must be viler then Heathens and Mahometans with J. F. witness his first Book But we ought not by any means to repute such as he is that denyes us and our Principles with Abhorrence as to us either Heathen or Infidel What shall we call him then But hath the Man forgot that the drift of his Book is to Vnchristian us That the Title of it is Quakerism no Christianity and that the Cry of his Associates for these 20. Years has been Heathenism Gentiles Moral but not Christian Men and therefore have excommunicated beaten imprisoned and that to Death and yet by no means must wedeny these Folks to be true Christians that have so long proved themselves to be none Though this might suffice that such as that Paper concerned thought us Christ's Church therefore just to them whatever it may be to others for whom it was not intended A man may abuse the highest Truths taking to himself the Liberty he doth to pervert our Words and Sayings His two Books in God's Day will prove to his great shame and Condemnation this one Charge that I have often in other words upon occasion said concerning him viz. J. Faldo's Charges against the Quakers are not their Principles but his own Consequences falsely drawn from them To conclude If such Inoffensive nay Christian and necessary Resolves for the right Disciplining the Church of Christ in the Wayes of Peace and Righteousness cannot escape J. Faldo's Cruel Hands instead of rendring us Papists I shall not wonder if from a Non-Conforming Priest he turns a Spanish Inquisitor or any thing else that can be worse but it is pitty he should leave us and not see his face before he goes I will acquaint him therefore if yet a stranger with an Excommunication drawn up and pronounc'd by an Independant of great note being in the Parliament's time Master of Pembrook Hall in Cambridge and Pastor of a Church in London Sydach Sympson's Excommunication of Capt. Robert Norwood I do in the Name of the Lord Jesus and his People declare Mr. Norwood one that hath lifted up his Tongue and Heart against the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father one that from hence forward we have no more to do withall till he repent but shall continually pray that his Nights may not be quiet for the Thoughts of his Sin but that his Bed may be filled with Tears I charge all you both of the Church and all other that are Christians that you should look upon him as one that God would have thus severely used until that he buckle under his Sin and then our Souls shall rejoyce In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ we deliver him unto Satan for the Destruction of the Flesh that his Soul may be saved To prove this Authority by Example he produceth this piece of Antiquity however ill it befits an Independent Church-Man The Church of Pallemnis as Semetius reports excommunicates Andronicus in these Words Let 〈◊〉 Man account Andronicus a Christian but look upon him as one whom God execrates have no Company with him 〈◊〉 but what is necessary This Reader is the Moderation and Charity of such as J. Faldo accounts both a true Minister and a Christian Society much of this have we found at the hands of the same Sort of Separatists But first observe according as J. F. would have us understand it by his Censure of us in a Case less obnoxious the absolute Authority personally assumed and how much S. S. acted the Pope in J. F's Language or arbitrary Prelate in this matter that had been an earnest Decryer of the same Spirit in a more national Clergy 2ly It is worth our Notice that the matter First charged was a pretended Untruth relating to civil Commerce from which he cleared himself to his Adversaries publick Confusion But this was but the Preface the Business is behind for he denyed the Locallity of Heaven and Hell that is void of outward Place as looking upon them to have a more spiritual Signification and that the other was too carnal indeed Mahometan and that he believed the Soul to have been breathed from God thereby assigning to it something more of Divinity than the usual Opinion doth For this and no more as the Pamphlet informs me which recites the Reasons of the Excommunication do they excommunicate him yet to colour the Business the better like as J. F. does with us S. S. expells him their Society for denying a Heaven and Hell at all and as rendring the Soul God himself crying out Satanical Devices Atheism and Blasphemy There is one Passage this Captain took notice of not unfit to be observed by us with Respect to the Use J. F. makes of our Paper S. S. in his Proem or Introduction to his Excommunication used among other these Words That though Men may withdraw themselves from the People of God they cannot from the Oâ—dinances of God meaning as I suppose that his pastroal Power could or should reach beyond Constantinople or a further Place to excommunicate Anathema Meranatha an Offender c. But to this the Person so dealt with answers and for ought I know more justifiably then J. F. can pretend to do to us for we allow no such personal and pastoral Dignity and prerogative Power to any Man nor do we use any such Forms of Excommunication siyes he Have I therefore withdrawn my self from the People of God because I have withdrawn from you ARE NONE THE PEOPLE OF GOD BUT YOUR SELVES What are all those you are withdrawn from ALL DAM NED This is such an Argumentum ad hominem as I am of the Mind ought to trouble J. F. if the least Grain of Modesty be in him what he chargeth upon us is out-done by themselves and the Aggravations he would render us odious by are made the natural Consequences of theâ—r own Excommunications I will conclude this with telling my Reader that for no other Cause then what is exprest namely Opinion and that not very offensive this Person once accounted greatly of among them being a Member of their high Court of Justice was first traduced then excommunicated after this complained of to the Powers by them therefore deprived of his civil Employ and though they were his Debtors both for Money lent and his Services done them if we may credit his printed Narrative the Priesthood so prevailed that the Lord Mayor Andrews sent a Warrant for him had him brought rudely and violently to the Sessions at the Old Bayly and there placed among Thieves and Murderers in Order to his Tryal for Blasphemy These were the meek and hearty Pretenders to and Fighters for Liberty of Conscience that when they had the Power in their Hand proved abundantly they intended it only for themselves not unlike to their
true and living God Fifthly We have proved our Doctrine of the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit as by us distinguisht and cleared from J. F.'s Perversions by abundance of such Authorities as I think he dares not gain-say So that we cannot be longer Hereticks and those continue Orthodox showing thereby that we are but pressing more intirely plainly and effectually what the best Protestants and Separatists have at times not only let drop from their Mouths and Pens but insisted on and prophesied also the increase and Enlargement of in the hearts of Men however forgot or denyed by their Dry and Degenerated Posterity Lastly That we do not therefore exhort People to hearken unto the Voice and Leadings of the Holy Spirit which strive with them as that by which God who is a Spirit comes truly to be known and the Scriptures themselves only to be read with a right Understanding and true Benefit with any the least Design to justle the Scriptures out of their place and Authority No God knows it is not our Purpose but for this very End do we so write and speak that People may come to possess what they declare of and witness them fulfilled in themselves instead of contending about what they do not understand and which can never be revealed to that dead dark and unregenerate State in which they live for the Lord is at work as I said before to gather People more and more into the Spirit and Life of his Son accomplishing his Glorious Promises in these latter Dayes and bringing People to the good Things themselves by which Out-sides are daily wearing off more and more and the Testimonies of Holy Scripture witnessed and fulfilled in them that believe Which is not to Overthrow but to answer the great End of their first Publication Preservation unto this very Day Whereas the contrary is not truly to esteem them but under the very vain Pretence of it to withstand and as much as in them lieth to bar out the Great Gospel-Ministration which stands in the Convictions Instructions Leadings and Orderings of the Holy Spirit And unto that must all come who in this Life would witness a Translation into Christ's Kingdom that is not of this World and know a being made free of that Jerusalem which comes down from above the Mother of the Free-born which they only are that have been born again by the Regenerating Word to whom the Formal and Literal Professors are but as Hagar and her Off-spring unto Sarah and the Seed of the Promise And this is the Word of the God of Heaven and Earth unto all those that are yet unacquainted with this Convincing Baptizing Reconciling Ingrafting and Regenerating Word Power or Spirit within And so I am thus far clear of your Blood and am at Peace with the God of my Salvation THE INVALIDITY OF John Faldo's Vindication Of his Book called Quakerism No Christianity PART II. CHAP. I. of Gospel-Ordinances in general such truly embraced THis second Part of my Rejoynder is a Consideration of his Defence of his Charge of our Denying Gospel-Ordinances the True Christ with his Transactions at Jerusalem also that we are guilty of Idolatry and own not the Resurrection of the Dead The Work of this Chapter will be to see how he will make good our Denyal of Gospel-Ordinances in general Be pleased to hear how he handleth both me and the Matter Reply pag. 49 50. The first Proof is out of Fox Myst p. 2. He hath triumphed over the Ordinances and blotted them out and they are not to be touched and the Saints â— Christ in them who is the End of outward Forms This saith W. P. pag. 103. is Scripture Language But why so because some Scripture-words are in it although the Text be mangled Corrupted and abused to the Contradiction of Scripture-Truth Thus they apply sinfulyenough False Prophets Dogs Serpents Hypocrites Devil Lyar c. But if I should call W. P. Thou Child of the Devil Thou Enemy of all Righteousness he would not therefore allow it to be all very true though so applyed it looks much more like Truth then G. Fox's scriptural Language who hath these Words about Baptism and the Lord's Supper Rejoynder For his Proof as he calls it it is not in pag. 52. of G. F's Book which were Answer enough to so shuffling an Adversary I confess in page 16. I find it but it is so far from being immediately directed to either Baptism or Supper that there is no such thing mentioned much lest insisted on from the Beginning of G. F's Answer to J. Timson's Book to the very place wherein the Words are found Now what to call this piece of Invention is sest with every Readers Discretion But it is not less worth our notice that of all my Explanation of G. F's Words he only reports these three viz. is Scripture Language who further told him Christ did blot out the Hand-writing of Ordinances Collos 2. 14. That he was to the Saints then and is to those now who rightly believe in him the End of all Meats Drinks Washing Dayes or any other Temporal Elementary or Figurative Worship according to verse 16 17. By this it will appear whether of us two have most honestly and most truely applyed Scripture I in thus expositing and vindicating G. F's Passage or J. Faldo in calling me by Implication a Child of the Devil and an Enemy of all Righteousness But again Reply p. 50. I also told Mr. Penn That if the Saints having Christ in them were the Consideration of which the Ordinances were not to be touched then not only we but even all other Saints under the Mosaical Administration sinned in their Practices of God's Ordinances also for they had Christ in them in those Dayes in the same Sence as the Saints in these Rejoynder This Saying carries with it a large Concession to Christ's Manifestation in the Hearts of his People as well under the Mosaical Administration as that which we call for Distinction Evangelical Indeed larger then true if by the same Sence he understands that all that he was to his Apostles and the Churches by them planted he was to the People of Israel under the Conduct of Moses for first it is manifest they were not capable of such Discoveries being weak-Sighted carnal and greatly addicted to embrace the Fopperies of the Heathen Secondly There would have been no need of shewing forth a further Glory by Types and Figures or to entertain minds so enlighted and Heavenly with such low and as the Apostle phraseth them beggarly things had they enjoyed Christ under the Administration of Moses as in more Gospel Times But above all that J. Faldo should plead for the Continuance of Ordinances after Christ had blotted them out and such Meats and Drinks c. as Christ ended being the Substance of them because Christ might be in some measure known to the Saints of old at what time such Ordinances were given forth and such Meats
the Power of Satan unto God we own honour and love and only deny and reject that Ministry which is by the Will Study or Acquisition of Man in his unregenerated State who not being acquainted with the Effectual Operation of the Word of God in themfelves are wholy dark as to those things which relate to the true Ministry not knowing what they deny nor whereof they affirm which doth not edifie but hazard the immortal Souls of Men And as they want the Inspiration of the Almighty to instruct them so being Strangers to the Work of God in themselves and not waiting to feel an Enduement with Divine Power from on high there proceeds no spiritual Life or divine Vertue from them to make their Ministry effectual which is the Cause of that Lamentable Decay of holy Living that is in the World and great Increase of all manner of Unsavoury and Irreligious Conversation I will conclude with two or three Testimonies given by men once in request with Separatists Christopher Goad's Invalidity of Church's Censures pag. 64 65. It is the Spirit that makes Ministers and those Ministers that remain by the Spirit do minister the Spirit and that is ministring of the Gospel when we miuister the Spirit I am a Minister of the new Testament so far as the Spirit speaks in me and by me In whomsoever the Spirit stands up and speaks that Person for the Time is a Minister a true Minister The Spirit doth not regard Sexes the Spirit regards not Age Learned or unlearned 'T is not Age nor Sex nor any major Part can minister Spirit but whom the Spirit pleaseth Christopher Goad Right Spir. c. p. 21 22. The Ministry that is calling us off from Man from the Gloworm Light of this Creation from Man's Parts an Gifts into the Spirit that is the Ministry we should look after The Truth is there is no true Prophet no true Testimony given of Christ but by those that see him and the nearer to him the clearer Sight of him the more clear and powerful is the Testimony given of him That Testimony that is given to him by those that do not see him present and come is not in deed a Testimony to Christ but to Anti-christ he is such a Prophet as Balaam was that had nothing but Notion All true Prophets that prophesied of Christ saw him and he was in them Christopher Goad's Paraphrase upon Act. 17. p. 18. We know no other Guide but the Spirit There is not any Minister in the World that is our Guide or any Company of Ministers â—ut the Spirit if he speaks in them and by them VVe have but one Master that is Christ T. Collier in his Works p. 47 48. and p. 430. Upon that Scripture Mal. 27. The Priâ—st's Lips should preserve Knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Host Now this usually is applyed to the Ministers who have given themselves the Title of Priest's and that the People should seek the Knowledge at their Mouths and indeed they themselves have done what in them lies not only to bring People into this Error and Ignorance but to keep them in it whereas Christ is indeed the alone Priâ—st the Substance of the Jews Type and the People are to seek the Law at his Mouth but he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts he is called the Messenger of the Covenant Mal 3. 1. the alone Prophet and Teacher of his People The Spirit being lost Anti-christ sets the VVisdom of the Flesh human Industry Tongues and Arts in room of it it is the Anointing of Anti-christ for in all things Anti-christ seeks to imitate Christ as well in the Flesh as in the Spirit Again The Saints are made partakers of the same Spirit the Apostles were W. Dell's Sermons pag. 16 17 18. There is a Necessity of this Power of the Holy Spirit for Ministers For first If they have not this Power of the Holy Spirit they have no Power at all for Christ sent them only as his Father sent him Without this Power they are insufficient for the Ministry for no Man is sufficient for the Work of the Ministry by any natural Parts and Abilities of his own but only by this Power of the Spirit and till he be endued with this notwithstanding all his other Accomplishments he is altogether insufficient but only by the Power of the holy Spirit coming upon them He cannot speak the Word of God but by the Power of God Christ himâ—elf without this Power of God could not have spoke one VVord of God W. Dell. Stumble Stone p. 8. The Ministry of the new Testament is a common Ministry belonging equaly and the like to all the Seed of Christ W. Dell. Tryal of Spirits p. 17 18. The true Prophets speaking the Word of God by and in the Spirit as Paul sayes of himself and other Believes who had received the Spirit We have the mind of Christ But the false Prophets though they speak the Word of the Letter exactly and that to the very Original and Curiosity of Criticisms yet speaking it without the Spirit they are false Prophets before God and his True Church seeing all right Prophecy hath proceeded from the Spirit in all Ages of the World but especially it must so proceed in the Dayes of the New-Testament wherein God hath promised the largest Effusion of his Spirit Greenham Serm. 1. p. 51. Without this Spirit of God no Holy Exercise can have its full Effect for the word works not where the Spirit of God is wanting when we have not the Spirit of God to teach us speak of the Law or the Gospel c. we are little affected therewith unless God give us of his good Spirit to profit by the same CHAP. III. That we own a Gospel-Church contrary to our Adversary's Charge THe next thing our Adversary charged us with a Denyal of is a Gospel-Church one of his Proofs as he will have them called was in J. N's Love to the Lost pag. 17. And the Chruch so gathered into God is the Pillar and Ground of Truth where the Spirit alone is Teacher Upon which he argued thus The Gospel-Church is a Church which had other Teachers and not the Spirit alone Therefore the Quakers deny a Gospel-Church and they contradict themselves for they have more Teachers then all others Thus his first Book pag. 16. To which I returned That such as are not blinded with Prejudice may discern that from our speaking of the Universal Church of God which sayes the Apostle as well as the Quakers is in God he inâ—ers That we deny all Visible Religious Societies commonly called by the Ancients Asia Thessalonica Ephesus Corinth c. Now observe his Reply Reply pag. 59. Not one word of this in all my Book My Charge was That they deny a Gospel-Church not Visible Religious Societies Rejoynder Confidently said but if all the Words be not there doth it follow
that Salvation is intailed by the Gospel on a mighty Confidence or vehement Perswasion of what Christ hath done for them p. 160. Thus teacheth D. Patrick D. Tillatson D. Cradock W. Shirlock and others called Episcopalians to say nothing of the general Independents and Baptists how this will agree with J. F. But above all how Episcopalians are no further concerned in his Book then vindicated a Story he hath the Confidence to tell in his Preface whilst they are so manifestly contradicted in the great Point of Justification every common Capacity will see without further pointing And so we proceed to the next Exception he makes against my Defence of a Saying charged by him upon R. Farnsworth as fit for his Turn Reply p. 72. To the second Citation viz. What Righteousness Christ performed without me was not my Justification neither was I saved by it W. P. seeks to mend one Error by another much akin to it thus VVhat gives daily Access and Acceptance to and with the Lord is that Preparation of Clean and Righteous Adornment the Soul actually receives from Christ c. Take Justification in this Sense and not for Remission and let our Adversary do his worst There needs a Diver of Delos to make very good Sense of these words I am so wâ—ll acquainted with the Quakers Meanings as well as their Sayings that I dare affirm he intends by all this no other Righteousness for Access and Accâ—ptance then what is subjected in Men and is therefore their own Righteousness Rejoynder The words he charged upon R. Farnsworth I defended conditionally that is That if ever he spoak or writ them he did not intend any Benefit that came by Christ's Offering of himself by the Eternal Spirit a Sacrifice for all for the Remission of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God which is the first part of Justification But that the Justification and Salvation he understood were not from the Guilt of Sin past by Christ's Offering c. but from the Root Nature and Power of In-dwâ—lling Sin through the Powerful Operation of Christ's Spirit in the Inward Parts in the Heart and Conscience But first let is be remembred that he cited no Book a Fault I found with him before and desired him just where he leaves off that the next time he would let us know what was the Book that afforded that Expression which he hath not done next That he dares affirm we intended our own Righteousness to be that which gives us Acceptance with God whereas in so many words I said that the Clean and Righteous Adornment which gives the Soul Admittance into God's holy Courts must actually be received from Christ the Lord her Righteousness which four words with a great many more he disingenuously skipt For those words of his subjected in Man I know not what he means by them unless it be a Righteousness within the Power and Ability of Man to bring forth for I know no other Righteousness that can be subjected in Men and that this was not my Meaning notwithstanding his obtrusive Confidence my own words plainly evidence He might as properly say that a Child's being washed clean by its Father is its own Cleanness or that it made it self clean or because a poor Man in Rags intreats some better Rayment at the Charity of a great Man and that he would please to take him into the Capacity of a menial Servant therefore that Livery or Apparel bestowed upon him by which he is denoted and hath the Access proper to one of his Family was of his own proper Cost or Working and not the Gift of his Lord and Master If this be Absurd John Faldo's Consequence cannot be Rational In short The Everlasting Righteousness which Christ brings into his People by which he fits them for his Father's Communion is not the less of him nor the more of or from us because in us But that I may not trouble my self to challenge him to prove this Pernicious Meaning to be ours he sayes he will prevent me with a Citation out of W. Smith's Cat. p. 74. Quest What is the Righteousness that justifies in the Sight of God Answ For we have Life before we have Motion to act or do any thing that is pleasing to God and in that Life we have Salvation and so Life and Salvation is freely given us from God Reply pag. 72. This Citation Mr. Penn had to consider in this Chapter he pretends to answer but he forbears it among many other which say more for my Purpose then he dare transscribe Rejoynder If there were others more to his purpose then this he is to blame to conceal them but believe him that will I cannot And we have Cause to think that if he hath misapplyed this he would not have been very faithful in the rest I do seriously profess I never met yet with his Peer for quoting First there is no such Question either in pag. 74. or in several pages before or after that if in the whole Catechism Secondly he hath left out Five Words of the Answer which stood us most upon to be cited and altogether the true Question which was this Quest But whether do you not depend upon the Things ye do for Life and Salvation Answ Nay we do not so for we have Life before we have Motion to act or do any thing that is pleasing unto God What Reader can be clearer first then his Denyal of our Dependance upon Good Works for Life and Salvation Next What plainer then that he excludes Action and consequently Works as in the Creature from so much as pleasing God unless God vouchsafe to breath the Breath of his own Life and thereby impower him to bring forth Fruits of Holiness Lastly That the Reason of Man's Acceptance is not his own Works or Actions but his being found acting and working in the Living Faith which is the Gift of God by and through which Access to and holy Fellowship with God are enjoyed by his Children And thus much W. Smith's following words tell us and so Life and Salvation is freely given us from God and by his Grace we are saved through the Faith which we have in him and that puts us upon Motion and Action to do his Will in all things and yet not to depend upon what we do for Life But do all things which he commands us from the Motion or first setting on work of his Life and this is Life before Action which moves us to Action and not Action before Life thereby to attain Life Catechism page 73 74. Now Reader this considered give us thy Judgment of J. Faldo's daring Proof Doth it not to a Tittle make good his Charge That the Quakers are for Justification by their own Works What sort of Conscience must he have that dares look the World in the Face and obtrude such arrant Vntruths upon it Doth this Scandalous Perversion become a Man who two pages off tells us of his abhorring
have our Being for we are also of his Off-Spring Erasmus in Deut. saith non supra â—e sed intrate est Sermo valde i. The VVord is not above thee but very within thee The Samaritan Coppy hath it not the Word but the Thing is in thee according to the Hebrew Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is often so translated Fagius upon the Place in Deuter. thus In Corde dicit quia Legem cordibus Judaeorum inscripserat Dominus priusquam in Tabulis illis lapâ—deis Decologum insculpsisset i. e. In the Heart saith he because the Lord haâ—â— written the Law in the Hearts of the Jews before he had graven the Decalogue in the Tables of Stones For its being such a Word as useth to be in the Mouth I must tell him that is such a Word as useth to be in the Heart too which he takes no Notice of in my Answer and I am sure it is not so impossible for the Eternal Word to express it self by the Mouth of a Man and so may be said to be in the Mouth as it is for the Book of written Laws and Statutes to be in the Heart Besides the Commandments are mentioned verse 10. but this Commandment or Word verse 11. 14. which cannot in good Sense be called the same but rather that Law Word or Commandment mentioned by the Apostle Rom. 2. 14 15. which he acknowledgd the good Gentiles both to have had written in their Hearts and to have lived up to in good Measure unless we can suppose that God hath been less propitious to the Jews then to the Gentiles I mean that God gave the Gentiles an inward and the Jews only an outward Law But suppose what our Adversary sayes of the Word in Deuteronomy to be true he hath confounded himself in this That he makes the Word Rom. 10. 8. the same with the Word mentioned Deut. 13 14. The one is as sayes J. F. the Word of Jewish Statutes among whom is the Hand wring of Ordinances the ceremonial and judicial as well as morral Law The other is the Word of Faith which blots out the Hand-writing of Ordinances and ends the Ceremonial and Judicial Law But because these two Laws or Words cannot be one and the same and yet that the Apostle alludes to the Words in Deuteronomy it follows that it cannot be the Book of written Laws but the Word that begets Love to and Faith in God for that was the Word the Apostle preached Nay we may go further yet and assert the Word mentioned in Deuteronomy to be Christ himself for if that be one with the Word of Faith the Apostle writes of to the Romans then because the Word of Faith Rom. 10. 8. is Christ the Word mentioned in Deuteronomy must also be Christ that are one and the same Word the Apostle's Allusion proves and J. F. confesseth and that the Word of Faith Rom. 10. 8. is Christ let the two fore-going Verses of the Text be consulted But the Righteousness of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thine Heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the Dead but what saith it The Word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thy Heart that is the Word of Faith which we preach verse 6 7 8. where nothing is more clear then that the Word nigh in the Heart is Christ the Word for the Question here is how they shall get Christ as it was in Deuteronomy how they should get the Word The Apostle answers it though not under the Name of Christ yet under a Name attributed to Christ If our Adversary count Christ and the Word of Faith two differing things by the same Reason may we say that the Word in Deuteronomy concerning which none needeth to ask who shall go up in Heaven to bring it down and the Word nigh are two Words but if that Question be needless Who shall go up into Heaven to fetch it down unto us ver 12. be answered in ver 14. viz. but the Word is very nigh unto thee and consequently that it is but one Word or Commandment that is understood in the Question and the Answer then may we with good Reason conclude that Christ in the 6th and 7th Verses and the Word of Faith in the 8th Verse are one and the same thing under two Names else there can be no Sence or Coherence in the Apostle's Words for what Answer is this But what sayes it The Word is nigh thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart that is the Word of Faith which we preach to this Question Who shall ascend to bring Christ down Who shall descend to bring Christ up If Christ and Word of Faith are not Synonimous or equivalent Terms The Question the Apostle makes the Righteousness of Faith to forbid is about Christ's Absence or Remoteness from the Heart Say not in thy Heart and it is answered and resolved with the Nearness of the Word in the Heart which could be no answer or Solution in case that Word was not Christ or Christ that Word for the Reason why the Righteousness of Faith saith on this wise Say not in thy Heart who shall ascend to fetch Christ down implies that he is not shut up in some remote place but that he is nigh and needs no fetching and if nigh then not another from the Word nigh which is the Answer to the Question To make it yet plainer and detect my Adversary I will parrallel the Case Jacob being ancient desired to see Josâ—ph before he died suppose him to have askt how shall I do to see Joseph and that some body answered Do not ask how â—hou shalt see Joseph for thou seest Reuben Tell me if this would be thought a fit Answer to Jacob's Question yet this must be the Cause of those who deny Christ and the Word to be one in this Place But if some body should have said to him Do not ask who shall show thee thy SON JOSEPH for the RVLER of all Egypt standeth nigh thee Would not every Body think the Person meant Joseph that was so This is so plain to our Pupose that every common Understanding may discern the Reasonableness of our Interpreration For the Greek being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it makes nothing against us in that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath the same Significaiton with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Scapula informs us out of Plato Clemens Alexandrinus Admon ad Gent. on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calls it the Word of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. the HEAVENLY WORD the true Contender for Mastery crowned in the Theater of the whole World and in his Strom l. 2. speaking of the same Place Rom. 10. saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The DIVINE WORD cryes calling all Men without Distinction which must needs be Christ the
to invalidate the most convincing Testimony Man can have of a Deity and to principle Men for the rankest Atheism that ever was Yet such a sort of a Doctor J. Faldo is become and of all other Texts in the Bible from which to preach it hath chosen this Col. 1. 27. This Mystery among the Gentiles is Christ in you the Hope of Glory which indeed of all other doth most oppose and subvert it Once more and he hath done with us upon this Passage for this time Christ is in his People by his Graces wrought by his Spirit which is his Image and Likeness by the Manifestation of his Love and Glory his Works and Image in and on the Soul and do as effectually possess the Soul for Christ his Vse and Interest as a Faithful Friend can do according so that Text That Christ may dwell in your Hearts by Faith Eph. 3. 17. But I would fain know of J. Faldo how Christ's Graces Works and Image can be there and Christ the Workman excluded If Christ be not actually there they can never Actually be wrought there for none can work them but Christ by his Spirit In short either they may be wrought without Christ's Spirit which J. Faldo disallows or Christ's Spirit may work them and yet not be where iâ— works them or if the Spirit may be where it worketh them yet Christ cannot be where it works them and consequently divided from his own Spirit though indeed the Lord Christ is that Quickening Spirit which only makes alive again to God who is the Resurrection and the Life Oh the Dreadful Darkness that yet over-spreads the Hearts of called Christians It may be as truly said of them as it was of the Jews The Vail is yet over them and Christ Jesus the Anointed Saviour is unknown to them by that Redemption which he effectually worketh in all those that hearken to his Voice and are conformed to his holy Government They are Witnesses of his Graces Works and Image through believing in his Appearance and giving up like the Clay in the Hand of the Potter to be ordered and disposed by him Nor doth the Scripture he quotes impugn the Real Presence of Christ in his People for by Faith Christ dwelleth in the Hearts of his Children that is by believing in Christ he cometh to live and dwell in us who through the Unbelief of Men is shut out from being Head and Ruler in them Our Adversary would make Faith and Christ's real Presence incomparable or inconsistent whereas the one cannot possibly be enjoyed without the other Faith being as the opening of the Door of the Heart to receive Christ in to be Lord and King and if this be not J. Faldo's Faith he is void of the Faith of God's Elect which purifieth the Heart and gives to see God according to Mat. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in Heart for they shall see God This Doctrine is the Overthrow of Christianity a turning back of the whole Stream of the New Covenant a cutting off the Spiritual Union for the Christian Dispensation is IMMANUEL God with us the Word is not stinted to Christ as the Head but concerns the Body also and God is manifested measurably in his People as he was in fulness by and through that holy Body nay some eminent Professors have gone so far as to say They make up but one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Anointed for the Oyl runs from the Head to the lowermost part of the Garment which takes in all It gives the Lye to Christs own Words who said He would come and receive them to himself he would not leave them Orphants which implies a real Presence Testimonies Good Old Apostolical Ignatius was not of J. Faldo's mind who in his Epistles produced and endeavoured to be proved genuine by Bish Vsher Isaac Vossius and D. Pearson says in that to the Ephesians pag. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Let us do all things he so dwelling in us that we be HIS TEMPLES and he our God IN us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Corrupters of his House shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Iust Mart. Expos Tid p. 375. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. See saith he how he Paul is teaching the Edification that is in Christ whence we are the Temple of Christ according to what is written I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God The Story of Richard Woodman in the Book of Maâ—tyrs affordeth us thus much to our Purpose in answer to the Bishop of Winchester I believe verily that I have the Spirit of God No Man can believe aright without the Spirit of God It is impossible to believe in God unless God DWELL IN US C. Goad defends our Faith in these words The Gospel is nothing else but the bringing forth of Christ IN us It calls us from Conformity to the World and from walking as Men unto the Life of God Right Spirit of Christ p. 17. T. Collier God is a Mystery Col. 22. and it is by the Appearance of God IN US we come to know God who is a Mystery The Truth is that we have had and stâ—ll have low and carnal Thoughts of God judging him to be a God AFAR OFF and not a God NIGH AT HAND This is that ANTICHRIST WHICH DENIES CHRIST TO BE COME IN THE FLESH See his Works p. 399. Again God who is in himself and in the Son not only by Union but also by a Dispensation of Grace to Men is likewise IN THE SAINTS and that not as in the Creatures or other Men BUT HE IS IN THE SAINTS AS HE WAS IN CHRIST The Saints are TRULY made Partakers of his Nature hence called CHRISTIANS they are CHRISTED and indeed Christ and Christians MAKE BUT ONE CHRIST ONE ANOINTED ONE GOD FILLS THEM BOTH See his Works p. 241 242. J. Sprig in his Preface saith thus Those that know Christ in them only immediatione virtutis not suppositi know not so Full and Glorious a Proportion in him to their End It is and must be confessed that God is and subsists otherwise in Himself then Men but this hinders not the IMMEDIATENESS OF HIS PRESENCE AND DWELLING IN MEN If you confine Christ's Dwelling to a LOCAL HEAVEN you are ignorant of that which is the greatest Joy that can be CHRIST DWELLS IN THE HEART Sprig ' s Testimony p. 87. Thus Martin Finch who stiles himself Preacher of the Gospel in his little Treatise intituled Animadversions upon Sr. Henry Vain ' s Book pag. 81. The Word of God abided and dwelt in them 1 John 2. 14. If we take it for Christ they had him Christ ABIDING IN THEM and surely they that abide in Christ and have Christ abiding IN THEM they are true Saints Thus Reader we take leave of this Chapter and proceed to examine his next CHAP. XI That we are not guilty of Idolatry as charged by our Adversary True Worshippers The Charge inverted
not said by me concerning the last Passage in which lay the Difficulty to wit me the Light in them but the first on which he very little insisted himself viz. that the Light is the Eternal God c. this transposing of my Answer and exchanging it was not ingenuous This Reader in short I offered as the Explanation of G. F's Expression and the Conclusion of a great deal more too large to be recited viz. That he who is the Eternal Fountain of all Life and Sun of Light caused his Light to visit the Hearts and shine in the Consciences of all Man-kind as well of such as rebel against it and scorn it to reprove them as of those who receive it and gladly submit to it to direct and justifie them wherefore we utterly deny that the Manifestation in Man strictly considered is the most high God but a Manifestation of God and from God by the In-shining of his blessed Light and we cannot be said to worship the Manifestation but that Eternal God who is Light that is thereby manifested p. 194. The next Testimony brought by him and examined by us was out of E. Burroughs's True Faith c. for page he gave us none neither then nor now but supposing true Citation a Thing most unusual with him I will set down his Words as they lye Reply p. 85. The next W. P. brings off as clearly Every Man hath that which is one in Union with the Spirit of Christ even as good as the Spirit of Christ according to his measure E. Burroughs Can any Man saith W. P. be so stupid as to think that E. B. ever intended the Soul of Man that purely and simply constitutes him such for he is speaking of that universal Grace Light Spirit which God hath given unto all c. His purely and simply constitutes is pure learned Non-Sense If what every Man hath be as good in kind as the Spirit of Christ which E. B. confesseth it must be God and Christ Rejoynder He should either have past the Manner of my Expression or have corrected it better but I had rather be guilty of Non-sense then horrible Perversion J. F's Crime for he applies that to the meer Soul of Man which E. B. not only intended but expressed of the Light of Christ within Men. I will set down some of his Words that it may be an indeleable Brand upon J. F. a notorious Abuser of our Writings E. Burroughs in his Answer to J. Bunnion and this Passage Heathens Turks Jews Atheists have that that doth convince of Sin yet are so far from having the Spirit of Christ in them that they delight to serve their Lust Thus expresseth himself Do they serve Sin or Lusts because Christ hath not given them Light to discover their Sin or because they hate the Light that is given them Tell me Is not the Light or Spirit of Christ the only Thing that doth convince of Sin Or doth any Thing convince of Sin contrary or besides or without the Spirit of Christ If nay then it must needs be that it is from or by or something of the Nature of the Spirit of Christ which is in the Heathens E. B. argues and about five or six Lines lower thus concludes Till thou provest the Light of Christ which thou confessest every Man hath to be contrary to the Spirit of Christ I shall say Every Man hath that which is one in union with and like the Spirit of Christ even as good as the Spirit of Christ according to its Measure Now let J. Faldo blush if he can Certainly Reader greater Injustice could not well have been acted towards any Man's Writings then he hath acted in this Particular for what is clearer then that the Soul is no further concerned in E. B's Words then that it onght to obey the Light and Spirit he wâ—â—â—es of I told him this before as that Part of my Answer he hath transcribed into his Reply shows to wit that E. B. was speaking of the Vniversal Grace Light or Spirit which God hath given unto all c. of which he takes no Notice but thinks an Epitomy of his first Book of Accusation and Wresting Reply enough to my Answer But which is yet baser he hath the Confidence for all this to cry out against Shifting and Evasion But to make it yet plainer I will set it down more distinctly E. B. Every Man hath that which is as good and like the Spirit of Christ J. F. Then every Man's Soul is as good and like the Spirit of Christ whiâ—h is God therefore the Soul is God W. P. answers E. B. understood it not of the Soul but the Vniversal Grace Light or Spirit therefore no Proof J. F. If what every Man hath be as good in kind as the Spirit of God which E. B. confesseth it must be God and Christ W. P. That which E. B. confesseth is of the Light or Spirit and not the Soul therefore J. F's Charge is false Now Reader what shall we call this but Petitio principii a begging of the Question a repeating of his Perversion It is so because I will have it so as much as if he should say I have charged them higher then any more then that I pretend to bring their own Books for Evidences If I yeild to have perverted them my Credit is gone my Books are despised and which is worst of all my Gain is lost But to the next Reply p. 86. That of Fox he deals treacherously in leaving out the Proposition to which the Answer is made and thereby its Sense also F. brings in the Priest saying It is an Expression of a dark Mind to say that God is not distinguished from his Saints To which he reples He is a Reprobate and out of the Apostles Doctrine What can be better proved If God be not distinct from them not only their Souls but the Composition of the Saints Souls and Bodies are God But if this Passage do not prove P. a designed Deluder none in the World will Rejoynder The Substance of my Answer took in the Priest's Assertion but that J. Faldo almost alwayes takes Care to conceal G. F. writ not like a Philosopher but an honest plain Christian Man Nor is it any Disadvantage to our Cause that either willingly or through Unskilfulness he neglects them for he meant by not being distinct that they were not at a Distance in point of Place by Reason of the dwelling of God and Christ in his People It is apparent G. F. intended no more by his Answer which our Adversary in his first Book gave in these Words But God and Christ is in the Saints and dwells in them and he the Priest is a Reprobate and out of the Apostles Doctrine We see by this that the Question was not whether the Soul be God and Christ but whether God and Christ are at a distance from or dwell in the Saints yea or nay I leave it with my Reader
's Conscience who hath shown himself the designed Deluder of us two Reply W. P. tells me p. 197. That Fisher did not mean the Spirit of Man that is any Part of Man's Nature whereas his very Words are The Spirit of Man which concurs to the constituting Man in his primitive Perfection I told him also that Fisher allowed no Man in his degenerate Estate to have any Spirit at all as Constitutive of Man Rejoynder 'T is true if he puts primitive Perfection to it for nothing can reduce Man to his primitive Perfection but that Holy Spirit which he may be said to have lost that is any Interest in by his Transgression but to say he told me that S. F. allowed no Man in his degenerate Estate to have any Spirit at all as constitutive of Man meerly is to tell his Reader an impious Falshood twice over and not to essay the enervating of one of those Reasons by me urged to prove it so S. Fisher's Words were briefly these As to the Spirit of Man which concurs to the constituting of Man in his primitive Perfection it is the Breath of Life which God breathed into his Soul whereby he became a Soul that did partake something of God's own Life This is that living Principle of that Divine Nature which Man did before his Degeneration and shall again after his Degeneration partake of I told him that S. Fisher did never intend it of the Natural Soul of Man but rather of the divine Life of the Soul without which the Soul is destitute of the Knowledge of the true and living God his own Words very plainly show for if S. Fisher intended that Spirit which is the divine principle that man did partake of before his Degeneration certain and clear it is that since Man did under that Degeneration pertake of his own Soul or else he could not have been a Man S. Fisher never meant the meer Soul of Man but the Life of that divine Principle which regenerates and renews the Soul unto a Life of Purity and Blessedness Unto which and much more he affords me no other Reply then what I have already inserted to wit I told him that Fisher allowed no Man in his degenerate Estate to have any Spirit at all as constitutive of Man as if his meer tell him were Convincement enough to his Reader that S. Fisher held all sinful Men to have no Souls and he knows the Consequence If no Souls then no Punishment for to be constituted a perfect Man to God and a meer Man is not one and the same thing neither can pertaking of the divine Life or Nature be so understood as that the Soul is that divine Life or Nature it self or that such as pertake not of it have no Souls Such Doctrine better becomes J. F's adventures Abuses then the Writings of that honest and Christian Man He tells us of some other Quotations which I medled not with particularly that G. Fox in his Book called the Great Mystery c. should say The Soul was Equal with God that it was without beginning infinite in it self and a Part of God for which he assigns us no Page in his Reply in his first Book the 16th I have diligently perused it and find no such thing however should he have ever written these Words I dare say for him he understood no more by Equality then Vnity for God is greater then all by Infinite no more then something that is not finite or which comes to an End and by the Soul 's being without Beginning and a Part of God no other then that divine Breath of Life which is as the Soul or Life of the Soul that came out from God and therefore is of God that Cause is much to be suspected that props it self with such shallow Cavils he observes no Nicety of Expression in his Writings and it is therefore disingenuously done of any to make this ill Use of his plain and vulgar Phrases But least all this should fail and he had Reason to suspect it he brings us out a Piece of a Letter formerly written by Josiah Coal who lived and dyed a faithful Servant of God and is now at Rest with him put into his Hands I suppose by his Gentle-Man p. 94. as he received it at the Hand I suppose of some Vagabond-Quaker First That he should call George Fox the Father of many Nations but what is this more then to say that Men of several Nations have been begat unto Christ through him Thus Paul was a Father to the Romans Corinthians c. 1 Cor. 4. 15. for though ye have ten thousand Instructers yet ye have not many Fathers for in Christ have I begotten you Secondly That his Life hath reached through his Children to the Isles afar off to the begetting of many again unto a lively Hope But what of all this The life of God is one in all Paul lived by the Life of Christ and so did Peter Paul was present in Spirit though absent in Body 1 Cor. 5. 3 4. Thirdly That Generations to come should call him blessed But is not the Memory of the just blessed Prov. 10. 7. and did not God by Isaiah promise concerning Israel I will make thee an Eternal Excellency and the Joy of many Generations Isa 60. 57. This belongs to G Fox Josiah Coal and every Child of God yea and J. Faldo too if he were so good as he should be 4thly That his Being and Habitation was in the Power of the Highest And so it should be for that is the Habitation of every Child of God for others dwell in the Power of the World In short we are exhorted to stand fast in the Power of Godliness and we read that it was the End of the Evangelical Ministry to turn People from the Power of Satan unto the Power of God which is the Power of the Highest 5thly That he ruled and governed in Righteousness This is but what Paul exorts Timothy to do in the Church of Christ as both his Epistles inform us at large Every Elder Overseer or Pastor in the Church of Christ is bound to do so If J. F. can prove he doth otherwise he may then charge him with uncomely walking but not J. Coal with Blasphemy for saying that a good Man governs in Righteousness Lastly That his Kingdom is established in Peace and the Increase thereof is without End So is the Kingdom of the Saints of God That they have a Kingdom and Dominion is clear from several Scriptures It is the Fathers good Pleasure to give you a KINGDOM Luke 12. 23. Wherefore we have received a KINGDOM which cannot be shaken Heb. 12. 28. The Saints shall JUDGE the World 1 Cor. 6. 3. The Nature of this Kingdom is declared Luke 17. 12. The Kingdom of God is within Joh. 18. 36. My Kingdom is not of this World Rom. 14. 17. For the Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness Peace and Joy in the
and one to whom that eminent Reformer writ many Loving and Respectful Epistles usually beginning with Clarissime Charissime and such like did both deny the Resurrection of the same numerical Body but defended his Opinion and disputed strenuously against the vulgar Notion which plainly opposeth John Faldo's But more especially The Vincent's gross Notion of The Resurrection who hath taken upon him in a large Discourse called Christ's Certain and Sudden Appearance to Judgment p. 48. 49. to write the History of it wherein he is so punctual that he doth not only tell them what Bodies they shall have but what Encounters and Dialogues are like to pass even to Scolding Railing Scratching and I know not what besides so vain and ridiculous is that Author I will wrap up these Testimonies with two Passages out of Origen in Jerome Non easdom Carnes nee in 〈◊〉 formis restinent quae fuerunt Sermina i. e. The Seed shall not restore the same Flesh nor in the same Form Again Non oculis videbimus c. We shall not see with Eyes hear with Ears act with Hands walk with Feet in that Spiritual and Ethereal Body that is promised that is not subject to be toucht or seen with Eyes nor to be weyl'd c. This and much more is urged by Jerome against John of Jerusalem Epist cap. 8. These Testimonies I have produced to shew the Arrogancy and Uncharitableness of J. F. in counting it an horrid Thing to reject his Carnal Notion of the Resurrection of the Dead and that to such a Degree destroyes if you will believe him all Hope of Immortallity most absurdly placing Eternal Felicity therein The Resurrection we own and for the Manner of it we are not inquisitive and as I told him before so again because these things run men into unprofitable Questions and a Philosophical Way of Discoursing no wayes tending to God's Honour nor the Soul's Profit and Comfort I shall decline any further or nicer Disquisition and content our selves with this that if we live holily we shall dye happily and if we walk in his Fear we shall depart in his Favour and at being unclothed of Mortallity we shall be clothed on with Immortallity and Eternal Life For God will raise all such into Immortal Life and Glory who truly dye in the Lord But we cannot but take notice of the Subtilty of God's Enemy who by casting curious intrical and unprofitable Questions about what Bodies the Dead shall rise with and bringing us under vulgar Reflections by not consenting thereto endeavours to divert the Minds of People from our most frequent and fervent pressing a part in the first Resurrection that only saves from the Power of the second Eternal Death of which let my Reader receive this friendly Warning for besides that it is a Satanical Decoy Thou Fool belongs to none more then him who acquiesses not with all humble and contented Submission in the Good Will of God whose Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven To the Second Part of his Chapter which concerneth our Denyal of Eternal Rewards although it deserves not our notice for the Folly and Falshood it contains yet that he may not make my Silence to yield his Charge and to show that in every Point he behaves himself dishonestly towards us I shall consider that little he sayes Reply p. 89. Concerning a Reward in the World to come which I affirm they did not profess W. P. opposes rather because he would not be thought to subscribe to me then that he believes not what I say to be true Rejoynder This Man pretends to judge Hearts not only without Words but also contrary to Words I did most expresly tell him that though we own the Beginning of Heaven and Hell to be in this World who charged us with the Denyal of them any where else yet that they were but Earnests of that Compleat Joy or Torment that Men should receive as their Eternal Reward or Recompence hereafter But this passes for Hypocrisie with John Faldo's present sort of Conscience And He proceeds Reply p. 89. W. P. tells me p. 203. None ever read so J. F. quotes no such thing nay he sayes he hath searcht but to no purpose My Charge was not that they deny a Reward in another World but that they profess no such thing yet being silent to it hath a full Consequence that it is none of their Belief Rejoynder How could his Charge imply no such thing who makes our Silence upon which he grounded it to have this full Consequence that a future Heaven and Hell are none of their Belief and if not believed denyed However it makes not a little for us that he not only never read so quotes no such thing and says he hat◠searcht to no purpose but that he hath made no Reply to these words he recites out of my Answer which hath this full Consequence that for J. Faldo to charge what he has never read what he hath searcht for and could not find p. 141 142. and therefore could not quote upon us to our Scandal is unworthy of any Man pretending to Common Honesty But what doth he mean by our not professing Eternal Rewards Our not daring to enter into the secret of the Almighty What how and by whom they are to be distributed What other End have our Meetings Writings and Sufferings Must I alwayes deny Eternal Recompence where I do not expresly declare I own it How many Times in Religious Discourses will J. Faldo come under the like Imputation he cannot show me one Book that was ever wrought by any of us in which it is not abundantly implied if not most plainly expressed Were there no such thing it would belong to us above all other People to use the Apostles Words We are of all Men most miserable but God hath fixed that Hope of Immortality and Eternal Life in our Souls which all J. Faldo's Clamours will be too weak to shake But were we darker in this Point then whom none are clearer we and our Books have Moses the Prophets and their Writings to keep us company who mention it but obscurely and not so frequently and unquestionably as we do J. Faldo loves to hear talk of Heaven but despises and shuns the Way which leads to it and because our greatest Pains are imployed in bringing People into that streight and narrow Way that leads thither rather then by delicious Fables to preach them into an Hope of Heaven whilst in a State of Disobedience to God's Holy Spirit therefore is it that he concludes us not to believe Eternal Rewards that is to deny them Never did Man catch at such broken Reeds to save himself from the just Abhorrence of all sober People We deny his Carnal Refurrection therefore we must needs deny Eternal Rewards Again We do not believe Eternal Rewards if he may be credited yet he never read so much less found it so by his own Confession and therefore could never
how can he conclude The Quakers deny the Scriptures yet so he concludes per fas per nefas What can be said to a Man of this hardy Stamp whom neither Logick Reason nor Modesty can bound yet a pretended Master of them all Had I used him at this toyish gibing and illogical Rate I had been an airy Sophister of no more serious Conscience or Religion then Punchenello but being his Adversary I must be a Dunce an Ignoramus and something else he was so wise as to hide from us which are the Epithetes he is pleased out of his great Store-House of Ill Language to bestow upon me at parting But which is stranger if any thing be strange that he doth after all the Perversion Addition Diminution Wresting Misquotation Evasion and School-Boy Puns and Gibes he hath the Confidence thus to end this Chapter and his Defence of the first and second Part of his first Book Thus I have honestly clearly vindicated every Charge in that Part of my Book which intends the Proof of Quakerism to be no Christianity How honestly and how clearly he hath vindicated his Charges belongs not to either of us to judge whatever we think but is leâ—â— with every impartial Reader to determine though if it be as he saith I am yet to learn what an Honest and Clear Vindication meaneth for according to that Sense I have had of him through this whole Controversie and the most upright Observation I could make of his Management it seems to me a moral Impossibility that he should not be conscious to himself of exhibiting Charges he hath not proved of abusing our Writings to endeavour it of declining the Strength of our Answers and Vilifying of our Persons for writing them To the Righteous God I recommend the whole and according to our Truth and Honesty in this Matter may we receive the Sentence of Well or Ill done c. I hope my Conscience will abide the Search for God that knoweth all Hearts is Witness I have not the least Guilt upon me for my Concern Carriage in this Affair having done to him as I would all Men should do unto me and therein fulfilled the Royal Law CHAP. XIII My Adversary declines meddling with my Appendix His Dising enuity great His Perversions and Wrestings about his Key pretending to open our Words Detected VVE are now come to his Two and Twentieth and last Chapter which for his Truth Reason Language and Carriage towards me is an exact Representation of his intire Reply which will not be hard for any serious Reader to observe and make that use of it which may forever discard J. Faldo in his Opinion from any future Pretence to honesty in Writing till he hath publickly recanted this but because I always desire he should speak for himself be pleased to hear him this Reply p. 91. In W P's Answer to the third Part of my Book he sayes nothing to the Chapter of the Characters of Apostolical Persons and Inspirations wherein it consisting of Twenty four Pages I agitated at large these Points to the Overthrow of their pretended Apostolical Ministry and Inspirations of the same kind with theirs common to all Believers on which Quakerism is founded Rejoynder This Complaint might have been very allowable in case I had not already sufficiently considered and answered whatsoever was of moment in those Twenty Four Pages under the Head of Inspiration and that himself had not been so shamefully injust as after having attackt the first Part of my Book intituled The Spirit of Truth Vindicated with Thirty Four Pages and I replied in an intire Appendix of Thirty Pages he had not wilfully neglected to give â—s one word of Rejoynder I beseech my Reader to take notice of this one great Piece of Disingenuity for if I must be chid because I did not unnecessarily repeat Controversie having already defended our Doctrine in this Point under the Head of Inspiration and Gospel-Ministry What shall be said to him that unprovokedly fell foul of my fore named Book and after I had replied in its Defence takes no more notice then if he were wholly unconcerned in any such Attempts He must either think what he writ irrefutable or indefensible If the first then he need not have replyed at all since I am perswaded he believes one part of what he writ to be as irrefutable as the other If because indefensible he is to be excused yet deservedly to be blamed for finding that Fault with others which he is much more guilty of himself To say nothing of his Pretence of Answering Two Hundred Fifty Four Pages within the Compass of Ninety Six and that Skip he makes over my whole Key consisting of about half a score Pages added for the Opening our true Meaning from that perverted sense ignorant and malicious Persons have put upon our Principles And lastly his Vindication of his Key in not a page and an half against Six or Seven Pages of my Answer wherein I hope it was proved abundantly defective But let us hear what he sayes to remedy those defects I therein charged upon it Reply p. 92. In my Key of Two Hundred and Fifty Particulars he excepts against Ten Five of which he further explains the other Five he opposes Rejoynder This looks unfair on my part till my Reader be informed that not one of these Two Hundred and Fifty Particulars had so much as the Name of Man or Book consequently no Page how to find and read any of those things he affirms to be our Sense or Meaning which is enough to discredit an Honester Writer then J. Faldo so that what I did was more then could be justly expected much less challenged from me however I took Ten of the most suspicious If he be disproved in those there is great Reason to suspect him about the Rest till he hath produced more unquestionable Evidence Of these he tells us I explain one Five and oppose the other Let us hear how he gives my Opposition and what is his Replication Reply The first of these is in pag. 247. THE WILL OF THE FLESH i. e. All that is chosen by Man though he be thereto disposed by the Will of God revealed in the Scriptures This W. P. calls False and an Abominable and Notorious Untruth I have proved at large their calling all things of a Religious Nature by that Name which are not by Immediate Inspiration although the Scriptures have Precepts and Examples commanding and prescribing them Rejoynder If this be not to beg the Question no Man ever did since the World was He sayes he hath proved it at large and I say I have refuted it at large and what sayes he to that no more then this I have proved it at large c. Doth this Man look like an able Disputant That he is not an honest one take my Answer by him omitted with his own words faithfully cited J. F. pag. 69. THE WILL OF THE FLESH i. e. All that is
this come to thy hand And how should they chuse since the New Cabal contriv'd to over-throw the Quakers have taken a way of packing such Books into the Country as a new sort of Manufacture where long before the second Impression came out in several parts of England they lay so heavy upon hand by the peaceable Disposition of both Preachers and Hearers that as I have been credibly informed some better affected to such Work then ordinary have gone from House to House offering yea pressing them upon the People as if it had been an Alms to buy them Yet he goes on still I cannot yet find by enquiring that any of W. P's Answers to my Book have come to the Preferment to adventure that Passage It seems he hath enquired Strange Vanity But what then Therefore unworthy So was W. Tindal's then in Henry the Eight's dayes H. Barrow in Q. Elizabeth's from whom descended those that are undeservedly called his Followers I mean such Independents as J. Faldo is become Had it been a good Argument against Luther's Books that they were not sold at Rome Or what Preferment had it been to despised Truth to lye upon the same Stall by Error and Imposture It 's well our Books escape Burning amidst such Ill-Neighbours as J. F. and our selves too Conveniency to dispose of our Defences we like and sometimes want His Attempt is a License to lye upon any Stall without fearing a Search But he should not insult over that low Condition God is pleased to exercise us in Though we think it no Preferment to our Books to keep Company with J. Faldo's at any time nor should we desire it but to disprove their black Charges But as if I had committed the most enormious of all Crimes in saying That his Book had exchanged the Book Seller's Stall for the Tobacco-Shops he cautions me not to pass yet a while by the Book-Sellers Shops for fear they should point at me and do something else for a Non-such I know not what unlefs he had some private Intelligence that they intended to break my Head with some of his Books to prove to me by the Experience of Battery that they had not left the Books Seller's Stall But this is not all he tells me on this only Occasion I have not the Fear of God before mine Eyes The Words of my Mouth are Iniquity and Deceit That I left off to be wise and to do good that I set my self in a Way that is not good and abhor not Evil Psal 36. 2 3 4. Upon this Text he preaches my Infamy and Disgrace but with an Abuse to the Text as well as to me and all for that only Passage Nay the Book-Sellers J. Robinson at the Sign of the Golden Lyon in Pauls-Yard R. Boulâ—er at the Sign of the Turk's-Head in Cornhill are brought forth with a Fearful WHEREAS against W. P. upon no other score then to buoy up the Book 's Sale and the Author's Credit And by this pair of Book-Sellers whom I know not and I scarcely think ever heard of especially the latter much less had I ever harmed them am I call'd all to nought unless Notorious False Dishonest Impudent Brazen-faced Detractor are no such thing and this in one page and that in a Certificate too as if they had not been giving meer Testimony but Sentence and that after a municipal Proceed of a Billingsgate Judicature But I forgive them besides the Words call neither of them Author Two things I shall observe First That his Book has had general Acceptance by Learned Divines both of Conformists and Non-Conformists Secondly That we have endeavoured to prevent the Sale of J. F.'s Book To the first I answer their Learned Divines I know not and how should I their Names are concealed But granting what these Men say it proves nothing I could produce the Letters of Men of known Honour Learning and Quality not only in England but abroad in the World to ballance the Scale who condemned his Enterprise of Weakness Vncharitableness and Wickedness heartily embracing the Answer as a Check but due to his Exorbitances But let it be as it will in the Esteem of Men we the poor traduced Quakers have a further Appeal and expect an higher Judgment In the mean time we rest in God's Providences and desire to pursue our Christian Duty In the second Passage I do aver they have wronged us for we never endeavoured any such thing as to prevent the Sale of our Adversaries Book therefore in so many Words they have certified an absolute Vntruth which ill becomes Men pretending to Conscience as the latter of them doth going under the Name as I take it of an Anabaptist but I suppose some what BECALMED This I thought to have prefixt in Form of a Certificate under several Hands after their Example but I had more Regard to the Weight and Gravity of my Discourse then to seem so concerned for my Reputation about a very Trifle wherein had they what they desire J. F's Book would appear never the less impious nor my Answer one Jot less formidable and so I end with him upon this Score His next Disturbance at me is in p. 43 44 45. of his Reply on this Occasion He would needs turn Hangman to us in his former Book saying That now he was come to the highest Round of the Ladder I presume in order to execute us But I was so Modest as to use no Word so gross to him only inverted the Allusion and turned his Simile back upon him thus I will not say for what an Army Chaplain might deserve to be so highly exalted but since his eager Pursuit after an innocent People hath brought him actually thither and it fals to my Share to be his Executioner I shall take all the Care I can to acquit my self well of my Employment At this he rages beyond-measure though he be only entangled in a Rope of his own providing He must needs be medling with Laddes and trussing up the poor Quakers and their Principles without all Civility Mercy or Justice and because I improved his own Similitude to the Dispatch of his Cause that he had designed to illustrate the Execution of us and ours by He as one beside himself calls me Hangman Bungler infallible Stager and in plain Terms Fool. But this is little to what is behind for it seems I am not enough for him to wreak his Displeasure upon and therefore of all others my deceased Father whose Grave with Heathens had been a Guard from all Reflections especially when as unconcerned as what was never born in the Contro-sie must be fetcht up to answer for his Sons Micarriage if such it had been his Words are these But why an Army-Chaplain deserves that Preferment more then a military Sea-Captain his Father's Character Insolence and Pride for Shame John Faldo shall the most Barbarous Nations make it a standing Axiom De Mortuis nil nisi bonum And doth J. Faldo a
VII Of his Vain Glory and Self-Praise At this he is excessive So conceited is he of his own Abilities and impatient after Praise the greatest Discovery of Pride and Weakness that any Man can make which my Reader may find p. 28 32 33 34 50 52 61 63 65 84. I will give one Proof for all My Charge and Argument in this Chapter sayes he is such an Argument and so proved by me as a THOUSAND PENNS can never invalidate it p. 34. The truth of which as also the Vanity of it may be seen both in my Answer and Rejoynder however he stops his Reader 's Mouth and counts him senseless and desperate that is not of the same Mind p. 36. VIII Of Railing and Ill Names No Man pretends to dislike yet no Man practises these ill-bred as well as un-christian Courses more then J. Faldo where he wants Reason he imposes an hard Name and if he be rebukt he calls it Railing reflecting that upon us for reprehending it in him If I call his Comparison base that is so and that he manages it malitiously against us he replies that more gentile Railing may be learned under a Hedge and that those Words are slovenly imposed UPON HIM as if he were too great to be reproved or licensed to rail without Controle at least against the Quakers for if I tell him he is unmannerly he counts our own Practice a Dispensation inferring from our Dislike of vain and fruitless Complements a Liberty to treat us with what unseemly Language pleased him best This my Reader may see at large if it please him to look into these Pages of our Adversary's Reply p. 5 8 16 20 27 29 33 35 45 49 50 52 54 58 62 63 64 69 72 73 77 82 87 91 95. But to omit whole Sentences and yet to give some Instance more at large then by bare Figures my Adversary hath liberally bestowed out of his great Store of ill Language these following Epithetes as well upon our Religion and Friends as my self for defending them That our Light is the second Antichrist the Quakers Idol Pernicious Guide and Saviour Fancyful Teacher in fine a sordid sinful corrupt and ridiculous Thing and our Religion and Practice Blasphemy and Idolatry p. 47 85 87. Our Friends Quakers so called benighted with palpable Knavery and Impudence Absurd and Blasphemous Idiots Out of the Knowledge and Wits also Prodigiously wicked Speak the amazing Delusions of Satan And that I am a presumptuous and blind Accuser a Sophister an Hamam an accursed Ham a treacherous and wilful Deluder a Mad-man an Hangman an infallible Stager a Fool an Ape a Dunce an impudent Forger and what not that his Rage and Folly can foam out pag. 4 53 54 59 61 63 65 90 91 95. I desire my Reader would also take notice that besides his excessive ill-using of us and ruputing our Rebukes for doing so Railing which shows the Beam to be in his own Eye and that his Nature is as proud to reject Reproof as it is foul and rough to occasion it he gave us the On-set Had he not begun with us we know not that ever we should have meddled with him but having begun and withal so miserably abused us by foul Charges false Citations and vilifying Language that it should be more unreasonable in us to censure him then in him to deserve it no impartial Man can ever think What is John Faldo for a Man of what Rank what Quality what eminent Office or Dignity in the World that we must be kickt by him up and down four or five Hundred Pages for whatever he pleaseth to count us not be told he wrongs us Is the Quality of this diminutive Priest so much and the whole Body of the People called Quakers and that to stop him in his Career of Scoff Jeer Taunt foul Names and Reflection is to deserve them But over and above that this shows his Disposition to be Imperious and Impatient as well as Rude and Frothy and therefore very inconsistent with his Pretences to Meekness and Good Manners but most of all with his Reprehension of others in Cases less offensive it will neither confute my Arguments nor damnifie my Person which makes me the less solicitous of making any other Rejoynder I should here bring in my Conclusion to this whole Discourse but lest any may yet doubt of the Truth of these things as believing me to have made an ill Use and partial Relation of them I shall yet offer for further Confirmation of my Sense of the Man and his Undertaking against us this undeniable Evidence to wit that he hath dealt imperfectly and falsly with the World in his Account of our Writings which he makes the Foundation on which every Charge is built that he exhibits and aggravates against us I have here and there in my Book toucht already upon this great Failure But I shall more particularly inform my Reader of it in this place Of Imperfect and False Citations Forasmuch as J. Faldo would have all People believe that he hath charged the People called Quakers with nothing that their own Books do not clearly and plentifully prove insomuch as he counts those that think not so senseless and desperate and that many who read him may be ready to credit him because they see Books Names and Passages frequently cited especially those who have not the Books by them to examine how honestly he deals with us I thought it requisite to end this Book with this further Unanswerable Discovery of his Defective Foundation that in many places we find Names without Book Books without Parts Chapters Pages yea without Names and Pag. without Number or Figure many falsly cited some added to others diminished from in the beginning middle or end of Sentences thereby robbing them of their own Explanation that he might the better fit them for his purpose Take these few Instances I. Names without Books G. Fox Book 1. Part 1. pag. 47. G. Fox 48. J. Nailor 90. C. A. Part 2. pag. 7. W. Dewsbury 11. C. A. 45. R. Farnsworth 46. G. Fox jun. 83 119. R. Farnsworth 142. E. Burroughs 143. Thus far of Names without Book which is not fair in any Adversary Now of Books without Pages and Pag. without number II. Books Without Parts Chapters Pages Morning Watch Book 1. Part 1. pag. 37. Light out of Darkness 37. Shield of Truth Book 1. Part 1. pag. 45. Love to the Lost 45. Life of E. B. 45. Epistle of W. Dewsbury 47. Velata quaedam revelata 53. Morning Watch 92. Morning Watch Part 2. pag. 19. W. P. Spir. of Truth 32. Love to the Lost 39. True Faith 122. F. H. Testimony 123. Great Myst 124 125. Velata quaedam revelata 133. Great Myst 142. Some Principles of the Elect People 142. Great Myst Vindic. pag. 86. III. Books Falsly Cited G. F's Great Myst Book 1. Part 1. pag. 41. W. S's Primmer 44. Great Myst 52. Great Myst 57. Love to the Lost
second Books both by a fair Rescue of our Words from his gross Perversions and indirect and unnatural Meanings and the Confirmation of our real Sense with plenty of plain Scripture many Reasons and the unquestionable Testimonies of several Ancient and Modern considerable Authors My Design hath not been Conquest but Information that by these Religious Wars we may at last arrive at Peace And these Weapons be all beaten into Plow-shares so as to learn War no more That to fear God and work Righteousness the Life of Jesus Christ our Lord who hath left us his most Holy Example that we should follow his steps may be the very bent of our Hearts the Resolution of our Minds and constant Practice of our Lives which bring the Soul to the Inheritance of Substance establish the Heart forever Oh that all who read this Discourse may with me wind up their Spirits and lodge their Souls not in the Love of Controversie but of that Divine Life which stills resolves and fixes all and gives such Heavenly Waiters to feel and enjoy Immortallity To see and possess something that is beyond time these painful Exercises that are within it Oh this makes Men Weighty Serious Loving Meek Holy Forbearing and Constant the Image and Delight of God! Such become Livers of Pure and Vndefiled Religion who have been thitherto but so many vain and verbal Contenders for Religion so shall this Scripture be fulfilled to our unutterable Rejoycing Surely his Salvation is nigh them that fear him that Glory may dwell in our Land Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other The God of Everlasting Strength Bless and Prosper this Glorious Work in the Earth to the Praise of hiâ— Holy and Blessed Name Amen W. P. THE END ERRATA THe Author 's frequent Absence from the Press with that continu'd Difficulty which attends us in printing has now as at other times made way for several Escapes The most offensive though few very obstructive to the Sense are here collected and corrected The other as Stops Parenthesis and some â—ew Improprieties are left for the Ingenuity of the Reader to excuse and amend Page 9. line 20. read Principle p. 10. l. 9. for were r. was pag. 20. l. 3. r. writ in p. 21. l. 11. r. charged p. 30. l. 27. r. should not p. 32. l. 16. for no r. not p. 33. l. 9. r. there are l. 10 11. r. as much p. 35. l. 27. f. who r. whom p. 38. l. 33. r. belief p. 42. l. 22. r. much more p. 50. l. 22. r. doubtful p. 53. l. 26. it dele p. 54. l 2. r. as are so l. 29. r. 1651. p. 55. l. 22. f. but even r. even p. 56. l. 2. in dele l 4. f. the r. his p. 59. l. 32. for this dele p. 64. l. 7. f. no r. any p. 78. l. 18. r. 〈…〉 7. l. 8. for dele l. 20. r. lame p. 88. l. 32. f. me r. 〈◊〉 l. 33. f. thy r. my p. 92. l. 23. r. praelect p. 117. l. 2. r. cull'd p. 129. l. 10. r. 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Barker p. 248. l. 27. f. they r. themselves p. 249. l. 21. f. with such an r. thus with his l. 22. r. 65 66. p. 253. l. 23. â— Sharers p. 259. l. 30. after dele p. 260. l. â—8 the Baptism dele p. 262. l. 17. to dele p. 263. l. 32. r. he wore p. 265. l. 6. r. trouble in his p. 266. l. 2. r. crowing l. 15. r. philosophical p. 269. l. 2. f. a r. of p 270. l. 18. r. were l. 30. f. yet r. so l. 31. r. wore off p. 255. l. 5. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 30â— l. 25. r. incompeâ—ible p. 308. l. 16. r. he that p. 310. l. 12 8 22. r. holys p. 311. l. 24. f. too short r. to show f. so as to r. so to p. 318. l. 26. it dele p. 319. l. 25 r. needs no. l. 22. r. or slip p. 320. l. 5. f. â— r. what p. 324. l. 14. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 325. l. 27. f. Propheâ—s r. Poets p. 326. l. 7. r. had p. 327. l. 14. r. that they p. 329. l. 15. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 17. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 20. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 330. l. 11. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 332. l. 1â— 21. r. Polyglott p 339. l. 7. r. of some l. 23. r. 〈◊〉 p. 346. l. 21. r. ubiquitary p. 348. l. 15. r. â—leverly p. 352. l. 11. r. terreno p. 353. l. 19. r adventrdus p. 358. l. 11. f. then r. that p. 3â—0 l. 8 12 22. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 361. l. 21 r. imperious p. 365. l. 18. f. in r. is 〈◊〉 p. 369. l. 12 r. fictious l. 15. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 372. l. 11. r. and bring l. 21. however dele l. 29. r. Souly Body p. 373. l. 24. r. pass p. 374. l. 27. r. up of p. 375 l. 15. r. numerical p. 370. l. 2. r. resuscitation l. 4. f. 32. r. 2. p. 379. l. 1. f. but r. and. l. 20. r. restituent semina l. 26. r. weigh'd l. 31. r. as dâ—stroyes p. 380. l. 17. r. intricate p. 382. l. 19. r. wrotâ— p. 383. l. 21. r. hath p. 408. l. 24. r. and would p. 419. l. 4. f. as r. and. p. 422. l. 24. r. of the Light p. 423. l. 18. r. and Inspiration l. 〈◊〉 r. Pretences p. 428. l. 9. r. Vind. pag. 47. l. 19. r. Vind. pag. 4. p. 429. l. 4. f. and r. greater then l. 5. and dele p. 430. l. 11 31. f. Chapters and Pages r. Chapters or Pages * advers Err. Johan Hierosoly mitani Qua. no Chr. pag. 2. My Answ pag. 2 3. pag. 5. Acts 4. 12. 1 John 1. 7. Rom. 8. 14 17. Qua. no Chr. pag. 13. pag. 8. pag. 21 22. D. Cave Primitive Christianity Rom. 8. 1 2 3 4. Tit. 2. 12. Heb. 1. 1. See my Answ p. 193. pag. 7. p. 15 16. See my Answ pag. 24 pag. 13. pag 25. See it in Dr. Wilkins Real char pag. 14. pag. 28.
and consequently the Scriptures are not the Rule of Faith for how can any thing be ruled by that which is inferior to it Thus much we get granting to him that the Scriptures are the Word of God in the Text. Now Reader tell me of this Argumentation what has he taken what has he replyed to Yet this man is deem'd worthy by the Professors of our Times to act the Tertullus against the poor Quakers For those words The Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God I told him then We rejected his Gloss for the spiritual Sword as he sayes Beza renders it must be of the Narure of the rest of the Armour mention'd in that Chapter that is invisible and Spiritual which the Bible or meer VVritings we know are not To which let me add that I know no Reason why the Shield of Faith should be preferred before the Sword of the spirit unless it be because that 's in the Verse before this if we consider them in an abstract Sense or as they are in themselves For Above all is not a preferring the Shield of Faith in Dignity before the Sword of the Spirit respecting their own Nature and Quality but with regard to the Creature For if Vnbelief enters how can the Loins be girt with Truth the Breast arm'd with Righteousness the Feet shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace the Head covered with the Helmtt of Salvation or the Enemy encounter'd with the Sword of the Spirit So that respecting Man not respecting the Dignity of the several parts of the Armour Faith is above all or first necessary for though God Christ the Holy Spirit Eternal Salvation be all or either of them greater then Faith as in themselves yet without Faith no interest can be had in them Wherefore our Adversary's Preference vanisheth and his Consequence about the Scriptures being the VVord of God falls to the Ground Concerning Christ's Answer to the Devil It is written it is written I shall desire the Reader to observe in my Adversary's Reply what of my Answer he trans-scribes which I gave to the use he made of that Scripture and what sort of Treatment he affords me These are his words Rep. Once more and I have done with this Chapter But said Christ to the Devil It is written VVhat then sayes W. P. Therefore must the Quakers needs deny the Scriptures to be any means to resist Temptation pag. 90. You may fear the Man is craz'd or was almost asleep when he wrote this I produced the Example of Christ to prove that the Scripture is a Means for resisting Temptation he resisting so effectually with It s written it s written But Penn would make you believe I intended it to prove that the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be such a Means Can you think such a Man to be sinlest yea Infallible Rejoyn His Froth and Reflection I am no otherwise concern'd at then that it ill becomes a Pretender to Divinity It is enough for me to shew that he has willingly conceal'd my Answer and hath made a Reply as if he had taken in all that was fit to be consider'd my Answer lay thus But said Christ to the Devil It is written VVhat then Therefore must the Quakers needs deny the Scriptures to be any Means to resist Temptation Here J. F. leaves me but I go on or rather are they not such Means which I am sure no right Quaker ever deny'd Now Reader mark Besides it was reasonable that Christ should so answer set that Power aside which filled up those words and chain'd Satan because the Devil used Scripture to prevail upon him as the place proves However we deny not but confess that where-ever God is pleased to speak by any place of Scripture to a Tempted Soul it may very well be acknowledg'd to be a Means by which God scatters such Doubts and Despondences and gives Power over Temptations and that it may often so occur yet we would not have People fly to them as what of themselves may be sufficient but rather have Recourse to that Divine Faith which the Scriptures testifie is able to Quench the fiery Darts and which J. F. himself has largely confest is to be preferred above the Scriptures themselves Now I desire the Reader to consider First That he gave not the 10th part of my Answer in any respect 2ly That what of it would have prevented his reflecting upon me he wholy omitted He seems di pleased that I made such a Question upon his citing Christ's words to the Devil as this therefore must the Quakers needs deny the Scriptures to be any Means to resist Temptation telling Folks They may fear I was craz'd or a sleep when I wrote it asking If they think such a Man to be sinlest or infallible as thinking it improper to his Quotation and yet would take no notice of these words that were directed immediately to it viz. it was therefore reasonable that Christ should so answer because the Devil used Scripture to prevail upon him the very Answer in his pretended Reply was wanting VVith what Face then can our Adversary over above his other ill words charge me with designing to render him impertinent by making him endeavour to prove that the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be such a Means by the Question I ask'd as if I had wrong'd him that he never intended any such thing through the bent of the Chapter And what can be clearer then that he on purpose avoided the shock and took notice only of that part of my Answer which being torn from the rest he thought fittest for him to play upon But I see no VVrong I did him in so asking what I did for I am sure it was one End for which the Scripture was quoted by him and the Jeers he bestows upon me and it besides his wilful Neglect of the rest of my honest Return and yet complain for want of it when he had done so is a pittiful come off for a Man of his Pretence to Controversie CHAP. IX Not we but our Adversary opposeth the Teachings of the Spirit to the Doctrines of the Scriptures The Testimonies brought by him cleared and delivered from his Application Our Doctrine proved from Scripture and several Testimonies His frequent and gross Perversions of our Words and Writings discovered and justly rebuked VVE are now got to his last Chapter relating to the Scriptures in which he pretends to justifie his Charge by further evidencing a Consistency between it and William Smith's Doctrine which I utterly deny'd to have been William Smith's VVords or Meaning The Charge was That the Quakers put the Spirit of God and the Scriptures in Opposition to each other His Proof of the Charge lies in these words Traditions of Men Earthly Root Darkness and Confusion Apostacy the Whore's Cup the Mark of the Beast Bastards brought forth of Flesh and Blood c. which sayes John Faldo in his first Book would amaze a
Christian to read what is contained in the two pages quoted of vilifying Reproach to the Scriptures If this be not opposing the Spirit of God to the Scriptures the Devil himself must dispair of inventing words to express it by Thus far John Faldo And indeed I must confefs If all or any of these things were ever said or publish'd by VVilliam Smith there is great Cause for Amazement and Abhorrence too But what said I to this Truly enough but that J. F. was careful to conceal he brings in a small Limb of my Answer and then scares it with hard words Take notice of his Reply to what he ventures to trans-scribe of my Answer Rep. Penn saith VV. Smith reflected not in the least upon the Scriptures nor those Doctrines which were truly received thence No such words can be produc'd by our Adversary No Jesuit in the World did ever out-do VV. P. in Equivocations and Subterfuges His stress lies on the words TRULY received thence Rejoyn Suppose them to be my stress what Subterfuge lies there Are there not Doctrines falsly deduced through Men's Ignorance of the true Intendment of Scripture And do not such as confidently think them to be truly receiv'd from Scripture as if they really were so But the Stress lies here with J. F. His Religion cannot bear a Scruting and is as well nigh as shy of a Search as Mahometism it self Though had John Faldo and the rest of his Gang continu'd where they were the poor Quakers might have had an Inquisition with a VVitness at their Heels by this time But he has a further Comment for us Rep. The Quakers allow no Doctrine to be truly received from the Scriptures but such as is received by immediate Inspiration and not from the Authority of the VVritten VVord Rejoyn VVhere 's the Opposition now Doth not he set the Authority of the Scriptures against the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost at least exclude the holy Inspiration from any share in that Authority and so do what he can to shuffle out the Spirit from being concerned in the Authority of the Scriptures which is if not the only yet the greatest Proof of their Authorities since it is chiefly by the Testimony of the Spirit in our selves that we know them to have bin given forth by the Inspiration of the holy Ghost in others as held both the Primitive Christians our Famous Martyrs and most Considerable Protestants He speaks as if he affected Obscurity and aim'd only at jumbling and intricating instead of explaining the Matter But had we put the Spirit in Opposition to the Letter it is no more then what the Scripture hath done before us as H. Bullenger that notable Reformer observes upon Rom. 2. 29. The Spirit saith he is opposed to the Letter as when Paul saith The Circumcision of the Heart is the Circumcision that consisteth in Spirit not in the Letter And again The Lord hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life 4 Dec. 8 Serm. A notable Application to our Purpose but while we only so oppose them as to give the Preference to the Holy Spirit J. F. falls foul of us for a Pack of Enthusiasts shutting out the Spirit at least setting it aside to exalt the Letter But what doth he mean by these Terms Immediate Inspiration for a Mediate Inspiration I never heard of Sure I am that Inspiration is God's own Breathing into the Soul by which it hath Understanding given it whether it be of things written or not written and how that can be done and not immediately I know not If he will exchange his impertinent Distinction of Mediate and Immediate for Ordinary and Extraordinary we shall allow him more then we can upon the other for by Ordinary Inspiration or Revelation I understand such daily and common Vision and Discovery to the Soul as concerns it in its general Station respecting God and Men By Extraordinary such as great Fore-Sights or Divine Prospects which give to fore-tell or prophesie things to come or decide some signal Controversie or very special Case of Difficulty The first is what I speak of and do affirm that neither can the Scriptures be understood our Souls fed and comforted nor our Duties to God rightly perform'd without it The last is a Case so peculiar that all along it is plain I never intended it But if by Immediate Inspiration respecting us he understands that from thence forwards we cast off all Scripture as an antiquated or insignificant piece of Business which are yet Words too Modest for his Malice to father upon us as I shall anon make appear then doth he wrong us and our Doctrine to an high Degree And no matter what he thinks of me or what Names he may please to call me who is too far gone in his present splenetick Disease to think any better of such as I am I shall plainly set down what was my Meaning by the Words he cavils at viz. TRULY received thence I hope to their Satisfaction who will be more dis-interested in their Judgment By Doctrines TRULY owned and received from Scripture we mean such holy Truths as God by his Spirit inlightning our Understandings hath given us a true Discerning of to be such and those are they which we put in Opposition to Men's Carnal Interpretations upon and Imaginary Deductions from the Scriptures and not that we clash the Spirit 's Inspiration against the Scripture for they harmonize and bear reciprocal Testimonies to each other And this God that knows all Hearts both knows to be our true Sense in the Matter controverted and will one day abundantly prove to our Adversary's Eternal conviction This I fear J. Faldo will never swallow and why because it would choak him Perhaps I must be a Jesuit an Equivocator and what else he pleaseth but wherefore because it strikes at his Honesty indeed Dishonesty for he had rather we were what he sayes we are then receive a Contradiction by finding us otherwise then he hath so confidently represented us to be So much dearer is Humor Pride and Worldly Credit to him then our being not so mistaken as he thought for Is this Man like to make Converts that first maims my Answers and then either pelts what he doth take with Dirt or if one Sense worse then another may be had that usher'd in with a Rant and wound up with a Quibble must be given for an apt and irrefutable Reply This hath hitherto been his Practice and we now go upon both a Proof of it and yet more evidently to clear the Truth In that little piece of my Answer he cropt off from the rest for after his wonted manner he thought it not best for him to encounter it at large but a snap and away I told him that he could produce no such Words as Traditions of Men Earthly Root Darkness Confusion Corruption Deceitful Whore's Cup c.