allow What if any now should say that the Light within them forbids them to eat Flesh How could W.P. convince them of their Error If he bring Paul's words or any other Scripture words to his Conviction may he not answer that the Scripture is not the Rule of his Faith and W.P. hath confirmed him by his late Book that saith the same and if the Light within in the Esseni might contradict the Scripture of the Old Testament why may not the Light within in a Quaker contradict the Scripture of the New Testament both being given from the same Spirit and the Scripture of the Old Testament as binding to the Jews before Christ's Incarnation as the Scripture of the New Testament is to the Christians since And how can W.P. prove that Poligamy is against the Light within It is granted that the New Testament forbids it But what then by W. P's Doctrine the greatest things in the New Testament are not necessary absolutely to be believed but upon Conviction of the Spirit i. e. upon a new Revelation as that Christ was born of a Virgin dyed for our Sins c. And he plainly tells us Any such new Revelation is not necessary If this be not to turn People loose and to run them into great Confusion Light against Light and Spirit against Spirit while the Holy Scripture is denied to be the Rule of Faith and Life yea a Rule I leave to the Sober and Intelligent to judge Section 18. A Correction of a Saying of W.P. Scandalous and Offensive to Christian Ears That Men are not like to be informed of the Knowledge and Experience of the New Birth from our Saviour's words to Nicomedus John 3. Nor can that Scripture be my Rule saith he in that heavenly travel c. Neither can any other Writing whatever Page 29. HERE I find one passage more in this book of W. P's that I am sure greatly derogates from the Scriptures and is justly offensive to Christian Ears Having quoted our Saviour's words to Nicodemus that he saith may be credited Historically that unless a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God John 3. But what is that saith he to the Knowledge and Experience of the new Birth that they are never like to be informed of there Nor can that Scripture be my Rule in that heavenly Travel respecting the many and wonderful Trials and Exercises that are to be met with in the way to it Neither can any other Writing whatever This Only is the Office of that Spirit and Word Immortal by which we are begotten again I answer Here he excludes not only that place above mentioned but the whole Scripture from being instrumental to our Information and plainly denies that any can be informed of it there this is indeed to make it not only not the Rule but not a Rule in this great case But his assertion is extreamly false the place quoted John 3.3 5. informs us of the necessity of Regeneration and the following words informs us of the way and manner how it is wrought to wit by the Spirit as the principal Efficient and by Faith in the Son of Man as the Instrumental cause v. 14 15 16. and this Faith is wrought instrumentally by the Words and Doctrine of the Gospel called by Paul Rom. 6.17 The Form or Pattern of Doctrine whereunto the believing Romans were delivered as the Mettal that is melted into the Mould that frames it into a Vessel And will W.P. say that his and his Brethrens Preaching and Words inform People nothing of Regeneration nor of the manner of it and the several steps in the progress of it If not their Preaching so much of the New Birth and the manner of it at least as they think is very unprofitable but if they think their Preaching profitable to inform concerning Regeneration and manner of it then their Preaching must be better than the whole Scripture Had he said the Scripture without the Spirit cannot guide or direct us in the way of Regeneration nor be instrumental towards it without the same he had not been to blame all true Christians say the same but to exclude the Scriptures that is the Word and Doctrine contained in the Scriptures from being so much as an Organ or Instrument in the hand of the Spirit as the Spirit giveth Efficacy to it is extreamly false and erronious and contradicts the Scriptures Testimony and the Experience of Thousands who can set to their Seal that the Spirit of God has made the Scriptures to wit the Word and Doctrine delivered in them Instrumental both to their Conviction and Conversion Surely James was of another mind than W.P. who said That the Faithful were begotten of the Will of God by the Word of Truth and Peter said They were made Partakers of the Divine Nature by the exceeding great and precious Promises which are to be found in the Holy Scriptures through the Operation of the Divine Power And as false it is what he saith That Experience to wit of the New Birth must go before all Doctrinal Scripture Meaning the Doctrine delivered in the Scripture which was the same before it was written This is to set the Cart before the Horse as the Proverb is or the Fruit before the Seed Are Men regenerated in Blindness and Ignorance or rather are they not renewed in Knowledge And this Knowledge doth it not presuppose some doctrinal Principles of which Men must be first convinced Has the Doctrine of the great Love of God in sending his Son into the World outwardly to dye for us and inwardly to enlighten us no Influence on our Regeneration Was Adam regenerated before God gave him the Promise of the Womans Seed after his Fall by his Assertion it must be so which is wonderful Ignorance Is he so little acquainted with the Holy Scriptures as not to have seen the Lineaments Steps and Progress of the New Birth fairly delineated and the whole manner of it as clearly as any Country can be delineated in the fairest Map with all the several Roads but as the Map can be of no use to a blind Man though to a seeing it is of great use so to a Man whom the Spirit of God has in some measure enlightned the Scriptures are as serviceable as a Map to a Traveller yea and much more they are really the Instrument of the Spirit both for convincing and converting Men and the Rule according to which the Spirit leads them in the various steps of it It is granted That the Experience of Regeneration in whom it is wrought is much more than any verbal account of it by the best of words and gives a Man in some respect a more satisfactory Knowledge of it than any Man can have by Scripture words or any words whatsoever who is not himself regenerated as the sight of a Country is more and gives a Man a more satisfactory account of it than all verbal Descriptions or Maps can do to
self-evidence but the evidence of the truth of them depends on the veracity of God the Original Author of them the next thing to be enquired into is what is the great and most principal motive of Credibility to move and effectually perswade the Mind that they are the Words of God surely he who believes that there is a God cannot but assent to this proposition that whatever God hath said is true that all the Words of God are Words of truth it hath as immediate evidence to him that has the least true knowledge of God as that the whole is greater than the part That then which is only requisite to move the Mind of Man to assent to any words delivered to us as the words of God is to have a sufficient motive of Credibility given us why we should believe them to be indeed the words of God That the Prophets and Apostles knew that all the words they delivered to Men as the words of God were infallibly the words of God is generally granted by all that own the Truth of Divine Revelation the manner of their Conveyance to their Understanding being with such a Divine Power Majesty and Glory and making such a Divine Impression on them as infallibly assured them and this many times without all Miracles proposed to their outward Senses Section 8. That the Faithful have as good Assurance of the Truth and Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures by the ordinary Inspirations of the Spirit in the use of the outward Means as the Prophets had by Extraordinary and Prophetical The Distinction betwixt them explained THE great Question therefore that remains now to be considered and resolved is Whither the Faithful cannot have and actually have not as good Assurance in respect of all Fundamentals and Essentials of the Christian Faith at least that the words delivered by the Holy Prophets and Apostles were the Words of God as if they had received them in the same way and manner as the Prophets and Apostles received them which was without any external Medium such as the Ministry of Men and Books whereas the way that we now receive those words is by some external Medium to wit the Ministry of Men and Books I shall not here insist upon the external Motives of Credibility taken either from so many Thousands of the best and wisest of Men in the several Ages of the World since the words were committed to writing who have received and embraced them to be what really they are even the Words of the Living and True God or such as are taken from the Words themselves as outwardly delivered such as the Simplicity Purity Majesty and Efficacy of their Doctrine the Harmony of the several Parts the fulfilling of the many Prophecies contained in them the many other incomparable Excellencies of them the wonderful Effects they have had on many Thousands and Millions of Men in being instrumental to their Conversion from Idolatry and Ungodliness to true Piety and Sanctity all which are of great weight to convince the Reason of Men but because all this doth amount to no more but a rational Conviction and doth not beget a Divine Assent or Perswasion Therefore I conclude with all Orthodox and Sound Christians that our full Perswasion and Assurance of the Infallible Truth and Divine Authority of them is from the inward Work of the Holy Spirit by his Internal and Supernatural Illumination Inspiration and Revelation and secret and most inward Teaching in our Hearts by sensible and perceptible Impressions Sealing to the Truth of them upon our Hearts and Minds And here I think fit to guard against a two-fold Extream that I find too many run into both greatly and dangerously erroneous the one is of some that grant indeed that the Spirit doth inwardly operate in the Souls of Men and more especially in the Souls of the Faithful but this Operation or Agency and Efficiency of the Spirit they will have it only to be effective and no-wise objective that is to say no-wise perceptible or sensible to the Soul in which the Spirit doth so operate Hence it is that some of them have called this Internal Operation of the Spirit even in the Faithful Medium incognitum assentiendi the which Assertion being so repugnant to the Scripture Testimonies in many places that hold forth the Spirits internal Operations and Virtues to be as sensible upon the internal and spiritual Senses of Souls in any good degree inwardly quickned and made alive to God as the Operations of outward Light Heat Cold or the most affecting Objects of Sight Taste Smelling and Feeling are upon our outward and bodily Senses and also being so contrary to the Experience of many Thousands of true experienced Christians I shall not insist here any further to refute it The other as dangerous and erroneous Extream is of such of whom is W.P. and his Party as plainly appears by what he layeth down in this Treatise and oft elsewhere in his Books who hold That the Manner and Kind of the Spirits Internal Inspirations Revelations Illuminations and inward Teachings is the same with that which the Prophets and Apostles had that is to say that whatever they think they have a Divine Knowledge and Faith of the words which are necessary to be the Rule and Medium to the obtaining this Knowledge and Faith must be given them as they were given to the Pen-men of the Holy Scriptures to wit without the external Medium of the Holy Scriptures and without any external Teaching whatsoever and that therefore their Faith and Knowledge so far as it is Divine hath no dependence on the words delivered in the Holy Scriptures but whatever they know or believe by a Divine Knowledge and Faith it is wholly from words inwardly given them from the Spirit without all outward conveyance of Men or Books Hence it is that W.P. calls his and his Brethrens Rule of Faith and Life the eternal Precepts of the Spirit in Mens Consciences but as for the Precepts and Words outwardly delivered in Scripture they are but to him what Pythagoras and other Philosophers quoted by him Page 6. judged of other Writings to wit liveless Precepts Hence many of his Party have presumed to call them a Dead Letter Death and Carnal Yet Page 25. he is so yielding and seemingly kind to the Scriptures that he grants them to be a subordinate secondary and declaratory Rule Such a subordinate secondary and declaratory Rule saith he we never said several parts of Scripture were not Here observe for all his professed kindness to the Scriptures he will not allow all the parts of Scripture but only some parts of it to be so much as a subordinate secondary and declaratory Rule though even the Ceremonial Precepts he has as great reason to believe them to be the Words of God and consequently a Rule of Faith though not of Practise as touching the external Types as truly as any other parts of Scripture But seeing every subordinate
Instrument of the Spirit in giving him and us all the Knowledge of Christian Doctrines and Mysteries peculiar to the Christian Religion he has all this time been fighting with his own Shadow for if so he agrees with them all from whom he seeks so much to differ and writ against That the Spirit of God can reveal in every Man all necessary Truth is granted by all Christians but the Question is not what he can do but what he doth in God's ordinary way of working Section 11. His eighth Argument answered That the Scriptures cannot give Faith therefore they are not the Rule of Faith And his ninth tenth Arguments answered Page 11. Arg. 8. HIS fourth Argument as he numbers them against the Scriptures being the Rule is Because the Scripture cannot give Faith therefore is cannot be the Rule of Faith Ans The Consequence is denied and he gives no offer of proof for it his Argument is as weak as to argue a Carpenter's Rule or Square cannot build a House therefore it cannot be a Rule or Instrument for him to work by in building a House This his way of arguing destroyeth all use of service of Instruments and secondary Causes the like Failure hath his arguing against the Scriptures being the Rule of Practise Arg. 9. Because it cannot distinguish of it self in all Cases what ought to be practised and what not Well but what if it cannot of it self as the Carpenter's Rule cannot of it self as measure one piece of Wood more than another without the hand of him that useth it doth it therefore follow that the Rule cannot do it when applied by the Hand of the Man himself Page 12. This saith he was the Case of Christ's Disciples who had no particular Rule in the Old Testament for the abolishing of some part of the Old Testament Religion on the contrary they might have pleaded for the perpetuity of it For instance God gave Cirumcision as a Sign for ever Answ By his favour he is mistaken in saying they had no such particular Rule for the abolishing he should rather have said expiring of some parts of the Old Testament Religion Let him read Jer. 3.16 and 31.31 32. compared with Heb. 8.8 and he may find the contrary the word for ever in the place mentioned by him in relation to Circumcision and other Jewish Types signified not to the end of the World far less endlesly but for a certain limited time as the Jews themselves confess at times it so signifies yea and some of the most judicious of them have confessed they were to cease before the end of the World In his tenth Argument he but too much gratifies his Deist Brethren and Profane Atheists by his bringing their and other Popish Arguments against the Scriptures being the Rule Page 13. As that they are not in the Original because that is not extant nor in the Copies because there are Thirty and above in number and it is undetermined and for ought we see saith he indeterminable And the variety of Readings among those Copies amount to several Thousands And if the Copies cannot how can the Translations saith he be the Rule And so goeth on disputing against the Translations being the Rule And then argueth against their being the Rule from diverse of the Books of Scripture being rejected by some and received by others all which Pleas both of Deists and Papists have been abundantly answered by Protestant Writers see Dr. Tillâ—tson's Book called The Rule of Faith in answer to J.S. a Papist whole Arguments against the Scriptures being the Rule of Faith are so much of the same sort with these here of W.P. as if he had taken them from him And the inward Testimony of the Spirit sufficiently asserted to the Truth and Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures without taking away from them their due Honour Use and Service of their being the Rule of Faith and Life in all things necessary to Salvation which yet W.P. labours to rob them of under a pretence of exalting the Spirit but really is a degrading and dishonouring both as is above proved beside the great Mischief it causeth in casting all People who believe W.P. and his Party loose from the Scriptures that Satan may have the more advantage over them to deceive them as he hath wofully done for if the whole Scripture and every part of them be not to them the Rule of Faith they may chuse what to believe and what not to be believe and to believe no more than what the Spirit within which as it may be and often is not the Spirit of God teacheth them to believe for they may hence infer since the Spirit that is the primary Rule teacheth them not to believe any such Doctrines or Precepts it is but Spurious and Apocryphal and no part of the Secondary Rule as sometimes they are pleased to call it though the distinction of primary and secondary Rule will not be found in their first Authors for then the Spirit was the only Rule and the only Means and the Scriptures were Carnal and the dead Letter and liâ—eless Precepts as W.P. seemeth to call them else why doth he quote Philo and Phythagoras and others that called all outward Precepts such Section 12. His eleventh twelfth and thirteenth Arguments answered Arg. 11. HIS eighth Argument is That the Scriptures are not the Rule of Faith and Life because they cannot be the Rule in their Translations Page 26. Supposing the ancient Copies were exact it cannot be the Rule to far the greatest part of Mankind Indeed saith he to none but learned Men which neither answers the Promise relating to Gospel-times which is universal nor the Necessity of all Mankind for a Rule of Faith and Life Ans Why not in their Translations by the help of the Spirit as above declared It may be supposed that W. P's Learning is not so great that he needs not the Translation as well as other Men it is well known that the Translations and all the various Copies and Readings make not the least Alteration in any of the Fundamental or Essential Doctrines of Christianity yea scarcely in any much material whatsoever Arg. 12. His ninth Argument is from those voluminous Discourses of Cases of Conscience that are extant among us For saith he had the Scriptures been as Sufficient Note here his fling at their Sufficiency as the Nature of the Rule of Faith and Life requireth there had been no need of such Tracts Answ This Argument equally fighteth against the Light within being the Rule of Faith and Life for if it actually doth all that the Nature of a Rule of Faith and Life requireth then pray What need had there been of so many Tracts of the Quakers Writings about Doctrines and Principles as well as Cases of Conscience which have amounted to a prodigious Number within these Fifty Years seeing all Men have the same Light within them to be the same Rule in all Is not that sufficient without any
Letter or Leaves of the Book since the Writing of the Scriptures are as it were the Repository or Ark where God's Law is preserved and to which a Recourse ought frequently to be made to read therein for daily Information and Instruction Yet the Doctrine is not so limited or confined to the Letter or Leaves of a Book but that the same Doctrine may be well and soundly preached and believed where the Book either hath not come or by Violence of Men has been taken away as it hath been reported that Persecutors have taken away the Bible from some Faithful Martyrs of Christ but though they took the Letter out of their hands they could not take the Word of God to wit the Doctrine and true Sense of it out of their Hearts And so far as I can remember it was never my Perswasion what W.P. here layeth down in his Book by way of Position that the Light in every Man's Conscience or the Dictates and Testimony of it abstractly considered from the peculiar Doctrines of Christianity are the Rule of Faith to Christian Men. If any shall find that or the like Doctrine in any of my Books on the first Intimation of it I declare I shall by God's help be ready to retract it and condemn it as most Erronious and as a Fundamental Error for it is plain Deism of which I have not the least remembrance that ever I was guilty as W.P. hath now plainly manifested his Deism in this Book I have under Examination Section I. The Definitions of General Rule and Faith given by W.P. not to be allowed because there is no such General Rule and Faith as he defineth BEfore he comes to hs Arguments he gives us his Definitions of General Rule and Faith By General Rule saith he we understand that constant Measure by which Men in all Ages have been enabled to judge of the Truth or Error of Doctrines and the Good or Evil of Thoughts Words or Actions Answ Here he undertakes to define a thing that by the Definition of it plainly demonstrates That it is not in being nor ever was in any Ages of the World ever since the Distinction betwixt God's Church and the World came to be I say ever since that Distinction all Mankind in all Respects Cases and Conditions never had one General Rule so his Definition is as if one should define a golden Mountain or something that never yet hath been since the Distinction above mentioned Possibly in Adam's Family for some time God only knoweth how long all Men belonging to it had one Rule universally but it is more than he can prove that this was only the Light in every of their Consciences by its common Discoveries for Adam himself had special Revelation whither by outward Vision and an outward Voice or only by internal Inspiration is not necessary at present to determine which taught him to expect Salvation by the promised Seed of the Woman and this Doctrine no doubt he preached to his Family That the Light or common discovery of the Light in every Man's Conscience may be called a General Rule of Moral Justice and Temperance called by Paul Rom. 1. 19. the Law writ in the Heart may and ought to he granted but this General Rule did not extend nor doth to be the Rule or a Rule of the Faith of Remission of Sin by the Blood of the promised Seed of the Woman the Lamb of God that was to be slain and should take away the Sin of the World And seeing the Light in every Conscience teacheth nothing of this Faith that in Scripture is called the Faith of God's Elect and the common Faith to wit of the Faithful in all Ages Therefore W.P. in the very entry of his Work maketh a great Stumble and useth a great Fallacy as if all Mankind ever since the Dispersion of the Nations to this day had one general Rule of Faith and Life and that was the Light in every Conscience abstractly consider'd from all External Helps and Means both of Knowledge and Faith Let W.P. tell us whether the Light by its common discovery in every Man's Conscience taught or gave the Command of Sacrificing If he say God or the Spirit that is God taught them to Sacrifice he shifts the Question which is not what God did teach by special Revelation but what he did teach Men generally in all Ages by common Illumination the Dictates of which are in great part generally the same to all Men in all Ages but so is not that either of Sacrifices or Circumcision or many other things that God commanded to some and not to others and to some in one Age and not in another such a general Rule of Morality or moral Justice has been is and ever will be in the World But what is this to the Rule of the Christian Faith which for Substance is the same with the Faith of all the Fathers Noah Abraham David c. It is easie to espy W. P's Design in this his Undertaking if he can prove that there is but one General Rule of Faith and Life to all Mankind the next step is by good Consequence that all Mankind ought to have but one Faith and one Religion and that is Deism and Paganism with a witness The one Faith that the Scripture mentioneth is not one Faith of all Mankind but one Faith of God's Church which is called the Faith of God's Elect when that Blessed Time shall come that the Gospel shall be outwardly preach'd to all Nations as our Saviour hath foretold it shall be it is justly hoped that there will be a General Rule of Faith and Life to all Mankind that then shall live but to talk of such a thing now and to define a thing which is not and write a Book about it is like T. More 's Vtopia Page 4. He is as Unsuccessful and Fallacious in his Definition of Faith By Faith saith he we understand an Assent of the Mind in such manner to the Discoveries made of God thereto as to resign up to God and have dependence upon him as the great Creator and Saviour of his People This Definition of Faith indeed suits well with the Definition of his General Rule of Faith But there are many parts of Mankind that have not only a Faith in God as the great Creator the Faith here only defined by him but have a Faith in Christ too and in God the Saviour and Redeemer considered as in the Person of a Mediator who is both God and Man by which Faith in Christ they have a most firm Faith in God grounded upon God's Promises which are all Yea and Amen in Christ And here in W. P's Definition of this Pagan and Deist Faith he supposes that which will not be granted to him viz. That any ever had such a Faith in God as to resign up to God and have dependence upon him as the great Creator and Saviour of his People without all Faith in Christ
the Government of our Life in all Estates are not the Rule which the Holy Spirit useth as his Instrument to Guide us in all parts of our Duty But he might have told us some of those Thousand Cases in which the Scripture cannot be our plain and distinct Rule whereby to know either our Duty to perform it or what is prohibited that we may avoid it though we have the inward assistance of God's Spirit to enlighten our Minds and set before them on all necessary occasions and emergencies such Scripture Precepts and Prohibitions as suit with the present occasions But if the cases be of things in themselves simply indifferent i. e. neither commanded nor forbidden either by any Precepts of God or Just Precepts and Laws of our Superiors we are left to our choice according as our rational Faculties and Christian Prudence shall direct us a due regard over all being had to the Glory of God and that whatever we do be done in the Spirit of true Love and Charity which are general Rules plainly given us in the Holy Scriptures the particular application of which in all particular Cases whither in relation to Superiors Inferiors or Equals the Holy Spirit by his special Illuminations in our Hearts will teach us as we faithfully pray and wait for them without the need of any other general or particular Rules than what already are given us in the Holy Scriptures Therefore in opposition to this extravagant and rash Assertion of W. P that there are a Thousand Cases in which the Scripture cannot be our plain and distinct Rule I affirm that there is not one Case respecting our Duty either towards God our selves or our Neighbours but plain Instructions and Precepts are given us in the Holy Scriptures concerning the same but we still need the Grace and Guidance of God's Holy Spirit to give us the Spiritual discovery of them and to enable us rightly to practise them Surely David had a far better and greater esteem of God's Laws Precepts and Testimonies even as outwardly delivered by Moses and also by himself than W.P. hath concerning which he said Psal 119.24 Thy Testimonies also are my delight and my Counsellors Though David was a Prophet yet as King over the People of Israel he was commanded of God to write him a Copy of the Law of God in a Book which was to be with him and he was to Read therein all the days of his Life that he might learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of that Law and these Statutes to do them c Deut. 17.18 19 20. And yet David was highly illuminated and inspired far above W.P. or any of his Brethren but the written Law was to be the Rule of his Actions as well as of other Men. Nor could David have excused himself from taking the written Law to be the Rule of his Life because he had it in his Heart and if it could be no excuse to David nor can it be to any Christian now King or Subject that because they have the Law writ in their Hearts and the Spirit put in their inward parts according to God's promise in the New Covenant that therefore the Laws of God both of the Old and New Testament that are of a Moral concern even as outwardly delivered do not bind them which is in very deed to take away the Authority of the Holy Scriptures and make void the Prophetical and Kingly Office of Christ yea and the Office of the Holy Spirit also who inspired the Holy Pen-men to commit them to Writing And it is no less extravagant and rash in W.P. to assert that there is not laid down in Scripture any general Rule how to answer before Magistrates and to act in times of Sufferings for though no particular words are given us limiting and determining us what to say yet the general matter of our Duty is plainly laid down in Scripture what and how to answer before Magistrates as that of Peter and John Acts 4.19 How that it is better to obey God than Men and that of the three Children to King Nebuchadnezzer Dan. 3.17 18. And how to act in Times of Suffering we have both excellent commands and examples in Scripture as Mat. 10.28 1 Pet. 2.20 1 Pet. 4.16 Luke 23.34 Acts 7.59 60. But seeing he doth so peremptorily require a general Rule to suit all Cases as well as all Persons of Mankind otherwise it could not be general which yet he will have it to be what those dictates or Revelations of the Light in every Conscience are of Jews Mahometans and Christians that can give such plain directions to all Persons in all Cases which the Scripture cannot give I desire him to tell at least some of them If he doth not it is a sign he cannot and that consequently his Argument is vain for the Light or Spirit abstractly considered without all Revelation can be no Rule Section 13. His fourteenth Argument which he calls his eighth answered Page 120. AFter he has given Thirteen Reasons and all false ones enough as I think I have sufficiently shewed he comes to that he calls his eighth reason after his former Thirteen at least Why the Scriptures cannot be the Rule under the New Covenant which is this Christ the Spiritual Leader of a Spiritual Israel writeth his Spiritual Law in the Heart as Moses the outward Israel's Leader writ the Law upon Tables of Stone This was God's Promise and the priviledge and blessing of the New Covenant that as the outward Jew had an outward Law for a directory the inward Jew should have an inward Law for his directory and as the outward Jew had an outward Priest at whose Mouth be ought to seek the Law so the Jew inward and Circumcision in Spirit has an inward and Spiritual High-Priest whose Lips preserve knowledge at whose Mouth he is to receive the Law of Life The King Ruler Judge Law-giver High-Priest Law Rule are all Spiritual so the Scriptures inform us My Kingdom said Christ is not of this World Again the Kingdom of God is within Luk. 17.20 21. I will write my Law in their Hearts They shall be all taught of me Heb. 8.10 quoting Rev. 21.3 Joel 2.28 Tit. 2.11 12. Job 32.8 Rom. 1.19 And here again he falsly quotes the words Whatever may be known of God c. Gal. 5.16 1 John 1.7 Isa 2.5 Rev. 21. 23. Gal. 6.15 16. as also he quotes unduly 1 Cor. 12.7 putting a measure of the Spirit for a manifestation of the Spirit Answ 1. If the Light within be a general Rule to Mankind then the outward Israel had it as well as the inward Israel Where is then the distinction and difference betwixt the one and the other 2. If the Rule of the inward Israel be within and the High-Priest within then as the inward Israel has no Rule to be the Rule of their Faith and Life but the Light in the Conscience so they have no High-Priest
them speak that God was manifested extraordinarily in the Flesh that he gave his Life for the World that such as believe and obey his Grace in their Hearts receive Remission of Sins and Life everlasting First It is needful he should explain what he means by these words That he gave his Life whither the Life of the Man Christ without us or the Blood which is the Life and that Life is the Light within as he hath been heard to preach and is according to his Books And what means he by the word believe Whither to believe that Christ died for our Sins and rose again Well in Charity I will suppose this to be his meaning otherwise he would greatly equivocate but still all this belief is none of the absolute Necessaries in Religion they are some considerable Matters superadded Superadded to what To the Scriptures Nay they are the chief Doctrines of the Scriptures Therefore again I ask Superadded to what Why to the Light within its Dictates But are they necessary to be believed since they are supernumerary and superadded to the Dictates of the Light in every Conscience Yea saith W.P. Page 35. where the History has reached and the Spirit of God has made a Conviction upon the Conscience Well then If they are necessary to be believed where the Spirit of God hath made this Conviction upon the Conscience this Conviction is not the Effect of the general Light in every Conscience but somewhat superadded and therefore the general Light in the Conscience is not the perfect and compleat Rule But what if the Spirit make not this Conviction upon the Conscience of some who have the Scripture which he calls the History Is he sure the Spirit will make it or doth make it on every Conscience to whom the History reacheth If he say yea he throweth down his Fabrick with his own words for if so this Conviction made by the Spirit of God on the Conscience must be a part yea the greatest part of the Rule of Faith to all who have the Scriptures because the Scriptures hold forth many more things to be believed and practised than these few eternal Precepts as he calls them of the Spirit in the Conscience And though W.P. here seems to render them excusable to whom the Doctrine of Christ's Death hath reached and yet believe it not on whom the Spirit of God hath not made a Conviction Yet in his Treatise of Spiritual Liberty he calls it a loose Plea to pretend want of Conviction for not obeying G. F's Orders and tending to Ranterism But if he shall say the Spirit doth not work this Conviction upon many that the History reacheth as his words import then they are left at liberty whither to believe them at all without all Sin or danger Thus we may see what sort of Faith he and his Brethren have of the Articles of the Creed viz. An unnecessary Faith to have it or not have it is all a Case if they have it not it is not their Sin their primary Rule the Light within them tells them nothing of it But then why should the Secondary Rule tell them any of these things As there is nothing in the Copy but what is in the Original so there is nothing in the Secondary Rule the Scriptures at this rate but what is in the Dictates of the Light within and therefore all that is to be found in the Scripture that is not in the Dictates of the Light within is not so much as the Secondary Rule Thus we may see of what little value the Scriptures are and must be with him and his Party by this his way of arguing and answering Objections But note Reader how in his foregoing words I have faithfully quoted he makes the believing and obeying God's Grace for Remission of Sins and Life everlasting to be none of the absolute Necessaries of Religion but superadded as some of them speak Here is Obedience to God's Grace made as unnecessary by W.P. as Faith in Christ as he was outwardly manifest in the Flesh What thinks G.W. and his Brethren of this Doctrine Is it not plain Antinomianism yea plain Ranterism Section 16. The Scriptures are not certainly known and believed upon the Foundation of W.P. and his Party among the Quakers but are upon the Foundation of all Orthodox Christians The Question wrongly stated by W.P. about the Sufficiency of the Light or Spirit of God within which is not what he can reveal but what he doth reveal without the outward Means of Instruction Page 23. HE labours to turn off that Objection against him of his arguing from the uncertainty of the Scriptures that they cannot be a Rule of Faith and Life by answering The Scriptures are uncertain upon their Foundation but not upon ours We would have them received saith he upon the Spirits Testimony and Evidence which gave them forth I answer And so would all true Christians but the difference is great in the way and manner of their and his defining this Testimony or Evidence which he and his Brethren will have wholly to be by Prophetical and Apostolical Inspiration the same in Specie and Kind with what the Prophets and Apostles had giving them a new repetition of the same Articles and Precepts and all this only from the Light within as it is a common dispensation to all Mankind the falsity of which common experience as well as the Testimony of Scripture doth sufficiently prove for if the Light within them doth de novo give W.P. and his Brethren the Revelation of all or most of these peculiar Doctrines of Christianity why should they have it more than Jews Mahometans Deists and Heathens many of whom they account have been and are faithful and obedient to the Dictates of the Light within them Besides if more be revealed to the Quakers by the common Light within than to other parts of Mankind who have not the Scriptures they must needs grant their Rule of Faith is more large and full than that in others and consequently not being so perfect in others as in them it is no general Rule of Faith for thus he argued against the Scriptures But if the Scriptures are so wholly uncertain upon the foundation of other Christians and so certain upon the foundation of the Quakers from their pretence to the same divine Inspiration that the Prophets and Apostles had they would wonderfully oblige the Christian World If we could believe them to tell us from their infallibility what Translations are best or rather to give us a new Translation by divine Inspiration and which of all the Copies and various Iections are truest but that this is a groundless and empty brag is too apparent while their ignorance and gross perversions of Scripture and false Interpretations are greater than any other in Christendom as can easily be proved But in contradiction to all this that the Scriptures are certain upon the Quakers foundation from the divine Inspiration and Revelation that