the latter part of his Address he hath greatly changed the matter of Debate betwixt us in most things wrongly stating things and calling things our Principles which are not whereas he should have kept to the Twelve Articles I charged them with eleven of which they did fairly own and the Twelfth I have sufficiently proved to belong to them as much as the eleven and he should have given an Answer to my former Book called The pretended Antidote proved Poyson which he hath not so much as essayed but instead thereof he goeth to chaâ—ge the matter of Debate betwixt us in the things I had chaâ—ged them with in most particulars and by most gross Perversions of our Friends words would fix on them Principles which they do no wise hold And in this New 〈◊〉 he sets down Sixteen Assertions wherein he pretendeth to contradict our Principles but in most of them he doth prevaricate and goeth from the 〈◊〉 of the Question as in the First where he granteth That he doth not mean that the Paper or Letter of the Scripture but the heavenly Matter of it is the Word of God and thus he doth not contradict us for I have told him and his Brethren more than once Thas we readily grant the heavenly Matter and true divine Sence of the holy Scripture is the Word of God But the true state of the Controversie is Whether the Scripture is either princâ—paâ—y or only the Word of God excluding any inward Word or Voice of God in mens hearts we say there is an Inward Word and Voice of God in mens hearts which as it doth not contradict the Scripture but agreeth with it so it is another thâ—â—g and is of the greatest Efficacy and giveth or seâ—â—eâ—h to us the assurance that the Scriptures are of God and divinely inspired 〈…〉 2â— Assertion he doth no less prevaricate and 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 â—or I did grant in both my former book◠〈…〉 Exâ—â—aâ—rdinary and Oâ—â—â—nary Revelations and 〈…〉 our Lord and that we did not say tâ—at 〈…〉 had tâ—eâ—e Extraordinary but the Ordinary that were common to them with all Saints the which ordinary are nevertheless true divine Inspirations and Revelations And as to what I said out of some antient Writers tending to open the Distinction of Extraordinary and Ordinary Revelations the extraordinary being of a more high and sublime Nature as proceeding from a more high and excellent measure of the divine Light or Spirit that is well warranted in holy Scripture and well approved by Christian Writers of great esteem for Piety and Learning that he and his Brethren call Rabbinical Fopperies in that they show their great Ignorance in good Learning for it is generally acknowledged by Christians as well as Jews yea and by Protestants of good Note That the Hebrew Names of God mentioned in Scripture being various some of them are greater than others and the greater Names do answer to the greater Measures of the divine Light and that Name commonly pronounced Jehovah which the most learned in the Hebrew Language among Christians do confess they know not how to pronounce it consisting of quiescent Letters and having no proper Vowels of its own as is acknowledged by the most learned and as Buxtoâ— in his Hebrew Lexicon saith the first that presumed to pronounce it was Petruâ— Galatinus â—one of all the Greek and Latine Fathers so 〈◊〉 did presume to pronounce it or read it for theâ—e is no Tract of it in any of their Writings though divers of them were well skilled in the Hebrew Language is generally acknowledged to be one of the greatest Names of God by which God made himself known to Moses Exod. 6.3 but not to Abraham Isaac and Jacob and though it be granted that the Letters of that Name are recorded by Moses in many places of Genesis and is to be found in Hebrew Gen. 2.4 and that possibly and very probably Abraham might have known the outward Letters or Sound of that Name yet that doth not infer that either Abraham or any of these Fathers knew the inward force and efficacy signified by that Name and that so high Revelation belonging to it that Moses did know for that would contradict Exod. 6.3 And though I do no wise approve Rabbinical Fopperies or Jewish Fictions or Fables yet what I find either in Jewish or Gentile VVriters that doth well accord with the divine Oracles of the holy Scripture I do well receive it and relish it In his 3 d Assertion he doth no less mis-state the Question for we deny not but affirm That the will of God expressed in the Scripture is a perfect Rule for the Belief and Practice of every Christian as to all Doctrinals and Practicals of Religion in general but we say it is not the only Rule nor the principal for the Will of God and his Law is writ in the fleshly Tables of the Hearts of all the faithful and as so writ is greater and of greater virtue and efficacy than to have it writ in Paper and though no new Doctrinals or Morals are to be revealed to us but what are sufficiently declared in the Scriptures yet that doth not hinder but that particular Calls to Places Persons and Nations and particular Prophesies or Predictions of things to come may be newly revealed as is granted by divers Protestants and by For in his Book of Martyrs yea even Presbyterians and Calvin doth acknowledge That even in his Time God did raise up extraordinary Oâ—â—â—cers to restore the Church if not Apostles yet at least Evangelists lib. against cap. 3. â— 4. And true Believers may have it witnessed to them as many have had and daily have by the inward Testimony of Gods Spirit That their sins are forgiven them and that they belong unto God and that without all logical and argumentative way of Syllogisms that as many faithful Souls have not skill to form so many Hypocrites deceive themselves with such a way of arguing themselves to be sincere But some Presbyterians have acknowledged That there is another far more evident clear and satisfactory way that some have whereby to be assured that their sins are forgiven without any such way of Syllogysm as particularly my Country-man William Guthergy in his his printed Book concerning Personal Covenanting with God and he calleth it A felt Arms full of the holy God filling the Soul with God as he is Love Life and Liberty and though it is no audible Voice viz. to the outward Ear yet it doth countervail that of God to Daniel O Man greatly beloved and is like to that which passed from Christ to Mary when he said Mary and she answered Rabboni And surely here was no way of syllogising In his 4 th Assertion he doth also fail in stating the Question for first we grant That the Day of Salvation is expired towards many men now alive and they are left without any saving Light in them 2 dly we grant That the clear and bright Day of Salvation
Capacities I shall let pass only minding the Reader That the nature of a Contradiction is difficult many times to understand even in Natural things so that it is reckoned the subtâ—lest part in Logick or Metaphyâ—â—â—â—â— to understand throughly what are alwayes Contradictions and 〈…〉 and therefore much more hard it is to understand in 〈…〉 that contain many seeming Contradictions for tho' 〈…〉 â—cripture containeth no real Contradiâ—â—ons coming from 〈…〉 Spirit of Truth yet it containeth 〈…〉 seeming which 〈…〉 and Scoffers use to object His comparing me to Julian the Apostate favoureth of the like Spirit of Envy as formerly when with no more ground he accused me of being guilty of the Vnpardonable Sin It is a part of my Blessing that being reviled and fully accused I can patiently bear it by the Grace of Christ in whom I believe and to whom I confess even to the Crucified Jesus that was nailed to the Cross for my Sins whom my Soul loveth and whom Julian openly denyed But Cotton Mather will gain no credit nor esteem either to himself or his Cause by 〈…〉 and Extraordinary Revilings rarely to be parallelled among the greatest Readers His Fourth Argument hath as weak and sandy Foundation as any of the rest as namely as he saith That I renounce both the Religion and the Saviour which the Saints have hitherto ventured their Souls upon c. to wit Christ Jesus And this he undertaketh to prove Sathan like by wresting my words and omitting some of them in the very Sentence he citeth that were altogether essential to make up the intire period and sence for I said in my Book Your Visible Churches 〈◊〉 true Churches of Christ for the Religion ye profess is not the true Religion of Christ Jesus yea in Fundamentals and in the very Foundation it self which is Christ Jesus on which the true Church is 〈◊〉 and every Member thereof but ye who say note my following words p. 137. all inward divine Revelation is ceased ye to wit your visible Church build not on Christ but on a meer Hear-say and Historical Report of him for how can ye build on him when ye have no belief that Christ is nearer unto you than in some remote place beyond the Skyes Where the Impartial Reader may see first That my words expresly mention their visible Church that doth not build really on Christ but on a Profession of him even by Cotton Mather's Confession 〈◊〉 nothing is required to make up the Members of a visible Church but a Profession of him and of the true Religion But every judicious leâ—son will say it is one thing to profess Christ in words or show and another thing really to build on Christ that everlasting Rock for by Christs Doctrine none buildeth on the Rock which is Christ 〈…〉 that heareth Christ's Sayings and doth them and that is much 〈◊〉 than barely to profess him But yet I did not question nor â—o but that according to my Christian Câ—arity moving me so to believe divers among all sorts Societies call'd Christian in Christendom that hold the Fundamentals as many do do really build on Châ—ist thâ—â—â—â—e Foundation and because they so do in due time the Wood Hay and Stubble of their Errors in other things while they build on the true Foundation will be burnt up by the divine Fire of the living Word and living Spirit of God in them and their Lord Jesus Christ iâ— mine and mine is theirs and I could be glad that I could entertain that Charity to C.M. but however I have not that uncharitable judgment of him as bad as he is that he hath committed that unpardonable Sin for though he hath reproached the precious workings and operations of the holy Spirit both in my faithful Brethren and me calling them Delâ—sions of Satan yet because I judge he doth it ignorantly therefore his sin is pardonable upon Repentance which I pray God may be given him for that and all his haâ—d Speechâ—â— and all other sins before it be too late But because he cannot fix his â—â—â—se Charge upon me of denying Christ he essayeth 〈◊〉 but with 〈…〉 success to fix it upon my Brethren as dear Isaac Pennington whom I well knew to be a true Believer in the Lord Jesuâ— Christ and a sincere Lover of him even the crucified Jesus and whose Souâ— I believe is in test in Christ in heavenly Glory And as to his words We can never eat the Bodily Garment Christ but that wâ—ich appeaâ—ed and dwelt in â—he Body it is easie to put a fair and charitable construction on it as wâ—â—l as on Christs words when he said He that 〈…〉 seen 〈◊〉 hath seeâ— the Father and yet many saw Christ's body of Flesh that never saw the Father But to clear the thing I 〈◊〉 speaâ—eâ—h â—hâ—s in opposition to Socinians and oâ—hers tincturâ—d with 〈…〉 as if â—he Manhood of Christ that was born of the Viâ—gin exâ—â—ndâ—â—g the 〈◊〉 Word was the only and whole Christ whereas 〈◊〉 was 〈…〉 his Body of Flesh therefore he is said to have come in the Flesh and to have taken Flesh And if we consider Christ as he was before the World was by whom all things were created and in respect of his Godhead the Body was not that but the Garment of it when he assumed it But when we consider Christ as Man as every other man 〈◊〉 both Soul body belonging to his essential Constitution as Man 〈◊〉 and Christ and still hath a moâ—â— gâ—orious Soul and Body and we 〈◊〉 not but according to Scripture 〈◊〉 Christ Manhood yea and his Body iâ— called Christ as when the Scripture saith that he was buried nailed to the Cross buâ—â—ited and even his Body was and is a part of his Manhood and his Soul the other and more Noble part most wonderfully and incomparably united with the Godhead and most incomparably filled with all fullness of the Godhead and of Grace and Truth out of whose fullness we all receive and Grace foâ— Grace and yet we do not judge that the Godhead is circumscribed within the Body of Christ for the Godhead is Omnipresent as well as Omnipotent and Omniscient And whereas he querieth saying Let Keith tell us honestly whether he does not count his own Body to be the Body of Christ in the same sence that the visible tangible Flesh which hung upon the Cross was the Body of our Lord I Answer honestly Nay by no means as I have sufficiently formerly declared in my printed Books and Testimonies on all occasions for as the Body of the Head is of far more Dignity than the Body of the inferiour Members and hath the Soul or Spirit and Life of man otherwise dwelling in it than the inferiour Members so much more the Soul and Body of Christ hath the eternal Word living and dwelling in the same than any other and that incomparably as Augustine well demonstrateth lib. de agonâ— Christianâ— cap. 20. thus concluding And therefoâ—e tâ—e Word doth not
to give any one instance wherein I have not faithfully quoted the Antient Writers named by me whether in my former Book called The pretended Antidote c. or in this in each particular And were I so minded and saw a service in it to the People of New-England I could easily produce sufficient plain Testimonies from Antient Fathers so called and Writers both Greek and Latine to confirm the Doctrine of the People call'd Quakers in all the principal and most material things wherein they differ from C.M. and his Brethren but the Scripture Authority being that of greatest weight in respect of any outward Testimony I have chosen rather to make use of that Nor will it serve to justifie C. Matâ—er his Exclamations against me that seeing the Quakers hold all these Doctrines which Baxter and some other Protestant Writers hold to be Fundamental that therefore I should not have so charged them as I have done in my first Book called The Presbyterian and Independent visible Churches brought to the Test for if they and we agree in Fundamentals then why are we so uncharitable to them as not to judge them a true Church To which I Answer Although we hold all their Fundamentals according to what Baxter has delivered as I have above showed yet they hold not all our Fundamentals so it is a Fundamental Doctrine and Principle held by us to wit The inward Revelation of Christ in all true Believers and That God teacheth all true Believers by his inward Voice Word and Teachings or inward divine Inspiration and Revelation properly so called that is as well Objective as Effective and by way of Object working sensibly and infallibly upon the inward and spiritual Senses of their Souls and which their Souls and Minds if onely and fitly disposed and qualified do infallibly apprehend but yet this Fundamental held by us is plainly denyed by C.M. and his Brethren and it is a Fundamental Error in them who hold it as the generality of their visible Church Members do That all sâ—ch divine inward Objective Revelation and Inspiration is ceased and from this Fundamental Error divers other very great Errors flow as so many unclean streams from an unclean Fountain for if all true and saving Knowledge of God and Christ and all saving Faith require true divine inward Revelation and inspiration properly so called and the true and real inspeaking of God and his internal Word and Voice that doth as sensibly and perceptibly operate by way of Object upon the inward and spiritual heaâ—ing or discerning Faculty of the Soul as any outward Voice or Woâ—d of a man doth upon the outward Hearing then if that be ceasâ—d all true and saving Knowledge and Faith are ceased and all true Love Hope and Repentance and all other Fruits and Virtues of the Spirit because all these have a necessary connexion with the true saving Knowledge and Faith also all true Preaching Praying and Worship and all true Obedience and Service unto God and all real and true Religion all depending upon the inward Principle of inward divine Revelation and Inspiration properly so called and yet we do readily acknowledge a distinction betwixt these extraordinary divine Revelations and Inspirations that the Apostles and Prophets had 〈◊〉 they were Apostles and Prophets and these other that they had common â—o them and ordinary with all Christians and for the latter we contend that were and are ordinary and common to all Saints in all Ages of the World but not for the former that were extraordinary whereby they not only wrought Miracles and spoke with Tongues but had Doctrinal things of Faith revealed to them without all outward teaching of Men or Books whereas we do not say any peculiar Doctrine of the Christian Faith is made known to us without all outward Teaching but by it Instrumentally and by the immediate Revelation and Inspiration of the Spirit Principally and we are sufficiently charitable that we judge there are true Believers among them though we cannot own their visible Church that either hold not these Errors with them or if some hold them in words or Notion and Theory yet as in respect of their Experience and inward sence and feeling hold them not but the contrary and such have better Hearts than Notions and though they err in holding an unsound form of Words through too much relying upon their Teachers yet their inward sence and experience doth contradict them And in all these twelve Particulars I first charged upon them I still affirm they do grosly err and they are such great matters of Difference betwixt them and us although they are not all Fundamentals that no Society holding such Errors deserve to be esteemed the visible Church of Christ restored to that purity of Doctrine that the visible Church ought to have and had in the primitive Times and yet will have as she cometh to be fully restored to her primitive Purity And though it seem a strange and new Doctrine to C.M. and his Brethren to distinguish betwixt the Scripture called by some the external or outward Word and the inward living Word of God that proceedeth from the Mouth of God immediately as every mans word that proceedeth from his Mouth and goeth into the Ears of the Hearers is his immediate Word yet not only antient Writers and Fathers so called did so distinguish but even these called the Reformed who began the Reformation from gross Propâ—ry And for the antient Writers I shall give but one though I could give divers besides to wit Augustine of great esteem and fame with Protestants and particularly with Calvin whose Authority he more useth in his Institutions than any of all the Antients In his 5th Book de Trinitate cap. 11. Augustine saith expresly Proinde Verbum quod foras sonat signum est verbi quod intus lucet cuj magis verbi competit nomen nam illud quod prosertur caruis ore vox verbi est verbumq et ipsum dicitar propter illud a quo ut foris appareret assamptum est In English thus Therefore the Word that soundeth outwardly is a sign of the Word that shineth inwardly to which the Name of the Word doth more agree for that which is pronounced with the fleshly Moâ—th is the Voice of the Word and it is called the Word because of that from which it is taken that it might outwardly appear Where I desire the Reader to Note these two things 1 st That Augustine doth acknowledge the Word within or internal Word 2 dly That the Name of the Word doth more belong to the internal Word than to that which outwardly soundeth in our fleshly Ears in both which he doth contradict C.M. and his Brethren who do not acknowledge any inward Word in the Saints since the Apostles dayes and hold That the Scripture is the only Word that is the Object and Rule of our Faith And that famous Reformer Zuinglius whom 〈◊〉 the rather cite because C.M. maketh him his
so to be and that a charitable Construction cannot be safely and sincerely put upon them but that they do contradict the holy Scriptures and the wholsom Doctrine therein delivered by the holy Prophets and Apostles we do sincerely deny and disown them and declare our being ready with all possible sincerity to disown them upon due notice and advertisment for though we affirm That the Spirit of God in us and all Belieâ—ers in every discovery it gives is infallible yet we have never judged our selves absolutely infallible nor did we ever place or fix an absolute Infallibility upon any Man or Number of â—â—â—iety of Men since the Apostles dayes but through Gods mercy 〈◊〉 are sensible of our danger of being liable to Mistakes as well as â—â—her men if we be not duely humble watchful and careful to keep â—lose and chaste to the pure openings teachings and leadings of the infallible Spirit of Truth And we readily grant the great benefit we have by the holy Scriptures as being instrumental by and with â—he immediate working of the Spirit to preserve us from Error or if any be overtaken in an Error and beguiled by the Enemy to Recover and Restore them there-from therefore it is that in all respects we prefer the Scriptures both to our own and all other Writings and if any Doctrine or Practice be found contrary thereunto upon due and impartial Examination we say it ought to be disowned and denyed for the Scriptures of Truth and the Spirit of Truth that gave them forth can never contradict the one to the other CHAP. II. IT cannot with any colour of Justice be expected by Cot. Mather that I should give a particular Reply to all things in his Book called An Address said or alledged against the People called Quakers in general or me in particular until such time that he give a distinct particular Answer to my former Book called The pretended Antidote proved Poyson c. particularly directed to him and his Brethren and to the several Chapters and Sections thereof which he hath not so much as essayed wherein notwithstanding almost the whole matter he doth muster up against us in his late Address is sufficiently and solidly answered and therefore until he give a full and distinct particular Answer to the said Book I judge not my self obliged so much as to notice many things contained in his said Address being filled with manifest falshoods perversions and abuses sufficiently already Replyed unto partly by others and partly by me but containing no new matter against us excepting his Personal Reflections against me which yet I think not to spend much Time or Paper to answer most of them being so manifestly false and foolish that of themselves they fall and evanish only I intend to give a short glance or hint at some of the most considerable Abuses and Perversions he musteret◠〈◊〉 against us Pag. 3. He saith If I have one spark of Light in me Quakerism 〈◊〉 but a profound and deadly pit of Darkness Answ This Assertion doâ—â— not come from any true Light in him but from his Darkness Pag. 4. Quakerism under pretence of advancing the spiritual Objeâ—â— of Religion goes to annihilate all the Sensible Ans False Again pag. 4. There is hardly any one Fundamental Article of thâ— reformed Religion whereby we look to be saved that is not undermined by Quakerism Ans But of this he has not given one true instance And as to what he alledgeth that some of us have said The Letter is not the Word of God to wit properly and without a figure he himself hath said as much see pag. 59. And that some of us have call'd their Books Light risen out of Darkness Shields of Truth c. they understood it not but metaphorically or figuratively by some Metonymy as is common in all Titles of Books but we have alwayes preferred the Scriptures to our Writings And that the Scriptures may be call'd the Word of God in a figurative Speech and also that the True Sense signified in them is the Word of God I have acknowledged and so I do still but that the inward Testimony of God in our Hearts is more properly and immediately the Word of God than the outward Testimony of the Scripture I still affirm with Augustine and other antient Writers As for his citing William Penn's words agruing against that same Numerical Body its rising at the Resurrection it is clear that he understandeth the same exact Number of the small Particles or Dusts neither more nor less than what is commonly buried and what hurt is there in that doth not C.M. and his Brethren generally say as well as W. Penn That at the Resurrection all shall rise Men and not Infants nor lame nor defective in any part and yet how many Thousands dye Infants and defective in some Bodily Members That some have denyed the Saints as such to be miserable Sinners it ought to be considered that according to the common stile of Scripture Saints and Sinners are distinguished and the unconverted are called Sinners for the denomination of a thing is taken chiefly from that which is the greatest part but â—ecause in all Saints even the weakeâ—â— Grace and Holiness is the chief and gâ—eatest part therefore from that they receive their Denomination and are said to â—e righteous and clean and not to do Iniquity That one said The Scripâ—â—â—â—â—s not the means by which Faith is wrought it can receive a candid â—â—â—â—â—pretation as to say the only means excluding the inward Grace 〈◊〉 Operation of the Spirit as some say Medicine is not the means of 〈◊〉 Cure though a Means it is understood not the only means â—nd whereas he querieth If their Primmer hath yet been corrected 〈◊〉 they read False Teachers preach Christ without and bid People 〈◊〉 in him as he is in Heaven If he mean William Smith's Primmer 〈◊〉 I believe he doth I Answer Yea it hath been Corrected in the 〈◊〉 Edition of his other Treatises joyned with it as is plainly to be 〈◊〉 thus That false Teachers preach Christ only without but true â—â—eachers preach Christ both without us and also within us And what William Penn argueth as concerning Three Persons he â—nly argueth against the invented Names Persons as Calvin doth â—cknowledge them as above-said which in all proper Language doth signifie Substances and not meer Properties or relative Attributes which W.P. will not deny to be in God Nor are W. P's words so to be understood concerning Justification as if he excluded Christ's Righteousness which he fulfilled in his own Person but only he denyeth that any can be justified by that alone without Faith and Repentance c. As for Bodily Tremblings that they are not so common among these called Quakers as formerly as good or better Reason can be given as that these or the like unusual Motions that seized on the Bodies of some Presbyterians in Scotland about fifty Years ago are not now so common among them
which the Author of The fulfilling of the Scriptures doth plainly acknowledge was about that time among them and indeed many of these Tremblings and extraordinary Motions that seized on the Bodies of some Presbyterians many call'd Quakers in these dayes did proceed in great part from the small experience of and little acquaintance that these Persons had at first with that sensible manner of the working of Gods Spirit and that there were but few at first that could well advise them to bear with more composure and quiet of Body that manner of workings whereas by more frequent Experience many did and do at this day witness and feel sensibly not only as great but oft greater inward Workings of the Spirit of God on all accounts and yet can bear them and most willingly and gladly submit to them with little or no Observation of any Bodily Trembling for as in going to War and heariâ—◠〈◊〉 dreadful Sound of Guns Trumpets and Drums the young Soulâ—â—â—â—â— are oft afraid even to a degree of Bodily Trembling yet aâ—â—â—â—wards having more Experience they feel not either that Bodâ—â—â— Trembling nor such fear that is the cause of it and as Water aâ—â— Fire at its first breaking forth is more violent and yet afterwarâ— is fully as effectual without such Violence so at the first hearinâ— of Thunder and seeing the terrible Flashes of Lightning Persoâ—â— are much more afraid than after when they are more acquainteâ— with it by frequency thereof so it might be and was so that the Power and Spirit of God did work in former dayes with a more seeming Force upon many and yet since doth work as effectually now and sometimes more without it so as not to come under such frequent Observation and yet even Bodily Tremblings are still witnessed proceeding from the inward working of Gods Spirit among us as the Apostle saith Knowing the Terrors of the Lord we perswade men Pag. 12. For the words of Humphry Norton alledged by C.M. I have made inquiry at divers but can find no intelligence of any such words in any Book of his but if any such have dropt from him or any other tending to deny the Faith of Christ's being in Heaven in his glorified Body of Man without us we shall be far from excusing them for we zealously believe That the Man Christ is in Heaven without us in his glorified Body of Man the same for Being he had on Earth but wonderfully changed in Manner and Condition as is clearly and fully expressed in that late Treatise given forth by our Friends in Rhode-Island called The Christian Faith c. Vindicated c. But yet we cannot approve of the too carnal Conceptions of many carnal and ignorant Professors that have too carnal Imagination of Christ and confine him altogether to such a Remoteness that they wiâ—â— not allow any Measure of him to dwell in Believers plain contrary to the Scripture Pag. 12. And whereas he saith If they own those Principles why won't they give us leave to own them I Answer We blame you not for owning them providing ye did own them as ye ought to do in the true and right Faith of them that proceedeth from the Spirits inward Inspiration and Revelation sensibly working by way of sensible Object upon the inward and spiritual Senses of mens Souls but this ye deny and therefore it is not the matter but manner of your ownâ—â—â— them that we commonly blame even as some said that the Lord â—â—â—ed yet they swore falsly because they did it hypocritically not â—nowing him to live in them but yet sometimes in these very things ye err also in the matter Pag. 15. That the Quakers adore G.K. either for his outward Learning and make him their Head or for any other thing is false nor doth he seek any such false Honour it sufficeth him to be loved by his Friends and neither he nor his Friends make any other account of outward Learning but to be the foot-stool of Christ and subservient to his Truth and as the Spoils of the Aegyptians were made serviceable to the Israelites And that he saith This Keith it is who has given the greatest advantages to Quakerism and that with no little Alterations How this is consistent with his representing me as if I were Mad pag. 44. and extreamly Ignorant doth not appear And as for Alterations great or small that I have made in the Quakers Principles as rightly understood delivered by our most Antient Friends of best account in general he hath not proved He calleth my late Catechism A wily Catechism wherein Quakerism is so disguised as that one would almost suspect him a real Protestant and yet he will needs have it that the Juice of Toads is as wholsom a Potion But it is strange that such a Wily Catechism and so politically contrived should proceed from a Mad-man and extreamly Ignorant as he would have me to be But however I say that Catechism is writ and given forth in true sincerity without any disguise and doth as really bespeak me a true Protestant as all true Quakers are as it doth seem to represent me to be and will be found to have nothing that 's hurtful in it but profitable and wholsom I hope upon impartial Examination That the inward excusing or condemning Principle as he chargeth on us p. 15. which all men are born with is the Man Christ Jesus is not asserted by any called Quakers that I know unless by a figure called Synecdoche of giving the Name of the whole to the measure and by a Metonyme as where in Scripture the second Adam is called the quickening Spirit and the Light of the World but the Quakers so called generally acknowledge that the Spirit Light and Life dwelleth in all fullness only in the glorified Body of the Man Christ Jesus without them and the measures of it not seperated from the Fullness more or less as he is pleased to give in Believers Nor do the Quakers saâ—â— that men bring with them into the World these inward Illumination and Convictions and other Operations of the Light or Spirit whether common or special that men feel by experience in them when at Age although none can come into the World but as the Almighty Power and Arm of God who formed them in the Mothers Womb doth bring them and as that eternal Word without which nothing is made doth appoint them in their several Ages and Generations And for Christian Lodowicks Challenge against our Friends in Rhode-Island it is already answered and they are cleared from his Calumnies and our Christian Religion sufficiently distinguished from either Paganism Judaism or Mahumatism And the Exceptions he makes against my Catechism are soon answered if his Perversions were but detected 1 st That some who are left without either the help of the holy Scriptures or holy Men do yet so rightly improve the inward help of Christs Light as to be accepted with God This he saith is altogether contrary
they have them And I appeal to all sober Readers Whether Cotton Mather hath not grosly perverted my words that because I did not own them to have a divine Power of Exorcism whereby to conjure the Devil as if I did affirm their Prayers were a Conjuring of the Devil which instead of affirming I strongly denyed as the Reader may see in my Book called A Refutation c. and by this and his other man Pervertions of my words I may take measure how he is too like to have perverted grosly the words of my Friends in his alledged Citations that I have not seen in their Books when he doth so palpably pervert my words to a plain contrary sence that is obvious to them of the weakest Capacity Nor did I call his and his Brethrens Prayers Charms and Spells as he alledgeth see my Book p. 71 72. only I said That seeing they generally mock at any at this day laying claim to divine Inspiration and Revelation I cannot own their Prayers to be true they are liker to Charms and Spells of superstitious Persons c. But this will not infer that I did really call or judge them Charms or Spells for I think they are not Witches except in that sense used by Paul Gal. 3.1 because they bewitch not the Bodies but the Souls of People from believing and obeying the Truth for I may say one thing is liker to another thing and yet not say it is that very thing As if I should say C.M. is liker to a Pharisee or Mass-Priest than to a true Minister of Christ doth it therefore follow that I judge he is really a Pharisee or Mass-Priest or to use his Phrase were the Transmigration of Souls a Truth if I should say Cotton Mather is liker Demetrius the Silver-Smith who accused Paul because his and his Brethren's Craft was in danger to be set at naught Acts 19.27 than to a true Minister of Christ Doth it therefore follow that I judge that C.M. is Demetrius risen again from the dead By no means And for his comparing me to Alexander the Copper-Smith it is foolish and envious I honour and esteem highly both Paul's Doctrine and himself and all the Prophets and Apostles of the Lord and therefore I do nothing resemble Alexander the Copper-Smith but C.M. and his Brethren do too much resemble not only Alexander the Copper-Smith who opposed Paul but Demetrius the Silver-Smith that they are in such fear their Craft be set at nought by the People call'd Quakers else why do they make such a stir about their Wages and Hire Whereas if they were true Ministers of Christ they should preach his Gospel freely as the Apostles and others do and as true Ministers of Christ now do And His accusing me of having committed the Vnpardonable Sin upon a meer Forgery of his own hatched in his Brains by the Father of Lyes puts me in mind of what I have read in the Church History writ by Lucas Osiander How when two of the Patricy of Rome that were Christians whom Pope Sixtus had Excommunicate for their accusing him to have been too familiar with some of the consecrated Virgins had begged of him to be Relaxed professing their Repentance and urging Christs Doctrine If thy Brother Trespass against thee and return not only Seven Times c. thou shalt forgive him The proud Pope refused to Relax them affirming They had committed that Vnpardonable Sin because they had offended him And like to this the English Hobbs who is no good Philosopher and a worse Divine saith in one of his Books by way of a smart Satyr against the Clergy That if any offend a Clergy-man alias a black Coat â—e will tell them they have commitâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Vnpardonable Sin of Blasphemy against the holy Ghost as Cotton â—â—â—her hath here served me but without all just cause I bless God and therefore the sober People of New-England have cause to consider better what sort of men these are who make Lyes their Refuge and their Weapons whereby they fight against us Nor do I yet find the least cause to incline me to believe that C. M's Prayers did cast out the Devil out of these Children as he alledgeth seeing they say Miracles are ceased and Divine Exorcisme was one of these Miraculous Gifts of Gods Spirit and C.M. himself helpeth us to understand if these Children were really bewitched how they were cured by some other means than his and his Brethrens Prayers to wit as he plainly confesseth pag. 44. compared with pag. 12. That one thing in the Childrens deliverance was the strange Death of an horrible Old Woman who was presumed to have a great hand in their affliction And pag. 12. he telleth When the Witch was going to her Excution she said the Children should not be relieved by her Death for others had a hand in it as well as she And thus from C.M. we have found other means of the Childrens cure than his and his Brethrens Prayers the which seeing he calleth them Dirt and Dung in his Book were not likely to be means of dispossessing the Devil out of those Children indeed we read that Christ wrought a miracle with Clay and Spittle but no where that I remember that ever he wrought a Miracle with Dirt and Dung beside he seemeth to be more guilty of Blasphemy that calleth their Prayers which he saith are the special Operations of the holy Spirit Dirt and Dung as he plainly doth And with as little success doth C.M. seek to defend his false Gloss on Christs words as if Christ had taught That Sathan is not divided against Sathan Whereas I said Sathan is divided against Sathan there being no true unity in his Kingdom and therefore it must fall and not be perpetual nor in thâ—â— do I in â—he least wrest from Christs Argument against the Jews because I did acknowledge that Christ argued most strongly against them ad hominem And supposing that Sathan at times did cast out Sathan yet that is but that Sathan may enter again some more dangerous way or fully as dangerous but whom Christ cureth he so cureth that Sathan by his means doth not again enter but the holy Spirit of God as was fullfilled in Mary Magdelen And whereas he saith He is mistaken if he hath not the generality of Interpreters on his side he hath not showed who this generality is and he showeth how little he is versed in Antiquity otâ—â—â—wise he might have remembred how Origine above thirteen hundâ—â—â— Years ago doâ—h contradict him and say the same with me for thus he writeth expresly in his Comment on John pag. 424. of his 2d Tom. printed at Basil 1557. Cum enim admisissâ—t esse quendam Beelzebub et que illias presidio Demonia ejiceret dissidam â—eluti quoddam Satane operari eo quod secum ipse dissideret hec in quit i.e. When Christ had allowed that there was a certain Belzebub and that he who did cast out Devils by his Power
did work as it were a striâ—e against Sathan because he did strive against himself he said these things As for his false Insinuation of my calling Prayers Charms and Spells it â—â— easily discovered I own all true Prayer both Vocal and Mental that cometh in the least degree from the inbreathing i.e. Inspiration of Gods Spirit and have through Mercy found the unspeakable advantage of it to my Soul and do earnestly recommend true Prayer in the Spirit of God to all and so do all true Quakers so called In his Third Argument p. 34. wherein he giveth many supposed Contradictions that I give to myself in my former Books and upon that false Supposition as on a false Foundation raiseth his Argument against me I think not to spend Time nor Paper to answer them all in particular for let but the Reader see my own words in my printed Books and well consider them and if he have but a little sound Judgment he will easily find I have not contradicted my self in any thing though I could easily discover many Contradictions of C.M. to himself But to make me seem to contradict my self he has no better way but to wrest and pervert my words as in the very first instance he alledgeth he perverteth my words grosly as if by their Fathers whom I did acknowledge to â—ave had some measure of Tenderness Sobriety and Simplicity in a printed Paper of mine some time a go I did mean these who near â—orty Years a go did put our Friends to Death at Boston Which is a manifest Perversion enough to Discredit all he saith having as little Truth against me Whereas by their Fathers I did not mean the present Generation that taketh in forty Years commonly at least in vulgar sense but these that lived sixty or near seventy Years past that had some measure of Tenderness and Sincerity and were not of a persecuting Spirit as these who put our Friends to Death nor had the generality of the People in New-â—â—â—â—â—nd a hand in our Friends Death for many of them disliked it 〈◊〉 â—ave been credibly informed and some have acknowledged the hand of God against the Land ever since for those Murders and I wish many might see it and repent of it that they might be forgiven and Gods anger quenched towards them that hath been and remaineth to be kindled against them And he is as impertinent in labouring to reconcile his own Contradiction that John Delavall charged upon him as if it were no Contradiction either because the Assertions are thirty pages distant or because he did query and not affirm whereas the manner of his Querying showeth a plain Affirmation in calling or bringing in their deceased Fathers to expostulate with them for their Degeneration And this is all the Answer he giveth to John Delavall's sollied and weighty Appendix with a scoffing airy Spirit as his manner is he compareth to a Dutch Womans unintelligible Babbling And no less doth he bely me to accuse me as if I said or suggested in my Book called The Presbyterian Independent Churches brought to the Test c. That these Churches of Presbyterians and Independents were false upon all accounts beyond that of Rome it self Than which there can be no greater Perversion and Belying of a mans words I said no such thing nor do I think any such thing I have alwayes judgded and do still judge that all these Churches called Protestant Churches whether Episcopal Presbyterian Independent or Baptists in many yea very many things hold better Doctrine than the Church of Rome and in many things are nearer to the Letter of the Scripture and to the Truth and I have Charity that some may belong to Christ as his Members among them all even the Church of Rome not excepted yet all this will not prove that any one of them all is the true visible Church restored to that purity of Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government as was in the Apostles dayes and was before the Church fled into the Wilderness and as will be at her full Return which is approaching He is as weak and impertinent to charge it on me as a Contradiction to my self to say That in some things in speaking or writing we may err if we be not duely watchful And yet That in many things we have been taught infallibly by the Infallible Spirit of God to believe them as to believe That God is and hath given his dear Son for us and many such precious Truths and if he hath no infallible Belief and Knowledge of these things and other Fundamental Truths he is neither Ministâ—◠〈◊〉 Christ nor a true Christian but a meer Sceptick Any Colledge Scâ—â—â—â— Boy knoweth that Contradictions lie not betwixt two Particuâ—â—â—â— nor two Universals but one Particular and another Universal as if one should say That he is in all things taught infallibly and yet again say That in some things he might or did err it would be a Contradiction but this I have not said Nor is a Contradiction betwixt two Positives but the one Positive the other Negative and therefore it is no â—ontradiction to say Some are Elected in Christ Jesus before the Foundation of the World to be Holy c. and yet to deny That others are eternally or absolutely Reprobated for Elected and Reprobated are both Positives and therefore not Contradictory no more than White and Black as it is no Contradiction to say Some Colours are White and therefore all other Colours that are not White are Black It seemeth that Cotton Mather whom some as he telleth us have called The Colledge Boy of New-England hath not well learned his Logick or at least doth not well remember it since he was a Colledge-Boy for he bewrayeth shameful Ignorance in the way of right Dispute that Colledge Boyes might be ashamed of Nor is it any Contradiction to say That the Lord Jesus Christ is the alone and sure Foundation and Ground of Justification and yet to assert That Faith Repentance and sincere Obedience are necessary Conditions and Instruments thereunto required and if he will not believe me let him ask his admired and revereâ—d Baxter as he calleth him who will tell him the same But whereas he alledgeth I say A true Believer may be only in the first Covenant citing my Book pag. 147. But this is no Contradiction when by Believers I mean such as may have a true Belief that God is from some true and real inward Conviction and Sense and yet not have the true Faith in Christ Jesus as he dyed and rose again for such a Faith Cornelius had before Peter preached Christ to him also according to Christs Doctrine in the Parable of the four Grounds some may believe in Christ for a time and yet fall away and that Faith is not a false Faith but true in some sort Thus I have given a short hint to demonstrate how groundlesly he would charge Contradictions on me the other being more obvious to the weakest
of his Learning would not suffer him to understand And what H. Moore saith of the spiritual or heavenly Life lying for a while closed or shut up at rest in its own Principle is but the same in other Terms with what we say That the Life of Christ is crucified in Vnbelievers viz. not in it self but to them And why should C.M. find so great fault with this manner of Expression that is according to Scripture when his reverend Baxter as he designeth him writeth in a phrase that must have a charitable Construction put upon it otherwise it would look as odd as any thing C.M has quoted out of any of the Quakers for R. Baxter â—aiâ—h concerning God in his Treatise above-said called Directions to the Converted motive 12. pag. 34. Doth it not wound you to think that even there He viz. God should be so straitned and tâ— râ—st into Corners by a 〈◊〉 Enâ—my as if that simple Habitation were too much for him and 〈…〉 were too good for him meaning the heart defiled with sin Now if any should accuse Baxter with Blasphemy heâ—e in saying 〈◊〉 câ—n be straitned thrust into Corners by a hellish Enemy would noâ— C.M. excuse him and say it is a Catachrestical or improper manner of Speech and is not to be strictly taken and then if he were not very partial why doth he not excuse such Expressions in the Quakers Writings that are capable of the same charitable Construction And it were an easie thing to gather may Phrases and Expressions out of Presbyterian Independent Books that might seem very offensive to a degree of Blasphemy if they were not charitably consâ—rued yea I find an Expression in Calvin which if C.M. could have found in a Quakers Book we should have had him cry out aloud Blasphemy for he saith expresly lib. 3. cap. 2. n. 24. Quia Christus non extra nos est sed in nobis habitat In English thus Because Christ is not without us but dwelleth in us but if Cotton Mather say Calviâ—s 〈◊〉 is That Christ is not only or wholly without us but also dwelleth in 〈◊〉 as this is a charitable Construction so let it be given to such or the like words that may be found in the Quakers Books unless he could find that their words could not bear such a favourable Construcâ—ion But since C. M. findeth so much fault with me for saying That not only Conscientious Gentiles but 〈…〉 Chriâ—tians shall know more of 〈◊〉 and Christ after Death which is the general Expectation and Consolation of all Saints who know now but in part but then shall know fully and thereupon suâ—mizeth That a Quâ—kers new Purgatory 〈…〉 be erected what saith he to his much esteemed Calvin 〈◊〉 on these words of Peter 1 Pet. 3.19 By which also he went and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spiâ—iâ—s in Prison c. plainly affirmeth concerning the Souls of the deceased before the Death of Christ Indeed I willingly grant saith Calvin that Christ did shine unto them by the Virtue of his Spirt that they might know that the Grace which oft they had only tasted was then given unto the World and by a probable Reason that place of Peter 1 Pet. 3.19 may be applyed to this where it saith That Christ came and preached to the Spirits which were in Custody or place of Expectation the commonly translate it Prison for even the Context leadeth us thither that the faithful who before that time were deceased were made partakers of the same Grace with us because he doth amplifie the Power of the Death oâ— Christ from thence that it â—id penetrate even to the dead while pious Soâ—Iâ— did enjoy the present sight of that Grace which they earnestly expected and on the other hand it was made more manifest to the Reprobate â—â—at they were excluded from all Salvation But if C.M. think that Calvin words doth not infer a Purgatory why should he surmize any such thing from mine And though C.M. ignorantly in his airy fantastical Mind mocked at some called Quakers for calling the Flesh by way of Allegory the Woman that should not speak in the Church although we deny not but Women are there also to be understood litterally but yet not all Women nor in all respects alledging That the Devil is the Fleshes Husband yet if he had been well read in Origine or Augustine he might have found a better account but not to go so far backward let his Reverend Baxter answer him who saith in the Preface to his Directions to the Converted In a weak Christian the Spirit is Master but the Flesh is Mistriss And notwithstanding that the said R. Baxter is too uncharitable to the People called Quakers yet I find in the said Book he is much more charitable to them than C.M. is who will not allow them the lowest degree among true Christians Because as he will have it they deny almost all the Fundamentals of the Christian Faith for thus Rich. Baxter expresly writeth concerning Quakers Bâ—hmenists and some of the Religious Orders of the Papist in his 23d Character of a confirmed Christian pag. 66. But those of them that place their chiefest Happiness in the Love of God and the eternal Fruition of him in Heaven and seek this sincerely according to their Helps and Power though they are misled into some superstitious Errors I hope I may number with those that are sincere for all their Errors and the ill Effects of them And truly I have that Charity for Rich. Baxter that if he had known the Quakers better and had had that occasion of some more inward acquaintances with them he would have been still more charitable to them in his judgment of them for the things he hath judged to be Errors in them either they do not hold them or they are not Errors but sound things of Truth and many of them possibly owned by himself but in other Terms It is the great Calamity of these Age that men are oft confounded in their Languages and contradict one another in Words and Terms when they agree in one Sense of the same things It may be hoped and is earnestly to be prayed for unto Almighty God that all that are sincere Lovers of the Truth in all Societies in Christendom may have more Charity one towards another and they may acknowledge whatever is of Truth and Virtue one in another and this would prepare the way to bring them all to one Sheep sold and to have one Shepherd as the Lord hath promised and which he will in due time fullfill and that Time is at hand Amen CHAP. IV. ANd thus having sufficiently answered what was needful to the First Part of his Address which is the largest I shall answer some things but very briefly to his latter part partly because almost the whole of it is answered in my former printed Books directed to the People in New-England and partly because very much of it is answered in the fore going Sheets In
Jesus Christ imputed unto us but we also say It is imputed to none but such who have Faith Repentance and sincere Obedience and that is true inward Righteousness wrought in them by the Spirit of Christ and though Faith and Repentance and Obedience are not the Foundation of our Justification yet they are the Terms and Condition of it as I have sufficiently showed in my former printed Treatises nor doth Edward Burrough and VV. Penn if their words be duely construed contradict what I have affirmed But the true state of the Question is VVhether men are justâ—â—â—â—d by Christs Righteousness imputed to them without any inward Righteousness as the requisite Condition and Terms in order to that imputation And whether David lying in his sins of Adultery Murder remained Justified Which we deny In his 11 th Assertion although he states the Question in the Title so as we can own it to wit That a sinless Perfection is not attainable in this VVorld as their Principle but not ours yet he miserably wresteth perverteth and mis-applyeth and jumbleth things in the Explication for that Scripture in Philip cap. 3 v. 12. doth nothing contradict our Assertion who affirm no such degree of Perfection as wherein a man may sit down and make no furder progress which Paul 〈◊〉 not to do but still to go on more and more to Perfection And for that place in Rom. 7.19 c. it is not to be understood of the best Condition of the Saints when they are farthest advanced but of their struggling Time and State before they obtain the Victory and Freedom which Paul doth acknowledge in the same Epistle And for any of the Quakers saying They have no sin in them I know not any that is generally owned and approved by us that have said so it is common to Ranters and such as Tho. Cases Crew that say so but for the honest and sober People called Quakers they do not boast of their Perfection but had rather by their innocent Walk and Conversation demonstrate their growth and progress in Sanctification than by a Talking of it CHAP. V. IN his 12 th Assertion he doth not fairly state the Question especially in the Explanation of it for he should have distinguished betwixt the state of Servants and Sons of the Free Woman and so betwixt Saints by way of Inchoation or Initiation and Saints by way of Confirmation as betwixt Corn in the Bud or Blade or green Ear when it is in danger of blasting and ripe Corn that is past all danger of blasting for as to this latter I did grant in my former printed Treatises in unity with my faithful Brethren that there is a confirmed state in Faith and Sanctification wherein the Saints persevere to the end of all Tryals and from which they cannot fall away and the Faith of such is more precious than Gold that perisheth endureth all Tryals and Tentations even as true Gold endureth the Fire and looseth nothing in it but all have not attained to this State which is indeed the only proper state of Salvation that is as the Harbour or Port of Safety to the tossed Marriner and till the Soul arrive to this state it is but as a Ship exposed to the Waves of the Tempestuous Sea Also I readily grant that none of Gods elect can finally fall away for his 〈◊〉 is over them so to preserve them as that they do not fall or if they do fall as in the case of David to restore and renew them again by Repentance And C M. and his Brethren have granted in that Book call'd their Antidote or The Principles of the Protestant Religion 〈◊〉 That the temporary Faith that may be lost is not false and if not false then true after a sort although I grant it is not that Faith of Gods Elect that 's more precious than Gold that endureth all fiery Tryals yet is of a saving tendency and such who have it it they did well and duely improve it might in due time arrive to that Confirmation in Faith and Holiness that cannot be totally finally lost But whether the Faith that may be lost and the Faith that cannot be lost differ in Kind or Specie or only in Degree it being too Nice and rather Philosophical and too Logical I did not as I said in my former printed Book see cause to enquire seeing it is a very great dispute among Schollars what maketh a Distinction of things in Kind or Specie some affirming That the Mettles and Elements differ not in Specie others contradicting and saying they do In his 13 th Assertion concerning Infant Baptism or rather Rantism or Sprinkling and in his 14 th Assertion concerning the Supper he bringeth no new matter but what I have sufficiently answered in my former Books and therefore shall say no more here as to them But that he chargeth it upon us as if we did not believe Christs coming again and appearance without us in his glorified Body to judge the quick and the dead is that he cannot prove any of us guilty that is generally own'd and received to be of our Faith only we have denyed the gross and caâ—nal Imaginations that some have vented as concerning Christs â—â—dy câ—lling it Natural and Earthly which we believe is spiritual and heavenly and if any call it spiritual and heavenly glorified Flesh as well as Body we shall not contend against them for we do acknowledge it is the same in Being and Essence that it was on Earth but wonderfully changed in Manner and Condition see our printed Sheet called The Christian Faith c. In his 15 th Assertion he doth most grosly prevaricate abusing and â—eâ—verting our words as because we own an inward quickening and 〈◊〉 â—aised with Christ in our Souls and inward Man that therefore we deny any future Resurrection of the Body aâ—ter Death which we deny noâ— but affirm against Ranters and vain Norionists and we believe Tâ—â—t the Resurrection of the Body is not attained immediately after Death altho' the Souls of the faithful immediately after Death go into Heaven or Paradise but at Christs coming and Appearance to judge the quick and the dead and the same Body that dyeth is raised in 〈◊〉 true sense being freed and refined from all Dross of Corruption even as Gold is the same when it lieth in the course Oar or Miniral and when it is refined but wonderfully changed in Manner and Condition In his essaying to prove his 16 th Assertion he showeth himself extreamly weak as if because God commanded the Jews to keep the Seventh Day for a Sabbath from the beginning of the World in the fourth Commandment therefore he commandeth the Christians in the same fourth Commandment to keep the first Day But I need say no more on this Head but refer him to his much esteemed Calvin for his Refutation who in that doth fully agree with us as generally do all the Protestants in France and the Low Countries and
many in England and Scotland In his 17 th Assertion he is as weak and abusive as in any of the former That he his Brethren cannot own true Piety to be essential to a true Minister of Christ to make a necessary Provision for the everlasting Peace of renewed Souls which cannot be saved without their Assertion viz. That true Piety is not essential to a true Minister for this would make their Conversion or Peace wholly depend upon Grace in the heart of a Minister But this is a most gross Abuse and Pervertion and a most silly trick or cheat to palliate or excuse their absurd Doctrine which a Child may discover for the Contradictory Assertion viz. That true Piety is essential to a true Minister of Christ doth not make that the Conversion of the Souls dependeth on Grace in the Minister because many Thousands of Souls have been and are daily converted without any Minister good or bad by reading or hearing the holy Scriptures the holy Spirit aiding and concurring therein and this is generally confessed by all Protestants And if some think they were converted by means of some Ministers that were afterwards sound to be Hypocrites all that this can prove is not that they are not converted but that they are in some mistake about the man whom they thought was the Instrument of it and was not And for my saying It is no wonder that New-England abounds with such Impious Ministers I did argue ad hominem according to your Principle for to say True Piety is not essential to a true Minister of Christ openeth a door to let in a stood of Impious Ministers upon the People of New-England and it is to be feared this absurd Principle hath too much open'd a Door unto them And for all your strict pretended Tryal of men before they enter into the Ministry do ye try them concerning their Piety if nay then ye open a door to them who may be really Impious if they have but wit enough to be Hypocrites and only seemingly Pious if Yea this contradicts your Doctrine who say ye have no certain way to try whether men be really Pious or not for ye reject all pretence to a discerning of Spirits whereby to know who are really Pious and who not and the Marks given by Paul whereby to try men before they be owned to be either Bishops i. e. Overseers or Pastors or Deacons were not out-side Marks of Holyness only that Hypocrites may have but to be really sober just holy temperate Tit. 1.8 and where these Virtues are they do as certainly and infallibly discover themselves in words and works to the spiritual Discerners as Spices and precious Oyntments or Perfumes discover their sweet smell and odour to them who have the right use of their natural smelling And as to his Question How People may know whether we have an Immediate Call to the Ministry To this I Answer There must be some spiritual Ability or Gift of Discerning in such who are able to know such a thing for it is only the spiritual Man that is able to judge of spiritual things and whomsoever God calleth to the Ministry by his Power and Spirit inwardly revealed that is immediate his Power and Presence according to his faithful Promise doth go along with them so that some that hear them though not all are the Seal of their Ministry and the Blind are made to see the Deaf to hear the Lame to walk the Dumb to speak and the Dead to live to wit spiritually And as this was Luther's answer to the Papists that asked for some Signs to prove his and his Brethrens Call who did commonly upbraid them That they never so much as cured a Lame Horse so it may suffice for our Answer for whether C.M. believe it or not we have had the Seal of our Ministry that many by means of our Testimony have had their inward Eyes opened and have been turned from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Sathan unto God and this inward Change hath had its evident Effects of Christian Piety Sobriety and Justice in their outward Conversation But such who were blinded and hardned against the Spirit of Truth did not know Christ nor his Apostles and Ministers and therefore we cannot expect that such can know us And this Question of C.M. may be easily retorted upon him that doth so confidently affirm That there are so many Ministers in New-England that have and use all true Piety let him tell us how he or they can prove that they are really Holy and that their Holyness is not a meer outside Holiness that Hypocrites may have If he â—â—y they may be known by their Fruits I query again By what Fruits Are these Fruits only outward words and works that Hypocrites may have for there is nothing barely outward but Hypocrites may have But if by Fruits he mean that which hath some inward Virtue and savour of Life and Grace with them that do infallibly demonstrate themselves to be the Fruits of the Spirit to such as have a spiritual savour and discerning as this would contradict their Principle so it maketh for us to answer his Question Nor are there sufficient Testimonies of antient Christian Writers wanting who did agree with us in our Assertion viz. That Hypocrites and Vnholy Men who have not the Spirit of Christ are not true Ministers of Christ as not only Luther whom I cited in my former Book who calleth them Sectaries and Seducers who know to preach much of Christ but seeing they feel him not in their Hearts as to be sure such do not who have no true Piety they leave the right ground of the Mystery cap. 11. Luth. Mensal But of the Antients backwards of above 1200 Years ago I shall cite two short Testimonies for this Assertion held by us viz. Cyprian who lived about the middle of the 3d Century and Athanasius who lived in the 4th Century for Cyprian in his Epistle to Januarius saith How can he who is unclean himself and who hath not the holy Spirit cleanse or sanctifie the Water viz. in Baptism seeing the Lord saith Numb 19. All that the unclean toucheth shall be unclean And after What Prayer can a sacriligous Priest and who is a Sinner make for the Baptized seeing it is written God heareth not a sinner but he that worshippeth him and doth his Will him he heareth but who can give what he hath not or how can he do spiritual things who hath lost the holy Spirit And in his Epistle to Stephen Bishop of Rome he with his Collegues gathered in Council in Africa writeth saying It behoveth that Priests and Ministers who serve at the Altar and Sacrifices be sound and immaculate seeing the Lord saith in Levit. cap. 21. The man in whom there is any fault or vice shall not approach to offer Gifts to God and in Exodus the Priests who approach to God let them be sanctified lest the Lord forsake them Exod.
19. And again When they come to ministâ—â— at the Altar let them not bring a blemish lest they dye Which woâ—â—â— of Cyprian and his Collegues are as much against Impious as Heretick Ministers and yet Protestants who judge Popish Priests to be great Hereticks allow of their Baptism so far that they do not baptize any that leave Popery and joyn to them And Athanassus in his Interpretation of the Parables saith Who 〈◊〉 will do the Work of God who will teach others or be profitable unto 〈◊〉 is behoveth him to be in the first place Virtuous and to receive the Gifâ—◠〈◊〉 Grace from God and to possess the Fruits of the holy Spirit and the Treasures of the Knowledge of the good things of God and then he can impart Gifts to others for if any go with his hands to anoint another with Oyl and have no Oyl how can he give to others what himself hath not and after the same manner we must judge of a Teacher As for C. M's great Clamour for Maintenance to him and his Brethren for preaching from 1 Cor. 9.14 and Gal. 6.6 Let them first prove that they are true Ministers of the Gospel and have a divine and spiritual Gift and Ability to preach it and we should allow to such that Maintenance which the Scripture mentioneth which to be sure is neither any stinted Sallary nor forced which yet many of the Priests of New-England have had and yet would have if they knew how and which C.M. doth plead for Nor is he less Impertinent in his seeking Shifts and Evasions to excuse their putting to Death our four Friends in New England one time telling us There are Laws for iâ— against the Quakers for speaking and writing Blasphemous Opinions despising of Government c. And so had the Jews a Law as they said against Christ and so had the Papists against the Martyrs that they burned in Queen Mary's time But what the blasphemous Opinions were that these were guilty of who were put to Death at Boston hath not yet been made appear nor any other thing worthy of Death or Corporal Punishment And suppose which yet I never heard sufficiently proved that some called Quakers said to People in New England things that were blasphemous as Thy Bible is the Word of the Devil we deny thy God c. as C.M. saith but doth not prove must the innocent suffer for the guilty if these that were put to death said no such thing as ye can never prove they did they were unjustly put to Death and their Blood yet lieth upon them that either shed it or doth justifie the shedding of it and it were far better to C.M. not to take innocent Blood on him if he were wise Another while again These Laws were but begun to be executed before the New-Englanders grew sensible of their Error in making them c. But then if it was their Error to make them why should C.M. use so many Evasions to justifie their executing them Another while The Quakers would not have born New-England men to have done the like c. But the Quakers have suffered a great deal more disturbance even in their â—ublick Meetings and never used any such Violence even where they 〈◊〉 Power And his Example of a mans entring into another mans Horse 〈◊〉 Plague upon him without that others Consent is altogether imâ—â—â—per for the wide World or any wide part of it as New-England â—â—â—ereth far from a mans private Dwelling and if this Example had â—ny force in it it hath the same for the Papists in France and Spain â—â—nishing and putting to Death the Protestants there But it seems C.M. is not of our Saviours mind who bid suffer the Tares and the Wheat to grow together in the Field which he expoundeth to be the World until the Harvest And this Example of C.M. is like that which I heard that a New-England Preacher gave to move the People to put the Quakers to Death though they could not prove them guilty of any fact worthy of it That men use to kill the Wolves they catch as well these who have done no harm to the Sheep as others who have done harm because it is the Nature of Wolves to do harm and the way to prevent their Harm is to kill them And for all C. M's fair Pretensions of Lenity to the Quakers now-a-dayes yet seeing he calleth us at least the Speakers among them grievous Wolves it showeth his envious Mind and how he would have us treated if his Perswasion could prevail nor ought we to believe his Protestations to the contrary seeing he doth so much contradict them in his so much justifying the putting our Friends to Death But it is no new thing that the Sheep should be put into Wolves and Bears Skins as C.M. doth to us in the Title page of his Book calling it Little Flocks guarded against grievous Wolves but the Title of his Book had been most true and proper Cotton Mather proving himself a grievous Wolf against the poor innocent Sheep of Christ called in scorn Quakers for his fierce and ravenous Spirit against the Quakers is more like to a Wolf than any thing that ever appeared in any of us against him or his Brethren and he can never prove that ever one of us stirred up the Magistrate to Persecution against any that differed from us in any part of the World But we can prove that his Brethren the Priests in New-England did most earnestly stir up the Magistrates in New-England to persecute our Brethren and did prevail with them to do it and if C.M was too Young or not born in those dayes to joyn with his Blood thirsty Brethren it is well if his Father Increase Mather was not equally guilty with others of them and I find not as yet but that C.M. doth approve their deeds and so bringeth their sins upon him as Christ said to the Pharisees who in the like Hypocritical Spirit said If 〈◊〉 had lived in our Fathers dayes we would not have killed the 〈◊〉 Mat. 23.30 And seeing according to C.M. the Quakers that 〈◊〉 put to Death were Mad and fitter for Bedlam than to be put to Dâ—â—â—â— on which Concession John Delavall in his Appendix to my Boâ—â— proveth by the Law of England That these who put them to Death 〈◊〉 Murtherers and deserved Death for so doing What saith C.M. to this Surely nothing at all CHAP. VI. HIs Apology for using You to one and saluting with the Hat is very weak and silly viz. Because to say you to a single Person became a Custom when the Common Wealth of Rome was turned into a Kingdom first to treat Persons of Quality in the plural Number with You and so by degrees it s descended unto all particular men But if 〈◊〉 be a sufficient Reason to justifie a 〈◊〉 then all the 〈…〉 and vain Inventions of Heathens and Papists may be allowed but the Scripture saith The Customs of the People are
Now what was lost by Adam is 〈◊〉 by Christ the same Righteousness only it is not 〈◊〉 but super-inducâ—â— nor Integral but interrupted but such as it is there is no difference 〈◊〉 that the same or the like Principle may be derived to us from Christ as there should have been from Adam that in a Principle of Obedience a Regularity of Faculties a Beauty in the Soul and a state of Acceptation with God And we see also in men of Vnderstanding 〈◊〉 Reason the Spirit of God dwells in them wâ—ich Tatianus describing 〈◊〉 these words The Soul is possessed with the sparks of the Power of the Spirit and yet sometimes it is ineffective and unactive sometimes more sometimes less and does no more do its work at all times than the Soul does at all times understand Add to this that if there be in Infants naturally an evil Principle a Proclivity to sin an Ignorance and Pravity of Mind a Disorder of Affections as Experience teacheth us there is and the perpetual Doctrine of the Church and the universal Mischiefs issuing from Mankind and the sin of every man does witness too much why cannot Infants have a good Principle in them though it works not till its own season as well as an evil Principle If there were not by Nature some evil Principle it is not possible that all the World should chuse sin In free Agents it was never heard that all Individuals loved chose the same thing to which they were not naturally inclined neither do all men chuse to Marry neither do all chuse to abstain and in this Instance there is a natural Inclination to one part but of all the men and women in the World there is no one that hath never sinned If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us said an Apostle If therefore Nature hath in Infants an evil Principle which operates when the 〈…〉 out is all the while within the Soul eithâ—â— Infants have by Grace 〈…〉 into them or else sin abounds where Grace does not 〈…〉 against the Doctrine of the Apostle Noâ—â— All this doth most manifestly agree to what I have said both concerning the Seed of Sin and the Seed of Gods Grace being in all men in my printed Book 〈◊〉 The Presbyterian and Independent Visible â—â—â—rches brought to the 〈◊〉 pag. 90 91 92. Concerning certainty of Salvation pag. 3. sect 13. n. 9. The sum 〈◊〉 this All that are in the state of Beginners and Imperfection hav◠〈◊〉 â—â—â—tinual Certainty changeable and fallible in respect of us for we 〈◊〉 not with what is in Gods secret Purposes changeable I say as their Will and Resolutions They that are grown towards Perfection have more reason to be confident and many times are so but still although the strength of the habits of Grace adds degrees of moral Certainty to their Expectation yet it is but as their Condition is hopeful and promising and of a moral Determination But to those few to whom God hath given Confirmation in Grace he hath also given a Certainty of Condition and therefore if that be revealed to them their Condition is in self certain but their Perswasion is not so but in the highest kind of Hope an Anchor of the Soul sure and stedfast Note This doth manifestly agree to what I have said on that subject in my foresaid Book pag. 136. Concerning Faith Part 2. Sect. 10. N. 4. For the Faith of a Christian hath more in it of the Will than of the Vnderstanding Faith is that great Mark of Distinction which seperates and gives Formality to the Covenant of the Gospel which is a Law of Faith The Faith oâ— a Christian is his Religion that is it is that whole Conformity to the Institution or Discipline of Jesus Christ which distinguishes him from the Believers of false Religions And N. 6. It viz. Faith is of the same Condition and Constitution with other Graces all which equally relate to Christ and are as firm Instruments of Vnion and are washed by the Blood of Christ and are sanctified by his Death and apprehend him in their Capacity and Degrees some higher and some not so high but Hope and Charity apprehend Christ in a measure and proportion greater than Faith when it distinguishes from them So that if Faith does the Work of Justification as it is a meer Relation to Christ then so also does Hope and Charity or if these are Duties and good Works so also is Faith and they all being alike commanded in order to the same end and encouraged by the same Reward are also accepted upon the same Stock which is that they are Acts of Obedience and Relation too they obey Christ and lay hold upon Christs Merits and are but several Instances of the great Duty of a Christian but the Actions of several Faculties of the New Creature But because Faith is the beginning Grace and hath Influence and Causalty in the production of the other therefore 〈◊〉 others as they are united in Duty are also united in their Title and Appellative they are all called by the Name of Faith because they are parts of Faith as Faith is taken in the largest sence and when it is taken in the strictest and distinguishing sence they are Effects and proper Products by way of Emanation N. 8. So that Faith and Charity in the sence of a Christian are but one Duty as the Vnderstanding and the Will are but one reasonable Soul only they produce several Actions in order to one another which are but divers Operations and the same Spirit Note This doth manifestly agree to what I have said in my foresaid Book pag. 129 130 131. Dr. Cave concerning Justification in the Life of Paul Sect. 9. N. 15. Works of Evangelical Obedience are not opposed to Faith in Justification in that Faith as including the New Nature and the keeping Gods Câ—â—mandments is made the usual Condition of Justification nor 〈…〉 otherwise when other Graces and Virtues of the Christian Life are made the Terms of Pardon and Acceptance with Heaven and of our Title to the Merits of Christs Death and the great Promise of Eternal Life citing Acts 2.38 cap. 3.17 Mark 11. 25 26. 1 John 1.7 Note And so doth this well agree to the Contents aforesaid Joseph Glanvel Fellow of the Royal Society in his Treatise of Witchcraft Part 1. § 13. pag. 49. saith Gods more near and immediate imparting himself to the Soul that is prepared for that Happiness by divine Love Humility and Resignation in the way of a vital Touch and Sence is a thing possible in it self and will be a great part of our Heaven That Glory is begun in Grace and God is pleased to give some excellent Souls the happy Antepast That holy men in antient Times have sought and gloried in this enjoyment never complain so sorely as when it was with-held interrupted That the Expressions of Scripture run infinitely this way and the