do justice to themselves as wel as right to the injured Author of this Treatise not only in respect to the appeal added to the end of the last Section but also to the many other gross abuses falshoods and railings detected herein to be most impudently asserted by John Brown since he comes forth under no less character than a Presbyterian David and that given him by so eminent a man as Robert Macquare is reputed among them which justice is also the more hoped for since the more moderat Presbyterians have themselvs felt the fruit of J. B. his violent furious and unchristian temper in his fomenting Divisions among them and encouraging Cameron by his Letter whom they repute an Heady Turbulent Incendiary and the effects of whose work strengthened by J. B. have produced no small mischief both to the Cause in general and to many poor People who have been thereby ruined if the occasion some of themselvs represent of the late rising in Scotland be true ERRATA The Reader is desired to correct these following Errors which have escaped the Press other literal ones which do not so much touch the sense are left to his discretion and if any others considerable have not been observed and here remarked it is hoped the courteous Reader will not impute them to the Author because of his absence from the Press In the Preface page 1. line 20. for still read style P. 3. l. 24. for which r. them P. 4. l. 6. r. who that speaks In the Book pag. 16. l. ult r. owne P. 17. l. last save two r. Sects P. 22. l. 6. r. do P. 23. l. last but two r. preparatory P. 26 l. 25. after may d. not P. 32. l. 4. d. of P. 34. l. 25. r. spirits d. of P. 43. l. 26. r. bonds P. 57. l. 9. r. arcady P. 68. l. 9. r. him P. 83. l. 13. d. by which P. 88. l. 11. r. he P. 102. l. 5. after is read not P. 78. l. 2. add after dye for themselvs If he mean a natural death but if not I see no reason of admitting his figure nor is there any strength in it to prove that it imports his dying in their room and stead as he would have it P. 98. l. 34. r. is P. 101. l. 14. r. say l. 15. r. is P. 110 l. 28. r. sine P. 113. l. 16. d. by P. 135. l. 16. r. by Papists against Protestants Pag. 184. l. 15. r. he hath but said it l. 18. r. so as all P. 192. l. ult r. and. P. 168. l. 17. for proof read reply P. 180. l. 3. r. corruptions P. 175. l. 34. for and r. add R. B's. APOLOGY For the true Christian Divinity VINDICATED From J. B's. Examination and pretended Confutation thereof in his book Called QUAKERISME the path-way to PAGANISME Section I. Containing the Introduction and the Method the Author proposeth to himself in this Treatise with the reasons wherefore together with some general Considerations relating to I. B's. whole book and Remarks on his Epistle to the Reader ¶ 1. AMong the many evils that abound amongst those that bear the name of Christians this is a great one that in the unhappy difference they have among themselvs there appears so much malice bitterness and envy and so little of that candor and sincerity true and unmixed zeal and of the meekness peaçablness and gentlness of Iesus so that there is often-times observed an eager willingness to represent their Opposits other ways than they are But among all sorts of such as profess Christianity I know none have more reason to complain of this abuse than we who albeit we have not a little laboured to make known to all the plain Truth held by us yet our words have been most miserably perverted upon many occasions and we most horribly misrepresented as is abundantly manifest to many who are acquainted with the books writ against us and our answers wherein many if not most of the arguments used against us are not levelled at those things we truely hold but at the monstrous and horrid conceptions which our adversarys have framed to themselvs and then would needs fasten upon us as our Principls and doctrins Many of us have been thus exercised in the controversys wherein we have been concerned and I my self in some small rencountres that have heretofore faln to my share have had my part but I confess inferior to many of my Brethren But now that B's work appears I think considering the bulk and natur of it hereafter more particularly to be viewed I may come up with most For I scarçe think that ever a man's words were so horridly and constantly throughout perverted or that ever a book of controversy of its bulk to wit as I take it betwixt 70 and 80 sheets of paper was so stuffed with a continuall strain of Railing from the very first page unto the last Yet when we consider the man's design which appears from the natur of his work perhaps there will be less occasion of wonder ¶ For either he or some brother of his abroad having without any provocation from us the People called Quakers faln into the most gross and vilest sort of railing against us in a Post script to S. R's Letters and that without the least offer of probation it seems they judged themselvs concerned to give the people some reason for their so doing And there could not be a finer knack to beguil the credulous and implicit Multitud than to answer a book writ in Latine and not extant in their Mother-tongue for there a man as to them who can not read understand and compare it with that to which it relates may pervert words as he will draw consequences at pleasur and make to himself what monsters best please his fancy or like his humour best to batter And yet he can not find in it by all his perverting enough to make us so black as he would have us so that he is often-times constrain'd to fish for this by citing the writings of some that have writ against us and bring us up some of their old threed-bare calumnys long ago answered by us in which his injustice shall be afterwards observed And so he being thus furnished can the more easily abuse especially while he is almost secure that the generality of those he writes to are such as will not call in question as to the truth of it what is said by one esteemed by them a pretious and gratious Minister and sufferer for the good cause to boot But blessed be God! the number of such implicit believers groweth daily less and many that had wont to do other-wise begin to love to see with their own eyes and not to pin their faith so much upon the Clergy's sleeve as they had used formerly to do For this cause had I had to do only with the more judicious and Learned who could have wel understood the Latine edition I should have thought my self the less concerned
to have said any thing to this answer But knowing that his may come to the hands of many and may be read by them who do not understand Latine and that not a few who do understand it love rather to read and consider things in their own language this made me hasten an English edition not one sheet whereof was committed to the press several weeks after I. B's book came out and now it being abroad as to those who are diligent and judicious and willing seriously to compare as to the argumentative part I should not be much concerned to answer him judging the English edition with all such a sufficient reply to this pretended examination however he often-times sings a triumph to himself saying in many places What will our Quaker say now Contrary to the rules of sobriety and to what the Scriptur teaches him saying Let not him boast that puts-on his armour but he that takes it off besides what his brother in a most fawning flattering manner adds in his Postscript To which something may be said hereafter But because too many out of malice prejudice and ignorance may be too apt to credit him I resolve here to take notice of his gross perversions and abuses upon every These and of his most unreasonable and brutish railing which being subjected to the Readers view will give him a great in-sight in the matter and let him see what kind of man this is and what kind of work it is that comes from him And likewise in respect he insults very much I may labour to allay it in taking notice of his chiefest arguments that are any ways to the purpose This I know will satisfy the moderat and judicious who bring not along with them an understanding already prepossessed but are willing patiently to hear both partys and then make a judgment accordingly And as for others who are wholly prepossessed with malice and prejudice and have no ears to hear but according to the Author of the Postscript his advice avoid the least of that kind as poyson I say as for such I wish the Lord open their eyes and give them a heart more just and equal I shall not be much concerned if my writing have no great influence upon them at present ¶ But if any strange that so small a Treatise as this may seem to be should answer so great a bulk the considering of these particulars following will easily remove that wonder 1. If we consider how much is taken up in meer railing of which few pages are found free and somtimemes takes up near the whole page besides that almost every paragraph ends with a dish of this desert saying O what hell-hatched heresies these abominable Quakers maintain and the like besides many little sentences such as This is an answer fit for a Quaker This is like the Quakers non-sense I see the Quakers can dream waking and such like stuff I need not set down pages to prove this for as thou wilt find a specimen of it in the first half side to the Reader so indeed thou'lt scarce open the book but thou wilt meet with it so that I may safely say to speak within bounds there are 20 sheets if it were all put together that are meer railing either by way of admiration detestation or execration which have nothing of argumentation neither from Scriptur nor Reason but the meer strong affirmo of the assertor all which albeit I may remark it as I go on I think not my self concerned to answer nor do I conceive will any sober man judge I am and my answer thereto as now to the bulk of it so may perhaps prove not much more all along than The Lord rebuke that railing spirit in thee I. B. and if it may stand with his will redeem thee from it that thou mayst learn sobriety of that Grace of God thou so much fightst against It is a trade I love not nor do I skill or think to learn it I will readily grant him both the preference and victory in this art of Billingat's rhetorik or to speak yet more plain to all our Scots capacitys of kail-wives oratory So I say Let all this railing in his book be laid aside and whereas he would insinuat in severall places as if there were much railing in my Apology saying I rage and such like expressions how great an abuse this is I leave to the judgment of the intelligent Reader 2. If all his excursions be laid aside wherein he runneth out oftentimes into long homilies by way of explanation of their judgment descanting upon the severall opinions of their Divines as he calls them in which he often-times not only bestowes severall pages but sometimes divers sheets as in its place may be observed In all which tedious preachments some whereof are may be shies of old rusty sermons that have been lieing by him I think my self no more concerned than if the man had writt a great volumn of their Divinity which I should not perhaps have bestowed the pains to read far less lookt upon it as my business to answer it 3. If all his citations out of Hicks Faldo and others that have writen against us all which are long ago answered though not heeded by him were laid aside which is not only most impertinent but likewise unjust as shall be after more particularly observed and likewise his long citations out of the Westminster confession of faith and larger Catechism a good part whereof he hath transcribed and inserted in his book albeit it had been a great deal easier to have cited the chapters and referred to them the book being so common but it seems it pleaseth the man's humour to see a great bulk go under his name however it be filled up 4. Lastly If his many perversions be considered wherein he either wilfully orignorantly mistakes my meaning and sets up to himself a man of straw and then batters at it I say this being laid aside which takes up no small part of his work will make a considerable abatement Now all these things considered and all this superfluous and chassy stuff being laid aside which is little or nothing to the purpose the Reader will find that what remaineth will go into a pretty narrow compass and bear no great disproportion if any at all with these my observations ¶ 4. But ere I make an end of this section I judge it needfull to take some notice of his Epistle where the manner of his introduction is very odd Men use to be sober and moderat that write controversys in the beginning at lest and not seek to prepossess the Reader with prejudice against their adversarys untill by the strength of their Reasons they have proven them to deserve it but this man is so full fraughted with malice and so in love with railing that he can not forbear the first page where we have him calling us Locusts of whose ministry the Devil makes use only Masculine in Malice against Christ
hath given him more place in his book than any other there being no Author to my observation so frequently cited by him who because this Thomas Hicks has been the most abusive and grossest lyar and calumniator that has appeared against us therefore he receivs him with the most kindly entertainment for as malice against Christ of old cemented Pilat and Herod to put up their privat quarels so at this day it hath done these men against his Truth and followers else what should it mean that a fierce Presbyter should so heartily embrace a keen Anabaptist Preacher since the same man often upbraids the Quakers with their affinity to the Anabaptists Certainly the Presbyters cause must be at a low ebb and he in mighty fear of the Quakers prevailing when he can so cordially shake hands with his beloved Anabaptist brother Hicks to help at a dead lift against the Quakers and take him for his Auxiliary with his lyes and forgerys to make a noise when other matters and arguments fail But it had been more wisely done in I. Brown ere he had given the Anabaptist Hicks his writings so much place in his book to have considered the answer to the first dialogue and continuation thereof written by W. P. entituled Reason against Railing Truth against Fiction and the answer to his third Dialogue by the same Author entituled The counterfeit Christian detected and the Real Quaker justified for I question if I. B. will judge it safe to take implicity upon trust in matters of controversy of Religion without examining the word of an Anabaptist unless it be against the Quakers where any witness it 's like with him may be admitted for if he do but speak evil enough it will be acceptable whether true or not And I. B. should also have done wel to have informed himself how this Thomas Hicks being publikly called to an account before several thousand witnesses for his gross abuses in framing answers in the Quakers name which was never said by any Quaker and in other ways perverting and misapplying sentences of their writings to questions of his own framing so that he might make them as impertinent and ridiculous as he was willing others should esteem them to be did pittifully succumb so that his best defence to come off was to plead the infirmity of his lungs which made him desert the second meeting held for that purpose and substitute in his place a free-will Anabaptist with whom I suppose I. B. will yet have less fellowship who made a noise and brawling to keep off the chief matter and yet the grosness of Thomas Hicks dealing was so discovered that some of his own way and others who are not Quakers did publikly yea and in print declare their abhorrency of his forgerys as appears by a book written at that time entituled The twelve Pagan Principles considered upon which Thomas Hicks undertakes to unchristian the Quakers and another entituled Quakerisme no Paganisme and another The Christian a Quaker the Quaker a Christian all written upon that occasion by men that were no Quakers Yea Th. Hicks's abuses and lyes were so far from doing us hurt that they were instrumental to bring among us a young Independent Preacher of good repute and wel received and heard among them who has told my self that the reading of Hicks Dialogues and seeing his gross lyes and abuses gave the first rise to his searching after and embracing the Truth and when Th. Hicks and his complices were further pursued by the answer to their pretended narration of these debates entituled Forgery no Christianity written by Thomas Ellwood and another paper entituled A Fresh Pursuit by the same hand wherein he arraigneth the said Hicks and his compllces of falshood lying forgery and requires them to make them good or else abide under the just condemnation of so manifest guilt which they were glad to do and have not so much as peeped out now these 3 years since the last of these transactions untill now this vomit of which all sober men are ashamed and from which the Authors have shamefully shrunk is licked up by Iohn Brown and is become the chief authority of his Tract Will it savour wel in the mouths of sober Professors that the chief gun that I. B. useth against the Quakers are the lyes forgerys and abuses of a shameless Anabaptist Certainly when I. Brown considers these things he will if malice hath not altogether blinded him find that he has too suddenly laid hands upon his brother Hicks ere he wel minded the consequence of it and that so great an infusion of Hicks his Anabaptistical durt which takes the best share of not a few pages of his book will make the rest to stink albeit it were more cleanly stuff than it is And for Faldo's books out of which he coppyeth not a little in this chapter he may find them both answered by W. P. the one called Quakerism a new Nick name to old Christianity and the other the Invalidity of John Faldo's Vindication in which pag. 430 431 432 433. he may find a list of Iohn Faldo's miscarriages in citing assertions said by Quakers without telling the books and of books without parts chapters end page of these books falsly cited of passages clipt and maimed and others perverted by additions and which makes up above 70 to which Iohn Faldo hath never had face yet to answer So that this man may see what kind of authority he has made use of and how his proofs are bottomed And lastly of our full belief of future states and of the Resurrection he may find a large account in a book called The Christian Quaker and his Divine Testimony vindicated by W. Pen and G. Whitehead printed in the Year 1674 from page 146 of the second part to the end Section Eighteenth Wherein Robert Macquare his Postscript is considered ¶ 1. AS to R. M. C. his Postscript which I come now to in the last place I shall not need to be large it being a compound and heap of most abusive and unreasonable railing against me and my Friends on the one hand and a most fawning manifest piece of nauseating and shameless Flattery to his brother I. Brown on the other In the very entry he brands our doctrin as the Devil 's and ourselves as his Ministers and Amanuenses and a little after he exclaimeth thus O what horrid what hell-hatched boid blasphemies this black brood belcheth forth And for me in particular pag. 559 560. in a few lines he cals me both a Turk and a Devil and what more his railing Spirit affords him To all which I shall only say the worst I wish him is heartily to desire the Lord to forgive him as by the strength of his Grace I freely do As to his brother I. Brown he accounts him singularly acute solidly learned and truely gratious So that he conceits if the Devil who he supposeth drew me on to write had his dictats again he would bury or
burn them thence he highly exalts the great depth of this his little Presbyterian David as he cals him in the shining light and sharpness of his Examen Sober men will blush to read such shameless flattery And truely this Presbyterian Prince looks liker cursing Shimei than little David and he himself looks like the daring Philistim who thus commends him proclaiming a defiance in his name as if no solid answer could be given but such crying of triumph before hand will have small weight with men of reason His jeering quibble at my words in my book of Universal Love where I speak overly of the felicity of my understanding shews he wanted matter but not malice Many modest men will be found to have said as much of themselvs neither did I that as a thing by which I would have any to measur now either me or my writings the greatest natural understanding wherein I confess my self freely to be inferior to many availeth but little yea often hurteth to the chief thing needfull to wit regeneration which by Grace and not by Nature and therein I desire to glory His petty remark upon Barclaij Argenis is both childish and malitious he must know that the Quakers and my self do both abhorr and condemn such books and truely my love to my name is not so great that I would have that exempted and therefore I could freely give my vote that all Romances were burnt and he will find it hard to prove that such are used by any of us whileas I know some who passed and yet go for pious and elect Ladys among them that bestowed no small share of their time in reading them and Preachers may be found eminent enough whose closets are wel stored with most approved Romances and some being challenged even of note among the Presbyterians by some serious professors for their reading of them did justify it as that whereby they were helped in their pulpits to give their sermons a better lustre So he may see these books are of more use to his brethren than us who can content our selvs with such homely language as the holy Scriptur teacheth For what he saith of James Naylor I need return no answer having sufficiently done it in the former section And whereas he gives the example of the AntiNomians to shew the Quakers are not singular in not being called after a particular person he doth but miss of his aime for the Quakers are known by that name as such being an imbodyed People consisting of several hundred gathered Churches or Congregations but the Antinomians are only here either some having these particular notions and no such imbodyed people else let him tell us where we may find these Anti-Nomian Churches I need say no more to this Postscript which hath nothing in it but meer railing assertions as to me and that the rather as I suppose R. M. C. will long ere this appear in print receive a solid and grave Letter from an old friend and acquaintance of his which may make him sensible of his iniquity in this matter if there be yet any Christian ingenuity abiding with him and that by prejudice he is not totally blinded ¶ As for his railing assertions of George Keith's book we will see how it is refuted in the promised answer to it and then it will be time to answer them as to that as wel as to the list of the blasphemous assertions which they pretend they have goten out of it but all Christians may judge how they are like to prove it blasphemous when as an instance of the blasphemous assertions they give G. K's saying that the Man Christ Jesus is the Mediator And to help them to do their work fully I desire them when they go about to prove this assertion to be blasphemy they may not forget the Apostle's words 1 Timoth. 2 5. For there is One GOD and One Mediator between GOD and men the MAN Christ Jesus and shew how G. K's words are more blasphemous than these of the Apostle which to make it more plain to the Reader I will add thus G. K's position which I. B. and R. M. C. two eminent Presbyterian Preachers in the Index at the end of J. B's book affirm to be one of the abominable heads of Quakerisme is That the MAN CHRIST JESUS is the MEDIATOR The Apostle his assertion 1 Tim. 2 5. is That there is One MEDIATOR between GOD and men the MAN CHRIST JESUS We desire the sense and censur of the Presbyterian Ministery upon this or otherwise we hope they can not in reason be offended if justly reputed accusers of the Spirit of God that taught the Apostles to speak and thence condemned as signal Calumniators and Heretiks Here follows the Letter of Lillias Skein to R. M. C. AN Expostulatory EPISTLE directed to ROBERT MACQVARE Friend ROBERT MACQUARE MY tender Love and Sympathy was great towards many of the Non-Conformists who were suffering for Conscience sake and not for interest espousing that opinion of whom thy self being one thou was often very near me notwithstanding I knew generally the Non-Conformists are more imbittered and prejudiced against us called Quakers than any other men yet this I often constructed to flow from misinformations concerning us being so little acquainted with and conversant among us whereunto your being so shy was but like the Disciples in a storm seeing him appear in a manner they had not seen him before thought he was coming nearer them for deliverance yet they cried-out through fear as if it had been the appearance of some evil Spirit Other times I have looked upon the great prejudice many had against us answerable to Christ's saying No man having drunk old wine straightway desireth to drink new they say the old is better which hitherto hath and yet doth cause me bear with you and love that which is good amongst you wherever it appeareth And so because of this love towards thee I am the more concerned at this time with what thou hast lately published for though my acquaintance and intimacy with thee was not so much as others yet it being in a very serious season with both of us as I very wel remember when thou was shut up close prisoner and was daily in expectation of the sentence of death thy deliverance from which I retain the fresh sense of it was and is with many such like seasons wherein the Lord prepared my heart and bended his ear a sweet encouragement to trust him and a singular engagement on me to wait for his immediat leadings and the manifestations of his will at all times But Oh! since I heard of and read thy Postscripts to Iohn Brown's book and S. R his Letters as is supposed I am astonished and much ashamed on thy behalf O! is this the best fruits of so many years affliction thou hast to publish to the world that one called and suffering as a Non-Conformist to this sinfull time should have learned no more conformity
this or durst not speak my mind of it and therefore if this be found false he must in the judgment of all sober men pass for a malitious perverter for answer then I say I do believe that the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was crucified at Ierusalem was again raised by the Power of God in which glorified Body the Lord Jesus Christ dwelleth and I dare him to shew where in my Apology or elsewhere I ever said or wrot any thing to the contrary Of the like nature to these perversions is what we saith p. 264. where from my urging from Heb. 4 12 13. the Word of God is said to be a discerner of the thoughts of the heart he would infer that the Quakers then must know other mens thoughts who have this in them and are sensible of it But the absurdity here is his own do not they say Every true Believer has the Spirit of God in them And albeit the Spirit know all things yet every Believer knoweth not all things since he is so ready by consequences to make men blasphemers for asserting Scriptur truth how can he avoid passing this censur upon the Apostle who saith 1 Cor. 2 15. he that is Spiritual judgeth all things and no man can judge any thing but what he knows And whereas he rails here in saying we ascribe to the Light within the property of God and have no other Christ as also to the same purpose p. 242. 237. saying the Christ we command to believe in is not the Christ the Scripturs testifie of but one born with every man neither God nor Man c. is all answered and the absurdity he draws from it removed by what George Keith hath said in his book called The Way east up wherein he shews by the extension of the Soul of Christ how this is no denying of the Man Jesus but on the contrary And if either I or any other have called the Light within God or ascribed to it the property of God it is no more upon this hypothesis than they do who say the Man Christ is God and by reason of the personal union ascribe sometimes the actions of the one nature to the Person denominated by the other as the West Confess it self acknowledges chap. 8. And since R. Macquair hath promised a refutation of that book of G. K. by I. B. in his name when we see it this may be further spoken to if need be upon which also will depend the full discussion of that question mentioned p. 240 241. whether the Seed be a Substance since he will not deny the Soul of Christ is a Substance and consequently distinct from Reason as also that of Christ's being crucified in the Wicked which p. 246. he cals a non-sensical dream and of the Seed's being a distinct Principle from the Soul spoken of p. 247. the full treating of all which being referred untill that promised work of his appear as to that I shall only say in short at present that whereas I say this Seed is not the being of God simply considered he addeth p. 230. that then all men are partakers of the being of God some other way considered and what blasphemy is wraped up here he leavs to any that will to judge But there is no man of reason dealing impartially will judge any blasphemy to be here more than in the Apostle's concession to the Athenians Act. 17 28. that we are the Off spring of God and live and move in him And whereas he mocks p. 241. at my saying the Seed is a Substance because it abideth in the hearts of the Ungodly even while they remain in ungodlyness asking doth not Pravity Ignorance Rebellion c. remain in their hearts Are these therefore Substances But he allays his own windy triumphs by my following words that notwithstanding this Seed is in them they are not denominated by it which wicked men are by their wickednesses while they continue in them and therfore it is a substance since no accident can be in a subject unless the subject be denominated therefrom To this he asks why a man in whom this Seed and Grace is may not be denominated graced and enlightened and as if it were absurd to deny they might be so denominated he concludes And thus this Substance shall be turned into an accidens by this man's philosophy But the reason is clear because they partake not of the vertue of it nor have not suffered it to work in them as by the example of physik being in a sick man I did shew and therefore he has no go-by for this but a pittifull impertinency that if there be such a difference betwixt this Seed and Holyness as betwixt Physik and Health then it is no part of Holiness for I never said there was such a difference in every respect but only in respect of the difference betwixt a Substance an accident for clearing of which only the example was brought And whereas he would several times insinuat here in this p. 232 233. my asserting the Seed to be in all did import Christ dwelling in all that no such thing followeth I have shewn in my Apology which himself elsewhere observeth for I shew there is a difference betwixt meer in-being and inhabitation the last imports union and not the first Themselvs confess God to be every where and yet they will not say God dwels in the wicked yea notwithstanding God's Omni-presence it is said Some are without God in the world by reason of their being not united to him And thus is answered his cavils p. 243. so that I need not further urge untill he has removed this difficulty from Amos 2 12. only it is observable how great pains the man is at here to shew how faulty their translation of the Bible is but how can it then be a sure Rule of faith to any And whereas he saith p. 236. that when it is said the Seed is received in the heart it is supposed it was not formerly there I deny that consequence money may be brought unto a man's house and yet he not have received it the piece of silver which the woman Luk 15. in the parable had lost and to which the Kingdom of God was compared was in her house and yet she rejoyced not untill lighting the candle and sweeping the house she had found it What he repeats so often to make an odious noise of my making this Grace Universal that Turks Japonians Cannibals c. have it who never heard of Christ is impertinent since he has a chapter afterwards for that of purpose where it shall be examined as also what he saith p. 245. he thinks strange any such should partake of the benefit of this mysterie for I speak not of their knowing the mysterie That 's one of his usual tricks to foist-in other words to alter the matter ¶ 5. Having thus traversed his tedious perversions unto p. 251. n. 25. where he pretends to have
at hand if he dare charge me in this with the asserting of a falshood in matter of fact I will give evidence for proof the persons being yet alive but untill he do that my knowing the thing to be true gives me ground enough to assert it To my argument shewing that without Grace a man can not be a member of Christ's Body which is the Church far less a Minister in stead of answer after he has accused me as not understanding the difference betwixt the Visible and Invisible Church he tels Christ is an Head to both which I deny not that I apply Epb. 4 7. 11. 16. 1 Cor. 12. solely to the Invisible Church so as to exclude the Visible is his mistake not my ignorance Then he goeth about to shew the difference betwixt Gift and Grace but that any had the gifts there mentioned who were altogether void of Grace remains for him to prove Besides what is mentioned he is not sparing of his calumnies in this chapter as where he saith pag. 382. that I deny that about the time of Reformation there was a Christian World which is false in respect of Profession in which sense I only here understood it and pag. 385. albeit he find me calling the heresy of Arius horrid yet upon the trust of his Author Mr. Clapham he affirmeth the Quakers to be in this erroneous but sure I have better reason to be acquainted with the Quakers doctrins than any of his lying Authors Another of his calumnys is pag 386. that we lay-aside all means in coming to the Saving knowledge of God's Name and albeit his railing in this chapter be thick enough that the Reader may easily observe it yet for his more particular direction let him observe 380 381-385 386. And whereas pag. 386. n. 11. he enumerateth several particulars wherein he affirmeth we agree with Papists he may find them refuted and answered in G. K's book called Quakerism no Popery And in the last two sections of that book written by me he may find himself and his Btethren proved far more guilty of that crime than we which because the Professor Iohn Menzies against whom it is written found not yet time to answer he as having more leasur may assume that province If the increase of our number be as he saith a clear verification of 2 Thess. 2 9 10 11 12. that we are of the deluded ones there spoken of then it must be a clearer verification of it as to them that they are of that deluded company since they are more numerous than we and also encreased more suddenly As for his exhortations and wishes in the end because I will be so charitable as to suppose they come from some measur of sincerity I do not wholly reject them only I must tell him that nothing has more conduced of an external mean to confirm me in the belief of the verity of the principles I hold than his treatise because of the many gross calumnys manifest perversions and furious railing in it since I know the Truth needed no such method to defend it and I can not believe one in the Truth would use it since lying is contrary to the Truth therefore if he will lay-aside all this falshood and passion he may have a more sure ground of hope to see the truth manifested to the dispelling of Error ¶ 4. He beginneth his 19 chapter of the Ministerial Office with supposing that their Order is according to Scriptur and that what we plead for is quite contrary and so ushereth himself into a rant of railing with which he concludeth this paragraph saying that the evil Spirit that acteth us is such an Enemy to all Gospel Order that it cryeth up only Paganish and Devilish Consasion More of this kind the Reader may observe pag. 388. 389. 391 392-394 His calumnies and perversions are also very frequent in this chapter as pag. 387. where he saith We cast-away all Order and in stead thereof bring-in the confusion of Babel and pag. 388. because we are not for the shaddow without the substance therefore he saith we make a repugnancy betwixt them which is also false and again in the same page N. 4. because I say it was never the mind of Christ to establish the shaddow of Officers without the power and efficacy of the Spirit therefore he concludes that the Quakers think that men can establish the Spirit which silly perversion will easily be manifest to every intelligent Reader And after the like manner pag. 389. n. s. because I say that upon setting up meer shaddows where the Substance was wanting the work of Antichrist was erected in the dark night of Apostasy he concludes that then according to me Christ and his Apostles wrought the work of Antichrist and mystery of iniquity accusing me thence of blasphemy But who can be so blind as not to see this manifest perversion And again pag. 390 he saith I will that every man according as his own spirit falsty called the Spirit of God moveth him setting to this work meaning that of the Ministery which is a false calumny never said by me who deny all false motions of man's own spirit however called And pag. 391. he saith that malice prompteth me to charge them with owning the distinction of Clergy and Laïty though I know they do not where the man supposeth that what I write is only written against the Presbyterians while he can not but know that I write against others since in his first chapter he charges me with writing against all the Christian World so it is his malice to say I charge them with it if any of those I write to be guilty of it it is enough albeit I doubt whether the Presbyterians can free themselvs of it ¶ 5. Having thus far discovered his perversions I come to the main business pag. 388. he saith they plead not for shaddows but own the Ordinances as Christ hath appointed to remain and continue for the perfecting of the Saints c. Eph. 4 11 12 13. And pag. 389. n. 6. he asketh whether the primitive Church was not instituted by Christ and gathered by God in whose assemblys he was Ruler and Governour asking were there no distinct Officers particular individual Persons set apart for the work of the Ministery in the Apostles days And p. 391. n. 7. he argueth against my saying that these mentioned 1 Cor. 12 28 29. Rom. 12 6. were not distinct Officers but only different operations of the same Spirit and against this also he pleadeth p. 393. n. 11. 394. To all which I answer distinctly and particularly that they can plead nothing from Eph. 4. unless their Church had all the Officers there mentioned which it has not yea and which themselvs affirm are ceased such as Prophets Apostles which are said to be given for the work of the Ministery and perfecting of the Saints nothing less than the other and by what authority do they then turn these by and
for any arguments in this cahpter that have the least shew of solidity or weight I have looked narrowly but can find none only in stead thereof he has some little nibbling quibbles and questions which albeit they be so inconsiderable as scarce deserve the pains to answer yet left he may think something of them if omitted I will now take notice of them and answer them as first pag. 412. he asketh whether the appointing of set times and places be not a limiting of the Spirit Answ. If it were to exclude other times and places when God moves thereunto it might be so judged but other ways it is not for meeting together is not an immediat act of worship but a matter of outward conveniency and therefore needs not always a particular motion As for his desiring me in this page to answer what he has said of the Sabbath the denying of which in their sense he accounteth a great error I must wait then till he come to his matter which he has not done in his first Tome which I have only seen as yet albeit it be a book about an hundred sheets of paper and when he has written all that he can say upon that subject I doubt whether it may not be sufficiently refuted by a few lines which Calvin has written thereon Inst. lib. 2. cap. 8. § 34. from whom as wel as the generality of Protestants I know not that I differ in this matter Pag. 413. he proposeth as an exception against the manner of Worship expressed by me that it wanteth that preparation requisite which he accounts to be some impression of that Divine Majesty with whom they have to do But I see no reason why he should accuse us for want of this since none can be more fit than such as make silence and an inward turning of the mind necessary to their entring to Worship but if he understand this by outward Prayer meaning this should be done first since it is an actual part of Worship by which we draw near to that Majesty there would be a preparation to that by the same rule and another to that and so a progressus in infinitum But a godly frame of Spirit and a studying to be found always in the sense of God's holy fear in all things is a good general preparation to all acts of Worship And for his crying out against Silence as that which can not edify and thinking it so strange that Life or Vertue should be transmitted from one to another when they do not hear one another speak as pag. 415. 420. 426. what will he say to what is reported by the foresaid Author of the fulfilling of the Scripturs pag. 432. how Robert Bruce his Praying caused unusual motions upon those who were not in the chamber with him nor knew the cause how that came upon them and yet this is given as an instance of his knocking down the Spirit of God upon them as they themselvs phrase it Pag. 420. he wondereth asketh how one in whom the Life doth flow so that he might speak yet may forbear since that is a sufficient call and how dare they follow their own choise But this is a silly quibble the flowing of Life may sometimes give ability to speak justifiably and yet it may be no sin to forbear since albeit it gives a sufficiency of authority yet not a peremptory command and this is no contradiction The Apostle Iohn could have written more and that no doubt from the Spirit and yet did it not 2 Joh. 12. 3 Joh. 13. and I suppose I. B will not dare to say he sinned in this forbearance He goeth about pag. 420. n. 12. to examin the Scriptur proofs I bring for Waiting and then he shews in what respect waiting is there understood which nothing hurteth my using them What if waiting be understood as he saith in opposition to freting may not that be in silence But as to this since his brother R. M. in the Postscript has promised us his answer to G. K's book called The Way cast up we will wait to see what he answers to his 15 sect and to the Scripturs brought by him there to this purpose and that he may more fully consider that matter I recommend to him the serious perusal of G. K's book called the Glory and Advantage of Silent Meetings He alledgeth falsly pag. 423. that I say men can not wait upon God in prayer I say only that Waiting in it self rather denoteth a passive dependence and that true Prayer presupposeth waiting and that therefore their objection is frivolous that ascribeth waiting of it self or simply considered to such acts but I never denied that a man in Prayer might be said also to wait Another of his silly quibbles is pag. 424. n. 17. where because I say that the Devil can only work in and by the Natural man for so he may be pleased to translate my words or at lest he must suffer me so to do he saith he thought he could also work in a Spiritual man as in Peter c. But not in and by the Spiritual man it was in and by the natural part both in Peter and Paul that he wrought if he thinks not so let him say the contrary Pag. 425. in answer to what I say of the excellency of this Worship as that which can not be interrupted to prove that Christ's Kingdom needeth outward power to protect it he telleth of the promise that Kings shall be nursing fathers What then That may be an advantage yet it will not follow there is an absolute need for it else Christ's Kingdom could not be without it but indeed such a sure outward Kingdom the Priests always covet where they may be upheld by the Magistrate and supplied with daily augmentations and have all others that differ from them severely persecuted for where this is wanting they cry out Alas like Babylons Marchants and think it goes not wel with their Zion The rest of this page he concludes with railing but for answer to it he may know that the Quakers meetings in Scotland albeit few in number have met with more injurys from wicked men than the Presbyterians and that they never defendedh emselvs with force of Armes against any far less against the Magistrate as his Brethren have don or with sheding of Blood As for his other quibble pag. 427. that ceasing to do evil is not without all action of the mind not to contend with him about it I shall not plead for a further cessation than such a simple forbearance importeth and let him call it an action if he will His chief reply to what I say in answer to what they object of Silence besides some scofs is that what I alledg is not spoken of an introverting Silence for he will needs use this Latine word and not translate it but can there be any true silence in order or with respect to the worship of God where the eye of the mind
betwixt Elicite and Imperat Acts of Conscience that is as himself explains Inward and Outward for as to the first he confesseth the Magistrate is not to compell men so as to hinder them to think judge understand and conclude in their mind as they will but only in speaking writing and open profession which are visible and audible yea he thinks the Magistrates power doth not only extend on this side to prohibition but that he may also force them to hear and to the use of publik means that is in plain terms to an outward conformity and yet he saith this is no force upon Consceince We I then Popish Magistrates according to him used no force upon the Consciences of Protestants in forceing them to hear Mass nor yet the Pagans upon the Christians in forceing them to go to Idol-worships and to come near home the present Magistrates in Scotland use no force upon the Consciences of his Brethren the Presbyterians in the west-countrey in constraining them to go to hear the Bishops Curats as they term them where they can not pretend there is any thing of Idolatry As for his distinction of the Magistrates having power of outward but not inward acts it were enough for me to reject it as not being proved by him to be founded on Scriptur as indeed it is most deceitfull For if the Magistrate restrain me from doing that outward action either of confessing to Truth or denying error abstaining from idolatry or false worship and practising the true which my inward perswasion convinceth me of he encroacheth upon and takes upon him to rule over my inward perswasion as wel as the outward which follows naturally from the inward and without doing whereof my inward could and nothing to me save condemnation seing Christ requires an outward confession And if the Magistrates power as to outward acts even in matters of Religion be limited then he of right may decide and judge of all outward matters relating to Religion which Iohn Brown may remember his Brethren have strongly denied reserving that only for the Kirk for to say as he addeth that the Magistrate has power to punish Heretiks but not the Orthodox is as I observed miserably to beg the question since never any Magistrate was so mad as to persecut Truth as Truth but still under the notion of Error The sum of what he saith further upon this matter pag. 505-507 508 509. in answer to me resolves in these two objections ¶ 3. First That my Arguments do no less take away the Magistrates power in Civils Secondly That by the same arguments may be denied and taken away all Church censurs which I grant and in so doing contradict my self or must answer my own arguments For proof of the First he tels that many Magistrates have been or may be uncapable to judge in Civil matters as wel as Religion as also have done unjustice in their judgement Answ. True but all this will no ways inferr his conclusion because they still had that which was needfull to the being of Magistracy that is being duely to constitute for of usurpers we do not here speak however they may want these qualitys which might more accomplish them in their employment or that they may err in the administration of it but Christianity and consequently to judge in matters of Religion doth not so much as pertain to the esse or being of a Magistrate for if it did no man could ever have been or yet could be a true Magistrate or ought to be so owned unless a Christian which I suppose Iohn Brown will not adventur to affirm or if he do he will manifestly contradict the doctrin as wel as practice of Christ and his Apostles who preached Subjection and were themselves subject to such Magistrates as were enemies to Christianity If then a Magistrate may be truely a Magistrate and ought by Christians to be acknowledged and submitted to as such who is not a Christian to deny to Magistrates that power of Judgment which they can only have as being Christians will not necessarily take away any of their power as Magistrates for Christian Subjects especially being privat persons may and ought to submitt and obey their lawfull Magistrates albeit committing errors in the Government and commanding things hurtfull to the State and if they do other ways may be justly punished where the nature of the Government giveth them not allowance so to do But if the Magistrate shall command any thing contrary to the Law of God or impose in matters of Conscience contrary to Truth I. B. will with me confess unless he condemn himself that every privat Christian may without being justly accused of contempt refuse to obey as many of Iohn Brown's friends do in not going to the parish Kirks where the same faith and doctrin they hold is preached contrary to acts of Parliament For he hath not proved that a Magistrate by being a Christian acquires more power than he had before or is more a Magistrate though he may be a better For albeit as he observs Fathers be desired to instruct their children which Pagan fathers can not do yet they are not more fathers than before nor have more authority or power over their children to force them than before so a Magistrate being a Christian may instruct countenance and advance Christianity by the advantage of his place but acquires no more power thereby to force his people upon that account I. B. if he judge so will do wel to prove it by Scriptur ¶ 4. The reason of his second objection is because a Church may err in their judgment being defective as he supposed the Magistrate in the former objection and so may condemn Truth for error But how weak this is is very apparent For if he can shew us a Church having the true being of a Church which ought to be acknowledged and submitted to by Christians as such which vet is wholly a stranger to yea an enemy and persecutor of Christianity as I did him in the case of Magistracy he will say something but other ways nothing at all Next the censur of a Church however he seems to judge otherwise can not be called forceing of Conscience in the sense I grant it which is only for to deny the persons censured their Spiritual fellowship since he himself by his differing from them breaks it off as in my book intituled The Anarchy of the Ranters c. written concerning Church Government I have at large shewn And if the difference be such as the Church judgeth in conscience they can not have spiritual communion with one so principled it were in him a forceing of their conscience to urge it upon them for since he takes the liberty out of Conscience as he judgeth to differ from all his Brethren it were a most unreasonable thing in such a one to deny them the liberty being perswaded in their conscience they ought to withdraw from him seing the band of their unity which at