I. O. I am to Answer him in else-where So say I to I.O. T. D. or any other Thinkers or Seemers to themselves to see Proferant Fantastisi c. let these Pretenders to the Vision of this matter produce but one place of the Holy Scripture or any Testimony from Heaven but such a one from above they can't who deny Gods Spirit so speaking in these dayes as of old wherein God Christ or the Apostles set out the distinct bounds of their Canon Directory or Standard of the Old or New Testament by such a precise parcel of Books as are in your Bibles and exclusively of any other holy Writ whether mentioned or not mentioned therein and wee l not say but they have Cause in this Case though if 't were as they say they must hang down their heads with shame in 20 more to triumph in earnest Si autem de suo tantum loquuntur mendaces sunt neque verum est eorum Testimonium if they talk of their own heads of things about the Scripture which the Scripture Testifies not of it self they are Lyars and their Testimony is not true As to the Canon as ye call it or Standard of the Old Testament there 's not the least Tittle of Tendency to any such thing hinted there that it should consist of so many Books and such shall stand in it and such other though as legitimate and mentioned to be of God therein as well as the rest shall be shut out and stand by And in very Ezra alias Esdras his dayes when there was such a Paucity of Copies as thou well sayest I.O. Pag. 177. That in very deed the who'e Law was burnt as to the Originals its like at least 2 Esdras 14. 21 22 c. The Care of him and his Companions was great as thou sayest as to the Restoring of the Scripture to its Purity when it had met with the greatest Tiyal that ever it under-went before insomuch that what Books could be gotten together were copied cut or else written de novo by the light of understanding kindled in Esdras his heart by the Lord and many excellent thing done as to the Recovery of the Law into more purity in the very Letter of it out of the Babilonish rubbish c. but what 's all this as to the settling of this and that and t'other Prophecy into the distinct measure of a Standard by divine Appointment and dis-Canonizing all others save such as are in your Bibles called Canonical whether those of the Seers Gad Nathan Iddo and the rest abovesaid that are specified in your Bibles or those later which are allowed a room and standing in your Bibles though not a room and standing in your Rule and Standard thereof called Apocryphal of which some were Esdras his own as well as some of the rest Besides 't is evident that Esdras and his Companions if the Consigration and Bounding of the Canon were in their dayes or by their Sanydrim set a work and ordered by the insallible Spirit of God therein wrote a number more of Books 2 Esdras 14. 42. 44. then are now Extant in your Bibles which if all lost it makes against I.O. still that sayes not an Apex of what was by divine inspiration is lost and so his great Engine out of which he shoots short against the Truth his Standard and Canon comes still lame and short and halting home And also though Esdras and his Company Compiled many yet the last Volume of the Psalmes is more credibly supposed if I would enter into I. O's Work of Answering Conjecture with Conjecture to be truss'd up together in the dayes of the Maccabees but all here is uncertain and carried to and fro by Conjectures and so there 's nothing sure on I. O's side And as to the newer and later Scripture since Christ where is the least touch of such a businesse of Constituting some few certain Books of those many more then we have which were then written into a Canon and discarding othersome whether such as we want or such legitimate ones as we have as that to Laodicea from within the Coasts and Quarters of your Canon Nay rather the Scripture of the New sayes as in the places above Cited Rom. 15.4 1 Cor. 10.11 2 Tim. 3.16.17 2 Pet. 1.20.21 That all Scriptures that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given or written by Inspiration of old time were to the same purpose that any at all were so that if any of it all then all of it is to be listed into that Lydium Lapidem and to be Confederate with the rest and to come by right into the Confines of your Canon all what ever was so written being alike written for our Instruction alike profitable alike publick and none of it of a more private Interpretation then the rest Does that of T. D's Citing and I. O's also Ex. 3. 26. viz. Iob. 20.30.31 prove any such thing If that be Exclusive of any Scripture at all it must be of all that which was written after it forasmuch as according to T. Ds. Exposition of it it intimates a sufficiency in that which was already written and if wee l be befool'd with his sinister senses and mindlesse meanings on the Scripture that when he had written that there was as much as God himself thought sufficient to be written at all as a rule of Faith or in order to mens beleeving pag. 28. These are Written that ye might be'eeve and have Life as if he should say Here 's enough what need more And as the Preacher said of old Of making many Books there 's no end by these be thou Admonished they are words of Truth therefore heed no more Eccles. 12.10.12 Will any of you say that in Iohn yet T. D twines it such a way will bear such a Construction as to be Conclusive of some Scriptures of Spiritually Inspired men into the use of a Canon or Standard and exclusive of others as much of God as those On this account as one might Interpret Solomon as cutting off from the Canon all the Prophets Writings that succeeded his in the Old Testament Scripture so one must Interpret Iohn as Excluding out of the Standard of the New Testament all ensuing Writings of Holy men but his own and his own Epistles and Revelation also which were Posterior or Successive to his History then in hand as utterly uselesse and superfluous Credat Apelia Doth that Gal. 6. 16 As many as walk according to this Rule or Canon do it which blind Guides and People so hastily patter over as if that mentioned the whole Bible and all that Writing and not a Tittle more then what 's bound up in it besides the Apocrypha when I shall shew in its proper place it s spoken of no External Scripture of Writing at all I say will that prove some to be Authorized of God for the Standard and some even of the same Holy mens Writings though yet extant not to be so Is there
the proofs by me urged against thee are elsewhere discovered thou rouzest up thy self into a new proposal of thy Question in these Terms p. 28. viz. Whether the Hooks commonly called the Old and New Testament were appointed by God for a standing Rule of faith and life which I denying the Books to be thou repliest on this wise viz Now you have spit out your venome which I knew you were big with and I will say to you as the Apostle if any man bring any other Gospel then what we have received let him be accursed To which when I replied I am sure the Gospel you preach will never bring men to heaven Thou relatest thy self replying thus viz. Then friends you hear his acknowledgement and how well he deserves the curse denounced against him By all which passages the Reade may observe these things 1. That thou judgest the Scriptures to be not only the standing Rule of faith and life but also to be the Gospel 2. That there is no other Gospel designed by God as the standing Rules then the Scriptures 3. That he that owns any thing else besides the Scriptures to be the Rule or the Gospel and he that denies the Gospel the Ministers of the letter preach which is but the Letter and the Scripture to be unable to bring men to heaven though I intended by those words viz. the Gospel you preach the false Doctrine and unholy matter ye hold forth when ye deny the Light and plead a necessity of sinning in this life and hold men to be justified and guiltless while under the guilt of Murder and Adultery and damn it as a Doctrine of Devils to affirm any perfect purging from sin in this world and such like and not the Scriptures which ye are far enough from preaching truly the very letter of is big with and spits out venome against the Scriptures and brings another Gospel then that ye have received and to be held accursed and well deserves the curse denounced against him by the Apostle Gal. 1.8 And in all these matters thou art coincident with I.O. who in substance asserts with thee the very same alluding to the self-same place Gal. 1. in proof of the Scriptures to be the Gospel and the only perfect rule of faith and worship Ex. 3. s. 26. Rep. But alas poor simple silly unlearned and ignorant men ye may curse them that bring another Gospel then that ye have received indeed who never at all yet received the true Gospel which the Galatians received from Paul who was not a Minister of the Letter to shew which is all your Gospel but of the spirit and of the light which only while the dead letter cannot do it saves and brings to heaven and gives the Life which Light and spirit is the old Gospel which we bring and minister to men while you for your meer Letters sake alter and despise it I say ye may curse in Pauls words but Pauls Curse will come upon you which being causelesly denounced against us by you cannot come on us Now before I come to urge any new Arguments against the Scripture or Letters being in the Authority of the only standing Rule as both T.D. p. 16. of his second Toy and I.O. p. 18. assert it to be concluding that there is no other Rule or measure of judging and determining any thing about the saving Doctrine of the Gospel but the Writing the Scriptures I shall take some account of some of T. D's and I. O's weak rushy kinde of reasonings by way of Answer to such Arguments as are urged by us against their reasonless suppositions in that behalf Beginning first with T. D's Jejune Replies to what Reasons were rendred by us to him against his Dream that there is no other standing Rule of faith and life but the Scriptures and so proceeding to an Examination of his and I. O's excentrick exhibitions of the Scriptures being the only Rule thereof interchangeably as I see occasion The first Argument urged against thee T.D. at the third Publick Dispute as thy self relatest it in p. 28 29. of thy first Pamphlet to prove the Scripture not the only Rule of faith and life was this Arg. 1. If there be another standing Rule then the Scripture is not it But there is another standing Rule therefore the Scripture is not it The minor thou deniest and sayest expresly that there is no other standing Rule but the Scripture which minor my proof of which thou rendrest as weakly as well as thou canst I proved in these very terms viz. If the Scripture it self sends us to another viz. the spirit as our Rule then it self is not the onely Rule But it self doth so therefore it self is not it The minor of this being denied by thee was proved thus That which the Scripture bids us walk in by after or according to that it sends to but the Scripture it self bids us walk in by a fur or according to the spirit therefore the Scripture sends us to another besides it self as our Rule and consequently is not it self the only standing Rule of faith and life in proof of this minor Gal. 5.16 was cited and some other Scriptures which thou leavest out whether as one loath to tell too much of that truth that makes against thee or no I will leave to thy conscience and not say but some may likely think so for all that as namely Gal. 6.16 besides I know not whether I instanced in any other which I shall here take that leave which in that confused crowd of conference thou strovest as thou sayest thy self to out-word us by for fear of being confuted thou wouldest not then grant me to urge by way of addition at this present viz. Rom. 8.1 4 5 13. Phil. 3.15 and to open as I see occasion in order to the service of that Truth I am now pleading against thee Nevertheless it were not for the Truths sake that it may more fully appear there is little need to say any thing more to thee than thou thy self hast set down in thy Reply to that Text viz. This I say walk in or rather to or according to the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ‑ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dative case which without the preposition's is elsewhere Engliâ—ht by or according to viz. Gal. 6.16 Phil. 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as many as walk according to this Rule let us walk by the same Rule is so jejune and wretched and poor and miserably blinde and naked being no other then this viz. that phrase doth denote the priniple not the rule of our obedience in that place where if by principle thou intendest the Foundation which the word principles is sometimes used as synonomous unto then thou quite overthrowest I.O. and helpest me against him however but that is no news for beside that each of you often
let it stand and pass on about my business concluding against thee I.O. in thy own words for the Light and Spirit to be that Rule thou sayest the Letter is from its perfection ab Authore A causa perfecta c. From a perfect voluntary cause nothing but what is perfect can be expected for nothing can hinder God being willing to reveal his will from revealing it perfectly as before the Letter was so now where the Letter is not among heathens by his Light and Spirit by which thou confessest he reveals it very far in the words forecited but either because he cannot which denies his infinite Wisdome and Omnipotency or because he will not which agrees not with his goodness and grace Therefore God hath and doth give out by his Light and Spirit within a perfect Revelation of his will so that they consequently must be secundum te by thy own Argument J.O. the only perfect standing Rule for there are not two so far is the Letter that came from them from being so as thy fancy fancies it to be alone and exclusively of them as uncertain useless needless perillous and detestable The second medium by which thou goest about to prove the foresaid conclusion viz. That the Letter or Scriptures are the only perfect Rule Revelation of God his will and our duty that gives to know him to eternal life and not the Spirit and light which as Enthusiasm dubious useless figment c. are with thee to be detested is A naturâ librorum sacrae Scripturae c. from the nature of the books of the holy Scripture which are sayest thou those of the Old and New Testament so sayest thou the Apostle clearly dilates of the Old Testament 2 Cor. 3.14 in the reading of the Old Testament of the New there 's the same reason vers 6. Now every Testament sayest thou alluding to but not quoting Gal. 3.15 though but a mans is perfect and being once confirmed no man disanulleth or superaddeth thereunto Reply Never did I discern such absolute self-overturnings proceed from a professed Doctor as do from J.O. thick and threefold in the very cause he prosecutes whose proofs of his own producing do as frequently confound him and as fully foil him as to the matter he would prove thereby as any that can likely be produced against him by those he opposes and yet I verily beleeve he speaks the sense wellnigh of the whole Vniversity it self in which he hath in the late clawing cringing corresponding and climing times atchieved to become a Chieftane And that it may appear le ts reason J.O. hereabout a little with thee let me ask thee Is the Gospel is the New Testament Letter Scripture external Text and outward Writing as the Old Testament is Is it such a passing perishing dark low obscure thing as writing or graving of Points Tittles and Iotaes in Tables of stone though with the singer of God himself much more it such a mouldring matter for so thy self callest the most Original Copies of the external Text of the holy Scripture that ever was in the world p. 167.164 and therefore well may I so call thy best bare transcribed copies of it as Writings with inke and stamping with Lamb-black in Roles and Books and Papers and Parchments with press hands and tools which cannot be preserved so long as from Ezra till now from mouldring without a Miracle Is the Gospel the New Testament no more than such as thou talkest of Is it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Typography which meer men can take and turn and translate and tumble to and fro and transcribe and tear and dash out and do what they will with Is it outward writings of Epistles and Recommendations and Histories and Letters as that of Paul to Philemon about private personal and domestick affairs and such like Is it not an Epistle of Christ in the table of the heart though ministred sometimes by man at the motion of his Spirit or if a Writing yet not with Inke but with the Spirit of the living God in fleshly Tables of the heart 2 Cor. 3. Is is as the Old Testament as all meer writing ad extra only is whether of old or since Christ and all outward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Letter only that cannot quicken nor cure but killeth such as serve as thou yet doest in the oldness of it Is it not Spirit Light and Life Is it not the Words of Christ spoken by the Lord himself alone which are Spirit and Life in newness of which the true children of the New Covenant that are more then Bastards that pretend to it do serve and not in the oldness of a letter or that old way of the old Scribes that came no nearer to Christ the Life then the outside of the outward Scripture which was wrote of him Is it any of these things are not these the best Instruments of the Old Testament foolish Shepherds wherewith for a time they were suffered to feed who made the poor of the flock the flock of the slaughter taken up again since Christ directly beside the intent of Christ and such as wrote the later Scriptures by our Idol Shepherds that leave the flock to starve so they can be better fed themselves who are not behinde those of old in feeding with Gall and Wormwood the flock of the slaughter in not pitying but slaying them and yet holding themselves not guilty for which the sword of the Lord is now upon their arm and upon their right eye so that their Arm or Power is now to be clean dryed up and their right eye utterly darkned Ah poor be-wildred be-nighted blind-guides of your blindly-guided people that by custome and tradition from your mouths who take it so to be by tradition from your Fore-fathers are now naturallized into a naming the naked dead letter by the name of the living Word of the living God and the four mis-transcribed and mis-translated Copies of Matthew Mark Luke and Iohns Manuscript of what Christ did in that body wherein he was born at Bethlehem and dyed at Ierusalem by the name of the Gospel and those four bare Books with the rest of those few that follow fardelled together with them in what fashion men most fancy and bound up as the Bible sellers please by the name of the New Testament So thou talkest I.O. telling the world of the nature of the Books of the Scripture as ye now have it is this they are the Old Testament and the New so thou intendest in thy saying Sunt autem veteris novi Testamenti 1. Citing Paul who calls the Books of Moses the Old Testament 2 Cor. 3.14 as â—â—ll well he might for the Old Testament was indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Letter or Writing writen with Inke and Pen or ingraven outwardly on Tables of stone and not Spirit or writing with the Spirit of the living God in the fleshly Tables of the heart as the New is which the
Saints are under who are therefore said to serve Rom 7.6 not in the oldness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the letter but in the newness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Spirit And then secondly asserting that Novi Testamenti â—adem est ratiâ— the case is the same between the Old Testament and the New which is most false as to the thing in hand and 3. Citing 2 Cor. 3.6 in proof of it By which thou shewest thy folly for thou couldest not have well found out a fitter Text for its disproof whether thou who citest it for borest to set it down yea or nay for fear its should be seen how far it contradicts what thou citest it for I will not say but I am sure a man that is but minded to miss the meaning of it may run and read how that verse subverts the busines thou bringest it in for yea verily so far is that Apostle who truly calls the Old Testament by the names of Book Heb 9.19 and Letter written engraven in stones and such like from affirming with thee that the case is the same with the new Testament as to the name and nature thereof that both in that verse and in the third veâ—se also he more then intimates yea plainly expresses that of the Old and New Testament in that particular more than any diversâ— est raâ—io the case is diverse yea so far different that he flatly opposes the one to the other as things that however agreeing otherwise viz. in their being both glorious in som degree though the New in a far greater degree then the other as a beautiful picture may agree in respect of beauty glory comeliness and compleat resemblance in some degree with the substantial person that is it paâ—tâ—rn of yet disâ—agree in this that the one is Letter Outward writing printing and ingraving c. visible and legible by the outward eye the other not so but internal invisible spiritual written with the Spirit in the heart yea Spirit it self which while the Letter is dead and killing is only living quickning and giving life Yea two varying Ministration doth the Apostle make them not onâ—y as one is that of death and condemnation to the children of it of whom on pain of perishing it requires the living of a life which it gives no ability to and which the other i e. the Spirit only gives and inables to live the other that of Spirit Life Liberty Righteousness Glory but also as the one that is the Old is a writing ad extra only the other that is the New a writing a Scripture only ad intra though written of by that without that he absolutely asserts a present inconsistency since the doing away of the Old between a mans being a Minister now of both as once and that posita novo tollitur vetus the new being now come in full force and confirmed by the Testators death the Old Testament and its Ministry is disanulled in regard of its weakness and unprofitableness however profitable as a Type in its time for many uses to bring immediately to the life so that he who is the Minister of the one i.e. of the Old Testament i.e. of the Letter Outward writing Text or Scripture is not a Minister of the other i.e. of the New i.e. of the Gospel Righteousness Glory liberty life and Spirit and Retro he who is a true Minister of the Gospel or New Testament as now standing in the force and substance it self out of the figure and shadows wherewith it was vailed of old is not though he may utter things as moved of the Spirit that are written in the Letter as Christ himself and the Apostles did a Minister of the Old as the Old Word-stealers Jer. 23. were and our Modern Text-takers and Scripture-sellers are Paul taketh away the one from him on whom he stablisheth the other denies the one of whom he affirms the other and opposes the New Testament which he stiles the Spirit to the Letter by which name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he denominates only the Old God saith he hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life 2. Here is not all nor yet not half of that absurdity and falshood that I.O. in his folly flings abroad in that small parcel above which I am yet under the animadversion of for whereas he sayes I am vero omne Testamentum est perfectum every Testament is perfect intending it both of the Old Testament and the New and not only so but of such a perfection as avails in hunc finens ut assequamur vitam aeternam to this very end viz The obtaining the life eternal it self for so is his assertion of the Books of the Scriptures which he describes as to their nature and concludes under that name of the Old and New Testament his Positiâ—n is so wofully false that himself is as wonderfully foolish who sees it not flatly contradictory to the Scripture for howbeit the very Old Testament or outward letter is duly owned by us to be a Ministration of God from whom nothing can come as is abovesaid but what is perfect praesertim respectu finis cui opus quodcunque deflinat in reference to that end for which he appoints it absolutely perfect to that end for which it is given forth of God which is to be an A B C or elementary help or outward worldly Rudiment to indoctrinate younglings in their â—â—nage concerning the inward Light and Spirit as the only way that leads to Christ the Life from whom the Light comes and is lent as a line or clew of thread that followed conducts through the valley and shadow of death to the Life it self in which respect the Letter of the Law is called a School-master Tutor Governour under whose Tuition the under aged imbondaged ignorant ones may be trained up into a true understanding of the Truth as it is in Jâ—sus as by a Shadow Type Figure Festraw or Finger that points the Primarian Professors more distinctly to that they are to eye and aim at more then it self and by such as are in the faith and obedience to the light may be used too to make them wiser toward salvation and more perfectly furnish◠〈◊〉 every good work as he that is past a novice and is become a well-studied Scholar can and may but must is another matter read in the Horn-book as well and better than when he learned in it yet as to its being so omnibus numeris absoluta perfecta as thou bablest making it so perfect as to bring to the life that is a meer Antiscriptural fiction of thy own fancy for though a man may by the Horn-book learning become the more dispositively fitted to read in the Bible and other books of Latine or Logick and so by degrees come at last to the capacity and degree of a Doctor in the Vniversiâ—y yet he
Letter as profitable in a way that will prove little to his purpose the rest will frustrate his expectation of assistance from them sail him fal in with us neither expressing nor implying any such matter as the Scripture as he supposes but intending all the very truth we contend for against him viz. The efficacy profitable and powerful operation of the inward light Word and Spirit of God which he Ironically glories over as inania inutilia incerta minime necessaria fictitia rejicienda detestanda and such like Those Texts are Ps. 19.8 119.105 Rom. 1.15 16. 2 King 3.15 Iam. 1.21 1 Tim. 4.16 Isa. 55.10 11. Iâ—r 23.29 Ioh. 8.31.5 1. Ioh. 17.20 Rom. 15. â— Heb. 4.12 Here 's a whole Jure impannelled again of which he imagines that they will all give their verdict his way for the Scripture that it doth efficere ea omnia praedicté yea alia omnia perficere c. effect the things aforesaid yea and perfect or accomplish all things necessary to Gods glory and our salvation alone so that inania sunt falsa c. All Revelation or means of Revelation by these things viz. The spirit or Light within the Qua. call to are vain and false c. But setting aside two of them viz. 2 Tim 3.15 Rom. 15.4 as I have shewed above which though they do speak of the outward Scriptures being useful profitable and comfortable to the Saints yet prove them not to be therefore the only perfect standing Rule of faith and life for the reason rendred by T.D. why all Scripture that is by inspiration is not so because besiâ—es inspiâ—ation to make a Rule is necessary Gods appointment of Writings to that end pag. 43. of his 2. Pamph. which said appointment to that end the Book called the Bible hath not saving only that appointment of man not so much as one of all the rest of his Trusty Texts do either mention or mean ought of the outward Scripture I.O. cites and summons them all together to pass their Vote for but do all unanimously give their Verdict on the behalf of that holy Spirit Word and Light within which the Qua. stand to vindicate as the antient most perfect useful certain stedfast standing Rule of faith and life and way of Gods revraling his will to us and of our saving knowledge of himself and it and our duty to him in particular against that venome I.O. and T.D. spit out against them with which they are big I.O. specially under the slanderous disgraceful and opdrobrious compellations of uncertain dangerous unuseful in no wise necessary counterfeit abject detestable So that I might let them all pass take no notice of them unless he had brought such Scriptures in proof the Scriptures power and efficacy as make some mention thereof either expresly or implicitly at least yet since they make not little to I.Os. as they make much for the Qua. cause against him who affirm the word in the heart and light within to be that which he falsely and ignorantly asserts the Letter to be viz. the only standing Rule and way of knowing God savingly and means of Revelation of himself and wâ—â— and our duty to us of our obtaining life and that very self-evidencing effectual light and power of God to salvation I am minded to insist here a little longer upon them and perhaps upon such other Texts as I.O. elsewhere wrests this way in proof of the self-evidencing efficacy light and power of the Scriptures in his English Treatises as well as in his Latine Theses The first of I.Os. Twelve Texts Ten whereof nor talk of nor intend nor mention nor mean the Sripture at all viz. Ps. 19. it hath been talkt with already above where I have shewed that the Law of God which is therefore said to be a restituens animam restoring and converting the soul is the Light the Letter speaks of and not the Letter it self which any but a blinde man may see for what Letter was written when David wrote this very little more then the Books of Moses which I.O. himself and all men conâ—ess to be but the Old Testament which is but the letter that killeth for is that outward Letter of the Apostles and Evangelists were the new Testament as they call it yet none of that was in being till above a thousand years after David and the Old Testament that was in his dayes is now abolished neither it nor the Letter nor outward Statutes and Judgements of it being given to any but Jacob or Israel after the flesh as a type of the New Testament or Covenant that is now made good to Israel after the Spirit but that Text I say hath been unfolded enough before so that though I meet with it again here as I have done twice before and whether I may again or no it matters not but sure I am that some Scriptures thou citest four and some five or six times over at least in thy Book how much more I know not in proof of the Scriptures being this and that which testifie no one Tittle of any thing concerning the Scriptures at all so dry are our Doctors and Divines drawn and nearly driven to finde out furniture in the Scripture in defence of their false faith and meer figments about the Scripture I shall meddle no mo more with it here nor with the second that are sufficiently forespoken to though they both speak something as good as nothing to thy cause concerning the outward Scriptures viz Rom. 15. 2 Tim. 3. As for the other nine they all with one consent and more that elsewhere thou cotest do declare the Authority efficacy self-evidencing light and power of the word of God within which both the Qua. and the Scriptures bear one and the self-same testimony to but predicate nothing at all of the Scriptures which nine together with the rest that are coincident therewith and truly cogent to all mens consciences as concerning the witness they give to the inward word the outward Letter relates of I shall here take under consideration in what order is not very much material As to that Ioh. 8 31.5 1. in which two verses Christ to the Jews speaks of one and the same thing which run thus If ye continue in my words ye are my Disciples indeed and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free If a mâ—n keep my saying he shall never see death I reply Reply Christs Word and his saying is efficacious and powerful to tree them that continue beleeving in it and deliver from death and give life yea that the Words he speaks are spirit and life according as he sayes of them Ioh. 6.63 and vers 68. the Words of eternal life which Text pag. 68. thou I.O. very falsely expoundest of Moses the Prophets and Apostles Writings this who â—â—â—â—ies Which word of his as it s heeded in the heart where it is spoken and laid up there till it dwell richly within sits men to teach
have seen and remembred that several Stories Proverbs Doctrines Prophesies and other parcels and passages as they stand recorded in thy Rule or Canon were not written so immediately from God as thou imaginest that in the first reception as well as in the first Scription of some of them there was an Active and not onely a Passive concurrence of the Rational Faculties of the Writers and also such an Active obedience as by some Law they might be obliged to 1. How immediately from God dost thou deem were the Writings of sundry of those Genealogies in the Letter of the Iewish Law about which there are among many such Ministers as thy self such foolish questions and contentions and endless strivings which Paul bids those two Ministers viz Timothy and Titus not to give heed to but avoid as unprofitable and vain and fables and things that Minister matter of question and vain jangling rather then godly edifying 1 Tim. 1.4.6 Tit. 3.9 And also of those Chronologies and Nomenclators and to us impertinent Catalogues of Names of such as came out of Babylon at first with Zorobabel and then with Ezra and of such as had married strange VVives and of such as sealed the Covenant and of the Levites in their several Offices and Orders of singing-men and Porters and Priests that could not find their Pedigree and of the children of Solomons servants and of the builders of the wall and many more particular nominations and enumerations of that sort that are in the Chronicles Ezra and Nehemiah which whatever use they were of under the Iewish Paedagogie make little to us now as to a punctual observation of them much less so much as thou I.O. of whose Foundation Rule Cannon and Standard they are no small part supposest insomuch that on any corruption supposed therein as there well may be and contradiction too if the Books of Samuel the Kings and Chronicles be critically or but carefuâ—ly considered 1 Sam. 16.9 10 11. 1 Sam. â—â— 12 14. compared with 1 Chron. 2.13 14 15. the certainty of all saving Doctrine is consequently supposed to be lost I say how immediately are these Writings and things written from God without any active concurrence of the rational faculties of the Writers in the wâ—iting of them May it not very well be supposed that some of these things were written at first if by such holy men as all the Iews were not that were very zealous of the Letter of the Law and in writing the deeds done in their Nation yet at least in such wise onely as holy men may without immediate reception of every Tittle as thou twatlest they did from God and by the active concurrence of their rational faculties write a story of what is done in their sight or of what they have by hear-say or find in the Books of the Chronicles of things done in such or such Nations May it not be supposed that some of those Stories and Genealogies and Chronicles and Catalogues and Proverbs and Prophesies pertaining to the Old Testament and some of the Stories of the New too were written though not without the spirit moving the holy men to it that liv'd in the spirit yet so as not without a retaining them in their memories and an active concurrence of their rational faculties and such an active obedience as by some Law they might be obliged to Yea how frivolously foolish art thou in the uttering of thy self Is not the very moving of the spirit it self in which thou ownest they wrote and the Law of the spirit obliging thereto 2. And what thinkest thou of the History of Iohn Mark which some have in that respect stiled Sacrum furtâ—m a kind of holy Theft is it not possible but that it might be some Abbreviation of Matthew's story concerning Christ there being little in it but what is well-nigh word for word in the other Though some Ancients have related it to be given forth by Peter and by Mark onely written from his mouth either of which if it was then was it not so immediately from God as thou I.O. guessest as to the Writing of it the Pen-man taking it either out of anothers Writing or else from the mouth of another man that had it more immediately then he and yet neither of them so immediately from God as that there was onely a passive concurrence of their Rational faculties in the reception of it for whether it were Mark writing out of Matthew or from Peter's mouth or of himself as it seemed good to him to set down 't was but a History of such things as he was well acquainted with either as an eye or ear-witness thereof or as one that had it sufficiently attested to for him to undertake to write it out as truth and so not without an active concurrence of his rational faculties in the reception of what he wrote as well as not without a moving thereto by the holy spirit in which he lived and in the light of which he saw it might be serviceable And on such an account as this rationally reckoning within himself it might be useful so to do Luke the Physician wrote his two Histories of the Acts of Christ and of his Apostles in which Book called the Acts many if not most of the matters mentioned by him were about Paul whose Companion he was in several of his Travels excepting some passages about the beginning of it concerning all the Apostles and some touches concerning Barnabas and Silas and some others upon occasion of their being here and there with Paul in some services but as for the Apostles after whom his Book is called the Acts of the Apostles there 's scarce the one hundredth part of what they all did nor of those travels and sufferings that they sustained medled with at all by Luke who took notice of little more then what he knew as he was a fellow traveller with Paul And that his Writings were of no other nature then thus appears plainly by his Preface to the first of them which ye call The Gospel of St. Luke where Luke 1.1 2 3 4. he writes on this wife Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a Declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us even as they delivered them unto us which from the beginning were eye-witnesses and Ministers of the Word it seemed good to me also having had a perfect understanding of things from the beginning to write unto thee in orderâ— most excellent Theophilus that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed Which words many have taken in hand to declare what was delivered to them by the eye-witnesses and it seemed good to me also to write to thee c. sound forth That howbeit the spirit of God might move him so to do for service sake to the truth yet as others had done before him of whom whether Mark were one yea or nay it matters not much to me so
contradicts himself ye are for all your siding to vindicate the same Points of false Doctrine against the Qua. so frequently sound contradicting each other that in order to the consutation of you both a man may finde contradiction enough either in each of your Writings within themselves or in the Writing of one of you unto the other and so 't is in this case for I.O. owns no other Principle or Foundation of discovery of Divine Truth then the Scriptures for the Faith to stand on p. 18. But thou ownest the Spirit to be the Principle of obedience 2. If the phrase denotes the Principle only and not the Rule as it does not for it denotes both yet the other places mentioned do denote more expresly the Light and Spirit and not the Letter to be the Rule which said Light and Spirit that is the Power of God to say the truth is both the Principle upon which all true Faith is founded and is to stand 1 Cor 2.5 in the movings of which obedience is to be acted and also the Rule according to which as it moves leads guides directs impowers and no otherwise all things that are at all are to be both done and believed And no less do all those phrases however denote viz Rom. 8. 1.4.5.13 Who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit then a being taught led guided ruled directed by as well as moved acted and enabled from the Spirit so or so to believe or do for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Praeposition though join'd with the Genitive signifies contra against as Gal. 5. The flesh lusteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the Spirit yet with the accusative is secundum after according to so that the Light and Spirit of Christ within is not onely the Foundation upon which the Principle from which but also that in which the Standard Measure Guide and Rule of direction by after or according to which the Saints are to walk believe and do whatever they do in order to their pleasing of God and standing uncondemned in his sight And no less then so doth Phil. 3.16 import where Paul to the Saints at Philippi with the Bishop and Deacons according to their several statures and degrees of growth in the Light and Spirit of Christ wishes all that were perfect as every one is that is faithful to his own measure to be so minded as himself yet leaving every one to believe and judge by his own measure of Light not binding any one to his till God himself should reveal things as he knew them to those that were yet otherwise minded Neverthelesse quoth he whereunto we have already attained let us walk or steere our course by the same Rule let us mind the same thing Which same Rule or same thing that he wills all though their measures of Light may be different to mind and walk by He that shall dream it to be the Letter of the Scripture without and not the inward Light Grace and Spirit of Christ a measure and manifestation of which is according to the measure of the gift of Christ distributing to every one severally as he will to some more some less some one some two yet to every one one talent at least given to every man to profit withall to improve trade with and thrive by Matth. 25.15 Rom. 12.3.6 1 Cor. 12. 7.11 Eph. 4.7 8. compared with Psal. 68.18 Gifts to the Rebellious also 1 Pet. 4.10 11. I shall deem him to be more deservedly denominated a Doter then a Doctor in Divinity or a true Teacher of the things of God and the Gospel seeing the so-call'd Scripture-Rule or Canon so much counted on as that no other neither inward light nor Word nor Revelations of the Spirit Post completum ejus Canonem as J.O. sayes are at all to be admitted to the Name Title Honour and Authority of a Rule to the Church according to J. O's and T. D's Principles was not yet bounded nor compleated nor come to its full Coronation Canonization Consecration and Consignation by any Clerical Convocation of Divines as it did afterwards while Paul wrote thus to the Philippians there being more of his own and other holy men's Writings penned after this besides the Revelation of John which J.O. on his own head p. 18. calls the Close of the immediate Revelation of Gods will in that way of Writing And whether the Philippians had seen any Scripture at all much lesse any of the Books ye call the new-New-Testament more then this that Paul now wrote when he wrote this to them unless it may be conjectured from Ph. 3.1 that he himself wrote to them before to the same purpose as now and therefore sayes to write the same things to you is safe for you is questionable and more then J.O. and T.D. with both their heads laid together are able to prove therefore the same Rule he bids them all walk by according to their respective measures and the same thing he bids them mind was not the Scripture but the Light and Spirit which having reveal'd something to them would as they walked perfectly by the Rule thereof reveal all things to them in due time that he knew and they were ignorant of For though the Rule appointed design'd and authoriz'd by God for all men to mind as one man and to walk by from the beginning of the World to this day is but one i. e. the Light Word and Spirit in the heart and conscience yet the Degrees in which it is dispenced are different and every one that is found faithful in the improvement of what is committed to him be it little or more is crowned with the just account of Faithfulness V prightnesse and Perfection and title to the joy and right to have more committed to him Yea as if any man walk up to what he hath already attained to the understanding of the same shall have more abundance If any will do his will saith Christ i.e. so far as he knows the same shall know of the Doctrines that are taught whether they are of God or whether the Teachers thereof speak of themselve Joh. 7.15.16 Such shall discern and distinguish and see and grow into the Spirit of Iudgement and of a sound mind and into a cleare sight of the mind of God who manifests himself to such as he does not to the world who receive not the Spirit of Truth which he gives to all in some measure to convince them of sin righteousnesse and judgement and so to guide them out of sin but that some resist him but to such as own truth as receive him and love and come to the Light which â—evil ones hate loving flesh and darknesse more then it because it reproves their ill deeds that their deeds may be manifested more and more and come to be wrought in God he leads into all truth while such proud Pharisaical Praters as Vniversity-bred Schollars stubborn Students and rebellious Rabbies Scripture-searching
the house then some light from the Sun must be within the said Room also so wee argue Retro from hence If the dark place where the day is to dawn as the lesser light therein is observed be the heart then the place wherein the lesser light shines which even therefore secundum vâ—s O ye bâ—nighted ones cannot be the Letter must be the heart also but verum prius c. the first is true therefore the latter We have a more sure word of Prophesie to which ye do well to give heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts 2. The word of Prophesie or Prophetical word is a phrase that of it self seems to any but blinde Expositors to intend another thing than the outward Letter and to found forth no less then that more inward Word or immediate Testimony of Christ himself in the conscience elsewhere stiled the Words of Prophesie or Word of God and Witness or Testimony of Iesus or Spirit of Prophesie from which of which and to which the holy men that were internally illuminated thereby and made acquianted with Gods secrets bare Record or Testiminy without by Voice or Writings Rev. 1 2 3.19 10. the trâ—e and faithful words of the Lord himself inlightning such as wrote the Letter who having no need so to do the Lord and the Lamb being their light wrote not by though not against the Directory of I.Os. outward Candle Moon or Sun ad extra i.e. the external Text of others Writings Rev. 21.23 22.25.6 the Words of the Prophesie of this booke as Iohn calls it Rev. 22 8. i.e. the inward Spirit of Prophesie or Testimony of Iesus from which all Prophesie went forth whether by voice or writing which the Angels and Gods servants the Prophets had and kept Rev. 22 9 compared with Rev. 19.10 which book I.O. dreams 't is like was the outward Writing or Copy that Iohn gave forth the uncertain Copies of which to say nothing of the doubts of the old dimn sighted Doctors that were at oddes about the outward Book called the Revelation and some others even of those that are owned as Authentick whether they are not spurious yea or nay only are extant at this day little deeming that was an inward Book which I.O. tells us of too if he will own his own words p. 9. 25. which Iohn took in at first from which he gave out the the other and prophesied in the way of manual wiriting even the inner book of Gods secrets which are only with such as fear him revealed to Christ by the Father and by Christ to Iohn and opened by Christ to his servants at this day who eat it and prophesie out of it again before many Peoples Nations Tongues and Kings though sealed with 7 seals to the Scribes on the backside or outside of it on which backside or outward letter they are busily poring but they cannot read it neither learned nor unlearned because it is a Book sealed Rev. 5.3.10.2 9 10 11 12. Isa 29 9 ao 11 11. 3. That very Epethite which to the Word of Prophesie here spoken of is annexed doth even infallibly evidence it to be intended of that inner Word Spirit and light in the conscience which the Qua. call too and thou scoffest at and not at all of that fallible external Text which thou art so talkative for for it s called a sure permanent firm or stable Word which is more then can be saving all thy blinde bable about it asserted of the best and most original Copies of that Letter thou contendest for that are extant in the world in these dayes and not only so but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a more sure or stable word then that voice which Peter Iames and Iohn heard immediately from heaven out of the Fathers own mouth concerning his beloved Son Christ the light of the world given as a light to the Nations shining and shewing the will of God to them in every one 's own heart so Gods salvation to the ends of the earth saying unto them Hear ye him v. 17. comp with Mat. 27.5 which voice coming from the excellent glory which was infallibly sure to them no cunningly devised fable they heard when they were with Christ in the holy Mount Now the Word Spirit voice and light of Christ in the conscience is properly and truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a more stable firm and permanent Word or standing Rule constant Canon and lasting light and so more sure to us ward then that voice to them not surer in respect of its evidence to the hearers of it or the security given by it that it was no fable nor fancy in which sense thou most foolshly fanciest p. 66. that the immediate voice above said absit absurdum was not so sure i.e. not so certainly evident to be Gods voice as the Letter is certainly evident to be Gods Word for in that sense the said voice was to them that heard it most infallibly sure or evident so as nothing can bee surer to be God and I.O. in saying as he dotingly doth p. 66. that comparatively we have greater security from and by that written Word meaning the Scriptures or Writing for that is the Word written with all along such is his illiterate language then they had in and by that miraculous voice as he calls it and that the Scripture is more sure in respect of its giving out of its evidence to us then that voice of God was doth thereby absit blasphemia render the very voice of God himself whereby he spake in and to the Prophets that wrote the Scriptures to us less sure and certain more doubtful and questionable whether it might not be a mistake or no then the outward Writing or Text they wrote as it is transferred to our hands at this day through the hands of such a mighty multitude of fallible Transcribers none at all of which no not the first were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallible or divinely inspired so that they could not in any thing mistake by his own confession p. 167. where I.O. confesses and grants also that it s known that failings have been among them from whence various lections of which it cannot be ascertained to men now which is right which wrong are arisen which so variously transcribed Scripture it is shame enough for I.O. to assert as he doth p. 10. under that term of Word by which he terms it and p. 153 under its own name of Scripture that it is come forth to us from God without the least mixture â—r intervenience of medium obnoxious to fallibility as is the wisdome truth integrity knowledge and memory of the best of all men or capable to give change or aâ—teration to the least Iota or syllable and more shame yet to say as hee doth p 27. that every Apex of it is equally Divine and as immediately from God as the voice wherewith or
that if is hold not in this light he confesses himself and all such as side 〈◊〉 him to be Coâ—founded and at a losse as to all their Faith and unquestionable knowledge of any Saving Truth to this day For asmuch then as I saw the Sâ—â—rs so Blind as not onely not to distinguish oâ—èr which yet sometimes J. O. does but that 's to the further discovery of his own Confusion and Self-contradiction when at other times he does not between the Word or Truth it self which was in mens hearts before the Text which Truth is by the Quakers not denyed to be properly Gods Word The Foundation what ever else J. O. falsly affirms the Text to be and the Text it self which in time came from it and does but teâ—l of the Word and Truth to be nigh in the heart but also Extolling those Externalls with such Extream Rigidity as aforesaid Sith also the fight is about no lesse then the very Fundamentalls of the very Clergy and University mens Faith it self which is the most Immediate Foundation of the Faith of most other man who Pin their Faith on their Sleeves and believe Implicitly at a venture as their Ghostly Fathers and Holy Mothers believe and so miscarry and drop into the ditch with them if those their Blind Guides happen to be out I was much Prest in Spirit in words at length and not in Figures As to sheâ—â— both the Faultiness of the One aâ—d the Falseness of the Other that I might â—â—mind them of the onely True Foundation of All Truth which in the 3d. Exereiâ—â—tion is proved to be not the Text or Letter which yet is owned as useful in its place but that Inward Light Word and Spirit I. O. jeers at and does all the despight to that almost is possible to be done to it by any that do nâ—t as be sayes Falsly the Quakers do Ex. I. S. I. delight in doing the Devils Work of Defiance to the Word of God So not to leave him wholly Unanswered nor yet Answered only by the halves though in Answering him I should make my self more like him therein then I am in his Flood of Folly and Absur'd Assertion of the necessity of every Tittle of the Greek and Hebrew Text to the being and abiding among men of all Sacred Saving Truth This is the Respect in which though else my Life and Delight lyes not at all in Penning and Printing ought about such Impertinencies as these I had not only a Liberty lent me but also a certain Load laid on me from the Lord which Led me into so large an Examination of J. O's Lost Labour about the Letter and to become a Fool among Fools at this time so far as to Busy my self with them in their Bawbles if by any means I might gain some of them to a Sight of their Vanity Madness and Folly and to a Sober Solid Seeking after the more Sure and Serious Things of the True Wisdom it self viz. The Fear of the Lord Which is to depart from all that his Light in their Own Hearts makes manifeâ—t to be evil and to dwell not so much in the Seeing Knowing and Talking of Trivial Temporall Tittles as in Walking in the Eternal Truth Which is the beginning of that Wisdoâ— which is Folly to the Fools that yet walk in Darkness but doth in Truth Excel their University Wisdom or Science falsly so called as far as Light Excelleth Darkness And as to the Bigness of the Book which calls for so much the more Cost from him that Buyes it and so much the more Pains from him that 's willing to Busie himself in it If that trouble any one it shall not trouble me who have now gone through the Toyl of that Attendance to it which were it not freely for Truths sake alone I should in no wise take again upon me though to gain much more then the whole Impression of it amounts hitherto to the Charge of such as have carried it throw the Presse The Truth is I once intended no more then to have set out some single Sheets to J. O's Anti-Quakerism onely but it so falling out that before I was well warm in that Work after two or three Publike Disputes at Sandwich held by Three of us call'd Quakers viz. R. H. G. W. My self with Tho. Danson and sundry of his Associates there crept out two Quarrels of T.D. against Quakerism as he calls it much what to the same Truthlesse Tune as J. O's was and by and by another peice Patcht up tâ— the same purpose from Those Two Brethren J. T. and R. Baxter that were once beating each other for some Years together about Infant Baptism but are now both as One Man Biting the Quakers as ' tâ—ere with their Teeth which are as Spears and their Tongue which is as a sharp Sword and Baiting at that Truth that 's Testified by them and finding that these Four however oft contradicting each other were All carried about in the same Cloudy Circuit and Whirl-wind of Doctrine and did all Center in the same Sinck of Absurdities in their own Sayings and of Abominable Abuses of the Quakers and among them all so fuly in one Synod Sounding out the whole Sense and Leven of the whole Lump That Nilâ— fere dicendum est quod non dictum prius there can sâ—arcely any Thing henceforth be said against Vs and Truth which is not said before by them Instead of setting my self to enter the Lists with J. O. in a Single Conflict I saw it more serviceable to single out these Four as Four of their Choiâ—est Champions from among their Felâ—owes and under the Form of a Reply directed by Name more Particularly to These Four to give This ouâ— as a General Account of our Own Principles and Conâ—uâ—ative Answer to the Contrary Principles of aâ— Mens And this occasioned what was in my Intent set ouâ— at First and smaller Systeme to swell out at last into so large a Size Besides As 't is the very Life of Collegians and Clergy-men to busie themselves most in their Musing Places where they may have most Book-room being apt to think alâ— Lesser Paâ—â—ers Pedling and unfit for Them to find ought in that may be Answerable to the Vast Voluminousness of their Inventionâ—â— So J.O. Iudges the Quakers to be as it were but in Jest and to Trifle with Him when they take him in Hand and Talk of his Long Tales in two or three Words â—nely and would not have his Matters medled with unlesse more fully Witnesse Epist. p. 28. 29. Where quoth he One of â—ate not understanding Me nor the Thing he Writes about his mind for Opposition was to be satisfied I wish I could Prevail with those whose Interest compells them to choose rather to be Ignorant than to be Taâ—gin by me to let my Books a one Another in Answer to a Book of anâ— 140 Sheets of Paper Returns a Reply quoth he to â—o much of it as was written in a quarter
depressing the Light which is the Name of Christ exalted above all Names without any colour of light or tolerable evidence of Scripture or Reason that it is by ten thousand degrees so bad a business as thou makest of it into so low a condition as wherein to stand in need so far as a thing that needs no such thing but infallibly evidenceth its own Innocency and Excellency may be said to need it of such Apology as at the end of this work thou wilt find me making for it and so as to put it under every name that is named not only of things in Heaven or pertaining any way to the Kingdome thereof but of things in earth too and if ens be better then non ens as ye count it and a being though a bad one be better then none at all under things that are under the earth also setting it at naught so as to render it worse then naught till what in thee is thou quite annihilatest and mak'st just â—ought or nothing of it at all Having made unto thy self a Graven Image and Golden God of that meer Image thou hast by thee of the old Original Copies of the Scriptures in thy frothy vain light and yet dark and lightless mind thou dost Hos omnes naso suspendere adunco ironically fall a scoffing at the Qua. and the true Light of the true God and consequently at the true God from whom it comes puffing at it as if thou wouldst puff it out at a blast making thy self merry over it among thy Academical Admirers laughing both it and all that own it and so him that gives it out even to very scorn terming it as if thou knewst not what to call it that is bad enough for it I know not what Light that hath no community or correspondency with the Scriptures and jeeringly the Infaâ—lible Dâ—ctâ—r that counterfeited Light or Word within the feigned Imaginary Christ I know not what God or plenâ—iful Horn of the Heavenly Goat better then any God â— hâ—rrible figment a certain Imaginary Christ they lyingly devise which is a Light within common to all I know not what spiritual every thing that is truly nothing the meer imaginary and fancied Christ of a sâ—rt of Fanatical men I know not what Divine Quality or Soul of the World mingled into all things which may be every thing and in very need is just nothing Thus when thou hast made thy self sport enough with vilifying the Light of Christ and Christ who is the Light thou art pleased to end thy Play with a nullifying of it and so de nihilo nihilum nihil in nil c. out of this nothing there can come nothing and thou having done thy do with it hopest to hear no more of it away it must without more ado having nothing to do in rerum natura but to make I. O. merry a while and at his will to become nothing again But I. O. Hoc ego opertum Hoc Ridere meum tam nil nulla tibi vendo Scriptura vel inane tua quacunque vel ipsa As very nothing as this Light of Christ and Word within is with thee and thine whose thin somethings and empty every things in which you yet bless your selves are wearing out and mouldring to nothing yet such as know the true worth thereof will not so undervalue it as to sell it for any of thy vain Scripture for the Scripture nor for the best of that best Scripture which thy vain Scripture for it prefers before it which Scripture yet as to its own proper place and use they are far before thy self in preferring And howbeit thou deemest that the Light thou so damn'st down to nothing hath done with thee thou having thus done with it and done it away as far from thee as a man of thy Cloth can likely fling it yet there is an hour thou art not ware of wherein thy self and it must meet again in which it will find thee out for all thy floutings of it and come nigh to thee to Judgement as a swift Witness against thee for more things then that which thou hast forgotten and set all that thou hast done in thy vile body in remembrance and in order before thee and unless thou repent thee in the time wherein in the goodness of God its given men to lead them to repentance damn thee for ever far further from any sight as to enjoyment of it self and God then ever thou by all thy Judgement past against it canst condemn it from thy self or possibly judge it out of thy sight As for thy pair of Pamphlets T.D. they consist more particularly as follows viz. The first which besides its piece of Preface is a meer five-fold fiction of a treble Tale untrue Relation or cursory crooked crude and decrepid Account of the Three Disputations that were held at Sandwich on the twelf thirteenth nineteenth daies of the second Moneth 1659. between thy self and three of us called Quakers viz. R. Hubberthorn G. Whitehead and my self together with a short Answer as to the saving me that labour who should else have so entitled it thy self most truly superscribedst it p. 34. for indeed thy Devils Bow shoots too short either to hit the mark thou shootest at or hurt that innocent Lamb-like Spirit that speaks in that or any other of R. H. his writings to a trifling Pamphlet put forth by R. H. as thou triflingly termst it And lastly A brief Narrative so thou nam'st that last and most Remarkable part thereof of some Remarkable Passages The second which besides thy Epistle and Preface is but as it were a lesser Chump of the same old Wooden Block with the other subdividing and cleaving it self out also into five smaller chips fit for little else but fewel for the same fire by which as by the day that now declares the Workman and his Work of what sort it is they are all to be both revealed consumed and burnt up among the rest of those bryars and thorns that are setting themselves to battel against the Lord and of those buildings of wood hay and stubble which the Scornets of the Corner-stone are erecting to their own ruine viz. a kind of Epitomical repetition of what was shufflingly said by thy self in thy first Tritie concerning the four Heads or rather and indeed against these four points of Doctrine viz. 1 The Light of Christ. 2 Perfection 3 Iustification 4 The Scriptures with frequent references to thy so call'd Qua. folly for the rest of thy Replyes to us who had replied to them all ore and ore again before And lastly another Narrative not so call'd by thee yet for the lies and naughtiness thereof and nothing else much more Remarkable then the former as will be seen in my Animadversion of it Having said this little to you both I.O. and T. D. about your Books by way of Preface or Dedication of what hereafter follows to your selves and all your Followers and Fellow-Labourers
Title of the Quakers Folly under a meer empty seeming shew of manifesting whereof to all men thou hast more truly in the eyes of wise men and more fully manifested thy own and that so egregiously that Petulanti splene Cachinno some man of a light spirit and ticklish spleen so much concern'd in the all manner of ridiculosities thereof as I and my two Friends of Truth Rich. Hubberthorn and Geo. Whitehead who together with me who am very much are not a little belyed therein would have sent them home to their Author long since with no other Rod at their backs then some loud laughter thereat before the world they being worthy of little better Reply Howbeit I have answered them hitherto with no other then sober silence partly because the first is captivated already from doing so much mischief as it was designed to and both before and behind too well besieged to do any great Execution against the Truth being a Priori beset by a Book of R. Hubberthorns which it gives as it faith it self p. 34. a short Answer to a Posteriori by a Book of G. Whiteheads in which it is as soberly and â—ufficiently replayed to and partly if not principally because as I.Os. three Treatises have one with another as he saith Arctissimum materiae seu Doctrinae consortium so thy two books have with his as to the Doctrinal parts such an affinity in subject and co-incidence of matter being both di putatory more or less against the self-same truths the Qua. tell that in answering the one the other remains not unanswered and as to the Narrative parts of both which are full of false Narrations if two false tongues of two lying Linguists be like one another haud Linguae dissidium scarce more difference in Language then thus that as I.Os. book tells tales in some so both thine do in some other particulars against the Qua. insomuch that I saw I might as also I accordingly do though the bulk hereof thereby become bigger and the time of its coming out to publike view a little later then was once intended in replying to I.O. in many places wherein he and thou T. Danson who eodem horrendo â—ercussi scotomate dance the Râ—unds often together in the dark do meet in one easily interpose such a general Answer and render such a round Reply to thee and thine together with him and his as by which the Truth I singly seek to vindicate may be truly served though what I do is scarce so smarting a Rod as by thy two abusive businesses is truly deserved and that what is fit to be said by way of Answer to thee that is so over-p'us that it can conveniently come in neither directe nor collateraliter as miscellaneous among the matter that mainly relates to I.O. might as it is here and as it is but meet be clapped on as additional at the beginning I shall begin with the Wings of thy two Pamphlets each of which hath two waxen ones a piece viz. an Epistle and a Narrative which by the help of those lyes and false tales they are as with so many Peacocks tails behung with they fly so high at the face of the Sun itself even the Light and Truth of the living God that they melt of themselves before the heat thereof and must at last lye as low though they sore aloft for a while as the very Pit of Perdition the smoak of which together with their Fellow Locusts they first came out from These their two respective wings whereof I know not which to call the left and which the right so sinister are they all and so little dexterity is therein any of them being a little cropt or closely clipt the barebodies of both T.Ds. Divinity books as they will never soundly recover of those wounds that each of them hath had already from the hands of of G.W. and L.H. respectively replying to them so of the further bruises which they together with I.Os. Academical Ousets and hasty Assaults of the same Generation of Just ones are like to meet with in this ensuing encounter they will be disinabled from flying abroad so fast as to do any mischief where the night spends and the day dawns though they may possibly live so as to crawl and creep about a while in some Collegian Cells and other such like dark corners of the earth My Entrance shall be at thy Epistles in the first of which thou T.D. sayest Perhaps the Reader will wonder that thou shouldst meddle with such a Generation as the Quakers and think thy time hangs on the lug and will not off at any considerable rate Rep. I confeâ—s I am one of those Readers that more then think thou mightst have spent thy time far more considerably and to better purpose to have fully fell on with the Qua. in that good work then to fall upon them for it so fouly as thou dost of calling thy rude people to repentance from all sin into perfect purity and holiness the very thing thou pretendest to have thy wages for But when I consider the old Proverb that all Trades must live and that thine as well as that of the Lawyers is no longer liv'd then while people live and die in trespasses and sins I wonder no more then at Demetrius and his fellow Silver-Smiths of like occupation who by that cast of keeping men in sinful blindness having their wealth throw dust into the ayr against the Light that would lead them out that thou and thy muddy Generation meddle so much as ye do to muddle mens minds against such an Enlightening and Purifying a Generation as the Qua. are and besides Prov. 20.3 Every fool will be medling as Iannes and Iambres were as thou and I.O. are to manifest the Qua. notorious folly in these daies till they most notoriously manifest their own T. D. Thou tellest 'T was never thy ambitiÌ„on to appear so publikely as in print Rep. It had not need unless thou hadst better ware then thou hast the darkness which vents it in thee is the likeliest place to put it off in it being not vendible in the light T. D. That hadst thou consider'd the likelihood of the Qua. printing which would necessitate thine thou shouldst likely have waved any discourse with them Rep. Insipient is est dicere non puraâ—om It s as much Innocencies ambition to appear openly in the service of Truth as 't is the guise of Guilt to hide its head Thou mayst well think the Qua. who are in the truth it self which thou art not yet so much as truly in the words of will not be out-weigh'd by the wind of one that as thou sayst thou didst chuses rather to out-word them and whether thou appear any more publikely for thy lyes and doctrines of vanities yea or nay yet the truth which may be a while opprest never sapprest will now lye no more hidden under the black dawb of darkning School-distinctions but will appear
without more mention or finding fault with it from my self and others yet if my self or any shall henceforth write or cause himself by Pen or Press to be inscribed either M.A. or D.D. or B.D. and any Reader in his ignorance not knowing well how to Cypher or cast Account shall happen to Read Mr. Ass or Dr. Dunce or Blind Divine the Affecter of those Trifling Titles of Mr. of Arts Doctor in Divinity Batchelour in Divinity who is not more Baccalaureus then Laurus sine baccis shall in no wise be Laughed at and as little Lamented at all by me And since I am thus casually fallen upon this Theam about Respect to mens Persons and using Titles of Honour to them It s not much amiss I minding Gods matters more then Mens manners and plain-ness more then that our Masters of Art call Method before I proceed in Examination of T. D's false charge of me as to matter of Popery left I find no fitter Place for it in the after part of this Book to take notice here of another inordinate Charge of T.D. in which it concerning all the Qua. my self also am not a little concern'd which in p. 47. of his first Pamph. upon occasion of R.H. his calling Thomas Rumsey by his own name is on this wise T. D. You Qua. are an unmannerly Generation you might have given a Magistrate the Title of Master Rep. How Contrary are these Teachers Ministers alias Servants of our times who with the rest of their fellow Rabbies painted Sepulchres whited Walls out-side cleansers Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites blind Guides strainers at Gnats and swallowers of Camels Love uppermost Rooms at Feasts Chief Seats in Synagogues greetings in Markets and affect to have men called and to be called of men Rabbi Rabbi Master Master Reverend Sir and such like to the only One Master Christ who condemns all this and cryes Wo against those that are found in it Mat. 23. â—râ—t otum How contrary are they to his Apostles who forbade this respect to mens Persons which these Master Ministers are ever and anon pleading for against the Qua. as a clownish unmannerly Generation for not giving it Iames sayes Iames 2.1 to 10. My Brethren have not the faith of our Lord Iesus with respect of Persons telling the Saints that if they have respect to Rich men that wear gold Rings and goodly Apparrell and set them up on high and despise the Poor in vile Rayment setting them at their heels and putting them under feet as the footstool they are Partial within themselves Commit sin and are Convinced of the Law as Transgressors Elihu when he was to speak for God to Iob and his great Friends sayd Job 32.21 22. Let me not accept any mans Person neither let me give flaâ—tering Tâ—tlâ—s unto man for I know not to give flaâ—tering Titles in so doing my Maker would soon take me away and so goes on using no other Titles to him beside his Name and that plain but now disdained Thee and 〈◊〉 as his words are most truly and properly Translated out of the Oâ—igâ—â—al into Right English thus did the Saints and Ministers of God of old even like to Christ himself of whom t was said by the Pharisees Mat. 22.16 17. that took notice of it and perhaps disgusted it as much as our Modern Ministers now do some of which though they say little yet think the more Master we know thou art true and Teachest the way of God in truth neither carest thou for any man for thou regaâ—dâ—st not the Person of men even Caesars meer Person more then anothers yet he gave Caesar his due too and though he was free gave him Tribute Mat. 17.24 25 26 27. and so did his Saints then and we now give Tribute to whom Tribute custom to whom custom honour to whom honour fear to whom fear obedience to whâ—m obedience is due and with that honour of yielding Tribute and Subjection to as we have the due Benefit of Protection by their Laws while Just and Enacted according to the Law and Light of Christ in Every Conscience which is holy just and good and while as justly executed by Rulers do we honour them yet then only are their Laws justly Enacted and Executed nevertheless when these outward Sword-bearers and their Laws are a Terror to Evil Works and a Praise Encouragement to the good and to them that do well for else they act more Might then Right and as the Devil does who is the Prince of the Power of the air the God of this world and Ruler of the darkness of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to meer will and lust not according to Law itself by permission for a time but not by any true Commission from God himself by whom the Law which we own in its place was added because of transgression and is not for the righteous but for the unrighteous for murderers theeves and whatever is contrary to sound Doctrine and Godliness And this truly divine Honour of subjection and obedience to Magistrates just Laws as justly Executed as Enacted is it and not the meer Humane Hâ—mage of high flattering Titles as You and Sir and complements and cringings and outward worships and genu-flexions and bodily Bowings to mens persons which in the second Commandment by whom ever used as in the Typical shadoâ—y time they were by Iacob to Esau himself by â— David and others whose practice is not our Rule but Gods praecept are prohibited to be given to the Image or likeness of any thing in heaven earth or under the earth is that God cals for and we give for conscience sake And thus we honour all men owing nothing to any but love which works no ill to the neighbour and fulfils the Law and so children are bid by Paul to obey their Parents as 't is fit in the Lord in which obedience though they make not Idols of them kneel not down and ask them blessing as in Popish days they foolishly did to their Godfathers and Godmothers when they meet them they are said according to that Commandment to Honour the Father and the Mother Ehh. 6.1 2. And so Servants in their Relation honour their own Masters when not with eye-service as men-pleasers but in singleness of heart as fearing God the great Master in heaven they are faithful in the business they are entrusted with by them though they never stand cap in hand to them and should never call them by that name of Master which yet we allow as the Scripture it self does as well that of Father Mother King Ruler Magistrate when used not as a flattering Title but as a Note or Term of distinction between the Relatum and the Correlatum in that Relation that is between Princes and Subjects Parents and Children Masters and the Servants that have hired themselves to them and thus only ought things to-be among the Saints Howbeit such a Generation of Parasites are all sorts of Professors now become that without
applicable to the very best But whether thou intend one or two only or all these Three throughout thy Book when thou contendest for the Scriptures to be now entire to a tittle as at first giving forth to be the Light Word Power of God and such like is not easie to learn If ever we hear of thee again about the Scriptures I desire thee to speak home as to these particulars and to write thy mind more fully and plainly and singly out as in all places of thy Book thou hast not done but as one that hates the Light and is not willing to come to close pinchest in thy mind and winkest and twinklest and triflest and keepest back as if thou wert afraid as no doubt thou art though he that doth truth is not Ioh. 3.20 21. to look the Light too fully in the face or Ex. 4 S. 14. Subtilius Disputare to dive too deep in thy Dispuration about the Light or as the Elephant to drink more then needs must in fair water for fear of seeing a foul face but veritas non quaerit Aâ—gulos For my part I shall deal ingnuously with thee in this There are some things thou affirmest of the Scriptures which I can grant to be true of some one of these Three viz. of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that are not true of either the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Translations And there be some things to be said truly of these two that are not true of the first and some things of the second that are not true of the first nor of the third and somewhat of the third that 's not true of either of the other But when thou scarest so high as to affirm the Scriptures as thou dost in general to be the same in every tittle syllable and iota as at first to be the Word of God the Living Word the Spiritual Light the Power of God and much more as will appear when I come to Reckâ—n up and rank the things thou Praedicatest of the Scriptures in Order in order to my Answering of them I who shall ever put a difference between the Writing of the Word and the Word it self Written of do absolutely deny all these things of all the Three sorts above mentioned and if it stand so as that thou understandest all these Three as thou dost of one of them at least and that of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Transcriptions if but of one the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first Manuscripts being all lost and mouldred and Translations all corrupted by thy own confession when thou affirmest all these things of the Scripture then so let it stand for me till I have tryed the truth of thy Positions after which I hope all that stands not upon good ground will of it self to the ground come tumbling down And as by the Word Scripture I mean excepting where such things only are Praedicated as are peculiar only to either One or Two of them and not to all the Three no less then all these three sorts of Scripture in the main Controversie with thee so no more then these three sorts and these not one jot more not yet any farther then quâ tales 1 So far only as they are Scriptures properly truly and formally so called and considered or outward Writings Expressions or Declarations ad extra by Letters legible to our bodily eyes however extant upon what ever outward matter capable to receive their impression Tables of Stone Walls Skin Parchment Paper by the finger of God or hands of men whether Writing the issue of which is Propriissime stiled Scripture or Cutting Graving Stamping Printing in which way since that Art came up the Scriptures are now most extant the effect of which though most properly it be called Print or Scuâ—pture yet not to be too close and curious in Criticizing about Cockle-shells shall be allowed by me as to our purpose properly enough to passe under that name of Scripture I say then 't is the Letter and not the Matter the Writings and not the Subjects Things Truths Doctrins or Word written of that is the Subject to come under Consideration between us whatever those things are that are therein declared though 't is like we shall not passe them by neither without taking some useful notice of them yet that makes nothing to us in the State of our Question as it stands before us nor will all thy tumultuous hudling it over in haste hinder this nor thy shuffles about it shuffle it off it is the Declaration that thy Disputation with the Quakers is about considered as abstract from what is thereby declared for by the Scripture I intend not the Law it self written nor the Gospel nor the Light nor the Faith therein exhibited to us and held forth to be read of in the Writing for these are not the Scripture nor is the Scripture any of these but the Writing it self that holds these forth I call no other thing the Scripture then that which is truly the Scripture and that is no other thing then the Scripture it self I call the Scripture or the outward Declaration no other things and by no other Names then those it calls it self by or are truly answerable to its nature and that is no other then the Scripture a Declaration of those things that were believed and of the Word of the Faith that was preached a Letter a Writing Holy Scriptures Scriptures of Truth Books of Writing that consist Treat of and Declare in forms of plain true suitable and sound words various true things sound Doctrines by which many unsound Doctrines of Divels of false Prophets Priests Scribes and Pharisees of false Brethren ungodly Men that creep in and turn the Grace of God into lasciviousness of false Apostles that brought in Doctrines contrary to that at first delivered and served their own bellies and not Christ Taught for Doctrines Traditions of men of Iannes and Iambes that resisted the Truth of Baldam the Nicolaitans of Iezebel and Satan which are all written of and declared in the Scriptures of Truth as well as those of God Christ the Spirit the Light and Truth it self do stand not approved but reproved and condemned useful Histories of what was done and spoken in sundry times and ages past by God and Christ and the Divel himself and Men good and bad and by Balaam and his Asse also Pretious Prophesies of things viz. of good to the good of bad to the bad Comfortable Promises to the seed that is the Heir of them Terrible Threatnings to the seed of Evil doers and Woes to the Wicked Profitable Epistles to such as they were Wrote to Blessings Curses Prohibitions Commands Copies of Psalms and Songs that were sung Proverbs that were spoken Letters that were written from men to men some by good men at the motion of the Spirit of God some by Evil men out of malice against Gods Servants at the motion of the Devil Some not without
the Spirit by such as lived and walked in the Spirit and were in all they did led by the Spirit to some private Christians about some worldly Affairs as that of Paul to Philemon Some by Chief Captains to their Presidents and by Presidents to their Princes about Prisoners and Tumults and divers other sorts of passages So that as written in the Spirit the Holy Scriptures may be said to be Homogeneous Writings all of one kind but in respect of the several businesses written of therein they are at Heterogeneous I a body or bulk of as various Writings as any extant in the World-besides them Now by the Scriptures I mean these Writings that contain the matters abovesaid and many more and not the matters themselves therein contained And if thou mean by the Scriptures any other things then the Scriptures themselves as like a Reed shaken with the wind thou seemest sometimes to do and again sometimes not to do and which things the Scriptures are not or by any other things which are not the Scriptures when thou speakest of them viz. the Law Word of God the spiritual Light c. meanest the Scripture as sure enough thou dost well-nigh throughout thy confused discourses and disputations about it then thy meanings are too mean to be any otherwise at all then meanly accounted on among any that mean honestly and plainly and know the Truth as it is in Jesus By us when we talk of the Scriptures to use thy own words onely vice versa Ex. 1. Sect. 26. non sanctissima ista veritas seu materia Scripturarium sed scriptura formaliter considerata intenditur honestly and plainly we intend that onely which is so even the form of writing it self and not the matter or holy truths of the Scripture the Scripturam and not the Scriptum or at most the Litteram Scriptam not the rem scriptam not the Verbum Scriptum the Declaration and not the Doctrine declared the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the letter in the oldnesse of which thou art yet serving who knowest not the newness of the spirit the Scripture or Writings of the Prophecy and not the Prophesie of or contained in the writing nor the Prophetical VVord the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the writing for so the word is there translated truly 2 Chron. chapter 21. not the VVord Written or word of Prophesie that came to Elijah and was sent in a Writing to the King which thou falsly sayest p. 12. that Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for in that Text and every wise man that is truly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 especially in a dispute where the Question is whether the writing of the Word of God be the Word of God Written of or no while sub judice lis est will till the thing in debate one way or other be clearly determined remember still to keep these two things as two asunder So thou dost thy self while thou art well in thy wits witness thy words above cited by myself Ex. 1. S. 28. where thou puttest a plain difference between the Scripture it self formally considered and the most Holy Truth or matter therein delivered yea when ever thou keepest in any measure of sober-mindednesse thou keep'st these two as distinct in thy discourse as the two sticks of Iudah and Ioseph Ezek. 37 19 17. that were superscribed with two several superscriptions vouchsafing to each its own proper name and not communicating the name of either unto the other but clearly dividing between them so as that any one may see thou thy self dost not believe one of them to be the other nor yet darest affirm them to be Synonymous witness p. 12 13. where thou makest them two and writest of one of them all along as in contradistinction to the other in these Terms viz. not the Doctrine in it but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it self The Providence of God no lesse concerned in the preservation of the writings then the Doctrine contained in them the Writing it self being the product of his Counsel for the preservation of his Doctrine Satan hath no lesse raged against the Book then against the Truth contained in it it was no lesse crime of old to be Traditor libri then to be Abnegator fidel which sour last Assertions of thine though they are all four false tales for Providence is not so much concerned to preserve the Writings as the Doctrine neither is the Writing so necessary for the preserving of the Doctrine that as thou there hintest it must it must needs perish if the Writings perish for it was before them and may be without them and will be after them Neither thirdly is the malice of Satan so much against the Book called the Bible as against the Doctrine of the truth for he is willing to let hypocrites alone long enough to carry gaudy Bibles under their arms so be they serve him and abide not in Christs Doctrine nor in the Truth the Scripture tells of neither 4ly is it or ever was it so great a Crime to betray the Book called the Bible as to deny the Faith and the Word of Faith therein written of for the Book is not worth a Pin as to salvation without the Faith but the Faith is sufficient thereto without the Book and was so before the Book was witnesse the Worthies from Abel to Moses whose sufficient faith is written of Heb. 11. and would be if the Pope and the Devils rage should reach so far as to burn all the Bibles in the World so here 's four utter untruths asserted together neverthelesse as they are Tru-lies yet are they true enough to serve the truth I here summon them in proof of viz. that thou thy self who countest it as bad not to be as trusty to the Bible as to the Truth that 's in it as it is to betray the Truth and deny the Faith dost deny the Book or Scripture the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Writing to be one and the same with the Faith Truth and Doctrine or the Doctrine to be the Writing or that these can truly be denominated each of other I say then that here being more sober minded as to thy discerning between the writing and the written verity though drunk enough elsewise to lay so many lyes or at least so many tales that are not true upon the top one of another in so small a space as one short Section thou art freely willing fairly to distinguish them into two Yea further yet that thou dost not judge these two to be one it may appear plainly to thy self or any that are free to peruse the places in the 16. and 17. Sections of the same first Chapter for if thou didst then in the enjoyment of the one thou wouldest be satisfied as
accompanied with strange Devils is Dedicated so Ex. 3. S. 2.4 Fanatical Enthusiasts for their Enthusiams so Ex. 3. S. 19. Locustas hasce cum primum ex sumo purei prodierint these Locusts the Quakers when they came first out of the smoak of the Pit so Ex. 3. S. 17. Errones Vagrant Rogues or Vagabonds Reply 1. Thy Iudgement of us in general which is mearly that of mans-Day which is the night and a very small matter to us will prove a matter of moment that will fall heavy on thy self at last when the Judgement of God which we know is according to Truth and is against thee comes upon thee and all thy Iudgement before thy time and evil speakings of whom and what thou utterly know'st not And as for us if we judge thee again for many of the same things of which we are judged by thee yet our judgement is just and true and not our of its due time and place and will stand ore thy head for ever being passed in the light and day and Spirit of God in which the Saints are to Judge the World and the spiritual man discerns the Animal man and his matters but is not discerned by him But as to this of Knave it savouring much of that Billingsgate Rhetorick which T.D. hath so much of who called L.H. at his own door in Douer he knows what and ye sayes he is not able to match G.W. at it to render Reviling for Reviling Terms I shall forbear and be silent here giving I O. my Goliah-like 〈◊〉 who conflatis naribus inflans sets the Saints so much at his heels and to use his own words Gigantaeo quodam fastu E'atus like some Son of Anak looks on them as Grashoppers disgracing and disdaining the whole kind or Species of the Quakers what he is able sometimes as poor deluded foolish and yet sometimes again as more Knave then Fool leave to overcome me herein for though I can truly say having been at the Popes Palace which stands in Monte Caballino that fonte labra Prolui Caballino yet haud unquam me Prophetam somniasse tam altum memini ut Repentè sic Rabula prodirem Reply 2. Thou talkest much here and at the front and sag-end also of thy English Epistle in Commendation of thy Iunior Students valuing and studying the Holy Scriptures more then any thou knowest and of their bending the best of their wits that way how ye value the Scriptures wee 'l see by and by but till ye study the light and spirit more then ye do which the letter came from as ye are yet at best so at best ye will become but obtusè acuti homunciones sharp-witted men after your own blunt fashion who in truth are as sharp-sighted in the Mystery of the Holy Scriptures as a very Mole is into a Milstone Behold O thou Academical Student in Divinity who callest the Quakers Anti-scripturists thou art call'd the Scripturist the Text-man the Opener-of that Book called the Bible which is a Book as much sealed to thy supposed learned self as to the unlearnedst sort of men in the World that can but barely read it and thou art restlesse in wrestling against the Light and restest in the dead Letter of that Law which is Light and Life and makest thy boast of God as the man that knowest his will and tryest out the things that are most excellent being instructed no higher then so thy self and taking on thee to instruct all out of that life-less Letter which is all thy Law and yet much more then thou livest by and art confident that thou thy self art a guide of the blind a light of them which are in darknesse an instructer of the foolish poor deluded Quakers a Teacher of Babes which hast a form of formal Knowledge and of external Truth as it is in that meer Letter of the Law but thou being enmity to the light the Quakers live in art rather a rash Reprover of the things that are most excellent a blind Guide a dark Lanthorne an ignis fatuus a fleshly foolish Instructer an untaught Teacher that must yet come to be taught out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings out of which the Lord is now ordaining strength that shall stop the Lyars mouth and still the stout Enemy and Avenger and from the stammering lips that thou standest amazed and astonished at as uttering non-sence in thy non-sensical Nodel shalt thou stoop to learn the Soul-saving Truth or else be left to perish in thy envious enmity against it in thy damnable darknesse in thy wilful blindnesse obstinate unbelief and unparallel'd ignorance of it for ever as the Pharisaical Iew was whose case this was before thee Rom. 2.17 to the end And though thou teachest others yet till thou teach thy self alias learn at thy own measure of Christs Light that teaches thee in thy own Conscience to know thy self more and live more like Christ's Teachers then thou dost thou shalt bring as few to God as thou hast done who hast left all that have learnt of thee yet where thou thy self yet art viz. in sin and not believing thou canst ever be out on 't as they and we tell thee truly thou mayst while thou livest or till the World to come where the Popes purgatory is which as truly thy self deniest and shalt bring men as near to God who is Light as those who are left out of his Kingdom which is Light in the Darknesse which is the Devils kingdom Thou teachest other 's should not commit Adultery but thou art the Adulteresse and Imperious Whorish Woman with whom all the Kings and People in the Anti-Christian World have committed Folly and Fornication and bewitched with thy Sorceries have run a Whoring after from the Lord. Thou teachest another should not Steal and professest to abhorre Idols but thou art that Sacred Thief that committest that sacrum furtum that fine sort of Sacriledge and stealest the words which thou sellest for Money when thou hast done after 10 20 30 or 40 shillings a Sermon out of the true Prophets Writings and Fathers and old Authors and so what thou learnedst in thy Accidence when a School-Boy in the Countrey thou makest use and witnessest the Truth of now thou art become of an University Scholler a Clerical Country-man again viz. in legendis veteribus Authoribus proficies in Reading of old Authors for so many Doctors do out of their Notes in the Pulpit thou shalt Profit for profit thou dost thy self in outward Goods but not the People in inward Goodnesse who are generally in all Parishes left as ignorant and prophane as the Priest finds them when he is called from them either by death or some Deanery or higher Divine degree of spiritual dignity Thou makest thy boast of the Letter but throw breaking the Letter thou dishonourest God and his Ministry while thou dost more docere facienda then facere docenda and as Accute and Accurate a Curate as thou art of Souls
of the Scriptures but say only in words of truth and sobernesse that they are not to be so exceedingly Adored and Idolized by men as theyâ—â—re by you who make them little lesse then All in all things to the Church the Papists speak much in disparagement of the Scriptures in which we say they do but blasphemously babble against them viz. That they are inferrior to the Humane Traditions of their Church or at least to the unerring breast of their Ghostly holy Father without whom opening and authorizing them they are of no more use nor authority then Aesops Fables and such like Reply 3. Whereas thou art ashamed to Relate the horrid foolish Titles of the Quakers Books in proof of their blasphemies against the Scriptures I believe that 's true indeed though all the rest are palpable Lyes for if thou shouldest Relate the Titles of the Quakers Books in proof of the Truth of this thy Charge of them which is utterly false then thy Lye which is plain enough already would be seen more plainly then it is for in all the Titles of the Quakers Books that ever I read who have read Ten times more of them I believe then thou hast done as I have seen Christ only exalted on the Throne and the Scripture owned in its place so I never saw and am perswaded also thou never hast seen any thing Written by the Quakers that borders on the foresaid Iewes and Papists blasphemings of the Holy Scriptures and therefore as I cannot much marvel at it that thou art ashamed to do it so I do not much blame thee that it doth so much shame thee as thou sayest to Relate the most foolish of them If it were true there was malice enough in thee I.O. to provoke thee to have instanced some Particulars in proof of this parcel of Scandal to the fuller shame of the Quakers whom to scandalize what thou canst is thy chief design and to have named those blasphemers and their Books but pudet referre sayest thou I am ashamed to Relate c. Thou art loath to be too punctual in thy Proof lest it proving too short of thy Charge the stain thou wouldest have stuck upon the Truths Friends should be stricken back upon thy self and the Lye come to lye at thy own door for if sounded out too loudly and distinctly it might Eccho and rebound home again to thee the Author and so redound to thy dishonour so thou fold'st thy self like the Serpent whose seed thou art in indefinite complexes or at least lapest thy self up in Universals and darest not lay thy self out at length nor grow too far into Particulars for dolus later in universalibus quae nunquam bene sentiuntur nisi ex particularibus suis as Deceit lyes most securely and keeps best hid in Universals which are not clearly perceived but by the Particulars in which they exist so by being beheld in the said Particulars both they and the Lyes that lye often in them undiscerned come more unavoidably to be discryed Reply 4. Whereas thou saiest thou thinkest meet to set down our Opinion as Collected out of our own Books and Speeches and accordingly dost declare what we hold as concerning the Scriptures thou most plainly Confutest thy self as to the Lyes thou tellest of us for thy self acknowledgest of us that we own that the Scriptures do contain a true Declaration of the Will and Mind of God proceeding from the spirit of Christ inspiring the Writers that thus far we are right and that we stand to this Confession without any renouncing it only that we would have wholly rejected the Scriptures without doubt but that things have not fell out according as we could wish do deny them to be the ordinary inalterable perfect and standing Rule of Gods Worship and our Obedience without the Revelations of the spirit and such like And this sayest thou is the summe of these mens Iudgements c. Which if it be where 's the wicked Blasphemy all this while wherewith thou Chargest us For there 's none as shall appear in the worst of this which yet thou settest down as gathered out of the Quakers Books and Speeches which thou sayest bear blasphemous Titles against the Scriptures but pudet referre I blush to set them down must answer all These things I O. do convict thee of telling many notorious Lyes against the Quakers even too many for a man to tell that calls himself a Minister of Christ and D. D. though not all by very many which thou tellest in thy Book some of which lyes yet left they should not be loud enough ' to come under every ordinary Readers Observation if told but once are either expresly or implicitly two or three times over related J. O. The Jewes Papists and Quakers differ among themselves it so falls out that they who in all other matters are most different in Opinion conspire altogether in this blasphemy viz. against the Scriptures The Papists and Enthusiastical Fanaticks do perpetually War against each other they mutually devote each other to destruction They are not acted by the same Reasons but those for their Traditions these for their Enthusiasms and Revelations Contending tooth and nail and so like Sampsons Foxes with their Tayles turned to each other bringing fire-brands on the Churches Bread-Corn they all attempt together very friendly to thrust down the holy Scripture from its Place The Papists do earnestly endeavour to detrude the Scripture out of its proper Place in the Church our Fanaticks tread in the same foot-steps with them into which wickednesse those among the Papists that are called the Spiritually have led them the way And elsewhere thou Reckon'st us up among the rest as Enemies of Gods Word and haters of the Scriptures Reply 1. Howbeit I. O. thou who in thy Epistle pretendest it to be thy aim and intention in thy Discourse to discover the Reproach that is cast by many upon the Scripture to its disparagement and to vindicate it therefrom dost as in most things else wherein thou bend'st at us discharge thy Bow at a venture so as at Random to rank us as joynt Abettors with them in grosse in that one grosse and common Cause of Caluminating Vilifying Decrying Denying the Scriptures among Atheists Pagans New Testament Contemning Iewes Papists and the whole Rabble of Rude Reproachers thereof whether in Whole or Part as if we were if not the Ring leaders yet at least the Rere-ward of the Ragged-Regiment of Anti-scripturists of what ever sort yet in this thou hast most grosly abused us and thy self also by thy false Accusing and Belying of us to the world in that Particular and must most assuredly come into Condemnation in â—he Judgement for Condemning the Generation of the Just for however thou mis-reportest of us to the causing of many to mistake us yet of a truth we are no such manner of People as thou wouldest make men believe we are but such as shall manifest our selves
and by your Words without Knowledge I say which of these Two the Quakers or your Schollers bring forth Fruits most meet for God and like those of the Spirit Peace Meeknesse Patience Temperance c. Gal. 5. Let them be the Good Trees and so known and owned to be by their Fiuits and let them be the true Flock of Christ and be by us as I am sure such are by himself accounted as his Sheepfold And which abounds most in those Fruits and Works of the Flesh there spoken of also viz. uncleannesse lasciviousnesse wrath hatred Drunkennesse Revellings and such like and which wallows most in that kind of mire let them be the Hogs and Swine and not Christs Flock and Fold but he held hence forward for a Hog-sty Now for my part if I were to judge by what Fruits have come forth in and from our Two Nurseries of Religion of latter years and as well in and from Oxford it self as Cambridge and how many of them in the time of I. O's Vice-Chancellourship there I. O. knows as well as I even such as are not sit to be named among Christians and what Fruits of Righteousnesse have been found among the Quakers both there and elsewhere who have suffered innocently and as to rendering evil for evil patiently under them and others I could quickly determine the matter but sith its like I.O. will hardly let me be Judge in my own Case lest I cleave too much to my own Cause and Company let such Books as are Extant of the Schollers Misdemeanours against the Quakers in their own Meetings who have been alwayes bound to their Good behaviour towards the other by that of God in their Consciences in the midst of all their abuses to the Quakers and then let all men Judge which Generation of men the Quakers or University Schollers and their Respective Assemblies do most exactly resemble the deportment of Swine in their Hog-styes Besides those sundry Relations that are Extant in Print of the Imprisonments Whippings and other Persecutions of the innocent Servants of the Lords sending among them to warn them of their Wickednesse at Cambridge there are Two at least viz. one stiled A true Testimony of the Zeal of the Oxford Professors and University-men put forth by R.H. And one much more lately under the Hands of 8 Witnesses stiled A true Relation of some of the Sufferings inflicted upon the Quakers as the Fruits of the Evil doers viz. the Proctors and Schollars at Oxford in which who reads may see the matters of Fact to which I Refer such as are minded to be Judges between me and I.O. an Oxford man in this Case who if they be not such as are loath to call their Brothers Theeves and their Sisters Swine will assuredly from those Arch-Abominable and Antick-Actions conclude from thence with me the Actors and Abbettors look much more then like the Sheep of Christ like Foxes and Bears and Wolves and Dogs and Wilde Boares and Swine However whether it shall stand with I.O. or nay it matters not I shall from thence infer my Conclusion That if Innocency Quietnesse Patience under Sufferings Temperance Godlinesse Reproving Wickednesse and becoming fools for Christ exposing themselves for Truths ' sake as Signs and laughing stocks to an Adulterous Generation be the Characters of such men as the Scripture calls Swine then that House and Family of the Quakers is become a Hog-stie But unless turning and tearing and renting and trampling under feet when Pearls and holy things are held out to them and devouring and hurting to death and tying Maids Arm to Arm together and tumbling them into Graves and dirting them and dragging them into Pools and setting them on their Heads with their heels upwards and Pumping well-nigh stifling them Mocking Stoning Scourging putting poor innocent Strangers that came in love to Truth and them into Cages and out of their Coasts and haling the Quakers out of their own quiet Meetings by the hair of their Heads and breaking the Doors to pieces and Windows where Quakers meet and carrying away the Keys and knocking tenters in the key-holes pulling up part of the houses squeezing them in their passing to and fro between the doors turning up the forms and seats where they sit and like wild Horses and Colts riding upon the backs of men and women and smoaking their Roomes with Gun-powder Squibs and stamping rudely like Tavern-hunters in their Holy meetings and crying out give us Beer and Tobacco and Wenches and Whores and bringing in strong Beer and drinking to them and for refusing to pledge throwing it on their Cloaths and Bands and powring it down their Necks and singing Bawdy Songs and Cursing and Sweating and such things as would be counted as favouring more of Bedlams and Swine then Saints if Quakers should ever have done so in their Masse-Houses and obscaene Carriage toward Women puffing and blowing with Tobacco-pipes in their Mouths raising Doctrines and Uses and Points about Coblers and Tinkers and Tobit and his Dog offering to put their hands under Womens Aprons asking if the Spirit was not there and many more such filthy stinking sordid actions as Hooting Yelling Laughing any thing to hinder the Hearing of what was spoken of Truth drawing some into Colledges and there most unseemly and inhumanly abusing them and this not only Tolerated and Connived at by Officers that should have punish'd it but also Countenanced too much in part by some of them I say Unlesse these boarish bruitish Gestures Cum muliis aliis qua nunc praescribere longum est be the behaviour of Christs Sheep then for all the uncessant pains of Interpreting of the Scripture at the Well-head of Religion and for all I. O's saying That if what we see and daily hear would sway us we would be ashamed to deny the fruit of Expoundings of the Scripture to be best where they are most Expounded as they are pro forma in the Universities as fair and far from it as they seem to be to themselves they look more like Hog-styes to the view of men after Gods heart and the Children of these Mothers more like Herds of Swine then the Places and Persons of the people called Quakers do among whom there 's not such a busling and such a businesse about mens Books in order to it nor such Clamorous noises about Opening the Scriptures as is among the Scribes that are Strangers to them but the words of the wise even of Wisdom it self Christ Iesus are heard in quiet by them that are Wise more then the Cry of him that Ruleth among Fools And as for what Fruits of saving Knowledge of God and Righteousnesse and Holinesse of Truth are abounding in most Academies Towns Cities and Places in all the Reformed parts of Christendom more or better then is to be seen among Turks and Heathens unlesse Couzening Cheating Lying Drunkennesse and some such like as abound more among Christians then Turks that never talk out of the Scripture be
of the Septuagint from that high Conceit some have of them and eminent Account some have them in pag. 339. If the Ability of the men be granted yet what security have we of their Principles and Honesty Oh much every way thinks I.O. for though when he is pleased to speak diminitively of men the Care and Fidelity and Pains of whom in Translating we have as good ground to believe was as great to the full as any of that of those he Commends in Transcribing he disparages it into Oscitancy Inadvertency Negligence Ignorance the Wisest not seeing all and such like pag 319. yet when he speaks of the Care Pains and Fidelity of men in Transcribing which is a Work as lyable to mistakes as the other that he may keep up the honour however of his infallible Transcripts to this day then he utters himself more Hyperbolically and as for Ezra and his conjectured Companions he makes their labour to Reform the Church and all the Corruptions crept into the Word as he speaks though if the Letter were the Word it were not lyable to Corruption little lesse then Monstrous and their care in restoring the Scripture to its purity mark extraordinary pag. 171 308. Yea of the Points which yet he is to prove Coaevous with the Consonants and as old as any Scripture I doubt not quoth he but of that we shall yet manifest that they were compleated it should seem then that every Tittle is not now a◠at first giving out of the Letter if the Vowels were incompleate till Esdros dayes by the men of the great Synagogue Ezra and his Companions guided by the infallible direction of the Spirit of God I might as I. O. does often beg or take it crave leave to Answer this Conjecture with another pag. 146. and fling back I. O's as well as T. D's Fortè ita with so much at least as Fortè non but ipse dixit J.O. sayes he doubts not their infallibility so I who had rather be silent then disparage Ezra will add no more to I. Os Rex sum then nil ultrae quaeio Plebeius And now I am upon a Consideration of the Canon of the Scripture let me here make an end with thee I.O. as concerning this Cogitation of thine about the Consignation of the Canon of both the Old and that thou callest the New Testament of which New thou sayest pag. 27. That what thou hadst spoken of the Scripture of the Old Testament viz. as to its immediate emanation from God and its being canonized together with it into a standard the same must be also affirmed of the New with this addition of advantage and preheminence above the Old That it began to be spoken by the L O R D himself And as for thy Canon of the outward Scriptures of both sorts one of which thou callest the Old the other the New Testament after the Bounding Compleating and Consignation of which in their Respective Junctures and Seasons and the delivery of it so Canonized to the Church or Churches Respectively as their Eternal Infallible Touchstone Rule Foundation Testimony Standard no more must be owned on such a high Account as it s Authorized into as of divine Original nor be added by either God or man while the world stands I would sain find from thee if yet thou art able thy self to fathom to the bottom of thy own Faith or rather Fancy in this point where thou findest and whence thou foundest all thy confused Communications and crude Conceptions about this Canonization of such and such outward parcels of holy mens Writings into a Rule or Standard and disfranchizing such and such of others as holy as those from a standing within the Bounds of this Magna Charta that certain Synods and supposed Sanydrims of thou knowest not whom have given and do as thou deemest give and grant thereunto together with them Where learnest thou all these Lessons but from the Lectures and lying Legends and voluminous Lexicons of the illiterate Literatists of the world that are alwayes laying on and loading one another with their endlesse boundlesse and bottomlesse Scribles about the outward Original Text and Transcriptions and Translations of the Scripture in their tedious Tomes Talmuds and Talmudical Traditions till they are lost from the very Letter much more the Life it calls to so that they have no leasure to live or learn others to live thereafter in the inextricable laborynth of their own Labours about it Who leads thee into the vain Imaginations of these things but thy own and other mens well nigh innumerable and invincible inventions What Tangles thee and others in such trifling Talkings and Treatings one to another of things that none of ye all can have any infallible Evidence or yield to any infallible Assurance of but a croud of Conceits and Catholick Traditions with which the world and ye in it are so overcharged that ye cannot contain them now without infinite frothy and fruitlesse contendings about them and obtruding your own Observances imposing your own Supposings and thrusting each upon other your own bare thred-bare Thoughts of things that ne flocci facit it amounts not to the value of a lock of Wooll as to Salvation whether they be known or not till being throng'd and thrust into the thorny Thicket of your own Thoughts you there tear one another to pieces about the Scripture insomuch that I truly may and plainly shall be so bold as flatly to Contradict what thou sayest falsly of thy Canon and Standard since the closing and compleating of it that t is a means to end all strife it is rather throw the folly of its Ministers the means of all strife and Confusion in the Christian World Thou sayest indeed of the Writings of the Old Testament that the Canon thereof had its Consignation Bounding and Delivery to the Church as its Rule so that from thenceforth nothing Written either from Moses upward or to Christs time downward must be admitted to be owned as Canonical or inspired Scripture And thou sayest pag. 27.28 That God who himself began the Writings of the Word with his own finger after he had spoken it appointing and approving the Writing of the rest that followed i.e. from Genesis to the Revelation as they are ordinarily numerated in our Bibles except the Books called Apocrypha for I reckon all those are reckoned by thee as the Books thou speakest of Epist. Ded. pag. 3. Never indited by the Holy Spirit as remote from being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth lastly command the close of the immediate Revelation of his Will to be written in a Book Rev. 1.11 and so gives out the whole of his Mind and Counsel unto us in Writing as a merciful and stedfast relief against all Confusion darknesse and uncertainty but what a Relief it is against Confusion I shall shew more hereafter And as to thy Scriptures Canonization or the Consignation compleating Bounding of the Canon of it a few words here
about the manner and means and true bounds thereof for as to the Question whether it be a Canon that is a Rule at all yea or not I may defer it also to another place let me Expostulate with thee I O. yet more about it yet how and by whom your Standard comes to be so Bounded as ye say it is and to be limited to those Demensions of Latitude Longitude and Profundity that ad amussim exact Measure Heighth Depth Length and Breadth that is allotted to it as without the Apocripha it stands bound up within your late bound Bibles I mean that such and such Parcels Prophesies Proverbs Histories Epistles Holy Sentences Sacred Sayings shall stand Owned Honoured Signed and Authorized with the Sacred High and Holy Titles of Gods Word Gods Witnesse Foundation Rule inalterable Standard and not one piece of Holy Writing more or lesse then those already so Consecrated and Canonized so that such and such puta those that ye now commonly call Canonical shall shand as the Standard and all others viz. those called Apocryphal and whatever are mentioned in that Scripture ye so own shall stand out of and off from it as no part of the Standard while the World stands Who was it Was it God or was it Man that set such distinct Bounds to the Scripture so as to say such and such a set number of Books viz. Those those that are sum'd up together before your Bibles excepting the Apocrypha which stands between them shall be owned as Canonical and the rest though such as were of the same divine Inspiration be rejected as humane and no otherwise accounted on then other meer mens Writings not to be received with such high respect as the other Whence hast thou this Conceit that God himself Commanded the Close of the Canon of the Old Testament to be Malachi and the bounds of it to consist of such Books of the Prophets as ye now have exclusively of such Prophesies therein mentioned as ye have not and the Close of the Canon of the New to be the Revelation and the bulk of it to be those few Histories and Apostolical Epistles as ye have exclusively of such even therein mentioned as ye have not Who was it that said to the Spirit of God O Spirit blow no more inspire no more men make no more Prophets from Ezra's dayes and downwards till Christ and from Iohns dayes downward for ever But cease be silent and subject thy self as well as all Evil Spirits to be tryed by the Standard that 's made up of some of the Writings of some of those men thou hast moved to write already and let such and such of them as are bound up in the Bibles now used in England be the only means of measuring all Truth for ever Who was it God or Man the Spirit in the Scripture it self or the Scribes in their Synods Councels and Consistories that so Authorized or Canonized these and expunged those Was it not meer Men in their Imaginations Doth the Scripture do the Spirit and the Apostles therein give any order for or make any such mention in the least of such a matter Is it not meer man in his Imaginations that hath taken upon him according to the good or ill Conceit that he hath taken to him of these or those respectively to say which thou sayest is a Contradiction to say he will give Authority to the Scriptures Is it not man in his proud mind that comes in with his sic volo sic Iubeo so I 'le have it thus it shall be Saying to the Books of Scripture as God sayes to the Waves of the outward Ocean hitherto shall ye come and no further So many of the Prophets and Apostles Writings shall be in the Authority Nature Vse and Office of the Supream Determiner of all Truth for ever and all others even such as are written by the same men in the motion of the same Spirits shall be but as common mens Writings and be look'd on afar off as Apocryphal i.e. hidden or unknown Writings that no such notice shall be â—aken of as of the other And as for the Books which ye sprinkle with that Name of Apocryphal and give leave to to have a standing with it but not so as to make any part of your Standard What think ye of them upon second Thoughts Are they fit for nothing but to be Cashiered and cast out of your Canon by whole sale by Tradition one from another without trying them Is there nothing among them that may be judiciously Iudged to be of as divine an Original and Authority as some of those particular Letters to private men as that of Paul to Philemon about private personal or Domestick matters which ye own in such a transcendent manner as ye do Surely if some of hem be fictitious or fabulous or but humane so that ye will say no better of them then Vox hominem sonat yet is there none or nothing among them all that is to be noted or counted upon as of divine Authority and Original and of as self-evidencing Efficacy as some of those ye own None that ye can see cause to sign meliore lapillo with some better Name then ye vouchsafe them and standing in the Church then ye allow them As if they were a certain mongrel seed between that of Canaan and Ashdod that ye know not well what to make of nor how to entreat so ill altogether as not to afford them a middle place in some of your Bibles between the Old Testament Writings and those ye call the New nor yet so well as to entertain them into your Canon neither Surely there be some of them which when ye look them over again not so cursorily as to over-look them as ye ordinarily do ye may find ground to receive as such as have as fair a stamp of the beaming Majesty Truth Holinesse and Authority of God and his Spirit as some at least not to say the most of those ye ascribe to God as their main or only Author and that do favour as much of I. O's so much insisted on Theo-pneusty as some other Historical Doctrinal and Prophetical parts of your acknowledged divinely derived Scripture do of which what Infidels soever ye are as concerning them yet I together with many others whereof some are as Booklearn'd as your selves can say Credo Equidem nec vana Fides genus esse Deorum 'T is indeed the Faith or rather Infidelity of such as call themselves Reformed Churches that all those Books called the Apocrypha without exception are in no wise of such divine Original as them ye call Canonical but who first set the one upon the Bench and the other at the Bar I am yet to learn but this I know that howbeit ye second their depression and digradation of the one so far below the other yet as neither one nor t'other were ever Canonized by God himself if we speak of the Outward Text only about which
only as that of Baâ—uch also is the Holy man that wrote much for that Prophet and of that Prophecy of Ieremiah most pretiously both Doctrinal and Prophetical but also extant in the Hebrew as well as Greek and Latine and that of Ecclesiasticus was written Originally in Hebrew witnesse Iesus the Son of Syrach who himself confesseth in his Prologue he Translated it out of the Hebrew Text and if ye say that 's but a Translation then at best and so not Canonical Scripture I Reply Two things thereto First This argues ad hominem against I O. then Tittles and Iotaes of the Hebrew Text are lost since the giving out thereof at first Secondly That either Translation must be owned as Canonical with you as well as the first Original Manuscripts and your Original Transcripts or else it must be concluded what ever you Linguists have yet the People that live upon your Lips not being able to read Hebrew and Greek have no Canonical Scripture at all to read The Second Argument that is supposed to be of weight against the Divine Original of the Apocryphal Scriptures Broughton in his Sinai Sights touches upon them both is because no Writers in the New Testament Cite or Quote any of them any otherwise then they do Heathen Authors But I marvel not fith the wise men are to be befooled that prudent Broughton should be so blind as not to see how Paul Heb. 1 3. quotes out of Wisd. 7.26 And Heb. 11.5 quotes Wisd. 4.10 And 1 Cor. 6.2 quotes Wisd. 3.8 And Heb. 11.35 quotes 2 Maccab. 7.7 Yea and Christ himself Matth. 23.36 37 38. quotes 2 Esdras 1.30 And Rev. 7.9 answers to 2 Esdras 2.41 42 43 44 45 46. besides many other Passages in the Scriptures of the New Testament but especially in the Revelation relate to their Paralels in that Second Book of Esdras which is the Fourth at least of that man Ezra or Esdras his Writing whereof that some should be received as of divine Original and some that have as truly spiritual a Tincture on them as the other or any in all the Scripture as that Fourth of Esdras hath wherein also he declares his Visions and Revelations he had from God in which he would not sain and Lye for then he were not fit to have his Two First Books owned as from God should be rejected as meerly humane I see not any solid Ground for it Yet such is the divine The-anthropical Wisdom of our meer humane Divines that Two of that same mans Books who wrote all the Four for the Identity of the Person that Pen'd them all every Believer may easily believe are Canonized as divine and the other Two Condemned as but humane Thus though I.O. prates so much for the whole Book of Gods being providentially preserved so that we may have full assurance that we enjoy the whole Revelation of his Will that is with him all the Writings that ever were written by Inspiration from the Spirit fit to stand among those that he makes the Standard in the Copies abiding amongst us and contends that the whole Scripture entire as given out from God without any losse of so much as one Letter Tittle or Iota remains and is preserved in the Copies yet extant among us to this day which is that Arch-Assertion in which having at first over shot himself in blindly bolting it out rather then endure that honourable shame of owning his own Ignorance he as blindly posts on to maintain pag. 153.162.169.181.203 Yet upon I know not what frivolous Conceits and prejudicate Surmises possessing the minds of himself and his Brethren of both the Convocational and the Congregational way among which blind Custome more then clear sight I believe to be none of the least which are so far from enjoying the whole Book of Scripture wherein the Mind and VVill of God lyes declared by his own Inspiration of the Penmen that no small part of that Scripture that was written by men divinely inspired and so providentially preserved he refuses to enjoy or own as of such divine Descent from God as other parts of the Scripture are but Rejects and Contemnes it as Apocryphal that is so altogether hidden from him that he knows not very well what to make on 't But suppose he should own and take all the Apocryphal Writings into his Standard and Canon as he calls it of the Scriptures does that and all the rest both Old and New that are bound up in old English Bibles with it Constitute the utmost Bounds of his Canon Doth his Standard stand in so little room Is it Closed within so narrow a Corner Consists it of so few so small a Company of Holy mens Writings and Scriptures as are Comprehended in no greater a Compasse then that Book called the Bible contains to Is that the whole Book of God the whole outward Declaration of his Will by the Writings of Holy men at his own motion The whole Scripture entire that was ever so given out from God without any losse of any of the Integral parts of it so much as of one Letter Tittle or Iota Is all Extant All Remaining All Preserved to this day that was Written by Holy men as moved by the holy Spirit And is that all of the Inspired Scripture which we now have and enjoy in our present Bibles Was there no more of the Old Testament Scripture then the Apocrypha and that which is commonly counted to the Canon And is the Revelation the Close of the immediate Revelation of his Will to Holy men and of his moving them to write it out by his Holy Spirit Num tam Pellibus exiguis arctatur Spiritus ingens Two things I.O. at least I have to say to the Contrary First That is not all of the Old nor all of the New Scriptures that were by Inspiration Written before Christ and after him to the same use ends and purposes as the rest were Written until Iohns Writing the Revelation Secondly That as there was much more then that ye wot of which was Written as the Spirit moved from Moses to the Revelation so there hath been more since then so Written and more is and will yet be in time to come before as near as it is to it the World that now waxes Old towards it be at an end First There 's not all in your Bibles by much and by how much who knows That was given out upon Inspiration of God when as to say nothing of the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs now extant there is not all the inspired Scripture by much which that inspired Scripture ye have makes mention of Where 's the Book of Nathan the Prophet the Book of Ahijah the Book of Iddo 2 Chron. 9.29 the Book of Shemaiah 2 Chron. 12.15 the Book of Iehu the Prophet 2 Chron. 20.34 1 King 16.1 the Book of Gad the Seer 2 Chron. 29.29 the Book of Iasher 2 Sam. 1.18 Of which it may well be supposed that he was a
English J. O's Latine so unhappily stupid or self-will'd that they will be indoctrinated by no reason nor experience but as if themselves aboue must over-top all being puft up with a vain perswasion of their own Faith they obstinately persist in the contempt of such things as they understand not and so with the Comedian cry out Let who will say what he will from this Opinion we will not be removed T.D. at last denyes the Consequence saying pag 28. Suppose we should grant you there were such an Epistle legitimate yet it will not follow that it was intended for a Rule to us And why so may any Rational Reader say For this Reason quoth T.D. which Reason is as silly as if he had said because it will not for we have already as much as God thought sufficient God did not give order for any more then them we have to be our Rule what Order he gave for any writing at all to be the Rule or Canon will be seen anon or whether man did not give order for the Canonizing of that that is Authorized as the Rule but how appears it that God gave order for some Holy Scriptures and not some some Holy mens Writings some of Pauls Epistles and not othersome hereby quoth T D. Read Iob. 20.30.31 and many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his Discip'es which are not written in this Book but these are Written that ye might believe c. Reply In which Scripture T. D's Reason why Pauls other Epistles are Authentick and Canonical but that of his to Laodicea though as legitimate as the rest must not be so lyes so close hid up that a man may sooner find the way of a Bird in the Air or of a Serpent upon a Rock or a Fish in the Sea then find it or any thing that hath the least Iota of a Reason of such a matter Quis nist mentis inops c. Who but a man besides his wits can see either Sense or Reason in this Reason Iohn sayes Christ did more things then he Wrote of in that Book therefore Pauls Epistle to Laodicea i not so Canonical as his other Epistles But to take it as it comes consider first Iohn speaks of that particular History that he was then in hand with Secondly He speaks of Signes and not of Scriptures Thirdly Though he affirms that more were done by Christ then were written in his Book yet many might be and were Written by Matthew Mark and Luke that were not by him so that every way that Scripture makes against T.D. For first If Iohns Writing that Book were Exclusive of any of Pauls legitimate Epistles it must be of them all and of all legitimate Scripture that was wrote after this and so of his own Three Epistles and of his Revelation also from the Canon what mad work will T.D. make that way and what a fowl flaw will he make in his Canon by medling to exclude one Book of the New Testament excluding well nigh all Iohns Book was sufficient therefore no more need be written this is the Inference according to T. D. and not Iohns was sufficient therefore Pauls to Laodicea only so illegitimate that it must have no room in the Rule nor standing in the Standard though all other his Epistles now extant may 2. Iohn speaking that all the Signs Christ did were not written is no Argument to prove that all that was Written by the Spirit was not as equally useful as some of it and all alike designed and ordered to the same Ends so that if some were intended for a Rule the rest must be yea faith not the Scripture thus Rom. 15.4 1 Cor. 18.11 Whatever was Written aforetime was Written for our Instruction that we by it might have Hope Saith it not All Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is profitable for Doctrine Exhortation Instruction in Righteousnesse c. 2 Tim 3.16 2 Pet. 1.20 Saith it not that no Prophecy of Scripture which with I.O. is the Scripture of the Prophecy must be Interpreted as private Discourses that all Holy men of God spake as moved of the Holy Spirit Was not all then that was Written before Christ and since intended to one and the self same End though all that was done was not Written I understand not therefore the force of this Argument of T. D. All that was done was not Written Therefore much of that which was Written is of no use or not intended to the same use to the Church as the rest was 3. It perfectly confirms against T. D. what we Assert against him viz. That Pau's Writing to Laodicea and whatever else of Holy mens Writings that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and can be found have Caeteris Paribus One as much Authority as the Other being all alike legitimate For Iohn sayes of what ere is Written if T.D. will stretch Iohns saving beyond the bounds of that individual Book he was then writing it was written All to the same End i.e. That men might believe which with you not us is as much as to say to be a Rule of Faith One thing more I must not let slip here though T. D. did in his Account of the Dispute viz. That when T.D. had no more to say against that Argument from Paul Epistle to the Laodiceans one of his Associated Assistants R. Wilkinson asked Whether we had more Scripture in the Greek Tongue now extant then is in their Greek Testaments For that to Laodicea being here but Englished it would not down with them Reply was made Yea so naming a Verse between the 5 and 6 Verses of the 6 Chapter of Luke which is in some Greek Copies not theirs and a Verse of the Original Text wanting makes still against I. O.'s Arch-Assertion of the Scripture of both Testaments remaining in the Copies they now have entire to a Tittle as it first given out without any losse pag. 173. I repeated it in English thus out of the Greek in which Greek Tongue I have also read it Iesus seeing a certain man Working on the Sabbath day said unto him O man If thou knewest indeed what thou dost thou were happy but if thou knowest not thou art accursed and a Transgressor of the Law And so I have proved against T. D. That there 's much Scripture of Holy men which was as much designed in its first giving out to be the Rule as 〈◊〉 which is in modern Bibles wanting and lost some whereof yet is Extant in some Bibles at this day in which Confutation of T.D. I.O. is further Confuted as to all those many places of his Book wherein he avers over and over again with exceeding earnestnesse his Arch-Assertion viz. That not one iot nor Tittle of divinely inspired Scripture is lost but every Apex and Letter of it as at first Writing is Transcribed downward to us and preserved without any losse in the Copies we now have pag. 13 19. 173. And so this might stand
guide and a Light to Davids Paths was not the outward Letter only of Moses Law for Moses Scriptures and Writings and Davids too did only Testifie of it Deut 30. 14. 18. Rom. 10.8 Psal. 119. 9105 But the Word that was nigh in the Heart which David had and hid also within him that he might not sin against God Psal. 119. 11. yea no lesse then a Canon that had its compleat Consignation and Bounding for all Truth which was the same then as it is now substanâ—ially to be Tryed by when no more then Moses Five were extant so long before it was enlarged into such a Volume as now the Bible is by adding to the Old Word were the Letter that Word of God that 's the standing Measure I know not what to make of all these Additions to the Word if the Letter be the Word which have been made from Moses downward to this day but matter of Plagues Woes and Reproofs to the Adders of their Writings to the First Writings but this I can say to the Excuse of such as call Moses Five only a compleat Canon and in compleat Authority as a Standard and a Rule and the Word of God and such like full well may Five or any one Book of Moses or any one Chapter or one Verse never so small in either his or any other Prophets Scripture be so when if wee l believe I. O. when he Lyes every Tittle and Iota of any of these outward Writings is not only Part of the Word but The Word of the Great God as Pag. 168.169 Yea every Apex of it equally Divine and as immediately from God as the Voice wherewith or whereby he spake to or in the Prophets and is therefore accompanied with the same Authority i.e. as the whole is both in it self and unto us Pag. 27. so then every Tittle is no lesse then a compleatly constituted Canon and the whole is no more then so And further as to the New Testament as ye call the Letter of it as there is not the least Evidence that any such thing as the specifying of what and whose Scriptures or Writings the Canon should consist of and what not so can any of you that stand up so stifly for your fancied stable Standard shew us where any Order is given out by Christ or his Apostles to such as should succeed them to take Care to gather up their Writings and Judge and try which of them they thought fit and which not to own as their Rule and Iudge and accordingly digrading the rest to Canonize such as liked them best to submit themselves to the Tryal and Iurisdiction of into the high Names and Authority of the Word of God the Iudge the Rule the standing Canon both to them and all the world and all after Ages of it to the Worlds end Doth 2 Tim 3.13.14 twice at least cited by I O. for fear of failing viz. Ex. 3. S 26.31 prove it And doth 2 Tim. 2.2 which is without either heed or wit urged and by heedlesse I. O. as well as others quoted though mis-quoted in the Margin of Pag. 166. to that purpose prove in the least any such matter If it do then say I am a Dunce if not then see whether they are fit to be Doctors or Teachers in Divinity that by reason of the beam in their eyes cannot behold but divine so darkly besides a businesse that is as clearly contrary to what their brain conceives about it as if it were written with a Sun beam For the words of Paul to Timothy are these viz. The things that thou hast heard of me among many Witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be Able to Teach others also And in the other place these But Evil men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived and so they do at this day for all their scufling for the Scripture but continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them Whence it is by many that would look upon themselves as wronged if not looked upon as learned as hastily concluded as the places are hand-over head alledged That Paul bids Timothy take the Scripture first committed to him by himself and commit it downwards to faithful men that must commit and continue it downwards still to others and so successively to the worlds end as a Common Continual Permanent perpetually remaining Canon and only Standard for all Nations and Spirits Gods and Mans and Doctrines true and false to stand or fall by from thenceforth even for ever Which what a crooked Consequence it is who but Ignoramus can be ignorant whenas if the Scripture had been the subject spoken of there by Paul either it had extended no further then to his own Scripture to Timothy which is but a petty Portion and poor Pittance of Pauls Epistles or if to all the rest of his Epistles then it had been conclusive of that to Laodicea and his first to Corinth and Ephesus which have no being in your Bibles which you say Contains all your Canon and are by T. D. excluded from any Claim to it but in very deed there 's no such thing at all as the Scripture or outward Text there either talkt on or intended but the things Timothy had learn't and heard from Paul by word of mouth as well as writing which though I own to be Truths and Doctrines and things which are evermore according to the Scripture the Spirit from which that was never contradicting it self yet were another thing then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Writing or Scripture it self Paul sayes not those Scriptures which thou hadst of me c. commit to faithful men to make a Standard of but those Doctrines Truths which thou hast heard of me commit and those Truths were concerning the Light which Paul was sent to turn men to and not the Letter for he sayes God made him and the rest Ministers not of the Letter but of the Spirit Act. 26.18 2 Cor. 3.6 And the Gift of God within Timothy which he bids him stir up 2 Tim. 1.5 Neither did Paul go up and down testifying to the Scriptures as a Standard and telling men which should be the Touchstone and which Scriptures not but the things which were Witnessed to there testifying no other things Quod Essentiam to be believed or done then what were written in and spoken by the Law and the Prophets Acts 24. 14. 26. 22. And those things Timothy heard learned and was assured of from Pauls both Words and Writings As also the things the Thessalonians 2 Thess. 2.15 had delivered to them partly by Pauls Preachings and partly by his Epistles and were accordingly to stand fast and continue in but they were not the bare Bible it self or Writings or Scriptures themselves which were not then by Paul or any bundled up and carried about in a Book to take a Text and Talk out of
in Ezras dayes was by thy own confession much corrupted so not a little of iâ— was lost altogether But to knock this Argument more fully on the head thy self confessest that as great as the care of Ezra was to restore the Text of the old Testament to its purity and to compleat the Points it hath since then slipt so far out of order that as to the Points according to the Iewes general faith it received a great reviving and restoration to their Right and knowledge by the Massorites when they had been much dis used quoting R. Azarias in proof of it p. 247.271 and so hast routed thy own Argument with thy own hands Arg. thy Ninth is this the care of the Massorites from Ezras dayes and downwards to keep perfect and give an account of every syllable in the Scripture citing Buxtorfius Rep. Here thou supposest thou puttest in sufficient security for its non-alteration in a Tittle to this day but of the Massorites care if I doubt thy Word and Buxtorfs are not a ground to beget a divine faith in me or another about it who are bold in imposing your own Conjectures but if I own them to have been as carefull as thou conceivest them to be yet in the dayes of those before Ezra who were as careful as these could be it came not-off without losse much lesse is it likely it did to this day if those Massorites before Christ had been ten times more careful then they were forasmuch as thou rendrest both Iewes and Papists between which two sorts of men the Hebrew Text hath been reserved to this day both of them generations of men so hardned in hatred against the truth as not to be worthy to be counted faithful Trustees about the Scriptures besides as I said to the Argument last above thy self grantest the points so have been dis used so as to have been rectified by the Tiberian Massorite 600 years since Christ. Arg. thy Tenth is the constant consent of all Copies in the world so that on sundry learned men have observed there is not in the whole Mishna Gemara or either Talihud any one place of Scripture found otherwise read then it is now in our Copies Reply 1. What a piece of Idem per Idem is this wherein the self same thing that is to be proved is Argumentatively urged in proof of it self the thing to be proved is that there is a constant consent in all the Copies of the Hebrew Text in the world so that there is no Copies read otherwise in any one place then ours or that do vary from ours in one Letter Apex Tittle or Iota to prove this the medium I. O. uses is this viz. the constant consent of all Copies in the world without any variation in any one place I say here is not so good as ignotum per aeque ignotum but Idem per Idem the same proved by the same the thing affirmed evinced by affirming it ore again Siccine di putant Academici nostrates many an acute Academian would answer no otherwise to this bald businesse then by telling the Doctor he is out and forgets what he hath in hand bidding him begin again but such a Coâ—ntrified Russet-Rabby as Dr. Featly sayes the Apron-Levites are and such a Rustick Respondent as I am must submit and take it as it comes without much talk lest I be talkt with for it therefore I shall do it so much honour as to put it up and to Reply to it and so passe it by and passe on 2. If there be and have been such an universal constant consent of all copies in the world and not so much as one Hebrew Copy read otherwise then in ours in any one place of the Bible for so large are thy words that thou art often fain to pinch them in again how is it that so many Copies are with Points and so many wholly without any punctation at all or if thou say all pointed Copies are alike among themselves and all unpointed ones are alike among themselves how is it that thou to the contradicting thy self in this place confessest various readings in many other yet the very three next pages viz. 178. 179. 183. are well nigh wholly spent in nothing but concessions confessions and acknowledgements that there are and have been various lections in the very old Testament as well as the New and there thou grantest that some of those that are thou knowest no more of viz. the various readings of the Eastern and Western Iewes save that they first appeared it appears then there are some in Bombergius his Bible professing thy present ignorance of them and unwillingnesse for hasts sake to enquire after them yet wishing any that know ought of them to inform thee further but thou shouldst have informed thy self before thy rash and blind bold Assertion and not say a thing positively and then say had I wist and enquire when thou hast done whether it be so or no and moreover thou denyest not but that more various lections then yet thou knowest may be gathered out of ancient Copies of credit and esteem And thou instances in particular in those called the Keri and Ketib which thou makest such a puzling of thy self about up and down in thy Book that thou vainly spendest one whole Chapter viz the last save one of thy second Treatise to prove them to be of no moment which yet when all 's done are varieties from the first Manuscripts at least nemine contradicente though how they fell out at first none knows and thou guessest they were gathered by Ezra p. 302. and grantest that they are the face and appearance of various lections p. 304 and that they are no lesse in number then 840. in the Bible p. 296. and that thou art not able to satisfie thy self about the Original and spring of all that variety that is in the Bible by reason of them p. 301. and thâ—t unlesse ye should suppose which yet thou seemest not to dare to do that the word was so received foâ—m God as to make both necessary not knowing the true cause of this variety or difference between the Scription which is in the Love and the Lection which is in the margin ye have nothing to blame but your own ignorance 〈◊〉 being not the onely case and I confess thou speakest the Truth in that wherein ye have reason so to do p. 30â— all which notwithstanding 1-st the consideration of this To Keri and To Ketib or vast and numerous variety of different Scriptions and Lections which are welny in thousands of words whereof some of them in the margin are supposed to have stood sometimes in the line being most groundedly conjectured to be no other then meer Critical amendment of the Iewes should together with the supposition and suspicion that is now begotten in the minds of many learned ones impeach that security which thou supposest at least thou hast of the mind of God truly represented to thee in
or Syllable without the least mixture or interveniency of any medium obnoxious to fallibility as thou sayest it is p. 10. for in the very next words p. 10.11 thou utterest enough to the confutation of thy self in this while according to thy wonted manner of running round as one borrendo percussus Scotomate thou sayest the wisdom truth integrity knowledge and memory of the best of all men is obnoxious to fallibility and consequently say I capable to give change in the most careful Transcription that can be made by mans hands that is uninspired in much more then the least Iota or Syllable thus art thou contrary to thy self still 5. But I say for all thy reasonlesse rounds and self contradictory conceits more then Transcribers care and diligence is necessary thereunto i.e. to the producing of Copies infallibly conformable in every Tittle Iota and Point to those of the first Penmen and to the begetting of the divine faith which is more then meer humane fallible perswasion that thou oughst to have about the soundnesse universal incorruption certainty integrity invariablenesse and infallibility of that thou callest thy foundation even that immediate manutenentia Dei or undeceivable direction and divine inspiration of God which if it be wanting as thou confessest it was from the first to the last of thy Transcribers such is the weaknesse of men where never so much carefulnesse is in Transcribing of Books that there may be miscarriages and mistakes which if there be in the least Iota or Syllable it 's great enough to lay thy universal grand Assertion to the ground and all thy proof of it from the foresaid care and diligence will prove not worth a pin to thy purpose But alas what do I talk of weaknesse where either the leading of the Spirit of God is wanting or a willingnesse in men to be led by the holy Spirit as it is in all that assert as thou dost his infallible guidance to be gone out of the world in these dayes there 's not onely much weaknesse to such a weighty work as thou makest the Transcribing the Scripture to be but as thou sayest p. 104. so I in this case about the Scriptures so much vanity foolishnesse falsenesse unfaithfulnesse negligence ignorance and sloth love of money for which many write at others appointment being well paid for their plains more then of the matters they are writing as well in Scribes as Printers of the very Scripture it self carelesnesse adding detracting unsuitablenesse of their Spirits and minds to spiritual things losse of all remembrance of what they are and what they do c. that I can give very little credit to what I have nothing but the Authority Ability Integrity Wisdom Knowledge Truth Memory Care and Diligence of such to rely upon for without evidence of their being divinely and infallibly guided which guidance thou denyest to thy Scribes nor can any wise man groundedly believe any other but that the Books of Scripture passing through the hands of many such Transcribers have upon them the marks of their neglects ignorance and sloth and have had as hard of belief as thou seemest to be of this p. 206. the fate of other books Yea I. O. let me but ask thee this Is that faith thou hast that thy Greek and Hebrew Copies are to a Tittle so uncorrupted as thou contendest a divine faith or a fallible perswasion onely if the Latter it 's not worth a figge if thou have no bettr faith then so and art not more infallibly assured then so of the infallibility of that which thou callest thy most perfect Rule and infallible foundation If the former what is it must beget this divine faith in this thing that there 's not a Point nor Tittle varying in thy now Canon standard or adored Copy from the first Copy of the Text that ever was will thy vain confidence hopes conjectures good conceits of thou knowest not what Scribes that wrote thou knowest not when give thee such a faith or the Traditions and Authority and Testimony of honest men saying so and so downward for many generations or some infallible ground of certainty that they were guided to write every word by divine inspiration Not the first for thou utterly disclaimest that as no ground of divine faith about the Scriptures by saying thus p. 105. if numbers of men may be allowed to speak we may have a Traditional Testimony given to the blasphemous figments of the Alcoran But the constant Tradition of more then a thousand years carried on by innumerable multitudes of men great wise and sober from one generation to another doth but set open the gates of hell for the Mahometans and thus p. 114.115 though I should grant that the Apostles and penmen of the Scripture were persons of the greatest industry honesty integrity faithfulnesse holinesse that ever lived in the world as they were and that they wrote nothing but what themselves had assurance of as what men by their senses of seeing and hearing are able to attain yet such a knowledge and assurance is not a sufficient foundation for the faith of the Church of God if they received not every word by inspiration and that evidencing it self unto us otherwise then by the Authority of their integrity it can be no foundation for us to build our faith upon Not the latter for thou disclaimest that and darest not ascribe any such thing as infallible guidance or divine inspiration to thy Trustee Transcribers so where the divine faith about the firmnesse of thy foundation it self stands founded and bottom'd unlesse it be in the bottomlesse pit it self of thy own fancy he must have more Rope to fathom with then I have that will ever find Wilt thou not then I. O. say of the first Transcribers of the Scriptures that the were infallible and divinely inspired I do not say thou dost ill in refusing so to say nay rather thou dost very well and somewhat honestly and ingenuously in that for indeed we cannot tell nor say safely that they were so but art thou then freely willing in very deed to yeild it to us that they were fallible and that 't was not impossible for them to mistake This grant of thine we are as free to accept of as thou art to give it and make good use of it too not so much against as for thy self viz. to shew and instruct thee from thence that there 's rottennesse at the very root of all your Religion and a fearful flaw of fallibility that is in the very foundation of your faith and believing in which thou sayest ye are built on the writings of the Prophets and Apostles T. 1. c. 2 S. 4 that so ye may which is the worst that we wish you come to be better built on a firmer foundation and both you and your foundation and faith and all may stand fast and never as now ye must do fall any more from thenceforth for ever even the foundation of the
his Expressions over all bounds and limits of sobriety rather then deny himself downrighthly so as to expose himself Obvious to all as one that hath been ignorant and that he may render the ridiculousnesse of his lost Labours as remote as may be from the observation of the many let the fruit and Issue be what it will he will seem to own and stand to them to the utmost Apex as long as possible he can that he doth not Resign up the Truth of his Arch Assertion but upon Honourable Terms and with certain Limitations Restrictions Distinctions Reserves to himself and upon Articles and Grants back again to him from his Antagonists as though they help not much to heal and cure his Cause from sinking yet shall serve at least as Drums beating Trumpets sounding Colours flying Bullet i' th Mouth Bag and Baggage use to do to keep up the half-crack'd Credit of Conquered Fort-Keepers to salve the Credit and Reputation of the wrestling Rabbi The said Grants are on this wife viz. Though the Point at first propounded positively and treated and insisted on very earnestly to be proved was that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Copies which we have do contain every Iota that was in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first Writing both of Moses and the Prophets and also of the Apostles and Evangelists pag. 13. Yea every Letter and Tittle of the Old Testament without Corruption and entire without various Lections pag. 14 16 18 19. and what is spoken thus of the Old Testament must be affirmed also quoth I.O. of the New p. 27. And pag 153. The Scripture of the Old and New Testament are preserved unto us entire to the least Iota or Syllable in the Original Languages And pag. 173. That the whole Scripture entire as given out without any losse is preserved in the Copies yet remaining Yet pag. 167. he sayes It is known it is granted that failings have been among Transcribers and that various Lections are from thence risen and we are ready to own all their failings that can be proved p. 169. so notwithstanding what hath been spoken we grant quoth I.O. p. 178 that there are and have been various Lections in the Old Testament and the New As for the Old among the many other he instances in which I have also spoken a little to above he sayes of these of Ben Asher and Ben Nepthali thus pag. 179. viz in their exact Consideration of every Letter Point and Accent of the Bible wherein they spent their lives it seems they found out some varieties Reply 1. An unprofitable improvement of mens whole Lives that live no more according to the Scripture then I.O. sayes the IEWES do as honourably as he seems to speak here of it for his own ends 2. There are some Varities then it seems though thou canst find none or else they could not have found them I.O. sayes Of those Various Readings of the East and Western Jewes that he is Ignorant of them and can't a while to look much after them to inform himseâ—f of their Original and all that he knowes of them is that such there are and appear in Bombergius his Bible pag. 180. Reply Whereby I.O. Confesses himself to be no competent Person to make any Creditable Censure of them so that save that he Credits Capellus whom he credits little when he speaks Truths that make against I.O. that they are not so they may be very momentary for ought I.O. knowes As to the New Testament besides what I.O. sayes Epist. pag. 27. viz. That he evidently finds various Lections in the Greek Copies which we enjoy and so Grants that which Ocular Inspection evinces to be true His whole Third Chapter of his Second Treatise is Totally taken up with Treating of them in which he grants ore and ore again That there are various Lections yea he is sain to Confesse pag. 188 189 That of the various Lections in the Copies of the New Testament Protestants for the most part have been the chiefest Collectors of them and that though at first very few were observed yet now they are swell'd into such a Bulk that the very Collection of them makes up a Book bigger then the New Testament it self And pag. 190. That there are in some Copies of the New Testament and those some of them of some good Antiquity diverse Readings in things and words of lesse Importance is acknowledâ—ed And pag. 191. That so many Transcriptions as there are of the New Testament should be made without some variations is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. impossible Repâ—y All which if it be not a point blank giving of the Point and Position at first Propounded to be proved viz. That there is no Change or Alteration in the least Iota or Syllable from what they were at first in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament pag. 153. The proof whereof also was for a while more frivously and fiercely then forcibly followed and prosecuted and if contrary to the said Assertion it be not an yielding that there is much Change Alteration and various Lection then I know not what a Resignation or Rendring up of a Cause is or else understand not well what I.O. means but mistake him to be one that means as he sayes while he sayes one thing and means another matter Notwithstanding by one means or other but fair or fowl hook or crook right or wrong effectual or weak concurring or self-contradicting is much at one with I.O. he lifts up himself again but alittle too late having perforce once yielded so far to look after his lost Assertion again to recover it and if possible to try one touch more to see if he can make it stand up in its former strictnesse wherein at first he laid it down And so in one of his wonted fits of dangerlesse fear least his giving way so much should create a Temptation to his Reader that nothing is left sound and entire in the Letter which he falsly calls the Word of God and his only perfect Rule stable Bottom true and sure Foundation pag. 193. He Summons his Sentence back into its first Rigidity saying and that not out of Hopes but that some may be so foolish as to believe him that with them that rightly ponder things all his own Confessions and other Protestants professions notwithstanding there ariseth nothing at all to the prejudice of his Assertion Yea all that yet appears impairs not in the least the Truth of our Assertion That every Tittle and Letter quoth he remaines in the Copies preserved pag. 181. The Grounds which he judges his Assertion viz. That there 's no Alterations or various Lections in Tittles and Letters to stand firm upoâ— notwithstanding all his Grants that there are many various Lections in the present Copies of the Oâ—iginal are the small Number the small Time of standing in the World and the small importance of those various Lections and Alterations that are On these small
that there are many diverse Readings both in the Old Testament and the New as one afraid thou hast yielded too far to the prejudice of thy Assertion thou pullest in again what thou canst by speaking so diminutively of the various Lections that are as if they were upon the matter just nothing at all I am not sayest thou upon the whole matter out of hopes but that upon a diligent review of all these various Lections they may be reduced to a lesse offensive and lesse formidable number in which Review thou reckonest as followes I.O. 1. Let then the vulgar Copy we use passe for the Standard as it 's right and due Rep Whether this let be Optative i.e. a begging that it may by all be granted so to passe or Imperative i.e. a commanding all so to let it passe is much at one to me but as from him 't is as much as to say let that Copy which I I O. imagine to be most meritorious of that honour be the Standard for all Copies and things besides it self and it self also to be tryed by as which agrees to every Tittle with the fiâ—st immediate Manuscripts and let all that agree not with it stand but for so many Cyphers and be no more accounted on then if they were just nothing at all grant me this and there will no such varieties appear as we are surprized with and my Assertion will stand good so far at least that we have a Copy of the Scripture that is to a Syllable exactly agreeing with the first Manuscripts in which there is no errour nor deviation therefrom and that the same fate of mis-transcribing hath not befallen the Greek and Hebrew Texts of Scripture as hath done other Books to this effect I.O. sayes to whom in short say I as the Proverb is if wishes were Horses then Lord Beggars would Ride but that must not be left they grow so proud as to know themselves lesse then yet they do who are so haughty and wise in their own conâ—eits as to know themselves in all reason too little already we may not grant thee I.O. for all thy Question-begging demand of it that your vulgar Copy can claim such a high thing as it 's right and due to stand down as an unalterable Standard for all truth and doctrines and all other Texts of Transcript Copies to be tried by till thou hast prov'd it to be to a Tittle entirely agreeing with the first Manuscripts which since thou confessest they are all long since perished there remains nothing but thy thoughts to try it by whether it square in every Iota with them much lesse can it be prov'd to be it's due to be canonized as the standing Rule whereby to prove or disprove the exactnesse of all the rest nor is the reason thou rendrest for it's right in that kind as here under followeth worth a rush I.O. Let it be remembred it was the publike possession of many generations and in actual Authority throughout the world Rep. 1. Not thorowout the whole world of Christendom it self which is but a corner in comparison of the world nor yet thorowout the whole Protestant world which is but a corner of Christendom so called and hath not been many generations yet in actuall being it self much lesse hath had your vulgar Copy so long in actuall Authority thorowout it yea as I have shewâ—ed above there have been and are Bibles written and printed that have in them Books of Scripture viz. that of Paul to Laodicea which your vulgar Copy wants 2. But were it so yet if thou mayest be believed when thou speakest as oft thou dost in contradiction to thy self thy reason that the vulgar Copy ought to stand de jure as the Standard because de facto it hath stood in actual Authority so long in the Christian world is rendred by thy self a very reasonlesse reason who in another place and case sayest thus p. 105. If numbers of men may be allowed to speak we may hâ—ve a Traditional Testimony given to the Blasphemous figments of the Alcoran but the constant tradition of more then a thousand years carried on by innumerable multitudes of men great wise and sober from one generation to another doth but set open the gates of Hell for the Mahometans As therefore I own not the Alcoran as a Standard upon the account of I. O's Reason for his vulgar Copy viz. the Catholike owning receiving and possessing it in time and place so though I prize the Scripture above the Alcoran as much as I can do writing by divine inspiration above that which is but mans invention yet I cannot own the vulgar Copy of it as the Standard upon such an account as it's universall reception for what he gives for the vulgar Copy the same can I give if it were a sound one as a Reason for the Alcoran viz. memorandum or let it be remembred that the Alcoran hath been the publike possession of many Generations and in actual Authority among men as a Standard thorowout the whole world of Mahometanism yet is not therefore to passe upon any ones intreaty or command saying as I.O. of the other let it passe for the Standard as its right and due I.O. Let those places be separated from the name of various Lections which are not sufficiently attested to so as to pretend to be various Lections it being against all pretence of Reason that every mistake of every obscure private Copy perhaps not above two or three hundred years or if elder should be admitted as a various Lection men may if they please inform the world wherein such Copies are corrupted or mistaken but to impose their known failings on us as a various Lections is a course not to be approved Rep. How I.O. what against all pretence of Reason that every mistake in every obscure Copy though of two or three hundred years or more should be accounted a various Lection is it not rather most unreasonable in thy self to account it otherwise does the obscurity privacy or novelty of a Copy though more then three hundred years old make the various Readings that are in it from the first Original Copy not various Readings are not various Lections various Lections where ever they are found whether in a more ancient or in a later Copy are they ever the lesse various Readings because in Copies which thou callest novell private and obscure Nothing it seems must be notable in the world but what comes within the narrow ken of I Os. cognizance and comprehension its private obscure novell though known to never so many till it obtain some Patent from I.O. who when he knows any thing thinks that he is the first that knows what then he first knows to passe for publike and ancient among other folk though no lesse then two or three hundred years elder then himself on which account how Apishly angry is he with the Authors of the Appendix to the late Biblia Polyglotta for counting the
he calls it but also that there are many mistakes in those Books that are out of his own hand writing which is no better then snares and bands a certain piece of contradictory net-work of his own composing to the catching and binding down himself wherein he hangs hampered intangled and tumbled up and down in his own fruitlesse contests fallible perswasions and perplexing self-contradicting conjectures so that there 's scarce a Chapter or so much as a Lection in it fully free from or rather not fully fraught with some or other of his uncertain conceits and certain confusions about the defending of his Assassinated Assertion one while Asserting and striving stiffly to maintain it in the very rigidity universality and utmost strictnesse of it that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. not the Iot or Tittle of the Original Text is added altered lost mis-transcribed sometimes Assenting to the contrary onely begging that all various Lections of what sort soever one or other without exception may be excepted from the account of various Lections and then Asserting that his Assertion on that condition will stand entire concerning the entirenesse and integrity of his Text to a very Tittle Now then since it is so 〈◊〉 at the outward Letter of the Scripture not only in its Translations which I.O. himself Asserts to be so universally altered and corrupted from the Originals but a little also in its Copies of the Original is by I.Os. own confession both so abundantly altered by the addition of the Points since the first writing and the Variations of so many severall kinds as himself enumerates and at best so easily so infinitly alterable as that at the wills of men exercising their critical faculties about the Text it may by Transposition and Transcription of one Letter for another or supposition and subscription of one Vowel for another be turned divers contrary wayes and subverted in its sense so exceedingly that some one word instancing in that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ep. p. 24. may as it may be pointed or printed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 afford no lesse then eight severall senses as distant from one another as life and death seeing also that there is no relief against all that huge heap of uncertainty that is found among the founders that are continually confounded within themselves about their sickle foundation unlesse they will be perswaded to come to that firm inâ—allible sure foundation and inalterable Rule of all Truth the light word and spirit of God in the heart but their own vain empty groundlesse confused thoughts imaginations conceits fancies fallible perswasions and opinions taken up by Tradition from each others Tomes Treatises Targums and Talmudical twatlings as if there were neither Light nor Spirit nor word of God throughout the whole world whereby any soul saving Truth can possibly come to be known or entertained at any certainty further then the Text-tâ—ining Text-men tell and teach it forth either by their Oralâ— Talkings for Tythe or manifold Translatings of it out of their falsely supposed entirely Transcribed Copies Shall we then think because I O. to the contradiction of himself so thinks and imposes his own thoughts on us as uncontroulable proofs that there is no variation in the Copies we have from the first Manuscripts of the Scripture but that they are come to us without the least interveniency of any such mediums or wayes as are capable of giving change or aâ—teration or obnoxious to fallibility in the least Syllable or Iota p. 10. 153. or that the some varieties that I. O confesses R. Aaron and R. Moses found in their exact consideration of the Bible were small and of no importance to the sense of any word p. 179 especially since with I.O. if a body might take his Tattle for Truth every Letter Tittle Iota there Transcribed was a part of the word yea no lesse then the Word of the great God wherein the eternall concernment of all soules dothâ—lâ—e p 168. 169 Shall we think because I.O. thinks so p. 17. that there is not any colour or pretence nor any tollerable evidence from all the discrepancies in the Copies themselves that are extant that there ever were any other in the least differing from these extant in the world Shall we think because I. O so thinks p. 181. 193. that all that yet appears impairs not in the least the Truth of his Assertion that every Tittle and Letter that was in the Original Copies remaines in the Copies of the Original to this day without any losse or any alteration or passing away of one iot thereof and that with them that rightly ponder things abovesaid there thence ariseth nothing at all to the prejudice of that his so often o're and oâ—re again affirm'd Assertion And if men must deal by instances in this case as he sayes and not by conjectures though himself gives us no instance of any one Copy of which he can say unlesse he had the Autographa by him that it agrees every Accent and Syllable therewith upon any better ground then his own bare conjectures yet if I had not given him instance enough of whole words verses books prophesies c. lost of inspired mens Scriptures doth not I.O. himself give us instanâ—es enough of variety of Lection to the assuring us of the falsenesse of his first Assertion which instances of his own insisting on are obvious to all Readers of his Book and believed by us to be true rather then his idle talk to the contrary of his Texts integrity to a Tittle And is there any reason as he sayes of himself and his adherents Ep. p. 28 that we should be esteemed Ridiculous because believing our own eyes we will not believe the Testimony of I.O. imagining otherwise then the case is according to his own instances dealing by conjectures against his own instances a man deservedly of no credit with us running in ridiculous rounds and asserting that to be Truth which we know from his own Book to be utterly false Shall we think that the literal Text in the very Transcripts he so talkâ— for is any other then he cals it as to its most ancient Translation a corrupt stream a Lesbian â—ule p. 15. 16 or any other then some call it a nose of wax no certain stable 〈◊〉 or standard to try all Truth by guide throughout in the knowledge of the will of God Shall we think because I.O. thinks so strangely that so corruptible and corrupted a stream as the meer Letter now is since vitiated and interpolated can be judged a fit means to judge the fountain by i. e the Light Word and Spirit it came from and a fit measure to correct and authoritatively to examine and determine those Originals by Shall we think because I.O. hath and uttereth such high and hyperbolical thoughts apprehensions and affirmations of
himself as it seemed good to him wrote a story of certain Truths not upon the account of such a meer passive immediate reception thereof from God by inspiration of every Tittle into him as he wrote as thou doest without any conception of the things in his minde or retaining them in his memory or by any means before hand comprehending them but rather as it were at second hand as they were heard and beleeved and undeâ—stood by him as true matters of fact from the mouthes or writings of such as were eye witnesses thereof and did first deliver them and so to the confutation of thy vain figment not without a concurrence of his rational faculties in the receiving of what he wrote 3. What thinkest thou of those Proverbs of Solomon whose Proverbs were 3000. in all not 300. of which are contained in your Canon and his Songs a hundred and not five of which are come to your cognizance King 4 3.2.5 or those which stand in your Standard from the very first inserting of them there stand but at second hand at best as they were copied out of whether the first manuscript or some remote and more uncertain Transcript who can tellâ— by the men of Hezekiah some nine or ten Generations after him see Prov. 25.1 were these received by the Writers that affixed them to that ye call your Canon so immediately from God as thou dreamest without any but a passive concurrence as things not by any means comprehended by these men of Hezekiah before they wrote them 4. What thinkest thou of such parts and parcels of thy so called Canon as are each of them written in two several places or books of thy Bible one of which places and the Respective parcels whether Histories or Prophesies or Praises therein recited are at most but repetitions and meer transcriptions out of the other with some such Additions or Ablations or Alterations of more than Titles and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as is not unusually made among Transcribers of which sort for instance in a few I refer thee and all such as scrape so unskilfully as thou doest about the Scriptures being in every Title as it now stands in your Copies immediately written from God by inspiration and without meditation or any means of comprehending the things they wrote beforehand by the Writers thereof to consider and compare Psal. 14. with Psal. 53. and 2 Sam. 2.2 with Psal. 18. also 2 King 18.13 c. 19. c. 20. with Isa. 36. Isa. 37. Isa. 38. Isa 39. also 2 King 24 18. c. 25. throughout with Ier. 39. Ier. 52. by which places perused howbeit every word of this is asserted by J.O. to be written as immediately from Gods own mouth as any of it it is yet plain and evident that some of it was but copied and transcribed out of other some and such a useless Repetition of the same over and over again as neither need be nor would be if the Bible as consistent of neither more nor less than what is ordinarily bound up in it had beâ—n intended by either God or the holy Pen-men of the sundry parcels thereof to be the inalterable constant Canon and only steady Standard for all succeeding ages of men universally to the worlds end 5. Moreover what thinkest thou of such Scripture Prophesies and Epistles as were first written and pend not by the holy men themselves that were moved to give them forth by inspiration but by such as wrote them not mmediately from God but from the mouthes of such only as indited them as the spirit moved of which there are not a few but how many exactly who knows since evident it is that those men after whom they are denominated did not at first write all their own Prophesies and Epistles with their own hands witness much at least of Ieremiahs Prophesie that was written not by himself but Baruch his ordinary Scribe as Jeremiah dictated to him See Ier. 36.4.6.17 18 32. Baruch 6.1 c. Witness also Pauls Epistle to the Romans which though indited by him yet Tertius was the Pen-man thereof Rom. 16.22 which verse Tertius himself it seems added as he wrote Besides many if not most of his Epistles were sent not from Paul alone sigillatim but from himself and such other of his fellow-labourers as were with him at such times and places when and from whence they were sent viz. some from him and Timothy 2 Cor. 1.1 Col. 1.1 Philip. 1.1 Philem. 1.1 Some from him and Silas and Timothy 1 Thess. 1.1 2 Thes. 1.1 one from him and Sosthenes 1 Cor. 1.1 of which which of the two or the three was the Scribe though we beleeve Paul to be under God the chief Authour who knows one from him and all the brethren that were with him at the writing thereof Gal. 1.1 2. which is the only one to any whole Churches that we have clear evidence of that he wrote with his own hands of which he sayes Gal. 6.11 Yee see how large a letter I have written to you with mine ownhand and verse 17. Henceforth let no man trouble me which very expression of his verse 11. intimates that it was not very usual with him to write his letters to the Churches with his own hand but only signed them when others had wrote them for him therefore he often intimateâ— his love to them under his own hand and no more See 1 Cor. 16.21 Col. 4.18.1 and 3.17 The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand which is the token in every Epistle so I write now it being so were all the writings and things written received so immediately from God as thou imaginest by the first Pen-men with out retaining any thing in their memories of what they had learned or comprehending them by any means beforehand or without any but a meer passive concurrence of their rational faculties in the reception thereof what ignorance is this Besides whether with Pauls own hand or any others his Epistles were written some things therein were therein spoken to the Churches by himself as delivering his judgement by permission only and not by Commandement from God by him not the Lord To the rest quoth he speak I and not the Lord 1 Cor 7.6 12.40 which as it contradicts J. O's talk in the parcel above cited so also it overturns that talk and fabulous piece of praie as to some parts of it and shall here stand as an answer to it which he as ignorantly utters pag. 25 26 27. viz. They were carried out by the Holy Ghost to speake deliver write all that and nothing but that to a very tittle that was so brought unto them they only received the words from God himself Every aspect of the written word i.e. writing with J.O. is equally Divine and as immediately from God as the voice wherewith or whereby he spake to or in the Prophets and is therefore accompanied with the same Authority in it self and unto us What hath been spoken thus of the Scripture
and doth God reveal the hidden mysteries of the Gospel any way but by his Spirit to his Saints which searcheth all things even the deep things of God and doth any know the things of God but the Spirit of God and the spiritual men who in it and not by the letter which letter the world hath yet hath not the other have minde of Christ 1 Cor. 2.9 to the end And in that of Peter coted by thee is there the least hint of the Scriptures or of the Prophets searching the Scriptures or of any signification of the things they ministred to others in their writings by the Scriptures but only by the Spirit And as for Daniel it is true he understood by the books of Jeremiah the cerâ—ain number of seventy years how long the Captivity should last but what of that num ex puris particularibus aliquid sequitâ—â— universale Wilt thou argue from one to all much more wilt thou infer from thence that neither Daniel nor any other Prophets understood their own writings but by the Scriptures of the other Prophets which is the absurdity thou assertest And as for Davids saying Through thy Precepts I get understanding Hast thou got no more understanding yet then to beleeve that the Precepts Statutes â—udgements Laws Commandments Testimonies Word Ordinances Wayes Truth Name one or other of which names is either in the singular or in the plural number used in every individual verse excepting two throughout that long 119. Psalm consisting of an 176. verses no other thing is meant but the outward letter writing or Scripture of Moses five books very little more than which was extant in Davids dayes wherein the ten words which God wrote with his own hand and a few more Ceremonious matters were recorded by the hand of Moses Is not the Commandement or Word or Law of God as the letter speaks the Lamp or Light that the letter only speaks of Psal. 19.7 c. 119.105 Prov 6.23 And if all the other Prophets that succeeded Moses studied the writingâ— of Moses and one another in order to the knowledge of their own Prophetical writings without which they understood them not savingly as thou sillily sayest yet I wonder what other Prophets writingâ— Moses himself who was one of the Prophets not excepted by thee searched and studied that he might get a saving understanding of that truth that was penn'd by himself sith as thou thinkest at least there were no Scriptures extant before him for Enochs Prophesies have no standing in your Standard I wonder Quae colliquia cum Angelis vel ficta velfacta quis enthusiasmus quis afflatus caelestis aut reapse vis mali spiritus did suggest these fantasms into thy fancy Ex. 1. Ex. S. â—8 thou hast little need to detest the Qua. as Enthusiasis that entertainest and utterest to the world as undoubted truths such Amick Enthusiasmes as these Sundry other such shallow furmises and suppositions are very positively propounded and set down by thee in thy first Chapter of thy first Treatise which I shall let pass here some of which may possibly be touch't on elsewhere But this may suffice to give a taste of that untruth which thy two Treatises are under-propt with whereby from the falsenesse faultinesse foolishnesse and unsoundness of thy ground-work and foundation and from the brittleness of thy Basis so thou call'st p. 1.28.30 this Original part of thy Book concerning the Divine Original and immediate manner of the Scriptures coming forth from God to us the reasonable Reader may read aforehand what a Come-down Castle the rest of thy Babylonish Building is like to be for howbeit I grant that the Word of God and the holy truth in its first coming forth from God to the holy Pen-men that heard his voice and so wrote it as moved by him was of an immediate Divine original in which respect it is said no Prophesie of the Scripture is of private Interpretation or to be counted no more upon than a private mans wriâ—ing which writes of his own head as thou dost the figment and imagination of whose heart fancies thoughts are the fountain of all that is uttered but as that which holy men of God were moved to write and the outward Scripture it self may be said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. penned by men as they were inspired by God or the fruit and effect of no self-afflation but according to the motion or inflation of the holy Spirit yet that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou makest such a deal of work about as the Original of the Copies of the Original of the Scripture and their coming forth from God was not so immediately from God to those that lived when they were first given out much less to us now as thou imaginest in thy vain mind who dotest that every Apex of that Text is equally Divine and as immediately from God to us as the very voice of God in the Prophets was to them without the least mixture or interveniency of any mediums or wayes obnoxious to fallibility or capable of giving change or alteration to the least 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or syllable thereof pag. 10.30.153 for that came from God at first excepting the Decalogue and that little to Belshazzar which ye have now but remote Copies of not without the interveniency medium and way of mans hand-writing which is it were as being infallibly guided by the Spirit obnoxious to no fallibility yet as it comes to you who own that and no other to be your inalterable Standard it s far from coming immediately from God sith it is not without the interveniency of the hands of welnigh innumerable unknown Transcribers the very first and best of whom were so far from non-obnoxiousness to fallibility that thou thy self sayest pag. 167. that neither all nor any of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallible or divinely inspired so that it was impossible for them to mistake and that religious care and diligence in their works with a due reverence of him with whom they had to do is all thou ascribest to them and p. 10. that the wisdome truth integrity knowledge and memory of the best of all men is obnoxious 〈◊〉 fallibility and also that it s known they did fail Neither if the Question were about the Autographae or first Manuscripts that were far more immediate then thy far fetcht Apographae or modern Copies are howbeit thy main business is about the magnifying thy confestedly mistranscribed Transcripts and fallible Copies and not the other which being acknowledged by thee to be lost perished and mouldred out of the world nemo post homines natos aequè ac tu delerasse censendus esset si pro scripturis ipsis scriptis hisce argumentare statueris thy dotage would justly be deemed of a deeper die than any mans to argue for them if he be a fool of al fool that fightâ— for the non-corruptibility of what is long since corrupted but I say were thy
that shall say the Horn-book is per saltum perfect to this end that without need of reading or learning any other books a person may by it alone become capable immediately of Commenâ—ing Dr. in Divinity shall by my consent be counted as ridiculous silly and senseless as such as side with J. O s. sayings are who say of the Scripture or Letter alone exclusively of the Spirit and Light within it calls to walk in that by it men may have the Life it gives the Life it is the only most perfect standing Rule of faith and life yea is so perfect and absoluâ—â— in all respects that there is no need of any other Revelation by the Spirit or Light within to instruct us in the knowledge of God and our duty to this end that we may obtaine eternal life yea all these means of knewing God and his will are uncertain dangerous unprofitable in no wise necessary and therefore to be rejected and detested as Fanatick figment For the foresaid honâ—urer of the Horn-book in his Hyperbolical adoration of it would be as contrary to common sense and reason as I.O. and T.D. in their absolute admirations of the Scripture and abominations of the Spirit and Light within for its sake are both to sense and reason and the common Testimony of the Scripture it self also which testifies every where concerning the Old Testament or Letter which I confess to be profitable perfect and absolutely able to the ends and uses of Gods appointment as a Typical testimony of those things which were to be spoken after that is weake imperfect and unprofitable as to that end for which I O. asserts it per salium to be so absolutely able powerful and perfect to that is to say to salvation and eternal life for it faith that it is the Light and Spirit that give the life and the liberty from the lust and sin to which the mother that is under the Old Testament or Letter of the Law is yet in bondage with her children and that the Old Testament or Letter lyes only in eatings and drinkings and diverse Baptisms and carnal Ordinance imposed only till the time of Reformation Heb. 9 10 in weakè and beggerly rudiments or elements of the world unto which who having once begun in the Spirit are tuâ—ned aside to are foolish and bewitched and disobedient to the Truth and do but think in vain to be made perfect by the flesh and desire again to be in bondage and know not yet Christ formed in them but know him only outwardly and after the flesh Gal. 1.3.4.9 19. 2 Cor. 5.16 18. are Iews outwardly only not truly nor inwardly nor circumcised with the Circumcision made without hands which is that of the heart in the Spirit not of letter whose praise is not of men but of God but Concis'd and conformâ—d according to the outward bodily exercises found in the letter loving the praise of men more than the praise of God and according to the law of a carnal Commandement not the inward worship of God in Spirit nor after the power of that endless life the light leads to That the law of the Letter which had but the shadow of good things and not the very image of the things themselves could never make the corners thereunto perfâ—ct as pertaining to the conscience Heb 9.9.10.11 That the Old Testament was faulty and failing and defective whereupon Gâ—d made a new one that could bring to life as it could not for if there had been a Law which could have given life verily righteousness should have come by it Gal. 3.21 for if it had been faultless or perfect or could have made perfect or given life there had been no occasion for the second Heb. 8.7 8. That there is a disanulling of the Commandement going before which was attendance to an outward letter because of the weakness and unprofitablness thereof because it could make nothing perfect but only was the ushering in of a better Hope even of the Light and Spirit by which we may draw nigh to God who is Light Heb. 7.16 18 19. and with whom no Letter lauder that lives beside the light the mystery of the Letter also can have any fellowship at al. And lastly as to thy saying that every Testament if it be but mans is perfect so that when once confirmed none may disanul or addâ— to it I answer no perfect Testament is to be dianulled when confirmed and in full force as it is only by the death of the Testator but that shews thy assertion to be false who sayeâ— that every Testament is perfect inasmuch as the Old Testament or Letter was disanulled which secundum te could not have been if it had been perfect and so omnibus numeris absolute as thou sayest in regard of the weakness unprofitableness of it to bring to life and for the the faultiness and imperfection of the first God himself whose Testament it was dedicated with the blood of Bulls Goats Lambs and Calves for the time then being only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as intended for a while only 't was called a Ceremony takes it away that he might establish the second Heb. 7.18 19.8 7 8 9. that is perfect to the giving of the life which is ignorantly asserted by thee of the Letter for the Letter that was perfect to its own end as a shadow was altogether imperfect thereunto And that nothing is to be added to any Testament once come in full force and vertue by the death of the Testator as all Testaments do then and never till then for Heb. 9.16 17. where a Testament is there must of necessity also be the death of the Testator for a Testament is of force after men be dead otherwise it is of no strength at all whilst the Testator liveth This I freely grant as a truth but utterly overturns all thou contendest for which that is the Books of the Apostles and Evangelists which were all written after Christ the Testators death ' are the New Testament which how they can possibly be if thy own Position be true as it is that to a Testament if but mans when confirmed as it only and alwayes is by the Testators death much more God's New Testament after once confirmed by the Death of Christ the Testator as it was before one letter of that Scripture thou callest the New Testament as written nothing must be added thereto let all who are not void of judgement judge For if the writings of the Apostles and Evangelâ—sts which were all added and penned after Christs death the Testator of it by whose death it came into full force and strength be the New Testament an outward literal Declaration of which New Testament I know it is as the Writings of Moses and the Prophets also are both which are but the Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Old Testament that in an external way declares the New with this difference only that the writing before Christ declared
hearts of men though witnessed to without in the Ministry of Prophets and Apostles preaching and writing of it as that in which they were to beleeve in which beleeving according to the Voyces and Scriptures of holy men calling them thereto and beleeved by them they thenceforth and not before were said to beleeve on the Name of God through which beleeving in it they had life but what 's this to evince the Writing to be that Word â—hus spoken thus written of which was another thing which was as truly beâ—eeved in to life before it was written of as after Oh quoth J.O. as were the persons speaking of old so are the Writings now True whence in his own words I argue back ad hominem on him thus As were the persons speaking the Word of God old so are the Writings now Buâ— not the persons preaching no nor yet their preachings and speakings were the Woâ—â— of God they preached and spake of but only means by which men were brought to beleeve in the Word of God What 's Paul what 's Apollos but Ministers by whom ye beleeved 1 Cor. 4.5 Therefore the Writings now are not the Word of God written of but only an outward means by which men are brought to beleeve in another thing then the â—ritings for life even in the Word of faith nigh in their own hearts which the Prophets and Apostles preached and wrote of that iâ— order to life men should beleeve in it I.O. And now as to that Text Heb. 4.12 which thou citest also p. 85. reciting the words of it which are these The Word of God is quick and powerful or as thou there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 living and effectual sharper than any two-edged swâ—rd piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Rep. I cannot but stand almost astonished at thy stupidity in expounding that Text of Scripture of the Text of Scripture and of that terme there the Word of God of the Book called the Bible which the business of thy Book is mostly about sith the efficacy and power of the Word here spoken of is far beyond that of the Letter or Scripture it self the inefficacy and weakness of which I have shewed above specially abstract from the Spirit and Light within in which way thou asserts the sufficiency of it witness thy own words above rehearsed as to any such mighty matters as are here mentioned Is the Letter the Scripture sharper then any two-edged sword to divide asundâ—r soul and spirit c. a diver into a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart what thinkest thou by the two-edged sharp sword that goes out of his mouth that rides the white horse with his vesture dipt in blood and the Armies in heaven following not in Lawn Sleeves Sarcenet Scarffs Sattanical Goâ—ns Canonical Coats Scarlet Formalities White Surplices Velvet Plush black Gippoes and such like Scholastick Superfluities but in fine linnen white and clean i.e. The righteousness of the Saints Rev. 2.12.19 11 12 13 14 15 22. Is it the Letter or is it the Sword of the Spirit a prime part of that Armour of God Armour of Light intimated Rom. 13.12 Eph. 6.11.17 which is the Word of God and the sharp soul-searching heart-piercing living life-giving Word that is here spoken of for it s the Spirit that quickneth the Letter killeth and is dead the Sword of the Spirit is the Spirit or words of Christs mouth which he speaks which are Spirit and life not Leâ—ser which Word of Christ is the Word of God also as Christ himself the Lord that Spirit is 2 Cor. 3. which was in the beginning before Letter was and was with God and was God for the three that bear witness in heaven the Father Word and Spiriâ— are one and all three Spirit and Light and the Letter is none of them all and these without the Letter are effectual and werâ— so before it though T.D. sayes the Spirit was not wont to be effectual without the Letter p. 42. of his 1. Pamph. but the Letter and its revelation is not sufficient and omnibus numeris absolute c. as J.O. darkly divines to effect and perfect all things as to Gods glory and our salvation of it self so that there 's no need at all of any other witness or revelation by the Spirit and Light within T.D. indeed if any save such as are bewitcht and befooled already would be such fools as to follow his foolish fancy would and what Parish Preachers do not the like make men beleeve by his non-sensical blinde wayes of proving it as if it were so at leaâ—t and that is a little more moderate then I.Os. boundless elevation of the Letter which hee makes little less than All in All that the Spirit was not wont to be effectual without the Letter in proof of which his false Assertion â—e urges Rom. 10.17 the same Text that I.O. wrests the same way Faith which is the Spirits work quoth he in the forenamed page comes by hearing hearing by the word of God which terme the Word of God there T.D. and I.O. and their Adjutants generally take to be the Scripture Text though if any measure of right reason did Rule in them they might see in the same Chapter that the Word of faith by which it comes is that they preached to be brought nigh in mens hearts and moâ—ths by God himself that there they might both hear and do it Deut. 30.13 but so far is his Position from having any truth in it as much as he stands up agâ—inst R.H. who justly withstands him in it that if his own eyes were but half open he could not but see the flat falsehood of it yea it is so palpable that before all the world I will here lay down the very contrary as the truth viz The Spirit was wont to be effectual without the Letter And why he should lose any of his Authority power and efficacy by mens writings as they were moved by him he is either wiser then I that can tell or else very fond in asserting what he can tell no reason for And that the Spirit or Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God whether we understand it of Christ himself that Spirit 2 Cor. 3. that quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 who is called the Word of God Rev. 19.13 or the Spirit of God and Christ which is so called also Eph. 6.17 was wont to be effectual without the Letter of old before there was any Letter for him to work by is so clear that t were to light a candle to see the Sun by to go about to prove it yea as I.O. sayes in a case that is clear I mean clear contrary to what he asserts in it Ex. 3. s. 31. so say I in this ad Solem caecutiâ—â— necesse est c. he must be so blinde as not to see the Sun
uncontroleablely as he doth even to blinde and obstinate persisting in it for Ex. 3. s. 40. where hee infers the Qua. urging against his Letters being the only most perfect Rule on the behalf of the Spirit hee sayes thus J Oj. Ob Scriptuâ—a est litera mortua spiritus vivificat quis literae mortua nisi ipsâ— fiâ— mortuus adhaerere velit the Scripture is a dead letter it s the spirit that quickneth who but he that 's dead himself will look for life from a dead letter Rep. Falsissima est ista assertio scriptura est verbam Dei quod vivum est efficax neque uspiam litera esse mortua dicitur occidit quidem sed ido viva est That is a most false Assertion the scripture is that Word of God which is living and powerful Heb. 4.12 Neither is the Letter any where at all said to bee dead Reply Verumne Itane Ocyus adsit huc aliquis is it so I.O. that the Letter is no where called dead what no where nec clam nec cum scrobe nusquam hic tamen infodiam Some honest body come hither a little and let us dig up and dive a little deeper into I.Os. own Divinity doings to see if wee cannot finde it so called there by his own self if that be the same I.O. as no doubt it is that wrote the two English Treatises and the blinde Latine Theses about Scriptures in his own book for the Bible which may be cogent to him however in the 237. page thereof vici vidi ipse libelle I finde I.O. himself saying thus of the Letter yea and of the Word too and that is more I dare say then any Qua. dare say that they are both dead without the Spirit as living perfect in all respects efficacious to accomplish all as the Scripture was Ex. 3. s. 28 29. so that there is no need of any other revelation by the Spirit and Light within but those all are uncertain vain useless detestable c. Now t is without the Spirit a dead letter yea the Word is so too with I.O. as if the Word of God and Christ which is Spirit and life was sometimes dis-joyned from the Spirit Take it in his own terms then Reader lest thou think I wrong him all this while The Jews enjoyed the Letter of the Scripture as they do at this day yea they receive it with the honour and veneration due to God Their possession of it is not accompanied with the administration of the Spirit without which as we see in the instance of themselves the Word is a dead letter of no efficacy for the good of souls They have the Letter amongst them as sometimes they had the Ark in battel against the Philistines for their further ruine Here needs no more illustration of this palpable contradiction â—hâ—t I.O. gives to himself t were to suppose men that read his book to be Idiots to shew it more to their sight then it shews it self so with his own in operâ— langâ— obrepsit somnus I shall quit it here but not acquit it quite till he acquits the truth he quarrels with Only as to his occidit quidem ideo viva est the Letter kills for this he cannot deny being the Letters testimony of it self only he concludes as he is wont to do the clean contrary way therefore its living I 1. deny his consequence for many things are said to kill as dead instruments used by living Agents as a Knife a Dagger a Sword which when they have so done as in that subordinate way of an instrument cannot quicken though I own the Letter as healable and honourable an instrument as any is in the hands of men when they are used and moved to use it as an instrument in the hands of God yet as dead a thing as applied by the stealers of it in these times as it was in the mouthes of the old Theevish Prophets of whom God said They shall not profit people at all Jer. 23. And as to I Os. labouring to lick himself whole of this with his litera occidit quatenus litera legis est ab Evangelio seperata quatenus à spiritu verâ— sensu voluntatis Dei destituuntur qui literae adhaerent quae judaeorum conditio fuit contra quoâ— eo loci disputat Apostolus The Letter kills as 't is the letter of the Law and separate from the Gospel and as they are destitute of the Spirit and true sense of Gods will who adhere to the Letter which was the Jews condition against whom the Apostle there disputes Rep. I say Mutato nomine de te fabula c. the self-same is to be said of your selves against whom we dispute since your condition is the same with that of the Iews if once ye would savingly come to see it for liâ—era legis the letter of the Law is but the Old Testament still and not the Gospel and the New which is spirit and life and a life-giving Light to them that according to the call thereof will take heed to the light for life and while you not taking heed to the light for life adhere to the Letter so as yee doe when receiving it with veneration due to God yee fight against the light and spirit within for the sake of it of the Spirit and true discerning of the minde and will of God declared in the Letter and revealed in the light ye are ignorant taliter if not totaliter and as uttely destitute as were the Iews And now as to that Text which remains yet with one more to bee touched on viz. Psal 119.105 Thy Word is a light to my feet and a lamp to my paths which thou also appliest to the Letter as the light and lamp there spoken of and upon that account from that and many more as little to thy purpose and as much to ours as that is lettest out thy minde into a long peece of dark prate about the Letters being the most glorious light in the world as if it were that in Ioh. 3 19. which is not the Letter but the measure of the light come from Christ into all mens consciences almost throughout the fourth Chapter of thy first Treatise I must here have a little parley with thee about that and the other places thou producest which are all parallel with it against thy self and so hasten on what I can towards an end as one more grieved sick and weary in my spirit to see thy confusions then by the power of God upon me bearing me up under the else unsupportable burden of it I am in either body or spirit with confounding them Those other Texts are Iob 24. They are of those that rebel against the light they know not the way nor abide in the paths thereof Psal. 19.8 9. The Commandement of the Lord is pure in lightning the eyes Psal. 119.130 The entrance of thy words giveth light Prov. 6.23 The Commandement is a lamp and
it self and the very Devil for he that owns the Letter aright must own come to beleeve in follow the Light that shines from Christ and shews the good and the evil in his own by the fall darkned heart defiled blinded and benighted conscience sith the Letter testistes of and calleth men to this Light As he cannot be said to fulfill and live according to the Letter that lives besides the Light it calls to so cannot he be said not to fulfill or to live beside the Letter who lives according to the Light it came from But not upon this account can he bee said to rebel against the Light who rejects the Letter because the letter and light are one and the self-same thing viz the Letter the light and the Light the letter as I.O. dreams for howbeit that be his sense yet assuredly neither is the Letter the light nor the Light the letter but they are two distinct things that are no more Synonamous or one in name then they are in their essential properties and proper natures and that however in some generals they may be one and so omnia ' quia entia sunt quid unum is in reality not at all And lastly in what sense soever such as reject the Letter may be called Lights Rebels which is in no wise in respect of the letter and lights being individually the same yet as is said above they are in no wise so called in that of Job and if the Light had been as much heeded by I.O. as the Letter is lookt in by him without the Light which only leads into the true meaning of it yea if common reason had but ruled him hee would have seen by the word Light the Letter is not intended for to let pass other considerations that might be as cogent in this case when ever or by whomsoever that History or Book of Job was written whether in his dayes or after by himself or any other yet that Chapter being a part of Jobs speech to his friends it must be spoken in his dayes whom Jerom on Genesis Augustine Ambrose Philo Plato and most antient Fathers and Writers Luther on Gen. 36. observe to have lived long before Moses whom ye judge the first Scripture-writer carried Israel out of Egypt and so consequently before any of your Scripture or Letter which ye now call the Light was written and that Job should denominate the wicked of his dayes under the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lights Rebels rebellious against the letter long before any letter was written unless his own book which yet if in his days must be written after that was spoken is such a trim peece of Teachment and credible conceit as I could say more to had I to do with another man but to him I shall say no more but that which is his usual saying of what is at no hand to be beleeved p. 244. Credat Apella Thus much of the first of I.Os. Texts Now as to the next that follow viz. Psal. 19.8 Psal. 119.105.130 Prov 6.23 I have said so much to some of them already above as may stand as a sufficient answer to the rest viz. that by Word Words Law Commandements Statutes Iudgements Testimonies Precepts c. In all those Scriptuâ—es is intended not the Scriptures themselves in which these things are declared of but the Word Law Commandement written in the heart and the Iudgements ministred by the light on the evil deeds in the conscience declaâ—ed of only in the letter which letter bears no other respect or proportion toward that Word or Law which is the light then the lantborn doth to the light that is contained in it and displayes it self somwhat diaily thorow it or the Glas-window doth to the Sun that shines shews it self throw it yet more obscurely then when it s immediately lookt upon in its native luâ—â—re for there 's a time wherein we see the Sun through a glass darkly and Christ through the vail that is to say his fleâ—h and the light and things of the Spirit in the shadow of the Scripture or letter wherewith it is overcast where the Sun shines more immediately to the eye and the vail of his flesh and letter and carnal Ordinance is rent a more new and living way is consecrated thereby into the Holy of holies it self where more immediately or face to face then before whilst in a Glass beholding the glory of God there is a more perfect transformation into the image of his glory which is fulness of grace and truth a glory that the world owns not but the Saints saw in Christ Joh. â— 14. even by the Spirit of the Lord or the Lord that Spirit 2 Cor. 3. ult so I shall need to say no more to to those Texts in this place nor yet to that Psal. 43.3 which is of the same nature whereby the Light and Truth that David if it were his Psalm desires God to send out could not be intended the Letter and Text for so much of that as he made use of for his own condition was sent out before which was but little more then the five books of Moses perhaps Joshua Judges Ruth and Job and t is but folly to fancy that he prayed that more Letter might be given out to guide him who had so much of the light and spirit that by it hee wrote much of the Letter himself or if he did pray for more letter to guide him then was I know no more was granted him unless what Psalms hee wrote himself which the Spirit mov'd him to write for the good of others for that of Samuel the Seer is mostly of him and those of Nathan and Gad were so also See 1 Chron. 29.29 And if Nathan and Gad wrote any to bee Davids guide they are none nor of yours being not in you Bibles and so that light and letter he prayed for is not the letter yee have and talk for nor doth the Letter and Text lead any to the holy hill of God and his Tabernacle but to the light and truth it came from which is it only and not the letter as ye have it that came immediately from God so only leads immedlately unto him As to Isa. 9 2. to which though thou writing them in the rank wherein they stand in thy Concordance severest them by the interposition of a text in Hosea between them yet I must joyn Mat. 4.16 sith they both in the self-same termes relate to the self-same thing and time I marvel not a little but that God is now proceeding according to his promise Isa. 2.9 to do that marvellous thing even that marvellous work wonder and turning the wisdom of the wise into foolishness and bringing to naught the understanding of the prudent I should much more marvel then I do to see a professed Doctor in Divinity residing at the well head of learning and Religion dwell so deeply in the darkness and in the Region and shadow of death as to
Spirit of God Visions inward Light or Word are to be expected or admitted as any Rule to walk by the only guide and directory of all mens beleeving and living so that who have not that have none at all of any sufficiency to lead them to life though they should follow what light they have from God vouchsafed them to the utmost So that there is no principle to speak in his own words T. 1. c. 1. s. 16. or means of discovery of the saving Doctrine or sacred Truth no other rule or measure of judging or determining any thing about or concerning it but only that writing from whence it is taken the Revelation of it being expressed only in that writing upâ—n suppossâ—ion of any corruption in which the saving Doctrine Truth or Word of God as at first given out from God which say I whatever becomes of the Scripture is ever entire and for ever incorruptible and unquestionably uncorrupt 1 Pet. 1. cannot be evinced unquestionably to continue entire and incorrupt hee must then bee fed as himself and his fellow unlearned learned ones do feed their poor blinde pâ—râ—-blinde unlearned people viz. with a bit and a knock and bee kept close to so much as reason and Scripture can well spare him be caned into a just compass with his own Canon and Rapt into the right measure he runs out of with the Rule and measure of his making and bounded within the due bounds of equity which beyond all measure he breaks beyond for the bare Bibles and Letters sake by that Letter and Book it self which is called though by I.O. the Word of God Tr. 1. ch 1. s. 12. yet by it seâ—f never so honourably at all but only by such like Titles as a Declaration Letter Scripture Book or Bible And if he shall go on undervaluing that antient covering of Christ the Light of the world and the Armour of his light which is unchangeable and which the True Church which hath the Moon and all such moveable and changeable things as the best outward Writings are under her feet stands ever cloathed with Rom. 13.12 14. Eph. 4.23 24. Col. 3.8.12 Rev. 12.1 casting it away as some old menstruous cloath cast clout or rotten rag as he doth while in his imparralleld both ignorance and impudence he flerts at it as if 't were a meer Puppet patcht up of shreds as a fictitious imaginary Christ fain'd in the fancies of Fanatick fools and mad men Nescio quod lumen quos Enthusiasmos quem Deum c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vere nihil Ex 3. s. 11. Ex. 4. s. 15.21 Ex. 1. s. 5 6. and rejecting that covering of the Spirit of God which Wo be to him that is not covered with or is covered with any other Isa. 30.1 to cut out the outward Scripture and grave out the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into a Gâ—rment into an Idol covering to himself stealing Words from thence and therewith cloathing himself which will once wax old as a garment that is moth eaten and at last being old yea oldness it self though younger the Spirit and not the antient newness of the Spirit wherein the true worship and service stands is to vanish as an Idel that must go to the Moles Bats as the brazen Serpent be taken down and among other Idols of mens earthly Elements wordly Rudiments and carnal Ordinances that were good in their own times and places yet but imposed till the time of Reformation be sent away with Get ye hence Isa. 2.20.30 22. Rom. 7.6 Heb. 8.13.9 10. It s high time to strip I.O. naked and discover his shame which is seen by such as live in the light through his covering which is a prate of words about the Scripture and other things which yet he knows not and to summon him to sit in silence before the Lord undressing himself out of his stollen Ornaments which till he doth he shall not know what a work of spoyling the Lord hath to do unto him till it come irresistably upon him And if hee shall flye out so far in his whifling words as to call the Letter which to the Light bears the same and no better proportion then that of the Lanthorn to the Candlelight the Light as the name that is proper to it and flye up higher yet till according to his flashy fancy thereof he affirms it in Print as hee doth before the world that not only the Word of God written of in the Writing which none denies so to be but the Writing it self also which he means well-nigh in every place by that terme the Word or else hee strikes beside the Iron and lies hammering on the Anvil beating the Air and meaning another matter then that hee meant when he began and makes men beleeve that he means all along which is no more to his purpose then if he meant nothing by it at all is an illuminating shining spiritual light and higher yet preferred above the light of the Sun T. 1. c. 4. s. 8 9. the most glorious light in the world and higher yet the Sun one dayes light of which is unspeakably more then that of seven others as to the manifestation of the glory of God T. 1 c. 2. s. 15. a Sun that more eminently then any inferiour fire discovers and evidences it self by such properties as it hath viz. Light and Heat and Power T. 1 c. 3. s. 10. and c. 4. s. 16.20 and much more of such like high strains I.O. strikes up in till he stretcheth the bare Letter so far upon the â—enters as to strain it into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and make it even every thing that the true Word and Light within is when as howbeit it hath its excellency above other Writings as an instrument yet as to these peculiarities and precious prerogatives of the living Word is vere nihil then I must summon I.O. as warm as hee seems to himself to sit and as much as he seems to see by the painted flame of his fained fire and the sparks of his own kindling that if he know no other way to salvation then the Scripture and own not the light as the way which the Scripture speaks of this he shall have at the Lords hand Hee shall lye down in sorrow Finally to persue yet a little further and prosecute our present matter under the Metaphor of the Parliament and the House If a man should arise and stand up and contend that the House the Parliament meets in is the Parliament properly and none shall perswade him to beleeve otherwise but he will try it out with them that allow him to call the House by a figure or metonymy of the thing containing for the thing contained so as to say this House is the Parliament and will say the Parliament is the proper name of the House and it may properly challenge that to it self and they rob it of its true and due name and are enemies to both the Parliament and
people whom you deceive it declares the foundation of its acceptance to be this viz its Divine Inspiration by the Spirit of God from whom it is whence also it is though not so thought by you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A message or word well worthy of all acceptance much more of much better entertainment then you afford it who Mock Scoff at Whip Scourg Imprison Revile and evill Intreat the messengers thereof and the earthen Vessels in which God sends it as a Treasure to you 2 Cor. 4.7 that the Excellency of the Power may be of God and not of man So that it being rejected by you and this untoward Generation which by their blind leaders are guided in such crooked wayes and caused to erre to their own destruction Isa. 9.13.14.15.16 you shall know it s not only with a refusal of its witnesse and a high detestation of its pretence to be of God but also with a high detestation of God himself from whom it s not so much pretended to come as t will once be found by you to come in Truth and what excuse ground or plea for such your refusal and detestation you have against the time of Gods pleading with you for his people Ioel 2.2 c. in the valley of Iehoshapat or of the Lords Judgment whether he is now bringing you down the hour for which decision is neerer upon you then you professing Persecutors who yet awake not are aware of t is good for you now you have time and not afterwards to consider least to you cost you find the Truth of Qui non ante cover post delebit the burden of Dumab draws on and begins to lye hard upon his back yet I know the seed of Esau the fightlesse Seers who see with their eyes shut supposing themselves secure being at repose yet on their high Mount Seir and so looke askew upon the light and its children and scornfully call to them out of Seir watchman what of the night c. but for all this that morning hasteth which is their night therefore if ye will now enquire enquire ye return and come to the light else wo and alas for ever the Bare Book will not boot you the Letter without the Light ye look awry at will little help you the Scripture without the Spirit ye despise so cannot save you But Si non ante diem libruin cum lumine poseas vigil tor quebere There be some them and those not a few in those dayes declining the word of God while you who have your dreams tell your dreams faithfully as they have it who as they have received that mercy of the Ministry saint not but having renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not handling the Word of God deceitfully by manifestation of the Truth commend themselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.12 who are not as the many false Prophets are hucksterizing selling their own imitations of the true Prophets words Counterfeit Wares for mony and the back and bellies sake the master of their art of Preaching instead of that which is currant nor Shuffling off in the dark their words for Gods Word their own thoughts conceits and conjectures for God Councel nor as I.O. doth calling light darknesse and good evil nor putting darknesse for light and evil for good as the light and Treacherous Prophets and hirelings do who will once have their hire spoyle and pay from God such as they look not for as well as that they look for at the law from men when they have made an end of spoyling nor as our Carnal Spiritualty do holding forth their hollow Husky holy Collations and light Chaff for weighty wheat but as in sincerity as sent of God to turn men to it holding forth the Light of God and as in the sight of God speaking the true Word and Gospel of God in Christ Iesus which Gospel if it be hid is bid but to them that are lost whose eyes the God of this world blinds least the Light of the Gospel of Christ should shine out in them whose sin it is to refuse it and duty it is to receive it as that Word and Gospel of God which is sufficiently manifested so to be and easy enought by any but blinded blind ones to be discerned from that of yours who defy the true light and deify the naked letter which is pretended so to be yea as easy by such as are indeed desirous to see as true ones are but not by such as fleeing the light close their eyes and seeing will not see least they see themselves to dwell in deceit and by the light within which manifests what 's within be reproved for it Iohn 3.20.21 as the wheat is to be discerned from the Chaff which may infallibly by being what it is be discerned from it for the word hath such proper ties of weight light heat power profit as whereby infallibly to discover and distinguish it self from the Letter it self much more from your light dark frozen frail and fruitles fabrick of Theology Who as Calidi not to say Callidi as you are in your Re Frigida by all your great pains and great pains and your great pay have hitherto sown little but the wind of your own words among the people that love to have it so for which and from which both you and they shall find neither corn nor meal but at last reap the whirlwind even the grievous whirlwind of the Lord that is gone forth in fury and is to fall ere long with pain upon the head of the wicked When it is come to pass ye shall consider it perfectly Hos. 8.7 Ierem. 23.18 19 20 21 c. Ier. 30.34 Therefore it would be your wisdome to consider it now whether the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or inspired ones of this age which are not yourselves as your selves confesse who nor do nor dare nor can as the case is with you Pretend to such intimate or Immediate acquaintance with the Father Son and Spirit which Trinity notwithstanding ye cannot but be tatling of till you bewray your ignorance as to say that ye either feed or receive or feed your flocks of Goats with what Word ye receive by inspiratiration from Gods own mouth are not yea rather to know assuredly that they are those called Quakers whose persons together with their prophesyings and preachings ye reject and deride with detestation and envy by the names of Euthusiasts and Enthusiasines It is true as thou sayest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There were false Prophets that spake in the name of the Lord when he sent them not and may be now and have been and are witness not onely the many millions of those Locusts that stand now separated into three swarms as was foreseen and foretold in the vision of the three unclean spirits like Frogs that have gone out to the deluding of Princes and people even the great City Woman or Whore that hath reigned over the
spoils them Souls and Bodies and nought to be deceived of but deceit and darkness it self yet they are ever noysing it out Deceit Deceit by means of which unanimous out-cryes and simultaneous sounds of these Heterogeneous multaneous multanimous false Prophets drowning the still voice of Wâ—sdome which yet cryes aloud too and uttereth her voice to these simple scorners in their streets Pro. 1. It is not heard nor heeded though the Wisdome of God send them now as of old he did to the like Generation of evil doers Matth. 23.34 Luke 11.49.50 Prophets and Apostles and wise mâ—n and Scribes yet some of them they even kill and some of them they imprison and persecute out of their Synagogues and some they stone dirt and bemire not only with their belying lips and pens but also their merciless hands the dark places of the earth Cathedrals Monasteries Abbeys Academies Colledges being ever full of the habitations of cruelty Ps. and some they sorely whip and scourge supposing they do God service in all this Iohn 16.2 that the righteous blood of all the Prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may come upon them which verily is to be required both of this and in this present evil Generation For the Lord is now in earnest bending Iudah for himself and filling the bow with Ephraim and raising up the Academically-unlearned sons of Sion against those sons of Greek and making them as the Sword of a mighty man in his own hand to do vengeance on those heathenish nursing Mothers and to punish not only all others but more especially their Pope-like Priests and people to bind their Kings in chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron to execute on them the Iudgement written in the Scripture itself they scribble about far more then they are skill'd in it to speak to those Drunkards with the wine of their own wisdome with stammering lips and another Tongue then any they can talk in or understand by precept upon precept line upon line here a little and there a little that they may go backward and stumble and fall and be broken and snared and taken and to reject those Greeks that seek so much after mans wisdome in the promulgation of the things of God to whom the Cross of Christ is foolishness and to reject those Scribes and Disputers of this world and by that preaching which to them is foolishness itself to make their wisdome foolish and to chuse out foolish weak base things and persons even Laicks Mechanicks Rusticks Russet-Rabbies as they term them even Babes Bablers and such as Are not in their eyes to confound and bring to naught these mighty wise and prudent ones that Are and to draw the night and darkness over those dreaming Diviners that they shall no more divine what things and strange acts are transacting in this time and to cause the Sun to set upon their learned Seers that scoffingly call to the Qua. out of their Mount Seir Watchman What of the night So that the Vision of all both to them and their unlearned people that live upon their lips shall be as a book seaâ—ed and to search out the hidden things of those Lord Esau's that hunt abroad for their learning and to supplant them by his plain honest-hearted Iacobs that dwell and learn truth at home in their own Tents and to cover Aegypt with a Cloud and to mingle a perverse spirit among her Ministers and to manifest the folly of these Iannes and Iambres that resist the truth men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the Faith as he did theirs that withstood Moses of old and to leave the Princes of Zoan to become fools and the counsel of these wise Councellors of Pharoah to become bruitish so that it shall be said of them as of old Iâ—a 19. Where are they Where are the wise men Let them tell now let them know what the Lord of Hosts hath purposed upon AEgypt yea surely these Princes of Zoan are already become fools the Princes of Nâ—pâ— are deceived They have also seduced AEgypt even they that Tribe that is the stay of the Tribes thereof and to divide in Iacob that Tripâ—Lâ— Tribe of Levi whose anger and wrath is cursed for it hath been cruel and as they have scattered the Israel of God so to scatter them in his Israel and to set these â—oâ—sheards of the earth to drive with each other about their own foundation and to râ—ze their own Babel to the ground and to break themselves to pieces one against another like a Potters Vesselâ— so that in the bursting thereof there shall not be left at last so much as a sheard fit to use to take fire from the hearth or water withall from the piâ— and to render all the works and voluminous Tomes of these Turners of his things upside down of no better esteem among men then the Potters claâ— and to take all these subtil foxes in their own craftiness both the great and the little oneâ— that Spoil his Vine which bath tender Grapes and hurt the cluster or gatherings of the Saints together in which is the New Wine and the Blessing and to unhoâ—se this Tripple-crown'd Harlot that hath so long rode and at upon both Powers and their people her nursing Mothers of lâ—arning true Religion and piety in pretence but in truth of all ignorance superstition and abomination and to call to account the whole Ct Clergy upon which a Consumption is determined throughout the earth and to summon both the Pope and his Cardinals Mount Seigniors Iesuites Monks Fâ—yers and also all Arch-bishops Bishops Arch-deacons Deans and their Officials also all Parsons Vicars Curates and all Spiritual Persons whatsoever also all learned Linguists Scribes Text-men Translators Commentators Tâ—eaters Tythe-Teachers Talkers of Truth for their own turns and Tradâ—râ— out of the Scriptures profit-seeking Prophets and Pastors that for pay have made a prey of his people and to plead with them for his flock and to come down to fight for Mount Sion and for the hill thereof and to Roar through the mouths of his Prophets against these many sorts of Shepherds that are now so loud and full of noyses and clamours to keep their flocks from fleeing from them crying out Heresie beresie Schism Quakeâ—ism Fanaticism c. and to scatter their people from them and to gather his own sheep into his Fold whom they have driven to and fro from mountain to hill in the dark and gloomy day and to take their prey from the midst of them and like a Lion roaring on his prey when a multitude of Shepherds is call'd forth against him he will not be afraid of their â—ice nor abase himself for the noyse of them In a word to stretch out his hand so strongly against them all that those powers and people that helpe them shall fall and those Priests Universities Doctors Schollars and other Students there that are holpen by the earthly powers shall fall and they all
own perverse mind and meaning why cannot that be meant of freedome from sin but that men who are not fully willing to be freed from it and are in love with it and being loath to leave it are loath to see it It s more hard not to see then it is to see that it is meant of freedome from sin What should or can it be meant of else Are not freed me from sin and not committing of sin made synominous as committing sin and not being freed from it are made by Christ himself opposites to each other Ioh. 8.32 33. 34. 35. 36. The Iews thought they had the fullest freedome that men could have in this world because they were the visible Church Abrahams Seed and such like externals as they then trusted in as ye now do though not yet freed from that thing call'd sinning to serve the Lord alone whose service the very common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book it self was wont to call perfect freedome But Christ learns them another Lesson viz. that they had none of that true Gospel freedome that the saving knowledge of the truth gives and which he makes such as continue in his words and so are his Disciples indeed and not in word only as ye are free withall which is a full freedome in deed and truth and not half a one or by the halves such as that is ye talk of who upon the account of some private Patent alias particular personal Election thereto from everlasting prattle to your selves of freedome from guilt while ye remain in your filth and of a general Iustification anâ— pardon for all sins past present and to come in this world expecting your purging or Iustification as to Sanctification from sin and â—ncleâ—â—ness not in this world but that to come But verily verily I say unto you quoth he he that committeth sin is yet the servant of sin and must know for all his boasting he has not long to abide in the House and Church of God wherein Ishmael-like he scoffs at the right Heir Isaac as if himself alone who is but a Bastard born of fornication should inherit all and will prove an out-cast himself at last before the Son who is born of God and free indeed and the only true Heir of all things full freedome from sin and committing of it are oppos'd to each other by Christ therefore freedome from it and not committing it are the same To wind out of this T.D. would seem to say somewhat but of two things he can't tell which but one of the two must be it rather then the Truth Either there is quoth he an Emphasis in the word sin intending under that general term one kind of sin viz. sin unto death or if not in the Substantive on the Verb Poiei which notes to make a trade or business of sin as the Devil does who sinneth from the beginning and never ceased from sin since he began Thus indeed the Saints sin not c. Rep. As to they Emphases they are the foolish empty conceits of thy own and other mens brains there 's no such Emphasis either in the Substantive or Verb as ye all prate whereby the Spirit should be understood as speaking otherwise then he truly means or meaning otherwise then he plainly sayes whose words are plain to the honest heart though not to Idol Shepherd who by the Sword of the Lord hath his right eye utterly darkned because he hath darkned the Lords Counsel by his own words without knowledge And if the eyes of the Seers were not shut up from seeing the very Letter they prate about as well the mysteries of the Spirit which the animal man can never know by all his searchings they being revealed only by the Spirit they might see that the Text it self makes no difference between sinning and committing sin and that the one is no more Emphatical then the other And if T.D. who in the same page 9. where he mentions the words were not so busie in his mind about the meaning and did not make such a warbling noyse as shallow waters ever do more then those that are deepest with harping at this that and t' other silly sense he might in coolness have considered that in the same ninth verse as well as the eigth and others about it the Spirit makes no difference between Amartian Poiein and Amortanein to commit sin and to sin but uses them promiscuously Ouk Amartanei every one that abides in him sinneth not So ver 8. He that commits sin is of the Devil for the Devil Amartanei sinneth from the beginning And because T.D. seems to put an Emphasis upon the word sinneth as well as committeth sin making the word sinneth as here used to amount to somewhat more then an ordinary sort of sinning as here it intends some high or desperate degree of sin even that which 1 Ioh. 5.16 is call'd Kat ' Exoken a sin unto death without remedy or forgiveness for ever because never to be repented of as in opposition to all other sins that men do commit which when this alone being ever joyâ—'d with impenitency is impardonable are all upon that true repentance they are yet in possibility of who commit them pardâ—nable or possible to be forgiven for this is T. Ds. emphasis on the Substantive Sin for I shall not wrong him so much as to take him meaning as the Papists do who put such difference between peccatum veniale and mortale as if some sins only without repentance were mortal or to death and some venial or not to death though not repented of at all your Church of England opposing them in this and holding every sin yea the least unrepented of unto death though T. D. would have suspected me to be a Iesuite for a less matter This concludes him that is born of God to be even qua sic as born of God as easily liable to and excludes him no more then it does the very wicked themselves from the committing of any sin that the wickedest can commit except that ye call the sin against the Holy Ghost it self which is so gross an absurdity that he can be no spiritually wise man that does not feel him to be spiritually infatuated that so imagines For still though the Devil sinneth and he that is of the Devil doth nothing else but Nicodemus though a Master in Israel can't read this Birth of God which is Anothen from above of water and the Spirit John 1.12 John 3. which blows where it lists and the Priests hear an outward sound thereof but know not whence it comes nor whether it goes nor how he is that is born of the Spirit as plain as 't is in the Text which they read more then that truth tells of yet as he that sinneth is of the Devil and he that is of the Devil sinneth altogether so he that sinneth not but doth righteousness only is of God and he that is born of God and the Spirit which is Spirit and not flesh sinneth not at
wherein he requires it to be done by them as being never possible to be done in that to come if neglected here Yea then the Doctrine of full freedome from sin here is contrary to the Tenour of the Scripture quoth T. D. yea in short no better nor worse then a very doctrine of Devils quoth T. D. and T. Rumsey both in their Book which is so largely answered already in mine above said So then we have the Ministers mind in this poynt tripliciter or rather quadrupliciter at least about the time of the Saints perfect purgation from all sin First It is somewhere that they all confesse at first Secondly 'T is not here in this World cry they that comes too near the Copyhold of the Qua and we would not be ensnared with their beguiling Doctrine Thirdly 'T is not in that to come cry they this puts us poynt blank into the Purgatory of the Pope We must beware of that lest fleeing too farre from the Qua snare we fall into the Papists pit Fourthly 't is not in any World between this and that to come for there 's no such middle World that we know of therefore Fifthly to goe quite round to where we were before we began for Incidit in Seyllam qui vult vitare Charybdim It 's somewhere as we said at first but we know not where which to go round again is as much as to say for ought we know just no-where at all Howbeit some are not so well aware yet of the Traps they talk themselves into thereby but that they will be taking on them precisely to determine where it is when we closely urge them but their Testimony hangs as handsomely and is as well tangled together as the links of a pair of Pothangers where of every one draws a different way from another for some if askt when the full purging is it is say they while the soul is passing between here and heaven after its departed from the body This as A. P. informes me was T. Ds. answer to L.H. when askt at Sandwich in an assembly of many the precise time and period of the perfect purging so making a purgatory after death notwithstanding which it seems is in the aire and therein only different from the Popes which is seigned to be under the earth Others that I have put the Question to say t is a little before the soul departs out of the body to whom when I have redoubled my Query thus if a little before the soul depart why not a little sooner sith before is but before let it be a longer or a lesser while and if a minute why not an how if an hour why not a day and so caeteris paribus the same means attended to why not a month a year and years many as well as few I have received no answer and good reason why because there 's none to give and so we take it for granted from them that it 's before death however as we say if at all though these contradict T.D. who sayes with the Pope it 's after death Others not knowing which to say seeing according to our Argument which is thus viz. perfect purging if at all must be in this World as the Qua say or in that to come as the Pope says who seigns a Purgatory there for the remnant of sins that remain unpurged away here or else in another World betwixt this and that to come which Chimara who ere heard of being now somewhat wary left if they say before the soul go out which is in this World they yield to the Qua and if after it 's gone out which is the World to come they appeare too near a kin to the Pope in his poynt of Purgatory affirme it to be in the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or moment or instant of the souls departure which is not in tempore it seems not in any time at all but in instanti and so sith Instans non est Tempus but as it were punctum temporis the instant being but a poynt of time and not properly Time it self it seems that Accidit in puncto quod non speratur in aevo That happens in a poynt of time which could never be so much as hoped to he attained in all the life time before Thus the Divines dance between this world and that to come not knowing yet where Purgatory is nor daring to say distinctly one thing nor other whether here or hereafter in this World or that hovering like Caesar at Rubicon with one foot over the dore sell t' other on this side one in t'other out one in that World t'other in this World saying with him yet I may go on and when afraid yet I may go back So 't is Somtimes one way then another Somtimes both wayes the and t'other Somtimes one o' th' two take either Somtimes 'twixt both worlds in neither Some say 't' si'th ' aire some say 't's i' th' earth Of knowledge where 't is there 's a dearth Some say 't's here there some some O Riddle Nor here nor there but just i' th' middle Contradictions and various self-confutations absurdities riddles and rounds about their Rule of Scriptures V. As to their Doctrine about the Scripture or Letters and not the spirit and lights being the Word of God the fixt firme foundation stable standard truest touchstone or tryall of all truth only sure inalterable invariable infallible Rule of holy life They tell us one while not the light within but the Hebrew and Greek Texts and Transcripts only and those at least though no Translations but as agreeing therewith are all those things abovesaid that one only Lydius lapis unchangeable measure for all doctrines spirits faiths truths and things of God and sayings to be measured by yea both it self and its own sayings also the Word of God properly the foundation rule inalterable and unaltered in so much as points tittles iota's or losse of one letter or syllable and what not Quarrelling with the Qua as siders with Papists in denying it only to be all this and for calling it a nose of wax that is flexible and may be twined and wrested by mistakes and mistranscriptions as themselves confesse it may by many mistranslations and for calling it as I.O. himself calls that most ancient Translation of it the Septuagint therefore see what an infallible rule and Word of God poor people have that know not Heb. and Greek a Lesbian Rule c. Witnesse I. O. whose businesse in all his Book above mentioned is to prosecute the proof of the Scripture in those and the like particulars and T. D. in his Books where he disputes the Scripture to be the Word of God and only Rule of faith and life and that there 's no other standing Rule but the Scriptures p. 25 26. 1 Pam. p. 16.2 Pam. Otherwhiles yea no further off then in the self same Books wherein they prosecute the proof thereof yea and T.D. no further
the same Text sence against the Quakers is against him to the confounding of him which Text is Ioh. 1.9 Where the true light is said to enlighten every man coming into the World for howbeit I. O. cloudily concludes with all the other three viz. T.D. R.B. I.T. in concluding and crouding that most universall Terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every man within the little compasse and narrow corner of his wheel in a wheel i. e. The Elect men only saying Synagogically with the rest Hoc est Syncategorema istud omnis non absolute sed relate ad Electos dicitur This is the Consignification of that Term All it s meant not absolutely but relatively to the Elect yet when he sayes Non dicitur Christum illuminare omnem hominent venientem in mundum sed quod ipse veniens in mundum omnem hominem illuminat Christ is not said to enlighten every man that comes into the World but that becoming into the world lighteneth every man and that this is the sence of those words the falsenesse silliness of which sence the insufficiency nothingness of it also to serve his turn against the Qua if granted him I have shewed in the book it self to which this is but an Appendix Here not only each of his three friends forsake him for T.D. himself among all his many meanings meddles not with this but two of them viz. I.T. and R.B. who backs I.Ts. Book make bold to fight against him for it as well as the Qua. do Witnesse their words p. 1 2. There is a doubt whether it should be read thus that was the true light coming into the World which inlightneth every man by a trajection or as ours read it as the words are placed That was the true light which inlightneth every men which cometh into the World Grotius after Cyrill and Austin and some others see how the Divines are divided and the Founders confounded among themselves likes the former as best but first such trajection disordering the words 2. The phrase being as fitly interpreted of birth as of appearing as a Teacher I rather chuse the reading of our Translators And p. 24. They tell us over again how coming into the World here is related to every man coming and not to Christs coming into it and how they before gave reasons against I. Os. sence So having been walking the Rounds with these men to give the World a Review of the Riddles they are wrapt in and the manifold Contradictions they are by the network of their own hands snared catcht and tangled in about their letter till I am come with them to that main Text at which they leave me because it talks so plainly of the true light which they love not and I leave them to dance about still in the darknesse of their own divinations I proceed in the light in which I see them though they being out of it see not themselves to open briefly to all people who love not to live with them rather in their darknesse then in Christs light the mist of darknesss wherein they mope about and dance the Rounds in their discourses about the Light in their fiery fluttering against which the wicked now is as he ever was snared in the work of his own hands Psal. 9 16. Higgaion Selah consider and note it Contradictions Absurdities and Rounds concerning the Light in the Conscience which the Qua testifie to As concerning the True Light or gift of Gods grace in every man the four men aforesaid do as all their fellowes do uno ore babble somwhat about it and bear witnesse either for or against it but each mans witness agrees no better together within it self then that they give about the other matters abovesaid Somtimes they call it Light truly really naturally and properly so and not metaphorically nor by way of allusion to what is so Witnesse I. O. p. 74. It is spirituall morall intellectuall light that hath the preheminence as to a participation of the nature and properties of Light Otherwhiles the same who excluded it from the name of Metaphoricall by that of naturall and proper to go round again do conclude it to be metaphoricall as in opposition contradistinction to both naturall and proper Witnesse I. O. who confounds his own foresaid saying p. 74. with another division Ex. 3. S. 4 5 6 7 8 c. Where under that same term of metaphoricall he distinguishes that Light he calls morall spiritual intellectuall as respecting and exercising mens minds whether in matters morall civill or spirituall from that which respects bodily sight which he call'd naturall and proper Somtimes they call this very light whereby duties and divine things are discerned universall and common to all as the Qua do i. e. in some measure though not to all in the same but when so then no other but naturall as in opposition to supernaturall and spirituall Witnesse T.D. p. 1.1 pamp Naturall and supernaturall light are two an I though all have the one yet few the other and I. O. Ex. 4 S. 17. Lumen internum omnibus commune naturale est c. The light within common to all is naturall and to be called so S. 18. If this light that is common be not naturall the very Intellect is not naturall So S. 25. Concessimus reliquias primavae lucis esse in omnibus sed eas esse spirituales id pernegamus some relicks of the primitive light we grant to be in all but deny these to be spirituall Nihil non naturale nihil spirituale communicatum c. Nothing but what 's naturall nothing that 's spirituall is common or communicated to all So also R. Bax. I. Tom. A naturall light from Christ is yielded to be in every man c. pag. 33. Otherwhiles this very universall light in all which before was said to be not supernaturall or spirituall but meerly naturall to go round again is by these men yielded to be at least more then naturall and so no lesse according to T. Ds. division of light into two then supernaturall and spirituall Witnesse against themselves R.B. I.T. p. 37. It can hardly be avouched that that knowledge in morality and divinity which they i. e. People that never had the Law nor Gospell made known to them as the Jewes and Christians have had attained to was by meer light of Nature and in Baxters Epistle p. 7. he tells us of a Common supernaturall light given to the unsanctified I might also call in Iohn Horn and the two Thomas Moores that push with him against the truth as Witnesses of the same confusion that is among all the Priests in this matter who in their book stiled A fuller Discovery c. p. 61. affirm the light wherewith Christ lighteth every man is both naturall and spirituall but as my businesse lyes mainly with the other four men So George Whitehead hath sufficienly thrust down the vain thoughts already of those three in his Book stil'd The
I shall hereunder shew both their voluntary calls to and commendations of their unjustly occasioned cautions about condemnations of this light of Christ in the Conscience of men when the Qua commend and call to it and set the one of these immediately under the other only premising this that whether they speak of the light which themselves call Christ which the letter holds sorth and testifies to or the light wherewith God shines and shews his will and mind in some measure in the hearts and minds of all men even Heathen Philosophers or others which we call Christs light though they do not we mean however they divide these no other but that one Law of God which the Letter is the Copy of which is spirituall holy just and good which T. D. confesses to be the Heathens Rule so far as is written in their hearts Christ the Light of the World and his light in the heart which the Scripture testifies of abundantly not any such thing as mans own thoughts wisdome imaginations inventions c. Which the Heathen became vain in Rom 1. which the Qua call all men out of and the Divines that lead men by no other are themselves yet led by more then any steering by nothing but their own many minds and meanings on the Scripture c. Some few calls to and Commendations of the light with Cautions to take heed to it collected out of many more that are in R. B. and I. T. his Book P. 68. It concerns us say they to take heed how we dote on our own reason or the most exact writers of morality and neglect the light which Christ hath brought into the World Let us be wise so to use Candles as not to burn day-light that we so make use of all the reason humane wisdome and virtue we have our selves or discern in others writings or examples that yet we chiefly eye and follow the grand light the Sun of righteousness the Lord Jesus learning him by studying the great Counsell of God which he revealed and denying our selves take up our Crosse and follow him as his Disciples Christ is to be chosen and followed as our Light An Exhortation to use Christ as our Light that was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World be induced to imbrace and follow the Lord Christ as the great Light of the World besides the evidence out of Scripture to prove him to be sent from God a light into the World c. His sayings and doings do amply confirm it And p. 88. 89 they go on thus Though the Jewes contradicted and blasphemed the Romane Emperour raged Lucian jeered Libanism wrangled Iulian calumniated Papists corrupt Gnosticks Hereticks Fanaticks Quakers here they abominably bely the truth for the Quakers call all and only to the light of Christ adulterate and cloud the truth of Christ they do but pisse against the Sun the light of Christs Doctrine the truth of the Gospell doth and will shine forth nor can all the cavills say they of moderne Atheists or the dust raised by new Phantasticks take away the brightnesse of Christs light or hinder its enlightning others then themselves and shall we after all the Arguments given of Christs being the true light follow after ignes fatuos who these be but that fraternity who would have men follow their fancies and not Christs light in the Conscience which is that the Quakers call to I know not What reall comfort or spirituall help to holinesse or heavenly directions do they give to lead men to God better then Christ hath done May you not discern a vain glorious spirit a self-seeking proud carnall spirit in them what do their censures of others shew but a mind to extoll themselves their affected speech looks carriage but a desire to hide their falshood what do all the devices of Iesuits Popes and their Agents tend to but either by force or subtlety to set up the monstrous powers of the man of sin and their own domineerlng over mens consciences underhim â—aSenus recte quidem sed et etiam de te fabula O Parochialis Sacerdos What is in their conclave but pollicy in their counsell but deceit in their Iesuists and Casuists but jugglihg shall we go after such Masters and leave Christ Remember we that one is our Master even Christ when any shall sollicit us not to adhere to Christ as our Teacher reject them Christ hath warned you say they and so say I too as concerning any that lead forth from his light within therefore saith he go not forth after them nor follow them If any say low here is Christ or there and so do all Priests and Professors and their Teachers in their sundry forms and outward observations in which they look for the Kingdome which comes not in them believe it not We will not venture our lives upon Mountebanks and will we our souls upon deceivers Shall we follow our own conceits which often prove foolish and neglect Christs Doctrine which say we still is his teaching light and counsell in the Conscience which alwayes proves wise and safe no no let us answer as Peter Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternall life Alas what can we expect but if we follow blind leaders as all are that teach the things of God otherwise then Christ and his Apostles did who say I called all along to walk in the light within we should fall with them into the Ditch into everlasting perdition On the otherside there is so much plain and clear light in Christs doctrine as will guide our feet in the way of peace Away then with all such obtruded insinuating Teachers as indeavour to hide from us the light of Christ shining in his Doctrine recorded in Scripture Let 's say none but Christ none but Christ that Christ which preached dyed at Ierusalem that word of his which is written in my Bible of which the Bible testifies say I that its near in the heart to heare and do it shall be my light to the Testimony of Jesus which sayes tho Scripture is the spirit of prophecy the sure word of prophecy that as a light shineth in the dark place of the heart and is to be taken heed to to his Everlasting Gospell I stick So Bixt Ep. p. 7. speaking of the Qua Do they affirm that all men have the light of reason who denyeth it of any but Idiots and Infants Do they maintain that this light is from Iesus Christ both as the Authour and restorer of nature and by whom among us is this denyed Do they say that repaired or reprived nature may be fitly called grace about this also we have no mind to quarrell with them so they will not exclude supernaturall grace thereby as we do not but hereby conclude it Do they hold that common supernaturall light is given to many at least of the unsanctified c. and who contradicteth them in this Do