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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	call_v	people_n	quaker_n	2,523	5	9.6997	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64909	A just reprehension to John Norris of Newton St. Loe, for his unjust reflection on the Quakers in his book, entituled, Reflections upon the conduct of human life, &c together with his false representation of their principle of the light, in his postscript, wherein he opposes it to his notion of the divine ... ideal world, as he terms it, his confusion and self-contradiction therein manifested, and the doctrine and principle of the Quakers thereby cleared from his abuse ... / by Richard Vickris.	Vickris, Richard, d. 1700.	1691 (1691)	Wing V339; ESTC R10757	11,419	16

A Iust Reprehension TO JOHN NORRIS Of Newton St Loe FOR HIS Unjust REFLECTION on the QVAKERS In his Book Entituled Reflections upon the Conduct of Human Life c. Together with his False Representation of their Principle of the Light in his Postscript wherein he Opposes it to his Notion of the divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Ideal world as he terms it His Confusion and Self-contradiction therein manifested and the Doctrine and Principle of the Quakers thereby cleared from his Abuse occasionally written by way of Letter with Advice to him and may serve for a better Information of the Quakers Principle to whom the knowledge of his and this shall come By Richard Vickris Printed and Sold by T. S. at the Crooked-Billet in Holywell-Lane in Shoreditch 1691. A Just Reprehension to Iohn Norris of Newton St. Loe for his Unjust Reflection on the Quakers in his Book Entituled Reflections upon the Conduct of Human Life c. Iohn Norris I Need no Apology for this brief Reprehension if thou think'st I do Review the first page of thy Epistle Dedicatory viz. He that shall point out any of the Irregularites or Mistakes of the Conduct of Human Life ought to be lookt upon as a universal Friend and promoter of the publick Happiness and the more severe he is in his Censure provided it be true and well grounded the more charitable he is in his undertaking and the more like to be serviceable in his performance When first I perused thy Reflections upon the Conduct of Human Life with reference to the studdy of Learning and Knowledge I was and still am pleased with all that tends to the propagation of Original and necessary Truth but rejoyce where I find it spring from an upright mind pure intention and clean Vessel for whoso undertakes to reprehend the intelligible Conduct of Human Life ought first to purge himself from the Irregularities of his moral Conduct which doth cloud and darken his understanding Howbeit I was so far from a Spirit of Detraction or Emulation that considering from whence it came I in some sort rejoyced in it so far as it was sound and true hoping and desiring that what was either clearly and rightly detected or equally and fairly recommended might gain upon the Understanding of such whose Education and Literature had either prejudiced or at best mistated and unfitted them for receiving the same Truth and divine Principle by meaner Instruments respecting worldly esteem which Principle hath been and is by many such faithful Witnesses plentifully born testimony to as well by doing as suffering by the supposed learned Rabbies of our day as also by Doctrine in Word and Writing though not altogether under some of thy Terms or pretended Phylosophical Notions yet according to the Demonstration of the Spirit and in words approved and chosen of God to make known himself by and taught us in the holy Scriptures God having in his divine Wisdom in this Age as in former Ages 1 Cor. 1.27 28 29. Chosen the foolish things of the world to Confound the Wise and the Weak things of the world to Confound the things that are mighty and base things of the world and things that are despised hath God chosen yea things which are not to bring to naught things which are that no Flesh should glory in his presence Agreeable to this is that divine acknowledgement of Christ Jesus to his Father Matth. 1.11 and 25. I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Matth. 18.10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little Ones I fear thou art guilty in this perticular viz. of despising the Testimony of God in this Age through the meanness of the Instruments Consider what is said Thes. 10.4.8 He therefore that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit From the too apparent Reflection thou makes in the 77th page of thy Book New Edition one might at first think that thou wert a great stranger to the Conversation of the People called Quakers and more especially to their Writings which had unwarily subjected thee to a rash and immature Censure in rendring them dark aukward untoward and unprincipled in the way of representing their Principle viz. the Light within thereby discrediting as thou sayest one of the noblest Theories in the World but the thing in it self rightly understood is true I being under some dissatisfaction about these Expressions of thine took occasion to visit Ioseph Langton of Newton St Loe a person of my respect and acquaintance and near Neighbour of thine with whom I had some discourse about thy aforesaid Book and in perticular the above recited passage recommending to him Robert Barclay's Apology for the true Christian Divinity for thy perusal and having understood by him thou hadst been Conversant with it I confess it extreamly dampt me and gave occasion for other thoughts than a supposed Ignorance of the Persons and manner of their representing their Principle whom thou hadst thus evilly treated and exposed without reason or provocation as I know of and now I shall proceed to show thee wherein though I presume thou already knowest Robert Barclay in his fifth and sixth Propositions treating of this universal and saving Light of Jesus Christ page 110. calls it supernatural Light and Grace quotes Iohn 1.9 That was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World Which place as he observes doth so clearly favour the Quakers Doctrine that it is called their Text hence he draws this necessary Conclusion That the Life that is in him viz. the Word Christ is the Light of Men Iohn 1.4 In other places he calls it according to Divine Instruction The Seed sown in several sorts of Ground The Word of the Kingdom The Word of Faith The Implanted or Ingrafted Word which is able to save the Soul quoting Cyrillus Alexandrinus Clemens Alexandrinus Augustine Buchanan c. in confirmation of this Doctrine as thou mayst see at large whereby it appears whatever thou art he was so far from the Ambition of being thought the first promulgator of that heavenly Doctrine of the Universallity and Sufficiency of this Light within for Salvation that he rejoyces to meet with it imbracing it where-ever he finds it improves the interest of it and instead of calumniating its Votaries represents it to the world Cleared from the Rust of darker Ages and advantaged with the Confessions and Testimonies of purer Primitive Times And now I Enquire what are the Dark aukward and untoward Expressions and unprincipled way of representing this Principle that thou alledgest the Quakers are guilty of are any of these here quoted out of the afore-mentioned Author part thereof or in what other Book or Writing of the Quakers may they be found I shall now farther say that this Divine Word Light Grace and Truth or whatever else it hath

been called by its Followers through divine instruction in any age is a wise and understanding Spirit Holy c. according as 't is written in the Book of Wisdom Chap. 7. In all Ages entring into holy Souls maketh them Friends of God and Prophets And in Chap. 4. vers 4. It s said Into a malicious Soul Wisdom will not enter nor dwell in the Body that is subject unto Sin for the holy Spirit of Discipline will flie Deceit and remove from Thoughts that are without understanding and will not abide when Vnrighteousness cometh in for Wisdom is a loving Spirit and will not acquit a Blasphemer of his Words for God is witness of his Reins and a true beholder of his Heart and a hearer of his Tongue Vers. 8. Therefore he that speaketh unrighteous things can't be hid neither shall Vengeance when it punisheth pass by him Now seeing these Sayings are true and righteous and that it is possible to profess this Doctrine of the Divine Word Light Grace Spirit of Wisdom and Truth and the Teachings of it and yet not possess it nor be learned of it nor led by it but whilst preaching of it to others but a Cast away I advise thee to consider in what ground and nature thou yet stand'st and liv'st in and what Spirit lives and rules in thee hath not Unrighteousness entred in through Self-love and Esteem which blinds the Eye and causeth the Tongue to speak unrighteous things Is not Self exalted to sit in the Temple of God as God in thee And art thou not decking thy self with thy corrupt wisdom which is the forbidden Fruit and will prove folly in the end Be not high-minded but fear so shalt thou learn the Ways of the Lord and walk therein safely and have unity and fellowship with the Saints in Light not in the talk and profession of it only though never so high for with the Heart man must believe before with his Mouth Confession is made unto Salvation Who knows this Work can glorifie God and bear Testimony of his Son Christ Jesus and the work he hath done in his earthen vessel which none else could do viz. of Sanctification Redemption through the Truth whose Word is Truth whereof he hath made many living Witnesses to the Praise of his Name whose own Works praise him and to the joy of the upright for evermore And this is better and beyond all the high Notions and Self-conceited Imaginations from the wisdom that is below and who is brought to this estate and abide therein walking in Wisdom's Path dare not speak unrighteous things knowing he cannot be hid nor be a Blasphemer of his words for God is witness of his Reins and a true beholder of his Heart know therefore it s not a light thing to speak Evil of things one understands not read 2 Pet. 2. vers 12. and Iude 10. much less wilfully to blast the Fame of God's Name and Work in the Earth in and by his People because they agree not with man's ways and conceited wise Notions which God's wisdom from above ever did and will confound and how greatly thou art found gulty in this perticular by the following Reflections on thy Postscript may appear And so I conclude this part having discharged my self to thee on the afore-mentioned occasion Since my first perusal of thy Book I have lately met with thy Postscript whereby I perceive thou art zealous of being esteemed a Proselite to the Quakers Doctrine I am ready to believe thy above recited Ignominious Reflection was calculated to obviate such an Imputation which perhaps thou thought would be as little honour to thee as they may justly conclude thy Pretentions to their Principle would be a Credit to it for they desire no such Proselites who affects not their Principle for its own sake but for some worldly Honour and Esteem they hope to get by it Therefore though theirs if rightly understood be true as thou confessest thy self page 77. and that it is such Quakerism as makes a good part of St Iohn's Gospel and St Austin's Works and according to thy Postscript if the Quakers understood their own Notion it would not very much differ from thine which I take to imply a sort of Confession to their Principle for Truth and Error are opposite the Defect it seems must lie somewhere and that according to thy Judgment must be the Quakers Ignorance how to explain their Notion of the Light and into what Principles to resolve it but seeing this would imply a Difference only in Terminis and so not reach thy Case like one that forgets what he had said last thou proceeds to magnifie the difference to set thee far enough from being reputed a Proselite which to avoid them needed a greater Discrimination This I take to be the Design of thy Postscript where thou undertakes to explain the Quakers Principle by thy Suppositions false Distinctions the better to set off expose thine by rendring it the more novel to this age and so to avoid symbolizing with the Quakers in thy notion of the Divine Light how unfairly and unsincerely as also confusedly with respect both to their and thy own Principle thou hast dealt herein is my present design to manifest whoso undertakes to Confute the Principles of any People ought to take them up and state them rightly and honestly according as they are believed and owned by themselves quoting their own Words and Authors and not barely as he conceives and imagines them to be as suiting his design Otherwise he is unjust and quarrels with his own Shadow and is like a man that beats the Air which in thy Postscript thou art found doing for first thou sayst The Quakers usually talk of this Light within as of some Divine Communication and manifestation only How does this appear to be true thou quotes no Author for it I apprehend thou intendest hereby or else thy assertion has little weight or matter in it viz. that the Quakers own the Light within to be an accident and not a substantial inherent Principle of Divine Excellency which is a great mistake and it is to be feared a wilful one too seeing 't is generally known and thou confessest it too that they quote the Testimony of Iohn the Evangelist for their Principle as thou hast done for thine they believing according thereunto Chap 1. vers 4. In him was Life and the Life was the Light of Men And if the Life of the Word be the Light of men then surely the Quakers cannot be supposed to believe it any thing less than a Real Spiritual Substance which the Soul of man is capable to feel and apprehend For all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made John 1.3 Thus thy first distinction falls to the ground Thy second is as insignificant and like an Arrow shot at Random lights on thy own head being attended with some Contradiction to thy former viz. Thou sayest The

Quakers represent this Light within as a sort of extraordinary Inspiration Where learnt thou this Before it was a Divine Communication and Manifestation only and now an Extraordinary Inspiration Thou wouldst have done well to have let the Quakers Principle alone till thou hadst learnt it better and more honestly to represent it Is not Extraordinary more than Common or Communication and manifestation only Have not the Quakers declared the Light to be Universal as well as Divine in its gift and manifestation to the Sons of men It is certainly true they have and yet I deny not but such who apply their minds in Obedience to the teachings of this Light and heavenly Gift may be made partakers of more viz. extraordinary Gifts and Graces by the Inspiration of the same Spirit c. If for this they have the Name of Enthusiasts given them as in the Section of thy Postscript Though it be in Derision they will rejoyce in it for it shall be as an Ornament of Grace to their Head and Chains about their Neck Again in the same Section thou sayst I suppose it viz. The Light within to be a man's natural and ordinary way of understanding And just before thou made it to be the very Essence and Substance of the Deity which are thy own express words see thy Confusion and Self-contradiction by these Words viz. a man's natural and ordinary way of understanding I take thee to intend the same thing as in page 77. where thou call'st it Reason and Conscience and yet at the same time call'st it The divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Region of Truth in which are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge the great and universal Oracle lodged in every man's Breast whereof the ancient Vrim and Thummim was an express Type or Emblem Here thou Debasest and Confoundest thy Principle making it to be a part of man's Nature whereas the Principle or divine Light as held by the Quakers is a distinct thing from man's Soul Reason or natural Conscience viz. a more excellent Spirit and Principle And herein I confess is a material Difference betwixt thy principle of Light and the Quakers as thou hast exprest it sure I am it is a great Error to render the Divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which all things were made and are upheld to be no higher a Principle than man's Reason and Conscience or natural and ordinary way of understanding which reason is a property Essential to him as Man I confess to know the things of a man according to that Scripture 1 Cor. 2.9 10 11. But as it is written Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the Heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the Deep things of God for what man knows the things of a man save the Spirit of a man that is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Again Mat. 11.27 Neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him By which it manifestly appears that the true knowledge of God and Spiritual things are attained by the Spirit which is superior to man's rational Principle or natural Conscience which may be defiled and corrupted as 't is said expresly of the Impure that even their Mind and Conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 In thy third Sestion thou com'st in with a Salvo Errore If I mistake not the Quakers confine their Light within to some certain Objects namely Morral and Spiritual Truths in order only to the direction of Practice How shouldst thou do otherwise but mistake the Principles of others seeing thou art so confused about thine own however I must tell thee it s no small Fault at such an uncertainty to Expose peoples Principles and 't is an abuse to say the Quakers confine the Light within It is Divine Supernatural and Uncircumscribeable in it are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge where have the Quakers taught otherwise Have they not testified and declared the Light and the Spirit of Truth are one and the same in Being which will guide into all Truth Iohn 16.13 The Quakers believe this divine Light to be the quickness of their understandings to know and of their wills to love and practical Truth and that it assists the natural Faculties of the Soul in the attainments of necessary Arts and Sciences as well as capacitate it to know and practise Morral and Spiritual Truths Thou mayst read what the Author to the Book of Wisdom says on this subject in the 9th and 10th Chapters And whereas thou sayst The Quakers make the Light within a Supplement to Scripture which they say is not sufficient without it nor indeed any more than a meer dead Letter I Answer These words Supplement to Scripture are thy own not ours and this seems to be a Composition of thy own notion of the Quakers Faith concerning the holy Scriptures without any quotation of their Words or Writings and as 't is an objection is built upon thy mistake In thy former Section viz. The Quakers represent this Light within as a sort of extraordinary Inspiration Which hath been already answered proving the Universallity of the Divine Light in man which considered there 's no just cause for this as an Objection against the Quakers assigning the Scriptures to be insufficient without the Light because the knowledge of the holy Scriptures cannot occur to the understanding without it and the formal reason thereof is its presence and manifestation The Quakers believe that Christ Jesus by his divine Light within doth in these days as in the Days of his Flesh expound fulfil and open to the true Believers the holy Scriptures which according to the Apostle's exhortation to Timothy Chap. 2.3 15. Are able to make wise unto Salvation note THROUGH FAITH which is in Christ Iesus The word Supplement in this sense I hope will be found no Error but according to thy Construction of the Quakers representing the Light within as a sort of extraordinary Inspiration Sect 2. Or special priviledge of a certain order of men their own party as in Sect. 4. And then making them to say the Scriptures with relation only to the Direction of Practice as thy Lines import Sect. 3. are not sufficient without it nor indeed any more than a meer dead Letter is to render the Quakers not only singular and Erronious in their Principle of the Light which shall be more duly observed in its place but also Contemptuous of the holy Scriptures as useless and insufficient to all but themselves which is a great and hainous abuse of a Society of People without cause and provocation and contrary to their publick and known Assertions both by Word and Writing who believe according to the same Apostle to Timothy Chap. 2.3.16 17. That all Scripture