name Psal 79.6 Jer. 10.25 But the Quakers have somewhat to say in defence of this their impious Doctrine viz. unrenewed men say they cannot but sin in their Worship to God Ergo they ought not to Worship him Ans By this Quaking-Argument no man on Earth should offer to Worship God seeing there is somewhat of sin cleaving to the best Actions of the Saints hereaway being still defective in the measure and degrees of goodness prescribed by the Law and coming from an heart that is not perfectly clean Prov. 20.9 but the Flesh still lusting against the Spirit so that we cannot do the things that we would Gal. 5.17 much less can we reach the whole Dimensions of our Duty Again even the Plowing and so the Eating Sleeping c. of the wicked is sin Prov. 21.4 shall the wicked then do nothing at all because whatever they do they will go about in a sinful manner I think not And hence we deny the Consequence of their Argument Secondly no man indeed is obliged to sin but yet all men are obliged to worship God which is another thing and is I am sure no thing but a Duty and that unrenewed men sin in the manner of performance it is their own fault proceeding from the corruption of their hearts which can never excuse them from their Duty Does mens Faults that they are Guilty of absolve them from their Duty and Discharge their obligation to the Law say it not for shame And hence again we deny the Consequence Lastly the worship and obedience performed by unrenewed men such as it is or may be called for it is not simply obedience but it is only such and so called in respect of the matter and substance of the Act which is according to the Law though the Principles Manner and End are not is much better than a total rejection of the Commandment seeing that is good in respect of the matter and substance of the Act which agrees with the Law as for example when an unrenewed man gives a poor man an Alms or does any other Action commanded by the Law But the total rejection of the Commandment is upon all accounts and every way evil And hence again we defie the Consequence See this objection in the Quakers Pamphlet fore-mentioned called the Priests Principles in the 14 and 15 pages thereof Again they object that no worship is acceptable to God but that which is in the Spirit and that therefore no man ought to worship God that hath not received the Spirit Ans Albeit no obedience or worship which unrenewed men are in that state able to perform be acceptable to God yet they are still obliged to worship God and that with an acceptable worship nor does or can their Inability to perform acceptable worship take away their obligation to perform it seeing we did all once receive ability in our common Parent and representative head Adam and the losing of it is our fault whereof we are Guilty Rom. 5.12.19 and whereby we can never be excused from our Duty or God and his Law lose their Authority over us And hence the Consequence perishes Secondly we have shewed already that the worship and obedience of unrenewed men such as it is as was explained is better than their total disobedience and utter rejection of the Commandment its better to live Chaste though neither Principles Manner nor End be good than to commit Adultery with our Neighbours Wife And hence again falls the Consequence See this Objection in their forementioned Book called The Principles of Truth or a Declaration of their Faith pag. 81 90 91. The Quakers while they are handling this head in their Book called The Principles of Truth in the pages Cited are so extreamly confident of victory to their Heretical sentiments thereupon That they provoke and appeal all the prudent Orthodox and Learned Divines in Europe and every Quarter of the world with the wisest of the Sons of men to produce their strong reasons and encounter them in this point as if forsooth they had intended to out-strip the Devil not only in the defence of lies but also in his Arrogance and Pride in daring so many learned and worthy Champions of the Truth But they must needs run whom the Devil drives As for the 〈◊〉 Commandment it is most manifest how they do oppose themselves thereunto by their rejecting wresting and abusing the word of God which is a most glorious peice of his name and in their opposing and trampling upon his precious Truth and avowing of Error and Blasphemy yea it is evident how lightly they regard this Commandment by their very swallowing down of their Meat and Drink as so many Brutes without Prayer and Thanksgiving without which if they will believe the Apostle 1 Tim. 4.3 4 5. they are not sanctified Let them seriously consider the Text for the Apostle does there expresly say that God hath created our Meat to be received with Thanksgiving and so the receiving of it without that is contrary to Gods appointment and that every Creature of God is good and nothing to be refused upon this condition taken in and so no otherwise viz. to us if it be received with Thanksgiving and he adds a reason to prove that its good viz. because it is Sanctified by the Word of God allowing us the use of it and Prayer which asketh Gods blessing thereupon And albeit the same Apostle says Tit. 1.15 Vnto the pure all things are pure yet he does not say that without Prayer and Thanksgiving they will be so or blessed in their use nor does he in this Text contradict or retract what he says in the fore-cited Text where he explains how they are Sanctified and made pure to us viz. by the Word of God and Prayer and so the one Text supplies and explains the other The Fourth Commandment they do openly impugn in one of their following Queries unto which place we refer the Controversie The Quakers respects unto the Fifth Commandment is sufficiently known by their denying to all men that external Civil Reverence which it plainly enjoyns and their opposing and condemning the practice thereof in others as unlawful and Idolatrous Thus Mr. George Keith one of their chiefest Antesignani declares all bowing and taking off of Hats unlawful in his Quakerism no Popery page 100 101. Now that this command enjoyns us to give Civil Reverence to men is most manifest seeing it enjoyns to give Civil honour to men Ergo Civil Reverence seeing honour void of all Reverence is a plain contradiction honour being nothing else but a paying of Reverence and regard And that this command enjoyns the external part as well as the internal cannot be doubted seeing the Precept is given unto the whole man not the Soul only nor can the Body being capable of the Duty be exempted from the Law of God more than the Soul they being equally liable to his Soveraignity and the Law and the Law-giver not distinguishing or
outward things Doth he not bring them off things that are seen to things that are not seen And whether or not ye ever intend ye your selves called Ministers or your hearers shall come any nearer to Christs Death and Die and be Buried with him but only to take Bread and Wine in remembrance of Christs Death lest ye and they should come to forget Christs Death Answer us plainly these things Yea or Nay Twelfth QUERY What is Original sin Whether it be not the Devil yea or nay For doth not the Original signifie the beginning And what did Christ come to Destroy Was it not the Devil and his works Thirteenth QUERY Whether or not did Christ die for all the ungodly in the world and Sinners that they should live and die in their ungodliness and sins or live unto him and whether or not did Christ shed his blood for all men and was a Propitiation for the sins of all men and whether or not these that do not hold this are these that make Sects and are out of the same Spirit and Doctrine of the Apostles Fourteenth QUERY What makes a Believer Whether or not is it by believing in the Light according to Christs Doctrine who says He is the Light of the World and doth enlighten every one that comes into the world that all men through him might Believe and who follows him shall not walk in darkness for he is the Light and says That he that believes is saved Then is not the Light saving which he believes and he that does not believe in the Light is damned already Then is not the Light or his disobedience to it his Condemnation Yea or Nay Fifteenth QUERY Can any man be saved by his own works Self-righteousness Will-worship and are not all men in the Self-righteousness that are not in the Righteousness of Christ Jesus and are not all of their own works that be out of the Light and the Faith that is the Gift of God and are not all in their Will-worships that are not in the worship that Jesus Christ the heavenly man set up above Sixteen hundred years since that is in the Spirit and the Truth So must not every man come to the Truth and to the Spirit in their own hearts if they come to the worship Jesus Christ set up and are not your Catechisms Confessions of Faith and Directories your own works and your own worship which ye have set down for people to fall down and do worship to and be saved by and have ye not set up this since the Apostles days and since Christ set up his worship Sixteenth QUERY Whether or not your Directory and Catechism and Confession of Faith be Gospel yea or nay And if so whether it be not another Gospel then that which the Apostles Preached who said the Gospel was the power of God Rom. 1.16 Seventeenth QUERY Whether or not the Scriptures do not say that he that believes hath ceased from his own works as God did from his and entred into his rest and whether or not your Directory and Church-maid Faith and Catechisms and Confessions be not your own works and ye follow them and worship them and not cease from them And whether or not in so doing ye keep people and your selves in your own works and from the Rest or we desire you shew us what difference their is betwixt Spiritual Babylon and Sodom and Egypts works of their hands and Temporal Babylon and Sodom and Egypts works of their hands and their worship Of each distinguish I desire you Distinguish the mystery from a plain outward Idol These Queries were Subscribed I. S. and I could fill up his Name at length but I forbear for some reasons that I think more pertinent to Conceal than Divulge unto the world This is the true Transcript of their Queries which were directed unto me as is said which I can Attest by many others that saw and read them before they came to my hand and some after that knows they owned them and they are also the true Pourtraiture of their known Principles and beside I have in this Controversie carried along two of their most famous Books yet extant the Positions whereof which I always Cite do exactly agree with the Scope and Import of these Queries viz. their Confession of Faith Subscribed by Eight or Nine of their most famous Ring-leaders in England by them called The Principles of Truth or a Declaration of their Faith and their Quakerism no Popery written by Mr. George Keith and Subscribed both by him and Mr. Robert Barclay two of their chiefest Luminaries and greatest Apostles forsooth in Scotland This Book Mr. Keith writes against Reverend Mr. Menzies Professor of Theology at Aberdeen a man of so great Veneration and Learning that it may be justly thought a daring boldness for him to have meddled against him So that no man knowing the Quakers Principles or searching these grounds will in the least doubt the faithfulness of my Transcription beside what Credit may be allowed unto my own Ingenuity who never loved the straining of any mans Principle too sore in Consequences unclear and remote much less the fixing of Principles falsly upon such as disclaimed them But of this I need say no more for the Quakers Principles are known and these Queries they will own An Alphaâ—â—â—ical TABLE A GRacious Acts necessarily require gracious Principles proved pag. 157. Adam a common Representative head of Mankind pag. 134. The Analogy of Faith what it is pag. 78. Apocryphal Books not Canonical or of immediate Inspiration pag. 209. Apostacy of the Saints confuted pag. 162. Christian assurance needs not immediate Dictates p. 32. Authority of the Scripture-rule over all other Rules proved ibid. The Pope before the Reformation had Church-Authority and how pag. 199. B THe Baptism of John and the Apostles the same in substance p. 69. Baptism with Water of Divine Institution under the Gospel p. 68. Baptism with Water only properly called Baptism p. 78. Baptism with Water meant in the Text of Matthew Matthew 28.19 proved p. 76. Baptism with Water necessary to Salvation and how p. 74. Baptism with Water not an Old-Testament Ceremony p. 68. Baptism succeeded in the room of Circumcision p. 86. Baptism of Believers Infants a Divine Institution under the Gospel ibid. Baptism the Initiating Seal proved ibid. Probable Evidences enough for admission to Baptism p. 88. The great Beast mentioned in the Revel not our will pag. 195. Bilocation pregnant with Contradictions p. 191. Blasphemies reported in Scripture not Scripture-sentence p. 20. C EXtraordinary calls attended with extraordinary Furniture pag. 7. An inward call not necessary to the validity of Ministerial Acts. pag. 202. A Catechism requisite in a Church and why pag. 123. Our Westminster Catechism aimed at materially Scripture-sentence pag. 129. How the Command is said to be nigh unto us Deut. 30.14 p. 37. Christs coming again mentioned 1 Cor. 11.26 not meaned of his coming at the Pentecost but at the
MY Lord Bishop of Edinburgh laving appointed me to reveiw and examine a Book Compiled by Mr. John Alexander Preacher of the Gospel Intituled Jesuitico Quakerism Examin'd or Quakers Confuted These are assuring that it not only Contains nothing contrary to the Christian Religion to the Doctrine Worship or Government of the Church of Scotland but that it exactly though briefly compriseth the Marrow of many great Truths in order to the vindication of those solid Articles of our Faith ignorantly and unreasonably invaded by that Heretical fry of Quakers and that with knowledge and care the Author hath Refuted their Irreligious and Blasphemous Positions so that it may prove a very useful Book And therefore I humbly judge it very deserving to be Imprinted This is Testified by John Hamilton Leith Octob. 16. 1679. Jesuitico-Quakerism Examined OR A CONFUTATION OF The Blasphemous and unreasonable Principles of THE QUAKERS With a Vindication of the Church of God IN BRITAIN FROM Their Malicious Clamours and Slanderous Aspersions By John Alexander Preacher of the Gospel Isaiah 8.20 Te the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Luk. 16.29 31. They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead 1 John 4.1 Beloved believe not every Spirit but trie the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world LONDON Printed for Dorman Newman at the Sign of the Kings Arms in the Poultry 1680. To the Right Honorable Sir Robert Clayton Knight Lord Mayor of the Famous City of London the Author wisheth Grace Mercy and Peace MY Lord this ensuing Treatise comes to Salute the World and appear upon the publick Stage under the Honorable Shade and Patrociny of your name not presuming to add any Lustre thereunto whereof it is uncapable and whereof your Lordships Prudence and Vertues have been such publick Heraulds to the World that I shall rather impose a Cessation to my Pen and enjoyn my self a necessary silence as my highest Encomium than be Guilty with Apelles in forming of the Image of interweaving the constrained Failzeurs of my best Rhetorick with your Lordships deserved Commendation But knowing the hazard of these publick Scenes and the Worlds view where there is always a Momus ready to carp it comes to seek shelter under your Lordships favorable Protection whereunto it is also encouraged with good hopes of obtaining the cheerful Countenance of your Authority because of your Pious and Laudable Zeal against all the enemies of our Orthodox Faith and the Divine Truth especially these pernicious and beyond all Heathens most inhumane Proto-plasta's of Quakerism I mean the Jesuits unto whom the latter Profession owes the Founding of their Order and a great many of their Principles be they never so shie and nice to Confess it It doth also with Modest humility lay claim to one interest into your Lordships Tutelage because albeit it was elsewhere conceived and had the form of one Embryo yet it hath received its just measures for a regular Birth within the precinct of your Honorable Jurisdiction and though of Scottish Parentage yet it is truly London Born I know very well there are many in this declining Age of Christianity who account all Disputations about Principles of Religion how necessary soever providing men live well to be but vain Jangling wherein they exactly Homologate the Quakers as I well know but their provision though it were granted to be enough which it is not is impossible if people be misled in necessary Principles seeing no man can live well who mistakes his Rode-way and follows wrong directions and lies and therefore as we are very heartily willing to Discharge all Debates about Opinions which yield no fruit to Edification and make us no sounder Christians so their great care is to have all the other Cashiered also But when the most necessary Truths are boldly invaded and our common Faith in danger to be supplanted it looks not like Christian Courage or Zeal but is rather a plain betraying of Truth for us to hold our peace and suffer the enemy how contemptible soever they may seem by their real Triumphs though but counterfeited Trophees of a pretended Victory erected meerly upon our Cowardise and Sloth not the overthrow of our Cause or their Strength to gather Proselytes and increase their numbers This is not to be valiant for the Truth upon the Earth Christ did not so let the Sadduces a contemptible and foolish people pass without a demonstrative Confutation Paul also fought with Beasts at Ephesus and his Epistles declare what care he took at the Spirits direction too to redargue the Errors of his time This Tractate shall not much value the obloquy and Sarcasms of these men nor of any other whom nothing can please which is not either the fruit of their proper Invention or else at least adequately adjusted to their prejudicate apprehensions and foreconceived Opinions if it be but which is its great ambition acceptable to your Lordship and Edifying to such as desire to know and love the Truth And though reflecting upon the Brutish absurdity of the party against whom I have Embarqu'd in this Province not only renouncing all true Principles of Religion but also stifling their very faculties of reason my adopting of this piece so high may almost seem unsutable yet when I contemplate the great Worth and Excellency of the Subject Matter and Theme I am to treat upon being no less then the whole Divine Ordinances of the Gospel and the most precious and many of them most necessary Truths of Jesus I hope my Nuncupation shall no ways be thought incongruous if I have but been so happy as rightly to encounter the Adversaries and dextrously to vindicate and display the Standard of the Sacred Truth which with what force and evidence I have done I submit to your Lordships Vmpirage and Judgment whom that God may bless and make prosperous here and eternally happy hereafter is the earnest Prayer of your Lordships most Obedient Servant John Alexander TO THE READER THese seventeen following Queries of the Quakers having come to my hand with a direction bearing my Name I did for some time stand in Bivio doubting with my self if it should be worth the while to bring them to the Anvil one while fearing lest Truth through my weakness should be at a disadvantage and another while accounting it almost an unnecessary undertaking to offer to redargue such distracted and Brutish Errors the very Grossness whereof might alone be sufficient to overthrow and Crush their Reputation with every man not depriv'd of sense and rob'd of a sound mind But after more mature and due consideration that an undervalued and neglected enemy proves ordinarily the most dangerous and that unsavory Hemlock except it be digged out and Exfundat may grow and
good Consequence and no otherways because God who is the God of the Living being their God their Dust which is their one half albeit the meaner half behooved to be Raised and Quickened again as being a part of their Essences Here then Christ Teaches that that which by good Consequence may be Inferred from Scripture-principles the same the Scripture shews and Teaches and so it is Scripture-Doctrine and so it is uncontrolably Scripture-Rule Thirdly if that which by good Consequence is inferred from the Scriptures be not Scripture-Rule then there was no Scripture-Rule in all the Old Testament Ordaining David or Solomon c. to be Circumcised and so the Circumcising of them behooved to be a meer Will-worship wanting Scripture-Warrant contrary to Joh. 7.22 23. My Proposition which I propounded I easily prove for in no where of all the Old Testament it is in Formal and Express Terms said David shall be or ought to be Circumcised but only by sure Consequence it follows from the universal Command for Circumcising every Male Gen. 17. That therefore David shall be or ought to be Circumcised nor is it otherwise to be found in all the Old Testament The Quakers then must admit that particular Conclusion by good Consequence following from the universal Command to be Scripture-Rule and so that which by good Consequence follows from Scripture-principles to be Scripture-Rule or else they must deny that there was any Scripture-Rule in all the Old Testament Ordaining David to be Circumcised for its impossible there should be any Scripture-Rule Ordaining David to be Circumcised except it be a Scripture-Rule that David ought to be Circumcised or else he was both Ordained to be and yet ought not to be Circumcised at once Fourthly if that which by good Consequence is inferred from the Scriptures be not Scripture-Rule then there is no Scripture-Rule in all the Old Testament Testifying and Witnessing that Jesus the Son of Mary is the Saviour of the world which is most false and contrary to the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 46. Act. 10.43 and 18.28 and 28.23 My Proposition which I laid down I prove because it is no where of all the Old Testament in express Terms said that Jesus the Son of Mary is the Saviour of the world But by Infallible Consequence it follows and may be inferred from many of the Old Testament Scripture-principles nor is it otherwise but by good Consequence therein to be found It must therefore be granted that that particular Conclusion which by good Consequence follows from these Old Testament Scripture-principles and is no otherwise to be found therein is Scripture-Rule which is that we plead for or else they must deny that there is any Scripture-Rule in all the Old Testament Testifying and Witnessing that Jesus the Son of Mary is the Saviour of the world for there cannot be Scripture-Rule Witnessing and shewing that Jesus the Son of Mary is the Saviour except it be a Scripture-Rule that Jesus the Son of Mary is the Saviour otherwise the Scriptures Testifying that shall be Scripture-Rule as is supposed and yet the very substantial Doctrine of their Testimony shall not be Scripture-Rule which is repugnant Lastly If that which by good consequence follows from Scripture-Principles be not Scripture-Rule then we are no where in all the Scriptures forbidden to worship a Dog or Cat c. which is a most absurd falshood seeing then the worshipping of these things could be no transgression of the Law of God for the whole Law of God is delivered to us in the Scriptures otherwise the Scriptures would be defective and not manifest our whole Duty in order to Salvation which is contrary to Deut. 5.32 Isai 8.20 Luc. 16.28 29. 2 Tim. 3.15 Rev. 22.18 My proposition laid down I evidently prove for it is not in formal and express Terms said in all the Scriptures Thou shalt not worship a Dog or Cat albeit it is expresly said That we shall have no other Gods but the true God and shall Worship and Serve him only Exod. 20.3 Matth. 4.10 from whence by evident consequence it follows but not without a consequence in all the Scriptures that we may not Worship a Dog or Cat. Will the Quakers then deny the Worshipping of these Creatures to be forbidden in the Scriptures and so to be unlawful because without a Consequence we cannot get any Scripture forbidding it and whereby to prove it unlawful If they stand to their Principles here of necessity they must do it as the Argument irresistibly infers upon them The Quakers may hence see how justly we may as yet pretend Scripture-Rule notwithstanding our consequences seeing we have unanswerably proved that that which by good consequence is inferred from Scripture-Principles is Scripture-Rule and we have convinced their wild Principles in this point to dash and run upon contradictions to disagree from the Doctrine and Practice of Christ to make way for denying Jesus the Son of Mary to be the Saviour of the World for the Scriptures of the Old Testament do by clear consequence though not without a consequence mightily witness and assure that great Article of Faith and to lead the way to Will-Worship in the Church yea for the grossest of Idolatry We see then how little reason we have to grant these impious demands of the Quakers But the Quakers here object That to draw consequences from the Scriptures is to add to the Scripture-Rule against which all the plagues in the book of God are denounced Answ By this Objection the Quakers shew how unlawful they think Scripture-Consequences to be But I have abundantly shewed that that which by good consequence is inferred from scripture-Scripture-Principles is no addition to the Scripture-Rule but is it self very Scripture-Rule and how should it be an adding to Scripture-Rule to draw forth more expresly and distinctly by consequence the same Doctrine which it really and truly teaches though more Implicitly Is it an adding to the Scripture to shew more expresly it 's own Doctrine Then the Scriptures own Doctrine should be an addition to the Scripture-Rule they have a great dexterity in speaking of Contradictions Secondly It uses to be objected That if that which by good consequence is inferred from Scripture-Principles be Scripture-Rule and so a Rule of Divine Faith then our Divine Faith whereby we believe that Scripture-Rule so inferred shall stand upon reason which is most absurd seeing the inferring of a consequence is an act of reason Answ I deny the Sequel or consequence of the Major proposition because when a conclusion is by good consequence inferred from Scripture-Principles Reason is not the Argument or Motive wherefrom the conclusion follows and is inferred and moves and constrains us to assent thereunto seeing the Conclusion is not inferred from the natural Principles or Premises of Reason but from Supernatural Scripture-Principles as is most manifest Reason therefore is only requisite here as a necessary Instrument for perceiving and discerning the consequence or connexion of the Antecedent with the
the creatures for their Subsistences and Persons without whom if we will believe the Doctor they would never have been It s all Blasphemous Again the Doctor teaches pag. 284.285 part first that throughout the Old Testament from the beginning of Genesis to the last of the Prophets there runs an Allegory and pag. 86. part second all the Scriptures says he are Figurative But in the Old Testament it is said That there is a God that we ought to worship him that God created man That man fell and sinned That we ought to repent and believe that God will be merciful to returning penitent sinners that he is a blessed man whose sins are forgiven Are these and many the like expressions to be Allegorically understood If the Doctor denyed the things asserted by these expressions and we to prove the affirmatives thereof against him urged these Scripture-sayings would he distinguish with an Allegorically true Properly false If that distinction were valid or relevant then all were gone And are the whole Scriptures Figurative Then beside what is just now said That Christ was born suffered satisfied Justice is risen again Ascended That there is a life to come a Heaven a Hell a day of General judgment that believers shall be saved and the rest damned these I say shall be all Figurative sayings and to be understood Figuratively And what can be said worse for so the whole foundations are destroyed if these sayings be Improperly meant Lastly for I will stand no longer that Allegoricall Doctor teaches also pag. 289.294.318.320 322.323.334.342.347.348 part first That the whole Scriptures have two meanings one whereof he calls Outward Grammatical and Literal The other Inward Hidden and Spiritual Where if he had said that one and the same meaning of the Scripture may be understood with two sorts of Evidences one of them External Historicall and Grammatical only The other Internal Supernatural and Spiritual he had not aberred from the truth Or if he had said that there may be sometimes in one text two meanings the one subordinate to and typified by the other which yet is not Properly two meanings but one and the same compounded meaning or meaning compounded he had likewise said truth But so he neither says nor can be meaned for in the places cited he often affirms that the Outward and Literal meaning of the Scripture is but Excrements good for nothing can give no nourishment is not only dead but killing and destructive yea in some of these places he denies the literal sense to be Gods mind and affirms it to be but humane Nay he flatly also denies the Scriptures to be the Word of God or that ever any man did as yet see hear or read the truth The other sense of the Scriptures he calls saving and an excellent mean of life to us These things declare that the Doctor means of two Co-ordinate and Inconnexed meanings and not of Subordinate meanings seeing these meanings devised by him have no Respect Connexion or Relation with one another seeing the one is but dead Destructive Excrements and the other is Saving and nourishing But it is not so with causes Subordinate which joyntly concur to produce the effect each in their own sphere and order as is known Now to affix two Co-ordinat Inconnexed meanings upon the Scriptures is to make the true meaning thereof utterly uncertain and to make them a clear Fraud and a Cheat put upon the World to deceive with their uncertain and Ambiguous senses and consequently their Author to be an Impostor and deceiver Absit Blasphemia with his Doubtful and two-fac'd meanings and his variable and Proteus-like Intended senses for they can have no more meanings then their Author intended therein seeing a meaning affix'd on the Scriptures which there Author never intended therein is not the meaning of the Scriptures or else every wrested meaning would be their meaning But Secondly more particularly against the Doctor Is the literal sense of the Scriptures that teach us very plainly Christs Incarnation Death Resurrection Ascension and the use and ends thereof good for nothing but a non-nourishing and destroying Excrement He seems indeed to say so pag. 52. part first where he affirms that we must first wave the knowledge of the History of Christ Externally before we come to the knowledge of the true Christ hereby he Insinuats that the External Christ is no true Christ that is able to save our Souls But if these things asserted by the Doctor be true Then it s no matter or harm to us Albeit the letter and History of the knowledge of Christ were all false seeing that is good for nothing can give no nourishment as he will and must be waved before we come to know the true and saving Christ What can it matter to us then though it were all false seeing it can do us no good is but non-nourishing and destructive Excrements nay it hinders us to know the true and saving Christ for we cannot know him as the Doctor alleadges until it be first waved and so it s an opposit enemy to the knowledge of him Secondly If it be true that the literal sense of the Scriptures is not Gods mind as the Doctor affirms then we may Counter-act the whole Scriptures in their literal sense and yet be guiltles seeing though we do so yet we do nothing against the mind and meaning of God in his Word according to the Doctors doctrine and then we may commit Idolatry Adultery and what not Thirdly If the Literal sense of the Scriptures be not Gods meaning how comes the Doctor to call it Scripture-sense at all or Scripture-meaning The Doctor herein manifestly contradicts himself seeing the Scripture can never have any sense or meaning beside the mind and meaning of its Author therein by him intended as is both clear in it self and just now I proved Fourthly For his denying the Scriptures to be the Word of God I shall oppose unto this the Survey of the Quakers Third Query above where I have discussed that question But when he denies that ever any man as yet heard or read the truth he speaks a little too Transcendentally for if he means of the truth of Proposition or Enunciation which is only to the purpose for we are not concerned with the Metaphysical Incomplex truth of Being but with the Complex truth of Oration here then he either takes truth in the Abstract form and so never man henceforth shall hear or read it more then heretofore seeing in the Abstract form it is not a thing Legible or Audible or else he takes truth Concretively and as it denominats some particular Enunciation or Enunciations true so that the means that never man as yet heard or read a true saying or Enunciation to this day and then he denies that himself ever spake or wrote a true word to any mans hearing or reading and cuts his own Throat and I cannot help it But which is much worse so he denies the Scriptures which many man hath read and heard to be true It s a very strange and a sad business too if we never heard a word of truth But the Doctor I know will say that only Christ is the truth Ans Christ cannot be the Formal truth of any Enunciation or Oration which is nothing but a meer relation of Conformity betwixt it and its Object but Christ is called the truth because he is the Author and Revealer the Object and End of the Divine truth for he makes it known it treats of him as the main Subject and it leads unto him Albeit the Doctor makes many wranglings to clear himself of being thought a contemner and vilifier of the Literal sense of Scripture yet all comes to this at the last and most which he never parts with that the literal sense of the Scripture can do no good but will kill and destroy us except we reach another sense beyond that and hidden under it having no connexion therewith or relation thereunto The absurdity whereof I have very briefly shewed And beside we see he refuses to own the literal sense as Divine but as a thing meerly Humane denying it to be the mind of God And so no Apology can bring him fairly off But the Doctor objects pag. 52.318 part first that the Literal sense of the Scripture is not saving nor the mind of God seeing the Devil and natural men can reach that Ans But the Doctor supposes here a manifest falshood viz. that the Scriptures have one sense reached by the Devil and natural men and another which they know nothing of and cannot reach which I have shewed to be most absurd the Devil and some men unrenewed know as many senses of Scripture as the Doctor does But the difference betwixt a Natural and Spiritual mans knowledge of the Scripture is not that the one of them knowes a sense of the Scripture more than the other and which the other cannot reach but that the one knows the same sense of Scripture with an Internal Spiritual Supernatural and saving evidence which the other knows only with an Historical Grammatical External and Common evidence and so there are very diverse kinds of evidences in their acts of knowledge proceeding from Essentially diverse principles of light and Eyes to see with But the Object known is the same I have therefore here Inserted and briefly confuted these principles of the Doctor which indeed are a considerable part though not all of the substance of that his foresaid book because the Quakers know and I in sure experience too by the necessary and Inevitable though Involuntary converse I have had with them who are deeply concerned with the same principles and as I hinted before I never almost knew any and I have known too many that once became the Disciples and Proselyts of that book but in end they became professed Quakers and therefore I judged it very convenient here though shortly to give an Antidote against it FINIS
have got a better Imployment with the Quakers it seems than he had with his unthankful Master But say the Quakers the Apostle bids Christians beware lest any man spoil them through Philosophy Colos 2.8 and we are commanded to avoid Prophane and vain Bablings and oppositions of Science falsly so called 1 Tim. 6.20 Ans The Apostle does not in these Texts condemn true Philosophy subsisting within its own Sphere neither can that be condemned for the reasons now given But that which he condemns is sophisticate and corrupt Philosophy which we call Sophistry and Philosophy extended beyond its Sphere to the measuring of an Object not included within its Principles This the Apostle shews to be his meaning by adding Exegetically in the first Text cited the Term Vain deceit after the Tradition of men that is of mens own meer Dreaming and Devising having no ground in the light of Nature and reason and so whereof God is not the Author and by calling it in the last place Science falsly so called none of which can be said of true Philosophy moving within its own Orb and not transgressing the Sphere of its activity as is before demonstrated The thing then that we are there commanded to avoid is Sophisticate and corrupt Philosophy as Aristotles Eternity of the world or Democritus's opinion of the worlds being made by the Concourse of Atoms Manicheus's two supreme Causes of all things the Platonick and Manichean conceit about the making of the Soul of man of the Divine substance Epicurus's mortality of the Soul of man Pithagoras's Transmigration of the Soul out of one Body into another The Fate of the Stoicks That and the like corrupt Philosophy we are commanded to avoid and beside this we are also commanded to beware of Philosophy diverted from its own proper use and object in considering the works of Nature and God as the Author of Nature to the measuring of Gospel truths which the Heathen Philosophers in these times foolishly did according to their Inclusion in or Exclusion from Natural Philosophical Principles upon which they do not depend but upon a Principle of an higher Order viz. Divine Revelation Beside these two things there is nothing else in Philosophy that can be Condemned and so there is nothing here against true and genuine Philosophy only which I defend which for our Demonstations given is neither Foolosophy nor Witchcraft as the Quakers in bitter Contempt have often called it in my hearing Third QUERY Whether or not the Scriptures are the Word or the Words of God Seeing the Scriptures say themselves God spake all these words Exod. 20. and he that adds to the words in the last of the Revelation Plagues are added to him And what doth the Scripture signifie Doth it not signifie Writings and whether all that is Written in the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation be a Rule for your Faith and Manners and every tittle of it from the one end of the Book to the other both in the Old and new Testament If not Distinguish what part is to be obeyed and what not And whether every tittle from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation is the Word or the Words of God SVRVEY The principal Position of the Quakers upon this Head is that there is not another Word of God beside Christ the Co-substantial and Eternal Word and this they assert of purpose that they may elude all the Testimonies of Scripture which Tie us to the external written Word of God as our Rule and whereby the Efficacy thereof is commended for all these Scripture-Testimonies they will have to be understood of Christ the Eternal Co-substantial Word dwelling within them and all men as they alledg and teaching them immediately by himself present within them without an external written Platform which they are pleased to reproach with the Nick-name of a Dead Letter contrary to Joh. 20.31 Act. 7.28 Rom. 15.4 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. which places declare the written Word of God to be lively Oracles and an excellent instrument of Faith Growth Comfort and Life unto us See also Heb. 4.12 where the Word of God is said to be Quick and Powerful and compared to a Two-edged Sword and that by the Word of God here is not meant Christ the Co-substantial Word but the external Word of God spoken within time which Word is written in the Scriptures as shall presently be shewed appears from many other Parallel places of Scripture where the Efficacy of the external Word is held forth in most Parallel expressions and by the very same Comparison for which see Ephes 6.17 which place we shall presently prove to be meant of the external Word and Rev. 1.16 Rev. 2.12 16. Rev. 19.15 In which places by the Sword of Christs Mouth and the Two-edged Sword going out of his Mouth which are the Expressions there can be no other thing meant but the external Word of Christ spoken by his Mouth nor do I ever read that Christ himself is compared so but his Word only It is true the Law or legal Covenant considered as strictly legal but never the whole Scriptures which pray observe is in respect of guilty Sinners such as we all are called a Killing Letter but not at all a Dead Letter dead Dogs neither Bark nor Bite and a Ministration of Death and Condemnation 2 Cor. 3.6 7 9. because it Accuseth Curseth and Condemneth such as are Guilty of the Breache thereof though yet the same be a notable Mean to shew Sinners their lostness without a Redeemer and their absolute need of Christ and to Whip and lash them home unto him These things are evident Now for clearing the state of the main Question we must premise first that the Quakers acknowledge the Scriptures to be Gods Testimony and Gods Words they do not as yet at least all of them openly deny the Scriptures to have been given by Divine Inspiration only they do generally deny them to be the Word of God for say they only Christ is the Word of God Secondly we must premise that we do not say that there is another Eternal Co-substantial or Co-equal Word of God beside Christ But that beside Christ the Co-substantial Word there is another Word of God which was spoken within time written in the Scriptures which we call the external written Word These things being premised We assert that beside Christ the Co-substantial and Co-equal Word there is another Word of God which is written in the Scriptures For first the Commandments of God are not Christ the Eternal Son of God as is clear but the Commandments of God are the Word of God therefore there is a Word of God which is not Christ the Co-substantial Word and that Word of God is written in the Scriptures seeing Gods Commandments are written there undeniably I prove the Minor from Psal 119.172 where David calls the Commandments of God his Word and from Mark 7.9 10. with 13. where that which Christ calls the Commandment
They object That Christ promises to send his Spirit to guide us into all Truth Joh. 16.13 Therefore there is no need of External Rules and Ordinances to guide us yea in their Confession where they propound this Objection they contend That all External Ordinances ought to be rejected because of this promise of the Spirit See their Confession pages 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82. Where they so triumph in this Argument as if now they had incontrollably gained the day and for ever banished all External Ordinances out of the Church and had no more to do but sing Te Deum Victory We have won But he that Reckons without his Host may come to Reckon twice Therefore I answer first That this promise is only made to Believers Joh. 7.38 39. and 14.17 and so it will not serve their turn for absolving all Men from External Rules and committing them to the conduct of their Dictate within Secondly Though they should crack and rent their Brains to do it they will never prove from hence that the Spirit is to guide us without the Word and External Rule of Scripture which yet is the very thing in Controversie and which they must either prove or else lose the Cause for all their boasting for Christ does not promise here nor any where in Scripture That the Spirit shall guide us without the written Word and so from this Text they can never prove their point Thirdly I proved at the Survey of their third Query above and in my Answer to their second Objection here That the written Word of God is an Organ and Instrument whereby the Spirit of God worketh upon our hearts enlightning converting renowing and quickening us thereby and so the Spirit is not here promised to guide us without the written Word but with it Lastly We have the word of that same Spirit for it and that since he was poured out in the largest measure That it is not he but a Spirit of Error that leads men when they hearken not to the Doctrine of the Apostles which is written in the Scripture 1 Joh. 4.6 He exhorts us to take heed to the Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.19 20. He affirms the Scriptures were written for our learning and that we might have hope Rom. 15.4 He affirms that the Scriptures are profitable for Reproof Doctrine Correction and Instruction in Righteousness 2 Tim. 3.16 He threatens to take away their part out of the Book of Life that diminish from the Scripture-rule Rev. 22.19 He pronounces them blessed that read hear and keep the Doctrine of the Scripture Rev. 22.7 and 1.3 Whoever then rejects the Scripture-Rule he intends not to learn or have hope or profit any more in the way of Righteousness or be blessed but to have his part taken out of the Book of Life Will not that Man be a good Christian and a happy Saint no doubt Christ then means nothing less than to absolve us from the External Rule of Scripture in this Text of John which the Quakers here wrest to that purpose Vaunting themselves of an Abortive Victory which shall never see the Sun like so many windy Bravadilloes Et preterea nihil Fifthly They object from the first Epistle of John 2.20 27. where Saint John says But ye have an Unction from the holy One and ye know all things and the anointing which ye have received abideth in you and ye need not that any Man Teach you Therefore there is no need of External Rules and Teaching seeing there is an Unction within that teaches all things Answ First The Apostle does not say That all men whatsoever have that Unction to teach them but only such as he writes to viz. Believers and so this Text will not serve their turn for all men Secondly He does not say That that anointing teaches without the External written Word yea in this same Epistle Ch. 4.6 Ch. 5.13 He plainly shews the contrary where he affirms That those that are of God hearken to and so are taught by for there is no other end of their hearkening but to be taught their External Doctrine which is written in the Scriptures and that he wrote this same Epistle of purpose to be an Instrument of Faith and Knowledge unto them And would they then force an Argument from this Epistle against Scripture-Rule nay there is in this Epistle evident demonstrations establishing it Thirdly We have before shewed That the Spirit teaches us by the External written Word and the Quakers with all their wranglings can never make it appear that he teaches us without it For all the Texts which they produce or can produce prove no more but only that the Spirit teaches us which we never denied but heartily acknowledge but not one Text in all the Scriptures can prove that the Spirit teaches us without the External Word which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet the Quakers by a new sort of Logick invented by their Alogical Spirit for the abuse of Mankind do from every Scripture-Text where it is said That the Spirit teaches us very bruto-rationally infer Ergo he teaches us without any External Mean or Rule As for that of their knowing all things it is not to be understood of all things whatsoever without exception or else they had been too wise and their knowledge too infinite but it is meant of all things Essential to Salvation which they knew in some measure though not perfectly 1 Cor. 8.2 and 13.9.12 and therefore still needed Scripture-Rule to teach them more knowledge And therefore that part of the Text That they needed not that any man should teach them is the same with that of Jeremiah whereof before and hath the same comparative meaning That the knowledge of Christ and of the Covenant was now so manifest and clear that having received the anointing for opening the eyes of their understanding viz. Effectively which is therefore called Eye-salve Rev. 3.18 which an inward objective Dictate cannot well be called that they might be able to behold it They in regard of and compared with their Fathers living under the Old Testament Dispensation did scarce seem to need a Teacher which is most true For though they needed still Teaching yet in comparison of them they might all rather have been Teachers of others and so the Scope of the place is to commend the New-Testament Dispensation above that of the Old and to decry External Ordinances and Rules or Teaching by Men Yea and if it were meant so then the Apostle did here by his Practice contradict his Doctrine and by his Doctrine condemned his Practice as needless and idle for which he had a sad Accompt to make according to Christs Doctrine Matth. 12.36 and if the Quakers think that this Text overturneth all Teaching by Men we again Charge them in their own Principles and by the Law they live on to give over their Teaching and spreading of their damnable Delusions by Word or Writ for I am sure the
not Authority to feed the Flock and edifie the Body of Jesus from his own Word in the nearest method and have they not Authority to furnish and guard their People against damnable Delusions and Soul-ruining Errors in the most easie and successful manner they can If they have not Authority for and be not bound to do these things then they have not Authority for nor are they bound to do any thing Let all the Quakers in Britain answer but one mouthful of sence to it if Ministers whose Office must continue in the Church to the end of the World and till that day when all the Saints shall be compleatly perfected Matth. 28.19 20. Ephes 4.11 12 13. be not given to the Church for the very forementioned ends and if these be not the Incumbent Works of their Office But it 's vain to demand an answer which can never be found or sence from these who Impugning Grammar declare themselves Enemies to Sencespeaking And have not the Quakers also published a Confession of their black Faith Entituled The Principles of Truth viz. Per Antiphrasin for they should have said of Falshood Fiction Error Blasphemy and Calumnies printed in the year 1668. and we have also seen several of their sweet Catechisms But say the Quakers Is not the Doctrine of Christian Religion as good in the Scriptures as in any Confession or Catechism Ans Yes no doubt but what of that will that infer any thing against a Confession or Catechism in a Church whereby that good Doctrine of the Scriptures may be more speedily and distinctly learned I would rather think that the better the Doctrine of the Scriptures is the means contributing to our more ready and distinct learning thereof should be the more useful and warrantable So unfortunate are the Quakers that their own Weapons turns upon themselves Observe that this Objection of the Quakers if it could have proved any thing at all would have Militated as much against all Preaching as against a Confession or Catechism Hence though the Scriptures be a better Book than any Confession or Catechism in the World as formally Constituted by Ecclesiastical Authority yet a Confession or Catechism are not therefore unlawful or unwarrantable in a Church as I think is clear enough from what I have said But say the Quakers Whether or not have ye an Infallible Spirit to give forth such a Directory Confession and Catechism as ye have done Ans Hereby the Quakers refuse that any Man may direct according to the Scripture the External Circumstances of Gods Publick Worship or that any Man may Catechize or give an Account or Confession of his Faith which every Man in due Circumstances is bound to do Matth. 10.32 33. Rom. 10.9 10. 1. Pet. 3.15 but much more a Church partly for satisfaction to other Churches partly for distinguishing Orthodox Churches from Heretical Synagogues and partly for a short and clear publick Test of the Principles of her own Members except he be Infallible which any Man may see to tend to the banishing of all these Duties out of the World seeing there is no Man now adays Infallibly Inspired for such things But what great need I pray is there of Mens Infallibility in this Affair They are not to assure their Doctrine from their own Infallibility but from the Infallible Scripture shall not that be sufficient to assure it I cannot but think so To the Law and to the Testimony then instead of your Inspired Parts What should be answered to the last Article of their Query is manifest from what we have said already concerning a Directory and it 's needless to repeat Tenth QUERY Whether or not is your Sanctification your Justification and your Faith and Grace the gifts of these without sin as they are manifested within you Yea or Nay SVRVEY Here is an obscure Riddle a dark Aenigma which where to find the sence of is a little difficult but if it hath any sence they seem to Query Whether or not our Justification Sanctification c. be the gifts of our Directory Confession and Catechism whereof they were last speaking in the preceeding Query But what that term Without Sin stands for here is not easily Divined nor can it have any Errand or Connexion with the present Question and therefore I must throw it by as an insignificant and no less impertinent Cipher I answer therefore to their present Question That our Justification Sanctification c. are the Gifts of God only Rom. 8.32 33. Ephes 2.8 Jam. 1.17 and that the Question is void of sence seeing the bestowing of a gift is an action properly relative to an Intelligent Being for we do not receive gifts from Stocks Stonee or Brutes Notwithstanding this does not presently exclude the use of all ordinary means for their meaning in this Query is plain that our Justification Sanctification c. cannot be the gifts of God but must be the gifts of our Confession Catechism c. because forsooth we make use of these as ordinary means allowed of God for their proper ends above described For albeit our Corns be not the gifts of our Ploughs and Harrows nor the continuance of our Lives the gifts of our Food and Raiment but all these things are the gifts of God yet we may not lay aside all Ploughing and Harrowing and the Quakers I believe will not reject Food and Raiment Let them therefore either permit us the use of Confessions Directories and other inferior helps and means conducible in their own order or else by their own example persuade the world if they can never to Plough or Sow more never to Eat or Drink more This is enough for Answer to this Query which comes in but by way of Objection and Cavillation Eleventh QUERY Whether or not your Directory and Catechism and Confession of Faith be Gospel Yea or Nay and if so Whether it be not another Gospel than that which the Apostles Preached who said the Gospel was the Power of God Rom. 1.16 SVRVEY I have above at the Survey of the Ninth Query abundantly justified our Directory in the general as was there explained and proved that God hath given Warrant and Authority to Church-Guides and Judicatories for Making and Constituting these according to the general Precepts of Scripture for maintaining Order and Decency and promoting Edification in the Church and therefore I shall not here needlesly repeat any thing to that purpose Only I shall take notice that seeing the Quakers oppose these things they therefore declare that it is their mind that Church-Officers and Judicatories should not give Obedience to Gods Commands should slight Order and Decency and the Churches Edification There is the new-coined Directory of the Quakers let all Men judge if it be not an Instrument of the Devil But for Answer to their Query I say That there are several Rules in our Directory that materially considered are very Scripture-Rules particularly delivered therein as I shewed before at the Survey of the
Sloath It may be they do for they will not so much as pray to God Except when they Incline to it by a free motion and Instigation within The Quakers in the Close of their query require us to distinguish betwixt Temporal Babylon and Egypt and Spiritual Babylon and Egypt Ans I have hitherto abundantly vindicated our Church from the Aspersion of being a Spiritual Babylon wherewith the Quakers do ordinarily and wickedly traduce her and it is the scope of this Epilogue of their Queries they must end as they began slandering and accusing the Brethren and it may be also seen in their Confession of Faith pag. 122 124. Upon the other hand I have charged home the Quakers with their Errors Blasphemies Contradictions and shall do in a Post-script with their Papism and with Irresistible Evidence have made good every Article of my charge against them Only in the general to this part of the Query I Answer that Temporal Babylon and Egypt are understood properly of the places so called by the Inhabitants and were a tipe of the Spiritual but Spiritual Babylon and Egypt are mystically and improperly understood and are the Anti-tipe of the other And hitherto the Quakers possibly will consent But we will surely discord in the Application for the Quakers make that great Babylon Spiritually and mystically so called so much spoken of in the Book of Revelation to be only inward in the hearts of people See their Confession pag. 114 115 121 122 138 140. Where they alleadge that great Spiritual Babylon to be within in the hearts of people and affirm the great Whore and mystery Babylon to be our wisdom and the Beast be our will whereupon our wisdom sits I Confess the Pope is deeply obliged to the Quakers and belike some of them are asmuch obliged to him he is not so unreasonable as to make them work for nothing The whole Protestant Church hath hitherto proclaimed the Pope to be the great Antichrist and Beast and the Church of Rome to be that mystery Babylon great Whore and Mother of Harlots The Quakers are so tender of his and her credit as to Contribute their best endeavors by a new Invention because all other devices have long since failed for Enervating our Churches libel and for wiping the reproach from off them both But go to is mystery-Babylon our wisdom and the Beast and Antichrist our will Let the Quakers then Answer these few following Arguments First albeit all Hereticks are Commonly called Antichrists 1 Joh. 2 18. yet the great Antichrist singularly and Eminently so called was not revealed in the time of the Apostles but to be afterwards revealed 2 Thes 2 3 5 6 7 8. But it cannot be said that the Corrupt wills of men were not then revealed Secondly it cannot be understood how the Kings who give their power for a season to the Beast Revel 17 12 13 and afterwards destroy the Whore ver 16. there shall destroy the carnal wisdom of all men so that it shall be found no more at all as it is said of that great Whore Babylon after these Kings have destroyed her Revel 18 21. Thirdly seeing they will have our wisdom to be Babylon the great Whore what then are these Seven mountains whereupon that Whore sits and what are these Seven Kings Five whereof were fallen before the Book of Revelation was written one then was and another was not then come which are the Seven heads of that whores Beast and what again are these Ten Kings which are the horns of that Beast Revel 17.3 5 9 10 12. how shall these things be applyed to the Seat Heads and Horns of our wisdom and will Such an application will be an excellent Romance I le warrand Fourthly the great whore Babylon hath in her Harpers Pipers Trumpeters Craftmen Milstones Bridegrooms Brides c. Revel 18 22 23. But are all these things in peoples hearts in their wisdom The Quakers would make Heraclitus turn a plain Democritus nay almost a dead man to laugh himself alive by their jocund and facetious humor Lastly the place where Babylon stood becomes an Habitation of Devils the hold of every foul Spirit and a Cage of every unclean and hateful Bird after her destruction by the ten Kings Revel 18 2. But I would think that after the destruction of our carnal and corrupt wisdom that the Devil and all his foul Spirits should get the less access unto and worse lodging into our hearts where our carnal wisdom before remained Hence we see what a wild Romance the Quakers gloss upon the Beast and great whore amounts unto and upon how Ridiculous a fiction their apology for the Pope and Church of Rome is founded and yet I think the great Doctors of the Quakers deserves rewards at their hands for they have done what they could and who can do more Albeit the success and event which who can help does not answer their desires And now I hope that boisterous wind of Arrogance and storm of pride wherewith that supercilious Inscription of the Quakers the haughty Harbinger of these Queries did Insolently swell is a little calm'd and I trust I have by the evidence of Irrestible truth so overturned their Bulwarks and dashed the force of their Heretical Armado of falshoods that they shall not so confidently hereafter Summon the Armies of Israel with a defiance But if their courage be so undaunted that no routing of their Forces can abate it nor Impose silence upon them but they will still be smattering and will yet rally upon us with the new supply of a Reply then I must require them at the Instance of all rational Creatures to speak Reason and sense for in earnest not in jest I say it they are often so obscure in their Aenigmatical Riddles and abstruse Expressions of mysterious and Cloudy non-sense that they transcend and over-reach the most Metaphysical capacity of all mortals This demand is so exceedingly reasonable that I presume if any Quaker shall as yet have the boldness to Compear in the defence of their heretical Interest it will without further pressing be accepted and granted Another thing I must desire of the Quakers viz. That they trouble us not with new controversies as their manner is when they are overpower'd and non-plus'd in any one purpose to skip away to another and from that again to a third without either yeilding or satisfying untill they have First methodically in form and order answered and satisfied this Survey of their present Queries and this I expect to see at the Greek calends let the Quakers then who I have often heard are Threatening a reply perform these Conditions therein which most justly I demand or else I assure them for ought I yet know I will trouble my self no more with their Confuse Rapsodies of nauseous non-sense A Postscript for George Keith which I divide into two Sections The first shall wipe off his calumnies of Popery cast upon us The Second shall fix Popery upon
ye are in and repent if that be possible after ye have so abused the Truths of Jesus and his inheritance Second Section fixing Popery upon the Quakers Having discussed your charge of Popery calumniously 〈◊〉 against us I shall present a true one against you and that very breifly First Therefore for I resolve to adhere to the order of the queries above dispatched It is a Popish rule and a great one too That ignorance is the Mother of Devotion and ye both in those queries Quakerism no Popery pag. 98. are not a jot behind with them in that where ye condemn all means of knowledge both humane and divine and consequently knowledge it self seeing we cannot reach knowledge without the use of the means of knowledge whereby through Gods blessing we may attain unto it for extraordinary Inspiration is now ceased as is proved before nor must we tempt God to work extraordinary miracles and neglect and despise the ordinary means which he had allowed Secondly the Papists deny the Scriptures to have any authority over us or in order to us untill they get it from the Church whereby they mean the Pope and his Clergy and do also deprive the whole body of the people or Laity as they call them of the use of the Scriptures And do not ye also deny the Scriptures to be our rule at least our principal rule and endeavour to cause all men reject them at least as the principal rule Witness the proceeding Queries and your Quakerism no Popery And is not this one dish indifferent dressings for both of you aim to bring the Scriptures low yea to nought without your approbation they without their Pope and Councils approbation yea without the approbation of your light and sentiments within and so both of you agree exactly in subjecting the Scripture-authority to the authority of another rule which Inevitably must be as ye apprehend I am sure in both these articles ye are as like the Pope as any bastard can be like his father Thirdly The Papists and ye agree in denying Infant Baptism an external Christian Sabbath-day and Psalms-singing to be ordinances of Divine Institution under the Gospel they alleadgingthem to be only traditional ye that they are superstitious will 〈…〉 All which things we have seen in your queries Con 〈…〉 faith and Quakerism no Popery Sixthly 〈◊〉 have put three Articles into the last The Papists deny Bread and Wine to be in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper affirming that after the priests consecration it is no more Bread and Wiâ—e but is substantially changed into the very body and blood 〈◊〉 Christ so your brethren divinely Inspired as ye are in their fixth query here mock and scoff at the eating of bread and drinking of wine in that Sacrament making way it seems for that Popish Transubstantiation whereof we are the more confirmed because at the Sixteenth Query as I cleared before they lay down an assertion that cannot stand without the very grounds of that Transubstantiation Seventhly The Papists assert the Infallibility of their Pope and Councils and make that a ground of defence for their Church-constitutions and whole religion rejecting all that want the authority of such Infallible guides So do not you assert the Infallibility of your teachers Albeit often they are rather lunatick and oppose our Confession directory c. upon the very account of the fallibility of these that formed them though to no purpose as is shewed Eightly The Jesuit Papists worse then any of the rest stifly deny original sin and assert universal redemption universal light universal grace free-will in natural unrenewed men unto good and the Apostacy of the Saints all which I have shewed to be contrary to the Scriptures and in all these the Quakers are not a jot behind them but on the contrary do exceedingly out-reach them Fourteenthly For there are six articles in my last charge the same Jesuit Papists hold perfection to be attainable in this life Wherein ye are indeed more positive then they albeit still against the Scriptures as is before proved which shew us that according to Gods way of disposition for the debate depends not on potentia absoluta who will have us here to have a continual war with our corruptions that the victories of his grace may be the more glorious we the more humble and dependant on him Wee shall never here be fully perfect or freed from all corruption And Sir methinks ye strongly savour of supererogation too while ye say Quakerism no Popery Pag. 37.38 that ye can attain a sinless perfection in this life and yet grow in more degrees of grace for Sir when ye are altogether sinless and so neither God nor his law can ask any more of you as not being defective or unconform in a jot or else ye cannot be sinless ye may spare that which ye have more than is required and due to a needful friend or throw it into the Roman-Churches grand treasury of merit and be Canonized next day for a Saint for exceeding your duty and giving that overplus to the Church Fifteenthly Ye hold justification by your inherent righteousness and salvation by the merit of works as much as any Papist nay as the Pope himself does as is shewed Sevententhly for there are two in the last your brethren have endeavoured what they can in your Confession of Faith as we saw before And ye in your Quakerism no Popery Pag. 94 do sweetly also combine to clear the Pope from that reproachful name of Antichrist they alleadging that the Antichrist is our will and the Whore our wisdom that sits upon the same ye affirming that Antichrist more strictly taken is a spirit sitting in mans heart Properly which the Pope certainly is not and so according to you Sir we cannot at least Properly call the Pope Antichrist Ye are understood Sir Eighteenthly Ye hold the Apocryphal books at least many of them to be of divine Inspiration and consequently of equal authority with the Scriptures for every doctrine divinely Inspired is of Infallible divine authority and Scripture assurance or authority can rise no higher And herein Sir ye also joyn with the Papists And when ye ask which is your only argument by what rule of faith we know that these Apocryphal books are not of divine authority or equal to the Scriptures seeing the Scriptures says not whether they are or not I Answer that though by express Scripture sentence or plain positive saying this cannot be cleared yet seeing these books do all of them want Scripture-stile which by the rest of the undoubted Scriptures compared we easily see and they were not found in the original language of the Old Testament and they are never cited in the New Testament and in many of them there are things frivolous written yea quite unsutable and in some of them the writer excuses his failings and they were never accounted any part of Canonical Scripture in the Old Testament-times and this passes without
any reproof from Christ or his Apostles though most material when they are reproving all the other vices of that Old-Testament-Church We may clearly see that these Apocryphal books are no part of Scripture-Canon or rule place them in what degree ye will next for that I care not but a part or all of these things misses none of these books As for what ye object Sir of many books wanting that might be useful as ye say in the Scripture-Canon I must tell you to cut short that I am not here concerned what books are wanting that is none of the present controversie but it is concerning some books viz. these called Apocryphal which ye will have added to the Canon with the rest that are known to be Canonical and which we deny to be Canonical and requires you the affirmers to prove that they are such and though not obliged as being the denyers yet we have proved they are not such And hereby I cut off your tedious rapsody of confused arguments whereby ye have wasted more paper in your Quakerism no Popery pag. 60.61.62.63 then all your work was worth But the Quakers have one grand principle of following the Dictate within as the principal rule at least which it would seem and George Keith also insinuates Quakerism no Popery pag. 49.59 103. will never reconcile with that other grand principle of Popery to believe as the Church of Rome believes But unto this I Answer that a great number we see of the direct principles of the Quakers are but meer Popish doctrines disguised nay all of their principles almost except some that are much worse being more Blasphemous then ever a Papist held and that of following the dictate within is but a reflex principle obliging them the more to follow their direct principles which we see are generally Popish And so when their great doctors teach their disciples to follow their Dictate within they do in effect teach them to believe as the Church of Rome does yet not so as to discover their design and make every man wise of their secret but subtilly under a disguise They are no fools Albeit they can desipere in loco Sir I have vindicated our Church from the Intire frivolous charge of Popery Calumniously cast upon her by you in your Quakerism no Popery and upon the other hand I have libelled against your eighteen real Popish principles from which ye can make no evasion or tergiversation they are all so clear in the preceeding survey And therefore I must here tell you that your Quakerism no Popery should have been called Quakerism no Verity for there is hardly one true word in it all which I do'nt say to irritate or exasperate you but rather with a desire from my heart if it be possible to convince you for I know you are a Scholar but alace your gifts and parts are ill Imployed against the truths laws and ordinances of Jesus which his dear purchase of them teaches their great value Be no more a stated Enemy to these or else dreadful and terrible shall the event be unto you and all who thus tread upon his truths and Blaspheme his Person as you do and trample under foot also his whole Institutions and ordinances A Second Postscript for Doctor Everards Ghost There is one Doctor Everard I wish he had been never heard who hath published a book which he calls Gospel Treasury opened up or the Holiest of all Un-vailing and this Book he hath divided into two parts In the first part whereof Pag. 150.206.347 he asserts that after we are regenerated it is no more we that think see speak goe wish will rejoyce but that it is God that does them and that it must be Christ the Son of God in us that loves God fears God obeys God and believes in God and says he though that may seem a Paradox yet it is a truth for Indeed and in truth says he there is nothing fears God but God nothing obeys God but God nothing loves God but God And again he affirms Pag. 442.443.444 part second that the good man is so swallowed up in God that wanting sense will desire he now as the word requires covets nothing but now God in him wills knows desires reads writes preaches gives prays hears and is all things for God says he desires not our works but our Sabbath and that himself in us without hindrance may work know praise pray hear crown and reward himself in us Thus the Doctor teaches the great sum of all which is That nothing obeys God but God only The Quakers seem to joyn with the Doctor in this his wild principle while at the last of their Queries here they seem to require our resting or not working and condemn our Confessions Catechisms c. upon that very ground because they are our works and to my sure experience I do know that this book of Doctor Everard hath predisposed several persons and been their preamble unto Quaking and therefore that this treatise may be somewhat compleat I resolve here to answer this principle of the Doctor and to confute it and two or three more of his positions that have some alliance with the principles of the Quakers Therefore first against the Doctors foresaid principle it is not God that believes in Christ crucified accepts and receives his righteousness for justification that looks for salvation through his merits It is not God that loaths himself for sin sorrows for his sin confesses his sin and denies himself c. And these are all works of obedience commanded of God and exercised in the godly and therefore the Doctors principle here is most false 2ly Angels and men are either obliged to obey God or not if not then they may doe what they please they cannot sin and so also fallen Angels and reprobate men are all most unjustly damned for their disobedience wherewith they cannot be justly charged seeing as is supposed they are not obliged to obey If then they be obliged to obey God then the holy Angels that stood obeys God or not if they do then something obeys God that is not God against the Doctors principle seeing Angels are not God I am sure if not then the holy Angels that stood are disobedient to God seeing they are obliged to obey God and yet does it not and that is to say the Angels that stood are fallen Angels 3ly If nothing obeys God but God then never any of all the creatures obeyed God to this day seeing none of them is God and all the creatures are equally guilty or not guilty of disobedience to God seeing not one of them ever obeyed him But these things are absurd Romances Fourthly whatever obeys God must be commanded to obey him seeing all obedience is to some command and Law But God is not commanded to obey seeing all the commandments are directed to creatures and God is not under the Law he hath given to them nor hath he any superior soveraign and though
of God ver 9. he calls it the Word of God ver 13. Secondly the Predictions Doctrine and Sayings of the Prophets which are written in the Scriptures are in Scripture most expresly called the Word of the Lord and yet these are not Christ the Co-substantial Word therefore there is another Word of God and which is written in the Scriptures beside Christ the Co-substantial Word The Antecedent I prove from 1 King 16.12 2 King 9.36 2 King 23.16 2 Chron. 36.22 Ezra 1.1 In all these places the Predictions and Doctrine of these Prophets are most expresly called the Word of the Lord. Thirdly it is said Isai 28.13 that the Word of the Lord was unto Israel Precept upon Precept and Line upon Line where the Precepts and Doctrine contained in the Scripture-lines are called the Word of the Lord But sure it is Christ himself is not these written Precepts or Doctrine therefore there is beside Christ the Co-substantial Word another Word of God which is written in the Scriptures Fourthly Hosea calls the beginning of his Prophecies and Doctrine The beginning of the Word of the Lord by Hosea which cannot be the beginning of Christ the Son of God by Hosea I am sure but it must be the beginning of the Doctrine and Prophecies taught and Prophesied and there written by him therefore there is beside Christ the Eternal Word another Word of God which is written in the Scriptures Fifthly to be a Word that the Lord hath spoken and to be the Word of the Lord is all one thing me-thinks but there is a Word which the Lord hath spoken which is not Christ and which is written in the Scriptures Therefore there is a Word of the Lord beside Christ and the same is written in the Scriptures The Minor is clear from Isai 37.22 where the Prophet says This is the Word that the Lord hath spoken concerning Senacherib and this Word is there written The Virgin the Daughter of Sion hath despised thee c. But surely that Word is not Christ Christ is not a complex Oration or saying Sixthly the whole Doctrine of the Prophets if the Quakers will trust them is the Word of the Lord and yet it is not Christ the Son of God seeing they always ascribe it to him with a Thus saith the Lord and what God saith must certainly be his Word for to speak and not say a word is pretty repugnant and may pass for a good Jest amongst men that are merry therefore there is a Word of the Lord beside Christ and the same is written in the Scriptures seeing the Doctrine of the Prophets is written there Seventhly there is a Word of God which is the Sword of the Spirit and an Instrument in his hand Ephes 6.17 But Christ the Son of God is not the Sword of the Spirit nor an Instrument in his hand seeing the Second person of the Godhead cannot work from the Third because so their Order of working would quite contradict their Order of Subsisting which is utterly repugnant much less can the Second person be the Instrument of the Third and if by the Spirit here be meant the New man in us Christ in his Person cannot be an Instrument thereof either nor of any Creature whatsoever that ever had a Being or Existence Therefore there is another Word of God beside Christ the Son of God Lastly for we need stand no longer in a matter so manifest The Word of Christ spoken by him within time is the Word of God seeing Christ is God as well as man and yet it is not Christ himself as needs no Proof But there is a Word of Christ spoken by him within time and it is written in the Scriptures Joh. 5.24 and 8.31 37. and 12.48 and 15.3 Colos 3.16 Rev. 3.8 Therefore there is beside Christ the Eternal Word another Word of God which is spoken within time and written in the Scriptures Thou wilt say perhaps seeing most part of the Quakers are content to yield to the Scriptures the Title of Gods Words and almost all of them of Gods Testimony it would seem that this Debate is only about the naming of the Scripture What then were the hazard to gratifie the Quakers in this point as Wise men use to please Children and Fools sometimes Answer Though all the Quakers without exception should yield the Scriptures the Titles of Gods Words and Gods Testimony and yet some of them do it not as we shall see ere we end the Survey of this Query yet there is a manifest hazard in denying the Title of the Word of God to the Scriptures For let it once be denied with the Quakers that the Scriptures are the Word of God and then grant what they will to get their Negative once admitted it plainly follows that they have never been spoken by the Mouth of the Lord seeing what any person speaks must needs be his Word or else he speaks and holds his peace as the Jest is and this puts the Scriptures into the same condition with the Doctrine and Dreams of false Prophets and brangles their Divine Authority See Deut. 18.20 21. Jerem. 23.16 21. Ezek. 13.7 and 22.28 Again let it once be granted that the Scriptures are not Intituled The Word of God and have no Interest to be so called and then all the Exhortations given in the Scriptures for hearkening to the Word believing and obeying the Word c. and all the commendations of its efficacy and sweetness must be transferred from the Word of God written in the Scriptures unto Christ the Co-substantial Word immediately who as he is Jealous of his own Glory so he will not have his Word rob'd of its due Authority and Excellency which he had Communicated thereunto And so that which the Quakers design and this is their Formal aim in this Affair is to take all men off from the written Word of God as their rule for grant that such a thing hath not such a name and then whatever is spoken under that name must be applyed unto some other Subject so named and not unto a Subject which was never so named And thus again they indeavour to overthrow the Use End and Repute of the Scriptures so far as they can And thus to deny the Scriptures the Title of The Word of God strikes at their Divine Authority and overthrows their use and regard And therefore we are Commanded to hold fast the Form of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 But say the Quakers the Scriptures are the Words of God Exod. 20. Therefore they infer they are not the Word of God Ans But so by the Antecedent the Quakers destroy their own Cause and contradict themselves for if the Scriptures be the Words of God then I am sure there are Words of God beside Christ and yet they deny there is any seeing the written words of the Scripture are not Christ the Son of God Again this consequence is as if I should say Such a Book contains the Doctrines of
the Quakers Ergo not the Doctrine of the Quakers The Ten Commands are the Moral Laws Ergo not the Moral Law Is not that well Argued without Logick But what are not whole Sermons and Predictions of the Prophets and Christs whole Doctrine called by them and him the Word of the Lord and his Word as may be seen in almost all our preceeding Arguments Is not the whole Doctrine of the Scriptures called a Word of Prophecy 2 Pet. 1.19 20. Does not Paul call the whole Revealed Truths of God Sound Doctrine and the Doctrine of God 1 Tim. 1.10 and 6.1 Tit. 1.9 and 2.10 And must the Prophets and Apostles Christ and the Holy Ghost learn from the Quakers how their Doctrine should be named will they not allow the Scriptures their Essential Attribute which these gives them that they are the Word of God or albeit we very well know that there are many more words in the Scripture than one why will they not admit of that common Unity here which is not denied in other common Natures and a denomination conformable By these things the objection is both answered and overthrown Again they insinuate another Argument whereby they indeavour to wrest the Title of the Word of God from the Scriptures The Scriptures say they signifies Writings Therefore they mean to infer they are not the Word of God Ans It doth equally follow therefore they are not the Words of God as the Word of God as all may see and so the consequent of their present Argument contradicts the Antecedent of their former Objection and so we may see that the Quakers are but Jugling while they yield the Scriptures the Title of Gods Words whereof their present Argument again indeavours to rob them Secondly our Question is not what the word Scripture signifies but what the Doctrine written in the Scriptures is which the signification of that Word cannot Define But lastly for clear satisfaction I distinguish their Consequent thus viz. That because the Scriptures signifies Writings therefore as to the external Form and Mode which they have from the Writers Pen they are not the Word of God be it so therefore as to their enunciat Doctrine or Sentence they are not the Word of God it follows not For in the Scripture there are two things to be considered viz their Doctrine and Sentence which is the Word of God and their external Form or Mode which they have from the Pen of the Writer which gives the Word of God the Denomination of Written and therefore we call the Scriptures The Written Word Because we said that the Quakers by indeavouring to Wrest the Title of the Word of God from the Scriptures do strike at their Divine Authority therefore I shall here give a short Touch of the Notes and Arguments whereby the Scriptures are clearly Demonstrated to be from God and of Divine Inspiration such as are the Majesty of the Style of the Scriptures above all other Writings under great simplicity of words the Divine purity of the Doctrine savoring wholly of holiness and vertue The Divine Scope of the Doctrine which is to give all glory to God The Efficacy of the Doctrine in the hearts of men above all other Doctrines in the world The Infallible accomplishment of the Predictions therein contained as they were fore-told the wonderful consent of all the parts thereof being written by so many diverse Pen-men so far distant from one another both in time and place which was never to be seen in any other Book in the World especially of divers mens Writing The manifold Miracles whereby God hath born Witness thereunto which Satan could never so much as Counterfeit The irreconcilable hatred of Satan and the World against it more than against all other Books in the World The firm stability thereof and the special hand of God which appears in the preserving and transmitting thereof from Age to Age notwithstanding all the Malice of Satan and the Devices of him and his wicked Instruments against it The miserable end of the greatest Persecutors and enemies thereof The Testimony of the many Martyrs Sealing their Witness thereunto with their Blood and the Testimony of the whole Church thereunto which have a piece of weight in their own Order The Scriptures cannot be from evil men or Angels seeing they shew their villany denounce their Doom which Galls them and prescribe a Method of living quite contrary to their Inclination Nor can good Angels or Men be their Author for upon the one hand they durst not have so usurped upon God as to feign his Authority and Commission to so many Laws Ordinances Threatnings and Promises of their own meer Invention and upon the other hand if they had done it they could not have been good Angels or Men Therefore the Scriptures must be from God himself These things put together which I have but named are sufficient to convince that the Scriptures are from God and of Divine Authority and are enough irresistibly to stop the Mouths of all Contradicters Notwithstanding for the full assurance and through persuasion of Faith that the Scriptures are from God and of Divine Inspiration the Spirit is requisite by his effectual Working in with and by the same upon our hearts and minds to Seal up their Divine Authority unto us And yet this makes nothing in the least for the Quakers who Teach to follow a Spirit abstracted and separated from the Scriptures For beside that we shall shew at the following Query that the Spirit speaking in the Scriptures most straitly Ties us to the Scriptures as our Supreme Rule in all matters of Faith It is also evident that it is in with and by the Word of God written in the Scriptures that the Spirit manifests himself unto and in our hearts both in the enlightning of our Minds and renewing of our Wills and Affections as these Scriptures following Witness Psal 19.7.8 Joh. 4.41 Joh. 14.26 Joh. 15.3 Joh. 17.20 Act. 17.11.12 Rom. 15.4 Ephes 6.17 Heb. 4.12 Isai 59.21 These and a Thousand places more that I might instance do manifestly convince that the written Word of God is an Organ and Instrument in the Spirits hand whereby he Enlightens Renews and Sanctifies us more and more himself also as a Physical Cause does immediately influencing the Effect seeing all Effects must depend immediately upon God if they include any real being But say the Quakers whether or not is all that is written from Genesis to Revelation a Rule for your Faith and Manners Ans No doubt we are bound to believe all Scripture Enunciation from the beginning to the end seeing all of it was given by Inspiration of God and written for our Learning 2 Tim. 3.16 2 Pet. 1.21 Luke 24.25 Act. 24.14 1 Cor. 10.11 There is no more doubt we are bound to obey all the Commands of the Moral Law seeing that is of a perpetual binding force Mat. 5.18.19 with whatsoever is of common equity Philip. 4.8 9. or whatever injoyning any piece