God and which Things we Preach or Speak not in the words which man 's or Humane Wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual 1 Cor. 2. But this R.B. comparing Spiritual things with Carnal is not wise who because old men and long Students in Arts and worldly Sciences are most Wise or likely to be so therefore they that labour and study most in Books of Divinity so call'd get most of the Spirit 's teaching O sad That ever the minds of the Children of Men should be so cover'd with darkness and yet read the Scripture of Truth which witnesses to no one thing more then to the Free Teachings of the Spirit of God without humane Helps For all the Help that is humane or that man who is ab humo that is from the Earth can afford is but natural and of this World which comes to nought therefore is it said That none of the Princes that is the chief men of this World knew the Mystery of Christ and his Kingdom then which made them so band against him see the 2d Psalm And the Natural Man with all his natural means discerns not the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discern'd So every one that would know the Mind of the Spirit of God must come to feel through the Most Holy Faith a measure of it in themselves For after ye believ'd ye were seal'd with the Spirit of Promise saith Paul And the Word is nigh thee even in thy Heart and Mouth O thou that hast an Ear to hear hear what the Spirit speaks even the Word of Faith which we Preach Therefore go not forth from the Anointing of God in thy Heart to hear the frothy and false Doctrine of such as R.B. who have run and set up themselves by their humane Helps in the place of Teachers and God never sent them and therefore they cannot profit the People at all but lead them about like silly Women laden with divers Sins and Lusts yea in their Prayers and best Performances as is manifest and so not being sent and enabled by God's Spirit they can never lead you to it but from it as is manifest Also R. B. in pag. 6. before mention'd saith The Objection hath much Confusion in it and how proves he that but by saying 1. It confoundeth the Spirit 's teaching us by inditing the Scripture with the Spirit 's teaching us the meaning of the Scriptures 2. And it confoundeth the common Knowledge of Divinity with the saving Knowledge of it No man cometh to a common Knowledge fit for a Teacher of others without the Spirit 's teaching by the Scriptures for that was the first part of the Spirits teaching us to inspire the Prophets and Apostles to deliver a Teaching Word to the Churches by which we might all be taught of God through all Generations But many men have excellent common Knowledge by this Word and by the common help of the Spirit without that special Help which begetteth saving Knowledg And all Knowledge requireth Time and Labour to obtain it though the Spirit giveth it and though it may be sanctified to us in a little time but that may be a means of saving others which saveth not the man that hath it And in pag. 114. farther saith Take them not for no Ministers that want Grace totally and marvel not that Gifts are more necessary to the validity of Ministration then Grace is he may perform the Office of a Minister to the benefit of the Church that hath no Saving Grace at all Thus for Rich Baxter O! What Sorcery and Egyptian-Darkness is here to make void the New Covenant and Free Gratious Teachings of the Spirit of God in these dayes and to establish the Letter in the room and stead thereof which only witnesses to it and is a Declaration concerning what the Spirit of God did in them and in the World before Christ's coming in the Flesh and what was done during his being in it and what the Spirit would do in the Believing Souls and in the World after that time But this the Hirelings do that they by their trading with and giving their false meanings upon the Scriptures they may keep the people in Blindness and so from the Anointing and Teaching and Enjoyment of that Spirit that was in them that gave forth Scriptures that they may not see their deceitful Doctrines and Merchandizes lest they should buy no more of them For no man that knows the Badness of Babylon will buy them any more and then will the Merchants of Souls Mourn For they that know the Lord and his Spirit 's Teaching in them which is the Good Old Way yea and the ever New Fresh Profitable and Living WAY will follow no more such men as would bring in and establish a Graceless Ministry as this Baxter doth here to his everlasting Shame But such Graceless Priests the Lord will have none of nor his People neither For my Sheep hear my Voice saith Christ and a Stranger they will not hear Surely a Graceless Man is this Stranger They to wit graceless men saith John 1 Epist. 4. are of the World and the World hear them we are of God Stewards of the manifold Grace of God 1 Pet 4 10 And they that are of God hear us And so ever Bless'd and Prais'd be the Great and Glorious Name of the Lord Jesus who hath restor'd to them that obey him the Glorious Doctrine of the Spirit 's Teaching as was in the Apostles dayes according to his true Promise where all in the Truth of which we the People of God in scorn call'd Quakers are Members where all I say is done in and by the Holy Spirit prais'd be God and nothing own'd among'st us but what is so done Here is Praying in and by the Spirit and Preaching in and by the Spirit and Singing in and by the Spirit of our Holy Lord God and so the Head being Spiritual and the Members of the Body every one Spiritual for we are all Baptiz'd by one Holy Spirit into the one Heavenly Body our Food is also Spiritual Heavenly Bread and Heavenly Wine and the Water Spiritual that Sanctifies us and makes us clean to God in all our Sacrifices and Services for Christ gave himself for his Church which is his Body that he might wash it and present it spotless to himself and without all Deformity by the washing of Water even the Water of Life in the Word of Life the creating Word of the everlasting Father which is Spirit and Life the Resurrection and the Life in every believing Soul for we are redeemed from Death thereby that we might forever hereafter serve God in the newness of his own Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter as all such do as know no other teaching Word but the Letter as this Baxter doth and so they having gotten a little Brain-knowledge by their humane helps and not by the Spirit of Truth
Baxter's Book Entitul'd The Cure of Church-Divisions ANSWER'D CONFUTED And he prov'd to be a Physitian of NO VALUE Who hath manifested his Folly and Weakness in undertaking a Work which he hath so little Understanding in By Thomas Taylor For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to Covetousness c. They have Heal'd also the Hurt of the Daughter of my People with sweet words saying Peace Peace when there is no Peace Jer. 6.13 14. But ye are Forgers of Lyes ye are all Physitians of no Value Job 13.4 Printed in the Year 1671. Baxter's Book Entitul'd The Cure of Church-Divisions ANSWER'D CONFUTED RICHARD BAXTER a man who through a shew of Learning and Religion had gotten in Oliver Crumwel's dayes a great esteem in the minds of the ignorantly Zealous Professors of Religion in this Nation and especially in the parts of Worcester-shire about Kidderminster where he then resided hath since the change of the Times and coming in of the Old Common-prayer-Book again much manifested his Nakedness Confusion and Unsoundness to every Eye that in any measure is open to see the difference of Truth and Error in the ground of it as by his works appear and that it is so amongst other things that Book of his falsly call'd The Cure of Church-Divisions which I have now under-hand to answer doth plainly manifest For instead of curing Divisions he hath shew'd himself to be a Physitian of no value so instead of curing hath struck at under a Judas Kiss of Unity Concord the very Life and Foundation of all true Christian Unity and Amity to wit The Free and Perfect Teachings and Gifts and Work of the Spirit of Truth the Spirit of the Father and Son in his believing Members whereby they cry in a spotless Mind Abba Father and freely and powerfully declare the Glory of his Kingdom to the Children of Men and instead thereof would bring in and establish that Soul-deceiving and Church-dividing doctrine of Humane Learning and Humane Helps as absolutely necessary to the procuring and engaging as it were the Holy unlimited God to give unto the Creature his holy Spirit and the Knowledge of the Mysteries of his Eternal Will and Kingdom for the same as in Answer to an Objection in the 6th page of his Book in his first Direction so call'd is to be seen The Objection against his carnal Reasonings for Old Men's knowledge is in pag. 5. where he saith I know those that I have to do with will say That Divinity is not learn't by Labour and Men's-teaching as other Sciences and Arts are but by Teaching I add yea and most free Gift of the Spirit of God and therefore the Youngest may have as much of it as the Eldest And to this R. B. there thus answers Answ. There is some Truth saith he and some Falshood and much Confusion in this Objection Reply But O the Darkness ye◠rather Enmity that is in Baxter's heart against the free Teaching of God's Spirit that he would find any thing against so plain and manifest Truth as is in this Objection But what will not Flesh do that is lifted up with Conceits of his own wisdom to keep up its Honour before the people rather then the Pure Undoubted Truth of the Gospel and Self-abasing Spirit of Truth should Raign and have the Preheminence But let us hear how this R.B. proves that that there is either 〈◊〉 or Confusion in the Objection It is true saith he that the saving Knowledge of Divinity must be taught by the Spirit of God but it is false that Labour and Humane Teaching are not the Means which must be us'd by them who will have the Teaching of the Spirit But to this I say That a Child of Light in the least Measure doth easily see the Falshood of that spirit by which this R.B. is acted in this his answer For the wind of the Spirit bloweth where it listeth and thou hear'st the sound thereof thou natural Man but neither knows whence it comes nor whither it goes so is every one that 's born of God And without this Birth all thy knowledge is damning not saving John 3.7 8. c. And Job 32.7 8. I said dayes should Speak and multitude of years should Teach Wisdom but there is a Spirit in man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them Understanding And saith God It shall come to pass in the last dayes that I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh and they shall all know me from the least to the greatest yea and Young-men shall see Visions and Servants and Hand-maids shall Prophesie and ye have receiv'd an Unction from the Holy One and ye know all things saith the Apostle John and ye need not that any man teach you This is the Day of the Lord wherein these things are fulfill'd prais'd be God And the new Covenant aboundantly witness'd in the Children of Light whom this wicked Book of Baxter's strikes at but his Wickedness turns upon his own Pate and his own Inquities shall slay him For he by his carnal Wisdom would darken Knowledge and shut the Kingdom of Heaven against men as his Predecessors of old the Pharisees mention'd Mat. 23. did But the Lord hath open'd a Door to the Believing Souls this Day which all the powers of Darkness shall never be able to shut Glory to his Name forever But what is that Labour and Humane Means that People must use for getting the Spirit of God or saving Knowledge of Divinity as he calls it Is it tumbling over a Ruck of Books stuffed with art and Humane Wisdom or Learning from below as this R.B. hath long done to the darkning of his Heart from the Knowledge of God and Way of his Spirit so that he knows nothing of it after all his long lost labour but what he knows naturally as a bruit Beast and that 's plain for it sanctifies him not as by his confessing That his best Duties even his Prayers are not without sin and affirming that no man prayes without sin as in his Book is to be seen page 195 and in his Preface And so the Prayer of Faith and Preaching by the Spirit he is ignorant of yea Preaching by the Spirit is become a Mock and a Derision to him and his Brethren at this day but Paul and all the Ministers of Christ Magnifie the Free Grace and Infinite Gift of the Spirit of God according to that 2 Cor. 3. Saying Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think a good Thought but our Ability is of God who hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter kills but the Spirit gives Life And that which the Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor hath entred into the Heart of man or Humane Heart to conceive hath God reveal'd to us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the Deep Things of
freely given for the edifying and building up of the Body of Christ till we all come to a perfect man to the measure and feature of the fulness of Christ no more then the Apostle did Ephes. 4.11 c. but that which we cry down is that Antichristian spirit in R. B. and all such men as by seting up self and flesh would draw from Christ and his Teachings in Spirit to look at them and their painted words and love killing Doctrines who are this day Goliah like come forth to defie the Armies of the Living God but the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands shall dash them and their Images all to peices Glory to the Lord for Ever And though they with their Humane or Earthly spirit and Sorceries withstand the Truth and Spirit thereof as Jamnes and Jambres withstood Moses when he was about to call Israel out of Egypt yet as their Folly was soon seen so are these and they shall not proceed far but Israel out of Egypt shall go and those Faithful ones that are escaped shall they not with all their Inchantment bring back again into Egypt Glory to the Lord for Ever Amen But wouldst thou indeed know Oh vain man R.B. for what the Apostles who had Ability to preach without mans help were sent forth then thou mayst know it was to reprove such as thee that would limit God to vain man's Help and to call his People from amongst you who lay heavy Burdens on mens Shoulders but will not touch them with one of your Fingers it is even so But whereas thou addest and say'st Those are taught of God who are taught by those who are sent of God to be their Teachers It plainly shews the numerous Company thou boasts of who believe thee are not taught of God for thy Doctrine already mentioned shews most plainly that thou wast never sent of God for never did any whom God sent set themselves against the free and Gratious Teaching and Gifts of God's Spirit to Establish Humane Helps as thou doest But as if that which thou hast said were nothing thou addest Pag. 8. Advise with the experience of all the World Who was the man that ever you knew able to Expound one Chapter in the Bible by the inward Teachings of the Spirit alone without any Labour of his own or Help from others by Voice or Writting Where dwelleth the man who by meer Inspiration can turn one Chapter out of the Hebrew or Greek into the vulgar Tongue and where is the man that can solidly unfold any Doctrine of Divinity which he never read or heard of or can Teach that Truth and deny that Religion which he was never taught by man And afterwards in his Second Direction and Pag. 16. having led his wretched Disciples into a Laborinth or Mist of words about their uncertainties in their Matters of Knowledge and having advised them to humility as he calls it or not to think too highly of their own knowledge he there adds and sayes in that 16th Page especially If you know your advantages for knowledge have been less then other mens that you are young or that it is but a few Years since you entred upon the study of the Scriptures or that you have not any stronger natural Parts then other men that you have not had that Measure of Learning which might further your knowledge of the Holy Scriptures but that others that differ from you have had much more of all these Helps and Means then you and have Prayed more and Meditated more c. And in Pag. 17. in his Answer to an Objection which is That the Learnedst men are not always the wisest in the matters of Religion he saith many men are learned in the Languages and Sciences who are not learned in the Scripture because they applyed not their Studies that way and many men are learned in the Scriptures and Sacred Languages who yet live in sin though they are able to Teach the Truth for others here by the way all may take notice what a False Teacher this Baxter is who is not ashamed to say That man that lives in sin may Teach the Truth for others for such as live in sin neither know the Truth which is Christ nor have seen him as John's first Epist. Chap. 3. expresly saith but this Baxter goeth on and saith But those that well understand the Scriptures without learning the Languages which they are written in and the Customs of those Times and Countries or without much reading and long study of the Scriptures themselves and the Writings of them that better understand them are so few if any at all that if you will pretend to be one of them you had need of some Miracle or somthing like a Miracle to make your selves or others believe that you are not deceived I Might here add his other false Doctrines immediately following these in that his Book as his Answer to an Objection there set down against singularity or so the Objection is this The greater Number are not alwayes in the Right therefore why should my singulary discourage me But because his Answer hath pretty many words in it I refer it to another place and to what he hath already said do answer and say in brief thus First That as by his other words so also by these it is most manifest from what Fountain this Baxter's knowledge hath proceeded to wit not from the Inspiration of the Eternal Spirit which gave forth Scripture but from his own Earthly or Natural spirit and Humane Industery and Studies and trading in Books and Letters without him from which Earthly or Humane Spirit and Wisdom hath not come nor possible ever can come to any the right meaning and understanding of Holy Scripture as such as he would have it for the natural man as the Apostle saith Perceiveth not the things that be of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 But all false Visions and lying Divinations have ever come from that Earthly spirit and all the cruel wrestings of the Holy Scriptures from the beginning to this day have proceeded from it to the miserable and wofull undoing of the Generallity of that People called Christendom as also the Blood-sheds and all the cruel usage of Spiritual Minded Men for their pure Conscience sake have issued from that Fountain of the Earthly spirit and the false Births thereof from the beginning and that great Whore found Guilty of all for in her was found the Blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth Râ—â—â— 18.24 for what Spiritual man did ever ask such a Question or rather affirm for in him his question is an affirmation to wit That no man is able by the inward Teachings of the Spirit alone to Expound one Chapter in the Bible And that there is none can solidly Unfold any Doctrine of Divinity which he never read or heard of or can teach the Truth or defend that Religion which he was
first thing that this Baxter would have you his principal and best taught Hearers to confess to wit That Pride is in your very Hearts which if you were sensible of you would cease calling God your Father and Christ your Redeemer in this wretched State for to you in this State it may be truely said as Christ said to those unbelieving Jews Ye are of your Father the Devil for Pride of Heart is the chief part of his wicked Image and indeed the main thing in this day which hinders you from coming to Christ the meek pure and lowly Lamb of God is the Pride of your corrupt Hearts as Jeremiah said to the Jews If you will not give Glory to God before your feet stumble upon the dark Mountains my Soul shall mourn in secret for your Pride It was the Pride of their Hearts that was the ground of all their Evils as it is of yours for from the Pride of your Hearts comes your Ignorance of Mind and partiallity and want of all good to the dishonouring of your Profession and what not So that it may easily be known who sent this Baxter who hath profited you nothing at all For they have ran and I have not sent them saith God Therefore they cannot profit the People at all Jer. 23. And that this R. B. might make it fully appear under whose Banner he fights and for whose Kingdom he pleads lest the rest of his Book should leave it doubtful He is now come forth in his proper shape as the absolute Enemy of God and all good men that in any measure are looking Heaven-ward being burdened with the fellowship of the Wicked and instead of helping the Lord 's little Ones against the great Power of the Dragon in the Persecutors he hath hammered forth all the wicked Weapons that he can for the Wicked Persecutors and against the tender hearted ones of God who are travelling to the holy Land with Egypt left behind as in that 55. Direction so called and Pag. 254. of his said Book appears where he hath these words Little do many real Separates who cry out against the spirit of persecution suspect that the same spirit is in them Whence is Persecution but from thinking ill of others and abhorring them or not loving them And do you not so by those saith he whom you causlesly separate from Answ. Here by way of Answer before I set down any more of this naughtiness of his I cannot but take notice of this word causlesly which here this Baxter puts in to cover his deceit for though at the first look one might judge he intended only causless or unwarrantable or wicked separation yet Reader thou must know he intends as well the truely tender hearted People of England who in conscience to God and according to his holy Commandment are come out and separated from the fellowship of the Wicked in these dayes and so cannot take part in the Offerings of the dead as well as others and at these in a special manner he strikes after his accustomed manner through the sides of others for his main Envy is against the living Members of Christ And so though those that separate without cause may have the like mind to those they separate from being different onely in Form but not in Heart from them yet such as are separated by the Power of God as Paul was whom God separated from his Mothers Womb calling him by his Grace have not for these stand out of their own thoughts and are in the Will and Work and Worship of God whose Worship is in Spirit and Truth But to proceed Baxter saith further You will say that though you think them not to be true Christians yet you love them as men and wish their good and so will those say by you saith he whom you call your Persecutors though they think you to be proud and humerous and disobedient yet they say they love you as men and do but correct you to cure your self-willedness and humor and to do you good and to preserve the publick Peace They think you to be bad and therefore Imprison you You think them to be bad and therefore avoid Communion with them To this I cannot but by the way speak a word Who is there that sees not the very spirit of the Egyptian Sorcerers acting in this very thing to the hardening of Pharoah's Heart lest he should let Israel go But this Baxter goes on in his wickedness and saith They to wit the Persecutors think you so bad as to be unworthy of civil Liberty and Priviledges You think them so bad as to be unworthy of Church Priviledges and Liberties They think you unworthy to be suffered in the Land perhaps and you think them unworthy to be suffered in the Churches they cry against you Away with them they are Schismatical or Heretical you cry against them Away with them they are Prophane Answ. Now in answer to this I say That we who are of the World scornfully called Quakers have everlasting cause to praise the Lord who hath redeemed our Souls from among such devouring Wolves as this R. B. and from such a venomous spirit as he is acted by What Heathen upon Earth could strengthen the hands of the Persecutors against the Righteous more then this Baxter by such Arguments as this doth what if this Baxter had lived in the dayes of the Apostles and first Christians when God separated them from the Congregation of the unbelieving Jews surely he could not but have been but accounted famous and worthy of great Honour amongst those persecuting Jews for such Arguments as these for never an Argument he brings for the Persecutors now but it would as much have fitted the Persecutors then against the Christians yea and it would formerly yea and doth at this day fit the Papists against the Protestants as well as the persecuting prophane superstitious Protestant against them whom God hath drawn by his mighty Power this day from amongst them For seeing he sets but thought against thought the Persecutors thoughts of the Righteous against the persecuted man's thoughts of him and seeing all thoughts are questionable he leaves this ground for the persecuting Jew to reason to excuse himself against the first Christians according to his hellish Invention on this wise viz. ' You Christians who separate from us are of as bad a spirit as us Jews whom you call your Persecutors for what is Persecution but a thinking ill of others and abhorring them or not loving them And do you not so by us whom you causlesly separate from And though you say though you think us not as Servants of God or so yet you love us as men and wish our Good so do we you and that which we do against you which you call Persecution is but a correcting of you to cure your self-willedness and humor and to do you good and to preserve the publick Peace And though you think much you Christians that we
right in all Points essential to Christianity and in the certain Way of Life he may easily conclude that to be unwarrantable separation which goeth from such But then I say How will the Protestants warrant their first separation from Popery or how did this Baxter with his Presbyterians in Oliver's time with their Directory excuse their separating from the Bishops and their Comon-prayer and how will be salve his old Non-conforming Brethren's flight into New-England where since they have shed the Blood of the Martyrs of Christ from the former Bishops But now his false Ground and Foundation being overturned it is most manifest that that separation is most lawfull which is from such who call good evil and evil good put Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light as Baxter and all the Wicked do from whom the People of God in these Days separate And so in obeying the Voice of our God who saith Come out of Mystery Babylon my People lest ye pertake of her Sins and so of her Plagues we are justified for the sins of the Wicked who in words profess God and Christ but in deeds deny all is reached Heaven at this day And doth not the Apostle say If any man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator or Covetous or an Idolator and Covetousness by the Apostle's Doctrine is Idolatry or a Railer or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such not to keep company no not as to eat with them 1. Cor. 5.11 And doth he not say in an other Place Have no Fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness nor with the unfruitful Workers in Darkness as before but rather reprove them Ephes. 5.11 must we not yet separate from them yea yea in their very Worship Actions as well as others and when even the greater number are so far defiled and tainted with the Leprosie of Unrighteousness that they are so far from amending that they persecute all that will not be as bad as themselves Surely when the Lord hath spued out a People as he threatned to do luke-warm Laodicea Revel 3.16 yea and cast them off for their resisting of his good Spirit as he did the Jews 't is no time for his People to stay amongst them then and to continue with them in their Worship-Actions as he calls them but every one to deliver his own Soul by coming out of such Babylonish Worships whose Prayers are Abomination to God as all sinful Prayers are and neither this Baxter nor any one that he knows upon the Earth prayeth without sin as himself before hath confessed and so all of them together do daily and continually that which they should not do and leave undone what the Lord Commands them and so have no health in them and so now that the True Light shines so clear again from under the long Cloud of Antichristian Apostacy it is the wisdom of all that love God and their own Souls to joyn to the Lord in the Covenant of his Light and Spirit where no Committers of sin can joyn for Darkness and the Workers thereof can never joyn with the Light and the Workers thereof So now that the Trumpet hath sounded all ought to come to the holy Worship of God amongst the holy Worshippers that Worship in the Spirit of Holiness and Truth where no Worker of Iniquity nor Hypocrite can come out of all the Defiled Worship of the World whatsoever or under what Name soever in the Fall But this Baxter is in such love of hypocrisie that he makes a necessity of the Hypocrites being amongst the true Members of Christ as though they knew not how to do without them as if the good Corn could not grow so well if the Weeds were wanting saying Pag. 56. It is more for the sake of the truely Faithfull then for themselves that the Hypocrites have their Station and Priviledges in the Church God makes use of their Gifts and Profession for his Elect to many great Services of the Church To which I answer That this Language berayes thee further to be of Babylon and not of Zion what R. Baxter with all his seeming Zeal for Reformation in Oliver's dayes become now a-Pleader for the Hypocrites and their great Service in the Church But this is but like his Doctrine of his graceless Ministers which he pleads for Pag. 114. of his Book so R. Baxter and his Hypocrites and graceless Brethren with their Gifts or rather Thefts void of Grace have been so far from being serviceable to the Elect True Church that they have done it and ever did all the Injury that ever they can by their wicked Doctrines Ungodly lives and heaps of Lyes and false Accusations and cruel Persecutions in somuch that the growth of the heavenly Seed the Lillies of God the true Heirs of the Kingdom hath been and is as a Lilly among Thorns But Christ and Richard Baxter are directly contrary in their Judgment one to the other for Christ would not suffer the Devil in the man to preach him but commanded him to come out and hold his peace because Christ never had need of Devils or wicked men or Hypocrites to preach him but saith to such What hast thou to do to take my Laws and Covenant in thy Mouth and hatest to be reformed Psal. 50.16 c. and so far are graceless Priests and Hypocrites from being serviceable in this matter to his Church that he saith My Sheep hear my Voyce and they follow me but the graceless Minister and Hypocrite who is a Stranger to me they will not hear for such come but to rob and destroy read John 10. and see if ever R. Baxrter understood Scripture who talks so contrary to it As did those Pharisees of old whom Christ cried out so many times Wo against Mat. 23. Who would neither enter into the Kingdom of Heaven themselves nor suffer others And those in Ezekiel who sowed Pillows under mens Elbows making glad the Hearts of the Wicked Hirelings by perswading People that they must not disown them from being Ministers though they be totally void of all saving Grace and that Hypocrites have a Station in the Church for great services with their graceless Gifts to the Elect and by pleading for Games and Fashions of Apparel yea and the Opinions in Religion of bad People yea to such a measure that he is not ashamed to say That many an Error is taken up by going too far from other mens faults as is to be seen in Pag. 224. of his Book with many such like heathenish sayings up and down his Book a few whereof I only touch here and there as they come to mind that by those the Reader may see the nature of that wretched spirit that hath long lurked in him under a cloak of zeal for Reformation when the World pretended to such things but now that the World is for a manifest establishing of their old dark Stuff he turns about and is all for them as it were and against Zeal against
a thing that will do no good because it is a vain Command and maketh men spend that time in vain and yet be the Subject's duty to do it Answ. This is just such Doctrine as Paul's Enemies taught who said Men might do evil that good might come of it whose Condemnation was just So to avoid Sufferings from men he would have us to obey Unlawfull Commands which will do no good but rather a great Evil to wit make People spend pretious Time in vain Away with such Antichristian stuff amongst the Heathen for all true Christians abhor it in their Hearts as the Lord the good Shepheard hath commanded them And now R. Baxter to that part of thy feigned Prayer Pag. 252. where in words thou seemest to desire That God would stir up some faithful Friend to tell thee with convincing Evidence where it is that thou hast miscarried that contrition may prepare thee for the Peace of Remission Here the Lord hath contrary to thy will and desire stirred up one in faithfulness and love to thy Soul and the Souls of the poor deluded People whom thou hast deceived to tell thee plainly of thy faults and grievous miscarriages as by what is convincingly in these Lines set down doth appear and might be more abundantly if all the miscarrages in this Book onely to let pass all thy other were answered unto in particular but these in this Answer of mine being as it were least of what the rest are may satisfie at present And Oh that the Righteous Judgments of God may come upon thy Heart and the Hearts of all them who are in the same false fleshly confidence with thy self whose very Prayers are not without sin that you may never have peace day nor night until you humble your selves before the Lord and repent of all your hard Speeches and evil Deeds that you have spoken and done against him and his Servants for his Truth 's sake that if it be possible you may be saved from the wrath that will certainly come upon you if you Repent not for that old wicked Paper full of Lyes as I made manifest before thee and some of thy Company in thy Study to thy shame at Kidderminster which thou writst in the pride of thy Heart against us in Oliver's dayes when thou wast lifted up Entituled Reasons to perswade why no reasonable Man can be a Quaker amongst the rest of that kind which thou art not humbled for to this day as I perceive by this Book do all stand upon Record before the Lord the Righteous Judge against thee for in those thy doings and all of that kind against the manifest and manifold Appearances of Christ in his People of every degree thou hast plainly declared thy self to be of Rabshekaie's spirit who raised against the Living God and his dispised Israel and of that spirit that Jannes and Jambres who withstood Moses in his work under God of calling Israel out of Egypt and as the Lord pleaded the Cause of his People in those dayes so will he as he hath for ever plead our Innocent Cause against thee and all his Enemies for of a truth the Lord God blessed for ever hath raised us up to be his Servants Sons and Daughters to bear his Name in Righteousness before the Children of men in a pure holy Witness against all the false Ways and Worships of false man so be it and so it will be as hard for thee and all to kick against the Pricks as it was in persecuting Saul Acts 9. read and consider lest the day pass over you as it did from the unbelieving Jewes who would not receive God come and manifest in flesh in those days to whom Christ said Ye will not come to me that ye might have Life but they would seek it in the killing Letter and as it were by the works of the Law until midnight darkness and utter Desolation came upon them For Oh how the Earth is filled with Violence because of such Doctrines and Teachings as this Baxter and such men brings forth for behold how the Field of his Followers and Admirers are all over-grown with Briers and Thorns and noysom Weeds as the proper Fruit of their accursed Doctrines as this Baxter himself sets down in his 48th Direction Pag. 236. of his Book in these words that is to say Oh Friends how bad are we our selves What pride is in our Hearts What Ignorance in our Minds So wanting are we even in the lowest Grace Humility that we have scarce enough to make us take patiently as now we are giving out upon others So selfish as dishonoureth our Profession with the brand of contradictedness and partiallity So weak that our Duties are lyable to greater censures then we can bear And our inward Graces weaker then our outward Duties This must needs be so in the Duties of the graceless Minister thou pleads for of such ungoverned thoughts that Confusion and Tumult instead of Order and fruitfull Improvement are the daily temper and imployment of our Immaginations This must needs be so in you that live in such opposition to the Life of God manifest in his Children at this day So passionate impatient and corrupt that we are a trouble to our selves and others This must needs proceed from such a corrupt Fountain and a dishonour to the Gospel it is so and a hinderance to the conversion of those whom our holy examplary lives should win to God So strange to Heaven as if we had never well believed it that is so and therefore the Sheep of Christ deny your voyce you who are such Strangers to him And to say all in one so empty of love to our dear Redeemer and to the God of love that our Hearts lie vacant to entertain the love of worldly Vanities ye Hypocrites what have you to do to name Christ who are thus unbelieving and unredeemed and to fly back from the serious thoughts of God which should be our daily work and pleasure and fly from the face of Death as if we should be the worst when neerest to our God Oh Hypocrites how can you for shame call God yours when you are thus beyond measure bad when Scripture saith He that saith he knows God and keeps not his Commandments is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him see 1 Joh. 2.4 and repent lest ye all perish together Priests and People for the Lord is arisen to Judgment and none can stand before him which hath unclean and filthy Garments as you are covered with whom Baxter here puts on to be Teachers of others and yet remain your selves with him under such woful sins and condemnation as is here spoken of But surely if you did believe and feel inwardly that it were so bad with you as here in words is signified you could not go away so lightly with your burdens as you seem to do but it would stop your mouthes and cause all your Pride and Glory to cease For consider but the
warned from following such any more for who would have thought that ever him called Doctor Bryan of Coventry and Richard called Mr. Baxter of Kidderminster who were so promoted in Oliver's time for conformity to Oliver's Laws and Religion in opposition to the Prelates and their Common-Prayers should now with a little blast of mens Breath be silenced as Baxter's Epistle to his Book saith for a time and so shattered and confounded with the fall that when they awaked and got a litle Breath that they should for fear of men be so transformed into other shapes as not to be ashamed to get into their Mouthes blasphemous words of making People Members of Christ Children of God and Heirs of his Kingdom by having a little Water sprinkled on their Faces by a manmade-Priest when they were Infants and understood nothing then which passage there is not any passage in the Liturgy or Common-Service-Book nay nor in any Book in the World whatsoever more contrary to the Scriptures of Truth as all sober Minded People well understand yea and this Bryan himself knows in his own Conscience that they are not sound words though he most notoriously and falsely say to please the present Evil World with all that the holy Scriptures warrant them in a sacramental Sence But I desire that all People who fear the Lord would take heed of such dangerous Heresies for the Scriptures of Truth do not allow of Falshood in any Sence at all for its absolutely false in the sight of God and to all good Men that Infants by any such outward sprinkling or doing as they call Baptism are made the Children of God Members of Christ Heirs of his Kingdom seeing the Scripture no where commands any such thing but saith That except People be born from above they cannot see the Kingdom of God But the Day is dawned that makes all things manifest praises to God And therefore People consider what a wretchedness those are under who follow such blind Guides as turn and change with every Time and can be any thing or nothing in appearance so that they can but keep up their Name amongst men What was the Common-Prayers and such things so odious and damnable a thing in the Eyes of these Priests in Oliver's Time And is it now yea the worst part of it became such an Idol in their Eyes as that those that dwell in God must be condemned of deep prejudice for not conformity to it What will not that spirit that climbs over the Door and never was sent of God to preach the Gospel say or unsay so as it can but please the present Times But Oh thou blasphemous Bryan the Accuser of the Brethren can those that dwell with God deny to conform to that Worship or Service which is of God And therefore it is safely and truely concluded that the Parish-Service thou pleads for is not of God because for conscience to God with whom they dwell they cannot conform to it but Oh how the Serpent creeps upon his Belly to do mischief by seeking to perswade the consciencious People That by their not joyning with the Parish Worships and Assemblies they open their Mouthes wide to cast a Scandal upon their Persons as prophane and upon the strict Profession of walking precisely according to the written Word which they think sayes this Bryan in that pag. 292. of his Book gives you no warrant for your Separation c. And then down upon his Belly he goes saying My humble and earnest request to you is to lay aside your prejudice and examine by the good Word whether your separation be not sinful Answ. To which I answer in the Word of the Lord Blessed for ever that we who for the Work and Word of the Lord in our Hearts and Mouthes are by the sinful Parishes of England and elsewhere disdained and scornfully called Quakers are not separated from them because of any prejudice or the like against them but God who by his Everlasting Light of Truth hath shewed us the Evil of their Doings and of our own when we worshipped we knew not what amongst them he I say hath separated us from them and joyned us to himself in Christ Jesus where with him our Dwelling is indeed though Bryan think not so praised be the Name of our most holy Lord God for evermore And so we are not yet to examine whether our separation be sinful or nay for that is done and we do know it to be good according to the good Word from the beginning most certainly And so the offence which the Parish-worshippers take is offence without all cause on our parts given and so it is no other then the Unbelievers took in all Generations against them that feared God as the Jews were offended at Christ and his Apostles yea and all Christians in those dayes because they could not worship with their Neigbours in their Superstitions as this Bryan would have us and not onely so but they killed Christ and his Apostles and grievously persecuted the Christians for their separation then as they do us at this day and so the reproach of Christ is to us great Riches and the Persecutors God will examine and judge And as Moses did chuse rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God then to enjoy Egypt's Glory for a Season so blessed are all that with us are perswaded in their Hearts to follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes not heeding what the Wicked say or judge of them but as the Apostle exhorts looking at Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the Shame and so through all the Tryals and Persecutions of this World enter into God's Glory where none can come to make afraid But if there be any who through prejudice as this Bryan speaks and not by the Spirit of the Lord are separated from the Parish-Worship it is necessary for such to see to themselves and consider lest their return be as shameful as their separation was sinful like this Bryan and Baxter who it seems all this while have been no real and true Separatists to God but have been onely in the self-separation according to the will and force of Times For though the poor deceived Followers of such men be at present more averse from joyning with the Superstitions of the Times then your Hearers are as Baxter sayes yet if you grow not out of their rotten Root into the Root Christ Jesus you will be weary and faint in your Way before the end but let all know that these self-separatists who have not their Birth of God are no real Dwellers with God though this Bryan its like had an Eye especially to such in his words and to whom its like in a special manner he applies his fawning flattering words and desires But what 's the Reason may we say again that these non-conforming Ministers by Baxter's report are not so much against the
them by consenting to any of their proved Corruptions Then I say If we may not have Fellowship with them in their Corruptions no not so much as by consent then we must not have Fellowship with them at all for they and their Corruptions are one for saith Christ Ye are of your Father the Devil for his Works ye will do But saith Bryan Christ was a Member of this Church as he calls it of those wicked Jews because he was circumcised and frequented the Temple and eat the Passover or so then which saying of this Bryan nothing can be more false and blasphemous for what though Christ was circumcised and went sometimes into the Temple and eat the Passover or so which had been Ordinances of God for their time and were Shaddows of good Things to come what is that to prove Christ a Member of that Body whose House was left unto them desolate and who were headed by the Devil which at length put them on to murder him O sad that ever People in their love of the World should be so blind but what is Christ's conforming to the Shaddows of the Law which God gave for that time and by him to be fulfilled and so ended to your requiring us to conform to you in that or those Things which God never ordained as sprinkling of Infants and not onely so but teaching for Doctrine that you make them thereby the Children of God Members of Christ and Heirs of his Kingdom and also your giving David's Psalms in Rhime and Meeter to the wicked World to sing to God's dishonour And to hear a proud Man and covetous man who is an Idolator preach and pray whom God never sent yea and to maintain him in his sins contrary to all Reason and Religion also how can we conform to you in your corruptions of respecting Persons and of having mens Persons in admiration because of advantage contrary to the express Doctrine of the Apostle which saith Jam. 2.1 c. Have not the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory with respect of Persons yea and plead for their Transgressions yea how can we conform to such as under the Name of Christians do live manifestly in the sins of the Heathen as Fornication Covetousness Idolatry Drunkeness and are Railers and Extortioners and lovers of Pleasures more then lovers of God from whom the Apostle bids us turn away 2 Tim. 3. and 1 Cor. 5.11 c. with whom he forbids us to eat and yet with such both Baxter and Bryan for all their former seeming hypocritical zeal would now have us to communicate yet not so much as consent to their Corruptions neither as their daubing contradicting Doctrine seems willing to have then I say we must neither have fellowship with them in their Worship-Actions as Baxter calls them nor in their ordinary Conversation for all is corrupt for what greater assent or consent can we give then by joyning with them or practising such things openly but its better to obey God then Man both in this and all things and as the Lord said to Jeremiah so in this case hath he said to us Let them return to thee but return not thou to them for what fellowship hath Light with Darkness or the Temple of God with Idols And now I come a little to set before you poor People who have been deceived by such men as this Baxter and Bryan are something of the answer they give to the Arguments of the zealous People of old called Brownists or so who could not for Conscience sake conform to their Common-Prayer c. Their Objection saith Bryan in page 297. of his Book was this to wit That the People of England were never rightly called for in the beginning of the Queens to wit Elizabeths Reign they were by her Command and Proclamation compelled to embrace the Protestant Religion and to conform to God's Worship whereas in the new Testament we have no Example of People compelled to the Service of God Christ commanding Fisher-Men to convert Souls by preaching not Princes to make Disciples by compulsion therefore the Church of Christ England he should have said for who ever denyed the Church of Christ had no right constitution But now see the wretched Answer of this Bryan to the said Objection of the old Non-conformists If we speak saith he of a Church first planted the People of such a Nation are first called by the Word before they come to be a Church but it is not so saith he of a Country where for a long time true Religion hath been professed which is our case and as to that part of the Objection that there is no such Example in the New-Testament First The Magistrates were then Enemies to the Christian Religion Secondly saith he It sufficeth that we have Examples in the Old-Testament 2 Kings 23.21.2 Chron. 15.13 and 33.16 and 34.33 nor have saith he Christian Princes less Power in their Dominion to abolish Idolatry and by Laws and Penalties to compel their Subjects where there is a parity of Reason And after this Bryan having wearied himself with setting down several words to and against both what the Conformists said for and the Non-conformists said against these Things he takes breath and sayes he returns to satisfie the Objection to wit the Objection before mentioned about Separation with such words as these It is not necessary and generally true saith he of all the Members of the Visible Church that they be called by the Word Answ. To which I answer on behalf of Truth That it is the great Love and tender Mercy of God to our Souls that he hath delivered us from under such men as this Bryan and Baxter are who know nothing as they ought to know but professing themselves to be wise are become most foolish and bruitish in their minds and words by such false and soul-destroying Doctrines as these affirming that People may be called into the visible Church without the Word and if one ask him if not by the Word by what then His answer is by sprinkling when Infants or for fear of Man But what are these Calls into the visible Church A strange Church must that needs be for certain where People are called into it without God's Word for certain it s none of God's Church into which People are called without his Word It s the visible Company of such as know not God thou shouldst have said for God's Church are the Faithful and their Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God and not without it But oh the Desolation that such Doctrine as this of Bryan and Baxter hath made amongst the poor People whose Eyes are not fully opened to see their deceits Also this Antichristian Doctrine being laid as a Foundation in their House it is no wonder to hear this Bryan say pag. 301. That Ignorant and Prophane Persons have alwayes been in the Church and ever will be at lest till Christ comes the second