at hand if he dare charge me in this with the asserting of a falshood in matter of fact I will give evidence for proof the persons being yet alive but untill he do that my knowing the thing to be true gives me ground enough to assert it To my argument shewing that without Grace a man can not be a member of Christ's Body which is the Church far less a Minister in stead of answer after he has accused me as not understanding the difference betwixt the Visible and Invisible Church he tels Christ is an Head to both which I deny not that I apply Epb. 4 7. 11. 16. 1 Cor. 12. solely to the Invisible Church so as to exclude the Visible is his mistake not my ignorance Then he goeth about to shew the difference betwixt Gift and Grace but that any had the gifts there mentioned who were altogether void of Grace remains for him to prove Besides what is mentioned he is not sparing of his calumnies in this chapter as where he saith pag. 382. that I deny that about the time of Reformation there was a Christian World which is false in respect of Profession in which sense I only here understood it and pag. 385. albeit he find me calling the heresy of Arius horrid yet upon the trust of his Author Mr. Clapham he affirmeth the Quakers to be in this erroneous but sure I have better reason to be acquainted with the Quakers doctrins than any of his lying Authors Another of his calumnys is pag 386. that we lay-aside all means in coming to the Saving knowledge of God's Name and albeit his railing in this chapter be thick enough that the Reader may easily observe it yet for his more particular direction let him observe 380 381-385 386. And whereas pag. 386. n. 11. he enumerateth several particulars wherein he affirmeth we agree with Papists he may find them refuted and answered in G. K's book called Quakerism no Popery And in the last two sections of that book written by me he may find himself and his Btethren proved far more guilty of that crime than we which because the Professor Iohn Menzies against whom it is written found not yet time to answer he as having more leasur may assume that province If the increase of our number be as he saith a clear verification of 2 Thess. 2 9 10 11 12. that we are of the deluded ones there spoken of then it must be a clearer verification of it as to them that they are of that deluded company since they are more numerous than we and also encreased more suddenly As for his exhortations and wishes in the end because I will be so charitable as to suppose they come from some measur of sincerity I do not wholly reject them only I must tell him that nothing has more conduced of an external mean to confirm me in the belief of the verity of the principles I hold than his treatise because of the many gross calumnys manifest perversions and furious railing in it since I know the Truth needed no such method to defend it and I can not believe one in the Truth would use it since lying is contrary to the Truth therefore if he will lay-aside all this falshood and passion he may have a more sure ground of hope to see the truth manifested to the dispelling of Error ¶ 4. He beginneth his 19 chapter of the Ministerial Office with supposing that their Order is according to Scriptur and that what we plead for is quite contrary and so ushereth himself into a rant of railing with which he concludeth this paragraph saying that the evil Spirit that acteth us is such an Enemy to all Gospel Order that it cryeth up only Paganish and Devilish Consasion More of this kind the Reader may observe pag. 388. 389. 391 392-394 His calumnies and perversions are also very frequent in this chapter as pag. 387. where he saith We cast-away all Order and in stead thereof bring-in the confusion of Babel and pag. 388. because we are not for the shaddow without the substance therefore he saith we make a repugnancy betwixt them which is also false and again in the same page N. 4. because I say it was never the mind of Christ to establish the shaddow of Officers without the power and efficacy of the Spirit therefore he concludes that the Quakers think that men can establish the Spirit which silly perversion will easily be manifest to every intelligent Reader And after the like manner pag. 389. n. s. because I say that upon setting up meer shaddows where the Substance was wanting the work of Antichrist was erected in the dark night of Apostasy he concludes that then according to me Christ and his Apostles wrought the work of Antichrist and mystery of iniquity accusing me thence of blasphemy But who can be so blind as not to see this manifest perversion And again pag. 390 he saith I will that every man according as his own spirit falsty called the Spirit of God moveth him setting to this work meaning that of the Ministery which is a false calumny never said by me who deny all false motions of man's own spirit however called And pag. 391. he saith that malice prompteth me to charge them with owning the distinction of Clergy and Laïty though I know they do not where the man supposeth that what I write is only written against the Presbyterians while he can not but know that I write against others since in his first chapter he charges me with writing against all the Christian World so it is his malice to say I charge them with it if any of those I write to be guilty of it it is enough albeit I doubt whether the Presbyterians can free themselvs of it ¶ 5. Having thus far discovered his perversions I come to the main business pag. 388. he saith they plead not for shaddows but own the Ordinances as Christ hath appointed to remain and continue for the perfecting of the Saints c. Eph. 4 11 12 13. And pag. 389. n. 6. he asketh whether the primitive Church was not instituted by Christ and gathered by God in whose assemblys he was Ruler and Governour asking were there no distinct Officers particular individual Persons set apart for the work of the Ministery in the Apostles days And p. 391. n. 7. he argueth against my saying that these mentioned 1 Cor. 12 28 29. Rom. 12 6. were not distinct Officers but only different operations of the same Spirit and against this also he pleadeth p. 393. n. 11. 394. To all which I answer distinctly and particularly that they can plead nothing from Eph. 4. unless their Church had all the Officers there mentioned which it has not yea and which themselvs affirm are ceased such as Prophets Apostles which are said to be given for the work of the Ministery and perfecting of the Saints nothing less than the other and by what authority do they then turn these by and
hath given him more place in his book than any other there being no Author to my observation so frequently cited by him who because this Thomas Hicks has been the most abusive and grossest lyar and calumniator that has appeared against us therefore he receivs him with the most kindly entertainment for as malice against Christ of old cemented Pilat and Herod to put up their privat quarels so at this day it hath done these men against his Truth and followers else what should it mean that a fierce Presbyter should so heartily embrace a keen Anabaptist Preacher since the same man often upbraids the Quakers with their affinity to the Anabaptists Certainly the Presbyters cause must be at a low ebb and he in mighty fear of the Quakers prevailing when he can so cordially shake hands with his beloved Anabaptist brother Hicks to help at a dead lift against the Quakers and take him for his Auxiliary with his lyes and forgerys to make a noise when other matters and arguments fail But it had been more wisely done in I. Brown ere he had given the Anabaptist Hicks his writings so much place in his book to have considered the answer to the first dialogue and continuation thereof written by W. P. entituled Reason against Railing Truth against Fiction and the answer to his third Dialogue by the same Author entituled The counterfeit Christian detected and the Real Quaker justified for I question if I. B. will judge it safe to take implicity upon trust in matters of controversy of Religion without examining the word of an Anabaptist unless it be against the Quakers where any witness it 's like with him may be admitted for if he do but speak evil enough it will be acceptable whether true or not And I. B. should also have done wel to have informed himself how this Thomas Hicks being publikly called to an account before several thousand witnesses for his gross abuses in framing answers in the Quakers name which was never said by any Quaker and in other ways perverting and misapplying sentences of their writings to questions of his own framing so that he might make them as impertinent and ridiculous as he was willing others should esteem them to be did pittifully succumb so that his best defence to come off was to plead the infirmity of his lungs which made him desert the second meeting held for that purpose and substitute in his place a free-will Anabaptist with whom I suppose I. B. will yet have less fellowship who made a noise and brawling to keep off the chief matter and yet the grosness of Thomas Hicks dealing was so discovered that some of his own way and others who are not Quakers did publikly yea and in print declare their abhorrency of his forgerys as appears by a book written at that time entituled The twelve Pagan Principles considered upon which Thomas Hicks undertakes to unchristian the Quakers and another entituled Quakerisme no Paganisme and another The Christian a Quaker the Quaker a Christian all written upon that occasion by men that were no Quakers Yea Th. Hicks's abuses and lyes were so far from doing us hurt that they were instrumental to bring among us a young Independent Preacher of good repute and wel received and heard among them who has told my self that the reading of Hicks Dialogues and seeing his gross lyes and abuses gave the first rise to his searching after and embracing the Truth and when Th. Hicks and his complices were further pursued by the answer to their pretended narration of these debates entituled Forgery no Christianity written by Thomas Ellwood and another paper entituled A Fresh Pursuit by the same hand wherein he arraigneth the said Hicks and his compllces of falshood lying forgery and requires them to make them good or else abide under the just condemnation of so manifest guilt which they were glad to do and have not so much as peeped out now these 3 years since the last of these transactions untill now this vomit of which all sober men are ashamed and from which the Authors have shamefully shrunk is licked up by Iohn Brown and is become the chief authority of his Tract Will it savour wel in the mouths of sober Professors that the chief gun that I. B. useth against the Quakers are the lyes forgerys and abuses of a shameless Anabaptist Certainly when I. Brown considers these things he will if malice hath not altogether blinded him find that he has too suddenly laid hands upon his brother Hicks ere he wel minded the consequence of it and that so great an infusion of Hicks his Anabaptistical durt which takes the best share of not a few pages of his book will make the rest to stink albeit it were more cleanly stuff than it is And for Faldo's books out of which he coppyeth not a little in this chapter he may find them both answered by W. P. the one called Quakerism a new Nick name to old Christianity and the other the Invalidity of John Faldo's Vindication in which pag. 430 431 432 433. he may find a list of Iohn Faldo's miscarriages in citing assertions said by Quakers without telling the books and of books without parts chapters end page of these books falsly cited of passages clipt and maimed and others perverted by additions and which makes up above 70 to which Iohn Faldo hath never had face yet to answer So that this man may see what kind of authority he has made use of and how his proofs are bottomed And lastly of our full belief of future states and of the Resurrection he may find a large account in a book called The Christian Quaker and his Divine Testimony vindicated by W. Pen and G. Whitehead printed in the Year 1674 from page 146 of the second part to the end Section Eighteenth Wherein Robert Macquare his Postscript is considered ¶ 1. AS to R. M. C. his Postscript which I come now to in the last place I shall not need to be large it being a compound and heap of most abusive and unreasonable railing against me and my Friends on the one hand and a most fawning manifest piece of nauseating and shameless Flattery to his brother I. Brown on the other In the very entry he brands our doctrin as the Devil 's and ourselves as his Ministers and Amanuenses and a little after he exclaimeth thus O what horrid what hell-hatched boid blasphemies this black brood belcheth forth And for me in particular pag. 559 560. in a few lines he cals me both a Turk and a Devil and what more his railing Spirit affords him To all which I shall only say the worst I wish him is heartily to desire the Lord to forgive him as by the strength of his Grace I freely do As to his brother I. Brown he accounts him singularly acute solidly learned and truely gratious So that he conceits if the Devil who he supposeth drew me on to write had his dictats again he would bury or
do justice to themselves as wel as right to the injured Author of this Treatise not only in respect to the appeal added to the end of the last Section but also to the many other gross abuses falshoods and railings detected herein to be most impudently asserted by John Brown since he comes forth under no less character than a Presbyterian David and that given him by so eminent a man as Robert Macquare is reputed among them which justice is also the more hoped for since the more moderat Presbyterians have themselvs felt the fruit of J. B. his violent furious and unchristian temper in his fomenting Divisions among them and encouraging Cameron by his Letter whom they repute an Heady Turbulent Incendiary and the effects of whose work strengthened by J. B. have produced no small mischief both to the Cause in general and to many poor People who have been thereby ruined if the occasion some of themselvs represent of the late rising in Scotland be true ERRATA The Reader is desired to correct these following Errors which have escaped the Press other literal ones which do not so much touch the sense are left to his discretion and if any others considerable have not been observed and here remarked it is hoped the courteous Reader will not impute them to the Author because of his absence from the Press In the Preface page 1. line 20. for still read style P. 3. l. 24. for which r. them P. 4. l. 6. r. who that speaks In the Book pag. 16. l. ult r. owne P. 17. l. last save two r. Sects P. 22. l. 6. r. do P. 23. l. last but two r. preparatory P. 26 l. 25. after may d. not P. 32. l. 4. d. of P. 34. l. 25. r. spirits d. of P. 43. l. 26. r. bonds P. 57. l. 9. r. arcady P. 68. l. 9. r. him P. 83. l. 13. d. by which P. 88. l. 11. r. he P. 102. l. 5. after is read not P. 78. l. 2. add after dye for themselvs If he mean a natural death but if not I see no reason of admitting his figure nor is there any strength in it to prove that it imports his dying in their room and stead as he would have it P. 98. l. 34. r. is P. 101. l. 14. r. say l. 15. r. is P. 110 l. 28. r. sine P. 113. l. 16. d. by P. 135. l. 16. r. by Papists against Protestants Pag. 184. l. 15. r. he hath but said it l. 18. r. so as all P. 192. l. ult r. and. P. 168. l. 17. for proof read reply P. 180. l. 3. r. corruptions P. 175. l. 34. for and r. add R. B's. APOLOGY For the true Christian Divinity VINDICATED From J. B's. Examination and pretended Confutation thereof in his book Called QUAKERISME the path-way to PAGANISME Section I. Containing the Introduction and the Method the Author proposeth to himself in this Treatise with the reasons wherefore together with some general Considerations relating to I. B's. whole book and Remarks on his Epistle to the Reader ¶ 1. AMong the many evils that abound amongst those that bear the name of Christians this is a great one that in the unhappy difference they have among themselvs there appears so much malice bitterness and envy and so little of that candor and sincerity true and unmixed zeal and of the meekness peaçablness and gentlness of Iesus so that there is often-times observed an eager willingness to represent their Opposits other ways than they are But among all sorts of such as profess Christianity I know none have more reason to complain of this abuse than we who albeit we have not a little laboured to make known to all the plain Truth held by us yet our words have been most miserably perverted upon many occasions and we most horribly misrepresented as is abundantly manifest to many who are acquainted with the books writ against us and our answers wherein many if not most of the arguments used against us are not levelled at those things we truely hold but at the monstrous and horrid conceptions which our adversarys have framed to themselvs and then would needs fasten upon us as our Principls and doctrins Many of us have been thus exercised in the controversys wherein we have been concerned and I my self in some small rencountres that have heretofore faln to my share have had my part but I confess inferior to many of my Brethren But now that B's work appears I think considering the bulk and natur of it hereafter more particularly to be viewed I may come up with most For I scarçe think that ever a man's words were so horridly and constantly throughout perverted or that ever a book of controversy of its bulk to wit as I take it betwixt 70 and 80 sheets of paper was so stuffed with a continuall strain of Railing from the very first page unto the last Yet when we consider the man's design which appears from the natur of his work perhaps there will be less occasion of wonder ¶ For either he or some brother of his abroad having without any provocation from us the People called Quakers faln into the most gross and vilest sort of railing against us in a Post script to S. R's Letters and that without the least offer of probation it seems they judged themselvs concerned to give the people some reason for their so doing And there could not be a finer knack to beguil the credulous and implicit Multitud than to answer a book writ in Latine and not extant in their Mother-tongue for there a man as to them who can not read understand and compare it with that to which it relates may pervert words as he will draw consequences at pleasur and make to himself what monsters best please his fancy or like his humour best to batter And yet he can not find in it by all his perverting enough to make us so black as he would have us so that he is often-times constrain'd to fish for this by citing the writings of some that have writ against us and bring us up some of their old threed-bare calumnys long ago answered by us in which his injustice shall be afterwards observed And so he being thus furnished can the more easily abuse especially while he is almost secure that the generality of those he writes to are such as will not call in question as to the truth of it what is said by one esteemed by them a pretious and gratious Minister and sufferer for the good cause to boot But blessed be God! the number of such implicit believers groweth daily less and many that had wont to do other-wise begin to love to see with their own eyes and not to pin their faith so much upon the Clergy's sleeve as they had used formerly to do For this cause had I had to do only with the more judicious and Learned who could have wel understood the Latine edition I should have thought my self the less concerned
primarily and principally the Rule to them than any thing that was recorded in the Scriptur where they could not learn their duty as to those particulars And that I make not the Scripturs and the Spirit all one I have above shewn and therefore his malitious insinuations of Socinianisme fall to the ground but he thinks he has found-out a mighty dilemma in the end of this paragraph p. 66. Or will I say that the Light within me is really the Increated Spirit This saith he must be blasphemy with a witness to be heard with horror and therefore needing no other confutation Poor man how apt is he to make a noise about nothing If there be any blasphemy it is his own For what if I should say Is not GOD a LIGHT and is not he in every man and is not this Light within the Increated Spirit The Reader may judge how easily these windy boasts of his are blown away how the Spirit ruleth us and yet is not confounded with the Rule I have above shewn so that what he saith to that in the rest of this page where he vapers and rails is but superfluous Next after he has a little plaid the Pedant upon the words magis originaliter he concludes his 22 paragraph with asking me why the revelations I pretend to should be accounted more One with the Spirit himself than those revelations by which the Scripturs were dictated but this is his allegeance none of my affirmation Next I never said that the Revelations by which the Scripturs were dictat were less primary than any other whatsoever albeit no revelation which is writen and transmitted to a man only by the report of another can be so primary and immediat to him as that which he receives in himself he confesseth here with me p. 67. that the Spirit is the Prime and Principal Leader whether that makes for my cause as also what follows will after in its place be examined ¶ 6. But because he foundeth his assertion of my detracting from the perfection of the Scripturs because I deny them to be the primary and original Rule for he acknowledgeth that I confess them to be a secondary one I will examin the ground by which he goes about to prove it as also his answers to my arguments proving the contrary His first is from the parable Luke 16 31. where it is said They have Moses and the Prophets whom if they hear not neither will they be perswaded if one be raised from the dead but this proves only that one raised from the dead is not able to convince those that will not hear Moses and the Prophets not that the Scriptur is a more primary and principal Rule than what the Spirit immediatly reveals in the Soul for that consequence will not nor doth follow nor is in the least proven by him neither can be unless he first prove that albeit the testimony of one from the dead be less powerfull to perswade than the Scripturs yet it is more than the immediat testimony of the Spirit in the heart which I deny and rests for him to prove before he conclude any thing from this place Next this Parable was used by Christ to the Jews to shew them their hypocrisy who albeit they deceitfully pretended so much to reverence and follow Moses and the Prophets as many now adays do the Scripturs yet they did not really hear them els they would have acknowledged him of whom Moses and the Prophets did so clearly write since he also did as great and convincing miracls before them as if they had the testimony of one raised from the dead And this leads me to take notice of what he saith p 68. n. 24. in answer to my argument drawn from the difference betwixt the Law that is writen without and the Gospel that is writen within where he accuseth me of contradiction because of my argument drawn from the revelations that were under the Law and the same-ness of the object but I have answered this cavill in the former section Yet since the strength of this resolves in his supposing I affirm there is no writen Rule under the Gospel which he after concludes the whole falleth to the ground for I never denied the Scriptur to be a secondary Rule and that is some Rule for to say I affirm there is no writen Rule because the writen is not the primary is a wild conclusion And therefore all the rest of his talk to prove that Christ inspired the Apostles to write things to be a Rule to Christians is meerly superfluous since that that is a Rule though not the primary was never denied by me and it may be here observed that all his arguments to prove the Scriptur to be a Rule unless they prove them to be the primary and principal one conclude nothing and are against me to no purpose ¶ 7. His second argument is deduc'd from 2 Tim. 3 16. where he cites the Apostle saying of the Scripturs they are able to make wise unto Salvation and to make the man of God perfect Where is first to be observed his perverting of the Apostl's words by an addition of his own and therefore no wonder that he so frequently pervert mine for the Apostle saith not they are able to make the man of God perfect but All Scriptur given by inspiration is that the man of God may be perfect that is contributeth in its kind and order towards the perfection of the Saints but it follows not thence that they are the Primary Rule no more than though I. B. will affirm that his book is writen that the man of God may be perfect that is to help him to perfection that thence it is to be esteemed the primary and chief Rule Thus is answered that of John 20 31. But these are written that ye may believe c. cited by him p 74. For his book is also written for that end yet the consequence will not follow that they are able to make wise unto Salvation is not denied in so far as they declare of the grace that brings Salvation and directs to the Light which leads to it but how he thence inferreth they are the primary Rule he must inform us the next time since he has forgotten to do it now And this may serve to answer those places where he according to his custom repeats it over and over again as p. 74. 77 82. where he hath again the fore-mentioned perversion and enumerated the particular uses applied to the Scriptur he concludeth its perfection as wanting nothing Now I deny not that every book as wel as chapter and verse of Scriptur is perfect as to its end that is so far to express the mind of God as he was pleased at that time and also with a respect to its Author as being written by the dictats of the Spirit but that place will not conclude its perfection either as the primary only or adequat that is entire Rule els
for any arguments in this cahpter that have the least shew of solidity or weight I have looked narrowly but can find none only in stead thereof he has some little nibbling quibbles and questions which albeit they be so inconsiderable as scarce deserve the pains to answer yet left he may think something of them if omitted I will now take notice of them and answer them as first pag. 412. he asketh whether the appointing of set times and places be not a limiting of the Spirit Answ. If it were to exclude other times and places when God moves thereunto it might be so judged but other ways it is not for meeting together is not an immediat act of worship but a matter of outward conveniency and therefore needs not always a particular motion As for his desiring me in this page to answer what he has said of the Sabbath the denying of which in their sense he accounteth a great error I must wait then till he come to his matter which he has not done in his first Tome which I have only seen as yet albeit it be a book about an hundred sheets of paper and when he has written all that he can say upon that subject I doubt whether it may not be sufficiently refuted by a few lines which Calvin has written thereon Inst. lib. 2. cap. 8. § 34. from whom as wel as the generality of Protestants I know not that I differ in this matter Pag. 413. he proposeth as an exception against the manner of Worship expressed by me that it wanteth that preparation requisite which he accounts to be some impression of that Divine Majesty with whom they have to do But I see no reason why he should accuse us for want of this since none can be more fit than such as make silence and an inward turning of the mind necessary to their entring to Worship but if he understand this by outward Prayer meaning this should be done first since it is an actual part of Worship by which we draw near to that Majesty there would be a preparation to that by the same rule and another to that and so a progressus in infinitum But a godly frame of Spirit and a studying to be found always in the sense of God's holy fear in all things is a good general preparation to all acts of Worship And for his crying out against Silence as that which can not edify and thinking it so strange that Life or Vertue should be transmitted from one to another when they do not hear one another speak as pag. 415. 420. 426. what will he say to what is reported by the foresaid Author of the fulfilling of the Scripturs pag. 432. how Robert Bruce his Praying caused unusual motions upon those who were not in the chamber with him nor knew the cause how that came upon them and yet this is given as an instance of his knocking down the Spirit of God upon them as they themselvs phrase it Pag. 420. he wondereth asketh how one in whom the Life doth flow so that he might speak yet may forbear since that is a sufficient call and how dare they follow their own choise But this is a silly quibble the flowing of Life may sometimes give ability to speak justifiably and yet it may be no sin to forbear since albeit it gives a sufficiency of authority yet not a peremptory command and this is no contradiction The Apostle Iohn could have written more and that no doubt from the Spirit and yet did it not 2 Joh. 12. 3 Joh. 13. and I suppose I. B will not dare to say he sinned in this forbearance He goeth about pag. 420. n. 12. to examin the Scriptur proofs I bring for Waiting and then he shews in what respect waiting is there understood which nothing hurteth my using them What if waiting be understood as he saith in opposition to freting may not that be in silence But as to this since his brother R. M. in the Postscript has promised us his answer to G. K's book called The Way cast up we will wait to see what he answers to his 15 sect and to the Scripturs brought by him there to this purpose and that he may more fully consider that matter I recommend to him the serious perusal of G. K's book called the Glory and Advantage of Silent Meetings He alledgeth falsly pag. 423. that I say men can not wait upon God in prayer I say only that Waiting in it self rather denoteth a passive dependence and that true Prayer presupposeth waiting and that therefore their objection is frivolous that ascribeth waiting of it self or simply considered to such acts but I never denied that a man in Prayer might be said also to wait Another of his silly quibbles is pag. 424. n. 17. where because I say that the Devil can only work in and by the Natural man for so he may be pleased to translate my words or at lest he must suffer me so to do he saith he thought he could also work in a Spiritual man as in Peter c. But not in and by the Spiritual man it was in and by the natural part both in Peter and Paul that he wrought if he thinks not so let him say the contrary Pag. 425. in answer to what I say of the excellency of this Worship as that which can not be interrupted to prove that Christ's Kingdom needeth outward power to protect it he telleth of the promise that Kings shall be nursing fathers What then That may be an advantage yet it will not follow there is an absolute need for it else Christ's Kingdom could not be without it but indeed such a sure outward Kingdom the Priests always covet where they may be upheld by the Magistrate and supplied with daily augmentations and have all others that differ from them severely persecuted for where this is wanting they cry out Alas like Babylons Marchants and think it goes not wel with their Zion The rest of this page he concludes with railing but for answer to it he may know that the Quakers meetings in Scotland albeit few in number have met with more injurys from wicked men than the Presbyterians and that they never defendedh emselvs with force of Armes against any far less against the Magistrate as his Brethren have don or with sheding of Blood As for his other quibble pag. 427. that ceasing to do evil is not without all action of the mind not to contend with him about it I shall not plead for a further cessation than such a simple forbearance importeth and let him call it an action if he will His chief reply to what I say in answer to what they object of Silence besides some scofs is that what I alledg is not spoken of an introverting Silence for he will needs use this Latine word and not translate it but can there be any true silence in order or with respect to the worship of God where the eye of the mind
betwixt Elicite and Imperat Acts of Conscience that is as himself explains Inward and Outward for as to the first he confesseth the Magistrate is not to compell men so as to hinder them to think judge understand and conclude in their mind as they will but only in speaking writing and open profession which are visible and audible yea he thinks the Magistrates power doth not only extend on this side to prohibition but that he may also force them to hear and to the use of publik means that is in plain terms to an outward conformity and yet he saith this is no force upon Consceince We I then Popish Magistrates according to him used no force upon the Consciences of Protestants in forceing them to hear Mass nor yet the Pagans upon the Christians in forceing them to go to Idol-worships and to come near home the present Magistrates in Scotland use no force upon the Consciences of his Brethren the Presbyterians in the west-countrey in constraining them to go to hear the Bishops Curats as they term them where they can not pretend there is any thing of Idolatry As for his distinction of the Magistrates having power of outward but not inward acts it were enough for me to reject it as not being proved by him to be founded on Scriptur as indeed it is most deceitfull For if the Magistrate restrain me from doing that outward action either of confessing to Truth or denying error abstaining from idolatry or false worship and practising the true which my inward perswasion convinceth me of he encroacheth upon and takes upon him to rule over my inward perswasion as wel as the outward which follows naturally from the inward and without doing whereof my inward could and nothing to me save condemnation seing Christ requires an outward confession And if the Magistrates power as to outward acts even in matters of Religion be limited then he of right may decide and judge of all outward matters relating to Religion which Iohn Brown may remember his Brethren have strongly denied reserving that only for the Kirk for to say as he addeth that the Magistrate has power to punish Heretiks but not the Orthodox is as I observed miserably to beg the question since never any Magistrate was so mad as to persecut Truth as Truth but still under the notion of Error The sum of what he saith further upon this matter pag. 505-507 508 509. in answer to me resolves in these two objections ¶ 3. First That my Arguments do no less take away the Magistrates power in Civils Secondly That by the same arguments may be denied and taken away all Church censurs which I grant and in so doing contradict my self or must answer my own arguments For proof of the First he tels that many Magistrates have been or may be uncapable to judge in Civil matters as wel as Religion as also have done unjustice in their judgement Answ. True but all this will no ways inferr his conclusion because they still had that which was needfull to the being of Magistracy that is being duely to constitute for of usurpers we do not here speak however they may want these qualitys which might more accomplish them in their employment or that they may err in the administration of it but Christianity and consequently to judge in matters of Religion doth not so much as pertain to the esse or being of a Magistrate for if it did no man could ever have been or yet could be a true Magistrate or ought to be so owned unless a Christian which I suppose Iohn Brown will not adventur to affirm or if he do he will manifestly contradict the doctrin as wel as practice of Christ and his Apostles who preached Subjection and were themselves subject to such Magistrates as were enemies to Christianity If then a Magistrate may be truely a Magistrate and ought by Christians to be acknowledged and submitted to as such who is not a Christian to deny to Magistrates that power of Judgment which they can only have as being Christians will not necessarily take away any of their power as Magistrates for Christian Subjects especially being privat persons may and ought to submitt and obey their lawfull Magistrates albeit committing errors in the Government and commanding things hurtfull to the State and if they do other ways may be justly punished where the nature of the Government giveth them not allowance so to do But if the Magistrate shall command any thing contrary to the Law of God or impose in matters of Conscience contrary to Truth I. B. will with me confess unless he condemn himself that every privat Christian may without being justly accused of contempt refuse to obey as many of Iohn Brown's friends do in not going to the parish Kirks where the same faith and doctrin they hold is preached contrary to acts of Parliament For he hath not proved that a Magistrate by being a Christian acquires more power than he had before or is more a Magistrate though he may be a better For albeit as he observs Fathers be desired to instruct their children which Pagan fathers can not do yet they are not more fathers than before nor have more authority or power over their children to force them than before so a Magistrate being a Christian may instruct countenance and advance Christianity by the advantage of his place but acquires no more power thereby to force his people upon that account I. B. if he judge so will do wel to prove it by Scriptur ¶ 4. The reason of his second objection is because a Church may err in their judgment being defective as he supposed the Magistrate in the former objection and so may condemn Truth for error But how weak this is is very apparent For if he can shew us a Church having the true being of a Church which ought to be acknowledged and submitted to by Christians as such which vet is wholly a stranger to yea an enemy and persecutor of Christianity as I did him in the case of Magistracy he will say something but other ways nothing at all Next the censur of a Church however he seems to judge otherwise can not be called forceing of Conscience in the sense I grant it which is only for to deny the persons censured their Spiritual fellowship since he himself by his differing from them breaks it off as in my book intituled The Anarchy of the Ranters c. written concerning Church Government I have at large shewn And if the difference be such as the Church judgeth in conscience they can not have spiritual communion with one so principled it were in him a forceing of their conscience to urge it upon them for since he takes the liberty out of Conscience as he judgeth to differ from all his Brethren it were a most unreasonable thing in such a one to deny them the liberty being perswaded in their conscience they ought to withdraw from him seing the band of their unity which at
ROBERT BARCLAY ' s APOLOGY For the true CHRISTIAN Divinity Vindicated From JOHN BROWN's Examination and pretended confutation thereof in his book called QUAKERISME The Path-Way to PAGANISME In which VINDICATION I. B. his many gross perversions and abuses are discovered and his furious and violent Railings and Revilings soberly rebuked By R. B. VVhereunto is added A Christian and Friendly Expostulation with ROBERT MACQUARE touching his Postscript to the said book of J. B. written to him by LILLIAS SKEIN wife of Alexander Skein and delivered some moneths since at his house in Rotterdam Isaiah 51 7. Hearken unto me ye that know righteousness the People in whose heart is my Law fear ye not the reproach of men neither be ye afraid of their revilings Matth. 5 11. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and speak all manner of evil falsly against you for my Name 's sake Printed in the Year 1679. And are to be sold by Benjamin Clerk Stationer in Georgeyard Lumberstreet At LONDON The PREFACE To the READER Serious READER I shall not need to trouble thee here with a long Preface most of what is commonly inserted in such Epistles being proposed to thee in the first Section onely I will take occasion here ingenuously and solemnly to profess that no delight in controversy hath induced me to undertake this Treatise but pure necessity to vindicat the Truth professed by me from the many gross perversions wherewith this Author hath abused it For as for his Personal Reflections at me which are very frequent and whereby he labours to represent me to his Reader as the veryest Fool Ignorant Sensless Non-sensical and yet Proud Presumptuous and blasphemous Miscreant for such are his expressions that can be imagined I should not have troubled my self nor the world with a Vindication being perswaded none who truely knows me will believe him and that none of solidity and judgement who knows me not will so easily agree to his Censur as for such credulous creaturs if his book find any such for I have heard of severals of the same faith with him who much condemn his Railing still who will judge of me upon so smal and suspicious evidence I must be contented as many better men have been before me to abide the rash judgment of those inconsiderat Souls As for the book from which he assumes and pronounces this character of me thou wilt find it here vindicated and see that hideous masque wherewith he laboured to vail it that he might rail the more securely taken off I could easily shew the lightness of his judgement by filling the other scale with a pressed-down measur of the Testimonys both by word and write of several Persons at home and abroad who are not Quakers and yet such to whom without disparagement he must give the precedency both for Parts Piety and Learning but I desire not to raise my reputation that way it is his work that needs a Postscript of that nature and truely he hath saved me this paines while at other times he manifestly implies a contradiction to this character while he persuades the Reader of the necessity he was under to write so great a Volumn as if the whole Christian Commonwealth had been in danger to be overturned and many Souls in hazard to be hurt by the Quakers among whom both he and his brother R. M. C. give me and my writings a chief place as their Goliah patron sharpest and neatest pen if not seasonably supplyed by this his antidot For sure had it been so inconsistent and contradictory a piece of work as he sometimes represents it to be as being written by so silly and pittyfull an Ignoramus as he is sometimes pleased to term me there could not have been so great cause of fear nor such need of so great a volumn especially to such as could not understand mine being not yet extant in a language they skilled to whom he principally directs his and though they had could have no great hurt if he speak true when he represents me frequently to write things unintelligible and yet he is so wise as to apprehend he has refuted what he confesses he doth not understand But the reason of his thus contradicting himself is that albeit his malice to the Truth and my self was such that he could not say enough to render both it and me despicable yet forgeting himself at other times he was forced to acknowledge what I say considerable that he might render his own work of some value and himself a champion which he could never have done albeit he might be supposed to have rebuked and refuted a piece of pittifull non-sense Thus the man while he stretcheth to exalt himself and abase me overturns on the one part what he affirms on the other but if he can have so far pitty upon himself as to think in time of repenting I do with my whole heart freely forgive him and whether he do or not I can assure him as I should never have valued my self upon his commendation so I am nothing moved by his abuses save only to pitty and commiserat him I must entreat this of the Reader that if he desire to be fully informed in this controversy he will be pleased first to read my Apology which for his benefit will I hope be extant in our own language ere this comes to his hands and then perhaps he will little need an antidot against the pretended confutation but if any scruple there remain it will easily be removed by seriously perusing this Vindication And because before his book he placeth a great list of that he accounts the blasphemous assertions of the Quakers that so he may preposses his Reader with prejudice at the very entry to remove which thou wilt find inferted at the end a List of so many of them as are utterly false besides many of them are Perversions not owned in the terms he asserts them yet a great part of them he pretends not so much as to deduce from any words written by me but has fished for them in the writings of others of our adversarys which piece of injustice is in the last Section demonstrated Not desiring to detain thee any longer I shall only wish the God of all Grace to minister to thee such a measur thereof and give thee such Light and understanding by the holy influence of his Divine Spirit that thou mayst for his Glory and thy Soul's Salvation make a right judgment of the present Controversy and come truely to discern which doctrin it is and who speaks most consonantly to the Holy Scripturs So wisheth he who is a real friend to all men R. B. ADVERTISMENT IT is hoped that the more moderat sober and serious among the Presbyterian Preachers and who have a true regard as wel to the Peace of their own Consciences as to the Christian reputation of their cause and interest among sober and honest Christians will shew their readyness to
omission of any words in the Theses prefixed to the Apology proceeds from my being ashamed of the name QUAKER since himself bears witness in the very same page that I fully acknowledge it in the explanation of the 11 Thesis Here he has a descant upon Trembling and seems to strange that any Quaker should bring the example of Moses and Habbakkuk to shew that such a thing was not so much to be wondred at in the Saints but why this should be esteemed impertinent by him he doth not tell us As for the foaming at the mouth he talks of both here and elsewhere it is returned upon him as a calumny and he is desired to prove it but it must be by some more credible impartial testimony than his Mr Stalham for Partys use not to be admitted as witnesses For his denominating us by that name of distinction I shall not quarrel but as for his insinuation in the begining of pag. 5. where he saith It is like we would gladly have them casting away their Bibles as no more to be regarded than the Turks Alcoran it bespeaketh the height of malice as to which I shall only say The Lord forgive him for so gross a calumny which he that is the Searcher of hearts knows to be a most horrible lye He goes on after his usual manner saying I inveigh against all humane learning that hath been any ways made use of in Theology but where he finds this asserted by me I know not whether the words he would deduce it from to wit that man has rendred the plain and naked Truth obscure and mysterious by his wisdom will bear such a consequence is left to the Readers judgment But he thinks he has found out our secret design of being against Learning and Schools of Learning which is neither our affirmation nor principle but his own false supposition We would saith he have all those banished that we might the more easily prevail with our errors But methinks the man should be more wary in venting his own false imaginations unless he could bring some ground for them for his assertion is so far untrue that if he had been rightly informed he might have known that we have set up schools of Learning for teaching of the Languages and other needfull Arts and Sciences and that we never denyed its usefulness only we denyed it to be a qualification absolutly necessary for a Minister in which case alone we have opposed its necessity ¶ 5. He confesseth I speak not amiss in saying the world is overburthened with books but thinks that my Apology of 50 sheets adds some considerable weight but methinks he of all men should have here been silent who has troubled the world with an examination of it a great deal larger albeit he confesseth all that is in it hath been refuted by the Orthodox long ago not only so but since that he has written a book near twice as large upon one point to prove the first day of the week to be the Christian Sabbath and yet it is but the first time and seems but to be the porch of what he intends upon that subject With his usual candor he saith I am against disputes debates or books written of that natur But to inferr simply that I am against all such because I reprove the vain jangling that hath been and is among the School-men is an ill consequence he shall not find me any where speaking against usefull and solid controversys for clearing and maintaining of Truth He seemeth not to disapprove what I speak against School-Divinity confessing the abuse of it albeit he thinks it hath been of use and as for this imagination of my being acquainted with it we will place it among his other mistakes He proceedeth pag. 8 to say I am against the labours of those that have writ commentarys but his conclusion here is like others of this nature When I mention commentarys it is with relation to what goes before he will not deny but many books are written under the notion of commentarys on the Scriptur by which the Truth has been more darkened than cleared will it therefore follow that he condemns Commentarys indefinitly As for such writings tending to the opening of the Scriptur in which the Authors are acted and influenced by the same Spirit from which the Scripturs came and which alone can give the true meaning of them I am so far from condemning them that I highly approve them as very beneficial to the Church of Christ. As for his talk here of our disrespect to the Scripturs I shall have occasion to take notice of it where they are particularly treated of but he is apt to think that the real ground of my prejudice against such books is because so much is to be found in them against my old errors for I can not but know saith he that whoever reads these must see my nakedness and folly without much study As for this imagination we must take it with much more upon trust but this helps to prove the needlesness of his large Examination ¶ 6. At his usual rate of Perverting he goes on to say that the account I make of all the learned men of the World is that they are Scribes and disputers of the World c. But for proof of this we have nothing he confesseth the words to be those of the Apostle and how he proveth that I have a different meaning from the Apostle I know not After he hath commended his learned men and loaded the Quakers with reproaches he concludes this Paragraph pag. 8. with another falshood and yet he will have it remarked to wit that according to my judgment the pure and naked Truth of God was never unfolded nor declared untill the generation of the Quakers arose but where he finds me saying so he tells not and indeed can not since such a thing was never asserted by me For answer to my saying that God has laid aside the wise and learned and made use of illiterat men as to letter-learning after he saith it is affirmed without proof not considering how improper it was not to expect any formal probation upon the occasion and manner it was delivered he gives us divers citations out of the Apostle Paul warning against seducers all which I acknowledge to be true but the question lieth in the right application and yet since albeit he believes they very appositly agree to us he thinks it not his present business to demonstrat it it will need no reply After he has proceeded in his 10 page according to his usual sort of railing affirming the great difference betwixt our doctrin and that of the Apostles he brings forth a mighty charge that I usurp the Throne of God and judg of mens hearts and intentions but how guilty himself is of that crime hath been in part already shewn and will hereafter more appear but why do I so because I say the Clergy have clouded the
Truth that the common People might maintain and admire them But have not Protestants and that truely asserted this of the Popish Clergy and is not the Thesis directed to such Will it not then hold true according to his own judgment of a great yea the greatest part of those to whom it is directed what then will become of his clamors Yea if it were needfull I could give instances of very mean thoughts he and his Party have of many of the Protestant Clergy yea and reflexions not much if any thing inferior to this to verifie with how little ground he quarrelleth me here As for his malitious aspersion that there are shrewd presumptions our stock lies at Rome he should have produc'd some of them if he could we could never yet obtain for this old calumny from our adversarys the least probation and it will be found as hard for him to prove it as he may think it for such who strongly affirm their great IDOL the COVENANT was contrived at Rome and came from thence As for his reflexions upon our Church as being all eyes and ears it will be proper to speak of it in its own place Next to prove the positions of the Quakers to be such as overturn and destroy the Gospel he bringeth pag. 11 divers citations out of Mr Norton and Mr Stalham as he terms them adding more may be had out of Mr Hicks but such witnesses will have small credit with impartial Readers If he himself had dealt impartially he should have first read our answers to them ere he had given them such authority It wer easy for me by way of reply to transcribe what our Friends have written particularly by way of answer to them did I as much affect to have my writings bulky as it seemes he doth He closeth up this with a fit of railing and after he has quarrelled me pag. 12. for having an high conceit as he imagines of my Theses he falls fresh to that work again telling they have weight to sink into the bottomless pit the poor Soul that embraces them I never sought any should receive doctrins as truth upon my bare testimony and therefore he needs not upbraid me with so doing and whereas on the contrary as himself immediatly observes I leave what I say to the LIGHT in every man's Conscience it shewes with how little reason he made his former alledgance after he has pleased himself with making an impertinent conjectur of the import of these words that so he might if he could render them ridiculous he cometh at last to the true understanding of them and truely he needed not fear at my being offended that he should make a judgment of what I writ according to his Conscience but he went the wrong way to work when his labour is to pervert and wrest and make them speak what they do not This apparently proceeds from malice and prejudice and the Light of his Conscience if he had minded it would never have prompted him so to do Thus I am come to the end of the first chapter ¶ 7. In the second chapter intituled Of the true ground of knowledge I find he can not contradict what is asserted by me only because he must be carping he makes a noise that Joh. 17 3. cited by me so much of the sentence was not set down in the first as second edition What a pittifull cavill this is the Reader may easily judge since the place was noted it was enough though never a word had been set down but this with him is a bad Omen let the judicious judge of this man's judgment in the matter But because he can not quarrel at what is said he will quarrel that so much is not said as he judged meet but he may be pleased to understand that I judged my self under no necessity to advise with him what was needfull for me to write But saith he since I take upon me to teach the whole world it is strange it should be so natural for this man to write untruths since I direct my Theses only to the Christian world but if it may render me odious such Peccadillo's pass with him it seems but for Piae fraudes I intended never to write of those things concerning which we do not differ from others But let us see wherein he accounts me defective I have written nothing saith he of the nature and attributes of God I write not to Atheists but Christians who already acknowledge and I judg it not my work to write books to persuade men of that they already profess to believe But I write not expressly and distinctly of the Trinity yet himself after acknowledges pag. 24 that it would seem I am orthodox herein that he finds not any clear ground to the contrary I writ as expressly and distinctly of that as is expressed in Scriptur which I hope I. B. will not say is defective in sufficiently expressing this article of Faith ¶ 8. The third challenge is I speak nothing of God's Decrees by which some are praedestinated to Life others fore-ordained to death for the man without ceremony takes the doctrin for granted But if I have spoken nothing of this though perhaps not in the method he would how extravagant must he be that writes a whole chapter upon Reprobation as pretending to refute what I have said concerning it With the like confidence not to say impudence he accuses me of silence in relation to the Covenants to the Redemption purchased by Christ his taking flesh upon him to the work of Grace and Sanctification to obedience to the Law of God Which gross abuse any one that reads my book will easily see considering how much and how particularly these things are spoken to in the explanation of the 5 6 7 8 Theses Last of all he accuseth me for giving no account of the Resurrection of the Body But do I not expressly in my conclusion affirm that those that accuse us of denying of it belye us and doth not that clearly import an owning But as to that matter because I love not repetitions as he doth who will be upon one matter often and out of its proper place I will referr what further I have to say untill I come to his last chapter At last after he has confessed in part to what I affirm he craves liberty because some may put a wrong Foundation for the right to examin what by me is placed for it which liberty is freely granted him for I am a great enemy to implicit Faith as wel the Popish as Presbyterian who in that are much what alike and I will take also liberty to re-examin his examination that I may free my self of those many abuses wherewith he has injured me Section III. Wherein his third Chapter of Inward and Immediat Revelations is considered ¶ 1. THat I may not trouble the Reader with a long and taedious pursuit of I. B. in all his extravagant rambls and unreasonable railings wherein
have affirmed Books denied by him to be of the Canon such as the Wisdom of Solomon and Esdras and to have these Divine Characters and others deny some to be of the Canon and to have these Characters as the Epistle of Iames which he saith has it how is he sure that they are blind and deceived and not he So that he must either confess all his former reasonings as also here pag. 83 86. to be to no purpose or els acknowledge that all he saith here for the Scripturs is of no force and that he has no better certainty nor ground for his faith of the Scripturs verity to give him back his own durty example he throws at me p. 64. than for the Turks Alcoran and thus is dispatched also what he saith p. 64. n 18 where he confesseth some approved Books which others rejected And whereas he saith p. 86 87 that sad Experience has taught the World what devilish Doctrins have been invented under the Notions of New Revelations of which after he gives a list since the same sad Experience has taught the World what Devilish doctrins have been taught under the notion of being revealed in the Scriptur such as in his own account those of the Socinians Arminians Antinominians and present English Anabaptists to wit his Author Hicks and his Brethren and yet what will more follow the one against the Spirit of Revelations now than from the other against the Scripturs ¶ 3. Like to this are his reasonings pag. 87 concerning the Canon of the Scripturs that there are just so many Books neither more nor less for I have proposed this to be proved by Scriptur it being an Article of their Faith since they judge all such should be proved by Scriptur To this in stead of offering any Scriptur-proof he saith they have the Characters of Divine Light the weakness of which is above observed then he brings two Exampls one of the Acts of Parliament another of a man's writing ten letters to his wife But exampls are poor arguments especially to prove Articls of Faith when not one Scriptur can be brought to do it by such as say the Scriptur is the adequat and only Rule of their Faith neither will his exampls do For if in a Nation one Part should differ from the other alledging spurious Acts not made by the Parliament were by the industry of some printed and recorded with the right as the case is now among the Professors of Christianity concerning the Canon of Scriptur the writen Acts could never decide this question but either these Legislators if alive or a new Parliament having equal Authority and Legislative power with those that made the former And if a Woman should doubt that five of the ten Letters subscribed with her Husband's Name were not his she could not know the certainty but by her Husband 's own Testimony and since he himself has said that to discern these Characters a subjective concurrence of the Spirit is necessary which since he saith some have not they can then not be sure of this Article of Faith his Example here of the five Fingers is yet more silly than the former And albeit he confidently affirms he has above shewn this we shall by examining it shew the contrary as p. 74 75. answering to that of mine where I shew that in Prov. 30 5 6. there is the same Prohibition of not adding that is Rev. 22 v. 18. and therefore it would follow that all writen after Solomon's time was against the mind of God To this he gives a rare answer what is spoken of that Book I suppose he means the Revelations and elsewhere of the Commands of God is consequently to be understood of all but this is to repeat that against which the argument is formed in stead of answering it Either that of Revelations must not be understood as he doth it or that of Proverbs makes the same exclusion since the words are the same and the Authority also But the Prophecys of the Prophets saith he were but Explications of the Law of God but such Explications go to make up the Canon and will he admit that yet No. But the Lord did not saith he bind up his own hand but has he bound up his hands now that he can not move any of his Servants by his Spirit to write I suppose he will not say he hath He confesseth there were Prophets after John's days who truly fore-told Events but were not to write Scriptur But is not a part of that which he accounts the Canon a fore-telling of Events and yet that excludes it not from the Canon Here because he is pinched he takes his usual retreat by falling a railing and comparing us with Papists who he saith use this Argument And what then I could tell him an hundred arguments used by him which the Papists also use against us will he say it follows they are invalid But at last he thinks he has found a mysterious Riddle that will do the business and therefore he leaves it with a defiance Let him un-riddle this mystery if he can to wit when shall our Canon be compleated when will there be no more need of Revelations But might not this same question have been proposed to the Christians that lived before John wrot his Book of the Revelation And as I suppose they would have answered to many of whom perhaps it was not revealed that John should write such a Book afterwards so shall I directly answer his question When it shall please God in whose Power it is to reveal himself when how and so long as he pleases and who as he saith has not bound up his own hand ¶ 4. I come now to consider what he saith of the perfection of the Scripturs and because he is very clamorous in accusing me as derogating therefrom it will be manifest whether he has any reason so to do P. 55. n. 6. he quarrels I forget the narration of the first Creation and that the Exampls are instructive But who will deny or when did I that the remarkable Providences of God towards his Children are instructive Do not I expressly shew how they are instructive p. 46. which himself also notiçeth And was the first Creation no part of God's Providence towards Man who was to rule over it Is it not then there included But I make no mention of the promises and threatnings but are not they any part of the Doctrins of Christ nor included in any part of these pretious Declarations which I say the Scriptur contains Next he carps at my saying the Chief Doctrins of Christianity asking where we may find the whole Doctrins of the Christian Faith I answer freely in the Scripturs and let him prove if he can this to be any contradiction seing my saying the Chief Doctrins of Christianity is indefinit excluding none And therefore most base and abominable is that lye he makes of me in the last part of this
testimony as to build my faith upon it or to reject their doctrin meerly for its dissent from them which he insinuats and yet to his own self-contradiction confesseth I say I would not much regard all that if it had any ground in Scriptur and he denies not his union with the Dominicaus and that he may shew how little he cares for good company he willingly rejecteth the chief and first Reformers to wit the Lutherans whom according to his charity he denieth so much as the name of Reformed Protestants ¶ 3. Pag. 146. n. 16. He cometh to prove that this their doctrin maketh not God the author of sin but he laboureth here like a man in a sweat and giveth so little of a direct answer as scarce deservs any reply such as amounts to this being by way of retortion that if I acknowledge God fore-saw sin permitted it and might have hindred it I will make God the author of sin too but I deny the parity and he has forgoten to prove it His other answer is from the authority of Cicero and Plautus who oppose author to dissuasor and then he asketh whether they say God perswadeth any man to sin But Zanchius one of their Doctors saith he moves the thief to kill and that he sinneth God putting him yea forcing him to it and sure that 's more than perswading But the poor man must be at a low ebb when he is forced to go to the Heathens of whom he has expressed he has so mean thoughts for a shelter to his doctrin At last to come off with some seeming credit he desires me to confute the Apostle Rom. 9 11 12 13. because that he thinks from that as much as from their doctrin this charge may be inferred but here he doth only begg the question he and I do both agree that the Apostle makes not God the author of sin but it doth not thence follow that their doctrin doth not infer it since from the positive saying of their Doctors and the doctrin itself it is manifest as is more largely shewn in my Apology and this remains yet by him to be removed For his desiring me to refute the Apostle is no more answer than if to all his arguments in his book I should only say Confute the Scriptur which contains our Doctrin and therefore dispute no more against us untill thou first do that Would he reckon this suffieient As for their misapprehensions of Rom. 9. he may find them refuted in many Authors that have written upon that subject particularly in the examination of West Confess of Faith chap. 3. to which I refer him To the citations I give him of their Authors making God the author of Sin he saith If they give more ground than the very expressions of Scriptur he will not own them And what then the consequence is but very small whether he will or not It is enough for me that I have shewn the absurdity of their doctrin which even by the testimony of their chief Doctors makes God the author of Sin unless he will reply all this is nothing because I I. B. will not own them and if to say he that forceth another to do a thing is the cause author of it who without contradicting their own Reason can deny they make God the author of sin As for the many testimonies of Scriptur brought by him I own them and both agree they make not God the author of sin but that the saying of their Divines doth it what is above said doth evince Pag. 149. He cometh but as may be observed unwillingly to vindicat the twofold will they ascribe to God the one revealed by which he commands men to repent and the other secret and quite contrary how he is pained here the Reader may observe by his IFs and AN Ds thinking to turn it by without any direct answer The sum of what he saith resolvs in this That the Purpose of God is not of the same natur with his Command but what if that should be granted The question is Whether they be quite contrary and that in respect to one and the same subject so that when a man is commanded by God to do a thing by his secret Purpose he is forced to do the quite contrary Pag. 150. n. 19. He comes to answer my saying that their affirming Man sinneth willingly will not avail because according to them his propensity of Inclination to sin is necessarily imposed upon them by God To this in stead of answer he refers me to Rom. 9. of which before and for want of reason he falles a railing calles me a proud Quaker saying I agent the Devil's cause but whether that be to remove my objection or vindicat their doctrin the Reader may judge Pag. 151. n. 20. In answer to my shewing their doctrin is injurious to God because it maketh him delight in the death of a sinner contrary to Ezech. 33 11. 1 Tim. 2 3. 2 Pet. 3 9. he saith nothing directly but would be retorting that if I prove any thing from this then I must say That God did absolutely Decree that all men should be saved But I deny this consequence albeit it is injurious to God to say he decreeth that which he declareth to take no delight in it will not follow that it is injurious to him to say he permitteth what he delighteth not in For on all hands it is confessed he permitteth sin and yet on no hand that he delighteth in sin so that this injuriousness of their doctrin to God is no ways removed by him albeit he would fain be mincing and covering it saying they do not say that God purposes to punish any not for their sins but meerely to satisfie his own Pleasur but such silly shifts must only satisfie blind men Do not they say God purposed to damn Many to eternal torment and that Sin is no ways the cause of this purpose And will he say to be eternally tormented is no punishment And was not this a purpose to punish men and not for their sin His alledging in this page that this is not injurious to Christ's Mediation is upon the supposition that Christ dyed not for all which comes after to be examined ¶ 4. Pag. 152. n. 22. He comes to prove their doctrin makes not the Gospel a meer mock as I shew it did by proposing the offer of Salvation to many who yet by an irrevocable Decree are excluded from receiving any benefit by it and to this he gives the instance of Moses being sent to Pharaoh whose heart was hardned and Esai to the People of Israel to make their ears heavy and shut their eyes with others of like import But this is easily answered considering I grant many men out-live the day of God's Visitation to their Soul and are justly hardned and yet the offers of Mercy and Peace is no illusion because they were once in a capacity to have by it received it But he thinks here
justification and sanctification neither confound them we have felt the Blood and the Spirit distinct things yet inseparable neither canst thou think we make void the Scripturs because we honour the Spirit that was before the Scripturs were written and bear testimony against all who deny the Spirit 's immediat teachings to be the universal privilege of his People whereby ye take away the key of knowledge and neither enter the Kingdom nor suffer others who would but monopolize knowledg to your selvs and intrude your meanings upon the Consciences of men as the Rule which meanings indeed I do not own either as the only or any Rule but as the Spirit of Christ in my Conscience answers it the testimony of the Spirit of Truth in thousands with me will stand and rise up against thee in the presence of the Lord when all thy unjust reproaches and malitious accusations shall melt away before the presence of the Glory of the heart-searching God before whose Tribunal I desire daily to stand that he may more narrowly search me by his Light and both discover and destroy what he finds contrary to his Pure nature and holy will whether mediatly or immediatly revealed and before whose Tribunal thou and I will ere long more solemnly appear to give an account of things we have done in the body which that thou mayst do with joy and not with grief hereafter when thou commend'st thy advice to the Readers of thy Epistles have so much mercy upon thy own and the Souls of those thou writ'st to as to desire them to ponder their path and be established and be sure they become to the holy faith and not to an implicite believing the Tradition of men for by so doing indeed thou and as many as thou canst influence may come to farewel according to Prov. 4 26. Ponder thy path and be established and turn not to the right hand nor to the left I am one Newtyle the 8 of the fourth moneth 1678. Who in my measur travell for the redemption of the Seed of God in all Soules and in thine LILLIAS SKEIN A Catalogue Of some of the many downright Lyes and Calumnys which he asserts in the Index before his book to be the assertions of the Quakers All these things he asserts falsly of us 1. THat we arrogantly stile our selvs the servants of God 2. That we glory of the Title Quakers 3. That we account our selves the only Teachers of Truth equalizing our selvs to the Apostles 4. That we say we are perfect without sin 5. That we only tast see and smell the inward Light 6. That we assert our experiences in matters that can not be experienced 7. That we assert our selves to be equal with God 8. That we say all is done without the Spirit that is not done in our way 9. That we remain covered when they pray or praise really to mock 10. That we ascribe as much to our own writings as to the Scripturs 11. That we speak basely of Learned men 12. That we condemn the study of Original Languages 13. That we speak most basely of the Scripturs 14. That we say they are no Rule to us 15. That we call them imperfect 16. That we disswade from reading and studying them 17. That we say God only worketh a possibility of Salvation 18. That we say God ordaineth nothing from eternity 19. That we deny Christ's second coming 20. That we are not clear concerning Jesus of Nazareth his being the Son of God 21. That we acknowledge no Christ but a Christ within us 22. That we make him nothing but a meer holy man 23. That a Christ without us is but a carnal Christ with us 24. That we are unclear touching the sin of Adam and the fall 25. That we make Original Sin to be a substance 26. That we deny that Heathens have any thing of the Law written in their hearts 27. That we say a Pagan can perform all inward worship easily 28. That we confound Revelations with the gratious operations of the Spirit 29. That we succeed to the old Enthusiasts 30. That we turn the history of Christ's Death into allegorys 31. That we wildly describe it 32. That we say there is no more advantage to be had by the history of Christ's Death than by the history of other Saints 33. That we miserably mistake the judgment of the Orthodox about Reprobation 34. That in exaggerating the matter of Reprobation we miserably belch out against God 35. That we deny Faith and Repentance to be the gifts of God 36. That we vilify the vertue and efficacy of Christ's Satisfaction 37. That we deny all imputation of Righteousness 38. That we say the Patriarchs had no faith of the Messiah to come 39. That with us all members of the Church are Officers 40. That we say all Worship must be done by inward Inspirations as to time place and duration 41. That we make no use of the Scripturs in our Worship 42. That in our Worship we unchristian and unman our selves 43. That we deny Magistrates to be lawfull that are not of our way 44. That we are against giving of all honour and respect to Superiors or equals 45. That we assert no Heaven nor Hell but what is within us I could have noted several others which are direct enough lyes set down in the Index besides not a few he has in the book which are not in his Index and which the Reader will in this Vindication observe There are also several in the Index which are false and not owned by us in the terms he writeth them of which I shall give the Reader a few examples that he may judge thereby of his fallacy in most of the rest as where he saith 1. That we say the knowledge of the Fall is not necessary Now this is false for we hold it necessary for all to be sensible of their loss and want onely we say a distinck knowledge of the history of Adam's fall is not of absolute necessity to such as God never afforded the means of knowing it 2. That we deny bodily death to be a punishment for sin This is also false only we say that it is not a punishment for sin unto all but rather a pleasur and satisfaction according to the Apostle's words to me to dye is gain 3. That with us the preaching of the Gospel is not necessary This is a meer fallacy for we say the preaching of the Gospel is absolutely necessary onely we do not think the external knowledge of Christ to be only the preaching of the Gospel and that the preaching of the Gospel has been or may be where this is wanting If I should go through the rest of the Index thus I should find very few particulars in which there is not some such perversion or fallacy so that very few are set down as they are truely owned by us some indeed are such as 1st That we deny men to be Christians by birth for we believe that men by nature are born children of wrath and yet this may have exceptions as in the case of Jeremiah and John the Baptist who are said to be sanctified from their mothers womb 2. That we would have Ministers learning Trades whereby to live We truely think it were no disparagement for Ministers to work with their hands as the honest Apostle Paul did who commended the same to the Elders of Ephesus Act. 20 34. And yet we think a man may be a good Minister though he have not a trade and work none but yet never the worse if he have one 3. That in Worship we think men should be silent in the first place Yes for Silence goes before all solemn actions of speaking 4. That we think to command men to pray without the Spirit is to command men to see without eyes Yes because we know not what to pray for as we ought without it Rom. 8 26. and no man should be commanded to pray as he ought not But as to these which are indeed owned by us thou wilt find them at large vindicated by Scriptur and Reason either in my Apology or in this Treatise I could have made a further remark in this his Index to shew thee how many of them he sets down as our assertions are not nor ever were asserted by any of us nor by him affirmed to be so where he has them in his book but only his own meer conjecturs and consequences but I am loath to detain thee any longer in this by looking the pages to which he referreth thou mayst easily observe it FINIS Pag. 2 3. Prov. 25 ver 21. Matth. 5 44. Rom. 12 20. Rom. 7 2. Eph. 5 ver 25. Arg. Answ. * The Examiners of the Westminster Confession †Some Lutherans