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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47197	The way cast up, and the stumbling-blocks removed from before the feet of those who are seeking the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward containing an answere to a postcript, printed at the end of Sam Rutherford's letters, third edition, by a nameless author, indeed not without cause, considering the many lyes and falshoods therein, against the people, called Quakers, which are here disproved, and refuted / by George Keith ...	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.; Rutherford, Samuel, 1600?-1661.	1677 (1677)	Wing K233; ESTC R19568	115,272	246

and sensible enjoyments of himself and blessing them more abundantly with the fruits of holyness righteousness and victory over corruption in that despised way then formerly they ever witnessed although their experience of any things that were true among them called presbyterians was not short of many if not of the most of them even in that day Pag. 1. l. 18. That which this great Seer much upon his Masters secrets because he had frequent access to lean his head upon his breast who come ou● of the Father's bosom foresaw would follow upon this turning aside and fall upon the head of such forsakers of a Church so often honoured by receiving signall testimonys of the great Bridgroom's love towards her as his Spouse c. Answer 3. I wonder how this man hath the confidence to call this Author a great Seer and to tell us of his being much upon his Master's secrets becaus he had frequent access to lean his head upon his breast who came out of the Father's bosom for these and such like expressions do plainly imply Immediat Revelation and that S. R. was a prophet and had the Spirit of Prophecy in the same sense as any of the Prophets who were Pen-men of the holy Scripturs for what higher elogies could be given to any of the most eminent Prophets then these here and elsewhere given by him to this Author And here I shall set down some other expressions parallel to these in the Postscript or rather surmounting them to be found in the Epistle to the Reader whether one man hath writ that Epist●e and the Postscript is not materiall to inquire seing doubtless they are both of one profession if differing persons and he that writes the Postscript ownes the Epistle to the Reader In the beginning of that Epistle he tells us Considering how little need Master Rutherford as he calls him his Letters have of any mans Epistle commendatory his great Master whom he served with his Spirit in the Gospell of his Son having given them one written by his own hand on the hearts of every one who is become his Epistle c. This is the very same commendation that the Spirit of God giveth to Paul who was not behind the chiefest of the Apostles as you may read 2. Cor. 3 1 2 verses And indeed this is the greatest ground why we believe the Scripturs to be divinely inspired becaus the inward Testimony of the Spirit of God which is the Epistle commendatory written by Gods own hand upon the hearts of believers is the Seal of confirmation unto the Scripturs as being divinely inspired And seing GOD doth give the same Seal as this writer plainly affirmeth to S. R. his Epistles that he doth to the Epistles of Paul will it not prove that S. R. his Epistles are as really divinely inspired as Paul's Epistles were and then why may not S. R. his Epistles be put into the Bible with Paul's Epistles This question is the more pertinently put to this man and these of his profession becaus they do so argue against us the People called Quakers that if any of our words or writings be divinley inspired then we equal our writings to the Scripturs For this cons●quence if it hath any weight at all doth as much fall upon their heads as upon ours and if they do still make a difference betwixt the one and the other although both divinely in●pired can not we do the same But he proceedeth in his admirable commendation of this book thus as being a piece the holy Scripturs being set aside equall to any the world hath yet seen or this day can shew in respect of the spiritualness of it A friendly testimony indeed I remember the Presbyterians had wont to commend Calvin's Institutions above any book in the world next to the Scripturs according to these Latine verses made on them Praeter Apostolicas post Christi tempor a chartas Huic peperere librum secula nulla parem And I have heard an eminent Presbyterian Preacher in his pulpit commend the Confession of Faith with the Larger and Shorter Catechism set out by them called the Assembly of Divines at Westminster above all books in the world except the Scriptur But now both Calvin's Institutions and the Confession of Faith must give place to S. R. his Epistles yea and most books in the world besides I write not this to lessen any due worth that belongs to S. R. his Epistles for I acknowledg having read them all over once and many of them severall times I find many savoury expressions in them that savour of that blessed life of Christ revealed of God in my heart yet I must needs say I find also very many unsound and unsavoury expressions in them that the life and Spirit of Christ doth not onely not beare witness for but against as I may afterwards shew 4. I do really believe that there are divers books in the world besids the Scripturs nor shall I bring into the compari●on our Friends books lest any say I am partial more sound and more spirituall then this book is and which are more profitable to direct the minds of them who are strangers to Christ where or how to find him little or nothing of which I can find in all this book of S. R. onely somewhat of his own experience but I can not find in him any certain and clear directions certainly and in●allibly directing strangers how to attain to the least true spirituall experience nor can I find the least hint or shaddow of a testimony in all his book to the saving power and efficacy of that universall Light of Christ wherewith Christ hath inlightened every man that cometh into the world which blessed heavenly divine testimony I find in many of the Ancients for which cause a few lines of them are of more value to me and all who love Gods Vniversall Gift then this whol book of S. Rs. And I question not but many having as much of a spirituall tast and discerning as any Presbyterian will affirme that the writings of not onely Augustin and the like Ancients but of later writers in darker times as of Bernard Thaulerus Thomas a Kempis and that little booke called The Dutch or German Theology are fully as ●pirituall though I am farr from justifying any errours in these books as neither do I the errours in S. R. his Epistles And although I know the Presbyterians some of them as have seen and read the Dutch Theology account it a most dangerous book and full of bla●phemyes as I. L. did call it expresly to I. S. whereof both B. F. I were witnesses in Holland yet Luther doth commend it as one of the best books he had met with next to the Scripturs and Augustin and teaching more sound Divinity then all the Divines in Germany or any where else in that time and he wrot an Epistle commendatory of it which is prefixed to it in some Editions a printed coppy

been among them It is easily answered that they did not ow this piety to the Presbyterian Church but to the Grace of God which is Vniversall For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath shined in All so Beza translates it Tit 2 10 11. and this Grace teacheth to deny ungodlyness and worldly lusts and to live righteously and soberly and godlily in this present world And whoever in any age or place of the world joyned their hearts unto this Grace and did believe and obey its teachings it made them good and pious men so that they did excell others in many good things although by reason of the darkness and corruption of the ages and places where they lived the prejudice of education and custom prevailed so farr that they also were dark and ignorant in many things Yet the Lord regarding their sincerity winked at their ignorance in those things And thus the Apostle Paul takes notice of some among the Gentils in the time of Heathenism who were a Law unto themselvs and did by Natur to wit the Divine Nature of the Word ingrafted in them Iames 1. or by their own nature restored and repaired by the Grace of God as Augustin expounded that place the things contained in the Law such was Socrates among the Gracians whom Iustin Martyr in one of his Apologys did expressly call a Christian and classeth him with Abraham c. 2. Also all along the dark times of popery the Lord raised up some even in the very heart of the popish Church that excelled others in vertue and piety and were as Lights shining in a dark place and witnesses to the truth some in some things and some in others and yet even these men lived still in the Popish Church and in too many things were carryed away and tinctured with divers corruptions and superstitions Of this Illyricus in his Catologus ●estium veritatis giveth an account And the Author of Fasciculus temporum with divers other Historians And particularly our country-man Alexander Petry in his Church History from the year 600 unto the year 1600 as in the seventh Century Gregory called the Great and Isidorus in the eighth Century Iohn Damascen and Aponius in the ninth century Claudius Turinensis Bishop of Turin and Rabanus Maurus in the tenth Century a very dark age Theophilact Arch-bishop of Bulgaria and Smaragdus a Benedictin Abbot in the eleventh Century Berno and Fulbert Bishop of Carnatum in the twelfth Century Hugo de S. Victore and Bernard of Clarevall in the thirteenth age Gulielmus Bishop of Paris and Ioachim Abbot of Calabria in the fourteenth age or Century Dante 's Aligerius and Robertus Gallus this Robertus Gallus was a Franciscan Frier and had propheticall visions which were interpreted to him by the Spirit of God there is a Treatise under his name printed together with the Prophecyes of Hildegardis a Woman prophetesse in the Church of Rome of both whose Prophecyes Fox takes speciall notice in his Martyrology And in the fifteenth Century Vincentius a Venetian who also prophecyed against the Clergy and Theodorick Vrias There was also another Theodorick Bishop of Croatia that prophecyed in this same age that the Church of Rome should be brought to nought and that Iustice which hath been shut up in darkness shall come into Light and the true Church shall flourish in Godlyness more then she hath done In this age also lived Iohn Huss a pious and vertuous man whom the Papists burnt as an heretick and yet the same good Man retained divers Popish opinions Now in the sixteenth century the reformation from the grossness of Popery began by Luther in Germany and the Lord raised up divers other instruments in other nations as in France in England and also in Scotland and many worthy men dyed martyrs and sea●ed to the truth with their blood before the Presbyterian Reformation yea some that were Bishops in England dyed martyrs for the truth as Cranmer Ridly Latim●r Therefor albeit I grant that ther hath been divers pious men among the Presbyterians some who enjoyed communion with God in Spirit and some also who had a Propheti●all Spirit and were accompanyed with the power of God in their ministry 40 years ago upwards and were made blessed instruments of God to many soules in that day to whom the Lord gave signall Testimonys of his love and of his admitting them at times unto near communion with him among whom were chiefly Iohn Welsh Robert Bruce Davidson and Patrick Simpson and divers others concerning whom the Author of the fullfilling of the Scripturs gives an account And I do verily believe they were pious men and had precious feelings of the life and power of God which did at times accompany them in their ministry whereby many soules were reached and converted unto God And as touching some things related by the Author concerning these men I may afterwards in its due place take notice which will not a little make for the present testimony of the people called Quakers But all this will not in the least prove that the Presbyterian Natio●all Church was the true Church of Christ and needeth no further Reformation from many thing● then it will prove that the Popish Church was the true Church of Christ which as I have already mentioned had pious and vertuous men and some of them indued with the Propheticall Spirit Also the Episcopall English Church in the dayes of Q. Ma●● had very excellent men that were Bishops and some of them were burned for the truth yet thi● proveth not that the English Church was sufficiently reformed or that those called Puritans who would not conforme to her did sin or were guilty of Schisme And I suppose the Presbyterians will no● deny but Luther for piety and zeal may be compared with any of these in Scotland and yet Luther was no Presbyterian and the Lutherans have had since Luther divers excellent men of whom I ca● not forbear to mention Iohannes Arnd who hath writt a more Spirituall treatise of Spritual doctrin containing more spiritual and profitable Doctrin then any book that ever I could see writt by any Presbyterian and yet the Luther●ns differr fa●● from Presbyterians Nor should the Presbyterians in Scotland so exalt themselves above all other Churches becaus some in their Church were indued with a Prophetical Spirit for as I have already mentioned divers in the Popish Church had the Spirit of Prophecy as Fox in his Martyrology doth bear witness ● I must needs say that as for Spiritual doctrin some Mysticks among the Papists hav exceeded any P●esbyterian Writer that ever I could yet see And to speak freely that one little book De imitation● Christ● said to be written by Thomas a Kempis a Popish Monck is really to me a more usefull book for spirituall doctrin then all the Presbyterian books in the world that ever I saw and I believe hath fewer errors in it I except the last book concerning the

Sacrament of the Altar becaus for good reasons it is judged not to be his but a spurious birth of some other Writer and it is not to be found in some of the most ancient coppys This little book of Thomas a Kempis hath had an exceeding great reception among Protestants of all sorts onely some peevish narrow-spirited Presbyterians can not endure to hear it commended becaus writ by one that lived in the Church of Rome in a dark time and yet the doctrin of it excell●th that of their most spirituall Preachers It is a most unreasonable thing to cry up a faction or party or particular Church becaus of some excellent men that have been among them and perhaps zealous for that way 3. For indeed few Professions or Sects in Christianity but have had some excellent men in them The Baptists in Holland have had some also they had faithfull and zealous men that dyed Martyrs and were put to death by Papists And both Independents and Baptists in England had some excellent men among them whose labours no doubt the Lord did bless with his presence Few hills so barren but some exc●llent medicinal herbs grow upon them and in their bowells there are some mines of gold and silver and some deserts yeeld Diamonds and precious stones So I shall most willingly grant there have been holy and spirituall men in the Presbyterian Church that have known ●ommunion with God in spirit in a blessed measure and were faithfull in the talents given them of God And I believe their soules are entered into everlasting rest and their memory is as a box of precious oyntment among others of the Lord● Witnesses in other professions and places of the world And though they have been h●noured by receiving signal testimonys of ●he Great Bridegroomes love towards them as his spouse in re●oycing over them with singing and frequently helped to giv● him testimonys of their endeared affection to him ● Head Husband Supreme Lord and Governour yet I altogether deny that such high commendation doth belong to the National Presbyterian Church in the heap or indeed to any considerable part o● her for they who had any measure of true piet● among them did certainly beare as small proportion unto the body of the Nation as the white of the eyes and teeth in an Ethiopian or Black mor doth unto the rest of his body 4. But alas The Presbyterians in our days both Teachers and People are sh●mefully declined from the footsteps and spirit of those antient good men and this generation now living is no more of the true faith and spirit of these Worthy men then the Iewes that put Christ to death were of the faith and spirit of Abraham 5. But that the Presbyterian Church deserveth ●o such commendation as this Author gives her as ●eing so frequently helped to give him testimonys of ●er endeared affection to him as her head husband ●upream Lord and Governour we need goe no ●urther to bring witnesses to confute this then 〈◊〉 own treacherous practices upon every occasion 〈◊〉 had to shew her infidelity For although she ●●yed up the Presbyterian goverenment as being 〈◊〉 a Divine right and the onely government esta●●●shed by Christ in the Church yet at two seve●ll times the National Presbyterian Church when ●●elacy was imposed by the supreame Magistrat 〈◊〉 received it and at lest in outward appearance ●●atever she was in her heart turned Prelatical 〈◊〉 most shamefully conformed to that which 〈◊〉 hath often called Anti-Christian The first time was when King Iames the Sixth ●ught in Prelacy which lasted about 28 years And the second time when it was again introduced of late years and is at this present day remaining And I can not think that the Author of the Postscript thinketh the National Church of Scotland at this present time Presbyterian otherwise she is a great Hypocrit seing she doth outwardl● conforme to Episcopacy so that whereas there ar● reckoned to be in this Nation about a thousan● Parishes yet so farr as I can understand or learn● there is not One parish in all the Nation that 〈◊〉 k●ept it self intirely free from conformity And it 〈◊〉 welknown that the body of the Nation is conformed to Episcopacy and the farr greatest number● the Presbyterian Teachers conformed also 〈◊〉 some of them who were zealous for presbyteri●● government are become Bishops And inde●● they who have not conformed beare little or 〈◊〉 proportion considerable to them who have 〈◊〉 the Presbyterian Non conformist Teachers have g●●nerally manifested base and unchristian cowardi●● in running away from their flocks through fear suffering and exposing them to those they 〈◊〉 to be Wolves and some of them are fled beyo●● Sea Others lurk in corners here and there 〈◊〉 keep privat conventicles where many times 〈◊〉 preach Sedition against their L●wfull Prince instigation of whom that insurrection happ●●ed 1666. 6. And some of them have printed books in defence of the lawfulness of making wa●r against the Suprem Magistrat in order to reestablish the Presbyterian Government a way flat contradictory to the nature of the Gospel to the express commands of Christ and also to the practice of the primitive Christians to make any carnal or military resistence so much as in their own defence which lasted for hundreds of years so that it is but of later times that any professing the Name of Christianity did offer to defend themselvs by carnal weapons against their Lawfull Magistrats During the ten persecutions not so much as a shaddow of any such thing is to be found in Church history And yet as Tertullian gives an account who lived in the heart of those persecutions it was not for want of number or strength that they did not oppose themselves in their own defence but onely becaus they were Christians 7. And although suffering be a thing greatly commended and also commanded under the Gospell and is as S. R. calles it in one of his Epistles a great part of the Ministry yet I know not if the Presbyterians can instance one single person of them all since the late revolution that have suffered or do at present suffer for Conscience sake in a pure and cleanly way I mean for matters purely Evangelical and out of pure Conscience for such of them who did suffer had not keept their hands clean from too much incroaching upon affairs of the Stat and power of the Magistrat so that they had little cause to glory in those sufferings 8. And if the Presbyterians think they have had any Martyrs for Presbyterian government yet this will not commend their Church above the Episcopal which hath had its Sufferers also who have suffered unto death and whose Sufferings were as much matters of Conscience unto them as the Presbyterians was unto them Yea the Episcopal Church gloryeth that she had one of the most religious Kings that either then was or had been in the world for many ages a Martyr for her whose life was worth many

guids and for such there is no remedy untill it please the Lord to open their eyes which is my earnest desire SECTION VI. 1. The Scripturs no warrant for peopls refusing converse with the People called Quakers 2. They bring no doctrin contrary to the Scripturs 3. The Author and his Brethren guilty of horrid injustice against them in condemning them whom they neither know nor their principls 4. Many of them with a blind and mad zeal refuse all means of Information 5. The Presbyterian Teachers in labouring to perswad people not to converse with us nor read our books practise that usuall policy of the Popish Church that forbids to read Protestants books or converse with them 6. Many are the more moved to read them and seek occasion of their converse 7. Finding them grossly and falsly accused 8. John Livingston his unchristian carriage to some of their profession at Rotterdam 9. The people called Quakers not Here●icks nor their principls heretical but truely C●●●sstian and Apostolick 10. Presbyterians in great confusion and contradiction in comparing some of themselvs to the greatest Prophets and yet denying Immediat Revelation and Spirit of Prophecy 11. A cowardly Spirit in many of the Presbyterian Teachers A question put to the Author of the Postscript Pag 5. ad sinem And here by the way let me set before thee the practice of that Great man of GOD Master John Livingston of whom without vanity or being judged to hold mens p●nsons in admira●ion for advantage I fear not to say that in the day he was taken up from us I knew not so great an Ambassadour for Christ left behind upon the Earth O to see some on whom this Elijah's mantle is faln as a fit patt●rn for thy in●itation c. 1. Answer The Author of the Postscript hath been giving some perswasions why People should deny all converse with the People called Quakers from the exampls of the Apostles Paul and Iohn and lastly from the example of Master Iohn Livingston as he calls him behold the Presbyterians pride that will honour one another with the title of Master whereas when they speake of the Apostles they give them no such titles but bare Iohn Paul Peter But to say Iohn Livingston and Samuel Rutherford withholding the proud title of Master which Christ did expressly forbid doth greatly offend Presbyterian ears But first I must tell the Author of the Postscript As to the exampls of Paul and John the case doth no ways meet for the people called Quakers are of the same spirit and hold the same principls and have the same life and conversation which the Christians had whom Paul and John loved and were kindly affected unto even as parents unto children They are neither like seducing Elymas a title more aggreable to this Author nor like Hymeneus and Alexander whom Paul delivered unto Satan nor have they the least affinity with such as John forbad the Disciples to receive into their house or give them a friendly salutation for such were they who brought another doctrin unto them then John preached See 2 Ep Ioh ver 10. 2. Whereas the Quakers bring no other Doctrin but the very same doctrin of Christ which Christ himself and both John and all the Apostles preached And this upon trial we are assured by the Grace of God that we can make good against this Author and all his Brethren as likewise that we can prove that he and his Brethren are the men that bring a contrary doctrin For whereas Christ preached himself to be the Light of the world and John preached him to be that true Light that lighteneth every man that cometh into the world that all through him might believe And the Apostle Iohn said This is the message that we have heard of him that God is Light and in him is no darkness at all● I● we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we ha● fellowship one with another c. The Presbyterian Teachers can not endure to hear the same doctrin preached by the Quakers and they are ready to g●ash with their very teeth at us when we preach GOD to be the LIGHT and CHRIST to be that TRUE LIGHT that inlighteneth EVERY Man that cometh into the World And both Christ and the Apostles preached God and Christ in men as wel as Christ his coming in the flesh or God made manifest in flesh in that prepared body which was crucified at Ierusalem and afterwards raised up again and glorified And this same doctrin the Quakers preach whereas the Presbyterians are no● for Christ his being in a true and real sense no not in the very Saints 3. Surely this Author and his brethren have committed an horrid injustice against the people called Quakers in condemning them whom neither he nor his brethren do know nor what principls they hold whereas they believe lyeing reports that malicious men have invented against that people and there is a mind in them that is too ready to give ear to such lyes and foment yea augment them 4. And yet I have really such charity to this man and many of his brethren that it is through ignorance that they thus condemn us and speake evil of us and therefor is their sin the more pardonable were it not that with a blind and mad zeall they refuse all means of information whereby to be instructed either what we are or what principles we hold otherwise it were impossible they could be so ignorant concerning us as really they are for thousands in this land know that we are not guilty of these horrid things which this man layeth to our charge 5. And certainly this is a great sin in them and near bordering with that sin that shall never be forgiven that they refuse to be informed of us and are willingly ignorant themselvs and seek by all means to keep people in ignorance concerning us that they may not converse with us nor read our books an usuall policy of the Popish Anti-Christian Church who cry out against all di●●enters from them as damnable Hereticks not to be conversed with nor their books to be read upon pain of the Popes curse and surely those groundless threa●● of these Presbyterian priests have as small weight with ingenuons people and their curses or excommunications we value as little as the Popes being both from one Spirit and we know the more the● curse the Lord will the more bless us as we are faithfull in our Testimony to him 6. And it is observable that the more these me● disswad people from reading our books and conversing with us many have been the more moved to read them and seek occasion of our converse who upon an impartial search have found that we have been most grossly abused and belyed by these men 7. Which hath raised in them a love to us and an indignation against those mens deceit who did so injuriously and basely traduce us and thus also by degrees their understandings have been opened

By the Nephesch I understand that of the Soul of Christ common to him with the Souls of other men as namely the Root and Life of the Animal Senses and discursive parts By the Neschamah or Nischmath I understand that substantial dignity and excellency of the Soul of Christ that it hath in its nature being a Divine Nature so to speake above and beyond the Souls of all other men and Spirits of the most excellent and holy Angels But whether his Nephe●ch and Neschamah be two principles really distinct or two facultys and powers of one onely principle I shall not in this place determine nor is it material to the thing in hand to inquire 9. Again Christ himself hath taught us that 〈◊〉 spiritual coming in his Saints is as the Son of Man Matth. 16 28. Verily I say unto you there are some standing here that shall not ●ast ●f death till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom This can not be meant of his Last coming at the day of judgment else it would inferr that some that hear him speake these words have not as yet tasted 〈◊〉 death nor shall unto the Last Day which is absu●● Therefore this coming of the Son of Man must 〈◊〉 his inward and spiritual coming into his 〈◊〉 Again he said himself that the Father had 〈◊〉 him authority to execut judgment as he is the 〈◊〉 Man and that the hour should come wherein 〈◊〉 that are in the gravesshall hear his voyce And 〈◊〉 told them that time was in part come already 〈◊〉 must be understood spiritually and inwardly at 〈◊〉 in great part Iohn 5 25 26 27 28. 10. And according to this I find a very obse●vable saying in Calvin on the Epistle to the 〈◊〉 upon these words For he who 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 who are sanctified are all of One. His words are the 〈◊〉 following Neq●e enim tantùm q●atenus Deus 〈◊〉 nos 〈◊〉 c. For ne●ther ●oth he sanctify 〈◊〉 onely as God but also the vertue or power of his sanct●fying is in his manhood or humane nature 〈◊〉 that is hath it from it self but that God hath poure● forth a solid fulness of Holyness into it that fro● thence we may all draw to which pertaineth tha● sa●ing I for their cause do sanct●fy my self theref 〈◊〉 if we be profane and unclean the remedy is not to 〈◊〉 sought afar off which is offered to us in our flesh● Thus Calvin Now if he doth sanctify us as man● it is certain as man be must he in us for a cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at a distance but by some medium or middle 〈◊〉 there can be no middle but the man Christ him●●lf his Life or Soul extended unto us for it were a ●ost absurd thing to think that the Manhood of ●hrist doth operate upon the Deity and through 〈◊〉 Deity upon us for the Deity is altogether an ●●passible being by reason of his most infinite perfe●●on And seing he faith the Remedy is not to be ●●ght afa●r off which is offered to us in our flesh I 〈◊〉 not how this can be understood of his externall 〈◊〉 for indeed that is at a great distance from I know Calvin hath a conception that the 〈◊〉 do partake of the flesh or body of the exter●● person of Christ which yet is hardly intelligible 〈◊〉 we should conceive that it doth send forth 〈◊〉 exceeding subtile influence upon us but if it 〈◊〉 so the argument will hold stronger that if ●●ody of Christ can influence us at such a distance 〈◊〉 more the Soul seing the Soul is more capable 〈◊〉 vast an extension then the body but flesh of Christ that the Saints feed upon is 〈◊〉 that divine body the substance of which is 〈◊〉 another kind then the outward body 〈◊〉 much soever made glorious or spiritual but body can not sanctify us without the Soul of 〈◊〉 extended into it for it is rather the Soul o● 〈◊〉 that is the man then the body and holy● can not be properly inherent in any meer body being the property of an intellectual being and therefor it can not convey holiness into another simply by itself but onely as it is the instrument of the Soul which is the onely proper and immediat subject of holyness 11. And thus having given an account not onely from Luther and those who embrace the Augustan confession but also from Calvin himself for whom the Presbyterians have so great an esteeme of the wonderfull power and influence that the Manhod of Christ hath in and upon the Saints and of his being so near unto them Let us now see what their great Seer S. R. as the Author of the Postscript calleth him saith to the matter Almost all his Epistles especially the First part are so full of expressions concerning that nearness of Christ to himself and of his enjoying his Love and hungering more and more after the enjoyment of it that it is needless to cite any particular Testimonys out of the book for the same yet for the satisfaction of those that have not read his book of Epistles I shall cite some particular places holding forth that wonderfull nearness of Christ that I plead for and that Christ himself is present with and in his People and that he giveth them not onely his comforts and Graces but himself to be enjoyed by them even in this life See 1 part Ep. 120. If joy and comforts saith he came singly and alone without Christ himself I would send them back again the gate they came and not make them welcome But when the Kings train cometh and the King in the midst of the company O how am I overjoyed with floods of love This is such a plaine testimony that it quite destroyeth that deceitfull distinction that the Presbyterian Teachers have when they tell us Christ is in us by his Graces gifts and operations but not by himself For are not his joy and comforts his gifts or graces and operations and yet S. R. saith If these came singly and alone without Christ himself he would send them back again the gate they came and not make them welcome And indeed Christ can not be separat from his Graces no more then the Soul can be separat from the love and joy that is in it and emanates from it or then the Sun can be from his beames or the fire from its heat Again see 1 part Ep. 29. I can neither speake nor write feeling nor tasting nor smelling come feel and smell and tast Christ and his love and ye shall ●all it more then can be spoken To write how sweet the honey-comb is is not so lovely as to eat and suck the honey-comb one nights rest in a bed of love with Christ will say more then heart can think or tongue can utter Surely these words hold forth an immediat presence of Christ for we can not tast nor feel that which is not really present Again see Ep. 191. There is nothing will make you

4. Now this gate blessed be the Name of the Lord and to his eternall praise we can declare it many thousands in this day do know and by it they find Christ and do enjoy his living presence dayly who is the bridegroome and husband of their souls and this gate is to wait upon him in the shinings of his divine Light in their hearts being retired and gathered unto the same out of all their own thoughts words and works all their own willings and runnings in the self-will all selfish motions desires and inclinations of self in pure silence and stillness of mind waiting to feel his heavenly breathings and movings which do rai●e up in us the true desire and prayer that we may find him and enjoy him and as we have sought him by this gate or after this manner we have never missed in some measure more or less to find him 5. This silent waiting to enjoy the presence of the Lord is a mystery and as a sealed book to Professors generally and seemes to have been little or nothing known to this great Seer as the Author of the Postscript doth call him for I find nothing of it in his Epistles and yet it is one of the most needfull and most profitable lessons and instructions for people to be instructed in and the Scripturs Testimony is plain and clear concerning it even of silent waiting Lament cap. 3. 26 27 28. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly or in silence wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man ●hat he beare the yoke in his youth he sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath borne it upon him Psal. 46. 10. Be still or silent and know that I am God Psal. 62. 1. Truly my soul is silent unto God from him cometh my salvation Eccles. 5. 2. Be not 〈◊〉 with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty 〈◊〉 utter any thing before the Lord. Zach. 2. 3. Be si●ent O all flesh before the Lord. And many more ●cripturs may be brought to prove this so needfull and profitable instruction As also here are manifest ●xamples of this silent waiting in Scripture both together and apart Ezekiell 3 15. The Prophet 〈◊〉 with them of the captivity seven dayes and then 〈◊〉 Word of the Lord came unto him And Esdras sat silent with the people untill the evening sacrifice Esdra 9 3 4 5. And the Prophet Elijah sat in a si●ent posture alone upon the top of mount Carmell waiting for the Word of the Lord and the accomplishment thereof casting himself downe upon the earth and putting his face betwixt his knees King 18 42. This is such a posture that if a man should use it in our dayes people would say he were mad or possessed with the Devill such is their ignorance of the way and work of God And again 1 King 19. verse 2. The Lord appeared unto Elijah neither in the wind nor earth-Quake nor fire but in the still or silent small voice to wit that is heard in the stillness or silence of the Soul 6. There is one particular more that I find in S. R. that I cannot omit to take notice of in the same epistle 46. which I have above mentioned either I know not saith he what Christianity is or we have stinted a measure of so many o●nce weights and no more upon holynes and there we are at a stay It were good for the Professors to consider this and be convinced of their error whereas they say the holyest Man on earth doth sin dayly in thought word and deed yea every moment and cannot but sin continually Is not this to stint a measure of so many ounce weights or rather of a few grains upon holyness yea altogether to annihilate it For I know not how that can be called holyness which cannot keep the soul one moment from sinning However S. R. although here convinced of this errour yet afterwards did fall foully into it when he joyned with the divines so called at Westmunster in that unchristian assertion that no man by any grace given of God can perfectly keep the commandements of God but doth dayly break them in thought word deed This is a bold presumptuons stinting limiting the power and powerfull grace of God in the hearts of his children without all ground from Scripture yea contrary to it which saith his commandements are not grievous and his yoke is easy and his burden Light 7. Moreover in my fourth Section I referred to some thing related by the Author of The fullfilling of the Scripturs concerning Iohn Welsh Robert Bruce and some others in those dayes which I said will not a little make for the present Testimony of the people cald Quakers Now for proof of this I shall give a few instances out of many more which may be brought out of the said book 8. First The said Author telleth us pag. 416. 2 edition of a very solemne and extraordinary outletting of the Spirit in the West of Scotland about the year 1625. and there after which began in the parish of Stewarton whiles the persecution was hat from the Prelatick party 9. Which by the prophane Rabble of that time was called the Stewarton Sickness and spread through much of that countrey particularly at Irvin through the Ministry of David Dickson of which he writes that few Sabbaths meaning first dayes did passe without some evidently converted and some convincing proofs of the power of God accompanying his Word yea that many were so choaked and taken by the heart that through terrour the Spirit in such a measure convincing them of sin in hearing of the Word they have been made to fall over and thus carryed out of the Church who after proved most solid and lively Christians And says he this great spring-tide of the Gospell was not of a short time but for some years continuance yea thus like a spreading Mooreburne the power of godlyness did advance from one place to another which put a marvellous Lustre on these parts of the country the savour wherof brought many from other parts of the land to see the truth of the same Again he telleth pag. 417. at the Kirk of the shots 20 of June 1630. that there was so convincing an appearance of God and down pouring of the Spirit even in an extraordinary way especially at that sermon Juny 21. the day after their communion with a strange unusuall motion on the hearers who in a great multitude were there conveened of diverse ranks that it was known which he saith he can speake on sure ground near five hundred had at that time a discernible change wrought on them of whom most proved lively Christians afterwards Now that there was a true and reall appearance of God and breaking forth of his power and out letting of his Spirit upon many at that time I veryly believe and my soul hath unity with the testimony hereof and diver other testimonys of