mans self and to be urged upon others as the authority of the Scripture The Quakers Answer The Revelations of Jesus Christ are according to Scripture which bind up the testimonie and seal the law in the hearts among my disciples And what Revelations and Dictates in the heart are contrary to the law and testimonie are to be disowned and rejected according to Isai 8.20 My Reply The Answer is both cloudie and deceitfull yet seems to be in the Negative when they say what Dictates and Revelations is in the Conscience and heart of man contrary to the Law and Testimony is not to be regarded but disowned But then the Question is what they mean by Law and Testimonie whether the old and new Testaments or Law and Testimonie in the heart If of the first their Answer is true but if of the last their Answer is false and unsound and it will follow that the Revelations and Dictates of the heart not to be found in Scriptures are as binding to my own and other mens Consciences as the Scriptures contrary to their own quotation Isai 8.20 c. The truth is they will have the inward Dictates of the heart binding to Conscience and the rule when they have denyed the holy Scriptures to be a rule of faith and obedience as we have seen in their Answer to the first Question they will take no notice of Scripture Authority as if they were altogether out of Date Whereas every true Christian doth believe that God hath ordained the holy Scriptures alone to be the object of faith and ground of all our obedience and serving of God and to do any Religious service to God out of any other Principle is but will-worship and to follow the imaginations of our own hearts serving the Devil and not God Their Answer saith My accusation is false and the cloud and deceit is in my self who cannot endure sound Doctrine but call it unsound and question whether the Law and Testimonie in the heart which is the Law of the new Covenant Jer. 31.33 be the Rule to judge error by and here with the light of Christ the spirituall man who judgeth all things thy blindnesse and deceit is seen and judged and we witnesse the Scriptures to be writ for our learning and a testimony against thee and all such lyars who have got them to talk on and would set them above the Revelations of the Spirit and light of Christ which we witness is absolutely binding and the sole judge of error for to him is all Judgement given Joh. 5.22 And in his power thou art bound and thy error judged Answ Reader thou mayst see what impudent foreheads they have by saying my accusation is false when themselves have discovered to purpose the deceit of their Answer which saith The Revelations of Christ are according to the Scriptures and what Dictates are in the heart of man contrary to the Law and Testimony is not to be regarded but disowned according to Isai 8.20 In which Text we are to go to the Law and the Testimony and if any speak not according to that word it is 〈◊〉 cause there is no light in them which word is to be understood of Moses and the Prophets without all controversie So that take their answer as expressed and a plain minded Christian cannot but judge it sober and true but you may see they speak one thing and mean another thing for in their last answer to mine they tell us what they mean by Law and Testimony namely the Dictates Revelations and Law and Testimony in the heart And is not that a deceitfull answer to make a shew of one thing and intend another for if their answer had been to their intent it should have been this The Revelations of Christ within are of greater force then the Scriptures and what Dictates or Revelations in the heart of man are contrary to the Law and Testimonie in the heart are to be disowned and they should have left out their quotation had they not been purposely minded to deceive and yet they tell us often that as they write so they mean and speak the truth in plainnesse most horrible hypocrisie and deceit which nothing but impudent lying and a knavish head dare go about to excuse much lesse impute falsehood upon the innocent for discovering it Did you ever read of Law and Testimonie in the heart and did you ever read that the Law and Testimonie in the heart is the Law of the new Covenant and did you ever read that the Law in the heart is the Law of the new Covenant where is the new Covenant called a Law and the only rule to judge error by We know the whole Book of God written by Moses and the Prophets is called the Book of the Covenant Exod. 24.7 And that which you call the Law of the New Covenant is the blessing promised in the new Covenant put into performance where and to whom God is pleased in the use of the word and ordinances of the Covenant to regenerate renew quicken and change the hearts of any to yeeld willing and heartie obedience to the holy Lawes of God commanded in his word Do these strangers to the nature of the new Covenant think that all have the Law of God writ in their hearts by vertue of he new Covenant Who can deny this writing of Gods Law and giving his Spirit c. Jer. 31.33 Heb. 8. to be a saving blessing of the Covenant farre different to Rom. 2.14 which is a Law in the heart common to all upon another account If that which they plead be writ in all then all have true saving Grace and shall be saved for that Covenant is everlasting and unchangeable and then if all have not that Law of the new Covenant to what end is that quoted but to deceive making the most to believe a lye where their damnable Tenents take and so upon the matter they destroy all Christian Lawes and obedience and presse men that are Christians to turne Heathens in minding the Law of Nature only And should I speak my heart touching the nature of the new Covenant I should expresse my self thus That the Covenant of Grace that brings salvation to faln man is founded upon and confirmed by the death of Christ in which Covenant the promises of a new heart and of giving Gods Spirit and writing his Lawes are the main all other promises precepts threats and ordinances in the whole Book of God have their tendencie in order to the Lords putting into execution of those spirituall blessings promised and this Covenant is to be restrained to the visible professing Church and their seed as a speciall blessing beyond all the rest of the world that are left to wander in their own wayes And in the Church this Covenant is not to all universally and absolute but indefinitely and conditional so that not any can be excluded from it in particular nor all included in it conjunctively taken for in
by the eternall word which was from the beginning not by themselves Answ 1. That word was manifested in the flesh and dwelt amongst men justified in the Spirit and received into glory farre above the Heavens I demand how they know his mind touching my particular state in this censure pronounced whether they have it by voice from heaven or by vision or by the ministrie of Angels or dream or fancie or how 2. If the eternall word that was made flesh revealed it to them as he is in them for that 's the fancie then the word made flesh is in them bodily and not at the right hand of God where he lives for ever to make intercession for those he dyed for and obey him 3. If these censures be from the eternall word what is the reason they are so contrary to the written word which is the inspiration of God and the revelation of Christ and that which the Spirit saith to the Churches which every one that hath an eare to heare let him hear What have I pleaded but the Spirits rule as contained in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles Christ the chief Corner stone on which the true Church is built in all ages and for this these great Prophets judge me to be none of Abraham's seed and say I am rased out of his faith but what was his faith as to salvation more then what the Scriptures reveale and the weakest true Beleever hath In that I say the Scriptures are the object of faith c. is to be understood of what is contained in them and taught by them How do you or any know that there is but one God and what he is and how he will be worshipped and served but by the Scriptures How do you or any know that there is a Christ what he is and how he came into the World to save sinners and how he saves them and who he saves but by the Scriptures How do you or any know that there is a Covenant of grace and promises of eternall life and what commands but by the Scriptures Hence the Scriptures are the only rule of knowing God and Jesus Christ beleeving in him and living unto him They say Christ is the object of faith but that this is known and for what ends and uses and what is faith and how to live by it the Scriptures only make the discovery and they are writ for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope all those that are without the Scriptures are without all comfort and hope and God in the World And now whether they that oppose and deny the Scriptures to be a perfect Rule of faith and obedience or I that defend them to be the only rule deserve to be judged let every one that would be reckoned for a true Christian judge And as touching the faith of Abraham and who are his seed themselves are not much skil'd in who talk of the Law of the new Covenant writ in every mans heart as if every man were of the seed of Abraham and in the new Covenant made with him except my self and some others that out of zeale to the truth and doing service for the Church oppose them Both Abraham and all the faithfull upon Divine Record were obedient to the Commands of God and gave glory to God in believing his promises which you are farre from that reject his commands and promises in the Prophets and Apostles which not any of the children of Abraham in a spirituall sense ever did Them that are of faith are children unto Abraham and blessed with him but as for those that have departed from the true Doctrine of faith and obedience the Apostles writ to the Churches for their Rule as it is manifest from your own tongues and pens your selves have and chuse your own wayes following the imaginations of your own deceiving hearts that your selves are not of Abraham's seed much lesse of his faith while you cast off that Christian obedience to the lawes of Christ revealed in his word so did not our father Abraham And let me tell you in plainnesse your Worship and all your service is meerly vain so long as you like the Pharises teach for Doctrine the precepts of men namely such precepts that are the Dictates of your own idle brains And by an excessive fondnesse to the commands of your own fancies or the Devils suggestions you wickedly make voyd the holy just and equal commands of God What think you is not God the same as he ever was Hath he not given his statutes lawes and ordinances to Israel and to all that are of the same Church And is not this a great blessing among his people God hath not done this for the Heathen no they have not known his wayes Hath not God strictly forbidden either to adde to or diminish from his lawes upon the penalty of a curse Did not God say to Joshua thou shalt diligently observe and do all that is commanded not turning to the right hand or to the left Doth not Christ charge his Disciples to teach the baptized to observe and do all things whatever he hath commanded Matth. 28. And doth not Paul commend the Church of Corinth for being obedient in all things and for keeping the ordinances that he delivered unto them 1 Cor. 11.2 The Lawes and Ordinances of Jesus Christ were in force in the Apostolical Churches when were they repealed by what Authority and by whom Is not Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever You talk of the light of Conscience much can this light be blotted out of the Book of your Conscience it will not be long before conscience be fully opened to accuse and condemn you for reproaching the commands and ordinances of the Lord Jesus You talk of a Christ within you while you are disobedient and rebellious to Jesus Christ without you that gave his life a ransome for many Do you think a Christ within of your own making is able to secure you from the wrath of the Lamb when he shall come with his mighty Angels in flames of fire to render vengeance upon the disobedient to the Gospell You say you are perfect and in heaven and in the mean time strengthen your selves with lies and open your mouths with blasphemies and contempt of the holy things of Christ as hath been shewed but what will you do in the end thereof you tell me now out of your wonted boldnesse to belie the truth which the Scriptures teach that I am in the Will-worship in acting obedience from another Principle namely the Scriptures and so walk after the imaginations of my own heart which leads thee to worship the Devill in bringing forth those many lies in thy Paper begotten by the father of lies But I tell you the time is coming when your mouths that are opened in blasphemies shall be stopped and that word that I have urged against you shall judge you in that day
were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope but the particular application of the whole or a part is by consequence because they were not firstly writ to us at all Therefore the conclusion is unavoydable against them and yet while themselves are denying the Scriptures to be the rule of faith and obedience and for which they are under the plagues written therein as was urged against them their insensible stupid spirits shift it from themselves and make my self the man that dare adde to the Scriptures my own conclusions and so am under all the plagues written therein Rev. 22.18 19. But let them prove wherein I have in the least diminished and added to the Scriptures who am defending their Divine authority unto all against them who out of Apostasie and strong delusion have denyed the Authority of Scripture to be the Rule of faith and life I spake of consequences and conclusions that naturally flow from expresse Texts of Scripture not forced far-fetched out of Texts perverted and misunderstood as themselves by concluding my self the man that are under all the plagues even while I am defending their Authority and themselves free even while they are denying Scripture Authority In their next judging me the cast-away 1 Cor. 9.27 And found in the old Covenant when the Law and Testimonie is without and shut out of the new Covenant where the Law is written in the heart Because I queried how the Law and Testimonie may be said to be in the heart seeing that the Scripture placed them in the Ark which is called the Ark of the Testimonie where the two Tables were placed that were written with the finger of God Exod. 25.16.20 21. and 31.18 and to this is those Texts Isai 8.16 and verse 20. to be referred which they interpret to be the Law and Testimonie of the heart and would have the Law and Testimonie in the Ark writ with the finger of God but a figure of the other as if the Lawes writ in the two Tables were not reall Lawes which all are bound to obey but a figure of some other Lawes writ in the heart of corrupt man that would make every idle fancie and suggestion of Satan a Law to be ruled by as is too evident by themselves who will allow of no Lawes of God nor Scriptures but the Revelations and Edicts of their own bewitched fancies for they have rejected the word of the Lord Jam. 8.9 and what wisdome is there in them But Christians what think you were not the Children of Israel to whom God gave these Lawes in writing the seed of Abraham and in that everlasting Covenant made to Abraham Gen. 17.7 8. where the Lord promiseth to be a God to him and his seed in their Generations for ever and was not this the Covenant of Grace which included all the saving blessings thereof unto salvation and the Law of Grace in the heart and yet the Lord in his wisdome and mercie to his Covenant people gave them his Lawes in an outward writing and they were bound to the keeping and observing of these Lawes upon promises of the greatest blessings and threats of the greatest penalties annexed Were not Moses Joshua Caleb and all the godly that had the fear of God and the Spirit of God in their souls bound to the observance of this Law which was in the Ark of the Testimonie and were they in the old Covenant so as to be shut out of the new as they say of me for defending the same truth which those servants of the Lord practised and all others that feared God after them What think you Christians is the book of the Law inconsistent with the new Covenant when the truth is the great blessing of the new Covenant is so to renew our hearts and incline them to the Law of God that with love and delight we may walk in Gods Lawes and ordinances prescribed to his Glory But behold their censures they judge me none of Abraham's seed and rased out from his faith and shut out of the new Covenant and judged to be under all the plagues written in the Book of God and now are come to deny my prayers and the God whom I serve Who doth thee guide say they to belie the truth and slander the innocent I say the Lord rebuke thee Satan thou enemie to mankind who by thy wiles beguilest weak man who all his life time is subject to temptation and error and although thou hast prevailed upon these frail men to run upon mistakes putting light for darknesse and taking darknesse for light and thereby hath drawn them to deny the true and living God whose being and blessednesse is in himself infinite yet God forbid that I shoul cease praying for them and that unto my God in the name of Jesus Christ to heal their back slidings and to reduce them from wandring from thy truth and Church in all the mysterious errors they are bewilder'd and scattered in in the cloudy and dark day not for want of light who have been in a valley of vision but for want of love thereof and wholesome Discipline to prevent such extravagances And now my dear Friends of Farndon and all others that are entangled in these dangerous snares and unheard of errors that men of perverse minds and proud presumptuous spirits have the boldnesse to vent and publish in our loose dayes What think you now you have been ready to defend these deceivers and tell us that they keep to the Scriptures and teach nothing but what they have ground of Scripture for and they are as full of Scripture quotations as any whatever But what think you now have not they in plain words denyed the Scriptures to be the only rule of faith and obedience and set up another rule to be the sole Judge of error and ground of all obedience namely the light of Christ in them which sometimes they call the eternall Word by which they judge of errors and persons bind and sentence at pleasure as if all judgement in heaven and earth was given to them only and the same honour due to them which is due to the Father as you have seen it cleared unto you before I beseech you to be serious in your thoughts of what hath been writ in discovering their deceits and blasphemies and the very foundation of all heresie their denying the Rule that all things are to be tryed by and make themselves the absolute rule and we may not question what themselves say be it never so insolent and to be abhorred of all sober Christians But they presently passe sentence and judgement on us as if all judgement was given to them indeed and as if themselves were the only Masters that all must stand or fall unto Had they but power to execute as they have pride and insolencie to judge and censure what flesh were able to stand before them that should but crosse their proud fancies