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seen in their Answer to the first Question they will take no notice of Scripture Authority as if they were altogether out of Date Whereas every true Christian doth believe that God hath ordained the holy Scriptures alone to be the object of faith and ground of all our obedience and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
But their pride will be their ruine And the Lord will rebuke the madnesse of these Prophets and they are in the same way of perishing as in the gainsaying of Corab But dear friends I hope that there is that fear of God in your hearts that will preserve you from running out into these desperate heresies as to deny the holy Scriptures to be the Rule and ground of faith and obedience For you know deny the Authority of Scriptures the only boundary of truth and the only Touch-stone that every spirit and opinion is to be tryed by then all shall be left to follow the imaginations of their own idle heads and act as their deceitfull hearts shall suggest then they that can get the greatest confidence conceitednesse and strongest fancies and the impudentest tongues to vent their own inventions will be the only men for the true Religion and then who can tell what is truth and who are guided by the spirit of God and who by the Devill The very denying the Authority of the Scriptures bringeth all into confusion and heathenisme inevitably Cast off that which God hath ordained to direct us then the Devil will put in to mislead into all error and how shall any be able to know his workings and temptations from the pure workings of God for our good when the authority of the Scriptures are laid aside Nay who can be certain of any things in himself or in others that they please God when I or they cannot be certain they are ordained of God to that end if you lay aside the Authority of Scriptures And how just is it for God to punish the hearts of men with all spirituall delusions blindness and error and to let Satan loose upon mens souls when they cast off that which God hath given to direct and instruct in all righteousnesse and to every good work as 1 Tim. 3. You know how it is said that he that provideth not for his own hath denyed the faith as to that particular duty which the Doctrine of faith teacheth and is worse then an Infidell What would the Apostle have said of these that deny the whole Doctrine and Rule of Faith and yet have been once Christians sure they are worse than Infidells and it had been better they had never known the way of righteousnesse then after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandements of the Lord delivered unto them by word or writing 2 Pet. 2.20 see chap. 3.1.2 wherein the Apostle endevoured to stirre up their pure minds by way of remembrance that they might be mindsul of the words that were spoken before by the holy Prophets and of the Commandements of us the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour which comprehends the whole Scriptures of old and new Testament on which the Church is built the Scriptures are and in them do contain the Oracles of God which is a great advantage and preferment to those they are committed unto beyond all others Rom. 2.1 2. To them is the Covenant and the promises and the service of God chap. 9. And whatever were writ before time was writ for our learning that the Church of God through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15. Whereas on the other hand those that are denyed the Scriptures are Aliens from the Common wealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenant of Promise and without hope and God in the world Ephes 2.12 as is clear of the like Infidel state that the Ephesians were in before their conversion to Christianity I tell you to deny the Scriptures is the desperatest error that any mortals can possibly plunge themselves into having once professed them such I am sure forsake their own mercies and judge themselves unworthy of eternall life by despising the Gospel of Christ contained in the Scriptures they slight the everlasting Covenant of Grace and all the promises writ in the Book of God there being not a promise made to any in the world but what is in the Scripture nor can any expect that God will give that which he doth not promise to any Let them tell me what promises are writ in the heart that deny the Scripture to be the only rule of faith and obedience if they be without the promise then they are without hope and God in the world as the poor Indians are if not worse by denying that which they have the means to know nay have known and been convinced and rejoyced in the spiritual blessings promised but now wilfully deny them and reject them as not to be believed that are written for the great comfort of the Lords people I tell you friends these miserable Worms uncovenant themselves and unchrist themselves as if they cared not for grace and mercie in their standing before God In denying the Scripture they deny all that grace and mercy that is writ there for the comfort and hope of poor penitent finners If the Scriptures shall be denyed their Authority by them then it will follow that they have removed the Lords antient bounds and the only Judge of all error What is heresie but the broaching of errors and vain opinions and practices contrary to the holy Lawes and Institutions of God recorded in Scriptures in taking away the rule they are involved in all heresie whatever for God will not be any otherwayes known trusted in worshiped and obeyed then himself hath taught and prescribed us in his word When men dare think of God after their own fancies and believe in him after their vain minds and worship God as seems good in their own eyes as all do that deny the Scripture to be a perfect Rule no wonder that they make God like themselves and themselves like God and that they preach another Gospell and set up another Christ and fancie another Heaven and another day of judgement and another Law and Rule to try all things by If men cease to be Christians and forsake the rules of Christianity while they continue to be men and have any sparks of immortality in them they will be doing in one way or other in order to eternity But will you receive these seducers into your houses and bid them God speed that deny the only Rule of righteousnesse and not be partakers with them Judge ye And can a greater proof and demonstration be given against any that they are Impostors and deceivers false teachers then this that in plain terms will deny the Authority of the holy Scriptures to be the only Rule of faith and obedience as those do which you receive and adhere unto which is a confirmation to me of the truth and Divine approbation of the publike ministry that you have forsaken when I observe what teachers you follow even those that deny the Authority of Scriptures And should our Teachers deny the Authority of holy Scriptures to be the Rule of faith and obedience and set up their own fancies to be the Rule as they do which you adhere
of Righteousnesse and true godlinesse are inclined in charity to hope well of you that there is some good at the bottome and life at the root that will spring forth again and make you instrumentall by your sad experiences to warn others The Third Question propounded WHether any thing besides the holy Scriptures is constituted of the blessed God to reveal Jesus Christ as Redeemer and Saviour to the Spirits of sinfull miserable lost man to bring up men to happinesse On whether lost man without the knowledge of Christ as the Scriptures reveal him may attain unto salvation yea or no. The Quakers Answer None can come to Christ but whom the Father drawes by his unlimited power nor know the Father but he whom the Son reveals him and he that thinks to attain the way to eternall life by reading the Letter of Scripture and regards not the light which comes from Christ that witnesseth for God in the secret of the heart and Conscience deceivs himself for the mystery of eternall life is sealed up in the sealed Book which none shall know by the outward Testimonie of Scripture but by the Inspiration of the Spirit of Christ who is the way the truth and the life to all that in his light wait his power them to guide in faithfull obedience to the Righteous and perfect Law of God written in the heart for the exercise of the Conscience which keeps them void of offence towards God and men according to Testimonie of Scripture Act. 24.16.23.1 My Reply Their Answer to my third Question falls upon other Questions but gives no direct Answer at all for the question doth not exclude the power and grace of the Father and the Son from mans attaining unto salvation but is of another thing namely whether faln lost man without the knowledge and use of the Scriptures may in an ordinary way know Christ as Mediator and be saved by him or thus whether God hath and doth exercise his power and Spirit in bringing corrupt man to the knowledge of Christ as Redeemer and believe in him to eternall life without the use and knowledge of the Scriptures ordinarily The Question is not of extraordinary cases and of Gods unlimited power who can do more then he hath any where revealed he will doe but it is of his ordinary course and power that is limited by his word of truth to do what he will in order to the blessednesse of those that wait upon him in those wayes and in the use of such means himself hath appointed in his holy word all other stamps and forms pretending to the knowledge of God and religious worshipping of him or of being saved by Christ are but the superstitious births of deluded fancies that tend to the deceiving and ruin of a mans self and others Their Answer to this is but dark and to little purpose only they say That their Answer doth stand as a witnesse against me and declares the way to the Father and the Son according to Scriptures Matth. 11.27 Joh. 6.44 Which they say my dark mind is a stranger unto who am querying of Gods constituting ordinary means of salvation and of his ordinary way of working to reveal Christ as Redeemer which say they are unlearned Questions and to be condemned with the light which reproves the world of sin and leads to the Son who is the Redeemer and way to the Father Joh. 14.6 Which way is but one and condemnation you must own unlesse thou canst shew us a Scripture that speaks of ordinary and extraordinary way of Gods exercising his power and Spirit or of a limited power of God which words proceed from thy dark Imaginations and not grounded upon Scripture are concluded to be the births of the deluded fancie you speak of Answ By all this we may judge the sum of their Answer amounts to this That my Question is unlearned and to be condemned with the light which reproves the world of sin and leads to the Son immediately without the help of those means God hath appointed to that end and therefore as before the Scriptures and Ordinances therein commanded are not of necessity but this pretended light and Spirit and unlimited power of God is to be attended upon only not regarding any ordinary means whatever though such as God himself hath appointed and doth only reveal in his word as if all those ordinary and usuall helps that God himself commands in his word for men to use to come to the knowledge of Christ and how to be saved by him were superfluous or opposite to the knowing of him c. although the Scriptures were written and all Instructions therein contained for our learning that we might have comfort and hope all others that have not the use and benefit of Scriptures have no hope and without God in the world as hath been spoken to already and yet this they say is an unlearned Question but surely they say so because they know not how to give a direct Answer to it in plainnesse but it wil lay them open to the weakest judgements to be against Christ as Redeemer as the Scriptures teach him which few would hearken unto should they speak plainly But let all men judge of what Spirit these men are of that condemns the Questions as propounded by the light which condemns the world of sin But let them first discover what sin is in these Questions before they rashly condemn them Secondly let them tell us what light is that which reproves for sin if not the mind of Christ and the voice of the Spirit revealed in the Scriptures Thirdly let them prove that the light which they condemn the Questions with is the true light of Christ or else who will regard them How dare those proud Worms condemne the things they know not how to answer but by denying the holy Scriptures and what they teach But what light is that that leads to the Son who is the Redeemer while you disown the light of Scriptures to be the Rule to make out this high discovery Did you ever know or hear of any since Scriptures were that have attained to know Christ as Redeemer and to believe in him to salvation that never heard of Christ by Scriptures or Scripture ministry Doth not the Apostle determine absolutely as to this case and question by severall interrogations Rom. 10. How shall they call on him of whom they have not believed and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not so much as heard of and how can they hear without a preacher and how can they preach except they be sent c. And doth he not conclude from these interrogations that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God he urging that necessity of hearing the word of God in order to faith without which it cannot be And therefore it was that he queries the Galatians thus Received ye the Spirit by the Law or by faith preached not by the Law but by
more vile fith it is for God and the salvation of poor souls entangled under this dark temptation presented under the specious pretences of the Ministers of Christ What civility or Christianity can I or any expect from those that have denyed the holy Scriptures as to that end they were intended and reproached the ordinances and Institutions of the Lord Jesus that Scriptures teach under the notions of heathenish worship and traditions of men outward observations inconsistent with the kingdome of God which reproaches reflect upon the Author and Inspirer of Scripture appointments which is the spirit of God and to be reproached by those that are the reproachers of God and his worship while I am defending him to my power will be my Crown and honour when confusion and shame shall stop the mouthes of his malicious enemies FINIS ERRATA These few amongst other Errataes are to be amended by the Reader PAg. 6. l. 5. for our r. your p 7. l. 31. for lord r. word p. 10. l. 35. for yet r. that p. 15. l. 14. for god r. Good p. 20. l. 12. put the stop after within p. 32. l. 33. for are r. am lb. l. 38. for when r. where p. 33. in the margin for Jam. r. Jer. p. 45. for Act. 9. r. 4. Books written by the Author and are to be sold by Thomas Williams at the Bible in Little-Britain London and William Tompson at Harborough in Leicester-shire THE Bar to free Admission to the Lords Supper removed Or a Vindication of Mr. Humphreys Free Admission to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 8. To receive the Lords Supper the Actual Right and Duty of all Church-Members of years not Excommunicate Made good against Mr. Collins his Exceptions against The Bar Removed large 8. FINIS A Postscript BReaking off abruptly for fear of swelling too big I was forced to omit some special things that I should have been glad to have spoken unto amongst others that the next Questions would have led me unto I have thought good to give a further hint as touching that which I conceive is a main principle of these mens deceiving themselves and others They seem first to debase man as man and say he is altogether a dark dead polluted thing the childe of wrath and his best actings as man are but as a menstruous cloth But then they advance the same man in general by affirming that every man is lighted by the Spirit of Christ that convinceth of sin And this they would have to be free Grace and that promised Spirit which should convince the world of sin of righteousness and of judgement and whosoever mindes and believes it shall by this grace and spirit come out of darknesse to eternal life But to discover so great a mistake we must know That it is true that all men in the world have some light by nature more or less that convinceth of sin for it is said that the Gentiles do by nature the things contained in the Law and are a Law unto themselves their thoughts accusing or excusing one another Rom. 2.14 Mark the Apostle doth not say that the Gentiles by the Spirit of Christ and free grace inlightning them do the things contained in the Law but they do those things of the Law by nature and they are a law to themselves The Spirit of God is not a Law to themselves because that is distinct from man and gives Lawes to man as he did the written Law to his people but this is another distinct thing they are a Law to themselves Man since the fall hath not lost his reason but that Divine rectitude and perfection thereof that made him conformable to the will of God unto life there is a spark of reason and immortality in the soul of man still which rationall soul though it be depraved of what it was and now is subject to error and vanity that not any can be saved by following that light only yet it is such a light as it is called the Candle of the Lord Prov. 20.27 and directs men to do the things contained in the Law And this is witnessed by most people and nations upon the earth That reason which they have by nature directs them to make lawes to preserve humane societies and the Common-weal of the whole and hence punish Theft Murther Whoredome Drunkennesse Perjury c. and incourage to morall Vertues which things are contained in the Law of God and yet they know nothing of Jesus Christ nor of any other things which accompany salvation Besides as men are under greater advantages of light in respect of the outward means as the Scripture Ministery Education Examples so also in respect of the more common workings of the Spirit inlightning and convincing some man by nature knowes more and doth more the things contained in the Law and Gospell too The very principle of Reason and Conscience urgeth every one to do the Good and to shun the Evill What man of ingenuity can withstand the strength of reason but yeelds his assent though not able to bring up himself to the practise of what himself allowes with sincerity till renewed by the Spirit of Grace The spirit of man knowes the things in man and hath that inspection and reflection in man from the understanding faculty that it knoweth its own motions intentions and actions whether good or evil according to its light and accordingly Conscience Gods Deputy greater then a thousand witnesses either condemns or excuseth And I judge that all men have this in some measure untill through custome in sin and withstanding this light and Gods just Judgement concurring they be given up to a seared conscience past feeling as is said of some But now for these people to run up and down to teach men that this which is but the light of Reason improved by the help of ordinary means and workings is the Spirit of Christ and the free Grace of God that brings salvation is such a pernicious Diabolical dream that never came into the head of any till now I think That mans soul is a created substance given of God from whom are all things is true but that this spirit of man which is called the candle of the Lord is Gods Spirit that was promised to convince the world of unbelief and of the necessity of righteousnesse by Christ victory over sin Satan and hell as that of John intends and leads out of darknesse into eternal life is a most blasphemous error What though they will not say that the soul of man is the Spirit of Christ promised to convince of sin under that notion and expression yet upon the matter they say the same when out of desperate mistake they make that to be the immediate light and power of the Spirit of Christ which in deed and truth is but the rational soul of man in all by nature or acquired in the use of ordinary means and workings And thus you see while they are debasing man below what he is by nature they are advancing him above what he is at the same time by nature they endow him with the Spirit of God and the gifts of free Grace to lead all men out of darknesse to eternall life hence they Deifie that which is the gift of nature and make all men their own Saviours hence they make the differencing act between good and bad the saved and damned to be mans self under dark impotent nature corrupted hence they slight the Death of Christ and say as one to me that sinners have no benefit by that Bloud of Christ that was shed at Jerusalem for that was the bloud of man and it is the Bloud of God that man hath benefit by not that God is capable of shedding bloud but this is a figurative speech setting forth the Spirit of God that convinceth the world of sin It being asked To what end did Jesus Christ come into the world and so to suffer his Answer was To put an end to the Cereremonies and that was all that he would yeeld although he is a man of considerable abilities so strong is the delusion Hence they comprehend all men under the grace of the New Testament and make no difference between the visible professing Church and the Pagan world all may be saved alike if they will Hence they cast off all outward means Ordinances formes of Religious Worship and bid hearken to the spirit within c. as if all things God in his Word hath appointed were alwaies superfluous and in vain They throw away Gods Election special redemption the Saints perseverance They will have men to have the Spirit of Christ and the free Grace of the Covenant and yet be none of his Just contrary to plain Scriptures Rom 8. But I must not enlarge let them tell us how they will escape these Rocks Let them tell us what difference they make between the convictions of the Spirit in the unregenerate Pagan or Christian and those that are regenerate and how the Spirit is in the Infidel and how in the true believer and where any that are accounted for light in the Lord are under darknesse too and where are any in an Infidel state called light in the Lord. Prove all things and the Lord direct to that right understanding of truth best pleasing to himself and our good Farewell