works of grace become to all that deny the light and spirit of Christ within and take up a tradition from the letter without sensual having not the spirit Jude 19. Reply 6. O deceitful sophistry Is this an answering or a baffling Is it a satisfactory resolve when I asked you what was become of the work of grace faith the growth of Faith which is by the natural use of ordinances c. all which we own as did the Apostles though you deny most if not all of them when you wave it and proceed contrary to request to declare though but shallowly what the work of grace is how sin and how the rest are known all which is impertinent to the thing required and therefore it being only a titular answer it scarce deserves a reply so that it resteth as at the first wholly unanswered not on thing being properly cleared Qu. 7. Whether the Bible be the written word of God yea or no if not what means the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.36.37 38. Gal. 1.10 11. 1 Thess 2.13 Answ That is the word which the Bible declares of Psa 119.11 Rom 10.8 1 Pet. 1.23 which is invisible and eternal which they that received it of God and had it in their hearts did speak or write it down which writing they called a declaration Luke 1.1 1 John 1.3 But doth no where say the Bible is the word but God and Christ is the word John 1.1 1 Pet. 1.25 And of this word the Apostle means which was of God and not of man nor by man and the word of God is the name of Christ and not the name of the Bible Rev. 19.13 Reply 7. I must needs confesse though I am loth to use it See your Reply to Harris thine own language best beseems the exordium of this Reply Thou blind Sot canst thou so much boast of the spirit of light and yet be so far blinded in darknes as not to discern between the co-essential and co-eternal word with God the temporal expressive word of God And if they received this word of God as you acknowledge they did how then can it be but it must be the word of God from whence it did proceed and the Scriptures quoted by thee are nothing to the purpose For John 1.1 The word was with God and the word was God And so this temporal word is but the expressive word of that co essential word and so it is a lye to say that this is that word that the Apostle means when he saith For this cause thank we God alwayes 1 Thes 2.13 that when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of man but as it is in truth the word of God This is clear and the Apostle saith that it was not of man nor by man but by the revelation of Jesus Christ and so not the word Christ but the word of Christ who is God And for the other it is so clear speaking plainly of writings that it needs not be discoursed And a learned Author renders that place Rev. 19.13 as being spoken of Christ Fr. Du. Jon. as to his co-essential name and I the rather believe it in respect that the same St. John records and testifies of what he writ as from the mouth of an Angel Rev. 19 9. These are the true sayings of God and makes a distinct difference between the word of God and the testimony of Jesus and such like titles are usually attributed to the holy volume of the Scriptures as the word of God * Mar. 7.13 Acts 13.44.46 Acts 17.13 Acts 8.14 Acts 6.7 the word of the Lord * Mar. 7.13 Acts 13.44.46 Acts 17.13 Acts 8.14 Acts 6.7 the commandements of the Lord and the like Almost every chap. of the Old Testam Jer. 30.2.4 1 Thes 4.15 1 Pet. 1.25 Act. 16.32 Deut. 11.1.27 But that the Scriptures should say that the Bible is the word of God is absurd to imagine because it is a word not there to be found it being a word of Art used to expresse the whole volume of the Scriptures in general but yet that which is therein contained is so called and is so indeed Qu. 8. If the Ministry now established be Antichristian where then and who be Orthodoxal Ans Those Ministers who have their Authority from Chr. are such as abide in the doctrine of Christ and these are they who are hated of the world ever was for crying out against the deceits and filthinesse of the world Priests and people And whereas thou askest where they are I say in Gaoles and Prisons in this Nation many of these are for the same now by means of those who live out of the doctrine of Christ and in the steps of the false Prophets Scribes and Pharisees seeking for their gaine bearing rule by their meanes being call'd of men Masters c. all which are forbidden by Christ Isay 56.11 Rom. 10.8 Matth. 23.9 10. and for bearing witnesse against such much innocent blood hath been shed though they ever call themselves Orthodoxal and the Ministry of Christ establisht by men Reply 8. That these Ministers who are of Christ abide in the doctrine of Christ we know and witnesse and need not you to teach us and hereby are assured you are not of him but of some other And the persecuters in all Ages like you sought to set up a doctrine and way of worship of themselves and yet were sensual having not the spirit though separated as peculiarly sacred such as are you and your Founder the Pope Yet still was it their practice like as you doe now to cry down and as the Eagle to her prey pick forth first the right eye of Christianity to wit Acts 4.12 17 18. the Ministry that they might no more speak uprightly of that name in which onely is Redemption that so the Shepherds being destroyed and the flock dispersed they might with the more ease and the lesse difficulty be devoured by such wolfes as thy selfe and so be made a prey for the deceiver But since you say the true Ministers are in Gaoles and Prisons in this Nation who doe you meane the Romish Priests from whence you sprung and such like if these be they speak out or are they some of those branches which are sprung from that grove of heresie to wit your vagabond fraternity taken up as strayed from their habitations and from their Religion too But that these are for the same now that the true Saints in former times were martyr'd for is a most notorious lye and prove it if thou canst that ever any dyed for this cause wherein you now persevere except Jesuits and you seem to accuse us as being out of the doctrine of Christ as also saith Rome because we are not one with you and them And you seem to alledge that they seek for their gaine from their quarter speaking of our Ministry of which
great Livings Tythes and set maintenance and by whom and in what must it now differ from these An Answer to the Ninth Quere The true Ministry of Christ is the same now for matter meanes and maintenance that it was in the Apostles dayes though you would change it unto that which is no Ministry of Divinity but rather a mystery of iniquity I have partly proved in my answer to your seventh Query as to matter and meanes I come now unto what remaines concerning maintenance for there I shewed how Paul the wise Master builder who yet was servant unto all was to and did ordaine and chuse by de putation other workmen in the same employment with him as fellow-labourers in the Vineyard of the Lords Church and so it is the same now And concerning maintenance 1 Cor. 9.6 7 8.9 10 11 12 13 14. 1 Tim. 5.8 1 Cor. 11.8 Luke 9.3 Mat. 10.10 Luk. 9 10 the same Apostle having proved the necessary conveniency of a maintenance for Gospel-ministers by many unquestionable Arguments he comes at last to this Assertion Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel And certainly he so ought to live as that he may not become worse then an Infidel but provide for his own Family and the Rehearser of that Ordinance was also a practitioner in the use of maintenance for this he testifies of himselfe I robbed other Churches taking wages of them to doe you service And therefore since it was lawful for him as certainly it was to take wages for so he calls it of one Church to doe another service then sure is it much more tolerable for a Minister to take wages of a Church to serve the same And though the Apostles in the time of our Saviours presence with them took neither purse nor scrip with them because their employment required haste yet this is annexed The labourer is worthy of his hire and to take two coats might have been cumbersome and therefore they went light but as you read of their going forth so do you of their comming in too in the same Chapter and our Saviour who first instituted also disannulled this command and bids him that hath use and him that hath not buy Luk. 22.36 and they being then to travel from one Region to another were to plant not keep in order the Vineyards and therefore I could not be setled in any constant employment and therefore enjoyed no standing maintenance that I have read of except Paul as before named for wages must be some certaine allowance and in that the Scripture allowes and ordaines a maintenance and pet prescribes not the summe it is evidently cleare that it is left to humane providence to order that and so Paul seemes to admonish when he saith Let all things be done with decency and in all things I suppose this was included And since you have nothing else to upbraid our Ministry withal 1 Cor. 14.26 you raile against and abuse Paul as well as them when you cry out against hirelings and therefore false Prophets say you so that it is neither changed nor different from the Primitive Institution And therefore the latter part of this thy Query with most of thy Tenets thou mayest send to Rome to thy great Grandfather the Pope who hath both added to and diminished from the true Ministry and yet calls it the true still And if this satisfie thee not I shall refer thee to more able pens who have writ on this subject above mentioned as Mr. Baxter and others Quere 10. Whether the light of Christ be as sufficient to lead to God now as it was in Abrahams time and if not what must now be added to it to make it sufficient An Answer to the tenth Query This thy Query hath been sufficiently answered in my Answer to thy first Query for that which wrought effectually in other Saints wrought also in Abraham who believed and therefore was justified in that his actions were counted to him for righteousness so that his righteousness was of faith not of works for then would it have been an action of the body when faith is an act of the soule by which he and every beleever is and shall be saved and by faith was he satisfied so as to be accepted and that faith which then was sufficient is the same still even unto the end for he that beleeves shall be saved And by grace are we saved through faith and that not of our selves observe that it is the gift of God And the difference is not of the matter whereof it was and is wrought but in the means and manner at which you are offended in that because he then wrought himselfe immediately he doth not the same now but by his Ambassadors beseeching us to be reconciled unto him But if this be not a limiting of God what is then for shame cease to professe thy selfe the servant of God when thou seekest to pervert his will for that cannot be the spirit of God in thee which so fighteth against it in the Primitive Saints Query 11. Can any preach Christ who have not Christ in them and where he is is he not sole teacher what to preach and pray and how and when and to whom and is he to be limited by any external thing or to any external thing or is any ordinance to be practised but what he in spirit leads the creature to An Answer to the Eleventh Query It is possible that there may now be as in the Primitive times there were them which may preach Christ and yet not have Christ within them for far be it from me to deny or to imagine otherwise but that Judas the Traytor preached Christ as well as any other of the Apostles Phil. 1.15 16. Phil. 1.18 1 Cor. 9.27 and Paul testifieth as much unto the Church of Philippi that some there were that preached Christ out of envy to his cause Such I feare thou art and many more of thy society and some of strife and some of good will but yet still of them all thus testifieth Paul that whether in pretence or in truth Christ is preached I doe rejoyce yea and will therein rejoyce And the same Apostle though to another Church renders it a matter possible that whilest a Minister teaches to save others .6 he may become a castaway himselfe when this is an assured certainty that where Christ hath begun a good work of faith in any he will perform also it and the rest of this your Query I suppose tends to that which you and more of your Apostatiz'd Brethren have asserted as that we ought to wait in silence till the Spirit move us and that whoso useth the Scriptures are robbers and stealers of others mens words This you once asserted to me and so consequently urging all to forsake reading teaching and praying or any such like exercises unlesse the Spirit by irresistable motions move us thereunto
for I shall promise you no more then the hasty fruits of some vacant yet scanty hours which with the assistance of divine providence led me to compose what I here present unto your perusal And though I seem not worthy of recompence for my labour yet grant me thanks and not hatred for my good will which is the least I can expect from the vertuous and more then I desire from the vicious except it prove as profitabe to their conviction as are my prayers vigilant for their conversion that so those of them which have not sinned unto death may take with them words of repentance and turn unto the Lord and say Blot out our iniquities forgive us our transgressions and receive us graciously that so being purified they may also be justified and so live as to live unto the Lord and in dying dye in the Lord That so whether they live or dye they may be the Lords Thine in all Christian observance to my power JOHN DEACON Decemb. 27. 1655. A PUBLICK DISCOVERY OF A SECRET DECEIT An Answer to Nineteen Quaeries subscribed JOHN DEACON 1. Quaere IF every man that comes into the world have light in him sufficient to salvation how then do you say that I am in darkness for either you must grant your first or second Assertion to be false or prove me not come into the world or not born of a woman Answ 1. The cause why thou art in darkness is because thou dost not believe and follow that light which is sufficient according to Christs words John 8.12 For they that turn from the darkness to the light have the promise but the unbeliever is condemn'd in darkness yet is the light sufficient John 3.15 16 17 18 19. Reply 1. When first I undertook to encounter with thee O subtil Deceiver and secret Deceit though I looked not for the innocency of a Dove but rather the ravening of a spiritual Wolfe yet I find the subtilty of a Serpent though not the purity of Christ yet the policy of Antichrist But as Satan is a Serpent so is Christ Rev. 12.19 Gen. 3.1 Ioh. 3.14 and that a brazen one too and as the Deceiver is a Lyon that seeketh whom he may devour Num. 21.9 1 Pet. 5.8 so is Christ a Lyon and that of the Tribe of Judah and as the serpent to subtil to deceive so is Christ no less cunning to preserve unto his everlasting habitation who hath began a good work of faith in our souls and also will do it the end whereof is everlasting salvation When I quaeried 1 Pet. 1.19 Ephes 2.8 since you affirm that all that come into the world have light in them soul-saving how then I being come into the world and so in general affirmed to be in light that you in particular should conclude me in darkness as if not come into the world at all and therefore I quaeried how the contradiction could be reconciled to a concurrence you put me off with a pretended Answer which indeed is but a Sophistical flash of the Deceivers policy with an uncharitable I had almost said diabolical Assertion that I am in darkness when this I can affirm with joy that God hath so far enlightned me as to see your deceivableness and I fear hellish darkness 2. Qu. If that Light be universal that is soul-saving shall all be saved yea or no Answ 2. All that believe shall but he that believeth not Isa 49.6 Rom. 1.16 the light is his condemnation John 3.19 Reply 2. That all which believe shall be saved we need not you to teach us but since you affirm all have soul-saving light the question was whether all should be saved if not your Doctrine is false which saith there is in all a sufficiency But you pretend private I may say a new light lest your deeds being as dark as Antichristian they should be brought unto the publick light Christ and his Gospel and so by that light that evil be made publique which now lies hid in you under glorious pretences 3. Qu. If you say yea I query further How is it then that you say I am damn'd and where is the Reprobate Answ 3. Thou art damn'd by thy unbelief Joh. 3.18 19. And where Christ the light of the world is not known within but denyed there is the Reprobate 2 Cor. 13 3.5 Reply 3. Here I finde two diabolical satanical censorious uncharitable Assertions both beyond thy spiritual presumptuous determination First that I am damned Secondly that I believe not both which are devilish in a double sense First as presuming to step up into the seat of Gods Tribunal and to define that which only belongs unto him to whom judgement is given But who art thou that judgest another Joh. 9.22 and judgest not thy selfe Secondly as being a lye that I believe not prove this if thou canst or else it proves thee a lyer but if it be so that I must believe your heresies and then be a believer and though I believe in Christ yet still be an unbeliever let the devil be the first and if he will for I will be the latter And here thou abusest the Text in saying that where Christ is not known within there is the reprobate as much as to say he may be there unknown But canst thou hide the Sunne O deceitful Deceiver that it shall not shine forth If thou couldest yet this celestial Sun of righteousness cannot be kept under but will banish all sinful clouds and illuminate resplendently to the obvious prospect of that soul where it is And the Apostle saith Christ is in you Corinthians except ye be Reprobates giving thee the lye who sayest Christ is in Reprobates as well as Saints 4. Qu. If this light ought only to be minded and all external means utterly abolisht I query wherefore you teach and to what end serveth the Scriptures which were for the making perfect the man of God 2 Tim. 3 16 7. Ans 4. We teach to turn peoples minds to the light word which is the one thing needful to be minded 2 Pet. 1.19 2 Cor. 4.1 to the 8th And the Apostle preacht that word to the people which was in their hearts Rom. 10.6 7 8. And their preaching was to open the blind eyes and to turn from darknesse to light and so from the power of Satan unto God the Father of the Light Acts 26.18 And the Scripture serveth for declaring and testifying that this Christ is he that is the light of the world and lighteth every one that cometh into the world and the Saviour of all that believe John 12.46 John 1.9 1 Tim. 4.10 Rep. 4. Here you grant a damnable heresie that all external things are useless none excepted in that you pass it over with a consent of silence and hypocritically say you teach to turn peoples minds to the light and yet elsewhere declare against all them and so confusedly against your self here that say the light in every
against which I utterly declare as have others done for this were first to bereave us of that glorious priviledge of communion with God he speaking unto us in his word we unto him in prayer Secondly to shut up the Kingdome of God in some sort from the sons of men in bereaving us of the meanes for discipline and observance is the security of an Army in wars and what are glad tydings if they are not told Thirdly this is to presse us to the omission of duty which is questionlesse commission of offence And fourthly this leaves all open to the assaults of Satan we laying downe in our infirmities and not standing up against his invasions and temptations And lastly this giveth way to sluggishnesse of spirit and to an unwatchfulness in matters of salvation and endeavour to engage us to a confidence of beliefe Matth. 24.23 24. Luk. 21.8 Act. 17.11 in and to every thing that shall come in the name of Christ and so to receive Antichrist not leaving us the priviledge of the braines to try the words of an Apostle by the umpire of all controversies the sacred Scriptures which is absolutely opposite unto the truth and contrary yea far exorbitant from the known will and temporal expressive word of God for though he hath said Joh. 14.26 1 Tim. 4.15 2 Tim. 2.15 Rom. 12.12 2 Thess 5.17 The Spirit shall teach us all things yet hath it said againe Meditate on these things give thy selfe wholly to them Now wholly excludes all negligent intermission and the manner how is prescribed too for Study to shew thy selfe approved and stir up the gift in thee as fire which sometimes is covered with ashes and againe Be constant and instant in prayer and pray continually which includes all times and seasons wherefore we ought to put up our supplications at the throne of grace not onely when the spirit especially moveth us but when our occasions or necessities require Matth. 25.25 26. and far be it from me to imagine that the Spirit of God moved the Apostles to preach when they did onely and at no other time and that they alwayes waited in silence till then for then it stirred up it selfe they stirred it not but rather hid their talents of grace in the earth and so were unprofitable if not unfaithful servants and since the holy Ghost advised and the the Apostles so practised as to meditate study and pray without ceasing it appeares plainly unto me that Christ neither limited or constrained them respectively in particular but onely notionally in general so to doe giving them repenitent hearts to sorrow for sinne and grace to beleeve and power thorow that grace to exercise faith in the performance of those duties and when they prayed Christ also prayed with them and as a faithful Mediatour making continual intercession at the throne of grace that the fruition of their prayers might be the accomplishment of their desires and far be it from me to imagine that Christ can be limited by any external thing though I suppose and really beleeve that it is possible for any man to limit himselfe and then much more for Christ who is God and therefore with him all things are possible and so may limit himselfe in any thing if he please Quere 12. What is the ground and rise of your knowledge whether it be received within man from God or without from the Letter And if without whether this be not the knowledge which all the vaine janglers comes out of and the generation of persecutors comes out of as the Jewes was in which professed the Letter and were strangers to the life of God And whether this generation of men and Professors in our Age do not begin to manifest the same as the persecuting Jewes did yea or nay An Answer to the Twefth Query Act. 19.2 My knowledge as was Pauls is neither perfectly the one nor the other and yet partly both for as the disciples of Ephesus were ignorant of Jesus though baptized unto John and had not so much as heard of that name or that there was a holy Ghost notwithstanding any inward light until they were informed of it by the outward teaching of Paul and then they beleeved on Jesus and so their saith and their knowledge too was from without not within but the Jewes who like you thought to inherit glory by a Covenant of works not of grace endeavoured to pervert and subdue all knowledge Mat. 5.14 save of their way who professing obvious light were found to be in obscure darknesse and therefore persecuted the lights of the world the Apostles and Ministers of Christ fearing lest their deeds should be brought unto the light and be found evil as you doe and so they walked short both of the Spirit and the Letter too yet professing as much and as peculiar sanctity as your selves and you and your generation manifest as much malice as did they wanting only their might against those precious candles of the Gospel who waste themselves that we may grow up unto perfection and I speak sincerely and I suppose I may doe it without breach of Christian Charity That if ever we should live to see that dismal disconsolate day wherein Quakers should predominate in might as much as now they doe in malice I feare fire and faggot would be a deare commodity through the frequent use thereof for any may see with a single eye without a paire of spectacles not onely the persecuting and censorious Jew but also the Saint-murdering and truth-opposing Pope enthroned both in your malice and your Tenets The Lord defend us and his cause from your envious power Quere 13. What Scripture have you for your manner of worship as to read a Chapter and to give meanings to it and call it expounding to take a text of another mans words and raise points reasons and uses c. to sprinkle Infants to sing Davids words in order of your ballads to stand praying in the Synagogues at your set times before and after your glasse Prove your practice by command from Christ or practice of Gospel-Ministers else for shame cease to call it Gospel-worship since none of Christs Ministers worshipped in that manner An Answer to the thirteenth Query When first I read this common hackny and overthredbare worne Query which hath been the publick frequent Strumpet of all your blemished vitiated pens answered more then once and againe I could not but smile to fee your so often battered armour wherewith you war against the cause of Christ become the harnesse of your resistance in the list of this controversie against the truth at this time also and though in respect it hath been as often answered as proposed by several learned pens who have writ on this occasion and by others who have treated on this subject whose abilities are manifest in their works of precious concernment which might induce me to wave my Answer But as I said before so say I now