Nimeguen to Consult the Peace of Christendom so far as they are concerned Wherein the true Cause of the present War is discovered and the Right Remedy and Means for a firm and settled Peace is Proposed By R. Barclay a Lover and Travailer for the Peace of Christendom Which was delivered to them in Latin the 23 d. and 24 th days of the Month called February 1677 8. and now published in English for the satisfaction of such as understand not the Language Psal. 2.10 Be wise therefore ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the Earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with Trembling Kiss the Son least he be Angry and ye perish from the Way when his Wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their Trust in him To the Embassadors and Deputies of the Christian Princes and States met at Nimeguen to Consult the Peace of Christendom R. B. a Servant of Jesus Christ and hearty Wel-wisher to the Christian World Wishes Increase of Grace and Peace and the Spirit of sound Judgment with hearts Inclined and willing to Receive and Obey the Counsel of God LET it not seem Strange unto you who are Men Chosen and Authorized by the Great Monarchs and States of Europe to find out a Speedy Remedy for the present Great Trouble under which many of her Inhabitants do groan as such whose Wisdom and Prudence and Abilities have so Recommended them to the World as to be Judged fit for so Great and Difficult a Work To be Addressed unto by one who by the World may be esteemed Weak and Foolish whose Advice is not Ushered unto you by the Commission of any of the Princes of this World nor Seconded by the Recommendation of any Earthly State For since your Work is that which concerns all Christians why may not every Christian who feels himself stir'd up of the Lord thereunto Contribute therein And if they have place to be heard in this Affair who come in the name of Kings and Princes let it not seem heavy unto you to hear him that comes in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ who in the truest sense is the Head and Governour and Chief Bishop of the Church the Most-truly-Christian and Catholick King Many of whose Subjects are Concerned in this matter and the Blood of many in Hazzard for whom he hath shed his precious Blood And yet who shall not seek to Obtrude upon you the Belief of the Truth or Certainty of his Commission because of his own Testimony but leave it as well as the things he therein delivereth to the holy and pure Witness of God in all your Consciences to be Received or Rejected by you as it shall there be Approved or not Approved Know then My Friends that many and often times my Soul has been deeply bowed down under the weighty Sense of the present State of Christendom and in secret before the Lord I have mourned and bitterly lamented because thereof And as I was Crossing the Sea and being the last Summer in Holland The Burthen that was upon the Author in this Matter and some parts of Germany the Burthen thereof fell often upon me and it several times came before me to Write unto you what I then saw and felt from God of these things while I was in those parts But I Waited and was not willing to be Hasty and now being Returned to my own Country and at my own Home I cheerfully accept the fit Season which the Lord has put in my hand and called me to therein to signify unto you those things which in his Name and Authority I am Commanded to do And for this End the Lord has shewn me what the Causes are of all this Mischief and Confusion and Desolation which are necessary to be made known unto you and deeply and seriously to be Considered by you Else ye can never be able to Apply the Right Remedies I speak of the Primary and Original Cause The Primary Cause of Mischief first to be Removed as it proceeds from him and is hatched by him who is the Author of all Mischief and the great Enemy to as well as Envyer of the true Peace and Prosperity of all good Christians and who sows in Mens hearts that Evil Seed and fomenteth that bad Ground from which all Evil Riseth For unless this be seen discovered and removed in the Ground although the secondary and more immediate Causes be seen to wit the Projects Designs and Councils of Men and in part be answered and removed by giving way to some and taking from others according as they are more or less formidable and considerable measuring these things by the Rules of Humane Wisdom and Carnal Prudence and Policy yet that is not sufficient That may Allay the Heat for a Time but will not Remove the Evil and You in so doing will prove but like those Physitians that do Mitigate the pain and violence of a Disease for a Time but do not take away the Ground and Cause of it so that it shortly again Returns and in the End Destroys him that is Afflicted with it The Chief Ground Cause and Root then of all this Misery among all those called Christians is because they are only such in Name Christians in Name and not in Nature and not in Nature having only a form and profession of Christianity in shew and words but are still Strangers yea and Enemies to the life and vertue of it owning God and Christ in words but denying them in works and therefore the Lord Jesus Christ will not own them as his Children nor Disciples For while they say they are his Followers while they Preach and Exalt his Precepts while they Extoll his Life Patience and Meekness his Self denying perfect Resignation and Obedience to the Will of his Father yet themselves are out of it and so bring Shame and Reproach to that Honourable Name which they Assume to themselves in the face of the Nations and give an occasion for Infidels Turks Jews and Atheists to profane and blaspheme the holy Name of Jesus Is it not so While so much Ambition Pride Vanity Wantonness and Malice Murder Cruelty and Oppression Abominations abounding in the Courts of Christian Princes yea and all manner of Abominations abounds and is openly practised yea while those that should be Patterns and Examples of Justice Vertue and Sobriety to others do for the most part Exceed most in those things So that the Courts of Christian Princes who while in words seem more to Glory in being Professors and Protectors of Christianity than in their outward Crowns which should be Colledges of Vertue and Piety are mostly Scenes of greatest Wickedness and Nests and Receptacles of all the Baffoons Stage-players and other vilest Vermin not fit to be mentioned I say Is it not so While upon every slender Praetext such as Their own small Discontents or That they judge the present Peace they have with their Neighbour cannot sute
Appearance to Compass it It must be all called a Zeal for the House of God which if it only Ate up those that had it would be less Mischievous to the World but it Eats up other Folks It breaks Society violates Relation Invades Property Robs God and destroys Man a Fire of Hell not of Heaven for truly and excellently Speaking that is Love This Spirit Destroys instead of Informing Christ's Spirit Intreats Informs and finally Saves both Body and Soul People tinctured with this Religious or rather Irreligious Venom are the worse for their Religion their Natures are more Sowred their Dispositions more Testy less Bowels less Humility a worse Neighbour The good Samaritan is of more Worth than a whole Synagogue of them Reader beware of this Leaven of the Circumcision the Pharisee the spiteful Formalist that vext Paul every-where and were the great Enemies and Sticklers against the Truth in Power and Life Their Generation is yet living and sown too much about the World and seem to be the Lords of it But for all their Wisdom and Power and the fair Shew they make in the Flesh some after one Fashion and some after another Know Reader that Great is the Truth and it shall prevail The Lamb shall have the Victory who is the Light Rev. 21. and in the Despised Light of the Lamb must the Nations of them that are saved Walk The other Extream is quite the Contrary as all Extreams are but not so hurtful to the Concerns of this Life though perhaps not less pernitious to the Inward Man and in which Satan Acts a part for the most part out of Sight by which he Craftily Deceives and Ensnares some that are Simple-hearted and Commendable Livers viz. Loving all equally without due Distinction whatever their Perswasions be and standing loose of all as to a Formal Communion yet by their Latitude are in a sort of all and Intitle themselves both by their Indifferency and their Love to an Interest in them all and all to an Interest in them Our Author is weighty upon this Head he shews what Love is its Excellency in its Root and Fruit What Distinctions and Limitations true Love observes and what People and Principles now Extant in the World have the Rightfullest Claim to this Vniversal Love from their Universality and Gentleness To which I Recommend the Reader taking this along with him That true Love from Man springs from God's Love to Man They that have Tasted of God's Goodness and have had their own Hearts softned by it have an Extraordinary Tenderness to Mankind It is a most engaging Vertue It Covers Forgives Excuses Conquers all nothing can stand before it They that have known the Power of it feel all Peoples Infirmities and Sympathise with every one's Condition They hate nothing but Sin they love all can help and serve all but especially the Houshold of Faith But it is speculating this Love too far to Love all alike as these Vniversalists tell us For in Nature People do Love their Parents Brethren Husbands Wives and Children better than others and we cannot but Love the Religious Family we are of more because we feel them nearer to us than another But this it may be will not be denied in a sort but then the proper Sense is somewhat Equivocated viz. I find says one the Family of God every where in every Form and Sect and that is my Church which I love and for that Reason I love every Society and can Communicate as I see Cause with every one of them It is Certain we ought to See and Love the good in all and so far as Virtue shines in any Person whatever is their Perswasion so far there is a Loveliness it is Comely and of Good Report And though of a very differing Apprehension as to Revealed and Traditional Points of Religion yet they are to be loved nay Enemies Phil. 4.8 Heb. 6.1 2. Matt. 5.44 such as are Injurious to us in the highest Degree But all this is with a Grain of Salt under Restriction and with due Bounds For I am not obliged to Turn Jew Turk or Indian because I Honour their Virtue and Love their Persons as Fellow-Creatures Nor am I bound to Love an Enemy with the same Degree of Love I have for one that is my Friend Benefactor or Relation To Worship God with those that though Sober and Upright among Men VVorship him in Ways my Conscience tells me are below if not Contrary to the Nature of God his Revealed Will and my own Sense of Duty and Worship is an Extream that makes all Ways of Worship Indifferent and in Consequence Impeaches the Dispensations of God that have been to Carry Men farther and to Leave and Forget those things that are behind Yea Phil. 3.13 it causes the Offence of the Cross of God's Day and Dispensation to Cease especially in Trying and Suffering Times and opens a Door to a dangerous Temporizing Paul according to this Doctrine was much in the wrong Gal. 2.11 12 14. that he Reproved Peter for his Complacency with the Jews And indeed our Saviour and his Apostles will not Escape Blameless for Changing that Constitution if it were Lawful for them to Continue to VVorship God in the Jewish Manner Nor did the Primitive Christians well to be devoured by Wild Beasts if they might have been permitted to Symbolize with the Heathen For it is certain there were many Extraordinary Gentiles the Followers of Plato Zeno Seneca Epictetus Plutarch Marc. Aurelius Antoninus c. in those Times that have left the Just Fame of Virtue to their Names by their sober Lives and rare VVritings I may Converse kindly but I cannot VVorship with one I differ from even about that very VVay of VVorship and if this be a Fault we must impeach our Protestant Ancestors too But on the other hand I must be Careful I suffer not my self to be Carried beyond Bounds in Dissent neither the Difference must never Run so far as to beget a Dislike and much less an Aversion of Spirit to his Person or Conversation that I Differ from this were sinful yet alas too Common and it may be an hard Task to Conquer and a True Mark of Discipleship in all that Overcome it God Almighty Root out and Expel that Make-bait-Spirit among Men that where there is not an Vnity for that comes up to Faith and VVorship we may Exercise true Charity and Forbearance especially where there is any sincere Appearance of the Common Faith Tit. 1.4 Heb. 1.1 2. and the Fruits of a Fear towards God in general But as God has Appeared at sundry Times and in divers Manners since the World began so it was the VVay of his Spirit and Method of his Providence to gather up the Sincere-minded into one as so many Grains do Form one Lump And therefore the Apostle to the Corinthians calls the Believers one Bread unto which 1 Cor. 10.17 as a Standard others were to be gathered and upon which
as a Foundation of which Christ the VVord was the Corner-stone succeeding Believers were to be built And I challenge all the Disaffected Societies and Forms without Distinction or these Vniversalists I am upon to shew any other manner of God's Appearing to Men in any Age or that in the same Age or by the Primitive or first Instruments of such Appearance there was a Change of Dispensation or a Justifiable Declension from what they testified of and were the Instruments to gather and settle People in so that to Conclude Vniversal Love is a blessed Truth but with the Degrees Limitations and Distinctions that the Spirit of God sets and gives us whose Fruit it is and unto which we shall do well to take heed Gal. 5.22 that we at all times Love truly and rightly not too little nor too much but Consider the Object and Motive of our Love and we cannot fail in that great Duty of Love to all This Treatise of Vniversal Love is followed by another styled An Epistle of Love published at the End of the same Year Writ and sent by our Author as A Friendly Advice to the Ambassadours of the Several Princes of Europe met at Nimmegen to Consult of the Peace of Christendom shewing the True Cause of War and proposing the best Means of Peace To each of whom also was given one of his Apologies which were all received with Respect This Epistle has Edification in it to our present Times The Original Cause of VVar is not hard to Assign the Apostle James has told it us long ago He asks and Answers the Question thus From whence come Wars and Fightings among you Jam. 1.1 Come they not hence even from your Lusts that War in your Members It is what every one feels in himself that has not Overcome those Lusts or whose Consciences are not seared with an hot Iron though it is also what very few make their due Reflections upon else we should hear of less Blood and Misery But if Lust be the Ground of War what is become of the Doctrine of Christianity among those supposed Christians and what are they that shew a Pleasure in the Accounts of the bloodiest Battles Can a Christian of Christ's making look upon the Blood of Men or hear of it without horror and distress of Spirit Less surely can they shed it or encourage those that have a Delight or Part in that Man-slaying Work But how low and grosly are some Professed Christians fallen from the Nature of true Religion and the purity and Power of the Faith that was once delivered to the Saints through Sufferings by them to us Jud. 3. that hang their Religion and Gospel upon their Swords and Guns and pin it upon an Arm of Flesh as if the Gospel could be Overcome of that which cannot Touch it But how I pray did the Primitive Christians maintain their Ground yea grew upon their Adversaries Poor Naked Men and not of the greatest Quality or Capacity and finally Vanquish Cruelty it self but by Faith and Patience Hebr. 11.33 42. Thus they Converted Executioners Overcame Emperours and Armies and by a Successive Course of Meek and Suffering Integrity turned the Edge of the Sword quenched the Flames of Fire with their own Blood not the Blood of their Enemies and finally this Holy Constancy translated them from the Theatre of Slaughter to the Palaces and Diadems of Princes This brings to my Remembrance a Passage our Author has in this Book to this Effect That there is nothing a Greater Tarnish and Withering to the Protestant Cause than the Professors of it betaking themselves and that early to Earthly Powers and Weapons to preserve and promote it which are not the Weapons of the Apostolical Warfare and Inconsistant with the Nature Power and Glory of Christ's Kingdom For the Preservation of the Protestant Religion stands in a Spirit of true Reformation as well in Life as Doctrine as plainly decayed if not lost and it is to be feared for that Reason that God will blow upon all other Ways of supporting it especially such as we thought a Fault in our Enemies in Wordly Arts and Force If we would be Zealous to purpose for the Protestant Cause let us look to God and not Man Examine our selves Try our selves 2 Cor. 13.5 Luke 15.8 9. see what is wanting in us both to God and Man Let us Return Home Light our own Candle and sweep our own House and we shall find the Silver we have lost the Zeal Power and Purity of Soul that make our Worship acceptable our Prayers prevalent our Lives Blameless and an Ornament to Religion This Faith this Holiness this Reformation is the Cause of God and the rest is our own though we Gild the Pill flatter our selves and deceive others This Spirit of Reformation knows no Man no People no Church after the Flesh This goes on Overturning Overturning all Will-worship Man-made Faiths Humane Inventions and Traditions of Men about Religion till he Reigns in the Soul whose Right it is to Rule It is an Holy Leaven O Reader that leavens the whole Lump into its own Nature and makes fallen Matt. 13.33 2 Pet. 1.4 degenerate earthly-minded Man that receives it a Partaker of the Divine Nature This the earliest and purest Protestants aimed at Heb. 11. that had their Eye to an Eternal Country the City whose Builder and Maker is God Free of Humane Considerations and the Mixture of Worldly Interests and Advantages And to Evidence the Truth of what I say Read the Accounts that the Faithfullest Writers of those Times have obliged us with and you shall Taste the same thing even among the Martyrs themselves where the Country and Mechanical People those of least Account out-do those of Title Learning and Preferment among Church-men themselves as to the Life and Purity of Reformation and Zeal and Courage for it as occasion offered to shew both Wherefore O ye Protestants of all sorts Return Return Return to your First Love and Works before it be too late Hos. 12.6 Rev. 2.5 Joel 2. Zach. 1.3 Rend your Hearts and not your Garments and turn to the Lord your God you have but a little Time and a great Account to give Think not to be long safe from your Enemies without while you Entertain your greatest Enemy within in despight of God his Spirit and Scripture and your own Pretensions to Reformation While you have so many Sins on your Enemy's Side to fight against you they will ever have Power to Vex you if not to Destroy you And if in some Evils your Enemies Exceed yet in Moral Ones you are not a Jot behind them And Remember they have their Beads but you have your Bibles in your Hands when you Transgress God Almighty make you sensible with True and Godly Sorrow a Repentance never to be repented of that you may Overcome your Enemies by your Faith 2 Cor. 7.9 10. Prayers and Love and by the Power of your Example Recommend your Religion
Sacred The first he saith may be given to men but the second to God only alledging this distinction to be founded on Scripture Luke 14.10 Then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them Luke 14.10 wrong Translated that sit at meat with thee Now these words ought to be translated Thou shalt have glory praise or renown and therefore in the Latine it is Et erit tibi gloria for so the Greek word Doxa signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gloria which W.M. will not shew me to signifie Adoratio or Worship It 's therefore but a poor Argument that has no better bottom than this manifest mistake of the Translation For other proof he hath none neither for his Distinction nor former Assertion Thirdly I observe his Instancing of the practices of Abraham Lot Joseph Jacob adding That though they be not to be followed in all things yet in such they may as are not elsewhere Reprehended nor Prohibited For Answer Let him look unto Rev. 22.9 where the Angel refused it and seeing I suppose he may have so much Charity for this beloved Disciple as to judge he was not Tempted with Idolatry especially in a season wherein God was Revealing such pretious things unto him he may observe now this Holy Man was a stranger to this unscriptural distinction of Civil and Religious Worship Fourthly I observe his endeavours to shift Affinity with Popery but he hath no way disproved the parity in that wherein I compared them viz. The Papists distinguish the Worship they give to God and that they give to their Images only in the Intention and not in the outward signification and ye distinguish the Worship ye give to Men and that ye give to God only in the Intention and not in the outward signification For ye bow and take off your Hats to the worst of Men as well as to God and therefore ye agree in so far as both have nothing but their simple Intention to plead the difference whereunto nothing is answered He concludes his Section saying I seem to justifie Moses his doing Obeysance to his Father in law adding What is Obeysance but civil Reverence by bowing the Body This is a fit Conclusion to close up such a silly Section for after he has laboured long in vain he concludes thus begging the thing in question And if Moses bowed himself as I said in my last that makes nothing against us His second Section is to prove Salutations by words which might have been spared until he had proved how and where we deny them But because he had something to say from Scripture for this which we deny not but own as much as himself he would have it in that he might seem with some credit to bring-in his Inference which is That bowing of the Body and expressing our Affection by words is agreeable to Scripture The latter part of this concerns not us as being not denied and for the first of Bowing it signifies nothing until it be brought in with some more pressing Premisses In this Section he acknowledges That taking off the Hat is without any Scripture-warrant Hat-honour to Man not warranted by Scripture but to God And from Argument passes here to Entreaties begging that it may not be quarrelled at But seeing the taking of it off or uncovering of our Heads is that which the Apostle requires as a sign of Subjection in our Worship towards God 1 Cor. 11.4 7. we Resolve to keep it to him and not to give it to man wherein if he will solve our Scruple according to Scripture we may be the more easily induced to answer his desire It is to be Observed that notwithstanding of this we are not against outward Signification of Honour though in the end of this Section he falsly would be insinuating the contrary He hath here subjoined a Third Section which he termeth an Answer to my Objection and which in Reason should have some relation to Salutations as being under this Head though indeed it hath none at all but is a meer Cavil at some of my words upon another Subject concerning the Single Language Where page 11. I confess with him that the Kingdom of God consists not in words adding that it seems inconsistent with his Principles seeing the Gospel according to him is but words yea the Scripture it self I mean that which ye have of it to wit the Letter Now this Parenthesis he hath Dis-ingenuously omitted and thereupon goes about to explain their meaning of the Scripture and the Gospel alledging If we be for another we may justly be accounted Subverters of the Christian Religion But such shallow Criticisms brought in beside the purpose whereas other things more Material are either wholly Omitted or scurvily Shifted over will easily appear to the Impartial and Judicious Reader In his second Head concerning our using Thou and Thee which is the singular number to one Person I observe First How he hath given away his own Cause by confessing By You are meant all the Apostles Luke 22.31 that Luke 22.31 is not understood of one exclusively of others and therefore no wonder if Christ used the Plural Number seeing as W.M. confesses he intended to speak to all the Apostles As for that Expression of Bildad's Job's Friend granting both the Transcription and Translation to be true shall this one Expression overturn the Universal practice of Christ and the whole Saints in Scripture or let him tell us plainly whether these Words and Practices of Job's Friends which are Recorded be for to be our Rule so as we ought to imitate and follow them especially where they contradict or differ from the Practice of Christ and his Apostles But to follow this so frequent Practice of the Saints is with W.M. to be proud knowing nothing but doting about Questions and Strife of Words for so he mis-applies 1 Tim. 6.4 and to his own Confusion uses it himself in the end of his Epistle to the Reader where he has these Words I am thy Servant and thereby hath Condemned himself as one of those Ignorant Proud Boasters he speaks of c. Secondly The second thing I observe that he produceth not one Argument against our Practice in this thing but his own groundless yea lying Imaginations and Conjectures alledging He is of the mind that if the Translators had not kept to the Rigor of Construction but Translated Atach and so not Thou which is the true signification but You we had kept our old tone Though his disdainful Insinuation of our Ignorance be here apparent yet experience might have taught him and his Brethren that even where the Translators have favoured them with their Escapes the Quakers have both had Hebrew and Greek enough to find them out It is also here to be observed how easily W. M. can dispense with Mistakes even wilful ones in the Translators when they make for his purpose thereby in effect for all his pretences of Exalting the Scripture and
and the Gift by Grace which is by one Man Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the Offence of one Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of one the free Gift came upon all Men unto Justification of Life Q. That proves abundantly that Christ's Death is of sufficient Extent to make up any Hurt Adam 's Sin brought upon Mankind What is then the cause of Condemnation A. He that believeth on him is not Condemned but he that believeth not is Condemned already 1 John 3 18. because he hath not believed in the Name of the Only Begotten Son of God And with all Deceivableness of Unrighteousness in them that Perish because they received not the Love of the Truth 2 Thess 2 10 11 12. that they might be saved And for this Cause God shall send them strong Delusions that they should believe a Lie that they all might be damned who believe not the Truth but had Pleasure in Unrighteousness Q. Seeing it is so of a Truth according to the Scriptures Testimony that God has purposed Love and Mercy to all in the appearance of his Son Jesus Christ Is the Gospel or Glad Tidings of this Salvation brought nigh unto all by which they are put into a Capacity of receiving the Grace and being saved by it A. If ye continue in the Faith grounded and setled Col. 1.23 and be not moved away from the Hope of the Gospel which ye have heard and which was preached to every Creature which is under Heaven whereof I Paul am made a Minister Q. What is the Gospel A. I am not ashamed of the Gospel for It is the Power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1.16 unto every one that believeth Q. Is this Gospel hid 2 Cor. 4.3 4. A. If our Gospel be hid It is hid to them that are Lost in whom the God of this World hath blinded the Minds of them which believe not lest the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them Q. Is this Light then come into the World And are not Men condemned because they love it not and not because it is hid from them John 3.19 A. And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather than Light Q. Why do they so A. Because their Deeds are Evil. Q. Is every Man enlightened by this Light John 1.8 9. A. He was not that Light but was sent to bear witness of that Light that was the True Light which enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World Q. Doth this Light discover all things A. All things that are reproved are made manifest by the Light for whatsoever doth make manifest Ephes. 5.13 is Light Q. Do Evil Men preach up this Light or mind it John 3 20. A. Every one that doth Evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his Deeds should be reproved Job 24.13 They are of those that Rebel against the Light Q. Do good Men love it and follow it John 3.21 A. He that doth Truth comes to the Light that his Deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God Q What Benefit doth redound to such as love the Light and walk in it 1 John 1.7 A. If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all Sin Q. Doth Christ command to take heed to the Light A. While ye have the Light believe in the Light that ye may be the Children of the Light John 12.36 Q. Were the Apostles Commanded to turn People to the Light Acts 26.17 18. A. Delivering thee from the People and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee to open their Eyes and to turn them from Darkness unto Light and from the Power of Satan unto God that they may receive Forgiveness of Sins and Inheritance among them which are sanctified through Faith that is in me Q. Doth this Light abide with every man all his Life time in order to save or only during the Day of his Visitation John 12.25 A. Yet a little while is the Light with you walk while ye have the Light lest Darkness come upon you Again He limiteth a certain Day saying in David To day after so long time Hebr. 4.7 as it is said To day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your Hearts Q. How can it be proved that there is a Day wherein People may know things concerning their Peace which afterwards may be hid from them A. And when he was come near he beheld the City Luke 19.41 42. and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy Day the things which belong unto thy Peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes Q. Is there any further Scripture-Proof of the Lord's willingness to gather a People who would not and therefore were Condemned A. Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets Matth. 23.37 Luke 13.34 and stonest them which are sent unto thee How oft would I have gathered thy Children together even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not Then his Lord after that he had called him said unto him Matth. 18.32 33 34. O thou wicked Servant I forgave thee all the Debt because thou desiredst me shouldst not thou also have had Compassion on thy Fellow-Servant even as I had Pity on thee And his Lord was wroth and delivered him to the Tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said It was necessary Acts 13.46 that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of Everlasting Life lo we turn to the Gentiles Because I have called and ye refused Prov. 1.24 25 26. I have stretched out my Hand and no man regarded But ye have set at nought all my Counsel and would none of my Reproof I also will laugh at your Calamity Jer. 18.9 10. I will mock when your Fear cometh And at what Instance I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to build and to plant it If it do Evil in my Sight that it obey not my Voice then will I Repent of the Good wherewith I said I would benefit them Q. Doth God's Spirit strive then for a season and afterwards forbear A. And the Lord said Gen. 3.9 My Spirit shall not always strive with man Q. May it then be resisted A. Ye Stiff-necked and Uncircumcised in Heart and Ears ye do always Resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye Acts 7.51 For the Wrath of God is Revealed from Heaven against all Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of man Rom. 1.18 who hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness Q. Hath God manifested to Man
4 5 6 7 8 9. For if there come unto your Assembly a man with a Gold Ring in goodly Apparel and there come in also a poor Man in vile Raiment and ye have Respect to him that weareth the gay Cloathing and say unto him sit thou here in a good Place and say to the poor stand thou there or sit here under my Foot-stool Are ye not then partial in your selves and are become Judges of evil Thoughts Hearken my beloved Brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this World rich in Faith and Heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him but ye have despised the Poor Do not rich men oppress you and draw you before the Judgement-seat Do they not blaspheme that worthy Name by the which ye are called If ye fulfil the Royal Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self ye do well but if ye have RESPECT to Persons ye commit Sin and are convinced of the Law as Transgressors Q. Though that be indeed sufficient to reprove the different Ranks among Christians upon the Account of Riches or Birth Master and Servant yet is there not a Relative Respect among Christians as betwixt Master and Servants What Admonitions gives the Apostle in this Case A. Servants be Obedient to them that are your Masters according to the Flesh with Fear and Trembling in Singleness of your Heart Ephes. 6.5 6 7 8 9. as unto Christ not with Eye-Service as Men-Pleasers but as the Servants of Christ doing the Will of God from the Heart with Good will doing service as to the Lord and not to Men knowing that whatsoever good Thing any Man doth the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free And ye Masters do the same Things unto them forbearing Threatning knowing that your Master also is in Heaven neither is there Respect of Persons with him Servants obey in all things your Masters according to the Flesh not with Eye-Service as Men-pleasers but in Singleness of Heart Col. 3.22 23 24 25. fearing God And whatsoever ye do do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto Men knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the Reward of the Inheritance for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doth Wrong shall receive for the Wrong which he hath done and there is no Respect of Persons Masters give unto your Servants that which is Just and Equal knowing that ye also have a Master in Heaven Col. 4.1 Let as many Servants as are under the Yoke count their own Masters worthy of all Honour 1 Tim. 6.1 2· that the Name of God and his Doctrine be not blasphemed And they that have believing Masters let them not despise them because they are Brethren but rather do them Service because they are faithful and beloved Partakers of the Benefit These things teach and exhort Exhort Servants to be obedient unto their own Masters Tit. 2.9 10. and to please them well in all Things not answering again not purloining but shewing all good Fidelity that they may adorn the Doctrine of God in all Things 1 Pet. 2.18 19 20 21. Servants be subject to your Masters with all Fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward for this is Thank-worthy if a Man for Conscience towards God endure Griefs suffering wrongfully For what Glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your Faults ye shall take it patiently but if when ye do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God For even hereunto were ye called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an Example that ye should follow his Steps Parents and Children Q. What good Admonitions gives the Scripture as to the Relation betwixt Parents and Children Ephes. 6.1 2 3 4. A. Children Obey your Parents in the Lord for this is right Honour thy Father and thy Mother which is the first Commandment with Promise that it may be well with thee and thou may'st live long on the Earth And ye Fathers provoke not your Children to Wrath but bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. Col. 3.20 21. Children Obey your Parents in all Things for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers provoke not your Children to Anger lest they be discouraged Q. What between Husbands and Wives Husband and Wife A. Wives submit your selves unto your own Husbands as unto the Lord for the Husband is the Head of the Wife even as Christ is the Head of the Church Ephes. 5.22 23 24 25 28 31 33. and he is the Saviour of the Body Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ so let the Wives be to their own Husbands in every thing Husbands love your Wives even as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it so ought men to love their own Wives as their own Bodies he that loveth his Wife loveth himself for this Cause shall a Man leave his Father and Mother and shall be joined unto his Wife and they two shall be one Flesh. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his Wife even as himself and the Wife see that she Reverence her Husband Col. 3.19 1 Pet. 3.1 2 7. Husbands love your Wives and be not bitter against them Likewise ye Wives be subject to your own Husbands that if any obey not the Word they also may without the Word be won by the Conversation of the Wives while they behold your Chaste Conversation coupled with Fear Likewise ye Husbands dwell with them according to Knowledge giving Honour unto the Wife as unto the weaker Vessel and as being Heirs together of the Grace of Life that your Prayers be not hindered Q. * Christian's Armour What is the Armour of a true Christian and wherewith ought he to wrestle A. †Ephes. 6.11 12 13 14 15 16 17. Put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil for we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against Spiritual Wickedness in high Places wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the Evil Day and having done all to stand Stand therefore having your Loins girt about with Truth and having on the Breast-Plate of Righteousness and your Feet shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace above all taking the Shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the Wicked One and take the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Q. What are Christians Weapons and for what End and Weapons A. For though we walk in the Flesh we do not war after the Flesh for the Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal 2 Cor.
as a Heathen and a Publican And lastly That the Church Gathering or Assembly of God's People has Power to Examin and call to an Account such as appearing to be among them or owning the same Faith with them do Transgress and in Case of their refusing to hear or Repent to Exclude them from their Fellowship and that God hath a special Regard to the Judgment and Sense of his People thus orderly proceeding so as to hold such bound in Heaven whom they bind on Earth and such loosed in Heaven whom they loose on Earth I am partly Confident that no rational Man will deny but that these naturally follow from the above-mentioned Scripture and if there should be any found so unreasonable as to deny it I could prove it by necessary and unevitable Consequences which at present as taking it for granted I forbear to do If it be reckoned so great a Crime to offend one of the little ones that it were better for him that so did that a Milstone were hanged about his Neck and he were drowned in the Depth of the Sea without Question to Offend and gainsay the whole Flock must be more Criminal and must draw after it a far deeper Judgment Now if there were no Order nor Government in the Church what should become of those that Transgress How should they be again Restored Would not this make all Reproving all Instructing The End of Church-Order all Caring for and Watching over one another void and null Why should Christ have desired them to proceed after this Method Why doth he place so much Weight upon the Judgment of the Church as to make the refusing of Hearing it to draw so deep a Censure after it which he will not have to follow the refusing to hear one or two apart though the Matter be one and the same And so as to the Substantial and Intrinsick Truth of the Thing there lies the same Obligation upon the Transgressor to hear that one as well as all for that one adviseth him to that which is right and good as well as the whole and they do but homologate or Confirm that which that one hath already asserted Yet Jesus Christ who is the Author of Order and not of Confusion will not have a Brother cut off or reputed a Publican for refusing to hear one or two but for refusing to hear the Church And if it be Objected That the Church of Rome and all other false Churches make use of this Scripture and cover their Persecution and Cruelty Objection and Oppression by it and thou sayst no more than they say I answer I suppose no man will be so unreasonable as to affirm that the Church of Rome abusing this Scripture will make it false in it self but how we differ in our Application of this Scripture shall be spoken of hereafter I am not now claiming Right to this Power as due to us that is reserved for another place but this I say is that which I now aver to be manifest from the Scripture-Testimony and to be in itself an unquestionable Truth That Jesus Christ intended there should be Order and Government in his Church which is the Thing at present in hand to be proved which if it be so really true as it cannot be denied then I hope it will also necessarily follow that such who really and truly are the Church of Christ have Right to exercise this Order and Government Secondly That the Apostles and Primitive Christians did practise Order Reason II and Government we need but to read the History of the Acts of which I shall mention a few pregnant and undeniable Testimonies Church-Order Practised by the Apostles and Primitive Christians In Elections· as we may observe in the very first Chapter of the Acts from Verse 13. to the End where at the very first Meeting the Apostles and Brethren held together after the Ascension of Christ they began orderly to Appoint one to fulfil the Place of Judas it may be thought this was a needless Ceremony yet we see how the Lord countenanced it I hope none will say that the Apostles appointing of these two Men or of him upon whom the Lot did not fall Contradicted their Inward Freedom or Imposed upon it but both agreed very well together the one in the Will and Movings of God in Appointing and the other in the same in submitting to their Appointment Moreover after they had received the holy Ghost you may read Acts 6. so soon as there was an Opportunity how they wisely gave Order concerning the Distribution of the Poor in Distributions for the Poor and Appointed some men for that Purpose So here was Order and Government according to the Present Necessity of the Case And the Lord God was well pleased with it and the Word of God encreased and the Number of the Disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly Might they not have said then as some say now We will give our Charity to whom we see Cause and we will take no Notice of your Appointments and Orders Whether would God have approved of such yea or nay Thirdly When that the Business of Circumcision fell in whether it was fit or not to Circumcise the Gentiles We see the Apostles saw not meet To suffer every one to follow their own Minds and Wills They did not judge W. M. in his Queries as one confusedly supposeth That this Difference in an outward Exercise would commend the Unity of the true Faith nay they took another Method It is said expresly Acts 15.6 And the Apostles and Elders came together to consider of this Matter and after there had been much disputing about it no doubt then in Differences occurring there were here Diversities of Opinions and Judgments the Apostles and Elders told their Judgments and came also to a positive Conclusion Sure some behoved to submit else they should never have agreed So those that were the Elders gave a positive Judgment and they were bold to say That it pleased not only them but the Holy Ghost By all which it doth undeniably appear that the Apostles and Primitive Saints practised a Holy Order and Government among themselves and I hope none will be so bold as to say they did these Things without the Leadings of the Spirit of God and his Power and Authority concurring and going along with them The Apostles Doctrine concerning Order in the Church And that these Things were not only singular Practices but that they held it doctrinally that is to say it was Doctrine which they preached that there ought to be Order and Government in the Church is manifest from these following Testimonies 1 Cor. 4.15 16 17. 15. For though you have ten Thousand Instructors in Christ 1 Cor. 4 15 16 17. yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel 16. Wherefore I beseech you be ye Followers of me 17. For this Cause have I sent unto
themseves when-as the Cause and Ground for which they were commanded is removed As there is no need now for the Decision about Circumcision seeing there are none Contend for it neither as to the Orders concerning Things Offered to Idols seeing there is now no such Occasion yet who will say that the Command enjoin'd in the same place Acts 15.20 To abstain from Fornication is now made void seeing there is daily need for its standing in force because it yet remains as a Temptation man is incident to We confess indeed we are against such as from the bare Letter of the Scripture though if it were seasonable now to debate it we find but few to deal with whose Practices are so exactly squared seek to uphold Customs Forms or Shadows when the Vse for which they were appointed is removed or the Substance it self known and witnessed as we have sufficiently elsewhere answered our Opposers in the Case of Water-Baptism and Bread and Wine c. so that the Objection as to that doth not hold and the Difference is very wide in respect of such Things the very Nature and Substance of which can never be dispensed with by the People of God so long as they are in this World yea without which they could not be his People For the Doctrines and Fundamental Principles of the Christian Faith we own and believe originally and principally because they are the Truths of God whereunto the Spirit of God in our Hearts hath constrained our Understandings to obey and submit In the second place we are greatly Confirmed The Joint-Testimony of the Apostles c. to the Truths of God in our Hearts Strengthned and Comforted in the Joint-Testimony of our Brethren the Apostles and Disciples of Christ who by the Revelation of the same Spirit in the Days of old believed and have left upon Record the same Truths so we having the same Spirit of Faith according as it is written I believed and therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore we speak And we deny not but some that from the Letter have had the Notion of these Things have thereby in the Mercy of God received Occasion to have them Revealed in the Life for we freely acknowledge though often calumniated to the contrary that Whatsoever Things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures may have Hope So then I hope if the Spirit of God lead me now unto that which is good profitable yea and absolutely needful in order to the keeping my Conscience clear and void of Offence towards God and Man none will be so unreasonable as to say I ought not to do it because it is according to the Scriptures Nor do I think it will savour ill among any serious solid Christians for me to be the more confirmed and perswaded that I am led to this Thing by the Spirit that I find it in it self good and useful and that upon the like Occasions Christ Commanded it and the Apostles and Primitive Christians practised and recommended it Now seeing it is so that we can boldly say with a good Conscience in the Sight of God that the same Spirit which leads us to believe the Doctrines and Principles of the Truth and to hold and maintain them again after the Apostacy in their primitive and ancient Purity as they were delivered by the Apostles of Christ in the Holy Scriptures I say that the same Spirit doth now lead us into the like holy Order and Government to be exercised among us as it was among them being now the like Occasion and Opportunity ministred to us therefore what can any Christianly or Rationally object against it For that there is a Real Cause for it the thing it self speaketh A Real Cause for the same Order and that it was the Practice of the Saints and Church of old is undeniable what kind of Ground then can any such Opposers have being such as scrupling at this do notwithstanding acknowledge our Principle that this were done by Imposition or Imitation more than the Belief of the Doctrines and Principles seeing as it is needful to use all Diligence to Convince and Perswade People of the Truth and bring them to the Belief of it which yet we cannot do but as Truth moves and draws in their Hearts it is also no less needful when a People is gathered to keep and preserve them in Vnity and Love as becomes the Church of Christ and to be careful as saith the Apostle That all things be done decently and in Order and that all that is wrong be removed according to the Method of the Gospel and the good cherished and encouraged So that we conclude and that upon very good Grounds That there ought now as well as heretofore to be Order and Government in the Church of Christ. Head III. That which now cometh to be examined in the Third place is First What is the Order and Government we plead for Secondly In what Cases and how far it may extend and in whom the Power Decisive is Thirdly How it differeth and is wholly another than the oppressive and persecuting Principality of the Church of Rome and other Antichristian Assemblies SECTION IV. Of the Order and Government which we plead for IT will be needful then before I proceed to describe the Order and Government of the Church to consider what is or may be properly understood by the Church for some as I touched before seem to be offended or at least afraid of the very Word because The Power of the CHVRCH The Order of the Church The Judgment of the Church and such like Pretences have been the great Weapons wherewith Antichrist and the Apostate Christians have been these many Generations persecuting the Woman and warring against the Man-child And indeed great Disputes have been among the Learned Rabbies in the Apostacy concerning this CHVRCH what it is or what may be so accounted Which I find not my place at present to dive much in but shall only give the true Sense of it according to Truth and the Scriptures plain Testimony What the word Church signifies properly The word CHVRCH in it self and as used in the Scriptures is no other but a Gathering Company or Assembly of certain People called or gathered together for so the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies which is that the Translators render Church which word is derived from the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Evoco I call out of from the Root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Voco I Call Now though the English word CHVRCH be only taken in such a Sense as People are gathered together upon a Religious Account yet the Greek word that is so rendered is taken in general for every Gathering or Meeting together of People and therefore where it is said The Town-Clark of the Ephesians dismissed the Tumult that was gathered there together the same Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
preaching to the Gentiles and what Weight his and James's Words had in the Contest about Circumcision towards the bringing the Matter to a Conclusion Acts 15. Yet that we may see Infallibility was not inseparably annexed to him he was found blamable in a certain Matter Gal. 2.11 notwithstanding his Sentence was positively received in many particulars So also the Apostle Paul argues from his Gathering of the Churches of Corinth and Galatia that they ought to be Followers of him and positively Concludes in divers Things and upon this Supposition exhorts the Churches both he and Peter in many Passages heretofore mentioned which I will not to avoid Repetition again rehearse To obey the Elders that watch for them to hold such in Reputation and to submit themselves to them that have addicted themselves to the Ministry of the Saints 1 Cor. 16.15 16. Also we see how the Lord makes use of John his beloved Disciple to Inform and Reprove the seven Churches of Asia and no doubt John the Rest by the usual Computation being at that Time all Removed was then the most-noted and famous Elder alive And indeed I mind not where under the Gospel Christ hath used any other Method but that he always in Revealing his Will hath made use of such as he himself had before appointed Elders and Officers in his Church Though it be far from us to limit the Lord so as to Exclude any from this Priviledge nor yet on the other hand will the Possibility hereof be a sufficient Warrant to allow every obscure Member to stand up and offer to Rule Judge and Condemn the whole Body nor yet is it without Cause that such an one's Message is Jealoused and called in Question unless it have very great Evidence and be bottomed upon some very weighty and solid Cause and Foundation And God doth so furnish those whom he raises up in a singular Manner of which as I said I mind no Instance in the New Testament and in the Old we see though it was strange that little David should Oppose himself to the great Goliah yet he had before that killed both the Lion and the Bear which was no less improbable and which of all is most observable was before that Time by the Appointment of God and the Hand of the Prophet Anointed King of Israel Compare the 16th and 17th Chap. of the 1 st of Samuel Now as to the Third That any particular Persons de facto or effectually Assert 3 giving out a positive Judgment Proved is no Incroaching nor Imposing upon their Brethren's Conscience is necessarily included in what is said before upon which for further Probation there will only need this short Reflection That for any Member or Members in Obedience to the Lord to give forth a positive Judgment in the Church of Christ is their proper Place and Office they being called to it and so for them to exercise that Place in the Body which the Head moves them to is not to Vsurp Authority over their Fellow-Members As on the other Hand to submit and obey it being the Place of some so to do is not a Renouncing a being led by the Spirit seeing the Spirit leads them so to do And not to Obey in Case the Judgment be according to Truth and the Spirit lead to it is no doubt both Offensive and Sinfull And that all this may be supposed in the Church of Christ without Absurdity and so establish the above-mentioned Propositions will appear by a short Review of the former Passages If that Peter and James their giving a positive Judgment in the Case of Difference in divers particulars did not infer them to be Imposers so neither will any so doing now being led to it by the same Authority Every one may easily make the Application And on the Contrary if for any to have stood up and Resisted their Judgment pretending an Vnclearness or so and thereby held up the Difference after their Sentence breaking the Peace and Vnity of the Church Things being concluded with an It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us I say if such would have given just Cause of Offence Acts 15.21 and have been Cut off as Despisers of Dignities of old will not the like Case now occurring hold the same Conclusion Now whether those Propositions do not hold upon the Principles before laid down and proved I leave to every Judicious and Impartial Reader to judge Moreover we see how positive the Apostle Paul is in many particulars throughout all his Epistles insomuch as he saith 2 Thess. ult v. 14. If any Man obey not our Word by this Epistle note that Man and have no Company with him that he may be ashamed And in many more Places before-mentioned where he Commands them both to Obey him and several others Submission and Obedience to the Judgment of Truth the Spirit of God leads into who were Appointed no doubt by the Spirit of God to be Rulers among them and yet who will say that either the Apostle did more than he ought in Commanding or they less than they were obliged to in Submitting and yet neither were to do any thing Contrary or more than the Spirit of God in themselves led them to or allowed them in And if the Church of God bear any Parity or Proportion now in these Days with what it did of Old as I know no Reason why it should not the same things may now be supposed to take Effect that did then and also be lawfully done upon the like Occasion proceeding from the same Spirit and established upon the same Basis and Foundation And thus much as to that Part to shew In whom the Power of Decision is Which being seriously and impartially considered is sufficient to clear us from the Tyranny either of Popery or any other of that Nature with those that are not either wilfully Blind or very Ignorant of Popish Principles as the Judicious Reader may observe But seeing To manifest that Difference was one of those things propsoed to be Considered of I shall now come to say something of it in its proper Place Section VIII How this Government altogether differeth from the Oppressing and Persecuting Principality of the Church of Rome and other Anti-Christian Assemblies Head III. WHatever Way we understand the Popish Principles in this Matter Prop. 3 whether of those that are Most devoted to the See of Rome as the King of Spain's Dominions Proved and the Princes of Italy the Jesuites and Generality of all those called Religious Orders who hold that Papa in Cathedrâ non potest errare licet absque Concilio that is That the Pope in his Chair cannot Err though without a Council or of those that are Less devoted who plead this Infallibility in the Pope and Council lawfully Convened who yet by the more zealous are reckoned Petty Schismaticks I say whatever Way we take them all those that do profess themselves Members of the Romish Church Principles
from it and turn it to wantonness making shipwrack of Faith and after having tasted of the Heavenly Gift and being made partakers of the Holy Ghost again fall away Yet such an increase and stability in the Truth may in this life be attained from which there cannot be any Apostacy The Tenth Proposition Concerning the Ministry As by this Gift or Light of God all true Knowledge in things Spiritual is Received and Revealed so by the same as it is manifested and received in the heart by the strength and power thereof every true Minister of the Gospel is Ordained prepared and supplied in the Work of the Ministry and by the leading moving and drawing hereof ought every Evangelist and Christian Pastor to be led and ordered in his labour and work of the Gospel both as to the Place where as to the Person to whom and as to the Times when he is to Minister Moreover who have this Authority may and ought to Preach the Gospel though without humane Commission or Literature as on the other hand who want the Authority of this Divine Gift however Learned or Authorized by the Commissions of Men and Churches are to be esteemed but as Deceivers and not true Ministers of the Gospel Also who have received this holy and unspotted Gift as they have freely received so are they freely to give without Hire or Bargaining far less to use it as a Trade to get Money by it Matth. 10. Yet if God hath called any from their Imployments or Trades by which they acquire their Livelihood it may be lawful for such according to the Liberty which they feel given them in the Lord to receive such Temporals to wit what may be needful to them for Meat and Cloathing as are freely given them by those to whom they have Communicated Spirituals The Eleventh Proposition Concerning Worship All true and acceptable Worship to God is offered in the inward and immediate moving and drawing of his own Spirit which is neither limited to Places Times or Persons For though we be to Worship him always in that we are to fear before him yet as to the outward signification thereof in Prayers Praises or Preachings we ought not to do it where and when we will but where and when we are moved thereunto by the secret Inspirations of his Spirit in our hearts which God heareth and accepteth of and is never wanting to move us thereunto when need is of which he himself is the alone proper Judge All other Worship then both Praises Prayers and Preachings which man sets about in his own Will and at his own Appointment which he can both begin and end at his pleasure do or leave undone as himself sees meet whether they be a prescribed Form as a Liturgy or Prayers conceived Extemporarily by the natural strength and faculty of the mind they are all but Superstitions Will-worship and abominable Idolatry in the sight of God which are to be denied Ezek. 13. Matth. 10.20 Acts 2.4 18 5. rejected and separated from in this day of his Spiritual Arising however it might have pleased him who winked at the times of Ignorance with a respect to the simplicity and integrity of some John 3.6 4.21 and of his own Innocent Seed which lay as it were buried in the hearts of men under the Mass of Superstition To blow upon the dead and dry bones Jude 19. Acts 17.23 and to raise some Breathings and Answer them and that until the Day should more clearly dawn and break forth The Twelfth Proposition Concerning Baptism As there is one Lord and one Faith so there is one Baptism Eph. 4.5 1 Pet. 3.21 Rom. 6.4 Gal. 3.27 Col. 2.12 John 3.30 which is not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the Answer of a good Conscience before God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. And this Baptism is a Pure and Spiritual thing to wit the Baptism of the Spirit and Fire by which we are buried with him that being washed and purged from our sins we may walk in Newness of Life 1 Cor. 1.17 Of which the Baptism of John was a figure which was Commanded for a Time and not to Continue for ever As to the Baptism of Infants it is a meer human Tradition for which neither Precept nor Practice is to be found in all the Scripture The Thirteenth Proposition Concerning the Communion or Participation of the body and blood of Christ. The Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ is Inward and Spiritual which is the participation of this flesh and Blood 1 Cor. 10.16 17. John 6.32 33 55. 1 Cor. 5.8 by which the Inward man is daily nourished in the hearts of those in whom Christ dwells Of which things the breaking of Bread by Christ with his Disciples was a Figure which they even used in the Church for a time who had received the Substance for the Cause of the Weak even as Abstaining from things strangled and from blood Acts 15.20 the Washing one anothers feet and the Anointing of the Sick with Oil all which are Commanded with no less Authority and Solemnity than the former John 13.14 yet seeing they are but the shadows of better things James 5.14 they Cease in such as have obtained the Substance The Fourteenth Proposition Concerning the Power of the Civil Magistrate in Matters purely Religious and pertaining to the Conscience Since God hath assumed to himself the Power and Dominion of the Conscience who alone can rightly instruct and govern it therefore it is not lawful for any whatsoever Luke 9.55 56. Matth. 7.12 29. Tit. 3.10 by virtue of any Authority or Principality they bear in the Government of this World To force the Consciences of others And therefore all Killing Banishing Fining Imprisoning and other such things which men are Afflicted with for the alone Exercise of their Conscience or difference in Worship or Opinion proceedeth from the Spirit of Cain the Murtherer and is contrary to the Truth Providing always that no Man under the pretence of Conscience prejudice his Neighbour in his Life or Estate or do any thing destructive to or inconsistent with Human Society in which Case the Law is for the Transgressor and Justice is to be administred upon all without Respect of Persons The Fifteenth Proposition Concerning Salutations and Recreations c. Seeing the Chief End of all Religion is To Redeem Man from the Spirit and vain Conversation of this World and to lead into inward Communion with God before whom if we Fear always we are accounted Happy Eph. 5.11 1 Pet. 1.14 John 5.44 Jer. 10.3 Acts 10.26 Matth. 15.13 Col. 2.8 Therefore all the vain Customs and Habits thereof both in word and deed are to be rejected and forsaken by those who come to this Fear Such as the Taking off the Hat to a Man the Bowings and Cringings of the Body and other such Salutations of that kind with all the foolish and superstitious
of Reason And Thirdly as to Reason I shall not need to say much for whence come all the Controversies The Debates hence arising betwixt the old and late Philosophers Contentions and Debates in the World but because every man thinks he follows Right Reason Hence of old came the Jangles betwixt the Stoicks Platonists Peripateticks Pythagoreans and Cynicks as of late betwixt the Aristotelians Cartesians and other Naturalists Can it be thence inferred or will the Socinians those great Reasoners allow us to Conclude Because many and that very Wise men have Erred by following as they supposed their Reason and that with what diligence care and industry they could to find out the Truth that therefore no man ought to make use of it at all nor be positive in what he knows certainly to be Rational And thus far as to Opinion the same Vncertainty is no less incident unto those other Principles Anabaptists for their Wild Practices and Protestants and Papists for their Wars and â—loodshed each pretending Scripture for it § XIV But if we come to Practices though I confess I do with my whole heart abhor and detest those wild Practices which are written concerning the Anabaptists of Munster I am bold to say as bad if not worse things have been Committed by those that lean to Tradition Scripture and Reason wherein also they have averred themselves to have been Authorised by these Rules I need but mention all the Tumults Seditions and horrible Blood-shed wherewith Europe hath been Afflicted these divers Ages in which Papists against Papists Calvinists against Calvinists Lutherans against Lutherans and Papists assisted by Protestants against other Protestants assisted by Papists have miserably shed ane onothers Blood hiving and forcing men to kill one another who were Ignorant of the Quarrel and Strangers to one another All mean while pretending Reason for so doing and pleading the Lawfulness of it from Scripture For what have the Papists pretended for their many Massacres acted as well in France Tradition Scripture and Reason made a Cover for Persecution and Murder as elsewhere but Tradition Scripture and Reason Did they not say that Reason perswaded them Tradition allowed them and Scripture commanded them to persecute destroy and burn Hereticks such as denied this plain Scripture Hoc est Corpus meâ—m This is my Body And are not the Protestants Assenting to this Blood-shed who assert the same thing and encourage them by burning and banishing while their Brethren are so treated for the same Cause Are not the Islands of Great Britain and Ireland yea and all the Christian World a lively Example hereof which were divers years together as a Theatre of Blood where many lost their lives and Numbers of Families were utterly destroyed and ruined For all which no other Cause was principally given than the Precepts of the Scripture If we then compare these Actings with those of Munster we shall not find great difference for both Affirmed and Pretended they were Called and that it was lawful to Kill Burn and Destroy the Wicked We must Kill all the Wicked said those Anabaptists that we that are the Saints may possess the Earth We must burn obstinate Hereticks say the Papists that the holy Church of Rome may be purged of Rotten Members and may live in peace We must cut-off seducing Separatists say the Prelatick Protestants who trouble the peace of the Church and refuse the Divine Hierarchy and Religious Ceremonies thereof We must kill say the Calvinistick Presbyterians the profane Malignants who accuse the holy Consistorial and Presbyterian Government and seek to defend the Popish and Prelatick Hierarchy as also those other Sectaries that trouble the Peace of our Church What Difference I pray thee Impartial Reader seest thou betwixt these If it be said Object The Anabaptists went without and against the Authority of the Magistrate so did not the other I might easily Refute it Answ. by alledging the mutual Testimonies of these Sects against one another The Behaviour of the Papists towards Henry the third and fourth of France Examples of Popish Cruelties Their Designs upon James the sixth in the Gun-Powder Treason as also their Principle of the Pope's Power to depose Kings for the cause of Heresy and to absolve their Subjects from their Oath and give them to others proves it against them And as to the Protestants Protestant Violences and Persecutions in Scotland England and Holland how much their Actions differ from those other above-mentioned may be seen by the many Conspiracies and Tumults which they have been Active in both in Scotland and England which they have Acted within these Hundred Years in divers Towns and Provinces of the Nether-Lands Have they not often times sought not only from the Popish Magistrates but even from those that had begun to Reform or that had given them some Liberty of Exercising their Religion That they might only be permitted without trouble or hinderance to exercise their Religion promising they would not hinder or molest the Papists in the Exercise of theirs And yet did they not on the Contrary so soon as they had power trouble and abuse those Fellow-Citizens and turn them out of the City and which is worse even such who together with them had forsaken the Popish Religion Did they not these things in many places against the Mind of the Magistrates Have they not publickly with Contumelious speeches Assaulted their Magistrates from whom they had but just before sought and obtained the free Exercise of their Religion Representing them so soon as they opposed themselves to their Hierarchy as if they had regarded neither God nor Religion Have they not by violent hands possessed themselves of the Popish Churches so called or by force against the Magistrates mind taken them away Have they not turned out of their Office and Authority whole Councils of Magistrates under pretence that they were Addicted to Popery Which Popish Magistrates nevertheless they did but a little before acknowledge to be Ordained by God affirming themselves obliged to yield them obedience and subjection not only for Fear but for Conscience sake To whom moreover the very Preachers and Overseers of the Reformed Church had willingly sworn Fidelity and yet afterwards have they not said That the People is bound to force a wicked Prince to the observation of God's Word There are many other Instances of this kind to be found in their Histories not to mention many worse things which we know to have been acted in our time and which for brevities sake I pass by I might say much of the Lutherans whose Tumultuous Actions against their Magistrates not professing the Lutheran Profession are testified of by several Historians worthy of Credit Lutheran Seditions against the Reformed Teachers and Assault upon the Marquess of Brandenburgh c. in Germany Among others I shall propose only one Example to the Reader 's Consideration which fell out at Berlin in the year 1615. Where the
harder to understand their Expositions than the Things which they go about to Expound what may We say then cosidering those great Heaps of Commentaries since in Ages yet far more Corrupted § VI. In this respect above-mentioned then we have shewn what Service and Vse the Holy Scriptures as managed in and by the Spirit are of to the Church of God wherefore we do account them a Secondary Rule Moreover because they are commonly acknowledged by all The Scriptures a Secondary Rule to have been written by the Dictates of the Holy spirit and that the Errors which may be supposed by the Injury of times to have slipt-in are not such but that there is a sufficient clear Testimony left to all the Essentials of the Christian Faith we do look upon them as the only fit outward Judge of Controversies among Christians and that whatever Doctrine is Contrary unto their Testimony may therefore justly be rejected as False And for our parts we are very willing that all our Doctrines and Practices be Tried by them which we never refused nor ever shall in all Controversies with our Adversaries as the Judge and Test. We shall also be very willing to admit it as a Positive Certain Maxime That whatsoever any do pretending to the Spirit which is Contrary to the Scriptures be accounted and reckoned a Delusion of the Devil For as we never lay claim to the Spirit 's Leadings that we may Cover our selves in any thing that is Evil so we know that as every Evil Contradicts the Scriptures so it doth also the Spirit in the first place from which the Scriptures came and whose Motions can never Contradict one another though they may appear sometimes to be Contradictory to the blind Eye of the natural Man as Paul and James seem to Contradict one another Thus far we have shewn both what we believe and what we believe not concerning the Holy Scriptures hoping we have given them their due place But since they that will needs have them to be the only certain and principal Rule want not some shew of Arguments even from the Scripture it self though it no where call it self so by which they labour to prove their Doctrine I shall briefly lay them down by way of Objections and Answer them before I make an End of this matter Object 1 § VII Their first Objection is usually drawn from Isaiah 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them Now this Law Testimony and Word they plead to be the Scriptures To which I Answer That that is to beg the thing in Question and Answ. 1 remains yet Vnproved Nor do I know for what Reason we may not safely Affirm this Law and Word to be Inward But suppose it was Outward it proves not the Case at all for them neither makes it against us For it may be Confessed without any prejudice to our Cause that the Outward Law was more particularly to the Jews a Rule and more principally than to us seeing their Law was Outward and Literal but ours under the New Covenant as hath been already said is expresly Affirmed to be Inward and Spiritual To Try all things by what So that this Scripture is so far from making against us that it makes for us For if the Jews were directed to Try all things by their Law which was without them written in Tables of Stone then if we will have this Advice of the Prophet to reach us we must make it hold Parallel to that Dispensation of the Gospel which we are under So that we are to Try all things in the first place by that Word of Faith which is preached unto us which the Apostle saith is In the heart and by that Law which God hath given us which the Apostle saith also expresly is Written and placed in the Mind Lastly If we look to this place according to the Greek Interpretation of the Septuagint our Adversaries shall have nothing from thence to Carp yea it will favour us much for there it is said That the Law is given us for a help which very well agrees with what is above Asserted Their second Objection is from Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures c. Object 2 Here say they we are commanded by Christ himself to search the Scriptures Answ. 1 I Answer First That the Scriptures ought to be Searched we do not at all deny but are very willing to be Tried by them as hath been above declared But the Question is Whether they be the only and principal Rule which this is so far from proving that it proveth the Contrary for Christ Checks them here for too high an Esteem of the Scriptures and neglecting of him that was to be preferr'd before them and to whom they bore Witness as the following words declare For in them ye think ye have Eternal life Search the Scriptures c. and they are they which testify of me and ye will not come unto me that ye may have Life This shews that while they thought they had Eternal Life in the Scriptures they neglected to come unto Christ to have Life of which the Scriptures bore Witness This Answers well to our purpose since our Adversaries now do also Exalt the Scriptures and think to have Life in them which is no more than to look upon them as the only Principal Rule and Way to Life and yet refuse to come unto the Spirit of which they Testify even the inward Spiritual Law which could give them Life So that the Cause of this People's Ignorance and Vnbelief was not their Want of Respect to the Scriptures which though they knew and had a high Esteem of yet Christ testifies in the former verses that they had neither seen the Father nor heard his Voice at any time neither had his Word abiding in them which had they then had then they had believed in the Son Moreover that place may be taken in the Indicative Mood Ye search the Scriptures which Interpretation the Greek word will bear and so Answ. 2 Pasor translateth it which by the Reproof following seemeth also to be the more genuine Interpretation as Cyrillus long ago hath observed § VIII Their Third Objection is from these words Acts 17.11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readiness of Mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Here say they The Beroeans are commended for Searching the Scriptures Object 3 and making them the Rule I Answer That the Scriptures either are the Principal or Only Rule Answ. 1 will not at all from this follow neither will their searching the Scriptures or being Commended for it infer any such thing for we Recommend and Approve the use of them in that respect as much as any yet will it not follow that we Affirm them to be the Principal and Only Rule Secondly It is to
and depraved Condition Which in these Two Propositions is declared and demonstrated which I thought meet to place together because of their Affinity the one being as it were an Explanation of the other As for that Doctrine which these Propositions chiefly strike at to wit Absolute Reprobation that horrible and blasphemus Doctrine described Absolute Reprobation according to which some are not afraid to Assert That God by an Eternal and Immutable Decree hath predestinated to Eternal Damnation the far greater part of Mankind not Considered as Made much less as Fall'n without any respect to their Disobedience or Sin but only for the demonstrating of the Glory of his Justice And that for the bringing this about he hath appointed these miserable Souls necessarily to walk in their wicked ways that so his Justice may lay hold on them And that God doth therefore not only suffer them to be liable to this Misery in many parts of the World by with-holding from them the preaching of the Gospel and knowledge of Christ but even in those places where the Gospel is preached and Salvation by Christ is offered Whom though he publickly Invite them yet he justly Condemns for Disobedience albeit he hath with-held from them all Grace by which they could have laid hold on the Gospel viz. because he hath by a secret Will unknown to all men ordained and decreed without any respect had to their Disobedience or Sin that they shall not Obey and that the Offer of the Gospel shall never prove effectual for their Salvation but only serve to Aggravate and Occasion their greater Condemnation I say as to this horrible and blasphemous Doctrine our Cause is Common with many others who have both wisely and learnedly according to Scripture Reason and Antiquity Refuted it Seeing then that so much and so well is said already against this Doctrine that little can be superadded except what hath been said already I shall be short in this respect Yet because it lies so in Opposition to my Way I cannot let it altogether pass § I. We may safely call this Doctrine a Novelty seeing the first four hundred years after Christ there is no mention made of it for as it is Contrary to the Scriptures Testimony This Doctrine A Novelty and to the Tenor of the Gospel so all the Ancient Writers Teachers and Doctors of the Church pass it over with a profound Silence The first foundations of it were laid in the latter Writings of Augustin The Rise of it who in his heat against Pelagius let fall some Expressions which some have unhappily gleaned up to the establishing of this Error thereby Contradicting the Truth and sufficiently gainsaying many others and many more and freqent Expressions of the same Augâ—stine Afterwards was this Doctrine fomented by Dominicus a Friar and the Monks of his Order and at last unhappily taken up by John Calvin otherwise a man in divers respects to be Commended to the great staining of his Reputation and Defamation both of the Protestant and Christian Religion which though it received the Decrees of the Synod of Dort for its Confirmation hath since lost ground and begins to be Exploded by most Men of Learning and Piety in all Protestant Churches However we should not quarrel it for the Silence of the Ancients paucity of its Assertors or for the Learnedness of its Opposers if we did observe it to have any Real Bottom in the Writings or Sayings of Christ and the Apostles and that it were not highly Injurious to God himself to Jesus Christ our Mediator and Redeemer and to the Power Vertue Nobility and Excellency of his Blessed Gospel and lastly unto all Mankind 1. It 's highly Injurious to God in making him the Author of Sin § II. First It is highly Injurious to God because it makes him the Author of Sin which of all things is most Contrary to his Nature I Confess the Assertors of this Principle deny this Consequence but that is but a pure Illusion seeing it so naturally follows from their Doctrine and is equally ridiculous as if a man should pertinaciously deny that one and two makes Three For if God has Decreed that the Reprobated ones shall perish without all respect to their Evil Deeds but only of his own pleasure and if he hath also Decreed long before they were in Being or in any Capacity to do good or evil that they would walk in those wicked Ways by which as by a secondary means they are led to that end who I pray is the first Author and Cause thereof but God who so willed and decreed This is as natural a Consequence as any can be And therefore although many of the Preachers of this Doctrine have sought out various strange strained and intricate distinctions to defend their Opinion and evite this Horrid Consequence yet some and that of the most Eminent of them have been so plain in the matter as they have put it beyond all doubt Of which I shall Instance a few among many passages * Calv. in cap. 3 Gen. Id. 1. Inst c. 18 Sect. 1 Id. lib. de Praed Idem lib de Provid Id. Inst. cap. 23. Sect. 1. I say that by the Ordination and Will of God Adam fell God would have man to Fall Man is blinded by the Will and Commandment of God We refer the Causes of hardening us to God The highest or remote Cause of hardening is the Will of God It followeth that the hidden Counsel of God is the cause of hardening These are Calvin's Expressions (a) Beza lib. de Praed God saith Beza hath predestinated not only unto damnation but also unto the Causes of it whomsoever he saw meet (b) Id. de Praed ad Art 1. The Decree of God cannot be excluded from the Causes of Corruption (c) Zanch. de Excaecat q. 5. Idem l. 5. de Nat. Dei cap. 2. de Praed It is certain saith Zanchius that God is the First Cause of Obduration Reprobates are held so fast under God's Almighty Decree that they cannot but sin and perish (d) Paraeus lib. 3 de Amiss gratiae cap. 2. Ibid. cap. 1. It is the Opinion saith Paraeus of our Doctors that God did Inevitably decree the Temptation and Fall of man The Creature sinneth indeed necessarily by the most just Judgment of God Our men do most rightly Affirm that the Fall of man was necessary and inevitable by accident because of God's decree (e) Martyr in Rom. God saith Martyr doth incline and force the wills of wicked men into great sins (f) Zuing. lib. de Prov. cap. 5. God saith Zwinglius moveth the Robber to kill He killeth God forcing him thereunto But thou wilt say he is forced to sin I permit truly that he is forced (g) Resp. ad Vorst part 1 p. 120. Reprobate persons saith Piscator are absolutely ordained to this twofold end to undergo everlasting punishment and necessarily to sin and therefore to sin that
to all the Saints that then were So that according to these mens Comment there should be a very unnecessary and foolish Redundancy in the Apostle's words as if he had said He is a Propitiation not only for the sins of all Believers but for the sins of all Believers Is not this to make the Apostle's words void of good sense Let them shew us wherever there is such a manner of speaking in all the Scripture where any of the Pen-men first name the Believers in Concretô with themselves and then Contra-distinguish them from some other whole World of Believers That Whole World if it be of Believers must not be the World we live in But we need no better Interpreter for the Apostle than himself who uses the very same Expression and Phrase in the same Epistle c. 5.19 saying We know that we are of God and the Whole World lieth in Wickedness there cannot be found in all the Scripture two places which run more parallel seeing in both the same Apostle in the same Epistle to the same persons Contra-distinguisheth himself and the Saints to whom he writes from the Whole World which according to these mens Commentary ought to be understood of Believers as if John had said We know particular Believers are of God but the whole World of Believers lieth in wickedness what Absurd Wresting of Scripture were this and yet it may be as well pleaded for as the other for they differ not at all Seeing then that the Apostle John tells us plainly that Christ not only died for him and for the Saints and Members of the Church of God to whom he wrote but for the Whole World Let us then hold it for a Certain and Vndoubted Truth notwithstanding the Cavils of such as Oppose This might also be proved from many more Scripture-Testimonies if it were at this Season needful All the Fathers so called and Doctors of the Church for the first four Centuries preached this Doctrine according to which they boldly held forth the Gospel of Christ The Heathens invited to Salvation none predestinated to Damnation and Efficacy of his Death Inviting and Intreating the Heathens to Come and be Partakers of the Benefits of it shewing them how there was a Door open for them ALL to be Saved through Jesus Christ not telling them that God had predestinated any of them to Damnation or had made Salvation Impossible to them by with-holding Power and Grace necessary to believe from them But of many of their Sayings which might be Alledged I shall only Instance a Few Augustine on Psalm 95. saith The Blood of Christ is of so great Proof 4 worth that it is of no less value than the Whole World Prosper ad Gall. c. 9. The Testimonies of the Fathers and Doctors of the first Church that Christ died for all The Redeemer of the World gave his Blood for the World and the World would not be Redeemed because the Darkness did not receive the Light He that saith the Saviour was not Crucified for the Redemption of the Whole World looks not to the vertue of the Sacrament but to the part of Infidels since the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is the price of the Whole World from which Redemption they are Strangers who either delighting in their Captivity would not be Redeemed or after they were Redeemed Returned to the same Servitude The same Prosper in his Answer to Vincentius's first Objection Seeing therefore because of one Common Nature and Cause in Truth undertaken by our Lord all are rightly said to be Redeemed and nevertheless all are not brought out of Captivity the Property of Redemption without doubt belongeth to those from whom the Prince of this World is shut out and now are not Vessels of the Devil but Members of Christ whose Death was so bestowed upon Mankind that it belonged to the Redemption of such who were not to be Regenerated but so that that which was done by the Example of one for all might by a singular Mystery be Celebrated in every one For the Cup of Immortality which is made up of our Infirmity and the Divine Power hath indeed that in it which may profit all but if it be not Drunk it doth not Heal. The Author de Vocat Gentium lib. 11. cap. 6. There is no Cause to doubt but that our Lord Jesus Christ died for sinners and wicked men and if there can be any found who may be said not to be of this Number Christ hath not died for all he made himself a Redeemer for the Whole World Chrysostom on John 1. If he Inlightens every man coming into the World how comes it that so many men remain without Light For all do not so much as Acknowledge Christ how then doth he Inlighten every man He Illuminates indeed so far as in him is but if any of their own Accord closing the Eyes of their Mind will not direct their Eyes unto the Beams of this Light The Cause of remaining in Darkness the Cause that they remain in Darkness is not from the Nature of the Light but through their own Malignity who willingly have rendred themselves Vnworthy of so great a Gift But why believed they not Because they would not Christ did his part The Arelatensian Synod held about the Year 490. pronounced him Accursed who should say That Christ hath not died for all or that he would not have all men to be saved Ambrose on Psal. 118. Serm. 8. The Mystical Sun of Righteousness is arisen to all he came to all he suffered for all and rose again for all And therefore he suffered that he might take away the sin of the World But if any one Believe not in Christ he Robbs himself of this general Benefit even as if one by Closing the Windows should hold out the Sun-beams The Sun-beams shut out heat not the Sun is not therefore not Arisen to all because such a one hath so robbed himself of its Heat but the Sun keeps its prerogative It is such a ones Imprudence that he shuts himself out from the Common Benefit of the Light The same man in his 11 th Book of Cain and Abel cap. 13. saith Therefore he brought unto all the Means of Health that whosoever should perish may ascribe to himself the Causes of his Death who would not be Cured when he had the Remedy by which he might have Escaped § IX Seeing then that this Doctrine of the Vniversality of Christ's Death is so Certain and Agreeable to the Scripture's Testimony and to the Sense of the purest Antiquity it may be wondered how so many some whereof have been Esteemed not only Learned but also Pious have been Capable to Fall into so gross and strange an Error But the Cause of this doth evidently appear in that the Way and Method by which the Vertue and Efficacy of this Death is Communicated to all men hath not been rightly understood or indeed hath been Erroneously Affirmed
Rational Principle sets it self up there above the Seed of God to reign and rule as a Prince in Spiritual things while the Holy Seed is wounded and bruised there is Anti-Christ in every man or somewhat Exalted above and against Christ. Neverthless we do not hereby Affirm as if Man had received his Reason to no purpose or to be of no Service unto him in no wise we look upon Reason as fit to Order and Rule man in things Natural The Divine Light and Natural Reason distinguished For as God gave two great Lights to Rule the outward World the Sun and Moon the greater Light to rule the Day and the lesser Light to rule the Night so hath he given man the Light of his Son a Spiritual Divine Light to Rule him in the things Spiritual and the Light of Reason to Rule him in things Natural And even as the Moon borrows her Light from the Sun so ought men if they would be rightly and comfortably ordered in natural things to have their Reason enlightned by this Divine and pure Light Which Inlightned Reason in those that obey and follow this true Light we Confess may be Vseful to man even in Spiritual things as it is still subservient and subject to the other Even as the Animal Life in man regulated and ordered by his Reason helps him in going about things that are Rational The Light distinguished from Man's natural Conscience We do further rightly distinguish this from man's natural Conscience for Conscience being that in man which ariseth from the natural Faculties of man's Soul may be Defiled and Corrupted it is said expresly of the Impure Tit. 1.15 That even their Mind and Conscience is defiled But this Light can never be Corrupted nor Defiled neither did it ever Consent to Evil or Wickedness in any for it is said expresly that it makes all things manifest that are reprovable Eph. 5.13 and so is a faithful Witness for God against every Vnrighteousness in man CONSCIENCE defined Now Conscience to define it truly comes from Conscire and is that Knowledge which ariseth in man's heart from what agreeth contradicteth or is contrary to any thing believed by him whereby he becomes Conscious to himself that he transgresseth by doing that which he is perswaded he ought not to do So that the Mind being once blinded or defiled with a wrong belief there ariseth a Conscience from that Belief which troubles him when he goes against it Example of a Turk As for Example A Turk who hath possess'd himself with a false Belief that it is Vnlawful for him to drink Wine if he do it his Conscience smites him for it but though he keep many Concubines his Conscience troubles him not because that his Judgment is already defiled with a false Opinion that it is lawful for him to do the one and unlawful to do the other Whereas if the Light of Christ in him were minded it would Reprove him not only for committing Fornication but also as he became obedient thereunto Inform him that Mahomet is an Impostor as well as Socrates was informed by it in his day of the falsity of the Heathens Gods Example of ◠Papist So if a Papist eat flesh in Lent or be not diligent enough in Adoration of Saints and Images or if he should Contemn Images his Conscience would smite him for it because his Judgment is already blinded with a false Belief concerning these things Whereas the Light of Christ never Consented to any of those Abominations Thus then man's natural Conscience is sufficiently distinguished from it for Conscience followeth the Judgment doth not Inform it but this Light as it is Received removes the Blindness of the Judgment opens the Vnderstanding and rectifies both the Judgment and Conscience So we Confess also that Conscience is an Excellent thing where it is rightly Inform'd and Inlightned Wherefore some of us have fitly Compar'd it to a Lanthorn The natural Conscience compared to a Lanthorn and the Light of Christ the Candle and the Light of Christ to the Candle A Lanthorn is useful when a Clear Candle burns and shines in it but otherwise of no use To the Light of Christ then in the Conscience and not to man 's natural Conscience it is that we continually Commend men this not that is it which we preach up and direct People to as to a most certain Guide unto Life Eternal Lastly This Light Seed c. appears to be no Power or natural Faculty of man's Mind because a Man that 's in his Health can when he pleases stir up move and exercise the Faculties of his Soul he is absolute Master of them and except there be some natural Cause or Impediment in the way he can use them at his pleasure but this Light and Seed of God in man he cannot Move and Stir up when he pleaseth but it moves blows and strives with man as the Lord seeth meet For though there be a possibility of Salvation to every man during the day of his Visitation yet cannot a Man at any time when he pleaseth or hath some sense of his Misery The Waiting upon the Movings of the Light and Grace stir up that Light and Grace so as to procure to himself Tenderness of heart but he must Wait for it which comes upon all at certain times and seasons wherein it works powerfully upon the Soul mightily tenders it and breaks it at which time if man Resist it not but close with it he comes to know Salvation by it Even as the Lake of Bethesda did not Cure all those that washed in it but such only as Washed first after the Angel had moved upon the waters so God moves in love to mankind in his Seed in his heart at some singular times Setting his sins in order before him and seriously Inviting him to Repentance offering to him Remission of Sins and Salvation which if man accept of he may be saved Now there is no man alive and I am confident there shall be none to whom this Paper shall come who if they will deal faithfully and honestly with their own hearts will not be forced to acknowledge but they have been sensible of this in some measure less or more which is a thing that man cannot bring upon himself with all his Pains and Industry This then O Man and Woman is the Day of God's gracious Visitation to thy Soul which thou shalt be happy for ever if thou Resist not This is the Day of the Lord which as Christ saith is like the Lightning Matt. 24.27 John 3.8 that shineth from the East unto the West and the Wind or Spirit which blows upon the heart and no man knows whither it goes nor whence it comes § XVII And lastly This leads me to speak concerning the manner of Quest. 7 this Seed or Light 's Operation in the hearts of all men which will shew yet more manifestly how we differ vastly from all
those that Exalt a natural Power or Light in man and how our Principle leads above all others to attribute our whole Salvation to the meer Power Spirit and Grace of God To them then that ask us after this matter How do ye differ from the Pelagians and Arminians For if two men have equal sufficient Light and Grace and the one be saved by it and the other not is it not because the one improves it the other not Is not then the Will of man the Cause of the one's Salvation beyond the other I say to such we thus Answer That as the Grace and Light in all is sufficient to save all and of its own nature would save all so it strives and wrestles with all for to save them he that Resists its strivings is the Cause of his own Condemnation The Light 's Operation in order to Salvation he that Resists it not it becomes his Salvation So that in him that is saved the working is of the Grace and not of the Man and it 's a Passiveness rather than an Act though afterwards as man is wrought upon there is a Will raised in him by which he comes to be a Co-worker with the Grace for according to that of Augustine He that made us without us will not save us without us So that the first step is not by Man's Working but by his not Contrary Working And we believe that at these singular seasons of every man's Visitation above-mentioned as man is wholly unable of himself to work with the Grace neither can he move one step out of the natural Condition until the Grace lay hold upon him so it is possible to him to be passive and not to Resist it as it is also possible for him to Resist it So we say The Grace of God works in and upon man's Nature which though of it self wholly corrupted and defiled and prone to evil yet is capable to be wrought upon by the Grace of God Even as Iron though a hard and cold Metal of it self may we warm'd and softned by the heat of the fire and Wax melted by the Sun And as Iron or Wax when removed from the Fire or Sun returneth to its former Condition of Coldness and Hardness so man's Heart as it Resists or retires from the Grace of God returns to its former Condition again I have often had the manner of God's working in order to Salvation towards all men illustrated to my mind by one or two clear Examples which I shall here Add for the Information of others The First is Of a man heavily diseased to whom I Compare Man in his fall'n and natural Condition I suppose God who is the great Physician not only to give this man Physick after he hath used all the Industry he can for his own Health by any skill or knowledge he hath of his own As those that say If a man Improve his Reason or natural Faculties God will superadd Grace Or as others say That he cometh and maketh Offer of a Remedy to this man outwardly The Example of a Diseased Man and the Physician leaving it to the liberty of Man 's Will either to receive it or reject it But He even the Lord this great Physician cometh and poureth the Remedy into his mouth and as it were layeth him in his bed so that if the sick man be but passive it will necessarily work the Effect but if he be stubborn and untoward and will needs rise up and go forth into the Cold or Eat such fruits as are hurtful to him while the Medicine should Operate then though of its Nature it tendeth to cure him yet it will prove Destructive to him because of those Obstructions which it meeteth with Now as the Man that should thus undo himself would certainly be the Cause of his own Death so who will say that if Cured he owes not his Health wholly to the Physician and not to any Deed of his own seeing his part was not any Action but a Passiveness The Example of Men lying stupified in a dark pit and their Deliverer The Second Example is of divers men lying in a dark pit together where all their senses are so stupified that they are scarce sensible of their own misery To this I Compare Man in his natural corrupt fall'n Coâ—â—dition I suppose not that any of these men wrestling to deliver themselves do thereby stir up or engage one able to deliver them to give them his help saying with himself I see one of these men willing to be deliver'd and doing what in him lies therefore he deserves to be assisted as say the Socinians Pelagians and Semi-Pelagians Neither do I suppose that this deliverer comes to the top of the pit and puts down a ladder desiring them that will to come up and so puts them upon using their own Strength and Will to come up as do the Jesuites and Arminians yet as they say such are not delivered without the Grace seeing the Grace is that Ladder by which they were delivered But I suppose that the Deliverer comes at certain times and fully Discovers and Informs them of the great Misery and Hazzard they are in if they continue in that Noisom and Pestiferous Place yea forces them to a certain sense of their Misery for the wickedest men at times are made sensible of their Misery by God's Visitation and not only so but lays hold upon them and gives them a Pull in order to lift them out of their Misery which if they Resist not will save them only they may Resist it This being Applied as the former doth the same way Illustrate the matter Neither is the Grace of God frustrated though the Effect of it be divers according to its Object being the Ministration of Mercy and Love in those that Reject it not but receive it Joh. 1.12 but the Ministration of Wrath and Condemnation in those A Simile of the Sun 's Melting and Hardening c. power that do Reject it Joh. 3.19 Even as the Sun by one Act or Operation melteth and softeneth the Wax and hardeneth the Clay the Nature of the Sun is to Cherish the Creation and therefore the Living are Refreshed by it and the flowers send forth a good Savour as it shines upon them and the Fruits of the Trees are ripened yet cast forth a Dead Carcase a thing without Life and the same Reflexion of the Sun will cause it to stink and putrify it yet is not the Sun said thereby frustrate of its proper Effect So every man during the day of his Visitation is shined upon by the Sun of Righteousness and capable of being Influenced by it so as to send forth good Fruit and a good Savour and to be melted by it but when he has sinned out his day then the same Sun hardneth him as it doth the Clay and makes his Wickedness more to appear and putrify and send forth an Evil Savour § XVIII Lastly As we
So I say it is after the Rejecting of the Day of Visitation that the Judgment of Obduration is inflicted upon men and women as Christ pronounceth it upon the Jews out of Isa. 6.9 which all the Four Evangelists make mention of Matth. 13.14 Mark 4.12 Luke 8.10 John 12.40 And last of all the Apostle Paul after he had made offer of the Gospel of Salvation to the Jews at Rome pronounceth the same Acts 28.26 after that some believed not Well spake the Holy Ghost by Isaiah the Prophet unto our Fathers saying Go unto this people and say hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive For the Heart of this people is waxed gross and their Ears are dull of hearing and their Eyes have they closed lest they should see with their Eyes and hear with their Ears and understand with their Heart and should be Converted and I should heal them So it appears that God would have them to see but they closed their Eyes and therefore they are justly hardned Cyrill Alex. Of this matter Cyrillus Alexandrinus upon John l. 6. c. 21. speaks well answering to this Objection But some may say if Christ be come into the World that those that see may be blinded their blindness is not to be Imputed unto them but it rather seems that Christ is the Cause of their blindness who saith he is come into the World that those that see may be blinded But saith he they speak not rationally who object these things unto God and are not affraid to call him the Author of Evil For as the sensible Sun is carried upon our Horizon that it may Communicate the gift of its Clearness unto All and make its Light shine upon all but if any one Close his Eye-lids The Cause of Man's Remaining in Darkness the Closing his Eyes or willingly turn himself from the Sun refusing the benefit of its light he wants its Illumination and remains in Darkness not through defect of the Sun but through his own Fault So that the true Sun who came to Inlighten those that sate in Darkness and in the region of the shadow of death visited the Earth for this cause that he might Communicate unto all the gift of Knowledge and Grace and illuminate the inward Eyes of all by a peculiar splendor but many reject this Gift of the Heavenly Light freely given to them and have closed the Eyes of their minds lest so excellent an Illumination or Irradiation of the Eternal Light should shine unto them It is not then through defect of the true Sun but only through their own Iniquity and Hardness for as the wise man saith Wisdom 2. Their Wickedness hath blinded them From all which I thus argue If there was a Day The Obstinate Jews had a Day wherein the Obstinate Jews might have known the things that belonged to their Peace which because they Rejected it was hid from their Eyes If there was a time wherein Christ would have gathered them who because they Refused could not be Gathered Then such as might have been saved do actually perish that slighted the Day of God's Visitation towards them wherein they might have been Converted and Saved But the First is true Therefore also the Last § XXI Secondly That which comes in the Second Place to be proved Prop. II is Proved That whereby God offers to work this Salvation during the day of every man's Visitation and that is That he hath given to every man a measure of saving sufficient and supernatural Light and Grace This I shall do by God's Assistance by some plain and clear Testimonies of the Scripture First From that of John 1.9 That was the true Light which Inlightneth Proof I every man that cometh into the World The Light enlightning every Man c. This place doth so clearly favour us that by some it is called The Quakers Text for it doth evidently Demonstrate our Assertion so that it scarce needs either Consequence or Deduction seeing it self is as a Consequence of two Propositions Asserted in the former verses from which it followeth as a Conclusion in the very Terms of our Faith The first of these Propositions is The Life that is in him is the Light of men the second The Light shineth in the darkness And from these two he Infers And he is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World From whence I do in short Observe that this Divine Apostle calls Observ. 1 Christ the Light of men and giveth us this as one of the Chief Properties at least considerably and especially to be Observed by us seeing hereby as he is the Light and as we walk with him in that Light which he Communicates to us we come to have Fellowship and Communion with him as the same Apostle saith elsewhere 1 Joh. 1.7 Secondly that this Light shineth in darkness though the darkness comprehend it not Thirdly that this true Light inlightneth every man Not but a certain Number of men but every man that cometh into the world Where the Apostle being directed by God's Spirit hath carefully avoided their Captiousness that would have Restricted this to any certain Number Where Every one is there is None Excluded Next should they be so obstinate as sometimes they are as to say That this Every man is only Every one of the Elect these words following Every man that cometh into the world would obviate that Objection So that it is plain there comes no man into the World whom Christ hath not Inlightned in some measure and in whose dark heart this Light doth not shine though the darkness Comprehend it not yet it shineth there and the Nature thereof is to dispell the Darkness The Light dispelling Darkness begets Faith where men shut not their Eyes upon it Now for what End this Light is given is Expressed vers 7. where John is said to Come for a Witness to bear witness to the Light that all men through it might believe to wit through the Light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth very well Agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being the nearest Antecedent though most Translators have to make it sute with their own Doctrine made it Relate to John as if all men were to believe through John For which as there is nothing directly in the Text so it is Contrary to the very Strain of the Context For seeing Christ hath lighted Every man with this Light is it not that they may come to believe through it All could not believe through John because all men could not know of John's Testimony whereas Every man being Lighted by this may come there-through to believe John shined not in the Darkness but this Light shineth in the Darkness that having dispelled the Darkness it may produce and beget Faith And lastly We must believe through That and become believers through That by Walking in which Fellowship with God is known
and enjoyed but as hath been above observed it is by Walking in this Light that we have this Communion and Fellowship not by Walking in John which were Non-sense So that this Relative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must needs be Referr'd to the Light whereof John bears Witness that through that Light wherewith Christ hath lighted every man all men might come to believe Seeing then this Light is the Light of Jesus Christ The Light is Supernatural Saving and Sufficient and the Light through which men come to believe I think it needs not be doubted but that it is a supernatural saving and sufficient Light If it were not Supernatural it could not be properly called the Light of Jesus for though all things be his and of him and from him yet those things which are Common and Peculiar to our Nature as being a part of them we are not said in so special a manner to have from Christ. Moreover the Evangelist is holding out to us here the Office of Christ as Mediator and the Benefits which from him as such do Redound unto us Observ. 2 Secondly It cannot be any of the Natural Gifts or Faculties of our Soul whereby we are said here to be Inlightned because this Light is said to shine in the Darkness and cannot be Comprehended by it Now this Darkness is no other The Darkness is Man's Natural State and Condition but man's Natural Condition and State in which Natural State he can easily Comprehend and doth Comprehend those things that are peculiar and common to him as such That Man in his Natural Condition is called Darkness see Eph. 5.8 For ye were sometimes Darkness but now are ye Light in the Lord. And in other places as Acts 26.18 Col. 1.13 1 Thess. 5.5 where the Condition of man in his Natural State is termed Darkness Therefore I say this Light cannot be any natural property or faculty of man's Soul but a Supernatural Gift and Grace of Christ. Observ. 3 Thirdly It is Sufficient and Saving Arg. 1 That which is given That all men through it may believe must needs be Saving and Sufficient That by Walking in which Fellowship with the Saints and the Blood of Christ which cleanseth from all sin is possessed must be Sufficient But such is the LIGHT 1 Joh. 1.7 Therefore c. Moreover That which we are Commanded to believe in that we may become Arg. 2 the Children of the Light must be a Supernatural Sufficient and Saving Principle But we are Commanded to believe in this Light Therefore c. The Proposition cannot be denied The Assumption is Christ's own words Joh. 12.36 While ye have the Light believe in the Light that ye may be the Children of the Light To this they Object Object That by Light here is understood Christ's outward Person in whom he would have them believe That they ought to have believed in Christ that is Answ. that he was the MESSIAH that was to come is not denied but how they Evince that Christ intended that here I see not nay Whether Christ's ouâ—ward Person was the Light the place it self shews the Contrary by these words While ye have the Light and by the verse going before Walk while ye have the Light lest darkness come upon you Which words Import that when that Light in which they were to Believe was Removed then they should lose the Capacity or Season of Believing Now this could not be understood of Christ's Person else the Jews might have believed in him and many did savingly believe in him as all Christians do at this day when the person to wit his bodily Presence or outward man is far removed from them So that this Light The Light of Christ is not Christ's outward Man or Person in which they were commanded to believe must be that Inward Spiritual Light that shines in their hearts for a season even during the Day oâ— man's Visitation which while it continueth to Call Invite and Exhort men are said to have it and may believe in it but when men refuse to believe in it and Reject it then it ceaseth to be a Light to shew them the Way but leaves the sense of their Vnfaithfulness as a Sting in their Conscience which is a Terror and Darkness unto them and upon them in which they cannot know where to go neither can work any ways profitably in order to their Salvation And therefore to such Rebellious ones the Day of the Lord is said to be Darkness and not Light Amos 5.18 From whence it appears that though many Receive not the Light as the Darkness comprehends it not nevertheless this Saving Light shines in all that it may save them Cyrill Alex. Upon Joh. lib 1. cap. 11. Concerning which also Cyrillus Alexandrinus saith well and defends our Principle With great Diligence and Watchfulness saith he doth the Apostle John Endeavour to Anticipate and Prevent the vain Thoughts of men for there is here a wonderful Method of sublime things and Overturning of Objections He had just now called the Son the true Light by whom he Affirmed that every man coming into the world was Inlightned yea that he was in the World and the World was made by him One may then Object If the Word of God be the Light and if this Light Inlighten the hearts of men and suggest unto men piety and the understanding of things if he was always in the World and was the Creator or Builder of the World why was he so long unknown unto the World It seems rather to follow because he was unknown to the World therefore the World was not Inlightned by him nor he totally Light The World knew him not Lest any should so Object he divinely infers and the World knew him not Let not the World saith he Accuse the Word of God and his Eternal Light but it s own Weakness for the Son Inlightens but the Creature Rejects the Grace that 's given unto it and abuseth the sharpness of Understanding granted it by which it might have naturally known God and as a Prodigal hath turned its sight to the Creatures neglected to go forward and through Laziness and Negligence buried the Illumination and despised this Grace Which that the Disciple of Paul might not do he was Commanded to Watch therefore it is to be imputed to their Wickedness The Son Inlightens but Man through Negligence buries Illumination who are Illuminated and not unto the Light For as albeit the Sun riseth upon all yet he that is blind receiveth no benefit thereby none thence can justly accuse the brightness of the Sun but will ascribe the Cause of not seeing to the Blindness So I judge it is to be understood of the Only Begotten Son of God for he is the true Light and sendeth forth his brightness upon all but the God of this World as Paul saith hath blinded the minds of those that believe not 2 Cor. 4.4 that the Light of the
Reformation and displeased many as the Author of the History of the Council of Trent in his first book well observes But now I hasten to the Objections of our Adversaries against this Method of Praying § XXV First They Object That if such particular Influences were Object I needful to outward Acts of Worship then they should also be needful to inward Acts as to wait desire and love God But this is absurd Therefore also that from whence it follows I answer That which was said in the State of the Controversy Answ. cleareth this because as to those general Duties there never wants an Influence so long as the Day of a man's Visitation lasteth during which time God is alwaies near to him and wrestling with him by his Spirit to turn him to himself so that if he do but stand still and cease from his evil thoughts the Lord is near to help him c. But as to the outward Acts of Prayer they need a more special Motion and Influence as hath been proved Secondly they Object That it might be also alledged that men ought not Object II to do Moral Duties as Children to honour their Parents men to do right to their Neighbours except the Spirit moved them to it I Answer Answ. there is a great difference betwixt these general Dutys betwixt man and man and the particular express Acts of Worship towards God these are meerly Spiritual and commanded by God to be performed by his Spirit the other answer their End as to them whom they are immediately directed to and concern though done from a meer natural Principle of Self-love even as Beasts have natural Affections one to another and therefore may be thus performed Though I shall not deny but that they are not Works accepted of God or beneficial to the Soul but as they are done in the fear of God and in his blessing in which his Children do all things and therefore are Accepted and Blessed in whatsoever they do Object III Thirdly they Object That if a wicked man ought not to pray without a Motion of the Spirit because his prayer would be sinful neither ought he to plough by the same reason Prov. 21.4 because the ploughing of the wicked as well as his praying is sin Answ. This Objection is of the same nature with the former and therefore may be answered the same way seeing there is a great difference betwixt Natural Acts How Acts of Nature differ from the Spirit 's such as eating drinking sleeping and seeking for sustenance for the body which things man hath common with beasts and Spiritual Acts. And it doth not follow because man ought not to go about Spiritual acts without the Spirit that therefore he may not go about Natural acts without it The Analogy holds better thus and that for the proof of our Affirmation That as man for the going about Natural acts needs his Natural Spirit so to perform Spiritual acts he needs the Spirit of God That the Natural acts of the wicked and unregenerate are Sinful is not denied though not as in themselves but in so far as man in that State is in all things Reprobated in the sight of God Object IV Fourthly they Object That wicked men may according to this doctrine forbear to Pray for years together alledging they want a Motion to it Answ. I Answer The false pretences of Wicked men do nothing invalidate the Truth of this Doctrine for at that rate there is no Doctrine of Christ which men might not turn by That they ought not to Pray without the Spirit is granted but then they ought to come to that place of Watching That wicked Men neglect the Motions of the Spirit to Pray where they may be capable to feel the Spirit 's Motion They Sin indeed in not Praying but the Cause of this Sin is their not Watching So their neglect proceeds not from this doctrine but from their disobedience to it seeing if they did Pray without this it would be a double sin and no fulfilling of the Command to Pray nor yet would their Prayer without this Spirit be useful unto them And this our Adversaries are forced to acknowledge in another case for they say It is a duty incumbent on Christians to frequent the Sacrament of the Lord's supper as they call it Yet they say No man ought to take it unworthily yea they plead that such as find themselves unprepared must abstain and therefore do usually Excommunicate them from the Table Now though according to them it be necessary to partake of this Sacrament yet it is also necessary that those that do it do first Examine themselves lest they Eat and Drink their own Condemnation and though they reckon it sinful for them to forbear yet they account it more sinful for them to do it without this Excommunication Object V Fifthly they Object Acts 8.22 where Peter commanded Simon Magus that wicked Sorcerer to Pray from thence inferring That wicked men may and ought to Pray Answ. I Answer That in the citing of this place as I have often observed they Omit the first and chiefest part of the verse which is thus Acts 8. v. 22. The Sorcerer may Pray but not without Repentance Repent therefore of this thy Wickedness and Pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee So here he bids him first Repent now the least measure of true Repentance cannot be without somewhat of that inward Retirement of the Mind which we speak of and indeed where true Repentance goeth first we do not doubt but the Spirit of God will be near to Concur with and Influence such to Pray to and Call upon God And Lastly they Object That many Prayers begun without the Spirit have proved effectual and that the Prayers of wicked men have been heard and Object IV found acceptable as Achab's This Objection was before solved Answ. for the Acts of God's Compassion and Indulgence at some times and to some persons upon singular extraordinary occasions are not to be a Rule of our Actions For if we should make that the Measure of our Obedience great Inconveniencies would follow as is evident and will be acknowledged by all Next we do not deny but Wicked men are sensible of the Motions and Operations of God's Spirit often-times before their Day be expired from which they may at times Pray acceptably not as remaining altogether Wicked but as entring into piety from whence they afterwards fall away § XXVI As to the singing of Psalms there will not be need of any long Discourse for that the Case is just the same as in the Two former of Preaching and Prayer We confess this to be a part of God's Worship Of Singing Psalms and very sweet and refreshful when it proceeds from a true sense of God's love in the heart and arises from the Divine Influence of the Spirit which leads Souls to breath forth either a sweet Harmony A Sweet
bring them down to it also For seeing it is a Truth acknowledged both by them and us The Spiriâ— 's working in us as an efficient Cause That all true Christians and Children of God have the Spirit of God working in them at least as an Efficient Cause from this we urge them thus Either they have the Spirit of God working in them as an Efficient Cause or they have not If they say they have not they confess They are not true Christians or Children of God which we suppose they will be loth to say If they say They have the Spirit of God as an Efficient Cause of Faith working in them and subjectively inlightening them let them prove it or give us an Evidence of it Who doth not see that Poor Men they are taken in their own Snare We know all Rational and Sober Men will acknowledge that we are not bound tb receive their Affirmations without Proof more than they are bound to receive ours nor indeed so much we being as the Case stands but Defendents As touching their Answer to R. B. his Retortions about an Evidence it shall be examined in the Next Section In pag. 60. they tell That we assign them at last some Shadows of Evidence namely 1. our own Declaration 2. The Scriptures 3. The immediate Testimony of the Spirit But that these are not Shadows will appear to the Judicious and well-disposed if they consider these two things 1. That by our Declaration we mean not a bare verbal Declaration having no Vertue or Manifestation of Life in it for we confess such might be as good a Ground for an Heretick in way of Evidence A Declaration proceeding from the Spirit no Heretick has it but by our Declaration we mean such a Declaration as doth really proceed from the Spirit of God in us and is therefore a living Declaration having a Manifestation of Life in it and with it and which is not only in Words of Life or Living Words uttered through us from the Spirit of Life but also in Works of Life or Living Works which are the Fruits of the Spirit as said Christ By their fruits shall ye know them Now such a Declaration can no Heretick have however he may pretend to it If our Adversaries say That we only pretend to such a thing We answer them with their own Rule Affirmanti incumbit probatio i. e. The Affirmer ought to prove Let them prove us only to be Pretenders which yet they have not done nor can do And indeed such a Declaration from the Spirit of God in the Apostles as when John said We are of God c. was an Evidence That no Heretick could justly pretend to 2. It is a most Unjust and Unreasonable thing to require of us any other Evidence of our having the Spirit than that which every true Christian may and ought to give seeing we pretend to no other Spirit but that which every true Christian hath nor to any Revelations but these which are the Priviledges of all true Christians nor to any Doctrines which are not conform to the Scriptures of Truth As we are ready to prove and as G. K. hath already shewed in his Book of Immediate Revelation which neither the Students nor their Masters have given us any Refutation of Now have not all Good Christians these three Evidences for them year 1675 And we can prove by the help of the Lord that they are as applicable to us as to any upon Earth And here note that when we say The Scripture is the best outward Evidence that can be given We mean it not as a particular Evidence but as a general Common to all good Christians The Scripture an Evidence For we grant That the Scripture cannot prove that any particular Man hath the Spirit of God in such a way as true Christians have it but it proves in general that all true Christians have it yea and all Men to Convince them at least In pag. 61 62. They reject the Scriptures-Testimony as an Evidence to us Because according to us the Scriptures Testimony hath no Evidence without the Spirit In answer to which we say But it hath an Evidence with the Spirit his Inward Evidence going along with it which Inward Evidence we say doth go along with it sufficiently to Convince every well-disposed Intellect And this we can prove from the Scriptures-Testimony Nor is this to commit an Unlawful Circle as they foolishly alledge which is but an old thread-bare alledgance of Papists against the Protestants as Turnbull alledged on Paraeus That he proved the Spirit by the Scripture and the Scripture by the Spirit Some Protestants in our Days do miserably seek to extricate themselves of that Circle that they know the Spirit by the Scriptures Objectively and they know the Scriptures by the Spirit Effectively and so indeed they get free of the Circle as not being in eodem genere i. e. in the same kind But they affirm a gross Untruth That the Spirit 's Influence is only Effective and ex parte subjecti whereas we know it is Objective and can prove both from Scripture and Primitive Protestants see G. K. his Book of Immediate Revelation and Quakerism no Popery where the same is at length proved But we have a most clear way to extricate our selves of that Circle imposed on us by Papists and these Students The Scriptures Testimony known by the Spirit c. to wit That we know the Scriptures Testimony by the Spirit tanquam a priori as we know the Effect by the Cause and we know the Spirit 's Testimony by the Scriptures tanquam a posteriori as we know the Cause by the Effect and so both are Objective and yet in a divers kind because the Objective Evidence of the Spirit is a self-Evidence and primary the Objective Evidence of the Scripture is but derived and secondary In their answer to G. K. his Retortion from the Practice of Christ who though his own immediate Testimony was to be received referred them unto the Testimony of the Scriptures They most miserably betake themselves to their Old Trade of Affirming Things without any Proof and yet on the Proof of these Things the whole Stress of their Answer lieth As 1. they say The Jews rejected only the outward immediate Testimony of Christ However dare they say but that the Outward Immediate Testimony of Christ was to be believed and yet he referred them unto the Testimony of the Scriptures 2. They say They have no such Testimony themselves as the Inward Objective Testimony of the Spirit 3. They say According to Christ the Scriptures were the Rule meaning the Primary Rule and so they set the Scripture above Christ his own immediate outward Testimony a most gross Disorder year 1676 All which we reject as meer Affirmations without any Proof Their Insinuation That G. K. acted the Part of a cunning Sophist when he spake these Words repeated by them pag. 4. Is no less
Words as he will draw Consequences at pleasure and make to himself what Monsters best please his Fancy or like his Humour best to batter And yet he cannot find in it by all his Perverting enough to make us so black as he would have us so that he is often times Constrain'd to Fish for this by citing the Writings of some that have writ against us and brings us up some of their Old Thread bare Calumnys long ago answered by us In which his Injustice shall be afterwards observed And so he being thus furnished can the more easily Abuse especially while he is almost secure that the generality of those he writes to are such as will not Call in Question as to the Truth of it what is said by one Esteemed by them A pretious and gracious Minister and Sufferer for the good Cause to boot But blessed be God! the Number of such Implicite Believers groweth daily less and many that had wont to do other-wise begin to love to see with their own Eyes and not to pin their Faith so much upon the Clergy's Sleeve as they had used formerly to do For this cause had I had to do only with the more Judicious and Learned who could have well understood the Latine Edition I should have thought my self the less Concerned to have said any thing to this Answer But knowing that his may come to the hands of many and may be Read by them who do not understand Latine and that not a few who do understand it love rather to Read and Consider things in their own Language this made me hasten an English Edition not one Sheet whereof was Committed to the Press several weeks after J. B's Book came out And now it being abroad as to those who are diligent and judicious and willing seriously to Compare as to the Argumentative part I should not to be much concerned to Answer him judging the English Edition with all such a sufficient Reply to this pretended Examination However J. B's singing a Triumph before the Conquest he often times sings a Triumph to himself saying in many places What will our Quaker say now Contrary to the Rules of Sobriety and to what the Scripture teaches him saying Let not him boast that puts on his Armour but he that takes it off besides what his Brother in a most fawning flattering manner adds in his Postscript To which something may be said hereafter But because too many out of Malice Prejudice and Ignorance may be too apt to Credit him I resolve here to take notice of his gross Perversions and Abuses upon every Thesis and of his most Vnreasonable and Brutish Railing Which being subjected to the Reader 's View will give him a great In-sight in the matter and let him see what kind of Man this is and what kind of Work it is that comes from him And likewise in respect he Insults very much I may labour to Allay it in taking notice of his Chiefest Arguments that are any ways to the purpose This I know will satisfy the Moderate and Judicious who bring not along with them an Vnderstanding already Prepossessed but are willing patiently to hear both Parties and then make a Judgment accordingly And as for others who are wholly prepossessed with Malice and Prejudice and have no Ears to hear but according to the Author of the Postscript his Advice Avoid the least of that kind as Poison I say as for such I wish the Lord open their Eyes and give them a Heart more Just and Equal I shall not be much concerned if my Writing have no great Influence upon them at present ¶ 3. But if any Strange that so small a Treatise as this may seem to be should Answer so great a Bulk the considering of these particulars following will easily remove that Wonder 1. If we Consider how much is taken up in meer Railing The Railing Expressions of J. B's a great part of his Book of which few Pages are found free and sometimes takes up near the whole Page besides that almost every Paragraph ends with a Dish of this Desert saying O what Hell-hatched Heresies these abominable Quakers maintain And the like Besides many little Sentences such as This is an Answer fit for a Quaker This is like the Quakers Non-sense I see the Quakers can dream waking and such like Stuff I need not set down Pages to prove this for as thou wilt find a Specimen of it in the first half side to the Reader so indeed thou'lt scarce open the Book but thou wilt meet with it So that I may safely say to speak within bounds there are 20 Sheets if it were all put together that are meer Railing either by way of Admiration Detestation or Execration which have nothing of Argumentation neither from Scripture nor Reason but the meer strong Affirmo of the Assertor All which albeit I may Remark it as I go on I think not my self concerned to Answer nor do I Conceive will any sober Man judge I am and my Answer thereto as now to the Bulk of it so may perhaps prove not much more all along than The Lord Rebuke that Railing Spirit in thee J. B. and if it may stand with his Will Redeem thee from it that thou mayst learn Sobriety of that Grace of God thou so much Fightest against It is a Trade I love not nor do I skill or think to learn it I will readily grant him both the Preference and Victory in this Art of Billings-gate Rhetorick or to speak yet more plain to all our Scots Capacities of Rail-Wives Oratory So I say Let all this Railing in his Book be laid aside And whereas he would Insinuate in several places as if there were much Railing in my Apology saying I Rage and such like Expressions How great an Abuse this is I leave to the Judgment of the Intelligent Reader 2. If all his Excursions be laid aside wherein he runneth out often times into long Homilies by way of Explanation of their Judgment J. B. 's Excursions and tedious Preachments descanting upon the several Opinions of their Divines as he calls them in which he often-times not only bestows several Pages but sometimes divers Sheets as in its place may be observed In all which Tedious Preachments some whereof are may be Shives of Old Rusty Sermons that have been lying by him I think my self no more concerned than if the Man had writ a great Volumn of their Divinity which I should not perhaps have bestowed the pains to Read far less lookt upon it as my business to Answer it 3. If all his Citations out of Hicks Faldo and others that have written against us all which are long ago Answered His other Helps and Irrational Proofs though not heeded by him were laid aside which is not only most Impertinent but likewise Vnjust as shall be after more particularly observed and likewise his long Citations out of the Westminster Confession of Faith and larger
hot for his Fingers that he durst not meddle with it His Proofs from Westminster Confession and Catechism preferring them before Scriptures At last he comes to an Honest and Ingenuous Confession That in most of the Heads he hath adduced for Confirmation only their Confession of Faith and Catechism A very plain Acknowledgment of the Nature of his Work for he is very good at begging the Question and proceeding upon Principles denied by him he hath to do with But the Judicious Reader may Judge whether his Proofs be very Valid and Binding which are only Confirmed by that which is Denied by me and which needs to be Confirmed no less than the Arguments deduced from it since I account it no Confession of the True Faith This is just as if a Papist Arguing against a Protestant should tell him He useth only for Confirmation the Decrees of the Council of Trent how Ridiculous this is any Judicious Man may Judge But since he hath so great a Veneration of the Confession of Faith and also such an Itch of Scribbling methinks he should not suffer it to lie so long under the Censure of that Examen which was written several years ago and lieth yet for ought ever I could learn Vnanswered all the Notions of which albeit I will not Espouse yet I think all J. B's Clergy and Reason will not solidly Reply to it and I am well Assured it hath disgusted Hundreds of that Confession who are not Quakers and also how weakly the Confession is Confirmed and how grosly the Scriptures are perverted to make them serve it I have given a Tast in the last Chapter of my Book Intituled A Catechism and Confession of Faith which is not only Extant in English but he will find it also printed in Low-Dutch and should in Reason have been removed by him ere he had used it only for Confirmation in Controversy against me But there is something more in this Expression for when the Confession of Faith and Catechism is only adduced for Confirmation what becomes of the Scriptures that in words are so highly Exalted It seems notwithstanding all these Verbal Commendations he has no more use for them than for an Old Almanack the Confession of Faith and Catechism is that which is to be minded It seems what he brings of them in this Controversy is only pro forma for the Confession of Faith is only adduced for Confirmation it is the good Antidote against the many Errors of the Times And whereas he speaks of Apposite passages of Scripture those that will Compare them with the things they are pointed to prove will find in most not the least Correspondence of which I have given some Proof in that place before-mentioned ¶ 6. But indeed he hath spoken out the Truth of the matter For all their great Talk of the Scripture it is manifest to such as will narrowly look into it that not the Scripture but the Confession of Faith and Catechism is their Rule of Faith and Manners For the Scriptures must serve the Confession of Faith not the Confession of Faith answer the Scriptures which must be turned twin'd and wrested to sute to the Confession of Faith Hence if a Man believe the Scriptures ever so firmly and square his Faith accordingly unless he agree to every point of the Confession of Faith all is to no purpose he must pass for an Heretick At last to Conclude he having it seems said all he has to say makes Provision not to be put upon the Necessity to Vindicate his gross Perversions and Calumnies As for his Comparison of Rats and Mice their dealing with Books he must know I Intend not to square these Observations to gratify his Humour it will be enough for me to satisfy the Candid and Judicious Reader He doubts not to make a Judgment of things not yet in being J. B. presumes to be Judge in his own Cause and therefore Expects no Answer that shall savour of Reason Religion Candor and Plainness We have seen that of him which gives us ground to believe he has had enough Thoughts of us But however he must not expect to be Judge in his own Cause And whereas he saith He will not be troubled at our Railings and Barkings one may wonder the Man has the Confidence to Accuse others of what himself is so highly guilty of but he shall not need fear to be troubled with such Stuff and whether he gives or gets most of that is Referred to the Judicious Readers to whose Judgment and Censure whether he will or not as his Writings will be liable so to them and to their Christian Consideration I freely Submit what is written in these Observations SECT II. Wherein his Two First Chapters containing Remarks upon my Preface and the First These Of the true Ground of Knowledge are Considered ¶ 1. UPon the Preface of my Theses which is but about half a Dozen of Lines he bestows no less than twelve pages all which being either bare Assertions or Railing as cannot escape the diligent Reader 's Observation will therefore Require the shorter Reply He hath not got the length of a Dozen of Lines when with a piece of Confidence he will seem so Modest J. B.'s vain Pretence to Modesty as Not to Pre-occupy the Reader 's Judgment by calling the Theses Ethnical or Diabolical but methinks if he has not forgotten his Epistle which we will in Reason suppose the Reader to have first Viewed in which as is above observed there is enough of that sort said to Pre-occupy his Judgment So that he must needs put out his Eyes that doth not see that his pretended Modesty and Forbearance is not Real ¶ 2. Next because these Theses are directed by me to Clergy-Men of all sorts in the Christian World he will needs have it that I acknowledg a Christian World to which my self and those I patronize do not belong but how he makes this Consequence appear he leaves us to Divine For there is no Proof brought for it but his own Assertion He needs not Wonder that I acknowledge a Christian World The Christian World so called from its outward Profession of Christ. unless he had known me somewhere to deny it for in respect of Profession which Distinction himself elsewhere useth all these may be accounted of it who make an outward Profession of Christ Besides that I have sufficienly acknowledged my belief that in severals of them the Inward Life of Christianity is to be found As for what follows he needs not doubt but I am as much against the Distinction of Laity and Clergy The Word Clergy used by the Author for Distinction's sake as himself can be But since I writ to such many whereof Own it my Vsing it to them for Distinction's sake will not infer my Approving of it With his Vsual Candor he will have this Direction to import no less than a Chartal to provoke all those it is directed to
Necessity to Salvation But why are they and they only Excepted In which resolves my Question which doth so vex him that instead of answering he tells me I am a deluded Quaker of which this is one Is not one in China or India as excusable for not knowing that which they never heard as a deaf Man that cannot hear since God that has permitted the one to be naturally Deaf has also permitted the other to be necessarily Absent To this I cannot find his Answer save only this That these Deaf Persons and Infants are Members of the Visible Church but not the other Of which this must be the Consequence That none can be saved but such as are Members of the Visible Church for his saying That none are Members of the Invisible Church but such as are of the Visible clearly imports it But has not he or at least the most-Eminent of his Way said That the Church was many Ages Invisible and in the Wilderness and yet denied that all were damned during that Time Or will he say The Church of Rome was the Visible Church of Christ all that Time of which they were Members What then becomes of the Testimonies of those who termed her Anti-Christ the Mother of Abominations the Synagogue of Satan which albeit True ye◠begins to be Eaten up again by the Clergy yea even the Presbyterians who begin by degrees to Creep back again to acknowledge their Old Father the Pope to establish their Succession and Ordination especially when pinched by by the Quakers as is at more length shewn in G. Keith's Book called Quakerism no Popery Outward Hearing makes no Church-Member But further It seems the outward Hearing is not necessary to make a Man a Member of the Visible Church and then what becomes of all his tedious Reasonings from Rom. 10. How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard which he urged before so vehemently but now has overturned He thinks the Instance of Cornelius not to the purpose because he might have had the Knowledge of the Messias from the Jews But his bare Supposition is no Answer Besides that he was no Jews Proselyte is manifest else Peter should not have been quarrelled for Conversing with him and unless he had been such or had received the Gospel according to him he must be esteemed to have been within the Covenant And yet before any of these he is said to have been Heard of God and Accepted Pag. 289. He confesseth Job lived before Moses and was taught of God without Scripture And then is it not thence manifest that some have been saved to whom the Gospel was not preached by the Ministry of Men This also overturneth his Arguments from Rom. 10. Because he knows not how to answer my Argument drawn from Rom. 2. therefore to amuse his Reader he raises a Storm of Railing calling me no less with an Exclamation than a Miserable Miscreant who make the Apostle contradict himself My Argument lies in the Apostle's positive Words who saith The Gentiles did the things contained in the Law The Apostle does not contradict himself in saying The Doers of the Law are Justified and again in the same Chapter ver 13. The doers of the Law are Justified Whence in the very Words of the Apostle without any Commentary I argue That if the doers of the Law be Justified then the Gentiles who did the things contained in the Law are Justified Do I therefore make the Apostle Contradict himself Yea saith he because the same Apostle saith That by the Deeds of the Law no Flesh shall be justified but will he say that these two Sentences of this Apostle The doers of the Law shall be justified and By the deeds of the Law no Flesh shall be justified are Contradictory I say they are not If both these Sayings be true his Challenge is in vain if he will speak-out that which he must else manifest his Abuse of me and say they Contradict one another then let the Reader judge who is the Miscreant and observe how he falls himself into the Pit he had prepared for another But to shew how this distinct outward Knowledge was not absolutely needful to Salvation I instanced how that divers of the Patriarchs yea Mary and the Apostles themselves had not so Clear a Knowledge of it but appeared ignorant upon several Occasions To this p. 289. he would make the Reader believe that I Conclude The Patriarchs had no saving Knowledge of the Messias because the wicked Jews Crucified him Which is false I shew indeed according to Scripture That the Jews that Crucified him wanted this distinct Knowledge notwithstanding they had the Scripture His further answer to this Confutes himself saying The Apostles did understand so much at was then Revealed and if this was sufficient for them as he must say if he speak sense the like may be said of the Heathens For if the Apostles were not Condemnable for not believing nor understanding more than what was Revealed to them neither could the Gentiles But to make his unwary Reader believe as if all this said by me brought no Relief to my desperate Cause as he terms it he concludes this 11 Paragraph p. 290. with one of his sententious Sayings Quakers can dream waking I see He goes on in answer to my Proofs brought from the Ancient Philosophers to Confirm this to which he resumes little but Railing Wherein I will not trouble the Reader to follow him since without them the thing in Hand is sufficiently proved by Scripture Yet if he will affirm the Citations to be either False or Fictitious they may be proved by production of the Books themselves He thinks The Impertinency of my citing Augustin 's Words is discovered by the bare Reading and little less he saith to those of Buchanan Which I refer to the Reader 's Judgment as he will find them in my Apology towards the latter End of the Explanation of the fifth and sixth Propositions and I will leave him concluding this Chapter with Railing and Empty Threats which I neither Fear nor Value as being without Ground and the Fruits of no better Spirit than that of Rabshakeh SECT VII Wherein his Thirteenth Chapter of Justification is Considered ¶ 1. I Come now to his Thirteenth Chapter Of Justification where after he has begun by telling This Doctrine hath been principally questioned by Hereticks which I deny not and given us according to his Custom some large Citations out of their Confession of Faith and Catechism with the supposed Sense of other Quakers from some of his formerly mentioned partial Authors at last he comes pag. 296. N. 4. to Examine what I say in this Matter Where according to his Custom he begins with a Calumny upon his own false Supposition J. B. proceeds upon his own false Suppositions and Perversions As if the Justification I plead for were not the true Justification of the Saints because proceeding from the Light which saith
Printer the Figures may be misplaced and so miss Truly they must be very happy that can secure themselves from this hazzard he has not been so happy who denied the Words to be in a place where the knowing of it depended not upon the diligence of others but of his own locking to it as I have just now shewen Pag. 315. to prove That Justified is not taken in the Epistles of the Apostle Paul to the Romans Corinthians Galatians for Making Just as I affirmed in the Passages cited by me he saith To take it so would make the Apostle Contradict himself But this he affirms upon the meer Supposition that the Apostle with him Excludes all Works from Justification which is but to beg the Question as will after appear What he adds here and in the following page in answer to the Citations I bring out of divers Protestant Authors I need not trouble the Reader with a Reply to it because he turns by the most material of them as not having the Authors by him to examin them Others he positively Rejects as not agreeing with them as Forbes and Baxter And at last Insinuates That the Trial is not to be by Humane Testimonies for such he accounts all the Writings of his Brethren whereunto I do very well agree Only I brought some of his own Folks not as if I needed them to Confirm me in my Opinion but as having Weight with those among whom they are esteemed Doctors In this page answering what I urge from Rom. 8.30 shewing how in that Golden Chain Sanctification must be excluded or Justification must be taken in its proper Sense he saith That Sanctification is comprehended under Vocation If this be true which he asserts then he gives again away his Cause for then no Man is sooner Called than he is Sanctified and since he will not say seeing he disclaims to be an Antinomian that any Man is Justified before he be Called it follows then necessarily That no Man is Justified No Man is justifed before he be Sanctified before he be Sanctified and then to what purpose has he been fighting and wrestling all this while Pag. 316. N. 33. he acccuses me of Vnparalleled Falshood Impudency and Boldness for saying That I have sufficiently proved that by Justification ought to be understood to be made really Just whereas I undertook only to prove that the Word might be so understood without Absurdity Adding I wonderfully conclude a must be from a may be c. But the best is his greatest Charges are built either upon forged Calumnies or his own pitiful Mistakes I never Concluded by Justification ought to be understood to be made really Just only upon that which I said from the Etymology of the Word nor by Justification there did I understand meerly the Word but I conclude from all my Scripture-Arguments of the thing as my following Words manifest where I say We know it from Sensible Experience But he may be sure it is not the Etymology of the Word we know so And if thence he urge That this falleth not under the inward Sensation of the Soul he but fights with his own Mistake For that the Real Justification of the Saints falleth under the Inward Sensation of the Soul I think no Man of Sense will deny for Christ is formed in the Mind where he is said to be Revealed Inwardly and that gives a Sense of Justification Albeit he seem to wonder at it asking What Scripture speaketh so He may read Gal. 1.16 Whether was not the Apostle here Justifyed and under the Sense of it He is angry p. 317. that I call the Life of Christ an Inward and Spiritual Thing but will he say it is an Outward and Carnal Thing The Life of Christ is an Inward and Spiritual thing But what thinks he of 2 Cor. 4.10 11 He Confesseth This Life of Christ supported and carried the persecuted Apostles through many Miseries and Deaths Will he say then it was not an Inward and Spiritual thing that carried them through these Trials But he addeth But who except a Quaker could say That the Apostle says We are Justified by this Life I answer All except such Absurd Men as will deny that where we are said to be Saved by a thing we are said to be Justified by it Rom. 5.10 Tit. 3.5 we are said to be saved by Regeneration And whereas he saith The Apostle saith not That this is the Formal Objective Cause of Justification These are Words the Apostle useth not at all and therefore no wonder there be no Word of it here He looks upon it as being Absurd for me to think that Reprobation is Non-justification but I would know of him if there be any Reprobates who are Justified That the Marks and Evidences are not always taken from the Immediate Nearest and Formal Cause I confess but that therefore the not having Christ revealed in the Soul is only a Sign and no Cause of Reprobation remains for him to prove The Cause Reprobation Wickedness is a Sign of Reprobation will he therefore affirm it is not the Immediate nor Formal Cause of it After the same manner he denieth p. 319. That we must lean to that which the Apostle calleth Col. 1.27 28. Christ within the Hope of Glory his Reason is because the Apostle saith Phil. 1.28 And in nothing terrified by your Adversaries which is to you an evident Token of Salvation asking Must we also lean to that in Justification But will he say there is no difference betwixt that which is only a Token and Christ within If there be his Reason concludes nothing ¶ 6. Lastly he comes to answer The Necessity of Good Works to Justification what I say of the Necessity of Good Works to Justification And what I urge from Isai 2. he confesseth that Good Works are an Instrumental Cause Which Concession doth prove all I Affirm If they be an Instrumental Cause they must be a Cause sine qua non and Necessary since the Instrumental Cause of a thing must be necessary towards its being What! though Abraham was Justified before he Offered up his Son it will not follow that he was Justified without Works His Absurdity as if it would thence follow That no Man is Justified when he sleeps or is not actually doing some Work looks liker the Objection of a Man Sleeping who knows not what he saith than of one Awake for by the same way it might be said that Faith is not Necessary since Men do no more actually believe than do Good Works when they are sleeping My Argument deduced from Heb. 12.14 Matth. 7.21 John 13.17 1 Cor. 7.19 Revel 22.14 he sayes proves the Necessity of Works unto final Salvation but not to Justification and if it do so it doth the business unless he will say that full and perfect Justification is not sufficient to Salvation My answer to their first Objection he observes but replies not To the second answering what
The worldly Peace-Contrivers Rule is not Equity but the power of Parties 610 711 712 Pelagians 311. how we differ from them 339 341 492. see Light of Nature Pelagius deemeth That no Man gets an evil Seed from Adam and ascribes all to the Will and Nature of Men He said that Man could attain unto a State of not sinning by his meer natural Strength without the Grace of God 398 Perfection Concerning Perfection or freedom from Sin 91 99 132 136 166 167. Perfection evicted 28 37 620. Persecution upon the account of Religion 523 529. see Magistrate Violent Persecutions upon the account of Religious Principles rather confirm than drive the persecuted from the Belief of those Principles 687. The Lutherans and Calvinists united in the Doctrine and Practice of Persecution even practise the same against one another 690. Pressing after and seeking to establish a National Church tends to promote Persecution 691. the Principle of Persecution preached up and practised by the Church of Rome 689. Severity see 865. Perseverance The Grace of God may be lost through Disobedience 388 401. yet such a stability may in this Life be attained from which there cannot be a total Apostasy 380 398 400 405 406. Concerning Perseverance or falling from Grace 136 138 167 Peter whether he was at Rome 289. he was ignorant of Aristotle's Logick 305. there were of old divers Opinions concerning his Second Epistle 297. Pharaoh 778 Pharisees 475. Philosopher an Heathen-Philosopher was brought to the Christian Faith by an Illiterate Rustick 424. a Philosopher converted his Testimony concerning the Old Man's Words 644. a Philosopher troubled for being Commended by a Profligate Person 672. Philosophers whence called 362. Philosophy 417 424 Phisicks ibid. Plays whether it be lawful to use them 531 533 545 548. 565 Polycarpus the Disciple or John 289 Power The Power of God being Inwardly felt to give Victory over Sin in some serious Inquirers was the Cause of their Uniting and agreeing unanimously to the universal Preaching up of this Power which is the True Church's first and chiefest Principle and most agreeable to the universal Love of God 697 Pray To pray for Remission of Sins 397 398. concerning the Lord's Prayer 450. to Pray without the Spirit is to offend God 453. concerning the Prayer of the Will in Silence 458 see Worship Prayer The Prayers of the People were in the Latine Tongue 422. Prayers performed without the Assistance of the Spirit are not acceptable to God 44 45. Mental Prayer the Cause and Spring of Vocal Prayer 643. is sometimes of more Force than Vocal Prayer 648 all that are Faithful who have no natural Defect may Pray Vocally at Times 645. Preacher see Minister Preaching what it is termed the Preaching of the Word 426 431. see Worship it is a permanent Institution 485. it is learned as another Trade 431. no Preaching is profitable but that which comes from the Immediate Teachings of God's Spirit 28 861 868 871 Predestinated God hath after a special manner Predestinated some to Salvation of whom the places of Scripture which some abuse be understood their Objections are easily solved 341. Presbyterians Scots Presbyterians the severest of that Sect they derive their Pedigree from Geneva but surpass it in Zeal 678. Presbyterians Complyance 758. a Presbyterian Preacher's Prayer to the Devil 708. a twofold Will in God vindicated by the Presbyterians 777. see 861 873 878 Priest Under the Law God spake immediately to the High-Priest 277 286 Priests see Minister of the Law 408 409 421 442 Pride 885 Princes the Courts of Princes the Scenes of greatest Wickedness 708 564. Principles Departing through Unbelief from the Fundamental Principles of a Society implieth self-ejection from being a Member of that Society whether in Spiritual or Temporal Matters 214. proved by Scripture ibid. that those that abide faithful in the firm Belief of those Principles and Doctrines upon which their Society was outwardly grounded have Power to exclude those that separate from them by asserting False and Contradictory Principles 215. The Doctrines and Principles which are the outward Bonds and Terms of Society are nothing else but the Product of Truth 's Power and Virtue upon the Heart 241. a good Principle is a ready way to lead People into good Practices 27 Profession An outward Profession is necessary that any be a Member of a particular Christian Church 404 Prophecy and to Prophesy what it signifies 416 417. of the Liberty of Prophesying 439. Prophecy 277 750 Prophets Some Prophets did not Miracles 416 417. Sam. Rutherford explains 1 Cor. 14.30 to be meant of Pastors and not extraordinary Prophets 104. J. Calvin affirms that in his Day God raised up Prophets and Evangelists 89. concerning Prophets 604 645 667. Protestants the Rule of their Faith 289. they are forced ultimately to recur unto the immediate inward Revelations of the Holy Spirit 293. what difference betwixt the execrable Deeds of those of Munster and theirs 288 290. they make Philosophy the Handmaid of Divinity 305. they affirm John Huss prophesied of the Reformation that was to be 309. whether they did not throw themselves into many Errors while they were expecting a greater Light 380. they opposed the Papists not without good Cause in the Doctrine of Justification but they soon ran into another Extream 365 366. they say that the best Works of the Saints are defiled 370. whether there be any difference betwixt them and the Papists in Superstitions and Manners and what it is 405 406. what they think of the Call of a Minister 409 416. it is lamentable that they betake themselves to Judas for a Patron to their Ministers and Ministry 421. their Zeal and Endeavours are praised 422. of their School-divinity 425. of the Apostles and Evangelists of this Time 430. whom they exclude from the Ministry 430 431. that they preach to none until they be first sure of so much a Year 433. the more moderate of them exclaim against the excessive Revenues of the Clergy 435. though they had forsaken the Bishop of Rome yet they would not part with old Benefices 436. they will not labour 437. whether they have made a perfect Reformation in Worship 440 441. their Worship can easily be stopped 455. they have given great Scandal to the Reformation 470 they deny Water Baptism to be absolutely necessary to Salvation 480. of Water-Baptism 491 392. of the Flesh and Blood of Christ 407 409. they use not Washing of Feet 489. how they did vindicate Liberty of Conscience 524. some affirm that wicked Kings and Magistrates ought to be deposed yea killed 5.24 how they Meet when they have not the Consent of the Magistrate 529 530. of Oaths and Swearing 550 551. according to the Episcopalian and Presbyterian Principles and Practices no Man can be a Member of the State but first they must be a Member of the Church 691. the Protestants to their Shame have recourse to their old Abdicated Father the Pope for a Title to their