Sacred Truth 2. Let it be Considered that Ye who Plead such a Necessâ—y of such Integrity of your Foundation of Faith had need be sure of your hand yea Infallibly certain in your selves and in your Proof of it to others or else ye make your own Graves with your own Hands and pluck up your own Religion by the very Roots Ye stand Eminently concern'd upon the Concession of your Faiths Foundation not to be firm in case one Tittle of the Text ye frame all upon be found wanting or Points added since its giving out to make it not probably onely as incertum aut ignotum per incertius aut ignotius but Unquestionably clear that the Text hath every Tittle and that no Points are superadded since its first Penning or else to begin again with the Qakers at your A.B.C. in the things of God and lay a better Bottom for your Building and surer Ground for your Faith then ere ye have done for as J. O. sayes in another case it s but meet that men should be call'd to Account upon their own Principles and such as suppose Salvation to sinke if every Syllable be not seen and Repose so Eternal a Trust upon a Temporal External Text as to assert All Saving Truth to Fail for Ever if its Transcripts be not as Entire Now as they were some Thousands of Years ago and â—in the Everlasting Gospel of God on so Ticklish a Point as Mens Mistaking or Not Mistaking in Writing out the Bare Letter of it had need to be Not so Suppositive as J. O. is but Positive in Their Proof and Uncontrolably Demonstrative of Their Principall Proposition and Not Impositive of Their Own Thoughts Imaginations Apprehensions Uncertain Conjectures and Pretended Probabilities onely Sith the Stresse of a Case of such Dangerous Consequence Stands upon it that All Souls as J. O. sayes at least so Depend on it as to have No Means of Their Salvation if Their Proposition prove False and They happen to be Out or Miscarry in it Or else in Case Ye can't so Clear it then Confesse as J. O. seemes to do sometimes but that He is loath to stand Long to the Honour of such a Confession that Ye well Know Not Where Ye are nor What to Say about the Various Lections Ye finde to be Crept into Your Text nor What may be the Cause of its Being so and that Ye have Nothing to Blame but Your Own Ignorance of the Scriptures and other Cases And of the True Foundation which is the WORD it self and Not the Scripture or Writing of it And that Ye have Never with Your Shallow Comprehensions and Understandings Ye have Hitherto lean't to reached yet the Vtmoâ—t Depth of Truth and so think it Meet since Ye can make No Demonstration of Your Position to lay it Down Altogether and of Learned Men become meer Wormes not Captivating Others to Your Own Thoughts but Captivating Your Own Thoughts to the Truth and to the Authority of God in his Word nigh in the Heart and Not leaning Alone to the Lesbian Rule of a Naked Letter Without You See J. O. p. 303. 347. For as Error Minimus in Principio fit Major in Medio Maximus in Fine So there being but some Errours in Your Bottom O Ye Builders Your Building must needs stand Awry and be most crooked at the Top. Yea this is a most Vndeniable Truth That the Faith about that which is Beleeved to Be the Foundation of All Saving and Divine Faith in other Things must be Built upon an Undoubtedly Divine Basis and stand in a Ground that Can't be Shaken and on an Infallibly Sure and Unquestionable Foundation and Not on such A Flexible Thing as Mans Conjectures Thoughts Apprehensions Opinions This Way or That Nor on Meer Humane Fallible Perswasions Reports Writings Testimonies Traditions of Authors either on One side or Other Or else as J. O. sayes So say I We shall Quickly see and because of This See it We do Already what Wofull Estate and Condition the Truth that the Scripture Talks of will be brought Vnto And how Brittle the Belief is If the Foundation that any Fabrick Stands on should be Stone and the Ground that Foundation stands in should be but Sand That Building will not Abide when the Stormes and Waves come If the Foundation of Your Faith in other Things be the Integrity of the Text to a Tittle as at first Given Out for so it is with J. O. or else He gives All up for Gone and Your Faith about that Entireness to a Tittle of the Text be Founded no where but in Fancy Conceits Thoughts or in the Opinions of Your Selves and other Men Ye Side with Opposing as Learned as Your selves that Side Against You I here Affirm in Sober Sadness and in the Fear of God not Derisorily that All Your Faith is of No more Force then a Fiddle-â—tick is of to Fight withall as to the Effecting of that full Freedom from Sin and Salvation which Comes by Christ which is the End of his Coming to All those that Unfainedly Believe in his Name 3dly Let it be Weâ—l and Wisely Weighed how Wonderfully farre Short of Scientificall Syllogismes and Clear Demonstrations or of so much as True Topical Evidences either Your Arguments are in Proof of That Entirenesse and Integrity of Your Text in Every Tittle if there be No Better to be Vrged by You as in Truth there are Not then what are Vrged by J. O. in that Case on Behalf of the University and Clergy For after J. O. had stood out as long as He well could with Sticks and Straws against the Novelty of the Points and the Variety of Lections in the Texts of your Transcripts He plainly Yields and Confesses both as is shew'd hereafter 1st Vrging His false Conceits about Gods Promise and Providence and Loving and carefull Aspect over the Transcribers and such like Fancies of His own yea all along His own and others Thoughts against them and concluding thence thus Shall We think this and that Is it not very Improbable Shall We imagine so or so And then at last clearly confessing the same He before contended against Which Grants though when they are gone from him He would gather in again fearing He hath lost aâ—â— if He do not a little qualify them Yet in what a poor way He puts on to Reduce and Recover what He had given by His Yieldings and Acknowledgments and how they are of as little force and to as little purpose as Pharoahs endeavour was to bring Israel back when he had once let them go from him A very Fool may feel by the following Examination of what He uttereth toward the Regaining of His Ground again His Maxime or Main Proposition He fights for all along from first to last being that the Now Copies of the Originall Text are Entire to a Tittle without any losse by the Mistakes of the Transcribers or change by Addition of the Points His Main Medium of
thy crooked Copyes and so a door be opened as it is already not more to curious pragmatical wits then plain honest Truth telling downright dealing upright hearted light loving souls to overturn this ticklish foundation and all that thy simply supposed certainty of a true entire and to a Tittle exact conformity of this Hebrew Text of Scripture with that which was pen'd by immediate motion p. 308. and so seem to derâ—gate from the universality of this rash hasty Assertion concerning the preservation of the Original Copies thereof to this hour in every Point Tittle and Iota 296. thou bestirrest thy self what thou canst thorough the whole Chapter aforesaid in vindication of the said universality and verity of thy Arch Assertion by diminishing this vast variation that is in the Keri and Ketib from the first manuscripts into a very little matter too vain to be at all counted upon as a various lection they are of so small weight and importance though I must here tell thee I. O. that of as small moment and importance as thou makest both these of Keri and Ketib as well as all the other varieties that thy self are sain to confesse to viz. those of Ben Asher and Ben Nepthali those of the Oriental and Occidental Iewes those called correctio Scribarum or the amendment in 18 places of some smaâ—l Apiculi as thou diminutively stilest them to salve the credit of thy exquisitely crude expression of thy self often by the Term of Apices and every Apex c. p. 27.317 and those called Ablatio Scribarum or a note of the Redundancy of Vau in five places O thou that art tossed to and fro and yet thou seemest with the superstitious Iewes to hold a Copy to ' e corrupted or prophaned if but one letter be but wanting or redundant sometimes viz. p. 170. yet the least of all these are of weight and importance enough for all thy summary saying of them all together p. 13.14 they are varieties in things of lesse indeed of no importance to knock thy principal position on the head and howbeit thou sayest not in the least p. 181. in the least at least to Impair the Truth o thy Arch Assertion that every Tittle and Letter of the outward Text which thou till stilest the word of God remaines in the Copies preserved by the merciful providence of God for the use of his Church to this day and I must tell thee moreover that the more thou stirrest in defence of the universal verity of that thy unwarrantable and utterly untrue Assertion the more it stinks and that rankly too not onely of unreasonable rashnesse and Real falshood but also of a meer Diotrephetically impudent and impositively prating Spirit in thy self that rather then recant one rashly assented absurdity will run into a thousand to offer so peremptorily to persist in t unlesse thou couldst speak more to the purpose then thou yet hast done or ever art like to do in proof thereof in that universality rigidity and strictnesse wherein thou statest it And as to those of the Keri and Ketib in particular the utmost thou sayest in all that Chapter wherein thou art wholly taken up about them whereby to refell the force of what falls heavily on thy Arch Assertion thence from by such as urge it to the evincing of variety of Lections from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or primitive Text is as strong as stubble it self to stand against it with and of no more force then foam and froâ—b to resell it For fiâ—st p. 297. thou sayest all the difference in these words that is the 840. words of the Keri and Ketib is in the Consonants not at all in the vowels Rep. In which saying thou givest thy whole cause for if there be little lesse then a thousand words now in the Hebrew Text differing in the Transcripts in their Consonants from what they were as written in the first Manuscripts what need any more to prove against thee that there are various Lections and that in more then in Tittles Iota's Vowels Accents Points and Apices in the least of which yet if variation be proved it disproves the universality and verity of thy great Assertion of Identity to a Tittle and what need the Authors of that insinuation over whom thou crowest upon thy own dunghill and triumphest before thy time p. 319. produce the least Testimony as thou falsly affirmest they cannot that there hath been in the world some Copy of the Bible differing mark thy words in the least from those we now enjoy or that those ye have are corrupted thou I. O. provest it against thy self to their hands yea that the Consonants themselves are greater matters then Points and Apices and of more importance with thy self is intimated by thee p. 317. in the eye of any ordinary Reader a yet thou thy self assertest p. 297. that 840. words are found different from what they were at first writing in no lesse then the very Consonants what need we then any further witnesse since we our selves have so much confessed out of thy own mouth or rather extant under thy own hand And what need the Authors of this insinuation prove their Assertion in answer to thy confident universal Challenge of them so to do p. 317. saying let them prove that there was ever in the world any other Copy of the Bible differing in any one word from those that we now enjoy Tu dicis thy self I. O. sayest it that there are differences from the fiâ—st Copies that were writâ—by the inspi el Authors and that of many sorts what needst-thou say let them produce one Testimony one Author of credit Iew or Christian that can or doth 〈◊〉 did speak one word to this purpose let them direct us to any relike any monument any kind of remembrance of them and not put us off with weak conjectures upon the signification of one or two words and it shall be of weight with us is it meet that a matter of so huge importance called into Question by none but themselves should be cast and determined by their conjectures doth they think men will part with the possession of Truth upon so easie Terms that they will be cast from their inheritance by divination Bona verba quaeso Possession of any thing that 's counted an inheritance I confesse is eleven points of twelve and they that are in it commonly count that Truth and Right is on their side right or wrong and the more ado and harder task they have who have to do with them to storm them out but as the case here stands it 's no great matter sith I. O. the possessour fights for us against himself Art thou an Author of credit thy self I. O. whose Testimony may be taken for Truth wilt thou believe thy self if not others I confesse as thou sayest p. 102. of the Romane Harlot the common fate of lyars hath so befallen her for lying mostly in many things she professeth that she deserves
me alone to prove it to them so to be or else I must acknowledge that all I have to say will be just nothing to the purpose and of no validity at all to the proof thereof Reply But stay a while I.O. and take thy answer from us along with thee though we love thee more then we are beloved by thee and are loath to deny thee in any Reasonable Request Yet for the Truth 's sake which we love and prefer before thee and which is not ours to give away we may not give way to thy Petition of the main Principle from us though thou crouch down to the ground to petition for it we must not give thee leave to run away with the Cause so as to consider the Writing the Scripture under the false formality of its being the Word of God written the Verbum Scriptum while thou art but in the meer way of proving it till thou hast as infallibly prov'd it so to be as 't is infallible to us that 't is impossible for thee to prove it For this is the thing sub judice whether the Scripture be formally the VVord of God or no And since thou confessest thou canst not prove it unless we upon thy begging of it yeild it to thee before-hand so to be thou wert better grant it to us that it is not so Nevertheless not unlike to thy Fore-fathers the Bishops and thy fellow-Clergy-men in other Cases so bold a Lord-Beggar thou art that if we give it not thou wilt take it by force though thou crack thy credit for it and get to thy self less of that earthly Honour thou so hastenest after with thy having it by stealth then thou wouldst gain of that heavenly Honour from above by an honest confession of thy former ignorance and a repentance to the future acknowledgement of the truth For upon that score thou resolvest so to go on in thy proof and accordingly dost run rashly on like him who as aforesaid proves a Cock to be a Bull or like one who because he thought so in the dark having ignorantly asserted an Horse to be a Man will rather then recant as impudently go on to prove it to all denyers of it by begging of them first to grant it and if they will not by beating what he can the belief of it into them by his often calling the Horse a Man and bearing them down that he is a man before he begins and under that very Name and formality of his being so begins and proves him to be evidently so in this following form viz. That which doth evidence it self to be a man is a man but a Man Horse he should say but then the naked untruth of this minor would be too manifest doth evidence himself to be a Man Therefore a man alias Horse doth evidence himself to be a man Risum tenoatis A-cade mici For my part if I were now as sometime formerly I have been Petulanti splene cachinno I should hardly hold from laughing at the nugacity of I. O.'s Arguments But now nucibus faciens quaecunque relictis being turn'd into that which leads into more sobriety and seriousness then so I shall dare to laugh no further then 't is allowed the saints to do at the proud Assyrian that haughtily exalteth his voice and lifteth his eyes on high against the holy one of Israel and his holy ones Isa. 37.22 23. But as for many of those juniors what the Seniors may do I know not or younger sort of Students and Gown-men in the Vniversity to whose use and instruction thou dedicatest part of thy Booke though thou being once a man of some Authority among them they may possibly not be so bold nor so loud as to laugh out at thy hum-drum doings and at thy Idem per Idems yet they will scarce forbear laughing at them in their sleeves Yet this is thy sophistry I.O. call'd among Schollars Petitio principij or a Begging of the Question before one begins to prove it a taking of that to be a Ground Principle or Foundation to build on which is not yet granted but to be debated nor another thing from the thing debated or inquired after but the self-same thing which is in controversie and as unknown as that that is disputed For the Question between thee and the Qua. is whether the Scripture be in essereali cognoscibili the Word of God or no we deny it thou being to prove it so to be wouldest have it first granted or at least takest it ungranted so to be and then out of it self it being granted thee so to be thou wilt undertake to prove it so without which concession consideration and resolution thou even grantest the things thou art to alledge will be naked and utterly inefficacious to that purpose out of which way of Sophistry it seems thou canst not prove it and in which way though de jure thou oughtest not yet de facto thou doest prove it as much and no whit more then as is said above the Cock is proved to be a Bull and a Horse a Man whilst thy Argumentation in many places is no better than this viz. that which is the Word of God doth evidence it self to be the Word of God But the Word of God Scripture or writing thou shouldest say but dost not every where lest thy nakedness too much appear is the Word of God Therefore the Word of God doth evidence it self to be the Word of God In which Syllogism which is thine if the long loyns of thy loose dispute and that stragling multitude of thy matter of proof be girded up close into its own mifigured form thy minor hath subjectum aliud à substrato a different subject from that which was of right to stand there and to be proved to be the VVord of God viz. the VVord of God which is Idem cum predicato the self-same with that which is predicated of it and thy conclusion infers aliud à negato quite another thing then that which is denied for that the VVord of God is by it self evidenced to be the VVord of God is as much undenied as it is undeniable by us but that the writing in which the VVord is but held forth and declared is the VVord of God that is held out and declared by it this I shall make as bold and as warrantably against any one to deny as I should against such a Sot as following a Foolshead of his own should assert such a thing that the Glass window thorough which the Sun shines and the Lanthorn thorough which the light of the candle shews it self are of a truth and in very deed respectively the very Sun it self or Candle-light it self that display themselves thorow the said Glass or Horn or that the Cup-glass by which the VVine gives its colour and is handed out that men may drink it is truly and properly the very wine itself that is given out to be drunk of and that sparkles and
written for the ends above specified in the Scriptures mentioned yet will it not follow that it was intended for the Rule to the Church much less the only perfect Rule or Standard of Faith and Life because God did not give order for â—s so to be but assured her before the Scripture was at all as much as God thought sufficient to create and preserve faith in the Gospel she had before she had it written in an outward Letter viz. the inward Light Word and Spirit that was in the beginning from which the Letter came And p. 43. to make a Rule much more then the only sâ—anding Rule exclusively of all other of all internal Light Word Spirit Revelation as JO. and T.D. both hold the Scripture to be is necessary Gods appointment of a Writing to that end to which he did and even in the Scripture it appears appoint the Spirit and inward Light and Word as I shew'd above but never at all appointed the Scripture it self And p. 17 18. of T. D's 2 d. Pam. the difference lyes in God's Arbitrary dispensation who from of old disposed the Light Word and Spirit alone to be the Rule without and before the Letter as being far more excellent and fully sufficient without it as to the nature and being of a Rule but never ordered intended designed appointed or established the Writing alone as the Rule as my two Vniversity Antagonists dispute without and câ—â—lusively of the other And as for the third and fourth Classis of J. O's Scriptures which seeing they are so near a kin to these of the first therefore I shall consider them here before those of the second they are of the same kind so that the same general Answer might satisfie sapienti cui verbum sat but seeing such stress is put on them by J.O. to the stablishing of a wrong Standard which iâ— of so great concernment to be stated right or else all the Building faulters I am free to insist a little more particularly on them then else I need to do They contain as thou sayest J.O. commendations of the Scriptures as to all uses of Religion both by the practises and precepts of Christ and the Apostles searching and expounding proving and trying all things by them themselves and also commending and commanding the searching of them and the trying of all things by them in and among all others Rep. That all the places enumerated by thee do contain any such matter at all I utterly deny for some of those thou citest as well as sundry of those afore spoken to neither expresly nor intentionally relate to the Writing or Scripture but onely to the Word of God and the Things and Truth and Commands of God written of onely in the Letter which things in what Text soever thou find'st them talkt of thou present'y run'st blundering on in thy wonted blindness which discerns no difference between the Writing and things written interpreting them without more ado of the Scripture as namely Deut. 28.58 whereby the words written in that Book is not meant the Writings but the Commandmenâ— therein rehearsed the Ceremonials and Morals of which they were to observe before that Booke of Deuteronomy was penn'd which is a story of Moses his repetition by word of mouth a little before his death of such things as he had from the Lord enjoined them to observe and some of them God also from his own mouth well-nigh forty years at least before that was penned Also that in Acts. 26.22 where Paul sayes he witnessâ—d no other things or truths as to the substance and matter of them though the manner was different the one testifying de Christo exhibendo the other exhibito one saying they should come t'other they were come then what the Prophets and Moses said should come Which things Paul could now witness were come if he had not seen their witness that they should And what mention is there of the Scripture at all in that Scripture Also John 1.7 where it s said of John Baptist he was not that Light but came to bear witness of that light which John Baptist wrote no Scripture at all that I know of which Light he testified to was not the Letter or Scripture but the same the Qua. bear witness to even that measure of its light within wherewith he inlightneth every man that comes into the world so that there is no Scripture mentioned or so much as meant in that Scripture Wherever thou seest in thy Concordance the word Scripture written of in the Scripture thou art ready to think straightway it Concuâ—r'â— and hath no â—mâ—l Concordance with thy cause and where thou findest the Words Rule Foundation Law and Prophets of God Light Word Commands Statutes Testimony Prophesie and such like thou as rashly and rawly imaginest the Scripture or meer outward Writing meant and mentioned by them in what ever is predicated of them and that it makes something for thy bâ—inde business of the Scriptures being the only standing Rule and Foundation But alas hoc aliquid verè nihil est this something is plainly nothing at all to that purpose for as it makes not a mice toward the proof thereof as appears above because the Scriptures were written for good ends and are prefiâ—â—blâ— to such and such good uses unless God had Canonized them as a Rule so neither doth it that Christ expounded the Scriptures and that some did search them and were mightily read in them as some are at this day who are supposed to deny them to the confounding the Scribes that searched them daily and therein lookt for life as their only Rule but never came to him that they might have life who was the Life and Light they came from but never heard him whom they testified of that his voice was now to be heard in whom God who under the Law before his coming spake in his servants the Prophets speaks under the Gospel as by his only Son 'T is true Abraham who lived long after Moses and those Prophets whose Writings ye have were born in that Parable which illustrates a precious truth that as to the mystery of it lyes yet hid from thee is brought in by Christ as saying of the Rich mans brethren by way of prevention of their coming into torment They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them if not they 'l not be perswaded by a miraculous message of one to them from the dead but what iâ— this to prove what thou here alledgest it for and more largely inferrest from it p. 63 64 65 66 67. where thou preachest on that Text a Sermon as long as little to thy purpose improving it and that of 2 Pet. 1.19 to the utmost to prove Moses and the Prophets Writings to be the best and most effectual means of bringing men to repentance on which that and all faith is immediately to be grounded and to prove the Scriptures to be that alone which we are sent to to be more effectual
is the Rod of power which God promiâ—ed to send out of Sion even the Rod and sharp Sword of his mouâ—h and breath of his lips wherewith he will now smite the Nations and slay the wicked and reprove with equity on the behalf of the meek of the earth whom the proud oppress even the word of his mouth which he will put into the mouths of his sucklings and their seed and seeds seed out of which he ordains strength to the perfecting his own praise against the persecutor This and not the weak dead letter Bible or Scripture thou so labourest bablest and scriblest for is that Power and Authority of God Able as the outward Writing is not to make it self known so to be for the letter is as lifeless helpless powerless as any other Book Writing or dumb Idols that men adore and receive aâ— ye with the Iews of whom thou speak'st p. 237. do the Bible at this day with the honour and veneration due to God that cannot stir from the place where it s set as neither can the Scripture from where it s laid no more than the Turkish Alcoran yeâ— as Jeremiah in his Epistle saiâ—h of the weakness and vanity of all the Idols of the heathen whom they make powerful Gods of Thâ—se Gods quoth he cannot save themselves from rust and moths though they be covered with purple they wipe them because of the dust of the Temple when there is much upon them men put the Scepter in their hands as if they were the Iudge of the Country and Daggers and Axes but they cannot deliver themselves from Theeves nor of themselves put to death one that offends them as a useless vessel worth nothing when broken so it is with their Gods they are as the beams of their Temples upon their bodies and heads Strâ—Bats Swallows Birds and Cats they are things in which is no breath yet they set and sell and buy them at a high price they are carried having no feet â—o walk with if they fall to the ground they cannot rise up again of themselves the same together with what follows caeteris paribus Baruch 6. may be said of the adored Best Copies of the Great Bibles that lye in the great old mouldy Popish Parish Mass-houses now called the Protestant Churches where the Bells hang the Ministers of the Letter not the Spirit the elder sort of which are Priests by Ordinatioâ—â— fit in their Temples and roar and cry the Word of God the Law the Light the way to life the Gospel the power of God to salvation as the Iews do when their Copy is carried about but these Gods of those Idol Shepherds that leave their poor flock at any time for another that hath a better fleece can do nothing at all cannot withstand any King or enemies are not able to escape either from Theeves or Robbers nor when fire falleth on the houses where they are to help or save themselves or flye away how then shall we think they the Books called Bibles the Scriptures are so powerful and effectual not only in themselves but also in respect of us as without any other helps or advantages to shew themselves to be the great Authority and Power of God vis virtus Dei to our salvation as I.O. dreams If he say he means not the Text but the Word it talks on let him say so then when he writes again and then we will take it for granted he gives the cause in question to the Qua. whom he quarrels with for denying the Bible Letter Scripture outward Writing to be the living effectual able powerful word of God that gives life and saves and such like and so we shall meddle no more with him as to that matter but so long as he will needs damn down the Qua. as denyers of Scriptures and the Word of God too because they deny the Letter or Text to be properly the truth or Word of God it doth but declare and talk on we must thereby understand him to intend the Letter which he talks for Moreover as to the Light of God and Word nigh in the heart which the Apostles preached to turn men to and taught them as the Scripture also doth in its Testimony there to to attend to as the Rule of faith and life this is that Word of the truth of the Gospel which is V is virtus Dei the Power of God by the vertue of which Power it brought forth fruit in the Collossians and in all the World where it so came when it came unto them in the Ministry thereof which was the means by which they heard of it first and then came themselves to hear it and to know the grace of God in truth even that grace that bringeth the salvation and appeareth to all men effectually instructing as well without as with the outward Letter of it all that leâ—rn at it to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world which is the Light of God in the conscience called the goodness of God or grace given to lead them to repentance who despising the riches of it are not led by it to repent and so treasure up wrath to themselves c. Tit. 2 11 12. Rom. 2.4 5. This is it which brought forth fruit in the world without Sword Miracles humane wisdome oratory or any inducements or motives but what are meerly and solely taken from it self consisting in things which eye hath not seen ear heard nor the heart of the animal natural man or of any but the spiritual man that by the Spirit which only searcheth and revealeth them discerneth the deep things of God can discern or conceive This is that that hath exerted its power and efficacy to the conquest of the world so far as it hath been capâ—ivated in the high proud thoughts of it to the true obedience of Christ causing men of all sorts times and places so to fall down before its Divine Authority as to renounce all that its dear undergâ—â— all that it dreadful and destructive to nature in its dearest concernment As for the Letter the Scripture which thou speakest of in a sense abstract from all other helps and advantages as that which without need of any other Revelation by the spirit and light within for these thou call'st superfluous mediums doth plead for reception not onely in comparison with but also opposition to all other wayes of coming to the knowledge of God his mind and will founded thereon and calls for attendance and submission with supreme and uncontroulable Authority 57 58. as that which hath brought forth so much fruit and exerted so much power What power hath it put forth to conquer the world into such submission to the truth as it is in Iesus as Christ requires or as the Letter it self either calls for what fruits of righteousnesse hath it brought forth in the world cal'd Christian to the glory of God for all its being
teeth and tongue are in his mouth and I should Reply t is a mistake for that which is in the mouth of a man is not within but without him T.D. would suppose me to be some Monstrous Simpleton and a doer of the said man no little wrong in making no less then a Monster of him by saying his teeth and his tongue are all ad extra without him when they are no otherwise then other mens are al orderly within his mouth but I must take this of his who sayes the word is said to be without a man while it iâ— said to be in his mouth for the voice of wisdome from him or else the Qua. folly will not be manifested to all men by it but much more of his own then all theirs amounts to And so as wise as he is in his own generation byond the children of Light I shall think my think of this to my self and to let it pass with no more then this notice by the way to the Reader 1. That as the word is in the heart shewing good and evil thoughts there searching and separating between the precious and the vile which is the work of the Word and Mouth of God there Ier. 15.19 so it is in the mouth distinguishing between the good and evil words there in the particular persons in whose mouthes it s planted and put for that purpose first according to the promise Isa. 59. ult My word which I have put into thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor of the mouth of thy seeds seed for ever from out of the mouth of which Seed of God the righteous Race which are mostly babes and sucklings to the wise and Disputeâ—s of this world Psal. 8.2 Mat. 11.25 It is secondarily to go forth as the strength of the Lords ordaining against the enemy in the latter dayes Jer. 1.9 2. That it is no news to me now that T.D. sayes in the mouth is without which was somewhat strange to me at first till I was acquainted with his quaint and coyn'd kinde of distinctions and sinister senses and many uncâ—uth meanings that he puts upon Scripture phrases wherewith to blinde people from being begotten into true wisdome by that which he calls the Qua. Folly for t is his usual manner of expounding and the ordinary meaning that he gives to these two terms In and Out to say by within is meant without and by without within for as he counts the righteousness of Câ—rists person without us to be in us to our justification whilst not inherent in us but in him only So the righteousness wrought and fulfilled in us by his power and Spirit not to be in us but without in his Person only for Rom. 8.4 in us quoth he imports not in out persons but in Christ p. 17. 1. Pamph. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he thought had been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 17.22 by in you in among you without p. 5.1 Pamph. and so I.O. will have to be expounded in that place to avoid the dint of that Doctrine of the Qua who tell of a Kingdome and righteousness within men that are not in it which he confesses is used but in one more place in all the New Testament as he calls the new Letter of it viz. Matth. 23.26 and there it s used for the inside of a Vessel Cup or Platter by Christ saying to the blinde Pharisees first cleanse the inside that the outsiâ—e may be clean also yet in Luke 17. it seems quoth he to be used in the same sense as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so making it thus the Kingdom of God ad vos pervenis is come to you a T.D. does within in effect to signifie without Ex. 3.5.47 and so in the place in hand in the mouth is without quoth T. D. which fine new-fangled way of Respondency to an opponent urging otherwise an irresistible Truth I should never have learnt had I not met with these two Sophistical Shufflers howbeit now I hâ—ve learnt their wonted way of winding away from plain truth I shall tâ—eâ—eby learn at least to avoid it turn from it and pass away but shall never learn how to walk in it it is so crooked unless I mean to leave the good way of uprightness to walk in the wayes of darkness Now as to I.O. though often he puts a difference between the Writing and the Doctrine and sayes the Scriptura formaliter or litera scripta is one thing and the materia or veritas scripta is another yet rather then he will give the Question to the Qua. who care not whether he doth or no which Question as is shewed above he is not ashamed basely to beg he will distemper and conjumble all that together again into one Chaos or lump of confusion which he had once orderly set asunder and therefore drives on in gross without dividing between the Scripture Writing Letter or Text and the Word Doctrine Light or Truth that 's written of and earnestly endeavouring to blend all these into one And though for haste jumbling and posting on he gets many a stumble by the way whereby he layes himself on the ground yet up again he gets and on he goes though haltingly never heeding how he interfears nor feels how he often hacks and cuts one leg against the other hoping that so long as he stands not still nor gives quite out nor lyes flat he rids ground as well while he stumbles on as when he seems to slide away more smoothly but his blinde blunderingâ— in which he thinks he posts on unseen are noted and seen by such as are not far behinde him who finde him full of flâ—ws altering often where he himself supposes his work is most firm and what ever he thinks of it himself yet to every understanding Reader he little lesâ— then gives the cause in effect not onely in other places agâ—inst his will and unawares to himseâ—f but also in p. 71. where is a passage that while it here presents it self to me I must take notice of lest I let it pass altogether and finde not a fitter place hereafter to observe it in J O. It is the Writing quoth he it self it now supplies the roome and place of the persons in and by whom God originally spake to men as were the persons speaking of old so are the Writings now it was the Word spâ—ken that was to be beleeved yet as spoken by them from God and it s now the word written that is to bee beleeved yet as written by the command and appointment of God Rep. all this I grant to be very true but tending to the overturning of J.Os. own cause and purpose in it which is to prove the Scripture or writing to be the Word of God and to the confirming of the Qua. cause who against him deny that assertion for the Word spoken and written even as spoken and written by Gods appointment is that which we say is still within the
Tâ—mbs R. Bax. dark conceits to the contrary which is sufficient to bring them that follow it to Salvation but only that it s not attended to And this together with that about the Letter above spoken to which ye lay as your chief foundation being the chief matters at first intended by me to be controverted with I.O. but that well nigh at my beginning in carnest to enter the Lists with him T. Ds. two young Cubâ— one some while after another coming out upon me occasioned me to make many an extravagant vagary after them into some other doctrinal accountative and narrative businesses for the Truths sake more then my own that people might no longer unless they will be led aside from it by his lyes and guâ—â—'d with his guilded glosses and counterfeit colours wherewith â—he â—awbs and smooths and sooths them up in sin and sinister suâ—mizes against the truth and the tellers of it in the points abovesaid and covers himself and his false doctrines of Iustification of Saints in Sin personal Election of all but a very few non-puâ—gation from sin in this life and sundry others either more directly and largely as that of Iustification or more briefly occasionally or but interlinearily resured before in which I.O. is as co-incident with him as he with I.O. in the rest I shall now betake my self to some more single though short Animadversion thereof as it lies in difference between the Qua. who hold it out for truth and I.O. T.D. I.T.R.B. and the owners of their books extant in which they oppose the Qua. in print very much if not more then in any other whatsoever and so I shall have done with them both at this time And first I shall begin with T.D. his two Do-littles and take account of his mighty weak mannagement of his many meanings as to that matter of the light against the Qu. of which in many things he means much what as I.O. does and is confused and contradictory to himself not a little about it yet I must needs say not by ten-fold so much as I.O. is in his mad mangâ—nization of his mind in this matter howbeit T.D. as to his Dispute goes clear beside the Question as it was stated about the Light as he did about the Letter and Iustification and strikes much more upon the Anvil then on the iron and yet he gives us the Quest. too at the very beginning to dispute it as he did those two about Iustification and the Scripture as may appear by what follows The Question between the Qua. and T.D. was as he relates p. 1. of his 1. Pamph. viz. Whether every man that cometh into the World be enlightned by Christ which when R H. affirmed T.D. as himself relates replyed thus viz. But what Light is it you intend we grant that every man hath some Light by which he discernes though dimly many sins and duties and severall divine attributes but the mystery of Godliness as it is summ'd up 1. Tim. 3. ult God manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit c. we deny that all men have the knowledge of To which Question of T.D. What Light is it you intend When R.H. honestly and truly replyed thus viz. The Light i.e. the Light of Christ about which only the Question was is but one T.D. replies thus viz. The Lights mentioned viz. â—aturall and supernaturall Light are two and though all have the one yet few have the other Rep. 1. Here let all reasonable men judge whether thou T. D. dost not clearly yeild us our Question which was not at all about the measure of the Light whether all have the same measure of it or not for we affirm not that but whether all have some measure of that same light that shines from Christ the light of the world yea or nay not whether all have so much as whereby they actually see all the things of God and the Gospel which are to be seen or arè seen by some but whether every man hath some or no i.e. so much as whereby to discern some of the things of the Spirit of God and the Gospel severall divine Attributes and many duties i.e. so many or such as God requires of him in particular who requires of every one according to the ability and degree of light he giveth and accepteth every one according to what he hath from him and not according to what he hath not which measure walking answerably to they stand excused uncondemned alias justified in the sight of God but rebelling against stand accused or condemned and this T.D. thon consentest to and affirmest with us so clearly that all thy after dispute upon it does not fetch that again which thou grantest to us it being about another Question of thy own starting which we deny not viz. Whether all have the actuall knowledge of the mystery of the Gospel in the light yea or no For mark We grant sayest thou that every man hath some light i.e. is in some sort enlightened by Christ for thy grant is to the Question above whether by Christ or not or else thy Answer is beside the purpose And besides p. 4. thou denyest not but the Gentiles afore Christ were enlightned by Christ as God though yet to the contradiction of thy self again as if the being enlightned to know and a man knowing were all one thou there sayest they were afarre off from the knowledge of that by whose light be discernes though dimly and how dimly or clearly is nothing to the purpose many sins and duties and several divine attributes In which words thou sayest as much to our purpose as we would desire thee It s ill stumbling at the threshold T. D. at the very entrance of thy work and yet no lesse thou didst again in Limine at the very beginning of our Disputation with thee about the Scriptures being the Word of God as is to be read in thy own Relation of the second dayes work p. 25 26. of 1. Pamph. where thou sayest the Question I promised to discourse upon was Whether the Scriptures were the word of God and that indeed was the Question to which as soon as in answer to thy desires of knowing what I held about it I denyed that the Graphe the Gramma the Scriptures ieâ—te writing or outward text is the Word of God thou repliedst by way of compliance with me saying You cannot believe us so simple surely as to affirm the Scriptures in that sense to be the Word of God And I say if not in that sense then in no sense are they so truly and properly that I know of but I.O. his foresaid non-seâ—sâ— who howbeit he is forced to confess Ex. 1. S. 28.40 to the yielding the cause to the Qua. that the matter contained in it only is said to be so but that the Scripture formally considered or the littera Scripta or letter written is not within and is not intended in those innumerable places of Scripture where the word
filthy rags but that is thy Blasphemy who so rendredst it but we know no such rotten stinking filthy righteousness that Christ hath either in himself or in his Saints Also thou falsly construest and misrepresentest both G.W. and all of us as if we asserted all men to have the knowledge of the Mysteries of the Kingdome of God for we say not that all know them and we know that thou know'st them not but that the Kingdome or Light that only shews them is in all men so that thereby they may know the mysteries of it though they do not Also thou most miserably misrepresentest my saying there are degrees among Believer p. 18. as if I had meant by it according to thy own muddy misty manner of meaning and supposing in that and many other matters that Believers have a mixture of sin with their grace and so ex falso suppositis proceedest to make another meaning of thine own which is none of mine that some persons be justified which never did fulfill the Law personally and rakest up an absurdity and fatherest it on me when 't is thine own for I deny thy imagined mixture of sin with the Saints Graces as a meer non-sensical saying of thy own for Grace and Sin can no more mix together then iron and miry clay then light and darkness then Christs true righteousness and the dung and filthy rags which thou supposest to be his also which can have no communion together 2 Cor. 6. And I deny any men to be justified or any of thy uncessantly ever-sinning Saints in whose persons the Law is not fulfill'd by the Power of Christ. Also how guilty or not guilty thou art found of laying down things in our names which were never spoken by us in such wise as thou ventest them and so of wronging us by adding to our words to be-speak thee in thy own words of thy Epist. to the second Pamphlet let any understanding man peruse thy first which occasioned G.Ws. Reply and he will find viz. that thou art charged not in falshood but truly and justly by G.W. charged of falshood in such passages as have many and credible Witnesses if thou count thy own Witnesses credible attesting them for I shall bring them against thee even as thou thy self hast ranked them in thy own book and stand to that very testimony they therein give as to the tryal of this matter between thy self and me which if it may be heeded more then thy own single testimony against both thy self and all them also I shall do well enough as to one of the Archest Accusations thou makest against me To this purpose consider all people that T.D. on his bare head accuses me S.F. p. 14. 15. of his first Pamp. of affirming and disputing it against him that OVR good works viz. OVR own righteousnesses of which it was of old said and we say the same now not intending by that term OVRS any that Christ works in us as T.D. does but those we have wrought out of him that they are filthy rags are the meritorious cause of our Iustification And in the same place asserts the third Question to be stated affirmed and prosecuted by me in thoâ—e very terms viz. that OVR good works are the meritorious cause c. nevertheless the self-fame T.D. if it be one and the same T.D. who wrote the Trifle call'd A True Relation of the Disputes and that Remarkable Narrative at the end thereof in p. 58. of the same foresaid Pamphlet to the Confutation of himself and in Proof of his falsification of things in that other place not only affirms it himself but also proves it by his many credible Witnesses of whom he sayes in his Epistle to his second Toy they attest the truth and in the Epistle to his first thus viz. The Gentlemen Ministers and others in the Margin are a few of very many Witnesses of the terms of the Questions agreed to by the Qua. and of other remarkable passages and matters of fact who will free me from the suspition of a partial Relator that the terms of the third Question were these viz. Whether good works be the meritorious cause of our Iustification which quoth T.D. was expresly affirmed by them witness in the Margin Hen. Oxenden Iob. Boys Esq Nath. Barry Tho. Seyliard Ch. Nichols Ministers which terms say I are quite diffeferent from the other Good works which are only Christs without that term of OVR added to them being one thing and OVR good works clearly another especially OVRS that are filthy Raggs So what need further witness to prove T.D. to have added to and altered our termes and wronged us by misconstructions for the world has it under his own hand which evinces him to have done so yet he sayes to his Reader T. D. As to false construction of their words If thou thinkest it worth while to compare my false and this mans G.W. true construction either thou seest not with mine eyes or thou wilt see they have no occasion to complaine Rep. To which say I If he see with thy eyes indeed then its like he may see no cause we have to complain of thee for thy eyes are set the wrong way to see any evill in thy self while they are not Zach. 9 as all Israells as one man are towards the Lord in his light which only shews to the evill doer his evil Deeds but are set rather to watch against the Children of it for evill thy eyes are in tuts talpae in alienis linces blind at home and quicksighted the contrary way abroad if they were not thou could'st never spie so many spots among them that walk in the Spirit and so few of those foul faults that are found among thy fellow walkers after the Flesh but if any Readers be minded to see with their own eyes and not thine they 'l quickly see thee to be what thou art with whose weak sore and sorry eyes some of Sandwich whose Seer thou art do see more then with their own so that if thou once say'st thou seest what thou but surmisest and supposest they as I.Os. Juniors are respectively to himward are Extempore stupified into a Satisfaction that they â—ee the same whether they see it yea or nay so as to become Iurats into thy Rasn Iudgment and to sit down with no more then nil ultra quaero plebejus our Minister Teacher or Doctor sayes so or so But indeed as the Papists have been long accustomed to drink all the Wine they drink in their Sacrament with their Priests mouths who impropriate that Element wholly to themselves so that when Christ said drink ye all of this they drink it all off giving the poor people none so our Protestants have been so long accustomed to see with their Priests eyes that they have well nigh utterly lost their own or at least the true fight and right use of their own and T. D. I perceive takes it for granted or else why saies he thou
Apostles and Prophets it self which was not their writings for these were not their foundation nor were given to be ours for if they were then they had been built upon themselves and we are to be upon them which is absurd to say for neither their own preachings nor writings were their own foundation which they were built on nor are we to build onely upon them but both they and we upon that which all holy men were built on from the beginning before any writing was at all viz. Christ Iesus the light the corner stone which the blind builders refuse on whom whoever builds and believes if he never come to read one Tittle of any outward writing shall assuredly never be ashamed In this one grant then thou hast given both the Qua. and all others thou contendest with no lesse then the very cause thou contendest for viz. that the Scripture or Letter is infallibly the infallible word of God and every Letter Tittle and Iota of it also one Iot or Tittle of which can no sooner fail then Heaven and Earth can passe away and that every Iota and Tittle that was in the outward Letter as at first given forth from God by inspiration is preserved to this very day without corruption and remains in the Copies preserved till now for the use of his Church that the whole Scripture entire as given out from God without any losse is preserved in the Original Copies yet remaining yea in them all is every Letter and Tittle For this is the cause thou hast taken in hand in which thou wilt find when once thou awakest that thou hast hold on the wrong end of the staffe and these and much more of the like sort are thy own words and absolute assertions about it up and down in thy Book T. 1. c. 1. S. 14. T. 12. e. 2. S. 7. 9. which if they cannot be made good so high thou runnest but that there be any corruption to be supposed in your present Original Copies and various Lections though it be granted by Capellus and others that the saving Doctrine remaines sound as to matters of moment yet this shall not satisfie nor afford thee relief enough but thou wilt needs give up all thy cause as lost even further then thy own opponents would have thee confessing and professing that all your Doctrine is corrupt not continuing entire no means of its discovery nor of its recovery from a lost condition no means of rectifying it or determining any thing about it see T. 1. c. 1. S. 16.17 yea so as to yeild your selves to be at such a losse as not to know what ground ye stand on yea in thy Dedicatory Epistle pag. 25. lay but these two together first that the Points are the invention of the Tiberian Massorites which by all thy proofs to the contrary thou leavest as uncertain as thou foundst it and little lesse then yeild'st that it 's but uncertain 2 That its lawful to gather various Lections c. and then sayest thou for my part I must needs cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tell me where I must stand as not seeing any means of being delivered from utter uncertainty in and about all sacred Truth and so thou goest on desuing to be instructed by such as see through the deâ—adiations that are likely to ensue on these principles as one that tremblest to think what will be the desperate consequences of imagining alterations in the Points Tittles and Iotaes of your Originals Ep. ded p. 19. now what the issue will be we leave to God though some know it yet thou are too weak to bear the sense of it without amazement being bottomed no better then upon a quavering bogge if it should be told thee yet know it thou wilt when it comes to passe or if thou canst bear it take it now Fiat justuis aut pereat mundus the issue as dreadfull as it seems to thee who aâ—t in fearlesse dangers of greater mischiefs and but dangerless fears of this present object thou so startlest at will assuredly be no worse then this as I said above viz. that while Theeves will fall out True men will come by their good again if all the Divines in the world be in such digladiations as to draw their daggers against each other about it yet the light from which your whole Letter came will be turned to when the Letter is found to be but a fallible uncertain Rule as falsified by mens mis-transcriptions and mis-translations which light is certo certius vera verius if ought can be so even no lesse then infallibility and certainty it self and that very Equity and Truth it self which the Letter teaches and doth but tend to and for my part sink thou and thy fearful fellows boreling Priests and wrangling Lawyers that live altogether on mens lusts trespasses and sins of which when the world comes to the light and by it to be led into love honesty and peace as there will be no need so it will be wiser then to be fooled into a feeding of you for feeding them in their fightings I say sink ye whether ye will and your Quick sandy foundadations together with you till both your selves and them be swallowed up by that greater glory of the light it self now arising again upon the world though they will nor see it I know some that stand so fast in this juncture wherein the old heaven and earth shakes in order to its removing as to see thousands fall besides them and thousands at their right hand yet be out of fear of the fearful fall of the Hypocrites coming nigh them And as it hath never repented me hitherto to see that people that were Priestbewildred and hampered in Latine Letanies English Liturgies divine Scottish Directoryes falling off from their Priests and Scribes to the search of Scriptures so it will never repent either my self or many thousands more that are turned to a true attendance to the light of Christ having witnessed that weaknesse of the Letter it self to save the soules of men which the Letter it self also bears witnesse to Rom. 8 2. to see men fall according to the councel of the Scripture in that behalf Gal. 5.16 such a tall is in truth not from but to the Scriptures from the Scripture it self to the holy Spirit Neverthelesse were I one that did close never so cordially with thee in thy cause about the Scripture yet could I not commend but most condemne the Course in which thou commend'st it to us for as if it were not forward enough te fall of it self thou hastenest to handle it down with thy own hand writing while thou grantest the very first Transcribers of the Scripture to be fallible and also to have erred and failed though it were but in Points Tittles and Iotaes and in no lesse they could fail if they fail'd at all for is they were fallible and what they wrote were falsified in the least then at least thy
learned Collectors of various Lections pag. 196 197 in Oâ—ere longo obrepsit somnus and that while he had his hands and mind busied about many Things sundry mistakes did fall into his Work of Disproving various Lections 3. What intendest thou I.O. by that Clause if any various Readings shall be gathered where no mistake can be discovered as their Cause they deserve to be considered Is there any various Lection that mistake in Transcribing is not the cause of Where there various Readings of one Text to be found in the Writing as given out from God at first Was there not Identity and perfect exact likenesse to it self in every Text Term and Tittle of Scripture when 't was written And if there be any varieties now as there are not a few are not those very varieties so many as they are so many mistakes and is it not the Position it self to be vindicated by thee against all those whom in the wildnesse of thy heart thy hand is against that there are no mistakes befallen the Scripture nor such miscariages as befel the Transcribers of Heathen Authors p. 168 See also 167. and pag. 171. Let men sayest thou propose their Conjectures about the Mistakes they pretend are crept into the Original Copies we will acknowledge nothing c. And pag. 177. We have security that no Mistakes were in the Text before the coming in of our Saviour So 191. To relieve their Mistakes c. So 343 345. So pag. 18. in all which places he whose eyes are in his head may see how thou makest Mistakes and Corruptions Mistakes and Errours Mistakes and Falsifications Synonomaes and yet here p. 180. thou makest as if there were various Lections where there 's no Mistake as their Cause And also pag. 192. Thou quarrellest with the Appendix to the late many Tongu'd Bible in that therein whatever varying Word Syllable or Tittle wherein any Book varieth from the common received Copy though manifestly a Mistake superfluous or deficient inconsistent with the sense of the place yea Barbarous is presently imposed as a various Lection And pag. 199. it is sayest thou against all pretence of Reason that every Mistake should be admitted as a various Lection in which self-same page thou renderest Copies corrupted or mistaken as all one And pag. 200. speaking of different places To what end sayest thou should the minds of men be troubled with them or about them being evident mistakes of the Scribes as if mistakes of the Scribes were one thing and Corruption or various Readings from the first Copy were another Was there ever the like piece of Confusion and meer Mangonization of Matters made before by any Master in Israel as this which is here made by thee I.O. who one while makest Mistakes and various Lections one and the same and otherwhiles makes them Two Things so that though they do ever ponere se invicem yet often it s so with thee that posito uno non ponitur alterum Surely whether various Lections and Mistakes be in that Text of Scripture or no and whether various Lections and Mistakes be all one or no here 's both various Lections Corruptions Confusions self Contradictions and abominable grosse Mistakes also in thy talk about the varieties and mistakes of the Letters Transcribing and such an uncouth unhewen indigested disjointed incongruous unharmonious tottered kind of Round-about discourse as no reasonable man ever ran in and no reasonable man can find either head or raylin insomuch that should any Quakes have uttered the Tyth of that Confusion that thy Speech in this matter abounds with thou wouldest have said and justly too what thou unjustly chargest them with in thy Latine Letter ad Lectorem viz. that their Speech is so Crude and nonsensical that thou canst not well perceive their meaning I shall therefore here again as before I have done and might do of Twenty more places of thy Book not without good Cause bespeak thee much-what in thy own words of the Quakers Quiâ— Sermonem illum quo hic uteriâ— bene intelligat Quis inconditum illum verborum sonum omni sano sensu vacuum quo non tantum omnibus aliis qui veritatem asserunt sed ipse tibi in dicendo contradicâ—â—e videris mente percipere possit Epist. ad Lectorem Ex. 3. S. 17. Quaenam sit Tua de diversis Scripturae Lectionibus haud facile quis declarabit praeaâ—erquam enim quod Sermones tui inter se non Conveniant ita ineptè atque odiose in explicando animi tui sensu garris dubiae incertae significationis vocibus ludis nihil sani sensus aut quod ab ullis sanae mentis intelligi possit continentibus ut multo facilius sit argumenta tua profligare quam mentem percipere imo cum Turpis inhonesta est vel ipsam non Palam Eloqueris vel verbis itae consutis consarcinatis ut nibil paene omnino significent eam mangâ—nizas atque ita inscite consilium Sermonibus obtenebrans nibil magis cavere videris quam ne intelligaris Who is able to make any thing of that raw self Contradicting kind of Talk thou tracest to and fro in devoid of all sound Sense uncertain doubtful undistinct patcht together cloudy foolish Childish unsavoury as if thou tookest care more to hide thy meaning then to speak it out plainly or make it manifest as if bâ— Foring and Poking so long into Pococks Miscellanyes thou hadst left thy eyes behind thee there and contracted to thy self some certain Miscellaneous Spirit that cannot tell how to distinguish any thing but mingles all things together into a disorderly Masse and immethodically Messe of impertinent Confusion But to let it passe and proced to an Observation of the rest of thy poor put offs in this kind whereby though-thou grantest various Lections yet thou little lesse then denyest it again that there are any that can properly be so denominated How deservedly is this to be Noted to the shame of thy Confusion and of thy self Conâ—ounding self in it that thou struglest and yieâ—dest and struglest and yieldest and then struglest again like a drunken minded man that reeleth and staggereth to and fro in his vomit in most places of thy Book wherein thou handlest the Point of various lections For as pag. 13 14. thou first sayest That your Copies contain every jot that was in the fâ—â—st without alteration of one Tittle then that it s no doubt but there are some diverse Readings or various Lections in the Copies ye enjoy Then again That the whole is preserved without Corruption in every Letter and Tittle Then again That there is variety in the Copies ye have But then again and that 's the final Resolution of the whole matter which stands to salve all from sinking That where there are any varieties fallen out by Gods permission thereof it s alwayes in things of lesse indeed of no importance So pag. 198 199 200 201 after many Grants
hearts of men though witnessed to without in the Ministry of Prophets and Apostles preaching and writing of it as that in which they were to beleeve in which beleeving according to the Voyces and Scriptures of holy men calling them thereto and beleeved by them they thenceforth and not before were said to beleeve on the Name of God through which beleeving in it they had life but what 's this to evince the Writing to be that Word â—hus spoken thus written of which was another thing which was as truly beâ—eeved in to life before it was written of as after Oh quoth J.O. as were the persons speaking of old so are the Writings now True whence in his own words I argue back ad hominem on him thus As were the persons speaking the Word of God old so are the Writings now Buâ— not the persons preaching no nor yet their preachings and speakings were the Woâ—â— of God they preached and spake of but only means by which men were brought to beleeve in the Word of God What 's Paul what 's Apollos but Ministers by whom ye beleeved 1 Cor. 4.5 Therefore the Writings now are not the Word of God written of but only an outward means by which men are brought to beleeve in another thing then the â—ritings for life even in the Word of faith nigh in their own hearts which the Prophets and Apostles preached and wrote of that iâ— order to life men should beleeve in it I.O. And now as to that Text Heb. 4.12 which thou citest also p. 85. reciting the words of it which are these The Word of God is quick and powerful or as thou there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 living and effectual sharper than any two-edged swâ—rd piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Rep. I cannot but stand almost astonished at thy stupidity in expounding that Text of Scripture of the Text of Scripture and of that terme there the Word of God of the Book called the Bible which the business of thy Book is mostly about sith the efficacy and power of the Word here spoken of is far beyond that of the Letter or Scripture it self the inefficacy and weakness of which I have shewed above specially abstract from the Spirit and Light within in which way thou asserts the sufficiency of it witness thy own words above rehearsed as to any such mighty matters as are here mentioned Is the Letter the Scripture sharper then any two-edged sword to divide asundâ—r soul and spirit c. a diver into a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart what thinkest thou by the two-edged sharp sword that goes out of his mouth that rides the white horse with his vesture dipt in blood and the Armies in heaven following not in Lawn Sleeves Sarcenet Scarffs Sattanical Goâ—ns Canonical Coats Scarlet Formalities White Surplices Velvet Plush black Gippoes and such like Scholastick Superfluities but in fine linnen white and clean i.e. The righteousness of the Saints Rev. 2.12.19 11 12 13 14 15 22. Is it the Letter or is it the Sword of the Spirit a prime part of that Armour of God Armour of Light intimated Rom. 13.12 Eph. 6.11.17 which is the Word of God and the sharp soul-searching heart-piercing living life-giving Word that is here spoken of for it s the Spirit that quickneth the Letter killeth and is dead the Sword of the Spirit is the Spirit or words of Christs mouth which he speaks which are Spirit and life not Leâ—ser which Word of Christ is the Word of God also as Christ himself the Lord that Spirit is 2 Cor. 3. which was in the beginning before Letter was and was with God and was God for the three that bear witness in heaven the Father Word and Spiriâ— are one and all three Spirit and Light and the Letter is none of them all and these without the Letter are effectual and werâ— so before it though T.D. sayes the Spirit was not wont to be effectual without the Letter p. 42. of his 1. Pamph. but the Letter and its revelation is not sufficient and omnibus numeris absolute c. as J.O. darkly divines to effect and perfect all things as to Gods glory and our salvation of it self so that there 's no need at all of any other witness or revelation by the Spirit and Light within T.D. indeed if any save such as are bewitcht and befooled already would be such fools as to follow his foolish fancy would and what Parish Preachers do not the like make men beleeve by his non-sensical blinde wayes of proving it as if it were so at leaâ—t and that is a little more moderate then I.Os. boundless elevation of the Letter which hee makes little less than All in All that the Spirit was not wont to be effectual without the Letter in proof of which his false Assertion â—e urges Rom. 10.17 the same Text that I.O. wrests the same way Faith which is the Spirits work quoth he in the forenamed page comes by hearing hearing by the word of God which terme the Word of God there T.D. and I.O. and their Adjutants generally take to be the Scripture Text though if any measure of right reason did Rule in them they might see in the same Chapter that the Word of faith by which it comes is that they preached to be brought nigh in mens hearts and moâ—ths by God himself that there they might both hear and do it Deut. 30.13 but so far is his Position from having any truth in it as much as he stands up agâ—inst R.H. who justly withstands him in it that if his own eyes were but half open he could not but see the flat falsehood of it yea it is so palpable that before all the world I will here lay down the very contrary as the truth viz The Spirit was wont to be effectual without the Letter And why he should lose any of his Authority power and efficacy by mens writings as they were moved by him he is either wiser then I that can tell or else very fond in asserting what he can tell no reason for And that the Spirit or Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God whether we understand it of Christ himself that Spirit 2 Cor. 3. that quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 who is called the Word of God Rev. 19.13 or the Spirit of God and Christ which is so called also Eph. 6.17 was wont to be effectual without the Letter of old before there was any Letter for him to work by is so clear that t were to light a candle to see the Sun by to go about to prove it yea as I.O. sayes in a case that is clear I mean clear contrary to what he asserts in it Ex. 3. s. 31. so say I in this ad Solem caecutiâ—â— necesse est c. he must be so blinde as not to see the Sun
innate or ingrafted light of nature the voice of God in nature and common nâ—tions and general presumptions of God and his Authority inlaid in the natures of rational creatures and innate principles of reason and conscience and such like as if they were so de naturae de esse hominis so flowing from the meer natural being of men that they can be no more said to be supernaturally of God then the very natural faculties of reason understanding and conscience it self of which more an on both with thee and T.D. also though it be indeed that very way of supernatural Revelation which thou sayest p. 47. the Scripture is that as now in the world is handed to thee by the meer improvement of menâ— natural faculties in the way of transcribing printing re-printing as also studied by the meer improvement of your natural faculties of reading remembring understanding Hebrew Greek Latine English c. to the begetting of a meer animal or natural knowledge whereby yee know things meerly naturally speaking evil of what yee know not and corrupting your selves in what ye do know naturally as bruit Beasts for as a Horse or Bullock can finde the way to the Pasture where hee hath often been so the Priests by use course custome and concordance more than the work of the Spirit bringing all things to their remembrance can turn readily to Chapter and verse Which forsaid Voice or Light that God as thou sayest truly p. 43. hath indelibly implanted in the minds of men for the minde heart and conscience is as a dark place as to all spiritual moral and supernatural knowledge without the Law or Light of God shining in it and shewing good and evill is by thy own further Confession to thy own further confusion accompanied with a moral instinct of good and evil seconded by that self-judgement which God hath placed in us in reference to his own over us and that by which God reveals himself to the sons of men and that indispensable moral obedience which he requireth of us as his creatures subject to his Law and which is as effectual to reveal God as his works are to which there is need of nothing as thou sayest but that they be represented or objected to the consideration of rational crtatures and bears Testimony to the being righteousness power Omniscience Holiness of God himself and calls for moral obedience which is eternally and indispensably due to him and so shews the work of the Law written in the heart and is that by which the Gentiles or Nations that have not the Law in a letter are a Law to themselves and more then all this by thy own absolute acknowledgement whereby 't is evident that it even that thou callest the Voice of God and the Law written in the hearts of the very Gentiles and not the Letter of the Law written without with ink and pen is that ingrafted word by every one to be received with meekness Jam. 1.21 which is able to save the soul and that sure word as to it its evidencing it self to us or light shining in the dark place of the heart and that more firm stedfast constant standing permanent Word or Light or rule of life to us then that infallibly sure and certain though passing and transient Voyce that in the audience of Peter Iames and Iohn came from God himself that is here spoken of The said voice or light in the heart declares it self to be from God by its own light and Authority so that there is no need to convince a man by substantial witnesses that what his conscience speaks it speaks from God what ever testimony it bears or what ever it calls for from us in his name and so speaks and declares it self not only more constantly as it s ever with men but as to its certainty also that without further evidence or reasoning without the advantage of any considerations but what are by it self supplied it discovers its Author from whom it is and in whose name is speaks and is inlaid by the hand of God to this end to make a Revelation of him as to the purposes mentioned is able to evince its own divine original without the least contribution of strength or assistance from without and therefore I adde without an outward Letter undoubtedly though as undoubtedly an outward Letter cannot do all nor any of all this without the Light or said Voice Word or Spirit of Christ within which only doth and can evidence it unto the conscience that the Letter Scripture and doctrines declared therein are of so divine an original as they are Thus I have done with that Eminenâ— Text which is so much talked on so little to their own purpose by the most eminent talkers for the Text of the Scripture as that thing therein recommended to us to bee taken heed to as the most sure word of Prohesie the light shining in the dark place of mens hearts the Prophesie of the Scripture that is not of private interpretation but spoken forth in writing in the movings of the holy Spirit under which termes the holy Apostle intends not the outward Text in which as well as otherwhile by word of mouth the holy men testified to it and held it forth but that inward Word Light Spirit of Prophesie Truth witness and testimony of Iesus in the conscience which their outward voice words witness and writings were but a Testimony unto and an external means to turn men to upon the account of which Text in Peter and the 11. other aforesaid which I.O. impannels as his Jury to judge the case in question whether the Letter outward writing or Scripture is the spiritual Light or Word of God yea or nay I.O. makes such a full account to carry it his way and to have their unanimous universal verdict for him that the Letter is the Light and consequently the most perfect Rule and consequently the Word of God that in his blind hasty confidence he cannot stay from stiling it so till the trial about it be ended and while the cause is sub-judice and he but in his prosecution of the proof thereof but by way of Anticipation as it were throughout his whole book which is written mostly in ordine ad probationem as an enquiry after and examination of the matter he very often here and there if not as frequently and commonly as by its own proper names of Letter Writing Text or Scripture stiles and denominates it under the foresaid names of of the Light Rule Foundation Witness VVord of God as its nomen prâ—prium which hee will never prove to bee Proper to it whilest hee breathes And so hee runs on blindly in such over ample applaudings and most mighty magnifications of the Scripture that is the subject about which the Argument is driven on by what termes soever whether of the Truth the Foundation the power of God the Rule the VVitness of God the VVord of God c. hee expresses it by
business avouching that glorious Title of the Word of God and the Light to be the Nomen proprium Scripturae the proper name of the Scripture and that I wrong him not herein see his own stating the Question between himself and the Qua. Ex. 2. s. 1 2 3. de Scripturae nomine proprio nimirum Titulo illo glorioso Verbo Dei and p. 73. the Scripture is a light yet neiâ—her is nor can be called so unless it hath the nature and property of light p. 77. the Scripture a moral and spiritual not a natural Light p. 73 74. Light spiritual hath the preheminence as to a participation of the nature and properties of Light firstly and properly Light from whence the other i. e natural respecting bodily sight is by allusion so denominated in these places either expresly or eventually I.O. calls the Light and Word of God the proper names of Scripture or Letter and so consequently enâ—tails all the other glorious Titles to it as its Right due and proper names which they rob it of and deny it to be what it naturally and properly and really is who own it not properly both to be and be called the Word of God but it neither is actually testified so to be any whereby God nor by its self as I.O. p. 87. most lyingly falsely affirms it in so much that he who owns it not as so doth what in him lyes to make God a lyar And also p. 140. where he sayes If the Scripture be what it reveals it self to be it is then unquestionably the Word of the living God as p. 85. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the living Word of God Truth it self for that it professeth of it self quoth he frâ—m the beginning to the ending neither can it possibly be so stiled properly or unless it be by a figure as it no where is neither by it self that I know ofâ— by which the Image is called by the name of the Person which it properly is but a dead Picture and lifeless representation of the Lanthorn by the name of the Light that displayes it self more brightly when beheld without it which Lanthorn yet neither is the Light nor properly said so to be I am not ignorant of that Common Metonymy Continentis pro re contenta or figure whereby the thing contained is sometimes but never properly where it is exprest by the name of that which câ—ntains it and as well in that Scripture we talk of as in other Writings Matth. 26.43 and 1 Cor. 11.26 If this Cup may not pass away except I drink it As oft as ye dâ—ink of this Cup meaning properly not the Cups but the wine therâ—in viz. the one the bitter red wine of the wrath of the Almighty God the mixture whereof is powred out into the Cup of his indignation and of the fierceness of his Fathers fury which Christ drank deep of in the dayes of his flesh and humiliation to the drawing of supplications from him with strong crying and tears the other the wine of his blood shed for the remission of sins which such as walk in the light come at last to be cleansed by from no less then all sin neither of which Cups or sorts of wine thou hast yet drunk of or truly knowest what they are by all the skill thou yet hast in the Scriptures thou so scriblest for but shalt assuredly have thy part in the first before thou savingly know the second yea whether ever thou attain to witness the saving efficacy of the second yea or nay But what 's all this to the helping of I.O. in his crazy cause whose fighting is not all for figures or meer figurativâ— denominations but for the formal and true proper names of the Scripture which is the name of the Scripture and not the Word of God say we but is saith he that of the Word of God had he fought for no more then figures against the Qua. that stand for the Truth and said so too though in so fighting he had been foolish yet we could have born with him in that frivolous peece of â—olly and have lent him such a latitude as both by the Letter and Light may bee allowed to speak Metonimically and Metaphorically of Methaphorical matters and left him to his liberty without a check and let him alone in his figures to figure out things by other names then their own and to call them that which yet properly they are not to stile the Heusâ— they sit in by the name of the Parliament which it is not to stile the Picture by the name of the Person it is the image of the Voice by the name of the Word it is but the image of and the Scripture by that of the Word it is but the remote expression of and of the voice it is the more immediate image or expression of for vox est imago verbi Scriptura vocis immediata verbi quaedam mediata imago seu expressio and to signifie the Wine and the Light respectively by the names of this Cup this Glass this Lanthorn and the Word and Law by the name of a Scripture specially if by Scripture he mean that inward Writing of it by the Spirit of the living God in the fleshly tables of the heart where the Law of God is written though that writing and the Word written are not all one neither and we could bate him the impropriety of that figurative expression also though it be far further fetcht then the other whereby he should decypher that outward Letter by the name of the Law which it is but a bart Copy of and the written Word by the name of the Writing which yet in truth doth no more then declare of the Word Retro though I know not where in all the Scripture the Srripture is so much as by A figure denominated by that name the Word of God if the Word be any where so called by the name of Scripture as I.O. sayes at least fortyfold falsely that above fifty times in the New Testament the word Graphs or Scripture is put absolutely for the Word of God but if it were a hundred and fifty times so called it would not prove the high point in that height he takes on him to prove it in viz. that the Scripture is properly the Word of God and the Word of God its proper name any more then the Wine is called by the name of this Cup this Glass or the Light by the name of the Lanthorn Retro the Lanthorn by name of this Light which is all figurative not proper But this is not I.Os. case who runs up to the very highest peg and sings of the Scriptures a note above the Ela and quarrels with the Qua. as deniers of the Scripture unless they swerve aside with him in his silly suppâ—sitions and as well unsâ—holler-like as unsaint-like sensless sayings that the outwarâ— Scripture the Writing the Letter and every Letter and Tittle and Iota though but transcribed