Secondly Those who through Vnwatchfulness the secret Corruption of their own Hearts and the mysterious or hidden Temptations of the Enemy have fallen into his Snares and so have come under the Power of some Temptation or other either of Fleshly Lusts or of Spiritual Wickedness who being seasonably warned by those that keep their Habitation and faithful Overseers in the Church have been again Restored by unfeigned Repentance not kicking against the Pricks but have rejoiced that others watched over them for their good and are become Monuments of God's Mercy unto this Day 3. Self-separating troublesome Opposers Thirdly Such who being departed from their first Love and Antient Zeal for the Truth become Cold and Lukewarm and yet are ashamed to make open Apostacy and to turn back again so as to deny all the Principles of Truth they having had already such Evidence of Clearness upon their Understanding yet not keeping low in their own Habitations but being puffed up and giving Way to the restless Imaginations of their Exalted and Wandering Minds fall out with their Brethren cause Divisions begin to find Fault with every thing and to look at others more than at themselves with swelling Words to talk of and preach up a higher Dispensation while they are far from living up to the Life and Perfection of this present like unto such who said we will not have this Man to rule over us cry out of Formality and Apostacy because they are not followed in all Things and if they be reproved for their Vnruliness according to the good Order of the Church of Christ then they cry out Breach of Liberty Oppression Persecution we will have none of your Order and Government we were taught to follow the Light in our Consciences and not the Orders of Men. Well of this hereafter but this gave the Rise of this Controversy Which leads me to that which I proposed in the second Place SECTION III. Whether there be now to be any Order or Government in the Church of Christ. IN Answer to this Proposition I meddle not at this Time with those that deny any such Thing as a Church of Christ I have reserved their Plea to another Place Neither need I to be at much Pains to prove the Affirmative to wit That there ought to be Government and Order in the Church of Christ Church-Order and Government granted unto the Generality of our Opposers both Papists and Protestants who readily confess and acknowledge it and have heretofore blamed us for want of it Though now some of them and that of the highest Pretenders are become so unreasonable as to accuse us for the Use of it improving it so far as they can to our Disadvantage For such is the Blindness of partial Envy that whereas the supposed Want of it was once reckoned Heretical now the present Performance of it is counted Criminal These then to whom I come to prove this Thing are such who having cast off the Yoke of the Cross of Christ in themselves refuse all Subjection or Government denying that any such thing ought to be as disagreeing with the Testimony of Truth or those who not being so wilful and obstinate in their Minds yet are fearful or scrupulous in the Matter in respect of the dangerous Consequences they may apprehend such a Thing may draw after it For the clearing then as well the Mistakes of the one as answering the Cavils of the other I judge the Truth of these following Assertions will sufficiently prove the Matter which I shall make no great Difficulty to Evidence First That Jesus Christ the King and Head of the Church Reason I did appoint and ordain that there should be Order and Government in it Secondly That the Apostles and Primitive Christians when they were filled with the Holy Ghost and immediately led by the Spirit of God did Practise and Commend it Thirdly That the same Occasion and Necessity now occurring which gave them Opportunity to exercise that Authority the Church of Christ hath the same Power now as ever and are led by the same Spirit into the same Practices The Abuse makes not void the true Vse As to the First I know there are some that the very Name of a Church and the very Words Order and Government they are affraid of Now this I suppose hath proceeded because of the great Hypocrisy Deceit and Oppression that hath been cloaked with the Pretence of these Things but why should the Truth be neglected because Hypocrites have pretended to it The right Institution of these Things which have been appointed and ordained by God must not nor ought not to be dispised because corrupt Men have abused and perverted them I know not any thing that hath been more abused and perverted in the whole World than the Name of a Christian shall we then renounce that Honourable Title because so many Thousands of Wicked Men yea Antichrists have falsly assumed it to themselves The Man of Sin hath taken upon him to sit in the Temple of God as God yet we must not therefore deny that God is in this Temple If the Synagogue of Satan hath assumed the Name of the Church of Christ and hath termed her Oppression and Violence the Power and Authority thereof therefore must not the Church of Christ and its Authority be exercised where it truly is according to his Mind This I prefix to warn all to beware of stumbling at things which are innocent in themselves and that we may labour to hold the steady even Path of Truth without running in either of the Extreams For that Jesus Christ did appoint Order and Government to be in the Church Church-Order appointed by Christ and the Form thereof is very clear from his plain Words Matth. 18.15 16 17 18. Ver. 15. Moreover if thy Brother shall trespass against thee go tell him his Fault between thee and him alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother Ver. 16. But if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the Mouth of two or three Witnesses every Word may be established Ver. 17. 〈…〉 he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but 〈…〉 neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathenâ—â—â— and a Publican Ver. 18. Verily I say unto you whatsoever 〈◊〉 shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever 〈…〉 loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven From which â—cripture it doth manifestly and evidently follow First that Jesus Christ intended there should be a certain Order and Method in his Church in the Procedure towards such as Transgress Secondly That he that refuseth to hear two is become more guilty as hardned than in refusing to hear him that first reproved alone Thirdly That refusing to hear the Judgment of the Church or whole Assembly he doth thereby Exclude himself and shut out himself from being a Member and is justly judged by his Brethren
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
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
and frequenting the Ale-house and decking themselves with vain Apparel 10. They love well to hear that they may be Members of the Church though they have no infallible of Evidence Holiness 11. They love to hear of your Doctrine of Election and Reprobation 12. And of your Doctrine Once in grace and ever in grace whereby they feed themselves in presumption and carelesness Many other particulars could be mentioned but these may serve enough to shew Quakers Principles not acceptable to Hypocrites that your Principles are pleasing to the wicked and hypocrites and ours displeasing Next to come to experience where are the Drunkards the Swearers the Whore-mongers the envious licentious Persons the Scorners the Mockers whether are they yours or ours If our Principles be so acceptable unto them why do they not inroll themselves among us why do they oppose us at our Meetings at Aberdeen and else-where and curse and rant and use all manner of filthy Communication and are ready to stone us in the streets And none more found so doing than that young Fry and Spawn of the Priesthood who are bread at your Nurseries of Learning Now whose Church-Members are those yours or ours Is not the Proverb verified of you Fowls of one Feather fly together Thou closest with addressing thy self to God with a notorious lye saying Follow with thy blessing that which WE have been about meaning the Quaker and thy self but it was none of the Quakers work the Dialogue not being any real Conference Is not this to deride and take the Name of God in vain Some Things of Weighty Concernment proposed in Meekness and Love by way of QUERIES to the Serious Consideration of the Inhabitants of Aberdeen which also may be of Vse to such as are of the same Mind with them elsewhere in this Nation Added by way of APPENDIX to Truth Clear'd of Calumnies Question 1. WHether it be a thing any-wise warrantable in Common Equity or true Christianity for any Person or Persons to take â—iberty both in Pulpit and Print to speak against a People as Dangerous and Heretical and yet wholly to debar that People from Vindicating themselves in either of these ways so far as they can Or whether it can be supposed that any Persons except they wholly give up themselves Implicitly to believe the Accusers can make a true Judgment in that Case upon the Accused especially considering the Maxim of Law Quicunque inauditâ alterâ parte c. i. e. He that without hearing both Parties pronounceth Judgment though he decide the Right upon the matter hath not done the part of a Just Judge To which add the Consideration of these Passages of Scripture 1 Thess. 5.21 Prov. 18.13 Isai. 40.2 Quest. 2. Whether then it was not contrary to the Laws both Divine and Humane for the Priests in Aberdeen to importune the Magistrates to make search for that Book lately published in Vindication of the People called Quakers Or whether such a Practice hath any Warrant except what flows originally from the Spanish Inquisition as being directly contrary to Equity and to the Scriptures above-mentioned Quest. 3. Whether also it was not both Anti-scriptural and Popish in G. M. to prohibit his Hearers from reading of that Book by comparing it with Poison Whether that was not to keep People in Darkness and Dependance upon him or with how little Reason could he desire such a thing considering he asserted it to contain an ample Confession of all those Errors he had charged them with And if so whether it be likely that it could prove dangerous the Errors being so gross and monstrous which by him and his Brethren are charged upon that People that their confessing them would rather scare People than engage any to like them Quest. 4. And whether G. M. his bidding People abstain from that Book as Poison without trial of what is in it be not like unto the Papists way who bid their Neighbours abstain from the Protestants Books as Poison And whether may not even Poison be tried though not by eating it in a way that is not hazzardous to the Tryer especially seeing that which some may call Poison may be afterward found by sound Trial to be good and wholesom Food yea Medicine to expel such poisonable Doctrines as your Priests infuse into People Quest. 5. And seeing G. M. bids his Hearers abstain from the Quakers words as Poison doth he not endanger such to be poisoned whom he sends or allows to come to our Meetings to hear what is spoke And what knoweth G. M. but his Spies may be touched so that it may be said as it was then Is Saul also among the Prophets Quest. 6. And seeing G. M. counts our Words as Poison why doth he bring them forth so much among his Hearers if he thinks he gives strong Antidotes against them I have heard some of his own Hearers say That that which he calls the Poison wrought more effectually to perswade even out of his Mouth than all his Antidotes could do to disswade Quest. 7. Whether the latter part of that Allegance of G. M. viz. That all they had charged on the Quakers was confessed to in that Book be not a manifest untruth in respect the greatest Charges alledged by him against the Quakers are therein utterly denied As for instance the matter of Pelagianism in page 25. the matter of Popery in page 34. and of Arminianism page 65 c. Quest. 8. Whether the said G. M. hath not manifested very much deceit in saying also publickly That the said Book asserts it not only to be a thing easie but pleasant for wicked people to keep holy the Sabbath-day and to perform the spiritual duties commanded to be performed thereon unless he understands them to be simply the disposing to hear a man talk an hour or to and to have all the rest of the day to spend in Idleness vain Communication and frequenting the Ale-house c. which are the words mentioned page 72. Quest. 9. Whether it be any way unsutable to the Law of Charity or to the meek Spirit of Christ to use plain and downright dealing calling a Lye a Lye Or whether any be to be blamed for so doing considering the practice of all the Prophets and of Christ's and of his Apostles how sharply they dealt with false Teachers as may appear by the Scriptures Isai. 56.11 Lev. 23. to verse 33. Ezek. 34. Hos. 4. from 6. to 10. Ibid. 5.1 Mich. 3.5 Matth. 3.7 John 8. Quest. 10. Whether then they be not prejudiced who Accuse the Quakers for using the same terms seeing they are willing to make the Application manifest by comparing the fruits of the present pretended Preachers with those that were of old As for instance whether it be a breach either of Moral Civility or Christian Meekness to say John Menzies lied in asserting Robert Barclay to have been educated in a Jesuites-Colledge seeing it is utterly false Quest. 11. And whether David Lyall
for sound and solid Doctrine that they may be Reputed good Saints and Christians though they always remain in them To prove that their Doctrine of Imputative Righteousness and of Election and Reprobation is not pleasing to the Wicked he says Some wicked men scoff at them What then so some Wicked Men scoff at the folly of Mahumetanism will it therefore follow their Doctrine is good The Question is Whether their Doctrine of mens being altogether reputed Righteous in the sight of God by a Righteousness altogether without them and mens being Elected to Life from all Eternity without any respect to their deeds be not more acceptable to the Wicked than to tell them They must seek to be Justified by the Righteousness of God wrought in them And as they are joined to the Elect Seed Christ Jesus born again and brought forth in them which worketh out all Iniquity and Unrighteousness in them Now this he hath not in the least offered to Answer After the like manner whereas I shew It is more acceptable to the Wicked to hear that the outward Letter is the Rule which they can bend and twine than the inward which cannot be so twisted He says Some Wicked men could wish there were no such outward Rule and that some understand not what is intended by God's Immediate Speaking but hate the Ministery of the Word Both which Answers make nothing to the purpose What! though Wicked men hate the Scripture and the Ministry doth it therefore follow that it is not more acceptable to them to hear This is their Only Rule which they can twine as they please than the inward which cannot be twined as the Scriptures may nor bribed as the Ministry of men He confesses They allow of Laces Ribbons Gold-Rings c. and other superfluities and therefore cannot deny but that their Doctrine therein is acceptable to the Wicked His shift is here That People ought not to exceed their Rank and Quality alledging The Apostle only condemns this 1 Tim. 2.9 But that his detestable wrestling of the Scripture may be manifest I shall cite the Apostle's words In like manner also Modest Apparel that women adorn themselves in modest Apparel with shamefastness and sobriety not with broidered hair or gold or pearls or costly aray Is there any word here that they should only not Exceed their Rank who cannot but abominate his abusing of Scripture And whereas he says He thinks they should be sparing of lawful Games and Recreations it seems their deeds sute not their thoughts in this matter or else it must be accounted a sparingness with him not only to spend much of the day in Field-sports but even largely of the night in Carding c. For so to my certain knowledge some of his Brethren in the Priesthood of the Synod of Aberdeen are found doing The Sabbath and justifying themselves in it As to the Sabbath he offereth not in the least to answer that wherein I shew it was Acceptable to the Wicked according to the same rate In answer to my Assertion That the Wicked love well to hear that they may be Members of the Church without having infallible Evidence of Holiness He asketh If all the Members of the Quaker's-Church have so adding That our Raw Conceited Proselytes are so ignorant and yet so confident that sober men suspect them to be in a Fool 's Paradice First As this is a meer Shift and no Reply to disprove the Principle aforesaid to be Acceptable to the Wicked so likewise if his Spirit had not been in a Raw Conceited posture filled both with Ignorance and Confidence he had not suffered himself so far to fall in a Fool 's Paradice as to imagine this his meer proofless Calumny with many more his groundless Assertions would have any weight with sober men not being backed with any Argument He addeth Their Doctrine Once in grace and ever in Grace hath no tendency to please the Wicked because such never had Grace and therefore have no ground to think that belongeth unto them But seeing he himself confesseth That such as had true Grace may fall both unto detestable practices and Blasphemous or Erroneous Principles may not such then foster themselves in these Evils by saying That since they once had true Grace they can never totally fall from it That part of page 47 48. of mine where I shew by Example how the Wicked living among them and being their Church-Members and also Opposing and Vilifying us did declare their Principles to be more Acceptable to the Wicked than ours he hath wholly waved it seems he knew of no shift how to shuffle by this and therefore found it fittest altogether to omit it Head 18. page 131. He saith The Quaker 's Religion is exceeding suitable to carnal hearts and thereupon he instanceth some particulars saying They are pleasing to the Wicked without offering any reason W. M. is wearied with raking in his own Dunghil The Reader upon the particular debate of these matters in their places will observe how he was necessitated to bottom this Conclusion of these Principles being sutable to carnal hearts upon the meer Credit of his own Affirmation and therefore it is no wonder he adds That he is wearied raking in this dunghil It is high time for him to leave of trampling in such miry Stuff as is the whole bulk of his Book and no doubt a Dunghil is a very fit term for such a dirty product as is these drossy dregs of his dark Vnderstanding I charged him in the end of mine for lying to God for that in the Prayer he endeth his Dialogue with he useth these words Follow with thy Blessing that which We have been about Which now he is so far from clearing himself of that he now acknowledges it was only a supposed Conference and therefore it was a Lie yea a Mocking of God to desire him to accompany a meer Supposition with his Blessing As for his expressing Pity towards the Seduced and wishing God to Reclaim them It was not for that I challenged him but for his desiring God to accompany with his Blessing a meer Chymaera which never was and therefore his best Shift for this is What is it that some Men will not Carp at especially the Quakers of whom he addeth A pious Minister hath said that their Religion consists in Railing and then he goes on and tells some terms wherewith that Person says The Quakers have named the Ministers of Christ. Answ. First The Testimony of his supposed pious Minister is no more to be received in this Case than W. M. his own and to say The Quakers gave these names he mentions to the Ministers of Christ is to take for granted the thing in debate for the Quakers deny them to be such And is just one as if a Papist should say Luther and his Associates Religion consisted in Railing because they called as to the Papists their holy Mother the Church of Rome a
and is one great reason why a dry dead barren lifeless spiritless Ministry which leavens the people into the same death doth so much abound and is so much over-spreading even the Protestant Nations that their Preachings and Worships as well as whole Conversation is not to be discerned from Popish by any fresh living zeal or lively Power of the Spirit accompanying it but meerly by the difference of some Notions and Opinions Object § XII Some unwise and unwary Protestants do sometimes Object to us That if we have such an immediate Call as we lay claim to we ought to Confirm it by Miracles Answ. But this being an Objection once and again objected to the primitive Protestants by the Papists we need but in short return the Answer to it that they did to the Papists Whether Miracles be now necessary to Confirm the Gospel John Baptist and divers Prophets did none to wit That we need not Miracles because we preach no new Gospel but that which is already Confirmed by all the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles and that we offer nothing but that which we are ready and able to Confirm by the Testimony of the Scriptures which both already acknowledge to be true And that John the Baptist and divers of the Prophets did none that we hear of and yet were both immediately and extraordinarily sent This is the Common Protestant Answer therefore may suffice in this place though if need were I could say more to this purpose but that I study Brevity § XIII There is also another sort of Protestants to wit The English Independents The Constitution of the Independent Church who differing from the Calvinistical Presbyterians and denying the Necessity of this Succession or the Authority of any National Church take another way affirming That such as have the benefit of the Scriptures any Company of People agreeing in the Principles of Truth as they find them there declared may Constitute among themselves a Church without the Authority of any other and may Chuse to themselves a Pastor who by the Church thus Constitute and Consenting is Authorized requiring only the Assistance and Concurrence of the Pastors of the Neighbouring Churches if any be not so much as absolutely Necessary to Authorize as Decent for Order's sake Also they go so far as to affirm That in a Church so Constitute Gifted Brethren any gifted Brother as they call them if he find himself qualified thereto may Instruct Exhort and Preach in the Church though as not having the Pastoral Office he cannot Administer that they Call their Sacraments To this I Answer That this was a good step out of the Babylonish Darkness and no doubt did proceed from a Real Discovery of the Truth and from the sense of a great Abuse of the promiscuous National gatherings Also this Preaching of the Gifted Brethren as they called them did proceed at first from certain Their Loss and Decay lively Touches and Movings of the Spirit of God upon many But alas because they went not forward that is much decayed among them and the Motions of God's Spirit begin to be denied and rejected among them now as much as by others The Scripture gives no Call to persons Individual But as to their pretended Call from the Scripture I Answer The Scripture gives a meer declaration of true things but no Call to particular Persons so that though I believe the things there written to be true and deny the Errors which I find there Testified against yet as to these things which may be my particular duty I am still to seek And therefore I can never be Resolved in the Scripture whether I such a one by name ought to be a Minister And for the Resolving this doubt I must needs recur to the Inward and Immediate Testimony of the Spirit as in the Proposition concerning the Scriptures more at large is shewen § XIV From all this then we do firmly Conclude that not only in a general Apostasy it is needful men be extraordinarily Called and Raised up by the Spirit of God but that even when several Assemblies or Churches are gathered by the Power of God not only into the belief of the Principles of Truth so as to deny Errors and Heresies but also into the Life Spirit and Power of Christianity so as to be the Body and House of Christ indeed and a fit Spouse for him that he who gathers them doth also for the preserving them in a lively fresh and powerful Condition raise up and move among them by the inward immediate Operation of his own Spirit Ministers and Teachers to Instruct and Teach and Watch over them True Ministers Qualifications Call and Title who being thus Called are Manifest in the hearts of their Brethren and their Call is thus verified in them who by the feeling of that life and power that passeth through them being inwardly built up by them daily in the most holy Faith become the Seals of their Apostleship And this is answerable to another saying of the same Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 13.3 Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me which to you wards is not weak but is mighty in you So this is that which gives a true substantial Call and Title to a Minister whereby he is a Real Successor of the Virtue Life and Power that was in the Apostles and not of the bare Name Their Laying on of hands a Mock of God and Man a Keeping up the Shadow whilst Substance is a-wanting and to such Ministers we think the outward Ceremony or Ordination or laying on of hands not necessary neither can we see the Vse of it seeing our Adversaries who use it acknowledge that the Virtue and Power of Communicating the Holy Ghost by it is Ceased among them And is it not then foolish and ridiculous for them by an Apish Imitation to keep up the Shadow where the Substance is wanting And may not they by the same Rule where they see blind and lame men in Imitation of Christ and his Apostles bid them see and walk yea is it not in them a mocking of God and Men to put-on their hands and bid men Receive the Holy Ghost while they believe the thing Impossible and Confess that that Ceremony hath no real Effect Having thus far spoken of the Call I shall proceed next to treat of the Qualifications and Work of a true Minister § XV. As I have placed the True Call of a Minister in the Motion of Quest. II this Holy Spirit so is the power life and virtue thereof The Quâ—lifications of a Minister and the pure Grace of God that comes therefrom the Chief and most Necessary Qualification without which he can no ways perform his Duty neither acceptably to God nor beneficially to men Our Adversaries in this case affirm that three things go to the making up of a Minister viz. 1. Natural Parts § I. Philosophy and School-Divinity will never
times are as full of the various Tragedies acted upon the account of this Spiritual and Ecclesiastick Monarchy and Common-wealth as the Histories of Old times that gave account of the Wars and Contests that fell out both in the Assyrian Persian Greek and Roman Empires These last upon this account though among those that are called Christians have been no less Bloody and Monstrous than the former among Heathens concerning their outward Empires and Governments The Ground and Cause thereof Now all this both among Rapists and Protestants proceedeth in that they seek in Imitation to uphold a Form and Shadow of things though they want the Power Vertue and Substance though for many of their Orders and Forms they have not so much as the Name in the Scripture But in Opposition to all this Mass of Formality and heap of Orders Rules and Governments we say the Substance is chiefly to be sought after and the Power Virtue and Spirit is to be known and waited for which is One in all the different Names and Offices the Scripture makes use of as appears by 1 Cor. 12.4 often before-mentioned There are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit And after the Apostle throughout the whole Chapt. hath shewn how one and the self same Spirit worketh in and quickneth each Member then in vers 28. he sheweth how thereby God hath set in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets Teachers c. And likewise to the same purpose Eph. 4.11 he sheweth how by these Gifts he hath given some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors some Teachers c. Now it was never Christ's purpose nor the Apostles that Christians should without this Spirit and Heavenly Gift set up a shadow and form of these Orders and so make several Ranks and Degrees to establish a Carnal Ministry of mens making without the Life Power and Spirit of Christ this is that Work of Anti-Christ and Mystery of Iniquity The Work of Antichrist and Mystery of Iniquity that hath got up in the dark night of Apostasy But in a true Church of Christ gathered together by God not only unto the belief of the Principles of Truth but also into the Power Life and Spirit of Christ the Spirit of God is the Orderer Ruler and Governour as in each particular so in the general And when they Assemble together to wait upon God and Worship and Adore him then such as the Spirit sets apart to the Ministry Such as the Spirit sets apart to the Ministry their brethren hear them by its Divine Power and Influence opening their mouths and giving them to Exhort Reprove and Instruct with virtue and power these are thus of God Ordained and Admitted into the Ministry and their Brethren cannot but hear them receive them and also honour them for their works sake And so this is not Monopolized to a certain kind of men as the Clergy who are to that purpose Educated and brought up The Clergy and Laicks as other Carnal Artists and the rest to be despised as Laicks but it is left to the free Gift of God to chuse any whom he seeth meet thereunto whether Rich or Poor Servant or Master Young or Old yea Male or * Women may preach Female And such as have this Call verifie the Gospel by preaching not in speech only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much fulness 1 Thess. 1.5 and cannot but be received and heard by the sheep of Christ. Object § XXV But if it be objected here That I seem hereby to make no distinction at all betwixt Ministers and others which is contrary to the Apostle saying 1 Cor. 12.29 Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers c. from thence they insinuate That I also Contradict his Comparison in that Chapter of the Church of Christ with a Humane Body as where he saith vers 17. If the whole Body were an Eye where were the Hearing If the whole were Hearing where were the Smelling c. Also the Apostle not only thus distinguisheth the Ministers of the Church in general from the rest of the Members but also among themselves as naming them distinctly and separately Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers c. Answ. 1 As to the last part of this Objection to which I shall first Answer it is apparent that this Diversity of Names is not for to distinguish separate Offices Diversity of Names makes no distinct Offices but which may Coincide or be together in one person but to denote the different and various Operations of the Spirit a manner of speech frequent with the Apostle Paul wherein he sometimes exspatiates to the illustrating of the glory and praise of God's Grace as in particular Rom. 12.6 Having then Gifts differing according to the Grace that is given to us whether Prophecy let us prophesie according to the proportion of faith Or Ministry let us wait on our Ministring or he that Teacheth on Teaching Or he that exhorteth on Exhortation Now none will say from all this that these are distinct Offices or do not or may not coincide in one person as may all these other things mentioned by him in the subsequent verses viz. of loving being kindly affectioned fervency of spirit hospitality diligence blessing rejoycing c. Which yet he numbers forth as different Gifts of the Spirit and according to this Objection might be placed as distinct and separate Offices which were most Absurd Secondly In these very places mentioned it is clear that it is no Real Distinction of separate Offices because all acknowledge that Pastors and Teachers which the Apostle there no less separateth and distinguisheth than Pastors and Prophets or Apostles are one and the same and Coincide in the same office and person and therefore so may be said of the rest For Prophecy as it signifieth the foretelling of things to come is indeed a distinct Gift but no distinct Office and therefore our Adversaries do not place it among their several Orders neither will they deny but that both may be and have been given of God to some Prophecy and Prophesying its twofold signification that not only have been Pastors and Teachers and that there it hath Coincided in one person with these other Offices but also to some of the Laicks and so it hath been found according to their own Concession without the Limits of their Clergy Prophecy in the other sense to wit as it signifieth a Speaking from the Spirit of Truth is not only peculiar to Pastors and Teachers To Prophesy a Priviledge of Teachers and of all the Saints who ought so to Prophesy but even a Common Priviledge to the Saints For though to Instruct Teach and Exhort be proper to such as are more particularly called to the Work of the Ministry yet it is not so Proper to them as not to be when the Saints are met together as any of them are moved by the Spirit Common to
Outward Miracles discussed But further these stout and hardy Warriours could have used these same Arguments against the Prophets when they wrought Miracles for they could have alledged The Miracles were not true Miracles but false and such as may be done by the power of the Devil And so if any could produce Miracles now as there have been they would no more be believed than the unbelieving Jews believed the Miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles For they still looked upon them to be Deceivers It is clear from Scripture that Antichrist shall be permitted to work false Miracles but that they shall so Counterfeit the true that it will be hard to discern the one from the other without God's Immediate Direction and Teaching And therefore the preaching of sound Doctrin accompanied with a holy Life is a better Evidence of a true Prophet than all outward Miracles whatsoever The Fruits prove the Doctrin as Christ said By their Fruits ye shall know them he doth not say by their Miracles but by their Fruits Now we are most willing to be tryed by this Rule if both our Doctrin and Life and manner of Conversation be not answerable to that of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles then let them say we have not that Spirit which was in them But if they cannot make out this they but fight as Men beating the Air. Pag. 80. They Argue That there is no Substantial living Principle in Man that is the good Seed because then the evil Seed or Principle should also be Substantial But this is absurd Therefore That this is Absurd they argue For then it should be Created by God and so God should be the Author of Evil and Sin or it should be Uncreated and consequently God To this we answer The same Argument militates as much and rather more against their own Principle for seeing they hold Sin to be somewhat whether a Substance or an Accident is all one as to the Argument we Argue by a Retortion against themselves Either it is Created or Vncreated and so the same Inconvenience would follow But to answer directly we say Sin considered in its formal Reason is rather a Privation than any real being as Blindness or Lameness in a Man's body or Corruption in Wine or any other Liquor But if they enquire about the Subject of this Privation whether it be a Substance We answer It is Sin a privation in the Subject And it is clear from the Scriptures Testimony that as Christ rules in the Saints so the Devil rules in the wicked and is in them and as God hath his Seed and Birth in the Saints so the Devil hath his seed and birth in the Wicked which is of the Devil's nature But if it be asked further whether it is a Substance We answer first with inquiring at them another Question and Retorting the Argument upon them Whether the Devil is a Substance yea or nay If yea either he is Created or Vncreated if Created then God is the Author of the Devil If Vncreated then he should be God their own Consequence which is Blasphemy But 2. the true Answer to both is that he who is now the Devil was Created of God a good Angel but by his own voluntary Fall he hath reduced himself to be a Devil not by any real Creation but by a Degeneration and as is the Devil himself so is his Seed a corrupted degenerated Principle from what it was originally before Sin was But if we take the Seed of the Devil distinctly The Seed of Sin as distinct from himself we do not say it is any percipient Principle that seeth or knoweth c. for it is rather of the nature of a Body than of a percipient intelligent Spirit and the Scripture calleth it a Body to wit the Body of Death But whether the Seed of Sin be a Substance or not the Students Argument is altogether impertinent to argue that because the good Seed is a substantial living Principle c. then the evil Principle or Seed should also be substantial living c. for the same Reasons We deny this Consequence for there are greater Reasons whereby to prove the one than the other If they think to argue from the Rule of Contraries they think foolishly for it would as much follow that because a Man is a Substance who seeth and heareth c. that therefore a Mans blindness and deafness and lameness are also Substances and that blindness seeth deafness heareth lameness walketh Do they not know the Maxim in Logick that telleth them Substantia substantiae proprie non contrariatur i. e. One Substance properly is not contrary to another But last of all we may more justly retort this blasphemous Consequence upon many of their own Church who hold That God stirreth up the Devil and all wicked Men unto all their wicked Actions by an irresistible Motion or Quality which he infuseth into them commonly called Praedeterminatio Physica Is not this to make God the Author of Sin Original Sin so called As also many of them teach that Original sin is a positive quality infused into the Souls of Men at their Creation Concerning which positive quality we thus argue Either it is Created or Vncreated c. and so the Inconveniences of their Argument will fall much more upon their own heads for they cannot alledge that this positive Quality at its first Creation was first good and afterwards became changed into evil because no Quality can admit any such Transmutation As for Example Whiteness can never become Blackness nor Sweetness Bitterness nor Streightness Crookedness although a Substance that is White may lose its Whiteness and may become Black and that which is Sweet may become Bitter and that which is Streight become Crooked In the prosecution of their second Argument they bring their matter to this Issue That G. K. holds the Seed it self to be contradistinct from the Manifestation because the Manifestation is in the Seed but we deny the Consequence Their Arguments about Manifestation of the Will of God Answered Do not they say that the Manifestation of God's Will is in the Scripture And also that the Scripture it self is the Manifestation of God's Will That G. K. calleth the Seed both a Substance and a Manifestation is as reasonable as to say There are outward Manifestations of God's goodness power and wisdom in the Heavens and Earth and yet the Heavens and Earth are the very outward Manifestations themselves Are not our Meat and Drink and Cloathing natural and outward Manifestations of the goodness of God to us And are not these things Substances And doth not God manifest his Goodness also in them What blind Reasons are these which those poor blind Men bring forth against the Truth Again they Argue That this Manifestation which we say is a Substance depends not a solo Deo cannot exist without a Subject nay not without the Vnderstanding to which it is made
the Words of Eternal Life which he speaketh in his Servants And as in the Days of his Flesh he was said to speak with Authority or Power and not as the Scribes and the People wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth all which import a living Influence and Vertue in the Words of Christ which the Words of the Scribes and Pharisees had not so it is at this Day For Christ doth as really speak by his Spirit in his Servants as he did in his Body of Flesh So that Paul said he spake in him and therefore his Preaching was in demonstration of the Spirit and Power And for this cause true Preachers and Prophets are called good Trees of which Men gather good Fruit whereas bad Men or evil Trees have no good Fruit True Prophets and Preachers distinguished from the fals although they have the Prophets and Apostles Words Also they are compared to wit the False Prophets to Clouds without Rain and Wells without Water although they have good Words yet they have no Rain nor Water Their whole Ministry is dry and empty of Life and Vertue But the True Prophets Ministry is as a Shower of Rain Deut. 32.2 And sometimes it is compared unto Fire as it is said in the Psalm He maketh his Angels or Messengers Spirits and his Ministers a Flame of Fire And Fire was said to go out of the Mouths of the two Witnesses Also the Influences of Life that go forth through the true Prophets in their Ministry are compared to Golden Oil and the Men are compared unto Golden Pipes Zech. 4.12 And therefore the Apostle Peter exhorted the Ministers in his Day To minister of the ability which God giveth as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God so they ministred not only Words but Grace Many other Testimonies might be cited to prove this Truth Another Instance brought by the Students is That an Heretick forbearing Prayer a Year or two or his whole Life-time may justify himself by this Doctrine To this it was answered That though he may pretend yet he hath no just Ground from our Principle All Men are bound to pray often For we believe That all Men are bound to pray often unto God yea daily and that God doth inwardly call and move all Men often unto Prayer during the Day of their Visitation And when that is Expired or when at any other Time they want that Inward Call or Influence through Vnfaithfulness they are still bound And if they pray not they sin because they ought to have an Influence But that our Account saith All have not Vtterance to pray in Words Vtterance of Words in Prayer is no Excuse for Hereticks For they must needs acknowledge as well as we that all have not Vtterance who may be good Christians seeing some that are naturally dumb may be good Christians and yet they must confess these have not Vtterance Also many good Christians who have no Natural Impediment do want Vtterance in a Spiritual Way to speak or pray vocally in the hearing of others at some times although we believe it is given at times to all that are faithful who have no Natural Defect that they may pray vocally or in the Hearing of others But how oft it is more than we can determine seeing it is not Revealed But if any fail of this Vtterance through Vnfaithfulness their sin is nothing the less if they omit Prayer And thus their last two Instances are also Answered For we do affirm with great Freedom That all who are faithful to the Lord never want sufficient Inspiration or Influence to wait upon God fear him love him desire his Grace and divers other Inward Duties We say not All For some Inward Duties such as Meditation on a particular Subject or Place of Scripture are not always required more than it is always required to speak but if they be unfaithful we deny not but they may and will want them and in that case although they want Inspirations and Influences they are bound to pray yet not without them but with them As a Man that wanteth both Money and Goods to pay his Debt yet is bound to pay his Debt yet he must not nor ought to pay it without Money or Goods The Example is clear and the Application is easie As for that Story they bring in concerning T. M. which that their Deceit may be the more hid they do not positively affirm but only propose by way of Question Have not Quakers declared to People c. To which we Answer That we know not that any Quaker ever declared any such thing and we believe divers things in the Story are utterly false The Story about T. M. Answered for not praying in the Family as pretended If T. M. or any other of our Profession having none in the Family that can join with them in the true Spirit of Prayer but are professed Opposers of the Quakers Way be not so frequently heard pray by them is excusable by your own Way who will not readily pray in our Hearing when they have none to join with them And indeed the want of that true Vnity on the part of those who are not of our Faith doth oft hinder our Freedom to pray in their Hearing unless we have some of our Faith present to join with us We may pray for them as it pleaseth God to move us in their hearing but we cannot so properly pray with them as not being in Vnity with them Where two or three said Christ agree together to seek any thing in my name But let our Adversaries if they can shew us where in the Scripture it is commanded for any Man to pray in the Hearing of others where all present have no Agreement with him Yet we deny not but that God upon some solemn Occasion may move to such a thing especially when a publick Testimony is required as in the Case of Stephen who prayed audibly in the Hearing of others all which were so far from having any Agreement with him that they were at that time stoning him to Death Acts 7. Moreover we could easily upon a more just Ground Retort the Question upon your own Church-Members How many of your own Church-Members were not only for a Twelve month but for many twelve months never heard pray and yet they pass among you for good Christians It is well known that although ye hold Family-Prayer Morning and Evening to be a Duty and the want of it a great sin that yet many thousand Families in the Nation who belong to your Church want it and many whole Families are so grosly Ignorant that none in the Family can go about it even in that Natural Way which ye plead for As for us it doth suffice unto us God heareth Prayer in secret that God heareth us in secret although Men do not so frequently hear us Yet we own with all our Hearts publick Expressive Prayer as it is
be saved without the outward Preaching must be true with this Quaker though the Apostle saith the Contrary For this citing Rom. 10.14 Eph. 2.12 1 Cor. 1.20 21 22. All which say nothing Contrary to my Assertion J. B.'s Proofs against the Heathens Salvation disproved unless by the Hearing there he prove is meant only Outward Hearing And what though the Apostle say to the Gentiles That they are Aliens to the Common-wealth of Israel and That by Wisdom they knew not God and That the Preaching of the Gospel was foolishness to them All this may be said of some living in and esteemed Members of the Visible Church who have the Advantage of the outward Preaching and therefore it cannot prove that the Want of this takes away the Possibility of Salvation To that of Peter I agree Act. 4.12 That there is not Salvation in any other c. but it follows not therefore that none can partake of his Salvation without the outward Knowledge himself overturns this Conclusion by granting Infants and Deaf Persons may Pag. 287. To my Argument That since the Gospel is preached to Every Creature they may be saved by it he saith A May be will not evince a Shall be but I said only may be saved not shall be saved and if it evince that it doth my Business That some have been saved without it himself acknowledges in the Example of Job Pag. 288. To overturn my using of the Gospel's being preached to every Creature he refers to his former Answer to this Place and so do I to my Reply Beza's Sense to whom he refers me moves no more than his doth but when it is Agreeable to Truth J. B. restricts the Word All only to the Elect. Next he comes to answer my Argument drawn from Tit. 2.11 For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men And for Answer he will have all here not to be understood Vniversally but with a Restriction alledging It is my part to prove it But that needs no more Proof than to prove That John Brown signifies John Brown and for all his pretended Skill in the Rule of Dispute he is under a Mistake To take it Vniversally is to take it as the common and proper Signification of it so by the Rule of all Commentators we are to hold the Words of Scripture so until by solid Reasons we be moved to the Contrary and therefore it is his part that denies it to give the Reason That all sometimes is taken with a Restriction I deny not that therefore it 's so taken here doth not follow That the Gospel is said to be preached by Men outwardly I deny not but that therefore it is only so and never preached but when outwardly by the Ministry of Men is no Conclusion Himself acknowledges in the Example of Job who he saith was Taught by God without Scripture His other Explications upon this place are his meer Assertions not to the Business He calleth it upon the Credit of his own Affirmation false and childish pedantry to say They take all for the lesser part because they take it indefinitely while yet they understand that Indefinite Number to be the lesser part But do they not take the Whole World 1 Joh. 2.2 for the far lesser part of the World Which is yet more Absurd To my Argument taken from Rom. 5.18 where it is said As something came upon all to Condemnation so something is come upon all to Justification Which shews the last All to be of as large Extent as the first which they confess is Vniversally taken He saith This will prove more viz That all Men are and shall be saved because Judgment came actually upon All to Condemnation by Adam 's Fall But this is only his own Assertion The Word Judgment is not in the Text The Apostle's Words Rom. 5.18 Adulterated by the Translators and Beza's putting in Reatus or Guilt proveth not It ought to be so Whatever he do we account not Beza Infallible and therefore reject his Sense until he prove it Agreeable to Scripture nor yet his Enlargments afterwards upon the Place because alledged without Probation Pag. 285. N. 5. He accounteth my citing Esai 49.6 where Christ is said to be given for a Light to the Gentiles Impertinent because albeit the Gentiles are not excluded from the Dispensation of the Gospel it will not follow that such as hear not of Christ can be saved as well as such as are brought within the Church But this Answer is founded upon the Supposition that I affirm That any are saved which are not within the Church Catholick or Vniversal which is false And how Men may be of the Church who want outward Preaching will after appear I think no sober Man will say supposing Salvation possible to the Gentiles without outward Preaching that it is blind Charity to judge some of them have been saved for upon that Supposition it were against all Charity to say None of them were ever saved His Example of the Captives to whom one that Redeemed them did not communicate the Conditions remaining real Captives to answer my Argument from the Rule of Contraries That as Men are hurt by Adam 's Fall who know not of it so they may be benefitted by Christ's Death who know not of it hiteth not the Matter It is as strange for Men to be Captives and not to know How nor by Whom as to be Redeemed and not know How nor by Whom If he suppose the first he may do the last And this Example himself Overturns in what he grants of Deaf Persons and Children as will after appear To my asking Why Men cannot be saved who never heard of the Death and Resurrection of Christ as well as Men are damned who never heard of Adam 's Sin he tells me very fairly Because God hath appointed this way of Salvation by Faith in Christ which cannot be without the Knowledge of Christ By which he meaning the Outward as he needs must his Answer is none at all but a ridiculous begging of the Question As he doth also when he mentions that of Esai 53.11 By his Knowledge shall my righteous Servant Justify many For though that should be understood of outward Knowledge which yet remains for him to prove it will not follow because Christ shall Justify many by that Knowledge that therefore he shall Justify none without it ¶ 10. When he comes pag. 186. N. 7. to answer what I urge from the Example of Deaf Persons and Infants the Reader may observe how much he is pained so that he is forced after so long Contending and wearisom Wrestling at last to give-away his Cause by confessing J. B. excepts Deaf Persons and Infants from having the Gospel and why They except both these from the necessity of outwardly Hearing the Gospel If so then Salvation is not Impossible without the Hearing of the Gospel and the outward preaching of the Gospel is not of absolute
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
hath pag. 438 for which Exposition I shall expect his Proof next time if he have any ¶ 2. Pag. 474. He proceedeth upon the same unproved Supposition That Water-Baptism was Instituted by Christ and here he denies J. B.'s supposition that Water-baptism was Instituted by Christ Invalidated that John's Baptism was a Figure But since John's Baptism was a washing with Water and that the Apostle ascribeth the putting on Christ to the Baptism of Christ as Washing with Water typifieth or signifies the Washing of Regeneration so doth John's Baptism that of Christ. He concludeth this Paragraph with a silly Quibble where in Answer to my urging John's Words saying I must decrease and he must increase he adds J. B.'s poor Shift that by John's Decrease is not meant his Baptism c. As if John and Baptism with Water were all one and Christ one and the same with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost Poor Man he has been sore pinched when he betook himself to this silly Shift Will he say this is to be understood of John's and Christ's Persons and not of their Ministry Then we must suppose John grew less and decrepit as to his Person ever after this and Christ grew bigger and taller Let him remember to prove this when he writes next He goes on pag. 475. upon his old Mistake supposing That Water-baptism was instituted by Christ and that he gave Command to his Disciples so to Baptize and that Matt. 28.19 is to be understood of Water-Baptism all which is meerly to beg the Question He saith That to say John's Baptism is not Pure and Spiritual or that it is a Legal Rite is to Condemn John Christ and his Apostles because God gave John an express Command for it And what then The Legal Rites had a Command as well as John's Baptism God Commanded the Legal Rites also that did not hinder them from being such to say he needed not such a Command If it had of the Nature of the Legal Rites is but a presumptuous quarrelling with God seeing on all Hands it is granted he Commanded it and a meer affirming it is not such in stead of proving of it As for the Apostle his making honourable mention of Baptism in his Epistles and of its Ends which he points in several Scriptures all which is granted But it doth not thence follow that all this is to be understood of Water-Baptism and while that still remaineth the thing in debate he can prove nothing from these Scriptures But it is no wonder he thus forgets himself here as to me since in the following Words he quarrelleth with the Apostle Paul saying in Answer to his Words 1 Cor. 1. v. 17. That he was not sent to Baptize J. B. quarrelleth with the Apostle If Paul had not been sent to Baptize why would he have done it I think it needless to me to answer the Absurdity he would here fix upon the Apostle since it sufficeth me and I hope will other good Christians that the Apostle saith positively That he was not sent to Baptize And for his Baptizing of some we will suppose he had a Reason though not from his Commission which he expresly denies whatever John Brown may Brawl to the Contrary As for his saying That it seemeth then the other Apostles had another Commission than Paul had It is built upon the Supposition that they had a Commission to Baptize with Water which remains for him yet to prove And not to contend with him for brevity's sake about that of Hosea 6.6 whether not there be only to be understood of less principally yet though it were it would not follow it should be so understood here also I shew him by an Example 1 Cor. 2.5 what wild Work such an Interpretation would make if ordinarily applied but he it seems judged it most convenient not to take notice of it in this his Examen albeit in Reason he should have done it if he would give a Compleat Answer For he must either prove not always to be understood of less principally or otherwise he must bring particular Reasons why it should be so here and not that it sometimes is so understood For such a Particular will not infer the Consequence Christ submitting to Water-Baptism proves not its Continuance ¶ 3. The Reason he giveth of Chrift's submitting to Water-Baptism to prove it now to Continue is his saying For thus it becometh us to fulfil all Righteousness But may not that be applied also to Circumcision and yet its Continuance will not thence follow John's receiving a Divine Command to Baptize sheweth there was a Divine Institution for it under the Law because the Law was not as yet abrogated nor the Legal Ministration accomplished till Christ was offered up As for Christ his Consecrating it in his own Person the like may be also said of Circumcision I come now to see what he saith n. 14. to prove Matth. 28.19 to be understood of Water-Baptism J. B.'s further Reasons for its Continuance Examined And first after a little Railing he saith This was but an Enlargement of their former Commission as to the Object And before this we heard of their Baptizing with Water with Christ's Warrant and Authority c. Answ. We have heard him say so indeed but must wait until he prove ere we be so forward as to believe it And next what if it were all granted We heard before of the Disciples preparing and Eating the Passover with Christ's Warrant and Authority will it thence follow that that practice is still to Continue in the Church 2. Because it is joined here with Discipling and Baptizing was the way of making Disciples among the Jews So was Circumcision and that no less constantly and necessary will it therefore follow that Circumcision is to Continue 3. He saith Their Constant After-practice declareth this to be the meaning of the Command But the Apostle Paul's Practice and Testimony declareth this to be false 4. He saith This is the proper Import of the word But I deny it is so in Scripture since we see no necessity in most of the places of Scripture to understand the Word of Water-Baptism And when he shews the Necessity he may be answered and the Scriptures so frequently using it where Water upon all hands is confessed not to be understood prove this to be True And as for his saying That it cannot be understood here of Baptism with the Spirit it falleth to the Ground because only built upon the Supposition that that is only understood of Extraordinary Gifts He urgeth Christ's Saying Luke 12.50 I have a Baptism to be Baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished As if this were to be called Christ's own Baptism and so I shall grant it with a respect to his Personal Sufferings But when I speak of Christ's own Baptism I speak of that which is his as being instituted by him for others and that Contradistinct from
297 304. there is no necessity of Believing the Scripture to be a filled up Canon 308. many Canonick Books through the Injury of Time lost ibid. whether it can be proved by Scripture that any Book is Canonical 208 209. they were sometimes as a Sealed Book 422. to understand them there is need of the Help and Revelation of the Holy Spirit 271 272. no Man can make himself a Doctor of them but the Holy Spirit 271. Noah and Job were Preachers of Righteousness before the Scriptures were written 703. the Knowledge of the Scriptures to be of great Advantage is owned 7 117 162 700. the Synod of Paris their Opinion concerning the Scripture's certainty viz. to be by the Inward Testimony and Perswasion of the Holy Spirit 72 see 116 162. the Scriptures cannot beguile Men but Men may beguile themselves by a wrong use of them 577. the Scriptures the best Outward Rule in the World ibid. Scriptures are a Clear and Perfect Copy as to all Essentials of Christian Religion 603. that the Scriptures are a sufficient objective Revelation of all things necessary to Salvation is denied 631. the Scriptures are the Words of God 747. a Secondary Rule 754. that Supposition is false which supposes the Will of God can be only known by the Scriptures 759. John Calvin's Testimony concerning the Scriptures and the Spirit 72. to understand the Scriptures we need the Help and Revelation of the Holy Spirit Hierom 271. the Scriptures though they do declare the Mind of God are therefore not his Word which came from God immediately to the Prophets by which the Scriptures came which Word is ceased Professors say 14. the Canon of the Scripture not compleated 735 750. they are not the means of knowing God in Spirit 887 889 903. see Gifts Scriptures explained Gen. 2.17 p. 762. Isai. 8.20 p. 755 756 Prov. 10.11 p. 644. John 1.9 p. 797. 1 Cor. 11.5 p. 839. 2 Tim. 3.16 p. 755. 2 Pet. 1.19 20. p. 743. Jam. 1.25 p. 757. 1 John 4.1 p. 658. Sect The Ignatian Sect loveth Literature 423. they call those that are sent unto India Apostles 430. the Definition of a Sect 696 698. those cannot pretend to Universal Love who confine all Spiritual and Temporal Blessings to their Sect 691. one Mark of a Sect is when People seek to Advance and Propagate their Way in the Strength of their own Spirits c. 698. those whose Unity arises from Notions and Opinions do derive their Names and Designations from the first Authors Inventors and Fomenters of those Opinions 698 699. Security among hypocritical Professors 47. Seed of Righteousness 452. the Seed of Sin see Sin Redemption The Seed a distinct Principle from the Soul 795 579 580. Self-denial 451 Semi-pelagians their Axiom Facienti quod in se est Deus non 〈◊〉 gratiam 328. Sense supernatural 657 897 〈…〉 904 905. Servant Whether it be lawfu◠〈◊〉 I am your humble Servant 538. Servetus 527. Shoemaker he disputes with the Professor 423 424. Silence see Worship Silence and an inward turning of the Mind necessary to the entring upon Worship 845. Simon Magus 431. Sin see Adam Justification It shall not have Dominion over the Saints 298. the Seed of Sin is transmitted from Adam unto all Men but it is Imputed to none no not to Infants except they actually join with it by Sinning 310 311 315 318. Augustin's Testimony concerning Infants 768. and this Seed is often called Death 318. Original Sin of this Phrase the Scripture makes no mention 318. by virtue of the Sacrifice of Christ we have Remission of Sins 335 367. forgiveness of Sin among the Papists 365. a Freedom from actual Sin is obtained both when and how and that many have attained unto it 388 398. every Sin weakens a Man in his Spiritual Condition but doth not destroy him altogether 389. it is one thing not to sin another thing not to have Sin 395. whatsoever is not done through the Power of God is Sin 445. the fear of God remaining upon the Heart Sin is shut out 28. continuance in Sin ecclipses and takes away the Sense of God's Favour ibid. 884. Singing of Psalms and Musick 473. Society see Religion Principles Socinians see Natural Light their rashness is reproved 281. they think Reason is the chief Rule and Guide of their Faith ibid. 289. albeit many have abused Reason yet they do not say that any ought not to use it and how ill they argue against the Inward and Immediate Revelations of the Holy Spirit 288 290. yet they are forced ultimately to recur unto them 394. they exalt too much their Natural Power and what they think of the saving Light 354. their Worship can easily be stopped 337. they exalt Self or Nature 699. their scanty Confession does not reach to Universal Love 693. Son of God see Christ Knowledge Revelation Soul The Soul hath its Senses as well as the Body 272. by what it is strengthened and fed 453 499. Spirit The Holy Spirit see Knowledge Communion Revelation Scriptures Unless the Spirit sit upon the Heart of the Hearer in vain is the Discourse of the Doctor 271 279. the Spirit of God knoweth the things of God 275. without the Spirit none can say that Jesus is the Lord 272 275. he rested upon the seventy Elders and others 277. he abideth with us for ever 280. he teacheth and bringeth all things to remembrance and leads into all Truth 280 281 284 286 296. he differs from the Scriptures 280. He is God 281. he dwelleth in the Saints 281 284. without the Spiâ—â—â—â—â—ristianity is no Christianity 282 297. whatsoever is to be desired in the Christian Faith is ascribed to him 28â— 281. by this Spirit we are turned unto God and we Triumph in the midst of persecutions 282. he quickens c. 282.283 an observable Testimony of Calvin concerning the Spirit 282 284 296 297. it is the Fountain and Origin of all Truth and right Reason 292 293. it gives the Belief of the Scriptures which may satisfy our Consciences 296. his Testimony is more excellent than all Reason ibid. he is the chief and principal Guide 301. he reasoneth with and striveth in Men 342. those that are led by the Spirit love the Scriptures 304 405. he is as it were the Soul of the Church and what is done without him is vain and impious 423. he is the Spirit of Order and not of Disorder 427. such as the Spirit sets a part to the Ministry are heard of their Brethren 428. it is the Earnest of our Inheritance 444. to be led by the Spirit of God is a Priviledge common to all Christians and members of the Church if Obedience thereunto be yielded 703. all have the Spirit in a certain Day some to reprove some bringing forth of Fruits 8. the Spirâ—t calls invites and draws but men resist his Drawings 8. J. Calvin preferreth the Testimony of the Spirit before all other Evidences 15 16. what proceeds not from the Spirit of God
be great Peace True Peace with God but we have not come by it after such a way as thou dost falsly and rashly judge as by neglecting the Worship of God and stopping the mouth of Conscience but by being turned to that living Word and Law of God in our hearts by loving it and cleaving to it yea by receiving the reproofs and chastisements of God through it and submitting to the Judgment of it when it hath been as a hammer and as a sword and as a fire in us breaking in pieces and destroying all that false unsound Peace we had created to our selves in the day of our alienation from the light of God in us And unto Peace we are come through great tribulation of Soul even such as thou art a stranger unto being ignorant both of the one and the other and so hast therein shewed thy folly in judging what thou knowest not And as for woful security we know not where it more abounds than among hypocritical Professors The Whore's Peace who with the Whore in the Proverbs offer up their Sacrifices of Morning and Evening Prayers and thereby create a Peace to themselves though they let their hearts go a whoring after their Lusts all the day Did not the Pharisees pray much outwardly and were much in other outward practices of Devotion and so created a false peace and esteem unto themselves And can you deny but that there are many such among you who make up a false peace to themselves by leaning upon their outward performances Now what if I should charge this upon your Principle would'st thou think it fair dealing Thirdly Page 52. Thou say'st Doth not that Opinion tend to Atheism which rendreth mortification of sin even in this life useless c. Answ. Here thou dealest dis-ingenuously Is Mortification of sin useless where the end of it is attained And is not perfection the end of mortification Again thou say'st The Opinion of a sinless perfection wounds the very vitals of Religion Answ. Who could have expected that one that pretends to Religion would have been so brazen-faced as to put such an Expression in print What is the end of true Religion The end of true Religion to lead out of sin but to lead out of sin Do the vitals of Religion consist in sinning or in not sinning If it consist in sinning then they that sin most are most religious But if it consist in not sinning and keeping the Commandments of God without sin then to plead for such a thing as attainable hurteth not the vitals of Religion What! cannot the Saints live better without sin than with it Yea surely they can live well without that which is a burden and as Death unto their life they whose life is in sin cannot live but in sin but the Saints life is not in sin but in righteousness And thy consequences are vain and foolish As 1. That men need not pray for pardon of sin 2. That they need not the Blood of Christ to cleanse them from sin 3. That they need not Repentance For we grant that All have sinned and so need those things by which they may attain unto perfection and who witness perfection are come to witness the true use of these things and as the Blood of Christ cleanseth from all the sin so it preserveth clean and such have received the forgiveness of their sins being turned from them unto righteousness which is the fulfilling of Repentance And whereas thou say'st Bring me to the particular person that is sinless and I shall apply to him that of the Apostle 1 John 1.8 Thou shewest openly thy confusion for by thy applying to him that of the Apostle wouldst thou infer a sinless man to be a sinning man That is a contradiction but though we should bring a man to thee that is made free from sin by the power of God thou couldst no more judge of him than a blind man can judge of Colours And as to 1 John 1.8 it is a plain case If we say we have no sin and have fellowship with him and yet walk in darkness as verse 6. then we deceive our selves So it is Conditional otherwise it would contradict what follows Verse 9. and Chap. 2.4 and Chap. 3.6 9. As to that of the Sabbath it is answered above Page 53. Your Religion say'st thou will be welcome to the worst and wickedest of men for you will please them exceedingly in crying down of Ordinances the observation of the Sabbath and private and family Prayer c. Answ. We cry down no Ordinance of God but your hypocritical ways and we know no worse men than those Hypocrites whom we are so far from pleasing Crying down Hypocrisie pleases not the Hypocrite in crying down their hypocritical Prayers and Performances that they frâ—t and gnash at us with their Teeth and if they could get their will would tear us in pieces for witnessing against those things And they are very blind who see not that the denying of those things in shadow and bare formality and establishing them in the power and substance can no ways be acceptable to the Wicked but most unpleasing to Hypocrites who can perform the one but not the other But now let us examine whether your Principles or ours be most acceptable to the wicked and hypocrites 1. Wicked men and Hypocrites love well to hear Hypocrites and wicked mens Principles of the Priests that they can never be free from their sins in this life and that they must always sin 2. They love well to hear to be justified by Christ without them and his Righteousness without but not by him and his Righteousness within them 3. They love well to hear that the words without them are the only Rule which they can wrest according to their own corrupt Inclinations but they love not to hear that the Word and Light of God within is to be their Rule which they cannot wrest nor bend 4. They love well to hear that they may use the fashions and customs of this World bow and cringe and give and receive the Honour of this World 5. They love to hear they may use Sports and Games and Plays 6. To wear Laces and Ribbons and Gold Rings and other superfluity 7. They love well to hear that men must not expect to hear God immediately being such as those who said Let not God speak unto us 8. They love well to hear that Water-baptism and giving of Bread and Wine are the Ordinances of God and the true Baptism and Supper for then they think they are Christians if they partake of these outward things and they are mad against us who call them shadows And as for their Observation of that called the Sabbath we find none more plead for it than profane light men and women for they can easily dispense to hear a man talk for an hour or two and then have all the rest of the day to spend in idleness vain communication