sufficiency both for Believing and Salvation Priest All men have a Light of a natural Conscience from him which tells that there is a God and somewhat of the nature of God that he is Eternal which they may read in the creatures Rom. 1.19 20. and of the morral Law which yet is but very dark c. Answ. Where do the Scriptures call it a Light of a natural Conscience What great Ignorance is here seeing Christ is the true Light that enlightens every man c. And that which might be known of God was manifested in them which gave the knowledg of the Eternal Power and God-head from the creatures and of the Law of God in the heart and that Light or that which might be known of God which gave this knowledg was not natural of a natural Conscience as blindly is conceived and asserted for the natural man with his natural knowledg perceives not those Spiritual or Invisible things nor can he know them but he that 's turned to a Spiritual Light and Principle within where that which may be known of God is manifested Priest But of Christ in his nature and the nature of Faith they cannot without the Scriptures so far as it is Gods appointed Way Answ. Christ is Gods appointed Way c. This high and general opinion of the Scriptures depends upon the former conceit of finding Eternal Life in them by searching of them but that 's answered and contradicted by this our Antagonist himself over and over Supernatural knowledge and Faith of Scriptures being not had without the knowledg of Christ but there are many search and read Scriptures that are both out of this knowledg and Faith so that t is evident that the bare reading Scriptures doth not attract supernatural Faith Knowledg Light Spirit c. but it is the supernatural Light and Spirit that brings to the serious reading and supernatural knowledg of Scriptures And it s also confessed in contradiction to much more however that the Light in all men teaches them of the morral Law and Is not that Scripture or things contained in it Priest The Light wherewith Christ enlightens all all Nations had before Christ came in the flesh as well as now and yet Who will say that they all knew Christ Answ. It is not our saying nor assertion that they all knew Christ though some by his Spirit or Light then had a fore-sight of his coming before he so came though since he has given a more full demonstration and discovery of his Light Priest If all men are taught to know Christ by the Light within them Why sent he Apostles to all Nations to make them disciples Mat. 28.20 Answ. All men are not taught that knowledg by the Light because all obey it not but many love darkness rather The Apostles were sent to turn them from darkness to the Light that therein they might know their Doctrine fulfilled and be Christs disciples Priest Why did he give gifts to Apostels Pastors Teachers which should continue till we all come to that unity of the Faith and fulness of the Stature of Christ Was that Light within dim in those times that it needed the help of outward Light How was it a mystery hid from Ages Answ. The dimness was in the Persons that were to be turned and directed to the Light not in the Light it self and the Apostles went by virtue of the Light and Gifts in them for the help of people and not the Light for their sufficiency and help was in it and from it which was not outward nor natural and having confessed Gifts Teachers c. to continue till we all come to the unity of the Faith and fulness of the stature of Christ. How obviously hast thou herein contradicted thy former Doctrine for imperfection and sin till death c. Priest You have made the visible Church very large who have taken all the men of the world that ever hath been into it If the Lord has given Grace and Knowledg equally to all men Wherein stands the freedom of his Grace towards them that are saved Answ. These are both forged and false accusations depending upon the former against us for neither did we ever make the visible Church of that largness nor is it our Principle that Grace and Knowledge is given equally to all men that 's but thy false inference against us whereupon thou hast grounded much of thy caviling against us like one that loves to fight with thy own shadow or a man of straw of thy own makeing to make and forge lies against us and then go to confute them Unprofitable and vain Priest Never did the greatest Enemy of free Grace so tye up and limmit God in the dispensations of Grace as you that with good words and fair speeches would deceive the Soules of the simple Answ. Nay Thou and such like go about to tye up and limmit God in the dispensations of Grace who would tye it up onely to a few and deny its universal extent to all and as those Priests of Scotland that formerly curst all them that held Grace is free and that with good words and fair speeches we would deceive the hearts of the simple is a slander against us and against our end and intentions and contrary to the tendency of our words and speeches Priest Judas got as much from God as Peter did but he rejected it but Peter made better use of it Your free Grace that all men have received alike doth not exclude boasting but say Well was it with us that made better use of that which others in hell got as well as we Thanks to our deligence and good intentions and tractableness in harkning to the Light within which all the damned got as bright shining as well as we but for Christ we have no cause to thank him more then the damned have This is the Language your Doctrine of free Grace teacheth men to say in their thanks-giving Answ. Here-upon several of thy false conclusions and inferences against us thou hast thus uanted and made a false Language of our Doctrine contrary to the very nature and tendency of it Who but men in hardness and impudent boldness would go to confute and raise absurdityes on our Principles when they do not know them but are yet to learn as thou art with thy companions For it is not our Principle nor the Language of our Doctrine that all have the knowledg of Christ equally and that Judas got as much from God as Peter nor that free Grace all have received alike nor that the damned got the Light within as bright shining as we but that God is no respecter of persons in that he gives liberally to all so much of his Grace to every one as is sufficient yet not that all have received alike or the same degree of Grace and Knowledg c. for all receive not or accept not that measure of Grace given to them to obey it But whereas we are scoâ—â— at
the Books of Exod. Lev. Num. and Deut. and 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4 5. They cat the same spiritual bread and drank the same spiritual drink drank of the Rock which was Christ yet many of them were Idolaters lusters after evil thoughts committed Fornication Tempters of God Murderers c. See how fully these Priest have proved the falling away from Grace for which they have so much accused us with Popery and Arminianisme what a Babel are they in and Was not that spiritual Bread and Drink and Rock which they did eat and drink of saving Grace Baptizm Viz of Infants brought them to the Church is an ordinary means for Salvation pag. 37. We are baptized into Jesus Christ and his death Rom. 6.3 and it s Instituted for the remission of sins Act. 2.38 It s that which signifies our putting on Christ our renewing by the Spirit our washing by remission of Sins our being buried with Christ c. Then it s not the Sign nor Shadow but the Substance that brings into the true Church that saveth that Baptizeth into Jesus Christ and his death and this is that one Baptisme of the Spirit Infants Baptisme or Sprinkling approved its the Initial Seal of the Covenant which the Children of believers ought to be under The Apostle Peter sayes Act. 2.38 39. That those to whom the promise is should be Baptized and vers 38 repent and be baptized Mat 28. Go teach all Nations Baptizing them Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved And Rom. 6.3 We are baptized into Jesus Christ and his death pag. 37. Those that are capable of such teachings repenting believing are not Infants of a week old and teach baptizing into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost was by the Power and Spirit that went along with their Teaching and Mynistring pag. 28. They have no Light in them who speak not according to the Law and the Testimony and tell us of a faith in Christ without the Scriptures pag. 31. Wicked men who rebel against the Light have the Light of a natural conscience spoken of Rom 2.14 and the common work of the Spirit The Work of the Spirit of God in the hearts of wicked men convicting them is not natural nor from a natural Light for it is the Spirit that so worketh in them which you call common but your confessing a natural Light in them contradicts your saying they have no Light in them but the Law is Light and the Testimony of Jesus the Spirit of Prophecie which the true Prophets spake from and they that spake not according to this Light there is 〈◊〉 morning to them but they are in the dark where the Light 〈◊〉 before it shine out of darkness Some Queries of Alexander Skein sometime Baily of Aberdeen upon his forsaking the publick Worship there and joining with the People of God in scorn called Quakers Query I WHether or not should any Act of Gods Worship be gone about without the motions leadings and actings of the Holy Spirit Query II If the motions of the Spirit be necessary to every particular duty Whether should he be waited upon that our whole acts and words may be according as he gives utterance and assistance Query III If every one that bears the name of a Christian or professes to be Protestants hath such a uninterupted measure thereof that at any time they may without waiting go immediately about the duty Query IV If there be an indisposition and an unfitness at some times for such exercises at least as to the spiritual and lively performance thereof Whether the duty ought to be performed in that case or at that time Query V If any duty be gon about under pretence that it is in obedience to the external command without the spiritual life and motion necessary Whether such a duty thus performed can in faith be expected to be accepted of God and not rather reckoned as bringing strange fire before the Lord seeing it is performed at bâ—st by the strength of natural and acquired parts and not by the strength and assistance of the holy ghost which was typified by 〈◊〉 Fire that came down from heaven which alone behoved to 〈◊〉 the Sacrifice and no other Query VI If duties gone about in the mere strength of natural 〈…〉 parts whether in publick or in private be not all really 〈…〉 matter an Image of mans invention as the popish worship though it be not so gross in the outward appearance and therefore as real superstition to countenance any worship which is of that nature as it is to countenance popish worship though there be a difference in the degree Query VII Whether it be ground of offence or just scandal to countenance the worship of those whose professed Principle is neither to speak for edification nor to pray but as the holy ghost shall be pleased to assist them in some measure less or more without which they will rather chuse to be silent then to speak without his Influences ERRATA Pag. 10. lin 8. for Polythrites read Polytheites pag. 16. lin 21. for to read two pag. 18. lin 30. for to write read or writ pag. 31. lin 9 for Christs read Christ pag. 32. lin 12. read in it for spake read speaks pag. 33. lin last for Revelation read relation pag. 41. lin 20 for imperative read Superiour pag. 53. lin 14. read subjoyne pag 56. lin 37. for Answer read reply from pages 56. and. 66. the pages are misfigured pag. 62. lin 33. read Pr. An. pag. 64. lin last read Pr. An. pag. 72. lin 27. not read nor l. in .32 for which read such as p. 80. l. 9. del which p. 81. l. 33. r. a perfect cleansing p. 82. l. 5. r. work in part p. 83. l. 1. f. that as r. that a. p. 84. l. 5. f. is r. Iesus l. 33. r. your deceitful p. 85. l. 31. del 31. l. 30. r. p. 35. l. 37. r. and cup. p. 87. l. 5. r. such a great l. 7. f. any r. all l. 19. r. we are not 29. r. theire infants p. 88. l. 8. f. 85. r. 35. l. 17. f. the r. theire 24. f. the. r. theire 39. del the. FINIS
for saying the cause of somâ—s condemnation is their rejecting the Light and their disobedience stubborness c. this is according to the Scripture Language as might be proved ar large For the fault is not to be laid upon God but upon man for his disobedience when he is consumed because of iniquity which is stubborness rebellion c. For God willeth not the death of sinners but rather their return that they may live and O man thy destruction is of thy self But thy help is of me saith the Lord so as God is clear when he judges Now we can thank God without boasting that he hath shewn such Love Mercy and Good will in Christ unto us and Christ that he hath shewn us Power Life and sufficiency in himself both to believe obey and give diligence and the name of God we may praise for all his Mercies and Blessings he attends us withal in the way whereunto he hath called us and indeed all Nations are called to praise the Lord which if all do not the fault is not Gods nor to be charged upon him or his free Grace but theirs that reject it And have treasured up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath and on the other hand they that count God a hard Master and they that blaspheme against him in their Torment and Anguish are but the slothful servants and such as have not recieved the truth in the love of it but have had pleasure in their unrighteousness And thereby have incurred displeasure from the righteous God whose severity follows on them that reject his Love and Good-will So these have not the Light as bright shining as we These being condemned from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power Priest How comes it that there is none among all these persons throughout the Nations where the Scriptures have never been heard that have Written in the defence of the Christian Faith and against the Paganish worship c. Travellers should have given some account of it c. Answ. As if the Scriptures were not onely the cause of Life Faith and Salvation according to thy former stuff but of all Writing in defence of the true Faith c. Then what was the cause and ground of Sciptures However it appears thou art no great Traveller nor hast had much acquaintance with such Travelers as we know have given account of more Christianity among divers of the heathen that have not Scripture then is among many in England and Scotland professing Christianity besides we find in divers of the heathens so called their Writings many things both Morral and Divine both favouring of Christianity and of some spiritual sence several of them had of the Nature and Life of Christianity which in it self is against all Idolatry of Pagans and others though not in your borrowed terms and expressions of Religion and Christianity And further why should the Apostle make use of some of the heathens expressions and Gentils experiences for proof if they had no tendence to Christianity Pr. But the best of those Nations and wisest were the greatest Enemies to the Gospel Answ. How provest thou that for we deny it and the ground of this thy peremptory censure and judgmâ—nt against all them that had not Scripture Many of whom we believe were better then thy self and hast thou known the best and wisest of them that thou art thus positive against them Pr. You have no warrant to say that deaf persons to whom the Scriptures have no way been known shall be saved Answ. As much as to say They that know not the Scriptures know not Salvation or shall not be saved thou shouldest have said They that know not Christ or come not to him fall short of Salvation the coming to whom is through the Fathers drawings who drawes by his own Spirit and darest thou say that deaf and blind persons shall not be saved because they cannot hear and read Scripture Pr. Before the Scriptures he taught by audible Voices Revelations c. but now you make all to be the Light within Answ. No Revelation is truely known without the Light within for what may be known of God is manifest within Pr. We deny that the Power of God is immediate Viz. in his people Ans. You may as well deny its being in his people and their inward Communion with it and therein you deny the very tenuor of the new Covenant and hereby limmit that power to mâ—diate teaching Scriptures c. what in you lies which tends to eclipse and detract from that Glory Sufficiency and Prerogative that is in Gods Power this is very gross and ignorant Pr We grant it is true which the Metaphysitians and Divines say of God that he concurreth in all works of creatures immediatione vertutis suppositi but this ye know not what it meaneth Answ. This makes against your selves if rightly considered and falsly thou hast said of us or of me for I do know what that phrase means both as to words and matter but and if we did not know what is meant why didest thou use thy Latine phrases and Scholastick terms to such as thou deemest so illiterate Hast thou not herein shewed thy self a Bravado Pr. He told us he will exercise his power for us and in us Answ. He will exercise his power in us and yet not immediate What contradiction's here Pr. Why the Grace of hope should be Christs more then the Grace of faith c. Answ. Châ—ist is the Grace of all our Graces and our all a mystery hid from thee and those of thy spirit Pr. Faith is a habit and an imperfect creature for all habits are in the category of quallity which is an accident and so an imperfect creature Answ. What Scripture have you Priests of Scotland for that Of Faith being a habit an imperfect creature or accident and Is accident and habit all one Where learned'st this Phylosophy to define Faith True Faith is not natural nor a natural habit however for thou hast granted a supernatural saving Faith but t is but a habit an imperfect creature whereas Faith is a fruit of the Spirit which is pure and perfect and the mystery of it is held in the pure conscience but if thou meanest imperfect creature as to the kind or quallity its false Doctrine and its being received by degrees doth not prove it for it s as truly and purely Faith and that of God and supernatural in the least degree yea if but as a grain of mustard-seed as in the greatest measure of it Pr. It is as impossible it should be otherwise as it is that a man abiding a man should essentially be a beast Ans. Is it as impossible Faith should be otherwise then an imperfect creature as for a man to be essentially a beast Sad Doctrine This is worse and worse Faith ovâ—rcomes the world purifies the heart justifies the mystery of it is held in a pure conscience yet not possible
for it to be otherwise then an imperfect creature Darknâ—ss Confusion and Contradiction to Truth Pr. The Grace of hope is imperfect Christ is the hope of glory Answ. These are one opposite to another but Christ is perfect who is the Grace and Life of all the Saints Graces Pr. Christs Word was his audible Voice speaking his mind Answ. Other whiles his Word is the Scriptures with thee as if the Scriptures and his audible Voice were both one which if this be true all that read them hear Christs audible Voice Is this Authentick Doctrine But Christs own words shall stand against it for Joh. 8.43 Why do ye not understand my speech even because ye cannot hear my word and we know that who hear the Son heareth the Father also But this is a mistery hid from the Carnal minded who Idolatrously pervert the Scriptures Pr. Though Christ and the Spirit be one yet he is not Christs Word for Christ is not his own word Ans. They that hear Christs Word and receive it receive of his own Virtue and Life in and the words he spake unto his are Spirit and Life thou hast here but cavilled which thou mightest as well have done against several Scriptures and against Johns saying In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God c Pr. I call the Scriptures the Word of God and the Gospel the Word of Reconcilliation The Word of God is distinguished from the Word of Reconcilliation Answ. Other-whiles the Scripture is the Gospel and the Word of God with thee now they are distinct the Word of God distinguished from the Word of Reconcilliation What confusion's here Is not the Word of Reconcilliation Gods God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself Pr. The Gospel are a part of the Scriptures and may be called one with them the Gospel is contained in the Scripture Answ. The Gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one that believes it was preached to Abraham and was before the Scriptures and is everlasting but thou hast spoken blindly here as before for Is the power of God contained in the Scriptures Then all that have the Scriptures have that power in them or from them which is not true Pr. Rom. 16.26 The Preaching of Jesus Christ according to the Revelation of the Mistery which was kept secret since the world began and by the Scriptures of the Gospel according to the Commandment of the Everlasting God made known to all Nations for the obedience of Faith Answ. But thou and such do not so preach Christ nor are so commissionated to preach at the Commandment of the Everlasting God who deny Revelation and his imediate Teaching now and this contradicts much of thy dark stuff for here the Revelation of the Mistery is prefered before the Scriptures and the Preaching according to them was from that Revelation of the Mistery which the Apostles had in them but were the Scriptures that Revelation and kept secret since the world began The Revelation of Christ was the Mistery Christ within the hope of glory a mistery hid from Ages c. How was it by the Scriptures made known to all Nations for the obedience of Faith if in many Nations there be neiâ—her the knowledg of Christ nor Scripture according to thy former And of that Rom. 16.26 which thou sayest is the Scriptures of the Gospel thou hast wronged the Scriptures herein for it is the Scriptures of the Prophets c. Pr. The Gospel and Mistery of Christ is made manifest by the Scriptures of the Prophets preached to all Nations not by a Light within If it were not in the Scriptures How could it be manifest and made known by the Scriptures Answ. If not by the Light within How by the Scripture without it Have all that hear Scripture read or preached the knowledg of the Mistery of Christ without the Light within How then doth the Apostles speak of the Revelation as before Did nor he preach from the Light within or Revelation of the Son in him Gal. 1.16 How ignorant hast thou shewed thy self in this matter Again the Mistery was not made manifest by the Scriptures alone or barely for both Revelation and Preaching is mentioned before and to tell of the Gospel and Mistery being in the Scriptures is as much as to say the power of God or Christ is in the Scriptures Pr. Doth not Mark chap. 1.2 call what he wrot the Gospel Where he saith The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ c. Have you a forehead that cannot blush that tells us that the Gospel is not Scripture What a feared conscience and shameless boldness have ye attained to Answ. It is not from any feared conscience nor shameless boldness for me to assert the Gospel was before the Scripture and if Mark intended his Writing or what he writ to be the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ then it follows that the Gospel of Jesus Christ did not begin before Mark wrot that ReveRevlation and then how doth he mention what was written in the Prophets and tell of the Gospel of Jesus Christ And did not Jesus Christ shew forth his power and preach the Gospel before that of Mark was writ But seeing thou hast taken the liberty both to give thy meanings to Scriptures and pretends to compare one Scripture with another I may have liberty to tell the other Scriptures in this case as in Luke 1.1 he saith Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most truely believed amongst us and ver 3. It seemed good unto me also c. And Act. 1.1 The former Treatise have I made O Theophilus So what they writ it was a Treatise or Declaration of things spoken done and believed and much of which relates to the historical part of things and matters but if the written Declaration Treatise of things or Scripture without be the Gospel then hireling Priests may be silent and let people read them without spending their mony of them for their various meanings traditional Interpretations c. for the Gospel ought not to be added to nor another preached how-be-it there is a difference between true Preaching proceeding from the immediate Spirit and Power of God which Paul was a Minister of and the Scriptures or Writings outward without the Spirit or Life for Paul was not a Minister of the Letter but of the Spirit and New Testament And is not a living Ministry and Voice especially where it lives by vertue of the Power of God from whence it immediatly comes of more force and authority then the Letter or Writings which Scriptures signify Yea I do further affirm that the same Words or Dâ—clarations as immediatly proceeding from the Power or Spirit of God is of more force and effect then the same words would be as spoken onely from Scripture without Deny it you Priests if you can I can in