legions of Angels so to do did notwithstanding not exert that power but left his Church to the mercy of the wicked without so necessary a bulwark Secondly Seeing every Magistrate is to exercise his power according to the best understanding he hath being obliged so to do for the promoting of what he in Conscience is perswaded to be Truth Will not this justifie all the Heathen-Emperors in their Persecutions against Christians Will not this justifie the Spanish Inquisition which yet is odious not only to Protestants but to many moderate Papists How can Protestants in reason condemn the Papists for persecuting them seeing they do but exercise a lawful Power according to their Conscience and best understanding and do no more to them than the Sufferers profess they would do to them if they were in the like capacity Which takes away all ground of Commiseration from the Sufferers whereas that was the ground that gained of old reputation to the Christians that they being Innocent suffered who neither had nor by principle could hurt any But there is little reason to pity one that is but dealt by according as he would deal with others For to say They have not reason to persecute us because they are in the wrong and we in the right is but miserably to beg the question Doth not this doctrin strengthen the hands of Persecutors every where and that rationally from a principle of self-preservation For who can blame me for destroying him that I know waits but for an occasion to destroy me if he could Yea this makes all suffering for Religion which of old was the glory of Christians to be but of pure necessity whereby they are not led as Lambs to the slaughter as was the Captain of their Salvation but rather as Wolves catched in the snare who only bite not again because they are not able but could they get force would be as ready to lead those the same way that led them Where is here the faith and patience of the Saints For indeed it is but a small glory to make a vertue of Necessity and suffer because I cannot help it Every Thief and Murderer is a Martyr at that rate experience hath abundantly proved this in these last Centuries For however each Party talk of passively obeying the Magistrate in such cases and that the power resides in him yet it is apparent that from this principle it naturally follows that any Party supposing themselves right should so soon as they are able endeavour at any rate to get uppermost that they might bring under those of another opinion and force the Magistrate to uphold their way to the ruin of all others What engine the Pope of Rome used to make of his pretended power in this thing upon any pretence of dislike to any Prince or State even for very small Heresies in their own account to depose Princes and set up their Subjects against them and give their dominions to other Princes to serve his interest they cannot be ignorant that have read the life of Hildebrand and how Protestants have vindicated the Liberty of their Consciences after this same manner is apparent They suffered much in France to the great Increase and Advantage of their Party but how soon they found themselves considerable and had gotten some Princes upon their side they began to let the King know that they must either have the Liberty of their Consciences or else they would purchase it not by Suffering but by Fighting And the Experience of other Protestant States shews that if Henry the Fourth to please the Papists had not quitted his Religion to get the Crown the more peaceably and so the Protestants had prevailed with the Sword they would as well have taught the Papists with the Faggot and led them to the Stake So that this Principle of Persecution on all hands is the Ground of all those Miseries and Contentions For so long as any Party is perswaded that it is both lawful for them and their Duty if in Power to destroy those that differ from them it naturally follows they ought to use all Means possible to get that Power whereby they may secure themselves in the Ruine of their Adversaries And that neither Papists nor Protestants judge it unlawful to compel the Magistrate if they be strong enough to do it to effect this Experience shews it to be a known Popish Principle That the Pope may depose an Heretick Prince and absolve the People from the Oath of Fidelity And the Pope as is abovesaid hath done so to divers Princes and this Doctrine is defended by Bellarmin against Barclay The French refused Henry the fourth till he quitted his Religion And as for Protestants many of them scruple not to affirm That wicked Kings and Magistrates may be deposed and killed yea our Scotch Presbyters are as positive in it as any Jesuites who would not admit this present Charles the Second though otherwise a Protestant Prince unless he would swear to renounce Episcopacy a Matter of no great Difference though contrary to his Conscience Now how little Proportion these things bear with the Primitive Christians and the Religion propagated by Christ and his Apostles needs no great Demonstration and it is observable That notwithstanding many other Superstitions crept into the Church very early yet this of Persecution was so inconsistent with the Nature of the Gospel and Liberty of Conscience as we have asserted it such an innate and natural part of the Christian Religion that almost all the Christian Writers for the first three hundred Years earnestly contend for it condemning the contrary Opinion Athan. in epist. ad solit vit ag ibid. § V. Thus Athanasius It is the Property of Piety not to force but to perswade in imitation of our Lord who forced no body but left it to the Will of every one to follow him c. But the Devil because he hath nothing of Truth uses Knocks and Axes to break up the Doors of such as receive him But our Saviour is meek teaching the Truth Whosoever will come after me and whosoever will be my Disciple c. but constraining none coming to us and knocking rather and saying My Sister my Spouse open to me c. and entreth when he is opened to and retires if they delay and will not open unto him because it is not with Swords nor Darts nor Soldiers nor Armour that Truth is to be declared but with Perswasion and Counsel And it is observable that it was the Impious Arrians who first of all brought in this Doctrine to persecute others among Christians whose Successors both Papists and Protestants are in this Matter whom Athanasius thus reproveth further Where saith he have they learned to persecute Certainly they cannot say Athan. Apol. 1. de fuga sua tom 1. they have learned it from the Saints but this has been given them and taught them of the Devil The Lord commanded indeed sometimes to flee and the Saints
the Body Christ hath called him to and would force him to exercise the same Office he doth though he be not called to it The Breach of Liberty begets Jars and Schisms here is a Breach of Christian Liberty and an Imposing upon it Now all Schisms and Jars fall out in this twofold Respect Either when any Person or Persons assume another or an higher Place in the Body than God will have them to be in and so exercise an Office or go about to perform that which they ought not to do or when as any truly exercising in their Place which God hath given them others rise up and judge them and would draw them from it both of which Cases have been and may be supposed to fall out in the Church of Christ. As 1 Cor. 4.3 4 where some judged Paul wrongously 3 John 9. where one exalting himself above his Place judged whom he ought not We see then what Diversities be most usually in the Church of God consisting in the Difference of the Gift proceeding from the same Spirit and in the divers Places that the several Members have in the same Body for the Edification of it and every one being here in his own Station is standing therein is his Strength and Perfection and to be in another though higher and more eminent would but weaken and hurt him and so in this there ought to be a mutual Forbearance that there may neither be a coveting nor aspiring on the one hand nor yet a despising or condemning on the other Acts of Forbearance in the Primitive Church But besides the Forbearance of this Nature which is most ordinary and universal and for the Exercise whereof there is and will still be a need so long as there is any Gathering or Church of Christ upon the Earth there is a certain Liberty and Forbearance also that is more particular and has a Relation to the Circumstance of Times and Places which will not hold universally whereof we have the Example of the Primitive Church testified by the Scriptures in two or three Particulars The first was in suffering Circumcision to the Jews for a time and not only so but also divers others of the Legal and Ceremonial Purifications and Customs as may appear Acts 21. vers 21 22 23 24 c. The second was in the Observation of certain days Rom. 14.5 And the third In the Abstaining from Meats 1 Cor. 8. throughout Here the Apostle perswades to and recommends a Forbearance because of the Weakness of some for he says not any where nor can it be found in all the Scriptures of the Gospel that these things such Weak ones were exercised in were things indipsensibly necessary or that it had been better for them they had not been under such Scruples providing it had been from a Principle of true Clearness and so of Faith Next again Acts of Forbearance or Condescension under the Law These Acts of Forbearance were done in a Condescension to the Weakness of such upon whom the Ancient and truly deserved in its season Veneration of the Law had such a deep Impression that they could not yet dispense with all its Ceremonies and Customs And to such the Apostle holds forth a twofold Forbearance First A certain Compliance by such Believers as were gathered out from the Jews though they saw over these things 1. To Jews yet it was fit they should Condescend somewhat to their Country-men and Brethren who were Weak Secondly The like Forbearance in the Gentiles 2. To Gentiles not to judge them in these things but we see that it was not allowed for such weak ones to propagate these Scruples or draw others into them and that whenas any of the Churches of the Gentiles who wanted this Occasion would have been exercising this Liberty or pleading for it the Apostle doth down-rightly Condemn it as I shall make appear in all the Three Instances above-mentioned Instances 1 First In that of Circumcision Gal. 5.2 4. 1. Of Circumcision Behold I Paul say unto you that if ye be Circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Christ is become of none effect unto you Whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from Grace Can there be any thing more positive Might not some here have pretended Tenderness of Conscience and have said Though the Decree of the Apostles do dispense with Circumcision in me yet if I find a Scruple in my self and a Desire to it out of Tenderness why should it be an Evil in me to do it more than in the Jews that believe We see there is no room left here for such Reasoning Inst. 2 Secondly As to Observations Gal. 4.9 10 11. Might not they have answered Of Observations of Days What if we Regard a Day to the Lord must we not then Are not these thy own Words We see that did not hold here because in them it was a Returning to the Beggerly Elements Thirdly As to Meats 1 Tim. 4.3 Here we see that is accounted Inst. 3 a Doctrine of Devils Of Meats which in another respect was Christian Forbearance And therefore now and that in the general respect he gives this Reason Vers. 4. For every Creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with Thanksgiving of them that believe and know the Truth So we see that in these particular things there is great need of Wariness in the Church of Christ for that sometimes Forbearance under a Pretence of Liberty may be more hurtful than down-right Judging I suppose if any should arise and pretend Conscience and claim a Liberty for Circumcision and the Purifications of the Law whether all Christians would not with one Voice Condemn it And so as to Days and Meats how do the Generality of Protestants Judge it Though I deny not but there may and ought to be a mutual Forbearance in the Church of Christ in certain such Cases which may fall in and a Liberty there is in the Lord which breaks not the Peace of the true Church but in such Matters as I observed at large before both the Nature of the things the Spirit they come from and the Occasion from whence and their Consequence and Tendency is to be carefully observed SECTION VII Concerning the Power of Decision SEeing then it may fall out in the Church of Christ that both some may assume another place in the Body than they ought and others may lay claim to a Liberty and pretend Conscience in things they ought not and that without Question the wrong is not to be tolerated but to be testified against however specious its Appearance may be and that it must and ought to be judged The Question will arise Head III. Who is the proper Judge or Judges in whom resideth the Power of Prop. 2 deciding this Controversy And this is that which I undertook in the next Place to Treat of as being the Specifick Difference and Distinguishing
burned for denying the Divinity of Christ if Calvin's Report of him be to be credited Which Opinion though it was indeed to be abominated yet no less was Calvin's Practice in causing him to be burned and afterwards defending that it was lawful to burn Hereticks by which he encouraged the Papists to lead his Followers the more confidently to the Stake as having for their Warrant the Doctrine of their own Sect-master which they omitted not frequently to twit them with and indeed it was to them unanswerable Hence upon this occasion the judicious Author of the History of the Council of Trent in his fifth Book where giving an account of several Protestants that were burned for their Religion well and wisely observeth it as a Matter of Astonishment that those of the new Reformation did offer to punish in the case of Religion And afterwards taking notice That Calvin justifies the punishing of Hereticks he adds But since the Name of Heresy may be more or less restricted yea or diversly taken this Doctrine may be likewise taken in divers Senses and may at one time hurt those whom at another Time it may have benefited So that this Doctrine of Persecution cannot be mentioned by Protestants without strengthening the Hands of Popish Inquisitors Protestant Persecution strengthens the Popish Inquisition and indeed in the end lands in direct Popery Seeing if I may not profess and preach that Religion which I am perswaded of in my Conscience is true it is to no purpose to search the Scriptures or to seek to chuse my own Faith by Convictions thence derived since whatever I there observe or am perswaded of I must either subject to the Judgment of the Magistrate and Church of that Place I am in or else resolve to remove or dye Yea doth not this Heretical and Anti-Christian Doctrine both of Papists and Protestants at last resolve into that cursed Policy of Mahomet Who prohibited all Reason or Discourse about Religion as occasioning Factions and Divisions And indeed those that press Persecution and deny Liberty of Conscience do thereby shew themselves more the Disciples of Mahomet than of Christ and that they are no ways followers of the Apostle's Doctrine who desired the Thessalonians 1 Thess. 5.21 To prove all things and hold fast that which is good And also saith Vnto such as are otherwise minded God shall Reveal it Phil. 3.15 not that by Beatings and Banishments it must be knocked into them § VI. Now the Ground of Persecution as hath above been shewn is an unwillingness to suffer for no Man that will persecute another for his Conscience would suffer for his own if he could avoid it seeing his Principle obliges him if he had Power by Force to establish that which he judges is the Truth and so to force others to it Therefore I judge it meet for the Information of the Nations briefly to add something in this Place concerning the Nature of true Christian Sufferings whereunto a very faithful Testimony has been born by God's Witnesses which he hath raised up in this Age beyond what hath been generally known or practised for these many Generations yea since the Apostacy took place Yet 't is not my Design here in any wise to derogate from the Sufferings of the Protestant Martyrs whom I believe to have walked in Faithfulness towards God according to the Dispensation of Light in that Day appearing and of which many were utter Enemies to Persecution as by their Testimonies against it might be made appear But the true faithful and Christian Suffering is For Men to profess what they are perswaded is right and so practise and perform their Worship towards God as being their true Right so to do and neither to do more in that because of outward Encouragement from Men nor any whit less because of the Fear of their Laws and Acts against it Thus for a Christian Man to vindicate his just Liberty with so much boldness and yet Innocency will in due time though through Blood purchase Peace as this Age has in some Measure experienced and many are Witnesses of it which yet shall be more apparent to the World as Truth takes Place in the Earth But they greatly sin against this excellent Rule that in Time of Persecution do not profess their own Way so much as they would if it were other ways and yet when they can get the Magistrate upon their Side not only stretch their own Liberty to the utmost but seek to establish the same by denying it to others The Innocent Sufferings of the People called Quakers But of this excellent Patience and Sufferings the Witnesses of God in scorn called Quakers have given a manifest Proof for so soon as God revealed his Truth among them without regard to all Opposition or what they might meet with they went up and down as they were moved of the Lord preaching and propagating the Truth in Market-places High-ways Streets and publick Temples though daily beaten whipped bruised haled and imprisoned therefore And when there was any where a Church or Assembly gathered they taught them to keep their Meetings openly and not to shut the door nor do it by Stealth that all might know it and who would might enter And as hereby all just occasion of Fear of plotting against the Government was fully removed so this their Courage and Faithfulness in not giving over their Meeting together but more especially the Presence and Glory of God manifested in the Meeting being terrible to the Consciences of the Persecutors did so weary out the Malice of their Adversaries that often-times they were forced to leave their Work undone For when they came to break up a Meeting they were forc'd to take every individual out by Force they not being free to give up their Liberty by dissolving at their Command And when they were haled out unless they were kept forth by Violence they presently returned peaceably to their Place Yea when sometimes the Magistrates have pulled down their Meeting-houses they have met the next Day openly upon the Rubbish and so by Innocency kept their Possession and Ground being properly their own and their Right to Meet and Worship God being not forfeited to any So that when armed Men have come to dissolve them it was impossible for them to do it unless they had killed every one for they stood so close together that no Force could move any one to stir until violently pulled down So that when the Malice of their Opposers stirred them to take shovels and throw the Rubbish upon them there they stood unmoved being willing if the Lord should so permit to have been there buried alive witnessing for him As this Patient but yet couragious way of Suffering made the Persecutors Work very heavy and wearisom unto them so the Courage and Patience of the Sufferers using no Resistance nor bringing any Weapons to defend themselves nor seeking any ways Revenge upon such Occasions did secretly smite the Hearts of
the Church of Christ is not to usurp Authority over their Fellow-Members 229. decisive Judgment explained 243. true and false Decision 244. unsettled Men Judging 683 684. Charitable and uncharitable Judgment 686. God the Judge of conscience 516 517. he that is Spiritual Judgeth all things 795 see Church Justification the Doctrine thereof is and hath been greatly vitiated among the Papists and wherein they place it 364 365 380 382 Luther and the Protestants with good Reason opposed this Doctrine though many of them ran soon into another Extream and wherein they place it and that they agree in one 366 387 370. it comes from the Love of God 367 379 380. to Justify signifies to to make really Just not to repute Just which many Protestants are also forced to acknowledge 370 371 374 377. The Revelation of Christ formed in the Heart is the formal Cause of Justification not Works to speak properly which are only an Effect and so also many Protestants have said 364 380. we are Justified in Works and how 364 370 371 380 387. this is so far from being Popish Doctrine that Bellarmine and others opposed it 365 369 385 386. We are Justified by Christ Jesus both as he appeared at Jerusalem and also as he was made manifest and revealed in us 19 20. Justification by the indwelling of Christ is denied by the Papists 78. Primitive Protestants Belief concerning Justification 79. concerning Faith and Justification 129 166. a twofold Justification 25. it is the making a Man just by an Inward Righteousness 77. 811. the Doers of the Law Justified 806. Antinomians Imputative Justification refuted 812. J. B's gross Opinion of it 814. no Man is Justified before he be sanctified 816 The real Justification falleth under the inward sensation of the Soul 817. K. Keith G. K. vindicated from our Adversaries malitious Insinuations against him 621. Kingdom of God 459 511 517. Christ's Kingdom needs no outward protection 846. the Kingdom of God is within you 803. the Kingdom of God is in the Seed in the Hearts of all Men 354. Kirk the Greedy Kirk become a Proverb 437. Knowledge the Heighth of Man's Happiness is placed in the true Knowledge of God 467. Error in the Entrance of this Knowledge is dangerous 267 268. Superstition Idolatry and thence Atheism hath proceeded from the False and Feigned Opinions concerning God and the Knowledge of him 269. the uncertain Knowledge of God is divers ways attained but the True and Certain only by the inward and immediate Revelation of the Holy Spirit 269 271. it hath been brought out of use and by what Devices 272 273. there is no Knowledge of the Father but by the Son nor of the Son but by the Spirit 268 274 275. the Knowledge of Christ which is not by the Revelation of his Spirit in the Heart is no more the Knowledge of Christ than the pratling of a Parret which hath been taught a few Words may be said to be the Voice of a Man 276 277. The Objection that the Apostle prefers the Knowledge of Christ as outwardly Crucified to all other Knowledge answered 9. his Inward Knowledge preferred 67. the true and saving Knowledge of God 115 161. the Knowledge of the History saves none 355. many by the Light may be saved that have not the outward Knowledge of christ 356 of the true Ground of Knowledge 728 733. the Difference between Head-Knowledge and the partaking of the Divine Nature 763 764. Monopolizers of Knowledge 889. 428 see Clergy The Christian Religion consists not in the Historical Knowledge of Christ 895. see Indians c L. Labour they wanted nothing whom God sent they labour'd with their Hands 435. Laces and Ribbonds 873. Laicks 429 432 433. Laity 433 507. Lake of Bethesda 338 339. Lamb see Paschal Lamb. Language the plain Language used in the Scriptures 58. concerning our using Thee and Thou which is the Singular Number to one person 61. to use the Plural instead of the Singular Number to one Person is no Indifferent thing 3 4. see Number the Singular Number to one person used in the Latine 539. how the Word You came to be used to a single person ibid. the Word Thou a greater Honour to one than You 540. Scripture-Dialect the plain Language 541. Law the Law is distinguished from the Gospel 287 384. the Difference thereof 287 493. see Gospel under the Law the People were not in any Doubt who should be Priests and Ministers 408. see Minister of the Law Worship The Testimony Law and Word is inward in the Heart 15 71. the ending of the Law and beginning of the Gospel 187. wherein the Law and Gospel differ 298 393 484. the outward and inward Law 286. the Law of Christ more perfect than of Moses 558. the Divine Law was implanted in Man's Nature before all Laws made by Man 701. J. B's Proof for what is meant by Law and Testimony 756. his Asserting the Law of Nature against his former Reason 793. Law of Moses see Legal Rites Lawyers by Tricks and Intricacies foment Controversies 209 Laying on of Hands 511. see Hands Learned the Lord is angering the Wise and Learned 885 Learning what true Learning is 421 422. Humane Learning is not the Qualification of a Minister 140 305 703 730. see Literature Schools of Learning Leaven J. B's Objection against the Word Fermentum Leaven or Fermentation a Leavening answered 855. Legal Rites had a Command as well as John's Baptism 857. Leonisis a Sect they have a great Shew of Truth 532. in the Margent Letter The Letter killeth quickneth not 393. like Pharisees the outward Law so now Professors plead the Letter 15. How the Letter killeth 18 76. Levi a Figure of Christ 655 Leyden John of Leyden and Ignatius Loyola their Practices resembled by W. M. and his Brethren 58 Liars their Punishment 557 Libertines see Ranters Liberty the true Liberty in the Church 222. breach of Liberty begets Jars ibid. a false Liberty 224. a wrong Spirit of Liberty 246. what Liberty we claim in things Religious 516 520 524 Lies 276. lying Titles 535. Christians not to speak a Lie 875. J. B s refuge of Lies 877. Light The innate Light is explained by Cicero 361 362. Light of Nature the Errors of the Socinians and Pelagians who exalt this Light are rejected 310 311. Saving Light see Redemption is universal it is in all 330 331. It is a Spiritual and Heavenly Principle 333 334. it is a Substance not an Accident 334 335. it is Supernatural and sufficient 346 348. It is the Gospel preached in every Creature 349 350. It is the Word nigh in the Mouth and in the Heart 350 351. it is the Ingrafted Word able to save the Soul 353. Testimonies of Augustin and Buchanan concerning this Light 363. it is not any part of Nature or Reliques of the Light remaing in Adam after the fall 337. it is distinguished from the Conscience 337 338. It is not a common Gift as the Heat of the
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
few but will acknowledge the Care and Order in these Cases to be Commendable and Expedient Now I come to consider the things of another kind which either verily are or are supposed to be Matters of CONSCIENCE or at least wherein People may lay claim to Conscience in the acting or forbearing of them In which the great Question is How far in such Cases the Church may give positive Orders or Rules How far her Authority reacheth or may be supposed to be binding and ought to be submitted to For the better clearing and Examination of which it will be fit to Consider First Whether the Church of Christ have Power in any Cases that Quest. I are Matters of Conscience to give a positive Sentence and Decision which may be Obligatory upon Believers Secondly If so in what Cases and Respects she may so do Quest. II Thirdly Wherein consisteth the Freedom and Liberty of Conscience Quest. III which may be exercised by the Members of the true Church diversly without judging one another And Lastly In whom the Power decisive is in Case of Controversy Quest. IV or Contention in such Matters Which will also lead us To observe the vast Difference betwixt us and the Papists and others in this particular As to the First Whether the Church of Christ have Power in any Quest. I Cases that are Matters of Conscience to give a positive Sentence and Decision which may be Obligatory upon Believers I Answer Affirmatively she hath Answ. and shall prove it from divers Instances both from Scripture and Reason For First All Principles and Articles of Faith which are held doctrinally Articles of Faith are Matters of Conscience are in Respect to those that believe them Matters of Conscience We know the Papists do out of Conscience such as are zealous among them adore worship and pray to Angels Saints and Images yea and to the Eucharist as judging it to be really Christ Jesus and so do others place Conscience in things that are absolutely wrong Now I say 1. Proof from Right-Reason We being gathered together into the Belief of certain Principles and Doctrines without any Constraint or worldly Respect but by the meer Force of Truth upon our Understanding and its Power and Influence upon our Hearts these Principles and Doctrines and the Practices necessarily depending upon them are as it were the Terms that have drawn us together and the * Yet this is not so the Bond but that we have also a more inward and invisible to wit the Life of Righteousness whereby we also have Vnity with the upright Seed in all even in those whose Vnderstandings are not yet so enlightned But those who are once enlightned this is as an outward Bond and if they suffer themselves to be darkned through Disobedience which as it does in the outward Bond so it doth in the inward Bond by which we became centered into one Body and Fellowship and distinguished from others Now if any one or more so engaged with us should arise to teach any other Doctrine or Doctrines contrary to these which were Ground of our being One who can deny but the Body hath Power in such a Case to declare This is not according to the Truth we profess and therefore we pronounce such and such Doctrines to be wrong with which we cannot have Unity nor yet any more Spiritual Fellowship with those as hold them And so such Cut themselves off from being Members by dissolving the very Bond by which they were linked to the Body Now this cannot be accounted Tyranny and Oppression no more than in a Civil Society if one of the Society shall contradict one or more of the fundamental Articles upon which the Society was contracted it can be reckon'd a breach or iniquity in the whole Society to declare that such Contradictors have done wrong and forfeited their Right in that Society in case by the Original Constitution the Nature of the Contradiction implys such a Forfeiture as usually it is and will no doubt hold in Religious Matters As if a Body be gathered into one Fellowship by the Belief of certain Principles The Disbeliever of the Principles of a Fellowship excludes himself therefrom and scatters he that comes to believe otherways naturally scattereth himself for that the Cause that gathered him is taken away and so those that abide Constant in declaring the thing to be so as it is and in looking upon him and witnessing of him to others if need be to be such as he has made himself do him no Injury I shall make the Supposition in the general and let every People make the Application to themselves abstracting from us and then let Conscience and Reason in every Impartial Reader declare whether or not it doth not hold Suppose a People really gathered unto the Belief of the true and certain Principles of the Gospel if any of these people shall arise and Contradict any of those fundamental Truths whether has not such as stand good right to Cast such a one out from among them and to pronounce positively This is contrary to the Truth we profess and own and therefore ought to be rejected and not received nor yet he that Asserts it as one of us And is not this Obligatory upon all the Members seeing all are concerned in the like Care as to themselves to hold the right and shut out the wrong I cannot tell if any man of Reason can well deny this however I shall prove it next from the Testimony of the Scripture Gal. 1.8 But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you 2 Proof from Scripture than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again If any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed 1 Tim. 1.19 20. Holding Faith and a Good Conscience which some having put away concerning Faith have made shipwrack Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander whom I have delivered unto Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme 2 John 10. If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your House neither bid him Rejoyce for so the Greek hath it These Scriptures are so plain and clear in themselves as to this Purpose that they need no great Exposition to the Unbyassed and Unprejudicate Reader Fore-seeing it is so that in the True Church there may men arise and speak perverse things contrary to the Doctrine and Gospel already received what is to be the place of those that hold the pure and ancient Truth Must they look upon these perverse men still as their Brethren Must they cherish them as Fellow-Members or must they judge condemn and deny them We must not think the Apostle wanted Charity who will have them Accursed and that gave Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan Hymenaeus and Alexander Instanced after that they had departed from
Experience of the Church in all Ages as may appear from Matth. 24.24 Acts 15.54 1 Tim. 4.5 2 Tim. 3.8 Mark 13.21 22. 2 Pet. 2.19 Or on the other Hand that those that abide faithful Discerners of Evils to reprove and warn and have a Discerning of those Evils ought to be silent and never ought to Reprove and gain-stand them nor yet Warn and guard others against them and that it is a part of the commendable Vnity of the Church of Christ to suffer all such Things without taking Notice of them I know none will say so but if there be any so foolish as to affirm it let them consider these Scriptures Gal. 2.4 1 Tim. 1.20 2 Tim. 2.24 25. Tit. 1.9 10 11. Now if none of these hold true but on the contrary such Evils have been and may be found to creep in among the People of God and that such as see them may and ought to reprove them then necessarily the doing so is neither Imposition Force nor Oppression As to the Third concerning the Consequence and Tendency of them Cons. 3 it is mostly included in the two former for whatsoever tendeth not to Edification but on the contrary to Destruction Sowers of Discord among Brethren to be avoided and to beget Discord among Brethren is to be avoided according to that of the Apostle Rom. 16.17 Now I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them And since there is no greater Mark of the People of God To follow Peace among our selves than to be at Peace among themselves whatsoever tendeth to break that Bond of Love and Peace must be testified against Let it be observed I speak always of the Church of Christ indeed and deal with such as are of another Mind not as reckoning only false Churches not to have this Power but denying it even to the true Church of Christ as judging it not fit for her so to Act as in relation to her Members For though Christ be the Prince of Peace and doth most of all commend Love and Vnity to his Disciples yet I also know he came not to send Peace but a Sword that is in dividing Man from the Lusts and Sins he hath been united to And also it is the Work of his Disciples and Messengers to break the Bands and Vnity of the Wicked To the breaking of the Bands of the Wicked wherein they are banded against God and his Truth and the Confederacy of such as stand in Vnrighteousness by inviting and bringing as many as will obey unto Righteousness whereby they become dis-united and separated from their Companion 's with whom they were Centered and at Peace in the contrary and cursed Nature And indeed blessed are they Prov. 20.26 that are sent forth of the Lord to scatter here that they may gather into the Vnity of the Life and they are blessed that in this Respect even for Righteousness sake are scattered and separated from their Brethren that they may come to know the Brotherhood and Fellowship which is in the Light from which none ought to scatter nor to be scattered but be more and more gathered thereunto And this leads me to what I proposed in the Third Place under this Head of the True Churches Power in Matters Spiritual or purely Conscientious which may be thus Objected If thou plead so much for an Oneness in the smallest Matters wherein Quest. III consisteth the Freedom and Liberty of the Conscience which may be Exercised by the Members of the true Church diversly without judging one another In Answer to this Proposition I affirm first in general That whatsoever Things may be supposed to proceed from the same Spirit Answer though divers in its Appearance tending to the same End of Edification and which in the Tendency of it layeth not a real Ground for Division or Dissension of Spirit Fellow-Members ought not only to bear one another but strengthen one another in them Now the Respects wherein this may be I can describe no better than the Apostle Paul doth principally in two Places which therefore will be fit to consider at length for the opening of this Matter this being one of the weightiest Points pertaining to this Subject Because as on the one Hand due Forbearance ought to be exercised in its right place so on the other the many Devices and false Pretences of the Enemy Place 1 creeping in here ought to be guarded against The first is 1 Cor. 12. from Verse 4. to 31. thus Vers. 4. Now there are Diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit Diversity of Gifts Administrations and Operations from the same Spirit makes no Division V. 5. And there are Differences of Administrations but the same Lord. Vers. 6. And there are Diversities of Operations but it is the same God which worketh all in all Vers. 7. But the Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal Vers. 8. For to one is given by the Spirit the Word of Wisdom to another the Word of Knowledge by the same Spirit Vers. 9. To another Faith by the same Spirit to another the Gifts of Healing by the same Spirit Vers. 10. To another the Working of Miracles to another Prophecy to another Discerning of Spirits to another divers kinds of Tongues to another the Interpretation of Tongues Vers. 11. But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing to every Man severally as he will As many Members in one Body concur to the upholding the same Vers. 12. For as the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body so also is Christ. Vers. 13. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit Vers. 14. For the Body is not one Member but many Vers. 15. If the Foot shall say because I am not the Hand I am not of the Body is it therefore not of the Body Vers. 16. And if the Ear shall say because I am not the Eye I am not of the Body is it not therefore of the Body Vers. 17. If the whole Body were an Eye where were the Hearing If the whole were Hearing where were the Smelling Vers. 18. But now hath God set the Members every one of them in the Body as it hath pleased him Vers. 19. And if they were all one Member where were the Body Vers. 20. But now are they many Members yet but one Body Vers. 21. And the Eye cannot say unto the Hand I have no need of thee nor again the Head to the Feet I have no need of you Vers. 22. Nay much more those Members of the Body which seem to be more feeble are necessary Vers. 23. And those Members of the Body which we think to be less honourable upon these
is so much the better that the Elders and greater Number do agree to it and if Wrong their Affirming of it will not make it Right And truly a Gathering where the Elders and greater Number are always or most frequently Wrong and the Younger and lesser Number Right is such as we cannot suppose the True Church of Christ to be And if any will plead that there is now no Infallible Judgment to be expected from the Spirit of God in the Church it no doubt will leave the Dissenters as much in the Mist and at as great a loss as those they Dissent from both being no better than blind men hitting at random which will turn Christianity into Scepticism And though we may acknowledge that this Vncertainty prevails in the generality of those called Churches yet we do firmly believe for the Reasons above declared and many more that might be given That the True Church of Christ has a more solid stable Foundation and being never separated from Christ her Head walks in a more certain steady and unerring Path. The CONCLUSION THE Substance then of what is Asserted and Proved in this Treatise resolves in these following Particulars A Summary Recollection of the whole First That in the Church of Christ when it Consists of a visible People for I speak not here of the Church in the dark Night of Apostacy that consisted not of any Society visibly united gathered into the Belief of certain Principles and united in the joint Performance of the Worship of God as Meeting together praying preaching c. there is and still must be a Certain Order and Government Secondly That this Government as to the Outward Form of it Consists of Certain Meetings Appointed principally for that End yet not so as to exclude Acts of Worship if the Spirit move thereunto Thirdly The Object of this Government is twofold Outwards and Inwards The Outwards relate mainly to the Care of the Poor of Widows and Fatherless where may be also included Marriages and the Removing of all Scandals in things undeniably wrong The Inwards respect an Apostacy either in Principles or Practices that have a Pretence of Conscience and that either in Denying some Truths already Received and Believed or Asserting New Doctrines that ought not to be Received Which again to subdivide may either be in Things Fundamental 1674 and of great moment or in things of less Weight in themselves yet proceeding from a Wrong Spirit and which in the natural and certain Consequence of them tend to make Schisms Divisions Animosities and in sum to break that Bond of Love and Vnity that is so needful to be upheld and established in the Church of Christ. And here come also under this Consideration all Emulations Strifes Backbitings and evil Surmisings Fourthly That in the True Church of Christ according to the Definition above given of it there will in such Cases of Differences and Controversies still be an Infallible Judgment from the Spirit of God either in one or other few or more Fifthly That this Infallible Judgment is only and unalterably annexed and seated in the Spirit and Power of God not to any particular Person or Persons Meeting or Assembly by vertue of any setled Ordination Office Place or Station that such may have or have had in the Church no Man Men nor Meeting standing or being Invested in any Authority in the Church of Christ upon other Terms than so long as he or they abide in the living Sense and Vnity of the Life in their own particulars which whosoever one or more inwardly departs from ipso facto loses all Authority Office or certain Discerning he or they formerly have had though retaining the true Principles and sound Form and may be not fall'n into any gross Practices as may declare them generally to be thus withered and decayed Sixthly That Jesus Christ under the Gospel hath ordinarily Revealed his Will in such Cases through the Elders and Ministers of the Church or a General Meeting whose Testimony is neither to be despised or rejected without good Cause Neither is their taking upon them Really to Decide any just Ground to charge them with Imposition or to quarrel their Judgment unless it can be proved that they are decayed and have lost their Discerning as above Seventhly That to Submit and Obey in such Cases is no detracting from the Common Priviledge of Christians to be Inwardly led by the Spirit seeing the Spirit has led some heretofore so to do and yet may And that every Pretence of Vnclearness is not a Sufficient Excuse for Disobedience seeing that may proceed from Obstinacy or a Mind prepossessed with Prejudice Yet say I not any ought to do it before they be Clear and who are every Right will not want Clearness in what They ought to do And Lastly That these Principles are no ways tainted with Imposition or contrary to true Liberty of Conscience And that they fundamentally differ from the Vsurpations both of Popery Prelacy and Presbytery or any other of that Nature Robert Barclay Robert Barclay HIS VINDICATION year 1679 WHEREIN The Scruples and Mistakes some have had touching his Book called The Anarchy of the Ranters are Cleared and the Ground upon which W. R's Papers against it are Built Removed the Substance of the Papers being briefly Answered by way of EPISTLE to FRIENDS who therein have or may be Concern'd Which may serve as an EXPLANATORY P0ST-SCRIPT to Robert Barclay's Book of GOVERNMENT Aberdeen-Prison the Sixth of the First Month 1679. Dear Friends and Brethren UNTO all my Dear Friends and Brethren unto whose Hands this Paper may come or who may be any ways more particularly Concerned in the Contents hereof The Salutation of my unfeigned Love in that Vnchangable Truth whereunto it hath pleased the Lord to Call me according to his great Mercy so as to be a Partaker in some measure of the Peace and Glory which in this Day is Revealed wherewith my heart hath been often filled as I have Waited in Faithfulness according to the Dispensation of Light Manifested in me and to me And since it hath pleased God to make me a Living Witness of the pretious Truth and to Commit unto me any Share of the Ministry thereof my Conscience bears me Witness in the sight of God that I have Laboured according to my Knowledge to follow Love and Peace with all my Brethren R. B's Ministry and to do those things which might tend to advance strengthen and confirm Vnity and Brotherly Love as also to Avoid what had a tendency to beget Strife Jealousies or Evil Surmises Likewise I have studied as well in my Publick Testimony His Writings as in my Writings to beware of any thing that to my Understanding might minister just Occasion of Stumbling or Offcence to the least of my Brethren or the youngest and weakest Babe in the Truth as such as are Conversant with me iâ— my own Country as well as those elsewhere where I have
Assertions W. R. Censures the Apostle boldly I may the more patiently bear his Affirming mine to be Erroneous And whereas W. R. labours To make it appear that the Scriptures brought by me to prove a power of Decision in the Church do not Affirm any such thing because in these Scriptures there is no mention made of the Church's Decision Yet if he Consider that those places do speak of the Separating from and Cutting off of divers Persons Judgment Evinced and forsaking their Fellowship to the Saints who make up the Church of Christ it necessarily presupposes a Judgment of the Church or Saints concerning those Persons for which they are so Cut off from the Fellowship of the Body of Christ which is his Church Reason IV Fourthly A great part of W. R's Work is but a building up and then pulling down wherein he apparently Contradicts himself Yea the whole Scope of his Book Implies a Manifest Contradiction For whereas he plainly declares his Writing to be a Plea for Christian Liberty against Judging and Censuring one another holding forth that Diversity of Opinions and Judgments in matters of Conscience but especially in such matters as relate to Discipline and Government is not nor ought to be a Breach of Unity which he understands may be supposed to be the diversities of Gifts and Administrations mentioned in Scriptures which he expresses in these words upon Paul in Rom. 14. So then every one of us shall give an Account of himself unto God let us not therefore Judge one another any more And again he saith upon Verse 34. viz. Which evidently shews that Inasmuch as every one must Answer for himself it is fit every one should believe for himself A wrong Spirit of Liberty and so practise without being Imposed upon by others and this is the ground of all Christian Forbearance And again in another place he saith These things considered and that also we find the Apostle's Exhorting the Churches not to be Judging one another with respect to things relating to Conscience there is great need to watch against this Censorious Judging Spirit least while any are Judging their Brethren themselves become Cast-aways he hath many more Expressions of this kind Now since this is the whole Scope of W. R's Papers and that he did yea hath since he wrote these Papers acknowledged me to be his Christian Brother and many more at least them he did Repute such whom he Censures Judges and Condemns through his whole Treatise yea since his whole Papers are a Judging Censuring and Condemning of me and my Judgment in things pertaining to Conscience and to my Judgment in matters of Government and outward Discipline do's not the Work Imply a manifest Contradiction So his very Writing Contradicts the matter he writes of and pleads for especially since not only he makes some General Censure of me and many others professing the same fundamental Truths with him but is very Particular and Peremptory W. R. a false Accuser yea Insinuating Accusations as if I in Particular intended to make way for an Authority to Rule over at least some of my Brethren as his very Conclusion Intimates and in divers other places may be Observed And it will aggravate this Injury done by him the more that the Reader may Observe as well in his own Letter as in what is above mentioned that this his Censure was built upon his own Mistakes So that I hope who consider these things will acknowledge a sufficient Answer is hereby Returned And albeit I my self be fully satisfied yet I should not have Churled the Pains of a particular Disquisition of every thing in Order as Asserted by him albeit he has not done that to mine If I had not an Aversion from multiplying Controversies of this kind for the desire I have to Avoid that sort of Work and not for any strength of Argumentation I observe in W. R's Papers hath stopt me from so doing But if any do Apprehend that Strength of Reason in his Papers as to Judge I was Vnable to Answer or that this is not Satisfactory it will but Evidence the Weakness of their own Vnderstanding to the more Judicious and I shall not think much to bear their Censure For I value more my own Inward Peace and that of my Brethren than to Obtain an Applause of my Natural Capacity wherein if any Judge that W. R. do surpass me I shall not therewith be troubled The Excellency of the Simplicity of Truth For I more and more see the Excellency of that Simplicity that is in the Truth and of that Vnity that it leadeth to And thence do more Earnestly than ever desire to Witness all that is of and from Self Crucified in me and brought into true Subjection to the Cross of Christ and there alone may be my Rejoicing wherein I am at Vnity with all those who make Self of no Reputation for the Seed's sake that the Prosperity of Truth may be Advanced and the Peace of Israel Preserved R. Barclay William Rogers's Letter of his and R. Barclay's Discourse about the Book before-mentioned in the presence of many Brethren and also a Paper signifying the Brethrens Sense touching the Discourse then present Friends IT was upon me for several weeks past W. R's Letter Clearing R. B's Anarchy c. if my Occasions would any wise permit to come up to the City of London to be present among Friends from divers parts of the Nation at this Time that so I might have Opportunity to Confer with Friends who were dissatisfied with me touching what I had written in Answer to R. Barclay 's Book of Government And a few days before my Coming up R. Barclay being in London writ unto me to come up that we might have a Conference at large touching the same This his Request laid the greater Obligation upon me to be present in London at this time On Conference had with him we Agreed that a Free Meeting might be had with Friends in whose presence R. B. and my self might in all Coolness and Moderation Confer together that so all Mis-understandings might be Removed and the Truth be Evidenced to the Consciences of the Brethren then Present The Meeting for that end was this Day had and a very Christian and Fair Debate was had to the satisfaction of both of us as far as I can understand and the matters chiefly Objected by me were fairly and brother-like and in much love Discoursed and upon the whole matter I am satisfied that R. B. is not principled so as I and others have taken his Book to Import In particular he doth declare that his Book teacheth not that the Church of Christ hath Jurisdiction over the outward Concerns of Friends in Case of Difference Jurisdiction without Assent of the Differing parties and that it was far from his Intentions For his Intention as he declares was only to manifest that Friends ought to Submit their Cases of Difference to
Condescension to the Capacity of the Weak write an Explanatory Postscript to the said Book for the sake of all such as may be supposed to have Mis-apprehended any Expression therein Henry Jackson Joseph Batt Thomas Holmes John Burnyeat Francis Moore Stephen Crisp. Thomas Jany Richard Vickris William Gibson Ambrose Rigge Richard Snead James Mammeck Thomas Atkins John Blakeling Charles Harfford John Furly Senior Benjamin Furly Francis Lea. Thomas Elwood William Welch Stephen Smith Thomas Bur. Thomas Robinson George Keith John Buy Thomas Hill Gawen Lowry Charles Marshall John Osgood William Penn. James Holyday James Claypoole William Shewen ADVERTISEMENT THE Reader may Observe That William Rogers's Papers before Annexed of his Discourse with R. B. about some Objections against his Book whereupon he acknowledgeth himself satisfied was written in the Third Month 1677. And their Narrative from Bristol wherein W. R. and the rest thus Reflect against R. B. was written in and about the Eleventh and Twelfth Month 1677. so that it appears to be Eight or Nine Months after But is not this like J. S. and J. W's Papers of Condemnation which W. R. called a Rattle For who could have thought that W. R. could have had the Impudence as after he had so plainly Confessed and given it under his own Hand that he was satisfied to have again published such things against him AN APOLOGY FOR THE True Christian Divinity As the same is held forth and Preached by the People Called in Scorn QUAKERS BEING A Full Explanation and Vindication of their Principles and Doctrines by many Arguments deduced from Scripture and Right Reason and the Testimonies of Famous Autohrs both Antient and Modern With a full Answer to the strongest Objections usually made against them Presented to the KING Written and Published in Latin for the Information of Strangers By ROBERT BARCLAY And now put into our own Language for the benefit of his Country-men Acts 24.14 After the way which they call Heresy so Worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets Tit. 2.11 12 13 14. For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men Vers. 12. Teaching us that denying Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World Vers. 13. Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Vers. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and Purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works 1 Thess. 5.21 Prove all things hold fast that which is good LONDON Printed for Thomas Northcott in George-Yard in Lumbard-Street 1691. UNTO CHARLES the II. KING OF GREAT BRITAIN And the Dominions thereunto belonging ROBERT BARCLAY A Servant of JESVS CHRIST Called of God to the Dispensation of the Gospel now again Revealed and after a long and dark Night of Apostasy Commanded to be Preached to all NATIONS Wisheth Health and Salvation AS the Condition of KINGS and Princes puts them in a Station more obvious to the View and Observation of the World than that of other Men of whom as Cicero observes neither any Word or Action can be Obscure so are those Kings during whose Appearance upon the Stage of this World it pleaseth the Great KING of KINGS singularly to make known unto Men the Wonderful Steps of his Vnsearchable Providence more signally Observed and their Lives and Actions more diligently Remarked and Inquired into by Posterity especially if those things be such as not only relate to the Outward Transactions of this World but also are signalized by the Manifestation or Revelation of the Knowledge of God in Matters Spiritual and Religious These are the things that rendred the Lives of Cyrus Augustus Caesar and Constantine the Great in former times and of Charles the Fifth and some other Modern Princes in these last Ages so Considerable But among all these Transactions which it hath pleased God to permit for the Glory of his Power and the Manifestation of his Wisdom and Providence no Age furnisheth us with things so Strange and Marvellous whether with respect to Matters Civil or Religious as these that have fall'n out within the Compass of Thy Time who though thou be not yet arrived at the Fiftieth Year of Thy Age hast yet been a Witness of stranger things than many Ages before produced So that whether we respect those Various Troubles wherein thou found'st thy self engaged while scarce got out of thy Infancy the many Different Afflictions wherewith Men of thy Circumstances are often unacquainted the strange and unparallel'd Fortune that befel thy Father Thy own narrow Escape and Banishment following thereupon with the great Improbability of Thy ever Returning at least without very much Pains and tedious Combatings or finally the Incapacity thou wert under to accomplish such a Design considering the Strength of those that had possessed themselves of Thy Throne and the Terror they had inflicted upon Forrein States and yet that after all this Thou shouldst be Restored without Stroke of Sword the Help or Assistance of Forrein States or the Contrivance and Work of Human Policy All these do sufficiently declare that it is the Lord 's Doing which as it is marvellous in our Eyes so it will justly be a matter of Wonder and Astonishment to Generations to come and may sufficiently serve if rightly Observed to Confute and Confound that Atheism wherewith this Age doth so much Abound As the Vindication of the Liberty of Conscience which thy Father by giving way to the Importunate Clamors of the Clergy the answering and fulfilling of whose Vnrighteous Wills has often proved hurtful and pernicious to Princes sought in some part to Restrain was a great Occasion of these Troubles and Revolutions so the Pretence of Conscience was that which carried it on and brought it to that pitch it came to And though no doubt some that were Engaged in that work designed good things at least in the beginning albeit always wrong in the manner they took to Accomplish it viz. by Carnal Weapons yet so soon as they had tasted of the Sweet of the Possessions of them they had turned out they quickly began to do those things themselves for which they had accused others For their hands were found full of Oppression and they hated the Reproofs of Instruction which is the way of Life And they evilly entreated the Messengers of the Lord and caused to Beat and Imprison his Prophets and persecuted his People whom he had Called end Gathered out from among them whom he had made to Beat their Swords into Plow-shares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks and not to learn Carnal War any more But he Raised them up and Armed them with Spiritual Weapons even with his own Spirit and Power whereby they Testified in the Streets and High-ways and publick Markets and Synagogues against the Pride Vanity Lusts and Hypocrisy of that Generation who were
same Reason is the Spirit more originally and principally the Rule according to that received Maxim in the Schools Propter quod unumquodque est tale illud ipsum magis est tale That for which a thing is such the thing it self is more such § I. THe former part of this Proposition though it needs no Apology for it The Holy Scriptures the most Excellent Writings in the World yet is a good Apology for us and will help to Sweep away that among many other Calumnies wherewith we are often loaded as if we were Vilifiers and Deniers of the Scriptures For in that which we Affirm of them it doth appear at what high Rate we Value them accounting them without all Deceit or Equivocation the Most Excellent Writings in the World to which not only no other Writings are to be preferr'd but even in divers respects not Comparable thereunto For as we freely acknowledge that their Authority doth not depend upon the Approbation or Canons of any Church or Assembly so neither can we subject them to the fall'n corrupt and defiled Reason of man and therein as we do freely Agree with the Protestants against the Error of the Romanists so on the other hand we cannot go the length of such Protestants as make their Authority to depend upon any Vertue or Power that is in the Writings themselves but we desire to ascribe all to that Spirit from which they proceeded We Confess indeed there wants not a Majesty in the Style a Coherence in the parts a good Scope in the whole but seeing these things are nor discerned by the Natural but only by the Spiritual man it is the Spirit of God that must give us that Belief of the Scriptures which may satisfy our Consciences Therefore the Chiefest among Protestants both in their particular Writings and publick Confessions are forced to acknowledge this Hence Calvin though he saith He is able to prove that if there be a God in Heaven Calvin's Testimony That the Scriptures Certainty is from the Spirit these Writings have proceeded from him yet he concludes Another Knowledge to be necessary Inst. lib. 1. cap. 7 sect 4. But if saith he we respect the Consciences that they be not daily molested with Doubts and they stick not at every Scruple it is Requisite that this Perswasion which we speak of be taken higher than Humane Reason Judgment or Conjectures to wit from the secret Testimony of the Holy Spirit And again To those that ask That we prove unto them by Reason that Moses and the Prophets were Inspired of God to speak I answer that the Testimony of the Holy Spirit is more Excellent than all Reason And again Let this remain a firm Truth that he only whom the Holy Ghost hath perswaded can Repose himself on the Scripture with a true Certainty And lastly This then is a Judgment which cannot be begotten but by a Heavenly Revelation c. The same is also Affirmed in the first Publick Confession of the French Churches published in the year 1559. Art 4. We know these Books to be Canonick and the most â—ertain Rule of our Faith The Confession of the French Churches not so much by the Common Accord and Consent of the Church as by the Testimony and Inward Perswasion of the Holy Spirit Thus also in the fifth Article of the Confession of Faith of the Churches of Holland Confirmed by the Synod of Dort Churches of Holland Assert the same We receive these Books only for Holy and Canonick not so much because the Church receives and approves them as because the Spirit of God renders Witness in our Hearts that they are of God And lastly The Divines so called at Westminster Westminster Confession the same who began to be affraid of and guard against the Testimony of the Spirit because they perceived a Dispensation beyond that which they were under beginning to Dawn and to Eclipse them yet could they not get by this though they have laid it down neither so clearly distinctly nor honestly as they that went before It is in these words Chap. 1. Sect. 5. Nevertheless our full Perswasion and Assurance of the Infallible Truth thereof is from the Inward Work of the Holy Spirit bearing Witness by and with the Word in our heart By all which it appeareth how Necessary it is to seek the Certainty of the Scriptures from the Spirit and no where else The Infinite Janglings and Endless Contests of those that seek their Authority elsewhere do witness to the Truth hereof For the Ancients themselves Apocrypha even of the First Centuries were not at one among themselves concerning them while some of them Rejected Books which we Approve and others of them Approved those Concil Laod. Can. 59 in Cod Ecc. 163. Concil Laod. held in the Year 364. Excluded from the Canon Eccl the Wisdom of Solomon Judith Tobias the Maccabees which the Council of Carthage held in the Year 399. Received which some of us Reject It is not unknown to such as are in the least acquainted with Antiquity what Great Contests are concerning the Second Epistle of Peter that of James the Second and Third of John and the Revelations which many even very Ancient deny to have been Written by the Beloved Disciple and Brother of James but by another of that name What should then become of Christians if they had not received that Spirit and those Spiritual senses by which they know how to discern the True from the False It 's the Priviledge of Christ's Sheep indeed that they hear his Voice and refuse that of a Stranger which Priviledge being taken away we are left a Prey to all manner of Wolves § II. Though then we do acknowledge the Scriptures to be a very Heavenly and Divine Writing the Vse of them to be very Comfortable and Necessary to the Church of Christ and that we also admire and give Praise to the Lord for his wonderful Providence in preserving these Writings so Pure and Vncorrupted as we have them through so long a Night of Apostasy to be a Testimony for his Truth against the Wickedness and Abominations even of those whom he made Instrumental in preserving them so that they have kept them to be a Witness against themselves yet we may not call them the Principal Fountain of all Truth and Knowledge nor yet the first Adequate Rule of Faith and Manners because the Principal Fountain of Truth must be the Truth it self i. e. that whose Certainty and Authority depends not upon another The Scriptures are not the Principal Ground of Truth When we doubt of the Streams of any River or Flood we recur to the Fountain it self and having found it there we Sist we can go no further because there it springs out of the Bowels of the Earth which are Inscrutable Even so the Writings and Sayings of all men we must bring to the Word of God I mean the Eternal Word and if they Agree
was not Changed yet the Body was there c. And indeed Calvin's ingenuous Confession Commended I am inclinable very favourably to Judge of Calvin in this particular in that he deals so ingenuously to confess he neither Comprehends nor can Express it in Words but yet by a feeling Experience can say The Lord is spiritually present Now as I doubt not but Calvin sometimes had a Sense of this Presence without the Vse of this Ceremony so as the Understanding given him of God made him justly reject the false Notions of Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation though he knew not what to establish instead of them if he had fully Waited in that Light Eph. 5.13 that makes all things manifest and had not laboured in his own Comprehension to settle upon that External Ceremony by affixing the Spiritual Presence as chiefly or principally though not only as he well knew by Experience there or especially to relate to it he might have reached further unto the Knowledge of this Mystery than many that went before him § XI Lastly If any now at this day from a true Tenderness of Spirit In tenderness of Conscience at Ignorance God winketh and with real Conscience towards God did practise this Ceremony in the same Way Method and Manner as did the Primitive Christians recorded in Scripture which yet none that I know now do I should not doubt to affirm but they might be Indulged in it and the Lord might regard them and for a season Appear to them in the Vse of these things as many of us have known him to do to us in the Time of our Ignorance providing always they did not seek to Obtrude them upon others nor Judge such as found themselves Delivered or that they do not pertinaciously Adhere to them For we certainly know that the Day is Dawned in which God hath arisen and hath dismissed all those Ceremonies and Rites The Day is Dawn'd that God is Risen and Worshipped in Spirit and is only to be Worshipped in Spirit and that he Appears to them who Wait upon him and that to Seek God in these things is with Mary at the Sepulchre To seek the Living among the Dead For we know that he is Arisen and Revealed in Spirit leading his Children out of these Rudiments that they may Walk with him in his Light To whom be Glory for ever Amen PROPOSITION XIV Concerning the Power of the Civil Magistrate in Matters purely Religious and pertaining to the Conscience Since God hath assumed to himself the Power and Dominion of the Conscience who alone can rightly instruct and govern it therefore it is not lawful for any whosoever by vertue of any Authority or Principality they bear in the Government of this World Luke 9.55 56. Matth. 7.12 13 29. Tit. 3.10 to force the Consciences of others and therefore all Killing Banishing Fining Imprisoning and other such things which are inflicted upon Men for the alone exercise of their Conscience or Difference in Worship or Opinion proceedeth from the Spirit of Cain the Murtherer and is contrary to the Truth Providing always That no Man under the Pretence of Conscience prejudice his Neighbour in his Life or Estate or do any thing destructive to or inconsistent with Human Society in which Case the Law is for the Transgressor and Justice is to be administred upon all without respect of Persons § I. LIberty of Conscience from the Power of the Civil Magistrate hath been of late Years so largely and learnedly handled that I shall not need but to be brief in it yet it is to be lamented that few have walked answerable to this Principle each pleading it for themselves but scarce allowing it to others as hereafter I shall have occasion more at length to observe It will be fit in the first Place for clearing of Mistakes to say something of the State of the Controversy that what follows may be the more clearly understood By CONSCIENCE then as in the Explanation of the Fifth and Sixth Propositions I have observed is to be understood That Persuasion of the Mind which arises from the Vnderstanding's being possessed with the Belief of the Truth or Falsity of any thing Which though it may be False or Evil upon the Matter yet if a Man should go against his Persuasion or Conscience he should commit a Sin because what a Man doth contrary to his Faith though his Faith be wrong is no ways acceptable to God Hence the Apostle saith Whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin and he that doubteth Rom. 14.23 is damned if he eat Though the thing might have been lawful to another and that this doubting to eat some kind of Meats since all the Creatures of God are good and for the Use of Man if received with Thanksgiving might be a Superstition or at least a Weakness which were better removed Hence Ames de Cas. Cons. saith The Conscience although erring doth evermore bind so as that he sinneth who doth contrary to his Conscience because he doth contrary to the Will of God although not materially and truly yet formally and interpretatively So the Question is First Whether the Civil Magistrate hath power to force Men in things Religious to do contrary to their Conscience and if they will not to punish them in their Goods Liberties or Lives This we hold in the Negative But Secondly as we would have the Magistrate avoiding this Extream of Incroaching upon Mens Consciences so on the other Hand we are far from joyning with or strengthening such Libertines as would stretch the Liberty of their Consciences to the Prejudice of their Neighbours or to the Ruin of Human Society We understand therefore by Matters of Conscience such as immediately relate betwixt God and Man or Men and Men that are under the same Persuasion As To meet together and worship God in that way which they judge is most acceptable unto him and not to incroach upon or seek to force their Neighbours otherwise than by Reason or such other Means as Christ and his Apostles used viz. preaching and instructing such as will hear and receive it but not at all for Men under the Notion of Conscience to do any thing contrary to the moral and perpetual Statutes generally acknowledged by all Christians In which Case the Magistrate may very lawfully use his Authority as on those who under a Pretext of Conscience make it a Principle to kill and destroy all the Wicked id est all that differ from them that they to wit the Saints may rule and that therefore seek to make all things Common and would force their Neighbours to share their Estates with them and many such wild Notions as is Reported of the Anabaptists of Munster which evidently appears to proceed from Pride and Covetousness and not from Purity or Conscience And therefore I have sufficiently guarded against that in the latter part of the Proposition But the Liberty we lay claim to is such as the
Primitive Church justly sought under the Heathen-Emperors to wit for Men of Sobriety Honesty and a peaceable Conversation to enjoy the Liberty and Exercise of their Conscience towards God and among themselves and to admit among them such as by their Persuasion and Influence come to be convinced of the same Truth with them without being therefore molested by the Civil Magistrate Thirdly though we would not have Men hurt in their Temporals nor robbed of their Priviledges as Men and Members of the Common-Wealth because of their Inward Persuasion yet we are far from judging that in the Church of God there should not be Censures exercised against such as fall into Error as well as such as commit open Evils And therefore we believe it may be very lawful for a Christian Church if she find any of her Members fall into any Errour after due Admonitions and Instructions according to Gospel Order if she find them pertinacious to cut them off from her Fellowship by the Sword of the Spirit and denude them of these Priviledges which they had as Fellow-Members but not to cut them off from the World by the Temporal Sword or rob them of their common Priviledges as Men seeing they enjoy not these as Christians or under such a Fellowship but as Men and Members of the Creation Hence Chrysostom saith well de Anath We must condemn and reprove the evil Doctrines that proceed from Hereticks but spare the Men and pray for their Salvation § II. But that no Man by vertue of any Power or Principality he hath in the Government of this World hath Power over the Consciences of Men is apparent Conscience the Throne of God because The Conscience of Man is the Seat and Throne of God in him Of which God is the alone proper and Infallible Judge who by his Power and Spirit can alone rectifie the Mistakes of Conscience and therefore hath reserved to himself the Power of punishing the Errors thereof as he seeth meet Now for the Magistrate to assume this is to take upon him to meddle with things not within the Compass of his Jurisdiction for if this were within the Compass of his Jurisdiction he should be the proper Judge in these things and also it were needful to him as an Essential Qualification of his being a Magistrate to be capable to judge in them But that the Magistrate as a Magistrate is neither proper Judge in these Cases nor yet that the Capacity so to be is requisite in him as a Magistrate our Adversaries cannot deny or else they must say That all the Heathen-Magistrates were either no lawful Magistrates as wanting something Essential to Magistracy and this were contrary to the express Doctrine of the Apostles Rom. 13. or else which is more absurd that those Heathen-Magistrates were proper Judges in Matters of Conscience amongst Christians As for that Evasion That the Magistrate ought to punish according to the Church Censure and Determination which is indeed no less than to make the Magistrate the Church's Hang-Man we shall have occasion to speak of it hereafter But if the Chief Members of the Church though ordained to inform instruct and reprove are not to have Dominion over the Faith nor Consciences of the Faithful as the Apostle expresly affirms 2 Cor. 1.24 then far less ought they to usurp this Dominion or stir up the Magistrate to persecute and murder those who cannot yield to them therein Secondly This pretended Power of the Magistrate is both contrary unto and inconsistent with the Nature of the Gospel which is a thing altogether extrinsick from the Rule and Government of Political States as Christ expresly signified saying His Kingdom was not of this World And if the propagating of the Gospel had had any necessary Relation thereunto then Christ had not said so But he abundantly hath shewn by his Example whom we are chiefly to imitate in Matters of that nature that its by Perswasion and the Power of God not by Whips Imprisonments Banishments and Murderings that the Gospel is to be propagated and that those that are the Propagators of it are often to suffer by the Wicked but never to cause the Wicked to suffer When he sends forth his Disciples he tells them he sends them forth as Lambs among Wolves to be willing to be devoured not to devour he tells them of their being whipped Matt. 10.16 imprisoned and killed for their Conscience but never that they shall either whip imprison or kill and indeed if Christians must be as Lambs it is not the Nature of Lambs to destroy or devour any It serves nothing to alledge That in Christ and his Apostles Times the Magistrates were Heathens and therefore Christ and his Apostles nor yet any of the Believers being no Magistrate they could not exercise the Power Because it cannot be denied but Christ being the Son of God had a true Right to all Kingdoms Matt. 28.18 and was Righteous Heir of the Earth Next as to his Power it cannot be denied but he could if he had seen meet have called for Legions of Angels to defend him and have forced the Princes and Potentates of the Earth to be subject unto him Matth. 26.53 so that it was only because it was contrary to the Nature of Christ's Gospel and Ministry to use any Force or Violence in the gathering of Souls to him This he abundantly expressed in his Reproof to the Sons of Zebedee who would have been calling for Fire from Heaven to burn those that refused to receive Christ It is not to be doubted but this was as great a Crime as now to be in an Errour concerning the Faith and Doctrine of Christ. That there was not Power wanting to have punished those Refusers of Christ cannot be doubted for they that could do other Miracles might have done this also and moreover they wanted not the Precedent of a Holy Man under the Law to wit Elias Yet we see what Christ saith to them Ye know not what spirit ye are of Luk. 9.55 for the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Here Christ shews That such kind of Zeal was no ways approved of him and such as think to make way for Christ or his Gospel by this means do not understand what Spirit they are of But if it was not lawful to call for Fire from Heaven to destroy such as refused to receive Christ it is far less lawful to kindle Fire upon Earth to destroy those that believe in Christ because they will not believe nor can believe as the Magistrates do for Conscience-sake And if it was not lawful for the Apostles who had so large a Measure of the Spirit and were so little liable to mistake to force others to their Judgment it can be far less lawful now for Men that as Experience declareth and many of themselves confess are fallible and often mistaken to kill and destroy all such as cannot because otherwise perswaded in
their Minds judge and believe in Matters of Conscience just as they do And if it was not according to the Wisdom of Christ who was and is King of Kings by outward Force to constrain others to believe him or receive him as being a thing inconsistent with the Nature of his Ministry and Spiritual Government do not they grosly offend him that will needs be wiser than he and think to force Men against their Perswasion to conform to their Doctrine and Worship The Word of the Lord saith Not by power and by might but by the Spirit of the Lord Zach. 4.6 But these say Not by the Spirit of the Lord but by Might and carnal Power 2 Cor. 10.4 The Apostle saith plainly We wrestle not with flesh and blood and The Weapons of our warfare are not Carnal but Spiritual But these Men will needs wrestle with flesh and blood when they cannot prevail with the Spirit and the Understanding and not having Spiritual weapons go about with Carnal weapons to establish Christ's Kingdom which they can never do and therefore when the matter is well sifted it is found to be more out of love to Self and from a principle of Pride in Man to have all others to bow to him than from the love of God Christ indeed takes another method for he saith He will make his People a willing People in the day of his Power Psal. 110.3 but these Men labour against Mens Wills and Consciences not by Christ's Power but by the outward Sword to make Men the People of Christ which they can never do as shall hereafter be shewn But Thirdly Christ fully and plainly declareth to us his sense in this matter in the Parable of the Tares Matth. 13. of which we have himself the Interpreter ver 38 39 40 41. where he expounds them to be the Children of the wicked one and yet he will not have the Servants to meddle with them lest they pull up the Wheat therewith Now it cannot be denyed but Hereticks are here included but these Servants saw the Tares and had a certain discerning of them yet Christ would not they should meddle lest they should hurt the Wheat Thereby intimating that that capacity in Man to be mistaken ought to be a bridle upon him to make him wary in such matters and therefore to prevent this hurt he gives a positive prohibition But he said Nay ver 29. So that they that will notwithstanding be pulling up that which they judge is Tares do openly declare that they make no bones to break the Commands of Christ. Miserable is that evasion which some of our Adversaries use here in alledging these Tares is meant of Hypocrites and not of Hereticks But how to evince that seeing Hereticks as well as Hypocrites are Children of the wicked one they have not any thing but their own bare Affirmation which is therefore justly rejected If they say because Hypocrites can not be discerned Object· but so may Hereticks This is both false and a begging of the question For those Answ. that have a Spiritual discerning can discern both Hypocrites and Hereticks and those that want it cannot certainly discern either Seeing the question will arise Whether that is a Heresy which the Magistrate saith is so And seeing it is both possible and confessed by all to have often fallen out that some Magistrates have judged that Heresy which was not punishing Men accordingly for Truth instead of Errour There can no argument be drawn from the obviousness or evidence of Heresy unless we should conclude Heresy could never be mistaken for Truth nor Truth for Heresy whereof Experience shews daily the contrary even among Christians But neither is this shift applicable to this place for the Servants did discern the Tares and yet were liable to hurt the Wheat if they had offered to pull them up § III. But they Object against this Liberty of Conscience Deut. 13.5 where false Prophets are appointed to be put to death and accordingly they give example thereof Object Answ. The case no ways holds parallel those particular Commands to the Jews and Practices following upon them are not a Rule for Christians else we might by the same Rule say It were lawful for us to borrow from our Neighbours their Goods and so carry them away because the Jews did so by God's Command or that it is lawful for Christians to invade their Neighbours Kingdoms and cut them all off without Mercy because the Jews did so to the Canaanites by the Command of God If they urge That these Commands ought to stand except they be repealed in the Gospel Object I say these Precepts and Practices of Christ and his Apostles mentioned Answ. are a sufficient Repeal for if we should plead that every Command given to the Jews is binding upon us except there be a particular Repeal then would it follow that because it was lawful for the Jews if any Man killed one for the nearest of Kindred presently to kill the Murderer without any order of Law it were lawful for us to do so also And doth not this Command of Deut. 13.9 openly order him who is enticed by another to forsake the Lord though he were his Brother his Son his Daughter or his Wife presently to kill him or her Thou shalt surely kill him thy hand shall be first upon him to put him to death If this Command were to be followed there needed neither Inquisition nor Magistrate to do the business and yet there is no reason why they should shuffle by this part and not the other yea to argue this way from the Practice among the Jews were to overturn the very Gospel and to set up again the carnal ordinances among the Jews to pull down the Spiritual ones of the Gospel Indeed we can far better argue from the Analogy betwixt the figurative and carnal state of the Jews and the Real and Spiritual one under the Gospel That as Moses delivered the Jews out of outward Egypt by an outward force and established them in an outward Kingdom by destroying their outward Enemies for them so Christ not by overcoming outwardly and killing others but by suffering and being killed doth deliver his chosen Ones the inward Jews out of mystical Egypt destroying their Spiritual Enemies before them and establishing among them his Spiritual Kingdom which is not of this World And as such as departed from the Fellowship of outward Israel were to be cut off by the outward Sword so those that depart from the inward Israel are to be cut off by the Sword of the Spirit For it answers very well that As the Jews were to cut off their Enemies outwardly to establish their Kingdom and outward worship so they were to uphold it the same way But as the Kingdom and Gospel of Christ was not to be established nor propagated by cutting off or destroying the Gentiles but by perswading them so neither is it to be upheld otherwise But
thereof established the Use of Truth Who can now any more think that the Holy Martyrs and antient Fathers of the first three hundred Years and many others since that Time have so opposed themselves to Oaths that they might only rebuke vain and rash Oaths by the Creatures or Heathen-Idols which were also prohibited under the Mosaical-Law and not also Swearing by the True God in Truth and Righteousness which was there commanded As Polycarpus Justin Martyr The Testimonies of the Fathers against Oaths and Swearing Apolog. 2. and many Martyrs as Eusebius relates Tertullian in his Apolog. cap. 32. ad Scap. cap. 1. of Idolatry c. 11. Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. lib. 7. Origen in Matth. tract 25. Cyprianus lib. 3. Athanas. in pass cruc Domini Christi Hilarius in Matth. 5.34 Basilius Magn. in Psal. 14. Greg. Nyssenus in Cant. Orat. 13. Greg. Nazianzenus in dialog contra juramenta Epiphanius adversus haeres lib. 1. Ambros. de Virg. lib. 3. Idem in Matth. 5. Chrysostom in Genes homil 15. Idem homil in Act. Apost cap. 3. Hieronymus Epistol lib. part 3. Ep. 2. Idem in Zach. lib. 2. cap. 8. Idem in Matth. lib. 1. cap. 5. Augustinus de serm Dom. serm 28. Cyrillus in Jerem. 4. Theodoretus in Deut. 6. Isidorus Pelusiota Ep. lib. 1. Epist. 155. Chromatius in Matth. 5. Johannes Damascenus l. 3. c. 16. Cassiodorus in Psal. 94. Isidorus Hispalensis cap. 31. Antiochus in Pandect script hom 62. Beda in Jac. 5. Haimo in Apoc. Ambrosius Ansbertus in Apoc. Theophylactus in Matth. 5. Pascasius Ratbertus in Matth. 5. Otho Brunsfelsius in Matth. 5. Druthmarus in Matth. 5. Euthymius Eugubinus Bibliotheca vet patr in Matth. 5. OEcumenius in Jac. c. 5. v. 12. Anselmus in Matth. 5. Waldenses Vâ—clevus Erasmus in Matth. 5. in Jac. 5. Who can read these Places and doubt longer of their Sense in this Matter And who believing that they were against all Oaths can bring so great an indignity to the Name of Christ as to seek to subject again his Foâ—lowers to so great an Indignity Is it not rather Time that all Good Men labour to remove this Abuse and Infamy from Christians Lastly they object This will bring in Fraud and Confusion for Impostors will counterfeit Probity and under the Benefit of this Dispensation will be without Fear of Punishment I answer There are two things only Answ. which oblige a Man to speak the Truth First Either the Fear of God in his Heart and Love of Truth for where this is there is no need of Oaths to speak the Truth Or Secondly the Fear of Punishment from the Judge Therefore let there be the same The punishment of Lyars or rather greater Punishment appointed to those who pretend so great Truth in Words and so great simplicity in Heart that they cannot Lie and so great Reverence towards the Law of Christ that for Conscienceâ—sake they deny to Swear in any wise if they fail and so there shall be the same good Order yea greater Security against Deceivers as if Oaths were continued and also by that more severe Punishment to which these false Dissemblers shall be liable Hence Wicked Men shall be more terrified and Good Men delivered from all Oppression both in their Liberty and Goods For which Cause for their tender Consciences God hath often a Regard to Magistrates and their State as a thing most acceptable to him But if any can further doubt of this Thing to wit The Vnited Netherlands instanced If without Confusion it can be practised in the Commonwealth let him consider the State of the Vnited Netherlands and he shall see the Good Effect of it For there because of the great Number of Merchants more than in any other place there is most frequent Occasion for this thing and though the Number of those that are of this Mind be considerable to whom the States these hundred Years have Condescended and yet daily Condescend yet nevertheless there has nothing of Prejudice followed thereupon to the Commonwealth Government or good Order but rather great Advantage to Trade and so to the Commonwealth § XIII Sixthly The last thing to be considered is Revenge and War an Evil as opposite and contrary to the Spirit and Doctrine of Christ as Light to Darkness For as is manifest Revenge and War contrary to Christ. by what is said through Contempt of Christ's Law the whole World is filled with various Oaths Cursings Blasphemous Profanations and Horrid Perjuries so likewise through Contempt of the same Law the World is filled with Violence Oppression Murders Ravishing of Women and Virgins Spoilings Depredations Burnings Vastations and all manner of Lasciviousness and Cruelty So that it is strange that Men made after the Image of God should have so much degenerated that they rather bear the Image and Nature of Roaring Lions Tearing Tigres Devouring Wolves and Raging Boars than of Rational Creatures endued with Reason And is it not yet much more admirable that this Horrid Monster should find Place and be fomented among those Men that profess themselves Disciples of our peaceable Lord and Master Jesus Christ who by Excellency is called the Prince of Peace and hath expresly prohibited his Children all Violence and on the contrary commanded them that according to his Example they should follow Patience Charity Forbearance and other Vertues worthy of a Christian. Hear then what this great Prophet saith whom every Soul is commanded to hear under the Pain of being Cut off Matth. 5. from verse 38. to the End of the Chapter For thus he saith Ye have heard Revenge Forbidden by Christ. that it hath been said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth But I say unto you That ye resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek turn to him the other also And if any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat let him have thy cloak also And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile go with him twain Give to him that asketh thee and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away Ye have heard that it hath been said Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thine enemy But I say unto you Love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust For if ye love them which love you what reward have ye Do not even the Publicans the same And if ye salute your brethren only what do you more than others Do not even the Publicans so Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect The Law of Christ more perfect than of that Moses These Words with a Respect to Revenge as the
of their own Party think is not any Spot in their Religion so little are they looked upon among their own Yet those that are Curious may also have that first Part. As for this second Part wherein our Principles are handled we judge we deal with the Clergy in General however they seek to shift it and hide themselves since their Book is Licensed by the Bishop of Edinburgh and he being challenged said He did it not without a Recommendation from Aberdeen So that no Man of Reason can deny but they are accountable for the Errours and Impertinencies which we have herein observed which we leave Reader to thy serious Examination remaining Thy Friends R. B. G. K. THE CONTENTS SECTION I. COncerning Immediate Revelation SECT II. The Students Argument against the Spirit 's being the Rule proved one with the Jesuit Dempster's SECT III. Concerning the Supper Perfection and Womens Speaking SECT IV. Concerning the Necessity of Immediate Revelations to the Building up of True Faith SECT V. Concerning Worship SECT VI. Concerning Baptism SECT VII Concerning the Ministry SECT VIII Concerning Liberty of Conscience The CONCLUSION Wherein their Observations upon R. B. his Offer and their last Section of the Q. Revilings as they term them are Examined Quakerism Confirmed year 1675 SECTION I. Concerning Immediate Revelation Wherein the Second Part of the Students Book from pag. 44. to pag. 66. is Answered IN their first Section they alledge We do wickedly put many Indignities upon the Holy Scriptures and that we monopolize the Spirit to our selves Which are gross Lies But that they are against the Spirit is no malicious Accusation but a Truth as will appear to any true Discerner Their comparing us when we plead for the Spirit to them who cried The Temple The Temple is Unequal and Profane They that cried The Temple The Temple rejected the Spirit of God and relied too much on the Temple and outward Priviledges but dare they blame any for relying too much on the Spirit of God Again in their first Sub-section they commit a gross Deceit in which they follow G. M. their Master who useth the same in his Manuscript to us in alledging They are more for the Spirit than we because they affirm That the Efficacy of the Spirit is Insuperable For we do affirm Operations of the Spirit may be Resisted That the Efficacy of the Spirit is in a true Sense Insuperable as namely where the Mind is well disposed See R. B. his Thesis where he useth the Word Insuperably But that the Spirit doth Insuperably move or irresistibly force the ill-disposed Minds of all in whom it operates is False and contrary to Scripture which saith That Some Resist the Spirit yea and is contrary to the Experience of all who are acquainted with the Spirit 's Workings that know that the Spirit many Times worketh so gently that his Operation may be resisted Therefore said the Apostle Quench not the Spirit Now that Doctrine which is contrary both to Scripture and Experience is not for the Spirit but against it Again how are they more for the Spirit than we seeing they affirm The Spirit 's Influence is but only Effective as having no Evidence in it self sufficiently to demonstrate that it is of God We say it hath as being both Effective and Objective 2. They say The Influence of the Spirit is only given to some We say To all 3. They say It is so weak that it can bring none to a perfect Freedom from Sin in this Life though never so much improved We say it can Yea. 4. They say commonly year 1676 The Influence of the Spirit cannot keep the best Saint one Moment from Sin We say It can keep them for whole Days yea always if they improve it as well as they can 5. They say A Man may and ought to pray without the Spirit Which we deny And so we leave it to the Judicious if here they do not commit a gross Deceit Lastly in their stating the Question they accuse us falsly As if we did hold that all Men ought to judge and examine all the material Objects of Faith and Articles of Religion by Inward Revelations As if all Men were bound to an Impossibility All Men have not all the Material Objects of Faith propounded unto them Accidental Objects of Faith for some of the Material Objects of Faith are meerly Accidental unto all Mens Salvation As to believe that Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac Jacob c. Others although not Accidental yet are but Integral Parts and not Essential of Christian Religion such as the Outward History of Christ c. and so by this Distinction divers of thefe Arguments are answered without more ado especially the first two where they spend much Paper fighting with their own Shadow telling us That the Heathens have no Revelations shewing the Birth Passion Resurrection c. of Jesus Christ Which we do grant For the Belief of such Things is only necessary to them to whom they are propounded and the Scriptures alledged by them at most prove no more It were a needless Labour and not worth the Pains to answer particularly to all their Impertinencies Follies and Blasphemies which they obtrude upon us as Arguments and in the Issue their last Probations resolve into meer Assertions as much denied by us as the things they undertake to Refute Therefore upon each Section or Sub-section we shall but take notice what their Arguments resolve into at last and as there is occasion set down some Propositions that may serve as a Key to open the Reader 's way through all these Heaps of Confusion and Blasphemy wherewith they fill their Pages As for the Scriptures brought by them Arg. 1. as Isa. 9.2 Matth. 4.16 Psal. 147.19 20. These prove not that they had no Light for the Light shineth in Darkness Joh. 1. And Prov. 29.18 doth not import That People have wanted Vision from the beginning but that for some Time they may want it to wit when their Day of Visitation is over which we deny not And whereas they tell us That the Greek Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often to be translated among and therefore so to be Col. 1.26 and other Places alledged by us we deny this Consequence And that they say The Apostle is speaking of the outward Preaching of Christ Col. 1.26 is their bare Assertion without any Proof Also in their first Argument they alledge a gross Vntruth upon G. K. as if he did hold in his Book of Immediate Revelation pag. 11. That the Jews generally under the Law had no Immediate Revelation in the Seed Let the Place be read and it will clear G. K. where he distinguisheth a Two-fold sort of Revelation in the Seed according to a Two-fold Condition of the Seed The first sort of Revelation is more hid and obscure Revelation universal and particular the Seed not being compleatly formed but as under Ground The second is more manifest and clear
out upon the Quakers as a Sacrilegious Crew for denying such Vnlawful Maintenance as the Priests generally have It seems the Young-Men are greatly concerned they love so well the Wages of Vnrighteousness for against no other thing do we Contend Again they alledge That we bely them in saying They think Priests sell the Gospel that the Preaching of the Gospel can be sold for any earthly Wages The Reason they give is weak For although there is a vast Disproportion and Inequality in Worth betwixt the same yet a thing may be sold for less than the Worth of it yea when the Worth is infinitly Greater For did not Judas sell Christ for thirty Pieces of Silver Judas-like And do not they plead That Greedy and Covetous Men ought to be Received and Paid until Divested And are not such guilty of Simony and selling of Preaching Which they confess themselves Therefore the Quakers in this do not Belie them Yea do they not well know that it is a most Ordinary thing in Young-Men and it is well if some of these be not Guilty of the same to go unto Patrons and offer them Money for Presentations unto Parish Churches than which we know no greater Simony used in the Church of Rome And as for the Hospitality of Preachers Guilty of Simony it is also required in Deacons and all good Christians will it therefore follow that all good Christians must have set Stipends or if Christians are to work with their Hands Stipends that they may have wherewith to be Hospitable why may not Preachers also They cite Paul telling That he had Power to forbear Working But they know That Paul was an Apostle and claimed that Power not as an ordinary Preacher but as an Apostle like unto the other Apostles Mark these Words For as touching the Apostles they had that Power because of a more Vniversal Charge incumbent upon them than ordinary Pastors so that they could not so attend to Work with their Hands as others could Paul wrought with his Hands And yet even Paul wrought with his Hands which is more than any of the National Teachers will do to spare the Receiving from them who are not Able And it is to be observed how the National Teachers plead stoutly for their forbearing of Working from the Power of the Apostles but when we tell them That the Apostles travelled from one Nation to another and took great Pains to plant the Gospel in many Places and hazzarded their Lives to preach it among the Heathens they Answer That is not required of them So they would take the Apostles to patronise them in forbearing Working and taking Maintenance but not in being at such Pains and Jeopardies for the Gospel's sake as the Apostles which is not equal Also when we tell them The Apostles preached by Inspiration and had an Immediate Call from Heaven they tell us that is ceased now But why tell they not that the Power to forbear Working is ceased also Surely the continuing of Inspirations and Immediate Calls to the Ministry seemeth a more needful thing than their Stipends SECTION VIII Of LIBERTY of CONSCIENCE Wherein the Students Sixth Section concerning the Civil Magistrate his Power in punishing of Hereticks and also what they say in their Eighth Section concerning the Tendency of Quakerism to Anarchy and Treason and Denying the Necessity of Christianity is Considered and Answered AFter that the Studens have Laboured what they can to Overturn the Quakers Persecution the Students last Refuge they betake them to PERSECVTION as their Last Refuge thinking if they can but prevail here and get the Magistrates to Cut off the Quakers as Blasphemers and Traitors for such they have designed them in their Title-Page they will be eased of the Troublesome Task of Disputing any more with them And here not to be unlike themselves they begin with a Lie saying They had a Dispute concerning this with the Quakers the first of June 1675. Whereas One of them to wit J. L. was not present and the other Two proposed not one Argument in that Matter But what was spoken was by Another who being earnestly desired by them to Concur in the Accompt of it with them utterly Refused as judging neither he nor they could give a True Accompt of it and absolutely discharging to meddle with that in their Book Which yet they are not ashamed falsly to Ascribe to themselves The Students declared Liars in their Accompt of the Dispute which that Young Man upon sight of their Book from one of us declared to be a Lie Asserting what is above-written in this Matter before several Witnesses of their own Profession particularly P. D. one of the Students Attestators And therefore since he judgeth himself as he declared Abused in this Affair by them as well as we we shall not take notice of what passed at that time betwixt him and us it being also his Desire but betake our selves to this Theam as it is now proposed and urged by the Students wherein how miserably they are pained the very Stating of the Controversy shews in which they have given away their Cause 1. They say They speak only of Real Heresies and not what others call so 2. They say They speak not of inward Acts and meer Exercises of the Mind because it belongs neither to Church nor Magistrate To Iudge of hidden things To which we Answer That since the Students acknowledge Their Church and Magistrate cannot Infallibly discern Heresy they say then ought not to judge it that both their Church and Magistrate are liable to Errour yea and that neither of them is to be supposed Infallible and therefore cannot certainly and infallibly discern what is Heresy neither ought they to take upon them to punish for Heresy And that de facto Protestant Churches have thus Erred their Master John Menzies and many of his Brethren can bear witness who have cried out against that for Errour Antichristianity and Heresy causing Men to be grievously persecuted for it which now they allow as Christian and Orthodox But we shall improve this more hereafter and now proceed to their Arguments 1. They argue from Deut. 13.5 Exod. 22.20 Lev. 22. but the Question is Whether these Commands given particularly to the Jews belong to us for that of Lev. 22. is only concerning the Priests and Levites touching the Holy Things with their Vncleanness upon them and is wholly Impertinent to this Purpose Particular Commands given to the Jews whether now Obligatory upon us For if these be Obligatory upon us so will also many other As that a Man may immediately with his own Hand kill him that has killed his Kinsman unless he get to the City of Refuge seeing there is no particular Repeal of that more than of the former Yea and that of Deut. 5.9 saith expresly That the brother husband or father of him that consenteth to serve other Gods shall kill him with his own Hand
Catechism a good part whereof he hath Transcribed and Inserted in his Book albeit it had been a great deal Easier to have cited the Chapters and Referred to them the Book being so Common but it seems it pleaseth the Man's Humour to see a great Bulk go under his Name however it be filled up And 4. Lastly If his many Perversions be considered wherein he either wilfully or ignorantly mistakes my Meaning and sets up to himself a Man of Straw and then batters at it I say this being laid aside which takes up no small part of his work will make a Considerable Abatement Now all these things considered and all this superfluous and chaffy Stuff being laid aside which is little or nothing to the purpose the Reader will find that what remaineth will go into a pretty Narrow Compass and bear no great Disproportion if any at all with these my Observations J. B.'s Introduction with Malitious Railings ¶ 4. But ere I make an End of this Section I judge it needful to take some notice of his Epistle where the manner of his Introduction is very odd Men use to be sober and moderate that write Controversies in the beginning at least and not seek to prepossess the Reader with Prejudice against their Adversaries until by the Strength of their Reasons they have proved them to deserve it but this Man is so full fraughted with Malice and so in love with Railing that he cannot forbear the first Page where we have him calling us Locusts of whose Ministry the Devil makes use only Masculine in Malice against Christ c. Breathing forth nothing but that Putrid Poison that innate Serpentine Venom c. And of this Strain is the whole of his Epistle where we are termed Apostate-Quakers Renegado-Quakers c. Pag. 2. 3. But methinks it should have been more Rational to have forborn this until he had proved us such and not to have begun thus to Rail without the least Probation But however this may take with Malitious or Credulous Persons it will give the Judicious a sufficient Tast of the Nature of his Work and we are not affraid of great Prejudice by this kind of Arguing But as he goes on he gives us a clear Specimen of what Spirit he is of and abundantly shews that if either he had Power or were Able to Influence the Magistrate thereunto he would have saved himself the Labour of all this Confutation by making short in Cutting us all off His Persecuting Spirit For since he Represents us not only as the worst and vilest of Hereticks but as the sworn and most-desperate Enemies of Jesus Christ in all his Offices we need not doubt considering his Judgment expressed in the Case of Liberty of Conscience what he would have done with us And albeit it might have been judged that in Prudence he should have let it alone until that place where it seemed to be most proper and only might be Inferred by way of Consequence yet in this as in most other things his Malice out does his Prudentials and therefore he cannot let three Pages pass and that in the Epistle till he discover his Temper in this For there he tells us a Story of a Turk who caused punish a Jew for blaspheming of Christ to the shame of Christians who have not so much Zeal c. and a Redress of this saith he is called for at the Hands of one and other according to their Place and Station The Language of this is sufficiently understood and beareth no small Reflection upon Magistrates as not being so forward to Persecute as J. B. would have them And if we consider that Flood of Railing that follows the Application is easie and then as he goes on he takes a very convenient way that he may Rail securely and Calumniate without fear of being discovered For he would Fright People from so much as Coming near us yea he will have all fleeing from us more hastily than from Persons having the black Botch such is his Comely Expression yea and under the dreadful hazzard of Incurring Anathema Maranatha so much as to enter into a Friendly Communing with us give us the least token of Kindness and Affection by word or deed What! not Feed us if ready to Starve or Cloath us if Naked Prov. 25. ver 21. Matth. 5.44 Rom. 12.20 Rom. 7.2 Eph. 5. v. 25. Which Christ commands all his Disciples to do to their greatest Enemies But how would this Man have a Husband behaving towards his Wife or a Wife towards her Husband If turning Quaker they must shew one another no Token of Kindness and Affection either in word or deed when the Apostle encourages Christian Husbands and Wives to live with one another respectively if they be willing albeit professed Heathens and open Idolaters But with him they must not so much as shew a Token so much as by one Cast of the Eye far less by more Homely Discoursings And after the same manner a little after he would have all forbear so much as looking into our Writings to which according to his ordinary Style he gives such Epithets as his Railing Genius affords him a very ready way for him to Bely and Calumniate us at pleasure But upon this occasion I would ask him this Question If he judgeth it reasonable that he that readeth his Examination should look into the Apology to which it relates or unto that which is said by way of Reply to it or if he would have them taking all upon trust from him Were not this a brave way of Examining Controversies And doth not this fairly lead to the blind Ignorance and Implicitness of the Church of Rome and to the Custom of the Turks and Mahomet 's Rule whom he hath so often in his Mouth I would willingly know if the Man would avow himself so Irrational as to require or desire this of any body in their wits And yet he must be so Irrational or otherwise allow the breaking of the Rules he so earnestly presseth ¶ 5. After he has proceeded at the same rate of Railing accusing us of Devilry and what not as for the Number of the poisonous Assertions which he saith he has gathered together it shall be spoken of hereafter and his gross Abuse therein detected he comes at last to apprehend That some will think he is too large but he has a quick way of solving that Difficulty J. B's Reason for his Prolixity by answering himself with a Contrary Apprehension That more will blame him for not being larger And so this Objection is easily dispatched As for the Reason he gives of his Prolixity to wit because of the temper of the Quakers who would have been ready to Vaunt and Triumph if he had omitted any thing But for all this Boast it shall be shewen that several times as large as he is he hath Omitted whole Considerable Paragraphs where he found he would be pinched and that the matter was too
one part Circumstances and not the other for as to the matter of the thing he will confess there is nothing in it but by reason of Christ's Command and practice so that Affects all parts alike and indeed he gives a very summar Answer to what I urge as to this as the Rader by comparing his N. 17. with N. 6. of my Apology upon this subject may observe It passeth my mean Capacity to see any solid Reason given by him pag. 497 n. l8 Why Act. 2.42 should be understood of other than their Common Eating unless this may be esteemed one That to say so is a meer groundless Fancy like many of the Quakers bold Notions To prove Act. 20.7 to be understood of Sacramental Eating he saith It required Paul 's Preaching but for this we must wait his proof That Paul preached not upon other occasions because not mentioned is but his meer Conjecture and his Inference from this being the Christian Sabbath is but a silly begging of the question ¶ 2. Pag. 498. n. 20. He stateth my words shewing How the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. saith When ye come together J. B. forgets to Answer this is not to eat the Lord's Supper and not that it was not to Eat aright and I expected his Answer to this to follow but in vain for I found not any perhaps he has forgotten it and therefore I desire he may remember it next Also here instead of giving a Reason to prove the Apostle gives here a Command and not simply a Relation of the matter of fact he returneth Railing I Intreat him next to lay-aside his Railing and give a Reason That the Corinthians were Babes in Christ and some of them even further advanced I acknowledge yet that will not prove that some things might be Indulged to them which is not needful to us now The Christians that had been Jews were also Babes in Christ and even more such as the Apostle James who desired Paul to purify himself in the Temple and yet we are not thence obliged to Imitate such practices Paul purifying himself in the Temple Christians are not thence obliged to Imitate such Practices Whether the Syriack Version mentioned by me make not to my purpose I leave to the Reader 's Judgment my Vsing it will not infer my Acknowledging that Version in all things to be Authentick more than his own Vsing it And albeit I think it might have been sufficient to have given the words upon the Credit of the Interpretation in the Poly-glotta yet to shew him how apt he is to fall into false Conjectures he may know I did it not and if he could hence as well as from several other Occasions heretofore observed learn not to lay so much Stress upon and so forwardly Vent his own Conjectures he would do himself a Courtesy Pag. 409. n. 21. He can easily turn-by the Apostle's express Command Act. 15.29 as being a part of the Ceremonial Law but I hope he will acknowledge that the Obligation upon the Christians especially such as had not been Jews to observe it was not its being a part of the Ceremonial Law but it s being now a Command of the Apostles or rather of the Spirit of God to whom it seemed good so to Command And he should shew next time how this is more Abrogated in the Epistles of Paul than the other and particularly how that Rom. 14.17 doth touch the one more than the other And this Command Act. 15 19. being after the pouring-down of the Spirit and Vniversal Preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles hath as much of a Gospel-Institution as any thing Commanded before by Christ can have if not let him give us a Reason from Scripture till then his meer Assertions pag. 500. will not do the business To my shewing That this is not to distinguish the Gospel from the Law he thinks it enough to say This is a Socinian Argument formerly spoken to And he is very Careful not to weary the Reader with Repeitions I wish he had minded this all along J. B.'s Proof of their Authority to Administrate this Sacrament Invisible He also referreth the proof of their Authority to Administrate this Sacrament to his 17 th Chapter but they must be very Clear-sighted that can observe any such thing there And to conclude with some shew of Victory he in a most ostentive way saith That I have fought until I can stand no longer and finding my self weak and unable to fight any more I come to something like a Parly by saying Such as out of Conscience will perform this Ceremony as the first Christians did might be Indulged in it but he Concludeth These things I Affirm being proved none can be supposed to do it out of Conscience But some may not have such a Clear Sight of it and thence may stick in these things He dispatcheth what more I say as to this as being A bundle of groundless Whimsies without Truth Sense or Consistency But indeed I must say The weak Proofs J. B. brings to Vindicate the great Sacraments of their Religion I wonder to see the Man so Weak upon this Theam as well as the former of Baptism considering they are the great Sacraments of their Religion but it seems his Rage in these has Robbed him of his Reason I will Intreat the Reader seriously to peruse what I have written upon both these in my Apology that Comparing it with his he may easily perceive albeit this Reply had not been Written how Weak all is the Man brings for the Proof of these things SECT XV. Wherein his Twenty Eighth Chapter Of Liberty of Conscience is Considered ¶ 1. AS he ended his last Chapter with Railing so he begins this comparing the Quakers to Thieves and Robbers adding That their being conscious to themselves of the Evil of their Ways which after he has a little Amplified in as black a manner as he can he Concludes that they thought it best for their own safety to add this to the rest of their Errors that Magistrates have no lawful power over them In which besides his Railing are two gross Lies First That the Quakers are conscious of their own Evil Ways J. B.'s Malitious Assertion against our Acknowledging the Magistrates to have a Lawful Power over us and that moves them to Assert Liberty of Conscience which being a gross Falshood hath no bottom but his own malitious Conjecture where he presumptuously presumes to Judge of other Mens hearts The second is That the Quakers say The Magistrate hath no lawful Power over them A most gross Lie The Contrary whereof is expresly Asserted in the These in these words Provided always that no Man under the pretence of Conscience prejudice his Neighbour in his Life or Estate or do any thing destructive of The Lawfulness and Justice of Magistracy Asserted by us or inconsistent with Humane Society in which case the Law is for the Transgressor and Justice is to
be Administred upon all without respect of Persons Who will but open their Eyes may see here the Man so desperately Resolved to Calumniate that he neither seems to Regard his Conscience towards God nor his Reputation among Men that he may fulfil his Envy in this particular but such gross Abuses will not hurt but help the Quakers Yea in the very next Page he taketh notice That I grant to the Magistrate only Liberty to judge in matters touching the Life and Goods of others c. So here is some lawful power As for the malitious Insinuation that follows it needs no other Refutation with Men of Sobriety but to Repeat it to wit But probably not of Quakers for they are perfect and so cannot do wrong Is not this solidly and learnedly and Christianly argued Reader Thinkest thou that to say That this Restriction is destroyed because Men may pretend Conscience in wronging their Neighbours as some have done in committing Villanies saith nothing since the Proposition expresly allows the Magistrate to punish Acts that are materially injurious to Civil Society albeit Conscience be pretended After according to his usual manner he has given us a large Citation out of the Confession of Faith and some Quibbles about the word Conscience which as not directly concerned in this Debate for brevity's sake I omit Secondly he comes pag. 504. n. 5. to say That I most perversly state the question in saying The Magistate has not power to Compel Men against their Consciences in matters of Region and why J. B. Asserts that for Magistrates to force an Outward Conformity is not a Compelling Men contrary to their Consciences Because I distinguish not betwixt Elicit and Imperate Acts of Conscience that is as himself explains Inward and Outward for as to the firts he confesseth The Magistrate is not to Compel Men so as to hinder-them to think judge understand and conclude in their mind as they will but only in speaking writing and open professing which are visible and audible yea he thinks the Magistrates Power doth not only extend on this side to Prohibition but that he may also force them to Hear and to the Vse of Publick Means that is in plain terms to an Outward Conformity and yet he saith This is no Force upon Conscience Well! then Popish Magistrates according to him used no Force upon the Consciences of Protestants in forcing them to hear Mass nor yet the Pagans upon Christians in forcing them to go to Idol-worships and to come near home the present Magistrates in Scotland use no Force upon the Consciences of his Brethren the Presbyterians in the West-country in Constraining them to go to hear the Bishops Curates as they term them where they cannot pretend there is any thing of Idolatry As for his distinction of the Magistrates having Power of Outward but not Inward Acts it were enough for me to Reject it as not being proved by him to be founded on Scripture as indeed it is most deceitful For if the Magistrate Restrain me from doing that Outward Action either of Confessing to Truth or Denying Error Abstaining from Idolatry or False Worship and practising the True which my Inward Perswasion convinceth me of he Incroacheth upon and takes upon him to Rule over my Inward Perswasion as well as the Outward Christ requires an outtoward Confession which follows naturally from the Inward And without doing whereof my Inward could add nothing to me save Condemnation seeing Christ requires an Outward Confession And if the Magistrates Power as to Outward Acts even in Matters of Religion be limited then he of right may Decide and Judge of all outward Matters relating to Religion which John Brown may remember his Brethren have strongly denied reserving that only for the Kirk For to say as he addeth That the Magistrate has Power to punish Hereticks but not the Orthodox is as I observed miserably to beg the Question since never any Magistrate was so mad as to persecute Truth as Truth but still under the Notion of Error The sum of what he saith further upon this Matter pag. 505-507 508 509. in answer to me resolves in these two Objections ¶ 3. First That my Arguments do no less take away the Magistrates Power in Civils Secondly That by the same Arguments may be denied and taken away all Church-Censures which I grant and in so doing contradict my self or must answer my own Arguments For proof of the First he tells That many Magistrates have been or may be uncapable to judge in Civil Matters as well as Religion as also have done Injustice in their Judgment Answ. True but all this will no ways infer his Conclusion The being of the Civil Magistrate is to judge of Civil not Religious Matters because they still had that which was needful to the being of Magistracy that is being duly Constitute for of Vsurpers we do not here speak however they may want these Qualities which might more accomplish them in their Employment or that they may Err in the Administration of it But Christianity and consequently to judge in Matters of Religion doth not so much as pertain to the Esse or being of a Magistrate For if it did no Man could ever have been or yet could be a true Magistrate or ought to be so owned unless a Christian which I suppose John Brown will not adventure to affirm or if he do he will manifestly Contradict the Doctrine as well as Practice of Christ and his Apostles who preached Subjection and were themselves Subject to such Magistrates as were Enemies to Christianity If then a Magistrate may be truly a Magistrate and ought by Christians to be acknowledged and submitted to as such who is not a Christian to deny to Magistrates that Power of Judgment which they can only have as being Christians will not necessarily take away any of their Power as Magistrates For Christian Subjects especally being private Persons may and ought to submit and obey their lawful Magistrates albeit committing Errors in the Government and commanding things hurtful to the State and if they do other ways may be justly punished where the Nature of the Government giveth them not Allowance so to do Magistrates Commiting Errors in Government But if the Magistrate shall Command any thing contrary to the Law of God or Impose in Matters of Conscience contrary to Truth J. B. will with me confess unless he Condemn himself that every private Christian may without being justly accused of Contempt refuse to Obey Magistrates Commands ought not to be contrary to the Law of God nor forcing Conscience As many of John Brown's Friends do in not going to the Parish-Kirks where the same Faith and Doctrine they hold is preached Contrary to Acts of Parliament For he hath not proved That a Magistrate by being a Christian acquires more Power than he had before or is more a Magistrate though he may be a better For albeit as he observes Fathers be
desired to Instruct their Children which Pagan-Fathers cannot do yet they are not more Fathers than before nor have more Authority or Power over their Children to force them than before So a Magistrate being a Christian may Instruct Countenance and Advance Christianity by the Advantage of his Place but acquires no more Power thereby to force his People upon that account J. B. if he judge so will do well to prove it by Scripture ¶ 4. The Reason of his Second Objection is Because a Church may Err in their Judgment being defective as he supposed the Magistrate in the former Objection and so may Condemn Truth for Error But how Weak this is is very apparent For if he can shew us a Church having the True Being of a Church which ought to be acknowledged and submitted to by Christians as such which yet is wholly a Stranger to yea an Enemy and Persecutor of Christianity as I did him in the case of Magistracy he will say something but other ways nothing at all Next The Censure of a Church however he seems to judge otherwise cannot be called forcing of Conscience in the Sense I grant it Church Censure is not a forcing the Conscience which is only for to deny the Persons Censured their Spiritual Fellowship since he himself by his differing from them breaks it off as in my Book Intituled The Anarchy of the Ranters c. written concerning Church-Government I have at large shewen And if the difference be such as the Church judgeth in Conscience they cannot have Spiritual Communion with one so principled it were in him a forcing of their Conscience to urge it upon them For since he takes the Liberty out of Conscience as he judgeth to differ from all his Brethren it were a most unreasonable thing in such a one to deny them the Liberty being perswaded in their Conscience they ought to Withdraw from him seeing the Band of their Vnity which at least in part was an Agreement in Doctrine is so far by him broken But as he doth not fall upon them to Beat Imprison or Kill them neither ought they to do so to him As for his Answer That they are not for propagating Christianity by Force or that the Ministers should use Fire and Sword pag. 508. It is the same Deceitful Return that the Pope and the Jesuites his Janizaries give upon the like occasion with whom the Presbyters in most things of this Nature do most unanimously Agree who it is said after they have judged any one Guilty of Heresy deliver him over to the Magistrate because alas merciful and tender-hearted Men as is usually spoken by Contraries They will not meddle with Blood But how would they Thunder the Magistrate if he did not proceed to Execution The same way do the Presbyters For we know Presbyters with their Church-Censure no less Bloody and Cruel than the Popish Inquisitors what naturally follows upon the Church-Censure or Disobedience to their Orders as by many Examples during the Reign of Presbytery in Scotland might be proved and which I may instance if further provoked thereto By which it shall appear that they are no less BLOODY and CRVEL than the Popish Inquisitors and that both the POPE and the PRESBYTERS assuming the Power of Judgment to themselves leave nothing to the Magistrate but the dishonourable Office of being their Executioner or in plain Scots Hangman while both most deceitfully wipe their Mouths as if they were Innocent of the Blood-shed procured by them ¶ 5. In stead of giving any direct Reply to my Answer to their 0bjection drawn from Deut. 13. where false Prophets and Idolaters are Ordained to be Killed he seeks malitiously to infer That I deny all Authority of the Old Testament Which is a horrid Calumny But since there are many things Commanded there Many things Commanded in the Old T. are not binding upon us now which himself will acknowledge are not binding upon us now what shall be the Rule whereby we shall Judge what we are now Tied to and what not unless as the same is Ratified or again Commanded by Christ in the New And for Clearing of this let him tell me if he can What is incumbent upon us now from the Old Testament which hath no Precept or Authority in the New But further aster he has manifestly wrested the Place to Evite what I urge from Deut. 5.9 as the Reader by comparing it may judge at last he Confesseth to it only alledgeth It was a Circumstance But feeing this Circumstance was Commanded as well as the rest he should shew where the one is Repealed and not the other And how it comes to pass that it should be Duty to obey the one part of the Command and yet Murder to obey the other Or if he will the Circumstances commanded Conjunctly with it as I hope he will Confess it should be for any now to kill their Brother or Sister as an Heretick or Blasphemer without bringing them to a Judge He has a quick way of answering what I say pag. 323 324. in alledging That it is not to the purpose as also what I say pag. 328 329. in answering it by two or three Lines of Railing pag. 513. But me thinks since he gives his Reader as a Reason of his prolixity That he left nothing said by the Quakers unanswered It is strange he jumps so quietly over that place Presbyterians and Jesuites pretending Subjection Tyrannize over Magistrates Consciences pag. 324. where I shew That the Presbyterians as well as the Jesuites notwithstanding their pretended Subjection to Magistrates and Pleadings for the Extension of their Power and Accusing us for denying it do not spare to Tyrannize over the Magistrates Conscience when they can as by the Example of the Presbyterians behaviour towards this present King of Britain I did prove It is enough for him to this to say This page is not to the purpose But the Judicious Reader will rather judge that he is here so Silent being elsewhere upon less Occasions so Clamorous because he knew not well what to Answer to the purpose With the like hasty and pitiful Stuff he would turn by the many Citations of the Ancients brought by me against Persecution because of his deceitful Popish Concession above observed but he should have shewn how these things of the Ancients are Consistent with the Civil Magistrates using any Force in matters of Religion as being a thing Inconsistent with Christianity which the Reader by reading over these places may easily observe and thence find why he made such Hast and gave all these Citations no other Answer ¶ 6. But as he is Hasty in passing over what he finds he cannot Answer so to fill up the pages he spares not to insist upon Trifles or things of no Moment or which only serve to shew his own Folly and Impertinency as in page 503. is manifest where he saith J. B.'s Doubts whether it be 25 years since
26. It is absurd to affirm Christ is in none but those with whom he is united 6 63. Christ's praying to save him from this Hour explained 783. what the Flesh and Blood of Christ is 861 901. Christian how he is a Christian and when he ceaseth so to be 269 270 273 281 282 283 285 394 410 412 418. the foundation of his Faith 294 295. his Priviledge ibid. when men are made Christians by Birth and not by conversion 405 406. they have borrowed many things from Jews and Gentiles 475 476. they recoil by little and little from their first Purity 486 509. the Primitive Christians for some ages said We are Christians we Swear not 555. and We are the Soldiers of Christ it is not lawful for us to Fight 562. Concerning the Life of a Christian what and how it ought to be 149 157. Every Christian ought to be concerned in the Work of the Lord 707 a Judgment of several sorts of Christians must be made from their respective Principles and not from the Practice of particular Persons 684. the Gathering of the Primitive Christians was an uniting of Hearts and not of Hands only 697 709. Christianity is made as an Art 273. It is not Christianity without the Spirit 281 283 296 297. It would be turned into Scepticism 423 424 484 491 492. It is placed chiefly in the renewing of the Heart 407. Wherein it consists not 450. what is and is not the mark thereof 484 486 492. why it is Odious to Jews Turks and Heathens 498. what would contribute to its Commendation 534. What the Cause is of all the Mischief in Christendom 711 713. the Essence or Being of Christianity placed in the true and real Conversion of the heart by vertue of the operation of the Light Seed and Grace of God 700. that there is nothing but the Name and nothing of the Nature of true Christianity among Christians is manifest in the Clergy 708 709 27. the Call of God to blinded Christendom 356. CHVRCH without which there is no Salvation what she is concerning her Members Visibility Profession Degeneration Succession 403 to 417. whatsoever is done in the Church without the instinct of the Holy Spirit is vain and impious 419. the same may be said of her that in the Schools is Disputed of Theseus's Boat 431. in her Corrections ought to be Exercised and against whom 508. she is more Corrupted by the Accession of Hypocrites 521. the Contentions of the Greek and Latine Churches about Leavened or Vnleavened Bread in the Supper 506. the Luke-warmness of the Church of Laodicea 411. there are Introduced into the Roman Church no less Superstitions and Ceremonies than among the Heathens and Jews 406. The Church of Rome's pretended Charity 688 689. the Church of Rome no Church 647. the Basis and Foundation of that Church stands in Confessing the Superiority and Precedency of Peter and his Successors and in believing that Infallibility is annexed thereunto 688. the True Church is distinguished from the False by its real Sanctification and true Holiness 203. what a Church is defined 208. the Notion and Definition of a Church which arises from the Universal Principle of Light and Grace doth Establish Universal Love 702. the Cause of the True Church's gathering to a Body was a Sense of their Want 697. such as are sanctified properly constitute the Church 226. who is the Head and who the Ministers thereof 139 144 167 168. God's Care over his Church and Heritage 191 192. Men may be said to be within the Church who want outward Preaching 805 807. the great property of the Church of Christ is pure Vnity in Spirit 217. The Ground of Division Separation and Schism in the Church 188. In the Primitive Church Condescension was practised in case of Weakness though those weak ones were not suffered to propagate their Scruples 223 224 In what Cases the Church of Christ may pronounce a positive Sentence and Judgment without the hazzard of Imposition upon either of the Parties Controverting 216 867. Circumcision a Seal of the Old Covenant 490 586. Clergy 428 430 433 436 437 507. The Clergy the greatest Promoters of Wars 708 709. they are so Impudent as to thank God for the Destruction of their Fellow-Creatures 709. upon the Charge of a Prince or State they will pray for those to whom before they wished Ruin and Destruction ibid. They cloud the Truth that the Common People might Maintain and Admire them 731. they acted the Mad Pranks of John of Leyden in the Civil Wars of England 668. See Protestants Clothes That it is not Lawful for Christians to use things superfluous in Cloaths 543 545 564 565. Comforter for what end he was sent 271 272. Commission The Commission of the Disciples of Christ before the Work was finished was more Legal than Evangelical 419. Communion the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ is a Spiritual and inward thing 148 149. that Body that Blood is a Spiritual Thing and that it is that heavenly Seed whereby Life and Salvation was of old and is now Communicated 593 594. how any become partakers thereof 496 497 498. it is not tied to the Ceremony of breaking Bread and drinking Wine which Christ used with his Disciples this was only a Figure 494 497 to 503. whether that Ceremony be a necessary part of the New Covenant and whether it is to be continued 504 to 515. Spiritual Communion with God through Christ is obtained 311. they that Witness Christ come need not Bread and Wine to put them in Remembrance of him 35 see Supper Community of Goods is not brought in by the Quakers 516 533 534. Complements see Titles Conscience see Magistrate Its Definition what it is it is distinguished from the saving Light 366 337 338 515 516. the good Conscience and the hypocritical 400. he that acteth contrary to his Conscience sinneth and concerning an Erring Conscience 516. what things appertain to Conscience ibid what sort of Liberty of Conscience is defended 517. it is the Throne of God ibid. it is free from the Power of all Men 527. Conscience and Reason are distinguished from the Saving Light of Christ in all Men 603. Clem. Alex. his Testimony 579. God alone can Inform and Inlighten the Conscience 704. Conversion what is Man's therein is rather a Passion than an Action 331. Augustin's Saying ibid. this is Cleared by two Examples 339 340. Conversion presupposeth having Light and Grace 8. Controversy Solid Controversies may be entertained for Clearing and Maintaining the Truth 730. Correction how and against whom it ought to be exercised 517. Covenant The Difference betwixt the New and Old Covenant-Worship 286 287 441 442 456 458 484. See also Gospel Law Courts see Princes Cross the Sign of the Cross 492. D. Dancing see Plays Day whether any be Holy and concerning the Day commonly called the Lord's Day 442 503. Whether the First Day of the Week has any more Inherent Holiness than any other Days
IV. King of France 524 Heresies whence they proceeded 449 450. who cannot certainly judge of Heresy ought not to punish for Heresy 663. Christ's Servants must not pull the Tares but leave them with the Wheat 519. Heresy may be mistaken for Truth ibid. 521. the Name of Heresy may be more or less restricted 527. Heretick 519. An Heretick hath no just ground from the Quakers Principle to abstain from Prayer 645. Hereticks pretences to the Spirit 607 610 612 614. Hicks the Grosness of T. Hicks his dealing with the people called Quakers discovered and abhorred in print by others 879. High-Priest see Priest History of Christ see Quakers Redemption â— Knowledge Holy of Holies the High-priest entred into it once a Year 277 278. but now all of us at all times have access unto God 287. Holiness Your Holiness see Titles Honor see Titles Concerning Civil-Honour 873 880. House of God The House of God is no polluted Nest 412 Hypocrisy the worst of Evils in Religious Matters 521 522 Hypocrites 519 522. Under what Profession Hypocrites love to live and what Principles they most affect 47 48. the Hypocrites works have no Savour of Life 656. we cannot join with them in Prayer 470. he that has a Spiritual Discerning can discern them 519. Hypocrites want Titles 536. their Hope shall perish 387. their Danger 522. I. Jacob 447. Jacob and the Jews their Practice of bowing as also Abraham's was by Permission and not to be our Rule 876. Abraham's and Jacob's practice will not warrant our Imitation of it 873. Worm Jacob is a Threshing Instrument 883. James the Apostle There were of old diverse Opinions concerning his Epistle 297. whether his Epistle be Authentick and how to know it 309. Japonians The Japans knew by the teaching of Nature that it is unlawful to kill steal forswear c. as is evident by the Pricks of their Consciences Fra Xaviers 701. Idea There are supernatural Idea's of things supernatural in the Souls of Men 899. Men can have no true Idea of things Supernatural but what is Supernatural ibid. There is a Natural Idea of God in Men common to the Wicked with the Godly 900. the Idea's of all things are divinely planted in the Souls of Men ibid. All Idea's are of a Spiritual Nature 901. the Supernatural Idea's in Men infer Supernatural Senses or perceptive Faculties 902. those Faculties in Wicked Men do as it were sleep ibid. Idolatry 440 450. whence it proceeded 475. how with Idolatry we cannot join in Prayer 469. from whence Idolatries did spring 475 Jerusalem Christ's Lamentation over Jerusalem 344 Jesting see Plays Games Jesuits see Sect Ignatian Jesus see Christ what it is to be saved and Assembled in his Name 358 359 367 455. See Name Jews Among them there may be Members of the Church 402 403. their Error c. 410. their Worship is outward 484. Particular Commands given to the Jews whether now obligatory upon us 663. they are no Rule for Christians being Repealed by Christ who gave a new Command 520. Jewish Doctors and Pharisees resisted Christ disdaining to be Esteemed Ignorant c. 268 Jezebel the not suffering the Woman Jezebel in what manner it was to be 521 Ignorance 514 Priests Darkness and Ignorance 215 Illiterate see Mechanicks Image of God whether any Relicts of it remained in Adam 337. see Adam Imposition The Authority of the Church is no Imposition 199. Imposition is what is contrary to true Liberty of Conscience 236. a Testimony against Imposition and Dominion 238 Independency An Independent Preacher embracing Truth and upon what Occasion 879. the Constitution of the Independent Church 416 Indians The Defect of the Scriptures and outward Knowledge of Christ in the Indians is providential 692 see Americans 63. Pagans Indulgences 365 Infants see Sin Infants that die in their Infancy in the Judgment of Charity may be supposed to be saved 42. Infants and Deaf Persons are excepted from the Necessity of outwardly hearing the Gospel 805. some Infants and deaf Persons saved without external Knowledge 10. Infants are not guilty of Adam's Sin 40 41 94. not Guilty before the Act of Sin ibid. Infants are under no Law 868. Whether Childrens Death argues guilt 770. Infants saved without Christ J. B's horrible Lie 771. Infants saved by Christ ibid. Sodom's Children c. Infants perishing in the Flood 772. Circumcision argues not Infants guilty 773. Regeneration of Infants ibid. Infallibility To say that there is no Infallible Judgment now to be expected from the Spirit of God in the Church is to turn Christianity into Scepticism 235. the only proper Judge of Controversies in the Church is the Spirit of God and the Power of deciding solely lies in it as having the only unerring Infallible and certain Judgment belonging to it 225. where there is any gathering or Assembly which truly and properly may be called the Church of Christ the Infallible Judgment will never be wanting in matters of Controversy 227. Influences there are General and Special Influences 582. none can pray truly in Words but by a particular Influence 583 Unfaithfulness wants Influences to Duties 641 Iniquities Spiritual Iniquities or Wickedness 450. Innovators Pretenders and Innovators to be Judged by the Power of God 217. as coming from that which being puft up affects singularity and exaltedness 218. Inquisition 523. Inquisition lays not hold on Folly and Vanity neither at Rome nor in Spain 545 Inspiration where that doth not Teach Words without do make a Noise to no purpose 271 272. some Christians and Gentiles have acknowledged the Evidence and certainty of Divine Inspiration in all Men as the surest Ground of Knowledge 605. Permissive Inspirations disowned and owned again by the Quakers Adversaries 673. Inspirations are necessary to Inward Duties 582. Christ's Illumination is his Inspiration 594. which is a greater Evidence than the Scripture 595. even Heathens have a Knowledge of the self-evidence of Divine Inspiration 605. Inspirations mandatory and permissory 637 639. Inspirations of things either to be done or simply to be believed 640. Inspirations general or particular ibid. the same which was given to the Holy Men of Old 658. Instruction see Teaching Intellect the supream Intellect enjoyed in the Mind of Man 363 Interpreters 784 60 633 794 803 805. John the Apostle Concerning his Second and Third Epistles and the Revelation there were sometime divers Opinions 297. John the Baptist did not Miracles 416 37. John Huss is said to have prophesied 309. John Knox in what respect he was called the Apostle of Scotland 430. Israelites going to War enquired first the Oracle of God 560. Judas fell from his Apostleship 411. who was his Vicar 420 his Ministry was not purely Evangelical 421. he was called Immediately by Christ and who are inferior to him and plead for him as Patron of their Ministry 420 421. Judgment see Church Concerning the Power of Decision 224 230 see Infallibility any Members in Obedience to the Lord giving forth a positive Judgment in
The worldly Peace-Contrivers Rule is not Equity but the power of Parties 610 711 712 Pelagians 311. how we differ from them 339 341 492. see Light of Nature Pelagius deemeth That no Man gets an evil Seed from Adam and ascribes all to the Will and Nature of Men He said that Man could attain unto a State of not sinning by his meer natural Strength without the Grace of God 398 Perfection Concerning Perfection or freedom from Sin 91 99 132 136 166 167. Perfection evicted 28 37 620. Persecution upon the account of Religion 523 529. see Magistrate Violent Persecutions upon the account of Religious Principles rather confirm than drive the persecuted from the Belief of those Principles 687. The Lutherans and Calvinists united in the Doctrine and Practice of Persecution even practise the same against one another 690. Pressing after and seeking to establish a National Church tends to promote Persecution 691. the Principle of Persecution preached up and practised by the Church of Rome 689. Severity see 865. Perseverance The Grace of God may be lost through Disobedience 388 401. yet such a stability may in this Life be attained from which there cannot be a total Apostasy 380 398 400 405 406. Concerning Perseverance or falling from Grace 136 138 167 Peter whether he was at Rome 289. he was ignorant of Aristotle's Logick 305. there were of old divers Opinions concerning his Second Epistle 297. Pharaoh 778 Pharisees 475. Philosopher an Heathen-Philosopher was brought to the Christian Faith by an Illiterate Rustick 424. a Philosopher converted his Testimony concerning the Old Man's Words 644. a Philosopher troubled for being Commended by a Profligate Person 672. Philosophers whence called 362. Philosophy 417 424 Phisicks ibid. Plays whether it be lawful to use them 531 533 545 548. 565 Polycarpus the Disciple or John 289 Power The Power of God being Inwardly felt to give Victory over Sin in some serious Inquirers was the Cause of their Uniting and agreeing unanimously to the universal Preaching up of this Power which is the True Church's first and chiefest Principle and most agreeable to the universal Love of God 697 Pray To pray for Remission of Sins 397 398. concerning the Lord's Prayer 450. to Pray without the Spirit is to offend God 453. concerning the Prayer of the Will in Silence 458 see Worship Prayer The Prayers of the People were in the Latine Tongue 422. Prayers performed without the Assistance of the Spirit are not acceptable to God 44 45. Mental Prayer the Cause and Spring of Vocal Prayer 643. is sometimes of more Force than Vocal Prayer 648 all that are Faithful who have no natural Defect may Pray Vocally at Times 645. Preacher see Minister Preaching what it is termed the Preaching of the Word 426 431. see Worship it is a permanent Institution 485. it is learned as another Trade 431. no Preaching is profitable but that which comes from the Immediate Teachings of God's Spirit 28 861 868 871 Predestinated God hath after a special manner Predestinated some to Salvation of whom the places of Scripture which some abuse be understood their Objections are easily solved 341. Presbyterians Scots Presbyterians the severest of that Sect they derive their Pedigree from Geneva but surpass it in Zeal 678. Presbyterians Complyance 758. a Presbyterian Preacher's Prayer to the Devil 708. a twofold Will in God vindicated by the Presbyterians 777. see 861 873 878 Priest Under the Law God spake immediately to the High-Priest 277 286 Priests see Minister of the Law 408 409 421 442 Pride 885 Princes the Courts of Princes the Scenes of greatest Wickedness 708 564. Principles Departing through Unbelief from the Fundamental Principles of a Society implieth self-ejection from being a Member of that Society whether in Spiritual or Temporal Matters 214. proved by Scripture ibid. that those that abide faithful in the firm Belief of those Principles and Doctrines upon which their Society was outwardly grounded have Power to exclude those that separate from them by asserting False and Contradictory Principles 215. The Doctrines and Principles which are the outward Bonds and Terms of Society are nothing else but the Product of Truth 's Power and Virtue upon the Heart 241. a good Principle is a ready way to lead People into good Practices 27 Profession An outward Profession is necessary that any be a Member of a particular Christian Church 404 Prophecy and to Prophesy what it signifies 416 417. of the Liberty of Prophesying 439. Prophecy 277 750 Prophets Some Prophets did not Miracles 416 417. Sam. Rutherford explains 1 Cor. 14.30 to be meant of Pastors and not extraordinary Prophets 104. J. Calvin affirms that in his Day God raised up Prophets and Evangelists 89. concerning Prophets 604 645 667. Protestants the Rule of their Faith 289. they are forced ultimately to recur unto the immediate inward Revelations of the Holy Spirit 293. what difference betwixt the execrable Deeds of those of Munster and theirs 288 290. they make Philosophy the Handmaid of Divinity 305. they affirm John Huss prophesied of the Reformation that was to be 309. whether they did not throw themselves into many Errors while they were expecting a greater Light 380. they opposed the Papists not without good Cause in the Doctrine of Justification but they soon ran into another Extream 365 366. they say that the best Works of the Saints are defiled 370. whether there be any difference betwixt them and the Papists in Superstitions and Manners and what it is 405 406. what they think of the Call of a Minister 409 416. it is lamentable that they betake themselves to Judas for a Patron to their Ministers and Ministry 421. their Zeal and Endeavours are praised 422. of their School-divinity 425. of the Apostles and Evangelists of this Time 430. whom they exclude from the Ministry 430 431. that they preach to none until they be first sure of so much a Year 433. the more moderate of them exclaim against the excessive Revenues of the Clergy 435. though they had forsaken the Bishop of Rome yet they would not part with old Benefices 436. they will not labour 437. whether they have made a perfect Reformation in Worship 440 441. their Worship can easily be stopped 455. they have given great Scandal to the Reformation 470 they deny Water Baptism to be absolutely necessary to Salvation 480. of Water-Baptism 491 392. of the Flesh and Blood of Christ 407 409. they use not Washing of Feet 489. how they did vindicate Liberty of Conscience 524. some affirm that wicked Kings and Magistrates ought to be deposed yea killed 5.24 how they Meet when they have not the Consent of the Magistrate 529 530. of Oaths and Swearing 550 551. according to the Episcopalian and Presbyterian Principles and Practices no Man can be a Member of the State but first they must be a Member of the Church 691. the Protestants to their Shame have recourse to their old Abdicated Father the Pope for a Title to their
Call 833. concerning Protestants 611 721. Psalms Singing of Psalms 433. as commonly used is but a mock-worship 30 Q. Quakers i. e. Tremblers and why so called 356 698. they are not contemners of the Scriptures and what they think of them 296 301 335. nor of Reason and what they think of it 337 338. they do not say that all other Secondary means of Knowledge are of no Service 274. they do not compare themselves to Jesus Christ as they are falsly accused 334. Nor do they deny those things that are written in the Holy Scriptures concerning Christ his Conception 335. they were raised up of God to shew forth the Truth 330 331 355 356 their Doctrine of Justification is not Popish 365 369 381 387. they are not against Meditation 452. their Worship cannot be interrupted 454. and what they have suffered 453. how they vindicate Liberty of Conscience 528 529. they do not persecute others 530. their Adversaries confess that they are found for the most part free from the Abominations which abound among others yet they account those things Vices in them which in themselves they extol as notable Vertues and make more Noise about the Escape of one Quaker than of an hundred among themselves 532 533. they destroy not the mutual Relation that is betwixt Prince and People Master and Servant Father and Son nor do they introduce Community of Goods 533 534. nor say that one Man may not use the Creation more or less than another 533. In the Doctrine concerning the Ministry they defend themselves by the Arguments the Primitive Protestants used against the Papists of those Times 90. a Catalogue of Lies and Calumnies falsly alledged to be the Quakers Assertions 890 891. the Quakers Adversaries fasten Contradictions upon Christ himself 666 J. B's Doubts concerning the Time of the Author 's joining with the People called Quakers resolved 869. the Author's Education 612 678. his Burthen 707. Reflections cast upon him 719 880. the Liberty which the Quakers enjoy is by mercy not of their own procuring 530. see also 48 150 185. their General Assembly 234 235. their Ministry c. 438 448 474 6â—8 678. their Sufferings 722. for not bearing Arms 562. their Adversaries Slanders and Accusations against them 566 568. J. B's Calumnies 760. ungodly Railings against them 793. 819 835 842 854 829 842 844. and false Charges 877 878. the Lord their Honour and Reward 698 R. Ranters The Blaspemy of the Ranters or Libertines saying That there is no difference betwixt Good and Evil 393 Reason What need we set up corrupt Reason 284. concerning Reason 290 337 Rebekkah 449 450 Reconciliation How Reconciliation with God is made 37O 373 Recreations see Plays Redemption is considered in a twofold respect first performed by Christ without us and secondly wrought in us 368 369. it is universal God gave his only begotten Son Jesus Christ for a Light that whosoever believeth in him may be saved 317 318 345 346. the benefit of his death is not less universal than the Seed of him 317. there is scarce found any article of the Christian Religion that is so expresly confirmed in the Holy Scriptures 321 322 323 324 325. this Doctrin was preached by the Fathers so called of the first 600. years and is proved by the sayings of some 326 327. those that since the time of the Reformation have affirmed it have not given a clear Testimony how that Benefit is communicated to all or have sufficiently taught the Truth because they have added the absolute Necessity of the outward knowledge of the History of Christ yea they have thereby given the contrary party a stronger Argument to defend their precise decree of Reprobation among whom were the Remonstrants of Holland 318 327 330. God hath now raised up a few Illiterate Men to be the dispensers of this Truth 330 331 355 356. this Doctrin sheweth forth the mercy and Justice of God 330 3341 30 341. it is the foundation of Salvation 331. it answers to the whole tenor of the Gospel-promises and threats 331. it exalts above all the Grace of God 331. it overturns the false Doctrin of the Pelagians and Semi-pelagians and others who exalt the light of nature and the freedom of Mans will 331. it makes the Salvation of Man solely to depend upon God and his Condemnation wholly and in every respect to be of himself 331. it takes away all ground of Despair and feeds none in security 331. it commends the Christian Religion among Infidels 332. it sheweth the wisdom of God 332. and it is established though not in words yet by deeds even by those Ministers that oppose this Doctrin 332. It derogates not from the Attonement and Sacrifice of Jesus Christ but doth magnify and exalt it 335. there is given to every one none excepted a certain day and time of Visitation in which it is possible for them to be saved 330 341 345. The Testimony of Cyril concerning this thing 344 345. it is explained what is understood and not understood by this Day 333. to some it may be longer to others shorter 333. many may outlive this Day of Visitation after which there is no possibility of Salvation to to them 333. Some examples are alledged the Objectionâ— and those places of Scripture which others abuse to prove that God incites Men to sin are easily solved if they be applied to these Men after the Time of their Visitation is past 333 341 342 there is given to every one a measure of the Light Seed Grace and Word of God whereby they can be saved 330 341 345 352. which is also confirmed by the Testimonies of Cyril and others 347 349 351 352. what that Light is see Light many though Ignorant of the outward History yet have been sensible of the Loss that came by Adam which is confirmed by the Testimonies of Plato and others 361 362. many have known Christ within as a Remedy to Redeem them though not under that denomination witness Seneca Cicero and others 361 362. yet all are obliged to believe the outward History of Christ to whom God bringeth the Knowledg of it 335 Reformation wherein it is not placed 408 409. mechanick men have contributed much to it 431. what hath been pernicious to it 499. Regeneration those that have attained unto a perfect Regeneration cannot miss of Salvation 42 43. Regeneration is not wrought in an Instant 821. Relation see Quakers Religion The Christian Religion see Christianity how it is made odious to Jews Turks and Heathens 498. that any Religion is established by a National Law is no Argument that it ought not to be called in Question and brought to the Test 589. Indifferency and Lukewarmness in Religious matters highly displeasing to the Lord 681 Remonstrants of Holland see Arminians Redemption They deny absolute Reprobation 290. how we differ from them 339. they exalt too much the Natural Power and Free Will of Man and what they think of the Saving Light 354 355.