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A39306 A reply to an answer lately published to a book long since written by W.P. entituled A brief examination and state of liberty spiritual &c. by Thomas Ellwood. Ellwood, Thomas, 1639-1713.; Penn, William, 1644-1718. Brief examination and state of liberty spiritual. 1691 (1691) Wing E624; ESTC R29061 86,814 104

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rejected as a Novelty in the same Spirit wherein the World rejects the whole way of Truth as a Novelty Common and Universal matters therefore relating to the Church of God are not to be restrained to such things as have been commonly and universally received For the envious Seeds-Man was not backward to sow his evil Seed betimes and Captious Spirits have risen up early as well as now of late excepting against some one some an other thing in Doctrine or Practice yet pretending to own the Fundamental principle of Truth So that the most approved practice amongst Friends may perhaps fall short of having been in a strict Sense Universally received For Universal admits no Exception But by Common and Universal matters relating to the Church of God are to be understood matters of Common and Universal Vse and Service in the Church of God things not peculiar to this that or to'ther Member only but of common use or benefit to all the Members of the Body And that the Author so meant it his own words plainly shew page 5. Where he says Degree or Measure in the same Life can never contradict or obstruct that which is from the same Life for the common benefit of the Family of God Did Iude call the Salvation he writ of verse 3. Common because it was commonly received or because it was offered intended and tendred as a Common Benifit to all that would receive it And whereas the Adversaries say This of Conviction and Perswasion preceding Conformity hath been a Common and Vniversal matter or thing because commonly and universally received among us as a great Truth I Reply It is indeed a great Truth and hath been and is a common and universal Matter but not for the cause or reason they assign For if it had not been commonly and universally received among us as a great Truth yet it would have been a common and universal Matter relating to the Church of God because it is a Matter of common and universal Service and Benefit to all and every Member in the Church of God But since they here acknowledge that this Doctrine of Conviction and Perswasion preceding Conformity hath been commonly and universally received among us as a great Truth they do ill to insinuate which too frequently they do that Friends would draw any to a Conformity to any thing before or without Conviction or Perswasion In their 23d page They pick another piece of a Sentence out of the Book they pretend to Answer which they set down thus What comes from the Light Life and Spirit in one is the same in Truth and Vnity to the rest as if it rise in themselves This is seen in our Assemblies every day c. Now because they dare not directly gainsay this and yet are disposed to wrangle they pretend to know the Design of the Argument and quarrel with that The Design they say of this Argument is to gain a dependance upon the Teachings of God by Instruments equal at least to the Teaching of God immediately by his Spirit in our own hearts and this they say how plausible soever is not according to the Truth as 't is in Iesus Rep. Their surmise in this Case is wrong and Evil and therefore not according to Truth That which they suggest to be the Design was not the Design of that Argument as they call it But the plain and true Design of it was to obviat an Objection and cut off a false Plea for Disunion and Discord grounded upon variety of Measures and diversity of Gifts and Offices in the Body For the Author having put the Question page 4. Are there not various Measures diversities of Gifts and several Offices in the Body And having granted that there are proves that that variety and diversity of Measures Gifts and Offices in the Body administers no ground for Disunion Discord or Contrariety amongst the members of the Body since it is a false way of Reasoning to conclude Discord from Diversity Contrariety from Variety which having illustrated by an Instance of the various Senses in a natural Body without any Contrariety flowing from that variety he shews page 5. That Diversity of Gifts doth not infer Disagreement in Sense nor variety of Offices contrariety in Judgment concerning those Offices Then having from the concurrent Testimonies of the holy Scriptures set forth the Unity of God he infers that the Light Life and Spirit of God is at unity with it self in all and what comes from the Light Life or Spirit in one it is the same in Truth and Vnity to the rest as if it rise in themselves For this he appealed to the daily experience of Friends in our Meetings where the Living and sensible ones know that what comes from the Light Life or Spirit of God in any Friend that Ministers is felt received closed with and united to as Truth by those that in the same Light Life and Spirit wait as well as if it had arose in themselves this was the Design of the Author's words in that place as is apparent to any that fairly reads them and the Design was good But the Design of the Adversaries was Evil in surmising another Design without ground that they might make an occasion for Cavilling For they are fain to confess that there is no contrariety in the Spirit of God no Contradiction in the Spirit 's Teaching being all for one and the same end the good of Man by the Salvation of his Soul Nay they acknowledge There is so much Truth in what the Author hath said that when fairly stated they are content it should be as a Rule to measure the whole difference by And yet they spend about a couple of Pages in Carping at it They say betwixt God's Teaching by Instruments and Teaching immediately by his Spirit in our own hearts there is this Distinction or Difference that the first is but to prepare the latter to perfect Whereas the Scripture saith expresly When Christ ascended up on high he gave gifts unto Men some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints c. Eph. 4.8 11 12. So that hence it appears that the Teaching of God through such Instruments as he gives his heavenly Gifts unto for the work of the Ministry hath a further tendency and Service than but or only to prepare for those Gifts were given for the Edifying that is building up or Establishing of the Body of Christ and for the Perfecting of the Saints This shews the Adversaries for all their high Notions and fluttering Pretences are short of a right understanding and to seek in the work of the Ministry being ignorant of the true and full end of Divine Ministerial Gifts So again they say page 23. When the things of God do come from God's holy Spirit immediately they are then as the Oracles of God this shews they do not reckon them as the Oracles of God if they come from