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faith_n	church_n	scripture_n	tradition_n	15,184	5	9.5685	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47136	Divine immediate revelation and inspiration, continued in the true church second part. In two treatises: the first being an answer to Jo. W. Bajer Doctor and Professor of Divinity, so called, at Jena in Germany, published first in Latine, and now in English. The second being an answer to George Hicks, stiled Doctor of Divinity, his sermon preached at Oxford, 1681. and printed with the title of, The spirit of enthusiasm exorcised; where this pretended exorcist is detected. Together, with some testimonies of truth, collected out of diverse ancient writers and fathers, so called. By G.K.; Divine immediate revelation and inspiration, continued in the true church. Part 2.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.	1685 (1685)	Wing K158; ESTC R218958	105,601	220

this is such an Inspiration as is commonly obtained in the use of the ordinary means of salvation as of reading the Scriptures hearing them preached expounded and opened also meditating upon them with frequent Prayer unto God to give the Understanding of them and his gracious Assistance rightly to use and improve them and so is not an immediate Inspiration or Revelation that cometh unto the Saints without the use of the means as it did come unto the Prophets and Apostles whereas the Inspirations and Revelations which the people called Quakers pretend unto are immediate and come as they say unto them immediately as unto the Prophets and Apostles of old without all use of the means But this I have so abundantly answered to the Lutherian Doctor in the aforesaid Treatise that little here needeth to be added where I have sufficiently shewed That though we own and plead for immediate Revelation and Inspiration of the Spirit yet this Revelation and Inspiration is ordinarily obtained by us and all true Christians in the diligent and frequent use of all the true means of Salvation appointed of God according to the direction of Gods Holy Spirit And we readily grant That reading and hearing the Scriptures also true and right Preaching and Prayer with Meditation are special means in the right use whereof the spirits Inspirations and Revelations are ordinarily obtained Nor doth this hinder the Inspirations of the spirit to be immediate because they are conveyed and given to true Christians in the use of these aforesaid means or any other not named as I have in the above named Treatise largely made apparent which I need not here repeat And it is a great mistake in them who think that the Inspirations and Revelations of the holy spirit which came unto the Prophets and Apostles were commonly obtained by them without all use of means the contrary whereof I have also clearly proved in the aforesaid Treatises And indeed this Author himself doth save me the Labor of further insisting upon the Proof of so clear an Assertion For in the last page of his Printed Sermon he saith Among the Jews themselves there were Schools of the Prophets in which as the Jewish Writers agree the Youth were trained by study and discipline for the reception of the Prophetical Spirit which according to Maimonides whom the Jews call the second Moses rarely came but upon persons so qualified and prepared Thus we see according to this Authors acknowledgment the Prophetical Inspirations which were immediate came ordinarily unto the Prophets being prepared and qualified by the use of means in study and discipline And thus indeed Christ prepared his Apostles before-hand for the more abundant reception of the holy spirit by his Preaching and Labouring among them during the time of his Ministry and Preaching before his Crucifixion which continued about three years and a half But whereas the Author addeth That he dare boldly say were it not for the two Schools of the Prophets in our Israel the Nation would soon be over-run with Ignorance c. I suppose the Author knoweth that the Schools of the Prophets whose Masters were divinely inspired and the Schools of Oxford and Cambridge are very unlike and have little in common but the name In the Schools of the Prophets by study and discipline and especially by vertuous and godly Education in a holy Life the minds of the Studients were prepared and qualified to receive the spirit of Prophecy and the divine Influences and Inspirations thereof and accordingly so did receive they which the Studients in your Universities are not like to receive while they are taught to believe that all such Prophetical Inspirations are expired and that the spirit of Enthusiasm or Inspiration where-ever it is now found is the Devil or some unclean spirit But surely the Studients in the Schools of the Prophets were of another belief A third thing which possibly this Author or some may alledge is That the Inspirations or Revelations which the People called Quakers own pretend to discover and introduce new Doctrines into the World and impose them on people as new Articles of Faith and as a new Rule of their Belief and Manners for so much the Authors words imply when he saith And lastly when with all this they to wit the Quakers shall Preach no other Doctrine than what the Apostle hath Preached and the Catholick Church received then we will believe if they be lawfully Baptized that it is the Spirit which is speaking in them But in Answer to this I say we pretent to no new Doctrine nor do we believe that any Doctrine not already delivered in the Scriptures and sufficiently Preached by the Prophets and Apostles is revealed to us by Divine Inspiration nor do we expect the Revelation of any new Doctrine or any other Articles of Faith or Precepts of holy life but what are already declared in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament only we say that we need the Inspiration of the holy Spirit to work in us a right Faith and Understanding of the Doctrines and Precepts declared in the Scriptures and to enable us rightly to use and apply them the which is according to the Common Prayer of the Church of England as is sufficiently made apparent from what is abovesaid What the Author saith of our being lawfully Baptized as one of the Conditions requisite to have us to be believed that we have the spirit of God I shall not insist upon seeing it tendeth to lead us into a new Controversie only this much in short by the way I query 1. Why may we not have the spirit supposed not Baptized with Water seeing Cornelius and his Friends received the spirit before they were Baptized with Water 2. Whether in the Primitive Church when many delayed their Baptism with Water till death or old Age they were deprived of the spirit all that time wherein they were not baptized with Water and whether all who have died without Water Baptism have died without the spirit and so without salvation 3. Whether many of us have not been as lawfully Baptized with water as the Author himself if that did or could contribute any thing to the receiving the spirit 4. Whether he can prove from Scripture That Infant-sprinkling with Water is the Lawful Baptism or ever was 5. Whether he can prove that Christ hath commissioned all or any of those who sprinkle Infants on the Forehead so to do or why some more than others why the Teachers of the Church of England more than Papists or Presbyterians But there are other two Conditions he requireth in order to our being believed that we have the spirit the one is That we work Miracles and together with the gift of Tongues have all other miraculous Gifts But surely this Condition is very unreasonable and unequal for by the same Law he would have excluded Iohn the Baptist who was a great Prophet and yet as it is said expresly of him he wrought no

an Infallible Knowledge and Faith of all such things as are absolutely necessary to Salvation But as to other things he may err if he be not duly watchful to follow the infallible Guidance of Gods Holy Spirit But if this Author thinketh he has no infallible Faith or Knowledge of any part or Doctrine of Religion he is a meer Sceptick and Unbeliever for all true Faith is Infallible that which is fallible is but meer opinion and conjecture His second Instance is as weak and impertinent as the former viz. That the Principle of Immediate Revelation and Inspiration utterly overthrows the authority of the Scriptures and makes them an useless Rule of Faith But to this I answer nay but on the contrary the Doctrine of Inspiration and Revelation its remaining in the Church doth not overthrow but establish the authority of the Scriptures and maketh them most useful both for a Rule of Faith and Manners in subordination unto the Holy Spirit And surely had this Author well minded his former concessions he would not have made such an absurd Inference for he hath granted that Inspirations and Revelations did remain for several ages in the primitive Church after the Apostles days and that the Scriptures were written before that time and yet I suppose he will not say that the Revelations and Inspirations which the Christians then had did overthrow the Scriptures or render them useless He might with the same absurd way of Reasoning say That the Scriptures of the Old Testament their authority was overthrown by the Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles under the New Testament or that one Prophets writing did overthrow the Writing of another Prophet that did go before him which is most absurd Paul who had abundant Inspirations and Revelations did not despise the Scriptures but regarded their authority and used them both to his own and his Brethrens comfort and edification His third Instance is That it hath cashired the use of the Sacraments But this is like the Papists way of proceeding against the Protestants who to render them more obnoxious to the malice of the Ignorant cry out against the Protestants for cashiring no less than five or rather six of the holy Sacraments of the Catholick Church For whereas the Church of Rome holdeth that there are seven Sacraments she blameth the Protestants for cash ring five of them totally and the sixth almost if not altogether also to wit that of the Eucharist so called the Protestants making that which the Priest or Minister giveth to the people but a figure or sign which to be sure is not any Gospel mystery for the figures belonged to the Law and ceased with them and the substance is come in the room of them which we acknowledge And whether it is more dangerous and hurtful to say that a Figure Sign or Ceremony is ceased which was not appointed to continue till the end of the World or to say that Divine Inspiration whereby the Soul liveth unto God and Divine Revelation whereby it only knoweth God aright is ceased let all sober and impartial men judge But as to this debate of the Sacraments because it is a digression I shall not enlarge His fourth Instance is That it hath annulled the Ministerial Orders But this is as unjust a charge as any of the former and doth much more justly reflect upon the Author himself who hath plainly said that not only the Orders of Apostles and Prophets but also of Evangelists Pastors and Teachers all which were Ministerial Orders mentioned Eph. 4. are ceased in the Church The which if so it may be fairly quered according to this Authors Hypothesis and Doctrine that all Inspiration is ceased which yet the Church of England and the Common-Prayer alloweth whether this Author hath not excluded himself from all the Ministerial Orders mentioned in Eph. 4. because he saith They are all ceased And that he cannot find any Ministerial Order mentioned in the New Testament but what was accompanied with Inspiration whereby they both Preached and Prayed And seeing he hath denied Inspiration which the Liturgy of the Church of England owneth and she prayeth for whether this Authors manner of Preaching and Praying be not more contrary to the Liturgy of the Church of England in this very respect than that of the people called in derision Quakers and so whether he hath not brought himself and his Hearers more deservedly under the censure of the Law than the Quakers in this respect have done These two Queries I desire the Author plainly and without all shifting or subterfuge to answer But to the matter in hand Divine Immediate Revelations and Inspirations cannot any more annul but indeed they do confirm all the Ministerial Orders appointed of God than they did in the primitive times For when Immediate Revelatiations and Inspirations did greatly abound in the Church as this Author confesseth the Ministerial Orders remained and were the more confirmed and therefore they are so still Next his Instances failing he proceedeth to sinistrous and unjust Insinuations against us as that the principle of Inspiration can effectually convert the Professors of it into downright Popery consequently with their own Principles for they have nothing more to do than to say that the Spirit hath told them that the Church of Rome is the only true Church To this I answer It is impossible the Holy Spirit whom with all true Christians we profess to guide us into all truth according to the Scriptures can ever tell us any such thing because both the Holy Spirit wihin and the Holy Scripture without doth plainly tell us that no Church holding such corrupt Doctrines and Practises is or can be a true Church and the Spirits testimony cannot contradict it self and as Paul said is not yea and nay but remains the same How much more justly may this be retorted upon many who are Enemies to Inspiration and have pretended the Church they were of was the true Church and yet by some motive of Gain or Fear have changed to another Church and way pretending that their Reason or Scripture hath told them their former way was wrong which yet is no just Reflection either on Reason or Scripture For as a false pretence to Reason and Scripture doth not make void their true use so no more doth a false pretence to the Holy Spirit if any should so do render the use thereof void or ineffectual His last Insinuation is as unfair and unjust as any of the former As this Doctrine saith he was first privately sowed among us by Popish Emissaries so hath it been published in our and other Countries by those who were Papists as by Ro. Barclay who was bred in the Scottish Covent at Paris and Labbade a Jesuit defrocquet That the Doctrine of Immediate Revelation was first privately sowed in England by Popish Emissaries we know to be a false Insinuation and as for his Proof which is a meer citation of the bare name and title of a

Kingdom of God standeth not in words but in power And seeing a Christians Faith is a part of Gods Kingdom in his Soul the said Faith stands not in the words even of the Apostles by Pauls own Testimony but hath a greater and more noble and excellent Foundation to wit the Power and holy Spirit of God in the Heart of the Believer as that doth inspire and inwardly operate move and act upon the intellectual Faculties of the Soul And here possibly some will grant that the Spirit hath the greatest efficiency or stroke in working this spiritual assent or Perswasion to the Doctrine of the Gospel as an efficient Cause in the Souls of Believers but perhaps they will say as this Author saith of the common saving Graces of the Spirit that they are Moral Virtues insensibly wrought in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost and that therefore any Divine Assent or Perswasion which the Holy Ghost works in our Hearts is wrought insensibly and that the Holy Ghost in his Inspiration and Operation is incognitum quid as some Popish Schoolmen and others have affirmed the Spirits operation to be medium incognitum assentiendum i. e. an unknown medium or mean that worketh in us insensibly or without all perception on our part whose footsteps this Author seemeth to follow And seeing the Spirits Influence or Operation is altogether unperceptible to the Soul as having no objectve evidence whereby to make it self known as they affirm and that the Soul or Mind of man cannot assent to Truth without some objective evidence of truth The Scripture therefore is that medium or mean which alone as they say giveth this objective Evidence of truth to the Soul and moveth it objectively to assent to the truth Hence they distinguish betwixt subjective and objective Illumination and the Subjective and objective Influence and Assistance saying that the Spirit indeed giveth us the Subjective illumination and Assistance but the Scripture only giveth us the objective Illumination and Assistance But this distinction I have sufficiently at length refuted in my Book of Immediate Revelation above cited so that I need not insist to make a new Refutation of it here until the Author or some else disprove the Arguments I have brought there to evince that the Holy Spirit worketh sensibly and perceptibly in the hearts of Believers and giveth unto them an objective Assistance and Illumination as well as subjective or effective that both can be known and is known to be a divine assistance and to proceed from the Holy Spirit in them who have it and whose minds are well prepared and disposed to receive and observe it for the Spirits inward Operation and Inspiration or Influence is sufficiently observable and reachable enough by the inward and spiritual Senses of the Soul when excited and awakned by the power of the Holy Spirit as I can appeal to all who have the least measure of experience in the case and whose spiritual senses are awakned and duly exercised to discern betwixt Good and Evil. Such by an inward spiritual divine sensation are able to discern and distinguish betwixt a good motion and Inspiration that cometh from the Spirit of God and an evil motion and Inspiration that cometh from the Devil or some evil Spirit Again seeing by the Inspiration and Illumination of the Spirit of God we are principally inclined moved and perswaded to assent to the truth of the Scripture-Testimony and are made to believe that the Scriptures are no cunningly devised Fable but the Holy Oracles and Sayings of God by men divinely inspired as all good and sound Protestants do acknowledge we must needs consequentially affirm that the spirits illumination is the more noble Rule and preferable to the Scripture And thus we evite that fallacious Circle that some run into and for which they are derided by some of the Church of Rome because they say they believe the Scriptures for the spirits inward Testimony and to go round again they say they believe the spirits inward Testimony for the Scriptures This say the Romanists is a fallacious Circle and not to be allowed according to the Rules of right Disputation But say we as we own the Scriptures Testimony as a good secondary Confirmation to induce or move us to believe the spirits inward Testimony so we beleive the Spirits inward Testimony being chiefly moved or induced so to do by the spirit of God himself inspiring us and inwardly moving and inclining us thereunto and we principally believe the Scriptures for the spirit but the spirit we principally believe for himself or his own immediate Testimony in our hearts which is secondarily confirmed to us by the Scriptures Testimony And I see not how any true Protestant or sober rational man who owneth a necessity of the spirits Inspiration to produce saving faith in the soul can blame us for so doing And thus the Romanists have no occasion to deride or blame us for running into a vicious Circle in giving the reason of our Faith And we judge it no derogation to the Scripture to prefer the spirit of God and Christ as he doth immediately bear witness in our Hearts to the external Testimony of the Scriptures For as Iohn and all the Prophets and Apostles gave the preference to Christ as more worthy so no doubt the Scriptures which are their Words and Writings prefer the holy spirit of Christ whose servants and Instruments they are And here I give the Reader a necessary Caution which I desire him well to observe that when the Question is stated betwixt the inward and immediate Testimony of the spirit in the soul of a true Christian and the outward Testimony of the Scripture we affirm the inward is the more noble the greater and the more preferable even as the soul is the more noble part of a man and of greater value than the Body however so excellent or beautiful as being that which giveth life to the Body for as the soul quickneth the body and useth it as its Instrument so the holy spirit inspiring the Heart of a true Christian quickneth the Scriptures Testimony and maketh it to live and bring forth Fruit in the soul yet when the Question is stated betwixt the Scriptures and any Revelation Vision or Inspiration externally brought forth in Words or Writing that in this case we most willingly prefer the Scripture words and writings to any words and writings of ours how much soever inspired or proceeding from Inspiration and do most willingly submit all our Words and Writings to the publick standard Test and Touch-stone of the Scriptures to be tryed by them and not otherwise to be received than as agreeing with them A second thing which possibly this Author or some other may answer in the case is That though the Church of England according to the Common Prayer owneth the Inspiration of the holy spirit as necessary to saving Faith and to the begetting a saving and spiritual knowledge of God and the Scriptures yet

his other Brethren to Paul and all the other Apostles as if the Apostles because of their Inspirations and Revelations knew but in part and as Children having little use of their rational Faculties whereas this Author having attained to the adult state he is become perfect in Knowledge and like Moses converseth with God face to face and that without all Revelation or Inspiration immediately from God But how did Moses converse or speak with God face to face to whom the Lord said Thou canst not see my face and live was it without all manner of immediate Revelation or Inspiration I trow not but rather after a more noble and higher sort of Divine Inspiration than was commonly given to other Prophets But how much more sutable and agreeable to truth is that exposition of Pauls words that is commonly given that Paul compareth his highest attainments in this Life even by Vision and Revelation or Inspiration with what he did expect and wait for after death so as the highest attainments of Divine Knowledge by Revelation or Inspiration belonging to this life are but as the attainments of Children in comparison with what the Saints are to expect after death in the life to come But whereas the Author thinketh that the highest Revelations given in this life are but by symbolical Representations upon the phansie as in a Glass he is much mistaken There is a Revelation of God which God pleaseth at times to give to his Children far beyond all symbolical Representations or Similitudes of things whereby God in Christ and the pure Glory of God is seen and enjoyed by the highest and noblest faculty of the Soul which is an earnest and first Fruits of Eternal Life Nor is the Author more dexstrous in expounding all that diversity of Gifts mentioned 1 Cor. 12.4 8 9 10. to have been the miraculous and extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit for why might not some of them have been the common and ordinary and others of them miraculous and extraordinary By common and ordinary I mean not here such as were given to all and every one in particular but such common ministerial Gifts as God gave in common to all ordinary Teachers and Preachers and Ministers of the Lords fitting and sending for of these ministerial Gifts the Apostle is here principally to be understood And whereas the Author here doth argue that the Gifts mentioned in this place cannot be the saving Gifts of the Spirit because these God bestoweth joyntly on those who have them or not at all whereas the Gifts mentioned here are given some to one and some to another But to this I answer although the Gifts here mentioned in the foregoing Verses be not the saving Universal Gifts mentioned by him which are given to every one of the Faithful yet it doth not follow that therefore they are all miraculous and extraordinary for some of them might be of a third and middle sort to wit given in common to all Teachers and Preachers and may be called saving in such a sense or respect as the Preaching of the Gospel and distinct Offices of the Ministry may be called saving as being instrumental to the Salvation of Souls as it is said in Scripture That it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe And if according to the Author all the Gifts here mentioned be miraculous and all ceased within some few ages after the Apostles days then according to him there is no word of Wisdom nor of Knowledge in the Church which how harsh it will sound to Christian ears I leave the spiritual to judge But that the Author taketh this place of Scripture viz. 1 Cor. 12.4 for his Text and Foundation of his whole Discourse to prove that all the Gifts here mentioned were miraculous and consequently expired within some few Ages to the Apostles times is meerly asserted by him but not at all really proved And he might as well say that Faith Hope and Charity were miraculous Gifts of the Spirit and consequently expired with those other for of them also he discourseth a little after and compriseth them with the other sorts under the diversity of Gifts mentioned v. 4. whereas the Spirit is one So that in this whole Discourse of Pauls concerning the diversity of Gifts Chap. 12.13 14. he mentioneth no less than three several sorts one miraculous and extraordinary another sort common and ordinary to the Teachers in the Church and peculiar unto them a third sort viz. Faith Hope Charity common to all true and sincere Christians so that this diversity of Gifts extendeth it self to all the Church one way or another all having some although every one had not all even as the precious Ointment that ran down from Aarons beard unto the lowest skirts of his Garments And though when the Apostle doth treat of Faith Hope and Charity it is in the thirteen and fourteenth Chapters yet the Discourse is still one and the same as one intire piece and all the Gifts mentioned in all the three Chapters are contained under the diversity of Gifts viz. Spiritual Gifts mentioned v. 4. of Chap. 12. and all proceed from one Spirit so that it may and ought to be said of them of all Now there are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit and the best of these Gifts are Faith Hope and Love and the greatest of these is Love or Charity And thus I have answered to every thing that seemed material in his Sermon to prove that Divine Inspirations which he calleth Enthusiasms are ceased in the Church and though I have not observed strictly the method of his Sermon so as to answer to every thing in his order because the Nature of my answer required to put several things together that lay scattered in his Sermon and sometimes to take that last which he putteth first yet I hope the diligent and impartial Reader will find that the whole substance of his Sermon against Divine Inspirations is sufficiently answered And now in the Close I shall only take notice of some Reflections of his on the people called Quakers and some few other particulars and then make an end CHAP. V. IN his page 37. Edit 3. he undertakes to show what a dangerous damnable and precarious Principle that is which asserts that Immediate Revelation or Inspiration is not ceased c. But the Instances he bringeth to prove what he saith are wholly precarious and false as 1. That it differs only from the Popes Infallibility in this That that makes only the Bishop of Rome but this makes every private Christian a Pope This I say is altogether a false charge as to us For we place not an absolute Infallibility upon any person or persons whatsoever but we say the Spirit of God in all his Leadings Teachings and Motions is infallible and men only conditionally so far as they receive and are in unity with these Leadings and Teachings are Infallible We say further That every true Christian hath

Book called Foxes and Fire-brands pag. 15. c. printed 1680. What ground of Proof can such a bare citation be without naming the Author or giving a sufficient Evidence of his Fidelity How many Lyes are to be found in printed Books If bearly to name the Title of a Book without regarding or giving sufficient Evidence of the Authors Fidelity be proof enough against a Doctrine or Person who shall or can escape Innocent It were easie to show how the Jesuits are as great enemies to Immediate Revelation and Inspiration as necessary to every true Christian for the foundation of their Faith as any people in the World or as this Author as doth clearly enough appear out of Bellarmin a great Jesuit who disputeth against this way of resolving or building our Faith and pleadeth for the Tradition of the Church in opposition to all inward Inspiration and calleth them mad men who lean to any Spirit within them which he saith is often fallacious and ever uncertain Nor were it a hard thing to prove that the Doctrine of Inspiration hath been preached and believed both in England and elsewhere before either the Name or Order of Jesuits was in the World And as to his Insinuation concerning R. Barclay unless he can prove that he remained a Papist when he did publish among many others that Doctrine he saith nothing to the matter It can easily be showed that divers Bishops and Teachers in the Protestant Church have had their Education at Popish Schools yea Luther himself was a Popish Monk and bred at a Popish University and some of the present Bishops and Teachers in Britain have had a Popish Education which yet will not argue they are still Papists How many are quite of other Perswasions than what they had by Education And as for R. B. what Education he had among Papists was but when a Child or Boy where he learned only some Latin and Grammar and what he received of their Leaven even in his young and tender years while yet but a youth he renounced and the Lord opened his Eyes to see and acknowledge the Truth whereof I can give better Testimony having well known him from that very time than this Author can against him And I ask the Author Was it any prejudice or derogation to the Christian Religion that Paul a zealous Preacher of it was bred among the Pharisees if not the Authors Argument being of the same sort evanisheth As for Labbade as he was no Quaker so called so whatever formerly he was to be sure he was then no Jesuit but hated and persecuted by them In pag. 40. he falls on with a fresh assault to accuse the Doctrine of the Quakers so called concerning a Spiritual Ministry and Spiritual Worship for being blasphemous but if this be blasphemy to own a spiritual Ministry and Worship at this rate he may accuse the Apostles yea Christ himself as blasphemous which is most absurd and blasphemous so to affirm who were for a Spiritual Ministry Iohn 4. and Spiritual Worship but it seemeth by this that the Author himself is only for a carnal or literal Ministry and Worship And he saith they viz. the people called in derision Quakers pretend that the Holy Ghost now cometh down upon their Assemblies as it did in the Apostles time and moves them to Preach and Pray by Inspiration without any regard to Condition or Sex But here he doth not fairly nor truly represent our Doctrine for we distinguish betwixt the ordinary and miraculous Inspirations with both which the Apostles were indued and we say Although the miraculous and extraordinary be ceased yet the ordinary remain as being necessary to all right effectual Preaching and Praying Again it is false that he alledgeth we say the Spirit inspireth us to Preach or Pray without any regard to Condition for a regard there is had unto the Condition of persons so that the Spirit inspireth none to Preach or Pray but such as are first brought into some measure of a sanctified State and Condition As to other things he mentions here and especially that about calling for Signs and Miracles I have already answered him above and here I would have him to consider how Christ called them an evil and adulterous Generation that sought after Signs And what if we could show Signs and perform all the other Conditions he requireth of us that he may believe us to be truly inspired would he then in good earnest believe us to be divinely inspired hath he not called the very principle a blasphemous Doctrine And whereas he saith pag. 38. he denyeth not but that God is free to send Prophets when he pleases and that he may do so when the exigence of the Church doth require it Is not this a manifest contradiction to his calling the Doctrine of Inspiration and Immediate Revelation blasphemous Or is God free to send when he pleaseth any blasphemous Doctrine or Principle into the World as this Author termeth Immediate Revelatiation and Inspiration And suppose that God did send Prophets or men immediately inspired which this Author supposeth he may Can God send any thing that would overthrow the Authority of the Scriptures and annul the Ministerial Orders would not this be inconsistent with his Divine infinite Wisdom But thus we see what inconsistences this Author falleth into while he is carried with such a preposterous zeal against this so excellent a principle In pag. 40. he scoffingly taunts the people called Quakers with their Groanings in their Meetings saying that they groan sufficiently we grant for sometimes in their Meetings they do nothing else But if their Groaning or vocal Devotion be from the Spirit how comes it to pass that the Spirit never moves them as it did in the Apostles days to Pray and Prophesie in unknown Tongues To this I answer Many have both Groaned and Prayed by the Spirit who never spoke with unknown Tongues as I think the Author will confess for the Prophets prayed by the Spirit before Christ came in the flesh and yet all had not the Gift of Tongues But by this it plainly seemeth he disowneth all Groaning and Praying by the Spirit as applicable to him or any of his Brethren this I say again is far contrary to the Liturgy of the Church of England And how knoweth he that sometimes in their Meetings the people called in scorn Quakers do nothing else I must tell him they do more in every Meeting although to groan from the Spirit is of more value than all that the Author or any else can do without the Spirit viz. they meditate they wait they watch they sing and make a melody in their hearts unto the Lord. But here he seemeth to scoff at our silent Meetings where we wait to hear what God will speak unto us though perhaps no man at that time doth speak which is well enough consistent with our Principle of Divine Inspiration for if God inspire his people now as formerly they are well