the mans fancie and design is in bruiting and making such a noyse of the the appearance of the mighty day of the Lord judge ye I am sure he hath sufficiently discovered his own follie in blazing abroad such dreams of his own lying heart as if he could perswade people to believe that he can tell them of a lying wonder Well but all judgement is given to the Son and by his light and spirit in them they assume to judge all error and bind all persons that oppose them as they tell me in his power thou art bound and thy error judged Themselves you see are set in the Throne of Christ and under the notion of a Christ they are judgeing the whole world but if all judgement be given to the Son of man in them whom they hold is not distinct from themselves then men must honour their persons as they honour the Father and every knee must bow to them in Heaven and Earth Christ came not to judge the world but that the world should be saved through him while the day of salvation lasteth Nay he forbids this judging Judge not lest you be judged and will they say that the person of Christ is come from heaven and appears in his Majesty and Glory with his mighty Angels in them why do they not command the dead to arise and appear before them and receive their everlasting Doom but they will sooner deny the resurrection and say it 's past already with Hymeneus and Philetus then raise one dead Corps to life again But let them tell us plainly how Christ is the sole Judge of error and how persons are judged in the time of Grace by Christ in them if not by his word that shall judge all at the last day that reject it and not receive it by what then They say the light of Christ Ausw 1. Are not the holy Scriptures a light given to the Church by Christ the head thereof 2. Christ is to be considered in his person and natures simply or in his Authority and divine operations vertually There is not any whom Christ dwells in by his person and natures for so he is farre above all heavens at the right hand of God Act. 7. And it is blasphemy to say that Christ is in them by his person as God and man and to deny the glorified body of Christ that God hath raised from the dead as the Quakers do and will not allow the Divinity of Christ any other union with his humane Nature but what he hath with his body the Church is a pernicious blasphemous opinion also for by this they make all the particular bodies of his Saints to be but one and that the Godhead is in them bodily so that the Saints are God and man in one person as Howgill Borrough and others commonly spaeke And hence they judge that Christs sufferings in them makes satisfaction for all their own sins and so make the death of Christ in that body that suffered at Jerusalem of none effect as to satisfaction and salvation they call him a Christ without which was but a type and figure of this Christ within but to leave these Infidell Dreams I told you that Christ is to be considered in his Authority as revealed unto us in his word by commands backed with promises and Precedents for to encourage to obedience And 2. His Commands are guarded with menaces and threats and with Precedents of Gods executing his judgements upon transgressors for the terror of those that shall transgresse afterwards And this written word of God is the sole Judge of error given by Christ to that very end And those Divine operations and workings of Christ in the hearts of those whom he doth quicken with his speciall renewing grace doe work up his peoples spirits to a willing obedience to his holy rule prescribed in the holy Scriptures Now for them to say that the power and workings of Christ in his chosen and the gifts of grace he gives to them is Christ and the eternall word that made the world is such a frenzie that cannot be expressed as if every influence and operation the Sun hath upon the Earth upon Plants and all other creatures so farre distant and distinct from it were the Sun or as if every drop of water that the clouds exhale out and scatter from the Sea was the Sea or as if the gift was the giver but we may question whether they that thus spake of a Christ in them that made the World know any thing of Christ or of themselves as they ought to know at all In the next place they tell me Thou in thy dark mind talkest of the Revelations of Christ and the Apostles Doctrine and the Christians life and the ground of their obedience all which thou thou art a stranger to as is manifest by these thy following words Namely where I writ to them thus That God hath ordained the holy Scriptures alone to be the object of Faith and ground of all our obedience and serving of God and to do any religious service to God out of any other rule or principle is but Will-worship and to follow the imaginations of our own hearts serving the Divell and not God Unto this they Answer With the eternall word of God that was from the beginning art thou judged to be none of Abrahams seed and art raised out from his faith to which thou art a stranger for it had an object before the Scripture was written in which faith he see Christs day who is the object of our faith and ground of our obedience Heb. 11.16 c. And in his light we see thee to be in the Will-worship who obeyes from another ground and walks after the imaginations of thy own heart which leads thee to worship the Devill in bringing forth the many lies in this paper which he hath begotten in thee who is the Father of lies My reply to theirs is In these lines the spirit in them moved very strongly as the indifferent Reader may easily judge by their insolent rash censures and ignominious crimes they reproach me with for my asserting that which every one that is a Christian can do no lesse then own namely That God hath ordained the holy Scriptures alone to be the object of faith and ground of all our obedience and serving of God c. For this I am sentenced by the eternall word to be none of Abraham's seed and rased from his faith But 1. How shall I be sure they received this sentence from the eternall word which they have pronounced against me it being so directly contrary to what Christ hath forbidden Judge not lest you be judged Mat. 7. And they themselves say in their Answer to the Question we are upon That the Revelations of Christ are according to Scripture if this judging came to them by Revelation from Christ how will you make it to accord and be reconcileable with Scripture I but say they Thou art judged
were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope but the particular application of the whole or a part is by consequence because they were not firstly writ to us at all Therefore the conclusion is unavoydable against them and yet while themselves are denying the Scriptures to be the rule of faith and obedience and for which they are under the plagues written therein as was urged against them their insensible stupid spirits shift it from themselves and make my self the man that dare adde to the Scriptures my own conclusions and so am under all the plagues written therein Rev. 22.18 19. But let them prove wherein I have in the least diminished and added to the Scriptures who am defending their Divine authority unto all against them who out of Apostasie and strong delusion have denyed the Authority of Scripture to be the Rule of faith and life I spake of consequences and conclusions that naturally flow from expresse Texts of Scripture not forced far-fetched out of Texts perverted and misunderstood as themselves by concluding my self the man that are under all the plagues even while I am defending their Authority and themselves free even while they are denying Scripture Authority In their next judging me the cast-away 1 Cor. 9.27 And found in the old Covenant when the Law and Testimonie is without and shut out of the new Covenant where the Law is written in the heart Because I queried how the Law and Testimonie may be said to be in the heart seeing that the Scripture placed them in the Ark which is called the Ark of the Testimonie where the two Tables were placed that were written with the finger of God Exod. 25.16.20 21. and 31.18 and to this is those Texts Isai 8.16 and verse 20. to be referred which they interpret to be the Law and Testimonie of the heart and would have the Law and Testimonie in the Ark writ with the finger of God but a figure of the other as if the Lawes writ in the two Tables were not reall Lawes which all are bound to obey but a figure of some other Lawes writ in the heart of corrupt man that would make every idle fancie and suggestion of Satan a Law to be ruled by as is too evident by themselves who will allow of no Lawes of God nor Scriptures but the Revelations and Edicts of their own bewitched fancies for they have rejected the word of the Lord Jam. 8.9 and what wisdome is there in them But Christians what think you were not the Children of Israel to whom God gave these Lawes in writing the seed of Abraham and in that everlasting Covenant made to Abraham Gen. 17.7 8. where the Lord promiseth to be a God to him and his seed in their Generations for ever and was not this the Covenant of Grace which included all the saving blessings thereof unto salvation and the Law of Grace in the heart and yet the Lord in his wisdome and mercie to his Covenant people gave them his Lawes in an outward writing and they were bound to the keeping and observing of these Lawes upon promises of the greatest blessings and threats of the greatest penalties annexed Were not Moses Joshua Caleb and all the godly that had the fear of God and the Spirit of God in their souls bound to the observance of this Law which was in the Ark of the Testimonie and were they in the old Covenant so as to be shut out of the new as they say of me for defending the same truth which those servants of the Lord practised and all others that feared God after them What think you Christians is the book of the Law inconsistent with the new Covenant when the truth is the great blessing of the new Covenant is so to renew our hearts and incline them to the Law of God that with love and delight we may walk in Gods Lawes and ordinances prescribed to his Glory But behold their censures they judge me none of Abraham's seed and rased out from his faith and shut out of the new Covenant and judged to be under all the plagues written in the Book of God and now are come to deny my prayers and the God whom I serve Who doth thee guide say they to belie the truth and slander the innocent I say the Lord rebuke thee Satan thou enemie to mankind who by thy wiles beguilest weak man who all his life time is subject to temptation and error and although thou hast prevailed upon these frail men to run upon mistakes putting light for darknesse and taking darknesse for light and thereby hath drawn them to deny the true and living God whose being and blessednesse is in himself infinite yet God forbid that I shoul cease praying for them and that unto my God in the name of Jesus Christ to heal their back slidings and to reduce them from wandring from thy truth and Church in all the mysterious errors they are bewilder'd and scattered in in the cloudy and dark day not for want of light who have been in a valley of vision but for want of love thereof and wholesome Discipline to prevent such extravagances And now my dear Friends of Farndon and all others that are entangled in these dangerous snares and unheard of errors that men of perverse minds and proud presumptuous spirits have the boldnesse to vent and publish in our loose dayes What think you now you have been ready to defend these deceivers and tell us that they keep to the Scriptures and teach nothing but what they have ground of Scripture for and they are as full of Scripture quotations as any whatever But what think you now have not they in plain words denyed the Scriptures to be the only rule of faith and obedience and set up another rule to be the sole Judge of error and ground of all obedience namely the light of Christ in them which sometimes they call the eternall Word by which they judge of errors and persons bind and sentence at pleasure as if all judgement in heaven and earth was given to them only and the same honour due to them which is due to the Father as you have seen it cleared unto you before I beseech you to be serious in your thoughts of what hath been writ in discovering their deceits and blasphemies and the very foundation of all heresie their denying the Rule that all things are to be tryed by and make themselves the absolute rule and we may not question what themselves say be it never so insolent and to be abhorred of all sober Christians But they presently passe sentence and judgement on us as if all judgement was given to them indeed and as if themselves were the only Masters that all must stand or fall unto Had they but power to execute as they have pride and insolencie to judge and censure what flesh were able to stand before them that should but crosse their proud fancies
But their pride will be their ruine And the Lord will rebuke the madnesse of these Prophets and they are in the same way of perishing as in the gainsaying of Corab But dear friends I hope that there is that fear of God in your hearts that will preserve you from running out into these desperate heresies as to deny the holy Scriptures to be the Rule and ground of faith and obedience For you know deny the Authority of Scriptures the only boundary of truth and the only Touch-stone that every spirit and opinion is to be tryed by then all shall be left to follow the imaginations of their own idle heads and act as their deceitfull hearts shall suggest then they that can get the greatest confidence conceitednesse and strongest fancies and the impudentest tongues to vent their own inventions will be the only men for the true Religion and then who can tell what is truth and who are guided by the spirit of God and who by the Devill The very denying the Authority of the Scriptures bringeth all into confusion and heathenisme inevitably Cast off that which God hath ordained to direct us then the Devil will put in to mislead into all error and how shall any be able to know his workings and temptations from the pure workings of God for our good when the authority of the Scriptures are laid aside Nay who can be certain of any things in himself or in others that they please God when I or they cannot be certain they are ordained of God to that end if you lay aside the Authority of Scriptures And how just is it for God to punish the hearts of men with all spirituall delusions blindness and error and to let Satan loose upon mens souls when they cast off that which God hath given to direct and instruct in all righteousnesse and to every good work as 1 Tim. 3. You know how it is said that he that provideth not for his own hath denyed the faith as to that particular duty which the Doctrine of faith teacheth and is worse then an Infidell What would the Apostle have said of these that deny the whole Doctrine and Rule of Faith and yet have been once Christians sure they are worse than Infidells and it had been better they had never known the way of righteousnesse then after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandements of the Lord delivered unto them by word or writing 2 Pet. 2.20 see chap. 3.1.2 wherein the Apostle endevoured to stirre up their pure minds by way of remembrance that they might be mindsul of the words that were spoken before by the holy Prophets and of the Commandements of us the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour which comprehends the whole Scriptures of old and new Testament on which the Church is built the Scriptures are and in them do contain the Oracles of God which is a great advantage and preferment to those they are committed unto beyond all others Rom. 2.1 2. To them is the Covenant and the promises and the service of God chap. 9. And whatever were writ before time was writ for our learning that the Church of God through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15. Whereas on the other hand those that are denyed the Scriptures are Aliens from the Common wealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenant of Promise and without hope and God in the world Ephes 2.12 as is clear of the like Infidel state that the Ephesians were in before their conversion to Christianity I tell you to deny the Scriptures is the desperatest error that any mortals can possibly plunge themselves into having once professed them such I am sure forsake their own mercies and judge themselves unworthy of eternall life by despising the Gospel of Christ contained in the Scriptures they slight the everlasting Covenant of Grace and all the promises writ in the Book of God there being not a promise made to any in the world but what is in the Scripture nor can any expect that God will give that which he doth not promise to any Let them tell me what promises are writ in the heart that deny the Scripture to be the only rule of faith and obedience if they be without the promise then they are without hope and God in the world as the poor Indians are if not worse by denying that which they have the means to know nay have known and been convinced and rejoyced in the spiritual blessings promised but now wilfully deny them and reject them as not to be believed that are written for the great comfort of the Lords people I tell you friends these miserable Worms uncovenant themselves and unchrist themselves as if they cared not for grace and mercie in their standing before God In denying the Scripture they deny all that grace and mercy that is writ there for the comfort and hope of poor penitent finners If the Scriptures shall be denyed their Authority by them then it will follow that they have removed the Lords antient bounds and the only Judge of all error What is heresie but the broaching of errors and vain opinions and practices contrary to the holy Lawes and Institutions of God recorded in Scriptures in taking away the rule they are involved in all heresie whatever for God will not be any otherwayes known trusted in worshiped and obeyed then himself hath taught and prescribed us in his word When men dare think of God after their own fancies and believe in him after their vain minds and worship God as seems good in their own eyes as all do that deny the Scripture to be a perfect Rule no wonder that they make God like themselves and themselves like God and that they preach another Gospell and set up another Christ and fancie another Heaven and another day of judgement and another Law and Rule to try all things by If men cease to be Christians and forsake the rules of Christianity while they continue to be men and have any sparks of immortality in them they will be doing in one way or other in order to eternity But will you receive these seducers into your houses and bid them God speed that deny the only Rule of righteousnesse and not be partakers with them Judge ye And can a greater proof and demonstration be given against any that they are Impostors and deceivers false teachers then this that in plain terms will deny the Authority of the holy Scriptures to be the only Rule of faith and obedience as those do which you receive and adhere unto which is a confirmation to me of the truth and Divine approbation of the publike ministry that you have forsaken when I observe what teachers you follow even those that deny the Authority of Scriptures And should our Teachers deny the Authority of holy Scriptures to be the Rule of faith and obedience and set up their own fancies to be the Rule as they do which you adhere