Revelations of the Spirit of God and yet they carry no Authority impressed upon them What shall carry the Impressions of a divine Authority if divine Revelations do not why did he assert in the preceeding Thesis that divine Revelation was the formal Object and ground of divine Faith How can they beleeve with a divine Faith the divine Revelations which they pretend unto why doth he plead so much for looking after divine Revelations if divine Revelations have not the stamp of divine Authority upon them But he sayes they ascribe the authority wholly unto the Spirit And do not we so also when we stoop unto the Authority of the Scriptures of Truth because delivered by the Inspiration of God when we say the Acts and Statutes of Parliament have the authority of Lawes and we obey and receive them as authenticque Lawes do we not ascribe the Legislative Authority unto the Parliament what a fancyful distinction must this them be and what a Notional difference doth he here imagine But it may be by these writings he meaneth the Paper and Ink But can he call the Paper and Inck the Scriptures of Truth or say that they did proceed from the holy Revelations of the Spirit of God 6. He reduceth all the contents of the Scripture unto three heads telling us that they containe first an historical narration of the acts of the people of God in not a few ages and of several rare testimonies of the providence of God towards them Forgetting that we have here also a true and faithful Narration of the first creation and that these examples are instructive Secondly a Prophetical narration of many things of which some are past and some are yet to come Making no mention of the great and many Promises nor yet of the threatnings Thirdly a full and large testimony to the chiefe doctrines of the Christian faith and that in certane excellent declarations exhortations and sentences which by the afflatus of the Spirit were said and written at diverse times to diverse churches and pastors according to various occasions that fell out And here is the whole of the high account he hath of the Scriptures and of their perfection Not to Meddle much with that here which he will give us occasion largely to disput of hereafter I would only enquire where or in what book beside the Scriptures shall we finde the whole doctrine of the Christian Faith laid down The Scriptures as he saith only give testimony to the chiefe Doctrines of Christianity Therefore there must be other Doctrines of Christianity that must be found out and searched for elsewhere but where I pray shall we finde these Againe I would know of him how we shall know what belongeth to the chiefe Heads of Christianity and what not we cannot know this by the Scriptures for they are supposed by him to be chief heads of Christianity to us before the Scriptures come which only as he saith beareth testimony to some of them 7. Further when he sayeth the Scripture giveth this Testimony only in certaine declarations c. It would seem we have not our Christian faith from the Scriptures but all the Articles thereof flow to us from some other Immediat Fountaine and are founded as to us upon some other Immediat Ground and the Scriptures only give some testimony thereto and that as it were on the bye in some certane Declarations Exhortations and Sentences Hence it would appeare by him that it is not the maine intendment and principal designe of the Scriptures to set downe delineat and explaine to us the articles of our Christian Faith and the doctrine of our Religion and so Iohn was it seemeth in a mistake when he said Iohn 20 vers 31. These are written that we might beleeve that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing we might have life through his name Why hath the Lord thus made known and written unto us excellent things in counsel and knowledge Is it not that our trust might be in the Lord and that he might make us know the certanty of the Words of Truth Prov. 22 vers 18 19 20 21. See Luk. 1 vers 2 3 4. Why saith Paul Rom 15 vers 4. that whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope For what end did the Spirit inspire these Holy men and by or in them speak to us in the Scriptures if not to give us a solide ground for our Faith to stand upon in receiving and beleeving the articles of Salvation Is not the whole of the Scripture given by the Inspiration of God that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3 16 17 Why doth the Apostle Peter say 2 Pet. 1 19. that we do well to take heed unto this more sure word of prophecy If they be not the ground of our Faith why are we desired thus to take heed unto them and to desire the sincere milk of word that we may grow thereby 1 Pet 2 2. Are we not said to be built upon that foundation which the Prophets and Apostles did ministerially lay by Word and Write Ephes. 2 20. Thus we see he layeth no more weight upon the Scriptures as to the bottoming of our Faith than he would do upon any good Book wherein testimony were given unto the chiefe Doctrines of the Christian Faith by some excellent Declarations Exhortations and Sentences 8. In this account he giveth us of his conceptions of the fulness and perfection of the Scriptures It is observable that he doth not so much as give the least hint of any Authority wherewith the Scripture is cloathed to lay obligations on our Consciences to yeeld Faith and Obedience to it as the signification of the Soveraigne Will and pleasure of the great God and Lawgiver and in this is more injurious to the Scriptures then Papists are who grant it to be a Rule of Faith Hos. 8 12. See Psal. 119. throughout with infinite moe places and this is in effect to destroy the Scriptures which are given to us as the Law of God and must be received as such with Faith and Obedience As if they had not been inspired by the Holy Ghost for this end purpose that we might thereby understand and prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God Is it not called a Law disobedience unto and transgression of which is sin 1 Ioh. 3 4. Iam. 2 8 9 10 11 12. and 4 11. 9. What he saith of the Scriptures being written to certane Churches and Pastors upon certane Occasions which is an old Popish argument neither will quadrate with the whole of the Scriptures nor though it did will it ground any such inference that we have little or no interest therein as our Law and Rule as Quakers say and lest he think I caluminate let him take notice of these few Instances Edw. Borroughs Pag.
evils but what that was they knew not The proud and vaine glorious Stoicks thought that all this sinne and misery did proceed from every mans own Free Will and Choise immediatly and that there was no other cause Hence they thought that every man came into the world free of any Vice or Inclination to sin errasti sayes Seneca Epist. 94. si existimas nobiscum vitianasci supervenerunt ingesta sunt so againe ib. nulli nos vitio natura conciliat nos illa integros ac liberos genuit And yet the same man must elsewhere lib. 3. quaest c. 30. confess that vice is learned without any teacher Hence also they thought that man by his owne Ability Paines and Industrie might recoveâ— all his losses and that nothing more was requisite but to live according to nature Senec. Epist. 41. Howbeit their very care and industrie to make lawes for bearing down of vice and setting forward of vertue was sufficient to Redargue and Confute their foolish Imagination had they but improven Natures light as they might or made use of right Reason as they pretended However we see Stoicks and Quakers are nigh of kin 2. Plato speaks more clearly concerning this Fallen and Degenerat State of Man but it is not improbable as Mr Galâ— sheweth in his Court of the Gentiles part 1. lib. 3. c. 5. that â—e had help from Scriptures or Iewish Tradition when he speaketh of the â—ron age and particularly when he sayeth in his Timâ—eâ—â— Locrus fol. 103. That the cause of vitiosity is from our Parents and first Principles rather than from ourselves and elsewhere There is well nigh in every one an ingenitâ— evil and disease And de legib lib. 5. The greatest evil of all is implanted in many men and fixed in their souls And this state of misery he tearmes Gorgias fol. 493. a moral or spiritual death and that according to the opinion of the wise saying I have heard from the wise men that we are now dead and that the body is but our sepulchre 3. However the generality of Philosophers were utter strangers to the Rise of this contagion and the hints that Plato giveth are but very dark But when Christianity came and spread it self through the world that which the wise Men of the world were utterly ignorant of became plaine and notoure to every one for without the knowledge of this there could be no right Improvement of the Remedie offered in the Gospel and therefore the knowledge of this was a necessary part of Christianity In causa duorum hominum said August lib. de Pecc orig c. 24. quorum per unum venundati sumus sub peccato per alterum redimimur a peccatis proprie fides christianâ— consistitpunc So that the doctrine of original sin with the reality and manner of its â—raduction from Adam and downeward by natural Generation was unquestioned in the Christian Church until that unhappy enemie of the grace of God arose who raised up his heresie upon the ruines of the proud â—ottages of the Heathen Philosophers I mean Pelagius who to strengthen himself in his opposition and enmity to the Grace of God in Christ Iesus did take upon him the defence of Corrupt Nature and denyed Original sin saying lib. de Natura apud August lib. de Nat. and Grat. c. 9. that all sinned in Adam not because of sin attracted by birth but because of Imitation See more of this Vossij Histor Pelag. lib. 2. par 2. thes 1. And Iulianus the Pelagian as we may see there also said against Augustine that God could not impute the sin of another unto Infants and that no man is born with sin And that the children cannot be guilty until they commit some thing by their owne will How Augustine set himself against this Palagian cardinal errour his books declare And how the whole Church did appear against it is notoure Pelagius himself subdolously seemed to deny his owne opinions in a Council in Palâ—stine at Diopolis condemning himself for saying That Adam was made mortal and so should have died whether he had sinned or not That Adams sin did only hurt himself and not mankinde That infants new borne are into the same condition that Adam was in before the fall And againe these and others of Pelagius errours were anathematized by the Councel of Milevum in Numidia And August tels us lib. â— de Bono persever cap. 2. that the Catholick Church defended against these Pelagians among other truths this That man is borne obnoxius to Adams sin and bound by the bond of damnation 4. This same Pelagian errour is maintained by the Socinians Socin Pral c. 4. de Christ. Serv. part 4. c. 6. Catech Racov. cap. 10. de Proph. Mun. Christ. Smale de justif disp 4. Volkel lib. 5. c. 18. Ostorod Instit. c. 33. By Episcopius against Heidanus Pag. 116. and by the Remonst Armin. Apol. cap. 7. fol. 84. So is it maintained by the Anabaptists And D. Voetius Select disp part 1. pag. 1079. tels us that the Jewes ordinarily this day deny Original sin citeing the words of one at Venice saying that the sin of Adam doth not condemne souls but only hurt the soul in so far as it bringeth in the body of Adam whence it is that it becometh more difficult to the Posterity of Adam to do good c. Mr Stephens in his defence of the doctrine of Original sin sheweth that one Mr Robert Everard and D. Ieremiah Taylor and some Examiners of the late Assemblies Confession of faith did appear against Original sin and in his preface he tels us that Anno 1654. Feb. 22. Some Brethren of the Separation did at a private dispute maintaine That all Infants were-free of Original sin To these Opposers of Original sin This Quaker in the name of the rest adjoyneth himself and so deserteth the Truâ—h maintained by the Orthodox Churches and explained in their several Confessions and particularly by our Confes. of faith Chap. 6. § 2.3 4. By this sin they i. e. our first Parents fell from their Original righâ—eousness and communion with God and so became dead in sin and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body They being the root of all Mankinde the guilt of this sin was imputed and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation From this original corruption whereby we are utterly indisposed disabled and made opposite to all good and wholly inclined to all evil do proceed all actual transgressions And thereafter § 6. Every sin both Original and Actual being a transgression of the righteous Law of God and contrary thereunto doth in its own nature bring guilt upon the sinner whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God and curse of the Law and so made subject to death with all miseries spiritual temporal and eternal And more briefly in the larger and shâ—rter Catechismes to this Question Did all mankinde fall in
from the Father and the Son And if the knowledge of this be such an essential part of Christianity and a ground of that knowledge of God which leadeth to salvation and so necessary for the right uptaking of the great work of Redemption and Salvation as it is and cannot rationally be denyed by any sober man who considereth what a sure basis this is unto the Christians hope peace and comfort how cometh it to pass that there is no express and distinct mention made of this fundamental point in all his Theses we have heard how the Quakers of N. England have denied this foundation And Mr Stalham in his Reviler rebuked part 1. sect 7. tels us that the Quakers against whom he wrote dâ—nied thâ—t there was any Scripture for the Trinity and said that the Holy Ghost was no Person It is known also how others of them inveigh against this fundamental Truth It is true I finde not this man either in his Theses or in his Apology directly writing against this truâ—h Yet as I finde no expressions hereanent in his whole book others than such as might come out of the mouth of an Antitrinitarian Socinian so I judge if his Theses had answered his great brags in the Preface they had expresly and distinctly not only mentioned but clearly have unfolded this truth 7. In the 3. place If by his Theses he would direct us into the Saving knowledge of God and make a plaine discovery to us from the very fountaine of all that knowledge that leadeth unto life eternal how cometh it to pass that we have no declaration made to us of the Eternal Purposes and Decrees of God whereby some Men and Angels are predestinated unto everlasting life and others foreordained unto everlasting death and whereby according to the most wise and holy counsel of his will he hath freely and unchangeably ordained whatsoever cometh to pass Shall we think that the knowledge of this hath no interest in the saving knowledge of God or in that knowledge which leadeth unto life which yet undeniâ—bly yeeldeth such a noble ground of Faith Dependence Praise Reverence Humility Hope Consolation Admiration and holy Fear Nay this Man not only doth not asserte or explaine this but as we shall hear doth deny and impugne it with all his might 8. How cometh it 4 That in all his Theses or Apology there is not the least mention direct or indirect made of the Covenant of Redemption or of those mutual actings of the blessed Persons of the Trinity resembling a mutual Covenant and engagement concerning the everlasting Interest of man Shall any man think that this point of truth which is such a sure ground of all our hopes and consolation such a sure support of staggering souls and such an armour of proof against the assaults of Satan maketh no part of that knowledge which leadeth unto life or hath no place in true and saving knowledge 9. Further 5. Doth not the doctrine of the first Câ—venant of Works entered into with Adam as the representative of Mâ—n-kiâ—de upon condition of Personal Perfect and Perpetual obedience belong to that necessary knowledge which bringeth forward unto life or unto that knowledge of God in Christ which is begun felicity How is it then that his Theses are so silent herein or at most give us such a darke and jejune hint of this as is next to none as we shall see It is one of the Quakers tenets as Mr Stalham Sheweth in his forecited book Part 1. Sectâ—7 â—7 that Adam was not under a Covenant of Works that the Law which Adam had in innocency written in his heart was not the moral law that Adam did not stand by the observation of the positive branches given him in command according to that Law So said I. Nayler and R. F. as he sheweth us and that the same Iames Nayler in his Book called The discovery of the Man of sin Pag 23. went about to prove this by such pityful Arguments as these The Covenant of Works saith do this and live but he that is Adam had the life already while he stood in it and so it was not to be obtained by working as if do this and live could not hold forth the condition of continueing in life and againe That the law was added because of transgression which if it had been before the transgression could not have been as if the law must not of necessity be before sin which is the transgression thereof 1. Ioh. 3.4 and could not afterward beheld forth as a glass to discover the foule spots of transgressions and the same would R. F. in the 12. Pag. of his Book go about to prove 10 Moreover 6. If his Theses be such an unfolding of clear and naked truth how cometh it that he speaketh so obscurely and enigmatically of the fall of Adam Doth not the clear and distinct knowledge of this truth concerne such as would be acquaint with true and saving knowledge 11. But especially 7. We may wonder how it cometh to pass that in his Theses which he would give out as a summe of saving knowledge nor in his great Apologie we have no description explication or delineation yea or mention of the Covenant of Grace wherein Life and Salvation Pardon and Acceptance Grace and Glory is promised and offered through faith in Jesus Christ or acceptance of Him as He is offered in the Gospel Shall we think that the knowledge of this is no part of that pure and naked Truth which is necessary to be known Or that it can contribute nothing unto that knowledge of God in Christ which is the sure way unto eternal life How shall he be able to perswade us hereof 12. Againe 8. Shall we think that the doctrine of the Redemption purchased by Christ of the Atonement made by him unto Justice for the sinnes of his people and of their Reconciliation unto and Acceptance with God upon the account thereof of the Sufferings of Christ in Body and Soul in his state of Humiliation of his Death Resurrection and Ascension and Sitting at the Fathers right hand of his Obedience and of the Sacrifice of himself which he through the Eternal Spirit once offered up unto God to satisfie Justice and purchase not only Reconciliation but also an everlasting Inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven for all such as were given to him of the Father shall we think I say that the knowledge of this is not necessary unto Salvation nor necessary to such as would have such a knowledge of God as is eternal life If he dar not be so impudent as to say so why is there such a shameful silence hereof in his Theses and Book as there is Had he no will to displease his friends the Socinians 13. Further 9. Shall it be thought that the doctrine of the Incarnation of the Son of God the Second Person in the Trinity hath no great interest in that pure and naked truth the knowledge whereof leadeth
proof Doth he take us all for credulous Quakers 22. But what can be this mans designe in all this It is indeed a most desperat designe for it is no lesse upon the matter than to Overturne the whole Gospel of the grace of God why so You will say Because as we will see more fully afterward his maine designe in this is to Evince that all the good that is found or heard of to have been or yet to be among Heathens Turks or Barbarians who never heard of the Gospel or of Christ revealed therein was as much of the Grace of God in Christ and the fruit of Christ's merite and intercession and the Blessing of the New Coveâ—ant of Grace as the Holiness of such as are united by faith unto Christ. and crucified with Him and have Him living and working in them by his Spirit So that if we come the length of some Heathens who have walked more closely to the Principles of Nature than others and have bin more Moral as to some things in their outward carriage than the common rabble of Men we have attained the Gospel Holiness and Sanctification at least as to kinde which these men intend and to that measure thereof which will ensure our Salvation Now what a desperat designe this is to bring us no further length than to polished Heathenisme let every Christian judge and see if the title of my book be not true that Quakerisme is the path way to Paganisme But the sequel will more confirme this 23. For further manifesting of this wickedness let us consider what he sayeth further Pag. 56. toward the end He bringeth-in this Objection That the Apostle sayeth Rom. 2 14. that the Gentiles who had not the Law did by nature the things contained in the Law the meaning of which words as we adduce them is not to prove as he falsely here insinuateth and expresseth that such by nature can do that which is good and acceptable in the sight of God but to prove as shall be made manifest afterward That there are some Notions of God and of Moral honesty as relicques of that noble image of God with which man was endued at the beginning left in corrupt man whereby he through the dim light of nature may see something of the Law of nature pointing out his duty to God to man and to himself and may do upon the matter something of that which the Law of nature requireth and yet when he hath improven Nature to its yondmost shall never do that which is well pleasing in the sight of God who since the fall only accepteth of that which is done in the strength and grace of Jesus Christ and by one reconciled unto Him in and through Christ. Let us now see what he Answereth This nature sayeth he neither may nor can be understood of mans proper nature which is corrupt and fallen but of spiritual nature which proceeds from the seed of God as he hath received a new visitation of divine love and is thereby quickened For answere I would know whether he understandeth this Spiritual Nature of that which is common to all the Gentiles or of that which was peculiar to some If he understand that which is common to all then according to his divinity every heathen let be every Christian hath this Spiritual Nature and Seed of God in him and what good they do in Natural or Moral actions proceeth from this seed of God and spiritual nature And consequently the thoughts of their heart concerning the being of God which is good because true and according to the Law writen in every mans heart must flow from this Principle and from no other and so the devils who beleeve that there is a God Iam. 2 19. must be partaker of this Spiritual Nature and Seed of God Observe Reader whither this Mans Religion will bring us and what the Grace of God and that Spiritual Nature is which this man would lead us unto Even that which is common to devils If he meane that which is peculiar to some I would enquire who these some are Doth he meane the Gentiles who were converted by the Gospel and become Christians These we grant have a spiritual Nature but sure the Apostle is not speaking of such as the whole scope of his discourse cleareth If he understand this of the Heathens who did better improve the light of nature than others we know no spiritual Nature that such have for all their advancement in Nature because they are yet out of Christ whose members only are made partakers of this new spiritual Nature according to that Gospel which we hope to be saved by And his contrary opinion confirmeth us of their anti-evangelick Principles and paganish designe 24. He addeth a reason from vers 15. where the Apostle saith that they shew the work of the Law written in their hearts and this says he the Scripture witneseth to be a great part of the dispensation of the New Covenant Wherein the Man who would faine make us beleeve he had no fellowshipe with the Socinians joineth with Smalcius the Socinian writing against Frantzius disp S Pag. 419. who upon this same ground alledgeth that Paul speaketh here of Gentiles who were under the New Covenant and not of such who lived before Christ came while as it is manifest from vers 10. that Paul is speaking of the Gentiles in the general in opposition to the Jewes who made their boast of the Law and is hereby shewing that they will be without excuse in the day of judgment of which he speaketh vers 16. howbeit they wanted that Law which the Jewes had because they had the Law of nature which they transgressed ingraven in their mindes and consciences as he further cleareth by their consciences bearing witness and their thoughts accusing or excusing c. 2. Where read we that any do by nature the things declared in the New Covenant 3. How can such as are under the New Covenant be said to be without a Law as these here 4. Is not the New Covenant alwayes opposed to the Law See Gal. 2 16. Rom. 3 27 28. and several other places 5. How can such as are under and within the New Covenant be said to sin and to perish without Law as here vers 12â— 6. How can such as are under the New Covenant be a Law unto themselves as here 7. Where in all the Scripture is the matter of the New Covenant called the work of the Law He would do well if he thought good to consult Calvin Pareus and other Commentators on the place 8. This Man told us above homologating with the Socinians that the New Covenant had no place under the Law and yet even then we hear of the Law in hearts Psal. 40 9 37 31. Esa. 51 7. 9. Had not Adam even after the fall the Law in some measure fixed and written in his hâ—aâ—t when his conscience accused him of his transgression and he did run to hide
and yet behold the Righteous God cannot be acquite in that which is every way more justifiable though He hath absolute dominion over us and may dispose of us as He will which no man hath over another The truth is this dissatisfaction with God in all his wayes is an argument beyond all deniall of our Rebellious Natural Inbred Corruption and Wickedness of heart what would they not have said that it had been Goodness and Equity both in God if Adam had stood to have made us all partakers of the Benefite thereof and shall it now be against both Goodness Equity if by reason of his Fall we be deprived thereof and be Obnoxious to the evils threatned what unequal dealing is this In fine This is the old câ—ant of the Palagians as Vossius sheweth us Hist. Pelag. Pag. 206. And what Augustine replyed he way see Ibid. Pag. 20â— 13. He addeth a rhapsody of non-sense telling his readers our opinion floweth from our self lâ—ve because we maintaine an absolute decree of election for ourselves and ours and so care not to send all the rest to hell and leave them into inextricable difficulties The reading of whâ—ch might indeeâ— excite any man of Understanding to commiserate this mans case who is thus so transported with paâ—sion as he knoweth not what he is saying only we see that he muâ—t spew out his gall againâ—t the Orthoâ—â—x doctrine of Election before the fit time come but when he cometh to tâ—e right place of speaking to this as we shall see in the next Chapter he dar not meddle with Election but contents himself with Reprobation But what an evident demonstration of Corrupt Self love and Pride against God is in his Pelagian heresie he is blinde that seeth not These Quakers with other Pelagians will not be beholden to the Grace of God but as little as may be and therefore so frame their doctrine that themselves and not the grace of God may have all the praise of their Salvation as we will have occasion frequently to shew ere all be done When he hath deluded himself and other Quakers and made some others beleeve that they have no Original sin to mourne for and thereby hath brought them under the dominion of Satan more than befoâ—e hath he done them any good service Is it good service to poor souls to hoodwinke them that they may post to the pit witâ— a lie in their right hand Woe I say and thrice woe to such as drink-in this mans doctrine and live and die accordingly 14 Thereafter he is better pleased with Papists who allow a limbus to the Infants dying without baptisme than wâ—th us But we must be satisâ—ied that he look more warmly to his old friends the Papists among whom he drank-in no doubt much of that prejudice which now he is pleased to voâ—ite foâ—th as Quaker rather than as a Papist And as to this particular whereupon now we are his opinion will accord better with the Papists than with Ours for Bellarm. will not have concupiscence to be owned as sin Formally but only Originally and Effectively or Terminatively and they say that Adam was created in puris naturalibus which naturals remain whole and intire as yet and will not this Quaker grant all this as to Infants Nay he agreeth well with the Errour of Albert-Pighius who will have no sin propagated to us from Adam and sayeth that there is nothing in us when new borne but what is good and that death cometh not upon Infants because of sin but floweth from the constitution of the body But whether he will say with him that because of Adam's sin all his posterity are banished out of Heaven though not obnoxious to eternall Death I know not It may be he will allow them a limbus or else make them all sure of heaven if he will grant a heaven to any But how come they thither seing they have nothing to do with Christ all thaâ— come to heaven must be beholden to Christ the Redeemer and hold their crown of Him But this Qvakers Religion will teach old persons let be Infants to be little beholden to Christ as we shall heare 15. He is so bold as to tell us next that our opinion is contrary to Scripture Because the Apostle sayeth Rom. 4 15 that where there is no Law there is no transgression and 5 13. but sin is not imputed when there is no Law And he like a man proveth that Infants are under no Law But is the man such a stranger to the common practices among men who forfeite the Children yea Infants yea such as are not borne with their Fathers for great crimes and yet they know that Infants are not obnoxious to their Lawes especially if as yet unborne But our plaine answere is That the Nature of Mankinde was under the Law proposed unto Adam as the Head and when he as the Head and Representative broke that Law the whole nature of Mankinde became guilty and consequently every Infant becometh guilty when they partake of that guilty nature And that thus it was with all the posterity of Adâ—m the Apostle expresly asserts in the last place cited viz. Rom 5 12 13 14. even notwithstanding of this very Oâ—jection which he proleptically bringeth-in there as the cohesâ—on cleareth and we shall evince afterward 16. His last reason is from Ezechiel 18 20. which Socinians also urge and it receiveth a quick dispatch for he himself must loose this doubt if there bâ— any as well as we for he said before that God punisheth the sins of the Fathers on the children when guilty of actual sinnes whereby they homologate their Fathers wickedness And Ezechiel doth plainly and frequently enough make it out â—hat tâ—ese children were as wicked as their fathers if not more and so the Lord might according to this Man 's owne concession visite the iniquities of their Fathers upon them But the scope of the place being clearly this That so little grouâ—d had these people to alleige that they were innocent and that God had no quarrel againâ—t them but for their fathers transgressions so that their fathers did eat thâ— soure â—rapes and their teeth were therefore set on edge though they themselves did eat no soure grape being innâ—câ—nt that on the contrary the Lord tels them by the Prophet that though he should not visite one iniquity of their Fathers upon them as hâ— might do in justice and had one with others but should follow a way with them more suteable to their owne minde viz. only take notice of their own guilt personal yet they could not escape because their owne personal iniquities were so many and so great This I say being the scope of the place it is obvious how impertinent it is for him here to alleidge it And beside let him make of it what he will it cannot reach us for we have told him that this original sin is not the sin of another Person as Adam's after sins were
and have â—othing of it Imputed unto them which though this man may account no way absurd yet all Orthoeox Christians will be of another minde 5 He speaks dubiously concerning the Import of these two words and knoweth not whether their meaning be by which occasion or in which death and we have seen that the meaning cannot be by which Occasion And it will further appear from this that Adams sin could be no Occasion to such as never heard of it and our nearest Parents sins should be a greater Occasion and further what could Paul's meâ—tioning an Occasion contribute to his designe 6. Paul asserts that death passed upon all men and giveth this as a ground thereof that all men had sinned but this Man perverteth the Apostles words and meaning and maketâ— the Apostle speak thus death passed upon all men because all men will sin actually when they become capable 7. The Apostle sheweth that death passed upon all men and reigned even over Infants and so supposeth that Infants had sinned otherwayes his argument vers 12. had been of no value for the Instance of Infants who are a great part of Mankinde had destroyed the Apostles reasoning if they bad not been included under all men 8. He is angry at the Orthodox as we sâ—all hear afterward for restricting the particle all or the words all men though it be according to the exigence of the context But here he excludeth a great part of Mankinde contrary to the whole scope and disigne of the Text yea and to the Apostles expresse including of Infants and making use of their Case as a confirmation of his point 9 If he exclude Infants from this sin he must exclude them also from all benefite in Christs Obedience and then where is his Universal Redemption and his Universal Grace whereof he speaketh in the following Theses 10 That Infants are capable of sinning in their Head is as clear as they are capable of dying for the sin of the Head this the Apostle proveth from their death and from death reigneing over them 11. But sayes he Infants are under no Law But the Apostâ—e sayes the contrare viz. that there was both Sin and Law before Moses dayes because death reigned even over Infants and consequently that Infants were under sin and therefore also under a Law for where there is no law there is no transgressiâ—n But this was the Law given to Adam as head of Mankinde which Law all transgressed when Adam transgressed because the whole Nature transgressed it Adam representing all as their Natural Root and by vertue of the Covenant in which he stood And thus we see how this Man perverteth and inverteth the Words and Arguments and Scope and All of the Apostle 12 If death was inflicted on old Persons because of their actual sins wherefore was death inflicted upon Infants Sure the Apostle maketh no distinction of Deaths nor doth he speak of distinct causes of Death but only mentioneth an universal Cause of an universal Effect sin the cause and death the effect and therefore if the effect come upon infants the cause must also come upon them or the Apostle argueth very loosly and he must impute cruelty injustice to his Maker 13. This addition of his to the text viz. who were capable of sinning is the same that Castalio made saying these to wit who in regaird of age could have sinned And in this he was no lesse bold with the text then our Quaker is for as we have seen and the text is clear it is not all these only that die but even such as come not to that age and the Apostle alwayes speaks of death as the wages of sin And when he here sayeth of Infants that they sinned not after the similitude of Adam's transgression he clearly intimateth that they sinned some other way viz. in Adam which also the 19. verse manifestly proveth 20. He taketh notice Next of our argument from Psal. 51 5. behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me where the Psalmist is exaggerating his iniquity before the Lord as all true penitents will do traceth his sin to the very Spring and Fountaine as to him viz. that Original Corruption which he brought into the world with him and shewing that even while he was a forming and warming as the word importeth in the womb this corruption did adhere to him so that the very masse out of which he was framed was corrupt and what greater proof could we desire of the originaâ—ed part of this Original Sin than is here The Ancient Fathers made use of this passage for the same end as Vossius sheweth us Hist. Pelag. Pag. 144.145 And some Jewes such as Aben Ezra Sal. Iarchi expound it of innate Concupiscence Now what saith this Quaker to this He cannot see our Infâ—rence and why so It seemeth to me sayes he that this iniquity and sin is rathâ—r ascribed to the parents than to the Infants for he sayeth in sin did my mother conceive me not my mother conceived me sinning Ans. Is not this a quick observation and worthy of a Quaker But the misery is it quite crosseth Davids designe This man must think that it was a great argument of Davids Sorrow and Repentance to lay iniquity upon his Parents now in all appearance dead but I should look upon this as no argument of a true penitent heart What could his upbraiding of his Father and Mother after this manner contribute to the aggravating of his own sin And that this is David's designe I think this Quaker will not deny if he but look upon the place and read over the Psalm or the first part of it Is not David about the confessing of his owne sin Read the title of the Psalm the preeceeding verse and see Is he not seeking pardon and remission of his own sin Or shall we suppose that he is praying for remission to the dead all Confession of sin to God is in reference to Remission and if David speak here only of his Parents sin he is tacitely seeking Remission If he speak of his Parents sin in begetting and warming him in the womb it must be as including himself at least as shareing thereof and this will prove that David had sin upon him from his very conception And by his answere he would seem to make marriage duties unlawful contrare to 1 Cor. 7 2 3 4 5. Heb. 13 4. He addeth another answere thus Such an interpretation would contradict the Scriptures formerly cited while it maketh infants to he hurt by their immediat parents sin And there is no mention here of Adam Answ. I do not prove hence that David was guilty of his immediat Parents sins but that original contagion doth so cleave to every ordinary Infant unless we could suppose some singular thing in David without all ground that in his very warming in his Mothers womb he is corrupted and albeit David make no mention here of Adam the
his Church Act. 20 28. Ephes. 5 25. his Elect Rom. 8 32 34. his Children Heb. 2 12 13. 26. If we would consider aright 15. What Christ did undergoe suffer while he was made sin or was making satisfaction for sin we should hardly think it probable that Christ Jesus God-man who was the brightness of the Fathers glory and the express image of his person Heb. 1 3. and thought it no robbery to be counted equal with God Phil. 2 6. Should have undergone what he did undergoe and that the Father should have laid all that upon him which he did lay upon him and that to purchase only a meer Possible Redemption from sin and wrath whereby not one person should be saved or pardoned if so it had seemed good to captaine Free will Not to Mention his condescending to be Born of a woman and to be Made under the Law Gal. 4 4. nor his being in the Forme of a servant Phil. 2 7. nor his Poverty and mean condition in the world 2 Cor. 8 9 nor his Conflicting with the indignities of the world Psal. 22 6. Heb. 12 2 3. with the temptations of Satan Mat. 4 1 -12. Luk. 4 15. and his being under the infirmities common to the nature of man being in all things like us except sin Heb. 2 17. 4 15. Esai 52 13 14. Nay nor his sufferings in his Body Name Honour at death when he was Betrayed by Iudas Mat. 2â— 4. Forsaken by his disciples Mat. 26 56. Scorned and Reviled by the world Esai 53 2 3. Condemned as a malefactor by Pilat and Tormented by his persecuters Mat. 27 26 50. Ioh. 19 34. and Endured the Painful Shameful and Cursed deatâ— of the crosse Phil. 2 8. Heb. 12 2. all which and the like being endured by Him who was the Son of God could be no mean suffering nor undergone for an uncertain end or for the procureing of a meer Possible and Uncertain good But that which we would most take notice of here is his Soul sufferings being pursued by divine justice when that Zach. 13 7. was accomplished awake O sword against my shepheard against the Man that is my follow saith the Lord of hostes smite the shepheard and the sheep shall be scattered Mat. 26 31. and the Lord did bruise him and put him to griefe Esai 53 5 10. and he began to be sorrowful even unto death Mat. 26 37 38. and was sore amazed and very heavy Mark. 14 34. and was put to offer up prayers and supplications with strong cryes and teares to him that was able to save him Heb. 5 7. when notwithstanding that an angel appeared unto him from heaven strengthening him yet being in an agony he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground Luk. 22 43 44. and at length was made to cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Psal. 22 1. Mat. 27 46. Mark 15 34. This was no mean business when the Rayes and Irradiations of Divine Love were drawn-in and withheld from him who had such a sharp sense of the happiness in the enjoying of God's favour because of the Personal union with the Godhead But that which is most of all to be considered is his being made a Curse Gal 3 13. and so made to wrestle with the Justice and Wrath of a sin-revenging God This was the gall and the wormwood that made him cry Ioh. 2 27. Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this hour Shall we suppoâ—e that all this was about an Uncertane Bargane Shall we think that he died the cursed death of the crosse and bore the weight of God's wrath Luk. 22 4â— Mat. â—7 46. and so became a sacrifice to satisfie divine justice Heb. 9 14 18 all to purchase a meer Possâ—bility or a meer Possible Redemption Shall we think that the Second pâ—rson of the Trinity should do and suffer all these things for to redeem man when possibly if Freewill should be so ill natured not one man should reap any advantage thereby Me thinks the asserting of this should be a great temptation to cause people turne Socinians and deny all these soul sufferings of Christ and his bearing the wrath of God and making any satisfaction to justice 27. Adde to this 16. That the Scriptures speak of Christ's Death Sufferings as being not for himself but for Others and that not only for the good and advaâ—tage of others and doubtless the advantage of all this should be but little if it were nothing else but a meer Possible Redemption which Free will might make Actual or Not Actual as it pleased but in their Roome and Place hence it is called the chastisement of our peace Esai 53 5. and he is said to have bâ—rne our griefs and carryed our sorrowes vers 4. He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities vers 5. The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all vers 6. for the transgression of my people was he stricken vers 8. for he shall bear their iniquities vers 11. he bare the sin of many vers 12. He bear our sins in his body on the tree 1 Pet. 2 24. the just suffered for the unjust 1 Pet. 3 18. Hence beleevers are said to be crucified with him Gal. 2 20 to be baptized into his death Rom. 6 3. buried with him by baptisme into death vers 4. planted together in the likeness of his death vers 5. dead with Christ vers 8. He was cut off but not for himself Dan. 9 26. See also Heb. 2 9. 1 Pet. 2 21. Shall we say that this was meerly for our good seing it was in some respect for the good of the whole creation Rom. 8 20 21 22 23. Act. 3 21. and not in our Place and Stead Paul saith 2 Cor 2 14. If one be dead for all then were all dead And iâ— is manifest that he payed the Law-debt having taken on him the seed of Abraham for this end Heb. 2 16. and being made a curse for us he redeemed us from the curse of the Law Gal. 3 10. So that it was in our stead Rom. 5 6 7 8. Ioh. 11 50. 10 11 15. And the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath clearly this import Mat. 5 38. 17 27. Esa. 4â— 4. Exod. 21 23 24. 1 Chron. 14 1. 1 King 3 7. 2 King 1 17. 11 43 Prov. 11 8. Iob. 16 4. 34 â— 1 Pet. â— 9. Rom. 12 17. See many other places cited by worthy Mr Rutherfoord in his book of the Covenant Pag. 25.255 where both in the N. T. and to the LXX version of tâ—e old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath his impâ—rt And this tâ—uâ—h is abundantly made out by our Orthodox Divines writing against the Socinians so thâ—t I need say no more of it only I â—hink such as aâ—â—ert the Reâ—emptâ—â—n puâ—chased by Christ to have been a
will so have it In the 3. place he comes to criticize tell us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken in the potential mood and so it signifieth who may not or cannot sin as Ps. 119 11. Ans. And why not also ought not seing this Mood is used to expresse that This is but vanity for the Hebrew hath not properly potential moods And though interpreters do usually render it so as more congruous latin yet the sense abideth the same and the Dutch translate it as we have it And what will this say to other places Nay the very scope of Solomon evidenceth our translation to be right his gloss to be but vanity as is obvious to every Reader 30. To that argument from Rom. 7 14. c. he answereth the same that Socinians and Arminians answered of old to wit That the Apostle is not there speaking of himself but of an unregenerate person While as all the circumstances of the text evince the contrary to wit that he is speaking of himself and that in the present time for he useth alwayes from vers 14. and forward verbs in the present tense and he distinguisheth betwixt the Old and New man in himself ascribeing to each their proper work and speaketh many things of himself which cannot be spoken of the Unregenerat as 1. To will and approve what is good and to nill and disapprove what is evil and that alwayes and to approve all good and disapprove all evil discovered to be such 2. To consent unto the Law that it is good and to delight therein and that according to the inner man which is the Regenerat part opposite to the Old man 3. Not to do evil not I it is no more I and that was according to the Renewed part 4. To have an inner man which is proper to the Regenerate Ephes. 3 19. 5. To feel a strife and warre betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit which also agreeth to the Regenerate Gal. 5 17. 6 To hate evil which no Unregenerate person can do 7. To approve of the Law as Spiritual 8. To have will present unto good even when he findeth not how to performe what is good 9. To be brought into captivity to the Law of sin while as the wicked are willing slaves 10. To be groaning under this body of death and accounting himself wreatched because of it 11. To have a Law in the minde against which the Law in the members maketh warre 12. To be expecting full delivery in Jesus Christ. 13. To be thankfull to God upon that account 14. To be serving the Law of God when the flesh is serving the Law of sin 15 And Chap. 8 1. being an inference from whaâ— is said Chap. 7. he inferreth that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ which supposeth that he was speaking of one that was in Christ otherwise his Inference had not been pertinent 31. These things are clear and might be further explained and confirmed if it were necessary Let us see what he saith against this 1. He saith The Apostle declared the contrary Chap. 6 2. Answ. No such matter for what he said there and what he saith here can well agree for he that is thus resisting sin striveing and protesting against it when he can do no more is abundanâ—ly evidencing that he is dead unto it as to its dominion and that he is not living therein 2. He saith Paul could not call himself a carnal man as vers 14. Answ. So said Schlightingius the Socinian So Arminius But we say Paul doth not call himself simply and every way carnal but only in a certain respect distinguishing betwixt his better part which he owneth as himself and this Flesh vers 18. And we finde also that Paul called the Corinthians who were babes in Christ carnal in some respect 1 Cor. 3 1 2. He saith 3. The Apostle Chap. 8. saith he was made free from the Law of sin and death and so he could not be then carnal Answ. Neither say we that he was carnal in so far but spiritual 4. He saith That Paul Chap. 8 35. saith who shall separat us from the love of Christ vers 37. that in all these things we are more then conquerours And vers last nothing can separat us But where sin is and is continued in there there is a separation for all sin is contrary to God 1 Ioh. 3 4. Answ. That sin where it is striven and wrestled against as Rom. 7 15. c. will make a separation from God I deny 2. That sin is contrary to God I no where read that it is a breach and transgression of his Law is true 32. To the instances of the failings of Noah and David He saith They are nothing to the purpose Why so The question is not saith he whether good men cannot sin num non possint peccare but whether they be able not to sin num possint non peccare And this may be true though they have sinned Answ. But our Argument lyeth thus If these men whom the Spirit of God stileth Perfect and men according to God's heart have had their failings and these failings are registrated for our use then we have no Scripture warrant for such a Perfection here as is not attended with sin But the former is true Let him of now apply his answere to this argument and see what it will say Or thus we may frame the Argument If we finde no instances in Scripture such persons as were so perfect as that they did not sin then to imagine such a perfection is but a groundless fancy a dream But the former is true Or If we finde sin consisting with a state of Regeneration than it is false that all Regenerat persons are in a sinless state Hereby also is that which he addeth in the second place obviated And further we say that from these instances we do not prove that the godly sin in all they do because of a body of death and corruption cleaving to them other Arguments evince that But from these instances we shew that his sinless state is but a Quakeristick dream 33. To that argument That this doctrine taketh away the study of Mortification and Usemaking of the blood of Christ and Praying for remission He very civilly tels us Tâ—at because of its absurdity he had almost forgoten it As if he had answered all the arguments we use against this errour But wherein consists its absurdity Is sayes he mortification of sin useless when its end is attained But he mistaketh after his usual manner our argument which in forme runneth thus If mortification be a duty pressed on persons regenerated then persons regenerated have sin and corruption in them to be mortified and so are not sinless But the former is true Therefore c. May it please him to shew the absurdity of this argument When all sin is mortified there is no more need of this duty of studying mortification and if all sin
indeed we learne that it is the Spirit that must helpe and teach us how and for what to pray and must quicken those graces in us which are requisite unto the right performance of this duty but how it can prove his method by Introversion and there waiting for the drawings and impulses of the Spirit which we must feel before we set about the duty I see not Yea I think the text clearly enough importeth the contrary to wit that when the honest believer out of conscience to the command with the little strength and ability he hath is aimeing at the duty and setting about it the Spirit cometh with seasonable help and helpeth his infirmities and maketh intercession for him with groanes that cannot be uttered and this the greek word importeth to wit the Spirit 's lifting at the load lest the beleever should be crushed under it see Calvin and Beza on the place But he frameth an argument thus Pag. 256. If man knoweth not how he should pray nor can he pray without the help of the Spirit then he prayeth in vaine without him But the former is true Therefore Ans. What will this conclusion do for his purpose It cometh not neare to what he should prove by many stages Will he hence inferre Therefore man should not pray until he feel the Impulses Motions Influences and Drawings of the Spirit By the like consequence one might prove from Psal. 127 1 2. That no man should put to his hand to build and no man should set a watch upon the wales of a besieged city and no man should laboure in his ordinary calling till he finde the influenceing motions and concurrence of the Spirit pouseing him forward and driveing him to the work But how ridiculous this is every one knoweth To tell a dream is sufficient to refute it 10. He citeth next Ephes. 6 18. and Iud vers 20. And inferreth that that is as much as if he had said ye must never pray without watching unto it Ans. Because we are commanded to love the Lord withall our heart soul and minde c. will he say that that is as much as if it were said ye must never love the Lord except it be with all your heart c So he may say we should never pray except we pray with all prayer and we should never watch unto prayer except we watch with all perseverance and supplication for all saints for these things are in the text too But againe though we should never pray without the Spirit will it hence follow that we should never set about the duty till first we feel the Leadings Driveings Motions and Inspirations of the Spirit And then lastly Though we should never pray without watching unto it how will it follow that we should never pray without an Introversion These things hang together like ropes of sand What sayes he to the place of Iude Iude sayes he demonstrateth that prayers in the holy Ghost are those whereby the Saints are built up in their most holy faith And what then Are no prayers meanes to build up saints in their most holy faith but such as are gone about after we have Introverted and felt the Influence Inspirations Leadings and Drawings of the holy Ghost This is like the rest of the Quakers consequences loose and sandy 11. He citeth 1 Cor. 12 3. No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost And thence inferreth far less can he be called upon acceptably without him And what is this to the pointe Say we that any can pray acceptably without the Spirit It is one thing to pray without the gracious and ordinary influences of the Spirit helping our infirmities and another thing to pray with the feelings of the Impulses Motions Leadings Pouseings and Driveings of the Spirit When will he conclude this last which is the thing he should conclude He addeth Paul 1 Cor. 14 t 15. said he would pray in the Spirit And so should we all do and with understanding too But this is an evident Testimony saith he that he did not use to Pray without the Spirit Answ. Though the consequence be not good yet I think the consequent is true But where sayes the Apostle that except he felt the Motions and Drawings Inspirations of the Spirit that after he had Introverted he would not pray And when he writteth to the Churches and pressâ—th them to pray for him 1 Thes 5 vers 25. 2 Thes. 3 1. Heb. 13 18. 2 Cor. 1 11 Phil. 1 19. Rom. 15 30. Philem. 22. Col 4 3. Where addeth he that clause If ye feel after an Introversion the Inspirations Motions Influences and powerfully inflowing might and liberty so that they might not attempt it otherwayes Let him cleare this and win the cause 12. He addeth All prayers without the Spirit are abomination Prov. 28 vers 9. Answ. Though that be true of the wicked yet I durst not say they were not called to pray seing it is a command of Natures Law See Esai 55 6. Ps. 107 19 28. Exod 22 23 Iob 8 5. 36 13. Ier. 36 7. 42 9. Not to mention the word of Peter to Simon Magus of which afterward I know the plowing of the wicked is sin Prov. 21 4. Must therefore say the wicked man must never plow The sacrifice of the wicked was also an abomination Prov. 15 v. 8. 21 27. was it therefore a good consequence under the Law that such persons should have brought no sacrifices Knoweth he not that the substance of an act may be good and yet for want of several things not be accepted at the hands of the wicked We know that in many things we offend all but he dreameth of perfection He addeth 1 Ioh. 5 14. and thence inferreth but if they seek not according to his will they have no cause to be confident that he will heare them Which is very true when they seek any thing that is not consonant to his revealed will But what then His adversaries sayes he grant that prayers without the Spirit are not according to the will of God We grant indeed that as to the manner such prayers are not according to the command but Iohn is not speaking of the manner of prayer but of the thing prayed for What will he say next To command any to pray without the Spirit is to command them to see without eye work without hands or walk without feet Answ. I knew we should land at Pelagianisme Nay he is worse than Pelagius for Pelagius only said that whatever God commanded us to do he gave us sufficient strength to do it with all but this man saith except we know and feel that we have not only sufficient but all working strength we have nothing to do with the command nay except the Spirit which must do all come and move carry and drive us forward yea and we feel it and know it we are not once to take notice of the command
it is not a mans bare saying or signifying this or that to us which is the Formal Ground of our giving credite thereto but the Truth and Honesty of the Person speaking these words nor is the simple Reading or Making known such or such a Command to us the Formal Ground of our receiving it and of yeelding Obedience thereto as a Law but the Legislative Authority of the Person giving out that Law in such a manner So it was not the Prophets their simple declaration or revelation that did solely ground the peoples Obediential beliefe of what they spoke But the Veracity and Authority of God speaking in and by them Revelation whether to the Immediatly Inspired Holy men of God or by them Mediatly to others was a necessary meane to hold forth the particulars to be believed and obeyed but not the total formal Ground upon which the particulars revealed were to believed and obeyed But this Thus faith Iehovah which was also conveyed unto the people and made known unto them by the Sent Prophets As a mans speaking is a necessary meane to make us know both what he asserts as truth and what he would have us believe upon his report And as Promulgation of lawes is a necessary meane to convey the knowledge of the particular Lawes together with the authority enjoyning them unto the Subjects concerned and cannot be the whole but at most a part of the formal object of faith and Obedience or a natural meanes of the Production of the material Object for whether the Revelation be to be looked upon only as such a means as some or as a part of the formal object as others it is all one against the Quakers and we need not fall upon that debate here But if he understand Both together Then neither can that be the Formal Object of Faith divine as is cleare from what is said It is not from the Revelation simply that such or such a Proposition is true but from the Veracity and Truth of him that maketh the proposition Nor is it from the Promulgation that such or such Words framed into the forme of a Command or Law have the force of a Law but from the legislative Authority of him who giveth forth the command Hence we see That it is all one as to the Formal Object or Ground of Faith and Obedience whether the Revelation be Mediat or Immediat One way or Other providing it hold forth the Proposition to be Believed the Law to be Obeyed as coming from Him who is Truth the undoubted supreame Legislator So that our believing of such or such a Proposition with divine Faith is resolved into this Thus saith Iehovah to us who is Truth it self and cannot lie and our divine Obedience to such or such a Command resolveth into this Thus saith to us and thus commandeth us the Supream Lord and Lawgiver Iehovah here the outward testification or declaration of God is not excluded but included rather 16. That we may not walk in the dark with our confused and confounding Author When he calleth Revelation the Formal Object of Faith I would gladly understand whether by this Revelation he meaneth the Lord's making his minde known unto the Patriarchs or Prophets themselves by Voices Visions Dreames c. Or the Revelation made known by these Prophets or Patriarchs unto the people by vive voice or by writing c or doth he meane Both If he understand the first then he speaketh only of the Formal Object of the Faith of these Patriarchs and Prophets who received these Immediat Revelations from God But I would faine know of him what was the Formal Object of the faith of the people to whom these divinely inspired Patriarchs and Prophets made known these Revelations with a Thus saith the Lord The Revelation made to the Prophets could not be the Formal Object of the Peoples faith because it was a Revelation Immediatly made only unto the Prophets and revealed to the people not Inwardly and Immediatly by Vision or Representation to their mindes or God's Vive Voice to their ears but Mediatly by way of Declaration or Preaching outwardly to their senses by the Prophets If he understand the Second then the Immediat Revelation is not the Formal Object of Faith for the Revelation which they had was Mediat If he mean Both. Then his Thesis is defective and this should also have been mentioned for a Divine Revelation coming to us Mediatly by the ministry of Men divinely inspired may hold forth the Formal Object of faith to us as the Scriptures penned by men immediatly Inspired do now hold forth to us the Formal Object of our Faith for we believe with a Divine Faith what is asserted in them because spoken and delivered to us by the Lord Jehovah who is the God of Truth not Immediatly but Mediatly 17. Upon this ground we see what way to Interpret that word in his Thesis Divine inward revelations are absolutely necessary for Founding of true Faith For it is true Nothing can be received by a true divine Faith but what is delivered by God or revealed by the First and Prime Verity who is Veracity it self yet it is not necessary that this First and Prime Verity reveal his minde Immediatly to every person as if none could be or were obliged to beleeve with a true and divine Faith what God saith but only such as are Immediatly inspired Becâ—uâ—e 1. Then the People of old to whom the Prophets were sent with a thus saith Iehovah might have refuised Faith and Obedience and alleiged that these Revelations were not made to them Immediatly and therefore they were not bound to Believe and Obey them But we finde that the Lord spoke even to the Fathers by the Prophets Heb. 1 1. 2. If this were true then the people of Israel that heard not God speaking from Mount Sinay being borne after that time were not obleiged to receive the Law delivered on Mount Sinay with a divine Faith and yet the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression disobedience received a just recompence of reward Heb. 2 2. And he that despised Moses's Law though Moses only had that law from God by Immediat Revelation except the Ten words died without mercy Heb. 10 28. 3. Then the Prophets Patriarchs or such as had the Inward and Immediat Revelations could only be guilty of Unbeliefe and Disobedience and not the People to whom they spoke contrare to the wole tenor of the book of the Prophets How then I pray could Sauls disobedience to the command of God by Samuel be as the sin of witch craft 1 Sam. 15 19 23. See Ier. 7 23. and 11 4 7. and 26 13. and 38 20. and 42 13. and innumerable moe places 4. How then could this aggravate their sin that God himself spoke unto them and called upon them by his Prophets Hos. 6 ver 5. Ier. 7 ver 13 25. and 25 ver 3 4. and 35 ver 14 15. and
sandy ground as Mr Rutherfoord witnesseth in his Spiritual Antichrist P. 19. Richard Farnworth said to Mr Stalham as he reporteth Pag. 3. of his forecited book That the Scriptures are the word of God and eternal life as thou wouldest have them thou canst not prove nor all the Magicians to help thee So P. 43. he tels us that one of them in a sheet called Christ exalted c. P. 4. had these words He Christ is the word and the Scripture is not He is the light and the Scripture is not He is the Rule and Guide and Teacher and Iudge and the Scripture is not but a Declaration of Him to be so By which and the like we may see how low an account they have of the Scriptures And how fond and absurd this is to debase the Scriptures under a pretence of exalting of Christ who seeth not Seing the Lord spoke in and by the Prophets unto the Fathers and spoke by the Mouth of the holy Prophets Heb. 1 1. Luk. 1 70. And the word of the Lord came unto them as unto Ieremiah Chap. 1 2 4. 2 1. 14 1. 29 30. unto Ezechiel Chap. 1 3. 3 16. to Hosea Chap. 1 1. to Ioel Chap. 1 1. to Ionah Ch. 1 1. 3 1. to Micab Ch. 1 1. to Zephania Chap. 1 1. to Zechariah Chap. 1 1. 7 4. 8 1. and by Haggai Chap. 1 1. And they declared what they spoke as the word of the Lord and the Lord owned it as His word See moreover 2 Chron. 36 21. Micah 4 4. Act. 28 25. Esai 1 20. Deut. 30 8 Num. 25.5 Ier. 23 28. and the like And seing the Scriptures containe nothing but a Revelation of the will and good pleasure of God it is manifest and clear that they are the Word of God and should bear that title To speak nothing of the Law which the Lord spoke and gave himself immediatly from mount Sinai what he inspired the Prophets to deliver and spoke himself in and by them and moved them infallibly in the very writing thereof cannot but be the Word of God That word which was given by immediat divine Inspiration cannot but beare the name of the Word of God Nay this name is expresly given unto the Scriptures for Mark 7. what is called the commandement of God vers 8. spoken and written by Moses vers 10. is called the Word of God vers 13. The roll written by Baruch Ier. 36 from the mouth of â—eremiah vers 4. is called the words of the Lord vers 6. The sword of the Spirit which is a piece of the Spiritual armour of Christian souldiers wherewith they resist the devil as Christ their Captane did Mat 4 4 7 10. with an it is written see also Mat. 22 31 32. is called the Word of God Ephes. 6 17. I shall not urge that place Heb. 4 12. because it seemeth more to be spoken of Christ than of the Scriptures though several take it as meaned of the Scriptures But that equivalent Expression of the Word of Christ Col. 3 16. may confirme us in this Truth as also that equivalent Expression the Oracles of God Rom. 3 2. and that the sincere milk of the word 1 Pet. 2 2. and that the word of the Lord 1 Pet. 1 2â— what else can the Psalmist's speaking to God and manifesting his affection to his word useing this expression Thy word above thirtie times Psal. 119. import but that the Scriptures are and are to be called the Word of God So these equipollent Expressions have the same import The word which I command you Deut. 4 2. I have written to him the great things of my law Hos. 8 12. when the Spirit of the Lord speaking of the Scriptures useth these expressions well spoke the Holy Ghost saying Act. 28 25 26. As the Holy Ghost saith Heb. 3 7. He spoke in a certane Place Heb. 4 4. He said in David vers 7. See Heb. 5 6. Exod. 20 1. Deut. â— 6. Heb. 13 5. Gal. 3 16. Rom. 10 21. 15 10. 1 Cor. 9 10. Others of this kinde might be cited If this man be of another judgment herein he should clearly express himself howbeit he thereby dissatisfie some of his Brethren But instead of this in his Apology P. 36. he alleigeth that we but calumniate them and speaking in the name of all the rest he saith they account them the most excellent writings in the world but how will he make this agree with their sayings formerly cited and afterward to be adduced He would do well to endeavour some reconciliation but I see not how he can do it 3. As for us we assert that no Prophecie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation For they were not conceived by the mindes nor framed and formed by the Understandings and Reasonings of men nor were they the product of their Study Paines as other books are of their Authors assisted by the Spirit of God Howbeit the penmen of the Scriptures studied the writtings of others as Daniel did understand by books Dan. 9 2. and David was much in the meditation and study of the Law yea they searched and made narrow enquiry after the meaning of what was spoken and delivered by themselves so far as concerned their own faith and Practice as Peter tels us 1 Pet. 1 10 11. yet the work of delivering the Scriptures by Word and Write was not the result of their studious Labour wherein their Mindes Judgments and Memories were exercised and busied nor did these Scriptures proceed from private phancied Revelations and Enthusiasmes they were not the issue of mens Dreams Imaginations Conceptions of fancie or self-Afflation because no way of private Interpretation or Revelation but on the contrary holy men of God spoke as they were not only determined but moved by the Holy Ghost and that in contradistinction both from the acts of mens Phancy and Imagination and the acts of their Will 2 Pet. 1 20 21. The Holy Ghost did Immediatly and Extraordinarily dictat what was written Matter and Expressions as well such things as they had Seen Heard Read Studied and Known before as these they were Ignorant of or had forgotten Hence it is that the Lord spoke in the Prophets by the mouth of the holy Prophets and his word came unto them and by them see Heb. 1 2. Mark 14 36. Heb. 3 7. 9 8. 10 15. Luk. 1 v. 70. 2 King 10 10. 21 10. 2 Sam. 23 2 3. and hence it is that this very word of Prophecy or Prophetical word coming thus unto the Prophets the holy men of God when it was to become a Prophecie of write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was also committed to write through the Spâ—cial acting of the Spirit singularly movâ—ng these Amanuenses hence the Scripture the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given by Inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3 16. on which place the words of Corn a
Lapide are remarkable God is said saith he to have taught the Scriptures because 1. He stood so by the writters that they did not erre from the truth in a point 2. He did excite them and suggest to them so as they should write these things rather than those c. He did so inspire them that they set down this conception rather than that c. 3. He so ordered all the conceptions and sentences and led them so as that this sentence was first that next and the other in the third place and thus they were set downe orderly one after another and this is properly to write and make a book and therefore is the Spirit of God properly the Author of the Scriptures Hence is it that the word of God in the Old Test. is tearmed in the New the Scripture or Scriptures pointing out the word as written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby we see that as in the frameing of the truths contained in the Scriptures of Prophecy or as to the matter and thing revealed and written the holy men of God had the real Inspirations of God and spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost or as the Holy Ghost spoke in them and by them they giving only a concurrence of their Rational faculties so in the very commiting of the minde of God unto writing they acted as moved by the Holy Ghost and not by any acquired Skill or Knowledg in the art of Grammer or Rhetorik being herein as a Pen in the hand of a writer and therefore ought not to be called the Secondary or proxime Authors of the Scriptures as some Papists imagine though the Lord used One to express his minde in one way and Another in another way as he thought meet and each in a way suteable to his natural Enduements as he used Esaias to express his minde in an High Loftie and Court-like stile and Amos being an herd man to express his minde in a more Mean and Low stile suteable to herd men in all consulting the universal good of the Church in all ages Whence it is manifest that not only the Matter and Things revealed whether as Truths to be Beleeved or as Lawes to be Obeyed are immediatly of God but also the very Method Expressions and Words wherein these truths were uttered which even some Papists as Gregor de Valentia and Estius Swarez and others confess And so the Whole and every Part Sentence and Word is of divine Authority and of a divine Original Whereby every one may see how sure the ground and basis of our Faith and Obedience is how rationally we act in adhereing to these Scriptures of Truth rejecting whatever is not consonant thereunto and especially all particular pretended divine Revelations which are but the meer product of mens strong Phancies and Imaginations or of Satans Workings in mens mindes and phantasies And withall we hereby see the divine Original of this Word of Prophecie which we must take heed unto as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day star arise in our hearts 2 Pet. 1 19. and must study and meditate upon day night Psal. 1. and be well acquanted with They being the Oracles of God Rom. 3 2. and the holy Scriptures which are able to make us wise unto Salvation through faith which is in Christ Iesus being profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be Perfect thorowly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3 15 16 17. As also the unreasonableness of those men who would directly or indirectly bring us off this Ground and have us following the light of that Ignis Fatuus of their Imaginary and Delusory Revelations which as they arise out of a mire so they lead the Man that followeth their guide into one and leave him there 4. Before we proceed because this Man alleâ—dged that it was a calumnie to say that either they denied or undervalued the Scriptures what Apology will he make for his brethren who owne the Scriptures only as a declaration of the Saints conditions witness G. Fox the younger in the collection of his books P. 59. cited by Mr Hicks dial 1. P. 19. account them no better than an old almanack witness Holbrow cited by Mr Hicks P. 29. and look upon it as inck and paper See Mr Hicks Pag. 41. and say that it is dangerous for ignorant people to read them witness Fox and Hubberthorn in Truths defence P. 101 Sâ—e Mr Hicks ibid. who also in his 2 Dial. Pag. 5. tels us that White head expresly saith in his D. P. Pag. 13. that it is idolatry to call the Bible a means and that faith grounded on the Scriptures is but an empty and implicite faith and bespeaks such persons void of the knowledge of God Christ Salvation and to be yet in their sin and that such men walk by thâ—ir own fancies and imaginations Christ Ascend Pag. 11. Do such expressions â—avoure of any high Esteem which they have of the Holy Scriptures if not let him see to it But moreover George Whitehead in his Apology P. 49. said that that which is spoken from the Spirit of truth in any viz. of them is of as great authority as the Scriptures yea and greater See for this Mr Hicks 1 dial P. 28. Will. Pen in his Rais. against Rail P. 40. cited by Mr Hicks 3. Dial. said That the Scriptures at most are but a kinde of declaratory and secondary Rule This man saith the same as we â—hall heare and further The Scripture is the Râ—le of historical faith but the light and Spirit of God can only be the Rule of saving faith and againe Pag. 55. That which is more ancient more universal and more able to informe rule and guide that must eminently be the rule but that hath been and is the Light within Therefore that hath been and ought to be the Rule of faith and practice So P. 48. Because we deny the Scriptures to be the rule of faith practice in honour to that divine light that gave them forth that we should therefore c. If this man think that we calumniat them upon this account he should tell us at least what high and honourable thoughts he and the rest have of them 5. But what if we finde him upon the matter saying little less than they though in more modâ—st expressions He saith I confess in his Thesis That the Scriptures of truth did proceed from the holy Revelations of the Spirit of God and one would think this a faire acknowledgment But in his Apology Pag. 36 he tels us that they do not think that the Authority of the Scriptures doth depend on any Efficacy or Vertue placed in these Writings but ascribe it wholly unto that Spirit from whom they came What confusion and self contradiction is here To say that the Scriptures of Truth are the
47. of his works saith as Mr Hicks citeth him Dial. 3. Pag. 58 59. That is no command to me which is a command to another neither did any of the saints act by a command that was given to another And againe Such as go to duty by imitation from the letter which was commands to others their sacrifice is an abomination to the Lord. And againe Pag. 105. he hence inferreth that they who take up a command from the Scriptures are in the witchcraft This is a sufficient proof And that that inference of his Brethren is naught we shall shew afterward 10. In the following words of his Thesis he cometh nearer to that which is the core of the whole of his designe which is to set up Immediat Revelations and Enthusiasmes as the ground and adequate Rule of Faith and Manners and to lay aside the Scripturâ—s as incompetent thereunto for he tels us that the Scriptures are only a Declaration of the Fountaine and not the Fountaine it self and thence inferreth that therefore they are not to be accounted the Principal Original of all Truth and Knowledge nor the adequate primary Rule of Faith and Manners But what ridiculous folly is this did ever man dream that the Scriptures were God or the Spirit of God So he reasoneth as if one should say The acts of Parliament or the Lawes made by the Supream Legislator of a Kingdom or Common wealth are but only declarations of the minde of the Law-givers and not the Law-makers themselves therefore they are not the principal Original of civility or municipality nor the adequate and primary Rule of government And who would not smile at this The Jewes when they heard the law given by God upon mount Siâ—ai might have said likewise This Law is not God himself nor the fountaine it self but only a Declaration of the Fountaine and therefore cannot be accounted our adequate and primary Rule of Faith and Manners but we must look after something else as our Adequate and Primary Rule â—ut I wonder that the man doth not observe that this manner of argueing maketh nothing for his maine designe for he will not I suppose say though others speak little less that the Revelations which he pretendeth unto or the light within which he would have regarded as the Rule is God himself or the Fountaine and principal Original it self of all Truth and Knowledge but only at most a Beame of Light and Truth streaming out from the Fountaine And so the question will only come to this whether the Revelations or Light within which he cryeth up or the Scriptures of Truth which we plead for be the Adequate and Principal Rule of Faith and Manners And if he speak any thing to this question in his Apology we shall examine it One thing I would say here viz. That this Prime Principal Original of all Truth and Knowledge is no Rule of Faith and Manners to us let be the Adequate and Primary Rule being considered in it self but only as declared and manifested to us in manner of a Law whether written and made legible upon the Nature of Man and his Relation to the Creator and to the rest of the creatures or imprinted upon the Minde of Man or delivered by Vive Voice as on mount Sinai or by writing as in the Scriptures God's being the Fountaine and prime Original of all Truth c. did lay no bands on Adam to forbear to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil but there was an express Command given and Law made thereanent God is in Himself and from all Eternity was the prime Fountain and Original of all Truth and Knowledge yet was not that a Law or Rule for a Law or Rule is a relative thing and supposeth Subjects to be Ruled and Governed thereby which were not in being from eternity 11. He talketh further at the same rate of absurdity granting that the Scriptures are and may be accounted a secondary Rule subordinate to the Spirit from whom they derive all their excellency and Certainty But what meaneth he by a Secondary Subordinate Rule This would import that the Testimony of the Spirit which he and others of his perswasion do pretend unto and plead for is a Rule above the Scriptures But how can the Testimony of the Spirit which they say they receive be preferred unto the Testimony of the Scriptures seing by his owne confession the Scriptures were written by a divine Afflatus Is the Spirits speaking unto them more an Afflatus and so a more Primary Rule than the Spirits speaking in the Scriptures This cannot be for sure the Scriptures or Verity declared therein or the Declaration of Gods minde thereby expressed is as Immediat an Emanation from the Prime Original Truth as any which they can receive for the holy Men of God were as Really and as Immediatly Inspired by the Spirit in Speaking Dictating and Writing the Scriptures we are not here speaking of transumpts or of translations as they can suppose themselves to be if not more And so all the difference is that the Inspiration which they receive is to them Immediate but the Inspiration in the Scriptures is but Mediate to us yet sure when they come to dictate their Inspirations to others the case cannot much differ And further we are taught that the Inspirations and Revelations which the Holy-men of God who were his Penmen in writing the Scriptures did receive were not for themselves for the Lord spoke by them or in them to the Fathers Heb. 1 â— And Peter tels us 1 Pet. 1 10 12. that the Prophets when they prophecied of the grace that should come had it revealed unto them that not unto themselves but unto us they did Minister the thingâ— which are now reported It is confessed that the Scriptures were given out by the Infallible Inspiration of the Spirit and that they were given for a Rule and Paul tels us 2 Tim. 3 16 17. that they are able to make us wise unto Salvation to make the man of God perfect throughly fournished unto all good works whence it is manifeâ—t that they are a Sure and Alsufficient Rule and therefore Compleat and Adequate as to what we are to Know and Beleeve in reference to Eternal Salvation But as for their Revelations and Inspirations whatever they make of them we are concerned to enquire whence they come and whither they go eâ—pecially seing they are set up cheek by chole with the Scriptures yea and preferred thereto Nay when the Scriptures command us not to beleeve every Spirit but to try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world 1 Ioh. 4 â— I judge it the saifest course both for them and us to examine these supposed Inspirations And howbeit they may imagine that the Inspirations which they have now and then received or are receiving are undoubtedly Divine Yet because the false Prophets whereof Iohn speaketh might have imagined the same
this that which at best is but of private interpretation that is an Issue of mens Fancies private Conceits and Enthusiasmes if not Satanical Illapses and Delusions This is also plaine from 1 Cor. 4 6. above what is written which implyeth that what is written is sufficient and full as also from Act. 20 27 35 comp with Act. 26 22 23. 27. These and what formerly hath been mentioned to this end and purpose this man thinketh good to overlook as if he had never heard of them We shall now try what he saith to others and First that plaine Testimony Esa. 8 20. to the Law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Whence we see that whoever they be that come to us pretending a divine Commission we must try what they say by this word which is called the Law and the Testimony and if they speak not according to it let their pretensions be never so high they are to be rejected as dark and as coming from darkness So that the Law and the Testimony is the Supreme Râ—le To this he saith we have not proven that by the Law and Testimony is meaned the Scriptures As if any that ever read the Bible could be ignorant what is all along meaned by these words But granting this he hath another reserve viz. That the Law was in a more special manner given to the jewes and more principally than to us And hence forsooth he will retort the Argument against us thus Seing they who were under the Old Covenant were to try all by the outward Law we who are under the new Covenant are to try all by the word of faith which is within us And thus the man rants in his reaving contradicting what was the great pillar of his discourse upon the preceeding Thesis and making differences without ground as we lately manifested and with all destroying by his owne expressions what he mainly intendeth For the Word of Faith that he speaketh of is distinct from Immediat Revelations and these words which he eyeth cited by Paul Rom. 10. were spoken to the people under the Law by Moses Deut. 30. v. 14. and so were true of them even then Hereby also he proveth more than he ought for if this Argument hold the Scriptures shall not be so much as a Lesse Principal and Subordinat Rule which yet he granted it to be or he must say the case is so altered under the New Testament that what was a Principal Rule then is now only subordinat but whence will this be Evinced And will it not hence appear probable that what is now Principal to us was Less Principal to them that is the Immemediat Testimony of the Spirit Let the man rid his feet here if he can as for the 70 Version we have nothing to do with it if he will lay any weight upon such a corrupt Version he should not challenge other versions that agree better with the Original But I wonder how the Man can think that that Version which saith the law was given for an help shoulâ— confirme his Opinion which is that the Law was given them as a Principal Rule even above the Spirits Revelations 27. Another argument to prove the Scriptures our supream Rule is usually taken from Christs saying to the Jewes Ioh. 5 39 search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they that testifie of me Where Câ—râ—st referreth them to the Scriptures that word of God which should have been abideing in them verse 38. as to a Rule whereby he was content that his doctrine should be tryed and judged and if even Christs Doctrines should be tryed by the Scriptures who will think it unreasonable that private Enthusiasmes should be so tryed and who can then deny this privilege of the Scripture to be our Rule what saith he to this passage He imagineth that Christ reproveth them for having too great a veneration for the Scriptures Quite contrare to vers 38 46 47. and to the very word of command search the Scriptures and to his owne Concession granting that it was their Principal Rule It is laid to their charge that they would not come to Christ and one Reason of their Unbeleefe is given viz. that they did not search the Scriptures which did testifie of Him that notwithstanding they professed acknowledged that the Scriptures pointed out the way to eternal life But againe he tels us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 search is by some taken to be in the Indicative mode and not in the Imperative Which forgery of Papists the cohesion and scope of the words doth abunâ—antly redargue and Tolet and Maldonat both confesse that Chrysostome Theoph. August and all weighty Authors except Cyril understand it imperatively To â—â—is passage of Christs here we might adde others where he confirmeth his doctrine by the Scriptures elsewhere cited and the following verses where he tels them that Moses by his writings should accuse them that their not beleeving of Moses's writings was a cause why they did not beleeve Christs words verse 45 46 47. we might adde also Paul and other Apostles proving their doctrine from the Scriptures and Paul's affirming that he spoke nothing but what Moses the Prophets said But these and the like have been cited already let us take notice but of what the Apostle Iames speaketh concerning this He accounts the Word of Truth that by which we are begotten Chap. 1 18. and Would have us doers of it and not hearers only otherwise we shall but deceive our selves vers 2â— 23. and then vers 25. calleth it the Perfect Law of liberty wherein we continueing and being not forgetful hearers but doers of the work we shall be blessed in our deed So Chap. 2 8. He calleth it the Royal law according to the Scriptures which say we should Love our Nieghbour as our selves and if we do otherwise we commit sin and are convinced of the Law as transgressours and vers 10 11. he sheweth us that by the Law he meaneth the decalogue See also Chap. 4 11 12 28. Another passage of Scripture confirming our point is Act. 17 11. where it is spoken to the commendation of the Beroans that they searched the Scriptures to see if Pauls doctrine did accord therewith which clearly expressed the Scriptures to be that Rule by which even the sayings of such as pretend Immediat Revelations ought to bâ— tryed though he thinketh that hence it will not follow that they are our Only and Supream Rule But he thinketh best to chant over againe his old Song viz. That these were Jewes to whom the Law and the Prophets were a Rule in a more special manner The uselesness of which Evasion hath been showne And further he must grant that these Christians were under the New Testament or Covenant and so cannot say that it is the Priviledge of Christians under the New Testament to be from under
therein Psal. 111 2. which speak out God's minde as to circumstantial individual actions There are many General Rules which must be applied by Christian Wisdome Prudence and Discretion according to exemplary instances registrated in Scripture so that a person walking in the Light of the Lord and hanging upon Him singly for Light to understand the Rule and Wisdome to regulate his individual Actions thereunto shall see and be convinced of the Perfection of the Law of God and abhore the thoughts of tempting of God by looking for or asking New and Immediat Revelations yea and if any thing should occurre that by reason of its unusualness should seem to be some what extraordinarie and have some farr-resemblance unto that which some would call a Revelation will not rest till their Obedience be bottomed upon the unerring Rule and look upon such unusual manifestations as Confirmations rather than Grounds for their Faith and Obedience And in this the Lord may think good to consult the weakness of such well meaning persons who cannot see that in the Rule of the Scriptures as particularly applicable to their case which Others more mighty in the Scriptures and of more spiritual sharpnesse would easily discover All which tendeth to the Confirmation of the Fulness and Perfection of the Rule and no way to the crying-up and owneing of Inward and Immediat Revelations to the disparagment of the Law of the Lord which is Perfect Matters than being thus the Scripture-Rule able to regulate as a Rule when studied and wisely improven in all the particulars by him mentioned as might be showne Nay more might by shown that the Scripture can sufficiently Regulat the Christian deportment of every servant maide as to the very sweeping of the house how much more shall it be sufficient to Regulat a Minister the Man of God as to all his Deportment in the house of God What needs more to shame this effronted man than to recommend to his serious thoughts if he will do this upon my Recommendation without a new and distinct Revelation the study of these words of Paul already cited 2 Tim. 3 16 1 All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable c. that the man of God may be perfect perfected or thorowly furnished to all good works If this be true and I doubt he hath the forehead yet to say otherwayes he may see Paul here answering all his Instances and telling him that his Allegations are not true And if he will not beleeve Paul immediatly Inspired it were unreasonable in us to expect that our more particular confronting his alleiged Instances out of Scripture should prevaile with him and as for Others who rest satisfied with the Testimony of the Apostle it were needless for us upon this light occasion to digresse further unto a scriptural discovery of these things Thus then we might have dismissed him But for further satisfaction to the Reader we shall goe on and see what he saith more 32. He tels us very honestly that Paul saith 1 Cor. 12. that every member must have its owne place in the Church and consequently their Church must be a monster that hath no distinct members every member must performe its owne function or else cause a schisme in the body and againe That the Lord will have each of his servants do the work which he putteth him to Which who can deny but Quakers who counteract this as is and shall be abundantly showne I know not and againe to the former purpose he citeth Rom 12. And we thank him for it But with all he addeth that no Scripture can tell him whether he should attend exhâ—rtation or Prophecy or ministry or doctrine And this is very true for he is no Church Officer of whom the Apostle there speaketh and having none of those gifts of Office he hath nothing to do with the Work peculiar to these Offices But others whom the Lord according to the Order established in His house whereunto this man is both a stranger and an enemy hath called to Prophecy and Teaching or Exhorting should wait upon it and performe their work according to the proportion of faith and such as are called to Ministry and to Giving should wait upon it and do it with simplicity cheerfulnesse and these who are called to Rule should do it with diligence Could not the man read this in the text But he would say The Scriptures say not that Iohn Iames or Peter should take on this or that Office Nor say I is this required of a Rule as such But how Iames Iohn or Peter shall know by the Scriptures that God calleth them to this or that imployment I have showne above 33 But the weightiest point of all is Pag. 41.42 That the Scriptures cannot give a man any certainty that he is in the faith and an heire of Salvaton And as for me if the Scriptures give not full Certainty in full measure heaped up and running over so farr as is competent to a Rule to do I shall despaire thereof What are there no marks given in Scripture whereby this may be known Yes sayes he But who shall perswade me that I have those marks that I beleeve that I obey c. Is this man in his wits that thinketh this should be done by a Rule Thinks he the Lawes of the land must say that Robert Barclay is a Quaker or that this or that man hath broken this or that Law If Robert Barclay had murthered a man and were impannelled thereupon would he think it a defence good enough in Law to say that in all the Acts of Parliament nay nor in all the Bible too it cannot be read that I Robert Barclay have murthered such a person Therefore tâ—e inference that I must die is founded upon no Law What shall a rational man think of this ridiculous Folly What doth he next He citeth our Confession of faith Chap. 18. Sect. 2. shewing how Assurance is had to which I heartily subscribe for as I shall be loath with this ignorant Man to confound the work proper to the Spirit of God with that which is proper to the Rule of the Scriptures so I shall be loath to decry the Scriptures and rob them of their due as this man doth under a pretext of setting up the Spirit or to deny to the Spirit of God any of his gracious works in the souls of his owne whatever this man think under a pretext of maintainâ—ng the Scriptures Perfection I only here assert and maintaine the Scriptures Perfection as a Rule granting to the Spirit with all cheerfulness and readiness of soul all that work which the Scriptures teach me to do and therefore I grant that the Spirit beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8 16. and what can be rationally deduced from 1 Ioh. 4 13. 5 6. which he citeth I know that it is the Spirit that causeth us know the things that are
freely given to us of God 1 Cor. 2 12. I assert that He is the earnest in our hearts 2 Cor. 1 22. and that beleevers are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Ephes. 1 13. and that by him they aâ—e sealed unto the day of Redemption Ephes. 4 30. But all this is his peculiar work and by no shew of reason can or should be expected of a Rule as any man of ordinary judgment may see 34. But § 4. Pag. 43. He tels us that neither deaf persons nor idiots nor Infants can make use of it as a Rule and yet some of these may be saved That some of these may be saved and are I shall be loath to deny but what will this say for the Imperfection of the Scriptures Did not Paul know so much when he spok of their Perfection Or did not the Spirit of the Lord know this when he inspired David to say Psal. 19 that the Law of the Lord was perfect What I pray will his Revelations helpe the matter as to Infants and Idiots Are they capable of such Were there none such among the Jewes And yet he granted that the Law was a Primary Rule to them and consequently Perfect for he deducâ—th its not being a Principal Rule from its being Imperfect and therefore when and where so ever it was a Principal Rule then and there it was also a Perfect Rule Thus the man in stricking at us woundeth himself But what in case any of these persons kill a man what would the Law of the land do unto them would it punish them I think the Law of the Lord should warrand them if they did right And shall the Law of a Land reach persons that cannot make use of it and God's Law not What use can Children or Mad men or Idiots make of the Light within As for deaf persons they have Natures light and that is part of God's Law and if they have eyes they can see many things that may instruct them though they cannot read the Bible which was never penned for their immediat use nor yet for the use of Infants and Idiots But the saying that God can and when he will doth supply the want of Scripture as of other of his Appointments Ordinances in these extraordinary cases can be no impeachment either of the Usefulness or Perfection of the Scriptures Our Quakers will account their books and exhortations useful if not necessary and yet he shall hardly perswade me that deafe Persons or infants or idiots can make any good use of them 35. To the same end he mentioneth next such as cannot read And can he demonstrate that there were none such among the Iewes and can he tell me what this derogateth from the Perfection of the Lawes of a Land and I pray him tell me if he thinks that such as cannot read and yet live where the Scriptures are or within the Church can violat any of the precepts contained in the Scriptures or not If they can shall be punished of God therefore did not the Scriptures oblige them will their not being learned and able to read prove a sufficient plea for them in the day of accounts If not then the Scriptures remaine a Rule to them and if it remaine a Rule it must remaine a Perfect Rule for all that this argument concludeth which if it conclude any thing will conclude that the Scriptures are no Rule at all to such And as for the disadvantage such are at in the knowledge of the Rule they must blame themselves the Scriptures cannot bear the blame that they will not learne to read them no more than it can bear the blame of such as can read them and will not 36. After this he â—aketh together a number of things Such as peoples Ignorance of the Original Languages Errours in Translations whereof our owne is not in his judgment free Various Readings in the Originals difference among Learned men about the Points in the hebrew and about the Original authenticque of the Old Test. Some pleading for the â—o others for the Hebrew and he might have added the Papists pleading for the Vulgar latine Version for both old and New Testament All which can plead nothing against the Rule of the Scriptures as every one may see only â—t can be hence inferred that we are at some disadvantages in understanding some things in the Scripture and by this he rather disputes against the Providence of God and his Goodness that did not prevent these evils than against the Canon it self for he cannot deny thâ—t the Canon was once written by men inspired of God in one language or other nor will he say â—s we shall hear shortly that what was so written was written only for the good of these Persons or Churches to whom they were especially directed Beside that these Exceptions have been sufficiently removed by Learned Men particularly and that shortly and plainly by the learned D. Owen in his book above cited Himself calleth them the Scriptures of truth and § 2. Pag 38. he both wondereth and praiseth God that they are by the good providence of God keeped so pure and uncorrupt Yea Pag. 47. § 6. he confesseth thâ—t what errors are creept-in through the injury of the times are but small especially in substantial matters So that notwithstanding of all which he hath said the Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation and what neeâ—s more what would he hence inferre 37. Towards the end of Pag. 44. he tels us what he would hence conclude viz That Christ who promised to be with his own and to lead them in all truth c. would never leave them to be led by a Rule obvious to so many doubts And yet we see he hath done so for we know no other Rule whâ—ch Christ haâ—h given whereby to point our unto us the Way and Counsel of God But he addeth tâ—at Christ hath therefore given his Spirit for the Principal and chief Leader And I say the same and account it a saying worthy of all acceptance The Spirit is the Principal Chiefe Only Efficient Leader Giving and implanting a new principle of life and grace in the soul Reforming Regenerating the whole man as to his Understanding Will and Affections Sending and conveying new Influences of Life Light Strength and Comfort whereby the Ignorant and blinde are made to see the way wherein they ought to walk the fainting and weary get new power and increase of Strengh so as they run and are not weary and walk and are not faint the Sick and swooning christian is made to revive and become strong in the Lord and in the power of his might the Dejected and sorrowfull Mourner is made to sing in the wayes of the Lord through the Consolations of the H. Ghost but all this is consisting with no way derogatory to the Vse Necessity Fulness Compleetness of the Scriptures as our Rule Law Here lyeth the ground of this mans
himself By this accusing of conscience Paul proveth here that the Gentiles had the Law in their heart 10. He would know that there is a twofold writing of the Law in the heart One is whereby the knowledge of the Law is so fixed in their mindes as that it cannot be utterly delet howbeit their wils cannot and will not comply therewith and of this the Apostle is here speaking for the Heathens have this Law of nature so imprinted and fixed in their Mindes as to several things concerning God and their carriage and walk in the world that they cannot but see a difference betwixt Righteousness and Iniquity Honesty and Dishonesty in several particulars and in their judgment preferre the one to the other though their hearts and wills be not reconciled thereunto and made to comply therewith even according to thâ— measure of their Knowledge and Judgment The Other is whereby the whole will of God revealed in Law and Gospel is by the Spirit of God deeply imprinted in the soul of Beleevers so that as their Mindes know it and their Judgments approve it so their Wills imbrace it with love and desire and their native Endeavour is after Full Pure Sincere and Spiritual conformity thereto in the strength of the same Spirit and it is their griefe and matter of unfaigned sorrow when through the workings of a remanent body of death they come short of what is commanded whether as to Matter or Manner or End intended c. If he shall evince that Paul speaketh of this here he shal do more than all the Socinians no persons else ever dreamed of this ever have been able to do to this day But the truth is I apprehend all this is a riddle to this man who understandeth no other writing of the Law in hearts than the first for as he is an enemy so is he a stranger unto the Gospel of the Grace of God as will evidently enough appear ere we have done 25. He addeth a second reason for his Interpretation Pag. 57 saying that if nature here be understood of the proper nature of Man then the Apostle should contradict himself who elsewhere saith that the natural man cannot perceive the things of God but among these things of God the Law is comprehend seing Paul Rom. 7 12 14. itâ—oly â—oly just and good and Spiritual and calleth himself carnal which must be understood as he was unregenerat I answere 1. Paul no way contradicteth himself except in this mans dreaming fancy for these spiritual things whereof the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 2 14 are not the things of Nature or of the Law or Light of Nature But the things of the Spirit of God which must be spiritually understood vers 14. which none can know without they have the minde of Christ vers 16. which concerne Christ and Him Crucified vers 2. the same which Paul preached in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power vers 4. which was Wisdom among such only as were perfect vers 6. and which only the Spirit which is of God did reveal and not the Spirit of the world vers 11 12. and which eye had not seen nor eare heard c. vers 9. It was the preaching of the Crosse of Christ which even the Wise and Understanding and such as had not only Natures Light but the Light of the Law could not know It was that which even to the Jewes was a stumbling block and to the wise Grecians was foolishness Chap. 1 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. Hence we see the Law which was written in the hearts of the Gentiles is not among those things whereof Paul speaketh 1 Cor. 2. 2. It is truâ— the Law both that which is written in the heart of the Gentiles and that which was more clearly and amply declared and explained by God to the Jewes was Good Holy Just and Spiritual yet was it not the same with the things of God whereof the Apostle spoke 1 Cor. 2. 3 This man must have a strange antipathy at â—ruth and against the Orthodox for he will joyne with any before he take part with them we heard but just now how he joyned with Smalcius the Socinian and here in interpreting Rom. 7 14. c. he deserteth the orâ—hodox and joyneth himself with Pelagians Arminians and Socinians who will have the Apostle there speaking not of himself but as assumeing the person of one in nature not yet regenerated as if such were not wholly â—in and whâ—lâ—y flesh or had an Inward man delighting in the Law of God or â—ad a Law in their minde contrary to the Law in their members or were capable of this captivity when they are willing slaves or could groan under a boâ—y of death and account themselves miserable upon that account or thank God through Jesus Christ because of the begun delivery and certane expectation of the full victory or as if they with their minde could serve the Law of God 4. His sole reason viz. because the Apostle said he was carnal proveth nothing for what the Apostle speaketh in a certane respect must not be understood in an absolute sense He was it is true carnal as all â—egenerat persons are not absolutly nor wholly but in part in so far as the old man remained in which respect the best have a Law in their members warring against the Law of their minde and have the flesh lusting against the Spirit as they have the Spirit lusting against the flesh Gal. 6.17 And the Apostle calleth even such babes in Christ carnal in a certane reâ—pect 1 Cor. 3 1. 26. Thereafter he tels us That when we are urged with this testimony by Pelagians anâ— Socinians and by them so â—hat we see with whom he and his party are birds of one feather we use to answere that there were some remnants of the spiritual image left in Adam But sayes he this is affirmed without probation In which he either speaketâ— aâ—ainst his Light or he â—aâ—â— neâ—er read what hath been said upon this by the orthodox against Socinians and Arminians and such as would defend that there were some speculative Atheisâ—s unto whom this Mans assertion doth no small service as we may shew hereafter But next he saith that hereby we contradict ourselves and destroy our own cause Why so For saith he If by these relicques they could fulfil the law then either Christ's coming was not necessary or men could be saved without him or that these thâ—ugh they keeped the Law were damned because ignorant â—f Christ to come which the Lord had made impossible for them to know Answere 1. We never said that they could fulfil the Law by these relicques nor doth the Apostle say so It is true they did and could do by nature somethings contained in the Law and this was sufficient for the Apostles designe not all Even Paul though many stages above many heathens while in the state of nature did not know till the written Law told him that
that look upon the place that the Apostle to the end he might clear up the way how beleevers partake of the benefites of Christs death maketh a comparison betwixt Adam and Christ and so cleareth up how it is that all Mankinde is become Corrupt and that in and through the first Man Adam from whom this corruption is derived not by Imitation for they cannot imitate it who never heard of it and yet even they partake of this corruption therefore by real Participation of the guilt saying verse 12. as by one man sin entred into the world c. and that in him all sinned and afterward that upon this sin death passed upon all men and reigned even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgressions that is over infants that had not yet committed any actual sin and that judgment was by one to condemnation so that the fruit of this sin was Condemnation or Obnoxiousness to condemnation and that because by this one sin the posterity were made sinners 2. By Death here is meaned every kinde of death Temporal and Eternal and Spiritual for it is a death that reigned over Iâ—fants and is called Condemnation 3. we finde no person old or young that come of this first Adam by ordinary generation here excepted nay Infants are expresly enough included vers 14. 4. So that all the posterity of Adam young and old being in Adam their Natural and Federal Head partake of his sin having sinned in him and of the miseries or just punishment of that sin All this is so clear and manifest both from the very words and expressions of the Apostle and from his scope that who ever speak against this must do violence to the text and weaken the Apostles argueings This same passage did the ancients Augustine and others urge against the Pelagians as is to be seen in Vossij histor Pelag. Pag. 146 147. By this argument That sin which is so described to us by the Apostle that he sayeth is brought death upon all men that men sinned by it and were made sinners even they who could not as yet actually sin that thereby all became guilty of death and of condemnation that sin by imputation is the sin of the whole nature included in Adam and rendereth the whole nature obnoxious to death and to condemnation But the first sin of Adam is decribed to us by the Apostle c. Ergo That sin is the sin of nature because Adam did sustaine the person of all who potentially were in his Ioines and by vertue thereof all are liable to death the punishment thereof Vossius tels us moreover that the Ancients took much notice of Paul's calling Adam a Type and of the particle As and did hence gather that as the Obedience of Christ belongeth to all such as are spiritually begotten not by Imitation but by Imputation so the Disobedience of Adam is conveyed not by Imitation but by Imputation unto all such as corporally come of him They took notice also as he sheweth us of the particle By which did denote the Efficient cause of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom which saith that the posterity did sin in Adam or if it be rendered because or in as much or for which it will shew what is the Adequate cause of death and that it hath also place in Infants 19. Thus we have seen the Argument of the orthodox Church and its ground let us next see what he sâ—ith against it As concerning the words of the Apostle saith he the reason of the condemnation in whom all did sin that is in that seed or by occasion of that seed for no man is said to sin but in his owne person But I pray By what warrand may he foist-in words at his owne pleasure into the tâ—xt Is there the least mention made of seed in all the text Is not this intolerable boldness to deal so with the Scripâ—ures of Truth But if Infants be condemned because they sinned in or by occasion of that seed then that seed was imputed to them Yes he will say but that was when they began to sin in their owne persons No say I that cannot be because the text importeth no such thing yea it saith the contrary viz. that death which is included in the condemnation passed upon all men and reigned even over such as had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression that is had not as yet sinned actually So that his reason is directly against the Apostle and we have further above discovered its untruth He addeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aggreeth with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so sheweth how Adam by his sin gave entry to sin into the world and so death by sin entered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. by which viz. occasion or in which viz. death all others did sin i. e. actually in their persons viz. who were capable of sinning of which number Infants are not who are under no Law as was showne and where no Law is there is no transgression as the Apostle sayeth This upon the matter is the same that the old Pelagians said as Vossius sheweth us Hist. Pelag. Pag. 182.183 For they interpreted these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom all have sinned by sinning after example or Imitation and this man by sinning upon that Occasion when they become capable and the Socinians with Episcopius homologate with the Pelagians and have been abundantly answered by the orthodox who shew that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of Xenophon Aristophanes Demosthenes and other Greek Authors But For Answere unto this Quaker I would say 1. If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agree with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the meaning must be this and so death passed upon all men in which death all men sinned and what sense can this make out May not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agree as well to Man If not let him give us the least colour of reason either from the text or context 2. If Adam by his sin gave entry unto sin into the world this must be meaned of his first sin for the Apostle speaketh alwayes of one sin or of Offence in the singular number that Vers. 18. may be read by one offence And so sin entered not by Imitation nor yet by Occasion for his after sinnes might have laid the way for Imitation and have given Occasion as well as the first Yea more yea only for while the first sin was committed there were none to imitate him and if this had been the Apostles meaning he had spoken of sins in the plural number 3 If this had been the Apostles meaning he had not named One man and One man as a Type a Type of him that was to come for Eva's sin the Devils sin might also have been an Occasion 4. Hence it will follow thaâ— beleevers are made Righteous only upon Occasion of Christs Righteousness
be the object of an Eternal Ordination When we consider Reprobation in respect of its terminus or thing willed purposed by that act of God we divide it into two parts or say there are two maine things intended purposed presupposing not mentioning what is common both to Election Reprobation as Creation c. as first the denyal of Grace whereby they may be recovered from their state of sin the second is the denyal of Glory or adjudging them to eternal death This last Being for sin a just execution of a righteous sentence is not neither can it be without consideration of sin as the meritorious procuring cause So that to speak properly God doth not damne whom he will Damnation not being an act of meer pleasure but an act of justice conforme to an established Law But the other the denying or not giving of grace is an act of Absolute Freedom Good Pleasure for He hath mercy on whom He will and whom He will he hardeneth Rom. 9 15 18. And as God's granting of grace is an absolute act of his good pleasure free not for any merite or goodness in man as all except Pelagians will confess yea Pelagius himself confessed it at the Synod in Palestine so the Lord 's denying of this gâ—ace and mercy must be Absolute and not Conditional an act of the Lords free will and good pleasure for the praise of his glory there being no fixed Law constitute by God according to which he bestoweth Grace or bestoweth it not and there being no Reason imaginable why the Lord should confâ—rre grace upon Iacob and not upon Esau upon Moses and not upon Pharaoh upon Peter and not upon Iudas beside the good pleasure of God as the Lord did set his love upon the people of Israel because he loved them Deut. 7 6 7. so no cause can be given why he would not have mercy on Pharaoh on Esau on Iudas as well as on others beside his God will and Pleasure who hardeneth whom He will 7. We must therefore in this matter carefully distinguish betwixt Gods Decree and the Things decreed Things decreed may have their Causes and one may depend upon another as on the meritorious procuring cause but the Decree of God is absolute having no dependence upon any thing without being the Absolute and Free act of his Will God may and doth Decree that this shall be because of that and yet because of this he cannot be said to Will that So when the Lord decreeth to damne some persons because of their sins though sin be the procureing meritorious cause of damnation yet it is not the procuring meritorious cause of Gods willing or decreeing to damne Therefore though it be true that God decreeth to save none but such as Beleeve and continue in Faith and Obedience to the end and to damne none but such as are Sinners and Continue in sin to the end yet we must not say that as Faith and Obedience in adult persons do preceed salvation as some way disposeing causes thereunto and as Final Perseverance in sin preceedeth damnation as the meritorious cause thereof so the Foresight of Faith Obedience and Final Perseverance in both preceed election or the decree of God as disposeing causes or prerequisites thereunto and the Foresight of Final Perseverance in sin preceed Reprobation or the decree of God as the meritorious cause thereof for as the purpose of God according to Election is not of works but of him that calleth Rom. 9 11. so the purpose of God according to Reprobation cannot be of works for the children being not yet born neither having done good or evil it was said the Elder shall serve the Younger Rom. 9.11 12. As the potter hath power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour Rom. 9 21. so the Lord willing to shew his wrath to make his power known may endure with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to Destruction and he may make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory Rom. 9 vers 22.23 8. As the Scripture holdeth forth Reprobation as we heard and may be further gathered even as to the name from Ier. 6 30. Heb. 6 8. 2 Tim. 3 8. So it holdeth it forth to us sometimes in Negative termes sometimes in Positive termes Hence some speak of a Negative Reprobation called Preterition or passing by which is a real Positive act in God and not purely Negative as some suppose and of a Positive and Affirmative Reprobation which they call Praedamnation By the Negative Reprobation they understand a Positive eternal act of God whereby according to the counsel of his own will he passed by such as he did not Elect and resolved not to give them saving grace whereby they might be delivered from sin as when Châ—ist saith Math. 7 23. I nâ—ver knew you and Mat. 11 25 26. I thank thee ó Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise Even so father for so it seemed good in thy sight And when mention is made of some in the Revel Chap 13 â— and 20 15. whose names were not written in the Book of Life And when Christ saith Ioh. 10 26. Yee are not of my sheep By the Positive or Affirmative Reprobation they understand the Lord's positive Resolution according to the unsearâ—hable counsel of his owne will whereby he ordaineth such as he hath passed by to dishonour and wrath for their sin Hence such are said to be hated Rom. 9 13. to be vessels of wrath fitted for destruction Rom. 9 21 22. to be appointed unto stumbling at the word c. 1 Pet. 2 8. ordained to condemnation Iud. vers 4. to which also belongeth the Lord's just and judicial smiteing with blindeness giving up to a Reprobaâ— minde and to their owne hearts lusts hardening their hearts and the like Rom 1 24 26 28. 9 18. 11 7. Psal. 81 12. 9. Now as touching that question that this Quaker is most busied with viz. Whether Reprobation be absolute and without all respect had to sin or not the Reader may see by what is said what is to be Answered thereunto The Quaker loving darkness speaks undistinctly either because Ignorant of the true question or out of a malicious Designe to render the Truth us for maintaining it odious or both But we shall endeavoure in a few words to clear the mater If we consider the act of Reprobation as in God of whose will it is an Immanent and Eternal act there can be no more cause of it in man or aâ—y creature than of any other of his decrees which are all one act and so one with Himself Yet this act of Reprobating that is of appointing and designing such or such individual persons to the condemnation of hell for their sinnes can not be said to be as to its
gate it was that he might sanctifie the people with his own bloud 〈◊〉 this is more than a may be Rom. 3 25 26. Why did God set forth Christ to be a propitiation It was to declare his righteousness for the remission of sinnes that are past that he might be just and the justifiâ—r of him that â—eleeveth in Iesus a Certaine Real thing Many moe passages might be added to this purpose but these may suffice to discover the absurd falshood of this Quakers doctrine 17. Adde 6. such passages as mention the Actual Accomplishment and Effect of Christ's death where it will yet more appear that this was no meere May be or Possible thing but that which was to have a certaine Bâ—ing and Reality as to the persons for whom it was designed Such as Heb. 1 3. when he had by himself purged our sinnes Can their sinnes be said to be purged who pine away in hell for ever because of their sinnes could this be true if no man had been saved and yet if it had been a mere possible and may be Redemption it might have come to passe that not one person should have been actually saved So Heb. 9 12. by his owne blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption Is a meer possible Redemption to be called an Eternal Redemption and was that all that Christ obtained Then Christ's blood was more ineffectual in the truth than the type was in its typicalness for the blood of buls and goats and the ashes of an hiefer sprinkling the unclean did not obtaine a possible and may be-sanctification and purifying of the flesh but did actually and really sanctify to the purifying of the flesh vers 13. Againe vers 14. which also confirmeth what is now said how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God So that all such for whom he offeâ—ed himself and shed his blood and none else have their consciences purged from dead works to serve the living God and who dar say that this is common to all or is a meer may be which the Apostle both restricteth and asserteth as a most certaine real thing Againe vers 26. but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself So that he did Actually and Really and not Possibly and Potentially only put away sin the sin viz. of those for whom he was a sacrifice even of them that look for him and to whom he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation vers 28. and sure no man in his wits will say that this is the whole world Gal. 3 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us 24 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith Here are three Ends and Effects of Christ's Redemption mentioned which no Man will say are common to all viz. Redemption from the curse of the Law this was Really not potentially only done by Christ's being made a curse for us the Communication of the blessing of Abraham and the Promise of the Spirit which are ensured to such as are Redeemed from the curse of the lâ—w and to none else So Ephes. 2 13 14 15 16. But now in Christ Iesus ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ for he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us having abolished in his flesh the enmity the Law of commandements in ordinances for to make to himself of twain one nâ—w man so making peace and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the crosse having slaine the enmity thereby To which adde the parallel place Col. 1 21 22. 2 14 15. was all this delivery from Wrath Enmity Law of commandements whatever was against us but a meer Potential thing and a May be common to all in whose power it was to cause it take effect or not as they pleased Esai 53 5. He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed with 1 Cor. 15.3 Christ died for our sinnes 1 Pet. 2 24. who his owne self bear our sinnes in his own body on the tree by whose stripes we are healed How can we then imagine that all this was a meer May be seing he was so bruised for our iniquities so died for our sins so bear our sinnes in his own body as that thereby all in whose room he stood are healed by his stripes The Apostle doth moreover fully clear this matter Rom. 5 6. Christ died for the ungodly was this for all Or was it to have an uncertane End and effect No vers 9. much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him The ungodly and the sinners for whom he died are such as become justified by his blood and shall at length be fully saved from wrath And againe vers 10. for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Upon his death followeth Reconciliation with God and then Salvation and his death is for no more than his life is for By him also they receive an atonement vers 11. As the consequences and effects of Adam's sin did Certainly and not by a May be redownd to all that he represented and engadged for so the fruites and effects of Christ's death do as certainly come unto such as are his as the Apostle cleareth in the following verses laying the advantage on the side of Christ and his vers 15. much more the grace of God and the gift by grace by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded unto many vers 16. but the free gift is of many offences unto justification vers 17. much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reigne in life by one Iesus Christ vers 18. even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life ver 19. so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous vers 21 so might grace reigne through righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord. Is all this a Common thing and a meer May be or Possibility Ioh. 10 11. he giveth his life for his sheep vers 15. But may they for all that perish No in no wise vers 28. and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish He came that they might have life and might have it more abundantly vers 10. To the same purpose he saith Ioh. 6.33 that he
5. Ioel. 3 28. Act. 2 5 17. Exod. 28 15. Revel 13 8. 1 Tim. 4 vers 15. Act. 4 vers 16. 1 King 10 vers 23. 1 Chron. 14 17. 32 23. Esth. 9 2. Luk. 13 17. 1 Cor. 4 17. 1â— 30 51. Col. 3 11. 1 Cor. 14 24. Heb. 8 11. 1 Cor. 9 19. And many moe which might be named There must therefore of necessity be limitations how else shall we expound that Rom. 11 32. to name no moe For God hath concluded them all in unbeleef that he might have mercy upon all And so we must else we shall make odde work interpret those universals according to the subject matter spoken of and the circumstances of the text with other Scriptures contributing to the cleating thereof And we are perswaded that there is nothing neither in this text nor in any other where such particles of Universality are used as to the matter about which we are now speaking to wâ—t concerning the Special Benefites and Saving Favours of God to men that will enforce such an interpretation as will include all without exception as our Adversaries alledge Nay or can rationally constraine us to suppose that Christ died for a Ransome for any except the Elect people â—o God 55. Nay thirdly if this be not admitted but our Adversaries will urge the full force of these particles and the like as the world and all nations they must grant that Saving grace and Salvation is also Universal for then all men without exception must be drawn to Christ Ioh. 12 32. all must savingly know God and be taught of him Ier. 31 34. Heb. 8 11. all must receive grace Ioh. 1 16. See further Esai 12 5. Revel 15 4. Psal. 72 11. 86 9. Esai 2 2. Dan. 7 14. Hag. 2 7. Gal. 3 8. Gen. 18 18. 22.18 26 4. Esa. 25 6. Deut. 28 10. Psal. 97 6. Rom. 11 26. Esa. 40 4. Psal. 29 9. 1 Cor. 12 13. 2 Cor. 3 18. Ephes. 4 13. Luk. 16 16. 1 Thes. 5 5. 1 Cor. 11 4. Psal. 65 2. 22 27. 66 0. Esa. 66 23. Mal. 1.11 Ioh. 6 33. 12 47. Esai 25 8. 1 Cor. 15 22 28. 4 5. Revel 5 13. Mark 11 31. So must they grant on the contrary that all and every mothers son are Wicked and consequâ—ntly must purish for they are also held forth witâ— an Universality Iâ—r 6 â—8 â— 2 Mic. 1 21. Iob. 2 15 16. 5 19. Ioh. 17 9 25. 1. Cor. 1 21. â—sal 14 3. Rom. 3 12. And that God works all sinful actions in his people because he is said to worke all their works Esai 2â— 12. 56. Fourthly it is to be observed That these large Universal particles as they are used when the Lord is to express the great things under the Gospel for no passage can be adduced pointing out an universal extent of the good things of grace unâ—er the Law so they only hold forth the largness of the Kingdom of Christ under the Gospel dispensation which was not to be limited to the bounds of one Nation or to the posterity of one Abraham but was to be extended to all Nations Kinreds Tongues People and Languages indefinitly without any discrimination or distinction And therefore these universals are used the more to enforce the beliefe of this truth and to give it a deeper impression for now under the Gospel Oeconomie the partition wall is taken away Ephes 2 14. and there is now neither Greek nor Iew Circumcision nor Vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond nor Free but Christ is all and in all Col. 3 11. Hence the Apostle tels us that he had received grace and Apostleshipe for obedience to the faith among all nations Rom. 1 5. See also Rom. 15 9 10 11 12. So that now the promise made to Abraham that he should be heire of the world Rom. 4 13. is fulfillâ—d yet is not all the world universally so become his Children as that all and every individual person are take in but the Seed scattered through the world for the promise that he should be the heire of the world is through the righteousness of faith Rom. 4 13 16. in this respect was he the Father of many nations vers 17. Gen. 17 5. not of all and every individual person but of the seed in many nations And as I said these general termes are used the more to enforce this truth which the Jewes could hardly receive being so in love with themselves and acted with a deeply rooted prejudice against the Gentiles an evil that cleave long unto the Apostles themselves as is manifest by their questioning of Peter for going-in to Cornelius Act. 11. Hence we read so much of the rage of the Jewes upon this very account Act. 13 45 50. 1 Thes. 2 15 16. But when the Lord was pleased to beare-in this truth with force upon his Apostles and let them see and make known unto them the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himself that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ Ephes. 1 9 10. And to make all men see what is the fellowshipe of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath bin hid in God who created all things by Iesus Christ Ephes. 3 9. Then the Apostles in their writings both to refute the folly of the Jewes and to encourage the Gentiles did use such general expressions as we see and particularly the Apostle Iohn who lived to see wrath overtake the nation of the Jewes and the Gentiles in great numbers brought in but withall to prevent any mistake giveth a rule how to understand these phrases when he saith Ioh. 11 51 52. And this spake he not of himself but being High priest that year he prophecied that Iesus should die for that nation and not for that nation only but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad 57. There is fiftly another thing considerable here to wit That we must distinguish betwixt the Gospel and the Administration thereof as it answereth to the secret Counsel and Purpose of God and so it is the mean by which the Lord effectuateth the purposed and designed end and as it answereth to the Revealed Will of God and is his Law In the first sense the promises in the Gospel do peculiarly belong unto are made for the Chosen ones the Elect company for whom Grace and Glory is prepared and for whom the Kingdom is appointed In the second sense they are held forth to all to whom the Gospel is preached as encouragements to the doing of that which is duty as upon the other hand the threatnings are held forth to all to move the Elect to duty and to keep them at duty though in the secret purpose of God they be appointed for the Reprobat on whom in end they shall certainly be inflicted In
by the Covenant of works for that is broken and all are become heires of hell wrath because of the violation of that Covenant Not by the Covenant of Grace for that requireth faith before persons be interessed in these special favoures privileges And the Scripture tels us that all men have not faith how then come all men to share of these highest privileges or of this divine and glorious life which are promised in the Covenant of grace through Jesus Christ by whom they are purchased Is this divine and glorious life so meane and common a thing that even Heathens and Reprobats share of it Sure the divine and glorious life pointed forth in the Scriptures is a rare thing and is the privilege of very few and even of few of those that are members of the visible Church Will this Quaker tell me if this â—ivine and glorious life whereof all Iaponians Brasilians Cannibals are made partakers be distinguished from the divine and glorious life peculiar to the Saints And if it be distinguished how Or if it be the same in kinde why Regeneration Union with Iesus Christ by faith the Effectual Working of the grace of God and a through Renovation is requisite to the enjoyning of that in some greater measure which all have Naturally in some measure 8. He saith this measure of the divine and glorious life is a seed But whereof Is it the seed of the Eternal weight of glory that the Saints live in the hope of Wherever that seed is it cometh at length to the harvest of glory as the Scripture teacheth us and if this seed be sowne in all all shall at length be saved If it be not the seed of Glory whereof I pray is it the seed Is it the seed of Grace This seed abideth 1 Ioh. 3 9. and is incorruptible and is by the Word of God even that Word of God which is preached by the gospel 1 Pet. 1 23 25. So that this seed is no common thing but peculiar to such as are borne againe who by Christ do believe in God who raised him up from the dead and who have purified their souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit 1 Pet. 1 21 22. 9. He saith this seed inviteth and inclineth all men to good But doth it invite and incline the Iaponians Braâ—ilians Artigovanteans and such Heathens who never heard of Christ nor had any shew of Religion to faith in Christ Or even to all that is enjoyned by the Law of Nature or the Law of the two Tables How cometh it then that Paul who was far better versed in the Law than Heathens are saith he would not have known concupiscence unless the Law had said thou shall not covet And how can this consist with the sinful state of every natural person whose thoughts and imaginations incline and invite to evil Read Rom 3 10 to 20. All are under sin vers 9. all have sinned and come short of the glory of God vers 23. Nay how can this be seing the carnal minde is enmity against God and is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom 8 7 Is not the heart of every man by nature deceitful above all things and desperatly wicked Ier. 17 9. is not their very minde and conscience defiled Tit. 1 15. Where then can this good seed lodge It lodgeth neither in Heart Minde nor Conscience And shall it lodge in the Flesh It is true there is left in every Man a bit of a Natural Conscience informing concerning some Natural good requisite for self-preservation and for the preservation of Societies and inclineing thereunto but what is this to that Spiritual good required now by the Gospel and discovered by its Light Alas I see the hieght of the Quakers divinity is what a Natural Conscience can teach a Man-eater and this is their Gospel and this is their divine and glorious life O poor wretches 10. This seed he calleth the Vehicle of God A wonderful expression savouring more of a distracted braine and of an audacious blasphemous spirit than of a sober Christian fearing God 11. He calleth it the Spiritual body of Christ But by what Scripture I know not Christ is called the Saviour of the body Ephes. 1 23. Is Christ the Saviour of this seed The spiritual and mystical body of Christ is the Church Ephes 4 4. 1 Cor. 10.17 12 12 13 20. Rom. 12 4 5. Col. 1 24. Ephes. 2 23. Râ—m 12 27. Ephes. 3 6. 4 12 16. Col. 1 18. 2 19 What are the members of this body the body is not one member but many 1 Cor. 12.14 12. He saith it is the flesh and bloud of Christ that came out of heaven But had Christ no other flesh and blood than this Then the whole Incarnation of Christ is denyed And where is our Christian Religion then where is the Death of Christ where is his Resurrection where is his Ascension where is all the History of his life Is all that but dreames and lies whither will the Quakers lead us Christ gave his flesh for the life of the world Ioh. 6 51. did he give this seed for the life of the world was this seed a sacrifice to satisfie the justice of God what foolries be these Now the man in deed appeareth in his colours a Quaker in graine speaking non-sense at random and hereby evidencing what Spirit acteth him But one word more where readeth he that Christ's flesh and bloud came out of heaven They mean that Christ had the same Spiritual flesh and blood within his carnal flesh and blood which they have and so they are as much the Christ's of God as he was O dreadful blasphemy 13. He saith all the Saints eat of this What do only the saints eat of this while it is in every Man Every man by this mans doctrine is partaker of Christ's Spiritual body and hath Christ's flesh and bloud in him but they do not all eat thereof a strange phancy that persons have food in their belly before they eate it that persons are partakers of Christ's flesh and blood before they eat him by faith what wilde Notions be these Men are partakers of a glorious and divine life by having the spiritual body of Christ in them and the flesh and bloud of Christ that came out of heaven and that before they make any application of him to themselves by faith where read we of such things Christ tels us the contrary that except we eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood we have no life in us Ioh 6 53. and that with a doubled asseveration verily verily And he tels us moreover that he dwelleth in such as eate his flesh that is in beleevers vers 56. and not in others and vers 57. that he that eateth him even he shall live by him But these Impudent Quakers whose work is as it seemeth to câ—ntradict Christ and all the Gospel tell us that even
Gentiles and sheweth what persons they were and concludeth with the Jewes and then tels us Chap. 3 vers 9. that he had proved both Iewes and Gentiles that they are all under sin It is true he sayes the wrath of God is revealed from haven against all unrighteousness of men c. because that which may be known of God is manifest in them c. But what of this What is made known of God saith he is made known by the Gospel Ans. This is most false for the Law and Light of Nature with the works of Creation and Providence do make known much of God But this is not the Gospel of the grace of God whereby life and immortality is brought to light It is like indeed that this is all the Quakers Gospel Many things have we met with hitherto which confirmeth us in this Apprehension thisi expression here putteth it beyond all doubt Doth this Gospel manifest the righteousness of God from faith to faith Yes saith he that is it revealeth to the soul what is good just and equitable And as the soul receiveth and beleeveeth that divine righteousness it is more and more revealed from one measure to another Ans. What ignorant babling is this What effronted and bold playing with the word of God is this Is every thing that revealeth what is good just and equitable the Gospel Then the Law must be the Gospel Then Adam in innocency had the Gospel Then the dim light of nature is all the Quakers Gospel this is their Grace their Substantial thing their Light within their Seed Are they not then noble Divines And is their Religion any thing but heathenisme Is it not worse then Pelagianisme Socinianisme Arminianisme and Iesuitisme The following words cannot I confesse be well answered for they are nothing but a rabble of non-sense though fit lettuce for their lips And though he should say as some of them use to speak that I am in the witchcraft and cannot understand his meaning I must forbear noticeing of him and his tattles and see if any thing worth an answer followeth for though sayes he the outward creation declareth the power of God yet that which is known of God is revealed within by which inward revelation we are made fit to see and discerne the eternal power of the God head in the outward creation for if that inward revelation were not man could no more understand the invisible things of God by the visible and outward creation than a blinde man see colours c. Ans. 1. What is that Inward Revelation distinct from the Outward Revelation It is it may be the reception or actual intellection of what is outwardly revealed and so the Natural Faculties acting as such must be Evangelick Preachers and Inward Revealers with the Quakers 2. The text speaks of no such Inward Revelation distinct from what was had by the outward Creation For that which may be known of God was shewed unto them by the things which were made vers 19 20. 3. There is no more aptitude requisite to see and discerne God's eternal Power and God-head not the eternal power of the God-head as he speaketh in a natural way and Paul is not here speaking of a spiritual and saving way by the works of Creation than to have a natural faculty of Understanding and Reason freed of prejudices and contracted byasses and blindness for this matter is so deeply rooted in their mindes that will they nill they it cannot be thrust out 4. It seemeth by his simile that this Inward Revelation is the same to the actual understanding of these things that the eye of the body is to seeing and discerning of colours and so it is manifest that it can be nothing else but the inward faculty of the soul whereby such things are known and understood And so this Inward Faculty of the soul with the Light of Reason is the Quakers Preacher and Gospel Poor souls and what will this teach concerning the new Covenant and the way of salvation through a crucified Mediator Do the Quakers know no other Gospel then this whereof all the fruite was that it left the poor miserable heathen without excuse when they fell to their idolatrous courses O how are they to be pitied that under the clear manifestation of the Gospel do thus run back to the Heathens Theology that they may be made much more inexcusable then ever the Heathens were Do they glory so much in Paganisme 37. He tels us moreover that the Apostle saith first that that which is known of God or the knowledge of God is manifest in them and next that in and by that manifestation granted inwardly and received they were able to read and understand the power of God in visible things Answ. 1. By what authority maketh he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the knowledge of God one the same seing this is more comprehensive and of a larger latitude 2. I do not see the second thing in the Apostles words but I want the Quakers spectacles Then he very learnedly moveth an Objection thus if any should say That the external creation of it self without any inward supernatural and saving grace or seed did declare to a natural man that God is And will he deny this He must then contradict the Apostle But what answereth he What good I pray would that knowledge do if it did not also communicat to me what was the will of God and how I should do that that is acceptable to him Ans. And what would this answere say Either the Inward Revelation which the heathens had that I may speak in his language did also reveal what was the will of God c. Or not if not to what purpose is all this said If it did then the Apostle is quite out and destroyeth hereby his owne cause But I shall help the Quaker with a distinction That same Inward Revelation as he calleth it could and did reveal to the Heathens part of the will of God concerning duties legible by the Law of nature and written upon the creation of God but could reveal nothing of the mysteries of the Gospel because these did depend upon pure Revelation there being no lineaments thereof written upon the Creation nor no vestige thereof impressed in the heart of man Hence though the Heathens knew or might have known to have put a difference betwixt somethings good and evil yet they could never understand the Revelation of Iesus Christ in the Gospel All this cleareth further that the Quâ—kers know no otheâ— Gospel but what the Heathens by the Light of Nature did understand He citeth Pag. 104. Micah 6 8. But most impertinently For the Lord gave not that revelation of his will to the Heathens which he did to the Iewes Psal. 147 19 20. Then he citeth Pauls Words Rom. 1. The wrath of God is revealed against them who detained the truth of God in unrighteousness And what then Could not the Heathens oppresse make a
3 5 6. any way confirme his fancy but rather establish the contrary truth to wit that all the favours which God conferreth upon us in order to salvation are of free grace and not by works of righteousness or works which are done in righteousness and righteously as the words in the original bear which we have done Grace and Mercy here are set in opposition to all our works yea to our best works and therefore if Iustification be an act of God's grace as the Scripture saith it is it is not nor can it be because or upon the account of our works of righteousness And if in and through or by Iustification there is pardon of iniquity as there is Rom. 4 5 6 7. And if pardon of iniquity be a merciful and gracious act in God being an act of his free grace and mercy Ephes. 1 vers 7 8. it is manifest that Iustification is not upon thâ— account of our works Therâ—fore we are said to be Iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ Rom. 3 24. Moreover the judgment of God is alwayes as in condemning of sinners so in justifying of beleevers according to truth Rom. 2 2. And in the matter of justifying of the ungodly the righteousness of God is declared and it is all so contrived that he might be just and the justifier of him which beleeveth in Iesus Rom. 3 25 26. Therefore cannot Iustification passe upon the account of any thing framed and done in us or by us because that is not nor can it be that which will passe for a Righteousness in the eyes of God and a Righteousness answerable to the Law in all points it being when it is at its best but imperfect nor can it have any merite or deserving in it to compensat for former transgressions being alwayes that only which we are obliged unto so that when we have done all we must say that we are but unprofitable servants Luk. 17 vers 10. we have done but what was our duty to do 7. Having thus briefly dispatched his Thesis wherein we see his opposition to Iustification by and upon the account of the Righteousness of Christ imputed and therein his harmony and agreement with Papists Socinians and Arminians we come now to consider what he sayes more largly in his Apology Pag. 122. c. In the beginning he tels us that the handling of this doth well follow his treating of universal Redemption and universal grace And I shall not quarrel with his Method were his doctrine orthodox but seing few who plead for the universality of the death of Christ and who contend for the universality of grace are found sound and orthodox in the point of Iustification we mighâ—â—pon this ground though we had gote no taste of his judgment in the Thesis suspect his doctrine of Iustification But after tryal we will be better able to judge He saith truely that there are many controversies moved already about this point and the more blame worthy is he who doth not diminish but increase these rather as to some things though in the principal he liketh the Popish way better than ours He promiseth first to state the controversie so far as concerneth them and to explaine their judgment and then he saith he will confirme it by Scripture testimony and the certain experience of all that are really justified we must see how he performeth what is promised 8. What he saith § 2. of the Papists depraving of this truth we heare but are ready to suppose that howbeit he do not with them stand up for the merite ex condigno as it is called and yet many Papists reject this and are satisfied with meritum ex congruo in the mater of Iustification and some reject both as may be seen in Stapleton Prol. ad lib. 5. de justific of good works nor approve of the vulgar Papists placeing their Justification in things that are neither good nor evil or in things that are rather evil as good as he thinketh to be evident from their doctrine of the Sacraments and Indulgences c. but commend our Reformers for opposeing these Abominations Yet as to the maine controversie handled betwixt our Reformers and the Papists viz. what is Iustification and what is the formal reason Objective or the formal cause as some speak or Material cause as others speak or that because and upon the account of which men are Justified in the sight of God this Quaker joyneth with the Papists The Councel of Trent Sess. 6. Chap. 7. tels us That Iustification is not only remission of sins but also Sanctification and renovation of the inner man by a voluntary susception of grace and gifts whereby man of unjust becometh just of an enemy becometh a friend that he may be an heire according to the hope of eternal life Why doth our Quaker embrance this upon the matter and give a worse Justification even a Justification wherein there is no mention made of remission of sinnes Why doth he with this Synagogue of Satan confound Justifiâ—ation and Sanctification He knoweth how Bellarmine de Iustif. lib. 2. Cap. 2. briefly stateth the question betwixt us and them in these words Whether the formal cause of absolute Iustification be a righteousness inherent in us or not If this Quaker be no Papist why doth he conspire with them in this cardinal point of difference Why doth he and the rest rise up so much against the Imputed righteousness as do the Papist following the Councel of Trent as we see Pag. 125. he doth shewing his teeth against our Confession of faith And there also I cannot but take notice of a base falshood and deceit when he would make his Readers beleeve that the Papists do not place Justification in any real inward renovation of soul more then the Protestants while as we have seen the contrary out of the Councel of Trent and Bellarm. and multitudes moe might be cited But what needs more when we have the words of that Councel which all Papists must stand to and in that forecited Chapt. the same Councel saith The only formal cause is the righteousness of God not that by which he himself is righteous but whereby he maketh us righteous to wit by which we are renewed in the Spirit of our minde and are not only repute but truely are called and are righteous or just It is true that they say that this grace and charity that is infused in Iustification is through the merite of the most holy suffering of Christ And in this they are more orthodox and less Socinian than are the Quakers to this Mans shame be it spoken Yet still they make Justification to consist in the Infusion of grace and Renovation of the soul. 9. He beginneth his explication of their judgment Pag. 126. § 3. And telleth us first That as it appeareth from the explication of the former thesis they renunce all natural power in themselves for delivering of themselves out
the righteousness of Christ given and imputed to us because insert in Christ and we put him on The question is unto which of these we ought to lean and account our selves justified before God And I saith he wholly think that it is piously and christianly said that we ought tâ— leane to I say lean to as to a firme thing which may uphold us the righteousness of Christ gifted to us and not to grace and holiness inherent So also Pighius de fide Iustificatione may shame this Quaker 15. In the fourth place Pag. 128. For clearing of his meaning he tels us that by this Iustification they do not understand simply good works nay not as done by the holy Spirit But did ever man in his wits understand it so The question is whether good works be the formal cause or the formal objective reason of Justification And this he granted above and asserted with the worst of Papists But he saith with protestants that these are rather the effects of Iustification then the cause This is better said but way then said he lately that by the Second Redemption whereby we are Purified Liberated and Redeemed from tâ—e power of corruption we become justified formally or that that second Redemption was the formal cause of our justification And what will he now have to be the formal cause of our justification Christ formed within us this inward birth produceing righteousness and holiness in us with which the Father is well pleased Ans. But this is only an inward Principle of grace and the sanctification which is defined in the Larger Catechisme as we saw above and by this himself afterward tels us we are parkers of the divine nature and this as Contarenus said with truth belongeth to an Inherent Righteousness and so still he holds with the Tridentine Papists who will have us justified by a Righteousness inherent in us and that in opposition to a Righteousness imputed And when afterward he saith that Bellarmine and others disput against this and other Papists understood it not he should have named the place 2. That God is well pleased with this will say nothing for he is well pleased also with good works that flow from this Principle betwixt which two this Quaker would distinguish in this question He addeth This is to possess whole Christ who is the Lord our righteousness Ier 23 6. and to put on Christ. Ans. Yet this is not to put on the righteousness of Christ in Justification and to be cloathed with his Righteousness in appearing before Justice This is not to make the Lord our righteousness as Ier. 23 6. nor to say with Paul Phil 3 9. and be found in him not having minâ— own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith Further he sayes hereby we are made one with him as branches into the vine and we have right to all things which he did and suffered for us so that his obedience righteousness and death is ours Ans. All this is true by faith uniteing us to Christ. But we are not so properly by Christ formed within us for this is a consequent of and in nature though not in time posteriour to our union to Christ by Faith which is brought about in effectual calling and as a consequent of this union followeth also Justification the formal objective reason of which is not either this union or begun sanâ—tification but the Righteousness of Christ or his Obedience and Suffering made over and imputed to the believer by God Seing in these matters he seemeth to be an utter stranger I would advise him to read our Larger Catechisme better if he think not himself too far advanced to turne a catechumene againe What followeth Pag. 128. is but a specimen of the Quakers Spirit in abusing of Scripture with their sensless allegorick glosses and hath no Interest in this queston and therefore I have nothing to do with it 16. He tels us next that though we be not justified for good works yet we are justified in them and they are necessary as causa sine qua non Ans. That good works are called for from Justified persons we acknowledge but what Interest they have in putting us into a state of Justification we see not His giving them an interest of a causa sine qua non contradicteth what he said before for he would have us Justified by Christ formed within and this is antecedent to good works as the tree is unto the fruit And he also said in the preceeding Pag that good works follow Justification as the effects thereof and how then they can come in as a causa sine qua non he must help us by his next to understand and cleare to us how the Effect can be the causa sine qua non of the Cause But this man must have liberty to contradict himself He must also explaine to us what that is to be justified in good works That a man may be in a justified state while doâ—ng good works we understand very well but how otherwayes he can be justified in good works I see not unlesse by Justification he mean not a justification as to state but a justification as to particular actions which is impertinent 17. In the last place he saith that if he and his fraternity held the same opinion about good works that Protestants hold they would easily confess that they were not only not necâ—ssary but that they were noxious Though Protestants assert the necessity of good works in justified persons come to age they assert notwithstanding their noxiousness in Justification that is if they be considered as any part of that Righteousness upon consideration whereof the person is declared just Justified before God or as any part of the formal Objective reason of Justification or as others speak as any part of the formal cause of Justification But what is his ground for they affirme saith he that the best works of saints are corrupted and defiled It is true we say indeed that our best works are not perfect but have ad mixture of dross and of much imperfection but that is not all the cause why we deny such an interest to works in Justification as Papists and he plead for but this Interest we deny to works mainly because it would spoile Christ of the glory of our Justification and of being our Righteousness that is due to him and give man ground of boasting which by Gospel Justification is wholly excluded But do not Quakers say the same of good works we judge saith he the best works done by man intending conformity unto the Law in his owne strength natural power and proper will to be such that is polluted But protestants do not account these properly good works but only materially such as not flowing from a principle of grace and from the Spirit of sanctification What doth he say of these These are pure and
because he saith it and so there is an end When the Apostle saith Phil. 1 v. 28. And in nothing terrified by your adversaries which is to you an evident toaken of salvation he pointed at something which might be looked upon as a ground for hope of glory must we also leane to that in justification After some lines wherein after his usual manner he must extravage he saith And such as feel Christ after this manner raised and reigning in them have a true ground of hope to beleeve that they are justified Which is very true because these works of Christ are inseparable fruites and effects of Justification After some few words againe to no purpose he tels us that Borhaeus Claudius Albericus Inuncunanus Essius three whose books I never saw and whose names I never heard before I read this Quakers book are for Justification by this Revelation And he calleth them Protestants but if so I have read of some Papists more sound then they are if their meaning be one and the same with this Quakers And finally he citeth some words of Mr. Baxters Aphorismes But he cannot be ignorant that Mr Baxters notions in this particular are little satisfying beside that Mr Baxter himself will have none citeing that book as expressing his plaine and full meaning And if he would put the mater to the issue of tryal by humane testimony we should give him Twenty for one 38. Now followeth his Third proposition wherein he asserteth two things first That good works seing they naturally proceed from this birth as heat from the fire are absolutely necessary unto justification as a causa sine qua non in which we are justified and without which we cannot be justified Secondly That such good works are pure and perfect These he cometh to prove Pag. 144. c. And they would appear to be a contradiction for seing good works are the fruites of this birth and by the birth we are justified good works must follow justification and so cannot be a cause no not a causa sine qua non for even a causa sine qua non must be before the effect Againe what is that to say in which we are justified Is the meaning only that these works are approven of God we upon the account of them so farr as they are done according to a Gospel rule What will this say for justification of State whereof we are here speaking finally How can it be said that without good works we cannot be justified seing we are justified by the Birth and the Birth is but the cause of good works and so it hath been said that good works are the Effects and Consequences of Justification This would suspend justification until good works appeared so we should be justified by the Biâ—th only Initially or in a preparatory way but not fully And further in this he is worse then Papists who will not say that the good works by which we are justified are such as can stand before Gods tribunal if He follow the strick rigour of Law and not the Gospels admixture of mercy 39. Let us hear his proofs The first is our of Iames 2. whence he frameth this Argument If no man be justified without faith and no faith be lively and valide unto justification without works then works are necessary unto justification But the former is true c. Answ. 1. Though it be true that no man at least come to yeers of discretion is justified without faith as an instrumental cause laying hold on and applying Christ and his righteousness yet this faith is not the Causa formalis objectiva of justification and far less can works be a part of this cauâ—e seing they are but fruites and consequences of this faith 2. These words and no faith is lively and valide unto justification without works may admit of a double sense either the meaning may be that no faith is valide unto justification but that which is true and lively and apt to produce good works or that no faith is valide unto justification but that which is actually produceing good works and in so far as it is attended with good works If the first be the meaning then it is apparent that good works cannot be said to be necessary unto justification as a cause thereof for it may be in actual â—eing when they are but in potentia If the last be the true sense this place of Iames will not evince it for Abraham was justified before he offered up his Son Isaac And then it would follow that no man is justified in his sleep or when he is not actually doing some good work 3. Thus we see and the place of Iames is clear for it that good works are only necessary in the person justified and necessary to prove the truth and reality of a justifâ—ing faith to the man self and to others And so notwithstanding hereof that is alwayes true that the Scripture saith Abraham beleeved God and it was imputed to him for righteousness Iames 2 23. Gen. 15 6. Rom. 4 3. Gal. 3 6. 40. His second proof is from several Scriptures as Heb. 12 14. Mat. 7 21. Iohn 13 17. 1 Cor. 7 19. Revel 22 1â— and he thus frameth it If these only shall enter into the Kingdom who do the will of the Father if these only be called wise builders blessed that do the sayings of Christ c. then good works are necessary to salvation and to justification The former is true c. Answ. Not to quarrel at the Proposition as containing words in it which are not in the places cited We shortly answ that not one of these places speak of Justification or mention the necessity of works thereunto But only of their necessity unto final salvation which we deny not And if his Argument hold no man shall be justified before he be in heaven All therefore that can hence be concluded is that good works are necessary in the person justified in order to glory but not that they are necessary unto justification 41. These two are all his arguments and how slender proofs they are of what he undertook to prove let any judge He cometh in the next place § 10. to answere some Objections The first is taken from Luk. 17 10. When ye have done all that is commanded say we are unprofitable servants Which is a clear proof that our works being but a doing of that which is commanded and so a doing of duty and such as bring no advantage unto God as a reparation of his Glory or satisfaction to his justice for the wrongs done and therefore can have no interest in that which is the causa formalis objectiva of our justification or in that which we must lean to as the ground of our justification before God or in that upon which we may expect absolution from the sentence of the Law and freedom from the wrath and curse of God due for the breach of
him is the love of God truely and really and not feignedly or by mere profession See Beza on the place As also 1 Ioh. 4 12. where the word hath the same import And the ground is clear because obedience to God's command must flow from love and love to God and our neighbours is the summe of all the commands Hence love is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13 10. So Iames 3 2. the same is a perfect man who showeth by bridling his tongue that he offends not in word that he is a real Christian For the Apostle is here in the first verse meaning men like our Quakers of a supercilious spirit masterly quarreling with and superciliously inveighing against all though it be a certain truth that we offend all in many things And therefore he saith to such that if they would shew themselves good and excellent Christians who are so ready to be masters in their reprehensions of others they would first bridle their owne tongues I wish Quakers would learne this See Calv. on the place 3. They may be called Perfect in regard of the Uprightness Sincerity Honesty godly Simplicity and Singleness that is in their way thus the word frequently signifieth as we saw above and is rendered bâ— the Dutch and in the margine of our Bibles Vpright Gen. 6 9. 17 1 Deut. 18 13. Iob 2 3. and in several places it is rendered so in the text Ps. 18 23 25. 2 Sam. 22 vers 24 26. Iob 1 vers 1 8. 12 4. Psal. 19 v. 13. 37 18 37 and elsewhere Hence oft Perfect and upright are joined together as Iob 1 1 8. 2 2. 4 They may be and are called Perfect in regaird of Perfection of Parts as being compleet and wanting nothing of the integral parts of Christianity thus a childe may be called a perfect man as having all the Essential and Integral parts of a man though but in their infant and tender grouth The saints are thus perfect as having the Spirit and thereby the seeds and beginnings of all grace In regeneration the whole man is changed so that he is new borne a new creature sanctified wholly in Minde Heart Spirit Affections Conscience Memory and Body though but in a small degree and measure See 1 Thes. 5 23. 5. They may be called Perfect because Respecting all the commands of God Ps. 119 6. and yeelding impartial obedience through the grace of God unto all God's precepts waving none 6. In that their good works have all the Essential Parts requisite as proceeding from a right principle done for a right end c. though not in the degree called for by the Law 7. They may be called Perfect in regard that the state whereinto they are is a state that certainly tendeth to perfection they are advancing thereunto and shall certainly reach that top of perfection in end which they look for and strive to attaine Ephes. 4 13. Phil 3 15. For as the several lusts of the body of death are more more weakened and mortified dayly so they are more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces Rom. 6 6 14. Gal. 5 14. Rom. 8 13. Ephes. 3 16 17 18 19. And so are perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7 1. and advanceing Phil. 3 12 13 14. 8. They may be called Perfect Comparatively in respect of others who are yet lying in nature And they may be so called in comparison of what sometimes they were themselves while Blinde Ignorant Dead and Lifeless lying in the state of nature which is indeed a fearful state of imperfection misery and woe 9. So in respect of young believers weak in knowledge and babes in Christ Others who are further avanced may be and are called Perfect as having attained an higher degree and measure of grouth in grace Thus Beza thinketh the word is taken Phil. 3 15. 1 Cor. 2 6. And it is clearly so taken 1 Cor. 14 20. Heb. 5 14. Ephes. 4 13. where each hath his owne stature according to the measure of the gift of Christ vers 7. Rom. 12 3 6. and its meaning and import we may see 1 Cor. 3 1. where such an one is only called spiritual 1 Cor. 13 11. where such is called a man 10. Why may they not also be called perfect in regard of Justification seing the Righteousness wherewith they are cloathed which is imputed unto them upon the account of which thâ—y are justified is a Perfect Righteousness being the Rghteousness of Jesus Christ And seing the sentence pronunced upon them to wit of Absolution in their Justification shall never be recalled they brought againe into Condemnation Rom 8 1. As also seing the state they are brought into thereby is an unchangeable state so that once in a justified state alwayes in a justified state 7. But all this will not satisfie our Quakers who with Familists Antinomians and Libertines will have this to be the privilege of all Christians after their Mode that they be as Perfect as Adam was in the state of innocency free of all sin and from yeelding to Temptation or Corruption and this taketh-in much if not a Perfection of parts and degrees Now to assert this Perfection which even Papists are ashamed of and to assert this as common to all them in whom this new birth is fully produced as it must be in all Justified and Sanctified Persons according to his owne principles is false and dangerous For 1. There are in Christ's house diverse syzes and degrees of persons some babes 1 Cor. 3 1. Heb. 5 13. or children or little children 1 Ioh. 2 12 13. and others young men and old men or Fathers 1 Ioh. 2 13 14. 2. Christians are exhorted to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Iesus Christ 2 Pet. 3. last and to put off the old man which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts and to put on the new man Epes 4 22 23 24. And to mortifie their members which are upon the earth Col. 3 5. But to cry up this perfection is to render all Gospel commanâ—s useless whereof we have abundance in the Epistles 3. This takes away the exercise of Repentance for where there is no sin there can be no sense of nor sorrow for sin and the exercise of Faith in running to the fountain for washing and the exercise of Prayer in seeking grace to withstand Temptations to strive against Corruption in seeking for pardon in the bloud of Christ. And 4. So this maketh these petitions in the Lords prayer useless forgive us our sins and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil 5. This saith that either beleevers are fully freed from an indwelling body of death contrary to Rom. 7 11 17 18 23 24. or that the motions of this body of death are not sin or sinful contrary to Rom. 7 5 7 8 15. Gal. 5 v. 17. Iam. 1 ver 14 15. 6 This tendeth to foment Pride and Security
fountaine and giving Christ much work to speak so to wash and make them clean from their daily pollutions and defilements and have renunced the works of darkness and are now serving the Lord with singleness though with much weakness and many failings 25. In the next place Pag. 159. § 8. He cometh more directly to confirme his owne Opinion And his first argum is the old Pelagian argument formerly rejected and which is used by Volkelius the Socinian lib. 2. c. 22. viz. That the commands of Christ and the Apostles suppose it to be possible or in our power He proveth that this perfection is not only possible but necessary from several Scriptures such as Mat. 5 48. Which only proveth it our duty to endeavour after Perfection and to minde all duties even such as the corrupt pharisees thought no duties such as to love our enemies to blesse them that curse us c. vers 44 45 46 47. As for Mat. 7 21. Ioh. 13 17. 1 Cor. 7 19. they can make nothing for him unless he suppose that no man shall be saved who ever sinned And further seing he will not deny that some of these passages at least concerne the unconverted he must also grant that even they also may attaine to this Perfection As for 2 Cor. 13 11. 1 Ioh. 3 2 10. we have spoken to before And by this last we know to expound that 1 Ioh. 2 3 4 5 6. 26. His next argu is from Rom. 6 14. Which speaketh only of the dominion of sin from which we grant all beleever are delivered and if he know no difference betwixt a state of freedom from the dominion of sin and a sinless state he is ignorant of Christianity He citeth also Rom. 8 3. which is directly against him And if he look to vers 4. that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us It can make nothing for him for it is not said by us but in us that is in our nature when Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh and fulfilled all righteousness and so answered the Law by doing as well as by suffering which righteousness consisting as well in his obedience as in his suffering is imputed to beleevers and by vertue thereof they come to have a right to the crown and to life which was lost by the breach of the Law which required full obedience and satisfaction in case of transgression and that notwithstanding of their shortcomings which are many But how then sayes he is the Gospel differenced from the Law which made nothing perfect Ans. The Law pointed out Christ to come in whom alone all was to be had and without him its ordinances made nothing perfect And the Gospel exhibiteth this Lord Jesus in whom dwelleth all fulness and who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God through him Pag. 160. he saith That Paul proveth this through the whole 6. Chap. to the Romans Ans. The contrary is most manifest for he is encouraging beleevers to holiness and dehorting them from a continuaâ—ce in sin which supposeth that persons may be beleevers and yet have need of such dehortations and encouragments for where this Quakers perfection taketh place all these are laid aside as utterly useless He speaketh not of sinlesness but of a living in sin vers 2. which is opposite to a being dead to sin that is freed of sins Dominion and Law-power and which is opposite to a walking in newness of life vers 4. And vers 6. he sayes though the old man was virtually and legally crucified with Christ Yet it is not actually killed that the body of sin might be destroyed in due time and then inferreth that henceforth we should not serve sin as our Master and Lord. And this he turneth into an exhortation vers 12. Let not sin reigne therefore in your mortal body that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof vers 13. neither yeeld ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin And for their encouragment tels them vers 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you he saith not for sin shall have no being in you And againe vers 16. he dehorteth them from a yeelding of themselves as servants to obey sin and vers 19. he presseth them to yeeld their members as servants to righteousness which is opposed to a becoming servants of sin vers 20. And to presse this the more he mindes them of their state to wit that now they were not the servants of sin having obeyed from the heart that forme of doctrine whereinto they were cast moulded vers 22. that they were made free from sin c. What our Quaker speaketh afterward of the way of attaining this perfection by laying aside the outward Law and looking only to the Light within we look upon as a Quakers dream And when he saith that our looking to the outward Law finding an impossibility of keeping it perfectly put us to wrest the Scriptures to seek after an imputative righteousness He but declareth the true genius and nature of that antievangelick and diabolical Spirit that acteth them And what followeth Pag. 160. is but a confirmation of what we said viz. that all the Perfection they would bring us to by hearkning to the Light within is but a paganish perfection And his great promises Pag. 161. we account delusions being resolved to goe to the Law and to the Testimony and to abide by the declaration of God's minde in his word and not to follow the Light of nature nor the hellish enlightenings of the devil who was a liar from the beginning in this great mater 27. In the last place Pag. 161. for a proof of this he adduceth some instances as did the Remonstrants in their Apologie Chap. 17. before him Such as Enoch Noah who are said to have walked with God and to be perfect Gen. 5. 6. Ans. They were Sincere and Upright and had a Perfection of parts though not of degrees and so walked with God and by all their perfection they were not justified but by faith which leadeth a man out of himself and so became heires of the righteousness which is by faith Heb. 11 5 6 7. Moreover we read of Noah's sinne As for Iob though he was a perfect and upright man yet his book declareth that he was not sinless and Elihu evinceth it yea God layeth to his charge Chap. 38 2. that he darkened counsel by words without knowledge And himself Chap. 42 2. confesseth that he uttered what he understood not things too wonderful for him which he knew not for which he abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes vers 6. As for Zacharias and Elizabeth Augustine of old answered de gratia Christi contra Pelag. Cap. 48. that this was to be understood of their unblameable conversation in the eyes of men and the Lord accounted them such And Iustin. Matyr in Quaest. Resp. orthodox Quaest. 141. distinguisheth betwixt
Body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Ephes. 1 10 22 23. 5 23 27 32. Col. 1 18. The visible Church which is also Catholick or Universal under the Gospel not confined to one Nation as before under the Law consists of all these throughout the world that profess the true Religion 1 Cor. 1 2. 12 12 13. Psal. 2 8. Revel 7 9 Rom. 15 9 10 11 12. together with their children 1 Cor. 7 14. Act. 2 39. Ezech. 16 20 21. Rom. 11 16. Gen. 3 15. 17 7. and is the Kingdom of the Lord Iesus Christ Mat. 13 47. Esai 9 7. the house and family of God Ephes 2 19. 3.15 out of which there is no ordinary possibility of Salvation Act. 2 47. Unto this Catholick visible Church Christ hath given the Ministrie Oracles and Ordinances of God for the gathering and perfecting of the Saints in this life to the end of the world And doth by his owne Presence and Spirit according to his promise make them effâ—ctual thereunto 1 Cor. 12 28. Ephes. 4 11 12 13. Mat. 28 19 20. Esai 59 21. Adde hereunto Quaest. 63. of our Larger Catechisme What are the special privileges of the Visible Church Ans. The visible Church hath the privilege of being under God's special care and government Esai 4 5 6. 1 Tim. 4 10. of being protected and preserved in all ages notwithstanding the opposition of all enemies Psal. 115. throughout Esai 31 4 5. Zech. 12 2 3 4 8 9. and of enjoying the Communion of saints the ordinary Meanes of Salvation Act. 2 39 42. Offers of grace by Christ to all the members of it in the ministrie of the Gospel testifying that whosoever believes in him shall be saved Psal. 147 19 20. Rom. 9 4. Ephes. 4 11 12. Mark 16 15 16. and excluding none that will come unto him Ioh. 6 37. 2. Here is our doctrine laid downe in few words What would this man now say He giveth us first the Etymology of the greek word that we render Church and thence tels us that an Ecclâ—sia or Church is nothing else but a company of such as God hath called out of this world Against which I have nothing to say only for clearing the matter I would adde That there is a company called out of the world by the grace of God power of his Spirit to worshipe him in Spirit and in Truth and this is that company which is called the Church invisible because their union with their Head and with one another is by a bond of true and saving Faith and sincere Love which are not obvious to the eyes of men As also there is a greater company of persons called out of the world to profess the Name of Jesus to worshipe Him outwardly according to his word and to owne him for their King by submitting to his Lawes Ordinances Officers by an outward profession And this is that company which is called the visible Church because both their exercise their bond of union with this King with one another is outward obvious to the eye to wit an open Profession of the true Religion outward submission to following of the ordinances institutions of Christ But as to this visible Church in his following words he seemeth to take no notice thereof for he describeth to us the Church Invisible and then tels us that without this Church there is no salvation But this is impertinently spoken for that Church is made up only of the elect And if we should speak of the Invisible Churâ—h as now existing in this world we could not say that any elect belonged to it but such as were effectually called for the rest were not yet called out of the world or out of their state of nature and he told us that a church is a company of persons called out of the world To say thâ—n that there is no salvation out of that company that are already affectually called is neither pertinent nor truth for there are many who are not yet called whom God will in due time call and bring home and these whom he hath elected he doth bring into the visible Church where they may enjoy the ordinances which God hath appointed â—or Conversion And therefore we say that out of this visible Church there is ordinarily no salvation But all this is said by him to make way for his Church that will take in Heathens Pagans Turks and Tartars that never heard nor never shall hear a word of Jesus Christ which Church as he would delineate it to us hath not the least relation to Christ as Head and King nor any advantage of or interest in the Institutions of Jesus Christ. And what a Church this shall be let any sober Christian judge 3. But let us heare himself speak He calleth the Church a company of such as God hath called out of this world that they may walk in his light and Life One might readily suppose that this were good but hear more Vnder this notion saith he of the Church all these are comprehended of what Nation Kinde Tongue or Family they be though far removed from and strangers to these who profess Christ and Christianity in words and enjoy the Scriptures who obey the divine light and testimony of God within them so as by it they become sanctified and washen Ans. That is in short All Heathens and Pagans who have never heard of Christ or of Christianity belong to this Church of persons called out of the world to walk in God's Light and Life if they have obeyed the Light of Nature and of a Natural Conscience teaching to abstean from grosse sinnes This is the Quakers Church and the Church of persons effectually called out of the world which they mean which is nothing else but a Church of moralized Pagans A pagan-Church without the Knowledge of Christ Profession of Christ Faith in Christ Worshipe of Christ Acknowledgment of Christ Union with Christ without the Gospel of Christ and the Spirit of Christ. Anâ— though he call this the Catholick Spirit and the secret life and vertue of Iesus Yet it is in truth nothing but Catholick nature which cannot understand the things of the Gospel This is further confirmed by what he addeth Therefore saith he they may be members of this Catholick Church who are Pagans Turks and Iewes and of every seck among Christians if they be good single hearted men though they be ignorant and superstitious Thus we see the Quakers Church is erected according to the Covenant of works and that now broken founded upon the Law of Nature directed by the Light of Nature and to it belong all civil outwardly moral persons whatever Religion they have and how superstitious soever they be Yea though they worshipe stocks and stones and the Devil for there is no exception here Reader what thinkest thou now of this Church of this Profession and of this Religion It is Catholick I confess alas
members for then all Church-members must be Officers seing with him all Church members must be thus qualified If the last be his meaning Whether thinks he this qualification essential or not that is so necessary that one that wanteth it cannot be accounted a Pastor neither before God nor before men neither in foro poli nor in foro soli Againe I would enquire what he meaneth by this qualification if we interprete it by his former doctrine why we may not Yea must not do so I know not this will be a good qualification for a Pagan-preacher but no qualification for a Gospel-minister for it is nothing else than the power efficacy of Natures Light of a Natural Conscience informing enlightning concerning duties required by the Law of nature it hath no affinity with the sanctifying Spirit of Christ promised in the New covenant bestowed upon the elect and chosen vessels of mercy and principling the beleever to new obedience Howbeit this might suffice for an answere Yet I shall say more to clear the matter unto the Reader I confess holiness is required of Gospel ministers The Apostle tels us Tit. 1 8. that he must be a lover of good men or of good things as it is in the margine sober just holy temperate And he must be blameless Tit. 1 7. 1 Tim. 3 2. vigilant sober and of good behaviour ibid And therefore all who are to be imployed in the examination tryal of ministers should be careful in the searching after this as well as in the tryal of their gifts and other qualifications and when clear and manifest evidences appear of their hatred of good things and of the godly of their insobriety injustice unholiness intemperance want of vigilancy and of their evil behaviour they ought to be laid aside from that holy function as well as when their want of gifts of other requisite qualifications clearly appeareth Yea if there be not some positive probable evidences of this love and of seriousness in the maters of God giving faire probable ground of concluding them to be faithful men they ought not to commit the word unto them See all this fully cleared and confirmed by worthy and learned Mr Durham in his exposition of the Revelation Pag. 198. c. Yet because grace the saving workings of the Spirit are latent hid in the heart there is no outward signe evidence thereof whereby others can certainly or infallibly discerne and judge of the same in all so hid that the man in whom it is is more privie to his owne spirit heart than others can be will not alwayes be in case to discerne the same I dar not say that the reall being of grace is such a qualification as that the want thereof shall render the man no minister and all his performances null before God or man though the person being a real stranger to grace can expect no acceptance of God through Jesus Christ for what he doth Christ's imploying of Iudas in the ministry will sufficiently verify this and I need say no more See Mr Durham in the place cited 6. What addeth he For saith he seing true knowledge in things spiritual is received by this gift and grace he that is purified and sanctified by the same is at length also called by it and moved to ministrate to others and is made capable of showing to others what by real experience he hath himself found 2 Cor. 5 11. And his words and ministry proceeding from inward power and vertue penetrat into the hearts of the hearers and obtaine their approbation and subjection Ans. 1. This gift and grace being but natural and Pelagian as was shown above can never give true knowledge in things spiritual saving and evangelick 2. Nor can it ever purifie and sanctifie a man according to the Gospel whatever it may do as to outward civility and morality 3. Qualifications are no call 4. Then it seemes there is no Outward call requisite and so this man joyneth with Socinians and Arminians laying aside all outward call by men as not necessary in the Church of God and saying that all who understand the truth of the Gospel and are able to Instruct others may and have a right to teach See Smalcius Pag. 379. though Pag. 377. he confesseth that this outward call is decent and comely in a constitute Church which this man doth no where acknowledge See also Apol. Remonstr Cap. 21. and Episcop disput 26. privat Thes. 4. 5. 5. Every motion to tell others what we know in the things of God is not a call to the Work and Office of the Ministry See Psal. 66 16. privat persons in their private capacities may and ought to seek to promove the edification of others 1 Pet. 4 10 11. 6. Is this telling of what they have found in their owne experience the whole work of the Ministrie Or is this the preaching of the Gospel The divideing of the word of truth 2 Tim. 2 15. Is this speaking exhorting and rebuking with all authority Tit. 2 15 Is this be seaching as Ambassadours in the name of God and in Christ's stead 2 Cor. 5 19 20 Is this that which Paul layeth upon Timothie 2 Tim. 4 1 2. I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine Or that which we â—inde 1 Tim. 4 13 14 15 16. Give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery Meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them take heed unto thy self and unto the doctrine continue in them For in doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee But I should have remembered that these men are against Preaching 7. Some may think that by this gift and grace which he mentioneth he can mean at most nothing but what the Papists call gratia gratis data and which is different from gratia gratum faciens but I see no ground to judge him so orthodox 7. He goeth about to prove that this qualification is absolutely necessary and his first argument is thus That which is necessary to make a man Christian is much more necessary to make one a Minister of Christianity But this inward call power vertue of the Spirit is necessary to make a man a Christian. Therefore c. Ans. This argument is easily answered by a distinction thus That which is necessary to make a man a Real Upright and Sincere Christian or true member of the Invisible Church is also necessary to make a man a sincere and upright Minister before God and approven of him in what he doth but is not simply and absolutely necessary to make one a Minister before
17 12 16 17 Neh. 13 15 17 21 22 25 30 2 King 23 5 6 9 20 21. 2 Chron. 34 31. 15 12 13 16. Dan. 3 29. 1 Tim 2 2. Esai 49 v. 2. Zech. 13 23. 3. Our Quaker premitteth some things for clearing of the question and first he tels us that by Conscience as he said before he understandeth that perswasion of soul which ariseth from the Intellect with the truth or falshood of a thing Anâ—w 1. How this description can agree to a scrupulous or to a doubting Conscience I see not for neither of these have attained to any perswasion though I know a blinded conscience or an erroneous conscience can have a sort of perswasion 2. Before to wit Pag. 89. he told us that some of the Quakers did fitly compare the Conscience unto a lanterne and the light of Christ to a candle burning in it And compareing this with what is here said we may see that in the Quakers judgment the light of Christ whereof they talk so much is nothing but the light of the understanding for it is this light of the understanding that causeth the perswasion which he calleth Conscience here and it is that which shineth in the dark lanterne of conscience as they speak there But 3. How can Conscience be compared to a lanterne seing a lanterne is a dark thing having no light in it self only it hath an aptitude to transmit the light that shineth in it but Conscience is a lump of light and is either an act of the practical understanding as some or rather as others a power of the practical understanding is not a distinct faculty from the understanding but the very understanding judging of and giving sentence upon the mans State Wayes and Actions And the very name Conscience importeth a knowing power and faculty con scientia or co-knowledge to it belongeth the Synteresis the intellectual store-house and magazine of truthes the Register of common notions left in us by nature whether as to things concerning God or as to things concerning Ourselves and our Nieghbour in respect of which the conscience is said to be a Law or Light and this belike is all the Light of Christ which our Quakers understand And the judgment of Conscience being discursive to it belongeth also the knowledge of all the mans actions in which respect it is called a Book or Witness or an Indiâ—ement as it bringeth forth these actions to light and compareth them with the Law To it also belongeth the judgment or sentence passed upon the actions as conforme or disconforme to the Law of God 4. Conscience then cannot properly be called a perswasion for this resulteth from the clear apprehensions dictats witnessing and judgment of the Conscience and so is but a consequent of Conscience acting that not of every conscience either as not of a doubâ—ing nor of a scrupling conscience but of a clear and sound conscience or of a deluded one 4. What saith he further which to wit the thing presented by the intellect thâ—ugh it be false and evil in it self yet as long as the man is perswaded to wit that it is true and â—ood he should sin if he did contrary to that perswasion for saith the Apostle whatever is not of faith is sin and he that doubteth is damned if he eat And Ames saith a conscience erring tyeth c Answ. It is true whatever the Conscience dictateth or enjoyneth it doth it in the name and authority of God whose Deputy and vicegerent it is yet it is but an underjudge and is not the supream Law but regula regulata so that though its dictats even when erroneous and contrary to the Law of God do so binde as that the man who doth contrary cannot but sin for though upon the maâ—er he doth nothing contrary to the Law of God yet formally and interpretatively he transgresseth that which is represented to him by Conscience as the Law of God and he knoweth no better but it is in very deed the Law of God which he transgresseth Yet for all this the erroneous conscience layeth on no formal obligation as the same D. Ames telleth us for it cannot oblige us to do that which is a transgression of the Law of God our supream Lawgiver It is true which the Apostle saith Rom. 14. last that whatever is not of faith is sin c. because when we do any thing not knowing certainly but in so doing we sin against God we shake off the awe and fâ—ar of God and have not a sufficient abhorrence at sin 5. He proposeth the question thus Whether the Civil Magistrat hath power to compel men against their conscience in maters of Religion And if they will not obey to punish them in their goods liberty and lives And he holdeth the negative I Answere This is a most perverse stateing of the question For 1. He distinguisheth not the Elicite and Imperat acts of the Conscience but confoundeth them As if the Magistrates power were said equally to reach both whereas we do not say that the Magistrate can compel men as to the inward liberty of the soul and conscience that is to Thiâ—k Judge Understand and Conclude in their mindes as he will as if he could force and compell any to Believe and Assent unto this or that opinion in the matters of God We say no such thing the Conscience as to these inward acts is far beyond the reach of his Sword But the question is concerning Outward and Imperated acts such as Speaking Preaching Writing Printing Open Profession and Perswading of others which are visible and audible dishonourable to God and noxious to men to wit Whether the Magistrate may punish such by the Sword who in maters of Religion Teach Speak and Printe blasphemies against God doctrines overturning Religion perverting souls c. And other things of that nature that men can pretend conscience for or not If he hold the Negative here as he must if he speak to the point we shall consider his arguments 2. Upon the other hand Though the Magistrate cannot enforce a Religion upon men Yet he may force them to the use of publick meanes whereby they may be brought to the knowledge and conviction of the truth As to hear sound Instruction and Information and to attend the meanes whereby light is usually conveyed into the soul and this is no force upon conscience but a putting of people to duty 3. So then the question is not whether the sword be a meanes of conversion of men to the true faith nor whether heathens are to be compelled by the magistrates sword to embrace the truth Nor yet whether the Inward Opinions of the minde can be punished by the Magistrate But the only question lyeth here Whether the Magistrate can by his power punish and restraine Open Idolaters false Worshipers false Teachers Perverters of the right wayes of the Lord Seducers of souls Corrupters or Deniers of the true worship of God open
Blasphemers of God and his wayes declared and open Atheists who deny there is a God the like whose doctrine eateth like a canker 2 Tim. 2 17. and who Apostatize from the truth received professed and teach rebellion against God though they pretend conscience in all this and say their conscience dictateth such things unto them and commandeth them in the name of the Lord to do such things and teach such doctrine or not 6. He will not extend this liberty of conscience unto practices that are hurtful unto our Neighbour or unto humane society as Libertines do but only to those things which are immediatly betwixt Men and God or men and men of the same perswasion Ans. But 1. â—roaching of errours is noxious to our neighbour eating as doth a canker 2 Tim. 2 17. subverting the hearers 2 Tim. 2 14. subverting whole houses Tit. 1 11. subverting souls Act. 15 24. it is a work of the flesh Gal. 5 vers 20. 2. Broaching and propagating of superstition and idolatry cannot but be noxious both to our neighbour and to humane society in that it ushereth-in and tendeth to the bringing-on of the wrath and judgments of God by which he punisheth such courses And therefore evil must be put away from the Society Deut. 13 5. 17 7. Levit. 20 vers 2 3 4 5. 3. Let us take these hurtful things to be mâ—aned of transgressions against the second table of the Law I would know why the Magistrate can more punish for these than for violations of the first table He is a keeper in his place and according to his power of both tables of the Law and so can punish open transgressions of both But the maiâ—e ground of my question is How the Quaker can yeeld this and not the other seing Conscience may be pretended in the one as well as in the other And the Conscience can be misinformed and when misinformed can binde as well in the one as in the other Either then his ground which he layeth downe to wit that an erroneous conscience bindeth so as the man â—ar â—ot act contrary to its dictates is not good and sufficient in this mater or by â—his his concession he yeelds the cause and undermineth his own Assertion 4. What meaneth he by that betwixt men and men of the same perswasion Do all maters of question and debate betwixt men of the same perswasion belong otherwise to conscience than maters of debate betwixt men of contrary perswaâ—â—ons May the Magistrate medole with no mater of debate or question even about civil maters that is betwixt men not of the same perswasion Then they must not meddle with the Quakers if they wrong the persons and gooâ—s of any of another perswasion This is enough to expose all true Christians to the fury and malice of the Quakers whence we see his Concession is not for nothing 7. But he explaineth himself better in the following words saying to wit to meet together and worship God that way which they judge will be most acceptable to him but not to urge their neighbours save by perswasion and reason and other means which Christ and his Apâ—â—tles used as of preaching and instructing and not at all under pretext of conscience to do any thing against the moral and perpetual statutes which all Christians commonly acknowledge Ans. But 1. Then the Magistrate may not hinder persons to meet together to worship a stock or a stone Yea or to offer up their children to Moloch to sacrifâ—ce beasts crocodiles birds c. to Iupiter Mars Vulcan or to prostitute their wives and daughters or commit sodomie in honour of Venus as Heathens have done because their Consciences judge that this way of worship is most acceptable to God 2. To urge Neighbours by perswasion to embrace Errour and to follow Idolatry Superstition and false wayes of Worshipe is a most noxious and hurtful thing destroying their souls subverting their faith and exposeing them to the wrath and indignation of God and so of far worse consequence than the wronging them in their Names Goods and Bodies and therefore requireth much more the Magistrates sword of justice to punish such noxious soul ruining Teachers 3. Still the doubt remaineth why the pretext of conscience cannot warde off the Magistrates sword in matters of the second table of the Law as well as in matters of the first seing conscience is God's deputy and only subject to him in the one as well as in the other 4. Moral and perpetual statuâ—es comprehend I suppose the commands of the first table as well as the commands of the second table and it is no matter whether all Christians commonly acknowledge them or not for God's moral Lawes borrow no force or strength from our acknowledging and receiving of them And thus we see this poor man destroyeth what he would be at And when he condemneth in the following words the Anabaptists at Munster he confirmeth wâ—at we say for they pretended conscience and though as he saith their deeds rather flowed from pride and avarice than purity and conscience Yet that helpeth not the mater for it is as apparent that the actions of our Quakers cannot flow from Purity and Conscience unless we understand a develish deluded conscience which hath no affinity with Purity whatever they pretend 8. He tels us next Pag. 316. that all the liberty which he pleadeth for is but that which the Primitive Christians required of the Heathen Emperours Ans. But he should first prove that the truth they profâ—ss is consonant to the truth which the Primitive Câ—ristians owned We say not that Magistrates whether Heathen or Christian should persecute the truth or hinder by Lawes or violence the Professours of truth to meet and worshipe God in tâ—e way by him appointed If his way be the way of truth he should not plead for toleration for toleratio semper est mali And if he can manifest it to be the way of truth I shall willingly grant that Magistrates should not only not trouble or tolerat him but should countenance and encourage him But we have heard enough already to demonstrate how dissonant that which they maintaine is to Scripture truth and to primitive truth and so we see no ground whereupon they can plead for the same liberty which the Primitive Christians did desire and plead for especially considering how they have Apostatized from the truth once by themselves professed and having renunced their baptâ—sme and the faith once delivered to the Saints would seduce all others to the same abomination 9. He sayes next he would not have men as men and members of the Common wealth molested in their temporals or privileges for their inward perswasion Answere And I say the same but publick meetings to the dishonour of God and scorne of Christianity And acts of preaching and seduceing by creeping into houses and loading captive silly women laden with sinnes and led away with diverse lusts is not a meer
armes against invadeing Pagans give all Christendome up as a fit prey unto the lusts of Turcks or Pagans who may come when they please to cut at freedom all their throates that will not with them burne incense and sacrifice their children to the Devil The Quakers seem very milde and meek and more ready to suffer than to do wrongs but let wise men judge whither this their doctrine tendeth and what enemies they make themselves hereby unto all Christian societies They speak here only of Christians as if Christians might not have the privilege of beasts to defend themselves against unjust violence But say they any thing of Pagansâ— No Pagans must weare the sword may offend if they please but Christians may not defend themselves for they themselâ—es are neerer of kin to Pagans than to Christians as I have cleared all alongs 3. But let us see what he alledgeth for this He citeth Mat. 5 38. to the end And with Socinians tels us that Christ is here enjoyning a more perfect and excellent way of manifesting love patience and suffering than was required of the Iewes by the Law of Moses But this his one and only ground is abundantly disproved by our orthodox Divines writing against the Socinians and the text it self maketh it manifest that Christ is here only vindicating the Law from the corrupt glosses of the Pharisees and Jewish doctors and therefore in the very beginning of his vindication tels the Jewes that they should not exspect that of him which they had of their own doctors viz. that he should also destroy the Law for he was not come for that end but to fulfil the Law vers 17. and to maintaine it by his doctrine and therefore threatneth heavy judgments against such as would teach men to break the Law vers 19. And as to the part of Christ's discourse which he here pitcheth upon we need do no more but shew that there is no new precept here It consisteth of two particulars first concerning not retaliating and the next about loving our enemies As to the first Socinus himself granteth that Christ here looketh to the false interpretation of the Law of Moses whereby some took the meaning of the Law to be that private persons might in their private revenge retaliate whereas Moses's Law was given to Magistrates as is clear Exod. 21 22 24 25. Levit. 24 19 20. Deut. 19 18 19 20. And against this private revenge and retaliation Christ speaketh and also against this did the Law of Moses speak Deut. 32 35. comp with Rom. 12 19. Levit. 19 18 19. See also Gen. 49 5 6 7. Prov. 20 ver 22. 24 29. Ier. 51 36. Ezech. 25 12. So that Christ's meaning is that private persons should be ready rather to receive more wrongs then to revenge themselves for wrongs received And Socinus himself assenteth to this It is true Socinus thinketh that Christ here doth prohibite Christians to seek a redress of their wrongs by the help of Magistrates which afterward he contradicteth I know not if our Quaker will say so too seing in the end of his foregoing Thesis he would have the Law exerced and right done to every one without respect of Persons in the mater of injuries done to persons in their goods and lives And sure the words of the Apostle Rom. 13. are express enouâ—h for this However we see there is nothing here binding up the hands of Christians from necessary self defence by Armes Warres for nothing is here required but what was required of old notwithstanding whereof warres were lawful as cannot be denied The same we say as to the second particular where Socinus also granteth that Christ is not here directly correcting Moses's Law Yet he saith that Moses's Law by Neighâ—our understood only a Jew and that hatred of enemies that is such as were strangers did natively flow there from In both which his ignorance of the Law and the Prophets appeareth For there is nothing appearing that can justly restrick the word neighbour to the Jewes only else it must be so also restricted in the very moral Law in the decalogue as Command 9. 10. which yet Paul extendeth to others Rom. 13 8 9 10. Gal. 5 12 13. And that under the Old Testam there was a Law for loving and doing good to enemies is clear Exod. 23 4 5. Prov. 25 22. Thus it also appeareth that this particular can make nothing against the lawfulness of Warres seing Warres were lawful under the Law when this same command of loving enemies had place The inconsistency then that this man conceiveth betwixt these explications of the Law or renewed Lawes by Christ and lawfulness of self defence and warre for this end is in his owne imagination And for as confident as he is hereof Pag. 364. his ground faileth him 4. But he thinketh to prove this inconsistency Pag. 364. c. § 14. thus 1. Christ commandeth us to love our enemies and this is contrary to war Ans. 1. The Jewes were under a command to love their enemies and yet they might lawfully defend themselves by War 2. We are under a command to love ourselves Families and Relations and therefore under a command to defend their and our owne lives from unjust violence yea others also that are not so related to us Prov. 24 11 12. If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death and those that are ready to be slaine If thou sayest behold we knew it not doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it And he that keepeth thy soul doth not he know it And shall not he render to every man according to his work 3. We are not to love our enemies more then our other neighbours And the Law saith that we should love our Neighbour as ourselves and therefore we are not to love our Neighbour more then ourselves Nor with that degree of affection that we are to love Ourselves And therefore we are bound to defend ourselves from the unjust violence of Enemies or Neighbours 4. Yea love can consist with repelling unjust violence with violence for thereby our enemies are restrained from bringing the guilt of more innocent bloud upon themselves and from doing more mischiefe and wrong Binding of an enraged mans hands from committing murther is consistant with love so is wageing warre against an invading bloudy tyrant who can no otherwayes be restrained or hindered 5. Love to enemies may appear in seeking by all meanes faire and possible to satisfie even their unjust desires to provent a warre and in a readiness to lay hold on all lawful and saife occasions of making peace 6. Love to enemies can consist with warre when in wageing of the defensive warre a private desire of revenge doth not principle nor animate to the warre but conscience to the command of God enjoyning us even by the Law of nature to defend our Life Relations Neighbours and Countrey from unjust and bloody invaders 7. The whole scope of
but walk upon fixed and certaine grounds which may fully quiet the consciences of such as stand in awe of the word and I cannot but wonder how he who denieth the word to be the rule of faith and practice can thus press the words contrare to the scope and intendment of the Spirit of the Lord and stand so stifly to the express words yea and for any thing I see ground their judgment and practice wholly and alone upon these words but as we heard above though the light within them be their supream and only Rule they can alleige the Scriptures and pervert them too against us 4. He cometh next Pag. 354. § 11. to reply to our grounds We say that Christ forbiddeth all Oaths by creatures and all vaine and rash Oaths To which he replyeth That the Law did forbid these Oaths but Christ forbiddeth here something that was free under the Law to wit to swear by the Name of God and so dischargeth even such Oaths as were made by the Name of God Mat. 23 22. And he addeth by any other oath Answ. That the Law doth forbid both swearing by the Creatures and also rash and unnecessary swearing by the Name of God is true but the Law did not prohibite but enjoyn swearing in some cases before Magistrates as we see Exod. 22 7 11. Num. 5 19 21. 2. That Christ correcteth or amendeth the Law or dischargeth any thing which was lawful by the moral Law of God is but a Socinian dream without any ground or warrand as is apparent through that whole Sermon and from the very first words of this part thereof vers 17 18. Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but fulfil for verily I say unto you till heaven and earth passe one jot or one-title shall in no wise passe from the Law till all be fulfilled But sure if Christ had added to the law or taken away from it he had in so far destroyed it and made it an imperfect law and had taken away from it many Jotes and Titles contrary to his owne expresse profession and declaration 3. The place Mat. 23 16 23. doth clearly explaine this for there their unlawful wayes of swearing are reproved and they discovered to be fools in alleiging such grounds as they did for their profane licentious swearing and satisfying themselves with such pretexts but not one word declareing it unlawful in all cases to sweare by the Name of God 4. These words by any other Oath are to be explained by what went before and so to be understood of any other such like Oath as he had instanced in otherwise Christs discourse shall be incoherent 5. To that which is said That swearing by the Name of God was commanded by the Father and so cannot be now contradicted by the Son who is one with the Father he saith That the father appointed many ceremonial Lawes which were shadowes of good things to come whereof Christ was the substance Answere This is very true but nothing to the purpose for he shall never prove that swearing by the Name of God was a ceremonial thing being a part of natural Worship taught by the Law of Nature Gen. 21 ver 23. Iosh. 2 vers 12. 2 Chron. 36 21. and is several times put for the whole moral Worshipe Esai 19 v. 18. 45 23. Psal. 63 11. And where I pray and when was this ceremonial precept if it be such first given But this one thing is enough to confute this dream not to mentione that we cannot understand whereof it can be a shadow or type nor how then as we shall hear it was used when types were abrogated to wit that Christ did not so early beginne to cry down and to annull the force and power of the ceremonial Law but being made under the Law ceremonial as well as moral was observant thereof in all points to his dying day for in the very night wherein he was betrayed he observed the feast of the Passeover and he came to fulâ—il all righteousness How shall we then imagine that in his very first Sermon he should abrogate the Ceremonial Law and that in moe points then one if our Quaker be to be believed For he will have the mater of Warres a ceremony too and will affirme that Christ abrogated that ceremony also in the last words of this Chapter as we heard 6. He moveth this Argum. in the next place Pag. 355. That Oaths cannot be a part of the ceremonial Law because they were in use before the promulgation of the law An Argument wherein I see little strength yet I think it concerneth him to tell us when this ceremonial law was first given and to whom What answereth he It must be showne saith he that it is an eternal and immutable precept Answ. And what needeth more for this then to show that it is a part of worshipe performed unto God which the law of Nature hath taught all nations and which hath no affinity with what is typical and figurative having a manifestly moral import for it is a solemne acknowledgment of Gods All-seeing eye of his Truth and Veracity of his Righteousness and Justice and of his Power and Might for therein he is called to witness a secret and hidden truth and the swearer doth professe that God is acquanted with the secrets of all things and with the Intentions of the heart Therein we acknowledge that God abhorreth lying and dissimulation and will be a swift witness against false swearers and in justice will be avenged of such as mock him in calling the God of truth to bear witness to an untruth and shew his power in punishing and pursueing such all which being ingraven on the heart of Man by nature and being laid as the ground of this practice among all Nations and having nothing ceremonial in it evince this duty to be moral and the commands enjoyning it perpetually obligeing He tels us that Abel and Cain did offer the tythes of their fruit and the first fruites of their land But I read not this in Scripture I finde it said Gen. 4 3 4. that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground and Abel of the firsilings of his flock but no more no word of Tithes nor of First fruites 7. He moveth another Objection after his owne minde as if we said that Swearing by the name of God is a moral duty because it is mentioned with God's essential and moral worshipe But what he meaneth by essential worshipe I know not nor know I who useth that terme This argument I shall thus urge If swearing by the name of God be not only urged together with other acts of moral worship but also as a comprehensive part of moral worshipe and as further exegitical and explicative of other parts of moral worshipe mentioned then it must be a part of morall worshipe But the former is true Therefore c. The Major I suppose needeth
no proofe The Minor is clear Deut. 6 vers 13. Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serve him and shalt sweare by his name And Deut. 10 20. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy good him shalt thou serve and to him shalt thou cleave and sweare by his name In both which places we see it is not only attended before and after with precepts purely moral nor only joyned in the same verse with duties purely moral but as the other duties mentioned in the same verse are truely comprehensive of that moral obedience that is due to God so is this and each one of these commands contribute to explicate the other so that all are but various expressions of that one duty of owneing the true God for their only God conforme to the first commandement Adde to these passages Ier. 3 4. where it is pressed as a comprehensive duty of all moral obedience as being the manifest declaration of their true Repentance and Turning unto God and of their putting away all abominations out of God's sight vers 1. If thou will return O Israel saith the Lord return unto me and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight then shalt thou not remove And thou shalt swear the Lord liveth in truth in judgment and in righteousness c. So Ier. 12 vers 14. to the end where the Lord is offering salvation to the Nations about upon condition that they will performe this comprehensive duty and shall learne to sweare by my name saith the Lord the Lord liveth as they taught my people to swear by Baal then shall they be built in the midst of my people but if they will not obey I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation Adde Psal. 63 11. The King shall rejoyce in God and every one that sweareth by him shall glory Let the Quaker now see if his answers will suite this argument thus proposed 8. Another of our Arguments he mentioneth in the fift place which is this as I shall forme it If that which Christ forbiddeth be of the Devil then he forbiddeth not the swearing by the name of God But the former is true from the words of the text for whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil vers 37. or of that evil one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of that evil one who is exercised in all wickedness See Beza on the place The Consequence of the Major is clear for swearing by the name of God was once commanded of God but God never commanded that which did flow from the Devil Nor can it be said with any face of reason that any of the ceremonial Lawes were of that evil one or cometh of evil How then can this man say that this which Christ saith cometh of evil was a ceremonial Law enjoyned by God What replyeth he Some things saith he are good because commanded and evil because forbidden and some things are commanded because good and forbidden because evil Thus ceremâ—nials are good as long as commanded and evil when forbidden under the Gospel Ans. 1. But to me there is nothing good morally but what is commanded and as commanded and no duty of man can be said to be commanded because morally good ' antecedent to the command of the great Law-giver whose good will and pleasure is the ground of all morality among men 2. Though the observation of prohibited ceremonies be evil under the Gospel Yet we cannot say that they are or ever were of that evil One or come of evil Here he tels us Pag. 356. That oathes did prefigure God's truth and fidelity Ans. That which is prefigured is something to come then it seemeth God under the Law was not true and faithful for these attributes were but prefigured to exist in the dayes of the Gospel Is not this Blasphemy He would do well to retract this otherwayes his errour is worse then he is a war of He giveth us another morality of oaths viz. Testification of truth which was before all oathes and will abide when all oathes are away Answ. This is indeed the proper end and use of oathes to testify to truth But what he meaneth when he saith it is its morality I must waite till he explaine himself As long sayes he as men abide true there is no necessity of oaths and for this he citeth some words of Polybius and Grotius and others But what then This would rather plead for the necessary continuance of oathes because men are not true enough And knoweth he not that good civil Lawes may be occasioned by evil manners Knoweth he not that by reason of the fall many things became moral natural secundarily that were not primarily natural And why may not oathes come in among these He giveth us an Argument thus That which was not from the beginning nor had any use in the beginning that had not its rise from the will of God but from the work of the Devil being caused of evil viz. of infidelity lies and deceit and was chiefly invented by men as a remedy of this evil in which they did invocate the names of their idols and which was granted to the Israelits as children that they might abstaine from the heathens Oaths Ier. 12 16. is no moral and eternal command But such a thing is an Oath Answ. This is I confess a very ill favoured argument For the assumption is pregnant with blasphemy and that upon his owne grounds for he said before that this swearing by the Name of God was a ceremonial command of God Now is it not blasphemy to say that any of the ceremonial Lawes of God had not their rise from the will of God but from the work of the Devil Is it truth to say that any of Gods commands especially such as belong to the Gospel as all ceremonies do are chiefly invented by men Faith in Jesus Christ was not from the beginning nor was of any use in the beginning and was occasioned only by the fall is it true therefore that iâ— had not its rise from the will of God but from the work of the Devil and was chiefly invented by man 2. If swearing be such a thing it must be intrinsecally evil how cometh it then that we hear sometimes of Gods swearing What would God do that or any thing like that which had its rise from the Devil 3. Many things became moral yea natural after the fall which were not necessary from the beginning these are called moral natural secundarily and yet had their rise from the will of God and not from the work of the Devil as covering our nakedness which this man will grant unless he be an Adamit too 4. Infidelity lies and deceit among men after the fall might be an occasion of a law and the law be good necessary and immutable for all that and be no invention of man but the command of the great God 5. It is not provedâ— that the Lord commanded the Israelites to swear by his name
Adams first transgressiâ—n t is answered thus The Covenant being made with Adam as a publick person not for himself only but for his posterity all mankinde descending from him by ordinary generation sinned in him and fell with him in that first transgressiâ—n 5. Concerning this sin which is under various names and titles pointed forth to us in Scripture being called Sin by way of eminency Rom. 6.12 7 8. the Old Man Rom. 6 6. a Law in the members Rom. 7 23. the Body of sin Rom. 6 6. a Body of death Rom. 7 24. In dwelling sin Rom 7 17 20. Evill present Rom 7 21. These are meaned of this Sin as seated in and derived unto the posteriâ—y but as committed first by Adam Paul Rom. 5 calleth it Sin Offence Transgression Disoâ—edience and concerning its Propagation or Traduction unto the posterity many questions and doubts are moved which we are not to meddle with our purpose not being to treate of this Subject but only to vindicate the orthodox doctrine from the exceptions of this Quaker and to discover his errour in this particular For which cause we need only take notice of two things concerning this Original sin First There is the Sin disobedience offence and transgression of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit This though it was the sin of our nature in Adam yet is said to be imputed to our persons when we come to have a being by natural Generation and deâ—cent from Adam Secondly There is that wâ—ich followed upon and flowed from that transgression of Adam according to the nature and tenour of tâ—e Covenant wherein he stood as the head and representer of all mankinde viz. The Privation or Want of that Original righteousness which our Nature possessed in Adam and the Depravation Corruption Deordination of the whole man whereby he is Disabled to all good and wholly Inclined and disposed to evil and all evil and only evil continually till grace make a change This cannot properly be said to be imputed but being a just punishment as well as a sin of the sin committed by Adam is justly inflicted by the righteous God and conveyed from Adam to all his posterity as a leprosy and infectious disease corrupting the whole man which therefore is seated and subjected in the man so soon as he hath a being by natural generation from his immediat parents though both the guilt and this contagion be not received immediatly from our next parents but immediatly from Adam from whom we have our Nature as our Personal being from our immediat parents who stand in no nearer relation to Adam as the Head of Nature than we but all Father Son and Nephew c. stand in the same near relation to him in respect of Nature as lines to the same centre 6. Having premised these things let us now consider what this Quaker hath to say against this in his Fourth Thesis towards the end he setteth downe his Assertion in few words where before we mentione his words we cannot but take notice of a piece of more than ordinary shamelesness in this Man for in the words immediatly before he cometh in with a triumphing parad saying hence the errours of Socinians and Pelagians c. are rejected as if he would make his Reader beleeve thâ—t he did anathematize all the errours of Pelagians and Socinians wâ—en yet he licks up and hugs in his bosome a special fundamental part of Pelagianisme and Socinianisme adding which are the words we are now to take notice of Yet nevertheless this seed is not imputed unto infants but when they joyne themselves to it actually by sinning We must beare with this man's following the Quakers dialect for he will speak but as he pleaseth But for understanding of wâ—at he meaneth we must call to minde his foregoing words which we took notice of in the foregoing Chapter and examined where he mentioned the Seed of God of the touch whereof he said all Adam's posterity was deprived This cannot be the seed he here meaneth He mentioneâ— another Seed of Satan to which Adam's posterity was subject and this Seed he said Satan did sowe in the hearts of Men c. Now this must be that malignant and depraved seed whence all their Thoughts Words and Actions are evil which he here meaneth And this Seed he sayeth is not Imputed to Infants And we said lately that this originated sin or Corrupâ—ion of nature could not properly be said to be impuâ—ed becauâ—e it was properly inherent as a disease of nature But the thing that he would say is plainly enough expressed in his Apology Pag. 54. But others sayeth he go so far in the â—ther extremity to whom Augustine in his declineing age moved with zeal against the Pelagians did first of all the Ancients open the way as not only to confess that Men of themselves are unfit for good and inclined to evil but also to affirme that man even while in his Mothers womb and before he commit any actual sin is under the guilt and crime of sin by which he deserveth eternal death Whereby we see that he freeth Infants from the guilt of Adam's first sin and againe Pag. 55. he sayeth they impute nothing of Adam's sin unto Men until they make it their owne by such like acts of disobedience He is clear then for the Non-imputation of Adam's sin unto Infants and the Arguments he adduceth cleare his judgment yet more 7. Thus we have seen what are his thoughts of the Imputation of Adam's guilt But what thinketh he of the other particular the Corruption of Nature His Thesis could meane nothing else by the Seed of the Serpent and when he cometh to the explication of this part of the Thesis in his Apâ—logy Pag. 59 § 4. he tels us that this evil and corrupt seed is not imputed unto infants until they actually joyn themselves unto it by sin And by this evil and corrupt seed he meaneth that whicâ— he had been speaking of viz. the Corrupt nature of Man But Pag. 55. he would seem to câ—ntradict this when he sayeth We cannot conceive how Man who is naturally come of Adam can have any good in his nature pertaining to it which he had not from whom he is derived if then we may affirme that he in his nature retained no will belonging to it nor light capable of it self to manifest spiritual things so nor his posterity Whence you might think that as Adam by his fall lost Original righteousness and all aptitude in Will or Undeâ—standing unto spiriâ—ual things so â—lso his Posterity that came naturally of him in this mans opinion but his tâ—ue meaning is that though Infants descend naturally from Adam yet this Privation of Righteousness and Corruption of Will and Understanding is not imputed to Infants nor do they partake thereof until they sin actually for in the end of his discourse upon this head Pag. 62. he sayes that this seed of sin is not imputed to any till by