gather strong Resolutions to take Solomons advise to wit to cast our bread upon the waters In regard that after many dayes wee shall finde it And to give a portion to seaven and also to eight in regard wee know not what evill shall be upon the earth And the advice also of our blessed Saviour to make our selves friends with the unrighteous mammon that when wee faile they may receive us into everlasting habitations Now to cast our bread upon the waters and to expect to finde it after many dayes would seeme very unlikely But though our Communicating to the Ministers or giving to the poore seeme as unlikely as that in our apprehensions for yeelding us any returne yet wee need not feare the promise of Christ is cleare wee shall in no wise loose our reward in regard wee doe it in a good intent either out of love to the Ministers or compassion to the poore or in love and obedience unto Christ or because they belong to him or for the furtherance of the Gospell and the glory of God yea though wee be not certaine that they are any such men yet if wee be not certaine to the contrary let us account it as our duty and let not covetousnesse sway us to the contrary for it will be to our losse if wee neglect our duties 3 Object A third Objection may be raised to wit That in many places the Ministers are provided for by tithes and other wayes so as they need not to us for any such communication the poore are provided for in another way according to equalitie so as wee have many of us that are Christians little occasion at all to expresse our thankfullnesse to God for his increasing of us in these respects of Communication and Distribution And therefore wee may well beleeve that our vocall and cordiall thankfullnesse to God in such a case may serve the turne Answ I answer that if wee put apart by it selfe as the Lord hath increased us with a full purpose of heart to expresse our gratitude for such his mercies when occasion is offered for workes of pietie or workes of charitie The Lord will finde us occasions suitable for disbursing the same in due time If hee that seeth our hearts see us willing and obedient and cordially thankfull as wee ought to be And so will finde us occasion to lay up our treasure in heaven where neither moth nor canker can corrupt neither theeves dig through and steale And there is one argument which might make us earnest and very diligent in seeking occasions to distribute and communicate if wee were but as wise in our generation as the men of this world If wee can beleeve what Christ hath promised us and if wee cannot doubtlesse it is our shame and will be too our losse And that is this to wit It is evident and needeth no more proofe that the men of this world are earnest and diligent in seeking how to lay out their moneys for gaine and profit and rather then let it lye rusting by they will be content with a very little as six or eight or ten in the hundreth and that for a whole yeare but in case they heare of a good bargaine either of land or merchandize how industrious they will be to buy it themselves and to prevent others and sometimes to defeat and beguile their neighbours to get it before them or take it out of their hands and very injuriously being so covetous of it But Christ hath promised us not onely ten in the hundreth but an hundreth for ten nay an hundreth fold in this present life besides in the world to come life everlasting for what ever it be that wee forsake or part withall for his sake and the Gospell And yet wee are such fooles in these respects that if occasions and necessities and it may be shame it selfe doe not finde us out and almost compell us thereto wee seldome seeke any such occasions but are likemeere unthrifts in these respects In so much that our constant practise yea I may say of the generalitie of Christians is as though wee did not beleeve any truth at all in these plaine and faithfull promises of our blessed Saviour For else without question wee should be more diligent in seeking and more glad in finding such occasions and opportunities of doing good and of communicating And I am afraid it tendeth greatly to our detriment here and in the life to come For the manifest wisdome of the men of this world in their generation and things of this life shall certainly rise up in Judgement against us and condemne our folly for having a price in our hands and opportunities offred us and neglecting to take them whiles wee have time And knowing also both the uncertaintie of riches and of our time and lives as wee cannot but know and see by experience And considering also that wee cannot deny but if wee take it not and be obedient and free and liberall in these respects wee neglect our duties both to God and men The Lord grant us more solid wisdome in these respects then is yet exemplified amongst the best of Christians else our reckoning will be poore when wee come to account how wee have traded with our Talents lent us for this purpose with direction how to use them for the glory of God and the good of men yea for the advancement and furtherance of the Gospell of Christ and for the proofe and exemplifying of the naturallnesse of our love and the truth and visibilitie of our Christianitie and unfained faith and obedience unto God And let us consider a little further to wit What love and respects the Ministers of the Gospell both doe and ought to exspect from us and that not in word and in tongue onely but in deed and in truth Especially considering that wee ought to account them as spirituall Fathers whom wee ought to love and to obey and honour as such if wee be children spiritually begotten And it is but naturall to us that wee should so doe so that wee can hardly doe otherwise if wee be not bastards And wee are necessarily ingaged if wee expect their blessings of us to be effectuall To make them savourie meate that their soules may blesse us as Isaac said to his sonne Esau For it is not bare verball formall blessings that will be efficacious to cause the blessing to rest in our houses and on all that wee have But it must be their faithfull cordiall soule-blessings that can be effectuall or that wee may trust unto to be certainly efficacious as blessings indeed For how can wee expect any such cordiall soule-blessings from such whom wee make not any savorie meate such as their soule loveth if wee shew no love either to God or the Lord Jesus Christ or his faithfull Embassadors and servants how shall they blesse us in faith how can they beleeve that God will make their bleslings efficacious and blessings indeed to such covetous worldlings
that in every place the Spirit witnessed that bonds and afflictions aboad for him And Agabus signifyed the same to him And in those dayes it is said of some that they were full of the holy Ghost and wisdome Steven being so full that his face shone and Philip was caught away from the Eunuch that he saw him no more yet hee was found at Azotus preaching the Gospel And the holy Ghost said Seperate Paul and Barnabas for the worke whereto I have called them But I was yet short in these things having not yet attained so much acquaintance and familiaritie with God And I hardly know how so to walke in the Spirit that I shall not fullfill the workes of the flesh lesse or more I have not yet attained to such a degree of faith as to aske what I will and it shall be given mee though I have a promise for it of him that cannot lye but many times my faith failes and I begin to sinke and come short of attainement of what I earnestly desire to wit the best of things and the best gifts and things needfull and lawfull to aske and desire after I have not yet learned so full as I ought to cast all my care on him whom I know careth for mee but am many times too much troubled with cares of this world I have not yet learned to keepe my heart with such diligence but the Issues thereof are sometimes evill I am too much troubled with carnall thoughts and vaine Imaginations which sometimes produce Idle and vaine words and actions of which I know I must give an account at the day of Judgement I am too much addicted to love the world and the things in the world though I well know that if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him And though I allow not my selfe in any of these things but desire and pray to him that hath power to helpe and deliver mee in these Respects that I may get victory and full conquest yet I have not attained it unto this day And whether the wisdome of God hath so determined it that it shall yet be thus because his power is made perfect through weaknesse as hee said to the Apostle or it be because of the weaknesse of faith or coldnesse of my desires after this conquest I cannot well determine yet I am resolved by the grace of God to presse on forwards and to fight the good fight of faith whiles I shall remaine in this tabernacle but I will get victory through Jesus Christ my Lord and life and onely Saviour who alone is able to make mee Conquerour in these respects for power belongeth unto God And I know him in part in whom I have beleeved and that hee is able to give mee victory I shall not deny but he is fully able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him and to guide them infallibly and leade them into all truth But I will not neglect either to reade the Scriptures or exercise my selfe in prayer unto God nor the teachings of men but shall be glad to learne of the meanest Christian that can teach mee further then I have attained I will not scorne to learne at James Naylor if he can teach me any truth of God of which I am ignorant though he would much disdaine to be taught by mee or by men whomsoever as so I cannot but judge in regard hee blameth and despiseth such who run after men and heape up teachers as being resolved for his part that he is infallible and without sinne or imperfection having the Spirit of God which is infallible and of power sufficient to inable him fully to doe the will of God yea to doe it on earth as it is done in heaven As so no man that knoweth God but will acknowledge his power and wisdome is all-sufficient if he so pleaseth And therefore the question doth not lye whether the Spirit of God be an infallible guide yea or no But whether James Naylor and others be infallibly guided by that infallible Spirit yea or no in all things that they doe Now though I shall confesse that what hee speaketh or writeth being mooved thereto by the Spirit of God is infallibly true and it may truly be called the word of God if the Spirit of God hath spoke it by him Yet when he speaketh or writeth that which is not true but quite contradictions to the Law and testimonie and that I know it so to be I shall never confesse that hee was mooved thereunto by the Spirit of God but that he hath done it presumptuously out of the vision of his owne heart or by Satans instigation And therefore when he dareth be so presumptuous as to disparage the Scriptures reproaching them that call them the word of God And when hee directeth men rather to the light within which in some for the present is clouded with darknesse rather then to the Scriptures for their guide to direct them to eternall life I dare not confesse he was mooved thereunto by the Spirit of God And so when hee directeth men still to eye their light within and to own it as sufficient without any word at all of the teachings of men And when he blameth Ministers of the word of God for taking of a Text and preaching from it as sometimes Christ and his Apostles did I shall not confesse hee was mooved thereunto by the Spirit of God And when hee blameth men for praising and singing of Psalmes in the Spirit unto God as the Apostles did I shall never beleeve he was mooved thereto by the Spirit of God nor that he was ever so merry I meane in the Lord as to rejoyce and delight so to expresse himselfe by singing of Psalmes as the Saints of God are many times and as for that end they were given forth and ordained of God and held forth by David and others And when he blameth men so much for having a Law without and morrall as well as the same Law written in their hearts and for having light and a word without as well as that within And a Church without and a Christ without and in heaven as well as within in their hearts As so he doth in his Epistle to all the faithlesse generation of the world and all that desire to know in what saith and hope they live and what faith and hope they deny I can never beleeve that hee writt this profession of faith being mooved thereunto by the Spirit of God Nor can I beleeve that their refusing to give honour to whom honour is due and feare to whom feare and shewing love to whom love is due is from the Spirit of God Nor can I ever beleeve that their uncivill uncourteous and brutish carriage and their harsh opprobrious disgracefull language and darke and dismall countenances so farre off from the least shew of love and amiablenesse is from the Spirit of God Nor can I ever beleeve that their
one that cometh into the world with what light they have of understanding and rationalitie And who knoweth not that Jesus Christ is in us except wee be Reprobates by his blessed Spirit in lesser or greater measure And who knoweth not that the word is nigh us even in our heart and in our mouth to wit the essentiall word which is Christ by his blessed Spirit if wee be his Elect And who knowath not that the ministration of the Spirit is not by the workes of the Law by which no flesh can be justified but by the hearing of faith preached because the letter of the Law killeth spiritually but the Spirit giveth life through faith and love which are in Christ Jesus And who knoweth not that God is a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and in truth or not accept it But hee will be worshipped with the body also And who knoweth not that men should sing with the Spirit and with the understanding But what singing or praising of God is that which is not with the mouth I never heard such nor shall doe I thinke unlesse I heare the Angells which have not any proper mouthes And what Church is that which is in the heart our bodyes indeed are the Temples of the holy Ghost and I reade of the Church of the first-borne written in heaven but are these the Churches of the Saints spoken of in Scripture which yet some of them had their failings And who knoweth not that all that are without God and his Righteousnesse are in the world and strangers as yet to the Covenant of grace And who will not deny that faith and worship which God denyes And who knoweth not that those who have an unction from the holy One and know all things have no need that any man should teach them but as the same Anointing teacheth them of all things see 1 John 2.20.27 But those who have this unction will not follow James Naylor nor his crooked and perverse doctrines for those that goe out from us are not of us see vers 19. For a stranger will they not follow for they know not the voyce of strangers Joh 10.5 But James Naylor is sent with strong delusiens to some that they might beleeve a lye that they all may be damned that receive not the truth in love but have pleasure in unrighteousnesse Qu But how is hee sent may wee Imagine Ans Not properly of God nor by his Spirit but Satan hath got commission to be a lying spirit in his mouth and in the mouthes of all his complices as hee was in the mouth of all Ahabs Prophets to deceive those who receive not the truth in love but have pleasure in unrighteousnesse If hee had a paire of hornes of Iron such as Zedekiah the sonne of Chenana made that hee might bring them to Fox and tell him that with those hee should push downe all the Ministers of God till hee had destroyed them It is very likely that Fox would beleeve him yet so doth not any Micaiah any true Prophet of the Lord though James Naylor himselfe hath prophesied so much concerning all the Ministers of God in England and elsewhere yea even all the generation of them who ever they be that will not receive and beleeve his lyes Which truly are so palpably grosse that I verily beleeve that not one Minister that is sent of God in all the world will owne for truthes though hee shuffle them up never so closely amongst the truthes of God as in that art hee is extreame cunning and it is no marvaile if that old lying spirit hath skill to teach him and be in his mouth for hee hath long used that very art and of all the arts that hee hath yet learned it is the most deceivable and therefore he hath used it longest hee deceived Eve with it when shee was pure from sinne and perfectly wise no marvaile then if hee deceive so many now that are laden with sinne and lead with divers lusts and not so wise as shee But I hope it is his last and cheifest Refuge I cannot but rejoyce to see him play this carde to transsorme himselfe into an Angell of light and his Ministers into Ministers of Righteousnesse I hope it will be to his losse in the end If the Ranters doctrine would have taken amongst us hee would never have owned so many truthes and good things but that not taking hee was glad to transforme himselfe and his Ministers in new suits of apparrell not all out of course but finer wooll and smoothly woven and drest yet the designe and doctrines against the Scriptures being not owned as the word of God and in respect of disowning the teachings of men as utterly needlesse they being taught of God as they say to love one another They are just the same which the Ranters used Their designe being clearely the same with the Ranters to wit to preach downe all preachings and teachings of men though never so holy and spirituall teachings And why forsooth but because there is a promise that they shall be all taught of God using the very same Scripture-grounds which the Quakers doe and quite perverting them for the same use as the Ranters did which any spirituall understanding knoweth for certaine that they were never given forth by the holy Ghost for any such ends or uses but quite the contrary which were easie to demonstrate if it were needfull But let mee fall to question James Naylor a little as hee hath done us First Where the Scripture giveth any such directories for attaining unto life and power c. To wit That wee should onely give heed to that light within us and utterly desert all teachings of men save onely of themselves who onely direct us unto that light though it be but darknesse in comparison of what wee may learne from Scripture and from men likewise who teach us from thence by the Spirit of God Secondly Where doth the Scripture tell us that hee that is the light of the world and that inlighteneth every one that comuteth into the world doth inlighten all sufficiently and so as to guide them insallibly or that hee inlighteneth all alike and that immediately without the knowledge of the Scriptures or the teachings of men so as that they need not to teach one another saying know the Lord because all doe know him from the greatest of them even to the least of them Is the case so now that all know him what need is there then of the teachings of James Naylor and his complices if their light within them be sufficient it can teach them all that hee doth and all that he knoweth and how to eye it onely and to looke within for light and to desert and despise the teachings of men as so he doth and what else doth hee teach which is not taught by men from sacred Scripture and with more spirit and power then hee teacheth any thing and farre more rationally and convincingly in
were knowne in the Christian world by giving heed unto seducing spirits and doctrines of Devills speaking lyes through hypocrisie having their consciences seared as with an hott Iron By which it is evident that it is the last dayes In which saith the Apostle perilous times should come c. noting them out unto us by almost twenty Epithets which are all of them verified in the Papists and the Quakers for what one commeth short in the other compleateth And wee may still expect that evill men and doctrines shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived see 2 Tim 3. Chap And that there shall come false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceive even the very Elect Mat 24.23 24 25 26 27 28. Admonition These things considered wee ought to be seriously admonished and perswaded hereby to take heede unto our selves that wee be not deceived by these seducing spirits these false Christs and false Prophets Behold saith our Saviour I have told you before Wherefore if they shall say unto you behold he is in the desert goe not forth behold he is in the secret chambers beleeve it not For as the lightning c. I say therefore if the Quakers tell us loe here is Christ or loe there nay if they shall prevaile so farre as the Lord knoweth how farre hee will suffer them as it may be to shew great signes and wonders yet let not us be deceived Behold hee hath told us before that wee might be forewarned and forearmed So that wee are inexcusable if wee be deceived And therefore that wee might not be deceived with these seducing spirits and doctrines of Devills Let us take admonition from the Spirit of God and not thinke our selves so steadfast and immoveable as that wee may not be deluded for even the Elect themselves may be so farre lead away with the errour of the wicked as to fall from their owne proper steadfastnesse though not totally nor finally see 2 Pet 3.17 18. And first then let us take heed least these seducing spirits provoke and stirre us up to a dislike of and enmitie against the Ministers of God for this is the first step that leadeth them to delusion but let us love and honour them as Embassadours of Christ and let this love be without dissimulation not in word and tongue onely meerely complementall but indeed and in truth and let it be exprest upon all occasions especially who ever it be that teacheth us and that administreth unto us spirituall things let us see and take care that they doe not want of our carnall things For according as wee sowe liberally or sparingly in these respects the same shall we reape from the hand of God Let not the Quabers deceive us in these respects God is not mocked And let us not account it as a matter of indifferency for it is our dutie and therefore it is called communicating To doe good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifice God is well pleased and let him that is taught in the Word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things Now communicating is distinguishable from distribution or giving to the poore because of the poore wee receive nothing in recompence but from the Lord onely neither doe wee expect it Whereas in case of communicating wee receive one good thing for another yea and that many times more valuable than all the carnall things that we can communicate So that we ought not to account it as a worke of charitie but as a worke of pietie and dutie unto God for the Ministers are his substitutes or Receivers And therefore wee ought as the Apostle Injoyned Every first day of the weeke to put apart by it selfe as the Lord hath increased us and give it in to the Churches treasurie that there need be no trouble in gathering of it and that to be disposed to the Ministrie and to the poore as may be thought most needfull and convenient by faithfull men I have heard of an English Lawyer of late yeares who was so conscientious of his dutie to God in this respect that he put apart every tenth shilling that he got with his practise and disposed of it for pious and charitable uses as hee found occasion and hee so increased that he grew very rich and honourable and so lived and dyed in great esteeme And I doubt will rise up in Judgement to the condemnation of many carnall and worldly professors that make no conscience of their duty unto God and their faithfull Ministers nor to the poore neither in these respects And I much feare that the people of God themselves are much blame-worthy and neglective of their duty in these respects And that it tendeth greatly to the hinderance of the Gospell and the disparagement of their profession besides their owne detriment which is very great as I could largely instance but this is a subject deserves a whole Treatise Onely this Item I desire wee might remember that if the Scripture be true hee that in these respects soweth sparingly doth and must receive but sparingly if he be a Christian and that both spiritualls and temporalls from the hand of God and hee that soweth liberally doth and shall and may certainly expect to reape aboundantly from the hand of God both for this life and the life to come The which is easie to confirme from many testimonies in sacred Scripture besides many examples that might be produced from experience amongst us to wit of many professors of great estates going to decay that are provident enough for things of this life if not too covetous And the reason is because the Lord doth not blesse them in what they goe about but bloweth upon their designes and labours and estates And it is but just and according to his Word For professors ought to be as lights to the world and so to let their light shine that they might see their good workes and glorifie their father which is in heaven and as they excell in other graces so they ought to excell in this grace also And to exemplifie true Christianitie and obedience and subjection to the Gospell of Christ in every duty both to God and men that so they might also be blessed of God and increased accordingly that so they may witnesse the truth and veritie of his promises and blessings pronounced in Scripture in such a case And for further satisfaction that it is a duty which God requires at our hands Consider with mee these Scriptures and Reasons and promises also 1. If wee must communicate to those that teach us in the Word in all good things Conseq That there is no exemption of any good thing wherewith the Lord hath blessed and increased us Rea For all is a generall word and includes every good thing Instance According to that Text Serve the Lord with all thine heart and with the first-fruits of all thine increase So shall
not be well accepted if wee justifie our selves in such poore degrees and measures of love both to God and men 3. For hee requireth fruit suitable to his tillage as is easie to prove the moralitie of such duties from the nature of love as it may be I shall the Lord assisting mee 4. But without all controversie in such cases as abovesaid to give more then a tenth yea if need require to sell all that wee have and give it to the poore or if called to it even to lay downe our lives for the brethren which is the most of all yet it is nothing too much under Gospell-dispensations for it was never so plainely and properly required of the Jewish Nation for it is commanded even by Christ and by his holy Apostles And suitable promises both of treasure in heaven and a supply on earth both to us and ours that wee shall not want nor have lacke of any thing As in the primitive times it was really exemplified They trusted God and obeyed his word and even made all things common and his promise was made good so that there was none that lacked And this in all likelihood will be so againe when the hearts of the fathers are turned to the children and the hearts of the children unto their fathers Which is as much to say as when the Spirit of God in the Ministrie of his Word taketh a kindly Impression in the hearts of his people so as to naturalize them to himselfe and the Ministers and people one to another so as to make them one as God is one yea like the primitive Church Of one heart and of one minde For then they proove and exemplifie the naturallnesse of the Law For then onely and not till then nor but onely with such who are so joyned can it ever be expected nor will it ever be suitable to have all things common nor could it else be expected that none should lacke and be neglected And without all question wee ought to be one as God is one as Christ hath prayed for us and as it may therefore certainly be expected for all his prayers were effectuall And therefore wee ought to endeavour after this unitie in the spirit which is the bond of all true peace and amitie And so often as wee pray that the kingdome of God might come with power that is to say that the Spirit of God might Rule in our hearts so often we pray that the kingdome of God might come so with power to all his people and that wee might be one as God is one and that wee might be one in him see John 17.21 ver 22 23. Nay if it cannot be denyed but that not onely our goods but even our lives and all should be readie at hand to be offred up in behalfe of our brethren and for the glory of God in witnesse to his truth if wee are called too it And if the love of Christ and the love of the brethren should be so ardent in us as to make us willing even to part with our lives in such a case How much rather should it easily induce us to part with our goods and that not onely a tenth but all that we have For as the Apostle John affirmeth Hereby perceive wee the love of God because hee hath laid downe his life for us And wee ought to lay downe our lives for the brethren But whoso hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother have need and shutteth up his bowells of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him My little children let us not love in word nor in tongue onely but in deed and in truth Even so I also conclude this infallible resolve from the same ground Resolve That whoever hee be that hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother have need and shutteth up his bowells of compassion from him There is no signe of the love of God in that man But much more when they shutt their bowells from supplying the wants of their faithfull Ministers who teach them in the Word who come unto them in the name of the Lord and bring them glad tydings good newes a rich treasure precious promises blessings from on high Christs owne Embassage representing his person delivering his message and blessing them also in the name of God and the Lord Jesus Christ yea in the name of the most high God possessor of heaven and earth Surely I say it and that without all peradventure that neither the love of God nor the love of Christ nor the love of the brethren nor of his faithfull Embassadors dwelleth in that man Rea For if a man loveth not his brother whom hee hath seene how can hee love God whom hee hath not seene yea the Invisible God whom never man saw neither can see but onely in spirit through an eye of faith save onely in man who is his Image when once perfectly renewed And whom wee ought to love and respect and honour accordingly as wee see his Image repaired in him yea though never so poore and despisable in the world and in the worlds account And therefore to make it cleare that these dutyes of Communication and distribution are morall duties required in the morall Law of God and that they are not Ceremoniall abrogable Lawes but must abide till all be fullfilled Take these further grounds 1. They were not onely Commanded in Horeb but by Christ himselfe and by his holy Apostles see 1 John 3.23 This is his Commandement that wee should beleeve on the name of his Sonne Jesus Christ and love one another as hee gave us Commandement Now the measure of that love which Christ hath Commanded is not a little and so away but the measure is Even as Christ hath loved us But without all controversie if the measure must be so as Christ hath loved us Then it will ingage us if occasion require even to lay downe our lives for the brethren But if it will ingage us to lay downe our lives Then much more our estates as hath been said not onely some but all if need so require for the glory of God and the good of the brethren and for the furtherance of the Gospell Resolve And therefore there needeth no stinting as in the time of the Law to a tenth part For where they are taught of God to love one another with that measure as they ought it will naturally ingage them so as they cannot be satisfied with giving a tenth nor any part at all if need so require but they will part with all and their lives to boote for the name of Christ and rather than any should lacke that belongs to him And though a tenth was sufficient in the time of the Law yet I cannot finde in all the new Testament any ground at all to build our faith That a tenth is sufficient in the dayes of the Gospell nor any stint at all under all that wee have if wee finde it needfull for the
supplying of the necessities of the Saints and faithfull and more especially of the Ministers if it may but any way tend to the furtherance and glory of the Gospell of Christ And therefore give mee leave to argue for the furtherance of the Gospell upon this occasion Ar 1. If all that wee have yea our lives and all be due unto God when he calleth for them upon these accounts before named 2. And that hee hath not stinted us to any lesser part than all as sufficiently due and liberall when need requireth 3. And if the primitive examples in giving all they had to the common stocke whiles they did continue to be of one heart and of one minde was spoken of as a commendable thing and that which was but suitable to the professors of the Gospell 4. Nay if it was no more but what the love of God and the love of the brethren did naturally ingage and induce them too least there should be amongst them any that lacked either of the Apostles or brethren 5. Nay if God requireth and expecteth fruit suitable to his tillage And therefore the more free and splendorous and glorious dispensations that God holdeth forth in the dispensation of the Gospell of Christ Even speaking to us by his Sonne whom hee hath made heire of all things and by whom also hee made the worlds see Heb 1 2 3 4. and to the end of the Chapter wherein appeareth that he is our Land-Lord 6. And if wee should give the more earnest heede to the things which wee have heard least at any time wee should let them slip 1 Rea Because if the word spoken by Angells was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward Then wee cannot possibly escape if wee neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him God also bearing them witnesse both with signes and wonders and gifts of the holy Ghost according to his owne will see Chap 2.1 2 3 4. 2 Rea Because it is dangerous to refuse him that speaketh from heaven to wit Christ And more dangerous than refusing him that spake on earth to wit Moses see Heb 12.21 3 Rea Because wee ought to consider and to honour and obey the Lord Jesus Christ as the Apostle and high Priest of our profession yea more and rather and that by many degrees above Moses by how much the more hee that buildeth a house hath more honour then the house and as hee that is the Sonne hath more honour then the servant see Chap 3.1.3.6 Nay as hee that hath built all things hath more honour then hee that hath built but some thing see vers 4. 7. And if Christ himselfe hath commanded this manner and measure of love to be found visibly amongst his Disciples That all men might know that wee are his Disciples 8. And if this boundlesse love cannot nor ought not nor never was limited to pay a tenth part nor any under a tenth but that it naturally produceth all if need so require 9. And if wee ought to prove and exemplifie the naturallnesse of our love Conclusion Then without all controversie or peradventure when need so requireth to give a tenth part of that wherewith the Lord hath increased us is but a sparing due in comparison of that which Christ hath commanded when hee commanded it as due First in the Law To love God above all and our neighbour as our selves And secondly when hee commanded such manner of love and such a measure also as hee himselfe had really exemplified and shewed to us And that wee should shew it forth not in word onely but in deed and in truth Not in having of bowells of compassion and shutting them up but in giving of those things that are needfull and convenient and that may expresse our bountifullnesse and not sparing spirits to be really in us Else wee doe not realize the love of God to be dwelling in us see John 3.17 And againe saith hee plainely This is my commandement that yee love one another as I have loved you And greater love then this hath 〈◊〉 then that a man lay downe his life for his friends see John 15.12 13. And againe These things I command you that yee love one another vers 17. And againe as answering an objection which hee foresaw in their minds to wit That if they loved one another and shewed such peculiar love one to another then the world would hate them the more The which he cutteth off clearely as altogether invalid saying If the world doe hate you yee know that it hated mee before it hated you see vers 18. and to the end And give mee leave a little to ingrate upon the spirits of men yea that whoever readeth or heareth these Resolves might consider with mee and so freely acknowledge as sure none can deny but that these very words are the words of Christ and the commands of Christ And therefore as wee doe know them and faithfully beleeve that they are his words Let us take heed yea diligent heed and the more heed also least wee let them slip Even because they are his words whom wee ought to love honour and obey in all things And that not as man onely but as God himselfe And therefore let no excuses serve our turnes like them that heard the Law at first because they could not abide that which was commanded see Heb For wee must abide and obey also what Christ hath commanded wee cannot be excused as the Israelites were For he likewise exemplified what he hath commanded in his owne person and in our nature And therefore whoever he be that will not hearken to the word of God which Christ hath spoken in his name God will require it of him see Deut 18.18 19. And therefore let no man deceive us with vaine words For God is not mocked but wee shall finde that his words are true when all men living on the face of the earth shall be found lyars And these are his words concerning such measure and manner of love as hee requireth of us let us take heed therefore least wee let them slip or least wee finde excuses as if wee will give eare to excuses wee shall finde too many and all but such as will not serve our turne nor cleare our consciences in the sight of God 1. And first beware of giving eare to the Quakers For they tell us if wee can beleeve them that our Ministers are carnall and hirelings and looke onely for gaine from their quarters and much to that purpose as hath been shewed And likewise that all professors are carnall that frequent the Ordinances and have need of the teachings of men or of the Scripture it selfe and that all Ordinances are vaine and uselesse and shall come to nought But doe not beleeve them I hope there hath sufficient proofe been held forth in this little Treatise to prove them
lyars and by what spirit they are acted and therefore their testimony will not serve to excuse our consciences before God 2. And secondly let them not perswade us to desert the Ordinances of God For unlesse wee could thinke that the Quakers are wiser then the Lord himselfe that appointed them wee have no ground nor reason to beleeve them God never appointed any Ordinances in vaine but they are profitable if in the use thereof wee waite for him and for his blessing upon them for the good of our soules hee never failes them that waite for him And therefore if wee doe not finde them so spirituall and so efficacious to us for the present as wee doe expect let us rather blame the hardnesse of our owne hearts than the Ordinances of God or the Ministers of them or much more then the holy Scriptures which are a spirituall word and if they doe not seeme so to us it is doubtlesse because that wee are yet carnall And to presse us on to a full Resolution so to doe let us call to minde that Parable concerning Dives and Lazarus Especially the saying of Abraham unto Dives to wit They have Moses and the Prophets let them heare them see Luke 16.29 And note this If they heare not Moses and the Poophets neither will they be perswaded though one should rise from the dead see vers 31. For doubtlesse if the Ministers of God and of his holy Word and Ordinances which the wisdome of God hath thought fitt and appointed to save them that beleeve Be not effectuall to the perswading of us and saving of our soules It is without all question because wee are not ordained to eternall life As it was said in the Acts that as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved Acts 13.48 It behooveth us therefore to waite on the Lord in the use of all his Ordinances and not to thinke our selves wiser then hee least he giveth us up unto strong delusions and to beleeve a lye and so proove our selves fooles as so it is but just if wee thinke our selves wiser then hee 3. And thirdly let us above all things take heed that wee be not provoked by these delusive doctrines of the Quakers to reproach or speake evill either of the Ministers or the Ordinances of God or of the holy Scriptures It is without question a very haynous sinne in the sight of God so much as but to thinke evill of them But it is an high degree of blasphemie to speake evill of them in the least degree Now speaking evill of them is when we speake any thing tending in the least to the disparagement of them to cause them to be undervalued and disesteemed as carnall and vaine and uselesse or unprofitable c. And especially for the Ministers of God to call them Priests of Baal and hirelings and Wolves in sheepes cloathing and covetous and such like Epithets as the Quakers give in generall unto all that are not of their way Which can be accounted no lesse than speaking evill of him that sent them But least the Quakers should deceive us and make us beleeve they are such indeed Consider with mee first who they are and by what spirit they are guided and acted that speake so of them As for that I shall onely desire your serious consideration of this little Treatise and the Contents thereof whether it be not fully prooved that they are acted by a lying and malicious spirit to speake evill of the things they know not and of many hundredths and thousands of Ministers and faithfull Christians which they never saw nor heard of in their lives either good or evill and yet they damne them all as eternally lost and for the pitt of hell And let us not thinke it strange that Satan should threaten damnation to the Elect of God for what in him lyeth hee seeketh to destroy their faith above all other graces because when our faith faileth wee beginne to sinke and to decay in love and all other graces and so are laid open to his wiles and stratagems And therefore when wee heare the Quakers call men damned and carnall which they never saw before nor it may be never at all wee may well imagine whose spirit is in them for Satan would gladly perswade any man living on the face of the earth save onely his deluded instruments that hee hath assured to him already That there is no hope of salvation for such as them at all nor for any but such as are really acted and guided by him And therefore knowing who they are that speake evill of them wee have the more cause and ground to thinke well of them and to love and honour them But it will be needfull to answer some Objections whereby they delude so many unstable soules to wit 1. First it may be objected because it is true and well knowne that some Ministers are carnall and worldly minded and covetous and therefore to maintaine such is a sinne 1. I answer first that because of some wee must not condemne all 2. Secondly wee ought not to be uncharitable in judgeing or censuring any Now it is beyond the Rule of charitie to judge or censure further then wee certainly know and it is a great signe of malignitie against all if wee be so apt to censure any further then wee know 3. Thirdly wee ought not to judge according to appearance but righteous Judgement For wee may see failings and humane frailties in the best as so there was also in the most of the Prophets and Apostles and holy men of God that wee reade of in Scripture And therefore if we doe not finde them in a way of wickednesse let us take heed of censuring them least wee condemne the generation of Gods children as David had like to have done And therefore if wee doe not finde in them any way of wickednesse and know it for certaine let us judge and hope the best and forbeare censuring 2 Object Secondly it will be objected that though wee cannot clearely condemne them for any way of wickednesse yet if wee know them not certainly to be godly and faithfull Ministers such as are sent of God how can wee so freel communicare unto them as is required of us and as wee ought in case when wee know them such Answ I answer that if wee be godly and faithfull our selves wee shall doubtlesse know them by their fruits whether they be such or no for so Christ hath promised Yee shall know them by their fruits But in case wee are are not able to judge and resolve our selves whether they be so or no Then let us communicate freely and liberally unto them in regard they are in place as such appointed to be our Teachers through the providence of God and are the best wee have And above all things Beware of covetousnesse in this respect for if that sway us it will make every little fault an excuse to hinder us from communication And therefore let us
who value their carnall worldly things above God and Christ and the furtherance of the Gospell and things of an eternall nature Nay how can or dare they blesse such covetous men whom the Lord abhorres which is onely proper to wicked men I say it is onely proper for wicked men to blesse the covetous whom the Lord abhorres see Psal 10.3 And what greater signe of covetousnesse can be exhibited then the neglect of this duty And the love of money is the roote of all evill therefore how shall any man expect any good branches or sprouts from it I am very confident and not without many good grounds from Scripture which I can easily shew that this sinne of covetousnesse doth and may raigne in professors of Religion and they not discover it in themselves but may expect salvation through Jesus Christ till they depart this life and yet be eternally damned see onely for this Mat 25.41 to the end where their sentence is pronounced against them altogether for their neglect of duty even to the least of those little ones that beleeve in Christ and is really accounted as a neglect of duty to him to wit I was hungry and yee gave mee no meate c. The place is well knowne I wish it were as well laid to heart by all that professe Christianitie There would not so many goe blindfold to hell One would thinke it sufficient to know these things before-hand to warne all men as the Apostle doth to beware of covetousnesse as the most dangerous roote of sinne that can be least growing in the heart of man And the rather because it hath so many cloakes and covers both to hide it selfe from our owne eyes and the eyes of others As frugalitie good husbandry providing for our families the examples of other men that are well accounted of for Christianitie and the expectation of others that are nearer in relation for doing such works as are required of us and the faults discernable or suspected to be in the objects of our charitie or beneficence or because wee have not enough for our selves but that wee may come to want it for our selves or ours or wee are not yet sufficiently rich in lands or goods our neast is not throughly feathered for our selves and ours our ambition is not satisfied and such like many which are easily produced they are so common and every one hath them ready upon all occasions to hinder them from doing good the answering whereof would make my booke swell to a great volume But this I say briefly that if any of these or any other beare sway in us to hinder us in the least from our duties this way it is a great signe that covetousnesse raignes in us for the present and that so continuing it will bring us to hell one would thinke it enough to know that the Lord abhorres us if wee be covetous to make us to abhorre our selves and repent in dust and ashes for the least token of it to be found in us For whom the Lord abhorres wee ought to abhorre likewise wee ought to hate covetousnesse where ever wee see it in our selves or others And where wee see it raigne in any man wee ought to abhorre such a man as odious and abominable yea as a base spirited and ignoble person such as is not worthy of any Christian fellowship or communion The Apostle hath enumerated covetous persons amongst such as are so scandalous as that they are not to be compared together with if they be of such as are called brethren see 1 Cor 5.11 And so doe I likewise if they appeare to be such but these many cloakes doe so hide and cover them both from themselves and others as Judas was hid from the Disciples under specious pretences and covers to his utter destruction That they are not easily found out but goe for Saints of God and without so much as being suspected And were it not for swelling my booke over great it were easie to discover this odious sinne and such in whom it raignes and to make them appeare odious by convincing arguments and that from Scripture-grounds such as no man can deny But it would require a prettie volume I must not be so large in this Treatise but shall leave the further prosecution thereof till another opportunitie A paralell list of some of the manifest contradictions betwixt the teachings of the Spirit of God and of that spirit by which the Quakers are guided spirited and acted to wit 1. Their spirit teacheth them that there is no light but one spoken of in Scripture and that this light is within in every mans conscience and so they must turne their minds inward to looke for light and obey that measure of light they finde there for it is sufficient to leade them into all truth and to guide them in all the wayes of God and is an infallible guide so that if they obey that light within they cannot eire nor commit any sinne and that if they have but the least measure of the Spirit of God it is sufficient so that they need not to search the Scriptures for attaining to the knowledge of God and of Christ nor the teachings of men for they have that within them which will teach them sufficiently And all have this light they say yea every one that commeth into the world and this light is Christ the eternall light But the Spirit of God teacheth us That there are more lights than one though all from that eternall light For saith Christ As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world John 9.5 And saith he Yee are the light of the world speaking to his Disciples Mat. 5.14 15 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes c. And John was a burning and a shining light Now these inferiour lights are not lighted to be put under a bushell but on a Candlesticke that they may give light to the whole house to wit the whole Church they were lighted from that eternall light for that purpose and not to be covered Nor shall their light held forth in Scripture be covered from the true Church but they doe and shall give heed thereto as to a light shining in a darke place Nay though Satan himselfe be transformed into an Angell of light They shall not beleeve every spirit but try the spirits whether they be of God seeing many false Prophets are gone forth into the world And by their fruits they shall know them and finde them to be Theeves and Robbers and shall detect them by the light of God held forth in Scripture which is a sure word of Prophesie containing many sure examples and patternes and commands which are and shall be as a lanterne to their feete and a light unto all their pathes And therefore they will give attendance unto reading and to exhortation and to doctrine and they will teach them to their children and to their childrens