and arguing against it as taking it for granted that the Quakers make of it the same as he doth himself and allow no distinction between it and the other This he saith pag. 11. whereas the first Covenant and the Righteousness of it could never be fulfilled by all the Wit and Power comes from the Light of Nature without that by Grace in Christ And the Quakers Practice shews that this is but a Cavil For they not only pretend to more Light than all men have before they are enlightned that is to say to more than any Man hath from Nature but think that they are the People Joh 12. 2. which hath engrossed Wisdom and God's Spirit to themselves and teach that all men must come to their Light to be saved Whereby it appears they make of their Light within much more than of the Light of Nature and than Mr. Keith would make us believe they take it for What their own Light really is I will not determine But it is a great Mistake to allow no more to that which they call the Light within than to the Light of Nature For the Point is not whether the Light they actually have be that they pretend to have but if that Light which they call by the Name of Light within be that which they say it is viz. above the outward Word And what is the falsity or the right or the wrong of their Pretences to Truth and to us more than is that of so many other Sects which we take no Notice of that we should be concerned against it for Mr. Keith But his End is not so much the detecting of Errors and Lyes as to make a Noise to be taken notice of so any thing serves his Turn to build a Quarrel upon a great Part of his Sermon being all upon himself having so little of his Text that except he and his Church be the Text he preach'd upon we may very well call it a Text without a Sermon a Sermon without a Text whereof the Application is to be made from Matth. 19. 27. Such is this worthy Divine's good Conversation in Christ 33. Should he not as a Divine have treated exprosesso of a good Conversation What St. Peter means by it and that it ought to be as in the presence of God like that of the old Seers or Believers Elijah 1 Kings 17. 1. Enoch Gen. 5. 24. Noah Ch. 6. 9. and others Heavenly or in Heaven Phil. 3. 20. and not upon Earthly things V. 19. as becometh the Gospel Ch. 1. 27. which forbids Preachers to go from one Sect to another or from a Poor Benefice or Parish to a better but to be contented with what such Sect can afford Luk. 10. 7. and bids them to bear the Cross Matth. 10. 38. or to put their Will and Mind in the Sufferings of Christ not into Honour and Praise Joh. 5. 44. and to Fight and help others to stand Fight and overcome the Nations Rev. 2. 26. that is those Lusts rise and War in their Members Jam. 4. 1. and carry the Soul Captive and to put off the old Man that they may put on the New and become a New Creature Eph. 4. 23 24. Nothing but the new Creature and the Regeneration which makes such avail in Christ Gal. 6. 15. and to Fight and overcome to Sanctify Purify and evacuate by Faith the Heart of all that fills it is saith Paul 1 Thess 4. 3. the Will of God what he requireth of us and would have Preachers to teach Avoiding foolish Questions which gender nothing but Strifes 2 Tim. 2. 23. yet of all this very little or nothing in Keith's Sermons but disputes and contention which Create a Confusion and every evil Work Jam. 3. 16. for outward Ceremonies and about the outward word Regenerating of Souls to wit of such an outward and superficial new Birth as is that which Mr. Keith is acquainted with of late What will avail his Hearers and others at the last day to know his Learned Reasons for a set form of Prayers and all the Formalities of the now Church of England 34. Surely a Man may serve God work Righteousness overcome and be regenerated without changing or turning or going from Sect to Sect and thereby be accepted with God as Cornelius Act. 10. 35. and so be of the true Church and of the true Religion in any Sect or Nation And I am full perswaded Mr. Keith had done as well in point of Conversation to stay amongst the Quakers or amongst those other Sects which he was a Member of before he turned Quaker And to let his Light so shine amongst them that they might see and imitate his good Works Matth. 5. 16. as to plead for Baalim that is for the Lords Bishops and the dead and outward word against the Living Spirit which they maintain hath ceased since the Primitive Christians as Dr. Hicks his Sermon at St. Marys in Oxford and the Vicar of Westham's before My Lord of London Printed with approbation of Superiors shew they do as to Print pag. 10 and 11. that the Word or Light within whatsoever worth or force they may ascribe unto it doth not teach the Mystery of the Incarnation for instance to the Wise men without the help of Scripture and as to curry favour with Men in hope of getting an equivalent to that which maketh the Priests Heart glad Judg. 18. 18. 20. for St. Paul did not do so when he Preached the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 6. and hath left him a Warrant for Preaching quite otherwise Gal. 1. 8. Pray if it be not lawful for the Members of your Church to rejoyn themselves to Rome because it enjoyns many gross errors in its Worship as you alledge in your third Sermon pag. 25. is it not lawful for those who see the same in your Church to keep where and as they are 25. If an enlightned Conscience be the only good Conscience for he makes Light pag. 6. the best ingredient of it it seems he hath himself had no good Conscience hitherto before this last Turn of his for he was not enlightned till then as he confesseth pag. 14. where he saith but now with a good Conscience being farther I bless God enlightned I have declared for and joyned in Communion with her the Church of England And I see not which way he can pretend otherwise for in a Treatise of his called Help in time of need in the 54. pag. he saith the word of command from the Lord which filled me with Heavenly Joy and Comfort came to me the 30th day of the 10th Month called December saying shew to the People of Scotland several particulars seen there which he now unsaith And in 78 79. pages of the same he saith further and now whether ye will hear or whether ye will forbear I declare unto you in the Name in the Power and in the Authority of the Living God that the day that 's the coming of the Lord in the
Spirit is of a Truth broke up amongst us Quakers and ye shall look till your Eyes fail you and rot within their holes e're ever you see another day or appearance of Jesus Christ than what we the People of God called Quakers do wittness of come Which is a Lye in the name of the Lord with a vengeance if he be now in the right for he now concradicts this and a Man cannot tell Lyes and in the name of the Lord and yet have a good Conscience Also in his Book call'd Immed Revelation pag. 136. he saith that upon this hinge of denying the teachings and rule of the inward word which he now denies himself depends the Theology and the Clergy of that Church he now patrocinates for making it a Lye therefore by his unsaying it now and thus by his destroying of what he had before built makes himself a Transgressor a Man of no good Conscience Gal. 2. 18. to get himself such name as the Builders in Babel aimed at and have obtain'd Gen. 11. 4. of Builders by destroying the building of other Sects and of Hunters and Drivers of other Nations or Sects Ch. 10. 9 10. But what did their Policy and their Cunning amount to First they were as all Sects are confounded in their Language in Doctrine and Opinion understood not each other then were scattered abroad and at last came to nothing And so will Mr. Keith do His building of Stubble and Hay for the Lucre of Honour and Applause and earthly things will prove at last nothing but a glorying in his own shame 1 Cor. 3. 12. Phil. 3. 19. The great Drivers of the World and their Wisdom come to nought 1 Cor. 2. 6. He that speaks lyes shall perish Prov. 19. 9. Wo be to them Mr. Keith by whom such Offences come Matth. 18. 7. 36. If none but enlightned men such as have a good measure of true Knowledge pag. 6. have a good Conscience indeed the World is in a sad Pickle for those Men being the same as the Regenerated for no Man is Enlightned but by being Born again of Water and of Spirit they are as scarce in the World as the Saints who go from it to the Desarts and Mountains Heb. 11. 38. at which rate a good Conscience is scarce to be found in it But by his leave if a Man whether Heathen or Christian hath like St. Paul Act. 24. 16. A Conscience void of Offence towards God and towards Men according to the Light he hath in him that is to say if his Light within doth not accuse him his Conscience excuseth him Rom. 2. 15. and he hath a good Conscience It is strange that Mr. Keith should come to any new Light and a good Conscience therewith by opposing of that Light and turning from those own it to those who deny the same And that he having begun by the way of the Spirit should think to be made perfect against St. Pauls Opinion Gal. 3. 3. by the Flesh a carnal Mind Lip-labour Formalities and carnal Ordinances which cannot make Man perfect as concerning the Conscience Hebr. 9. 10. Perfection or Salvation which is in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. being not got by those means But they that are of the World mind the World and end with it and say any thing for it And thus having confessed and come over to the Church of England he shews his deeds Act. 18. 19. 37. Mr. Keith to crown his works of lessening the Inward word reckoneth for an Advantage accruing by the Outward that Christians by having it enjoy the same Priviledge which was granted to the Jews to have the Oracles of God and the exceeding great and precious Promises which he quotes St. Peter for 2 Ep. 1. 4. tho' his meaning in that place being not of the Promise but of the Effect of it to wit of the Holy Ghost and of escaping by it the pollutions of the World to partake of the Divine Nature and become Holy is nothing to the purpose And the Jews receiv'd it not Hebr. 11. 39. because it was not given but since Christ was glorifyed Joh. 7. 39. and ascended to Heaven Eph. 4. 8. And in all former Ages the Mysteries known by Christ were not yet made known to Man Ch. 3. 4 5. as in these last days where God speaketh to us by his Son Hebr. 1. 2. So that Christians who enjoy the effect of the Promise and who may have God himself speaking in them by his Son have a greater Priviledge and not the same as the Jews And if they had but the same outward word and God's Oracles from between the Cherubims what signifies the promise Isai 54. 13. Hebr. 8. 10 11. of being all taught of God so that they should no more need to be taught of other Men of being made Priests to God Rev. 5. 10. to be able to teach themselves and to keep knowledge themselves Mal. 2. 7. and to have the Law of God written in their own Hearts If that Law in the Heart were as he teacheth pag. 12. but the bare transcript of that written in the Scriptures and the Spirit served but to soften the Heart of Man the Heart would receive no more than that word it self contains whereas it can receive more for a Man may know all things and those other things not yet revealed in the Scriptures which Christ left to the Spirit Joh. 14. 26. 16. 12 13. and the Spirit searcheth all Cor. 2. 10. even Mr. Keith himself V. 15. and prophecyeth this of him Mr. Keith is Mr. Keith and will be Mr. Keith still 38. Other things of the same stamp as these might be collected out of the three said Sermons and Reasons of Mr. Keith and remarks made upon them as upon all that he says about a formal worship outward shews Ceremonies and all the Rites of his Church But having been refuted by other in all Ages I think it not worth while to trouble the Reader with them and these few things sufficing to shew how much the Quakers have lost by losing of him and what a purchase he is like to prove to t'other side I will only add here with St. Paul 1 Tim. 4. 8. that bodily Exercise profiteth little And that since the time of Christ God being to be served and worshipped in Spirit Joh. 4. 24. and neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem V. 21. that is neither in this Sect nor in that Sect Church or Temple but any where in Spirit in the Heart in the Closet Matth. 6. 7. between the Soul and her Spouse it were much to be wished that Mother Church would set up for a Spiritual Worship and that every Christian setting it up for himself would cease to heap to himself Teachers whose Business it is to turn away from the Truth those Men that have itching Ears and to give heed to any of those seduceing Spirits who speak in Hypocrisie against Spiritual Worship 1 Tim. 4. 1. 2 Tim. 4. 3.
of God and of this spiritual Seed to have it remain in us 1 Joh. 3. 9. and have the Kingdom of God or life eternal in us Luk. 17. 21. The Seed it self which the Flesh is born and begotten of is a Spirit abstracted from the Soul and the Body of Parents which are but Men Much more then that of the Soul regenerated of God who is only a Spirit and the Father of Spirits Joh. 4. 24. Hebr. 12. 9. ought to be a Spiritual and not a Material Thing such as is the outward Word which Mr. Keith soweth about in Sermons and in Papers which Booksellers and Printers catch at so nimbly and put Impune upon the World 10. Now Christ himself is the word Joh. 1. 1 14. in the Heart and in the Mouth Rom. 10. 9. and being that same Power of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. by which God made all Joh. 1. 2 3. the World and all Things therein Hebr. 1. 2. and which upholdeth all things v. 3. and gives them their Light and Life Joh. 8. 12. 14. 6. it is he that begets Souls and he is the same also as the Spirit or Power which hath been shew'd to doe it Jesus being the same Word as Paul spake of v. 8. of Chap. 10. of Rom. and the same Power of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. as Paul saith the Gospel is Rom. 1. 16. And the Lord is that Spirit which Paul was Minister of 2 Cor. 3. 8 16. and when the Holy Ghost comes it is Christ that comes Himself Joh. 14. 16 18. And upon the whole Matter Christ being the Word of God that was from the Beginning Chap. 1. 2. and by whom all things were made and Emmanuel God in us Matth. 1. 23. dwelling in us for ever according to his Promise Joh. 14 17. except we be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5. and the Holy Ghost himself he is the Word in the Heart that abideth for ever and of whom St. Peter meant the Faithful are born again Being upon this account called the second Adam that is the second Father or Begetter of Mankind and the Bridegroom infusing his spiritual Seed in Man and impregnating his Soul which becomes his Mother thereby and by the same means he becomes the Son of Man and is formed within Man Gal. 4. 19. And in short Christ and the Word and the Spirit are all one 11. And he is called the word in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Reason because he is Wisdom Light and Understanding in God in the World and in the Soul In God he is the Wisdom and the Power 1 Cor. 1. 24. Will and Act For God having no Organs as Mouth or Hands his word is the thing it self that is done by his Power and Wisdom and having no other Will than his Power and his Act because Voluntas saith one Consilio nascitur and there is nothing but Sight no thinking nor consulting at all in the most Wise God his Wisdom Power Will Act are all one that is his Word In the World he is the Light Joh. 8. 12. and the Spirit that moved in the deep to form the Light Gen. 1. 2. and which the Wise and Pulcher ordo Mundi proceeds from And in the Soul he is both the Light of Nature in all and the Light of Grace that is the Understanding in some being natural in all granted to all at their Birth by the prerogative of their Essence or nature above other Animals enlightning every Man that cometh into the World Joh. 1. 9 This is what they call Reason And supernatural in the regenerated granted them of Grace again by the gift of the Spirit upon their Birth of Water And this is properly that which they call Understanding I say he is called the word because he is Light Understanding and Wisdom in us as well as in God Quicquid in nobis videt audit verbum Dei That Light and that faculty whereby we see and perceive and hear and understand things is the Word of God in us that is Christ and his Spirit Understanding comes from Christ 1 Joh. 5. 20. and he is the Light of Men. Joh. 1. 4 9. and from the Spirit he sends Ch. 16. 17. to Guide Men into all Truth V. 13. to teach all things Ch. 14. 26. and to search even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. understanding comes likewise Understanding is the word in the Heart The Light whereby the Mind conceiâ—â— in the Heart and sends forth the Spirit thence into the Mouth is the Woâ—â— not the combined Syllables nor the sound which the Air makes in the Thrâ—â—â— and in the Mouth The Heart conceives from the Light that riseth there the flash at every pullation and sends it into the Head whence returning to the Heart it is sent with the Spirit that issueth out of the Flash into the Tongue to move it the Tongue moving beats the Air in the Throat and in the Mouth according to those Organs which articulates its sound and forms the out spoken word and speaks forth the conception So that the Light the Spirit and the Conceit or notion is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the word That which the vulgar call Words being nothing but vo ces an articulated Noise and a combination of divers Sounds or Syllables by the Spirit from the Heart and neither the thing conceiv'd nor the Spirit expressing or speaking it forth themselves 12. To conclude Understanding Reason and Light in the Soul is from the Spirit of Christ the word of God Christ himself of whom we are born again and who worketh Faith in us From him and from his Spirit the hearing of Faith proceeds For Understanding as was said before proceeds from them and hearing in the Scriptures signifyeth Understanding as in that place where Christ saith he that hath Ears to hear let him hear c And Faith is one of the Gifts and Effects of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 9. No Faith without Conversion and no Conversion without Understanding Matth. 13. 15. By Hearing we Believe Turn or Convert and what we understand not we neither do nor believe Intelligere ipsum credere est by your leave Mr. Keith and Madam Rome No implicite Faith avails When God openeth our Hearts or gives us Understanding we believe as Lydia Act. 16. 14. and confess with our Mouth Rom. 10. 9. and come and shew our Deeds as Zacheus Luk. 19. 8 9. and those which burned their Learned Books did Act. 19. 18 19. and Faith is dead without Deeds Jam. 2. 26. So that to have Faith we must Understand in the first place and so have Understanding and the light of Christ's Spirit or Christ himself within us All which if we can obtain from the outward word Preached Mr. Keith is in the right but then Christ died in vain for he died to get us the effect of the Promise which is the Holy Spirit Luk. 24. 49. Act. 1. 4 5. from which Understanding comes 13. Therefore since we