their whole bodies be full of darkness it follows that there no true Light at all in them the Light that is is real darkness It therefore is added If the Light that is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness Luke 11.35 Take heed that the Light which is in thee be not darkness If there were no danger that a mans Light should be darkness what room were there for this warning It is therefore uudeniable that there is a Light in man which is but darkness And I ask what Light is that Not Christ himself in the Saints not his holy Spirit that dwelleth in them not the Light of the Gospel taken in by Faith not the special illumination of the Holy Ghost Tell us then what Light can it be but the Light we brought with us into the world the Light that is in every man He that hath no more but this Light is all Darkness Therefore it is said Eph. 5 8. Ye were sometimes Darkness All darkness Ye had then not one Drachm of Light in you the Light you had was but Darkness Q. But how can this be If it be Light 't is Light how can it be and not be the same thing Ans It can of it self without Scripture teach Moral Duties that God is to be worshipped Parents obeyed c. as hath been hinted often and in this respect 't is Light But it cannot reveal Christ of it self When he is revealed by the Striptures and preaching of the Gospel it cannot discern him nor any other spiritual Mystery of the Gospel for they are spiritually discerned the Natural man with all his Light cannot reach to this And in these two respects 't is meer darkness no more able to guide a man to Salvation than darkness it self Obj. We may not put Light for Darkness Ans When Christ evidently hints the Light within may be darkness must he be thus reproved You may not put Light for Darkness That which in respect of Morals is Light he calls Light and the same being in respect of Spirituals real Darkness he properly calls it so He doth not therefore put Light for Darkness And G. W. himself acknowledgeth Div. of Christ in Answer to Mr. Dawson p. 42. That the Natural man bath not power to discern spiritual things Is not his Light darkness then What he adds yet he hath a power to receive them is very odd For how do men receive spiritual things into their Souls but first by discerning them then approving and embracing them His Reason is miserable for after Conversion he doth saith he receive them He might as well have said the Unconverted hath power to receive spiritual things for after Conversion he doth discern them 'T is as if he should have said When Sampson was an Infant he had power to carry the Gates of a City up the Hill for when he was a man he did it In Conversion we receive a new Light and a new Heart which is a new power to receive spiritual things This Light that is wrought in us by the Spirit of God when put upon it to direct us how to obtain Pardon and Justification bids us seek it by the works of the Law never pointing to Christ therefore at least being forced to speak through our fault where it should be silent as being unable to direct herein it both can and doth misguide It will be yielded in terms I think that there is no Pardon or Justification without Faith in Christ And it hath been proved that this light of it self cannot speak one Syllable of Christ therefore it cannot tell us how to obtain Pardon and Justification If then we will force it to speak in this point it must needs speak Falshood if any thing See it thus directing Rom. 2.13 14. The doers of the Law shall be justified for when the Gintiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law to themselves The Apostle lays down the way of Justification by the Law of works The Doers of the Law shall be justified He proves it for the Light of Nature puts the Gentiles upon doing of the works of the Law that they may be justified having no knowledge of the Law of Grace which direct to Christ by Faith for Justification they walk by the Law of works which is no way to Heaven for a fallen Creature The like we may see in several of the Israelites Rom. 9.32 They sought for Righteousness not by Faith but by the works of the Law And that the Light within them did put them upon this we may see chap. 10.2 I bear them Record that they have a zeal of God This they did then in a zeal for God designing his Glory and to do his will But never doth a man any thing in zeal to Gods glory but when his Reason his Judgment his Conscience his best Understanding the best Light he hath puts him on And that this is not the way to obtain Justification is evident chap. 9.32 The works of the Law are called a stumbling Stone It is a truth indeed that the Doers of the Law shall be justified but no man can possibly be a Doer He that hath once in thought word or deed in all his life broken the Law is not a Doer of the Law but a Transgressor therefore this is no way for our Justification because in our hearts are motions of darkness and errour because Satan hath access to insinuate evil into us because the Light we brought into the world doth not reveal all necessary Truths because we have not an infallible Spirit to discern these few Truths it doth reveal from Errours suggested in our hearts and because 't is possible for this very light it self to suggest errour we are not sure upon good grounds that all Counsels out of our hearts are from God as werare sure all Counsels out of the Scriptures are from God No can we so safely walk after Counsels out of our own hearts for the Counsels of the light within come out of our own hearts as we can safely walk after Counsels out of the Scripture These are infallible to us the other not Before I end I must answer what he brings to prove this Light an infallible Rule Arg. 1. p. 17. l. ult Christ bids us believe in the Light He would not have us believe in that that might deceive us Answ John 12.36 Whilst ye have the Light believe in the Light The words intimate they were like to lose the Light according to the Threat Matth. 21.43 The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you The true sense here is Whilst ye have the Gospel believe in me the Light of the world 'T is not Believe in the Light you brought with you into the World Nor was this to be taken from them Not believing in Christ they were to cary this to Hell with them to torment them for their Sin Arg. 2. The
help no such Conclusion could appear hence deducible By the use of Reason the Spirit teaceth the Heathen Moral Duties The immediate teaching of Gods Spirit must be that which is done without means Thus God neither by Adams Reason nor any Scripture nor by the works of Creation but immediately by himself taught him that he must abstain from the Tree of Knowledge And after his Fall that the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head And afterwards enjoyned Circumcision to Abraham the Ceremonial Law to Moses speaking to him face to face Immediately by himself did he inspire into the Penmen of the Scripture what they were to write thereby to discover to his people what he would have them to do When he put Prophesies into the mouths of his Prophets sending them with Denunciations against any as the young Prophet against Jeroboam Jonah against Nineveh when he taught Paul the Gospel by Revelation all was by his immediate teaching The Terms opened I shall now lay down what I judge the Truth touching this Point in twelve Answers Answ He who is immediately taught of God his whole Duty hath higher honour than he that is taught it by the Scriptures Answ 2. He that walks by the immediate teachings of the Spirit cannot possibly err in so doing Gods Spirit is a Spirit of Truth But Answ 3. I know but one man of all who ever were in the world unto whom Gods immediate teachings were the highest and safest Rule to Heaven This was Moses Before the Scripture was written God did immediately reveal to him the Moral Ceremonial and Judicial Law The Ceremonial Law was their Gospel Here Moses had the full the then only the infallible the trying the binding Rule by immediate Revelation delivered to him Therefore I conclude Gods immediate teachings were to Moses the highest and the safest Rule to Heaven But can any man shew a second Adam had in innocency immediate revelation it was but part of his Rule and so no Rule of it self to heaven Had Adam obeyed Gods immediate prohibition and violated the Law of Nature written in his heart he had not retained his Innocency bare forbearing that fruit would not have brought him to heaven When afterwards Christ was immediately revealed suppose he had believed in Christ but wholly neglected that remnant of the Moral Law that still was in his heart would that Faith have saved him Single out any of the Prophets who had immediate revelation as to particular things did not the Book of the Law written by Moses bind them even those Commands which could not all certainly have any necessary and apparent connexion with what Truths God immediately inspired into them that they viewing only what was immediately taught them might herein see and hence conclude all their duty as to have no need of any recourse at all to any thing Moses wrote to help them to know and perform any part thereof David was so read though a Prophet in the Scripture and thence learned to fear God Deut. 17.19 Ans 4. It makes for our safety to look up earnestly to pray and use all means for the Illumination of Gods Spirit that the eyes of our understanding being enlightned we may know what is the hope of the Fathers Calling and what the riches of the glory of his Inheritance in the Saints Unto Believers God doth thus reveal that which Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor can enter into the heart of man to conceive Hereby 't is they see Eye to Eye that is brightly Faith being the Evidence of things not seen They see the King in his Glory And this he doth accompanying the Ministration of the everlasting Gospel Luke 4.18 He hath sent me saith Christ to preach recovering of sight to the blind The Gospel therefore is called the Ministration of the Spirit This we must attend upon as Lydia did that we might have our hearts opened and may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledge This we may hopefully watch for God hath covenanted I will put my Laws into their minds and purposed to destroy the face of covering cast over all people A. 5. And for our furtherance in holiness let me step a little out we are to look up for Gods gracious Spirit to sanctifie assist and comfort us He is the Spirit of Faith and Love as well as of a sound mind The Spirit of Holiness And Gods Covenant is to put his Laws into our hearts as well as into our minds This obtained we shall be Vessels meet for our Masters use God hath likewise covenaned to put his Spirit into the hearts of his people to enable them to walk in his Statutes Without him we can do nothing But strengthened with all might according to his glorious power nothing shall be too hard for us If God be for us who can be against us We shall be able to do all things through Christ strengthening us And hath not the Son of God promised to send the Spirit as a Comforter Gods Spirit doth shed abroad Gods Love in the hearts of Believers doth make known to them the things freely given them of God doth witness with their Spirits that they are the Children of God doth seal them If we obtain the Spirit in this operation of his though we had even never so much desponding shut up against all comfort and hope we should presently find strong Consolation for when he giveth quietness who then can make trouble As we stand in need of so we may with good hope look up for Gods Spirit to sanctifie assist comfort us A. 6. To return again When we are at a loss at any time for Gods will and the way we should walk in we may very safely look up for the Mediate Objective Teachings of Gods Spirit to be directed As heretofore when Gods people wanted direction in a particular case they enquired of God as in the case of going to War or the like God did immediately shew them his will so now have Gods people good grounds to believe that God will mediately teach them and resolve all their doubts in necessary things if they heartily seek it of him Christ hath said The Spirit shall bring to your remembrance Acts 15. Gods Church was troubled with a doubt necessary to be determined Whether the Gentiles must be circumcised Peter brings an Argument from experience to prove they need not James minds his Argument v. 14. Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his Name And to this saith he agree the words of the Prophet Who brought this to his mind Here we see it fulfilled that the Spirit brings sutable Scriptures to remembrance to teach Gods people in doubtful cases This is the mediate objective Teaching of the Spirit A. 7. But what warrant have all men nay Gods people
understand it Answ 2. Sometimes the word fulfil is used to signifie most perfect exact and through conformity to every title of Gods Law Mat. 15.17 18. I came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil And thus in the other world Gods people shall attain to fulfil the Righteousness of the Law but not in this He that affirms it must prove it Answ 3. Yet our Divines understand the Righteousness of Justification This being the Scope of the Aposile to prove no condemnation to believers because the Gospel or Law of the Spirit of Life frees them from the condemning power of the Law of Works because God sent his Son and condemned our sin in him who had perfectly obeyed the Law that through the imputation of what Christ hath done and suffered we might be looked on as if from the beginning of Life to the end to have obeyed the Law as creatures to have satisfied it as sinners 10. You plead for Sin This is in every ones mouth An opprobrious and gross slander Answ 1. Do we say it is lawful to sin Let it be considered who do more call men off from sin they or we Their Light without the Scriptures will help to call men off from Lying Injustice Uncleanness Disobedience to Parents and such like Duties of the Law of Nature And do we tell men it is not needful to forsake these sins We urge men to forsake these and to the observance of the Christian Sabbath we press to secret Prayer and prayer in the Family to begging of God a Blessing on the food we take after the example of Christ we press to repent of the very being of an evil thought in us arising out of our hearts and of a Nature inclining us to offend we press the Celebration of the never abolish'd Ordinances of Baptism and the Supper we press to seek remission by the Blood of Christ All these according to the Doctrine of the Apostles on whom with the rest of the true Church of God we are built and according to the unerring Rule of Gods word written Who do press men unto Holiness who do call men off from Sin more than we Answ 2. Do not we denounce against men that if they allow themselves in any Sin and Wickedness they must perish to Eternity Answ 3. Do we not say it is the duty of all to be perfect and to press after it to watch against all even the least sins to repent of every failing and fly to Christs blood and Gods free Grace for pardon Answ 4. We do indeed tell men that God will accept of their sincere and true endeavour to do all flowing from Faith in his Grace and the Merits of Christ though they cannot attain to be quite free from Sin It may be he will say this Doctrine encourageth to Sin But I say this Doctrine naturally encourageth to strive against Sin and endeavour after Holiness whereas the contrary discourageth and takes men off from their endeavours If two Companies of Children were to run a Race and one should say to this Company there are strong men at the end of the Race if you run as strong and as fast as they can run you are to enjoy a rich inheritance but if not you are to die Another should say to that Company though you are not able to run as last as men and as strongly yet if you do your best endeavour and hold out you are to enjoy the rich inheritance I ask which of these two did speak most to the encouragement of their Companies The former spake to the cutting off their endeavours by despair the latter to the putting of Courage and Life into them Thus 't is here saith the Quaker to his Company In Heaven which is the end of the Race there are the Spirits of just men made perfect you must obey as perfectly as they there must be no sin at all in you and then you shall obtain Salvation but if otherwise you must look to perish Saith the Scripture-Minister to his Company Though you cannot attain in this life to be as pure as those in heaven yet if by Faith you fly to Christs Blood and Merits and sincerely endeavour to please God in all things and hold out thus to the end God will graciously accept and save you I appeal to the very Consciences of all Quakers now who is it that doth most encourage to press after Purity and Holiness Must they not according to this Doctrine say I must be quite free from all sin here or burn in hell to all eternity I have tried to get free these 3 or 6 or 10 or 20 years and could never all this time attain it and what ground can I have of better hopes for the future than I have had all this time I may not look for it And if I may not come to heaven unless in this Life I get free from all sin I am shut out from Mercy to what purpose shall I press after Holiness Such must needs be the workings of their hearts who will believe there is no salvation without perfect freedom from sin in this Life I come now to lay down more Arguments against this Doctrine having already urged one from Eph. 4.12 And the first shall be of Instruction because I am perswaded men therefore plead for this Perfection because they know not what it is Arg. 1. We should not speak an idle word for this we are to give an account at Judgment we should not have one vain thought in us How long shall vain thoughts lodge in thee We should not have one Wandring thought in Prayer Eccles 5.3 The Holy Ghost calls a wandring Prayer a Dream we should not have one inordinate desire Thou shalt not covet We should not have one evil imagination against our Neighbour Let no man imagine evil against his Brother in his heart We should not so much as conceive any evil in our hearts Acts 5.4 Why hast thou conceived this thing in thy heart G. W. cuts my Argument short p. 21. But I asked him Whether a state of freedom from all these sins were attainable in this Life He had the face to tell me it is But the Consciences of all enlightned persons Observers of their own hearts will bring in testimony against him What saith Nehemiah Chap. 13.22 Spare me O my God according to the greatness of thy Mercy In the Dispute I urged Job And if any were perfect in this sense surely he the holiest man then on Earth But what is his Testimony Job 9.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What I perfect I should not know my Soul He abhors to entertain such a thought How did Paul find it Phil. 5.12 Not as though I were already perfect Paul was sensible of his imperfection Compare this with v. 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded that is let as many as are well grown in Grace see and be sensible of our imperfection or let not any
to disgrace by openly as it were proclaiming your own ignorance during that time and by becoming unconstant to what you have so long professed to bear the reproach ill will and malice of your own Party they will contemptuously call you Apostates and what not What do you now say to the matter Can you still hold your purpose Now you begin to stagger The Devil is an utter enemy to Truth he knows it leads to Heaven In this case therefore he will be prompting what ever hazard thou dost run spare thy self Concerning the Kings Messenger said the Prophet See how this Son of a Murderer hath sent to take away mine Head look when the Messenger cometh shut the door and hold him fast at the door Unless the great God of Heaven and Earth stand by you thus will you deal with Truth if our Opinion appear to be it you will look on 't with as much malignity as on a spiteful enemy that would take away all that ever you have you would be sure to bar it out of your hearts But the Lord will enable all his savingly to take in his Truth Concerning such the Apostle could say God hath chosen you to Salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth Seek therefore your help from the Lord. If he shall graciously transform you by the renewing of your mind in spite of flesh and blood Earth and Hell you shall prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God And so shall your perswasion be undeceiving so shall your hopes be such as maketh not ashamed The Desire as well as Design of Your Souls hearty Friend STEPHEN SCANDRETT AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST Quakerisme Concerning the Scriptures compared with the Light that is in every man as to their being our Rule BY a Rule understand not an Artificial Rule that Instrument by which Artificers are guided but a Moral that Instrument that God makes use of to direct bind us to our duty that we directed by it and obedient to it may obtain Gods favour and be saved By the Light in every man understand 1. Not the special saving Illumination of the Spirit of God whereby we are able to discern effectually the Mysteries of the Cospel for though the truly sanctified have this Light Matth. 13.16 Blessed are your Eyes for they see yet not any in their unregenerate state 1 Cor. 2 14 The Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually difcerned 2. Much less the In-dwelling Spirit of God P. 26. He consounds the Spirit the light making both one For though the truly sanctified as before have him dwelling in them to help their Infirmities to lead them into all truth to quicken comfort strengthen and cause them to walk in Gods Statutes 1 Cor. 3.16 Know ye not that ye are the Temples of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you Yet the Spirit of God is not thus in every man Jude v. 19. These are they who separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit 3. Not the Light of the Gospel as the Word is used 2 Cor. 4.4 Lest the Light of the glorious Gospell of Christ should shine into their hearts For the Gospel is not given to every man Psal 147.19 He sheweth his word unto Jacob his Statutes unto Israel he bath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his Judgments they have not known them And where the Gospel is given all do not receive it into their hearts that it should be within them Acts 13.46 It was necessary the Word of God should first have been spoken unto you but seeing ye put it from you we turn to the Gentiles 4. Not Christ who is called the Light of the world For Christ Personally is in Heaven Acts 3.21 Whom the Heaven must receive till the times of Restitution of all things Christ spiritually or the Image of Christ consisting in Knowledge Righteousness and true Holiness is only in the Regenerate for in whom he thus is to them he is a sure ground of hope of Glory Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of Glory But every man hath not a sure Ground to hope for Glory All in whom Christ thus is are approved of God 2 Cor. 13 5. Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates or unapproved Is every man approved of God Again Some are without Christ Eph. 2.12 At that time ye were without Christ The Body that is without the Soul hath not the Soul in it and he that is without Christ hath not Christ in him 5. But understand that Principle of Knowledge that is indeed to be found in every man For Christ lighteth every man that cometh into the world This Principle therefore is in the disobedient as well as the obedient Ro. 1 18. The wrath of God is revealed against all unrighteousness of men who hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness Those that will not live the Truth have however a principle in them whereby they know much of it 't is in the Heathen as well as the Christian The Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law If they had not a principle whereby to know these things how could they do them It will render the whole world of ungodly men unexcusable at the last day even those that have not the Scriptures as well as those that have For they cannot say but that they understood something of Gods Will which yet they have not practised This Light let men term it how they please is nothing else but mans Reason For since it is none of the four Lights first mentioned let any tell what else can it be Take away any of those Lights from within a man he still hath Light or a Principle of Knowledge remaining in him But take away Reason the remaining Light is gone In this Controversie this principle we call not Reason so much as Light Yet the Light that is in every man to prevent Mistakes By Scripture understand not Paper Ink or Letters but the Truths and Will of God as written in the Books of the Old and New Testament The Terms opened we come to the Business The Essential difference between Vs and the people called Quakers lies here They hold that the Light in every man is the Rule that directs to Heaven that the Scripture therefore is to be embraced so far only as it agrees with this Light We hold That the Scripture is the Rule that directs to Heaven that the Light within every man therefore is to be regarded so far only as it agrees with the Scripture Now though we both agree that neither of these is wholly to be cast off yet that men might see which of them is to be embraced as the highest and safest Rule which of them is to be rejected in competition with the other I assert these things concerning the Scriptures 1.
now to expect a Revelation of all Truths necessary to salvation by the immediate objective teachings of Gods Spirit It is not for us to expect and promise our selves or others this if the Lord hath no where promised it Can it be proved when Christ saith The Spirit shall lead you into all truth that this is to be understood without means without the Scripture When God saith They shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me The sense is they shall not teach as the unconverted are to be taught who believe not who have no saving knowledge of God at all So they who have received the anointing need not as doubting and unbelieving persons that any teach them that Jesus is the Christ Can it be proved that the words are to be understood in that sense as to exclude the Ministry from edifying the Body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the Faith This Assertion That God is pleased objectively and immediately by his Spirit to reveal to all men or to his own people at least all Truths and all Duty necessary to Salvation so that they need not mind the Scripture but only wait for these immediate objective Teachings is the Wile of Satan whereby evil men take people off from what they acknowledge the full and the only Rule to lead them into a thousand Errours I prove it an Errour by these Arguments following Arg. 1. God hath promised that in order to his peoples instruction in matters necessary to Salvation his Word shall concur with his Spirit to the end of the world Therefore 't is not his pleasure to teach his people these necessary Truths immediately or without the word much less to teach all men The promise we have Isa 59.21 As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord my Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy Seed nor out of the mouth of thy Seeds Seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever Arg. 2. God never from the beginning of the world to the Apostles days so taught his Church much less all men Therefore 't is without reason to imagine he doth so now Not in Innocency for the Moral Law he taught Adam by that Light he was created with which Moral Law contained necessary Truths to his Salvation In Moses's days though he himself was so taught yet none else the Church was taught mediately by Moses his Ministry In the Apostles days the Church was taught by their Ministry The Apostles themselves had immediate Revelation the Prophets also but 1 Cor. 12.29 Are all Apostles Are all Prophets Arg. 3. Excepting Moses there cannot a man be shewn to whom God by immediate Revelation discovered all Duties necessary to Salvation Paul might seem the most likely but though the Gospel was so manifested to him yet not the Law this was partly by the Law of Nature partly by the consideration of the works of Creation especially by the Scriptures How fond is the Conceit then that the whole Church should now be so taught Arg. 4. Had it been Gods purpose in Gospel times to teach all men nay to teach his whole Church immediately all their Duty then would he not have provided for this end Scriptures inspiring his word into Holy men and moving them to write it and enduing them with the Spirit of Prophesie and the Spirit of Miracles to render them credible that without hesitancy his Church might embrace the word wrote by them for the undoubted Truth of God Had this been Gods pleasure he would not have appointed a Ministry and that to continue to the end of the world for this very end to instruct his Church in those Truths that are necessary to Salvation Go preach saith Christ I am with you always to the end of the world And he gave some Apostles some Pastors and Teachers for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come into the unity of Faith Did God provide Scripture and appoint Ministers with an intent not to use them but to do all immediately by his Spirit without them When God gives Means he doth not ordinarily work without means but by them It is worth observation where the Scripture and Ministry are vouchsafed the Heathen attain only to know Moral Duties nothing of Christ Is it not because God concurs to teach them with the means they have the Law of Nature but doth not supply the want of means they have not to teach them immediately Jesus Christ Where therefore he hath given Scriptures and the Ministry he doth not ordinarily teach without them Men may as well expect God should ordinarily preserve life and strength without Bread Arg. 5. Immediate teachings were extraordinary things Therefore not to be expected by all men nor ordinarily and for continuance by the Church Look on them in Abraham in Moses in Samuel or any of the Prophets they were extraordinary Those persons chosen above any for God thus to reveal himself to The Revelation at certain times only 1 Sam. 3. The Lord called Samuel and to him denounced Judgment upon Elies House It was so extraordinary that all Israel v. 20. from Dan to Beersheba took notice of it and hereby knew that Samuel was established a Prophet of the Lord. And v. 21. It is said God appeared to him again in Shiloh This was no ordinary thing Daniel's and Ezekiel's Visions no ordinary things nor were Joseph's and Nebuchadnezzar's and Pharaoh's Dreams nor John's Revelation Every one nay every Believer must not look that the Sun should stand still at his Prayers or the Sea be driven back for him This were to confound ordinary with extraordinary Arg. 6. He that is by the Spirit immediately taught the Gospel can say I received it not of man neither was I taught it but by Revelation of the Holy Ghost But every Believer cannot say so Therefore every Believer is not immediately taught the Gospel Arg. 7. If immediate teaching be a sufficient Rule to Heaven then Believers need not hear the Word or read the Scriptures But God commanding Believers Be swift to hear Remember the Law of Moses my Servant Vnto the word of Prophesie ye do well to attend Thou shalt read Deut. 17.10 puts them not upon a needless duty Arg. 8. If every Believer hath immediate teachings then every one of them can write Gods mind as infallibly as the Pen-men of the Scripture Then every believer may add to the Scripture and enlarge the Churches Canon Whereas Heb. 1.1 God did deliver the Churches Canon by parts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but now by his Son which opposed to the former discovers the whole Canon is by Christ delivered no more parts that may be added are now to be expected Arg. 9 They that hold this must either say