come to Judgement but my meaning is if we judge our selves we shall not be so judged as to be condemned of the Lord But to the matter in hand If the Law you speak of be the Law of God it cannot be repugnant to the Law of God lest as a standing Rule for men to walk by to the end of the world I need not prove what I mean here viz. Gods immutable and unchangeable Word the Scriptures which have been so clearly proved to bee one with God that I need not say any more than what I have already said but this I affirm that whatever pretended colour you put upon it if it be not Law and Testimony proof I shall give no credit to it for to the Law and to the Testimonies if they speak not according to this word it is because they have no light in them Isa 8.20 Secondly If it were the Law of Nature for all there might bee differences in judgement there would not be in Natural affection and therefore disciphering out some that Sathan had gotten into his power so as to bee led Captive by him at his will he sets this mark or brand upon them that all men might know them viz. without Natural affection Again if it were the Law of Nature it would lead us to acts and expressions of Human Civility for the best of Gods Saints were always ready to give civil Language and modest expressions to the worst of Gods enemies even to their Persecutors nay our blessed Saviour speaking to Judas saith Friend betrayest thou me with a kiss Matth. 26.49 50. But you dare not afford Civil deportment and Language to godly and holy men no not to the Ministers and Embassadours of the Lord Jesus Christ for fear of offending against this Law you say men ought to be guided by but the good Lord guide me by his Law written in the Scriptures and if it be his will give you both will and skill to judge aright of that Law written within and if it bee not according to Gods Law to look upon it as the delusion of the strong man armed that will be sure to keep the House till a stronger than he come in his power and throw him out Mark 3.27 I come now to the Second Admonition concerning that Light you say is within a man to which he only is to look I conceive it must either be First The light of Nature or Secondly The light that cometh by the illuminating Spirit of God or else no light at all but darkness put for light Isa. 5.20 But for the first of these viz. The Light of Nature you utterly disclaim it for you are no more Natural but Spiritual and that not only in part but in perfection I say as I said before I judge you not you stand and fall to your own Master But that you and I may the better judge our selves and of this light within us I conceive it will be our wisdom to try of what kind it is by observing whither it leads us and First If it lead us with joy and delight to the Assemblies of the Saints to the place where God hath promised his more special presence to the Church of God the ground and pillar of truth 1 Tim. 3.15 I should then look upon it as sometimes David did Even as a Lanthorn to my feet and a light unto my paths Psal. 119.105 but if any mans soul draw back Gods soul will have no pleasure in that man and If any man put his hand unto the Plow and look back he is not apt to the Kingdom of God But it may be you will object the thing I aime it viz. The joyning of your selves to our Churches you dare not do because there is corruption in them I answer it is truly desired of all Gods people that there were none But we know there will bee Tares among the Wheat though the Servants of the Lord of the Harvest would gladly have them plucked up and weeded out yet it is the Lord of the Harvest his Decree that they shall grow together till the Harvest not that hee hath an eye upon the Tares but lest whilst his servants going about to pluck up the Tares should pluck up the Wheat also Mat. 13.28 29 30. Secondly If this light lead us to the imbracing of Gods whole intire and individual word in the love of it if it lead us to close with Christ in sweet communion in those his Ordinances that are by him appointed not only for the begetting but also increasing and strengthening of Faith and all other Graces of his Spirit I mean the Sacraments of the New Testament so as we can receive Soul-refreshment and Grace-strengthening thereby I say if this light lead us this way I should be assured it were the Spirit of God otherwise I cannot but look upon it as a delusion of Sathan to which God had in Justice given me up because I would not embrace him in the tenders of his love in the Gospel and because I would not receive his Word in the love of it he had given me up to beleeve a Lye and to hearken to the Father of Lyes who though he transform himself into an Angel of Light yet goes about by all deceiveableness of unrighteousness to delude poor souls to their utter destruction and perishing I therefore desire that you and I might bâ— careful to try the spirits whether they be of God or no for many false spirits as well as false Prophets are gone out into the world 1 Joh. 4.1 I have but one word more and I have done methinks it should not bee the work of the Spirit of God to revile Gods Ministers and â—oyse Sâ—â—vants for indeed I finde it ranked amongst the works of the flesh Galâ—th 5.21 And else-where the Spirit of God ranks Revilers amongst such as shall not inherite the Kingdom 1 Cor. 6.9 10. and indeed your inhuman Raylings false and slanderous Accusations unchristian Judgings and Censures that you ordinarily pass upon all that are not of your Opinions what do they but render you to be a people that take to your selves that boldness that an Angel of God durst not do when hee was to deal in dispute with the Devil of Hell for saith the Text He durst not bring against him a rayling accusation but said the Lord rebuke thee Jude 9. I pray observe what a strange expression the Holy Ghost makes use of here an Angel of God an Arch-Angel the best of Created Creatures disputing with the Devil worse than the worst of men yet durst not I say durst not bring against him a rayling accusation but it is too apparent that men below the Angels of Heaven dare bring rayling accusations against those that are farre enough above Devils For God made man a little lower than the Angels Psal. 8.5 6. If I had not just occasion to blame you for your rayling accusations against them that cannot be denied to be your Fellow-Creatures if no more could be said for them But your bolt is shot against Gods choycest Servants and which I desire may be seriously considered Sathan is called The Accuser of the Brethren Revel. 12.10 these things considered I desire you and I may in good earnest examine our selves and if we finde our selves guilty judge our selves and a farre as you are found in fault I heartily with if it be the good pleasure of God you may bee truly sensible of it and return and joyn your selves to the Communion of the Saints in the Publick Ordinances of God that we may have as sweet Fellowship and Communion with the Father and the Son and with one another as ever we had before your going out from us by which you have declared your selves not to be of us for had you been of us doubtless you would have continued with us 1 Joh. 2.19 And with which I will conclude if either you or any man or men teach otherwise and consent not to wholsome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Doctrin which is according to godliness let him pretend as much humility as he can He is proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envie strife raylings evil surmisings 1 Tim. 6. â— 4. I desire this and all other Scriptures that are written may be as effectuall to you as sometimes the readâ—ng of the thirteenth Chapter to the Romans was to Saint Augustin and it shall rejoyce my heart I charge you that this Epistle be seriously read of all that you account to be the holy Brethren FINIS * Thi sense you seem â—o â—avoâ—r in your Paper
reduce men to Morall vertues let them rightly display the beams thereof and I shall desire they may meet with many Proselytes but whilst they publish this light to others I cannot but observe they darken it themselves they darken it by their disorderly expressions declaring things in general terms not defining the nature of them doth not the incongruity of their expression the inconsistence of their Sentences each one other multiplying words in an undigested immethodical heap leave all men in the dark what they mean by their light whilst they are to them that hear plain barbarians A vox praeterea nihil and doth not Nature teach to speak in order and method Principles in which to be instructed doth it not count him the most elegant Orator who speaks so distinctly and plainly that the beams of light from him may be seen and acknowledged by all did not Nature call Heraclitus {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the dark Philosopher for rendring Obscura per obscuriora losing a Principle in a cloud of obscure insignificant words nay and doth not their practise which should be the clear comment on their Principles render them much more dark or rather distastfull as acts of darkness so detected by the very light of Nature what will you say to their altogether decrying Gods outward Worship doth not Nature it self direct to some acts of Worship to an acknowledged Deity only their light renounceth it Is it Light that leads to the disrespect of all superiours neither to give them honour in words or gesture was not the Fifth Command ingraven on the heart by Nature Teacheth it noâ— all men in the World to observe that order which God hath set among men and give to every man that civil honour that is due unto them by reason of age place or quality The light of Nature blusheth at their rude Language and behaviour and bespeaks them beasts of darkness rather than subjects of any distinguishing light Doth the light of Nature give liberty for women to be common controulers and ordinary speakers Is not silence the duty imposed and Property adorning that Sex will not the Heathen reject the Religion which is inforced with feminine voyce and stile finde you them not without natural affection to their Husbands and Children not only in a neglect of their time and callings in idleness following the pretended light within them but also wickedly leaving them and wandring from Country to Country from Nation to Nation in a rabid and savage way to advance the pretended light within them these and the like acts of most gross and palpable darkness are so obvious to every observant eye that they seeing them cannot but blush if Natures weak and vitiated eye be but half open and I cannot think that there needed any more pregnant or perswasive argument to stay thee from closing with their delusions than a plain Historical representation of their works of darkness so directly contrary to the light of Nature But their light pretends it self to be that of Grace and if so how was it acquired how is it approved They have indeed by Providence been cast into Gospel-times and places and so know the Scripture and its phrases but by it they gained not this Light for the Scripture they disown and decry they must needs then have it by some extraordinary infusion and this certainly is not from the spirit of Truth and Light for besides that it enlightens us in and by the Scriptures it brings into the soul a Light that doth clearly discover the object and irradiate the Organ a Light that doth dispel all disorder and confusion distinguishing things that differ defining things that exist declaring duties and detecting sins with a conviction irresistable it is to be feared nay positively affirmed that this Light so full of confusion darkness and disorder is no other than the enlightnings of the Prince of Darkness darting out Scripture words without either sence or reason and suited to the seducement of a people to whom by providence Scripture-language is grown natural that no delusion will down with them that savours not of it This will appear more certain if you consider how this Light is approved and here consider what are the properties of it what object doth it discover what duty doth it direct what real evil doth it detect and convince of as to the former it doth not so much as pretend to them by either propounding any object or prescribing any duty more than the Light without description and heeding it without any rules of direction so that it gives you no center or ground to hope no counsel to the soul nay so farre is this Light from directing unto that it diverts the soul from every duty the subjects of it sanctifie no Sabbaths seek not God at any time in prayer crave not so much as a blessing on their meat and drink but in a word throw off every act of religion as a work of darkness the only property of Light to which it doth pretend is that of reproving and convincing of evil and if the matter reproved and manner of reproving bespeak it not to be positive darkness let the sons of Light judge 1 As to the matter reproved Is it not generally the very Worship of God and duties of Christianity that the which every rational enlightened Christian must needs see to be prescribed by Jesus Christ and declared in the Scriptures Is it not the Sabbaths solemn assemblies of God and his people Is it not Prayer Reading Hearing receiving the Sacraments c. even all the practices of Piety they decry insomuch that we cannot but see them obnoxious to that sad woe denounced against such as call good evil evil good light darkness darkness light in a word they decry those things that Sathan durst not have spoken against had he not prepared the spirits of men by a spirit of Scepticism having brought them to such an equipoiz that a very calling light darkness and darkness light may cast the scales so that indeed we have cause to say of their reproofs as Augustine in another case Nos non curamus de eis qui reprehendunt quae non comprehendunt We regard not their reproofs for they blame what they do not understand and are justly to be branded with the Apostles note of Seducers They speak evil of things they do not know Jude 10. 2 As the matter of their reproof so the manner in which they mannage it manifesteth it to be darkness enmity at light for they condemn as Judge without any convincing Arguments or Demonstrations thou lyest being their form of reproof and only forcible reason of conviction they are confused blaming every thing but convincing of no one the whole fabrick of Religion is the cloud of darkness they strike at they distinguish nothing at denoted guilty and to be demolished They cursedly rail rather than convincingly reprove for it may be said of them as Munster notes of the
monstrous men in India Non loquntur sed latrant they do not speak but bark by positive Assertions reproachful Epithites rayling Speeches conquering the modest and civil and indeed by their black mouthes become like the Basilisk killing the Birds of the Air in their very flight by their very breath for if once reason begin to traverse their black Indictments thou art Carnal Antichristian Devils and the like must stay the Process and confirm the sentence Many ways I might manifest the darkness of their pretended light but I must not now stand on an History of them but leave them to the view of their carriage the witness of such who have been seduced by them and the writings of such as have withstood them amongst which I here commend to thee this small Tract written in a plain simple and rustick stile like unto its Author a plain simple country-man in a private Calling possessing an honest heart and publick spirit filled with zeal to plead the Cause of Truth to his power and to prevent his Country-men and Neighbours from being seduced by this Fanatick Generation and following a plain Ignis fatuus into a wilde Wilderness of pretended light within only before I part with thee give me leave to prescribe to thee these few Rules for thy preservation 1 Set Reason in its Throne I mean not reasons Dictates which yet as thou art a man thou must observe and follow though they are too short to guide thee to Heaven but the rational faculty and power of discerning discoursing and determining things which God and Nature hath given thee for observe the Devil blindes this Eye and dethrones this Judge when he advanceth this pretended light when you are mad you may be brought to any thing 2 Stick close to Scripture as the Light unto thy feet and Lanthorn to thy paths by this the light exhibited by Christ and his Apostles was manifested and by this the Spirit of Light will be judged whilst Reason doth sit Judge see that it sentence by the Law of Scripture therefore in the right use of Scripture see that thou do own and embrace First Scripture sentences not words this sort of men do speak words and but words leaving sentences and so making the Word of God of none effect Secondly Sense of Scripture not meerly sentence the sentence may be figurative and to be understood otherwise than the words do simply shew as This is my Body and other like expressions do evidence Thirdly Sense rationally inferred as well as positively asserted reasoning from the Scripture is suitable to an enlightned rational being Fourthly Sense plainly flowing from the scope and circumstances of the text not strained by allusion unto Allegories and the like 3 State to the Soul standing Principles of Christianity see some things to be true and out of all controversie not to be admitted to debate but retained with all resolution against all temptation know that a Sceptick is a Quakers Gentleman-usher 4 Shun their Society especially solemn Assemblies how shouldest thou chuse but learn a lesson in the Devils School if thither thou resort day by day if their air bee infectious and Inchantments only Spiritual which on good ground and I beleeve experience too are found to bee natural canst thou accompany with them without danger it was once the Churchesery Cant. 1.7 Why should I turn aside by the flocks of thy companions 5 Sue by fervent prayer for the spirit of a sound mind now that thou art faln into a fanatique age prize the many helps thou hast to keep thee in thy wits and know that spirit of sobriety is the blessing of God but thereby effected in special use this Tract unto its especial end and that thou by it and helps of the like nature may be delivered from the error of the wicked is and shall be the constant prayer of Thine in and for the truth of the Gospel Zach. Crofton April 17. 1656. THE QUAKERS Paper truly copied out as it was by them written and sent to the Ministers and People in and about Walton and Liverpool To which the following Treatise is an Answer To the Priests and people of Walton and Liverpool and thereabouts FOr as much as there was a Dispute at the Greave-house near Walton betwixt the people called Quakers and the aforesaid Priests before mentioned In which Dispute the Priests was to prove the lawfulness of receiving of Tythes which by Scripture they could not do but one Scripture they brought in for their own ends which makes nothing for their purpose in Luke 11.42 to prove the receiving of Tythes for this was before he was sacrificed up when he said Woe unto ye Pharisees for ye tythe Mint and Rue and all manner of Herbs and pass over judgement and the love of God These ought yee to have done and not to leave the other undone Now let all people who have any understanding consider and see whether this be any ground or command for the Priests to take Tythes of the people after his being sacrificed up for he said These ought ye to have done but he gave no commandement to continue in them for he was the end of the Priesthood and the end of the Law by which the Priests took Tythes for the Priesthood being changed there was of necessity a change of the Law and a disanulling of the Commandement going before as Heb. 7.12.18 But in the time of the Law they was to take Tythes of the people according to the Law Heb. 7.5 and those that did not bring their Tythes into the Store-house whilst that Law and Commandement was of force robbed God Mal. 3.8.10 And the Lord commanded that all the Tythes should be brought of the increase and laid up and the Levite because he had no part nor inheritance with the people and the stranger and the fatherless and the widows should come and eat and be satisfied Deut. 14.28 29. And this was in the first Priesthood and before Jesus Christ was sacrificed up the unchangeable Priesthood Heb. 8.1 The everlasting Treasure Col. 2.3 In whom dwells all fulness vers. 9. Who hath blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances and took it out of the way and nayled them to the Cross triumphing over them vers. 14 15. Then the Apostle denied all Ordinances that were hand written and said the Law was changed and the Priesthood was changed Heb. 7.12 and the Commandement disanulled so the Law now being changed by which the Priesthood was made and the Commandement disanulled by which they took Tythes of the people of God himself and the hand-writing of Ordinances blotted out therefore who art thou O man that goeth about to build again set up allow write for and uphold that which God put down disanulled and blotted out and nayled to the Cross Gods enemy thou art whoever thou bee for the earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof Psal. 24.1 And all are commanded to honour God with their substance who are his Stewards
Prov. 3.9 Take heed how yee dishonour him by giving his goods to his open Enemies who uphold and maintain that which he hath disanulled and witnessed against for you that do so are unprofitable Stewards and hee will call you to an account of your Stewardship And hee that is unjust in the least is also unjust in much Luke 16.10 11. And if yee be not righteous in the unrighteous Mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches And if yee have not been faithful in that which is another mans who shall give you that which is your own hee that hath an ear to hear let him hear and understand And if your Priests will take Tythes as they did in the time of the Law see ye do the office of the Priests that took Tythes they kept a Store-house and the widows and the fatherless and the strangers which was within the Priests gate was fed And if they do thus they must own themselves to bee Ministers of the Law and not of the Gospel And if they do not thus they rob the poor the fatherless the widows and strangers and neither are Priests of the Law nor Gospel so from the Law and Gospel do wee shut them who are neither in the steps of them who were under the Law nor in the steps of Christs Ministers who was the end of the Law so from being Ministers of either Law or Gospel yee have cleared your selves and shut your selves out by your practices And thou Priest Fogge of Liverpool who said They that hold forth the way of perfection holdeth not the way of God but from under this thou canst not get but under the condemnation must come for the way of God is perfect which way is Jesus Christ for saith hee I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh to the Father but by mee So thou that saith The way of perfection is not the way of God art out of the way of God and thy condemnation thou must own So confesse thy error to the people who hast spoken against Christ who is the way of God and the way to God which way is perfect and indures for ever So for the simple ones sake have I given this forth who was at the meeting and received not satisfaction because of the disorder that day That they might come to see their Teachers who hath long deceived them taking their goods from them contrary to the Law of God written in mens hearts so with the light which comes from Christ which convinceth you of sin shall you see them to bee such as the Prophet speaks of and saith Put into their mouths and they cry Peace Peace but put not into their mouths and they prepare War against you Mat. 3.5 And this is fulfilled by many of the Priests of England this day who sue many at the Law and cast many into prison because they put not into their mouths so to the light of Christ in you all take heed which is your way and Teacher and from all false wayes and Teachers doth lead Given forth by him whom in scorn is called QUAKER Thomas Holme QVAKERS Principles quaking Friend and Friends I Have perused your written Paper directed to the Priests as you are pleas'd to call them and people in and about Walton and Liverpool and you adde in one Clause of it that for the simples sake you sent it forth it was my purpose that one of those simple ones should return you an Answer and I humbly beg upon the bended knees of my Soul that the Answer I shall return may be so full of Gospel simplicity that God may have the glory my duty may be discharged and your judgements rightly informed and then I doubt not but some of you at least will consider from whence you are fallen Rev. 3.3 and repent and do your first works and so prevent the Lords coming against you in fury and in wrath for I seriously profess I look upon it as a very dangerous peece to break our selves off and rent our selves from the Church of God for as Gen. 9.1 c. Noahs Ark was a clear Figure and Type of the Church of God so Noahs Dove is a clear embleme of such as through affectation of new and unknown paths do stray from the Church of God and forsake the assemblies of the Saints as the manner of some is Heb. 10.25 And I pray you observe with me what became of Noahs Dove whilst she was out of the Ark and you shall finde she found no rest for the sole of her foot till she return'd to the Ark Gen. 9.9 and Noah took her in again and let me tell you this Scripture as well as other Scriptures Rom. 15.4 was written for our learning consider what I say and the Lord if it be his good pleasure give you understanding 2 Tim. 2.7 But before I come to the Answer of your Paper let me tell you at what I very much wonder viz. That you should make use of the Scriptures to prove what your deluded Fancies would hold forth and yet will not acknowledge them to be the Word of God I know what you are ready to say viz. That Christ is the Word and I through Gods mercy know it as well as you and am I bless God able in some measure to distinguish between the Word of God and God the Word yet let me tell you if I did not beleeve really that Jesus Christ and the Scriptures speak one and the same thing or that Jesus Christ the internal Word and the Bible or Book of God the external word were both one I would as soon prove my Tenents from the Turkish Alchoron as from the Scriptures which were Blasphemy for me once to imagine And now to the answer of your Paper in which I have observed and seriously considered three things 1. From whence it came 2. To whom it is directed and 3. The subject matter of it which indeed savours so much of rayling and reproach than I dare not answer you in your own Language least I should betray my self not to be guided by the Spirit of God which is a spirit of meekness But to the First of these viz. from whence it came I have only this one word to say viz. it came from a people that I look upon as objects of much pity not of envie a people that I have sometimes been very intimate with at least some of you A people with whom I have taken sweet counsel when we have walked to the House of God together as friends a people that I have dearly loved with Christian love a people that I have often prayed with and shall not yet cease to pray for Luk. 10.20 Luk. 15.4 5 that as many of you as have your names written in Heaven may be brought back upon the shoulder of Gods power to the Fold of Christ from whence yee are gone astray 1 Pet. 2.25 and thus much I am confident of with which I
will conclude that if it please God to grant me my request at this point there will be joy not only in Heaven at your return Luke 15.7 but matter of praise and glory to God in the Soul of him that will not cease to pray for you though some of you lately professed he durst not pray for me because I was as he said Gods enemy but I am confident sometimes he and I professed our friendship with God and our love to God both with one joynt consent I bless God I am the same still and if he be not let him seriously consider which of us are fallen from our own stedfastness 2 Pet. 3.17 and so declared our selves to be Gods enemy And now I shall proceed to the Second Particular that I observed in your Paper viz. The persons to whom it was directed namely to the Priests as you are pleased to call them and the people in and about Walton and Liverpool and especially written for the sake of the simple As to the name Priest I should not be troubled at it at all were it not given by you to the Ministers of the Gospel as a brand of reproach for indeed I finde it to be one of those honourable Titles that God hath given to the dispencers of his Word and Ordinances in all Ages They are sometimes called the Lords Priests Exod. 19.6 2 Chron. 6.41 sometimes the Lords Pastors Ier. 3.15 sometimes the Lords Shepherds Cant. 1.8 sometimes the Watchmen of Israel Ezek. 3.17 Isa. 61.6 and many other honourable Titles God is pleased to put upon his Priests that hee cloathes with his Righteousness Psal. 132.16 and appoints to wait at his Altars 1 Cor. 9.13 But you will say These are legal Titles given under the Law but we are not under the Law but under Grace and the Gospel of grace To which I shall have occasion to speak more fully when I come to the subject matter of your Paper I shall only say in this Section with a learned man whose Works I lately saw that the cause why many are so ignorant of Christ and his Apostles is because they are no better acquainted with Moses and Aaron But if we look into the Gospel as well as the Law we shall finde no less honourable Titles given to the Ministers of the Gospel than of old time was given to the dispencers of the Law we finde a Catalogue of them in Ephes. 4.11 they are there called Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers and though their names be here differently expressed yet their honourable Work is the same viz. for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ which is the Church And here is one thing observable viz. That God is pleased both under the Law and under the Gospel to give one and the same name to the Dispencers of his Word and Ordinances I mean Pastors if we compare this Ephes. 4.11 with Jer. 3.15 and not only in point of name but office also as shall by the assistance of God further appear in the next Section But further they are called Christs Disciples Joh. 13.5 the Preachers of the Gospel Matth. 16.15 2 Cor. 4.5 and with which I will conclude they are called the Lords Embassadours 2 Cor. 5.20 nay the Lord gives them the honourable title of Angels Rev. 3.1 c. These things considered may we not conclude with our Saviours own words He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 10.16 from which sentence the Lord keep me and the whole Israel of God I have now for brevities sake done with one of the Parties to whom you direct your Paper viz. the Priests as you call them and for the People I confess I have not had opportunity to speak with many of them since I saw your Paper but as many of them as I have had any conference with about it I assure you the greatest number of them looked upon your Paper as such an empty inconsiderate Peece that they concluded it was not worthy answering yet as you say it was written for the sake of the simple I assure you it is for their sakes that are endued with the humble simplicity that is in Christ that I undertook this present answer And now come we to the subject matter of your Paper which Centers it self in these two things 1. Concerning the lawfulness or unlawfulness of giving and receiving of Tythes and 2. Concerning perfect here in the body or whilst we continue in the body To the First of these viz. concerning Tythes I would gladly know whether you will acknowledge the whole Scripture to be the Word of God or no I mean the whole Bible the Old Testament and the New if you will acknowledge the whole I shall need say no more for the lawfulness of giving and receiving of Tythes than you have said against the lawfulness thereof for you have cited several Scriptures that make full for them as that in Deut. 14.22 23. compared with Mal. 3.8 10. in that of Deuteronomy the Lord takes care and giveth charge not only concerning the bringing in of Tythes but for the true bringing in of them as though the Lord were resolved not to abate them any thing of that proportion that he had commanded not only in relation to the quantity but quality also so at the twenty third verse Thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God in the place that the Lord shall chuse to place his Name there not only the tythe of thy Corn but of thy Wine and of thine Oyl and of the firstlings of thy Flocks and of thy Herds c. and the reason of all is added viz. That thou maist learn to fear the Lord thy God not only during this year and the next c. but always nay the Lord takes care as I may say concerning such excuses as some like your selves might make against the punctuality of this performance in relation to the distance of the place that the Lord should chuse from the place of some of the peoples residence Some of the people might say I hope I may be excused alas the way is too farre and the burthen that I am to bear is too heavie for me to carry so long a journey may not I be dispenced with No saith the Lord if the burthen be too heavie and the journey too long then shalt thou in such a case turn thy Tythes into Mony and shalt bring thy due proportion in Mony in thy hand As if the Lord had said I will not abate thee any thing neither will I be put off with any excuses or pretences that thou canst make but that which I require thou shalt truly perform but you will say this is Law why then let us take a step further and see what the Prophets say to it and here again you have answered your selves Mat. 3.8
will a man rob God it should seem by this text that your opinion is no new thing but as old as this Prophesie for the very same colour that yee pretend the Lord intimates to be this peoples pretence viz. Wherein have we robbed thee why saith the Lord in Tythes and Offerings and me thinks there is abundance of emphasis in the tenth verse by you likewise quoted Bring yee in all the Tythes into the store-house that there may be meat in my House and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of Hosts if I will not open windows in Heaven and pour down such a blessing as there shall not be room to receive it as if the Lord had said Do yee pretend a scarcity of the fruits of the earth so as yee cannot spare the Tythe that I require of you why you may thank your selves for your unwillingness to pay them that the increase of your Fields and of your Flocks and Herds is so slender or that I have blessed your increase no better but prove me now bring in the full of your Tythes keep nothing back and see if I will not so bless your increase as that not only your Barnes and your Wine-presses and your Stalls c. shal be full but there shall not be room to receive them And were it not to hold a Candle to the Sun I might adde many more Scriptures both out of the Law and Prophets that would speak the same thing As also of the largeness and bountifulness of the provision that God made for his Ministers that waited at his Altars even under the Law And have wee any grounded reason to produce why God should be straiter handed in his allowance of maintenance for his Ministers that he hath imployed in more excellent work for so is Gospel-work when it is compared with Legal-work But you are ready to take me here at my own word and to reply that all that I have said concerning Tythes is Legal and from the Law though you know it is partly from the Law and partly from the Prophets But you will say again the Law and Prophets are all one yea and so say I too and further I affirm That Moses and the Prophets and the Gospel are all one in substance and in effect the very same thing they are all the word of one and the same immutable and unchangeable God I might prove this abundantly but for brevity sake this one Scripture shall serve for and instead of many and methinks it might it is so full Heb. 1.1 2 God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past to our Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son whom he hath appointed to be heir of all things by whom also hee made the Worlds I pray you observe with me God one and the same God spake spake one and the same word yea at sundry times and in divers manners to our Fathers by the Prophets to us by his Son but to both one and the same word So then we may conclude the immutable God who was yesterday to our fore-fathers to day to us and the same for evermore hath spoken a Word and left us a Word like himself unchangeable in the substance of it though changeable in the administration of it according to the good pleasure of God the speaker of it yet the same Word spoken to his people whether in old time by his Prophets or in the fulness of time by his Son Gal. 4.4 5. or in the declining of time by the Ministers of the Gospel so then we see how dangerous a thing it is for us to separate or put asunder what God hath so joyned together that it is no more two but one I mean his whole entire and individual word and if this be granted the controversie is easily decided But you say further This Law so much insisted upon together with the Priest-hood of it is changed and the Commandement disannulled and this you bottom upon Heb. 7.12 18. the very same words that you mention in your Paper I confess is here the Scripture-word yet let mee tell you if we should take every word in Scripture in the bare letter of it not weighing the sence and meaning of the Spirit of God in the Scriptures such absurdities would follow as you and I little think of for instance one amongst many it were easie for me to prove that you have no faith or for you to prove that I have none if we only look upon the letter of one text of Scripture and our Saviours own words Matth. 17.20 Verily I say unto you if you have faith as a grain of Mustard-seed yee shall say to this mountain be thou removed hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible to you Observe Faith as a grain of Mustard-seed which our Saviour elsewhere saith is the least of Seeds yet if so small a quantity of faith be in you Mountains shall remove out of one place into another but which of us can speak this word of faith so as a mountain of stone or earth shall thus remove I bless God I know how to understand this Scripture better but I say if we take this Scripture in the letter of it who hath any faith at all when so small a quantity of it will do so great a work Therefore I say the sence and scope of the Spirit of God must be inquired of in all Scripture readings or else there are many things in the very Epistles of the Apostle Paul that are hard to be understood which the unlearned and unskilful do wrest to their own destruction as they also wrest all other Scriptures 2 Pet. 3.16 and therefore let us enquire into the meaning of this change of Law and Priest-hood and of this disanulling of the Commandement and we are right at this point or else not As for the change of the Priest-hood it is in relation to the manner of Administration not in point of Office for though the Sacrifices of Burnt Offerings be taken out of the way being nayled to the Cross of Christ yet there remains the Sacrifice of Prayer and Supplication with giving of thanks 1 Tim. 2.1 to be offered up upon the Altar the Lord Jesus Christ which is to God a Sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour Ephes. 5.2 and indeed is the sum and substance of all Burnt Offerings So David Thou requirest not Sacrifice else would I give it thee thou delightest not in Burnt Offerings but the sacrifice of God is a contrite spirit a broken and a humble heart O God thou wilt not despise Psal. 51.17 So if I should instance in all the particular injuctions of the Ceremonial Law it self we should find only the manner of Administration changed not the matter substance and equity of any one of them for instance in one of the meanest of them There was a Law of divers washings of hands and cleansing of
Conscience doth at large resolve the great Controversie about Tythes And shall proceed to the other great Query mentioned in your Paper and so take leave with you and all of your Opinions till you return again to the owning of the Truth of God laid down in the Scriptures and submit to order and break your selves off from disorder and confusion which tends to every evil work Jam. 5.16 And now to your Second great Question concerning Perfection I must first lay down your own words and then answer them for I desire to be faithful and not to wrong you in a syllable your words are these And thou Priest Fogge of Liverpool who said they that hold forth the way of perfection holdeth not the way of God but from under this thou canst not get but under the Condemnation must come and your reason is annexed viz. for the way of God is perfect which way is Jesus Christ for saith he I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh to the Father but by me but before I come to the Answer of this from under the just censure of false accusation you cannot get I use your own Language for Mr. Fogge was farre from denying the way of God to be perfect or from denying Christ to be the way the truth and the life But his Argument was that neither you nor any man nor woman upon earth had attained to perfection so as to be absolutely perfect in this life And for all he brought in many pertinent Scriptures to make good what he said yet you stick not so far to abuse him that you bury them all in silence not mentioning one of them I cannot conceive why you should do so unless it be your aim to hold him forth to the world to be so sottish that he could not make good his Argument against yours but blessed be God there were many ear witnesses that day but had there been none but your selves and that you should make your boast thereof yet I am confident no man indowed with reason would give credit to you in such a thing his abilities being better known than your own I shall pass by that disorder that you truly acknowledge was that day which was the occasion that many received not satisfaction For in truth I know not how such a thing as Order could be expected from a people that have cast off both order and decensie 1 Cor. 14.40 I shall now proceed to the direct Answer of your Question viz. Whether perfection be attainable in this life yea or no you say it is I say it is not except we take along with us these following limitations or as I may call them these steps to or degrees of perfection I shall for your and my own better understanding acknowledge four degrees of pefection and acknowledge three of them attainable in this life and the fourth unattainable all which I shall by the assistance of God make clear by Scripture and that very briefly First There is an imputative perfection that is when the perfection of Christ is imputed to a man and this was doubtless Jobs case hee was a perfect man in Gods account Job 1.8 because God had in the eternal Decree of his unchangeable love imputed the perfection of Christ to him he laying hold thereon by faith as it is written Abraham beleeved God and it was imputed to him for righteousness Gen. 15.6 and Rom. 4.3 which is all one with perfection for that man that is perfectly righteous is a perfect man but there is none in himself and from himself righteous no not one Rom. 3.10 There is none that doth good no not one vers. 12. And therefore whoever thou art that boastest of standing upon the feet of thy own perfection I say unto thee in the name of the Lord if thou standest at all thou standest by faith be not high minded but fear Rom. 11.20 Secondly There is perfection in part This is it the Apostle Paul owneth 2 Cor. 13 9 10. For we know in part and prophesie in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is imperfect shall be done away And if any ask when this shall bee the same Apostle makes answer 1 Cor. 15.54 When this corruptible hath put on incorruption and this mortal hath put on immortality then shall be brought to pass the saying that was written Death is swallowed up in victory Hos. 13.4 For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality And the same Apostle speaking of our bodies saith It is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sown in weakness it â—s raised in power it is sown a natural but is raised a spiritual body Now tell me where is the spiritual body till it be raised from the dead But I beleeve and am fully perswaded that though my body be sown in death a vile body it shall in the resurrection be made like unto Christs glorious body Philip 3.21 Thirdly There is a comparative perfection a man may be said to be a perfect man in comparison of others that have not received the earnest of their inheritance and of such we read Prov. 12.26 The righteous man is more excellent than his neighbour Ephes. 1.14 And indeed it is true every godly man is more righteous more excellent and more perfect than his neighbour for none but the truly godly walketh before God in uprightness of heart And that man that hath an upright and sincere heart is in Gods account a perfect man So Noah and Abraham are said to be perfect men Gen. 6.9 and 17.1 Fourthly and lastly There is an absolute perfection as I said before when we the members shal be made like Christ our head Col. 1.18 when we shall be glorified together with him Rom. 8.17 when these vile bodies shal be made like unto his glorious body When all the remainders of corrupt nature shall be consumed in Gods furnace I mean the grave but whilst we continue in the body wee are said to be absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.8 This absolute perfection then is not attainable here in this life which is the thing I am now to prove and by Gods assistance shall do it First By Scripture Secondly By undeniable Argument and so draw to a conclusion And first for the first I might fill up much room with places that would speak fully to this point but as our Saviour saith In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established I shall bring in two or three which I hope may suffice And first Job that was a perfect man in the sense I before mentioned viz. in Gods account yet in your sense he utterly disclaims it Job 9.20 If I justifie my self my own mouth shall condemn me And after Job had been as it were expostulating with God and pleading his own innoâ—â—ncy and integrity and as it were Gods hard dealing with him and had in the bitterness
unchangeable Priest-hood and if so they must needs of Divine right belong to the servants of Melchisedecks order but the Ministers of the Gospel are Servants of Melchisedecks order therefore to them of Divine right Tythes belong for Christ is a Priest nor after the Order of Aaron but after that unchangeable Order of Melchisedeck And methinks that practâ—ce of Jacob Gen. 28. is full for this present purpose he was going about a weighty business in pursuance of a command received from Isaac his Father God is with him and in his journey appeareth to him in a Dream le ts him see a Ladder reaching from earth to Heaven upon which the Angels ascended and descended Jacobs eyes are opened and he cries out The Lord is in this place and I knew it not vers. 16. He is terrified at the Lords presence and saith How dreadful is this place it is none other but the House of God and the gate of Heaven vers. 17. And observing these things he vows a vow vers. 20. saying If the Lord will be with me and keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and rayment to put on so that I come again to my fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God and this stone which I have set up for a pillar mentioned before in vers 18. shall bee Gods House and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee It is clear to me from this Scripture that Jacob acknowledgeth a tenth part of his substance to be of Spiritual right due unto the Lords House and he enters into a vow to perform his duty herein And if it was a Spiritual right belonging to Gods House it must needs of Divine right belong to Gods Servants that waite upon the service of his house these servants not being servants to such a Priest-hood as was subject to change for Aarons Priest-hood was not then erected but servants to an unchangeable Priest-hood even after the Order of Melchisedeck which endeth not for Christ continues a Priest for ever after the same Order all along in these Scriptures held forth viz. the order of Melchisedeck See for this Heb. 7.16 17. who is made not after the Law of a carnal Commandement but after the power of an endless life for he testifieth Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedeck So then wee see it pleased the most wise God whose is the earth and the fulness thereof to appoint such a proportion as the tenth part both before the Law and under the Law and never after expresly to take it off Who art thou oh man that dare say it is an unmeet proportion unless thou wilt acknowledge thy self to be wiser than God But since the legal proportion is displeasing to some I desire those that are displeased therewith strictly to observe the charge of the Apostle Paul who was an Apostle to the Gentiles and I doubt not but all truly godly Ministers of the Gospel will be well satisfied the charge is this Let him that is taught in the Word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things Gal. 6.6 now Tythes are good things they are the fruits 〈◊〉 â—ne earth which fruits are called precious fruits Jam. 5.7 And in truâ—h the Apostle gives not this charge without good cause for the Ministers are commanded to give themselves to study to approve themselves unto God Workmen that need not to bee ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth 2 Tim. 2.15 and their care ought to bee laid out for the Churches of God 2 Cor. 11.28 so as that it must needs follow they cannot lay out such care for their Temporal provision as others whose call is not so immediately to the Lords work as theirs is And it seems to me the good Lord of the house who careth for his 1 Pet. 5.7 took special care that they that minister in the Word and Doctrin should bee comfortably provided for without this care though I confess it was to Timothy that Paul writ when he affirmed that if any provide not for his own especially for them of his own house he hath denied the Faith and is worse than an Infidel 1 Tim. 5.8 18. that text formerly mentioned Deut. 14.22 Deut. 25.4 is again quoted by the Apostle as if he would again and again couple Law and Gospel together to speak one and the same thing in point of comfortable provision for the Ministers of the Gospel and argues it from good reason viz. The labourer is worthy of his hire and proves this Argument from our Saviours own words Mat. 10.10 And but once more with which I will conclude this Section I find our Saviour promising ample reward to any that shall put forth a charitable hand towards any of his Ministers in a case of being fallen into poverty Matth. 10.42 Whosoever shall give to drink a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a Disciple shall not lose his reward and at vers. 41. more pregnant to our present purpose He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward I may say on the contrary hee that shall take from a Prophet the right of a Prophet as he is a Prophet or he that shall refuse to give entertainment to a Prophet into his house or into his heart as a Prophet may expect a Prophets Curse and what that is you may see if you please to turn to Zech. 11.17 But you may perhaps say If this provision bee made for the Mâ—nisters how should they fall into poverty and yet let me tell you such a thing once was and Gods great care put forth concerning it 2 King 4.1 c. the Prophet was dead and had left Wife and Children in debt but which is worth our observing rather than the Prophets debts shall be unpaid the Lord will work a Miracle viz. empty vessels shall be filled with Oyl and the Oyl shall be sold and the Prophets debts paid Thus we see Gods provision made for his Servants the Ministers cleared from the Word of God both out of the Old Testament and the New the Old sets out the proportion viz. the tenth part the New is silent as to the proportion but full for a comfortable furnishing of them with all good things his care is held forth for them to the working of a Miracle his promise made to any that shall receive them and minister to them though but in a Cup of cold water and if any yet out of a sinister end shall plead that it is not by all this clear that they ought to receive Tythes I have only one word more to say and so conclude Secondly It is not only clear by Scripture but the Law and customs of Nations hath made choyse of this proportion and of our Nation amongst the rest it hath been and still is established by the Laws of the Land and
methinks upon very good ground in regard a way more agreeable to Gods Word could not be found Besides which way could a more equall way be imagined for doth not the Minister as well as the people in this thing depend upon Gods blessing or cursing the earth whether his allowance shall bee more or less plentiful or scarce so as both Minister and people shall be in one capacity either to bless God for plenty or to wrastle with God in times of famine and scarsity for the removal of the Judgement Now seeing it is thus agreeable to the Law of God and Nations and so full of equity who art thou O man that dare so desperately set thy self against both the Law of God and man sure I am in my own experience since I knew the right hand from the left I never observed any that made a scruple of pretended conscience of paying Tythes but they fell by little and little not only to the denial of all maintenance to the Ministers but even to the despising of them though they cannot but know that he that despiseth them despiseth their Lord and Master the Lord Christ I profess I cannot conceive any reason why you should with such vehemency set your selves against the maintenance of the Ministry unless it bee either First to bring them into reproach and ignominy and so make them contemptible that God commands us to account worthy of double honour and so on set purpose contradict God 1 Tim. 5.17 or Secondly which indeed I rather judge to be the ground of it viz. The cunning policy of Sathan that knows well enough that this Doctrin will bee readily received of all that out of meer covetousness are loath to part with that which God requires and it may be your deluded fancy to make use of this Doctrin to increase the number of your Proselites for there is not a covetous worldling but he will be ready to joyn with you in this Doctrin seeing so fair a pretence made for it viz. a case of Conscience though he shall one day know that this very Conscience shall rise up in Judgement and condemn him as a meer covetous wretch I remember towards the close of your great Argument against Tythes you draw towards what you chiefly aim at and by your own rate of Argument go about to argue the Dispensors of Gods Word and Ordinances to bee neither Ministers of Law nor Gospel and usurp to your selves that power that was proper and peculiar to the Apostles of Christ and indeed is now to the Ministers of the Gospel 1 Tim. 1.20 viz. That great power of Excommunication for say you from the Law and Gospel do we shut them which is indeed the highest degree of Excommunication but you have utterly disenabled your selves from having any thing to do in this matter by breaking your selves off and renting your selves from the mystical Body of Christ which is his Church in whose hand this power lyes 1 Tim. 1.20 with 1 Cor. 5.4 5. and whereas you adde That the Ministers had excluded themselves if you mean those of them that gave you the meeting I utterly deny it for they have not rent themselves from the Church neither hath the Church cast them off you afterwards enjoyn them Confession and Repentance and indeed I do and they will acknowledge it a necessary duty for the best of Gods people have sin enough to make confession of and to bee humbled for except those like your selves who say they are whole and need not the Phisitian but let me tell you if I hear a man crying out Keep at a distance come not near for I am holier than thou Isa. 65.5 I would get as farre from that man in judgement and practise as I could though I would be as near to him in affection as I durst for fear of displeasing God I cannot but before I leave this point answer you in one of your reproachful expressions that you make use of in your Paper I call it reproachful because you would from it cast reproach upon Gods Ministers otherwise I acknowledge the words you bring in are the words of a Prophecy and are these Put into their mouthes and they cry peace peace but put not into their mouthes and they prepare warre Micha 3.5 and this you say is fulfilled in many of the Priests of England who as you say Sues many at the Law and casts many into Prison because they put not into their mouthes I confess I know not one president of this nature but if any be I hope there is not a godly Minister in England that would steer this course towards any that were not well able to pay their dues and indeed for those that are well able to pay but out of a refractory gain-saying and contradicting minde will not pay I think the Minister should sin if he did not Sue such at Law and my reasons are those two Fâ—â—st sâ—e should sin in tollerating an evil example that all covetous wretches would be ready to follow Secondly He would hereby frustrate that great end for which the Law was made and ordained The Law was not made for the good and gentle and obedient but for the stubborn refractory disobedient and lawless that can and will not answer to their duty so as to perform it It is true it is desired that Christian Brethren would dwell so together in love and unity each one striving who should go before another in ready performance of every just and equal thing that there needed no going to Law according to that we read 1 Cor. 6.1 c. most of which Chapter is laid out on this very thing But whilst we live in this world there will bee Tares among the Wheat there will be such men as Christians could not live amongst were it not for the Law for all you so much disclaim the necessity of it and not only so but the very use of it But further I have thus much to say in vindication of godly Ministers they both preach against and often times deny themselves in point of their own right to avoyd this unchristian work of going to Law and utterly set themselves against any that shall go about to fleece the Flock of Christ and neglect the performance of their duty and in their Sermons upon occasion preach against careless Shepheards blinde Watch-men and dumb Doggs as you can yet for all this if there be any that are not faithful in discharge of their Office as Moses was faithful in all his house Numb. 12.7 shall we for such a ones sake condemn all the Lords Embassadors God forbid we might as well condemn all the twelve Disciples and Apostles of Christ because one of them was a Devil which none that fears God dare assert And now if any be not yet satisfied in this point I refer him to the Labours of a learned Divine in his time viz. Bishop Hall who in a little Treatise of his called Practical Cases of