word of God 3 Assertion To wit What ever Christ hath spoken who is the essential word is also the word of God Reason First because he is the Sonne and Heire yea and even God himself and not only man For in him dwelleth the sulnesse of the Godhead bodily He whom God hath sent speaketh the word of God John 3.34 Therefore what words he spake were the words of God and therefore it was truly said of him by the people to wit Never man spake like this man Coloss 3.16 And therefore it behoveth us not to let the words of Christ slip but to let it dwell richly in us in all wisdom John 3.34 For his words are the words of the word of God He whom God hath sent speaketh Gods words The words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life The fourth and fifth Assertion proved Rom. 7.14 For we know that the Law is spirituall but I am carnall Deut. 4.2 You shal not add unto the word that I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it that yee may keep the commandements of the Lord your God which I command you Observe that he enjoyns them that they shall take heed unto the word which he commands them speaking in the singular number as if it were but one word But when he shewes them the end of this his Take heed he expresseth it in the plurall number and maketh that plurality the same in the conclusion to wit That you may keep the Commandements of the Lord your God which I command you Clearly shewing that that word which he commanded them in the singular number was the Commandements of the Lord their God in the plural number So that it is evident that all the words and commandements of God in the whole Scripture being the words of God by whomsoever held forth may properly and truly and justly be called the word of God in the singular number Reason For as God spake those ten Commandements and writ then upon two Tables see verse 13. so all the rest of the scripture is not onely spoken but written and every part of it written or spoken by Holy men of God as they were moved by the spirit of God that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope And there is none that is ordained to eternall life but if hee read the Scriptures or heareth them read or spoken but if he understand them he doth believe them And there is no man justified through faith in Christ but he loveth the Scriptures and will own them as words of Spirit and Life and not account them as a dead Letter but as the word of God and as words of eternal life in which there is spirit and spiritual life communicative unto them yea even every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God is as spiritual food and nourishment whereby they grow up unto greater degrees of spirituall life where it is begun and whereby they presse forward unto perfection Those precious promises therein contained are the savour of life unto life unto them and they cannot but relish them as sweeter to them then the hony and the hony comb They cannot but with David love Gods Law and it is their meditation continually they doe esteem of the words of his mouth more then their appointed food they doe account them as a Lanthorn unto their feet and a light unto all their paths they grow thereby to be wiser then their Teachers because they keep them and to have more understanding then the ancients because they keep his precepts His words are sweet unto their taste yea sweeter then hony unto their mouth They vow and doe resolve that they will keep his righteous judgements Read much of this Psalm 119. All that are men and women after Gods own heart have the same spirit of love to and delight in and beliefe of and benefit and comfort by and from the sacred Word Law Precepts Judgments Statutes and Promises contained in the Scriptures and therefore cannot but hate every false way or contradictious way or way and works or words whatsoever that tend to the disparagement or contradiction thereof And therefore it was that our dear Saviour honored them so much as that he kept all Gods Law and fulfilled it perfectly and witnessed also that Men therefore erred because they knew not the Scripptures nor the power of God And he opened the understanding of his Disciples that they might understand the scriptures And he opened the heart of Lidia that she attended to the things that Paul spake And it is enjoyned unto Kings that they shall write them a Copie of the Law in a book which shall be with them that they may read therein all the dayes of their life that they may learn to seare the Lord their God and keep all the words of the Law and of the Statutes to doe them that their hearts be not lifted up above their brethren and that they turn not aside from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left to the end that they may prolong their dayes in their Kingdome See Deut. 17.18 19 20. Timothy was commanded to give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine 1 Tim. 4.13 These and many such like which I might produce are farre unsuitable to the Spirit and Doctrine of James Naylor which directeth onely to a light within which in many is clouded with sottish ignorance till they hear the Word which is ordained of God to save them that believe and is the meanes which they ought to use for getting that light and spirituall understanding which the Fountain of wisdome holdeth forth therein and doth thereby communicate to his poore dull ignorant creatures his Spirit being with it and as the Porter of their understandings that they may understand them and comprehend in measure those internall hidden and secret mysteries therein contained The Apostle Paul had served God with pure conscience from his fore-fathers and yet his light within informed not his conscience but that he thought it his duty to doe many things against the name of Jesus insomuch as through pure zeale persecuted the Church and wasted it exceedingly til he was called to from heaven See 2 Tim 1.3 And that notwithstanding all his learnednesse in the Scriptures and blamelesnesse of life concerning the Law For the reason was not because he knew not the Scriptures or did not search them but because he did not understand them aright but according to the false glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees which had clouded them so to him so that he did not know them in their genuine sense and proper meaning but under a false glosse For else he should not have erred for saith Christ ye therefore erre because ye know net the Scriptures nor the power of God And biddeth Search the Scriptures for they are they that testifie of me And the Scriptures are alle to make us wise unto salvation yea to make
ministred by the hearing of faith preached as wel as sometimes immediatly both which administrations I own as true But I come now to his other main Tenent which chiefly tendeth to the disparagement of the Scriptures and which chiefly ingageth men to oppose him in it as a work of Sathan And why should not I whiles I am in the world what in me lieth indeavour to destroy the works of the devil see 1 Joh 3.8 He saith further in his Book against Baxter speaking of the Apostles that they did never say the letter was the Word And in his 7th Querie in the end of his Book he enquireth whether the word of God can be changed or can it admit of several meanings as to one particular thing A I Answer that James Naylor may wrest the Scriptures to his own destruction and he is not so infallible but he may misunderstand the genuine meaning 2 Pet. 3.16 2. He enquireth whether it be visible or invisible A I answer the Word was made flesh and dwelt on earth and is now visible in Heaven and yet is here invisibly in spirit in the hearts of his people but how the word was made flesh James Naylor understandeth not 3. He enquireth is there any word but one or whether was that word before the letter and shal be when the letter is turned to dust A. To which I answer that Christ the essential word is but one we own but one Christ who shal remain when the Quakers have burnt their Bibles if they wil burn them as some of them have said it were all one to them if the Bibles were all burnt Foster by name hath so exprest himself and they say they are all of one mind then such esteem they have all of the sacred scriptures which we account of as not only the word of men but the word of God as so I shal make to appear that it is not blasphemy as they most wickedly assert but our bounden duty to own and call it the word of God and that it is blasphemy in them to deny it and cal it carnal and a dead letter And the Lord assisting I shal prove 1. That there is not only one but many words yea words of God so taken in scripture 2. That what God hath spoken is his word 3. That whatever Christ hath spoken who is the essentia word is also the word of God 4. That all scriptures given by inspiration of God and all expressions of men unto which they are moved by the Holy Ghost are the words of God and that it is not they that speak but the spirit of their Father that speaketh in them 5. That every word of God is pure and also true by whomsoever spoken but nor such lies as these of the Quakers but they are the words of another spirit then the spirit of God as I trust in God to make it manifest as so I ought And before I begin for fuller satisfaction how they account of the scriptures take notice that I find it in a little Book called The holy Scriptures clearing it self from scandals or an Answer to a Book written by Richard Farnworth who is commonly called a Quaker written by Thomas Polard who had opposed them by argum nt in a publick way Which Thomas Polard saith that they cal the scripture carnal and a dead letter and say it wil never bring a man to the knowledg of God but that all that is gotten from the scripture is but brain knowledg And I find in a Book of Naylors against one Thomas Moore how he answereth this to wit being asked by Moore whether the writing of the Prophets and Apostles be a dead letter He answereth that without the spirit it is nor can any without that spirit that gave them forth understand them or know the voices of Prophets or Apostles aledging Luk 24.45 Act 13.27 A 1. But where doth the scripture or the spirit of God cal the scripture a dead letter or carnal and that it wil never bring a man to the knowledg of God but that all that is gotten from it is but brain knowledg A 2. Where is it said in scripture that the spirit of God and the scripture are seperated The words that Christ hath spoken they are spirit and they are life and Moses said unto the people set your hearts unto all the words that I testifie unto you this day which ye shal command your Children to observe to do all the words of this Law for it is not a vain thing for you for it is your life and through this thing yee shall prolong your daies Deut 32.46 47. And again the law is spiritual faith saith the Apostle I am carnal Rom 7. and Prov 2. My sonn if thou wilt receive my words and hide my Commandements with thee so that thou incline thine ear to wisdom and apply thine heart unto understanding if thou seekest for her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledg of God see v 1 2 3 4 5. See also Pro 3.1 2. My sonn forget not my Law but let thine heart keep my Commandements For length of daies and long life and peace shal they add to thee see also ch 4.1 2 3 4. Let thine heart retain my words keep my Commandements and live And ver 13. Take fast hold of instruction let her not go keep her for she is thy life Consider I say whether the wisdome of God so pathetically expressing her self to us if possible to perswade us to attend and hearken to the words of his mouth and to keep his Commandements and instructions and treasure them in our hearts as words of life to our souls and marrow to our bones as in another place and that for this end we should teach them to our Children as I might be large upon any of these Texts But whether I say doth the wisdome of God account the scripture as a dead letter let all wise men judg and whether they have not in them more spirit of life and power then the words and writings of James Naylor and whether they ought not rather to be observed and beleeved and trusted in for eternal life Now it is evident that the directions of James Naylor as a way to be infallibly guided and to attaine unto life and peace and rest for our souls is one thing and these directions are another his directions are to attend and hearken to that spirit and light within though it be a question whether it be the spirit of God or a lying spirit and a question whether there be at all any light within but grosse darkness and he that is in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth til he be enlightned by the Word and Spirit But he that hateth his Brother is in darkness until this present time it were wisdom therefore for James Naylor himself to try his spirii and light by the Law and
us perfect and throughly furnished unto every good work through faith which is in Christ Jesus And though it is true that the naturall man understandeth not the things of God neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned to wit through an eye of faith For the word doth not profit unlesse it be mixed with faith in them that hear it Yet the wisdome of God hath appointed it to be taught to our children and to our Childrens children as so it was to Timothy of a child See for this Deut. 4.9 chap. 6. 6 7 verses and 2 Tim 3.15 Now these premises considered let any wise man judge what an absurd thing it were to teach our children to look for a light within and tell them that there is a light within them even in their consciences which they ought to obey and follow even that word and light which is in their heart and in their mouth and tell them that is the word and light and the onely word and that there is no word of God but one and that word and light is within them even in their heart and in their mouth And that the Scripture is not the word of God but Christ is the word which is within them And so utterly neglect to teach them the scriptures but if they doe and will learn them yet tell them they are but a dead letter and cannot profit them till they have the spirit to interpret them aright for whiles they are carnall they have nothing to do with scriptures I say let wise men judge whether these confused contradictions and lying doctrine were not more likely to make them mad then wise unto salvation It is true that Christ is the true light which lighteth every one that cometh into the world Joh. 1.9 But this shined in darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not verse 5. Now we must confesse that Christ is able to enlighten little children and to make them capable of comprehending of it And that so he doth to so many children as are his elect and do depart this life in their childhood and minority for Jeremiah was sanctified in the womb and John the Baptist was filled with the holy Ghost from his mothers belly And Christ himselfe vvas qualified with the blessed Deity in the very seed of the woman And yet considered as Man he did not in his minority comprehend all that light which dwelt in him bodily But considered as Man he increased in wisdom and stature and in favour both with God and man Luke 2.52 Yea though considered as GOD Hee accounted it no robbery to be equall with God yet considered as Man hee was ignorant of the times and seasons which the Father had kept in his own power Nay after he was ascended and sate down at the right hand of the Majesty on high when he gave forth the Revelation of St. John he had it but at the second hand considered as Man For it is called the Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to shew vnto his Servants things which must shortly come to passe And hee sent and signified it by his Angel unto his servant John So that John had it but at the third hand though he had Christ the light resident in him as so had also the seven Churches of Asia and the Angels thereof yet they had but this Revelation at the fourth and fifth hand From all which it is evident that though GOD can and doth when he seeth it good and necessary communicate his light immediatly by his blessed Spirit unto whom he pleaseth Yet his ordinary way where means is to be had is by the foolishnesse of preaching as so the world accounteth it to save them that believe And therefore such Doctrines as these vvhich tend so directly contrary to the use of meanes are as absurd and vvicked as if they should teach their children not to eat any meat because God is able to preserve them without it Nay it is so much worse as by how much the soule is better then the body and as it is more necessary to obtain and keep and increase our spirituall life rather then our naturall For as new born Babes vvee ought to desire the sincere milk of the Word that we may grow thereby if vvee be as babes And if we be grown up to be men of years and of a tall stature in Christianity yet there is strong meat for us if vvee can digest it and it may be stronger then vvee are able to beare or then vvee are yet capable or comprehensive of till vvee bee grown to more perfections It vvas therefore the wisdome of Christ to keepe back many things at present from his Disciples which he had to say unto them Because they could not beare them by reason of their infirmities And so did his Apostles after his example Yea to the weake they became as weake that they might winne the weake yea they became all things unto all that they might winne the more And injoyned others to receive the weake yet not unto doubtfull disputations And telleth the strong that they ought to beare the infirmities of the weake and not to please themselves And not to destroy their weake faith for whom Christ dyed And hee whomsoever that will be a faithfull Priest or Teacher in things concerning God must follow Christs example who though he was equall with God yet tooke upon him the forme of a servant and was touched with a fellow-feeling of our infirmities that hee might be a mercifull high Priest and have compassion on the ignorant and them that are out of the way hee therefore in all things became like unto us sinne onely excepted And who ever they are that have not a fellow-feeling of their brethrens infirmities but are ready to Judge and condemne them as Reprobates because they have faylings They are no Ministers sent of God but proud boasting vaine-glorious hypocrites and shall be judged themselves as they judge others and condemned also let them looke to it for it is their sentence given by Christ himselfe And againe James Naylor professeth himselfe to be perfect and to be infallibly guided by the Spirit of God The which if it be true it is the better for him and it is further then I have yet attained though I presse forwards and earnestly desire after the same things But I finde in my selfe many infirmities and failings and many times when I would doe good evill is present with mee so that I cannot doe the good I would nor avoyde the evill that I desire and I am yet ignorant of many secrets and mysteries of the kingdome of God which I desire to know and I am much too ignorant of the wayes of God and of the witnessing and meaning of the Spirit of God Whether he heareth my prayers and granteth my requests yea or no which was a thing ordinary in the primitive times amongst the Apostles and Prophets as the Apostle saith
lyars and by what spirit they are acted and therefore their testimony will not serve to excuse our consciences before God 2. And secondly let them not perswade us to desert the Ordinances of God For unlesse wee could thinke that the Quakers are wiser then the Lord himselfe that appointed them wee have no ground nor reason to beleeve them God never appointed any Ordinances in vaine but they are profitable if in the use thereof wee waite for him and for his blessing upon them for the good of our soules hee never failes them that waite for him And therefore if wee doe not finde them so spirituall and so efficacious to us for the present as wee doe expect let us rather blame the hardnesse of our owne hearts than the Ordinances of God or the Ministers of them or much more then the holy Scriptures which are a spirituall word and if they doe not seeme so to us it is doubtlesse because that wee are yet carnall And to presse us on to a full Resolution so to doe let us call to minde that Parable concerning Dives and Lazarus Especially the saying of Abraham unto Dives to wit They have Moses and the Prophets let them heare them see Luke 16.29 And note this If they heare not Moses and the Poophets neither will they be perswaded though one should rise from the dead see vers 31. For doubtlesse if the Ministers of God and of his holy Word and Ordinances which the wisdome of God hath thought fitt and appointed to save them that beleeve Be not effectuall to the perswading of us and saving of our soules It is without all question because wee are not ordained to eternall life As it was said in the Acts that as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved Acts 13.48 It behooveth us therefore to waite on the Lord in the use of all his Ordinances and not to thinke our selves wiser then hee least he giveth us up unto strong delusions and to beleeve a lye and so proove our selves fooles as so it is but just if wee thinke our selves wiser then hee 3. And thirdly let us above all things take heed that wee be not provoked by these delusive doctrines of the Quakers to reproach or speake evill either of the Ministers or the Ordinances of God or of the holy Scriptures It is without question a very haynous sinne in the sight of God so much as but to thinke evill of them But it is an high degree of blasphemie to speake evill of them in the least degree Now speaking evill of them is when we speake any thing tending in the least to the disparagement of them to cause them to be undervalued and disesteemed as carnall and vaine and uselesse or unprofitable c. And especially for the Ministers of God to call them Priests of Baal and hirelings and Wolves in sheepes cloathing and covetous and such like Epithets as the Quakers give in generall unto all that are not of their way Which can be accounted no lesse than speaking evill of him that sent them But least the Quakers should deceive us and make us beleeve they are such indeed Consider with mee first who they are and by what spirit they are guided and acted that speake so of them As for that I shall onely desire your serious consideration of this little Treatise and the Contents thereof whether it be not fully prooved that they are acted by a lying and malicious spirit to speake evill of the things they know not and of many hundredths and thousands of Ministers and faithfull Christians which they never saw nor heard of in their lives either good or evill and yet they damne them all as eternally lost and for the pitt of hell And let us not thinke it strange that Satan should threaten damnation to the Elect of God for what in him lyeth hee seeketh to destroy their faith above all other graces because when our faith faileth wee beginne to sinke and to decay in love and all other graces and so are laid open to his wiles and stratagems And therefore when wee heare the Quakers call men damned and carnall which they never saw before nor it may be never at all wee may well imagine whose spirit is in them for Satan would gladly perswade any man living on the face of the earth save onely his deluded instruments that hee hath assured to him already That there is no hope of salvation for such as them at all nor for any but such as are really acted and guided by him And therefore knowing who they are that speake evill of them wee have the more cause and ground to thinke well of them and to love and honour them But it will be needfull to answer some Objections whereby they delude so many unstable soules to wit 1. First it may be objected because it is true and well knowne that some Ministers are carnall and worldly minded and covetous and therefore to maintaine such is a sinne 1. I answer first that because of some wee must not condemne all 2. Secondly wee ought not to be uncharitable in judgeing or censuring any Now it is beyond the Rule of charitie to judge or censure further then wee certainly know and it is a great signe of malignitie against all if wee be so apt to censure any further then wee know 3. Thirdly wee ought not to judge according to appearance but righteous Judgement For wee may see failings and humane frailties in the best as so there was also in the most of the Prophets and Apostles and holy men of God that wee reade of in Scripture And therefore if we doe not finde them in a way of wickednesse let us take heed of censuring them least wee condemne the generation of Gods children as David had like to have done And therefore if wee doe not finde in them any way of wickednesse and know it for certaine let us judge and hope the best and forbeare censuring 2 Object Secondly it will be objected that though wee cannot clearely condemne them for any way of wickednesse yet if wee know them not certainly to be godly and faithfull Ministers such as are sent of God how can wee so freel communicare unto them as is required of us and as wee ought in case when wee know them such Answ I answer that if wee be godly and faithfull our selves wee shall doubtlesse know them by their fruits whether they be such or no for so Christ hath promised Yee shall know them by their fruits But in case wee are are not able to judge and resolve our selves whether they be so or no Then let us communicate freely and liberally unto them in regard they are in place as such appointed to be our Teachers through the providence of God and are the best wee have And above all things Beware of covetousnesse in this respect for if that sway us it will make every little fault an excuse to hinder us from communication And therefore let us
children for so they are commanded by the Spirit of God in the holy Scriptures And to take heed to the Law and Testimonie whereby they will try the spirits whether they be of God for if they doe not speake according to these it is because there is no light in them but the spirit of darknesse that Ruleth in the children of disobedience as is more at large in the booke 2. Secondly their spirit teacheth them to deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God and to call them carnall and a dead letter But the Spirit of God teacheth us that every word of God is pure and that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and that the words which Christ hath spoken to us are spirit and life to them that beleeve them and receive them in love 3. Their spirit teacheth them to speake evill of all men that embrace not their lying doctrines and wayes But the Spirit of God teacheth us to speake evill of no man but to honour all men and as much as in us lyeth to have peace with all men 4. Their spirit teacheth them to Revile and disparage the Ministers of God and to blame and Revile those that heare them and maintaine them But the Spirit of God teacheth us to love and honour them and to communicate freely and liberally for their maintenance that they may have lacke of nothing nor need to labour and intangle them with the affaires of this life they being ingaged in a spirituall warfare against princiyalities and powers and spirituall wickednesse c. For if it be true that God hath so ordained that they that preach the Gospell should live of the Gospell Then it also followeth that such Churches or people whomsoever that doe not so ordaine and take care or doe not so communicate to those that teach them as that they may live of the Gospell and have lacke of nothing for themselves or theirs but doe inforce them to labour with their owne hands and to intangle themselves with the affaires of this life They are not obedient to the Gospell of Christ nor followers of God as his deare children neither doe they walke in love as Christ hath loved us nay they are so farre unlike Christians as that they are worse then Infidells for if it were an unjust thing and a worke of crueltie to mussle the mouth of an Oxe that treadeth out the corne How much more cruell will it one day appeare to mussle the mouth of a Minister and Messenger of God that Ruleth well and laboureth in the Word and Doctrine Are they not more in value in the sight of God then many sparrowes yea then many Oxen Doubtlesse they are so in the sight of God and ought to be so in the sight of Christians But how much pressing will this point need before it be effectuall so as to naturalize Christians like Christians indeed I have much more in a Manuscript that I writ long since concerning this point which when the Lord seeth good may likewise be held forth But 5. Their spirit teacheth and ingageth them also and that upon paine of eternall damnation not to use the word You but thou or thee to a single person But the Spirit of God never gave us any such charge nor are wee so limited by any Rule in Scripture but quite the contrary For wee are commanded to give custome to whom custome is due feare to whom feare honour to whom honour Now it is the Custome of all true Christians in our English Nation to use this word You when they direct their speech either to man or woman especially if they be their superiours or if but their equalls and that in meere civilitie as it is accounted fitt And is seldome otherwise amongst civill men that have any breeding or humanitie in them and are not brutishly Irrationall and besotted in their minds save onely in case when men are transported with passion as sometimes civill men may in case when provoked by some injurie or incivilitie offred them and when they shew their displeasure or it may be are ready to fight they beginne to thou each other and to Revile and reproach and miscall one another just as the spirit of the Quakers also acteth them but never at any time whiles they are in love and friendship and sobrietie And that is the reason as I suppose why the spirit in the Quakers will not allow them to give us any civill language because hee cannot love us nor indure to be at peace with us but must needs shew his wrath and malice against us it is so implacable and bitterly seated and habituated in him for there was enmitie put betwixt the seede of the woman and the seede of the Serpent even from the beginning And therefore it is that if the Quakers should love us and give us civill language hee could not indure to have any fellowship with them nor would hee owne and spirit and act them as hee now doth if they did not obey him in acting so malitiously and opprobriously against the people of God and against all Gods Ordinances yea against the Scripture it selfe and so by consequence against the Spirit of God which gave it forth But it is wonderfull to mee how hee ever wrought them up to such a height of exorbitancies in all these things For it cannot be but meere civilitie and rationalitie and their wonted customes of civilitie ingaged them to be shie and unwilling at the first to use them it being so Improper a language and carriage for children to thou their Parents servants their Masters subjects their Majestrates and inferiours their superiours of all sorts and Relations and bringeth them into such a snare as that they are made uncapable of living amongst and conversing with men or occupying any trade merchandize especially and chiefly with strangers who cannot but thinke them either to be naturall fooles or distracted persons or some angerie uncivill malicious men which will make them afraid to have any trading or dealing with them And the truth is this their grosse incivilitie doth much hinder their growth and multiplying And without all question Satan would give them a full dispensation in many of these things if it were not so that hee is forced through his malice onely to act with and in such men as are really mal gniz'd against the people of God and are first really ingaged to him in voluntary obedience in something or other that he well knoweth will worke a separation from the children of light else hee could not exspect to keepe them in darknesse But to keepe them in darknesse hee first perswadeth them that it is their duty to God to observe the language held forth in Scripture and the examples of Christ and his Apostles and upon paine of damnation not to varie from it Now it is true that thee and thou were commonly used in Scripture-language But for ought wee know not because the word you had been a sinne for