D. makes no better then dung loss and filthy rags to both the Justification Sanctification and Salvation of sinful men from All their sins then the Quakers do who are by the Parish peoples Blind Leaders most abominably belyeâ— to them as denyers of it And because we do not with the misty Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the meer Letter which the Apostles were not Ministers of but of the Mystery of the New Testament or the Spirit 2 Cor. 3 own the bare External Text of Scripture which themselves confesse to be corrupted vitiated altered and adulterated in all Translations to be at leaâ—t in their Heb. and Greek Transcripts of it entire in every Tittle Letter Vowel Syllable and Jota the self same without any losse as it was at the first giving out but say it hath suffer'd much losse of more then Vowells single letters and single lines also yea even of whole Epistles and Prophecies of inspired men the Copies of which are not by the Clergy Canoniz'd nor by the Bible-sellers bound up in the Bulk and compasse of their modern Bibles and specially because we own not the said alterable and much altered outward Text and Letter or Scripture but the Holy Truth and inward Light and Spirit which the Scripture it self testifyes to which at times that Text and Letter came from to be as to Name and Thing and that properly the Word of God which is Living the only firm infallible Foundation of all Saving Faith and invariable Right Rule of holy Life the most sure sound Balis stable Standard True Touchstone for the due Tryal determination and discerning of all true Doctrines of Christ from mens Tradition and cunningly devised Fables Therefore they cry out against us as Siders with Jews Papists Athiests and All Scripture haters as decrying the due Authority of the Scriâ—tures as such by whom Satan assaults the sacred Truth of the Word of God in its Authority Purity Integrity and Perfection and as Opposers of the Scripture and the Word of God as to both Name and Thing witnesse J. O's Epiâ—t Dedicatory of his doings againâ—t the Quakers to all young Divinity Students p. 28.30 and elsewhere as is seen hereafter Whereas how though Christ and his living Word in the heart which the Scriâ—ture exalts also is Exalted onely on the Throne yet the Scriptures are owned by us in their due place and how though Christs Light and Spirit alone in the Conscience is according to the Scripture asserted to be the only most perfect Rule Foundation c. and not the â—etter as they darkly Divine yet the Letter is acknowledged by us full as much as it is by it self to have been written by men moved of Gods Spirit and to be useful profitable servicable c. to be read and heeded and how all-J O's lying Calumnies against the Quakers as concerning their carriage to the Scriptures and the Word of God and the Foundation and Rule c. are clearly wiped away and cashiered as well as T. D's foul false Aspersions of them in his Narratives as to matters of Fact are in the 1st part of my 1st Exer from p. 18. to p. 38. is to be read at large throwout the 2 d. and 3 d. Exercitations which consist well nigh wholly in vindication of the Truth against their cloudy conceits about the Scriptures And Moreover because we as the Spirit also in the Scripture bids us Jam. 2.1 c. have not the Faith of God with respect of persons as they are high in this world in the Church where Christ is the one Master and all the rest are Brethren Therefore they misrender us as proud obstinate uncivil churlish discourteous disrespecting contemning all mens persons Whereas we truly honour all men in the Lord and what we do in denying those vain Complemental Customs of the Nations as vailing the Bonnet or putting off the Hat which is part of the outward habit and bowing cringing to the ground when we come before men and in our keeping to that plain yet not True Antient and proper English Language of Thee and Thou which is used to God himself to each single person great or small when we haue to do with them who have no law of man neither whereupon to imprison and punish any for doing herein as we do we do it God is witness and will once Iudg between us and them not in a Spirit of Pride Arrogance Disrespect Disdain or Contempt towards any man but in Conscience to the Lord that we may stand clear before him who forbids us to bow to the likeneâ—â—e of any thing in Heaven Earth or under the Earth and in humility onely and that fear of the Lord whereby we are bound to depart from all conformity to all such fond foolish fashioning of our selves according to our former Lusts in our ignorance and to This World which we are chosen out of A more clear discovery of the unsuitablenesse of which Ceremonious services of men to the Saints of God is made as in the Scripture it self so in the 1st of the ensuing Exercitations from page 40. to page 47. And because Christs Headship Kingship and Supremacy alone we together with the True Church which is in God the Father and in Christ Iesus the Light can own in the Court of Conscience and in matters purely Spiritual and of meer Religious and Soul concernment and not any meer mans much lesse the Popes or any Priests in such Sacred Secrets therefore are we mistaken and misranked among such as are utter enemies to the present Kings Supremacy in these Dominions Whereas we do according to what the Spirit requires of us in all civil causes and cases between Man and man submit our selves to every Ordinance of man himself I say in such cases even for the Lords sake whether unto the King as Supream or to such as are sent of him to be a Terrour to evil doers and a Praise to them that do well And if those who have the Sword in hand shall turn it against us for well doing and so act against the good will of God or impose by Gods permission upon us contrary to our Conscience even there where we cannot obey actively we are willing to bear patiently without violent Resistance what God will leave us to suffer from the hands of such as should protect us not reviling nor threatning nor cursing but committing our case in quietness to him that Judgeth Righteously and our Souls to him in well doing And that Passive deportment must be and is judged by All to be Aequivolent to that Active obedience which others yeild for fear to what lawes soever are made among men And because we are no Strikers or Fighters as some men called Christs Minister's alias Servants are though no such should be 1 Tim. 3.3 1 Tit. 7. with Carnal Weapons the Weapons of our War-fare being not Carnall but Spirituall nor such as theirs among whom are found Warrs and Fightings which
Orthodox Brother Tombs as two Twins that tumbled both out of one Belly even one and the same Womb of that Babylonish Bawd are both to be tumbled into one and the same Tomb or Grave that as your two I. O. T. D. so their pair of pratings may go together into the earth whence they came as like to like earth to earth ashes to ashes for dust which is the Serpents meat all your Divinity doings are and unto dust must they all return Now as little method as thy Book I. O. hath in it yet is it as capable to be divided into parts as it is in each part in one thing or another most palpably divided against it self 1 As to the subject matter thereof it is in general twofold viz. The Outward Letter and the Inward Light that External writing or legible form of words commonly called the Scripture the Holy Scriptures which are ad extra but ab intra only and meerly without though from within together with that Internal Law Spirit Power or Word which is ad intra by all that know the Truth as it is in Iesus both seen felt heard understood and witnessed to be within not more cryed up by the men call'd Quakers who live both according to it and the Scripture then decryed by the men that are but supposed to be Christs Ministers who are utterly erring besides them both knowing truly neither the one nor yet the other Sundâ—y touches there are given by thee as thou goest along at other things viz. Vniversal Grace Perfection Persecution Modern Inspiration by the Spirit of God Revelation and such like about which thine and the Quakers Doctrine differs by which as ex pede Herculem thy Pulse is felt and it 's spied out how thy Spirit blows against Christs thy truthless talk of which may the Lord leading to it not unlikely be talked with by the way before I have done But those two abovesaid being well nigh the Totum in Toto the Totum in qualibet parte the matters thou mainly medlest with and most miserably mudlest thy self about thoroughout the whole Body of thy Book and every part thereof making little less then a very God of the one i. e. Of the Letter which is the last and the least and the lowest of the two and little better then a very Devil of the other i. e. the Light which is the first and the highest and the greatest so that all others are but toucht upon as in subserviency either to the Deifying or defying respectively of one of these to clear away that fog and smoak which thou raisest about them both to the thickning and darkning of the Sun and Ayr so that none can see either of them clearly through thy cloudy collation thereupon is the chief intent and likely to be the chief and utmost extent of this present Answer 2 As to the Tongue wherein it treats excepting here and there a little Hebrew and for shew sometimes more then service a penful or two of Greek interlin'd in both parts and now and then two or three licks of Latine among the English thy Book stands divided into two parts viz. Latine and English a Cloven Tongue of another nature then those that sate upon the Apostles and these are as the two Horns of that second double-fac'd Beast that is as the Lamb and yet speaks like the Dragon wherewith thou pushest at thy Opposers on the right hand as well as on the left even not only at thy own Brethren the Protestant Divines when they please thee not by Divining the contrary to thy peremptory peculiar Positions and preheminent pratings together with that blind Brood of the first ten-horn'd Beast of Rome to whom both thou and all thy Brethren though in many things ye justly band against them are Brothers in nature still and of neerer Kin then ye well ken or wot of but also against the true People of God These two general parts each of which is prefaced with an Epistle also in language like it self stand divided and subdivided more particularly within themselves viz. the English into two Treatises which subdivide themselves the one into six Chapters the other though falsly figured into eight the Latine into four Apologetical Exercitations as thou call'st them for the Holy Scriptures against as thou call'st the Quakers the Fanatical Ones of these Times Which fore-named divisions and subdivisions that are scarcely more divided from then against each other do all split themselves yet fuâ—ther into a new needless number of smaller Sections and Thâ—ses The two English Treatises which arise mostly from one and the same Spring or Head together with the other not God nor his Spirit nor yet the Scriptures but the Head of the Serpent which is to be bruised thy own brain vain invention and imagination run along treating to and fro in two distinct streams or Torrents awhile and at last having as thou sayst Arctissimum materiae doctrine consortium a neer coincidence of their matter with it and affinity in their subject by which the whole Trinity of them is drawn into that Unity to compleat thy double Doctrine far from the Scriptures for the Scriptures fall into one with the Latine Sourse or Lake of Lyes that burns more hotly then the rest in wrath against the Quakers And having there lodg'd and center'd thy two English Discourses and drawn them into one with this verifying herein that old true saying Vis unita fortior thou ventest that venome in stronger streams and spittest out that spite more fluently and in fuller floods against the Qua. which was in some few places only sprinkled out upon them before and filling up what was behind of thy flattering false Applauses of the naked Letter which with some of the same that were used before and some new super-eminent undue Titles thouâ— here also magnifiest beyond the bounds and measure of all modesty and truth hoping belike to appear approved of Christ as one of note in his service what disservice soever thou do him otherwise so long as thou art found saying something though Hoc aliquid nihil est as good thou hadst said just nothing as no more to the purpose and raking and skimming and scraping out of thy own thoughts some ample Apologies for the Scriptures thou fillest up thy measure of mad mirth against that true inward Light of God and its Children that testifie unto it as that which is to be preferred before the Letter and was before it as that which the Letter was given forth from despising these as in thy English Epistle p. 28. p. 30. under the as false as foul terms of poor deluded Fanatical Qua. pretending to be guided by an Infallible Spirit that oppose the whole truth about the Word of God so there under the abusive clamours against and charges of them even by whole-sale as Fanatical ones that are notoriously known by their errours and foolishness who are driven by the power of an Evil Spirit
in which it was written for though their senses are some of them true enough to serve out turn yet as they mean not so fully as the Spirits true one in proof of the truth of which when we who are of the light and of the day and so needing no proof of it to our selves it s so cleare do tell them who are of the night and darknesse that our meaning is drawn from the import of the Phrases and ours is the very meaning of the Word as the Letter of them doth import and ours is the most genuine interpretation of the Words as they are taken in the most Ordinary and literall sense of them and that their meanings are far fetchâ— fOrraign and every way improper T.D. wipes away all this with a wet finger and though himself I know not how oâ—ten argues ad libitum which way he will and none must controle him yet me mutire nefas we must be tyed to take such a sense as is imposed on us As for him he argues sometimes from the figurative and meâ—onimicall as p. 22. Christ is said quoth he to be in us by a metonymy of the cause for the effect so p. 44. holynesse of that state of the Resurrection is cal'd perfect by a metonymy of the Subject for the adjunct sometimes from the forraign and more unusuall yea improper sometimes from the most ordinary usuaâ—l genuine and proper signification of the words sometimes from as he saith at least but falsly the literal sense and import of the phrases as p. 4. As for the Phrase in your hearts it imports the same quoth he with that c. And p. 5. when the Kingdom of God is Luk. 17. 21. by Christ and his said to be in the Pharisees that expression may import quoth he that the Kingdome which they upon a mistake did look for without them was indeed a Kingdome within them and that say I is very true T.D. himselfe hath there imported the very truth for the expression in you imports the Kingdomes not being whiâ—hout them in the outward observation wherein they lookt for it but really within them as he said indeed neverthelesse T.D. who is like his Father that abâ—de not in the truth cannot abide when he happens to be in it to be long in it neither and is never well till he is out of it again therefore when by hap hazard he had utter'd the truth from the right impâ—rt of the Phrase in you cannot rest till he has chang'd his mind and to his first and true hath added another 2d and false meaning so mightily is he enamoured with many meanings and senses and therefore addes another as false as his first was true from another import of the same expression as wrong as his first was right Thus To which I shall add quoth he that upon 2d thoughts secondae cogitationes are mostly meliores but are I must not say maliores for that were false Latine though true in English to him that can English it but longe pepres in this place I judge the most genuine interpretation to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among you so the Preposition may be rendered in which last import of T.D. the case is so altered from what it was before that is stead of that one truth could he have kept to it he uttered before he hath now uttered more errours and falsities and absurdities then one for if the Proposition iâ— may be rendred among and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may possibly sometimes as if ever it seldom does import among you yet first it is not usual nor ordinary much less its primary proper literal nor as T.D. calls it its most genuine but a most unusual forraign secondary illiteral ingenuine and improper import and 2. in very deed if T.D. will vouchsafe that Scripture Luke 17.22 a Review he may come to return to his first judgement which he past in truth viz. that the Kingdom was indeed within them and upon his second looks to Judge as Right as he went from the Right to Iudge amisse upon his second thoughts for what ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may improperly import yet in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which imports not among you and can properly import no other sense then truly and properly within you in in opere longe obrepsit somnus as I.O. saith and sith Non Divinum but Humanum est errare Aliquando bonus dortat Homerus But however there 's two meanings to that one Scripture as T.D. sayes it may import so or it may import so so that the Reader of T. D. may take his choice and read his inalterably Reeling-Rule of the Scribes wrested Scripture which way he will and not let it Rule him but Rule over him as he listeth Thus these two men T.D. and I.O. impose as many meanings according to their own minds which are not the same that was in Christ as they see good on the Scriptures and in stead of Reconciling them and letting people to whom T.D. sayes They seem to be at vaâ—iance among themselves see how well thâ—y are agreed and in stead of causing them like the Cherubims to face one another which T.D. sayes p. 4.36 is his dury and part of their work they set them at variance by their several senses on them and pervert them by their Perhaps's per adventures and pratings against the Phrases most proper and for and about their own improper imports saying perhaps it s so or else perhaps so the Expression may import so but upon the second thoughts I Iudge rather for it may be sâ—â—rendred the most genuine interpretation is so the meaning is not so as the Phâ—ase imports it must be either so or else so or else so or else so as who should say we 'l have it any way rather then the Qua. shall have it theirs and cause it to face three or four wayes at once if never a one of them be right and altogether against within where the onely true way is which wayes the Cherubims alwayes lockt with their faces onely inward and they make to it not onely many meanings but any meanings though never so uncouth and contrary to truth sense and reason so they may but wave off and wind away from the right true meaning and mind of Christ Luke 17.22 The Kingdom in you is not without but indeed within you and yet upon second thoughts quoth T.D. it is not in you but among you p. 5. and Rom. 8.4 The Righteousness of the Law said to be fulfilled in us imports not in our persons but in Christ p. 17 and Omnes everyman is not every man but of every sort some Omnes is not all but here and there one p. 6 so see I.O. Exer. 4 Sect. 24. Hoc est Syncategorema istud Omnis the world whole world John 3. 16. I John 2. 2,3 not the whole world nor the most of it but the Elect onely that are out of it not of it
true that as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses by imitating what he did by the finger of God and acting outwardly so as he as far as they could till they were forced to confesse they could now fainedly follow no further and in a seeming shew did the same by their Enchantments So 't is now the Saints pray so do the Sinners the Saints fast so do the Sinners the Saints preach of a Gospel a Kingdom to come so do the Serpents the Saints meet so do the Hypocrites the Saints Worship so do the Idolaters the Saints in the Power and Spirit of God professe to be Godly and Holy so do the zealous Sorceters in words who bewitch the people that they cannot believe and obey the Truth and their several seduced Societies which have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Form of Godlinesse denying the power thereof c. And as it is true that as the Quakers Tremble at Gods Word so that the power of Gods voice which shaketh the Cedars of Lebanon when heard as well as the lower shrubs ofâ—â—times greatly affecteth the outward man so the Devil may cause some of his deluded ones to seem only to do the like But what of all this Scillicet because there is something done in Deceit therefore nothing now done in Truth some Quaking is of the Devil therefore none of God himself This is the sum of I. O's sayings of all the Quakers in grosse if not learn henceforth I.O. to take forth the prelious from the vile as Gods Prophets do who are as his mouth Ier. and not to jumble these together in one as hitherto thou hast done till then I tell thee from the Quakers so called that faining and being driven by the Devil thou fatherest on us we are far from and deny it as one of the many Lyes the Devil drives thee to defame us with who are in the Truth which the Devil abode not in whose Works with himself and his Lyes and that Deceit which is of him and dwells in thee we deny and defie also for ever And now whereas thou talkest of only Liberty and Glory and Fellowship with the Father in these dayes of the New Testament and such Quaking Trembling Terrour Dread c. as greatly affects the outward man as a matter belonging to them of old only to the Iewish Paedagogy c. as if the Word must come to you now in a smoother manner then to Gods Servants and Prophets heretofore Herein thou talkest as if the time of all such Trouble Terrour Dread and Trembling at hearing of the Word of God as usually affected the outward man and was in the Prophets was all perfectly past and men should see no more of that in the world among the Servants of the Lord from that time and forward wherein Christ after the flesh was outwardly incarnated Crucified and Risen again from the dead and all the Appearances of the Lord to his Apostles Prophets Messengers Ministers and Servants whom he sends forth on his Errand into the world now a dayes are only in liberty glory dreaming pleasantly in thy dark mind of ease rest peace and familiarity with the dreadful God before thy time damning down the rough severe troublesome terrible trembling spirit doctrine and Ministry of the Quakers to thee ward and thy serpentine generation of Vipers that would fain flee the wrong way when ye are warned thereof from the newes of a wrath yet to come to your lifelesse Formes and fig-leaves and false biding-places sandy sickle foundations literal lurking-holes fained pretences bare Bible bulwarls selfish Fastings Prayers Praisings Preachings misty empty pithlesse and poor Professions as a Doctrine of Devils as a ministration wherein either fictitiously or rather really they are acted surpriz'd by the Devil with trembling in their holy services Ex. 1 S.I. as they said of Iohn that came Fasting and Reproving Iudging and Threatning laying an Axe to the root of their fair leafy tree and flourishing formal prosessings of the old Prophets Words and Writings and pretences to Abraham as his Children and Moses as his Disciples and the Scripture as the Scribes and Openers of it and telling of wrath to come upon them and unquenchable fire to burn them up as Chass this man hath a Devil away with him give us a Ministry that will speak comfortably to Ierusalem Seers that will see better things for Sion that shall answer the Messengers of the Nations that enquire of them the Lord hath founded Sion 't is Babylon that is to be confounded O ye Quakers ye Seers flee ye far away hence to Rome to Papists Iesuites Iewes Turks Heathens among whom many Quakers have been but few or none of our Chimney-corner Church-men that I know of but come not hence with your Plumb-line thundring words of Iudgement laid to the line and Righteousnesse to the Plummet and laying waste the High Places of Israel and the Sanctuaries of Israel with the Sword of the Lord this our Land of Israel ought not to bear these words 't is disturbance tumultuousnesse and Conspiracy against the Pious Magistracy and the Godly Ministry in the midst of it Prophesie no more such rough things at Bethel they are not right things here Prophesie to us Placentia Prophesie smooth things alias Deceits we are the Preists of Bethel the house of God Amos 7.7 c. we are the Ministry of the reformed Churches we are the Well heads and feed at the Fountains from whence Souls draw all their Refreshment we are the Doctors Deans Principals Provosts Presidents Wardens Masters of Magdalene Christ-Church Iesus Trinity Emmanuel and such like Christian Colledges and Halls the Religious Nursing Fathers to the Nursing Mothers themselves that are alias ought to be the very Nurseries of Learning and true Religion If ye come to us with a Word from the Lord come not in your wonted trembling postures and obstreperous horrible vociferation wherewith ye dreadfully found it out throw our Streets Cities and Temples know the Lord as if we were without God in the World Prophesie no more ye Fanaticks to us in your pretended movings by the Spirit if ye do ye must bear and take the shame of the Stocks or the Cage or the Whipping-Post and a Passe to the place from whence ye came or the pulling off your Robe with the Garment or the stopping of your Mouth with stones and the Pumps and Mire and Dirt or such like Mic. 2.6 7 8. But vers 11. if a man walk in a Spirit of Falshood do Lye will Prophesie to us of wine strong drink Ease Pleasure Peace with God in our sins impossibility of being purged from them till we die and of Salvation and Iustification of us by the Example of David while under the guilt of Murder and Adultery and of Profits and Preferments and more Maintenance for a Godly Ministry that suppose Gain to be Godliness let him come he is a Gospel Minister he shall even be the Prophet among our
not to be believed when she talks the Truth p. 225. So I may say of thee though I believe thee when thou speakest truth yet thou utterest so many untruths that thou scarcely deservest to be believed when thou tellest the Truth but yet if thou be of any credit with thy self and thou wilt but take thy own word then we are well enough and have wherewith to answer thy challenge having thy self in the self same Book we have here to do with speaking more then one word at least and that 's enough ad bominem to this purpose viz. that there was in the world a Copy of the Bible different from what we now enjoy in one word at least and that 's in more then Tittles which thou who art Callidus more then Callidus in thy Re frigida contendest for sith the Keri and Ketib those 840. words which are confest by thee to vary in their Consonants from what they should be written with if what is in the margin were in the line are confest by thee not to have been so from the beginning which if not then there was once a Copy different from what we now enjoy but of this thou wilt hear more from us by and by Secondly p. 300. thou sayest the difference in the sense taken in the whole context is upon the matter very little or none at all at least each word both that in the margin that in the line yield a sense agreeable to the Analogy of faith Rep. Here thou mendest thy bad cause as well as one can well do that makes it two-fold worse then 't was before for if there be welnigh a thousand words not onely different in Consonants which is greater then that of Tittles but also such as makes the least difference in the sense of the Spirit which how many so e're the Text may bear is acknowledged by all but your selves that make many to be but one alone ever to one word or place then thou thy self overturnest that certainty and Identity of not onely the Text it self thou so loudly contendest for but also in some measure of the Truth it self contained therein which we say is eternally entire let the Text run which way it will but thou here art forced to confesse that in the Keri and Ketib there 's not onely a variation in words but also thereby in the very sense it self And though thou wouldst fain mend it when thou hast done by mincing the matter making as if the Context considered the difference in the sense is upon the matter very little and agreeable either way to the Analogy of faith as ye often speak whereby if not blinded ye might see how for all ye call the Scripture your Rule of Faith yet ye more serne the Scripture into the sense of a suitablenesse to your modern devised model of faith still then suit and model your faith according to the true sense of the Spirit and mind of Christ in the Scripture yet that 's a meer false seeth and â—â—gment of thy own for in some places there arises from the Keri and Ketib a very vast variety not to say clear contrariety in the sense such as if the Context be consulted with is consistent with the faith but one way onely and not the other and sith thou puttest it to the tryall by the variety of those two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are the same in sound yet most distinct in their significations and so of all the varieties that are of this kind seeming to thee of the greatest importance of which it is observable that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose signification is not is fourteen or fifteen times put in the Text or line instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose signification is to him or it which is set in the margin I am willing to be tryed by that very variety that is of thy own naming the better to satisfie thee And whereas thou sayest that though these seem contrary one to the other yet wherever this falls out a sense agreeable to the Analogy of faith ariseth fairly from either word instancing in some places picke out by thee for thy own purpose I say if it do hold it s not worth a pin or point to the proof of what thou sayest if in any one of those fourteen or fifteen places it appear to the contrary and that it does let me be so bold fith thou instancest in two that are fittest for thee to instance but one that makes against thee and then I shall trouble my self no more with thy Keri and Ketib which would make one if not sick yet at least sorry for thee to see how sorrily thou shifts by it Isa. 9.3 thou hast multiplyed the Nation not encreased the joy say the Ketib or word in the Text but the Keri or word in the Margin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to it which marginal Reading though Translators following the mistake of the mis-transcribers keep to the Ketib is undoubtedly the true and onely sense of the Spirit for the reading in the line as it is in both Transcripts and Translation is considered with the Context a piece of meer non-sensicall contradiction thou hast encreased the Nation not encreased the Ioy they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest as men rejoyce when they divide the spoil what a jarre does the word not encreased the Ioy make in the sense of that verse yea it makes it meet confusion and contradiction to say the joy is not enlarged and yet it is enlarged like to that of men that rejoyce in harvest and at the dividing of the spoil but read it by the Keri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to it thus viz thou hast multiplyed the Nation thou hast encreased joy to it or its joy they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest as men rejoyce when they divide the spoil and then there 's no discord in the sound but it s all sweetly sutable and harmonious and agreeable to the Analogy of the true faith also Arg. thy Eleventh is The security we have that no mistakes were voluntarily or negligently brought into the Text before the coming of our Saviour who was to declare all things in that he not once reproves the Iewes â—n that Account when yet for their false glosses on the word be spares them not And this Argument is urged o're again p. 316 interrogatively thus viz. can it be once imagined that there should be at that time such notorious varieties in the Copies of the Scripture through the negligence of that Church and yet afterword neither our Saviour nor his Apostles take the least notice of it yea doth not our Saviour himself affirm of the word that was then among them Scripture with thee that not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should passe away or perish Rep. 1. Leave calling Christ thy Saviour as thou often dost till thou witnesse thy self saved by his grace from
Apostles and Prophets it self which was not their writings for these were not their foundation nor were given to be ours for if they were then they had been built upon themselves and we are to be upon them which is absurd to say for neither their own preachings nor writings were their own foundation which they were built on nor are we to build onely upon them but both they and we upon that which all holy men were built on from the beginning before any writing was at all viz. Christ Iesus the light the corner stone which the blind builders refuse on whom whoever builds and believes if he never come to read one Tittle of any outward writing shall assuredly never be ashamed In this one grant then thou hast given both the Qua. and all others thou contendest with no lesse then the very cause thou contendest for viz. that the Scripture or Letter is infallibly the infallible word of God and every Letter Tittle and Iota of it also one Iot or Tittle of which can no sooner fail then Heaven and Earth can passe away and that every Iota and Tittle that was in the outward Letter as at first given forth from God by inspiration is preserved to this very day without corruption and remains in the Copies preserved till now for the use of his Church that the whole Scripture entire as given out from God without any losse is preserved in the Original Copies yet remaining yea in them all is every Letter and Tittle For this is the cause thou hast taken in hand in which thou wilt find when once thou awakest that thou hast hold on the wrong end of the staffe and these and much more of the like sort are thy own words and absolute assertions about it up and down in thy Book T. 1. c. 1. S. 14. T. 12. e. 2. S. 7. 9. which if they cannot be made good so high thou runnest but that there be any corruption to be supposed in your present Original Copies and various Lections though it be granted by Capellus and others that the saving Doctrine remaines sound as to matters of moment yet this shall not satisfie nor afford thee relief enough but thou wilt needs give up all thy cause as lost even further then thy own opponents would have thee confessing and professing that all your Doctrine is corrupt not continuing entire no means of its discovery nor of its recovery from a lost condition no means of rectifying it or determining any thing about it see T. 1. c. 1. S. 16.17 yea so as to yeild your selves to be at such a losse as not to know what ground ye stand on yea in thy Dedicatory Epistle pag. 25. lay but these two together first that the Points are the invention of the Tiberian Massorites which by all thy proofs to the contrary thou leavest as uncertain as thou foundst it and little lesse then yeild'st that it 's but uncertain 2 That its lawful to gather various Lections c. and then sayest thou for my part I must needs cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tell me where I must stand as not seeing any means of being delivered from utter uncertainty in and about all sacred Truth and so thou goest on desuing to be instructed by such as see through the deâ—adiations that are likely to ensue on these principles as one that tremblest to think what will be the desperate consequences of imagining alterations in the Points Tittles and Iotaes of your Originals Ep. ded p. 19. now what the issue will be we leave to God though some know it yet thou are too weak to bear the sense of it without amazement being bottomed no better then upon a quavering bogge if it should be told thee yet know it thou wilt when it comes to passe or if thou canst bear it take it now Fiat justuis aut pereat mundus the issue as dreadfull as it seems to thee who aâ—t in fearlesse dangers of greater mischiefs and but dangerless fears of this present object thou so startlest at will assuredly be no worse then this as I said above viz. that while Theeves will fall out True men will come by their good again if all the Divines in the world be in such digladiations as to draw their daggers against each other about it yet the light from which your whole Letter came will be turned to when the Letter is found to be but a fallible uncertain Rule as falsified by mens mis-transcriptions and mis-translations which light is certo certius vera verius if ought can be so even no lesse then infallibility and certainty it self and that very Equity and Truth it self which the Letter teaches and doth but tend to and for my part sink thou and thy fearful fellows boreling Priests and wrangling Lawyers that live altogether on mens lusts trespasses and sins of which when the world comes to the light and by it to be led into love honesty and peace as there will be no need so it will be wiser then to be fooled into a feeding of you for feeding them in their fightings I say sink ye whether ye will and your Quick sandy foundadations together with you till both your selves and them be swallowed up by that greater glory of the light it self now arising again upon the world though they will nor see it I know some that stand so fast in this juncture wherein the old heaven and earth shakes in order to its removing as to see thousands fall besides them and thousands at their right hand yet be out of fear of the fearful fall of the Hypocrites coming nigh them And as it hath never repented me hitherto to see that people that were Priestbewildred and hampered in Latine Letanies English Liturgies divine Scottish Directoryes falling off from their Priests and Scribes to the search of Scriptures so it will never repent either my self or many thousands more that are turned to a true attendance to the light of Christ having witnessed that weaknesse of the Letter it self to save the soules of men which the Letter it self also bears witnesse to Rom. 8 2. to see men fall according to the councel of the Scripture in that behalf Gal. 5.16 such a tall is in truth not from but to the Scriptures from the Scripture it self to the holy Spirit Neverthelesse were I one that did close never so cordially with thee in thy cause about the Scripture yet could I not commend but most condemne the Course in which thou commend'st it to us for as if it were not forward enough te fall of it self thou hastenest to handle it down with thy own hand writing while thou grantest the very first Transcribers of the Scripture to be fallible and also to have erred and failed though it were but in Points Tittles and Iotaes and in no lesse they could fail if they fail'd at all for is they were fallible and what they wrote were falsified in the least then at least thy
and sure then either the greatest miracle that ever was or immediate voice that ever God himself spake by from heaven and to be the sole Rule and determiner of all Doctrines whether they be Truths or but cunningly devised fables which two Texts together with Isa. 8.20 how little they evince any such matter and what is meant in them by Moses and the Prophets and by that sure World of Prophesie which thou and thy fellows foolishly affirm to be the Scriptures I shall God willing take occasion to examine anon Three of thy main inartificial Arguments as thou truly callest them p. 50 51 52 56. or Testimonies to thy untruth being by the head and shoulders without either sense or reason wrested from them Again it is true the Bereans did search the Scriptures whether the things were so as the Apostles spake who spake nothing but summarily substantially the same which Moses and the Prophets did say should come but what though they did so of their own accord and their searching was succesful and useful also to the fortifying of the faith they had in the World of Truth which they received readily not as the word of man but of God not as fables but as truth it coming to them as to the Thessalonians not in word only but in power and the holy Spirit and in much assurance 1 Thes. 1.5 must it needs follow therefore that the Scriptures were their only Rule of determining the Doctrines whether they were truths or fables the Word of God or the word of man and that their faith and owning that truth was à priori first originally and immediately founded as thou preachest all faith and repentance must be page 58.64 on the Scriptures so that if they had not first searched the Scriptures and there found a congruity of the things with the old Writing they neither would nor could have beleeved or received the truth thus thou and most of thy faternity foolishly fancy but look again and ye will finde it far otherwise for howbeit they searched the Scriptures and did commendably and nobly therein and were commended as more noble in that then they of Thessalonica who yet are commended as noble excellent and exemplary as the other in receiving the Word in much affliction with joy as Gods and not mans word though it seems not so serious in searching the Scriptures as these 1 Thess. 1.5 6 7 8. and were not a little confirmed in their faith begotten before yet they first received the Word with all readiness of minde as hundreds do at ths day as preacht to them by word of mouth from the Apostles the witness of God being reached and answering to the truth of it in their hearts in which they were noble as Thessalonica was yet more noble by how much they were unwearied and uncessans in seeking to be more and more gradually and groundedly growing in fuller assurance of the truth as many are at this day who first beleeving and receiving the Word with joy and readiness do not sleight as ye suppose but à posteriori being in the faith Timothy more seriously and singly then your selves see into the Scriptures that being already brought into the things the Scriptures write of through patience and comfort thereof have hope according to that other Scripture of thy coating Rom. 15.4 as yourselves cannot have any more then the Scribes who stand studying and sraping with your own Animal understandings before ye are ceme to walk in the Light and Spirit they witness too and came from But what 's all this more then just nothing at all to prove the Scripture to be the only standing Rule of Faith and Life which is asserted of it to the evincing it to be the Word Nay if your eyes were in your head ye might see of your selves O ye Studentall more than truly Prudential searchers of the Scriptures that the Word the Apostles preached and the Scripture which we confess truly testifies thereof are two distinct things and in no wise one and same individual as ye would make them if ye look no farther then the present Text in hand for in that he sayes they received THE WORD with all readiness of minde and searched the SCRIPTVRE whether the things were so it imports to any but the blind searchers of the Scripture that the word they received was one thing and the Scripture they searched about the truth of it was another Again it is true and not to be denied but Apollo an eloquent Iew was from his being well versed therein before he came to own the Light mighty in the Scripture and learned in the Letter so as mightily to confound the Gospel gain saying Iews thereby when once he came to obey it himself though yet there was a tradesman and his wife further grounded in the Gospel and learned in the light than himself who was beyond them in the Letter of whom he was not ashamed as our Vniversities Literatists are at this day to learn of women that know more of Gospel mysteries than they do to stoop to be instructed in the way of God more perfectly but how little this proves the Scripture to be the only standing Rule for which end I.O. cites it he that is blinde cannot see but others cannot chuse when as he that was so well skilled in the Scripture had that been the only Rule that he could have instructed Aquila and Priscilla about the Letter with which suo sejugulaus gladio he slew the Letter-learned Iews as it were with their own sword was not so clear in his understanding of the Truth Way Gospel Spirit Word and Light of God which is indeed the only standing inalterable Rule for ever as it ever was but that he had need to be Regulated and Rectified therein by such as in meer Scripture all knowledge were as inferiour as they were superior to him in spiritual understanding Moreover what makes it to the proof of the Scripture to be the only standing Rule exclusively of the Light and Spirit that Paul sayes to write the same things to the Philippians by which its questionable whether he 〈…〉 something to them before which is lost and not bound up in your Bibles nor canoniz'd into your Canon was safe for them As much as if he had said nothing at all for nothing at all is that to I. O's purpose nor yet that of Iohn saying These things I write unto you that your joy may be full which J O. cites to the same end And true it is Christ expounded the Scriptures to his Disciples as he did also his own Parables that he uttered by word of mouth amongst them and the mixt multitude togeâ—her and opened their understandings also as he does theirs that walk in his light that they might understand them but where is the immediate cogent consequence from hence to the conscience of any that the Letter or Scripture is the onely most perfect standing Rule of all Faith Truth holy life
other your absurdities put together for I â—row whence or from what Church Principle Ground Foundation comes that Faith according to the Analogy of which ye are to conform in your interpretations of the Scripture it must be either the Infallible Chair and bottomless pit of mens dunghilly Traditions which is the Foundation of the Church of Rome and her Faith which Foundation Church and Faith that 's built on it ye would seem in words at least to deny or else the Infallible Light and Spirit of God in the heart which the Letter came from and the Qua. according to the Letter and together with it call men to and are themselves as to their Faith founded on whom together with their Faith which stands not in mens words writings nor thoughts but in that Light which is the Power of God and that Foundation of it also with no less but a little more detestation ye deny or else the Scripture it self which as much as ye live by yea by Popish Tradition in many things as the Papists do yet in words ye own Now the two first being denyed this last is the Rule of your Faith according to the Tenor and Analogy of which the Churches Faith which ye must interpret Scripture by is to be framed and conformed See then your most abominable confusions and rounds ye run in 1. You have the Scripture before which the true Faith was delivered to the Saints a 1000 years which Scripture is the Foundation of your Church Faith whereby ye might see were ye not blind that your Church and Faith has not the same Foundation as the true had Next you have a Faith which must be squared by the best interpretations ye can make of that Scripture alias a common stock of Divinity that stinks as the blood of a dead man that hath no life in it Then again this Scripture by the Analogy of which as the Church interprets it your Churches Faith is to be framed must be bent to and interpreted by the Analogy of that Faith which was thereby framed So Riddle me Riddle me what 's this Round of our reasonless Rabbies 1. The Scripture is the Rule of our Faith say they according to our Churches interpretations of which her common Faith must as to the Articles of it be framed and conformed 2. The common Faith is the Rule according to the Analogy of which the Scripture must be interpreted and all our Expositions of it framed and conformed Oh the bruitish brainy notions of our of our Brittish Nation A false Faith about personal Election and Reprobation about All 's signifying some men only and every man only a few being framed in Iohn Calvins fancy upon his miserable mistakes and misinterpretations of the Scripture Scilicet ever since All Scripture must be interpreted according to the Analogy of that false Faith â—â—a ferunt circum-feruntur T. D. J. O. R. B. J. T. Ignoramus Smâ—ctimnuus and others The Blood of Christ cleanseth us in presenti from all sin that 's the guilt say they not filth of it though the very phraâ—e imports otherwise cleanse your selves from all uncleanness of flesh and spirit that 's not as the Letter imports All indeed but All gross iniquities we must have our infirmities while we live here and and if he meant them he commanded impossibilities which the Apostle did not He that sinneth is of the Devil he that 's of God sins not that 's not as the word Amartanei nemine câ—ntradicente imports but it must be expounded by the other phrase Amartian Poiein operam dare peccato c. which Amartian Poiein but that they stretch it out upon the Tenters is no more then Amartanein for he that sins does sin and he that commits sin does no more and does so much as that while he does sin he is as Christ said Iohn 8. a servant of it and not of Christ in that they do no iniquity that is not as the Letter impâ—rts but they do none as the wicked do it that is with all their might but more moderately Perfection that 's only such an uprightness and sincerity as respects all Gods Commandments whether they be kept or broken saved from sin is from the dominion not being of it while we have a being here it hath not potestatem dominandi nor damnandi but operandi bellandi captivandi only led Paul captive while he liv'd to the Law of it so that with his flesh he served it but it domineers not damns not because the mind approves it not while the flesh commits it if it chance to be murder and adultery as that of David whose heart was upright say they though the Scripture excepts him from uprightness in that case and therefore iustified quoth T. D. alias held guiltless O Criss-Cross while under the guilt of it being weak and temptation strong and an hundred more such fetches do our formally holy Fathers find wherewith to feed up themâ—elves and their failing Flocks from fainting under their â—â—â—lest faults minifiâ—d into the name of Saints infirmities Thus they swim up and down in their non-sensical senses and notions so that nothing must be taken as the words import but when a meaning serves their licenticus turns and then they urge the words import it so one while it must be as the phrase imports other whiles it cannot be so but otherwise then the Letner imports it for then the Scripture so it seems indeed to the Owls and Batts whose eyes dazle at the Light it came from so that they see more by night then by day would contradict it self and be at variance and disagree within it self and cannot approve it self to their own understandings without the mediation of their own meanings and interpretations and therefore they must reconcile it to it self though they are at never so much odds among themselves and each man within himself about this matter of setting it to rights even one saying this is the meaning the other that a third in my opinion it is so a fourth I think it must be either so or so but which he determines no more then T. D till they have reconciled it into nothing but an irreconcileable enmity with it self and an occasion of irreconcilable enmity about it between themselves And this I know not only as one of those that now see in the Lords light their dotage herein and the wrong and crooked wayes wherein they are at work to set that to rights and strait which is so already in itself if they could let it alone without wresting it into constructions as crooked as they are in their conversations but as one that was once as busie as the best of them in the same blind fruitless frothy work of beating the brains about the meaning of this and that which the Spirit only reveals to the poor in Spirit and not to the proud haughty Scorner that dealeth in proud wâ—ath against the righteous having been my self when I was where they yet
21. thou I fasly chargest us with the guilt of that sin of the Iewes Rom. 10.3.4 viz. making our own righteousnesse our justification 2. Thou relatest G.W. clearing us ofthat saying that we do not make our own righteousnesse our justification but the righteousness of God is that we testifie being made manifest in us according to the Scripture Phil. 3.9 Not our own righteousnesse wich is â—f the Law that is any personal conformity to the Law in that outward letter that we can make by any ability of ours without the power of Christ such was that of the Iews and Pauls establishing to himself as his gain and righteousnesse before his conversion to that of Christs for that and no other is it which Paul calls his own and the Iewes own and not that which Christ wrought in him cloth'd him with and enabled him to perform as thou blasphemously bolt'st it out but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith to which though thou seem'st to assent in these words viz. the Apostle by his own righteousnesse understands His personall conformity to the Law and by Christ righteousnesse that which is of Christ made his by faith by which Terme His if thou intendest His as abstract from Christ his weak strivings in his own strength to keep the Law and not that personall conformity to it he was at last enabled to by the Spirit and Power of Christ intimated Rom. 8.1 2 3 4. Thou fallest in with us who make that genuine distinction between all meere mans righteousnesse and all that righteousnesse that is of Christ. But now as if thine eyes were grown too dimme to discern that distinction thou blindly blendest these two together again into own putting no difference at all between O V R good works or meer mans righteousnesse which in his own will wisdom strength and vain Imagination he works beside the light and out of Christ and those Good Works or that righteousnesse which is of God alone which by the pure Power and Spirit of Christ is wrought in and by them and which they by him are enabled to perform which is specifically one and the very same with that in Christ himselfe from whom it is of God through the faith of Christ made theirs or made over to them that is not meerly and imaginarily as the Priesthood prates accounted and imputed but really and truly derived and imparted to them and revealed as it s said to be Rom. 1.17 from faith to faith in the light of the Gospel to them that beleive therein so that of the fulnesse of that righteousness of God that dwels in him they all receive grace for grace to the true washing Iustification Sanctification and Salvation of them from all that unrighteousnesse by which they became guilty before God while they stood in no other righteousnesse but their own Yea that righteousnesse of Christ in his Saints which is in kind the selfe same with that in himselfe thou both denyest to avail one iot to justification and also confoundest into one and the self same with that of meer mans own working which from God is for ever to be confounded Witnesse thy own words who saift thus T.D. I deny justification by Christ within us we deny our justification by that righteousnesse in us whereof Christ is the Author two things are indeed meant by the name of Christ his person and his operations in us and I deny the latter but assert the former for our righteousnesse to justification Rep. Oh gro's horrid hideous and fordid Are not the Righteousness and the operations of Christ in his Saints the same that were in his own flesh are they not of the same with validity and desert being his own still whether done in himselfe or in us and as truly and perfectly good being done by Christ who can work nothing but that which is truly good and perfect whether in his Saints or himselfe And suppose every Title of thy Tattle were true that thou telst us p. 15. viz. that those works that merit must not be due and his good works who owes none though who that is that owes none to God and from whom to God none are due I know not and whether it became not Christ to be holy harmlesse undefiled separate from sinners whether he ought not in all things to be like his brethren I 'le not stand here to dispute but leaâ—e to Heb. 2.17.26 to determine and yet whether all that he doth in what person so ere he doth it in doth not merit I need not prove to a wiâ—e man for he will not put me to it But I say suppose it to be all true that his good works who owes none and from whom none are due and is an infinite person do as truly deserve non condemnation and his eâ—ill works from whom only good works are due as from a finite creature to an infinite Creator do truly deserve damnation the desert of the obedience of the one arising from the dignity of the Subject by which it s performed as the desert of the others disobedience from the dignity of the Object against which it it is committed yet what makes all this to the mending of thy muddy matter who wouldst make Christ himselfe and his good works and operations of righteousnesse in his Saints of no such moment as to merit or effect their justification before God is not Christ the Subject by which though the Saints who are his body flesh bones are the Subject in which those works of his are perform'd inâ— them as well as the Subject by which those were done that were done in his naturall body in the dayes of his fleshly being here on earth yea is not he the subject in which also those in his Saints are performed while what ere he doth by them he doth in them what they do by him they do in him the person Subject being the same is not the dignity of the doer as deserving when he does good or obeys the will of God in one age place person as well as when in another does what righteousness he works in and by his or destroy the merit thereof body more then that which he wrought in and by that body which was the head and and is not Christ Iesus who is known to be in all them that are not Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 and who is the same yesterday to day and forever Heb. 13.8 as infinite a Person now and as infinite in all his operations as ever and are not his operations as good and his Righteousness which thou for want of his Wisdom being ignorant that God calls it an Everlasting Righteousness i.e. that which is infinite or without end Dan 9.24 callest but finite p. 39. and yet in thy wonted way of self-contradiction infinite also saying we cannot contain an infinite Righteousness in us and the Righteousness which God works in us is but
Paul means not in us but in Christ and so tell Christ he is in us enough to our justification if he be but in himself And as this last sense or senselesse meaning of T.D. who sayes by in us is meant not in us but in another as also that the righteousnesse that is in another i.e. Christ is in a sense too as good as â—on-sense i.e. by imputation Ours and in us for that which is fulfilled not in our persons but in Christ is according to T.D. in that Scripture Rom. 8. Said to be fulfil'd in us as if it had been inherent in selves I say as that distinction of T.D. concerning in us not meant in our persons but in Christ and by in Christ when fulfilling the righteousnesse of the Law is spoken of Ministers Latitude and liberty enough to our Ministers whereby to fence of and save themselves from truth so it lends Liberty and license more then enough to their Priestlike people to save themselves in their sins for what will many care what they do themselves if the Law be not to be fulfil'd in themselves by Christ but 't is enough in themselves fulfil'd to their justification if in Christ for them and as well as if it were inhaerent in them So though the Priests oft preach thus viz. he that made us without our selves will not save us without our selves yet fith they to the contradiction of themselves as oft unpreach it again saying he that made us without our selves will save us without our selves by anothers fulfilling the Law not in us but in himselfe for us their people will quickly cry hang sorrow and care and of their two selfe confusing doctrines cleave to that that 's next to them easiest and most fitting their turns and fall a preaching presently in their works the pleasing things their Priests who do docere faciendo faciendo do preach both in words and deeds he that made us will save us and shew us mercy without any goodnesse of our own If in another in us be and in us in another Wee 'l ne'er be good good deemd are we in this in that ith rather So having wiped out by the way that blot or blurr'd answer of T.D. to my Argument from Rom. 8.3.4 Seeing his answer to what we urge from Rom. 8.2 The 2d of the 4 Scriptures above said is as neer in kind to it for fillynesse as that 2d verse from whence we argue is neer in truth to the 3d and 4. He here make as short a dispatch and round a Reply to that too now I am about it Arg. The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free fâ—om the Law of sin and death saith Paul and say we the Law of the Spirit that is in Christ and in the Saints whereby the Saints are justified is the same therefore the work of the Spirit of Christ in us is the cause of our justification That place quoth T. D's p. 16. but I trow not is much against you for the Apostle asserts the holiness of mans nature as a work of the Spirit conforming it to the Law to be the meritorious case of our freedome from sin and death Rep. Thus far is son and not against us I am well assured for 't is no lesse then the very Cardinall truth we plead for against T.D. that the holynesse of our nature as a work of the Spirit conforming it to the Law is the deserving cause of justification for conformity to the Law cannot deserve condemnation but non-condemnation and so which is all one justification and if this be not enough on our side T.D. adds more let me add quoth he p. 17. that the Law of the Spirit of life here spoken of is not onely the meritorious cause of our freedom from death but from the Law of sin or obeying sin as a Law In all this I own T.D. whose Answer to my Argument is thus far as answerable that is as yeilding to it as I do desire But then T.D. whose manner it is often to give a thing and take a thing which is the Devils gold Ring as I have heard Children say when I was a Child doth not in all this give the cause to us so much but he thinks he gets it and carryes it away from us again as much in other parts and particulars of that his parti coloured answer But I hope we shall fetch it all again and no thank to him for his gifts and grants sith what he gives he would have it all again if he could tell how and he thinks he plucks much from us again 1st by saying thus viz. mark withall quoth he though I grant you the holynesse of mans nature as a work of the Spirit conforming it to the Law is the meritorious cause of our freedom from sin and death yet 't is not that which is in us but in Christ the Law of the Spirit and so the holynesse of mans nature I and Paul 〈◊〉 of is that in Christ and not that in our persons R. To which I Reply thus 1. What if I should answer T.D. that by in Christ is not meant in Christs person but in us 〈◊〉 ebâ—tlâ—â— â—â—lionis to serve him in his own kind for when we say with Pâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 4 that the righteousnesse of the Law is by Christ condemning sin in ou◠〈◊〉 to be fulfilled in us he answers us thus that by that Term in us is not meant in our persons but in Christ I might as well say retro that by in Christ is not meant in Christs person but in us adbomiâ—â—m it holds well enough till T.D. recants his own odde distinction of the same kind But as it s as unfound in itselfe as his is so T.D. is not yet come to bear it to be done to by us as he does to us and therefore I must sit him to a better answer 2. Then I Reply that thought the Law of the Spirit of life be in Christ yet not onely in him or exclusively of its being in the Saints but so as that from him and from his being in them it consequently and upon that account is in them also for Christ is not in any as their Righteousnesse in whom his Righteousnesse and the Spirit of life that is in him is not together with him also yea though it will not follow as thou fainest from the Saints being in Christ who were once sinners to their sins being in Christ together with them so the reasons above said where I told thee that men must leave their sins behind them and be by Christ divested of them before they can come indeed to be in Christ to whom no sinners while sinners are or can be united unlesse thou wilt contradict Paul who faith what Concord between Christ and Belial yet if Christ be in Saints who leaves nothing of his own behind him where ere he comes his righteousnesse holynesse and spirit of life is in them also But no more of
as Iustified by Christ will appear approved at last but he whom the Lord commendeth which is no man of sin that I know of which David himself stood condemed in 2 Cor. 10 17 18. So having snaptasunder one of the two strings to his Bow by which T. D. strove to shoot back to us that Arrow and Shast which was sharp in his and in the heart of all the enemies to justification by the Spirit of grace and life within us from 1 Cor. 6.11 which pretended to no great strength it self being a string made but of a meer may be or perhaps for justified by the Spirit if not otherwise may be meant quoth he of the Spirits Application I come to try the strength of his other string which is patcht up of no better then such a poor peice of Toe too as peradventure or perhaps for when we say with Paul in the Text the Saints are washed sanctified and justified all one and the same way viz. in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of God and his grace and holy operations in us T. D. who confesses he chose to out-word us see his Epistle and is never to seek for something or other to say though his aliquid is ever nihil sayes thus I might say that perhaps the clause should be referr'd to Sanctification which is in a more appropriate manner attributed to the Spirits efficiency as if the Order of the words had been but ye are sanctifyed by the Spirit of our God Rep. Then it seemes justification must go look its efficient somewhere else and must have no share with washing and sanctification in the Spirits holy workings in the Saints it must be in the Name of God only and the other onely by the Spirit as if the Name and Spirit of God were such Heterogeneous matters that what 's done by one cant be said to be done by the other and as if Paul had mistooke himself in the placing of his words and had been by the infallible Spirit misguided misplacing of them so that when he should have said ye are justified onely in the Name of the Lord and onely wash't and sanctified by the Spirit of God confusedly crouds these effects all under one cause and sayes ye are not onely washt and sanctified but ye are justified also in the name of the Lord and by the Spirit of our God I do not wonder thou purst in this with perhaps only for hadst thou absolutely affirmed it for a positive truth thou hadst of a truth lyed thy self into a very laughing stock to the lowest capacity in the Country by thy talk of so transcendently untrue a transposition T. D. But such traspositions are not without instance in the Scripture quoth T.D. as Math. 7.6 give not that which is holy to Dogs nor cast ye your Pearls before Swine least they trample them under their feet and turn again and rent where turn again and rent you is joyned to the Dogs quoth he for as Swine ds trample under their feet so Dogs do fly upon a man and tear him down Rep. We know well enough its the property of Dogs and I Swine to turn and teaâ— and â—rample when Pearls and holy things are held out to them having paid pretty well for the experimentall learning of it we have since we began to tell the pretious Truth and hold out such a holy thing as inhaerent holynesse is to such an unholy seed as your selves are â— but I am yâ—t to learn that these these ill qualities of turning tearing trampling do not all 3. jointly agree to both or either of these Creatures severally considered yea all of them as much to one as to the other For as Dogs turn and tear so do Swine and as Swine trample under their feet what thâ—y tear so do Dogs or else the Scripture which is very unlike to T. D's Scripture about it is in this case utterly unlike it self for it tells us of the Gentiles which in oppsition to the children are called the Dogs Math. 15.24 which are without the holy Citty or any Right to enter there Rev. 22.14.15 Though in their anger envy canina utentes facundia they grin like a Dog and go round about it Psal. to whom yet the outward Court of the Temple externall forms worships observations ordinances and name of Christians is given that they tread or trample the holy Citty under feet Rev. 11.1.2 No marveil therefore the Cat winkt when both her eyes were out and that T.D. durst not speak his mind out positively nor point blank neither one way nor another in answer to our Argument from that Scripture 1 Cor. 6.11 but only by perhaâ—â—es Seeing he was so blinded by it that he saw nothing what to return directly and downrightly to it and since he puts it off to us with no more force then perhaps it is so or perhaps so as he sayes 't is though I have said much more for satisfactions sake to such as seek the truth yet to such as seek nothing more then how they may cavill against it and turn it off from taking hold on either their own hearts or the hearts of others I need do no more then put it all back upon T. D. again with per-haps it is so or so as I say 't is against him it being a generall generall received Maxime among all Schoolmen that an argument that flyes in ones face with no more force then forte ita requires to be no more forcibly refel'd then with forte non Yea forte ita semper sat bene solvitur per forte non Thus I have at last made a clear end with T. D. as to this matter of justification having to the undeceiving of such as by his misty makings out of our meanings in it have much mistaken me and the Qua. as Poâ—ish about it shewed plainly which way we hold it and how it is according to the Scripture of grace and not of works 1 our works properly and onely so call'd and yet not of grace onely but of works also 1 such as Christ and his Spirit only works only in us which the Spirit in a sense subordinate to himself who is the master-workman to whom onely and Gods grace in freely giving us such an alsufficicent Assistant to do his will the glory of all belongeth is pleas'd also but more sparingly to entitle by the the Term of Ours Isa. 26. So that had it been as true as if T.D. and his witnesses together with him p. 58. be to be credited before himself alone 't is false that I disputed justification in those Terms of by our good works as he says p. 14. yet if by our works we speak of those that God Christ and the Spirit work in us it can in no wise follow from thence any more then it doth from all his other piteâ—â—s Premises whereby he improves himself to prove me so that I am a rank Papist nor so much as it followes from
all for their enmity to the Scripture Secondly to recover both Priests and people as much as may be from under those dark cloudy conceptions of the Scripture which these two men being overcast with themselves labour what they can to beget others into as if all the worlds were for ever utterly undone and under the losse of all saving truth and utterly without any possible way whereby to come to the knowledge of the will of God concerning them in order to their souls Salvation from sin and wrath to come if the outward Letter or External text of the Scripture be not Talkt up into the Throne as the onely Lapis Lydius ex 3.5 33 sure Word of God infallible guide Trusty Teacher Supream Iudge perfect Rule stâ—m foundation stable Standard fixt unerring unalterable measure and such like as I.O. states it to be by which all Doctrines Faiths Words Writings Spirits true or false must be toucht tried and determined or else no man can be at any certainty where to be what to believe how to walk with God which to take for Truth and which to turn from I shall first plainly shew what the Scriptures are and what we mean when we talk of Scriptures 2. Briefly take notice of some of the base unworthy absurd abuses and fowl aspersions and unjust accusations whereby thou I.O. what in thee lies labourest much more abundantly and abominably I must needs say then the other as to this point to render us odious to all men as despisers and deniers of them and then 3 dly addressing to the controversie it self leave all who shall read such Animadversions as are to be made by me of thy unfound Assertions about it to judge by that light of God in their own Consciences whether themselves or we erre most beside the Scripture or most duly deserve the Censure of Anti-scripturists First then I shall here give all men to understand more distinctly yet then I have hitherto done what it is that I intend and what I would be understood as speaking of by this term the Scripture which is to be so often agitated in this Discourse between me and I.O. in whose Book also it is so often agitated and what sort of those Holy Scriptures it is which is the common Subject of which so much is prated and predicated by I.O. that is as utterly denyed by the Quakers That we may not by hanging in universals only which are in no wise or sense truly seen but by considering the particulars wherein they exist conclude of things in a tumultuous mist of Confusion as thou dost distinguishing where thou shouldst not and jumbling things into a kind of Omnigatherum which should be more singly and severally spoken of whose Trumpet gives such an uncertain sound that its hard to know either how or where one must prepare to the battel The word Scripture then though it be an Vnivocal nor AEquivocal as us'd by us yet is it a General Term and so Ambiguous and doubtful unless it be explained by its particulars signifying not only all other kinds of Scriptures good and bad that ever were in the world but also more kinds then one of that kind of Scripture which Abstractively from and more eminently then the rest in regard of its worth we ordinarily call The Scripture and have singled out from all the rest as our Present Subject What thou meanst in thy heedlesse handiement of this more General Subject I can hardly find thou drivest it on when thou Praedicatest this and that of it in most parts of thy Dispute at Randome in general terms and run'st away with the word Scripture at all adventure scribling it over again and again The Scripture is this the Scripture is that the Scripture is written by Inspiration of God the Scripture is the Word of God the Scripture is entire to a tittle perfect c. scarcely shewing which of those Three several sorts of it which thy self hast divided it into thou wouldst have us to understand thee as speaking of when thou denominarest these high things of it viz. Whether first thou mean the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as thou caliest them pag. 13. I The individual and immediate Manuscripts of Moses the Prophets and Apostles and such holy and honest men as were the first Pen-men of the sundry Parcels of that holy Scripture which was copied cut the Copy whereof is bound up in the bulk now called the Bible Or secondly the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I the transcribed Copies thereof whether first immediate that were at first hand taken out of the first Copies Or secondly those mighty mediate and far remote ones taken by thou knowst not whom out of thou knowst not what Copies that were handed downwards successively not without some mixtures mistakes and for ought though knowest losse of much of what was at first throw all the dark Ages since then to this of ours by men that were some faithful and some unfaithful but none of them infallible by thy own confession p. 167. or divinely inspired so that it was impossible for them in any thing to mistake which uncertain Copies ye have as your only Rule and Canon at this day in which Copies neverthelesse of the Originals yet remaining that may secundum te I.O. according to thy Concession be more or lesse crooked as it happens and thy self granting there are varieties among them cannot be all true Thou dost not blush p. 173. to adde and say That the whole Scripture entire as given out from God is preserved without any losse and within them all is every Letter and Tittle c. Or Thirdly Whether thou mean the several and various Copies of the Translations of those various and several Transcriptions into several Tongues and Languages What thou meanest I say or which of all these Three sorts of Writings whether the first Manuscripts only or the Transcripts and Translations also or the Two first only and not the last or all the Three which are all Three commonly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Holy Scriptures When thou Praedicatest these glorious things of the Scripture thou dost not very distinctly declare but goest on in generals and that Dolus latet in universalibus thou art not ignorant so that he had need to be wise that very easily discerns thy mind and what thou meanest yet this I know full well and 't is the more shame for thee if thou be ignorant of it that some things may be said tru'y of some one of these that cannot without falshood be affirmed of the other Two and some things of Two that cannot of the Third and he understands neither what he saith nor whereof he affirmeth whosoever he is that without distinction denominates all the things that thou dost of the Scriptures of these Three sorts all alike or of any Two of them either most of which will upon due examination not be found duly
at all in Vindication of the Popish Clergy in any of their Devilish doings nor scornful or spiteful speakings against the Scripture but of another Interest even that of the true Clergy or Heritage of God as remote from Theirs and Thine too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am an Opposer of thee as to that same Book wherein thou so vehemently Opposest the Papists hence many may as some already do suppose I am in far firmer friendship and fellowship with that Fry of fighters against the Scripture then with thee and thy fellows who wouldest fain seem at least to fight against them for it but if any man will be ignorant of me and my honest meanings let him be ignorant for my part as I am a well-wisher to all Souls and am in friendship with all men having and holding as truly Pacem cum Personis as cum Peccatis Bellum so I am in no fellowship with that in all men whether of the Romish Religion or that which informe is more Reformed that is not in fellowship with the Scriptures for that which is not in union therewith is not in fellowship with God fighting against neither smal nor great save only against the sinful seed of the Serpent in them which from the spirits of the spiritually throughout all Christendom spawnes it self forth in spite and spiritual wickednesse against the seed of the Woman who must bruise his head at last though he obtains for a while to bruise her heel between whose seed which is one and his seed of every sort whose name is Legion for they are many the most endlesse enmity is so that though I appear against those Paper-works of thine wherein thou appearest upon the Stage in part against that Synagogue of Satan but more palpably against the Synagogue of the Saints yet this is not all to gratifie the Romanists in their scurrilities against the Scriptures more then thee and thine Abettors in your scarce Schollar-like much lesse Scripture-like scoldings for them but as occasion is Pro Scripturis for the Scriptures which notwithstanding thy empty Apologetica's for them ye and the Papists also are both utterly against I shall not spare to grate hard against you both as such who while you are scribling of the Scriptures whether Pro or Con are yet our of that precious Truth the Scripture tells of and against that living Word that eternal and internal Light it calls to which leads to that Life of God that the Scripture calls for 3. In regard that I am and shall unavoidably be found in this present Controversie with thee saying some things against thee and thy untrue Assertions for Truths sake yet with a due Respect thereunto which the very Papists say though truly enough yet too disrespectfully about the Scriptures In this respect though I would not have them so yet I believe some are and some will be if peradventure these Premises prevent it not so blind as to believe I own the Pope and his Apostolical Church because I cannot own all that as true and Apostolical which some Prime Protestants tell for Truth but rather tell the Truth with him when he tells it about the Scripture or any other thing then Errour and Lyes with those who pretendedly for the Truth and Pro Scripturis Protest against him For I must give the Devil his due so as to acknowledge his Words to be true when he speaks the Truth though to a false end rather then sooth up thee I.O. or any other men so as to say the Crow is white and that ye utter Truth when ye tell utter untruth though against the Devil himself to please either thee or them Howbeit many men in these dayes and not a few of those who are called Christs Ministers and counted well studied Schollars or at least would not be well contented to be not so accounted are yet so dim as without any more ado to deem them to be Romish Priests under Pay from the Pope who own some Truths which his Priesthood owns as if because at Rome they own Christ to be the Son of God they must needs be of that Church who deny him not so to be but more especially any Truths which by these Divine Deemers are not Deemed to be Truths and thereupon disowned by their non-discerning selves upon whose crazy Concerts and cloudy Accounts and crooked Conjectures some that do more service to the Truth against Popish Fictions in a year then themselves do in an Age are thorow their shallow surmises by their implicit Faith't People as sinisterly supposed to be Supporters of the Papal Hierarchy because themselves whose Idol the Letter is are not digested in all their Extravagant Exaltings of it though the Popes extream of Exalting his leaden Legends and Holy Chaire above it be more professedly distasted and detested Thus such as believe according to the Scripture the general Grace and Love of God in giving Christ to die for all men for as much as that also is believed at Rome seem to these senslesse ones to favour too much of Popery because the empty understandings narrow Nodels and heedlesse Head-pieces of many Protestant Parish Priests are not as yet enlarged enough to comprehend it who notwithstanding being blear-eyed at home whilest Eagle eyed abroad Nunquam vident id manticae quod in tergo est never come to see or sent that plain Popery of their Parish Posture and Parish pay by way of Tythes which the Night is now too far spent for any but Owles Bats and Night-birds not to see that its of the Pope sith though its a piece of stark rank and Popery not held without the guilt of Perjury yet as it s their own suus cuique crepitus bene olet so it s that which serves their turn better at this time then the Extirpation of it Root and Branch according to their Oathes which would savour lesse of Popery and more of pure Pietv will ever do Of this sort of Evil Surmisers is T. D. who not only as thou I. O. dost Accuses us me in particular as one big with and spitting out venome against the Scriptures for not owning those outward Writings as the only Rule of Faith and holy Life but also accounts of us as no other then broachers of Popish Doctrines and bringers in of the Popes Baggage for dissenting as in other points so from his blind Tenets about the Scriptures Yea so earnestly doth T. D. drive on his Design of Insinuating it into mens minds concerning me that I am Popishly affected that he finds occasion of Accusation against me as so as well where I more fully own the Scripture then himself does as where I may more easily seem to one that 's blind to deny it Witnesse his words Page 27. 1. Pamph where for owning the Epistle of Paul to LAODICEA which he sputns at as Spurious he flyes thus foolishly in my face T.D. We know quoth he your Brethren of the Popish Party have laid many such Brats at
your opposite Expositions and that in such very places which to any save such light haters as standing in their own light cannot see Wood for Trees are as plain as the Nose on a mans face If to claw it and call it Lydium lapidem a true undeceivable fixt sure and inalterable standing Touchstone and disown those as dishonourers of it who in words compare it to a Nose of Wax a Lesbyan Rule and yet in your own Works so to make it by bending and bowing it every one to his own blind Invention so as to cause it to stand Nine wayes at once and to propound not only how possibly but also how facile it is to wrest it into as many various Lections by the advantage of the Hebrew Character as can be in the most flexible Writing in the World or any Critick can invent as thou I.O. teachest in thy Epistle If to play Legerdemaine with it so as in a presence of valuing It to say great matters of it and then to depresse it so as to unsay them again and then to run the Rounds and say them again as thou I.O. often dost If to boyse it up into that honourable Title of the Living Word of God and again to hurle it down into that more temperate Term which yet ye will not endure others to Term it by of a Dead Letter and yet to go round again Horrendo percussis scotomate after that to say its Living and no where said to be Dead If to deal so worthily with it as to affirm it to be perfect as to its own end and fall out with such as deny it so to be as no Quakers do that I know of and then from the same Hand-writing that before affirmed it to deal so unworthily with it as to deny it so to be as if I.O. doth not my Eyes are out but if he do he will surely say his own were not well open when he did so If to say its profitable to its end and that its end is to make men perfect and yet to say no man is made perfect in this World in which only the Scripture is confessed to be of use nor till the world to come where it s granted to be of no use cannot profit at all If thus to tosse it to and again like a Tennis Ball in a confused self-contradictory kind of talk sometimes telling the Truth about it sometimes belying it sometimes giving both it and the Lyar himself the Lye who so belyed it sometimes yea often lying against and alwayes living beside the holy Truth and Doctrine itself declared by it If to exceed in setting forth its self evidencing Excellency in avouching its Divine Authority and Power to Command men in the Name of God as his Word and yet never to come under the Power of its Commands so as yield Obedience thereunto If to call it your Rule and yet never submit to be ruled by it If both to overvalue and to undervalue to lift up and cast down to honour and dishonour it be truly indeed to value exalt and honour the Scriptures If all the particulars above enumerated and many more of the same sort that might be instanced in by Induction be in heart word and deed so to do then I shall yield the Scripture to be as much so valued honoured and exalted in this ever-Reforming never-Reforming Nation of England as among Papists or any other Nation whatsoever and by our self separating sensual literal Antiscriptural Anti-spiritual high Notional Professors as well as by the best National Protestants that are therein and by I.O. himself and his Reverend Fellow Students if they study and value it at the same rates with himself as much as any I know Finally If this be very highly to value it to be alwayes charging challenging and calling out for the Allowance of large and liberal Maintenance Augmentation of Means by all means possible out of all mens possibilities for the Ministers not of the Spirit but of the Letter only as those of mens making are who steal words enough from thence cut of which together with what of their own they patch them up with into one or two hours piece of work in a week to pick out a Living by And if that be to value it or esteem it or prize it or rate it high or set much by it or make much of it to sell every Sermon so stole and made but on some one verse of it and yet some make so much of one verse as to make many Sermons on it stretching it out for ease-sake to hold out the running of many Glasses for 20 shillings a Sermon and more Money and to have and to hold some Hundreds at least one Hundred of pounds for at most one hundred of Sermons I say if this be to make much of the Scripture there is more made of it in one year by our Divines and Doctors of Divinity amongst whom I.O. was once none of the last nor least as to valuing and making much of it then ever was by all the Quakers in the World since that Nick-Name began who yet if to make much of it be to live in the Light as the Letter itself exhorts to do do make more of it that way in a year then all those Priests and Prophets that preach it for Hire and Divine out of it for Money or ever have done since the World began or ever will do while it hath a being So that howbeit thou I.O. in thy hostile mind representest the Quakers as hostes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enemies and haters of the Scriptures there 's no such matter for if they be haters of it that hate to be reproved by it and cannot endure the sound Doctrine delivered in it which is according to Godlinesse the Letter hath no such haters of it as the very Ministers of the Letter are who are ever enmity against the Life Light and Spirit it calls to walk in And if they may be said to love it who are livers according to it the very Letter itself hath no such true lovers of it as the Quakers who are in thy blind zeal hated by thee as haters of it for living that Life it calls for As to thy Tale of our striving to thrust the Scripture from its own place in the Church of God it s as true a Tale as its fellow false ones for though we set Christ and his inward Light living Word and Life-giving Spirit only on the Throne in the Church yet we own and establish the Scripture which is but the meer Letter in its proper place wherein it is to stand since it had its being as so from the other as subservient and subordinate to the other which are its betters and its elders and not as such a Dominus fac Iotum as thou makest it as if those that gave being to it must now come under it so as to stand barely at the Bar before it to be tryed
everlasting to everlasting is unchangeably Authoritative over all inviolably pure every way entire and absolutely perfect as God is whose Word it is and so we assault it not in its Name nor in the Thing as thou sayest for we know and never did yet deny unlesse 't were before we knew it and while we were the same with you who yet know it not nor never heard it from his own mouth the Word of God to be the Word of God And also though thou Scandalize us so grossely as to say Satan sets us on work to bereave the Scripture of the glorious Title of the Word of God as its own Proper Name That 2. is also false for at the Will of God and in service and obedience to him and not of Satan we strip the meer Letter of that Glory wherewith thou unduly dost invest it and take it down from that high Throne and Authority wherein Satan sets thee on work to set it up â—that men may do homage to it and so run a Whoring after it from the Word of Life it only points at as Israel did after the Brazen Serpent and dance about it in their Idolatrous hearts as the God that must save and deliver out of Egypt But 3. Were that true yet howbeit we own the Word of God to be as truly and properly called the Word of God as in truth it is so and give to that still its own due proper Name of the Word of God somewhat more then yourselves do who call that by the Name of and make that Title of the Word of God the very proper Name of another thing which is not it but as inferiour to it as the Effect is to the Cause it came from viz. the outward Letter or Scripture that came forth from it and is but a Copy and Declaration or Images of it as much in worth and dignity below it as the painted Picture of a fire or a man on a Wall is to the true fire or Person which they do but outwardly represent And 4. As for the Writing or Scripture which thou sayest we deprive of its proper Name because we call it not the Word of God and by all those glorious Titles and Epithites thou stilest it by which we confesse are due to the Word viz. Light Living powerful Quickning Foundaiton most Perfect Rule and many more as we shall see anon thou sayest most falsly in that for these are as truly due so properly due to and the Proper Names of the Word it self only of which the Writing is but a Writing or meer Scriptural Declaration and not the Proper Name nor Properties of the Scriptures I.O. Thou tellest Ep. pag. 30. That the whole truth about the Word of God which thou falsly Slanderest us as confusedly opposing thou hast endeavoured to comprize in thy Theses Reply Thy Asserting that the Scripture ought to be called the Word of God as its proper Name and that it is in esse reali cognoscibili the Word of God and known so to be and consequently the Light Foundation Rule and whatever else the Word is known to be which is the main matter thou affirmest and puzlest thy self to prove against us is so far from being the whole Truth about the Word of God that it hath no Truth at all in it but in plain Truth is wholly a Lye in esse reali cognoscibili also to all but such as know not as thy self dost not in this point either what they say or whereof they affirm J. O. Thou sayest thou compleatest in thy Theses the Doctrine of the Scripture concerning the Scripture Reply Thy Doctrine concerning the Scripture which is that it is the Word of God and known so to be and is to be called or else it s stript out of its own proper Name this is not the Doctrine of the Scripture concerning it self but thy own Doctrine which though thou dignifie it with the Title of Pro Scripturis in thy Latine Title Page is more Con Anti then either Cum or Pro yea much more against then either according to or for the Scriptures I.O. Thou speakst of the Quakers as altogether rejecting the Word of God i. e. with thee the Scripture as to its whole use of spoiling the holy Scriptures of All Vse Authority Perfection And as those who if things had succeded according to their desires would no doubt long since have have utterly rejected them Yea as those who wish them quite blotted out that all men might more attend to the Light within themselves Reply Though what Use Authority and Perfection the Scripture is owned by us to be of will appear more anon in its proper place yet that we deny it not to have an Authority and Perfection and precious Use I here declare to the undeceiving of such as are deceived by thy Deceits and Lyes much lesse do we reject as thou falsly objects against us the Word of God it self which is a greater matter and of more moment then the Scripture as to its whole Vse and in proof of it against thy self that we own the very Bible and Letter to be of use and do also much use it as occasion is I shall here Cite I O. to give account to I.O. of this Lye that against I.O. I O. himself hath forged Yea I shall go no further at present then to thy self who as in at least Twenty things more in thy self-confounding Fardel thou dost confutest thy self as to this Lye in those very parcels above quoted For mark Art not thou the man who as brisk as thou art in bedirting us with this Slander of rejecting the Scripture which thou falsly callest the Word of God as to all its use its whole use and that altogether could we have had our Wills yet to the Contradicting of thy self which is as ordinary with thee as to eat and drink confessest and Commendest us thus far before all as follows in thy Latine piece where thy words Englished are to this purpose Ex. 1. S. 7. That the Quakers professe the Holy Scriptures to contain a certain Revelation of Gods Will and so far to have come forth from God as it proceeded from that inward Light which was from Christ in those who wrote those Books which ye name the Scriptures And Ex. 5. S. 18. That the Quakers acknowledge the Scriptures to contain a Manifestation of the Will and Mind of God both in respect of those who wrote them and of those also to whom they were delivered from the beginning and that this Declaration therein held proceeded from the Spirit of Christ which was so with the Writers thereof that they could declare the infallible Truth and that the things written therein are an undoubtedly true Declaration of the Mind of God And dost thou not add thus much That thus far we are right and that none that own them thus far can altogether reject the Scriptures unlesse he will declare himself to be
about the manner and means and true bounds thereof for as to the Question whether it be a Canon that is a Rule at all yea or not I may defer it also to another place let me Expostulate with thee I O. yet more about it yet how and by whom your Standard comes to be so Bounded as ye say it is and to be limited to those Demensions of Latitude Longitude and Profundity that ad amussim exact Measure Heighth Depth Length and Breadth that is allotted to it as without the Apocripha it stands bound up within your late bound Bibles I mean that such and such Parcels Prophesies Proverbs Histories Epistles Holy Sentences Sacred Sayings shall stand Owned Honoured Signed and Authorized with the Sacred High and Holy Titles of Gods Word Gods Witnesse Foundation Rule inalterable Standard and not one piece of Holy Writing more or lesse then those already so Consecrated and Canonized so that such and such puta those that ye now commonly call Canonical shall shand as the Standard and all others viz. those called Apocryphal and whatever are mentioned in that Scripture ye so own shall stand out of and off from it as no part of the Standard while the World stands Who was it Was it God or was it Man that set such distinct Bounds to the Scripture so as to say such and such a set number of Books viz. Those those that are sum'd up together before your Bibles excepting the Apocrypha which stands between them shall be owned as Canonical and the rest though such as were of the same divine Inspiration be rejected as humane and no otherwise accounted on then other meer mens Writings not to be received with such high respect as the other Whence hast thou this Conceit that God himself Commanded the Close of the Canon of the Old Testament to be Malachi and the bounds of it to consist of such Books of the Prophets as ye now have exclusively of such Prophesies therein mentioned as ye have not and the Close of the Canon of the New to be the Revelation and the bulk of it to be those few Histories and Apostolical Epistles as ye have exclusively of such even therein mentioned as ye have not Who was it that said to the Spirit of God O Spirit blow no more inspire no more men make no more Prophets from Ezra's dayes and downwards till Christ and from Iohns dayes downward for ever But cease be silent and subject thy self as well as all Evil Spirits to be tryed by the Standard that 's made up of some of the Writings of some of those men thou hast moved to write already and let such and such of them as are bound up in the Bibles now used in England be the only means of measuring all Truth for ever Who was it God or Man the Spirit in the Scripture it self or the Scribes in their Synods Councels and Consistories that so Authorized or Canonized these and expunged those Was it not meer Men in their Imaginations Doth the Scripture do the Spirit and the Apostles therein give any order for or make any such mention in the least of such a matter Is it not meer man in his Imaginations that hath taken upon him according to the good or ill Conceit that he hath taken to him of these or those respectively to say which thou sayest is a Contradiction to say he will give Authority to the Scriptures Is it not man in his proud mind that comes in with his sic volo sic Iubeo so I 'le have it thus it shall be Saying to the Books of Scripture as God sayes to the Waves of the outward Ocean hitherto shall ye come and no further So many of the Prophets and Apostles Writings shall be in the Authority Nature Vse and Office of the Supream Determiner of all Truth for ever and all others even such as are written by the same men in the motion of the same Spirits shall be but as common mens Writings and be look'd on afar off as Apocryphal i.e. hidden or unknown Writings that no such notice shall be â—aken of as of the other And as for the Books which ye sprinkle with that Name of Apocryphal and give leave to to have a standing with it but not so as to make any part of your Standard What think ye of them upon second Thoughts Are they fit for nothing but to be Cashiered and cast out of your Canon by whole sale by Tradition one from another without trying them Is there nothing among them that may be judiciously Iudged to be of as divine an Original and Authority as some of those particular Letters to private men as that of Paul to Philemon about private personal or Domestick matters which ye own in such a transcendent manner as ye do Surely if some of hem be fictitious or fabulous or but humane so that ye will say no better of them then Vox hominem sonat yet is there none or nothing among them all that is to be noted or counted upon as of divine Authority and Original and of as self-evidencing Efficacy as some of those ye own None that ye can see cause to sign meliore lapillo with some better Name then ye vouchsafe them and standing in the Church then ye allow them As if they were a certain mongrel seed between that of Canaan and Ashdod that ye know not well what to make of nor how to entreat so ill altogether as not to afford them a middle place in some of your Bibles between the Old Testament Writings and those ye call the New nor yet so well as to entertain them into your Canon neither Surely there be some of them which when ye look them over again not so cursorily as to over-look them as ye ordinarily do ye may find ground to receive as such as have as fair a stamp of the beaming Majesty Truth Holinesse and Authority of God and his Spirit as some at least not to say the most of those ye ascribe to God as their main or only Author and that do favour as much of I. O's so much insisted on Theo-pneusty as some other Historical Doctrinal and Prophetical parts of your acknowledged divinely derived Scripture do of which what Infidels soever ye are as concerning them yet I together with many others whereof some are as Booklearn'd as your selves can say Credo Equidem nec vana Fides genus esse Deorum 'T is indeed the Faith or rather Infidelity of such as call themselves Reformed Churches that all those Books called the Apocrypha without exception are in no wise of such divine Original as them ye call Canonical but who first set the one upon the Bench and the other at the Bar I am yet to learn but this I know that howbeit ye second their depression and digradation of the one so far below the other yet as neither one nor t'other were ever Canonized by God himself if we speak of the Outward Text only about which
I. O. I am to Answer him in else-where So say I to I.O. T. D. or any other Thinkers or Seemers to themselves to see Proferant Fantastisi c. let these Pretenders to the Vision of this matter produce but one place of the Holy Scripture or any Testimony from Heaven but such a one from above they can't who deny Gods Spirit so speaking in these dayes as of old wherein God Christ or the Apostles set out the distinct bounds of their Canon Directory or Standard of the Old or New Testament by such a precise parcel of Books as are in your Bibles and exclusively of any other holy Writ whether mentioned or not mentioned therein and wee l not say but they have Cause in this Case though if 't were as they say they must hang down their heads with shame in 20 more to triumph in earnest Si autem de suo tantum loquuntur mendaces sunt neque verum est eorum Testimonium if they talk of their own heads of things about the Scripture which the Scripture Testifies not of it self they are Lyars and their Testimony is not true As to the Canon as ye call it or Standard of the Old Testament there 's not the least Tittle of Tendency to any such thing hinted there that it should consist of so many Books and such shall stand in it and such other though as legitimate and mentioned to be of God therein as well as the rest shall be shut out and stand by And in very Ezra alias Esdras his dayes when there was such a Paucity of Copies as thou well sayest I.O. Pag. 177. That in very deed the who'e Law was burnt as to the Originals its like at least 2 Esdras 14. 21 22 c. The Care of him and his Companions was great as thou sayest as to the Restoring of the Scripture to its Purity when it had met with the greatest Tiyal that ever it under-went before insomuch that what Books could be gotten together were copied cut or else written de novo by the light of understanding kindled in Esdras his heart by the Lord and many excellent thing done as to the Recovery of the Law into more purity in the very Letter of it out of the Babilonish rubbish c. but what 's all this as to the settling of this and that and t'other Prophecy into the distinct measure of a Standard by divine Appointment and dis-Canonizing all others save such as are in your Bibles called Canonical whether those of the Seers Gad Nathan Iddo and the rest abovesaid that are specified in your Bibles or those later which are allowed a room and standing in your Bibles though not a room and standing in your Rule and Standard thereof called Apocryphal of which some were Esdras his own as well as some of the rest Besides 't is evident that Esdras and his Companions if the Consigration and Bounding of the Canon were in their dayes or by their Sanydrim set a work and ordered by the insallible Spirit of God therein wrote a number more of Books 2 Esdras 14. 42. 44. then are now Extant in your Bibles which if all lost it makes against I.O. still that sayes not an Apex of what was by divine inspiration is lost and so his great Engine out of which he shoots short against the Truth his Standard and Canon comes still lame and short and halting home And also though Esdras and his Company Compiled many yet the last Volume of the Psalmes is more credibly supposed if I would enter into I. O's Work of Answering Conjecture with Conjecture to be truss'd up together in the dayes of the Maccabees but all here is uncertain and carried to and fro by Conjectures and so there 's nothing sure on I. O's side And as to the newer and later Scripture since Christ where is the least touch of such a businesse of Constituting some few certain Books of those many more then we have which were then written into a Canon and discarding othersome whether such as we want or such legitimate ones as we have as that to Laodicea from within the Coasts and Quarters of your Canon Nay rather the Scripture of the New sayes as in the places above Cited Rom. 15.4 1 Cor. 10.11 2 Tim. 3.16.17 2 Pet. 1.20.21 That all Scriptures that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given or written by Inspiration of old time were to the same purpose that any at all were so that if any of it all then all of it is to be listed into that Lydium Lapidem and to be Confederate with the rest and to come by right into the Confines of your Canon all what ever was so written being alike written for our Instruction alike profitable alike publick and none of it of a more private Interpretation then the rest Does that of T. D's Citing and I. O's also Ex. 3. 26. viz. Iob. 20.30.31 prove any such thing If that be Exclusive of any Scripture at all it must be of all that which was written after it forasmuch as according to T. Ds. Exposition of it it intimates a sufficiency in that which was already written and if wee l be befool'd with his sinister senses and mindlesse meanings on the Scripture that when he had written that there was as much as God himself thought sufficient to be written at all as a rule of Faith or in order to mens beleeving pag. 28. These are Written that ye might be'eeve and have Life as if he should say Here 's enough what need more And as the Preacher said of old Of making many Books there 's no end by these be thou Admonished they are words of Truth therefore heed no more Eccles. 12.10.12 Will any of you say that in Iohn yet T. D twines it such a way will bear such a Construction as to be Conclusive of some Scriptures of Spiritually Inspired men into the use of a Canon or Standard and exclusive of others as much of God as those On this account as one might Interpret Solomon as cutting off from the Canon all the Prophets Writings that succeeded his in the Old Testament Scripture so one must Interpret Iohn as Excluding out of the Standard of the New Testament all ensuing Writings of Holy men but his own and his own Epistles and Revelation also which were Posterior or Successive to his History then in hand as utterly uselesse and superfluous Credat Apelia Doth that Gal. 6. 16 As many as walk according to this Rule or Canon do it which blind Guides and People so hastily patter over as if that mentioned the whole Bible and all that Writing and not a Tittle more then what 's bound up in it besides the Apocrypha when I shall shew in its proper place it s spoken of no External Scripture of Writing at all I say will that prove some to be Authorized of God for the Standard and some even of the same Holy mens Writings though yet extant not to be so Is there
guide and a Light to Davids Paths was not the outward Letter only of Moses Law for Moses Scriptures and Writings and Davids too did only Testifie of it Deut 30. 14. 18. Rom. 10.8 Psal. 119. 9105 But the Word that was nigh in the Heart which David had and hid also within him that he might not sin against God Psal. 119. 11. yea no lesse then a Canon that had its compleat Consignation and Bounding for all Truth which was the same then as it is now substanâ—ially to be Tryed by when no more then Moses Five were extant so long before it was enlarged into such a Volume as now the Bible is by adding to the Old Word were the Letter that Word of God that 's the standing Measure I know not what to make of all these Additions to the Word if the Letter be the Word which have been made from Moses downward to this day but matter of Plagues Woes and Reproofs to the Adders of their Writings to the First Writings but this I can say to the Excuse of such as call Moses Five only a compleat Canon and in compleat Authority as a Standard and a Rule and the Word of God and such like full well may Five or any one Book of Moses or any one Chapter or one Verse never so small in either his or any other Prophets Scripture be so when if wee l believe I. O. when he Lyes every Tittle and Iota of any of these outward Writings is not only Part of the Word but The Word of the Great God as Pag. 168.169 Yea every Apex of it equally Divine and as immediately from God as the Voice wherewith or whereby he spake to or in the Prophets and is therefore accompanied with the same Authority i.e. as the whole is both in it self and unto us Pag. 27. so then every Tittle is no lesse then a compleatly constituted Canon and the whole is no more then so And further as to the New Testament as ye call the Letter of it as there is not the least Evidence that any such thing as the specifying of what and whose Scriptures or Writings the Canon should consist of and what not so can any of you that stand up so stifly for your fancied stable Standard shew us where any Order is given out by Christ or his Apostles to such as should succeed them to take Care to gather up their Writings and Judge and try which of them they thought fit and which not to own as their Rule and Iudge and accordingly digrading the rest to Canonize such as liked them best to submit themselves to the Tryal and Iurisdiction of into the high Names and Authority of the Word of God the Iudge the Rule the standing Canon both to them and all the world and all after Ages of it to the Worlds end Doth 2 Tim 3.13.14 twice at least cited by I O. for fear of failing viz. Ex. 3. S 26.31 prove it And doth 2 Tim. 2.2 which is without either heed or wit urged and by heedlesse I. O. as well as others quoted though mis-quoted in the Margin of Pag. 166. to that purpose prove in the least any such matter If it do then say I am a Dunce if not then see whether they are fit to be Doctors or Teachers in Divinity that by reason of the beam in their eyes cannot behold but divine so darkly besides a businesse that is as clearly contrary to what their brain conceives about it as if it were written with a Sun beam For the words of Paul to Timothy are these viz. The things that thou hast heard of me among many Witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be Able to Teach others also And in the other place these But Evil men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived and so they do at this day for all their scufling for the Scripture but continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them Whence it is by many that would look upon themselves as wronged if not looked upon as learned as hastily concluded as the places are hand-over head alledged That Paul bids Timothy take the Scripture first committed to him by himself and commit it downwards to faithful men that must commit and continue it downwards still to others and so successively to the worlds end as a Common Continual Permanent perpetually remaining Canon and only Standard for all Nations and Spirits Gods and Mans and Doctrines true and false to stand or fall by from thenceforth even for ever Which what a crooked Consequence it is who but Ignoramus can be ignorant whenas if the Scripture had been the subject spoken of there by Paul either it had extended no further then to his own Scripture to Timothy which is but a petty Portion and poor Pittance of Pauls Epistles or if to all the rest of his Epistles then it had been conclusive of that to Laodicea and his first to Corinth and Ephesus which have no being in your Bibles which you say Contains all your Canon and are by T. D. excluded from any Claim to it but in very deed there 's no such thing at all as the Scripture or outward Text there either talkt on or intended but the things Timothy had learn't and heard from Paul by word of mouth as well as writing which though I own to be Truths and Doctrines and things which are evermore according to the Scripture the Spirit from which that was never contradicting it self yet were another thing then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Writing or Scripture it self Paul sayes not those Scriptures which thou hadst of me c. commit to faithful men to make a Standard of but those Doctrines Truths which thou hast heard of me commit and those Truths were concerning the Light which Paul was sent to turn men to and not the Letter for he sayes God made him and the rest Ministers not of the Letter but of the Spirit Act. 26.18 2 Cor. 3.6 And the Gift of God within Timothy which he bids him stir up 2 Tim. 1.5 Neither did Paul go up and down testifying to the Scriptures as a Standard and telling men which should be the Touchstone and which Scriptures not but the things which were Witnessed to there testifying no other things Quod Essentiam to be believed or done then what were written in and spoken by the Law and the Prophets Acts 24. 14. 26. 22. And those things Timothy heard learned and was assured of from Pauls both Words and Writings As also the things the Thessalonians 2 Thess. 2.15 had delivered to them partly by Pauls Preachings and partly by his Epistles and were accordingly to stand fast and continue in but they were not the bare Bible it self or Writings or Scriptures themselves which were not then by Paul or any bundled up and carried about in a Book to take a Text and Talk out of
for Money as Ministers do now adayes And if I. O. insist upon the next words viz. 2 Tim. 3.15 which place mentions the Holy Scriptures and is mentioned I know not how many times over in I. O's Book in proof of that which it in no wise evinces and must be more plainly spoken to by me in due place Rep. I Confess that next Verse doth mention the Scriptures but more against then to J. O's purpose and more disproves then proves what he draws from the other yea it assures us that it was not the Scriptures in any wise meant in the 14. Verse for Paul saith to Timothy That from a Child he had known the Holy Scriptures i.e. of the Old Testament for those of the New were not as yet Canonized nor All Written if any of them were at all Written in Timothies Nonage but the Things he had heard and learned of Paul and was bid to continue in and commit to other faithful men to Teach were such as he had come into the Knowledge and Assurance of after he was taken by Paul Acts 16.1 2 3. to Travel with him which was not till he was grown past a Child If that Expression Knowing of whom thou hast learned Vers. 14. be granted to relate to Paul which yet for ought you Literatists are able to gain say may rather relate to the Lord himself by the Gift of whose Grace i e the Light and Spirit in him Timothy was and yet according to the Scriptures taught both more lately 1 Tim. â— 14 and from a Child So that neither of these two Texts teach any such matter as any of the outward Text of the New Testament Scriptures being either Canonized by the Apostles in their dayes or ordered by them to be stated as a Standard in the Councels of succeeding Ages And whatever men did de facto that way in the Second or Third Centuries the Antiquity whereof as venerable as it is to some Anti-Scriptural and Anti-Spiritual Antiquaries is with us but Novelty and Superstition if it appear not to descend de Iure from the first yet we Quary still quo Iure by what Authority from God Christ or the Apostles the Synods and Men that so Authorized and Canonized what Scriptures seemed to them as Challenging so high a Title and Office as the Word of God Rule Foundation Canon Standard and such like secluding other Writings as Holy as these were Authorized or Commanded so to do themselves Neverthelesse how weakly doth I O. Confessing first That it doth not appear that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the several Writers of the Scriptures of the New Testament and the same say I of the first Manuscripts of the Old which were burnt and lost and scambled away before Ezraes Sâ—nydrim if the Consignation and Bounding of the Canon thereof was done by him and his Companions as I.O. sayes were ever gathered into one Volume there being now no one Church to keep them for the rest and that the Epistles though immediately transcribed for the use of other Churches Col. 4.16 as I. O. thinks at least all were because some were were doubtlesse kept in the several Churches whereto they were directed which Confession if true as sure enough it is clears it that the Original Copies were never viewed together in one Bulk by any Councel or Synod whereby to put it into a Capacity to Iudge and Determine of their fitnesse to make a Canon of but only mens Copies of the Original which but that every man will think his Think and I.O. think as well as may be of it yet who can assuredly insallibly uncontroleably tell as I O. sometimes though sometimes again he will seem but to Think so undertakes to do in his grand Assertion that they answer the first Original in every Tittle and Iota I say before-hand Confessing all this how weakly doth I.O. Assert with Confidence his Thoughts in this as a point of Faith Pag. 166 167. that from those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there were quickly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Transcribed Copies given out to faithful men whilst the infallible Spirit continued yet his guidance in an extraordinary manner alluding to 2 Tim. 2.2 as his only Proof thereof out of which Original Copies or rather Copies of the Originals so Transcribed for the Originals themselves never came together to be considered of by any Councel this supposed Canon was Composed by the Annexing of the Revelation to the rest by I O. said to be finally Compleated Paâ— 28. God quoth he doth Command the close of the immediate Revelation of his Will to be Written in a Book Rev. 1 â—â— And so gives out the whole of his Mâ—nd and Councel to us in Writing as a stedfast Relief against all Confusion Darknesse Vncertainty c. Reply As if all Canonical certainty were no where but in a Written Letter then which in regard of its liablenesse to be altered easily many wayes by lewd Criticks whom I. O. Teaches to do it Pag. 21 22 23 24 25. As also by meer mis-Transcriptions mis-Translations misâ—Constructions nothing is more uncertain to make a Standard of unlesse it be the unutterably erring Breast or Head of that Harlot that Rides the Beast and the unwritten Traditions that are Traducâ—d ad infinitum from the same 2. As if the Light and Spirit that shines and breaths in the Hearts of all but most brightly and powerfully in the Hearts of such as heed it were not more infallibly self evidencing and certainly and stedfastly demonstrative of the Mind and Will of God when looked on in its naked Native lustre then when beheld thorow the vail of a Letter which while Moses put over his face the Children of Israel could never see certainly nor distinctly discern nor look stedfastly to the end of that which is abolished but were blind in their minds as our Ministers of the Letter are at this day upon whose hearts the vail is untaken away and ever will be till according to the Call of the Letter they turn to the Light within that comes from and leads to the Lord himself Christ Iesus that Spirit in whom only the vail is done away 2 Cor. 3. Per totum 3. As if the truest and most infallible Demonstration were Non ex veris prioribus certioribus notioribus causis internis Scripturae but Ex fallibilibus flexibilibus posterioribus obscurioribus effectis not by the internal Causes the Truth and the Word it self the Scripture came from which are before it more certain and known then it save to such as are willingly ignorant of them but by the Scripture which is but Effectus per emanationem the Effect that externally flowes from it flexible fallible as alterable at Criticks Wiâ—ls and unavoidably by mens weaknesse in Transcribing Translating Expounding c. at a Nose of Wax a Lesbian Rule more obscure yea obscurity iâ—leâ—f in the most plain Places to the Seers that search it not in the Light and
his Expressions over all bounds and limits of sobriety rather then deny himself downrighthly so as to expose himself Obvious to all as one that hath been ignorant and that he may render the ridiculousnesse of his lost Labours as remote as may be from the observation of the many let the fruit and Issue be what it will he will seem to own and stand to them to the utmost Apex as long as possible he can that he doth not Resign up the Truth of his Arch Assertion but upon Honourable Terms and with certain Limitations Restrictions Distinctions Reserves to himself and upon Articles and Grants back again to him from his Antagonists as though they help not much to heal and cure his Cause from sinking yet shall serve at least as Drums beating Trumpets sounding Colours flying Bullet i' th Mouth Bag and Baggage use to do to keep up the half-crack'd Credit of Conquered Fort-Keepers to salve the Credit and Reputation of the wrestling Rabbi The said Grants are on this wife viz. Though the Point at first propounded positively and treated and insisted on very earnestly to be proved was that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Copies which we have do contain every Iota that was in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or first Writing both of Moses and the Prophets and also of the Apostles and Evangelists pag. 13. Yea every Letter and Tittle of the Old Testament without Corruption and entire without various Lections pag. 14 16 18 19. and what is spoken thus of the Old Testament must be affirmed also quoth I.O. of the New p. 27. And pag 153. The Scripture of the Old and New Testament are preserved unto us entire to the least Iota or Syllable in the Original Languages And pag. 173. That the whole Scripture entire as given out without any losse is preserved in the Copies yet remaining Yet pag. 167. he sayes It is known it is granted that failings have been among Transcribers and that various Lections are from thence risen and we are ready to own all their failings that can be proved p. 169. so notwithstanding what hath been spoken we grant quoth I.O. p. 178 that there are and have been various Lections in the Old Testament and the New As for the Old among the many other he instances in which I have also spoken a little to above he sayes of these of Ben Asher and Ben Nepthali thus pag. 179. viz in their exact Consideration of every Letter Point and Accent of the Bible wherein they spent their lives it seems they found out some varieties Reply 1. An unprofitable improvement of mens whole Lives that live no more according to the Scripture then I.O. sayes the IEWES do as honourably as he seems to speak here of it for his own ends 2. There are some Varities then it seems though thou canst find none or else they could not have found them I.O. sayes Of those Various Readings of the East and Western Jewes that he is Ignorant of them and can't a while to look much after them to inform himseâ—f of their Original and all that he knowes of them is that such there are and appear in Bombergius his Bible pag. 180. Reply Whereby I.O. Confesses himself to be no competent Person to make any Creditable Censure of them so that save that he Credits Capellus whom he credits little when he speaks Truths that make against I.O. that they are not so they may be very momentary for ought I.O. knowes As to the New Testament besides what I.O. sayes Epist. pag. 27. viz. That he evidently finds various Lections in the Greek Copies which we enjoy and so Grants that which Ocular Inspection evinces to be true His whole Third Chapter of his Second Treatise is Totally taken up with Treating of them in which he grants ore and ore again That there are various Lections yea he is sain to Confesse pag. 188 189 That of the various Lections in the Copies of the New Testament Protestants for the most part have been the chiefest Collectors of them and that though at first very few were observed yet now they are swell'd into such a Bulk that the very Collection of them makes up a Book bigger then the New Testament it self And pag. 190. That there are in some Copies of the New Testament and those some of them of some good Antiquity diverse Readings in things and words of lesse Importance is acknowledâ—ed And pag. 191. That so many Transcriptions as there are of the New Testament should be made without some variations is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. impossible Repâ—y All which if it be not a point blank giving of the Point and Position at first Propounded to be proved viz. That there is no Change or Alteration in the least Iota or Syllable from what they were at first in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament pag. 153. The proof whereof also was for a while more frivously and fiercely then forcibly followed and prosecuted and if contrary to the said Assertion it be not an yielding that there is much Change Alteration and various Lection then I know not what a Resignation or Rendring up of a Cause is or else understand not well what I.O. means but mistake him to be one that means as he sayes while he sayes one thing and means another matter Notwithstanding by one means or other but fair or fowl hook or crook right or wrong effectual or weak concurring or self-contradicting is much at one with I.O. he lifts up himself again but alittle too late having perforce once yielded so far to look after his lost Assertion again to recover it and if possible to try one touch more to see if he can make it stand up in its former strictnesse wherein at first he laid it down And so in one of his wonted fits of dangerlesse fear least his giving way so much should create a Temptation to his Reader that nothing is left sound and entire in the Letter which he falsly calls the Word of God and his only perfect Rule stable Bottom true and sure Foundation pag. 193. He Summons his Sentence back into its first Rigidity saying and that not out of Hopes but that some may be so foolish as to believe him that with them that rightly ponder things all his own Confessions and other Protestants professions notwithstanding there ariseth nothing at all to the prejudice of his Assertion Yea all that yet appears impairs not in the least the Truth of our Assertion That every Tittle and Letter quoth he remaines in the Copies preserved pag. 181. The Grounds which he judges his Assertion viz. That there 's no Alterations or various Lections in Tittles and Letters to stand firm upoâ— notwithstanding all his Grants that there are many various Lections in the present Copies of the Oâ—iginal are the small Number the small Time of standing in the World and the small importance of those various Lections and Alterations that are On these small
found all their faith upon in the business of eternal consequence which is no better then the uncertain thoughts conceits and conjectures of men about shapes of Letters Points Iota's I was contrary to my own first intentions carried forth to such prolixity in this matter wch I conclude in this manner Where the foundation of the faith is utter uncertainty there the faith can be according to I.O. no more then meer fancy and uncertainty But so are the Points as to their Original and so are the Transcript Copies of the Original Text as to its entirenesse and integrity I appeal to I. O's own Book and all rationall Readers of it and mine which Points and Text are by I.O. and his School fellows made the Canon Rule Guide Touchstone Standard and sure foundation p. 154. 155. of all that faith and obedience which God requireth at their hands Therefore their faith toward God as yet is no more then meer fancy and uncertainty The Third Apologetical and Expostulatory Exercitation CHAP. I. THough much more might be said I.O. to many of thy matters behind mentioned yet having sufficiently swept away sundry of thy Figments and false Aspersions of the Qua. in vindication of them and turned thy lyes in plain English upon thy self which thou laidst in Latine upon them about their rejecting of the Scriptures and taken some useful notice of the bounds and first constitution and consignation of that ye call your Canon and of what thou foolishly and falsly affirmesâ— of the Hebrew punctation of the Bible and the entireness of the Text to a tittle as at first I shall come to some consideration of many more of thy cloudy crooked conceptions of it and of those many false tales whether not as much to the dishonoring of it in truth as to the honoring of it in pretence sith thou placest it unduely in the Throne of Christ let the Reader judge thou very confidently tellest for Truth of the Scripture it self which seeing thou art first appearing in the field against the Qu who are its true friends my business who appear also for it as well as thee and to state it in as high Authority as Salvá Christi ipsius eminentiâ it may honestly stand in without High Treason to the Supremacy Crown and Dignity of Christ and his Light and Spirit will lye mostly in reducing it from that Throne and supream Seat of Judicature on which thou set'st it utterly against the will of Christ revealed in it into its due place of a subordinate servant in the Church where as a Writing it summons all to come to him the Light the onely Iudge Lord and Law-giver that 's able to save and destroy who by his Light sits in the conscience of all to try all for life or death searching the heart and reins to give to every one according to their wayes works and fruit of their doings and tâ—en what thou displacest will stand all in its due rank and proper order Thy Grand Assertion then of the Scripture unto which all almost of the other that thou predicatest of it is as it were but subordinate and some of it subservient to the proof of as also it is subservient to the proofe of some of that whereof yet some is so promiscuously in such a confused way of mingle mangle treated out that one can't tell well whether it be proprounded in proof of the Scriptures being the Word of God or the Scriptures being the Word of God is made demonstrative of that yea the same things are sometimes interchangeably praedicated in mutual proof of each other For to prove the Scripture to be the Word of God thou urgest its self evidencing efficacy and power and to prove it to be living efficacious and powerful thou urgest it s being so from places that speak onely of the Word of God not the Letter of it and many more such like ratelled pieces of proof there are in thy unhewn handy-work But I say the Grand Assertion thou prosecutest the proof of thorowout thy first English Treatise and much what in the first Exerâ—itation is this viz. that as to Name and thing the Scripture properly is THE WORD OF GOD And having hous'd it under this high title and in thy own crooked conceit of it crouded it by fowl more then fair means and by force of Arms as I may say more then force of honest Arguments under the starely Canopy of that super-eminent Compellation thou afterwards callest it on that account many things more so much as one of which it is not yea consequently any thing every thing that the Word of God it self alone and not the Scripture truly is and by right onely is to be called First then thou I.O. affirmest of the Scripture the Letter of it that it is the Word of God in esse Reali in esse cognoscibili i.e. not onely so but known so to be and that as to name and thing i.e. That as in its nature it truly and properly is so so that glorious title of the WORD of God is its own due Right true proper Name which the Qua. denying to it and seeking to draw it in discrimen nominis into a difference in name from do no less then divest and spoil the Scripture of its proper Name And this thou sayest Ex. L.S. 2 3 is the work which the Quakers rejoice at that it is committed to them by Satan for which onely thou takest them to do as if thou hadst no more to do with them nor they with thee then de Scripturae nomine proprio as thou there speakest and as if the Qua. did yeild the Scripture to be the Word of God and had nothing against its being so as to its proper nature and yet would not endure to allow it to be called by its own proper Name that is most answerable to its own Nature Rep. Not too fast at first Friend least what thou writest in haste thou come to repent by leisure Thou mistakest thy self very much as to thy busie busling with the Qua. who may possibly find thee more work then thou art aware of before they whom thou beginst to lash and lash out against in thy Latine Cover-Cloath have done with thee They seeke not meerly to bring the Scripture to which they ever allow its own proper name in discrimen nominis back to its own Name from those many new-found-names not due to it but to the Word it s the Writing of from which Word in the Night your Fore-fathers have stole them to stile it by but also in discrimen Rei to manifest it to be what it really is and no more then what it is to you and others who not onely call it but count it to be what it truly is not The Qua. are not such Idiots yet as to rob any things as you do many of their own proper Names nor so foolishly Fanatical and Fantastical as to spend their time in inanibus logomachijs or
again when they have done yet was it a gift obtained in the way of such active obedience to God as by the said Law or light of God in the heart men stand obliged to and to be coveted and desired and was given in a certain way that ye are so far out of that ye hate it of holy waiting on God and learning of him alone in silence in all subjection in order thereunto for which work there are now as there were of old but those are not Oxford and Cambridge Vniversities as it were Schools and Nurseries of young Prophets at Iericho and Bethel alias by interpretation the House of God where Truth and true Wisdom and true Religion was and is learnt as truly and fully as it is falsly taught or rather fully and universally forgotten at our now Vniversities or Nursing-mothers of that Wisdom and Religion from beneath which is but earthly sensual or animal and deceitful See 2 K. 2.7.15 2 King 6.1 2 K. 9.1 yea in order to Gods manifestation of himself to men in such wise as he will not to World that lyes in wickedness it 's required that men keep his commandments so far as they are made known already in the light in the conscience Ioh. 14 and seperate themselves from the sensual ones that have not the spirit and not together with them from the truth Prov. 18.1 2. and that they come out of all that defileth and become holy for no defiled thing falls into Wisdom but in all ages this as well as any of old though ye own none to be now in rerum natura entring into holy souls she maketh them friends of God and Prophets Wisd. 7.23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30. But the reason why so few Priests are ever made true Prophets is because for the most part they are more prophane then other people from of old and much more now insomuch that as heretofore I mind at present but two of all that numerous Tribe Race and Party of Priests that the Jewish Church was fill'd with that became Prophets viz. Ieremiah and Ezekiel Ier. 1. 1. Ezek. 1.3 So now velduo vel nemo of all sorts of persons few or none of our Academical Levitical Race of Rabbiâ—s arrive to so much honour and happiness as to become obedient to the Faith yet so far many of them came in the primitives times notwithstanding I can't find that ever any of them commenced Prophets Evangelists or Apostles much less are many to be found so highly graduated as to become such in the true Church or School of Christ at this day they are not upon the Tower upon their Watch toward the Light They hearken not with Habbakkuk to what God saith in them Hab. 2.1 They stand not in the Lords counsel nor receive the word from his own mouth but as the false Prophets of old Ier. 23. in which respect they were false Prophets that profited not at all and such as God was against though speaking true words they steal the word they speak out of the true Prophets Writings whom God sent and spake to when he neither sent nor ever said the same unto them and so run crying Thus saith the Lord as ours do hear the Word of the Lord as you shall find it in such a Text such a Chapter such a Verse when they never heard God's voice at any time themselves nor saw his shape They hate and fight against Gods own counsel the Light in the Conscience which would lead them to purity in their own persons and so never come to see much less to shew his Secret which is onely with them that fear him Psal. 25. whose sear which is the beginning of Wisdom is to depart from the evil which the light discovers and so as none can bring a clean thing out of an unclean so none can receive much of a clean thing into an unclean But as Isaiah who was of unclean lips had his lips first toucht and his iniquity taken away before he was sent of Gods errand Isa. 6. And Ieremiah was sanctified to the work of Prophesie Ier. 1. So there must be more Holiness of Truth found among their Holinesses the Pope and all the Priests and Praters for pay thorowout all Christendom before they know how to prophesie themselves or tell truly as much as they are found from the Text of their Transcripts tatling to the World of what they know not how and in what manner Gods Prophets prophesie Thou addest I.O. pag. 6. That in writing they were not enabled by any habitual light knowledge or conviction of Truth to declare Gods mind and will but onely acted as they were immediately moved by him their hand in what they wrote was no more at their own disposal then the Pen in the hand of an expert Writer And p. 23. That no rational Apprehensions had any place in their Writing And p. 25. That this was the first spring of the Scripture and beginning of its emanation from the Counsel of God it was brought by the Power of the Holy Ghost into its Organs and Instruments us'd for the Declaration of it and that it was not left to their understandings wisdoms minds memories to order dispose and give it out But that they were born acted moved to write all and nothing but that to every tittle that was so brought to them And that they invented not words themselves but the words were immediately supplyed to them and that in writing they were but passive instruments for the reception and representation of words And that every Apex of the written Word i.e. Writing secundum te was as immediately from God to the writers as his voice in the Prophets p. 26 27. And p. 7. That they were but as an Instrument of Musick giving a sound according to the hand onely of him that strikes it Rep. These things are false being written by thee of all the Writings and first Writers of the Scripture universally as they are without exception and distinction for so indistinct and confused art thou in thy delivery of thy mind about the Bible that though it be a Bulk of Heterogeneous Writings compiled together by men taking what they could find of the several sorts of Writings that are therein and trussing them all up into one Touch-stone crouding them into a Canon or Standard for the trial of all Spirits Doctrines Truths and by them alone Yet thou speak'st so Homogeneously of it as if whatever can be predicated of any may be as properly predicated of it all yea whatever thou sayest falsly of the Writing thou denominatest the self-same of it all and every Apex and Tittle yea every Tittle and Iota with thee is no less then the Word of the great God wherein the â—ternal concernment of souls lyes p. 168 169. And so every part of it a Rule and the perfect Rule for so 't was with thee when there were none but Moses five Books and 't is but so with thee now so much
the New-Testament which is not of the Letter but the Spirit that Ministers and Testifies no more then what he hath meerly read in and stole out of the Letter and not what he hath seen felt heard and handled of the living Word inwardly in the spirit and further by thy own confession since thou saist the Apostles were not as other men are in their speakings and writings the figment and imaginations of whose hearts are the fountain of all they speak and ownest not thy self and thy fellows to be Apostles of Christ for thou deemest there are none so in these dayes but other men thou thereby ownest but speak for thy self and thy fellows however and not for all for we know some Apostles now as of old there were the figment and imagination of your own hearts to be the Fountain of all ye speak What need we further witness to this since we read it uttered from thy own mind and hand And lastly since thou sayest the Pen-men of the Scripture were so tyed up to the very individual words received by them and put into them by the holy Spirit And p. 25 26. were to deliver and write as all so nothing but that to every Tittle that was so brought unto them not altering nor adding c. of their own in their wisdoms and understandings it should seem then according to your own Principles that God gave out by them what was sufficient to guide men if outward Writing or Scripture was by him intended to be their Rule and if they themselves might not amplifie nor add nor enlarge nor comment upon the Word of God manifested by them in the Scripture by the exercising of their rational faculties but were to rest in so much as was revealed in them by the spirit and to others in Writing by them What need then is there of those infinite and endless odd Additions that the Doctors and Divines have made from generation to generation to the Scipture of their own voluminous inventions interpretations and as divided as devised Divinations extravagant Expositions incomprehensible Commentaries confus'd Contradictions Cantings one to another and to the world to the confounding of it with many more Humbles of their Senses Meanings Opinions Thoughts about the Bible then it can contain amounting in Bulk perhaps to a thousand times more then the Bible comes to And who gave you Text-men such a Liberty and Authority to take the Text and talk on it in your Wisdoms Wils Words and Vnderstandings opening amplifying paraphrasing prating out the plain truth as it there lyes so unprofitably to people in your own phrases to your own outward profit at your pleasure Did he that bounded and limited and hedg'd in the Writers saying according to thy sense hitherto thus far shall ye manifest my mind in Writing and no further lend you such a boundless latitude to prate out your own opinions and turn you loose and unmuzled in pratum vestrum ubi non est sepes Was not the mind of God in that Scripture given out by God himself full enough and plain enough at least in matters necessary to salvation for the meanest capacity to understand when it 's read to them in the words wherein it seemed good to the holy spirit and the holy Penmen to write it out without such a bottomless deal of adding amplifying and expounding as your excentrick Academical Exorcists make about it When Paul wrote to Timothy Titus Philemon and the Churches and Iohn to the Lady and Gaius and Luke his story of what Christ and the Apostles said and did were there need much more absolute necessity of a Priest to be sent for in all haste to open what they meant to such as they sent their Letters to in a tongue that they well understood And now the Scripture is translated into our own Mother-Tongue in England such as can read may read and understand it and such as can't read may have it read to them at their own Houses there being one or other in every House almost that can read now even very children if old folks cannot which being read is tenfold more plain in such places as pertain necessarily to salvation to every honest understanding and plain-minded man that is willing to do the will of God there written of then the costly Comments and manifold hampered handlings and more perplexize unfoldings of it that are made by our Schoolmen and Vniversity Theological Professors So that what more need then of old when the Letter came newly forth for a Priest to be placed in every Parish for pay to darken the counsel of God in the Scripture by his words without knowledge under a pretence of opening it or if it were an opening as it rather is a shutting of the Kingdom of Heaven against men as our Scribes Pharisees and Hypocrites like them of old manage that matter and use their Keys of Knowledge in another kind of manner then honest Peter What need of hundreds a year to be paid in Parishes for the opening of one or two Texts or Verses in a Week Or rather as some draw it out the talking on some one Text for a Month or a quarter of a year together against the Light and Spirit from whence it was written If those that wrote it might not meddle to say a little more as I.O. sayes in their Wisdoms though they were as spiritually fluent and learnt as National Ministers are spiritually ignorant It would be more useful then now it is through your miserable Mangonizations of it by your seâ—ces on open places if your Wisdoms would leave it as it is without making out your misty meanings on it to poormen for so much money J. O. Thou addest That the declaration of the New Testament gave out the minde and will of God in a way of morel's eâ—â—y and glory without that dread and terrour which was peculiar to the Old and to the Pedagogit thereof in which the coming of the word had oftentimes such a greatness and expression of the Majesty of God upon it as filled them with dread and reverence of him Hab. 3.16 and also greatly affected even their outward man Dan. 8.27 Rep. Here thou talkest again like thy self like a man ignorant as thou art for all thy high conceit of thy self of the Scriptures thou art scribling so for and of the things therein declared both before and since Christ which two Termes thou countest the times of the Old Testament and the New and so they figuratively are howbeit as to the thing it self which is yet far above out of thy sight the Gospel had children from Adam to this day under Moses his out outward Pedagogie and the Law whose children are of the Bond-woman and not Heirs according to the promise with the children of the Free hath its children as well since that juncture of Christs Incarnation as before And as for thy inconsiderate position concerning the peculiarity of dread and terrour in receiving of the word from
and doth God reveal the hidden mysteries of the Gospel any way but by his Spirit to his Saints which searcheth all things even the deep things of God and doth any know the things of God but the Spirit of God and the spiritual men who in it and not by the letter which letter the world hath yet hath not the other have minde of Christ 1 Cor. 2.9 to the end And in that of Peter coted by thee is there the least hint of the Scriptures or of the Prophets searching the Scriptures or of any signification of the things they ministred to others in their writings by the Scriptures but only by the Spirit And as for Daniel it is true he understood by the books of Jeremiah the cerâ—ain number of seventy years how long the Captivity should last but what of that num ex puris particularibus aliquid sequitâ—â— universale Wilt thou argue from one to all much more wilt thou infer from thence that neither Daniel nor any other Prophets understood their own writings but by the Scriptures of the other Prophets which is the absurdity thou assertest And as for Davids saying Through thy Precepts I get understanding Hast thou got no more understanding yet then to beleeve that the Precepts Statutes â—udgements Laws Commandments Testimonies Word Ordinances Wayes Truth Name one or other of which names is either in the singular or in the plural number used in every individual verse excepting two throughout that long 119. Psalm consisting of an 176. verses no other thing is meant but the outward letter writing or Scripture of Moses five books very little more than which was extant in Davids dayes wherein the ten words which God wrote with his own hand and a few more Ceremonious matters were recorded by the hand of Moses Is not the Commandement or Word or Law of God as the letter speaks the Lamp or Light that the letter only speaks of Psal. 19.7 c. 119.105 Prov 6.23 And if all the other Prophets that succeeded Moses studied the writingâ— of Moses and one another in order to the knowledge of their own Prophetical writings without which they understood them not savingly as thou sillily sayest yet I wonder what other Prophets writingâ— Moses himself who was one of the Prophets not excepted by thee searched and studied that he might get a saving understanding of that truth that was penn'd by himself sith as thou thinkest at least there were no Scriptures extant before him for Enochs Prophesies have no standing in your Standard I wonder Quae colliquia cum Angelis vel ficta velfacta quis enthusiasmus quis afflatus caelestis aut reapse vis mali spiritus did suggest these fantasms into thy fancy Ex. 1. Ex. S. â—8 thou hast little need to detest the Qua. as Enthusiasis that entertainest and utterest to the world as undoubted truths such Amick Enthusiasmes as these Sundry other such shallow furmises and suppositions are very positively propounded and set down by thee in thy first Chapter of thy first Treatise which I shall let pass here some of which may possibly be touch't on elsewhere But this may suffice to give a taste of that untruth which thy two Treatises are under-propt with whereby from the falsenesse faultinesse foolishnesse and unsoundness of thy ground-work and foundation and from the brittleness of thy Basis so thou call'st p. 1.28.30 this Original part of thy Book concerning the Divine Original and immediate manner of the Scriptures coming forth from God to us the reasonable Reader may read aforehand what a Come-down Castle the rest of thy Babylonish Building is like to be for howbeit I grant that the Word of God and the holy truth in its first coming forth from God to the holy Pen-men that heard his voice and so wrote it as moved by him was of an immediate Divine original in which respect it is said no Prophesie of the Scripture is of private Interpretation or to be counted no more upon than a private mans wriâ—ing which writes of his own head as thou dost the figment and imagination of whose heart fancies thoughts are the fountain of all that is uttered but as that which holy men of God were moved to write and the outward Scripture it self may be said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. penned by men as they were inspired by God or the fruit and effect of no self-afflation but according to the motion or inflation of the holy Spirit yet that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou makest such a deal of work about as the Original of the Copies of the Original of the Scripture and their coming forth from God was not so immediately from God to those that lived when they were first given out much less to us now as thou imaginest in thy vain mind who dotest that every Apex of that Text is equally Divine and as immediately from God to us as the very voice of God in the Prophets was to them without the least mixture or interveniency of any mediums or wayes obnoxious to fallibility or capable of giving change or alteration to the least 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or syllable thereof pag. 10.30.153 for that came from God at first excepting the Decalogue and that little to Belshazzar which ye have now but remote Copies of not without the interveniency medium and way of mans hand-writing which is it were as being infallibly guided by the Spirit obnoxious to no fallibility yet as it comes to you who own that and no other to be your inalterable Standard it s far from coming immediately from God sith it is not without the interveniency of the hands of welnigh innumerable unknown Transcribers the very first and best of whom were so far from non-obnoxiousness to fallibility that thou thy self sayest pag. 167. that neither all nor any of them were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallible or divinely inspired so that it was impossible for them to mistake and that religious care and diligence in their works with a due reverence of him with whom they had to do is all thou ascribest to them and p. 10. that the wisdome truth integrity knowledge and memory of the best of all men is obnoxious 〈◊〉 fallibility and also that it s known they did fail Neither if the Question were about the Autographae or first Manuscripts that were far more immediate then thy far fetcht Apographae or modern Copies are howbeit thy main business is about the magnifying thy confestedly mistranscribed Transcripts and fallible Copies and not the other which being acknowledged by thee to be lost perished and mouldred out of the world nemo post homines natos aequè ac tu delerasse censendus esset si pro scripturis ipsis scriptis hisce argumentare statueris thy dotage would justly be deemed of a deeper die than any mans to argue for them if he be a fool of al fool that fightâ— for the non-corruptibility of what is long since corrupted but I say were thy
which is the Power of God the Scriptures tells of which who erres from and are ignorant of as the Schollars and Scribes are more then any do erre not knowing the Scripture they scribble on any more then it the Letter is too weak an Engine to set to rights what 's what 's out of order and a Standard which men that lean to it as to that intent find to be but a broken staff that not onely fails their expectation of support from it but also wounds them more and runs into their hands Witnesse the wosul work that the Worlds Ministers make in it for all their Scripture who for and about the Scripture and their sundry silly senses about it self and meanings made of the holy matter that 's plainly made out in it make more havock of whole Nations by stirring them up to war about the Scripture in their wild wisdom wicked wils then ever could have been in Christendom if the Scripture had never been among them at all What wasting devastations and calamity hath been in Germany not onely betwixt Protestants and Papists but also by Protestants i.e. Lutherans and Calvinists within themselves and wherefore but for their divided thoughts upon some few Texts of Scripture And what Errors Heresies straglings from the Truth which is but one and from the true Light the Scripture calls to Did ever any sorts of erring men among whom the Clergy that commonly cryed Whore first have been the chief run out into error in the Christian world who have not pretended at least to own and to be willing to be tryed also by the Scripture Yea the Papists for all their infallible Chair will and do ever when they plead it against Protestants professe pretensively to prove it by the Scripture having a sense for every place to serve their own turns as the Protestant Clergy to serve their turns have another And howbeit it hath been thought in the Protestant part of Europe that all would be unity it self among them and so 't is as to make one against the Pope since men fell from that infinity of imagination and invention which was and was capable to be eternally fed with the endless fuel which the unerring Breast and boundless treasure of tradition could easily finde for it and betook themselves more singly to the Scriptures marching from Rome under the conduct of the purity of the Originals as thou speakest p. 207 of the Scritures yet what multiplication of divisions for want of coming to the light which is but one in all and in which alone all true unity is had and held with God and one another 1 Ioh. 1.5 6 7 8. rather then any diminution thereof hath fell out in your Reformed Churches as ye call them 〈◊〉 all the Scriptures being so all in all among them so that like the Serpent Hydraus hundred Heads whereof when Hercules cut off one two grew up after it in the place as soon as one controversie among the Reform'd Clergy was hoped to be ended though I know none was ever truly ended yet by all the Synodical designs that ever were on foot in this Nation or any other so that we may truly say of every Synod of Divines that hath yet fate Quis Synodus Nodus Patrum Chorus Integer Aeger Conventus Ventus Sessio Stramen Amen Many new ones began that like new fresh Hares starting upon tired Hounds that have been hot in the old sent have run them all out of breath or if any evil of division in one thing hath been put to an end it hath been but a preparative to a greater breach among the Protestant Clergy and all their creatures and still Finis alterius Mali gradus est Futuri Yea I may say of thy Scriptures as thou pleads for them J.O. to end all strife withall as I may say of our English Oaths impos'd upon poor persons to the impeaching themselves when they come before our crooked Courts in Case of Tythes viz. that the Oaths given on pretence of ending all strife are in truth given by the Judges to begin all strife with For if an honest man will not swear how many Eggs and Pigs and Pears and Plumbs c. he hath had for so many years past they will not permit him to plead at all or strive in his own defence against his Persecutor In like manner it is with that which thou exhibit'st to men in order to the ending all Divisions and Disputes viz. the meer looking beside the Light within into the Letter of the Scriptures which is so far from finishing any strife that it feeds vain foolish loose mindes such as thine that hates the light none else with fuel and furnishes their fancies with matter for many more strifes then they would find cause for if they kept to the Light within alone for their learning or at least so as in that alone to look into the Letter where such as learn at the Light may read their own Yea dark minds diving into the Scripture divine lyes enough out of it to set whole Countreys on fire as the Divines have ever done And as to the purity of the Originals under the Conduct of which thou saist ye went from Rome wishing none may return thither under pretence of their corruption I say the purity of them which thou pleadest in that height thou dost is but pretended and that more or less corrupted they are to the contradicting thy self thy self art forced to confess p. 167. as is shewed above but be they as they are or how they will be pure or not pure to a tittle as thou assertest them they are so far from relieving you in your wearisom wrathful strifes that cum nemini obtrudi potest itur ad me may your Original Text say when the Divines can have leisure to cease a little from their strife about the holy matter and Doctrine of it then rather then sit still and be quiet or be idle from their common Calling which is contention they 'l role Sysiphus his stone and be at wars and tear one another about the very Letter and their Original Transcripts of it and try that out tooth and nail whether they be true or no in every Letter Tittle Point and Iota as they were written as the first Yea O curas hominum though for truth and wisdom and the Scriptures sake which I own and honour as holy just and good and of precious use to such as know and obey the truth I am become such a fool with them by answering them according to their folly as to make this one Skiâ—mish among them about the Scripture that I may bring some of them to the truth and light of God in them in which only the union is that they may cease henceforth from their stirs strifes which light til they turn to I testifie to them that their way is as slippery places in the dark in which they will be driven on till they fall therein that
Inhabitants of that earthly Jerusalem which is from beneath the fleshly Church of Jews and Christians according to the meer Letter which is in bondage with her children Isa. 8.14 28.16 1 Pet. 2. And that it is Christ Iesus alone and not the Scriptures that is there call'd the Foundation is most evident not onely from the Text it self wherein Jesus Christ himself is instanced in as such for the same that is call'd the Foundation is there also call'd the Corner-stone but also from other Scriptures whereby the truth hereof is yet more illustrated viz. Isa. 28.18 where speaking both in the foregoing and following Verses of the false Foundations short beds narrow coverings and lying refuges that the Drunkards of Ephraim that erred from the simple plain truth thorow the Wine of their own Wisdom and were out of the way and stumbled in Wisdom and Iudgement thorow the strong Drink of their own devised Doctrines so that they could not discern nor learn the Lords Doctrine that was divined to them thorow the stammering lips of such as ministred Precept upon Precept Line upon Line here a little and there a little among them he summons all to fix their Faith on the one onely true and firm Foundation saying Behold I lay in Sion for a Foundation a Stone a tryed Stone a precious Corner-stone a sure Foundation he that believeth shall not make haste Where it 's very observable as it is in Eph. 2.20 That the self-same that is called the Corner-stone is also ca'led the sure Foundation Likewise 1 Cor 11. where it's expresly said That other Foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is JESUS CHRIST Now if no man can lay any other Foundation of the Church which is God's Building then Christ whom the Apostle sayes ver 10. He himself laid as a wise Master-Builder according to the Grace of God given unto him Then all things else besides Christ the Word of God the Light of the World and that measure of Light that shines from him which is not divided from him any more then that of the Sun from it but one with him whatsoever men go about to lay as the Foundation of the Church and her Faith Hope and Obedience are not truly really and properly so but imaginarily supposively fictitiously so and but falsly so called meerly seigned found out and founded onely in the Fancies of foolish blind Babel-builders which Founders and their fictitious Foundations must be confounded For the layers of a false Foundation and such are all they that with I.O. lay the Letter or Traditions with the Papists and Iesuits he justles with or any other then Christ the Light must come to confusion as wel as the meer Formalists their Wood Hey Stubble Trash Imitations empty forms and such like Superstitions and all sorts of Superstructions of the Babilonish Builders upon the true Whereupon as much as J.O. blesses himself in his holding the Foundation and feeds himself with hopes of salvation so long as he is found holding that though he build Hay and Stubble upon it and his Works come to be consumed saying p. 160. It will be well for us if we be found holding the Foundation if we build hay and stubble upon it though our Work perish we shall be saved Yet alas poor deluded man J.O. thou mistakest thy self exceedingly it would be well for thee indeed if thou held'st the Foundation Christ the Head the Light of men thy person might then be saved though thy Work of wood hay stubble will assuredly perish in the fire But thou art far from being found holding that Foundation then which there is no other and found laying another even thy uncertain Transcripts of the Greek and Hebrew Texts and an outward fallible Letter and its Points and Syllables and Tittles and Iota's one jot or tittle of which if it fail thou confessest all thy Faith and Fabrick of Religion falls to the ground confessing also that 't was not impossible for the chiefest Transcribers thereof to mistake in any thing yea that they did fail in their Work so rasing thy false feigned and fallible Foundation to the ground and pulling down thy House with thy own hands like the foolish woman And as for the true Foundation Christ the Light and Spirit which are infallible stable firm fixt sure and certain as every true laid Foundation ought to be and is though thy flexible Letter is not so which is of it self an Argument of its not being the Churches Foundation of Faith and Obedience This true one I say is by thee trampled on and flouted at under the Names of Nescio quod Lumen quem Deum seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deo quopiam melius merae Tenebrae aecitas fines salutares quod attines non sufficiens ad salutem Christus Fanaticorum imaginarius fictitius qualitas nescio quae divina seu anima Mundi omnibus misia quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sit i.e. vere nihil Ex. 4. S. 15.17.21 Doctorem infallibilem nihil habens commune cum Scripturis Ex. 3. S. 22. I know not what Light what God or cornucopia better then any God infallible Doctor inconsonant utterly with the Scripture imaginary Christ of the Qua. I know not what Divine Quality or Soul of the World made up of all things that is all things and truly nothing Moreover if none can lay other Foundation then Christ then Paul himself by these words Ephes. 2.20 Ye are built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets cannot rationally be concluded as he is both senselesly and reasonlesly conceived by I.O. to intend any other Foundation then Christ himself neither can he be understood by any that have common understanding to intend himself and other Prophets and Apostles or his own and their meer outward Writings for then there are two whereof they must have one Foundation of Faith and Obedience and we another they Christ the Light and we them and their Letter which is an absurdity utterly unbecoming men call'd Christs Ministers to imagine seeing the Foundation quicquid id est of the Church and her faith hope and obedience from the beginning of the world to this day is but one and not many yea as the Faith is one and the Baptism one and the Temple and building one and the Body one and the Spirit one and the Lord and God and Father of all saints is one so the Foundation is but one what ever it is Eph. 4 5 6. Or else secondly if there be but one foundation for us and them to stand upon and that be the Apostles and Prophets themselves or thei Writings then Incidit in Scyllam c. the Apostles and Prophets must be supposed to be built not upon Christ but upon themselves their own Writings as to their faith and saving knowledge of the truth or at least on the Writings one of another which is an Imagination as if not more absolutely absurd than the former yet of the two I.O. having
the proofs by me urged against thee are elsewhere discovered thou rouzest up thy self into a new proposal of thy Question in these Terms p. 28. viz. Whether the Hooks commonly called the Old and New Testament were appointed by God for a standing Rule of faith and life which I denying the Books to be thou repliest on this wise viz Now you have spit out your venome which I knew you were big with and I will say to you as the Apostle if any man bring any other Gospel then what we have received let him be accursed To which when I replied I am sure the Gospel you preach will never bring men to heaven Thou relatest thy self replying thus viz. Then friends you hear his acknowledgement and how well he deserves the curse denounced against him By all which passages the Reade may observe these things 1. That thou judgest the Scriptures to be not only the standing Rule of faith and life but also to be the Gospel 2. That there is no other Gospel designed by God as the standing Rules then the Scriptures 3. That he that owns any thing else besides the Scriptures to be the Rule or the Gospel and he that denies the Gospel the Ministers of the letter preach which is but the Letter and the Scripture to be unable to bring men to heaven though I intended by those words viz. the Gospel you preach the false Doctrine and unholy matter ye hold forth when ye deny the Light and plead a necessity of sinning in this life and hold men to be justified and guiltless while under the guilt of Murder and Adultery and damn it as a Doctrine of Devils to affirm any perfect purging from sin in this world and such like and not the Scriptures which ye are far enough from preaching truly the very letter of is big with and spits out venome against the Scriptures and brings another Gospel then that ye have received and to be held accursed and well deserves the curse denounced against him by the Apostle Gal. 1.8 And in all these matters thou art coincident with I.O. who in substance asserts with thee the very same alluding to the self-same place Gal. 1. in proof of the Scriptures to be the Gospel and the only perfect rule of faith and worship Ex. 3. s. 26. Rep. But alas poor simple silly unlearned and ignorant men ye may curse them that bring another Gospel then that ye have received indeed who never at all yet received the true Gospel which the Galatians received from Paul who was not a Minister of the Letter to shew which is all your Gospel but of the spirit and of the light which only while the dead letter cannot do it saves and brings to heaven and gives the Life which Light and spirit is the old Gospel which we bring and minister to men while you for your meer Letters sake alter and despise it I say ye may curse in Pauls words but Pauls Curse will come upon you which being causelesly denounced against us by you cannot come on us Now before I come to urge any new Arguments against the Scripture or Letters being in the Authority of the only standing Rule as both T.D. p. 16. of his second Toy and I.O. p. 18. assert it to be concluding that there is no other Rule or measure of judging and determining any thing about the saving Doctrine of the Gospel but the Writing the Scriptures I shall take some account of some of T. D's and I. O's weak rushy kinde of reasonings by way of Answer to such Arguments as are urged by us against their reasonless suppositions in that behalf Beginning first with T. D's Jejune Replies to what Reasons were rendred by us to him against his Dream that there is no other standing Rule of faith and life but the Scriptures and so proceeding to an Examination of his and I. O's excentrick exhibitions of the Scriptures being the only Rule thereof interchangeably as I see occasion The first Argument urged against thee T.D. at the third Publick Dispute as thy self relatest it in p. 28 29. of thy first Pamphlet to prove the Scripture not the only Rule of faith and life was this Arg. 1. If there be another standing Rule then the Scripture is not it But there is another standing Rule therefore the Scripture is not it The minor thou deniest and sayest expresly that there is no other standing Rule but the Scripture which minor my proof of which thou rendrest as weakly as well as thou canst I proved in these very terms viz. If the Scripture it self sends us to another viz. the spirit as our Rule then it self is not the onely Rule But it self doth so therefore it self is not it The minor of this being denied by thee was proved thus That which the Scripture bids us walk in by after or according to that it sends to but the Scripture it self bids us walk in by a fur or according to the spirit therefore the Scripture sends us to another besides it self as our Rule and consequently is not it self the only standing Rule of faith and life in proof of this minor Gal. 5.16 was cited and some other Scriptures which thou leavest out whether as one loath to tell too much of that truth that makes against thee or no I will leave to thy conscience and not say but some may likely think so for all that as namely Gal. 6.16 besides I know not whether I instanced in any other which I shall here take that leave which in that confused crowd of conference thou strovest as thou sayest thy self to out-word us by for fear of being confuted thou wouldest not then grant me to urge by way of addition at this present viz. Rom. 8.1 4 5 13. Phil. 3.15 and to open as I see occasion in order to the service of that Truth I am now pleading against thee Nevertheless it were not for the Truths sake that it may more fully appear there is little need to say any thing more to thee than thou thy self hast set down in thy Reply to that Text viz. This I say walk in or rather to or according to the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ‑ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the dative case which without the preposition's is elsewhere Engliâ—ht by or according to viz. Gal. 6.16 Phil. 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as many as walk according to this Rule let us walk by the same Rule is so jejune and wretched and poor and miserably blinde and naked being no other then this viz. that phrase doth denote the priniple not the rule of our obedience in that place where if by principle thou intendest the Foundation which the word principles is sometimes used as synonomous unto then thou quite overthrowest I.O. and helpest me against him however but that is no news for beside that each of you often
contradicts himself ye are for all your siding to vindicate the same Points of false Doctrine against the Qua. so frequently sound contradicting each other that in order to the consutation of you both a man may finde contradiction enough either in each of your Writings within themselves or in the Writing of one of you unto the other and so 't is in this case for I.O. owns no other Principle or Foundation of discovery of Divine Truth then the Scriptures for the Faith to stand on p. 18. But thou ownest the Spirit to be the Principle of obedience 2. If the phrase denotes the Principle only and not the Rule as it does not for it denotes both yet the other places mentioned do denote more expresly the Light and Spirit and not the Letter to be the Rule which said Light and Spirit that is the Power of God to say the truth is both the Principle upon which all true Faith is founded and is to stand 1 Cor 2.5 in the movings of which obedience is to be acted and also the Rule according to which as it moves leads guides directs impowers and no otherwise all things that are at all are to be both done and believed And no less do all those phrases however denote viz Rom. 8. 1.4.5.13 Who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit then a being taught led guided ruled directed by as well as moved acted and enabled from the Spirit so or so to believe or do for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Praeposition though join'd with the Genitive signifies contra against as Gal. 5. The flesh lusteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the Spirit yet with the accusative is secundum after according to so that the Light and Spirit of Christ within is not onely the Foundation upon which the Principle from which but also that in which the Standard Measure Guide and Rule of direction by after or according to which the Saints are to walk believe and do whatever they do in order to their pleasing of God and standing uncondemned in his sight And no less then so doth Phil. 3.16 import where Paul to the Saints at Philippi with the Bishop and Deacons according to their several statures and degrees of growth in the Light and Spirit of Christ wishes all that were perfect as every one is that is faithful to his own measure to be so minded as himself yet leaving every one to believe and judge by his own measure of Light not binding any one to his till God himself should reveal things as he knew them to those that were yet otherwise minded Neverthelesse quoth he whereunto we have already attained let us walk or steere our course by the same Rule let us mind the same thing Which same Rule or same thing that he wills all though their measures of Light may be different to mind and walk by He that shall dream it to be the Letter of the Scripture without and not the inward Light Grace and Spirit of Christ a measure and manifestation of which is according to the measure of the gift of Christ distributing to every one severally as he will to some more some less some one some two yet to every one one talent at least given to every man to profit withall to improve trade with and thrive by Matth. 25.15 Rom. 12.3.6 1 Cor. 12. 7.11 Eph. 4.7 8. compared with Psal. 68.18 Gifts to the Rebellious also 1 Pet. 4.10 11. I shall deem him to be more deservedly denominated a Doter then a Doctor in Divinity or a true Teacher of the things of God and the Gospel seeing the so-call'd Scripture-Rule or Canon so much counted on as that no other neither inward light nor Word nor Revelations of the Spirit Post completum ejus Canonem as J.O. sayes are at all to be admitted to the Name Title Honour and Authority of a Rule to the Church according to J. O's and T. D's Principles was not yet bounded nor compleated nor come to its full Coronation Canonization Consecration and Consignation by any Clerical Convocation of Divines as it did afterwards while Paul wrote thus to the Philippians there being more of his own and other holy men's Writings penned after this besides the Revelation of John which J.O. on his own head p. 18. calls the Close of the immediate Revelation of Gods will in that way of Writing And whether the Philippians had seen any Scripture at all much lesse any of the Books ye call the New-Testament more then this that Paul now wrote when he wrote this to them unless it may be conjectured from Ph. 3.1 that he himself wrote to them before to the same purpose as now and therefore sayes to write the same things to you is safe for you is questionable and more then J.O. and T.D. with both their heads laid together are able to prove therefore the same Rule he bids them all walk by according to their respective measures and the same thing he bids them mind was not the Scripture but the Light and Spirit which having reveal'd something to them would as they walked perfectly by the Rule thereof reveal all things to them in due time that he knew and they were ignorant of For though the Rule appointed design'd and authoriz'd by God for all men to mind as one man and to walk by from the beginning of the World to this day is but one i. e. the Light Word and Spirit in the heart and conscience yet the Degrees in which it is dispenced are different and every one that is found faithful in the improvement of what is committed to him be it little or more is crowned with the just account of Faithfulness V prightnesse and Perfection and title to the joy and right to have more committed to him Yea as if any man walk up to what he hath already attained to the understanding of the same shall have more abundance If any will do his will saith Christ i.e. so far as he knows the same shall know of the Doctrines that are taught whether they are of God or whether the Teachers thereof speak of themselve Joh. 7.15.16 Such shall discern and distinguish and see and grow into the Spirit of Iudgement and of a sound mind and into a cleare sight of the mind of God who manifests himself to such as he does not to the world who receive not the Spirit of Truth which he gives to all in some measure to convince them of sin righteousnesse and judgement and so to guide them out of sin but that some resist him but to such as own truth as receive him and love and come to the Light which â—evil ones hate loving flesh and darknesse more then it because it reproves their ill deeds that their deeds may be manifested more and more and come to be wrought in God he leads into all truth while such proud Pharisaical Praters as Vniversity-bred Schollars stubborn Students and rebellious Rabbies Scripture-searching
Scribes that keep scribling and preaching and disputing all their dayes as if they did delight to know Gods wayes enquiring after the Ordinances of Iustice in order as they pretend to the knowledge of what is to be done and yet in what they know naturally as brute beasts by a habit of reading Chapter and Verse as as a Horse that is versed in a way to the Pasture he is used to run in in those very things they corrupt themselves saying to God when he tells them any troublesome truth Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes â—â—taining the truth in unrighteousness that is told them within by the Light of God himself in their own hearts not receiving the love of it that they may be saved having pleasure in unrighteousness and no pleasure in the Truth such shall have at last that they have taken away from them and in the just Iudgement of God be blasted and blinded and given over to strong delusion to believe lyes that they may be damned Nevertheless not as a Principle onely but as a Rule of obedience to such as truly love her the Light within the Spirit of God the Word nigh in the heart and Wisdom not onely with but without the Letter ever was is and will be profitable to direct Eccl. 10 10. And no less then this that the Spirit is the standing Rule of Faith and Life to the Church as well as the Principle thereof doth that Gal. 6.8.16 evince where the Apostle having spoken so much before in ch 5. and the â— verse of this 6. of the lustings of the spirit against the flesh or evil spirit in us that lusteth to envy of walking according to the Spirit living according to the Spirit being led by the Spirit of sowing to the Spirit the crop of which is the fruit of the Spirit the everlasting life the new Creature while the Crop reaped from the fulfilling the lustings of the flesh is more and more Works of the flesh and corruption to death and condemnation at least adds by way of encouragement that the walkers by the Spirit might not not be weary of well doing thus much viz. that so many as walk according to this Rule which Rule is not the Scripture as the Divines and Doctors citing that place as J. O. does twice over at least viz. Ex. 3. S. 26. Ex. 4 S. 22. to that purpose do ignorantly divine but the Spirit the walking in and after which is so often hinted at above and the Light within which and not the Letter without makes manifest both the Works of the flesh and darknesse and the Fruits of the Spirit and the light For the Letter indeed doth declare that the works of the Flesh and the fruits of the Spirit are manifest but it declares also that that which doth manifest them both is the Light by which also they were manifested before the Letter was Which Letter likewise doth de jure declare what is to be done and not done but onely the Light de facto what is done and what is not done of the Mind and Will of God thereby inwardly nigh more immediately revealed and declared as 't is ad extra onely and more mediately and afar off by the Letter For all things that are reproved or approved are as so made manifest by the Light the Letter came from And whatsoever doth primarily and principally make manifest good and evil right and wrong crooked and straight truth and falshood simplicity and deceit it self and darkness it self and all false spirits sound Doctrine and seducing is that Light and Spirit which comes from God and shines more or lesse in all mens hearts This as it is the Principle as J.O. foolishly affirms the Letter only is p. 18. or means of discovery so it and not the Writing only as he there blindly writes is also the Rule or measure of judging and determining about the saving Doctrine of the Gospel this is as the Light of the outward world is in it the discovery of it self and of all things else in their proper appearances This is certum Rectum Regula quae est mensura sui obliqui Hitherto are we sent this and not the Letter as I.O. childishly asserts p. 57. is asserted to be the Rule and Standard the Touchstone of all speaking whatsoever that must speak alone for it selfe and try the speaking of all but it selfe yea it s own also By all which it is evident how the Light and Spirit is designed by God to be the unchangeable standing-Rule of Faith and Life and the Churches Directory in all Divine Doctrines to be believed and practised and not the Letter of the Scripture at least not the Letter onely which is the matter very stifly affirmed and stickled for by J.O. and T.D. the latter of which stands up to vindicate it in these terms see T. D ' second Pamphlet p. 16. that the Scriptures are the Word of God and the Rule of Faith and Life and that there is no other standing-Rule but the Scriptures The former in these If every man's private Light so he floutingly calls that particular measure of that publike Light of Christ which is one and the same in all be the Rule of yeilding obedience unto God then so many men so many Rules but the Divine Canon is but onely one and that the holy Scripture is that only Rule is abundantly shewn quoth J.O. before In proof of which saying the Rule is but one J.O. quotes that Gal. 6.16 which speakes not of the Scripture at all And Eph. 3.16 which speaks expresly of the Spirit of God as the next verse does of Christ the Word which we confess is the Rule but neither the one nor the other of the Scripture Isa. S. 20. which speaks of the Law and Testimony which are the Light and Spirit as I shall shew anon For this place is three times at least alluded to by J.O. to the like little purpose and not the Letter of the Scripture Obj. And if any say But is not the Sripture profitable to direct yea for Doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse able to make wise to salvacion to make a man of God perfect thorowly furnished or as the word is perfected into all good works according to 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. and so to be the onely Rule Canon Standard Touch-stone in all cases Rep. This place is insisted upon or quoted three or four times by I. O. To whom I say howbeit there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy Scriptures as I have said elsewhere that are not written with Ink and Pen nor ingraven in stones but with the Finger and Spirit of the living God upon the fleshly Tables of mens hearts which make such as Timothy was who knew that spirit in himself spoke of Iob 32.8 and that inward Writing and inspiration of the Almighty that onely giveth the understanding which are most profitable for Doctrine Correction
Reproof Instruction in Righteousness and without any outward Scripture to perfect the man of God fit and furnish him as no outward Scriptures can possibly do without these for any much less for every good work which inward Scripture in which holy men read the Gospel before 't was ever written outwardly with Ink and Pen foreseeing that God would justifie the Gentiles through Faith in Christ the Light preached the Gospel four hundred years before your Scripture Canon or Rule ad extra was ever written Howbeit I say There is a Scripture ad intra that ye read little in testified to and talk't of by your external Text ye onely talk for 2 Cor. 3. Yet to J. O. I grant the outward Scripture and that in its integrity so far as free from corruption by mis-transcription and mis-translation to be holy just good useful and profitable for all the things specified in the Text of Paul to Timothy when read and understood in that Light Wisdom and Spirit that gave it out by those holy men which onely knows the Mystery of its own minde and meaning therein and reveals it ' also to Babes and simple honest hearts that come at ' fools to it looking to the Lord alone for wisdome out of whose mouth comes that knowledge and understanding whereby the Scripture is seen as to the spirituality and substance of it when the plain things of it are hid from the wise and prudent that furfeit with their own conceited science and lean to their own Animal understanding and in that give their several senses and sentences on it for the natural or as the word is 1 Cor. 2.14 15 16. the Animal man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God not the hidden wisdome of God which none of the Princes of this world know 1 Cor. 2.6 7 8. c. which in a mystry or meer Riddle to their degenerate reason is uttered in the very outward Scripture neither can the animal man by his wisdome from beneath for all his bitter envying and strife within himself against all that oppose him wherein he glories and lyes against the truth the fruit of which envy is confusion and every evil work which wisdome is but earthly sensual Animal devillisbly deceitful Jam. 3.14 15 16 17 18. know the things of God for they are spiritually discerned and by the spiritual man only that discerns and judges all and is falsely judged by all though truly discerned by none that are beneath him The outward Scripture I say is profitable to such as Timothy was to men of God to make them who are wise in the Spirit wiser and wiser through their faith in the light to their own and others salvation and to furnish such a Minister as Timothy was who knows when and being in the Spirit how and how far forth to use it for every good work in his Ministry And such as are full of might and power first by the Spirit of the Lord upon them as Micah was Mic. 3. and as Apollo was are mighty also in the Scripture and furnished mightily to confound the Scripture-searching Scribes and all gain-sayers of the Light as they were in their times So that we deny not the Scriptures ad extra to be many wayes useful profitable in their place and time where they are to be read as they are not in so much as the tenth part of the world and where they are read in the light by them who live in that Light that gave them forth which are not the hundreth part of those that usually read and search them but will all this prove them to be what I.O. and T.D. contend so stiffly to have them be viz. in that high Authority of the Rule nay the only most perfect standing Rule of all true belief and holy life before the very light and spirit of God they had their very original supreme being from thorow the hands of holy men as but subordinate instruments in their first purity as writings except that little that was pend by God himself which we now have not which Scriptures yet as to the being they now have are handed to us from no higher principle then the transcription of meer fallible and as I.O. sayes un-inspired men Ab sit imaginatio let the thoughts hereof be far from us that the Scripture is the only Rule for if we should grant it to be so far as truly transcribed in the Copies of the Original a Rule at all or a secondary Rule which name of Rule is more than it any where calls it self by yet the prime most perfect Rule it is not much less is it the only Rule to the Church or any men and though we are as forward as any on a due account to own the profitablenss of the very letter as it declares of the words of truth and uprightness and the Doctrine that is according unto godliness and to own its great usefulness as to the purposes premised and so affirm that the dead letter so far as not depraved from its primitive purity doth as truly answer and hold proportion with the light and living word as the shadow doth with the substance the life-less picture with the living person it represents and as the voice which is Imago verbi the Image of the Word with the Word it is the Image of or the Eccho which is the Image of the voice doth with the voice it answers to insomuch that as Quae conveniunt in aliquo tertio santidem what holds measure or weight and keeps correspondency or proportion with a third thing that agrees with the standard or sealed Canon agrees also with the standard it self so whose life squares truly and substantially with the letter convenes with the light and spirit it imediately issued out from and he that lives and speaks perfectly and adaequately according to the Scripture so far speaks and lives according to and not besides the light and spirit which the letter requires man to live beleeve and walk in and by as neither doth or can he erre from the letter if he had never heard read or seen it who answers the measure of the light and spirit that is lent him to live by yet for all this as T.D. gives this reason for his untrue imagination why this part of the inspired Scripture you have only is the only Rule and not any Sermons or private religious discourses which have the same common ends with the Scriptures no nor yet any other writings but those ye have if we could prove and produce as assuredly we shall anon any legitimate ones of Divine inspiration though otherwise as useful and profitable as those ye have and agreeing therewith viz. because God did not give order quoth he for the one as he did thinks he for the other and there is no other Scripture appointed of God to be a Rule of faith and manners but what is bound up in the Bible and where he appointed that we
which we deny which matter notwithstanding when it comes to the point of proof before people they dare denominate only to be the only Rule and Word denying those high Titles to the naked Letter as well as we crying out with a dreadful ditty against the Qua. in their Pulpits as deniers of the Scriptures the Bible to be the Word of God the Rule c. and when we enter the lifts with them then finding themselves unable to carry it against us falling down before us in confessions to us that it is the Divine truth and matter only contained in the Scripture which is the Rule to all men so far as it that is that Truth and matter is revealed to them as it is here confessed also by T.D. to be to the very Heathen in their hearts that have no Scripture and was so before it was put into writing that is before the Scripture was which seeing it is so confest in the same way as I argued above about the Foundation against I.O. so may I here against T.D. and him both about the Rule viz. Arg. 1. The Rule must be something that is in being before the faith and life that is to be Regulated by it 2. Must be that the Scripture testifies to be the Rule 3. Something that is firm fixt sure stable inflexible infallible inalterable else all the work wrought by a Lesbian Rule a soft waxen measure may be ad infinitum crooked scanty erroneous disorderly in all Dimensions at mens pleasure who may as our Priests mostly do transcribe translate expound rectifie the Scripture according to their crooked conceits and their Antichristian Analogy of faith as they use to speak and not their crooked conceits and false faith according to the true Theology that is plain to godly honest hearted men in the Sâ—ripture wrest their Rule to their own wills self-ends interests and where it likes not their unruly selves to be Ruled by it Run from it or rather Rule over ir as they list But the Light and Spirit and Truth and living Word and holy Doctrine was in being before the faith and life of any man 2. Is testified by the Scripture at is above shewed to be the Rule 3 Is inalserable firm c. and the Scripture it self is already proved and is yet more to be proved not to be so therefore the Light Truth c. not the Scripture Text c. is the Rule Be sides what Ioh. Tombs and Rich. â—axter who must here be wrapt with their own weapon argue falsely against the Lights being the Rule I may truly argue against the Letters being it For page 51. of their Book entituled The true old Light Thus they dispute viz. That which is variable and alterable cannot be a persons Rule for its the property of a Rule to be invariable and the same at all times The Rules Measures and Weights and Dialls and Squares and what other things are made if they be varied they cease to be Rules for Rules should be fixed and certain But there is nothing more variable then mens light in them say they falsely but say I truly then a Letter or Writing without That which is to day say they taken for light is to morrow judged to be darkness and that light which is this day in a person may be lessened to morrow a person may become Fanatick and dote who yesterday was heard with applause therefore each persons light cannot be his Rule so us that at all times he should be bid to look to it as a safe guide as the Qua. do And say I that which is to day Transcribed Translated Interpreted so and in such a sense by some may be through Mis-transcription Mis-translation Mis-interpretation be wrested as a Nose of wax to morrow by others into a clear contrary sense by Transposition of Hebrew letters which in shape and sound are alike either in way of mistake among the most careful Scribes in the world or at the mâ—er will and pleasure of Criticks who ad libitum may turn the Text into twenty senses one after another as seems good to them witness I.O. himself who as is elswhere shewed in many pages together of his Epistle Dedicatory tells how easie it is so to do yea to turn that one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the different pointing of it into 8 sundry senses some whereof are clear contrary to each other yea it is but doing so or so saith he and as many various lections arise in the very original Text as a man pleases to make It being so then with the Letter that it is so variable and flexible and contrariwise the Light being fixt firm stable without variation as it is for all their lying of it it 's eternally and unchangeably the same even yesterday to day and for ever as Christ is from whom it comes one and the same in all the Foundation and witness of God which stands sure and keeps its place in the consciences of men let them go whether they will testifying the same truth as Gods witness in all men that it doth in any mâ—n both de jure defacto also never consenting to any evil but condemning it all in all men more or less Therefore say I in consutation of I O. T. D. I.To. and Rich. Baxter out of their own Books the Light Word and Spirit of God within every one may and ought to be every mans Rule so as that at all times he should be bid to look to it and follow it as a guide as the Qua. do But the Text or Letter without however owned as it is by me above to be useful and profitable for men of God that know how to use it cannot be the most perfect stable Standard much less the only infallible Rule and guide of mens faith and life as the blind guides say in words it is though in works they themseves live and walk besides it as much as any Again if the Scriptures be the Rule and not the Light and Spirit then either there was no Rule before the Scripture or else they who lived before the Scripture had one Rule we another and so consequently there are two Rules for the one faith of the one holy Church But all these whimsies are most absurd for then the one Church hath tot regulus quot novas explicationes ejusdem veritaetis as many Rules as particular wayes of Revelation of the truth And T.D. said the Truth was one and that the matter was the Rule before the writing was and I.O. sayes Ex. 4. s. 22. Vnicus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divinus the Divine Rule is but one and so say I of the one general Catholick Church or Assembly of the first born from Abel to this day therefore the Light Spirit and not the Scripture is the Rule As for I. Os shallow shuffling off the Lights being the Rule and sleight slinging at it Testaque lutoque with his muddy pellet in that Section
and admonish others according to Col. 3.16 which Text also thou understandest Ex. 2. s 13. and T.D. too p. 31. of his 1. Pamph. of the Scripture or Letter without and that the Word that Christ speaks to every man in his own heart and conscience whose voice and word and Gods word also his sheep hear and such as are of God when others do not cannot because they will not Joh. 8.43.47.10.26 27. is that which leaves without cloak or excuse in their sins Joh. 15 22. and that the Word that God by Christ the Light and Christ by his Spirit and Light in the conscience speaks is that which who so beleeves in and hears abides not in darkness or errour but comes to know the truth that sets him free from the law of sin and death and brings to life and who hears not or hears and beleeves not or receives not but rejects shall be judged by at the last day according to Joh. 12.46 47 48 49 50. this I do not deny for this is it and not the Letter here as it is sometimes used as the Lights instrument which was never in the heart how much less the letter chiefly only authoritatively exclusively of any other Revelation by the Spâ—riâ— and Light within aâ— thou spitteâ— it out to wâ—ich Letter yet pag. 87.83 86 87. thou â—o 〈◊〉 all those powerful properties which dive into the hearts coâ—scienceâ— and secret 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 of men whether they ever saw read heard or heard of the Letter yea or nay Judges sentences them in themselves convinces tesâ—ifies conquers kills men converts builds up makes wise holy obedient ministers consolation in every condition to whom it is due and as thou sayest intending it of the Scripture which is peculiar only to the Light within the heart the Scripture speaks of guides teaches directs determines judges in and upon men in the Name Majesty and Authority of God also I deny not but the Word of Christ spoken by Christ himself in the conscience is that which is effectual to purge the conscience and cleanse the heart that it may bring forth fruit to God and the way accordin to Ioh. 15.3 where he sayes Now ye are clean through the Word that I have spoken unto you and according to that of Paul Eph. 5.26 who saith Christ cleanseth and sanctifieth by the washing of water through the Word and that of David Psal. 119 9. who saith that the means by which a young man may cleanse his way is by taking heed thereto according to Gods word which Word of God also he sayes vers 11. he had hid in his heart that he might not sin against God which inward Word of God that is so abundantly spoken of as I elsewhere shewed in that 119. Psal. that there is not past two of three among those 176. verses of it in which it is not mentioned as to iâ—s efficacy excellency usefulness profitableness and power under one name or other of either Testimonies Statutes Judgements Precepts Law Commandements c. all sounding out one and the same is stiled for it was not an outward Writing with mens hands he there means vers 72. The Law of Gods mouth and 88. the Testimony of Gods mouth intimating that which came more immediately from God to him in his heart then the Writings of Moses could do even out of his own mouth in him whom he and Habakuk 3.1 and all the Prâ—phâ—ts excepâ— the Word-stealers heard what he would say in them Ps. 85.9 Jer. 23.16 receiving from his mouth stood in his counsel the Light within That that Scripture Joh. 8. is true of Chriâ—ts words in what it speaks of them and the rest that are suitable to it I deny not but that either it or any of them by God or Christs words or saâ—ingâ— intend the Scriptures without at all much more altogether exclusively as thou talkest of the Word Spirit and Light within and the Revelation of minde and will of God thereby immediately in the heart this I utterly deny affirming that the internal Reveation of his minde to men by his own â—oice from his own mouth in their consciences is that which is mainly yea only and altogether intended in them yea and in some not to say all of them exclusively rather of the Scriptures as which indeed are not the Word or Words that are declared to effect those precious things but are only outward Writings of spiritually inspired men who witnessed its efficacy in themselves that declare those precious things which the inward Word effecteth And the like I respectively affirm and deny as concerning that other Text Jer 25.29 of thy own alledging where God saith of his Word it s a fire and a hammer that breaketh the Rocks in peeces denying it utterly to be meant of the Writings of the true Prophets out of which the false ones stole the words they preacht and then ran and said Thus saith â—he Lord declaring in his name when he never spake to them nor sent them when like the Scribes for all their telling things as the Word of the Lord as they read this or that in the Scriptures they had never as any time heard his voyce nor flood in his counsel nor received nor marked his words as coming out of his own mouth and affirming it to be meant of the Word of God ministred immediately by his own voice in the conscience which is said to be accompanied with the like mighty effects in the hearts of wicked sturdy proud haughty minded men that are likened to Mountains and Rocks against which the Lord comes in a way of terrible storms and thunderings which prepare his way 1 King 19 11 12 and to lofty Cedars of Lebanon and strong Oaks of Bashan Isa. 2.12 to the end in Psal. 29.3 4 5 6. c. where it is said The voice of the Lord is upon the great waters or peoples Rev. 1â— 15 The God of glory thundereth the voice of the Lord is powerful full of Majesty breaketh the Cedars divides the flames shakes the wilderness makes the â—lindes calve discovers the Forrests and that its of this and not the Letter which men steal nad call the Word is evident by the verses about it where the Lord declares himself to be against the Prophets that steal and tell and sell what they read in the true Prophets writings which they wrest according to their own dreaming thoughts into sinister senses and to tell lies and dreams and divinations of their own brain for truth which stoln ware though they vent the same word which they read in others writings not receiving and uttering as from Gods own mouth God calls but the vision of their own mouth and the Chaff which is nothing to the Wheat and not the other vers 21. Moreover as to the other of thy Texts I am yet in hand with viz. Jam. 1.2 1 Tim. 4.16 Heb. 4.12 Psal. 119.105 Isa. 55.10 11. All which thou urgest in proof of one and the
the light of God the wisdome saving truth immediate witness clearest way of Revelation soul-cleansing Law sure foundation most perfect Rule immoveable stedfast Standard of Gods setting up but it self is nos all nor any of this nor doth it at all any where avouch it self to be any of it at all The Scripture points to that which is the Power of God by the being of which in and upon his people who only own and joyn to it they are made a willing people in the day thereof when such as turn from and against the light which is the power and labour in the weak naked Letter labour in vain and are left unwilling to leave their lusts and lives for Christ as his Maryrs or outward witnesses did in all Ages But the Letter it self is not Power of God that sustained them in the suffering and inabled them to forgo what was dear to them and to undergo what was dreadful and destructive to nature in its dearest concernments The Letter tells us that the Saints did so and tells us and all Saints that we should do for Christ but the Power by which this is done is another matter then a Letter ad extra even the inward light Word and Spirit that thou doest despite to even that in the conscience that made them indure as seeing him who is invisible and discovered the darkâ—â—ss upon the discovery of which they rather chose death then to own it as Light and Truth not only in ages as high as Moses who by faith in the Light chose affliction rather then sin and feared not the wrath of Pharaoh but also from him downward as low as Maries dayes in which some died for denying the darknâ—ss of the Popes Dâ—ctrines of Transubstantiation c. which the Light in their consciences told them were too gross to be of God who yet by their confession could not dispute against it with Vniversity Sottish Sophisters Doctor Dunces out of Letter nor so much as read a letter therein and also as low as these dayes wherein by the Power of God many are born up to bear the Trials of the cruel Academical mockings scoffings scourgings inâ—lictings stonings bonds imprisonments abuses to death witness one of the first of the Lords two Hand-maids that were sent to warn the Vniversity of their universal abomiâ—ations at Oxford in the time of I.Os. Vice chancellorship there who perhaps may not be so learned literally though mystically and spiritually more in the Letter as obtuse aÌ„cuti â—omunâ—ioneâ— many of those dull-beaded nimble disputers out of it are in their bald fashion of Syllogistical form Neither did the Letter either of the Old Testament which is the Letter without of what things soever written or the outward Letter of the New ever conquer the world in which thou sayest it brought forth so much fruit further then into a meer empty fruitless form of Godliness without the power thereof insomuch that though as to the Primitive Christian Churches while they kept in the Light which the Apostles Ministry whether by word of mouth or Writing Letter Scripture was to turn them to walk by and beleeve in and in the Spirit in which they began till fooâ—ishly being bewitched from obeying the truth it self they turned aside to the outward Text that tells it and so thought to be made perfect by the flesh and the fleshly bodily exercises they found in the Letter which once used were as low weak beggeâ—ly elements for a time the power of God and godliness was much â—elt among them and abode with and upon them to the prevailing against the Powers of the earth and the overcomming the world it self and Satan the Prince of it by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of his Testimony not loving their lives to the death and much fruit of the Spirit and of righteousness was brought forth to the glory and praise of God But when Synods and Councels doting Doctors infatuated Ghostly-Fathers and such as admired their persons as they the persons of the Apostles and primitive Disciples began to bundle together what they could get of the Wâ—itings of such as were coaetaneous with Christ and the Apostles and without any such order from either Christ or the Apostles to canonize what in their conceits might be useful to others as they had found them t is like to be to themselves into a Rule or Canon and stated them into a common Standard for all to have their sole recourse to in soul-cases and matters of Christian faith and holy life and so to adore the dead letters of those holy living men and to run a whoring after some remnants of Writings that dropt from them then in the whole world now called Christendome instead of an Apostolical Spouse of Christ as Christians were at first presented a chaste Virgin to himself by them there stands up an Apostatical Strumpet that had the Letter and good words written there but neither the life of God nor the Word of life therein testified to that according to the nature of Error which is ever multiplying degenerated more and more into the dark till at last being gone from the Word Spirit Light and Life within to the outward Letter that relates of it they ran into the Wildernes of their own numberless senses upon it so that they lost the Letter also and fell from it into Tradition and a thousand Old Wives Fables and though it is good and acknowledged so to be so far as it is that the Protestants have marched from Rome under the conduct of the Leâ—ter yet for all they are come back from the blinde screel scrawls of the Popish Scribes for their smoaky imaginations to a pretensive profession of and prate prâ— Scripturis for the Scriptures unless they march on according to the conduct of the Scriptures till they come into the Light and Spirit which they point to and by a dotage upon the Scriptures ye would run from they are not so much as come yet to the Scriptures nor to conform to that counsel of the Prophets and Apostles given in it but are yet erring from the Scriptures even in and by their very eager Scriblings for it as the only most perfect Rule and from the only Rule of faith and way to Life the Letter is as loud for but that they are dull of hearing as they in their naked Writings are loud for the naked Letter it self And so it comes to pass that as Israel was of old who was as laborious in the Letter busie about the Bible and strict for his Scripture-standard as our Israel for the self-same which yet they confess too is abolished as to the Litteral observation of it with the Appendix of a few of Stories and Letters and Revelations of those holy men next to Christs time who by the Spirit wrote much more then is there own'd as their Standard I say as the old Israel proved as to God an empty vine Hos. 10.1 bringing forth
that if he were set to extoll and set forth Christ Jesus himself in all his Dignity Authority Dominion Might Majesty and Glory unless it be the express names of the only beloved and begotten Son of God King of Kings Lord of Lords Mighty God the Ever-Father the Prince of Peace and perhaps some few more I can scarcely suppose on a sudden that he could finde any other or at least any more eminent Titles to dignifie him by then those by which hee dignifies not to say Deifies his adored dead Transcript Text and Corps of the Greek and Hebrew Copies of the Scriptures which hee vermilions over with the honour and veneration as to sundry of the most excellent glorious Titles and properties hee attributes to it that is due either to God or Christ or his living VVord Light and Spirit alone For howbeit every such particular expression of VVonderful Councellor Leader and Commander to the people Redeemer Saviour Salvation c. that Christ is stiled by may possibly not bee used in I.Os. book to express the outer Scriptures by yet I beleeve there is but little asserted in honour of Christ the Spirit the living Light and VVord througout the Scripture which is not asserted if not in the same yet in Termes equivalent in honour of the Scripture it self Witness all those most high flown phrases and eminent strains he flyes out and strikes up in in way of ascribing little less then all Authority Dominion Exaltation Transaction self-evidencing efficacy Light Power Dignity and Glory here on earth at least unto the Scriptures as if the Father had sealed it and not his Son and Spirit to be the disposer and orderer of all things next and immediately under himself as supream Iudge Rule Ruler Head and Governour over the sons of men and the giver and dispenser of the meat that endureth to eternal life CHAP. IV. ANd now I return to take more notice of what more is urged in his Latine Theses as concerning the Scriptures being the only most perfect rule of faith life worship and knowledge of God as to salvation The second Argument in proof whereof is its perfect operation and efficacy Ex. 3. s. 29. omnia perficit necessaria c. it accomplishes all that is necessary to Gods glory and our salvation in vindication of which a whole Dozen of Scriptures are urged eleven of which are above answered and one onely remains to be a little spoken to viz. Isa. 55.10 11. And as to that of Isa. 55 10 11. I grant That the Word of God as the Rain and Snow comes down and returns not without watering the earth and causing it to bring forth and bud and give seed and food so it returns not void at any time without working that for which he sends it to any person or people and prospering to the accompliâ—â—ment of what he pleases but I am half amazed to see that thou I.O. shouldest bee so silly as to interpret that of the Scripture since it so expresly speaks de verbo oris sui of the Word of his mouth which is asserted immediately from himself with his own voice so shall my Word be that goeth out of my mouth which Word expressed by his own voice speaking who so upon second thoughts and serious consideration shall say the Scriptures are properly too as I.O. excusing his ignorance for as much as not for want of incogitancy I my self sometimes so thought while I ran as our National Ministry now doth making haste and saying he saith before himself had sent mee howbeit I wanted no sending of man or had spoke to me or I heard his voice I shall make bold to accuse him of arrant Absurdity miserable mistake wretched blindness and utter unâ—â—rthiness to bee denominated a Doctor in that thing which our Divines call Divinity Nevertheless not having so well minded the matter as upon occasion they may do in time to come being carried in times past by custome to take things and term and talk of them according to tradition more then true discerning of them in their proper natures the very preachers of this Nation as well as the poor people that have lived on their lips have been so habituated by common Metonymies to miscall the Scriptures by names not proper to their natures that they now stand up to depend them to be most properly denominated by those Metonymical and improper names so that howbeit we are never so willing to allow them to express themselves by such figurative phrases as are frequently found in the Scripture it self as Act. 13.27 the voices i.e. Scriptures of the Prophets are said to be read in the Iews Synagogues every Sabbath and that satisfies them not but the Qua. are deniers both of the Scriptures and of the Word of God and spoylers of them of their proper names if they yeeld not to their as absurd as arbitrary Appellations of them by those glorious Titles of Gods Words Gods Voice as their proper names yea in this dotish disquierness and peevish perversnes of his prejudiced spirit doth I O. quarrel with the Quakers as bereavers of the Scripture of its proper name because they own not his improperties in ignorantly and impudently imposing the names of the Word of God and the spiritual Light on the Letter as its Proper names which it chalâ—engeth to it self from its preheminent participation of the nature and properties of the Word of God and of Light viz. Life power to quicken and save and to shine to the evidencing of it self J.O. I am now to deal against the Qua. about the proper name of the Scripture for this sort of men are glad that the care of this business is committed to them by Satan that they may spoil the Scriptures of that glorious Title the Word of God This name doth the Scripture challenge to it self So p. 49.73 74 77. That the Scripture is light we shall see that is so or can be called so unless it hath this nature and properly to evidence it self as well as to give light to others cannot in any tolerable corespondency of speech be allowed Whether spiritual intellectual light regarding the minde or natural with respect to bodily sight be firstly or properly light I need not inquire both have the same properties it is spiritual moral intellectual light with all its mediums that hath the preheminence as to a participation of the nature and properties of light Now the Scripture the Word of God is Light a Light â—hining in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 with an eminent advantage for its own discovery c. a glorious shining Light an illuminating Light compared and preferred abâ—ve the light of the Sun Psal. 19.5 6 7. Rom. 10 18. The most glorious light in the world the most eminent reflexion of increased Light and Excellencies the Psalmist ascribeth light power stability and permanency like that of the Heavens and Sun in commutation of properties to the word i.e. Scripture with I.O.
and an inexpressible exaltation of it above them the light of one day of this Sun meaning the Scripture which hee expresses by the terme the Word of God being unspeakably more then that of seven others as to the manifesting the glory of God nor doth it impaire this self-evidencing efficacy of the Scripture that it is a moral spiritual not a natural Light This and much more utters I.O. concerning these Termes of the Word the Light as the proper names of the Right belonging to the Letter Neither is I.O. alone in this but some others I have met with that have stifly stood up to defend the Scripture or Letter to be the Light the Word of God yea verbum oris the word of his mouth and the Voice of God and Christ properly and properly to be so called Rep. Which sayings O the contrariety that is in them to common sense and reason they may as well say they hear that mans voice properly some of whose sayings they read in the letters of such as write what they heard him say they may as properly say they are to own the voice of the Scribes and Pharisees for their Rule as they are written down by the Apostles and Evangelists sith Christ saith They sit in Moses chair all that they say do and that they do now properly hear their voyces sith what they said was recorded as say that they now properly hear Christs Voice in reading some things he spake as they are written by them that heard him speak them and stablish and canonize them and other mens sentences as the only standing Rule on this account because God said Hear him and they now hear properly Moses voice and must own his Law that vanisht as to the shadow of it still to the Church a standing Rule because Christ said They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them 2 O the contrarity of this to the Scriptures themselves for if they be properly the Voice of God and Christ then absit blaspemiae they make Christ charge the Scribes improperly and falsely that they never at any time heard Gods voice Joh. 5. for they heard the Scriptures read every Sabbath neither could he say truly what he doth exclusively of such as are not his sheep My sheep hear my voice if the Scriptures were his voice properly for the Dogs and Swine hear and hear the outward Scriptures read as well as his sheep but his sheep hear another secret still voice of his in all things that hee saith unto them in their own consciences which the loud Brawlers for the bare Bible drown within themselves with their non-sensical notes and noyses about their Diana's and siâ—ver shrines and Temple worship and Church work which voice and words of his are heard in secret with more profit among the wise Luke 10.17 then the cry of the Truth selling Spirit stinting-Scripture stealers among fools which still voice of Christs yeâ— whoever hears not and heeds not more then our heady high-minded Hypocrites of these dayes do may preach themselves out a while longer yet as the Ministers and Church of Christ but shall ere long be cut off from among his people in the mean time however this is the improper tone they tune it out in when we bid them fear God hearken to his voice own that as your only guide his Word his Voice his Spirit his Light as the only infallible sure standard the witness of God himself the Scripture witnesses of and sends men to which hee that heeds follows beleeves in obeyes needs not be so restless by wrangling as the wrestless for and wresters of the Scripture are about the Witness of man though witnessing from and for God as moved by him for the Witness of God himself and the Witness of Christ himself in the conscience is greater needs not be so loud for a Letter for the voyces and words of men and the Writings and Revelations of holy men for the inward immediate Voyce the Word the Spirit the Light Revelation of Christ himself in the heart is greater True say they we must hear Christs voice in all things he sayes abide in his Doctrine or Teaching receive his Witness and Testimony walk by his Word live by his Light alone bee guided and ordered in all things by his Spirit which alone reveals the minde of God and Christ without whose Revelation none knows the things of God and Christ but the Letter of the Scripture the outward Writings of such as heard him as we do not the Hebrew and Greek Text at least and Translationâ— as they keep touch with them these are that Word that living life-giving powerful heart-searching soul-saving Word those Words of his that are Spirit and Life by which alone men must come to beleeve that Light to the feet that Lamp to the path that verbum oris that very word of his mouth that works and accomplishes all things to his glory our salvation that verbum oris that goeth forth of his own mouth that hee put according to his promise Isa. 59. ult as if that were the Scripture oh gross and shameful yet over and over and over and over again I.O. cites that Text to prove Gods promise to continue the Hebrew and Greek Texts entire without loss or change of iota or title of it to the worlds end into the mouth of the Churches Seed and the mouth of her Seeds seed for ever that must go out of the mouth of babes and sucklings as the only strength against the persecutor to still the enemy and avenger that sharp sword of his mouth with which he will smite the wicked Nations Rev. 19. That Rod of his mouth or breath of his lips with which he slayes the wicked Isa. 11. That Rod of his strength and power sent out of Sion by which he will rule fâ—reuer in the midst of his enemies Psal. 110. That word that he hath spoken which God hath magnified ovâ—r all that is called his name and so over the light it self it sprang from which is his name Joh. 1. and the sâ—fe strong Tower of the Righteous That vis virtus Dei power of God and word of the Crosâ— That Doctrine or Teaching of Christ which continued in saves the Preacher and hearers ipsa doctrina quam a Deo docemur That witness of God which who so hath needs not the witness of men for the witness of God is greater That voice of God that 's more sure and certain as to its giving out its evidence to us then the very immediate voice which the Apostles heard God himself speak to them with from heaven 2 Pet. 1. And all this and much more exclusively and abstractively from that within yea and properly too so that the Word of God Foundation the Rule Light Lamp and so consequently all the rest of the Tiâ—les are the very proper names of the Scriptures no other then what are properly answerable to its nature For in this wife I.O. drives on the
future and if he be indeed so blinde as he makes himself and so mean of memory as not to remember any name whereby the Lanthorn or Letter can bee called but that name of the light and VVord though himself calls it not the light or word only but by the name of lanthorn letter or Scripture also save that Trapezantius-like who in a long fit of sickness forgot his own name I.O. forgets himself and heeds not that himself often calls the letter as others do by its only due and proper name of letter or Scripture 't is fit he should be plainly told what to call it and minded of it as I here do tell and minde I.O. who calls to the Qua. to tel him what to call the letter that the name of Lanthorn by which though he forget that hee doth so himself doth call the lanthorn and the name of Scripture by which he though heâ— forgets it calls the Scripture is a more proper name then those of light and the Word of God and the most proper names that can possibly bee given to them And if for all this he will obstinately oppose the truth and wilfully wa'k on without wisdome then nescio quid indeed the dotage being so deeply dyed into him that its scare like to depart if he be brayed in a Morter I know not what more to say but Nescioan Anticcyram ratio illidestinet omnem Now I.O. ne Kideas be not so merry about the mouth for such a man there is and nigher to thee too then thou thinkest he is so nigh that thou canst not step an inch from him -- nete quaesiveris extra hee is a well known to thee as any man in thy cloaths and thou canst not bee ignorant of him if thou be not willingly ignorant of thyself yea verily Thou art the man that art found in that folly and falsehood that is aforesaid about the lanthorn and the light as is shewed so abundantly above that there needs little more to be said in proof thereof Tu Dominus Tu vir aut Doceas nos quid sibi vuls santa blateratio mugitus c. what means such a blâ—ating and bellowing out for the letter such a pleading it to be the true light which it doth but plead for such a striving to have it stiled the light and the meer writing and every tittle of it to be called the Word of God which bears in truth caeteris paribus but such a reference to the true light and Word of God respectively as the lanthorn doth to the light of the candle which is set up and held forth in it Quid sibi vuls detestaâ—io execratio tanta c. what means such direful detestation extrâ—am execration and thundring out of little less then Anathama Maranathaes against the light within and word within and all that confess to it as I.O. himself doth too but that hee forgets it and so curses himself by craft Ex. 1. s. 4. as Fantastical foolish deluded Enthusiastical enemies to denyers and reproachers of the Scripture because they deny the letter to bee that light and Word of God which as through a lanthorn glass or vail and not so brightly but more dimly then when viewed with open face as shining in the heart are seen and shew themselves through it siccine se gerunt ministri lucis sicut vosmet vos geritis O ministri literae tantaene a nimis caelestibus irae Quid sibi vuls tanta terminorum transpositio verborum ista tua mutatio mussitatio mangonizatio c. supradicta If there bee not such a man and I.O. be not he teach us I.O. plainly what thou meanest by that peeping and muttering out of thy minde by that mumbling and fumbling in such foul fallacious wayes about things wherein if thou wert not minded to mask over thy meaning that men may not minde too much where thy lame cause halteth nor finde where its false and falters thou mightest have made it fairer in it self I cannot say for the fairer and fuller thy openings of it are the falser and fouler it appears but tenfold fairer to bee seen in its falsness and foulness then now it is tell us what means that mess of medley that Mangonization and mixture thou makest of both thy matter and thy meaning that Tohu Vabohu that tangled and tangling kinde of talk that thy Treatises do consist of wherein not only like him that talks up the lanthorn into the name of the light and talks down the light as nothing thou triest to turn the outside inwards and that which should be uppermost downwards i.e. the light within which is the Truth it self out of doors and the outward letter which is but a Writing of it in its room place power use and name but also in the proof and prosecution of that most subsenseless subversion dost in one place or other one place well compared with another subvert thy self by thy own sayings and unsayings how much more I cannot say but little less I dare say then twenty times over tumbling about like a Bull in a net turning things to and fro transposing thy termes and introducing the prime praedicate in place of its own prime subject one while using the terme Scripture Letter Writing which witness thy â—itle pages is the sole subject expected by thy Reader according to thy intimation of no less to be proved to be the Word of God and treated on without varying from it under that terme of Scripture Letter Writing other while in thy very Argumentation for the Truth of thy untrue affirmation which is that the Scripture in esse both reali cognoscibili is the Word and in answer to that queston how is it known that the Scripture is the Word of God promiscuously putting all these termes viz Book Faith Bible Truth Writing Doctrine Letter Light Scripture Word of God Declaration minde will of God and things declared together again as if 't were already out of question which is the matter in question that these are all one thing and termes Synonymous and compounding and confounding them into one Chaos or lump of confusion chopping and changing popping out and pulling in mounting up and then dropping down as if thou wert sensible of being got too high then hiding they head again and there as those that are afraid out of their close places moving out of thy ho'e as a worm of the earth and twining every way fair or soul to secure the main chance and to make good thy bad cause and carry what thou contendest for which yet when all 's done beside the getting to thy self among seeing men the blot of blindness ignorance weakness folly falshood fallacy and confusion thou wilt which way soever thou orderest or disorderest thy Arguments for it even by thy own Management of it bee on the losing hand till at last thou hast lost it altogether for though thou makest as much of it to the utmost as another can well do that hath taken
melius c. for woe unto him that ever he was born if he repent not of it but run from him to the Letter which doth but testifie of him and call to him in the reading and searching of which if he think he hears Christs voice and Gods voice truly then the Scribes that read the Scripture as much as hee could not be truly reprov'd Ioh. 5. as not hearing it as they are by Christ And 2. I shall think hee is not only without his sense of spiritual hearing but as 't is shewed above of others in the like case not so well as he ought to be in his natural wits and understanding And as to that 2 Pet. 1.19 which I insisted so lately and so largely upon above if there were the weight of one half grain in it towards the turning of the scales to his purpose I would weigh it once again but he that shall say these words We have a more sure word of Prophesie to which yee do well if yee take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place till the day dawn and day star arise in your hearts hath ought in it if the Letter of Scripture were there meant as I have shewed it is not to prove there must bee no more Scripture written as from the Spirit after that verse was written on pain of damnation as I.O. doth for that 's his drift in quoting it doth no more condemne the Qua. by that Text of Peter then he damn Iohn himself whose Revelation was written as by the Spirit no little while after that As to that 1 Cor. 4.5 spoken to once before where I met with it Ex. 3. s. 28. yet twice here cited by I.O. to the self-same purpose as before from which because Paul there sayes hee would have none think of him and Apollos above what he wrote of himself and him as no more however Idolized by the Church then meer Ministers by whom they beleeved I.O. concludes there must be no addition of more Scripture to his Canon Rep. If any man be minded to look so long till hee finde a pin in a pack of wool which he may sooner do if lost there then finde I.Os. conclusion coming from the Text aforesaid let him look till he is weary for mee who will meddle no more with that And the same summarily and in short say I of 2 Pet. 2.18 another Text of I.Os. urging For when they speak great swelling words of vanity they allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonness those that were clean escaped from them who live in errour Rep. He that will spend so much time as to study on that Text till hee can duely draw either of these Doctrines from it viz that the holy Spirit downrightly damns 1. All addings whatsoever of more Scripture or writing as from the Spirit to that Scripture now in the Bible which our Clergy calls their Canon And 2. All the wayes and means of knowing God and of communion with him even that internal Spirit and light in the conscience to use I Os. phrase boasted of by the Qua. as in some measure communicated to all men shall most assuredly have his labour for his pains The same may be said of 1 Ioh. 5.1 Beloved beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits whether they he of God or no for many false Prophets are gone out into the world Rep. What damnation is thundred out here at all to the Adding of any thing or Revelation that is true to the outward Writing or Scripture where the Scripture is neither talked on nor intended he talks of Spirits there and not Letters much more what follows thence to the condemnation of the inward light and spirit the Qua. talk of call to live and walk and hold communion with God in now according to the counsel of the Scriptures as Abel Noah and all holy men of God did from the beginning before the Scripture was Is this to adde to the Scripture and to fall under condemnation from that Scripture and from that Text too as Adders to the Scripture to hold forth preach publish in the movings of the Spirit and therein also to commit to writing the holy Truths revealed in the Light and Spirit of God they obey and walk in and to call men by Voice Scripture or Writing as they are moved to live and beleeve in the Light to walk not after flesh but the holy Spirit of God in them which reproves them of sin and lusts against their flesh as they did of old who wrote in the same Light and Spirit of God that outward Scripture ye more scrible for then walk by so long as ye walk not by the Light and Spirit as it bids you doth not the Scripture call to beleeve and walk in the Light and Spirit and not in the darkness and in the flesh and where is that Spirit and Light is it not within in the heart where the flesh and darkness dwells which lust against it And for as much as thou sayest here the Spirit damns all wayes and means of knowing God and communion with him beside the Scripture O thou Elymas Wilt thou not cease to pervert the right wayes of the Lord Doth not the Scripture and Spirit of God by it rather down rightly damn all them out of al' communion with God let them jactitare joy and boast never so much of their having the Scriptures that walk not in the said Light the Qua. testifie to which thy self only contrarily both to the Scriptures and sound reason and Gods Spirit also damnest down as Diabolical to the Pit of hell who yet sometimes again confessest it to be of God and Gods voice in nature by which he reveals his minde to men and that infallibly without the least contribution of strength or assistance from without and therefore surely without a Letter ad exera p 42 43 44 45 46. yea and rejectest with abhorrency and detestation Ex. 3. s. 28 Doth not the Spirit by the Scripture condemn them for Lyars and such are all the formal Professors of the Letter that have got the good words to talk on for hire and make a trade of whose portion is the Lake while they are not under the power of the Light but hate it and the holders of it out that pretend to communion with God out of the Light and own 's it any other way or means of fellowship with God but the light saying 1 Iob. 1 4 5 6 7. God is light and in him is no darkness at all if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not the truth but if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship together and the blood of his Son cleanseth us from all sin dost not thou then instead of light walk in obscurity instead of brightness in darkness it self dost thou not grope for the wall yet like the blind as if thou hadst no
an Anchor to the soul sâ—re and stedfast entring into that within the vail Heb 6.18 19 20. which is Christ himself in us the hope of glory Col 1.27 known by them to be in all them who are not Reprobates 2 Cor. 13 〈◊〉 and still in that transgression and in that condemnation which hath past already upon them and is not now to them that are in Christ walking no more after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.1 I say if I.O. judge with T.D. and others that that faith and confession ad extra only is the faith and confession of Christs Incarnation Resurrection c. which proves them to be of God who have it and them to be Antichristian spirits who have it not Let him tell me whether there be any Antichrists in Christendome yea or nay I have hitherto taken it that our Divines say the Antichrists properly are no where else and that there are many more Antichrists then true Christians naturâ non nomine in the world called Christian but seriously I know not where to finde them if I.Os. trial judgement and discerning of Spirits by the very Scriptures themselves bee not very dark and undiscerning and confused nor what Spirits or Prophets throughout all Christendome are not of God since Papists and Protestants of all sorts Prelatical Presbyterian Independent Baptists Seekers Kanters and all other that I know of as well as Qua. who only of all the rest witness that true inward saving good confession of the Lord Iesus with the mouth and beleeving in the heart that God raised him from the dead as feeling him living there within themseâ—ves to which the promise of salvation is made Rom. 10.9 and which every Spirit that witnessesh is of God 1 Joh. 4.2 do together with the Qua. who own and deny not that as there bee some that falsely lay of them all confess and really beleeve the truth of the outward History of Christs coming in the flesh of that person that was born at Bethlem that lived and dyed and rose again at Jerusalem according to the true Relation of the outward Scriptures and do also apply him and all his by that faith they have in the story of that person and in the person at a distance from them though never feeling the power of his Light Righteousness and holy life within themselves but I wot whether I.O. will own all these Spirits Prophets and Professors to be cordial beleevers or all such confessors of that outward Incarnation and Resurrection of Christ from the dead to be all of God or not and in a present state of salvation thereupon and not one of the outwardly beleeving Christ-confessing Spirits Prophets Priests and Professors abovesaid whereof the most are very prophane false deceitful Liars Swearers Couzeners Cheaters Drunkards Riotous Gluttâ—ns Belly-gods Wantâ—ns Whoremongers Idolaters Covetous Proud persecutors of Christ every way abominable and unchristian in their lives few or none of which beleeve so much as that they must necessarily or can possibly be purged perfectly from their sins till they dyâ— to be at all Antichristian If he say nay these all shall not be saved then the said outward faith in and confession of Christ as without them is not saving If hee say yea then first where is his personal election 2 What need any personal sanctification of us as to our salvation what was personally in that man only that dyed and rose at Ierusalem is enough for us so that none needs reside in us let us eat and drink when we dye we shal be saved and live for ever Moreover what hath been said above may stand as a sufficient answer over the head of I Os. fourth Agument which as most of them are one with another in many matters in proof of which he cites over and over again the same Texts so that one cannot well make a full end with one Argument without some transition into another is very much coincident with this The summe of which fourth is this viz. If it be often commanded by God that we attend diligently to the Scriptures left we be turned aside from the truth and right knowledge of himself by seducing spirits vain Revelations false teachers c. then the Scripture is the most perfect Rule c. but the first true therefore the other Ex. 3 f.31 The Texts that prove the minor of this Argument quoth he are so clear and plain that ad solem caecutiat necesse est c. he must needs be blinde toward the Sun it self who Assents not to them in some of which also quoth he the certitude of the sacred Word that is the Scripture still with I.O. is preferred before the certitude as to the Churches use even of true Revelations and miraculous Rep Yet two of them viz 2 Tim. 3.13 14 15 16. 2 Pet. 1.19 many times a peece over repeated and supposed to supply almost every turn of I.O. how they serve not his turn at all is abundantly above discovered whereupon I here quit them Another is so much misquoted viz. 2 Ioh. 11.5 6 10. that as plain and clear as the Sun as it is he must be better skill'd then I that knows where to finde it at all Two more there are that make as much to I.Os. purpose as any two well-nigh can do that speak contrary to it and those are Ioh. 5.47 2 Thess. 2.2 The words of the first which with those of 46. vers are Christs to the Scribes are these Had ye beleeved Moses yee would have beleeved me for he wrote of me but if ye beleeve not his writings how shall ye beleeve my words Christ by true Revelations of it from the Father to him truly revealed the Fathers will to the Scribes which they received not from him but hated him for Ioh. 8.40 12.49 50.14.31 saying of Christ Wee are none of his we are Moses Disciples we know God spake to Moses as for this fellow we know not whence he is Joh. 5 45 46 47. Christ tells them in effect that for all their prate and pretence to Moses as their Tutor he rather was their Accuser in whom they trusted sith they in truth beleeved not Moses for a minori ad majus did you indeed beleeve Moses ye would much more beleeve me quoth he for he wrote of me he sent directed and pointed you to me for so he did Deut. 18.15 saying of Christ A Prophet will God raise to you c. him shall ye hear in all he sayes who hears him not shall be cut off from his people Act. 3.22 23.7.47 But if you beleeve not his writings wherein ye are bid to hear me as the greater of the two as the Son in the house where he was but the servant then ye cannot beleeve my words The summe in short is this hee that heeds Moses writings must hear me for Moses bids them do so he that beleeves what I say doth what Moses sayes he that beleeves either beleeves both he
to blow where it listed Ioh. 3. without looking at any light within without walking in any way or using any other means of knowing God of having or holding fellowship or communion with him which was wont to be only in the light 1 Ioh. 1. but that of the Scriptures on pain of rejection and heavy damnation from God own Spirit in the Scripture In a word That Law and Testimony which alone is to be consulted with in all doubtful cases to which God calls from our seeking and attending Pythonibus aut Aryolis qui pipiunt qui mussitant to Wizards and familiar spirits that peep and that mutter yea that very word there spoken of Isa. 8. which whoever speaks not according to these is no light to him I say the two Texts abovesaid are not only frequently cited and recited in evidence of these various and sundry particulars but also judged by J.O. to be such sure grounds Hercules pillars firm props and principles as are not only satisfactory to mens consciences but sufficient to stand that way he draws them against all mens objections so that relying thereon men have a sure bottome and foundation for their receiving all the other Scriptures so assuredly as the Word of God and consequently all that that it abovesaid that who even from thence even from these Text own them not in that manner as such are left inexcusable in their dammâ—ble 〈◊〉 p. 56. That therefore the utter in â—onsequence of J.Os. deductions from them which are meer non sequiâ—â—â—s may the more plainly appear I shall letting fall J.Os. other trifling Arguments and sidling Replies to what the Qua. urge on behalf of the light of inartificial Arguments as himself calls them draw them into the form of artificial ones and express the manner of his illegal inferences from them which is in such wiâ—e as here under follows We are by that Text in Isa. 8.19 20. sent to the Law and to the Testimony to try what evâ—y Churches or persons speak about the things of God his will worship or our obedience to him who if they speak not according to that Word there is no light in them Therefore 't is evident that the Scriptures are the Word of God and consequently all that that is abovesaid The second viz. Christ Luke 16.31 bids men attend not looking for Miracles to Moses and the Prophets the written Word as the best and most effectual means to bring to repentance and which all faith and repentance is immediately grounded upon Therefore the Scriptures are evidently the Word of God c. Rep. In which two Arguments thou reasonest in Print well nigh as ridiculously as he works in Paint who doth Humano capiti cervicem jungere equinam For the head of the corner is strait sound and sure the body of the building upon it corrupt and crooked weak and rotten That we are sent to the Law and Testimony to that Word there talkt of and intended and to Moses and the Prophets and that that Law Testimony and Word that Moses and the Prophets spake of in those two Texts is that Word that is the true touchstone of all truth a greater ground for faith and repentance to be founded on then that of Miracles and a more sure stable firm fixt stedfast or standing Word then the voice which came from heaven all this I do not in the least deny but that the bare outward Writing which thou falsely callest the Written word and the external 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as at first written much more the present transcribed Copies of that Letter much more yet every Letter Tittle and Iota of it which thou keepest such a tatling for to be no less then the Word of the living God is that Law Testimony Moses and the Prophets or written Word as thou callest it intended in those two Texts or that by these termes in those two places is meant the said outward Scriptures and lastly most of all that it follows by any good consequence from those two places by such sound deduction as will stand against all objections gives such assurance thereof that he is a damnable unbeleever that beâ—eeves not from thence that the said Letter and Letters are infallibly known to bee the Word of God and the rest above said which are the things by thee inferred from them all this I both do and dare deny For the Law that in Isaiah is spoken of is not the literal Copy nor outward legible Letter that thou pleadest for and divinest it is but another Law which I see by thee thou art not yet very much ver'st in nor used to read even that in the heart not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Letter of a Law of carnal Commandements not the formal Letter or literal form of a writing without but an inwardly written spiritual Law or Light within which is the power of the endless life that Law in mens mindes which is warred against by that Law of sin and death that dwells in their members The Law in the Spirit lusting against that and lusted against by that flesh or evil spirit that is also in men lusting unto envy and all evill the Law of the Spirit of life which is by Christ Iesus that is powerful to that which the Letter or Copy thereof which is figuratively called the Law is weak to cannot do viz. to deliver such as take heed thereunto from that Law of sin aforesaid that leads men captive unto death The Commandement that is a Lamp and not a dark Lanthorn p. 6.23 the Law that is the Light it self that leads to the life it self for so that of the Spirit doth and not the dead Letter that is used instrumentally as a knife to kill but in any wise cannot quicken And that Testimony or Witness is that Testimony of Iesus which they have hear that keep the Commandements of God even the Light in the conscience as aforesaid This Testimony of Iesus who is the true and faithful Witness of God of whom also God himself testifieth and beareth witness is Jesus his own Witness or testimony for God born by his own voice and writing by his own Spirit and light immediately in the heart who there testifyeth what he hath seen and heard of the Father though few such a thou art receive not his Testimony whose light voice spirit speakings and counsel from heaven in their own hearts who so turns away from and hears not in all things is none of his sheep but shall be condemned and cut off from among his people and not the testimony or witness of men in outward Writings or Letters testifying though as moved by him what they have seen and heard from him not that Scripture thou so wâ—itest for and callest the witness of God for that of God is far greater the Testimony of Iesus is a Letter indeed a Writing and an Epistle Prophesie yet not the outward Writings Letter and Copies of the Epistles and Prophesies of
another that as the most must needs be false so 't is enough to confound and amaze mens minds they are so many to meddle to finde which is true among their meanings and to set a man out of his own senses to set himself so several are they to seek out their several senses on the Scriptures many bumbling Volumes larger then the Bible it self being written or some one Text of Sripture Is it for want of power or efficacy in the Letter Yea that is one reason for howbeit I.O. sayes It is absolutely called the power of God and effectual to salvation yet to his own confutation I. O sayes the Letter is dead and without the Spirit of no efficacy for the good of souls But another and that not the least is because they live in Rebellion against the light which while they turn not to though Moses is read and the Prophets also and all the Letter or Old Testament yet the Vail remaineth over Moses and the Prophets faces and as over the Iewes over the heart of these Christians also which Vail is done away only in Christ and in turning to his Light and the Spirit within their minds are blinded being off from the Light so that they know neither Christ nor Moses nor the Voyces of the Prophets that are so often read which through ignorance they fulfill as the Iews did in condemning Christ and putting him to open shame in his Light Doctrine and Disciples Nevertheless if their heart shall yet turn to the Lord that Spirit and to his Light which is within that vail shall be taken away and they shall see with open face behold the glory of God and be changed into his Image be led indeed to that true Repentance that is never to be repented of but if they continue in their unbeleef in the Light and their hearturn not to the Lord in and by the Light in the time and space that is given them for that Repentance yet at least the face of the covering that is now cast over all people and the vail that is yet spread over all Nations shall be so far removed and destroyed at last that there shall be repentance enough to no purpose when it is too late when the Gulph is once fixed and Abraham is seen by these rich worldlings and Belly-gods afar or and Lazarus in his bosome when every eye that look's for him shall see him who now cometh in the Clouds and they also that have pierced him and all Kindreds of the earth that are no kin to him shall wail because of him Even so AMEN The Fourth Apologeticall and Expostulatory Exercitation CHAP. I. NOw to proceed in way of answer to I. O's Arguments for the Scriptures and Letter and Book and Bible and Texts and outward Writings of Moses and the Prophets as the onely Rule in alterable Standard now compleated Canon Touchstone of all Truth to which since its close and consignation after Iohn had written no new Revelations Writings or Scriptures of the old Truth as from the old Spirit of it are to be added no immediate manifestations inspirations motions missions from God as of old to be expected or if pretended to be admitted or owned but to be damned down as Delusion Fanaticism Enthusiasm Quakerism Diabolism vain uncertain unprofitable fancy figment detestable meraae tenebrae caecitas fines salutares quod attinet as to salvation meere darknesse and blindnesse it self and what not that 's naught Seeing it is so as abovesaid that all these false Prophets and Divines can prevail no further then to tangle and hamper and hinder men and to hide the truth by that hideous heap of unharmoneous Heterogeneous Heterodox more then Orthodox volumes of Divinity and to smoother darken confound and drive men away from the naked truth and draw them off from the Scriptures themselves that are plain and cleare to honest and plain-hearted men by their Smoak and Clouds and Circumferences and by that boundlesse bottomlesse incomprehensible chafly Chaos of their contradictory and confused Commentaryes with which the world is now burdened even beyond what it can well bear and contain sith I say there 's none to guide these poor erring lost perishing and as yet more deformed then reformed Nations into the life of God and power of godlinesse from which they are alienated because of the blindnesse of their hearts among all the Sons whom they have brought forth Isa. 51.18 Neither any that can take them by the hand and lead them in the true way of eternall life of all the Sons whom they have brought up at their Vniversities who sit together with them under the shaddow of death notwithstanding all their Tumbling ore of so many Tames about the Scripture is it then for want of true Prophets or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men divinely inspired and sent of God to call people to Repentance and to turn them to that light of God within that leads to Repentance by voice and writing to them as them elves have had the true way thereof manifested in them by the light as themselves being taught of God have learned and practiced it and are moved of the holy Spirit to preach and presse the practice of it upon others according to the scope of the Scriptures No! For there are many in England at this very day speaking reproving writing and prophecyâ—ng from the same light and by the same Spirit that the Scriptures came forth from and as themselves have received and heard from the voice and mouth of God and seen felt and handled of the word of life as the Prophets Amos 7. and the Messengers and Ministers of God and Christ of old Act. 26.16 17 18. 1 Ioh. 1.1 2 3 4 c. The Spirit of the Lord is not more straitned in these days from blowing where it lists then it was in the dayes of old howbeit because it lists not much as it never did to blow upon or inspire the learned Scribes Hypocritical Pharisees chief Priests aspiring Rabbies Divinity Doctors Proud Diotrepheses preheminence loving Praters hireling Preachers Fawning prudentiall Parasites Politicall Polliticians and such like but mostly upon a meaner sort of men as to outward account these wise men are most hardly brought to beleive it to be so and so as said the Priests Scribes Pharisees Rabbies and Doctors of old of Moses and the Prophets we own them know them and their Scriptures which yet they knew not nor the power of God We are their Disciples wee 'l stick to their writings that 's our compleat Canon our stable Standard our immutable measure to which nothing must be added and of Christ and his in the dayes of his flesh we know God spake to Moses as for this fellow and his fellows we know not whence he is and whence they are they are of the Devill have a Devill and are mad Why hear ye them they speak blasphemous words against Moses and the Law and this place the holy Temple and
spoils them Souls and Bodies and nought to be deceived of but deceit and darkness it self yet they are ever noysing it out Deceit Deceit by means of which unanimous out-cryes and simultaneous sounds of these Heterogeneous multaneous multanimous false Prophets drowning the still voice of Wâ—sdome which yet cryes aloud too and uttereth her voice to these simple scorners in their streets Pro. 1. It is not heard nor heeded though the Wisdome of God send them now as of old he did to the like Generation of evil doers Matth. 23.34 Luke 11.49.50 Prophets and Apostles and wise mâ—n and Scribes yet some of them they even kill and some of them they imprison and persecute out of their Synagogues and some they stone dirt and bemire not only with their belying lips and pens but also their merciless hands the dark places of the earth Cathedrals Monasteries Abbeys Academies Colledges being ever full of the habitations of cruelty Ps. and some they sorely whip and scourge supposing they do God service in all this Iohn 16.2 that the righteous blood of all the Prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may come upon them which verily is to be required both of this and in this present evil Generation For the Lord is now in earnest bending Iudah for himself and filling the bow with Ephraim and raising up the Academically-unlearned sons of Sion against those sons of Greek and making them as the Sword of a mighty man in his own hand to do vengeance on those heathenish nursing Mothers and to punish not only all others but more especially their Pope-like Priests and people to bind their Kings in chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron to execute on them the Iudgement written in the Scripture itself they scribble about far more then they are skill'd in it to speak to those Drunkards with the wine of their own wisdome with stammering lips and another Tongue then any they can talk in or understand by precept upon precept line upon line here a little and there a little that they may go backward and stumble and fall and be broken and snared and taken and to reject those Greeks that seek so much after mans wisdome in the promulgation of the things of God to whom the Cross of Christ is foolishness and to reject those Scribes and Disputers of this world and by that preaching which to them is foolishness itself to make their wisdome foolish and to chuse out foolish weak base things and persons even Laicks Mechanicks Rusticks Russet-Rabbies as they term them even Babes Bablers and such as Are not in their eyes to confound and bring to naught these mighty wise and prudent ones that Are and to draw the night and darkness over those dreaming Diviners that they shall no more divine what things and strange acts are transacting in this time and to cause the Sun to set upon their learned Seers that scoffingly call to the Qua. out of their Mount Seir Watchman What of the night So that the Vision of all both to them and their unlearned people that live upon their lips shall be as a book seaâ—ed and to search out the hidden things of those Lord Esau's that hunt abroad for their learning and to supplant them by his plain honest-hearted Iacobs that dwell and learn truth at home in their own Tents and to cover Aegypt with a Cloud and to mingle a perverse spirit among her Ministers and to manifest the folly of these Iannes and Iambres that resist the truth men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the Faith as he did theirs that withstood Moses of old and to leave the Princes of Zoan to become fools and the counsel of these wise Councellors of Pharoah to become bruitish so that it shall be said of them as of old Iâ—a 19. Where are they Where are the wise men Let them tell now let them know what the Lord of Hosts hath purposed upon AEgypt yea surely these Princes of Zoan are already become fools the Princes of Nâ—pâ— are deceived They have also seduced AEgypt even they that Tribe that is the stay of the Tribes thereof and to divide in Iacob that Tripâ—Lâ— Tribe of Levi whose anger and wrath is cursed for it hath been cruel and as they have scattered the Israel of God so to scatter them in his Israel and to set these â—oâ—sheards of the earth to drive with each other about their own foundation and to râ—ze their own Babel to the ground and to break themselves to pieces one against another like a Potters Vesselâ— so that in the bursting thereof there shall not be left at last so much as a sheard fit to use to take fire from the hearth or water withall from the piâ— and to render all the works and voluminous Tomes of these Turners of his things upside down of no better esteem among men then the Potters claâ— and to take all these subtil foxes in their own craftiness both the great and the little oneâ— that Spoil his Vine which bath tender Grapes and hurt the cluster or gatherings of the Saints together in which is the New Wine and the Blessing and to unhoâ—se this Tripple-crown'd Harlot that hath so long rode and at upon both Powers and their people her nursing Mothers of lâ—arning true Religion and piety in pretence but in truth of all ignorance superstition and abomination and to call to account the whole Ct Clergy upon which a Consumption is determined throughout the earth and to summon both the Pope and his Cardinals Mount Seigniors Iesuites Monks Fâ—yers and also all Arch-bishops Bishops Arch-deacons Deans and their Officials also all Parsons Vicars Curates and all Spiritual Persons whatsoever also all learned Linguists Scribes Text-men Translators Commentators Tâ—eaters Tythe-Teachers Talkers of Truth for their own turns and Tradâ—râ— out of the Scriptures profit-seeking Prophets and Pastors that for pay have made a prey of his people and to plead with them for his flock and to come down to fight for Mount Sion and for the hill thereof and to Roar through the mouths of his Prophets against these many sorts of Shepherds that are now so loud and full of noyses and clamours to keep their flocks from fleeing from them crying out Heresie beresie Schism Quakeâ—ism Fanaticism c. and to scatter their people from them and to gather his own sheep into his Fold whom they have driven to and fro from mountain to hill in the dark and gloomy day and to take their prey from the midst of them and like a Lion roaring on his prey when a multitude of Shepherds is call'd forth against him he will not be afraid of their â—ice nor abase himself for the noyse of them In a word to stretch out his hand so strongly against them all that those powers and people that helpe them shall fall and those Priests Universities Doctors Schollars and other Students there that are holpen by the earthly powers shall fall and they all
well as for any and that there is this good ground for each particular man to believe it for himself because All without exception of any sinner in the World that does not exclude himself by his not coming are freely without respect of persons invited to come and this ground also that as he is truly without mâ—ckage held out to All and All bid to come so God is willing they should come and have the Salvation and to that end hath sent his Son not to condemn but save them and his Son his Ministers to intreat them to be willing as he is and reconciled to him as he is to them and they declare from him according to Gods words in the Scripture that he died for aâ—l and every man is a Propitiation for the sins of the whole World and died for the ungodly and came to save them and heal the sick and seek the lost and such like and therefore every man may conclude its for him one as well as another that can say he is a man lost sick sinful ungodly and of the World and that God hath also wrought in them of his good Pleasureâ— to will and to do and therefore now they must up and be doing and work out their salvation which if it be not wrought out God hath done his part and the fault is only in their own particular persons and yet in Adam too and God is no hard Master but hath given to every one one talent at least which if he hides he will be cast into utter darkness and weep and gnash his teeth at the remembrance of it that once he might have been happy had he not been wanting to himself and been an unprofitable servant with what he had and had not in his own person still Mark put the Salvation from him and hated the Light and instruction and that God requires of men but the improvement of his own and much more to this purpose which all is sound true plain wholesome and saving Doctrine And then to come with a new tale whereby all the good grounds before laid for every man that is called thereto to come and believe upon are utterly razed and removed and to tell them that though all are call'd invited outwardly yet an hundred to one are by a Decree in Gods secret Counsel so secluded by Adams sin that they cannot come nor have any right to Christ he did not so much as die for them but for some Elect ones nor offer himself for the most but a few though God indeed sayes All every man sinners ungodly the lost the whole world and makes offers to all where his Gospel is preached yet by All and such like universal terms we must understand God and Christ meaning another matter far otherwise then they say for in innumerable places where God says Omnis All it s the Elect only one of a thousand he means so I.O. 't is an usual thing for God and Christ to speak words of a doubtful sense If we object But it s the most ordinary and literal sense of the words and the very letter of the words so imports Tush Tush quoth T.D. never talk of that man I tell thee 't is usual with Christ to speak words of doubtful sense so that his meaning may be mistaken when his words are taken in the most ordinary and literal sense and so 't would be here if by every man we should understand every individual man I know and confess the words import so John 1.9 but the indefinite phrase so T.D. calls it though every man is an universal hath a restrained sense as elsewhere in the Scripture Christ tasted death for every man when as he died but for a certain number and the meaning of those words cannot be as the letter of them dâ—th import for then the Scripture would contradict it self but it must be if not in the other way in which I said it might me then in this way as I say that every man is not every individual man so T.D. And besides as God intends not the Salvation to all it s offered to so all it s offered to on pain of sorer condemnation if they believe it cannot believe it nor accept it and he offers it to All upon condition of acceptance Indeed could you suppose that all would take him at his word and accept his offer they should have the benefit thereof but that must not be supposed on pain of being Heretical in the Faith for 't is not Orthodox that men can come to God when he calls them nor accept of what he proffers nor believe in him whom he bids them believe in that he died for them in particular whom if they should believe in that 't is so then 't is so in deed in truth that he died for them else not as if he died not for sinners qua sinners and lost but qua believers which is absurd for men must have this first as a ground to believe upon that he died for them because for All every one sinners ungodly lost Rom. 4. Rom. 5. while yet sinners otherwise they have no ground on which to believe nor can any man that does believe with any Faith save that which is but meer fancy believe that Christ died for him in particular but as he died for All. For thus a man may safely conclude Christ died for every man for sinners lost ungodly the whole world therefore for me But bid a man believe Christ died for him in particular tell him he died not for All but for one of a thousand the Elect only and tell him also as T.D. does the Maisters know not the Elect and ye cannot assure him he is that one of a thousand one of those few Elect ones nor he himself neither know or be assured of it till after he believes it and ye utterly take away the ground he is to believe upon for he will argue thus rationally against you or expostuâ—ate with you to the shewing of your exhorting him to believe to be a piece of frivolous foolery Arg. Ye bid me believe Christ died for me has Salvation for me which God by you offers to me and you call me to come to him for it as that which without hypocrisie or feignedness God would have me to enjoy being not willing I should perish But what ground would ye have me to come upon or of assurance I shall be welcome or accepted in my acceptance or of believing assuredly that God is really willing I should have it Ans. It s sufficient for all Arg. That 's not the Question I doubt not but there 's sufficiency enough in Christ to save All to the utmost that come to God by him but what 's that to me that 's not a sufficient ground for me to believe upon many things are sufficient for many things to many more men then are ere the better for them as some greedy Grandees have many thousand pounds a year
are who where I now am cannot come but with the losse of that life they yet live and through the death of a crosse thereunto looking and skimming and scraping among the learned Scribes into the Scripture for the sense of it without the Spirit I can tell them by experience as well as by the Light in which it is seen and told them by my self and many more to what little purpose or profit either to themselves or their people who deaâ—ly pay for it they are by the best improvment of their natural capacities Academical Parts and such meer Animal Accomplishments pâ—ying into the privities of the Scriptures which according to I. Os. and specially T. Ds. his Principles and way of interpretation and giving meanings is more made to patronize and partize with the transgressions of supposed Saints then to promote the perfect purging from them in this world which yet the Scriptures truly plead not only a possibility but a necessity of before men die unless they mean to die for ever when T. D. and his abettors implead it as a very doctrine of Devils pleading rather because an impossibility of living without it a necessity of living in it while in the body Which said Doctrine of Perfectior or full pardon from sin here I shall have a few words about with T. D. by and by after an Addition of some few Arguments more in proof of the universality of Gods Love in the deaâ—h of Christ for All and of the gifts of his saving Grace or Light sufficient to lead All that follow it to Life vouchsafed to every man and some brief Animadversion of what more our Four fore named Antagonists argue to the contrary Arg. 8. If Christ died not for the whole world and for All and every man in it but for a few only and God gave him not A Light to be his Salvation as it is said Isai. 49.6 to All the ends of the Earth All which also he calls to look to him and be saved Isa. 45.22 to hear him that their souls may live to come to him even whoever will that they may find rest and have of the water of life freely Isai. 55.1 Matth. 11.28 Rev. 22. Then the world and most men who generally are damned for this very sin even because they believe not in hear not look not come not to Christ Iesus Iohn 3.18 Iohn 16.8 9. are damned for not looking to coming to nor believing in their Saviour when yet they had no Saviour of theirs to look at or come to or believe in But All men have a Saviour to believe in and look to and come to which for not hearing looking nor coming to nor believing in they are damned yea this is the worlds condemnation that light is come into it yet the world comes not to the light otherwise as 't is sottish Absurdity and lamentable mockage to call All to look and come to and believe in him so such inconceivable cruelty as Absit Blasphemia far be it from us to think there is in God to damn them upon the account of not coming or non-believing in him Therefore he is given a Light a Ransome a Saviour for All and every man Arg. 9. If it be a lie that Christ died for every man as we say he did and a truth that he died but for a few only as they hold then sith God requires Aâ—l on pain of damnation so to believe if every man should believe Christ died foâ— him God on pain of damnation requires most men to believe a lye and damns them for believing the very truth viz. that he died not for every of them and for not believing that which if they All had believed the most of them had believed a lie But Absit Blasphemia God damns no man for believing the Truth or for not believing that which if they did All believe most of them must necessarily and unavoidabâ—y believe a lie Therefore Christ did undoubtedly die for every man and not for a few only Arg. 10. If the Redemption and Salvation by the death and blood of Christ which we confesse actually to extend to none but such as actually believe be not truly given from God to every man as his as well as any man so that at least every man may really have it if he will then either it is 1. Because Christ is not a Ransome sufficient to save All Or 2. Because God wills and desires not that should save every man which is sufficient so to do Or else 3. because most men neglect that so great Salvation and put it away from themselves and will not have it when God would they should and thereby judge themselves unworthy of it Or 4. else for some other Reason But 't is not the first for your selves and All men confess a sufficiency of Redemption and Salvation in Christ for All men Nor the second for that were to make God whose wayes are all exact and equal so inequal in his doings as no wise man is to cut out a plaister as broad as a bushel to lay to a scare no broader then a shilling or rather upon your Principles of unavoidble sorer condemnation to the Reprobate part of the World by Christs coming into it to save it then if he had never come a Saviour into it at all to provide a plaister sufficient to heal the whole sore with an intent effectually to heal some very small part of it only but to render all the residue more outragious and farre sorer or to pay a Ransome sufficient to redeem a thousand prisoners for debt with intent actually to set some one at liberty and for ever lay all the rest up closer prisoners in the Dungeon Which absurdity and mockage and perfect hatred under pretence of love too far be it from any good man to father and fasten upon God and from me to fasten on any good man that in the least measure is merciful as God is merciful Moreover Deus nil facit fâ—nstra If ye say the third ye say no otherwise then that Truth with us that yet ye fight against viz. That God as he has provided life in his Son so he is as truly willing All men should live but that some will die and would gather men unto life save only that they themselves will not If any other thing be the Reason why every man may not as truly be saved by Christs death as any man it lies in you to assign it I know none Therefore Christ died intentionally to save every man Arg. 11. If All men are not put into possibility of life by Christs dying intentionally for every one of them if themselves chuse not death then it could not be said As by sin condemnation is come on All men so justification of life is come on All men and that the gift of Gods Grace and gift of God in Christ and the benefit and blessing is every way at least as large and some wayes larger
is to but one and 999 are peremptorily personally possitively ordained to dye Yet to go round again If ye all beleeve his love to you ye shall All live if any dye 't is his own fault because he beleeves not the Kings love to him and comes not away out of his Fetters and nothing else and though he can't come out of his Fetters yet let him know its but just that I should leave him there because his father offended the King before he was born it s enough for them that he is so rich in mercy to the whole thousand as to save one and proclaim salvation to All with no intent of pardon that he may take the more advantage on the rest by their refusal to come when they cannot to do execution on them with ten fold more wrath rigour and severity then if the pardon never had been proclaimed to them at all In much what such a rambling confused self-contradictory manner do our Nationall-Messengers and Ministers of Gods grace Consideratis considerâ—ndis hold out their Gospell to All men as Embassadours from God to them All. One while extolling extending it over all Gods works to All men and otherwhiles when they have carryed it about long in a vast circuit and circumference of Commendatory conference To go round again in their niggardly News-books they wind it about and wrap it all up within the narrow corner of their conceited wheel within a wheel or little world of a few Elect ones only extenuating it till they allmost quite extinguish it in their talk preach it welnigh into nothing Witnesse I.O. as is shewed more at large in the book aforesaid and T.D. also telling us indeed that God offers Salvation to All men but intends it only to a few Contradictions Confusions and Rounds about the doctrine of perfect freedom from sin attainable in this life V. As to Salvation from sin in this life which Christ gives to all that follow him in his light One while they teach it to us themselves as attainable here by the grace of God as the Qua do in these or the like deliveryes of themselves in their preachings and writings according to the Scriptures People ye must deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and live Godly righteously and soberly mark in this present world The grace of God that bringeth salvatioe to such as take heed to it and receive it not in vain appears to All men and teaches them so to live but that they turn from it and turn it into wantonnesse and if we walk in the Light as God is in the Light we then have fellowship with him who hath none with sin and sinners and not only so but also the blood of Iesus Christ his son cleanseth us from All sin and though we cannot say we have no sin since we and all men have sinned yet if we confess our sins God is faithful not only to forgive us our sins past but which is a further matter to cleanse us from All unrighteousnesle Having therefore such promises let us cleanse our selves from mark All filthiness of flesh and spirit who knows any more then all perfecting holiness in Gods fear The blessed men Psal. 119.3 are the Saints or Holy Ones that do no iniquity but walk in Gods way and though ye think well of your selves because your sins are little yet no sin is so little but if liv'd died in its damning therefore take heed of the least iniquityes while ye have time and space given you to repent from them in leave forsake foregoe them live according to the Scripture which allows of no sin which is written that men might not sin which is able through faith to make a man of God perfect and wife to salvation from sin which is perfect to its own end which is Salvation which end it attains not hereafter for its of no use then and therefore must do it here or no where so that if you dye in the least of your sins unrepented from better ye had never been born for there 's no Purgatory in the world to come as the Pope sains but as the Tree falls it lyes as death leaves you judgement finds you if ye lye down in your Graves in your sins you will rise out of them full of sorrowes Listen unto Christs Ministers who are given for the work of the Ministry for the perfecting of the Saints the edifying of the body till we all come to a Perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fullnesse of Christ himselfe so as to be as he is in this world and whoever saith he abides in him ought so to walk as himselfe walked in whom was no sin and who hath true hope in him purifieth himselfe as he also is pure and a multitude more sayings of like sort we may hear them utter Otherwhiles that is when the Qua call men to the same living without sin telling them these things are possible to be done by Gods grace who of his good pleasure hath wrought in men to will and to do so that by the power and sufficiency of that they may now work out their own salvation if they neglect not this day of Gods long suffering and salvation wherein God would succour them if they will and that God requires not by either his Ministers or their Scriptures Impossibilities from his creatures under such paenalty as eternall damnation if not performed then to go round again they tell us other matters which as contradictory as they are to those above-said we must notwithstanding or else be held for Hereticks believe from them to be the truth viz. That t is most false to affirm that the Scripture the perfection whereof they plead to lye in nullâ aliâ re in no other thing then its sufficiency to its end which it can't attain hereafter if not here sith there it ceases as to all its uses either doth or can obtain its end which end they say also is salvation from the sin that destroyes the soul dum in hoc mundo haremus so sayes I. O. Ex. 3. while we have a being in this World Then they make as if the Ministry of them who wrote the Scriptures were such as their own is viz. a meer Antick mockage of men a conclave of contradictions confusions absurdities and Rounds a Ministry of flat falsities not to say fooleries a mad-message of impossibilities wherein they stand all their dayes calling upon all men for money as Homines Domini in Nomine Domini in the name of God on pain of his eternall displeasure and their demnation to do what they are to believe to as an Article of their Faith on pain of the Hereticks condemnation All men can never possibly do God empowering but very few by true grace to do ought at all of what he requires nay not empowering any one at all to do all that viz. to cease from all sinning against him in the time of this life
Priests as the Septuagint are gone off quoth I. O. from the Original in a thousand places twice told And yet To go round again the only infallible Rule and sure Word of God which they tell the poor people that they have is the Scripture Text as it is thus Translated for they to them either the infallibility of their own Ministry or of the Holy Chair and any present guidance of any by the Infallible Spirit also Thus they run the Rounds trace to and fro and dance up and down in their dark minds about the transcriptions and translations of their Text which they take to be their Rule which transcriptions translaions were they never so certain and entire by answering to the first originall copies yet are not capable to be to all men any other then a lesbian Rule or Nose of Wax for as much as even where men have them as halfe the world has not they are liable to be wrested and actually twisted twenty wayes by interpretours whose expositions senses and meanings which are as many and various as the thoughts and conceits and inventions of the men are who comment upon them must be the Rule to such as can read them neither in Hebrew and Greek nor in their own Mother-Tongues neither And whereas we ask them who tell us that Scripture rightly interpreted only is the right rule of the faith by what Rule shall we know whether the Text be rightly interpreted yea or nay and not rather wrested and what is the Rule according to which men are to interpret that Rule of their faith i.e. that Scripture to go round again they tell us the Analogy of Faith And when we query how it may be known that that Faith is right according to which the Scripture is if rightly to be interpreted To go round again they tell us the Scripture rightly interpreted And when we ask them how it may be known assuredly uncontroleably infallibly that the Scripture is at all of God and not a cunningly devised fable invention of men they tell us by the Testimony of the Spirit which say they is necessary onely all-sufficient to that purpose see the Articles of the Clergy of England about the Scripture And when we ask them but by what shall we try and find assuredly infallibly that that Spirit is of God and not a false one that tells us the Scripture is of God To go round again they tell us by the Scripture Moreover as when others deny his asserted Authority purity integrity of the Text I. O. pleads it to the least tittle and yet to go round again falls flatly to affirm the Nâ—n-integrity of it himself so when he dreams those poor deluded Fanatical souls as he calls them call'd Qua who yet own it as usefull helpfull profitable perfect to its own end through faith in the Light to the man of God do deny the perfection of the Scripture to its proper end then I.O. strikes up in such strict strains of proving the living power efficacy perfection of the said Scripture to its own proper end which he sayes is the effecting and perfecting of mens eternall salvation without any help of the Spirit and Light within stretching it out into such a singular absoluteness this way as that which by it self alone is Regula perfectissima Ex 3. S. 26. ita perfecta c. omnibus numeru absoluta ut nihil opus sit ulla alia revelatione per spiritum out lumâ—n internum c. as revelatio omni respectu perfecta Ex 3. S. 28. Potens servare animas restituens onimam potent a Dei ad salutem so that inania mutilia sunt alia omnia principia c. S. 29. which all is more fully inculcated at large in Greek and English p. 83 84 85 86 87. where he sayes its absolutely call'd the power of God and that to its proper end the Rod of his power without other helps and advantages that hath efficacy and power in it to save souls living effectual sharper then any two edged sword c. as Heb. 4.12 and much more to that tune adoring and extolling the external Text with the honour and veneration that 's due to God Christ and his Spirit Light and living word in the heart alone But when I.O. comes to quarrel with those poor deluded souls the Iews for the self same adoring and glorying in their enjoyment of the naked letter and seeking for life and salvation in the Scriptures without the Light and Spirit within which he and his Fellow-Scribes are found in and condemned by the Qua for at this day as they were by Christ of old and when he comes to quarrel with the Qua for asserting that doctrine of Devills as they call it viz attainablenesse of perfect freedom salvation of the soul from sin in this life then I. O. runs and rambles round about and about again with as great an Ardency as he danced the other way before saying Ex 3. S. 39. Falsissimum est sacram Scripturam dum in hoc mundo Haeremus respectu nostri totum suum finem obtinere aut obtinere posse It 's most false to say the Scripture or doth or can obtain its whole end in respect of us while we live here and if we ask where then does it do it in the world to come no neither then cessâ—bit Scripturae usu c. its use will then cease it s accimmodated to our present state only and if we ask does it do it at all yes quoth he or else it cant't be perfect as I assert it to be for Ex 3. S. 24. Disciplinae cujusvis perfectio c. In English thus The perfection of every discipline stands in it's relation to its end so as that is to be held perfect which can and that imperfect which potis non est cannot effect its own end and the perfection of the Scripture can consist in no other thing then its sufficiency to its own proper end which is the perfecting our eternall salvation which salvation though the Scripture be perfect and does accomplish it yet To go round again it can accomplish it neither in this world nor that to come and so not at all and To go round again is imperfect and further yet That it s not so absolutely perfect nor effectually powerfull to this end of saving souls so as to need no other revelation by the Spirit or Light within as he says 't is witnesse its inefficacy to the Iews who are as busie in it to no urpose as I. O. himself of whom I. O. to go round again sayes â— 236. thus The Iews enjoy the letter of the Scripture yea they receive it sometimes with the honour and veneration due to God alone Their possession of it is not accompanied with the manifestation of the Spirit will out which as we see in the instance of themselves the Word is a dead letter of no efficacy for the good of souls
in his name and done great things nevertheless for as much as they departed not from iniquity they shall be doom'd from Christ with Dâ—part from me ye workers of iniquity I know you not 16. Then shall the whole multitude of Transgressors of the Law i. e. of the Light of God in the conscience by which all even those that have not the Law written in an outward letter are a Law to themselves having the work of the Law written in their hearts that the Lamb of God came not to tolerate but to take away the sin of the world and that Iesus was sent not to give liberty to sin but to set his people at liberty from their sins and that in the greatest liberty wherwith Christ freeth his people there is the least licence and that the Father having raised up his Son hath sent him to blesse men they turning away every one of them from his iniquitie that those blessed ones to whom the the Lord imputeth not sin whâ—se iniquities aâ—e forgiven whose sin is covered are such in whose Spirit there is no guile and that there is in no wise any remission of sins unto those who still accustome themselves to a dayly commission of them 17. Moreover the great and terrible day of the Lord now cometh wherein the Light which is risen in the conâ—ciences of men shall dayly more and more clearly shine forth in which also the â—he book of conscience must be opened that â—ut of it all men may be judged according to all things that are written therein where by the Light which is Gods faithfull witness all sin is written down in the sight of God as with a Pen of Iron in which day by the Light God will come night to us to judgement and then the righteousness grace and mercy of God shall be revealed towards all who standing still in his Light wait for him to come as a Redeemer to them from their impieries that they may be saved from the wrath that is to come upon all the children of disobedience by which light the wrath of God shall be manifested from Heaven in their own conâ—ciences against all ungodliness unrighteousness of men who retain the Truth in unrighteousness in which day God will reign down upon the wicked Snares Fire Brunstone and an horrible tempest all which things shall be the portion of their Cup. 18. Moreover in the hand of God there is now a cup and the Wine thereof is Red and it is full of mixture and he poureth one of the same and Iudgment is begun at the House of God and God hath begun to bring evil upon the people upon whom his Name is written and his Nature Image is imprinted they whose portion it is not in such a measure as they have drunk of the Cup of abomination and fornication have drunk also of the Cup of indignation and wrath before they could take the Cup of Salvation and praiâ—e the name of the Lord in no wise therefore shall the wicked go unpunished but the worshippers of the Beast and those that receive his image must drink also of this wine which is poured one of the mixture into the cup of his indignation and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angells and of the Lamb yea the very dregs hereof the top whereof the Children of the Light and of the Day have tasted the Children of the Night and of the Darkness that is all the wicked ones of the earth shall drink and wring them out 19. Wherefore whilst in the long suffering of God opportunity is not wanting unto you whilst the day of your Visitation is neer unto you from God let my councell be accepted of you All and turn your selves to the light of Christ in your own consciences and take councell thereat for ever which seriously and sincerely minding you shall be taught by Christ himself whose Testimony to you from heaven that is to your both externall internall and eternall Peace and Salvation and shall be brought to Christ himself and to see him and his Father from both whom it comes to the saving knowledg of whom there can be no coming any other way whatsoever for as the Sun of this outward world is not seen but by that Light which flows from it self unto us so neither is the Sun of righteousnesse but by that measure of Light how little soever it be that shines from him in the heart 20. For although the Scripture which speakes of the Light and directs to the Light maketh mention of the Father and of the Son so that there ye may read of them and speak of them also according to what ye there read yet this the Scripture it self witnesseth that none can know either the Father or the Son but he to whom the Father and the Son do mutually reveal each the other whose revelation also is made within for that which may be known of God sufficient to Salvation is manifest in men saith Paul for God doth manifest it in them and the Gospell is preached in every creature which is under heaven by the Light of God in the conscience so that they are left inexcusable before God who else would be excusable blameless forasmuch as though they know God yet they glorify him not as God neither like to retain God in their knowledge but knowing the judgement of God that they which do such things as they do are worthy of death yet not onely do the same but have pleasure in those that do them 21. In the mean while we do not affirm Christ himself to be in all men who yet is known to be in all that are not Reprobates as that hope of glory nevertheless all for there is no difference but what is made by different degrees of light which do not vary the nature of the thing have some measure or other of his Light at least one Talent committed to them that they may trade therewith to profit withall which using well and doubling they have entrance into the joy of their Lord but hiding of which and not gaining therewith they shall be thrust out at last from the light they have into the utter darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth This Light therefore shines in all even the heatheâ— in some measure although not in all in the same measure 22. To the measure of which Light of Christ which in you is you will do well to take heed while you have it as unto a light shining in a dark place to give you the knowledge of your Salvation and guide your feet in the way of peace and that you may find true rest to your burdened and wearied souls and lest darkness come upon you for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whether he goeth nor at what he stumbles 23. This Light is the Law of God for the law is light saith the wise man written not
God by the writers of the Scripture to the Pedagogie of the Old Testament and times before Christ such as greatly affected the outward man with trembling and astonishment for which thou citest both Habakkuk and Daniel as it the times since Christ knew no such matter as true Trembling or any such Quaking as may affect the outward man but what is fained and from Satan and the force and power of the evil Spirit imitating in his filthy Tripodes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Dread and Terrour which is by the Power of God upon his people of which said fictitious sort thou falsely and foolishly fainest all that outward Trembling that is found among the Qua. to be at this day pag. 8. Ex. 1. S. 1. I say hadst thou been as well read and skilled in Scripture as by thy scribling pro Scripturis thou wouldest fain seem to be surely thou wouldest have found that Paul and John both were found in as great Tremblings and Astonishments Dread and Terrour to the great affecting of the outward man under the Appearances of the Lord to them in Visions and Revelations of his minde and will to them which they wrote as either Daniel Habakkuk or the rest of the Prophets before Christ that wrote them insomuch that they scarce knew sometimes where they were whether in or out of the body but were as dead with fear Act. 9 6.26.14 1 Cor. 2.3 2 Cor. 12.2 3. Rev. 1.17 But alas J.O. is so taken up and hurried in his thoughts in a hideous talking for the Scriptures that he hath little time to give any very great good heed to the Scriptures themselves he so talks for J.O. Thou addest pag. 6 7. That as far as their own personal concernments as Saints and beleevers did lye in the things they wrote they studied the writings and Prophesies of one another Dan. 9.2 and made a diligent enquiry thereby in order to the investigation of the things which the Spirit that spake in themselves did signifie 1 Pet. 1.10.10 without which though their Visions were express yet they understood them not and that they attained a saving useful habitual knowledge of the truths delivered by themselves and others by the illumination of the Holy Ghost through the study of the Word i.e. Scripture with thee still even as ye do Psal. 119 104. but as to the receiving of the Word from God as God Spoke in them they obtained nothing by study or meditation by enquiry or reading Am. 7.15 Rep. Here is such a parcel of uncouth prate about the Prophets and their Prophesie of Scriptures and the Scriptures of their Prophesies as favours of nothing but that illiterateness and ignorance of the true wayes of coming to the saving knowledge and understanding of the minde and will of God that abounds in Vniversities the supposed Nurseries as well of spiritual learning as any other well nigh as much as in any places of the so called Christian world besides What dreaming what darkness and confusion is here As if the Writers of the Scriptures because they were moved by the holy Spirit to write what they did therefore wrote they did not know what themselves nor in any wise sawingly understood every one his own piece of writing or Scripture pag. 5. whether of Histories or Prophesies or Proverbs or Psalms or Instructions or Doctrines or Laws or Promises or what ever tru he recorded delivered made known given out revealed by themselves revealed to them first from God as to their own concernment therein as Saints or beleevers by the Revelation thereof to them from God which as I said above is the only way of coming to the saving knowledge of any truth and not that of reading it as truth in anothers writings without running out to study and read the writings of some other men in order to their attaining any habitual saving useful intelligence of their own as if Isaiah that Evangelical Prophet did not savingly understand the Gospel Doctrines and Promises and Instructions and his own Recorded History of Senacherib and Hezekiah and other saving truths delivered and written by himself as they were revealed to him by the Lord nor by the voice Spirit and light of God himself manifesting them within him nor as he received the word so revealed and manifested in order to which receiving the word thou assertest also they obtained nothing by study or meditation enquiry or reading but onely as he made diligent enquiry study and search after the things the Spirit signified by him in the writings and Scriptures of some other Prophets I wonder what other parts of Scripture of the other Prophets he studied so to get that saving knowledge by since unless it were the Psalmes the last book of which is judged to have been compiled together by the Maccabees long after his dayes excepting also the three i.e. Hos a Amos and Micah that were co aetaneous with him all other Prophets that are ranked after him in your Bibles though not in the same order of time wherein they wrote wrote long after him and as if Ezekiel Jeremiah Daniel or the rest knew not savingly what they wrote themselves no more then we do as to themselves or any personal interest they had in the truths of their own writings but as they got an useful saving knowledges thereof out of each others writings in proof of which if a man would wrest them as thou doest to thine by the head and shoulders to such a purpose he might almost as easily evince the Pope to be head of Christs Church as draw any such matter as this thou concludest from Scripture That of 1 Pet. 1.10 11. Ministers no more matter of evidence to thy imagination in this particular that the Prophets searched other Prophets writings to finde out each the meaning of his own then Peters being at Rome if ever he were there doth to his being the Popes Predecessor there in the holy Chair 'T is true the Prophets are there said to enquire and search diligently after the salvation and the grace that comes unto the Saints at the revelation of Christ but is there no searching and enquiring after the salvation and the fulness of the grace of God but iâ— the letter is not the most succesful searching after these matters made in the light it self that teaches and shews it and brings the salvation nigh to all that wait for it therein which light or grace hath appeared to all men Tit. 2.11 12. and is tâ—eâ—e any way whereby God gives the knowledge of his own glory but the light from himself which the letter speaks of wherewith God who commands the light to shine out of darkness shines into the hearts of the Saints in order thereunto 2 Cor. 4.5 6. And are not all things that are manifested manifested in the light and is there any thing that doth make manifest but the said light and Spirit which the letter speaks of and which was before the letter was Eph. 5.13
as he sayes gives another which he judges the most genuine interpretation En Vmin among you so the Preposition may be rendred quoth he when as there 's no such Preposition at all as En in that Text it being Entos Vmon as is shewed above So page 14. the phrase doth not import the perfection of any on earth that likes him not it seems but else the phrase imports it well enough for he sayes ye are come to the Spirits of just men made perfect as it s said The Saints are all to come up to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Heb. 12.23 Eph. 4. So page 16. Perhaps the clause should bâ— referred to Sanctification 1 Cor. 6.11 or else it may be meant of the Spirits application forte ita forte non So page 4. 2 Pamp. as the Apostles expression is there he is for the import of the expressions So page 47. 1 Pamp. The expressions of freedome from sin do not note freedome from the being but dominion of sin Page 4. 1 Pamp. As for the phrase in your hearts it imports but the same with that expression the eyes of your understanding being enlightned Page 9. Doth not commit sin that cannot be meant of freedome from sin but either there is an Emphasis in the word sin intending under that general term one kind or sort of sin i.e. the sin unto death or if not in the Substantive then on the Verb Poiei which notes to make a trade of sin as the Priests do who preach sin up and down for money So somewhat it is if they could tell what and no matter what nor where the Emphasis lyes whether we can distinctly tell yea or nay so we may keep that Doctrine of sufficient Grace against sin to All men and that danmable Doctrine of Devils that is of not sinning any more which the Qua. teach up among men from taking too much root and bringing forth fruit to perfection of holiness that spoils all their â—â—ading as well as the Lawyers which stands but upon mens trespasses and sins if once men come to leave sinning and hating and envying and stealing c. and come to live in love innocency honesty and peace that marres their Ministry therefore they 'l beware of that Leven however which will sowre all the sweet success that they have from Generation to Generation into the Popish preferments of their deceased Predecessors if that way be shewed how to live without sin it turns their rich trade of preaching down sin and talking against sin up by the roots and therefore though their Trade is for money to declare against sin yet they must preach it up and talk for it a little too and do their work not too hastily all at once left there be no more work for them ere long to do but such as they were never bred up to live by Thus not only T.D. I.O. R.B.I.T. but in a manner all our literal Preachers when the Letter leans not that way themselves for their lusts sake list to have it make no more to wrest it besides its own ordinary proper and literal seâ—se and import which when it smiles with them they plead as much as they implead it when it makes against them then a man need do to turn a Nose of Wax which way he will and no less then twenty wayes one after another if they please yea it is but saying when they are minded so to do upon mislike of the Spirits plain naked honest meaning thus viz. The Spirit does not mean here as he sayes but means another thing 't is usual with Christ to speak words of a doubtful sense his meaning may be mistaken when his words taken in the most ordinary and literal sense and so it would be if by every man we should understand every individual man the meaning of thâ—se words cannot be as the Letter of them does import then this and that absurdity would follow say our reconciling self-contradictors by which they import themselves to be very little insighted either into the Letter it self which they are Ministers meerly of and much less into the mind of the Spirit which gave it forth which never does as these inâ—aners and Opinionists would make it speak one thing and mean another but means truly what he sayes though his very sayings are mysteries to the misty Ministers when he sayes All and every man he means not some only a few one of a thousand as the personal Electionists do who extend the large Love of God so far as to say it s intended but to few and streighten the boundless Mercy of God into a Miâ—e which is stretched out matchlessly beyond measure over all his works which universal terms All men every man if they were to be restrained as they tell us how much more legally may indefinite terms be taken in a restrained sense and be made equivalent to particulars and upon that account we may except the most sinners as they indeed do some of them personally and absolutely from all Iudgement and Condemnation and the most as absolutely from Mercy and Salvation from the fear of any evil befalling them for their sins so as to say when God speaks indefinitely he will rain snares fire brimstone storm and temptest on the wicked that 's not All and every wicked man but a few only therefore fear not Whâ—remengers and Adulterers God will judge Lyars Murderers have their part in the Lake that 's but some few only at least not All nor the most not the Saints not his upright hearted Davids when gone from their uprightness for so David was in that matter of Vriah when guilty of Murder and Adultery therefore droop not ye murderous adulterous Saints of this English unclean-hearted Israel If God had said All and every Adulterer and every Murderer hee 'll judge and divide him his portion in the Lake his meaning had not been as those words import 't is usual for Christ to speak words of a doubtful sense ye mistake his meaning if you understand him according to the ordinary and literal seâ—se of the universal terms All and every man as speaking of every individual man but he speaks but indefinitely Sinners Whoremengers Adulterers Murderers not expressing All and every such a one which had he exprest he had dot implyed though the terms import so for he offers one thing oft when he means another offers that to all in words in his revealed Will which in heart and his secret Will he intends but to a few and if an universal cannot without going aside from the literal sense it imports yet the indefinite phrase hath a restrained seâ—se Ob. Nay this cannot be though in the other case it may because this is contrary to the Faith the other is not and we must keep to the Analogy of Faith in our interpretings of the Scriptures Rep. Herein ye are more miserably bemoped and befool'd if ye could once see it then in all
of our wayes is reproved the wayes of God approved Now this is no small benefit to have the light to discern our errors which without light from Christ we should never have understood A wise Christian will be often judging himself by the light of the Law discovering his Transgressions That mâ—st needs be the Law in the Conscience which de facto shewes every mans own sins to himselfe It will be needfull not only to use the light of Christ to judge our selves by but also to order our actions by I am the light of the World saith Christ he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness There cannot be unsafe walking by Christs light there is no danger when Christ our light goes before walk in the light saith Christ while ye have the light lest darknesse come upon you how many millions are there of souls perplexed and tortured all their life with fears and doubts for want of walking by the light of Christ in Scripture which say I is that in the conscience which the Scripture mainly calls to and chusing rather to walk by a light and sparks of their own kindling alias their own wisdome conceits sences and meanings on the Scripture traditions in worship and such like which they call light which in the end either goes quite out or burns so dim as to leave them in darknesse of spirit and horror of conscience and no marveile since such as neglect the word preached which is that word of faith i.e. which men are to beleeve in unto life which the Scripture testifies and the Apostles preached to be nigh in mens hearts to heave and do it should follow the mares of humane reason the examples customes and dictates of men and in conclusion ly down in sorrow Isa. 40.11 Such foolish fires will lead to nothing but bogs and precipices but Christ the true light when his Gospell is followed which is the light in the heart 2 Cor 4.5 6. guides the feet of men into the way of peace The light of Christ is to be used as our weapons or Tools to defend ourselves or to work with let us put off the works of darknesse and put on the armour of light the truth is light is the chiefest instrument for safety and worke if a man be without light he can neither defend himself nor offend an enemy he that would make use of Christs light must be armed with his doctrine he that would improve the light must be a doing the businesse which the word of Christ directs him to and to that end it mark must dwell richly in him Make use of the light of Christ for thy comfort and rejoycing it is it which removes doubts griefs fears despair in life or death Oh how sweetly might men live how comfortably might they dye if they did make use of it Thus highly do these two men R.B. I.T. speake of the light of Christ within which the Qua preach yea that in the very Heathen though they oft call it naturall yet they recommend it as that which told the truth to the heathen which they holding in unrighteousnesse were under wrath and without excuse before God because they glorified him not as God but were fill'd with unrighteousnesse and did the things which by that of God in them they knew judgment was due to and that they were worthy of wrath Ignorance of the Law being not to be pleaded by them say they who sin against the innate light of their own spirits for as much as that fact must needs be voluntary which is done against the knowledge and judgment of a mans own conscience And yet somtimes to go round again they tell us that when their Saints sin through infirmity only as T. D. judges David did when he was guilty of murder and adultery which when they doe they act against the knowledge and judgment of their own consciences their facts are not voluntary but altogether yea utterly against their wills Yea p. 41. They seem to judge themselves much belyed by the Qua. for denying the light within and set themselves to vindicate themselves from that as a false aspersion as if they were men that do truly own the light within as much as any yea they there make a use of Application of their Doctrine about the Light that enlightneth every man that cometh into the World to justifie themselves against the Qua as owners and honourers of the light within and to warn men that they act not against their Light within to this purpose we may infer say they a plea for our selves against the unjust accusations of the Qua who use to charge publick preachers with denying the light within each man whereas such light is not at all denyed by them each person is to make use of the light within that he do not rebell against the light a mans own conscience is a Law to him c. This and much more do these men when they are pleased to begin of themselves confesse to the excellent usefullnesse and sing out to the praise of the light of God within each man but if the Qua fall in with them in the same work and commend the same light for t is no other but that of Christ the Qua cry up in the same words with the Priests then in enmity against the Qua they set themselves to cry it down with as much indignation and detestation as they cryed it up with approbation and high commendation before Then to go round again they sing a new song in contempt of it to the Time that hereunder followeth inveighing most heavily and bitterly against the Quak for this businesse of warning men to take heed to the Light within to that of God in their consciences calling both it and them no lesse then all to nought witnesse their clamours against the Qua for this very thing in Baxt. Epist. p. 7. Their i.e. the Quâ— great pretence when they dishonour the Scripture and the Ministry is to lead men to a light within them and this is their cry in our Assemblies and our streets hearken to the light and word within you and the sufficiency of this they clamourously defend So p. 6. They i.e. the Quakers assert that there is a light in every man sufficient to guide him to God of it self that it is a Rule to shew duty and sin that there 's no need of other teaching of man that this is one in all that it is the Gospell this is the main prop of the new Anti-christian Religion or frenzy of the Quak and leads them into pernitious courses So p. 41. A mans own light cry they speaking of that of God in the Conscience of all men which somtimes themselves call no lesse then Gods Law in them which is in them but not of them nor naturall but spirituall holy just and good cannot warrant of it self without the Scripture a mans actions to be lawfull which he doth according to that light And
yet T. D. sayes much of the truth of the Scripture is written on the hearts of the Heathen and that so much of it as is there written is their Rule so by consequence mens Rule can't of it self warrant mens actions to be right that are regulated by it Oh the Rounds of these men yea Tomb. and Baxter blush not in proof of that their lye as boldly as blindly to assert in the same page that Paul in his bloody persecutions and sins followed the light within him and counted it his great sin that he had so done though they confesse as before that all light in all men is from God and Christ and that the light some of which all men have from God and Christ though dim in regard of its small measure gives them to discern sins dutyes and divine Attributes and leads them to much of God and more morallity fidellity chastity temperance righteousness which the Letter sayes are the fruits of the Spirit then most Christians have attained to Yea so blasphemously seeme they to speak in the same page of the light within which the Qua. follow and call to which is no other then that of God in men that convinces them of sin as to intimate that men may as the Quakers say they do follow the light within them and yet their practice be of the Devill The Prince and Ruler only of the darknesse in men and not from Gods Spirit yea say they there if following the dictates of a mans own Conscience i.e. the leadings of the light in it could warrant his actions the most horrid acts of Idolaters Papists Pagans Mahometans Fanaticks i. e. mad men should be free from censure and controul Thus to their own shame confusion and self contradiction who one while speak well of it they speake abominably of the light within as if all the wickednesse that is in the world came to passe by following the light within the conscience the going away from which into mans own vain imaginations and vile inventions into the dark for not taking heed to the â—ouncell of God i. e. his light in the heart is the only cause of all abomination without which light shining and mens loving the darknesse and evill deeds which it condemns more then it there could be neither sin as â—hrist sayes nor condemnation Iohn 3.19 Rom. 8 1. As to go round again to their own confutation themselves intimate in the very next words p. 41 42. which are thus If a man do that which he thinks to be evill that is by the lights dictating it so to be in his own Conscience as they hinted just before though it were good and lawfull in it selfe it would be sin to him yea that man that doth good against his conscience is hut an hypocrite in so doing though the thing in if self be right and good When a man doth evill which his conscience tells him is so he commits a sin of the highest degree as to him that knowes to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Iam. 4.7 That is sin in an high degree hence great horrour of spirit hath attended them that have omitted good which their conscience told them they should do and much more horrour in them that have done evill against their conscience as in the case of Iudas Spira and other instances might be given Without which acting against conscience there 's neither sin nor horrour say we with John and Christ Ioh. 15.24 1 Ioh. 3 20. but peace as themselves hereunder confesse i.e. assurance of Gods acceptance acquittance non-condemnation justification And therefore say they if the Qua intended no more then this by bidding men look to the light within them And no more then that do we intend God knows though the blind Guides who can't see Wood for Trees hating us are minded to make men mistake us as miserably as themselves mistake us that men should take heed that they omitted not the good their own consciences told them they ought to do and that they did not the evill their consciences judged to be so we should accept of their warning Surely it will concern you as to look that your conscience be not erroneus As it ever is when and never is say I but when it erres from the light of God within it for the heart is a dark place of it self but as the true light shines in it 2 Pet. 1. 19. and heeds not that So when your conscience is rightly informed to follow it and when it goes wrong As it never does say I but when it goes from its guide the light yet to suspend the act which it condemns Till by the light it come to approve of what it ignorantly condemned if you desire peace It seemes then by these men as well as the Qua doctrine that peace is no where to be had but in walking according to the light in the Conscience there will say they be no plea to acquit him before God or to quiet his own spirit who proceeds to act according to the light in his own conscience And a sin against the light of nature So they stile that voyce of God in the conscience still is so much the more damnable in that it is against the most irrefragable evidence Mark how they somtimes yield the light in the conscience of all to be a far clearer evidence then that of the letter it self and more dangerous to resist in reference to which they somtimes to go round again call the light within but obscure meer darknesse and blindnesse and not so dangerous nor damnable to resist but rather dangerous yea no lesse then damnable to follow He that doubteth say they with Paul is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith for whatever is not of faith is sin Mark how themselves affirme with Paul and us that faith without which nothing is pleasing to God out of which all that 's done is damning to be a faith in that light of Christ which is in the conscience Wo be to him cry they as we also do who condemns himself in what he allowes and contrariwise say we and Paul and consequently themselves happy is he and he only who is not condemned in himself that is by the light in his own conscience in what he allowes Thus absolutely do these Light-haters somtimes themselves blesse approve and applaud the light which otherwhiles they brawl and bark against when it s own children the Qua appear to justifie it Somtimes to go round again as absurdly do they bolt out bitternesse and blasphemies against that light which forgetting how unawares they confesse the truth to the Qua otherwhiles they so eminently applauded as good and of God c making it somtimes pernitious dangerous yea in the highest degree damnable to neglect it at othertimes to go round again pernitious dangerous and in the highest degree damnable to attend to it As p. 68. Among the Gentile Philosophers there was light but