saving Knowledge to all that receive it and attend upon it And this is the direct and proper Way and Method of God's bringing Men to Salvation as is assented to one while but another while saving Illumination in an immediate Way is denyed by this contradictory Opposer p. 47. though in Contradiction to himself again he confesseth Christ is the Light of the World by his Spirit by his Word by his Works both miraculous and exemplary p 48. whereby he hath granted Christ to be the Light of the World both in an immediate in a mediate Way How then not in an immediate Way manifest Confusion And yet he charges us with abusing at unawares that first Chapter of John ver 9. And why so Because we own Christ to be that true Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World in an immediate Way which is no Abuse seeing 1st the very Life that was iin hm is the Light of men 2dly He attempts not to prove that men universally are lighted in such mediate Wayes as he proposes as namely by the Scriptures outward Teaching Works and Example seeing all men have not the Scriptures and but few knew Christ's Works and Example His Accusation of impertinently alledging of Joel 2. 28 29. cited by Peter Act. 2. 17. Behold the Dayes come saith the Lord that I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh c. He convinceth us of no Impertinency herein while from hence we assert this pouring out of the Spirit to be immediate as I will pour out my Spirit saith the Lord Is not this immediate as done by himself But saith he It is not to direct every one what to believe and do without outward Teaching but to qualifie Persons extraordinarily for outward Teaching It is to enable them to prophesie c. p. 49. Hereby he hath confessed some Persons to be extraordinarily qualified for outward Teaching and enabled to prophesie by the Pourings out of the Spirit It seems he owns the Teachers Prophets to be immediately taught but the Hearers may not so that from this Man's Method the Danger of Enthusiasm is not in the Enthusiasts themselves but in their ordinary Sort of Hearers or weak Christâ—ans as they are counted whom he goes about to keep alwayes in that weak State ever learning and never allows them the Priviledge of their Teachers that is to be Teachers immediately illuminated and taught And what is this but to maintain a Trade of Preaching that People may be alwayes paying which is not to desire that all the Lord's People were Prophets nor with Paul to pray that God would give them the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of Christ Ephes. 1. 17. nor to bring People to the divine Anointing within that is sufficient to teach them Neither doth this man appear in the Apostle's Mind who said these things I write unto you that you may have Fellowship with us and truly our Fellowship is with the Father and the Son Whereas this man's Method tends to keep the Hearers from this Fellowship which is in the divine immediate Light of God and Christ. He seems highly to commend God's Way and Method of Salvation as to the Plainness and Fulness of the Revelation thereof under the New Covenant by which it is fitted to every Capacity and the innate Goodness of the Laws thereof fitted to attract and draw mens Wills to accept embrace and chuse them These sayes he Are the Things I conceive foretold in that Prophecy Jer. 31. cited in Heb. 8. under those Expressions of God's putting giving or conveying his Laws into the Mind and writing them in the Heart so that they shall not teach every Man his Neighbour and every man his Brother c. p. 81. A plain and ample Confession 1st To the New Covenant and the innate Goodness of the Laws thereof 2dly To God's putting his Laws into the Mind and writing them in the Heart 2dly So that they shall not teach every man his Neighbour every man his Brother These are sufficient to overthrow all his Work against immediate Illumination immediate Teaching and Revelation and his confining God's Method of Salvation now to a mediate Way of Teaching and Illumination To his Addition That it is not then said that they shall not be taught neither by Apostles Evangelists Pastors or Teachers but they shall not teach every man his Neighbour or every Man his Brother p. 81. But who these Apostles Evangelists Pastors or Teachers are that he would have us alwayes depend upon for outward or mediate Teaching he does not shew us nor who they are that pretend to be such by Vertue of an immediate Call or extraordinary Qualification which he hath seemed to grant before which surely comes not by Succession from men He does not tell us who he means as thus called and qualified as the true Apostles Evangelists c. were who were sent of God and endued with divine Vertue and immediate Gifts for their VVork which neither Baptist Independent nor Presbyterian-Preachers do now pretend to as heretofore when they bore the Reproach of extemporary Praying and Preaching by the Spirit for which they are yet reproached as Phanaticks though undeservedly However this man's VVork appears very lame while he proclaims a mediate VVay of Teaching and Illumination by the Scriptures Orall Tradition and by Apostles Evangelists c. p. 47 73 81. as God's Method unto Salvation and all this to oppose an immediate Way of Enlightning thereunto Now suppose we should believe the former with him in Opposition to the latter yet still he leaves us in the dark and at a Loss in not directing us to those Apostles Evangelists Prophets Pastors and Teachers truly qualified and called as where or among what People they are As if he should tell us that the VVay to Heaven is to follow certain Guides but not at all direct us where to find those Guides But although we confess that God doth with Power endue and send forth his Messengers to preach the Gospel yet this no VVay doth oppose his immediate Illumination Teaching of his People under the New Covenant but is a lively Proof and Testimony thereof seeing they are immediately illuminated and inspired for that Work and their Ministry received from the immediate Light and Teaching of God within tends to direct men to him that they may be taught of him and therein are helpful to men in order to turn them from Darkness to the Light which no wayes does imply any Defect in the Light within but an Alienation in man's Mind till he be converted for there can be no Defect or Insufficiency n God because he maketh Use of apt Instruments suited to mens VVeakness and causeth his own VVorks to praise him for he will not have his VVorks idle and useless Now the Difference between God's immediate Illumination or inward VVork of Power and his working instrumentally by Ministers or Preaching lyes here the one is the Cause and
excludes all that have not the Scriptures or mens Teaching from the saving Work or Change in them and confines all God's People as Children under Tutors and Governours that they may be alwayes learning and then when shall they know the Truth And of whom do their Teachers learn and receive the Understanding of the Scriptures 2dly To his saying That the Doctrine contain'd in them is the Rule of Faith and Practice He should rather have said A RULE subordinate to the great Rule of Faith and Practice to wit that divine Light which was the true Prophets and Apostles Rule in giving forth the Scriptures is now the true Believers Rule in truly believing understanding and obeying the wholesom Doctrine contained in them which none truly own but they who believe in the Light and follow and walk in the Spirit which the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles directs men to His accusing us with opposing mens being enlightened and taught by Christ to their being taught by the Scriptures is not true unless he intended the Scriptures without Christ's Light within for we assert his immediate Illumination and Teaching in Opposition to mens preferring the Scriptures before the Spirit and excluding its immediate Teaching in these Dayes we do not oppose Christ's Enlightning men to the true Knowledge or Understanding of the Scriptures which proceeded thence His rendering the Spirit and the Word two several Causes that produce the same Effect viz. God's Working savingly upon men and his calling the immortal Seed of the Word 1 Pet. 1. 23. The Sword of the Spirit and God's great Instrument or Means by which the Spirit doth its Work upon Men meaning the Scriptures p. 18 19. In these is he greatly mistaken For first The Spirit and the Word are no such differing Causes for they are one and the immortal Word was before the Scriptures 2dly This Spirit or living Word doth work upon men both with and without the Scriptures as it pleaseth Howbeit the Spirit is immediate in its inward Manifestations and Discoveries and is only God's Gift And while this man hath granted That Christ is God and God every where present and so in all Men p. 20. He must grant an Immediateness both of his Presence Light and Teaching in Man or else he allows man no Preheminence above a Beast and endeavours to limit God to Silence in man unless when he hears outward Teaching or Scripture which cannot profit him without God's immediate Teaching and inward Speaking His accusing us with jumbling about Christ's being in all Men and saying that in Respect of his vertual Presence as Mediator as when he rules and operates in Men's Hearts by his Authority and by the Evangelical Law in this Sense he is not in all Men p. 20 21. And when did we ever say that he was in this Sense in all men that is as ruling c. or to dwell in the Hearts of all men by Faith But while 't is granted that as God Christ is every where present and so in all men it 's granted that he is in all men in some Sense and his Presence is immediate and though he does not rule in wicked mens Hearts by his Evangelical Law and dwells not by Faith in the Hearts of Unbelievers yet by his Light he reproves them for Sin often and immediately in their Consciences and his immediate Reproofs daily persue the Transgressors who rebell against his Light and there is both Vertue and Power in his Presence immediately to torment the Wicked and refresh the Righteous therefore he is not alwayes confined to speak by the Instrumentality and Agency of second Causes as this Opposer darkly imagins who neither rightly knows our Principle to state it nor doth clearly state his own but runs into a Multitude of Tautologies and Repetitions and Contradictions that a Body hath something to do to find out the Matter he drives at though one search his Book with a great deal of Care Memory and Perspicuity as for Instance He confesseth both the Work of the Spirit and Christ dwelling in the Heart and a being made one Spirâ—â— with him as also to a super-natural Revelation and Illumination in the Way of Salvation and the Presence of God every where and in all Men and yet opposeth the immediate Operation of Christ in men but saith He doth not teach Men now immediately in Person p. 21. And who saith he doth But if he teach men immediately in Spirit as to be sure he doth his own who hear his Voice it 's sufficient And this man confesseth in Rev. 2 3. That it is seven Times said He that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches as every Man in the VVorld hath that is not deaf as also He adds That when it the Doctrine is communicated to them by VVriting as where it is so by Preaching yea saith he I had almost said or by immediate Revelaâ—ion p. 28. Reader observe here how uncertain variable and unstable this man is in his own Judgment and Principle for one while he opposeth immediate Revelation or Enthusiasm as none of God's Way or Method now another while he does assent to the hearing of the Spirit or receiving its Doctrine by immediate Revelation and so then the Controversie he seems to place not so much upon immediate Revelation as the Belief Obedience or Disobedience of the Doctrine and those Revelations which he confesseth 'T is possible Men may have from God as Balaam had and Judas and other Workers of Iniquity that prophesied and cast out Devils in Christ's Name had p. 28. But now you who deny immediate Revelation to the Church of Christ in these Dayes do ye not therein render the Church inferior to Balaam Judas and those Workers of Iniquity nay I may add to Adam after the Fall who heard the Voice of God and to Cain to whom also God spoak And I cannot understand how this Man can really own the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles to be a Rule much less the Rule of Faith and Christian Practice as he asserts p. 22. while he saith That Christ Jesus doth not savingly enlighten all thos who yet are savingly illuminated neither by natural Light nor by super-natural Revelation in an IMMEDIATE Way and addeth Then it follows that such are enlightened by supernatural Revelation MEDIATELY or instrument â—â— p. 47. Note here Reader that he pretends to own super-natural Revelation but not in a immediate Way and a being savingly illuminated but not immediately and yet pretends to own that Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles which directs both to God's Teaching and Hearing and learning of the Father and coming to Christ for Life hearing what the Spirit saith and to wait for the Revelation of Christ from Heaven and to look for the Appearance of the great God the Father whom no Man knows but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him And therefore this man's denying that Christ Jesus
him and his Spirit be our Rule to know this he must not be limited to Silence or to a being mute from immediately teaching those who are confessed to be made one Spirit with him And what gross Ignorance is it to limit God's Teaching or Saving Illumination to a Mediate or Instrumental Way of Man's Teaching as this Man doth in his denying an Immediate Way of Saving Illumination p. 47. which is all one as if he should tell us that though God dwell and walk in his People yet still they are either Strangers to him or else he is silent from speaking to them except when they hear outward Preaching c. And what is this but to limit the Holy One set him and his People at a Distance when they are his Tabernacle and he dwells and walks in them That God Christ the holy Spirit do by Immediate Illumination of our Minds and without external Teaching by Scriptures or by Men shew us or reveal to us what we ought to do and that the Children of God are taught of God and need not any other Teacher p. 13 14. This he excepts against as quite different from God's Method and VVay wherein he hath opposed plain Scripture Testimony They shall all be taught of God they shall not teach every Man his Neighbour c. But the Anointing which ye have received abideth in you and ye need no Man to teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things c. We do therefore assert the Sufficiency of this Divine Illumination or Heavenly Unction as being of it self able to shew and reveal to us what we ought to believe and do in all things for that it was sufficient both to make true Prophets and Preachers and to inable the Holy Men of God to give forth what they spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost And without the Inspiration of the Almighty men cannot truly understand the Scriptures yet we do not confine the Holy One only to Inward Teaching or an Immediate Way though the Sufficiency thereof to them that are turned to it we do assert yet by this Divine Inspiration or Immediate Teaching God hath been and is pleased to call out Instruments to testifie and preach forth what their Eyes have seen and Ears heard and Hands handled of the Word of Life even the same VVord of Life which they have received and this only is the effectual and powerful Preaching which flows from the VVord of Life or divine Unction within and not that which comes only by Tradition Reading and Hear-say without the Spirit 's Guidance And therefore while we own the holy Scriptures and outward Teaching as proceeding from divine Illumination and the immediate Unction within and as a Proof of the Sufficiency thereof the Man wrongs us in his endeavouring to begeta Suspicion of us as if we had an aking Tooth against outward Teaching of as if the VVork and Office of the Gospel-Ministry it self were the Eye-Sore to us as also with dissembling the Matter heaping Contradictions with Tergiversation and Shuffling p. 83 92 94. And why so but because we teach People give forth Books c. VVhile yet it is our Judgment That Men may be sufficiently taught of God himself by his Light and Spirit within now under the New Covenant p. 93. But how proves he this either a Dissembling or Contradiction when we do not pretend to preach teach or write without God's Teaching and Aid wherein we proclaim the Sufficiency thereof exciting Men to turn from Darkness to the Light and from Satan's Power to God for Power Life Spirit Illumination and Teaching immediately as he hath taught us which is no more Contradiction then was in the Prophets Christ or Apostles who preached and proclaimed the same thing as that all God's People and Children should be taught of him and the Anointing which they had received from the Holy One should teach them so that they should need no Man to teach them but as the same Anointing taught them of all things a plain Proof of its Sufficiency His supposing that we direct Men to a Natural Light in them p. 15. is not true but contrary to his own Citation before of our VVords That God's pure Spirit and the Light of Christ within us as both our VVarrant aâ—d Rule for Faith and Obedience to the Scriptures which therefore cannot be a Natural Light in them He grants that Jesus Christ himself revealed the Gospel to his Apostles and after his Ascension he by sending them the Holy Spirit immediately inspired them with the clear Knowledge and Understanding of it But for us to assert Immediate Inspiration and the sole Sufficiency thereof he deems now a changing of Gods Method which he confines to Man's Teaching and the Scriptures and yet in plain Contradiction to himself he is made to confess That the Scriptures attribute it viz. the saving Work of Grace to God to Christ to the Holy Spirit p. 18. And further saith Indeed the VVork of Grace in Men is most properly attributed to God to Christ because he is the principal Cause of it and all other but subordinate yet the Effect is some times attributed to subordinate and second Causes also though less properly p. 19. So that we in attributing the saving VVork of Grace in men to God to Christ we take the most proper VVay and Method how then is this contrary to God's Way and Method And our referring Men to his inward Light to be immediately taught by him doth both shew our owning his making Use of Instruments and outward Teaching in order thereto and as subordinate as also that they shall be sufficiently taught of God when they are come unto him to depend upon his Teaching as his Instruments are in their Ministry And this man hath confessed a Concurrence of the Operation of his Grace and good Spirit together with the rational Evidence of the Truth of the Gospel to perswade Men p. 15. And is not this Grace and good Spirit Immediate when it operates in the Hearts though God is pleas'd to make Use of Instruments for the Help and Advantage of the weak it follows not that either there shall be alwayes need of such a mediate Way of Help or that he will not immediately teach and operate in these Dayes for that were still to limit him and his People to a Distance one from another whereas it is confessed That the VVork of Grace in Mâ—n is most properly attributed to God and less properly to subordinate and second Causes But saith this man The Holy Spirit works the saving Change in Men still by the VVord of the Gospel as communicated to Men's Minds by the Scriptures or by Men's Teaching the same Doctrine which is contained in the Scriptures And this in Opposition to our Way as he calls it of God's own Immediate Working p. 16. where observe First He limits the Spirit 's inward Work either to the Scriptures or mens Teaching which
there any Virtue in Christ's Presence that is not in God's Presence Is not the Father Son and Holy Spirit one Being though different as to Relation and Degrees of Manifestation But how plainly contradictory is it one while to confess Christ's being in men his essential Presence as God to be in all men and yet that his Light in the Heathen or greatest Part of men is natural and created O monstrous Inconsistency He affirms that the Form of Doctrine delivered to the Christians to wit the Scriptures was to be the Rule of Faith and Christian Practice to rule and govern themselves by p. 22 23. And yet confesseth That those who are sincere make it their dayly Care and Endeavour to walk according to the Light and Guidance of that Rule that hath its Seat in their Conscience p. 40. Observ. Here he has found another Rule then the Scripture to wit the Light in the Conscience Though it is true the Apostles Doctrine contains Rules but the Light within that gave it forth was The Rule the Chief or Highest Rule for Guidance and Power and that wherein was the Power of Rule and Government to all true Christians He gives this Judgment against us viz. That in Truth there is no Light in us how much soever we vainly boast of it he sayes p. 40. And yet hath confessed That the essential Presence of Christ as God is in all men and that Christ doth enlighten every man with a Faculty of Reason or natural Light by which he hath acknowledged some Light to be in every man though it is true they that speak not according to the Word it is because there is no Morning in them yet it follows not that there is no Light at all in them for there may be some Light in them before the Morning Upon Joh. 1. 9. he saith that there is no such thing as that Christ so enlightens all men as with what he ought to believe and do in order to his Salvation without outward Teaching can be proved p. 41. And yet confesseth That Christ indeed as God doth enlighten every man by which he may know that there is a God that he is to be worshipped that he is placable and that this may be a Light sufficient to direct the Heathen to do as much as God expects from them if they live up to it But in Contradiction again He calls this a natural Light not sufficient c. p. 42. Observ. What! A Light sufficient to give the Knowledge of God and his Worship that he is placable and to direct the Heathen to as much as he expects from them and yet not sufficient to enlighten men with a Knowledge of what they ought to believe and do in order to Salvation Is not this palpable Contradiction That Men may by the Light within be directed to acknowledge and worship God and to as much as he expects from them and yet not be saved These can never hold together any more then that the Light in the Heathen may be sufficient to direct them to as much as God expects and yet not to believe in his Son for Salvation according to pag. 42. As if God did not require all men to believe in his Son when their not believing in him is the very thing for which his Spirit reproveth the World of Sin and he that believeth not in the Son of God is condemned already because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and men love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are Evil Joh. 3. 18 19. So that it is evident That Light is come into the World that men may believe in the Name of the Son of God and escape Condemnation Again he errs in saying Paul knew of no such Way to propagate the Faith as immediate Revelation and inward Teaching of the Light within after it was once set on foot in an extraordinary Way p. 46. And this he hath contradicted in his confessing That the Work of Grace in men is most properly attributed to God to Christ and that the Scripture attributes it to God to Christ to the holy Spirit p. 18. And also he had almost granted that the holy Spirit may be communicated to men by immediate Revelation p. 28. Observ. So then God may and doth work by his immediate Power and Spirit for the begetting men into the true Faith and it is only this Spirit immediately attending true Ministers that maketh their Preaching effectual for the turning men to the Word of Faith in their Hearts Whereas the Tenour and Stress of this man's Work is against Enthusiasm in the best sense even against being savingly illuminated in an immediate way and saith that the plentiful Effusion of the Spirit is far from giving any Countenance to our Opinion of the Spirit 's being given to teach men immediately by internal Illumination pag. 60. And on John 16. 13. he accounteth that this is not a Promise to guide all Christians by its immediate Motion but a Promise to his Apostles pag. 61. And yet in Contradiction to himself in this and in Concession to the Truth he in words assents to the Operation of God's Grace and good Spirit pag. 15. And that men are said in Scripture to be born of the Spirit to be born of the immortal Seed of the Word pag. 18 19. But then he is nconsistent again in accounting these different Causes he hath also confessed the essential Presence of Christ as God to be in men p. 20. And that in Revel 2. Chap. 3. it is seven times said He that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches p. 27. And that Christ's Ministers are Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit p. 33. That he accompanies their Ministration with the Presence of his Grace and Power p. 38. And also he asserts to the inward Assistance of his Spirit p. 41. And saith It is the Spirit that beareth witness because the Spirit is Truth p. 55. And on 1 Joh. 2. Ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you he grants that the Apostle's Meaning must be That they needed not from him or any other man any teaching that could give them greater Assurance of any thing then that Anointing gave them of Jesus his being the Christ and of the Truth of that Doctrine that Anointing being God's Witness from Heaven pag. 68. And that the Spirit doubtless is not wanting to assist the sincere Endeavours of men in searching after the Sense of the Scriptures p. 69. Howbeit for men to be guided by the internal Teachings of the Spirit without outward Teaching this he calls our Wild Notion And yet citeth Rom. 8. 14. As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God p. 71. And Gal. 5. 18. If ye are led by the Spirit