them forth which I deny for the spirit is given to every Beleever to profit withall 1 Cor. 12.7 though we have not the same measure of the spirit the Apostles had yet the Lord hath left us sufficient to understand the Scriptures by Hath the Lord left in the Church to that end Pastors and Teachers and have not they Gods spirit Eph. 4.8.11 Gal. 4.6 1 Cor. 12.3 but the truth is they would have no opening the Scripture at al as by their writing Pamphlets doth appear Whereas did not Ezra wade and give that sence of the Law Nehem. 8.7 8. did not Christ expound Isaiah 61.1 Luke 4.17.22 for all wondred at the gracious words that came from him which intimates he Preached from that Scripture So read Luke 24.27 after his resurrection he opened the Scriptures concerning himself Did not Philip Acts 8.32.35 expound Isaiah 55.7 to the Eunuch read also how many Scriptures Paul expounded and opened Acts 13.33 he opened the 2d Psalm as also Isaiah 55.3 so he gave the sence of Psal 16.10 Acts 13.36 when Paul was brought Prisoner to Rome he expounded both the Law and the Prophets Acts 28.23 So that what the Minister doth now in taking a Text and opening thereof is warranted by the former practises In that the Quakers say the Epistles was written to such a people in that they say true but what would they infer hence therefore they are not for us to use or Preach upon they may say the like of all the rest of the Scriptures but if they would have no interpretation of Scriptures what will they say of 2 Peter 3.6 who saith that in Pauls Epistles are many things hard to be understood which the unlearned and unstable wrest as they do other Scriptures to their own destruction whereby I gather that even in Pauls Epistles many things are mystical and must be opened in the spirit of wisedome Alas if no expounding Scriptures then wil they take these in the Letter John 3.4 How can a man be born again shall he enter again into his Mothers Womb Cut off thy right hand pull out thy right eye I have read of some that understood this in the letter did pul out their eye but if they had let it alone the Scripture had not been broken What misery fel upon the Jews because they did not better expound Christs words Destroy this Temple and I will raise it in three days I might call a Cloud of witnesses in this case Therefore let them say what they will God hath owned the way of expounding and opening Scriptures to the conversion of thousands as Seals to the Ministry And herein I blesse God I am not without witnesse in the hearts of some at this day yea some of them now turned enemies to truth have openly owned me as the instrument in Gods hand for their good I speak it with grief and to their shame to the intent if God will give them grace to repent of their errours and hypocrisie 2 Tim 2.25 Now I come to the fifth which you shall see whether they own or not 5. That which thou callest errour that we are not justified by faith upon Christs death and resurrection in what Christ hath purchased for us but by what Christ doth in us Answ To this they answer seemingly fair yet as the Pox Herod did to Christ so do they with the truth The Saints say they were justified by faith and its Christ that justifies and he that hath the faith of Christ lives in him But the faith and justification which stands in the comprehension and conceiving of Christ without will stand thee in no stead And thou that puts the Scriptures for the word art not justified at all but art under the condemnation and had not thou been a reprobate thou wouldst have known Christ in thee Confut. I confesse in this answer of theirs they contradict themselves often one while affirming and denying I know this before them that Christ is in the Beleever and that its that Christ justifies but not by his being in us for so they would have it by telling us that the faith which stands in the conceiving Christ without will stand us in no stead I wonder first how all the Patriarchs and Prophets was justified before Christ came but in conceiving Christ without And where did the Apostles teach such Chymical Doctrine as this so that to me this opinion of theirs totally rejects justification upon Christs death without us which is directly contrary to the following Scriptures Who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification Rom. 4.25 Being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him Rom. 5.9 But now once in the end of the World hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself its needlesse to heap Scriptures to prove this which is as clear as the Sun What a riddle is that in Divinity for them to say we are justified by faith and that upon Christ within is this faith or sight what I have in poffession I need not beleeve I have it for I know it this is sence and not faith therefore they speak non-sence The Prophet tels us by his stripes we are healed but they make all Christ did but a Pattern and example which is an old heresie newly revived it seems all the faith of the Apostles will stand them in no stead by this Doctrine for they never did Preach justification by what 's done in us but by Christ without us read Rom. 5.10 Heb. 9.14.15 Alas what need Christ to have taken upon him our nature and suffer such mighty persecutions as he did if he hereby did not perfect Salvation for us or as if such a faith as lies upon his merits were invalid as the Quakers would make it I must tell you plainly that I had rather live amongst Heathens that never heard of Christ nor the Scripture then with such people who after they have had all their knowledge of God and Christ through the Scriptures and the preaching thereof should now vilifie them and blaspheme them Yea some pretend that they should have known as much if they had never read the Scriptures O detestable Doctrine and ungratefull men thus to despise the outward means of Salvation how many Saints of old and in Queen Maries dayes sacrificed their lives for this very truth now opposed What difference betwixt Popery and this opinion for that which he calls justification by works or inherent grace that they call Christ I make no question but the Pope will give them his blessing for this yea and Canonize them as Saints also Now Antichrist works 〈…〉 and is within men indeed I am sure if he be 〈◊〉 they are Mystical Antichrist John tels us that Antichrist was in the world in his time which was before the Pope or Papâ—â—â— had a being many years 1 John 2.18 this of justification by a righteousnesse within us is mans grand Idol and
ANTICHRIST IN MAN THE Quakers Idol Or a faithfull discovery of their ways and opinions by an eye and ear-witness thereof TOGETHER With an Answer and Confutation of some dangerous and damnable Doctrines justified in a paper sent by them unto me As also one of them taken with a lie in his mouth before the Magistrates By JOSHUAH MILLER a Servant of Christ in the work of the Gospel Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines Hebr. 13.9 As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so did these resist the truth 2 Tim. 3.8 9. Desiring to be Teachers of the Law understanding neither what they say or whereof they affirm 1 Tim. 1.7 If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue his religion is in vain James 1.26 London Printed by J. Macock for L. Lloyd and are to be sold at his shop at the sign of the Castle in Corn-hil 1655. To all that beleeve Salvation and Justification by the death and resurrection of Christ which he in his own person performed as a full satisfaction for all their sins past present and to come especially to the real Beleevers in the County of Glamorgan DEarly beloved in the Lord although many of my Brethren have taken in hand to declare the Spirits Ways and Opinions of these poor deluded people which are so satisfactory that I confesse it were but superfluous in me to add more to the Presse Yet when I seriously ponder that this may appear where those Books have not been divulged And sometimes I am apt to think that a few leaves from one known in each Country may tend more to the satisfaction of the people therein then from a stranger though for my part I am the weakest unworthiest of all for this work but seeing Providence hath cast me in that place where I have had more converse with and knowledge of them then many others I intend this Book principally for the sakes of the people where I live And truly I am necessitated to appear thus openly in respect of the lies and false rumours abroad and for the truths sake which seeks no corners Oh Beloved remember that these are the last times and this is the most insinuating depth of Antichrist that ever was Indeed in the Ranters the Divel appeared as he is black but I fear the white Divel is too near these Was he not in the Pharisees and yet they were devout men now may he be called trans-formed into an Angel of light The Lord help you to continue in the faith till Christ comes keep your Lamps burning study more the deceitfulnesse of your hearts try Doctrines by the Spirit and Scriptures together be not hasty to hear every one or every thing frequent more the society of Gospel Saints hold fast Prayer in the holy Spirit waiting upon God in his Ordinances And in so doing you are in the safest way for instruction Your servant in the Lord Christ JOSHUAH MILLER From my house at Cardiff the 20 of Octob. 1655. ANTICHRIST in MAN THE Quakers Idol GOD hath given us of this Island several warnings for this many years both outwardly in the Kingdomes of men and inwardly in the Kingdome of Christ the former we have for this many years felt the smart thereof and yet are we like the man that sleeps on the top of a Mast Grey hairs are upon the head of this Nation for our murmurings ingratitude not living holy to our liberty injoyed but O sad indeed is the warnings in his spiritual Kingdome What talk we formerly had of letting up Christ in our hearts in our houses in the Camp in the Court but hath not many like Baruch been seeking great things for themselves and forgot crucified Christ O! ye Magistrates can you see Christ bleeding a fresh every day in City Town Village Country speared by Oaths Lying Drunkennesse Prophanation of the Lords day Whoredomes Blasphemies are you Christian Magistrates and will not step in to punish such Offenders O! ye Saints can you hear the most abhominable errours vented and neither pray against nor weep over them Where is the ancient zeal of David to the Temple of John against Jezebel of Paul against the Athenians of John against Antichrist can you bid God speed to Christs enemies and not shed a tear for that O let us of England look into our hearts and examine what 's the cause of these spiritual judgements now among us these people called Quakers are to me the saddest and most deplorable spectacles of revolted Professors that ever I have heard or read of since my knowledge of them I find the Book called the perfect Pharisee a most notable yet lamentable description of them I will in the subsequent lines give you a short yet faithfull relation of their ways opinions and carriages not from other mens Books but for the most part upon personal knowledge and what else upon evident witnesses And herein my desire is to give a testimony to the truth of Jesus so far as I have had converse with them And first I shall answer that common objection amongst them namely they say a great power of God goes with them that carries them out against sin And therefore hence they infer that their way is of God Wherefore I will first answer this before I enter upon the manifestation of their ways and Doctrines I answer this two ways First I say Greatnesse of power in man is no argument of divine goodnesse or true religion if their principles and Doctrines be haetrodox the Divel is said to be of great power we wrestle against principallities and powers Eph. 6.12 yea he is said to work mightily that is with forcible and strong impulsions on the spirits of men therefore the Scripture must try all such strong motions or else God knows whither such strong powers will lead A mighty power hath gone with the Turk to inlarge both his Dominion and Religion yet I hope that 's no argument his religion is of God read that word in 2 Thess 2 10.11 it s said the Lord shall send them strong delusions to beleeve a lie the reason he gives you in the preceding verse yet this strong delusion is Satans Throne And this makes me the lesse to wonder at that spirit by which they are drawn forth But secondly they say this power is of God because it leads them out against sin to this I answer that herein they may be mistaken for I question not but Satan may have his Throne in the heart and yet the outward carriage to man honest and devout for he hath his wiles and devices 2 Cor. 2.11 and how far he may carry men out to be against the act of sin and yet sin the end of that intention the Pharisees are a lively testimony thereof Paul knew this well when he fore-told the Divel should transform himself into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11.14 now Angels of light are holy and without sin which thing if you hear
lighten all True Christ is God yet not as he is called Christ for so he is a Mediator a middle person betwixt God and Man therefore if they had said God as the Creator gives a light to all I should agree But under that appellation as he is Christ its unfound and not to be received And from hence will follow that which I have noted that then Christ is in all men which is so directly contrary to Scripture that unlesse men be in the dark they will not own Therefore he that said upon that word know you not that Christ is in you except ye are reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 W. E. made this interpretation that Christ is in all men onely they are ignorant thereof went much wide from the sence and hath helped the Quakers to this opinion I shall therefore briefly lay down two Arguments that evince the contrary drawn from Scripture that Christ is not in all and therefore as Christ doth not inlighten all Argum. 1. All in whom Christ is have the spirit of Christ but some have not the spirit of Christ Ergo Christ is not in all 〈…〉 The major is evident and needs no proof for Christ and the spirit cannot be divided The Minor I am to prove that all men have not Christs sprit Judges 19 these be they who separate themselves having not the spirit it any man have not the spirit of Christ he is come of his Rom. 8.9 implying that there are a sort of men without the spirit and consequently without Christ so that this argument is impregnable if the Scripture be judge as he that hath a body without a spirit is not a man so he that is without the spirit of Christ hath not Christ Argum. 2. He that hath no faith hath not Christ but some men have no faith therefore they have not Christ The major I prove by these Scriptures Paul tells how he was in Christ and Christ in him Gal. 2.20 The life I lead in the flesh is by the faith of the son of God or upon him he knew no other way of Christ being in himself or other men therefore he prays for the Ephesians that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith Eph. 3.17 yea it must needs argue Christ is in none but by faith because damnation is so often threatned to him that beleeves not The minor that all men have not faith its manifest by these two Scriptures Moses tels the people that they were children in whom was no faith for they sacrificed to new Gods which new Gods were but old Divels as read Deut. 3â— 17.20 So Paul bids us pray that we may be delivered from unreasonable men for all men have not faith 2 Thess 3.2 therefore all men have not Christ Faith is the hand that receives Christ otherwise it s a riddle to the Scripture to aver that Christ is in him that wants faith Le ts take heed of adding to the word as such an opinion doth lest all the Plagues therein be poured our upon us And thus I passe to the second head in the first position namely that this light is sufficient to save without any other means This opinion flatly contradicts the whole current of Scripture for it s no where said the light in every man will save but â—inely Paul tels us that its sufficient to excuse accuse and condemn Rom. â— 15 so that the Heathens who have this light shall be condemned thereby and not for their unbeleef For first this opinion affirms that we are saved by what 's in us which is too near the Popes to the Heathens that have it deny Christ to this day Consider with me how can this light in every man discover these three things 1. That Christ was born of a Virgin it must be faith to understand this which was a riddle to the wisest Philosophers and in time if men follow this light in them they will come to deny the birth of Christ 2. Will it tell this that the World was made out of nothing The wisest men of old said ex nihilo ni il fit out of nothing nothing can be made therefore Aristotle mocked at Moses for saying God created all things out of nothing nay doth not the Author to the Hebrews inform us that by faith we understand the World was framed Heb. 11.3 3. How will the light in every man convince of the resurrection and ascension of bodies It s an opinion in Philosophy that nothing can move out of its clement Certainly the wise Heathen had a greater measure of the light in them which is the first 〈◊〉 then I can think any men have now they denied all these with many more which through faith we receive And truly this opinion leads us to the Heathen for our Gospel but let them that will go for my part I never intend to run to the Heathen for the Gospel How did Apollo convince the Jews that Jesus was the Christ by the light in them no but by the Scriptures Acts 18.8 2. This opinion destroys all means of Salvat on Yea it danies Christ to be an absolute Savior but only an outward means of Salvation for so is the third head wherein they affirm that Christ is the onely means true without Christ we cannot be saved yet I would know where they read that word that Christ is stiled the means and not Salvation it self this is too slight a word of Christ and makes him but an instrument whereas he is called the Saviour the redemption not the means of Salvation this opinion denies three things 1. It denies all faith for if my Salvation be by what 's in me then faith is void for what 's seen is not faith Heb. 11.1 Is not faith the instrument or means of Salvation often named in Scripture We are saved by faith He that believes shal be saved Mark 16.6 John 3.18 with divers other places though I say faith justifies not as an act but as it relates to the object of justification which is Christ so that faith is the means to apprehend Christ who alone justifies us in and through faith 2. This opinion denies Preaching to be a means of Salvation directly contrary to Pauls testimony thereof It pleased God by the foolishnesse of Preaching to save them that beleeve 1 Cor. 1.21 but it seems these men are so wise that it pleaseth them that Preaching shall not be a means of Salvation read Rom. 10.14 15.17 3. Then the Scriptures it seems are no means in their account to what end was they written here A learned man tels you that the Scriptures are able to make us wise to Salvation through faith in Christ 2 Tim. 3.15 doth not this maintain other means besides Christ What can be said more to condemn this damnable Doctrine that denies all external means of Salvation as if a man might bee saved without Scriptures Preaching or faith But I will end the Answer to the first errour or rather heresie by
giving this distinction of a threefold light which to me the Scripture warrants The first is the light of nature or reason this every man hath And this is meant by that word John 1.9 yea this light it is the Quakers contend for to be sufficient and this is but a comparative darknesse to the second And that you may have not my words for the same Paul upholds this distinction the Gentiles which know not God do by nature the things contained in the Law Where take notice what doth Paul mean by nature nothing else but the light they have to distinguish them from beasts yet mark he saith they know not God for all this light So 1 Cor. 11.14 doth not nature teach you what can be more perspicuous then to signifie the light which is natural or common to all without exception 2. Light is that of grace which is through faith in Christ and the first is called the light of God this second the light of Christ Awake thou that sleepest and Christ shall give thee light Eph. 5.14 he means here of a secure sinner under Satans power so it s said he hath redeemed or called us out of darknesse into his marvellous light What 's this marvellous light but that of faith in bringing the sinner to Christ The first light is no wonder because its common to all this second is to be admired because peculiar to some 1 Pet. 2.9 3. Light is that of glory which is the consummation and perfection of the two former And this I understand by that word of Christ he that followeth me shall not walk in darknesse but shall have the light of life John 8.12 mark it speaks in the future tense as if our life now was not full of light that is totally freed from dark thoughts evil motions and the like But the time shall come when he that follows me shall partake of a life without sin or any darknesse at all Now let none mis-understand me I do not say or mean that there are three lights in God but a three-fold degree of the same light as the Sun shines not nor heats not all over at first breaking forth so gloriously as it doth at noon as there are three lights in the Firmament yet they are from one So this threefold light the Lord hath made to manifest himself three ways the first was under and before the Law the second was in the Gospel and the third is in glory The first light makes us men the second light makes us Christian men the third glorified men The first brings us under the rule of the Law the second brings us under the rule of Christ in the Gospel and the last brings us to the Kingdom of God in the Beatifical Vision And I hope that we may safely distinguish where the Scripture doth He that understands these three degrees or measures of light will be able to escape the snare the Fowler of this opinion hath laid for him I come now to the second That the Scriptures are not the word and mind of God to us but the conditions of them that spake them forth Answ In the beginning was the word and the word was God which was before Scripture was written neither was it in the beginning and the Scripture is but that which testifies of it And here that which thou callest errour is owned for the Scripture is one thing and the word of God another thing and thou that hast no knowledge of the mind of God but by Scriptures doest manifest thy self that thou hast no better knowledge of God then the Heathen which did write on their Altar To the unknown God And thou art not a Minister of the spirit who saith it s an errour to hold that the Scriptures are not the Word of God And thou that hast no word of God nor knows nothing of God but by the Scriptures declarest thy self that thou art a stranger to God and his word Confut. In this Answer you may see as in a glasse what they maintain I shall take it into three parts and answer the same 1. They aver the Scriptures not to be Gods Word and what reason they give is because Christ is called the Word of God in divers Scriptures but will it hence follow that we may not call the Scriptures Gods Word no more then Davids calling himself though Prophetically of Christ a worm and no man makes him the lesse a man Psal 22.6 did not the word of the Lord come to the Prophets and is not that word set down in divers Chapters as Jerem. 2 1.7.1 Hosea 1.2 is not this the Word of the Lord to us for our instruction though it came first to them was it the word of God then and not now shall we take the writings as the words of the Prophets or not rather the word of God spoken by them Indeed here lies the distinction Christ is the Original and Essential Word of God but the Scriptures are the Word of God declarative What difference betwixt a mans mind and his word nothing but the word of man is the Declaration of his mind The Scripture must be either of these words 1. The word of the Divel or 2. The word of man or 3. The word of God To say its the first is Diabolical Blasphemy To aver the second is Idolatry But to hold the third is sound and sober Divinity I will onely give one plain Argument from Scripture to prove it Gods Word Argum. If one command of God in Scripture is called Gods Word then all the commands of God in Scripture are and may be called Gods Word But one command is called Gods Word Ergo. The proving of the major will ratifie the minor without further demonstration for if I make appear that one command is stiled the Word of God then it must needs follow the rest are so For proof hereof read the words of Christ himself Mark 7.10 11 12 13. where Christ quotes the fifth Commandment and tells them that some not obeying that in relieving their Parents had made the word of God of none effect For Moses said in the Law Honour thy Father and Mother and whosoever curseth Father or Mother let him die the death but ye say if a man shall say unto his father or mother Corban that is to say it s a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me he shall be free And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his Father or Mother making the Word of God of none effect by your tradition What was this Word of God they made of none effect but this fifth Commandment no other sence can be put upon it Now if Christ who is the Essential Word thinks it no disgrace to himself to call one command Gods Word I may safely call all the Commands Gods Word having Christ my example for he makes two words and is not Christ better able to tell us what we shal call them then the Quakers yea sure let