two Passages in Exodus and Samuel concern only particular Cases at a time when not a third part of the Scriptures were written as our Adversary will confess And for that in the Ephesians 't is manifest that the Scriptures are not the Spiritual Sword or Sword of the Spirit which are subject to so many Casualities as they are therefore not the Word of God whose Edge never blunts For as is the Spirit such is the Sword and such the Word to wit Living Spiritual Powerful which the Scriptures of themselves I think all will or should acknowledg are not I will not stick to confess also that a Word of Advice a Word of Counsel a Word of Reproof and a Word of Comfort lodge in the Scripture or the Scriptures with respect to the Times wherein they were given forth and now daily as brought home to the Conscience by the One Word of God who gave them first forth are Words of Truth Knowledg Wisdom Love Reproof Exhortation Edification c. yet never can we be brought to attribute unto the Declaration that Title which is peculiarly due to Him whose Declaration it is A Prince may express his Mind in Words but those Words are not that Prince neither can any one of his Titles as a Living Prince be properly given to his said Declaration Nor have we any other Way to Distinguish between the Word and Words Commandment and Commandments the Thing It self and those Expressions by which it doth declare it self then the Word of God and the Words of the Word which are Words of God or Holy Writings Holy with respect to the Matter or Truth they treat of § 8. But here J. Faldo steps in and seems to offer an Expedient in this Streight Says he Though you say they are not the Word of God eminently and I believe so too for the Scriptures cannot be the Word of God in that Sense wherein Christ is yet you may call them the Written Word of God for so we Distinguish them Truly this seems pretty modest though here we must part too unless he will come a little nearer For neither can the Word of God properly be said to be written The Words by which the Mind or Will of the Word is exprest may be recorded and as such a True Declaration but it is as Impossible for the Word of God to be written as it would be for a Prince or Senate to be written or contained in Letters though their Will and Pleasure may be largely declared by a Writing because it would be to say that the Word of God could grow Old Decay be Lost mis-Rendred Corrupted Transcribed Reprinted Corrected and be Subjected to Fire Water Vermin c. which were impossible So would it be an absolute Derogation from the Dignity peculiarly Due to the Living Word of God to give that which is its proper Title to any thing beneath its Living Powerful Quickning Self He has a Scripture or two for us I have written to him the great Things of my Law A sharp Rebuke says he to the Objecters against the Written Word of God but I don't see it for my share The great Things of the Law Word or Commandment which are required may be written but that doth not follow that the Eternal Law Word or Commandment Requiring is a written Law Word or Commandment but the Contrary And for Moses Writings of which Christ spoke 't is manifest they were not call'd the Word of God but the Word of God himself call'd them Writings § 9. But J. Faldo objects on t'other hand that he much feareth the Scriptures will lose of their Authority with People in case they should not be so acknowledg'd and at last he falls so down right upon us that he boldly but weakly concludes who Deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God deny them in every respect For who Denyes them that Title denyes what they have been generally Known by Distinguisht from and Lifted up above all other Writings and that Appellation on which is grounded their Authority and which puts an Awe upon the Consciences of Men. How Weak and Vain this is I could freely leave to the Reader without any further Consideration But that it might not be thought by any therefore Unanswerable I will say That to call them the Words of God and declared Mind and Will of God to Mankind is no such Diminutive Title but altogether Worthy of them § 10. If we do Deny to them what has been wrongly Attributed that no ways Lessens their Authority but Corrects the Mistake of those who thought of them beyond what they really are It is a poor Begging of the Question to say We Deny them that which many have Ascrib'd to them Their Authority is grounded upon the Living Word of God and who comes to that Honours the Scripture aright and who Err from the Holy Conduct of it their Verbal Praises of the Scripture are but like the Pharisees Painting the Prophets Sepulchres whilst they were Persecutors of One greater then the Prophets And who knows not how much the Shell hath had ascrib'd unto it the Honour only due to its Substance by those Watchmen of the Night whose Dark Minds could see no farther § 11. And for the Awe they have upon Men this is my Judgment and I am not asham'd of it that Attributing so much to the Letter of the Scriptures and Declining that Regard Men ought to have had unto the Holy Living Word of God that alone creates all things New and was the Author of and Rule to those sound Words themselves hath Rob'd the Living Word of God of its True and Rightfull Honour and rendred Mens Hearts more Formal and less Aweful then they would otherwise have been So that the only Way for People to come to a True Sight of Sincere Respect for and Grounded Belief in the Holy Scriptures is to be turned to the Voice of the Living Powerful Word of God from whom they came which is nigh unto every one to Direct and Order and Discipline to and in that Way of Holiness they testifie of and which Leads to Eternal Happiness CHAP. IV. His Charge What he quotes proves it not Revelation Infallibility and Inspiration consider'd The Priest prov'd Uncertain of his own Faith Our Friends debase not the Scripture but Lift them up His Objection about our Books-Titles answer'd The Use of Scripture asserted The Light vindicated from Insufficiency Something of the True Rule § 1. HIs Fourth and next Chapter to be examin'd endeavours to prove That we Equal our Writings and Sayings to the Scriptures and preferr them before the Scriptures In this Undertaking he must either prove what he asserts from our own Writings expresly or consequentially To run through every Quotation he makes would be as Tedious as Importinent But a few of what make most to his Purpose I will faithfully observe with his Inferences § 2. He begins with a Book Intituled Love to the Lost and so
serve thee with all Sincerity for the Truth 's sake as it is in Jesus William Penn. THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. THE Introduction Our Adversary's Definition of Christianity Defective True Christianity stated Quakerism mistaken by him It is prov'd True Christianity and a Quaker a Right Christian Page 1. CHAP. II. How Christianity was introduc'd it hurts not the Quakers The Question is not of Christ's Visible Coming that is Owned by them Nor is their Religion a New One from that of Christianity but the Recovery of Lost Primitive Christianity since the Reign of Anti-Christ in the World That Quakerism as call'd made its Way by Purity Sorrow and Rejoycing as well as Christianity The Priest's Vilifying Expressions Rebuk'd That the Distinct Times of their Appearance is no Argument against their Harmony or being but Two Words for the same Thing since the same Truth may appear at Two distinct Ages of the World It would strike out J. Faldo as well as the Quakers if the Contrary were admitted That he grosly Contradicts himself as to Time Christianity has more or less been in the World where Godly Men and Women have been as well before as since that Appearance We intend no New Dispensation but the Renewed Revelation of the same Power which is the True Gospel p. 11. CHAP. III. J. Faldo's Charge That the Scriptures are not the Word of God Reasons for it The Scriptures by him urg'd against us clear'd and prov'd to be for us They are the Words of the Word a Declaration of the great Law Word or Commandment but not that Law Word or Commandment p. 24. CHAP. IV. His Charge What he quotes proves it not Revelation Infallibility and Inspiration consider'd The Priest prov'd Uncertain of his own Faith Our Friends debase not the Scripture but Lift them up His Objection about our Books Titles answer'd The Use of Scripture asserted The Light vindicated from Insufficiency Something of the True Rule p. 32. CHAP. V. The Charge Stated not Proved The Scriptures not the most Excellent nor only General Rule God may speak by Instruments The Instruments not the Rule but that which useth them That the Scriptures being Obligatory does not conclude it the General Rule under the Gospel The Dis-ingenuity of our Adversary in citing the Apostle's Words Reprehended The Scriptures no Judge in that sense wherein they are not the General Rule The Scriptures Confest to p. 52. CHAP. VI. We deny the Charge His Proof no Proof but against himself We Own Believe and desire to Obey the Scriptures they afford Comfort and are as Lights in the World but not that True Light The Light and Spirit Superior to them p. 63. CHAP. VII Commands upon Conviction to be obeyed All General Commands Obligatory Particular not but upon particular Commission Our Adversary's Dis-ingenuity The Scriptures a Means by which God may be known but not the Principle p. 70. CHAP. VIII His Charge of our Denying the Scriptures any Means by which God doth enable Men to resist Temptations And that we say they are Dangerous to be read rejected His Proofs lame The Scriptures are believed to be a Means c. The true Knowledge of them Divine No Knowledge of Divine Things but upon Experience It does not destroy Faith W. Penn's Words safe and sound The Priest a meer Shuffler Learning a Servant to Truth Christ the Word of God Faith by our Adversary preferred before Scripture The Scriptures ought to be Read Believed and Obey'd p. 76. CHAP. IX That we do not put the Scripture and Holy Spirit in Opposition The Wickedness of the Priest in his Proof They accord and we acquiesce in their Testimony We do not say that they are not to be obeyed without extraordinary Apostolical Revelation as basely suggested His Proof fictitious and forged Such only are by us deny'd as are only Literal Formal Christians The Scriptures own'd and believ'd in by us according as they testifie of themselves p. 91. CHAP. X. He chargeth us with a Denial of all the Ordinances of the Gospel First in general then in particular His Proof of the first Invalid His great Dis-ingenuity in wresting our Words especially I. Pennington's p. 102. CHAP. XI The first of the particular Ordinances he says we deny is the Ministry His Proof lame W. P. and his Friends defended J. F. and his Gang Reproveable We own a Gospel one but not his The Calling abused by such Pretenders p. 105. CHAP. XII The Second particular Ordinance is a Gospel-Church His Definition for us by its gross Contrariety to the Scripture His base Inference of our Denial of Religious Societies and Outward Gifts from our Friends asserting of but one Catholick Church and that it is in God A Gospel-Church owned Our Adversary proved Heterodox about Apostolical Preaching Inward Sence preferr'd before Intelligence p. 112. CHAP. XIII We deny Preaching says he His Dis-ingenuity in stating our Principles We hold and practise true Gospel-Preaching No Difference between what the Light teacheth and the Scripture Our Gospel is Peace Our Adversary's is War c. True Preaching Converts our Adversary's not p. 117. CHAP. XIV His Charge of our Denial of Gospel-Prayer inverted The Prayer he pleads for Anti-Gospel True Prayer stated asserted and defended with plainness from Scripture and Reason That as well in Families as Meetings and at Meals as both False Worship detestable to God All False wherein God's Spirit is not the first and Chief Mover and Assister The Subtility of Satan in putting upon unacceptable Prayer to prevent true Prayer p. 121. CHAP. XV. His Charge of our Denial of Baptism and the Sacraments introduc'd with a Discourse of positive Commands Destructive of the Foundation of Religion The Priest against God Scripture and Reason He confounds himself Baptism of Water prov'd John's and not to continue Mat. 28. 19. 1 Cor. 1. 17. Ephes 4. 5. cleared and vindicated The One Spiritual Baptism defended p. 129. CHAP. XVI The Supper he says we deny not denyed but fulfill'd The Scriptures consulted No Perpetuity proved That it was a Sign and that Signs were done away in Christ demonstrated The present Practice in the Case not Primitive Our Faith left with God in the Matter p. 141. CHAP. XVII His Charge of our Denying Christ's Transactions to influence into our Justification consider'd His Proofs not for him His Abuse of our Friends words Justification distinguished upon as Remission and as daily Acceptance The Transactions of Christ largely own'd by us The Scriptures confirm our Faith in Christ as a general and particular Saviour No Works of Man Meritorious p. 147. CHAP. XVIII He says we disown the True Christ It is prov'd that He denies in Contradiction to himself what we deny and that we are Scriptural and sound in our Belief And though we cannot exclude that Divinity from the true Christ Yet we also own that the true Christ took Flesh that he appeared for the Salvation of Mankind and that his Bodily Appearance was instrumental in the Point Christ
the best of Heathens and Quakers walking up to the Light within and to affirm for all that the Quakers have to judge to the contrary they acted by a Divine Power Ranking the Quakers Faith in Christ upon an Equality in Evil with their horrid Blasphemies The Top of all Uncharitableness a very Lye for this is to say That the best worst of Heathens were all alike that they wanting Scriptures could not rightly discern the Difference between the Bad and Good that those who live up to that Light as he cannot deny the Quakers to do in a great measure are but in Julian the Apostate and scoffing Lucians Ranck In short that the Quakers Believing in one God that he has Enlightned all Men that he has Striven by his Light and Spirit in the Consciences of Men through all Ages and by it in the Hearts and Mouths of his Prophets and above all by that blessed Appearance of Christ Jesus who Tabernacl'd among Men in that Body prepared for that purpose who there in preach't the heavenly Kingdom within worked Miracles laid down his Life for the World rose again and ascended to the Father leading Captivity captive and gave Gifts for Men that who believes in him and takes up his Cross shall be his Disciple and persevering have Everlasting Life That the Quakers Faith I say in this Solemn Conscientious Manner upon which they place the Eternal Happiness of their Souls should scarely be a Jot better then the APOSTACY OF JULIAN AND THE IMPIETY OF LUCIAN AND BUT ONLY SERVE TO RENDER US AS GREAT DESPISERS AND CONTEMNERS OF CHRIST AND ALL HIS RELIGION AS THEY WERE O strange Comparison̄ Well they tell us of a Book coming out of our Hard Sayings to our Opposers But match this impartial Reader But however the Devil blinds and hardens this J. Faldo sure I am the Devil himself knows better What shall I say Truly nothing more but leave it with the Righteous God of Heaven and Earth to plead our Cause in the Hearts of all People and avenge himself upon his Adversaries to whom Vengeance belongs § 16. For his Comparison of us with the Papists we little heed it He tells the World the Papists own Revelation which he proves at large and the Quakers hold Revelation also Therefore the Quakers are Papists or very near them as his Story indeed an arrant Lye either in him or the Papist will inform us where he says that a Papist upon being ask't which of all Sects in England approach'd them most replyed the Quakers How near we are to the Papists in Faith Worship and Discipline shall be left to them that know and have seen more then this conceited Priest But Argumentum ad hominem Thus The Papists own a God a Trinity of Persons c. and J. Faldo owns a God and a Trinity of Persons also therefore J. Faldo is a Papist or very near a Kin to one Would this be just If not neither is his Conclusion of Force against us What is Truth is not discommendable where ever and by whatsoever held It is high Weakness to exclaim against true Christians for holding any Truth in common with the very Turks and much more Condemnable to conclude them Turks But we must be run down if they can and therefore no matter what ugly Skin they cast over us so the Dogs will but fasten The Lord God plead our Cause on Earth CHAP. V. The Charge Stated not Proved The Scriptures not the most Excellent nor only General Rule God may speak by Instruments The Instruments not the Rule but that which useth them That the Scriptures being Obligatory does not conclude it the General Rule under the Gospel The Disingenuity of our Adversary in citing the Apostle's words Reprehended The Scriptures no Judge in that sense wherein they are not the General Rule The Scriptures Confest to § 1. HIs Fifth Chapter designs to Prove That we Deny the Scriptures to be a Rule of Faith and Judge of Controversies And that he may sufficiently prejudice his Reader against us and our most Holy Faith He not only tells him that to deny them to be the Word of God is a good Reason why he should conclude us to deny them to be a Rule though at the same time it manifestly shows that we would acknowledge them to be such were they the Word of God and that therefore the Word of God is our Rule but he suggests that we believe a Conformity to their Guidance cannot render a prophane Man less prophane To prove this he quotes James Parnel thus And he also that saith The Letter is the Rule and Guide of the People of God is without feeding upon the Husks and is ignorant of the true Light which was before the Letter was Shield of Truth p. 10. William Smith thus And if thou lookest upon the Scripture to be for a Rule and for Trying thou givest that unto them which is due unto Christ for He is the Rule and leads his People and he alone searches the Hearts and tryes the Reins and not the Scripture Again But if you will see a Mouth full of Blasphemies against the Authority of the Scripture read with Horror and Amazement the following words God is at Liberty to speak to his People by them if he please and where they are given by Inspiration he doth so but says J. Faldo the Sting is behind and in the Tayl of this non-such Sentence and so he is at liberty to speak by any other created thing as to Balaam by his Ass Nayl Light of Christ c. p. 19. In Answer to all which he says just nothing but thinks it is enough to have cited these Passages and seems to triumph as reasonably as the Man which dreamt he did eat but awaket anhungry delighted himself in his sleeping Feast Let us trie to rouse him out of this Lethargy of Ignorance and Conceit § 2. I shall freely confess that for the same Reasons that we deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God we cannot own them as the General Rule of Faith But also as we acknowledge them to be the Words of the holy living and powerful Word of God so that they express and declare unto us many holy Rules for Godliness and I declare in the Name of all the Right-born Quakers in the World that we utterly reject all such as Deny the Scriptures to be profitable for Reprehension Instruction Exhortation and Eaification How vain then is this Man's Impeachment of us as Persons void of all true Respect for them § 3. In short as the Scriptures are not the Word of God but a Declaration of the Word of God so the Scriptures are not the general Rule but a Declaration of the true general Rule which I prove thus That which alwayes was and is a more general Rule then the Scriptures must needs be and is most properly THE general Rule and not the Scriptures but that was and is the Light
spin out the Hour-Glass I mean saying over the same things in other words yet that we may remove all Ground of Scruple I will lay down the several Charges of the remaining Chapters concerning the Scriptures and the best Proofs he brings for them and briefly examine both § 2. The Quakers affirm the Doctrines Commands Promises holy Examples expressed in the Scriptures as such not at all to be binding to us This sayes he is a Denying of the Scriptures and the Authority of the God of the Scriptures For Proof of this he brings out E. Burroughs Speaking thus That is no Command of God to me what he Commanded to another neither did any of the Saints which we read of in the Scripture act by that Command which was to another not having the Command to themselves I challenge to find an Example to it To this I answer briefly and plainly Edward Burroughs's Expression may be taken two wayes and both safe enough to the Honour and Credit of the Scriptures though not to the Charity or Honesty of J. Faldo No Command in the Scripture is any further oblieging upon any Man then as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience otherwise Men should be engaged without if not against Conviction a Thing Unreasonable in a Man Therefore the Apostle when he wrote to the Churches exhorted them Not to do those things whereof they were ashamed to shun what was manifested to be Evil and affirms That whatever might be known of God was manifested Within for God had shown it unto them So that Conviction can only obliege to Obedience and since what works that Conviction is the Manifesting Light Universal Grace or Quickning Spirit in the Heart of Mankind it follows that the principal Ground for our Faith in the Scriptures and Reason of our Obedience to the Holy Precepts therein contained is the Manifestation Conviction and Secret Drawings of the Light or Spirit of God in the Conscience And thus E. B's Words are Sound and Scriptural for the Scriptures are chiefly believed to be true upon Conviction therefore every Practice therein and when any Man is convinced that what was Commanded another is required of him then and not till then he is rightly authoriz'd to perform it Again § 3. Such Commands are either relating to Ordinary or Extraordinary Cases By Ordinary Cases I mean such as chiefly concern Faith and Holy Life which are General Permanent and Indispensible and then I deny his Consequence By Extraordinary Cases I understand Moses ' s going to Pharaoh the Prophets several Manner of Appearance to the Kings Priests and People of Israel with other Temporary Commands relating to Outward Services c. And so we do say that what is Commanded one Man is not binding as such upon another But when the Lord shall say If thou Sinnest thou shalt Dye If thou keepest my Commands thou shalt Live Be ye Holy for I the Lord your God am Holy Also in case of Example as the Priest cites Whose Faith follow consider the End of their Conversation Leaving us an Example that we should follow his Steps For your selves know you not how you ought to follow us For after this manner in the old time the Holy Women also who trusted in God adorn'd themselves I say these Precepts and Examples are oblieging upon all Why because they more or less meet with a Conviction in the Consciences of all For I am perswaded none that has a reasonable Soul who has not out-lived their Day and on whom the Night is not come among the Indians themselves but would readily say These are true and weighty Sayings for Faith in God and an Holy Self-denying Life are necessary both to Temporal and Eternal Happiness Thus then are we clear from his Ungodly Consequence indeed Aspersion to wit That the Quakers affirm the Doctrines Commands Promises Holy Examples expressed in Scripture as such not to be binding But let 's hear another of his Consequences by way of Charge and see if he will acquit himself better then before § 4. The Quakers deny the Scriptures to be any Means by which we may come to know God Christ and Our selves To prove this he quotes W. Smith's Primmer p. 2. Q. Is there not another Way by which we may come to know God Answ Nay Child there is not another Way for Christ is the Way To which he replies Christ saith I am the Way no Man can come to the Father but by me but he doth not say that there is no Coming to the Knowledge of God but by Christ For some Knowledge of God may be attained not only without Christ as the Means but without the Scriptures also Quoting that Passage in the first of the Romans For the Invisible Things of him are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made c. To all which I say 1. That greater Untruth Irreverence and Impertinency could not well have been exprest then in his saying That no Man can come to the Father but by Christ and no Man can come to the Knowledge of God but by Christ are two different things For it manifestly implies that Men may know God without Christ either inwardly or outwardly though no other Name be given and that to know the Father was to know some other kind of Being then to know God Or that when they did know the one they did not know the other 2. That it was never denyed by any Quaker that God might and sometimes does reach into the very Heart and Conscience by the Scriptures Shall I allow that a Man may be convinced of his Evil by reading one of our Books and shall I deny it to be as possible for any to be convinced by reading some Passages in the Holy Scriptures God forbid Neither did William Smith ever mean that Christ was so the only Way to the Father as thereby to exclude all Instruments for then he had both cut off all Benefit that could accrue to People by his Books and also from that Ministry God had given him to profit others with which was far from his Thoughts we may be sure So that the great Wickedness of this Priest is herein manifest without further Cost to know him for he argues from our denying that there is any other Way to the Father but Christ to our excluding the Scriptures and consequently our own Books and Ministry with them from being any way Instrumental of Good Reader what can be said to such a Man but that he is either Ignorance or Malice it Self I wish it were the former but his Book makes me fear the latter § 5. In short through all Instruments He who in time and with respect to that Manifestation was call'd Christ was is and ever will be the alone Way to the Father And though he may discover himself by divers Instruments yet it is but in order to incline Man to his Holy Voice in Man Some they hear and obey and live Others
they resist the Grace grieve the Spirit turn from the Way of the Light and are in a State of Death God hath been frequently pleased to move in the Hearts of the Obedient to visit the Rebellious that the Inward Strivings of the Holy Spirit might be the more Efficacious by its Strivings through some Outward Instruments but still it is the same Light Grace or Spirit of God Nor is the Light within any whit the more Insufficient to reclaim the Rebellious if minded for it is the same Light with that which moves in the Hearts of the Obedient to bear Record for God against their Ungodly Deeds Only Mens Minds being far strayed from that Holy Light or Word in the Heart and gone abroad into the wide World of Lusts and Vanities it hath pleased God to visit Mankind so degenerated by those who have been Obedient Children to the End they might be the more easily gained to a Subjection unto the Holy Light in themselves so that all Conviction and Conversion are to be ascribed to the Light Grace and Spirit of God whether immediately in the Creature or mediately by any Instrument Only take this by the way that whatsoever is Efficacious mediately is not to be understood simply of another Man's Measure of Light or Grace but in Conjunction with what God hath given and may be at work in the Party convicted and converting for every Mediate Conviction gives and Addition of Life and Strength to the Immediate Conviction that is wrought by the Operation of that so long neglected Measure of Light Grace or Truth in the particular Conscience We appeal then to every Impartial Person that reads us if we own not the Scriptures in that very Sense he would have People believe that we deny them to wit That God may and doth speak to People through the Writings of the Holy Prophets and Apostles which are commonly call'd Scriptures and consequently we do not deny the Scriptures to be any means by which we may come to know God Christ and Our selves so often as it shall please the Eternal God to reach into the Hearts of Men by any of those Truths therein declared of CHAP. VIII His Charge of our denying the Scriptures any means by which God does enable Men to resist Temptations and that we say they are Dangerous to be read rejected His Proofs Lame The Scriptures are believ'd to be a means c. The true Knowledge of them Divine No Knowledge of Divine Things but upon Experience It does not destroy Faith W. Penn's Words safe and sound The Priest a meer Shuffler Learning a Servant to Truth Christ the Word of God Faith by our Adversary prefer'd before Scripture The Scripture ought to be Read Believ'd and Obey'd § 1. HE further charges us with denying the Scriptures to be any Means whereby to resist Temptation and that we say That they are Dangerous to be read For Proof of which he quotes a Book called Love to the Lost and mine Entituled The Spirit of Truth Vindicated The first is this For those only are Children of God who are led by the Spirit of God to whom they who were led by the Letter were Enemies From whence he concludes That we account it a very dangerous thing to read the Scriptures Now if this Passage hath any relation to his Charge or Conclusion no Man ever saw the like the whole Scope of which is but this That there are Children of the Fleshly Literal and Historical Knowledge of the Scriptures and Religion who are Strangers to and therefore Persecutors of the Children born of the Spirit And that in all Ages there hath been more or less of this among Inward and Outward Jews and Christians and let J. Faldo deny it if he dare How Wicked then is he to extort indeed invent an Inference so forreign to the Matter and then charge it upon the Quakers in general and as if it were prov'd by that Passage in particular which can no wayes be concern'd in any such Unrighteous Doctrine I perceive it is as impossible for our Adversaries to do any thing against us without they have the Making of our Consequences as we are sure to find them mis-shapen enough by that time they get clear of their Hands but blessed be the Name of our God who has given us an Understanding and Boldness both to search the Reins of our Enemies Cause and defend his which he has put into our Hands in this our Day § 2. But hear him further if it may be worth while That this Abominable Tenet is the Quakers Take one Instance more out of their Famous Author W. P. or William Penn. But I will assure them they shall grope in the Dark till they come into the dayly Obedience of the Light and there rest contented to know only as they experience and not from a ravening comprehending Brain that would in its Unregenerated State grasp at the clear Mysteries of the Kingdom into which Fleshly Comprehensions and Notions can never enter but all must be as Unlearned from their first Birth Education and Traditional read Knowledge as he is unman'd that is again become a little Child before the Secrets of God's Work come to be made known Spir. Truth Vind. p. 23. Upon which hear his Comment That W. P. of all others should talk at this rate is most Ridiculous What! Know only as they experience know what God is no farther then they experience Can we experience his Omnipotency What! Know the Death of the Man Christ Jesus the Life to come and judging of all Men by the Lord Jesus only by Experience Where is Faith all the while If none but Believers are Saints such as W. P. are professedly none If Reader we are got beside the Matter charg'd against the Quakers to wit that they deny the Scriptures to be any Means whereby to resist Temptation our wandring Adversary who led me thither is only to be blam'd But since I am here I shall endeavour to clear the Truth and My self before we return to the Point in hand It cannot be so ridiculous in W. P. to assert the Impossibility of any Man 's Knowing God or the Things belonging to his Everlasting Kingdom but by Experience or as God hath been pleased by the Inspiration or Illumination of his Light or Spirit to demonstrate or discover unto Mankind as it is Impious and Antichristian in J. Faldo to assert the Right Knowledge of God obtainable any other way then by Experience And this Reader choaks J. Faldo and the rest of his Partners more then they are willing their Followers should know who for all their Cries against us as Overturners of a Gospel and Establishers of a Legal Righteousness dread the Consequence of having their own Strivings Runnings Willings and Literal Knowledge laid aside in which their Life Faith Worship and whole Religion mostly stand and of being reduced to the very Alphabet of Inward and Experimental Religion where the Righteous Judgements of
would allow some Grains for Ill-Printing to us especially who have not the Press open nor those Advantages for Well-Printing which our Adversaries Enjoy that Day is not yet come to us J. Faldo's Title is Imprimatur enough we swim against the Stream such as be with it But God can and will turn the Rivers of Waters and make the Sea Dry Land Vincit qui patitur § 10. But once more hear him What is to my present purpose is in the last part of his saying All must be as unlearned from their traditional read Knowledg as he is unman'd c. Where he falls out of all bounds upon us and draws this Consequence and asks these Questions Sure the Scripture-Knowledge being Read-Knowledge or Knowledge that comes by reading as one means is a most hateful thing to God That he will impart none of his Secrets to those that will understand any thing by his written Word How came God to fall out with his own Off-spring Did he write and cause it to be written and yet never intended we should read it or reading it that we should not believe a Word of it Shall they be judged by the Law who live under it and yet the Knowledge of God thereby be a Sin and Hinderance to their Salvation To what a height of Wickedness and Folly do they quickly go who are poysoned with that Abomination of holding the Light in every Man's Conscience to be God Father Son Spirit Christ Scripture all W. P. what means your Latine Greek Authors Logick Scripture-Quotations Did you learn all those things by Immediate Inspiration But I smell your Design you would have us throw away all the Knowledge we have by Reading or Tradition till we come to be regenerate that is Quakers But in the mean time you would have us without the Armour of Light For whatsoever makes manifest is Light that we may not be able to defend our selves against the most Ignorant Non-sense that the meanest of your Votaries can attempt us with But the GOD ABOVE and the Scriptures without have taught us better things I am not unwilling to quote a few Scriptures Put on the Armour of Light Rom. 13. 12. The Word of God is quick and powerful sharper then any two-edged Sword Hebr. 4. 12. Above all taking the Shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench c. and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Observe Faith in the 16th verse is preferred above the Words of God in the 17th verse therefore it is not Christ the Word but the Scripture the Word For Faith is not above Christ Jesus Christ who had less need of Scripture then any of us all resisted Satan's Temptation by Scriptures It is written It is written Mat. 4. I have Reader given his Mind at large and the rather that the Inconsistency of it with the Charge he begun his Chapter upon and the Contradiction of it to himself might more evidently appear My Meaning is too fouly conceal'd and disingenuously evaded by the Man How could he think that I should speak so reverently of the Scriptures and quote them diligently and very often to the Proof of my Assertions and yet mean nothing less abusive of them then his untrue Consequences I intended no more then this That Men in a State of Degeneracy from God may have a Profession of God and Religion taken up from the Words of Scripture and outward Practice of the Saints not being so much as sensible of the Remorse Convictions and Judgments God brings upon every Soul for Sin which is the Beginning of his Work of Redemption and that many are Rich in Notion and a Shew of Religion who never begun right but must know a being stript of all their Knowledge and those wrongly apply'd Promises they have taken as to themselves out of the Scriptures and those Imaginations they have raised thence towards a Fabrick of Religion and so become Poor and Naked and Hungry and Thirsty as a little Child or new Bottle fitted for the new Wine of the Spirit and to which the Scriptures testifie Many can talk of Christ from the Scriptures which crucifie him in themselves by Wicked Works and do render Praises to him as the Seed that hath bruised the Serpent's Head while the Serpent may be yet raigning in them All such Knowledge and Profession of Religion from the meer Letter of the Scriptures distinct from the Revelation and Operation of the Eternal Spirit within must be Unlearnt Unravill'd Unbottom'd one Stone must not be left standing upon one another that there may be a Beginning upon a right Foundation But far be it from me to say that a Man must unlearn that Knowledge he has had of the Scriptures from the Key of David the Living Word of God when it has opened the Mysteries therein declared of By no means for such Knowledge is Right Natural Sanctified from God and to be esteem'd very Excellent and Divine § 11. My Latin Greek Authors Logick Scripture-Quotations I therefore us'd and urg'd with plainness and brevity to prove and recommend the Truth I defended to the World that lying under great Discredit with too many they might see that ready to its Confirmation which they perhaps would not otherwise have thought upon But the Priest has been as Uncandid with me here as with my Friends and Self abundantly elsewhere for he infers general Affirmatives or Negatives from particular Propositions because I affirm'd that Unregenerate Men must begin again that their Religion must be unlearn't as to their way of acquiring it the Priest concludes the Quakers deny all Knowledge which comes from reading Meditation or any such Means however sanctified then which there can be nothing of that kind more Untrue since it were to say because we deny an erroneous Understanding therefore we deny all Understanding or in as much as we comdemn all ill-acquired or wrong-gotten Knowledge for that cause we are to be concluded Enemies to all true and well gotten Knowledge But we must bear this and a great deal more and the rather since he does so seasonably assist to his own Confutation by acknowledging that the Scriptures without and God above has taught him better things Now what is this Teaching of the God above If it be in the Scripture it was impertinent to say any more then that the Scriptures have taught them better things but if he meant that God taught by his immediate Discoveries with and beside the Seriptures then wherein do we differ Why has he taken so much Pains and flung so much Dirt He bids us also to put on the Armour of Light If he means that of the Scriptures he errs egregioussy for no Man can put them on neither are they that Light which manifests every Thought Word or Deed but that Light which we assert to have been before the Scriptures were and now is where they are not or at least when they are not thought upon which
is some thing more Immediate Living Spiritual and Inward and that brings Thoughts Words and Deeds to Light savours relishes discovers and accepts or condemns In short thus if whatever makes manifest is Light then because the Thoughts Words and Deeds of Men and Women have been manifested unto them in all Ages as well before Scritures were and where they have not been as since they were and where they have been it follows that they had Light and that the same Light cannot be the Scriptures though the Matter Written called Scriptures was manifested by that Light to the holy Pen-men before they were written which still makes for the Authority of the Light within The Priest exhorts us to that he endeavours to overthrow and with which holy Armour we have fairly foyl'd him in his own Field The same may be said of the Word of God though not of the Scriptures any further then the sharp-Word of God may speak or pierce through them into the Consciences for with good Reason do we affirm that the Scriptures or Writings are not that Sword but that from whence they came The word was a Fire an Hammer a Sword in the Prophets But the Words or Writings it spoke by were not that Fire Hammer nor Sword neither bad they any other Edge then what the Word put upon them To the same purpose may I argue against their being the Off spring of God properly for as such they could not be subject to Casuality God's Off-spring is more Living and Eternal that Word is to high for properly taken I mean as Writings they were the Off-spring of the Writers only but the Truth they declare of is of God and that will abide forever § 12. But upon the Shield of Faith and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God he has a pretty Fetch Faith in the 16. verse is preferred above the Word in the 17. verse Therefore it is not Christ the Word but the Scriptures the Word for Faith is not above Christ But neither will this do his Business and a Shame it is that this Man should bring these Places to prove that the Scriptures are Means whereby to resist Temptation which concern them not especially this in hand unless he would have Faith to be the Scriptures or Word of God in his Sense which as it is absurd so it will by him be denied since he allows the Faith to be preferr'd above the Word of God therefore distinct from it and not Consequently the same with it And should we grant to him That Christ is not understood by the Word of God but the Scriptures yet observe the fatal Blow his Cause receives at his own Hand Every true Christian hath Faith that Faith is above the Scriptures therefore every true Christian hath some thing in him above the Scriptures Every true Faith overcomes the World and quenches the fiery Darts of Satan consequently Temptations therefore not so properly the Scriptures but true Faith which is preferred above them and resists Temptations and overcomes the World The just they live by Faith but Faith is above the Scripture Therefore the Just live by that which is above the Scriptures and of course the Scriptures are not the Rule of Faith for how can any thing be ruled by that which is inferiour to it Thus much we get granting to him that the Scriptures are that Word of God But we deny that Gloss too For the Spiritual Sword as he says Beza renders it which is that Word of God must be at least of the Nature of that rest of the Armour mentioned in that Chapter I mean of an Invisible Spiritual Nature which the Bible as a meer Writing is not If any should say but the Truth it declares of I say so to and the very Words when by the living Word brought into the Conscience do Pinch Prick and Wound but then that Operation comes from the Power of the Word which through them reacheth into the Heart of the Creature and so the Words without and the Word within carry a double Conviction with them But said Christ to the Devil it is written what then therefore must the Quakers needs deny the Scriptures to be any Means to resist Temptation Or rather are they not such Means when God is pleased to use them which I am sure no right Quaker ever denyed Besides it was Reasonable that Christ should so answer set that Power aside which fill'd up those Words and chained Satan because the Devil used Scripture to prevail upon him as the place proves However we deny not but confess that where-ever God is pleased to speak by any place of Scripture to a tempted Soul the Scripture may be very well acknowledg'd to be a Means by which God scatters such Doubts and Dispondencies and gives Power over Temptations and that it may often so occur Yet we would not have People fly to them as what of themselves may be sufficient but rather have Recourse to that Divine Faith which the Scriptures testifie is able to Quench the fiery Darts and Overcome the Temptations of this World and which J. Faldo has largely confest is to be preferred above the Scriptures themselves § 13. The other part of his Charge to wit That they are dangerous to be read has been answer'd again and again We say Let them that read understand fear believe and Obey and then they will read worthily otherwise men read their own Condemnation and Destruction For the Holy Truths they declare of are not to be seen known or injoyed by every Prophane nor yet professing Person that reads them they are a sealed Book to all who err from and despise that Word of God nigh in the Heart which originally gave them forth and now bears living record to them Blessed are they that rightly Understand and Do them to such they are of great Price CHAP. IX That we do not put the Scripture and Holy Spirit in Opposition The Wickedness of the Priest in his Proof They accord and we acquiesce in their Testimony We do not say that they are not to be obey'd without extraordinary Apostolical Revelation as basely suggested His Proof fictitious and forg'd Such only are by us deny'd as are only Literal Formal Christians The Scriptures own'd and believ'd in by us according as they testifie of themselves § 1. TO close up his false Charges against us about the Scriptures though I thought not to bestow so much time about him be pleased to hear him and his Testimonies which he thinks sufficient to prove what he sayes of us to be true § 2. That the Quakers put the Scriptures and the Spirit of God in Opposition to each other To make this good he quotes W. Smith thus Traditions of Men Earthly Root Darkness and Confusion Nebuchadnezar's Image Putrefaction and Corruption Rotten and Deceitful all out of the Life and Power of God Apostacy the Whore's Cup the Mark of the Beast Babylon the Mother Bastards brought forth of
Scriptures for What this is to his purpose I cannot understand to be sure it is for ours For W. D. is so far from making it Idolatry to live up to the Scriptures that he condemns their seeking for the true God where he was not to be found which sayes he they HAVE NO SCRIPTURE FOR As much as to say that they seek after God not according to Scripture and therefore are both Deceivers and Deceived Certainly this is a Miserable Farewel he takes of the first part of his Book and the Quakers Denial of the Scriptures that they should therefore affirm a Practice according to Scripture without immediate Inspiration Idolatrous because they assert such to be deceived who seek after God not according to Scriptures If so much Impertinency should fall from a Poor Quaker's Pen what Reproach Insolence and Triumph would there be But he has another Witness that by the Mouthes of two Witnesses his Charge against us may be not establisht but evidently disprov'd § 5. And this is Babylon the Mother of Harlots viz. to read and practice as the Saints did and the Apostles of the Scriptures of the New Testament and the Abomination of all Uncleanness W. Smith's morning watch p. 23. Forgery in the abstract as base black and dishonest as Man can be to Man What! rob him of Truth of a good Conscience foist in put out alter gloss pervert and what he pleaseth What make us lve against God his Servants Scriptures the Light within and our own Souls But I have the less need to make our Defence where his manifest Corruption of our Words accuse him and my Answer to the first part of his Charge in this Chapter has done it at large Only thus much give me leave to say That if Words urg'd upon one Subject shall be apply'd to another of a different Nature and that our Adversary can never prove his Charge against us but by abusing corrupting mis-rendering and interlineating our Words there is no Reason that we should much concern our selves in the Consequence of such Debates that Way of Demonstration will save us the Labour of a Vindication with all Sober Persons But he has not done with us yet § 6. I am e'en tired with searching the sulphureous Veins of the Pit and Mire of Quakerism the Root of all which is the Deified Light Within if you have not enough of this Smoak to satisfie you it is the Bottomless Pit it rises out of I will give you two Ebullitions more and then leave you satisfied or to get better Senses So amongst the words you find how the Saints in some things walked and what they practised and then you strive to make that thing to your selves and to observe and do it as near as you can and here you are found Transgressors of the Just Law of God who saith Thou shalt not make to thy self any Graven Image nor the Likeness of any thing And sayes J. Faldo it follows now what Difference is there in the Ground betwixt you and the Pope though in the Appearance there seems to be such a great Space I have been the more punctual in the Recital of this that I might show to my Adversary I will be just to him though he be most egregiously Unmanly with us He says That he is e'en tired indeed he has Reason for it though for nothing else For who ever got any thing by Beating the Air or Spitting against the Heavens The Sulphureous Pit of Quakerism we can in one sense allow and J. F. may be better acquainted with it For the Plagues which the never-dying Worm the sharp reproving condemning Light Within will inflict upon the Spirits of them who resist and gainsay the Truth are aptly resembled to a Sulphureous Bottomless Pit Sulphureous because of the Insufferableness of the Smoak A Bottomless Pit by reason of a Dismal Endless State and Condition of Wo. And I doubt not but J. Faldo has an Earnest of this for his Attempts against the Light and the Children of it This long Discourse is no more to us then the rest of his Trash that we have already rejected as his own Invention and base Perversion of our real Meanings Take W. Smith in his own Sense and Belief and all is well But receive him in J. Faldo's Disguize and truly we should not know him our selves He intended that all those real Experiments of other Persons of which the Scriptures are full talkt unexperimentally over by Unregenerated Spirits can be no wayes beneficial Nay that what Ideas or Notions they may have to themselves of the Holy Ancients Enjoyments while altogether unacquainted with them are but a kind of Images which their believing in and bowing to as indispensible Gospel-Truths is to be reputed nothing below Idolatry it self Yet far be it from us to say that to believe the Truth as declared in the Scriptures is Idolatry as well as that it is manifest Folly in any so to say or think of us when not only we are most careful and desirous of rendering what we believe purely Scriptural But I do declare that as no man can live the Life of the Scriptures without the Operation of that Spirit which gave them forth so to live up to what they do exhort and declare is the highest Pitch of Purity Man's Nature is capable of aiming at and attaining to § 7. He now intends to wind up his Discourse on the present Subject with a retrospective and contracted Argument of all those particular distinct Charges viz. They who deny the Scripture to be the Word of God equal their own Writings Sayings deny them to be a Rule of Faith and Life a Judge of Religious Controversies take Men off from Reading them deny the Scripture to be any Means whereby we may come to know God or Christ or our selves affirm them to be no Means whereby to resist Temptation and are Dangerous to be read deny them to be Profitable but as Experienced put Scripture and Spirit in Opposition affirm the Doctrines Commands and Holy Examples expressed in the Scriptures as such to be not at all binding to us hold it as the Sin of Idolatry to believe and live according to the Instructions and Holy Examples expressed in and by the Scriptures except we have them by immediate Revelation as the Apostles They who do all these things mentioned in the fore-going Particulars Deny the Scriptures But the Quakers do all these things therefore they Deny the Scriptures To which I return this Argument If to Deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God to make what Writings are given forth by the same Spirit relative of the Scriptures if not to prefer any Writings before the Scriptures nor equal them to the Scriptures if to deny the Scriptures to be most properly the General Rule of Faith and Life and Judge of Controversie and not the Spirit rather if not to take Men off from Reading the Scriptures for Instruction c. if
is manifest first That no Commission was given by Christ before he broke Bread with his Disciples Consequently he must intend John ' s onely And next That John ' s Commission it self is not extant muâ—h less any Commission to perpetuate his as generally oblieging But above all that the Disciples of Christ should not onely use but esteem for an Ordinance of Christ a Baptism that had not their Lord for its Administrator as saith the Scripture for Jesus baptised not is absurd and all together Anti-Gospel If we will credit Christ's own saying The least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater then John as if he should have said John's Administration was an Introduction and a Kind of Preparation in order to my Coming but no otherwise is it interessed in my Kingdom which is Spiritual and that I am now about to set up in the Hearts and Consciences of Men and the least of that Spiritual Kingdom is greater then the Children of John ' s Watery Dispensation § 4. That this is Truth I will further prove even from that very Place which they repute a sufficient Commission for Water-Baptism Go therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father Son and the Holy Ghost c. In discoursing of things laid down by the Evangelists it will not alwayes suffice what some one Evangelist saith as in the Passage Controverted We have here a Commission it is granted but what it was with respect to the Baptism mentioned and the Time when it was to take place will be the Question To resolve which we must have recourse to another place without which this cannot be so clear to those who seek after Scripture-Demonstration Luke in his History of the Acts of the Apostles soon after his Address to Theophilus gives us an Account of some farewell-Expressions Christ used to his Disciples not so fully exprest in his History which he delivers to us after this manner And being assembled together with them he Christ commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the Promise of the Father which sayes he ye have heard of me FOR JOHN TRULY BAPTIZED WITH WATER BUT YE SHALL BE BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST NOT MANY DAYES HENCE From whence nothing can be clearer then first that the Baptism mention'd in Go teach all Nations Baptizizing them c. was not the Baptism of John but the Baptism of the Holy Ghost call'd the Promise of the Father which they were to wait for recorded by Luke both in the 24th Chapter of his History of Christ and the first Chapter of his History of the Acts of the Apostles Nay lest it should be thought that he meant of another Water-Baptism as some vainly imagine to help their Understanding and prevent all such Mistake he distinguishes not betwixt John ' s Water-Baptism and his own but betwixt Any Water-Baptism at all and his own Baptism of the Holy Ghost John indeed baptized with Water but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost Then you will be fitly qualified and commissionated after you shall have received the Promise of the Father which you are to wait for and then to go and teach all Nations baptizing them c. Suitable to those Expressions of the Baptist himself I indeed Baptize you with Water but he shall Baptize you with the Holy Ghost His Fan is in his Hand he will throughly purge his Floor He that cometh after me is preferred before me Besides the very words themselves taken in the Original Tongue import in Point of Propriety nothing less For the Greek knows no such thing as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. baptizing them in the Name but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 baptizing them into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost which by the frequent use of that Preposition ' Eis Into it is impossible for Water-Baptism to do no more then for a Man by it to be baptized with the same Baptism where-with Christ was to be baptized to be buried with him Christ to be baptized into Christ and so to be baptized into his Death or by it and not by One Spirit to be baptized into One Body Which because no Water-Baptism could ever do it consequently follows that it was never intended of Water-Baptism since it would then have been to ascribe that to meer Water-Baptism which it is both utterly impossible for it ever to perform and is really the alone Property of the Spiritual Baptism of Christ to effect § 5. To our Objection of the Apostle's Answer Christ sent me not to Baptize but to Preach he argues Because he did Baptize some therefore it was an Ordinance and that he baptiz'd so few was but providential not designed and the Reason why it was not laid upon the Apostle Paul was because his Call was extraordinary and out of due time But the Confusion and the Weakness of this Reply might save me the Labour of an Answer with all but those who might esteem it Unanswerable because almost Unintelligible For if every Practice was an Institution then because the same Apostle Circumcised it was a Christian-Ordinance Practice then we see and all the reasonable World knows is not Institution Many things indifferent in their Nature may be practised and used and yet never instituted or required That he had it not in his Commission the Priest himself grants but excuses that Defect by a greater viz. He was called extraordinarily and out of due time But as they were all extraordinarily called or else the Priest contradicts himself so if we may believe the Apostle he was Inferior to none of them If not in his Works I know no Reason why he should be reputed so in his Commission That his Commission was of God is granted on all hands And if it pleased God to make it none of Paul's Commission we would be glad to see any of our time produce one more large and effectual till when we are contented with no more Extent in the Point then God pleased to give his great Apostle and believe whatever J. Fuldo sayes to the contrary that he was a Gospel-Christian-Apostle And if Water-Baptism had been then reputed a Gospel Christian-Ordinance neither had God omitted that in his Commission nor had the Apostle spoke so lightly of it § 6. But J. Parnel offends him in these words at least he takes Offence at them They who would have one Baptism inward an other outward would have Two Baptisms when the Scripture saith The Baptism is but One. Shield of Truth p. 11. Which he would be thought to Confute thus and it seems more material then any thing he has writ on this Subject I must tell him by the way that he tells an Untruth wilfully He uses or rather abuses the Words of the Apostle just before repeated one Lord one Faith one Baptism and there he adds but which the Text has not And here the Scripture saith the Baptism is but one
be the outward Commandments and Statutés For the Question was not about them but about the Commandment of Commandments and Word of Words which he resolves thus Let none say who shall ascend descend or go beyond the Seas to fetch the Great Word and Commandment But the Word is very nigh thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the Innermost parts of Men. Whereinto the Outward Commandments could never come Nay I do affirm and that with holy Boldness in the Spirit Power and Illumination of the blessed Gospel that all the by rote Learning of the Letter of either Law or Gospel as they are conâ—â—â—-distinguisht is of no more Value to the true Knowledge or Worship of God then the Cutting off a Dog's Neck either to God's Honour or Man's profit without the Inward Living Word should powerfully write and engrave upon the Soul its Holy Precepts neither could there be any Conviction in the Conscience concerning the Truth of those Statutes nor indeed any Conscience at all since Conscience is no other then that manifest Judgment Man makes of the Truth or Falshood of things with respect to his own Soul from the Word or Light of God in his Heart according to the Practice of the Apostle who was manifest and desir'd to Commend himself to the Consciences of all Men Not as to a blind unsensible Thing but that Judgment in Man though not from him which was right and not learned of Man but received of God Whereas J. Faldo scoffs at such kind of Knowledge the Perniciousness of which Doctrine ought to antidote all sober Persons from ever adhering to it or him that preacheth it For I will be bound to make it appear that by his own Principles he is assured of nothing and must set down under the extreamest Scepticism in the World Or if concludable by any thing it must be by the way Rome takes to resolve all Scruples that is Plurality of Votes however directed and this too rather for Peace sake then any Certainty there can be in it For who bars out of all Inward Senses Motions Revelations Inspirations or Enlightnings resolving only to insist upon what may arrive them from meer Books because of the Fallibility of Man and Difficulty of the Matter they do contain which Way can there be to compass any tolerable Certainty to rest Men's Souls upon This is your once Phanatical t'other day Enthusiastical now Pragmatical and Scoffing J. Faldo The first in the very beginning of Independency in the World the best part that belong'd to it I meane Enthusiasm but now deserted by many as much as the true Religion is by the Church of Rome § 9. The third and last Scripture he undertakes to secure us from all Share in is that of Peter We have also a more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto ye do well to take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in your Hearts By this more sure Word of Prophecy says J. Faldo is meant those Prophecies written in the Old Testament which are call'd Verse 20. Prophecy of Scripture and are called the Light that shineth in a dark Place I hope it will be alwayes forreign to me to detract from the holy Scriptures But the Truth I will take Liberty to defend The whole Chapter is a very weighty and zealous Recommendation of the Gospel to the Churches pressing them to call to Mind the Love of God unto them and to mind their Duty to him who had so loved them And as a great Ground both of their Faith Love and Duty the Apostle in the 16th verse tells them For we have not followed cunningly divised Fables when we made known unto you the Power and Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ But were Eye-Witnesses of his Majesty for he received from God the Father Honour and Glory when there came such a Voice to him from the Excellent Glory THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED And this Voice which comes from Heaven we heard when we were with him in the Holy Mount We have also a more sure Word of Prophecy c. Now that this cannot be meant of the Scriptures and take in the Comparison I thus prove If the Reason of their Assurance that what they delivered to the Churches was not Fabulous but true was their being Eye-Witnesses of his Majesty and Eye and Ear-Witnesses of that Testimony God gave of his Son in the Mount by that Honour Glory and Voice of Words which were there utter'd and did in that Plaee uppear then the Scriptures not only were not a surer Word of Prophecy but not so sure because they never heard nor saw them so delivered nor yet had any of the Prophets so Glorious so Transcendent and Unquestionable a Testimony to their outward Eyes and Ears that we read of J. Faldo's most infallible Way of true Knowledge see pag. 91. as was that which God gave to the Disciples when he testified This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased But we may inform our selves from the Verses recited that they were a more eminent Ground for their Knowledge Assurance and Belief then the meer Scriptures And consequently the Scriptures are not the more sure Word of Prophecy Again the written Account of another's Revelation cannot be more sure to me then that Revelation which I do immediately receive from God suppose it be from God But this was a Revelation to the Disciples and they were sure it was from God Consequently the writen Account of another's Revelation as were the Prophecies of the Old Testament so called to the Disciples could not be a more sure Word of Prophecy For it were to say that they were more sure that he among them who was called Jesus was the Son of God from Isaiah's Testimony That he would give him for a Light to lighten the Gentiles c. then the Immediate Voice of God when he pointed so clearly at him This is my beloved Son He that is amongst you whom you have followed This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Then which what could be more demonstrable on God's part and incredulous on their side who should yet subject that living Testimony to any the best Tradition Let me not forget to add That what the Disciples then saw and heard from God and the Epistle Peter wrot by the holy Ghost being made part of the New Testament-Writings and they accounted more eminent by far then the Old with respect to the more eminent Pouring forth of the Holy Ghost in that Day which the Prophets fore-saw and they enjoyed the Old cannot in any wise be reputed a more sure Word of Prophecy as J. Faldo asserts therefore this more sure Word of Prophecy must be another thing § 10. What that is which may be reputed a more sure Word of Prophecy will much deserve our serious Consideration If it was not the Voice in the Mount which
to be the Great Rule to Believers and yet himself after much Opposition to give it away and accord as far as any Man need to do that would be of one Mind with us in the Point savours of great Weakness and Inadvertency not that he now speaks Truth but that he should so eager ly oppose it before § 17. There is one Passage more which being to this Purpose I will mention We value not the Sense of the Scripture for the Print's sake but the Print for the Sense sake and the Blessings that attend that Way of Conveying the holy and revealed Will of God and so much as to correct your Vapour This he speaks upon my Words that the Intimate of a Prince needs not so much an Edict because in Print as because of his living and more immediate Touches he may have had from his Prince Now let any tell me if the Quakers have put the Scriptures into any degree below that wherein J. Faldo himself has plac'd them Do the Quakers say that true Christians have the Spirit so sayes J. Faldo too Do the Quakers affirm that the Spirit of God is a Judge Rule and Guide and speaks forth the Mind of God into the very Conscience Does J. Faldo come one Jot behind them But do they say that it is the Sense of the Truth declared of in the Scripture that puts a Value upon the Declaration and that written or printed Words are valu'd for the Matters sake they treat of rather then their own yea that the Scripture of it self can do little It is J. Faldo's own Doctrine Very well But does J. Faldo say that God doth not alwayes speak in the Conscience immediately by his Spirit but sometimes by the Spirit through the Use of Means as the Scriptures Preaching Praying Creator Providence c. and that by such wayes he reacheth into the Consciences of Men so say the Quakers too Would the Man but be certain to himself we needed no other Advocate But his Ignorance of our Principles or Prejudice to mis-represent them makes him at once oppose us and contradict himself And now we are come to the Conclusion of the Matter which he sayes is to shew me my self in the Glass of Sense if I think my Eyes worth an Using Indeed I do and am willing to behold all he hath to shew me◠Reader hear him soberly § 18. Foul Epithites as Knave Puppy Fool Rascal Loggerhead Cheat This you say was the Language of your Adversaries smal Crier but as you call it of a loathsome Sent. It seems J. Faldo's Nose calls it no such thing A long experienced Chaplin a kind of a Religious Gentleman-Usher should have learned better Manners So sayes he You blow it on the Author of the Book within five Lines Tryers of other Mens Spirits who have it should be give so little Proof of the Knowledge of their own as to be wanting in the very first Principles of Cavility This is not fair sayes J. Faldo to charge him with anothers Faults It is some Justice to us that he will account such Language to a Quaker a Fault But I would have him know that I never intended any such thing as be basely infers that is to make H. Hedworth in the least guilty of usually calling G. Fox those scurrilous Names For though I think him Envious enough against G. F. in particular as appears by another sort of Language and the Quakers in general yet I believe him to have more Civility and Regard to his Way whatsoever he thinks of me then to dirt it with any thing so gross But for as much as T. Firman the Author of that foul Language was his great Intimate and Associate that they have in common the same Creed are joyntly interested against us thereby earnestly endeavouring to promote their beloved Socinianism or Bidleism in the World and Men acted not by two distinct Spirits though one might lanch forth more extravagantly then the other And lastly that H. H. had shewen other sorts of Rudeness and Injustice to us in general and many by Name in his Spirit of the Quarters tryed I did say These Men and continue there still the Method of their Proceed then and since especially that restless Calumniator Tho. Firman being such as must needs offend every Good Man Knave and Fool being more in his Mouth still then becometh any Man that is not more of both then such he very frequently calls so Some think it a Shame that so ill a Tongue should go unrebuk'd of those whose Principles and Interest give them the Liberty of doing it in a way that if they know the Man might be more effectual then all the Moderation and Reason that can easily be shown to him But sayes John Faldo in his or their Defence for they love to claw one another Compare this Civility of yours with your own To all this I say He obtrudes an arrant Lye upon our very Senses Wretched Scribler How Idle how Frivolous and how very Troublesome is he with his Ridiculous Remarks Very well And is this the great Blow threatned I fall not from one tittle of it 'T is all true all his due I could not well have spoken more plain and pertinent Words No Knave Puppy Fool Rascal Logger-head Cheat c. No Impostor False-Prophet Lyars Trapans and what not did we accost them with What! Must not we fling off the Dirt they cast upon us Shall it be accounted well-Phrasing to call us all to naught and our earnest Refuse of such base Epithites and severe Censure of such Scurrility be reputed Railing Oh Unreasonable Men Ought People therefore to be kill'd because they cry Murder or lose their Reputation because they are Zealous to maintain it But it was notably done of J. Faldo to provide for himself whose Ill Languague he thought might meet with as sharp Rebukes as that of our other Enemies had done Nor indeed will we let slip this Opportunity of Collecting Publishing to the World after what manner he has us'd us throughout his Discourse and my self in particular who never had any thing to do with him in all my Life If he has not said worse of us with whom we have had so little if any thing at all to do then he pretends I have against those Men that gave such Provocation let me fall in the good Opinion of the Reader and the Just Witness in his Conscience condemn me but if it appear that this unprovoked Person is far more guilty then he can possibly render us by vilifying Expressions against our Persons and Principles I hope and expect so much Justice from the Reader as that the Innocent may go free and the Guilty only be Condemned That J. Faldo has not shewn himself that Man of Moderation Civility or Religion he pretends himself to be and which I hear some few have hitherto reputed let the following Faithfull and True Collection of but some of his many
Rich Benefices full and stately Livings many of you grew dry again were turned to Pillars of Salt my Soul wandered for Rest and at last found it in that Tender Holy Pure Principle of Life and Righteousness which had been wont from a Youth to attend me mollifie my Heart allay my Affections and preserve me out of gross Pollutions which whilest such of you in some Measure kept that are now manifestly gone from it there was another Kind of Spirit that rul'd in you And 't is to this First Love and Works we desire your Return such of you whose Day is not utterly past over your Head And what any shall think of me as this uncharitable Adversary hath expressed himself as that I should seek Credit a Party c. I heed not for what I am at this Day I am by through and to God Almighty the Righteous Lord of Heaven and Earth alone It is basely done of any Man that is a Professor who pretends to some Acquaintance with tender Conscience and those Tryals that attend it to censure another Man's Change and Afflictions for Counterfeit and meer Designe Oh! The Righteous God will reckon with such Uncharitable Disingenuous Perverse Spirits in the Day that hasteneth to Try all and then will he recompense this ungodly Censurer of an Innocent Stranger to him who were I upon my Tryal at the Bar of his own Party there be of them enough to give Evidence of another Spirit then that of vain Glory or Self For where none of these things have induced but Sharpeness and Severities have met me there has been a Faithful Answering of Convictions to some of their knowledge who I believe to be better Men then to refuse me a ful Testimonial if sought for But as I shall not think my self so deeply engag'd or my Reputation so shaken in the Minds of Thousands as to need or desire it by any Power or Force J. Faldo can attacque me with so shall I leave the Concern of God's Truth the Innocency of his People in General and my own in Particular to his Holy Wisdom and Providence who we are well satisfied will plead our Cause in the Consciences of Ten Thousands to the Shame and utter Confusion of all our Obstinate Adversaries A KEY Opening a Way to every Common Understanding whereby to discern the Difference betwixt the Quakers Faith Doctrine and Practice and the Pervertions and Traducings of their several Adversaries Reader THere is not any thing more Indiscreet then for People to deny what they do not understand It has been our Unhappiness far more then all that our Adversaries have been able to say against us that hitherto we remain unknown by those who yet stick not to condemn us I will confess that our Principles as disguised and mis-represented in the World have given Offence or rather those who have so besmear'd them nor indeed can we be displeased that People should refuse them Entertainment under those frightfull Vizzards some make them to wear But it will be the Business of this little Key to explain the Difficulty and give Entrance into so clear and plain an Understanding of the Quakers Principles from the Priests Perversions as I doubt not but with Impartial Inquirers it may be an Ending of much of that Controversie which is now on foot between us and our Opposers Priest THe Quakers hold That the Natural Light in the Conscience of every Man in the World is sufficient to Save all that follow it and so overthrow Salvation by Christ Quaker This is false For our Belief and Assertion is that Christ who is the Word that was with God and was God and is so forever hath enlightned every Man that cometh into the World with his own Light as he is that true Light or such a Light as there is no other to be compared to him which is the Meaning of the Emphasis True and that such as follow the Reproofs Convictions and Leadings of that Light with which he enlightens the Understandings and Consciences of Men shall not walk in Darkness but have the Light of Life which Life is a State of Salvation for which End he was given I will give him for a Light to lighten the Gentiles and for my Salvation to the Ends of the Earth So that we assert the Light of Christ Sufficient not a Natural outward Light which may be properly so called in opposition to Spiritual nor yet that bare understanding Man hath as a Rational Creature Priest The Quakers hold the Light within them is God Christ and the Holy Spirit so that every Quaker has whole God Christ and Spirit in him which is gross Blasphemy Quaker This is also a Mistake of our Belief We never said That every Illumination in the Hearts of Men was whole God Christ or the Spirit whereby to be guilty of the gross and blasphemous Absurdity they would fasten on us But that God who is Light or Christ who is Light the quickning Spirit and God over all blessed for ever hath enlightned Mankind with a saving Measure of Light So that the Illumination is from God or Christ but not therefore whole God or Christ There are no such harsh and Un-scriptural Words in our Writings it is only a frightfull Perversion of our Enemies to bring a Scandal upon our Faith yet in a sense the Scriptures say I in them and they in me Christ in us the Hope of Glory Unless Christ be in you ye are Reprobates I travel again a second time until Christ be formed in you If they who deny'd his Coming in the Flesh though high professing Jews were Anti-Christs What must they be reputed who as stiffly disown his Spiritual Coming Formation and Dominion in the Soul Certainly though call'd Christians yet no whit less anti-Christs then the obstinate Jews of old Priest By the Quakers Doctrine every Man must be saved for every Man is savingly enlightened Quaker I deny that For though the Light or Grace of God hath and doth more or less appear to all Men and that it brings Salvation to as many as are taught by it to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly and Righteously and God likely in this present evil World yet it no way follows that Men must obey and learn so to do whether they will or not God tenders saving Light or Grace to all he strives and pleads with all but if they will not hearken his Spirit Grace or Light is clear of their Blood In short Though Men are Lighted or Visited with a saving Light or Grace yet we never Concluded nor is rightly Concludable that such Men must necessarily be saved whether they obey or Rebel Priest By the Quakers Light or Spirit they may be moved to Murder Adultery Treason Theft or any such like Wickedness Quaker This never was our Doctrine For herein know we the Spirit of God and Motions of it from the Spirit of this World and its Fruits that it condemns all Ungodliness
those they Preach to W. P. This is done like the Fox indeed He would suggest because we deny Hirelings that is Bargainers Men that make it their Trade that have no other will seek no other and yet preach perhaps but once a Week if then and bestow the Six Days that might be otherwise employ'd to Study for that Day instead of Preaching most of those Dayes that therefore we are such Cruel Hard-hearted People that is such as Preach and are Poor either through a numerous Family low Estate many Losses or a continual Attendance from Day to Day upon the Ministry they have receiv'd of God we will not minister to their Necessities for such as so receive any Assistance are Hirelings and we should contribute to make them so No no J. Faldo the Quakers are no such People but for all that they can do and I will renounce Thee and such as Thou art for Hirelings First in that you have not received the Living Heavenly Gift of the Ministry And secondly because you do generally Bargain will not preach without it and can basely leave an Honester People for a better Allowance This is Notorious therefore stop thy Mouth J. F. pag. 72. THE LUST sayes he all Desires that accord not to the Light within and proceed not from thence W. P. What accords not with the Light within is not of God and so far we own his Explanation but to say that all Desires about such ordinary things as are left to the common Understanding Prudence and Liberty of Man to do or not to do are Lust if they come not from the immediate Impulse of the Light within is his own Notion not the Quakers We do not subject that heavenly Principle to nor concern it with every Inferior and Frivolous thing belonging to this World J. F. pag. 75. CHRIST THE OFFERING says he the Light within W. P. This is no Quakers Expression and unless we are to answer for J. Faldo's Mistakes we are unconcern'd in it Only his Malice is manifest for he would by this insinuate that we deny Christ to be an Offering as in the Flesh and the Body then offered up to be concern'd in our Belief of the Offering But I do declare it to have been an holy Offering and such an one too as was to be once for all Therefore let none receive his Abuse of us for our Faith J. F. pag. 79. MEN-PLEASERS says he They who comply with Men though in things not only Lawful but also to Edification W. P. We Charge this upon him as an Arrant Lye We are so far from reputing such Men-pleasers that we account them Sober Courteous and Commendable Persons provided he means by Lawful and to Edification what we do otherwise he is not Honest to obtrude Matters in Question for our Meanings J. F. pag. 81. RAVENING BRAIN sayes he Studying and following after Divine Knowledge W. P. This is not fair The Word studying and following we own in a sense Studying that is Meditating Following that is Obeying the Light and Spirit of God But because we deny the Dark and Heathenish Metaphysicks the prolix and abstruse Niceties of the School-men and affirm There is no way to become vers'd in the Things of God but by being an humble Student and diligent Disciple in the School of Christ that is to be taught of his Light Grace or holy Spirit Therefore all right Study and all right Wayes to come to the Knowledge of Divine Things we must be charg'd with the Denyal of Disingenuous Man J. F. pag. 86. TRADITIONS OF MEN that is says he The Scripture or Written Word W. P. Show us that in any Book that is subscrib'd by an acknowledg'd Quaker Tradition is a Delivering any thing down From one Generation to another and as such the word is Inoffensive but to say They are the Traditions of Men in the sense Christ reprov'd the Pharisaical Religion God forbid I had rather my Tongue were cut out of my Head O Base Man To abuse an innocent People thus grosly The Scripture is a Godly Tradition or Writing given forth by Inspiration and preserv'd through Generations which we read believe and desire to fulfil through the Power of God J. F. pag. 63 82 83 87. BABYLON Shaddows Spirit of Anti-Christ Outward Court that is says he all Ordinances Worship Faith Obedience that have any Form though Christ's and Gospel Forms being with them the Worship of Heathens not of Christians W. P. This Key opens into as many Forgeries as ever I knew one Key do in my Life Certainly were not this Man left of God for his Enmity he could never run into such extravagant Dishonesty What! Belye us in the Sight of all Indeed it turns upon himself For Visible Worship the Form of Godliness Faith and Obedience to every Ordinance of God we own profess and practise daily and publickly through the Power of our God in whose Name we renounce his Constructions and trample upon all his Malice black and enrag'd as it is J. F. pag. 89. THE VAIL IS OVER THEM that is says J. Faldo the Belief of the Man Christ Jesus which was of our Nature to be the Christ c. W. P. Let this be the Last though several more might be observed which at this time shall be consider'd in which we shall see that J. Faldo has done like himself and the Man we have all along taken him to be The Vail is over them it is a Scripture-Phrase 2 Cor. 3. 15. used by the Apostle to express the Darkness and Ignorance that to that time remain'd over the Understanding of the Jews in reading the Law and this Vail he makes us to interpret after this gross and absurd manner namely That the Vail is the Man Christ Wicked Man Did ever Quaker so irreverently express himself Give us his Name or tell us in what Book we may find it What greater Malice couldst thou have shown then thus unjustly to pervert the Scripture in our Name belying and abusing both As if because Christ's Flesh is called a Vail and the Ignorance of the Jews a Vail that therefore the Quakers must of Necessity mean by Vail in the first sense Vail in the second sense as if the Way to have the Vail rent were to deny the Man Christ Jesus which were to make Christ rend and destroy himself who as the Quickning Spirit alone rends all Vails of the Hearts of Unbelievers Nor indeed have I met with one Term absurd or un-intelligible unless the Scripture use such therefore 't is an Untruth to stile them absurd and a Contradiction in him to offer at Explaining any thing that is truly un-intelligible And that all the World may behold the Spirit of J. Faldo how Ill he governs himself against the Quakers which makes not a little for them let his following Epithetes and Expressions be well weighed I think they are so naked they want no Key and glad we are he found no such Subjects from us to
QUAKERISM A NEW Nick-Name for OLD Christianity BEING An Answer to a Book Entituled Quakerism No Christianity subscribed by J. Faldo In which The Rise Doctrine and Practice of the Abused Quakers are Truly Briefly and Fully Declared and Vindicated from the False Charges Wicked Insinuations and utmost Opposition made by that Adversary With a KEY Opening the True Meaning of some of their Doctrine from that Construction which their Enemies Ignorantly or Enviously Affirm Report and Dispute to be theirs By one of them and a Sufferer with them in all their Sufferings William Penn. Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not but do Lye Behold I will make them to come and Worship before thy Feet and to know that I have loved thee Rev. 3. 9. Printed Anno 1672. The Author TO THE READER HOwever our many sorts of Enemies may please themselves with their brisk Endeavours against us the Expectation they thence have of our Utter Overthrow especially some Independents Anabaptists and Socinians Be it known to the whole World Professor and Prophane our Confidence is in God for whose holy Truths sake we are as Men killed all the Day long and it is our Perswasion that many Thousands in these Nations have that Sense of us in their own Consciences which it is as impossible for the utmost Power or Artisice of our angry Adversaries to exstinguish as the Sun in the Firmament We matter not their Flourish Number Threat or Force though Gog and Magog are combin'd to seek our Ruin God that made the Heavens and the Earth the Sea and Fountains of Water hath them all in Derision and will not be wanting to assist us otherwise fore-lorn upon Earth in this juncture of close Attacque we waiting on him with that Divine Courage Wisdom and Patience which may enable us to surmount the Difficulty of the Work and through the Tribulations of our Day bring us to the Recompence of that Peace which is Eternal And indeed this is our Joy above all worldly things that the Lord is our Light and our Salvation we know it we experience it therefore whom should we fear Though all Sects seem met in one as a mighty Man of War to our Overthrow the despised Stripling by this great Goliah has a Sling and a Stone that however contemptible yet coming in the Name of the Lord will give this Giant 's Head a Victim to his Faith We know in whom we have believed and cannot be Cudgell'd Jeer'd Rail'd or Smooth'd out of our most Holy Faith who has God for its Father and Victory for its Off-spring A Birth unknown to the Bawling Pharisees of the Age nor can any but a Conquerour inherit Reader their Cries for Scripture Christ Fundamentals and the like are meer Pretences that make but up a Cloak to cover the Avaricious and Ambitious Ends of those leading Men in every Party that as deeply and vigorously prosecute our Ruin as a Jew doth Riches but the Reason is known to Almighty God Because the Quakers having been taught that Inward Heavenly Straight and Narrow Way to Life by an Internal Living Teacher they would say they srustrate all Hope of further Advantage the Ignorance of People in the things of God has hitherto benefited us withal by their most vehement Declaration to the World that no Man can be a Child of God who is not begotten of God and that no Man can be so begotten but by the Internal Operation of his Spirit to Wash Cleanse and Inliven the Mind to God-ward that this is the Deepest and most Excellent End for which Man was made the Law was given Prophets raised and Christ Came Lived Died Rose and Ascended That who know him not thus let into the Conscience in order to Purge it from Dead Works by the Destruction of that Power which product them to lead Captivity Captive and Raign as King Lord Judge and Law-giver are Enemies to the Cross of Christ and are at best but Carnal Historical and meerly Out-side Christians And this we standing by and they knowing full well with the fatal Consequence to their Designs that would attend the Universal Reception of this kind of Doctrine they seek to divert the Minds of tender and enquiring People by all the Hideous Devilish Falsities Satan's utmost Interest can furnish them withall deforming us with what Mire they can either borrow or invent hoping by such Besmeerings to make the Dogs fasten us for some Monstrous Beasts and chusing rather to Solemnize our Funeral with the Merriment of the Vulgar then suffer them to know us truly as we are lest their sober Conscience should enquire or be toucht with any the least Pitty for our so hard Dealing at their Cruel Hands Well! but for Your sakes O Impartial People am I this time engaged in Spirit to concern my self otherwise against my Will to take an Angry Scoffing Independent Priest in hand a Man I know not but by his Book and certainly an Ignorant Malicious and Scurrilous one too I perceive how unknown soever he is to me I am not to him and he has taken great Care to tell me so but mine own Concern would have suggested Silence to me for an Answer to his Uncivil Reflections for Arguments I cannot call them had not my earnest Desires been for the Vindication of that Truth Living upon all Occasions offer'd which the Grave will prevent me doing It is my Satisfaction God has made it my Lot and that of suffering from Detractors I esteem not the least part of my Crown for whose Holy Service he is my Witness I have long since chearfully sacrific'd my All of Contentment in this World and yet am not without a share from his peculiar Providence But let us see if the Quakers are those Miserably Deluded Wretches this Taunting Priest would represent us whose Triffling Quirks show the Emptiness of the Head and Airiness of the Mind from whence they came If we are what he asserts we are the worst of Men by how much we pretend to greater things but if it shall appear we are Scripturally Orthodox in some of those very Points for which he represents us Heterodox and mistaken by him in the rest I hope it will not be without Good Reason that I have entituld this short Discourse Quakerism a New Nick-Name for Old Christianity Reader the whole of what I have to desire from thee is an Impartial Mind in the Perusal of this Defence and Iust Explanation of our so much mis-represented Faith and Doctrine with that we dare adventure our Cause and without it there is no Truth so clear that Prejudice may not question it Let not the Multitude of our Adversaries be an Argument against our Cause Their Reviling ought not to pass for Reason nor Noise for Conquest With God Almighty and his holy Witness in thy Conscience do I leave the Issue of this Endeavour Be Serious be Considerate Farewel Thy Friend very ready to
of God in the Hearts of Men Consequently not the Scriptures but the Light was is most properly The general Rule The middle Proposition only to be excepted against is clear in that before the Scriptures were writ and since where they have not been known Men have been are Convinc'd Reprov'd Inclined Taught Order'd and Ruled by the inward Appearance of God's Light in the Conscience And among those who are called Christians let them be just to God and their own Souls and they must confess that there is something very near them when the Scriptures are quite remote both from their Persons and their Thoughts which upon any Miscarriage is as a swift Witness to smite and upon the approach of Temptation is as quick to warn and diswade the Mind from falling into the Foulness of it Is not this then more Living Immediate and General that neither Sea nor Land Day nor Night nor any condition but a Seared Conscience can exempt People or deliver them from the secret living and sensible Touches of this holy Witness whether they be to Counsel Justifie or Condemn This searcheth the Heart this tryeth the Reins of which David said It had made him Wiser then his Teachers who read and expounded the outward Law unto him § 4. And indeed it is unworthy of the Excellency of the Administration of Life it self more glorious then that of Condemnation the State of the Law that an outward Book though declaratory of never so much good and not the Good it self should be the sole general Rule of such as are under it What is it but to subject the Spirituallity of the Gospel to the Letter of the Law And thus much worse that then it self they had either the daily Living Voice of God or a Law engraven on Stone whilst the Scriptures which they call the present Gospel Rule are but in Paper But can any true Christian think that God is so wanting to his Promise who promised to Write a Law in the Hearts of his People as to bound them by meer Literal Prescripts No surely but much rather that the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus which he promised to write in the Hearts of Men and Women should be the Rule of this Administration which is a Living Powerfull Rule present upon all Occasions and in all straights and ready to assist with Counsel Wisdom and Knowledge all who act agreeably to the Mind of God who will reward every Man according to his Works So that J. Parnel and W. S. their Expressions are clear'd For J. N's the last of the three it was not written in Derision of Scripture as is unworthily suggested but to prove that God is not limited to Instruments God whose holy Spirit is the living substantial Rule may appear after divers Manners either by bringing into the very Conscience the Truth of some weighty Passage in the Scripture or by a Ministry or any other Way yea by Balaams Ass to Balaam and that without Blasphemy or Prophaneness For by whom or what may not the Almighty direct the Sons of Men still it was not so mean a Creature as an Ass which God spoke by to aggravate the Stupidity of Balaam and greaten the Miracle No Nor the Apostles themselves much less their Writings but the Word of the Lord that was as a Fire to the Workers of Iniquity and Sanctification and Reconciliation to them that believe it That was the True Rule wherefore said the Prophet Hear the Word of the Lord. What Word that nigh in the Heart which Moses and Paul preach'd Still the outward Instrument is not the Rule the Prophet is not the Rule the Apostle is not the Rule much less are their Writings being they are but all external Instruments And this I will abide by against all the Insults of our Enemies by God's Assistance that both they are but such Instruments and that such Instruments are not the Gospel-Rule but that Light Life Power or Spirit which useth them and who attributes that Honour to the Instrument which is due to the chief Mover in it or by it commits down-right Idolatry Therefore what is flung upon the Quakers by their Adversaries is more justly chargeable upon their Adversaries But we cannot help it if that People will not work through the Outward to the Inward the Writings or Persons to the Light Life and Power that employ them for any Use or Service in the World Nor shall we ever be condemned of God that we therefore decline to attribute those Titles to the Scriptures otherwise worthy above all Books which are only due to that which gave them forth especially since what we believe in the Matter is with an holy Fear and Reverence towards our God and Good-Will towards all Men. § 5. But he Objects 1 That what is therein affirmed by the Lord we ought to believe proved from Christ's Words O Fools and slow of Heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken Luk. 24 25. 2 That what is thereby commanded not being repeal'd by the coming of Christ it is our Duty to obey Deut. 5. 34. 3 That the holy Scriptures do in their kind determine or discover to us whether we believe and walk or practice aright or not proved hence All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be Perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works and herein all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets do I excercise my self to have a Conscience void of Offence 2 Tim. 3. 16. 17. Acts 24. 16. To all which I say we do with him acknowledge that whatever the Lord hath by his Prophets and Apostles who writ the Scripture affirmed and required taking in his Exception about Christ's Coming it is our Duty both to Believe and Obey so that there is no Difficulty in that Matter For the last Passage there is some sober Scruple in our Minds about it For there are manifest Contests in the World both about Faith and Practice They result not from the Scriptures I grant but that they proceed from Mens wrong Apprehensions of Scripture in a great Measure that I affirm and I know no Man so stupid as to deny Now I would fain know which way those wrong Apprehensions are to be rectified He says by Scripture I say Not for the Key is wanting What is that Key may some say The Spirit of Truth who gave them forth Who can explain any Man's Mind so well as Himself in a Matter wherein he is not rightly understood or it is hard to understand Him And if none but what is indued with Reason is capable of understanding a Rational Proposition Neither can any Man whatever understand spiritual Propositions or Propositions about spiritual Matters in the Scriptures but by the Illumination of the Holy Spirit in some Degree or other This is so clear that the Sun is
Nature of a Light unless to acknowledge their Testimonies to be as Lights be to deny them to have any Light at all Is this the great Originalian Linguist Critick Philosopher and what else his own conceit will have him What is it but to say that six burning Candles are six Lights but not that they give a Light either joyntly or separately But 't is below us to pursue every Advantage his Ignorance gives us I find him more in Words then Matter a great deal and I suppose more are of that Mind or else what means his great Pains to be made waste paper of already Quakerism no Christianity has exchang'd the Book-Sellers Stalls for the Tobacco Shops Poor Man perhaps he will write another Book to complain of the Deadness of Professors Hearts that they make so ill Use of the Labours of painful Ministers I am confident nothing but his Fear of loosing by it could divert him from such a Lamentation But to his Reflection upon the Light as our Idol and their Folly who attend upon the Scriptures when they have so excellent a Light in their own Bosomes the Substance of the rest of the Chapter I thus return God is that Light which hath enlightned Mankind and to have the highest Reverence for him and believe in him can be therefore no Idolatry And for the Scripture all grant that there is a State above them For I hope the Man does not think that People shall have Bibles in Heaven and the more any approach to the heavenly Life and Glory the less need there will be and yet not the less value of them But this we also say that they are profitable for Instruction and Comfort in this World And God hath spoke does and yet will by the Scriptures speak to the Consciences of Men For being given forth by the Spirit of God they do declare that Reproof Exhortation and those Promises which being felt in some Sence of the same Divine Light do administer Knowledge and Refreshment But we do also and again declare it as our Faith that the Pouring out of the Spirit is a Gospel Priviledge yea the very proper and peculiar Promise and Blessing of the Father in that State and that as the Spirit is superior to the Letter so we earnestly contend not against the Scripture but for that Living Experimental Knowledge of them which all witness who are truly taught and led by the Spirit and which can't be obtained by any meer Writings whatsoever Nor does it follow that because God has given a sufficient Light therefore all other Means should be superfluous Certain I am this Argument is fitter for Bedlam then one who more then once Vaunts himself to be a Critick indeed a Quibler For what is it but to say that though every Man has Reason enough in him to know that Intemperance is below a very Brute yet because he is Intemperate his Reason is not sufficient to inform him better Or if it be sufficient he ought to despise anothers Admonitions however seasonable his Reason being enough to his Information Was Nathan of no use to David who had so secret and sufficient a Teacher And here I do observe that all our Opposers split themselves and will forever unless better inform'd They ignorantly or basely infer a Fallibility or Insufficiency to be in the Light from the Fallibility and Rebellion of those Persons whom we say are lightned by it And on the Contrary hand that all should be necessarily Infallible who are Inlightned by an Infallible Light not considering that neither is the Grace of God Insufficient to Save because Men refuse to be Saved by it nor though it be sufficient and Infallible in it self that therefore all those to whom it is tender'd are sav'd or therefore are Infallible without any Consideration had to their Obedience How False How Injurious How almost Unpardonable is this Priest then Who seems to charge us with believing that all Power in Heaven and in Earth is in every Particular Man because sayes he this Light in every one is God Christ Spirit c. For though we confess that as to every individual Person all the Power which is requir'd to redeem that Soul from the Pollutions of the World unto the pure and undefiled Religion is in that Divine Principle which with respect to the great Darkness of the World is very aptly denominated Light yet that therefore the whole Light and Power of it should be comprehended by or contained in every Individual Soul I utterly Renounce as no Consequence of our Doctrine For that were to say in every Room where the Sun shines there is a distinct Sun These are but some of the Priests old Bulbeggars to scare the Simple and they will at last do as much for their Inventors It shall suffice us 1 that though the Light shines not alike into all habitable Places yet the same Light by Nature shines into all such Places For illustration only If a Man has six Rooms expos'd to the Sun there may be more Light in some one then another yet not therefore another Sun or Light 2 If People refuse to see by it it implies no Deficiency in the Light but argues manifest Rebellion in the Party 3 That whatever Means it may please God to use to stir up Men to observe obey the Light they withstand they ought not to be thought superfluous or the Light therefore Insufficient 4 That all such Means as can be effectual proceed from that Divine Principle in others and with Design of turning the Rebellious to the Grace which they resist in themselves So notwithstanding the Quakers do own and assert the Spirit to be Superiour to the Scriptures especially in this Administration yet they do not deny the Scripture all Service or Benefit by no means but believe it ought to be Read Believ'd Honour'd and Obey'd as that by which God has doth and may yet reach to the Hearts and Consciences of People And to the Righteous Lord God of Heaven and Earth do we make our Appeal in this Matter against the Unrighteous Dealing of this traducing Priest who is the Searcher of the Hearts of all Men. CHAP. VII Commands upon Conviction to be obey'd All General Commands Obligatory Particular not but upon particular Commission Our Adversaries Disingenuity The Scriptures a Means by which God may be known but not the Principle § 1. THough indeed we need not concern our selves any further in this Subject after the Disproof of his Premisses namely that because the Quakers Deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God therefore they deny them to all Intents and Purposes much less that we should esteem our selves oblieged to consider what remains after such plentiful Confutation being but Consequences of the Priests drawing from his own False Assertions already enervated or a mistaken Understanding of ours plainly discover'd and which indeed seems both to resemble and follow the old way of two and twentiethly Beloved to
he cites W. Smith's Catechism p. 107. Though some may not speak in such formal composed Words yet in the same Wisdom their Words are formal they can set their own Time to begin and end and when they will they can utter Words and when they will they can be silent and this is the Unclean Part which offers to God which he doth not accept Very well and what is this to the denying of Gospel-Prayer It seems then that what Prayer this Passage reflects upon is Gospel consequently if I understand any thing formal wise Words in Man's Time and Will which is Unclean is Gospel-Prayer in J. Faldo's account otherwise it is utterly false to say That W. Smith's Words prove the Quakers to contemn Gospel-Prayer But what can be more clear to the View of every Impartial Soul then that J Faldo's making that Prayer only which he is capable of himself that stands in his own Time Will Wisdom and Invention to be Gospel rather then to deny it and seek after one more truly Evangelical is not so much to maintain the Truth as himself § 2. Secondly he sayes That we own no Prayer that is not by immediate Inspiration and Motion of the Spirit and without the Use of our Conception and Direction of our Understanding His third I will add to this because to the same Purpose viz. That we own no Prayer but what is by and in the Light Within and here he brings 3. or 4. Testimonies which are to the same purpose I grant what he says of us in this particular to be our Faith and shall prove it to be sound Doctrine from the Scriptures of Truth The Worship of God is in the Spirit and in the Truth Now unless Men may perform Gospel-Worship without the Spirit and the Truth or if in the Spirit and the Truth yet not by the Motion of either a thing absurd it must needs be that Men ought only to pray or preach by the Motion of the Spirit and of the Truth If such only are Children of God who are led by the Spirit of God and walk in the Light as Christ is Light and that therein Access alone may be had to God who is Light and in whom is no Darkness at all then with good Reason may we say That no Prayer that ascends to God without the Leading of God's Spirit and which is not by and in the Light can be acceptable with him consequently Gospel-Prayer is only from the Motions of the Spirit of God and by and in the Light of Christ Again If no Prophecy or Preaching was to be of old but by the immediate Revelation or Motion of the Spirit though it was but to Men of far greater Reason should not any Prayer be made without a Motion of the same Spirit which is to the Eternal only Wise God § 3. Nay the Creature considered from under the Leadings of God's Spirit in all Religious Actions is unable to think a good Thought much less to perform one good Work and as the Professors say from the Crown of the Head to the Soal of the Foot are altogether unclean will it follow then that either such corrupt and sinful Duties are Gospel-Prayer and an Ordinance of God or else that what we assert of Praying by the Motions of the Spirit and in and by the Light of Christ in our Hearts must be the only Gospel-Worship which we are yet further inclined to believe For it is said in Scripture that the Word and Prayer sanctifieth all things Now if we take this Word in our sense to wit the Word of God then we are to consider whether the Word derives its Sanctifying Vertue from the Prayer or the Prayer from this Word Not the former to be sure If then it be allowed to be the latter since this Prayer which to be sure is Gospel or the Apostle would not have owned it hath a Sanctifying Vertue in it that no Prayer begun or carried on by meer Man can sanctifie because we are of our selves unable to think one good Thought it evidently follows That this Word of God which gives Prayer that Sanctifying Power doth begin or move first to that Sanctifying Acceptable Truly Gospel-Prayer § 4. But now suppose by Word is meant the Words either of Scripture or Preachings yet are we safe For since nothing can sanctifie but it must be from it self or something else and that meer Man in Preaching or Praying cannot and that God is that alone Power Wisdom and Eternal Spirit that is able to sanctifie it will follow also that God's Spirit or Power moving in the Heart is that alone which renders the Words or Prayers of any sanctifying Nor is this all The Pool of Bethesda is a notable Figure of the Matter in hand where the Certainty of being cured upon stepping into the Pool so soon as ever the Angel had moved the Waters doth very lively represent to us that what Benefit we may ever expect to receive from the Lord comes not from an hasty Rushing into any Religious Performance in our own time but our patient Waiting till the Lord's holy Angel stirs and moves the Waters and then to lay all aside to imbrace so blessed an Opportunity Further § 5. The Gospel-State is an Eternal Sabbath He that prayes in his own Will Time Wisdom Invention is picking Sticks and kindling a Fire and compassing himself about with the Sparks of the Fire of his own kindling This Man hath not Ceast from his own Works he will suffer loss in the Day of God and his Bed will be made in Sorrow § 6. Nor is this the utmost of our Force For whatever God hath not required just will it be with him to say who hath required these things at your hands 'T is true God loves that his People should pray and Christ injoyns it but he also bids all Watch unto Prayer that is wait to feel that Spirit of Life to stir which gives Life to Prayer the Key of David by which Heaven's Door is opened and the Soul comes to receive True and Heavenly Refreshment The Want of which maketh so much Complaint among some that their Duties are Unholy Things they want Power they have prayed long but to little purpose whereas had they pray'd aright that had never been Much more might be said to this but my Conscience is clear in the Matter and I shall conclude this Point with a general Confession and Caution § 7. We do acknowledge That God is That he ought to be worshipped That Worshipping of God is stricktly a bowing down before him in Fear and Holy Reverence according as he makes himself known to the Creature That Prayer is a Gospel-Ordinance That it is not only Good but Necessary to be used That God only can give us to pray aright as well to pray at all That therefore his Assistance is necessary to have which there ought to be a Waiting out of all Conceivings Inventions or Forms to receive
into our Justification an uncooth Phrase before God and our Salvation To prove which he brings forth three Passages of our Friends All that are called Presbyterians and Independents with their Feeding upon a Report of a thing done many hundred years ago E. Burroughs's Trump p. 17. Which J. Faldo wickedly construes thus This he saith by way of Reproach against all that act Faith on and receive Comfort from the Blessed Effects of Christ's Righteousness and Sufferings by him wrought and suffered when he was in the World Whereas in Honesty and Truth which J. Faldo shews himself wholy unacquainted with he meant no more then their Excessive Admiration of and the Regard to what Christ did without whilst they neglected undervalued and decry'd for Blasphemy and Euthusiasm the Appearance Work and Righteousness of Christ within But he thinks we have mistaken him and that he is better armed for us then we are aware of What Righteousness Christ performed without me was not my Justification neither was I saved by it R. Farnsworth he quotes for Author but no Book which is very unfair However this may be said in Defence of R. F. that what gives daily Access and Acceptance to and with the Lord is that Preparation of Clean and Righteous Adornment the Soul actually receives from Christ who is the Lord her Righteousness And take Justification in this sense and not for Remission in which he meant it if ever he said it and we do all own and acknowledge the same and let our Adversary do his worst Only I desire him to tell us the Book next time which affords that Expression § 2. But I. Pennington he thinks he has made his own Can Outward Blood clense the Conscience Can Outward Water wash the Soul clean Quest p. 25. I beseech you that read me hear his comment A plain Denial of the Efficacy of the Blood of Christ shed on the Cross to clense the Soul from the Guilt of Sin by its Satisfaction to the Justice of God I have had to do with many Enemies to God's Truth But I must profess to the whole World I never yet saw spoak to or read of a more disingenuous Man To pervert our Words alter Sentences draw Generals from Particulars and then call them Ours is Base and Unmanly I would fain have an impartial Man answâ—r me Doth I. P. deny or any way meddle with the Outward Blood concerning the Guilt of Sin past how far it had an Influence into Justification taking Justification in that Sense But does he not treat of the Outward Blood with respect to Purgation and Sanctification of the Soul from the present Acts and Habits of Sin that lodge therein Is he so Sottish as to make no Distinction betwixt being pardon'd Sin past and the Ground of it and being renewed and regenerated in Mind and Spirit and the Ground of that Conversion or else is he so impiously Unjust that because we do deny that Outward Blood can be brought into the Conscience to perform that Inward Work which they themselves dare not nay do not hold Therefore I. Pennington denys any Efficacy to be in that Outward Offering and Blood towards Justification as it respects meer Remission of former Sins and Iniquities This may give the Sober-minded some Relish of his Rancker We do say that Outward Blood can no more clense then Outward Water But we also say that Christ's Blood had an Influence into Justification as he phraseth it which I shall presently show § 3. He undertakes the Defence of what he falsly says we deny but so confusedly as ought to shame a modest Man and a Pretender to Controversy His first Scripture is this And he received the Sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that he might be the Father of all them that believe though they be not circumcised that Righteousness might be imputed to them Rom. 4. 11. His Observation and Inference run thus that Imputation is a Reckoning that to any which they have not from themselves nor actually from another otherwise it could not be Grace therefore it was the Righteousness of another not his own This is so base a Pervertion and Mis-using of the Word that Imputation both in Scripture and Common Discourse is always taken and used in the contrary sense Let him produce me one Scripture that countenanceth his Notion This imputed Righteousness is best understood by the Context Even as David also describeth the Blessedness of the Man unto whom God imputes Righteousness without Works saying Blessed are they whose Iniquitys are forgiven and whose Sins are covered Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord will not impute Sin Cometh this Blessedness then upon the Circumcision only or Uncircumcision also for we say that Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness How was it then reckoned when he was in Circumcision or Uncircumcision And he received the Sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which he had yet being Uncircumcised that he might be the Father of all them that believe though they be not Circumcised that Righteousness might be imputed unto them also vers 6 7 8 9 10 11. In which we may perceive First that the Righteousness was by the Apostle inferr'd from David's Words of the Blessedness of that Man unto whom God imputed not Sin As much as if he had said whom God forgives he imputes not Sin to and to whom he imputes not Sin such he lookes upon as Righteous that is to be as clear of the Guilt of former Sin by Remission as if it had never been committed Secondly that not Works of our own no though assisted by the Holy Spirit to perform them stricktly consider'd can justifie in this sense but Faith only in the Goodness Mercy and Promise of God to Pardon Remit and show Favour unto all such who Distrusting their own Weakness and Repenting of their former Miscarriages humbly yet firmly put their Confidence in him This being Abraham's Case with respect to himself and Posterity God no more lookt upon him as a Stranger at a distance from him but one who by Faith was brought nigh and became thus justified not by Works of Righteousness that he wrought but by Faith in God which was accounted unto him for Righteousness and that really too since he could not believe without an Inward Act of Righteousness but not of his own § 4. In short Justification bears a twofold sense in the Scripture and because we are frequently mistaken about it by such as understand not the Extent and Use of the Word I will explain it Justification is sometimes to be understood of Remission or non-Imputation of Sin upon Repentance and Faith in the Promise of God In which sense we say That all the righteous Works Man is capable of either from himself if such can be or from the Assistance of the Holy Spirit stricktly as such can never move one Jot to
Apostolical or primitive Christianity And this shall close our Chapter and my honest and clear Answer to the second part of his Discourse which makes up more then three parts of four of his Uncharitable and Disingenuous Treatise AN APPENDIX Being A Reply to that last Part of his Book which pretends to answer the first of my Spirit of Truth Vindicated entituled An Examination of the first part of W. P's Spirit of Truth c. with a Rebuke of his Exorbitances § 1. THough there has been no Adversary which has fallen to my share that has shown more Incivility and less Learning a thing he pretends to in Answer to any of my Books then J. Faldo has done in this last part of his Quakerism no Christianity yet how little soever I have at least to bestow upon him I desire to manifest more Temper Truth and Civility then to recompence him with that Ill-bred Language those School-puns and loose irreverent if not prophane Sayings amidst the most weighty Matters it hath pleased him to give me for a great share of his Answer to the first Part of my Book I will rather betake my self to single out the Strength of his Objections if any there be and bestow my Time in Vindication of the Truth then to rail revile undervalue and stigmatize with I know not how many disgracefull Epithites a Way that never yet reacht into any Man's Conscience And this Ken I have of J. Faldo That all his Discourse of Christianity interlined with so much Babling Prattle and base Abuse would never move a sober Turk and a Banian is a Saint to a Congregation of such kind of Christians § 2. He tells me he expected great Things when first he set about to read my Book and began to stagger in his Mind as to that Ingenious Piece call'd The Spirit of the Quakers tried or to that purpose But knowing himself better I hope he will excuse me if I do not believe him He never had that Opinion of any thing writ in Defence of a People he testifies such irreconcilable Hatred to which is none of the meanest Blots in his Scutchion Pen the Answerer if he were not furnisht with Fore-head and Tales beyond measure his Pamphlet would have had nothing remarkable in it Whether this be most a Lye or an Abuse I know not perhaps the Reader may but sure I am there is more of both then stands with true Christianity to give a comprehensive Under value of what he can never answer which perhaps goes for one among such as have Faith in him or know no better § 3. But he is angry at my Stating the Question thus Whether God's Holy and Unerring Spirit is or should be the proper Judge of Truth Rule of Faith and Guide of Life among Men especially under the Administration of the blessed Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ or no. I affirm it and proceed to prove it by Scripture and Reason Upon which be pleased to hear his Reflection and from hence make a Judgment what that Spirit must be that should so pretend to answer my Spirit of Truth c. Considering his Words foregoing which are too many and too worthless to transcribe And what he drives at in the handling of this Question I never read one so lame and deformed in my Life come forth with such State and Confidence and such a train and rout of Mediums as deformed as it self There is in it neither Logick nor Honesty Certainly if he had not turned Quaker and in that Fall put all out of joynt he could not likely after such good Nursing have been thus lamentably cripled in his Intellects and somewhat besides One would think the Strain of this Comment were Answer to it self Why so much flourish and little done Must Noise supply the Absence of Reason and base Reviling go for Confutation Shallow Man what Lameness is there in the Question I profess I see none nor has he so much as pointed at one Limb that is defective in all this Rabble of Reflection I have neither Logick nor Honesty It had been to be wish'd that he had shown more of both in saying so or held his Tongue But my turning Quaker has put something out of joynt But what I know not unless the good Opinion I once undeserved had of such Mountebank Priests But give him his due he is the first Man that ever acquainted me with the Ground of Cripling I was never yet wise enough to think it a Natural Effect of Ill-nursing only through Carelesness in Nurses Falls and the like have brought it I perceive he is not only a Wel wisher to Physick by his hard Word Ebullitions but a small Pretender to Chyrurgery by his Terme out of joynt when he has given better Proof of his well-setting to rights his own dis-joynted or if he will dislocated Cause with that of Chistianity he may better set up for a Religious Bone-setter and in the mean time he can pass but for a Pretender But I have no Logick And why Because I say pag. 37. there is no more Difference to me between a Judge Rule and Gaide then essentially there can be in the Wisdom Justice and Holiness of God he should have added sayes J. Faldo nor between Truth Faith and Life amongst Men. I would know of any Man that can think himself capable of judging in the plainest Case if this be an Answer to my Argument I said then I do again that there is no more Difference in them respecting the Principle then essentially there can be in the Wisdom Justice and Holiness of God which are but so many Words to express the Perfection of one and the same Being for he is all and that in all Wise in being Just and both in being Holy They are inseparable for That which gives me a right Sense or Judgment of Truth from Error is as well to me a Rule what I should believe or dis-believe and a Guide what I should practise or not practise as at first it was my Judge of what was Truth from what was Errour All which sober and indeed unanswerable Arguing he thought fit to over-look which is very Disingenuous I say that the same Spirit which is a Judge is a Rule and Guide even in that very Act when it is a Judge and that unavoidably Therefore to distinguish them is frivolous and to maintain one to be a Rule and another a Judge is absurd and heterodox For his Addition it is not hard to answer That there is more Difference between Truth Faith and Life for one may be without the other two I mean Truth abstractly But if it shall be understood of Truth received into the Heart I say that there is so great an Affinity between Truth true Faith and an Heavenly Life that they follow each other almost at an instant and cannot be separated from each other § 4. But he is Angry that I should use these Words of Lord
Government and consequently they had as truly their Measure of the Holy Unerring Spirit as had Moses Joshua c. theirs § 7. The Third Scripture he would unconcern me in is this And the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them Understanding Upon this he asks me this Question But doth this Incourage Men to cast off all External Means and the Use of their Reason Nothing less says he Nothing less say I too And who can help it if he understands me so But that he may be as base as base can be he askes this Question as the Result of my Argument upon the Place and never yet answers it at all But I cannot help it if J Faldo will render me a Fool that he may shew himself Wise I confess he wants some such Fool for his Work and his own Weakness may tempt him to that Dishonesty Only I would have the Reader know that Reason Memory and Understanding are all useful Servants we deny them not a Place in the Heavenly Work but as Instruments not Agents what should not move of themselves to Religious Worship but in and by the Motions of the Holy Spirit of God § 8. The next Scripture he thinks I abuse is this Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or Whither shall I flee from thy Presence From whence sayes he you can scribble thus If God's unerring Spirit be so nigh and the Sence or it so certain it must be either to Reprove for Evil done or to Inform Uphold Lead and Preserve in reference to all Good Now in which of the two senses it shall be taken the Presence of God's Eternal Spirit his being the Saints Instructer Judge Rule and Guide are evidently deduceable from the Words rudis indigestaque moles worse then ever Bear brought forth her Cubbs says J. Falde But this is not all hear him further which with her Licking may be brought into some Shape but your Products are so defective both in Truth right Reason and Syntax and Sense that it is no Dis-reputation to your Adversary to be confounded by them A notable Excuse for no Answer but Silence which is always counted Answer enough by him that hath never another to give Again It is an effectual but an impudent Course to Silence all the World from Opposing you by writing such confident confused Non-sense We may suppose then that there is such a thing as confused Sense Yet again Were it not for the sake of many who conceit your Infallibility which you are here so blindly pleading for I would as soon abandon my Time Non-sense to dispute witha distracted Man in his Raving Fits as with W. Penn till he come better to himself then I find him in his Pamphlet And Reader Canst thou think that my Adversary has taken a fair or probable Way to bring me to my self again whose best Arguments are sordid ill-bred Names down-right Lyes and Slanders I challenge any Man that can soberly pretend to Religion to so much as abet this manner of Proceeding against me and the Way I profess if this were to be Christian as it is Antichristian were I a Turk I should take great Care I came not within the very Suburbs of so base a Profession Where 's J. Faldo's Reading Learning Conscience in this one Passage I will not so much as attempt the Defence of my Argument for it were to say it needed my Assistance or that my Adversary had done somthing to indanger its Security who has so pleaded the Sobriety and Truth of it by an Opposition that could become none but a Creature as for-lorn of all Honesty as himself that it is a Credit to my Cause almost equal with our Clearness that so much Rancour and Ignorance set themselves against it This is no less Man then your Vaunting Struting J. Faldo his own self who thinks as well of himself and deserves as little of it from other Men as any Person that has come within my Ken a long time In short whether I am out of my Wits or he out of all Bounds of good Sense or Manners shall be left with the Reader to determine For my part if this be the Way he intends to take to confute his Opposers he is like to answer himself And give him his due he is as good at it as most Men I know and 't is not to be doubted but he may increase in that Science § 9. But he tells me that my main Fallacies are these two First from an Infallible Spirit-Teaching to the Infallibility of the Subjects in which the Spirit dwells as a Teacher Next from the Spirit 's Teaching to its Immediate and Peculiar Teaching If the First be true without any Consideration had to the Obedience of the Creature and his being guided by the Holy Spirit I will yield it to him that I am mistaken though not fall aciously that implying a Design to do so which I had not And for the Second I am content to stand by the Charge not of a Fallacy but our Faith and such as is Defensible both from Scripture and Reason For if the Truth of no Argument I have made nor any Expression that has fallen from me doth so much as imply his Charge let him not be angry with me that I say He is one of the basest Perverters among Men And if that very Passage by which he hopes to prove this great Deceit of mine is found mute in the Case I hope no Reader will be so unjust as to refuse me the Censure of his being an Unfair Adversary § 10. The first Place he thinks to make for him is this Quench not the Spirit On which I argu'd thus Those to whom he gave the Caution had the Spirit if those could not quench it that had it not consequently the primitive Churches were not without an Unerring Spirit To which he sayes but suppose they had the Spirit it is a miserable erronious and weak Conclusion that they were Infallible How far this makes for him or rather how greatly he has mistaken me is evident if it may be considered that there is not one Word of any Man 's being Infallible in all my Argument only that the primitive Churches had an Infallible Spirit not of their own or from themselves but from God and that they were only so in their Knowledge or Determinations from the unerring Guidance of God's Spirit unless they either were without the Anointing or that the Anointing was Fallible both which are contradicted by the Apostle John in that noted passage 1. 2. 27. So that my Adversary is manifestly guilty of that Fault He doth with no small Aggravation charge upon me viz That from my Arguing the Certainty of the primitive Churches having the Holy Spirit of God to direct them from the Impossibility of their Quenching what they had not he makes me to conclude the Infallibility of the Churches whether they were led by it or no As if I intended to plead the Infallibility
so besotted as to think that when a Measure of the Spirit was given to all to profit with and that the Children of God were led by the Spirit of God and the Spirit that was sent into the Hearts of the Sons of God and the Anointing that was in the Saints that was able to teach them all things was any Measure Part or Parcel of the Prophets or Apostles Writings I cannot yet think him so Blinded as Ignorant or Envious as he is Either these Passages are no Scripture or that gross Absurdity must follow § 15. But he tells us that we may be mistaken ever since some of us thought Paul Hobson ' s Mumbling through a Trunck an Hole in the Wall to be the Voice of the Lord. But were it as true as it is in many things false it shews the Prophaneness of that Anabaptist who dar'd to take the Lord's Name in his Mouth and counterfeit a Solemn Commission to a poor whimsical Wretch and as it happened out of a Spirit of Covetousness and Inhospitality for he had no Mind to give him longer Entertainment so that not knowing how better to be rid of him then to forge a Commission wickedly contrived a Passage into the Chamber where the Man lay and through a Trunk prophanely utterred a kind of Commission to go to a certain place where I cannot tell but I am sure as the Story goes out of his House to whom his little Victuals had been a Burden A Practice for the Avarice Prophaneness and Abuse of it to be abhorred and detested of all sober Men. And I think the Man more excusable under his Mistake then Major Hobson who ventur'd into so much Wickedness that with Design to bring him into it 'T is true that such a Man there was that he went to Major Hobsons House that he dealt so wickedly by the Man to be rid of him that the Man had been among us but as his Practice shew'd him to be none of us so was not any of his Imaginations countenanced by us but sharply rebuk'd and therefore that part of J. Faldo's Reflection a Lye Yet since he has gotten this Story by the End I will see how much better grounded J. Faldo would be upon his Principles against a Quaker should he be so Impious as to put the same prophane Abuse upon him Suppose J. Faldo either by a Trunk or Hole through a Wall or one of the new invented Trumpets that carry a Voice a Mile should have as far as Words go a very solemn Commission to go preach the Gospel in any other Place then Barnet where I hear he now lives within this Isle or some more remote Part of the World and that not only once or twice but many times joyn'd with Threats and Promises I will suppose his Inclinations will lie at home unless more be to be gotten an Infallible Ground of Motion with many of his Tribe But I would know of him which Way or upon what Foot he would Receive or Reject such a Commission The Scripture makes no mention of any such thing in Particular in General it will not reach it because this is no other Gospel that he should be required to preach then that which he pretends to be according to Scripture I say with what would he relish savour or try this Voice Would he reject it because the Scripture did not particularly own it There is the same Reason why he should embrace it because it does not particularly deny it How will he do then Why perhaps he will go because there is no General in Scripture that withstands it But how does he know that so many good Words in themselves were spoken from God and not to deceive tempt or abuse him 'T is true the Scripture has general Denials to False Spirits and general Testimonies to the Motions of the True One but still here 's but a Begging of the Question for how shall I know that the Voice or Spirit be True or False It is not Unscriptural Unreasonable nor Improbable Alas for John Faldo Have all his Preaching Praying Writing c. no better Foundation then Hear-say Imitation strong Fancy and external Sense Can he not savour and relish Spirits as well as Words If not he may truly be styled a Man of Words but void of that Spirit which tryes Spirits and gives right Discerning to all that believe in it and are led by it of those things that may concern them I might say much upon this Theme but let this suffice to detect the Weak Foundation of J. Faldo's Faith Knowledge and Practice and that such as he though pretendedly 2 or 3 degrees more refined then the present Protestants are miserably apostatized from the First Revolters from Romes Idolatries who asserted none could understand the Scriptures themselves much less benefit by them who had not the same Spirit that gave them forth consequently the Spirit and not the Scriptures were the Principal Cause of Right Knowledge and Rule for our very Understanding of them And truly though J. Faldo would have the World think he both understands the Quakers Principles very well and has refuted them very clearly yet whether he will give me leave or no I will make him speak the Language of the Quakers passing well in this particular of the Spirits being the Judge Rule and Guide of Faith Worship and Conversation the thing aim'd at in that First Part of my Spirit of Truth Vindicated by him so much quarrell'd at perverted and scurrilously abused or else I greatly mistake his Mind And which will be much to my Defence he must likewise have done so himself Hear him § 16. But Mr. Penn do you deal fairely and honestly with your Adversaries to imply in your Question that we deny the Spirit of God to be a proper Rule of Faith Guide of Life Judge of Truth You know that we own it to be such and that it doth both IN THE CONSCIENCE and by the Scripture Creation and Providence perform such Acts c. and is to such Purposes that of Right What can we say more Has he not strangly mis-understood us Again Only we deny that the Spirit alwayes performs these Acts without the Use of the Scripture or any External Means Truly and so do we For we daily enjoy the Benefit both of God's Spirit by the Scripture and publick Worship as Means If this be the Grindstone my Nose is to be held at and by not mentioning of which as he falsly sayes of me I abuse and trifle him and my unwary Reader I am contented to abide here while I live as my Discourse at large upon the Scriptures must needs have informed those who have read it But I am of the Mind that J. Faldo will finde it too hot for him and I am assured that so much Concession overturnes him for ever as to his present Basis For that he should oppose my Discourse that intended nothing more then to prove God's Spirit