thereof This is a Metaphorical Rule so called from the Analogy and Resemblance it hath in its use and end to a material Rule 'T is in this sense we call the Written Word a Rule of Faith and Lifâ— For as a Mason in raising a Wall a Joiner in squaring a Piece of Timber by applying the Level to the Building the Square to the Timber come to judge of the uprightness straitness and exactness of their Work So a Christian tries and examines his thoughts words and actions by the Holy Scriptures The Sacred Writings are his Square his Line and Level by which he measures and judges of Opinions and Practices Hereby he comes to know what is right and what is wrong what is duty and what is sin what is truth and what is errour All Doctrines which are to be believed all Duties which are to be performed in order to our acceptable serving of God on Earth or eternal enjoying of God in Heaven are to be measured by and conformed unto this Rule There are Three Rules which are eagerly contended for 1. The Pagans Rule The Light of Nature This Rule is good in its kind and place it discovers the Being Power Wisdom and Goodness of God so as to leave them without excuse who do not walk according to it (a) Rom. 2.14.15 1.19 20 21 32. But it cannot discover Christ by whom alone Sinners may be saved (b) 1 Cor. 1.21 2.13.14 2. The Papists Rule Vnwritten Traditions This is a Corrupt Fallible and False Rule Contradictory to the Scriptures and therefore no good Rule 3. The Quakers Rule the Light within which J. N. blasphemously calls Christ within and the Spirit of God in the Heart This is a very bad Rule to try or determine matters of Faith or Practice by God hath taught us in his Written Word to try the Spirits by the Scripture The Quakers teach their Proselytes to try the Scriptures by the Light within (c) 1 Joh. 4.1 6. which they also call the Spirit Whatever Spirit leads any against or besides the Rule of Scripture is not the Spirit of God but a lying Spirit God saith and Protestants hold that those who Speak not according to the Word have no Light in them Isa 8.20 Their pretended Light who contradict Scripture is Darkness Matth. 6.23 But Quakers impudently prefer their Dreams above the Written Word and so declare that their Light proceeds from the Father of Lies That Spirit who transformeth himself into an Angel of Light the God of this World whose Kingdom is full of Darkness blinds the Eyes of these Men of Light so that they speak against the pure Light of Scripture and prefer their Ignes Fatui before it And while they profess themselves to be wise they become Fools For loâ—â— they have rejected the Word of the Lord and what Wisdom is in them Jer. 8.9 Seeing therefore that the Pagans Rule Natural Reason and Conscience is insufficient seeing the Popish and Quaking Rules are false and uncertain it remains that the Holy Scriptures are the only Supreme Sufficient Perfect Standing Rule to try and judge all Opinions and Practices by For the Proof of this consult these following Texts 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. In this Scripture we are inform'd that the Holy Scriptures believed and obey'd are able to make wise unto Salvation That all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof c. That the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works What plainer Proof can we desire to evince that the Scripture doth contain all Doctrines necessary to be believed and command all Duties necessary to be performed in order to Salvation And if so 't is a sufficient compleat and perfect Rule of Faith Worship and Life Hence 't is that we are commanded to Search the Scriptures John 5.39 To hear Moses and the Prophets Luke 16.29 To take heed to this sure Word of Prophecy 2 Pet. 1.19 To go to the Law and to the Testimony Isa 8.19 Hence 't is we are told The Law of the Lord is perfect Psalm 19.7 'T is for this cause the Bereans are commended for Searching the Scriptures daily Acts 17.11 Believers are said to be built upon the Foundations of the Prophets and Apostles Eph. 2.20 Ignorance of the Scriptures is the cause of Errour Matth. 22.29 Many more Places might be cited but these are sufficient to any but a Papist or a Quaker to prove that the Scriptures are the Supreme and only sufficient Rule of Faith and Life which God hath given us They are a sure and standing Rule a compleat and Perfect Rule adequate and commensurate to the things to be regulated or measured thereby From which nothing can be taken away to which nothing can be added but upon the Peril of all the Plagues and Curses in the Book of God Rev. 22.18 19. Thus a Rule is described by Phavorinus 'T is an infallible measure which admits of no addition or diminution * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that if the Scriptures were not a Perfect Rule to measure and try all Opinions and Practices by they were no Rule at all The wrangling Quakers think to evade the force of all these Texts by telling us Gospel Truths c. p. 6. line 31. That Jesus Christ is the only Rule of Faith Worship and Manners And l. 38. they bid us Turn in our Minds unto the gift of Gods Spirit in our Hearts And p. 7. l. 20. It is the Holy Ghost that teaches People good manners Quaere What Spirit teaches the Quakers who want them And by the Light within Thoughts Words and Actions are tryed And this Light of Jesus is a higher and superiour Rule Rare edifying Discourse Christ is the only Rule The gift of God's Spirit in our own Hearts is the Rule The Holy Ghost is the Rule The Light within is the Rule And the Light of Jesus is the Rule And all these are one and the same Rule which is in every Man There is no difference if you believe these acute and subtle Doctors between Christ and the Spirit and the Light within Christ and the Spirit are one and are in every mans heart and yet they pretend to own the Doctrine of the Trinity and tho' they say that Christ and the Spirit of Christ are in every Man and 't is most evident that Christ is God and Man yet contrary to their avowed Principle they break poor Priscian's Head and say thou instead of you to every man who hath Christ and the Spirit in him I grant that Christ hath given us a Rule and the Holy Spirit enables all the People of God to walk according to it but the Scripture or the Written Word is the Rule according to which we are to walk that so Peace and Mercy may be upon us The Spirit is so far from being our Rule that God hath given us the Written Word to try whether we have the
doth not go about to prove that the Name Sabbath is given to the First Day but that the First Day since the Resurrection of Christ is the Day of Holy Rest. And what is the difference between Rest and Sabbath but that one is an English the other a Hebrew word Mr. Tross knows better than Joseph Nott that the Lord's-Day is the Name given by the Holy Ghost to the First-Day and principally used by the Primitive Christian VVriters of which a late diligent Searcher of their VVritings hath given us many Instances * Enquiry into the worship c. of the Primitive Church p. 2. p. 161. 165. He also tells us that though the Fathers sometimes so far complied with the Heathens as to call it Sunday in their Phrase that they might know what Day they meant Yet he did not find that the VVriters of the 3 first Centuries ever so far indulg'd the Jews as to call it the Sabbath-Day but they violently declaim against Sabbatizing that is the Judaical Obeservation of the Seventh-Day And a great Light of this Age hath observed (a) Baxter's Divine Appointment of the Lords Day Pag. 185. That the word Sabbath is ever taken in Scripture for a Day of Ceremonial Rest as well as Spiritual Rest and Worship That the Seventh-Day it self is never call'd a Sabbath till Moses's time but only the sanctified and blessed Day That the Lord's Day is sometimes call'd by latter Writers by the Name of the Christian-Sabbath but that is only Analogically as it resembles the Jewish-Sabbath (b) Id. Pag. 2. See also Pag. 81. and 82. And when they call it a Sabbath they do not mean a Day of Jewish Ceremonial Rest for Christ hath ended all such Sabbaths as being Shadows of things to come but a Day separated by Christ's Appâ—intment for holy Assemblies and Worship Let but J. N. grant that the First Day is such a Day and then let him call it the First Day or Sabbath or Lord's-Day or Sunday as he pleases And if I don 't greatly mistake him he hath granted the thing though he keeps a poâ—her against the Name For he tells us Pag. 6. L. 15. That the Sabbath signifies Rest and Pag. 8. L. 14. That the Quakers do cease from their outward Labour and assemble themselves together to wait upon God and worship him on the First Day of the Week Though their squeamish Stomachs will not let the Name Christian Sabbath go down from hence it appears that all which the Quaker hath said on this Argument here and so on to the end of his Bâ—ok is meer Stuff a pitiful putid Cavil and his Accusation may be retorted upon himself For if Mr. Tross hath no foundation to prove the First Day to be the Christian-Sabbath or Day of holy Rest then Joseph Nott and his Quakers have no Scripture-Warrant for their Practice of ceasing from their outward Labour and assembling themselves together to wait upon God and worship him on the First Day of the Week So that upon the whole it appears that Joseph Nott might very well have kept his Breath and spar'd his Paper for some better use J. N. But if we who in scorn are called Quakers should bring such Doctrine as we had no Scripture to prove How would people cry out against us And indeed Reason enough too But we bring no such Doctrine God forbid we should for we are a People that have an honourable Esteem for the Holy Scriptures No doubt but ye are the People and Wisdom shall die with you Job 12.2 You have a very honourable Esteem for the Holy Scripture witness the Titles and Epithetes you give it in your Writings such as a Carnal Letter a Dead-Killing-Letter the Husk which is fit for nothing but the Swine Nay some of you are not asham'd to call your own Writings the Word of the Lord though you deny the Scriptures to be so and others have the face to affirm what you say to be of as great Authority as the Scriptures and Chapters and GREATER See Quakers Principles and Doctrines Re-printed Pag. 3.4 And whereas thou pretendest that you Quakers bring no such Doctrine as you have no Scripture to prove perhaps I may hereafter shew the Contrary as to your Principal Opinions I am quite weary of Transcribing and I doubt not but my Reader is of reading J. N's Gibberish therefore I shall in the remaining 3. Pages of his Book only remark some choice observable things J. N. Pag. 6. L. 9. Now here we may see that the Sabbath-Day was a Shadow of what may some say why the Body is of Christ He that can understand let him The Author in these words makes use of a Trope which Rhetoricians call Non-sense He proposes a Question Of what was the Sabbath-Day a Shadow And Answers The Body is of Christ adding very pertinently He that can understand let him And I say so too but I doubt they will be hardly put to it to understand it for Non-sense was never Intelligible J.N. Line 14. Christ is the Christian-Sabbath For as I said before Sabbath signifieth Rest and Christ is the Rest of his People At this rate he may prove that the French King is Christ. For Christ signifieth Anointed Now the French King was anointed Therefore the French King is Christ. So ridiculous is his arguing J. N. Line 33. And they that are Sons of God do I n w this true Rest but G.T. doth manifest his Ignorance of it in applauding of an outward Day and putting of it in its room Here is more Mystical Divinity I hope our Author will in compassion to our Ignorance explain himself in his next about the Resting place in Christ Jesus and the Outward day which he talks of as tho' there were an Inward day If he doth not tell us more plainly what he means we shall be ready to think that his Worship doth scarce understand what he hath written himself J. N. Lin. 35. And in Pag. 90. G.T. saith That St. John calls the Fi st Day of the Week the Lords-Day And in Pag. 132. he saith That the Holy Ghost does call the Fi st Day of the Week the Lord's Day Here G.T. hath made a bold venture and he will find a â—â—ry hard Task to prove what he hath said Why so Bold-a-venture Joseph I think he hath sufficiently prov'd that the Lord's-day mentioned Rev. 1.10 is the First Day of the Week from a constant uninterrupted and universal Tradition from the Days of the Apostle to our Days the generality of Christians acknowledging the Lord's-Day to be the First Day Pag. 82. Many of the antient Writers have given it this appellation as Ignatius who is commonly said to have been St. John Disciple and therefore may be presumed to understand his Meaning at least as well as J. N. He saith in his Epistle to the Magnesians Let every Friend of Christ keep holy the Lord's-Day the Resurrection Day the Queen of Days To the same purpose
tell thee that William Pen is the only Man of Name among the Quakers it seems this Phrase would be above thy shallow Capacity J. N. The next was the Idol Wooden whom the Saxons honoured for their God of Battel from whence they called the Fourth day Wednesday Where didst thou find an Idol called Wooden I don't think there is any such Name in Cambden or Verstegan If thou hadst not been a Wooden Fellow thou wouldest have distinguish'd Woden from Wooden But every Log will not make a Mercury J. N. Now it is good for all People to leave these old Pagan Saxon Heathen Names and call the days as they are called in Scripture Never doubt Joseph but that all People will be ready to gratifie thee in this when they know thy mind And oh what a happy Reformation would it be if all People would call the days by the Names of the First day the second day c. What a brave time if the Religion and Manners of Pensylvania should obtain all the World over Here 's precious Counsel if 't were receiv'd The Quaker is for a new Language acommodated to his new Light He is a Man that sets a high value upon proper words tho' he makes no great scruple of Conscience about joining them together 'T is pity but he had liberty to coin a Language to his mind provided the new words and those that affect them were sent after the Copper Farthings Custom hath made the Names Monday Tuesday c. curâ—ant among us We use them as notes of distinction for the days of the Week And few of those who use these Names intend thereby any honour to the Man in the Moon to Tuisco the Idol of the Planets or Wooden the God of Battel And tho' I best approve of the name of the Lords-day for the first day of the Week yet I don't intend to bring an Action of Scandal against Justin Martyr or Tertullian for calling it Sunday And let but Joseph Nott give me liberty to call the other days Monday Tuesday Wednesday c. and to be quits with him he shall call them Second Third Fourth c. or Alpha Beta Gamma Delta or what else he pleases for me I don't find that the Penmen of the Holy Scriptures were so nice and scrupulous in things of this nature The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tho' an old Pagan Greek Heathen name used as Estius ad Rom. 3.2 apud Graecos Authores ad significandum responsa Deorum quae Latini Oracula vocant To signifie the Answers of the Heathen Gods yet the Proto-Martyr Stephen Acts 7.38 And the Apostle of the Gentiles Rom. 3.2 without scruple use it applying it to the Sacred Writings and Revelations of the will of the only living and true God Hear what the Learned and Reverend Doctor Wallis says to this frivolous Cavil in his Defence of the Christian Sabbath in answer to Mr. Bampfield p. 67. After he hath shewn how little regard is to be given to the Tale of Verstegan he adds But whaeever were the occasion on of the first imposing these are now the known Names of those Days And we need no more scruple the use of these Names than to talk of Pope Pius Clemens Boniface and Innocent tho' possibly the persons so call'd had none of those good Qualities In like manner as we have a Spring near Oxford which we call Aristotle's Well not that we think Aristotle was ever there or was Lord of the place and much less that he was wont to be there worshipped but we so call it as being now the proper name of the place imposed at pleasure by which it is known And so for the days of the VVeek whatever were the occasion of the first imposing they now signifie no more than the proper distinctive names by which the days are known And why we may not continue so to call them I know not We are told Acts 17.19 20. of Paul's being at Areopagus or Mars-Hill because that was the known name of the Place without scrupling the reason why it was so called whether because Mars had been there worshipped or for what other reason And Acts 28.11 of a Ship design'd by Castor and Pollux or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without scrupling the reason of that Name or what Relation these Stars had to Jupiter so as to be called his Lads c. 'T was not for nothing that St. Paul caution'd Timothy to avoid profane and vain bablings and oppositions of Science falsly so call'd 1 Tim. 6.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de rebus inanibus clamor inanis garrulitas quae ad aedificationem non facit Aret. Many such empty noisy bablers there have been in all Ages and still are of whom Vincentius Lirinensis tells us cap. 26. Audias quosdam ips rum dicere venite O insipientes miseri qui vulgo Catholici vocitamini discito fidem veram quam praeter nos nullus intelligit quae multis ante seculis latuit nuper vero revelata ostensa est How agreeable is this to the Quakers stile Come you ignorant and blind Priests come you foolish Protestants and learn the truth of us that Truth which none but we understand which hath been hid fâ—om you but is of late reveal'd unto us who have the Spirit and the Light within Learn of us to keep an invisible day Learn of us to call the days as they are called in Scripture c. But let us hear the Epilogue of this Learned and Elegant Piece J. N. The Lord prosper his great work and cause his Truth to spread more and more is the Prayer and desire of my soul Even so Amen Written by a Lover of the Lord Jesus Christ. Joseph Nott. As he began with Non-sense so he concludes with it too To make sense of it it must be That the Lord would prosper c. But 't is fit the end should be like the rest of the Pamphlet that all might be of a piece As he entituled his Book Holy Scripture work c. whereas it is a prophane wresting of Scripture so he calls himself a Lover of the Lord Jesus Christ tho' he casts off his Ordinances vilisies his VVord and reproaches his Messengers I think I have made it evident that Joseph Nott is not a Lover of the Lord Jesus Christ but one who giveth head to Seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking Lyes in Hypocrisy 1 Tim. 4.1 2. And I doubt not but that I may on this occasion pray with David Psal 31.18 Let thâ—â—ing Lips be put to silence which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the Righteous Thus I have done with this Pamphlet I have discovered the great pride and ignornce of the Writer I have shewn his gross Mistakes pitiful Cavils and notorious Errors Ex pede Herculem By this you may see what a fine System of Divinity our new Professors who are Men of all Trades are like in time to patch together What monstrous
Superstition not a few of these I say at length fall to down right Quakerism And of those who fall into this Sink of Errors few return again to the Truth or take hold of the paths of Life If what I have written in this Treatise be an Antidote to any against the Infection of this spreading Evil my labour will not be lost That He who neither slumbereth nor sleepeth would rouz his Wa chmen when the Church is so besâ—t on every side That the great Shephâ—rd and Bishop of Souls would excite his faithful Pastors to a more narrow oversight of the Flock when the old roaring Lion and so many ravenous Wolves lie in wait to deceive and destroy That the weak and ignorant may be better inform'd about and confirmed in the present Truths That true Protestants may cease to bite and devour one another and having unfeignâ—d Love to the Truth and one another may contend earnestly for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints is the Desire of One Studious to know and practice â—hâ— Doctrine according to Godliness An Ignorant QUAKER Rebuk'd Or REMARKS upon JOSEPH NOTT's Silly Pamphlet Against the Reverend Mr. GEORGE TROSS THat I may the better deal with this huffing Champion of the Quakers who Goliah-like bids defiance to the Protestant Hosts offers Violence to the Word of God and cast Fire-brands Arrows and Death at those who come near him I shall First Examine his swelling Title and shew how impertinently he hath cited Scripture Secondly I shall consider his Preface and Thirdly bestow some Notes and Reflections upon his Tâ—eatise that he and his Admirers may see his Vanity in meddling with that which is far above his Capacity SECT 1. Joseph Nott's Title Page consider'd The Title of his Pamphlet examined His impertinence in Citing Scripture repriv'd The Texts by him quoted explained With a Rebuke to such Ignorant Teachers and their giddy Hearers THE Title which this Trifleâ— prefixes to his Pamphlet is this Holy Scripture-work is better than the work of the corrupt Reasoning of Fallen Man A great Name for such a little Brat But prithee Jo. if thou wert Godfather to thy own Baby tell me How it came into thy Head to give it this Name Doth it not look like a Compliance with the Men of the World in that Babilonish Ceremony called Baptism Thy Book would better have resembled its Author if it had been sent packing without Title or Preface Thou mightest very honestly have left every Reade to have nam'd it acco ding to his own â—ight Who would have thought that a Man of thy Gravity would have trick'd up thy little Infant with Ribbons and Lace and set a high Top-Knot upon its Front How canst thou reconcile this to the Dictates of Light within and the Practice of the Brethren in other Cases Doth not this smell a little Popish and Anti-Christian Joseph if thou art breeding any more Pamphlets be rul'd by me turn 'em along without any of those Carnal Ornaments in a plain Quaking-Dress that we may know whose they are by their Garb. And why dost thou call thy Book Work Holy Work yea Holy Scripture Work Must writing at random pass for Work Commend me to those that Play or sit still Would'st fain have thy scurilous Libel Sainted He hath an Ounce of Charity for a Grain of Discretion that accounts thy Writings Sacred Unless it were the sacred Hunger of Gold which set thee about this Jobb of work I do not think there is much Holiness in the Case And who knows but the hope of Brass Farthings when Trade was low and Work scarce refin'd thy Wit and a craving Maw raised thy Fancy so that in spight of Nature and Education thou would'st become an Author Thou art Flesh and Blood as well as others And who knows but the Belly that Master of Arts as one * Magister Artis Ingeniique largitor vâ—niter Pers calls him might teach Joseph Nott to hold forth and write Replies as well as Hireling Daws and Parrots to prate and sing Thou wouldst fain shelter thy Errors under the VVord of Truth and therefore call'st thy bungling and botching Scripture-Wâ—rk We shall see in a little time what fine Work thou makest with Scripture Thou wouldst make us believe that thy Pamphlet is better than the Corrupt Reasoning of Fall'n Man But by the way thou goest to work one would think thy Noddle were Craz'd and thy Brains addle After the Title we have four Texts of Scripture cited which I come now to consider Only Reader one word by the way Let it not surprize thee to find the Quaker quoting Scripture Don't suffer thy self to be fool'd into a Belief that 't is out of Respect to the Oracles of God No have a little patience till we come to the Preface and thou wilt find that he hath a Spleen against all that Profess the Scripture to be the only Rule of Faith And directs his Reader not to the sure word of Prophecy but to the Light in his own Heart He durst not for his Ea s refer himself to the Evidence of Scripture Hold his Nose to that Grindstone and you may do what you will with him for all his prancing and sprawling If his dull Pate imagine that any Text may serve his turn it shall be welcome But if that clear â—â—ght Witness against his dark and rotten Errors then away with the Prophets and Apostles and make room for Light within to give in its Evidence 'T is no new thing to find Scripture misapplied In Mat. 4.6 you read of an old Sophister that did so long before the Days of Joseph Nott and John Gannacliff On which St. Ambrose a Man of as much Light and Honesty as either of those worthy Authors no disparagement to 'em hath this Note Non sequitur Haereticos esse doctos quod multas citent Scripturas quas Diabolus citavit non ut doceret sed ut noceret citavit truncatas praeterito sensu Scripturae ut faciunt Haeretici 'T is no Argument that Quakers are sound or learned because they cram their Preachments and stuff their Pamphlets with Quotations Satan had a Text in his Mouth not to Teach but to Tempt our Saviour Thus may Truth be abused to the Patronage of Lies and the Devil set the Stamp of Divine Authority upon his Counterfeit Coin Having given this Caution let us now come to the Texts themselves The First is Deut. 29.29 Secret things belong unto the Lord our God c. Why this Sc ipture is quoted I can't imagin If he thinks it warrants Him and such as he to expound Scripture let him peruse these following Texts which require Qualifications and a Commission neither of which he can shew us Rom. 10.15 1 Tim. 3.2 7. The Second Epistle to Timothy and the Epistle to Titus throughout Whoever reads these Epistles with Understanding will see abundant cause to admire at the presumptuous Sin and Folly of those ignorant Intruders into that
let the Passenger know what he may find within He begins thus Joseph Nott. Reader by this thou mayest know That I have seen a Book with G. T. for George Tross's Name to it a Preacher among the Presbyterians in Exon Dated 1692. And Reader By this compar'd with the Date of J. N's Pamphlet thou mayest know that the Author sat brooding 5 or 6 Months before this Reply was hatch'd For Mr. Tross's Book was Printed in August whereas J. N's Scribble did not appear before Cuckow time this present Year J. N. Now this Book of G. T 's was written in Answer to a Book set forth by Thomas Bampfield Counsellor at Law in Exon by way of Enquiry Whether the Lord Jesus Christ made the World And also by way of Vindication of the Observation of the Seventh-Day as a Sabbath I would have the Reader observe That I am not concern'd to Vindicate T. B's Book Not to insist upon the false Spelling and Canting Phrase of our Quaker I shall comply wiâ—â— his Request and fix on that which he doth with so great Ceremony and Formality desire his Reader to observe And what great and wonderful thing do you think ' t is Why 't is no more but this That he is not concern'd to Vindicate T. B 's Book Alas poor T. B. You and your Book are left to shift for your selves for any assistance Joseph Nott will aford you Could you but have hook'd in this Man of mettle for your Second how soon would G. T. have quitted the field If a Man of such deep Thoughts and profound Learning as J. N. had been profelyted to your Opinion and would but have deign'd to write for a Saturday-Sabbath no doubt but you might have the Satisfaction to see the Quakers open their Holding-fâ—â—th-place-door on the Seventh-Day and their Shop-Windows on the First And oh what Comfort might you have taken in the good Success of your Book if you had seen this Doctor in the Pulpit on Saturday and in the Comb-Shop on Sunday But tho' he hath a Mind to fall out with G. T. he hath never a word in his Budget for T. B. but leaves him to stand upon his own Legs if he can and then proceeds J. N. But to the Latter I say I am sensible that Christ the Substance is come and the Shadows flies away And I am sensible that this Sentence abounds with palpable Non-sense To call G. T. the latter when he had mentioned him 3 times in 3 Lines before he had once nam'd T. B. and not once since And to join Flies a Verb of the Singular Number with Shadows a Nominative Case of the Plural and yet bear us in hand that he is sensible is somewhat unaccountable in a Man of his Gifts But I suppose his Talent lies in something beside writing good Sense or true English or else his Noddle was a little â—â—y-blown and he freakish when thiâ— Preface gave him the Slip. But to be serious Joseph thou art like to prove a hopeful Confuter who canst not distinguish former from latter Art thou the mighty He who didst challenge all the Ministers in Exon to encounter thee Away Trifler away to thy Trade Throw aside thy Pen and handle the Tool which thou wert bred up to Never more write Prefaces till thou hast reconcil'd thy self to good Sense and canst speak true English But why must Mr. Tross be told That Christ the Sabstanâ—â— is come c. Doth he ever deny it Hath He not in that Book which thou aâ—t Nibbling at * The Lords Day vindicated prov'd that the Ceremonial Law was a Shadow of Christ Doth he not affirm Pag. 39. That Christ was the Substance of those Figures the Body of those Shadows in the Ceremonial Law Hath he not prov'd from Coloss 2.16 17 That the Jewish Seventh-Day-Sabbath was one of those Shadows that were to vanish when Christ the Body was come †Pag. 92. seq 11. Prov. 26.7 Hadst thou said thy Say to T. B. who will hug the Shadow tho' the Substance be come it had been better applied But how odly doth a Parable sound out of the Mouth of a Fool or vain Jangler who knows not what he says nor whereof he affirms Tim. 1.17 J. N. But I am concern'd to return a Reply to several things in G. T 's Book for I have perused it and have seen the great Error of the Writer which drew a Concern upon my Mind to write Concern is a great word with him you had it once before and now twice more in this Sentence One would have thought he had no great Concerns of his own and therefore did concern himself with Mr. Tross had he not told us that it was not Curiosity but Zeal against Error drew him on But was it indeed to shew Mr. Tross's Error that thou hast appear'd in Print or to discover thy own invincible Courage Mr. Tross had by clear Scripture and solid Reason routed all those Arguments which Mr. T. B. had pressed for the Service of the Jewish-Sabbath Upon this out comes J. N. swagers up and down threatning what he would do to Mr. T. Just like Thersites an ill-â—avour'd and ill-humour'd Fellow in the Grecian Army at the Siege of Troy who tho he were the greatest Coward that ever drew Sword yet had the Confidence to oppose the stoutest Commanders One day when he concern'd himself to return a Reply to Achilles that Hero knock'd him down and kill'd him with a blow of his Fist But Joseph set thy Heart at rest Mr. Tross is too generous to lay Hands on such a Dwarf as thou 'T is beneath a Man of his Learning and Reputation to observe â—r reply to thy pitiful Cavils Thou mayest sit pluming thy self crowing and clapping thy Wings for Joy of thy imaginary Victory long enough ere he will give thee any disturbance J. N. For I do admire that ever a Man professing Christianity should appear in Print in such manifest Opposition to the holy Scripture and yet of that Number that profess the Scripture to be the only Rule of Faith c. But in this we may see the great Confusion of Babel's Builders None but such as Joseph Nott who have read Mr. Tross's Book would have been put into such a fit of wondering or would thus impudently charge him with Opposition yea manifest Opposition to Scripture None but a Popish Tool would reproach a Man for professing the Scripture to be the Rule of Faith and Life But no wonder that shallow Heads admire what they do not understand No wonder that Crafty Papists imploy silly Quakers to do their work by vilifying the sacred Writings No wonder that the underling Quaker is many times but the Puppet in the Show that serves to make a little Sport when the subtle Jesuite stands behind the Curtain and manages the Wires No wonder that a black Mouth'd Fellow that is drunk with the Fumes of Pride and Self-conceit should foam at the Mouth and revile
Cavil against Mr. Tross The World created long before the Son of God became Man or was actually Jesus Christ Scriptures wrested c. THE Wise Man saith Prov. 3.30 Strive not with a man without cause if he have done thee no harm and Prov. 25.8 Go not forth hastily to strive lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof when thy Neighbour hath put thee to shame Had Joseph Nott learnt this Lesson and held his peace he had better consulted his Credit and his Quiet But some People will be meddling tho' to their cost 'T is like some Spirit mov'd him but as to its Region Quality and Complexion albus an ater 't is left to the Reader 's conjecture When a furious Storm is rais'd on a sudden the Prince of the Power of the Air is thought to be going a Procession When a Fire breaks out no body knows how and threatens to consume whatever stands in its way we condemn some unseen Boutefeu To see a man that had no provocation act like a fury ranting and raving quarrelling and contending with those who had nothing to do with him makes all sober People conclude that he hath some invisible Driver But besides the External Mover it seems his very Complexion led him on Choler no doubt is his predominant Humor and he is as one said of a Goose Animal pugnacissimum Hence it was that he sent abroad his Challenges in Gospel Truths Scripturally asserted p. 6. lin 6. and in p. 23. Where is a Challenge to Mr. Hallet and all the Presbyterian Preachers in the World to Answer Joseph Nott and John Gannacliff And because neither Mr. Hallet nor any body else accepted that Challenge he hath a mind to pick a quarrel with Mr. Tross So have I seen a little contentious Cur breath forth Threats and Challenges against a generous Racer until a disdainful kick hath cool'd his Courage and sent him back howling But before he thinks fit to threaten he fawns and flatters for thus he begins J. N. We generally profess that we do believe that the Holy Scriptures were written for our Learning that is Episcalian 1 Presbyterian Independent 2 Anabaptist and Quakers c. And that we ought to prove our Doctrine and Principles by them And we also do say That if any Man do hold or endeavour to prove any Doctrine or Principle that is contrary to the Holy Scripture that we ought not to believe them 3 altho they never so Orthodoxly so called or subtâ—â— endeavours to prove their Assertion 4. Passing by the false spelling in the words mark'd 1 and 2 the false Concord in 3 them for him and the Non-sense in the two last Clauses we may observe how rudely our Paltry Author intrudes into the company of those who never sent for him He crowds himself and his Brethren the Quakers in among Protestants tho' I am persuaded they will no more own this Upstart Sect than Joseph Nott owns the Scriptures to be the only Rule of Faith and Life Yet to curry favour with them he pretends to commend the Word of God but does it after such a scurvy rate as doth sufficiently discover his kindness to it Tho' he Sacrifices it to his ador'd Light within yet he fawns upon it just as the Crocodile that weeps over his Prey his Tears being a sort of formal Grace before his intended Feast The meaning of his words seems to be this We Quakers c. i. e. Ranters Seekers Familists Adamites Muggletonians and the like do generally not universally profess to believe not without a reserve that the Scriptures are written for our Learning as was Cambden's Britannia and †Nickram'd by J.N. Verstgan pag. 8. line 21. Verstegan's Antiquities And that we ought to prove our Doctrine and Principles by them stretching and wresting them if they will not otherwise serve our turn And we also do say that we ought not to believe any Doctrine or Principle contrary to the Scriptures as expounded by our infallible Light by the help of which we make a Lesbian Rule or Nose of Wax of them and bring them to speak what we would have them That this is the meaning of this insipid Advocate for the Holy Scriptures is plain not only from what I have formerly Remark'd in the Preface where he scoffs at those who profess the Scripture to be the only Rule of Faith c. and would fain send his Reader to the Light within for Direction but much more from his Book against Mr. Joseph Hallet where he speaks his mind more freely and tells us plainly in Answer to Mr. Hallet's 3d Query That He and John Gannacliff esteem the Light within as a Rule to be preferred to and higher than the Scriptures p. 5. lin 20. and that by it Thoughts words and actions are to be tried and by it we come to understand those things which are written in the Holy Scriptures of Truth and therefore it is a higher and superiour Rule unto which we ought more especially to attend p. 7. Now wellfare Joseph Nott and John Gannacliff for their plain dealing in telling us their minds frankly and freely as to this matter What ever fine stories J. N. tells us here to insinuate his Errors and the minds of the ignorant you see his very heart in the fore-mentioned Quotations The Light within is that great Diana by whom these Jacks of all Trades have their Wealth Hence 't is that these Craftsmen speak so honourably of the Idol Great is the Quakers Light within 't is to be preferred to the Scriptures by this we are to try thoughts words and actions by this we are to understand the Scriptures This is a higher and superiour Rule to which we ought especially to attend This is one of the Foundations on which the Damnable Errors of the Quakers are built In opposition to these rotten assertions I lay down this as an undoubted Truth The whole Council of God concerning all things necessary to be believed and done by us in order to our Salvation is either expresly set down in Holy Scripture or may by good and necessary consequence be deduced from it unto which nothing at any time is to be added whether by new Revelations of the Spirit or Traditions of Men. Or in short thus The Scriptures are the only supreme and sufficient Rule of Faith and Life A Rule is a Measure by which the Quantity or Quality of another thing is sufficiently try'd and examined Sometimes the word Rule is apply'd to sensible and corporeal things Thus. e. g. John Gannacliff's Laste on which he makes his Shoes is his Rule that he works by Thus the Taylor the Brick-layer the Carpenter and other Artificers have their Rules which they apply to their Work to measure and judge of the length heighth and depth straitness or crookedness thereof This is a Proper Rule Sometimes the word Rule is apply'd to moral and spiritual things to measure and determine the Qualities Virtues and Perfections
Spirit thereby And if any Spirit would perswade us to receive any Doctrine or do any Action contrary to the Written Word we ought to abominate such a Spirit Besides the Confusion there is palpable Non-sense in these Expressions Christ is the Rule The Spirit is the Rule A Person may prescribe a Rule to another but cannot be a Rule himself any more than John Gannacliff is a Laste or the French King an Edict Yet further we have only the Quakers word for all that they affirm concerning Christs being the Rule and nothing that looks like Proof For those Scriptures which they have cited to this purpose will as well prove the Pope to be Christ's Vicar as Christ or the Spirit or Light within to be our Rule Therefore instead of following them any further in their impertinent citing and misapplying Scripture to exalt their Light within into the Throne of Christ and place of Holy Scripture I shall hint the Danger of this Opinion That the Light within every Man is the supreme Rule of Faith Worship and Manners 1. In this Opinion the Quakers join hands with the Papists and do their Work By denying the Perfection of Scripture they go about to take off People from the use of it They say the Light which is in all the Indians and Pagans is sufficient without the Scriptures No wonder then that they speak so slightly of Scripture as sometimes they do 2. They take the ready way to lull asleep their own Consciences when they alone shall be iudges of their own actions This Doctrine leaves every man to himself to believe and do what he pleases for he has no Rule to try his Spirit by 1 John 4.1 He is a Law to himself How doth this gratifie the Pride of mens Hearts when they think that they may do whatever they list And how is it possible to convince such men of their sin and folly who think themselves infallibly guided by the Spirit of Christ which as they say is the highest Rule superiour to the Letter as these Scoffers call the Written Word The Papists make the Man at Rome the Infallible Judge but every Quaker is a Pope in his own Conceit 3. According to this Opinion People are bound to receive the most absurd Notions that any Quaker shall dictate Yea they are bound to believe contradictions For the Light in one Quaker saith that the Light within is God but in another that 't is a Body as I have formerly prov'd Now suppose any Inlightned Sister at Exon should come with a Span-new-Light and tell the Quakers that 't is neither one nor 'tother they ought according to their own Principles to believe her for 't is Christ 't is the Holy Spirit that speaks by her for ought that ever they can prove to the contrary if they do not abandon this Opinion 4. This Doctrine gives up those who embrace it into the immediate hands of the Devil to receive his suggestions as inspirations and to take his impulses for the Commands of Christ and motions of the Holy Spirit But to return from thâ— Digression leaving the Quakers with their Leaden Rule and Dark Lanthorn Light Let us observe the Motions of our Author He thus proceeds J. N. Now such a one as the Latter is G. T. Prithee Joseph adorn thy Snout with that Instrument which the Men of the World call a pair of Spectacles and ken this same Passage a little Tell me if thou canst with all thy Light whom the word Latter does refer to Is G. T. a Quaker or is he a subtle endeavour or what is he where were thy Wits when this dark Expression dropt from thy Pen In thy Preface thou couldst not distinguish latter from former Here thou talkest of a latter where 't is hard to find any f rmer at all Joseph is this the way thou takest to confute Mr. Tross Get thee gone Brawl with a Tinker or squabble with a Porter but write no more Replies Thou tellest Reverend Mr. Hallet (a) Gospel Truths c. page 12. That working with his Hands was a thing he was never brought up unto And thy Pamphlet gives us to understand that thou wert never brought up to writing of Books If thou hast not some better way to get a Maintenance than by Printing Penny-Books I doubt thou wilt have but a cold Kitchen or wilt be forc'd to be chargeable to thy sound Brethren This Huckstering Trade of Retailing out thy Pamphlets at a Penny apiece will never hold long And perhaps thou mayst be called to account for making a Merchandise of the Word and seeking thy gain from thy Quarter (b) Ibid. J. N. For he greatly endeavours to prove That Jesus Christ was not in the beginning and that the World was not made by him which is contrary to the holy Scripture and he also endeavours to prove the first Day of the Week to be the Christian-Sabbath the which he hath no Scripture to prove as he himself doth acknowledge Here are the two Articles upon which Mr. Tross's Book stands indicted at the Quaker's Bar. 1. That he endeavours to prove that Jesus Christ was not in the beginning c. 2. That the first Day of the Week is the Christian Sabbath 'T is great pity Mr. Tross had not ask'd J. N's leave before he presum'd to publish such a Book in which are contained one Position contrary to Scripture and another which he hath no Scripture for if you will take J. N's honest word for it And who dares question the Truth of what a Man of Infallibity saith J. N. I shall set down some of his words in his Book First Concerning Christ Jesus in p. 4. He saith We say that it may be Orthodoxly denied and asserted That Jesus Christ did not make the World For the World was 4000 years before ever Jesus Christ was And in Pag. 5. he saith In the Old Testament Christ is prophesied of to come How could He then create the VVorld And in Pag. 12 he saith VVe have sufficiently answer'd that it was not the Lord Christ that created the VVorld And in Pag. 10. he speaking of (a) To help the halting Quak. over the Stile understand the time before the Fall of Man saith In which time there could not be so much as any need or use of a Jesus or a Christ nor was there so much as the least hint of him given by either Prophecy or Promise And then he saith Much less was he himself in Being And in Pag. 1â—0 he saith I think I have shewn that the Lord Christ did not make the VVorld See here how dextrously this new Confuter goes to work to prove that Mr. Tross holds that Jesus Christ as Mediator or God-Man did not make the World but that it was made 4000 Years before the Incarnation of God the Son How industrious hath he been to skim the Book from P. 4. to P. 130. that he may make it clear that Mr. Tross doth affirm that
an Embassdor of Christ as a Babel-Builder No wonder that the Devil will rather play at small Game than fit out and when he can't have Men of Learning imploys Blacksmiths Shoemakers and Weavers to broach Errors and sow Seditions J. N. I desire the 1 Reader to consider what thou reads 2 And if any one publish any Doctrine contrary to the Holy Scriptures believe them 3 not More Non-sense 1 The for Thee 2. Reads for Readest 3. Them for Him To School Truant learn thy Primmer and Con the Eight Parts of Speech before thou write any more Replies Thy want of Learning makes thee bold there is no danger that too much of it should make thee mad J. N. For Christ bids us beware of false Prophets which come in Sheeps Cloathing who saith Ye shall know them by their Fruits Mat. 7.15 16. And the Apostle Paul adviseth us to turn away from such as have a fâ—rm of Godliness but denies a. the Power 2 Tim. 3.5 For indeed another Foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 Rare sense again a denies for deny Scarce a Period without false Concord But that is a small Matter compar'd with the Gall and Venom in these words Joseph Nott and his Friends are utter Enemies to Carnal Weapons as Swords and Guns and other Dead-doing Tools But no Animals have sharper Tusks or longer Claws and none more ready to fasten their Rabid Teeth in their Neighbour's good Name Backbiting doth not hinder 'em from attaining perfection but with their She-friend Prov. 30.20 they wipe their mouth and say I have done no wickedness Just now this bold Calumniator rank'd Mr. Tross among Babel's-builders Now to let us see how he improves his Talent of Railing he basely perverts Scripture to insinuate that he is a false Prophet and a Hypocrite Yet this he who pretends to be guided by the Spirit of God But Reader What Spirit is it thinkest thou that moves this foul Mouth'd Fellow thus to reproach and bespatter such a Minister of the Gospel as Mr. Tross A man whose exemplary Piety Humility and Self-denial diffusive Charity and Moderation and unwearied diligence in his Master's Work by Studying Preaching and Visiting have procur'd him a good Report of all sober and serious Christians of all Perswasions in the City where he lives Had not Joseph Nott been Master of a bold Face and a hard Forehead and had not his Conversation with Boat-Men and Oyster-Women Coblers and Tinkeâ—s improv'd his natural Confidence to a great stock of Impudence he would never have attempted to fix the odious Brands of false Prophet and Hypocrite upon so good a Man so faithful a Minister who lays out his Time his Strength his Estate his All for the Glory of God and good of Souls I am persuaded few Persons in Exon even of the Quakers themselves are so far forsaken of their Understandings as to believe this Charge upon a Brain-sick Enthusiast's say-so If any should we may well conclude that they are given up to strong Delusions to believe Lies as a Judgment for rejecting sound Doctrine and giving heed to old Wives Fables (a) 1 Tim. 4.7 or prophane and vain Babling (b) 2 Tim. 2.16 J. N. And therefore I desire the 1 Reader to keep thy Mind near to the Light of Jesus Christ in thy own Heart and Conscience that so thou mayest understand what thou readest After a small Blunder the 1 for thee out comes the rare Catholicon with which these Quacks do greater wonders than ever did Puntaeus with his Balsam or Ointment and that is the Light within Reader if thou canst but get Joseph Nott to spare thee a few Ounces of this choice Medicine call'd Light within prize it above Aurum potabile or the Philosopher's Stone But if he will not part with any of it follow my Directions and thou mayest obtain it thy self Strip thy self of Lace Ribbons and all other Babylonish Garments bid adieu to good Manners Thee and Thou thy Betters give a supercilious Nod but don't stir thy Hat from its Block shake Hands with good Sense forswear true English decry Scripture revile Magistrates reproach Ministers cast off Ordinances gratify the Desires of thy Carnal Heart follow the Dictates of thy muddy Brains whenever thy giddy Head turns round pretend to Visions and Revelations and when thou art thus accounted read the Quaker's Books and keep close to their silent Meetings and thou art in a very fair way to get this rare Secret And if thou hast a Wind-Mill Head a Brazen-Face and Leathern Lungs get upon the Stage which the Brethren have erected for John Gannaclist and Joseph Nott and thou mayest quickly get as much Custom and do as fine Feats as they If I have not hit upon our Author 's Meaning when he talks of the Light in the Heart and Conscience desire him to explain himself and tell plainly what he means by it And that this Hocus-Pocus may not gull thee by his Leger-demain or sob thee off with such a Banbury-Tale as he did Mr. Hallet in Answer to his first Query (a) Gospel-Truths Scripturally asserted Pag. 4. where his Description of this Light leaves us in the dark get him if thou canst without Quibbling or Canting to return a plain and direct Answer to these few Questions Q. 1. Is this Light of Jesus Christ in the Heart and Conscience God or Creature Finite or Infinite Q. 2. Is it Christ himself who was Crucified without the Walls of Jerusalem or something distinct from Christ If he say 't is Christ himself inquire of him Whether this Light in every Man's Heart and Conscience was born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate died upon the Cross ascended into Heaven after its Resurrection and sitteth at the right Hand of God All these things we know are true of Christ Q. 3. If he say it is something distinct from Christ Ask him Whether it be a Body or a Spirit If he say it is a Body as Barâ—lay Apol. Pag. 94. 'T is vehiculum Dei The Spiritual Body of Christ the Flesh and Blood of Christ which came down from Heaven Desire him to deal freely with thee as a Friend and inform thee How this Flesh and Blood can be in so many 1000 Hearts and Consciences at once as there are Men and Women upon the face of the Earth How a Body can reach from Pensylvania to Exon Whether it be Omnipresent Whether the Quaking-Priest have learnt of their Elder Brethren the Papists the knack of Transubstantiation How a Body tho' purer than Spirit of VVine rectified could come by Knowledge and Understanding And how it can communicate it to a Spirit Quest 4. If he say 't is a Spirit know of him whether it be a created and finite or an Uncreated and Infinite Spirit If it be a created Spirit inquire of what Species whether a good Angel a malicious Devil or a rational Soul If he say 't
is neither of these but a superiour sort of Spirit Ask him when it was created How he came to know the time And what Scripture he can bring to prove that there is any other Spirit than God Angels Devils and rational Souls except it be the Spirit of a Beast * Eccl. â— 21 that he means If it be not a Creature as Geo. Whitehead saith Christian Quaker Part 2. p. 28. Desire him to reconcile Barclay who says 't is a creature yea a Body with Whitehead who says 't is no creature Put home these Questions to him and if he doth not boggle and equivocate 't is ten to one but he will betray gross Ignorance or utter downright Blasphemy J. N. For the great Mystery which hath been hid from Ages and from Generations is Christ within the hope of Glory Col. 1.26 27. In these Verses which Joseph Nott for reasons best known to himself hath alter'd and curtail'd putting Christ within instead of Christ in you or among you as 't is in the Margin and leaving out a great part of them the Apostle informs the Colossians that the Gospel which was a Mystery lock'd up in Gods own Breast from Eternity and hid from a great part of the World in former Ages and Generations being wrap'd up in dark Prophecies and cover'd under a Vail of Legal Ceremonies was now by Christ and his Apostles made manifest to the Saints The Wall of Partition was broken down the Vail taken away and the Colossians who were in times past Idolatrous Gentiles alienated from God and enemies to God v. 21. had this Gospel which displays the Riches of Divine Grace made known to them The next clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being as St. Peter saith of some things in St. Paul's Epistles †2 Pet. 3.16 hard to be understood this Prefacer being unlearned and unstable hath wrested it as he doth also other Scriptures to uphold his Error Being Ignorant of the Original he thinks which refers to Mystery whereas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being of the Masculine Gender hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his Antecedent So Zanchy Qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est Christus And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not will in but either inter vos among you as 't is in the Margin or in vobis in you If we follow the Maâ—ginal Reading this is the meaning Christ preached among you is the Riches of the glorious Mystery of Godliness Christ is the Sum and Substance the Pearl and Treasure of the Gospel If we read Christ in you then this is the sense Those Saving Graces Faith Love c. by which Christ dwells in your hearts Eph. 3.17 are the Evidences of your Title to and the grounds of your Hope of Eternal Glory Your hopes of Glory are founded not only upon what you have heard of the riches of Divine Grace thro' Christ in the Gospel but upon what Christ hath wrought in your hearts by the Gospel 'T is the Image of Christ the Graces of Christ which he hath wrought in you by his Word and Spirit that confirm your hopes of Heaven What Christ hath done and suffer'd for you and what he hath wrought in you His satisfaction for you and your union with him cause you to hope Thus Christ was in these Colossians thus he is in every true Believer But what is this to the Quakers light of Christ in every mans Heart and Conscience J. N. Therefore to the Spirit of God in thine own heart I do recommend thee as unto that which will give a true discerning and right understanding of the things of God as it is hearkened unto and obeyed J. N. But I advise thee Joseph and as many of thy Friends as shall read these Lines to Search the Scriptures and not to Trust your own hearts untill you have examin'd them by the Light of God's Word Lean nâ—t to your own Vnderstandings Beware least the Light within be darkness Believe not every Spirit nor every false Prophet who pretends to the Spirit of God For there are unclean lying seducing Spirits Spirits of Devils To the Law and to the Testimony Take heed to that sure Word of Prophecy as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place That Word if hearkened unto and obeyed will discover to you what the Spirit is which you are under the conduct and influence of Try the Spirit in your own hearts hereby If it shun this Light if it speak not according to this Rule 't is because 't is a black Spirit and there is no Light in it Many grieve and quench the Holy Spirit and provoke him to withdraw and then an evil Spirit enters into them blinds their eyes hardens their hearts and scars their Consciences and when such set up for Teachers of others The Blind lead the Blind and so both fall into the Ditch Thus I have at length wrought my way through the Preface And by these Notes upon the Obscure places of it he that can see beyond the top of his Nose may discern what are the chief Accomplishments of this Doughty Champion of the Quakers in the West viz. Gross Ignorance not only of the sense of Holy Scripture and its Original Languages but even plain English the only Tongue he hath a smatterring in Intolerable Pride in troubling the World with his Non-sense and Impertinence â—â—â—id Vncharitableness in railing at reviling and misrepresenting a Reverend Divine who gave him no provocation And to name but one more for by these we may take a scantling of his other good qualities Abominable Profaneness in vilifying maiming and wresting Scripture Some People blame Mr. Hallet because he did not expose the Ignorance and Error of this Joseph Nott and John Gannacliff another of the Gang in a Pamphlet of theirs written in Answer to his 27 Queries Perhaps he thought it needless seeing that Book is so horribly scurrilous and silly that it carries its confutation in its Forehead Or else he concluded it would be lost labour seeing that Tho' thou shouldest bray a Fool in a Mortar among Wheat with a Pestel yet will not his Foolishness depart from him Prov. 27.22 And were it not for that the Party are Cock-a-Hoop upon their new Authors and vaunt themselves of their Jannes and Jambres as Men of such Courage that none durst enter the Lists against them I should not have commented upon their nauseous idle Stuff I know 't is no credit to have to do with such Fellows And all the return I expect from that sort of Cattle is roaring and bellowing throwing dirt and calling all the odious Names which the Spirit who acts them shall put into their Mouths SECT III. Joseph Nott's Scurvy Commendation of Holy Scripture He and John Gannacliff elsewhere prefer the Light within before it The Scriptures prov'd to be the only supream and sufficient Rule The danger of setting the Light within every Man above God's Written Word J. N's first
Jesus Christ was not in the beginning But hear how bravely J. N. confutes him J. N. Now here all that can see with a single Eye may see the darkness and blindness of this man yea the gross darkness that may be felt yea the blindness the born blindness Oh Erroneous Doctrine Who will believe or receive such Doctrine as is so contrary to the Holy Scriptures of Truth Quis tulerit Gracchos Reader doth it not move thy Gall or Spleen rather to hear a poor Ignorant Quaker thus Tragically exclaiming against a learned acute Divine as tho' he were about to Sap the very Foundations of Christianity But stay Joseph peace Man why art so startled Wert thou well awake and compos mentis or just rouz'd out of some frightful Vision when thou mad'st that hideous Out-cry Thou yaulest like the Geese those Roman Quakers as tho' the Enemy were at the Gates of the Capitol What is it that makes thee thus take on and rave about Erroneous Doctrine Darkness gross Darkness Blindness born-Blindness a fine expression of thiâ—e own Invention I doubt thou understandest but little of what thou readest Mr. Tross having to do with Mr. T. B. considers his Question Whether the World was made by Jesus Christ To which he answers That in one sense it may be affirmed in another sense it may be denied He affirms that the God-head of Christ created the World but denies that Christ consisting of that God-head and the Humanity hypostatically united created it P. 7. The God-head or Divine Nature of Christ he grants was throughout a beginningless Eternity P. 6. and made Heaven and Earth But Jesus Christ as God and Man in contra-distinction to the Father and the Holy Ghost did not make the World for Mr. Tross proves that the Name Jesus Christ do necessarily imply or include the Humane Nature with the Divine He shews that the Divine Nature formally and abstractly considered cannot be Christ i. e. anointed fitted or qualified by any other for the Office of Mediation nor could the Divine Nature alone be our Jesus or Saviour for the God-head can neither obey the Law nor bear the Curse both which were to be done by our Jesus These appertain only to his Humanity tho' his Divinity gives merit to his Active and Passive Obedience He was not actually Jesus till after his Incarnation till he had actually done and suffered all those things for which all his Church are redeemed and saved Therefore tho' God the Son was in the beginning and created the World yet seeing he was not actually and formally Jesus Christ until after the Incarnation which Incarnation of the Second Person in the Glorious Trinity was not till about four thousand years after the Creation of the World 't is evident that as Jesus Christ he could not create it tho' as God he did 'T is a great mistake to argue that whatever God is or did that Jesus Christ is and did I grant that by reason of the near union between the Divine and Humane Nature in the person of our Mediatour the special Qualities of both Natures are sometimes ascribed to the Person of Christ yea that which is proper to one Nature is sometimes attributed to the Person denominated from the other Nature Hence the Scripture speaks of the Blood of God Acts 20.38 Where the Word God is to be understood not essentially for the Divine Nature but Personally The Lord Jesus who is truly God shed his Bloud which belongs to him as Man So the Lord of Glory was Crucify'd 1 Cor. 2.8 Christ on Earth said of himself The Son of Man which is in Heaven John 3.13 But tho' the Properties of both Natures may be ascrib'd to the Person yet the Properties of one Nature are not communicated unto nor can they without Nonsense yea Blasphemy be predicated of the other Nature We may say God suffered but 't is Blasphemy to say the Godehead suffer'd The Man Christ Jesus is Mediator by him all things were made but the Humane Nature did not could not make all things for it was a creature and so was made it self Let Joseph Nott read and consider what Mr. Tross hath said on this Argument in 4 5 6 7. of his Book and if he doth but understand what he reads I suppose he will as much admire his own Dullness as he did before exclaim against Mr. Tross's Blindness If he hath any thing more to say against Mr. Tross as to this matter let him prove That the World was not made until the Son of God assum'd the Humane Nature That the World was made but 1693 years before the year of the Date of these Pâ—esents That all our Chronologers who say that the World is near 6000 years old are Ignorant and Blind for J. N. hath discover'd by the help of his Light within that the World is not full seventeen hundred years old If he can make this out I shall conclude that a pair of Quaking-Spectacles are worth a dozen Telescopes Mr. Tross often affirms that God the Son is Jehovah and created the World That the God-head of our Redeeme raised the glorious Fabrick of Heaven and Earth But all the Scriptures alledg'd by Mr. T.B. would not convince him that the World was made since the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us John 1.14 Jehovah made the World almost 4000 years before the time that God was manifest in the flesh Now the Names of Jesus Christ do not belong to God the Creator but to the only Mediator between God and Man who is Emmanuel God with us So that the Quaker had as good have wip'd up his Mouth and kept a Silent Meeting as have gap'd so wide and said nothing to the purpose J. N. Now that this is contrary to the Holy Scriptures is easily prov'd And by the assistance of the Holy Spirit of God I shall undertake to prove that Jesus Christ was in the beginning and that the World was made by him Ay ay Joseph No doubt this is easie to such a bold Vndertaker as thy mighty Self Only mind Mr. Tross's Distinction Remember that he grants that God the Son made the World that the Godhead of Jesus Christ was in the beginning and created all things What he denies and thou art to prove is That this glorious Person did not make the World until he became Man until the time of his Incarnation when he was actually and formally Jesus Christ J. N. For Christ Jesus said to the Jews Before Abraham was I am John 5.28 Very true And doth not Mr. Tross grant as much Doth he not say that Christ as God or the Godhead of Jesus Christ was throughout a beginningless Eternity But dost thou think that Christ here spake concerning his Humane Nature I tell thee Joseph that Person who is God over all blessed for ever as concerning the flesh (a) Rom. 9.5 is a Jew of the Seed of Abraham He who us God is David's Lord as Man is David's Son
whole Book J. N. I shall proceed to reply to the other part of his Book Soft and fair good Joseph This is a strange way of proceeding to confute Books by Whole-Sale Thou art a very formidable Adversary for tho' thou art not over-laden with Wit or Learning I find thee a very sufficient Man at Boasting Braving VVondering and Railing Thou proceedest to talk Non-sense without blushing thou art big with a Reply to what thou dost not understand and passest over what thou canst not answer Thou dost dictate not argue Nibble and Cavil but demonstrate nothing besides thy own Ignorance and Impudence J. N. But first I shall set down some of his own words in his Book that the Reader may see what it is that I do return an Answer unto Just now thou threatnedst the whole Book with a general Escalade but when all comes to all thou dost but skirmish with seven or eight Sentences J. N. The first words in his Book a are as follows The Lord's-Day Vindicated or the first Day of the Week the Christian-Sabbath a Anglice the Title But where is thy Reply VVhat are the Exceptions against this J. N. And in Pag. 33. He speaking of the Seventh-Day and of Christ saith He designed to wit Christ its speedy Absolution as the Seventh-Day and its Conversion into the first Day Now this wants a proof from G. T. I find the Reverend Author in the Page here quoted giving several Reasons why our Lord never particularly recommended or enjoined the Observation of the Seventh-Day-Sabbath to his Hearers The words which J. N. carps at are the 4th Christ was about to abolish the Jewish-Sabbath As it was a Day of Ceremonial Rest * The bodily Rest being required for it self and not only for the Scriptural works sake so he designed utterly to abolish it together with the rest of the Ceremonial Law for the Shadows were to vanish when the Body was come vide Pag. 93 94. As it was a Day of spiritual Rest and VVorship so he intended speedily to change it from the Seventh-Day to the First The Qarker saith very gravely Now this wants a Proof But I say now and then J. N. wants Eyes and Brains to discern the many Proofs of this throughout that judicious Treatise By how mony solid Arguments is the actual change of the Day prov'd And if it were actually changed by Christ's Apostles according to his own Order and Instructions which he through the Holy Ghost had given unto them Acts 1.2 3. to be sure Christ designed the change thereof For 't is Blasphemy to say that Christ ordered and through the Holy Ghost gave commandment to his Apostles to do that which he never designed to have done J. N. And in Pag. 44. He speaks of the Change of the Seventh-Day into the First Day-Sabbath as he calls it And in Pag. 59 and 60 he saith And we say the Seventh-Day being cashier'd the First Day ought to be its successor I wonder from whence he will prove this Prithee Man have a care of these same Wonderments for they say Admiration is the Daughter of old Ignoramus And the VVonderer is but one remove from a Fool. Read Pag. 60 61 62. of Mr. Tross's Book and thou wilt find abundant proof of this And in Pag. 131. 132 133. thou mayest find the Sum of those many Arguments by which Mr. Tross hath proved the abolition of the Jewish Seventh-Day and the establishment of the First-Day as the Christian-Sabbath I advise thee Joseph as a Friend to read over those few Pages and thou wilt find much more proof for this than thou hast given us that Christ as God-man made the VVorld from those words This Rock was Christ J. N. And in Pag. 85. He mentions Christs words where it 's said The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath-Day And then he saith A Proof which we make use of to prove our Doctrine of the First Day-Sabbath But I say this is no proof at all Ipse dixit VVho durst reply to what J. N. hath said If he saith Yea let none say Nay His bare word must pass for Argument He hath told you 't is no proof and it shall be no proof VVell mayest thou Joseph hug thy own dear Self for this rare Talent thou hast got of Answering Arguments by Yea and by Nay If any desire to know how these words of our Saviour are improv'd by Mr. Tross to strengthen his Assertion concerning the Change of the Sabbath from the Seventh Day to the First let them consult Pag. 87. 90. of his Book J. N And in Pag. 114. he saith The Seventh-Day-Sabbath was observed in Comemoraation of the works of Creation until a more admirable work of God should be accomplished so the First Day ever after should be the Holy Rest It will be very hard for G. T. to prove this and it doth also manifest his great Ignorance of the Resting-Place that the Servants of the Lord have in Chrst Jesus Bravely done Thou hast cleaverly confuted Mr. G. T. by telling him that it will be very hard for him to prove what he hath produced many Arguments for which thou takest no Notice of No doubt thy Name will be up for a Dangerous Confuter Especially when thou dost so frequently talk of his Ignorance But Joseph methinks thou actest like Harpaste Seneca's VVife's Fool who being as blind as a Beetle would not believe it but cried out against her Mistriss for putting her into a Dark-House * Seneca Epist 50. Thus thou criest out of others Ignorance when thou oughtest to reflect upon thy own Blockishness Upon this Occasion a Friend bid me mind thee of that of the Poet. Tecum habita noris quam sit tibi curta supellex But lest this should be as bad as Heathen Greek to thee I 'le take leave to English it thus Consult thy self and thou wilt see Noll's Porter had more Light than thee VVhat thou talkest of the Resting-Place in Christ Jesus I shall reckon with thee for anon J. N. Now here the Reader may see that his great Endeavours are to prove the First-Day of the Week to be the Christian Sabbath and yet in Pag. 56. he saith we grant that the Holy Scriptures do call no other Day of the Week a Sabbath but the Seventh And in Pag. 94. he saith The First Day is never called Sabbath in Scripture and I say so too and therefore he might very well have been silent But here all whose Vnderstanding is open may see how this Man labours like a Man beating the Air or that builds without a Foundation for himself doth acknowledge that he hath no Scripture for a Foundation A heavy charge Self-contradiction beating the Air building Without a Foundation And why so great wrath VVhy because Mr. Tross calls the First Day of the VVeek the Christian-Sabbath when the Scriptures call no other Day a Sabbath but the Seventh But Joseph what if thy charge be meer mistake Mr. Tross