those that follow after as many as have spoken have likewise foretold of these days the days of the New Testament and the things of Christ Acts 3. 24. As God spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began Luke 1. 70. There is no contradiction between the Old Testament and the New in the sense I have given therefore none in my collection from Luke 16. That Christ asserts the Scriptures to be a standing rule 3. Reason It crosseth many Scriptures as Ephes 5. 1. Rom. 8. 14. 2 Cor. 3. 17. Rep. Not one of these nor any other for the Scripture cannot doth not contradict it self how ever it seems so to them that understand them not and have not will or skill to clear the harmony The first Scripture alledged Ephes 5. 1. requires that Ephes 5. 1. opened Christians be followers of God as dear children Dear children of God will minde their Fathers will in Moses and the Prophets and if we be followers of God we must follow him in his whole written word as it is plain in the Old or as it is explained and cleared in the Books of the New Testament The second Scripture Rom. 8. 14. hath nothing against Rom 8. 14. vindicated The Spirit leads by his Letter the Scripture rule however R. F. improveth it to his purpose thus They that follow him in the Gospel are led by his Spirit and that is not the Letter for although the Letter is not the Spirit yet the Letter is the Spirits Letter and they that follow God in the Gospel do and dare not upon the hazard of disobedience to their Father but follow him in the Spirits written Gospel seeing the Spirits inward leading and guidance is to the same obedience which the Scripture leads unto The Spirit leads by and to the Scripture never from it as the Spirit in Seducers doth The third Scripture 2 Cor. 3. 17. God is that Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 17. vindicated what then Then the Spirits Letter is Gods Letter I can conclude Or thus The written word of the Spirit is the very written word of God and again God that gave the Letter gives the Spirit with it and by it with it even to those that yet are unbelieving and are ever resisting the Spirit speaking in it and from it Nehem. 9. 20. Acts 7. 51. By it to those whom he effectually preventeth and calleth home to himself or buildeth up Acts 8. 35. Acts 10. 34. with 44. But R. F. his drift in quoting the words above to make people believe that because God or the Lord is that Spirit as saith that Scripture therefore that and all the rest of the Scripture is not a standing rule which follows as much as if it should be said God is the Lord therefore the creature is not his creature I shall for his learning and better improvement of that Text turn the edge of his allegation against himself If that Scripture saith The Lord is that Spirit then that Scripture is the rule for me and him also to believe the Lord is that Spirit and if that Scripture be not fallen out of its authority it is a standing rule for us so to believe but that Scripture says as much and R. F. runs to the authority of it as yet in force therefore that Scripture is a standing rule for the faith of that truth and consequently other Scriptures are the rule for other truths and all Scripture for all truth what we are to believe and what to practise A fourth Argument seems to be drawn from current experience But we follow God who are guided by the Spirit and that is our guide and rule to wit the Spirit of truth Rep. 1. Whose experience is this whom means he by we If onely himself and his companions who deny the Scriptures to be a rule then I deny they are guided by the Spirit of God who breathing forth the Scriptures and guiding men to write them guides men to read hear believe and obey them as their rule If by we he means all sober Saints and godly conscientious Readers not so in his opinion but really so and if he meaneth by the Spirit the Spirit of God then I appeal to all such and all the Saints who love the truth in sincerity whether they have the Spirit for their guide without or not rather with and by the Scriptures The Spirit indeed is promised to be the Saints guide John 16. 13. but it is neither there said although John 16. 13. vindicated R. F. affirms it That Christ appointed him to be the rule nor is he properly the rule but the giver of the rule and the guide unto and by the rule The schoolmaster which sets the copy is not the copy but he guides the hand of the scholar to write after the copy in like maner the Spirit of God appoints the Scripture to be written for a rule and guides the Saints to believe and live according to it Yet would R. F. have the force of a fifth Reason lie in these words Since he promised it as if the Scripture was not a rule since the Spirit was promised as well as before Surely if it was a rule before it is still the same rule as it is the same Scripture And the promise of the Spirit in a larger measure doth not in the least hinder the Scripture from being a rule but the larger measures of the Spirit help towards the understanding of that rule for a clearer and more Gospel-like administration and application 6. Reason If thou wouldst have the Letter to be the rule and Moses and the Prophets onely then thou wouldst not have Christ and the Apostles to be followed according to 1 Cor. 11. 1. Rep. 1. I used not the word onely although the Books of Moses and the Prophets when Christ referred to them Luke 16. were the onely Scriptures extant and a sufficient rule for the present 2. When Christ by his Spirit in the Apostles enlarged the Scriptures he altered not the rule for the substance of it Moses and Christ the Prophets and Apostles are so to be followed that he who leaves the one will forsake the other and he that loves the one will cleave to the other Had ye believed Moses saith Christ ye would have believed me for he wrote of me but if ye believe not his writings how shall ye believe my words John 5. 46 47. And such is the harmony of the Apostles with Moses and the Prophets that the one preached and consequently wrote no other things then what the other did say should come that Christ should suffer c. Acts 26. 22 23. What if the new Testament was written after the Old the matter contained in both is of the same concernment to believers as unbelievers What if Paul gives that godly exhortation Be ye 1 Cor. 11. 1. vindicated followers of me even as I am of Christ is Christ divided Is not Christ
is proved to be God but while he can and doth go to the bottom of all things in and concerning God his revealing is ad placitum when to whom in what measure and in what way he pleaseth Although the Spirit knoweth all things infinitely and therefore God revealeth what he revealeth of the things of grace and glory by his Spirit yet to some he revealeth nothing immediately to others he revealeth but some things or but something of every thing needful to consolation sanctification and salvation as they are capable of it 3. As deep things as the Spirit hath revealed they are all in the Scripture It is one way of the Spirits revelation to give forth deep mysteries in writing and that as mysteriously Section 2. as if it were by Hieroglyphicks Stenography or Characters The Spirit revealeth by Paul to the Romanes cap. 9. and 10. and 11. deeper things then Paul can fathom which makes him cry out cap. 11. 33. O the depth And the last piece of Scripture which God hath left us is the Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto him to shew unto his servants and he sent and signified it by his Angel unto his servant John that he should write it to the Churches and leave it with the rest of Scripture as a compleat and sufficient Rule not to be added unto nor to be substracted from unless therefore R. F. will be lyable to the plagues threatned Rev. 22. 18 19. he must not bring in his un-written Revelations no though they were un-written Verities as any part of the Rule to be added unto the words of Gods book And from all that hath been replyed to him in this Section I conclude He that denieth the Scriptures to be our Rule denies them to be the Scriptures of God and he that denies them or some of them to be a standing Rule denies them or some of them to be no Rule as if sometimes they were a Rule sometime not And he that denies them to be a more standing Rule denieth the scope and sense of Christs words in Luke 16. 31. and other places But such a Denial we have from R. F. in the name of others of his judgement Therefore thus far in stead of vindicating the Scriptures he with his fellows have contradicted them Section 2. IN my second Section of their Contradictions to the Scriptures themselves and their Authority I had quoted Francis Howgil in his own phrase The Scripture is other mens Words contrary to 2 Tim. 3. 16. R. F. * Page 5. tells me that by a piece of Logick I would raise a false accusation against F. H. and make a false conclusion to wrest the Scriptures to serve my own turn but cannot The Scriptures not mans word but Gods Rep. 1. He denies not but the words I quoted are the words of F. Howgil 2. How doth my Logick make either the Accusation or Conclusion false The word of Scripture is Gods I said as is the Inspiration and because it was given by Inspiration therefore it is and is known or proved to be his Word as thus I make it out further and more plainly That which is given by Inspiration of God is not one mans word or anothers but Gods word But all the Scripture was given by Inspiration of God Therefore all the Scripture is Gods word and not one mans word or anothers What an under-valuing Expression then is that of F. H. to call the Scripture other mens words And what Chop-logick have we from R. F. Holy men of God spoke as they were moved and spiritual men spoke forth those words therefore they were words spoken by the men of God this is idem per idem a proof of the same thing by the same a delighting to hear himself speak and a tyring of his Reader before he hath read five pages of his book 3. Why will R. F. yield one part of the Argument and not the other He yieldeth the Scripture to be given of God and by the Spirit the Spirit of truth why then yields he not the Scriptures to be the word of God but that he will continue to contradict the Scripture and himself also while he joyneth in confederacy with F. H. and speaks disdainfully of the words of God as the words of men this man and that Grant we that both of them F. H. and R. F. sometime alleviate that harsh expression as if not used in opposition to God but to us The Scriptures are others mens words that spoke them freely saith the one And They were spoken by the holy men of God other men that were holy and spoke them freely and not by you that are sinful and preach for hire saith the other yet will they not confess they were spoken by God and are the very word of God nay R. F. page 4. * Line 18 and 21. had before set the visions of Ananias and Paul in a comparative Opposition to the words of Moses and the Prophets and preferring the former before the latter viz. the Scriptures these being but the words of other men and the words of others what is this but to sow seeds in mens hearts of alienation from the Scriptures which the yong man should take heed to and cleanse his ways by in youth which children shouldbe trained up in from their childhood and which are not to be despised or forgotten when they are old Such a contradicting scope hath all R. F. his pains taken pag. 6. to prove the Scriptures are other mens words and not mine or theirs in Scotland I would ask him what did the Preacher Eccl. 1. speak his own words or Gods but that he prevents the question by telling us * Page 6. King Lemuel was a man and his mother who taught him the words he penned down Prov. 31. was a woman And the Song of songs was Solomons and he was a man Cant. 1. What followeth from hence therefore Solomons words are not Gods words it better followeth from R. F. his reason viz. he was a man and not God then that the Scriptures are not ours for we are men as they were that penned them and although we were not the Pen-men we are the Readers and God onely is the Author of the Scriptures which in a way of disparagement R. F. calls a Printed Bible and reasoneth vainly against our use of the Scriptures because neither did Jeremiah nor any Prophet or any Apostle ever stand with a Printed Bible in his hand and say Hear the word of the Lord Then the word of the Lord was declared and spoken without Printed Bibles and before Printing was invented Rep. 1. They had a written Bible or Volume and did many Scripture to be read and preached from times speak out of that as always according to it Exodus 34. 28. with cap. 35. 1. Moses speaks what was written on the mount upon the Tables of stone And Deuter. 31. 19. Write ye this song for you and teach it
Paul of himself and of true Gospel-ministers and believers viz. That God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness had shined in their hearts for it is not Pauls scope to disparage Scripture light The light that shined in Pauls heart and the light that shineth in the Scripture is the same light and God who shineth in the heart by Gospel-light of which the Apostle speaks ver 4. shineth in the Scriptures by the same light 3. It follows not because there was light in Paul and such as he inclâ—des with himself that there is light and the same light in R. F. and such as he includes with himself nor doth it appear to me and others that God shineth in his or their hearts who give a new and dark interpretation of that Scripture as of other Texts For R. F. * Page 6. Isaiah 8. 20. vindicated with J. Nayler expound it of the Law of the New covenant written in the heart by God c. Now though the Scriptures do witness that the Law of the new Covenant is written in the heart Jer. 31. 31. Heb. 8. 10 11. yet that is not the meaning of the phrases Law and Testimony Isaiah 8. 20. but the meaning is The Law and Testimony written in the Scriptures is the touchstone of what men speak as a Doctrine taught from God but if they speak not according to this word written in the volume of Gods book it is an evidence that their hearts are not taught of God or that the Scripture written without is not written within their hearts for what is written by God in the heart is consonant and agreeable to what he hath written in his Book and it never taught any man to call the Bible or written word as John Lawson calls it natural and carnal this I said was to blaspheme the Scripture Here R. F. * Ibid. takes me up as one not regarding what I say and as ignorant of what the Scripture saith concerning the same which speaketh of a carnal commandment Rep. Must the written word or Gods holy Scripture be natural and carnal because it speaks of a carnal Commandment He might as well imagine and affirm because it speaks of Types Figures and Shadows therefore it is all but typical and a shadow When the Apostle * Heb 7. 16. opened makes mention of the law of a carnal Commandment according to which the Priests in the Law-Levitical were made but not so Christ our high Priest he is treating of the Ceremonies now abolished The Scriptures not carnal but spiritual which were laws of things weak and frail as all flesh is considered in themselves not lasting and abiding he gives not the title of carnal and natural to the Scriptures as J. L. and R. F. do nor is he speaking of the Scripture as Scripture which is all spiritual and heavenly in its pedegree proper scope energie and vertue but he calls the Ceremony mentioned in Scripture carnal i. e. as to the materials appointed in the Legal Ceremonies they were outward bodily weak dead things of themselves this makes the Scripture no more carnal then because it speaks of the Earth therefore the Scripture is earthy or of Esau the profane therefore the Scripture is profane Section 4. TO my fourth Section R. F. * Page 7. In what sense the Scriptures are the word of God saith no more but this which is too much unless it were better Thou cannot with all that thou hast scraped together prove that it the Scripture is the Word which is eternal life and so the Word that was in the beginning with God John 1. 1. Rep. 1. I had indeed collected several Scriptures Isaiah 8. 20. Isaiah 6. with Acts 28. 25 26. John 10. 34 35. Psalm 82. 6. Ephes 6. 17. but it is an unhandsom and reproachful expression put upon my collecting and comparing Scripture with Scripture for him to call it scraping together 2. My collation was not to prove the Scriptures to be the Word i. e. the eternal life and that essential word spoken of John 1. 1. But insomuch as Jam. Nayler put us to Iohn 1. 1. cleared prove the Letter is called the Word in plain words and that then there are two words I shewed that this phrase the word of God is taken two ways in Scriptures sometimes for Christ himself the Essential word of the Father sometimes for the Scriptural word it self which being evidenced by my aforesaid collections what trifling and absurdity is it in R. F. to call for the proving of that which was not to be proved as not being affirmed by me or any other that I know that the Scriptures are the Word spoken of John 1. 1. but the Scripture or inspired written created Word doth there as elswhere speak of the Essential uncreated Word as a mans tongue pen or secretary doth speak of himself Ephes 6. 17. opened That last Scripture I quoted Ephes 6. 17. one would think were enough to convince gainsayers where the sword of the Spirit a piece of spiritual armor is said to be the Word of God What meaneth the Apostle by the sword of the Spirit but the spiritual sword the Scriptures put into the hands and mouths of Christians no carnal but a spiritual weapon mighty through the Spirit to run into the heart of Errors and to cut asunder Temptations and to repel the Tempter Christ himself made this use of it against the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 5. Against the Sadduces Mat. 22. 31 32. And against the Devil Mat. 4. 4 7 10 ver Once the Devil hath Scripture in his mouth but Christ hath it thrice in his mouth It is written It is written It is written and is too hard for Satan at this as all other weapons Here the very power of the written Letter puts to flight the adversary And if J. N. or R. F. will read over and over the 119 Psalm they will finde matter enough to cure their contradictions Spirits who are more nice then wise in abstaining from Scripture-expressions or attributing to them their due title There they will finde that holy David professing his zealous affection to God and to his Scriptures useth this phrase of thy word above thirty times plainly enough and yet elegantly also Let their consciences answer Is not thy word as much as God 's word And that he speaks of Gods written word the Scriptures as of what is according thereunto is clear in that he calls the same word of God the statutes of God O teach me thy statutes c. near twenty times now Gods statutes are his standing Laws or Rules put into writing as all the Statutes of England are upon record written down in Books Section 5. I Had charged it as another contradiction of theirs to the The writing of the Spirit the ground of the Saints acting Scripture it self in that they say The Saints ground of acting is not the outward Letter but the Spirit which
the Old and New Testament-Scripture thence to suck and draw for their refreshment preservation and consolation But such cursed step-dames have we now sprung up who would wean every new-born babe from any further tastes of Scripture-milk it must be no ground of their acting then no means of their growth no food to them at all nay it shall be no seed instrumentally to beget them as not milk to nourish them 3. They that deny the Scriptures to be in any good sense the ground of the Saints acting in effect deny them to be Gods Scriptures and Christs Scriptures for either the Authority of God and Christ is stampt upon them or not if it be then by their Authority may and ought the Saints to act if it be not then are they but humane and not the Scriptures of God and Christ But let us examine what R. F. saith for himself * 2 pag. of his Epist and 7. p. of his book and men of his judgement The Lord God and his Spirit is the ground of the Saints acting as it was formerly Isa 48. 16 17. For the Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me And the Lord Isaiah 48. 16 17. cleared vindicated teacheth his that he so sends to profit Rep. 1. So reads he or writes I must not say wresteth lest I retort but the words are directed to the people or Church and truly thus read which teacheth thee to profit The prophets had more extraordinary impulses of the Spirit then the Saints in ordinary for their actings 2. One way whereby God then taught and now teacheth his people to profit was by reducing them to the written Rule ver 18. O that thou hadst hearkned to my Commandments which they had in writings from God before the Lord God and the Spirit sent Isaiah to them Christ who came with the Spirit as he received it not by measure came with the Scriptures taught the people and his disciples how to profit by them Luke 4. 18. Matth. 5. Luke 24. 27. and as the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal which Scripture 1 Cor. 12. 7. R. F. alledgeth in 1 Cor 12. 7. vindicated part so is all the Scripture given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in righteousness 2 Tim. 3. 16. neither is there any manifestation of the Spirit in any Teacher if he doth not manifest his doctrine from or according to the Scripture when required so to do It is not to be believed that God ever gave his Spirit to such a Teacher who doth manifestly or covertly under pretence of the Spirit flie from the light of Scripture The Spirit of God never taught any The property of the Scriptures to speak dishonorably or diminishingly of his written word but to give unto the Scriptures what is its due viz. That they are Gods holy Scriptures Rom. 1. 2. able to make a childe wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3. 15. and given ver 17. That the man of God the Prophet Apostle Evangelist Pastor or Teacher and others by their ministery may be perfect throughly furnished unto every good work and unto the Spirit what is his due The prerogative of the Spirit prerogative to work by the Scripture when and upon whom he pleaseth to their saving profit But haply I might have spared this pains in reference to R. F. though others have need of it because in his Epistle he hath this passage The Scriptures in the Letter onely are not the true ground of the believers faith as they in Scotland affirm for he seems to be a little yielding that they are the ground of the Saints acting though not onely if in any good sense he will grant them to be the ground of the believers faith he must in that The ground of the Believers faith is the ground of the Saints acting sense yield them to be the ground of the Saints acting for the Saint and the Believer is all one and all acts of holiness in general as of any particular grace spring from the same root that the acts of faith do and are built upon the same ground-work that is laid by God for the edification of faith and its actings Onely I must advertise him and others that I know none in Scotland that so affirm or express themselves as he speaks They may say and say truly that the Letter i. e. the Scriptures which never were without their true sense nor without the Spirit breathing in them though it be not manifested to every one that reads them nor a like manifestation given at all times to all the Saints are the onely visible and legible Rule of faith and Judge of Controversies as all sound Protestants have hitherto maintained this truth against the Papists And they that are of a sound minde in this British Isle as in all Europe and the world have from Gods Authority stampt upon the Scriptures asserted them to be a true Ground of the Believers faith which R. F. weakly denies * Epist because Christ is the true Ground of faith whereas the affirmative is hereby the more strongly proved For the true adaequate or proportionable Object of faith is the true Ground of faith but Christ speaking in the Scriptures is the true adaequate Object of faith therefore Christ in the Scriptures is the true Ground of faith And thus again If Christ be the true Ground of faith then the Scriptures of Christ which are his written truth are a true Ground of faith as if the man be honest I may build upon his word so if Christ be true and Truth itself his word is true and the truth as his Fathers word is John 17. 17. when written down for a more certain ground as to us and our actings then if but spoken in the air or to the ear Let R. F. therefore or all that have a minde to be sound in the faith if he hath none hear the Scripture speaking for it self and hear Christ together for himself and his Scripture Prov. 22. 19 20 21. That thy trust Prov. 22. 19 20 21. opened and urged may be in the Lord I have made known to thee this day even to thee Here is a ground of faith laid by the Lord himself What is it his making known of what Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge Here is excellent matter made known as a ground of trusting in the Lord and here is the maner of revelation by writing Have not I written wherefore That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth Behold the maner of making known a ground also of certainty of knowledge and consequently of faith for a mans self and it followeth that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee Lo here is the ground of our Embassie and Message for others
night where our hearts are most obscure and in some places as the light at noon-day they shine with their Light upon every mans conscience that reads them Every Book and Chapter is a lightsom Book and Chapter were not our eyes more then purblinde Every Verse is a little vessel of light yea how great and how much light in some one line or a few letters as in John 10. 30. I and my Father are one And in that Rom. 5. 6. When we were yet without strength Christ died c. Doth it exalt Christ to call him our Rule and then deny it to the Scripture The Scripture exalts him higher and calls him Christ ruleth by the Scripture our Rule-giver or Law-giver which comes all to one And it exalts it self or is exalted by Christ to be Canonical or our Canon and Rule Gal. 6. 17. As many as walk according Gal. 6. 17. opened to this rule in the whole Epistle and in the Verse before If any say the Apostle speaks of the new creature as our Rule I conceive they are mistaken For 1. The new creature is too narrow for a Rule nor of authority enough to be a Rule it is but imperfect here as to degrees of renewed qualities and one Christian hath more another less none are gradually perfect 2. The new creature is subordinate and subject to Rule the old man is not nor cannot be subject if the new be not nothing in a Christian is regulated and then he will not be found a Christian If the new creature be subject it is to Christ the King and his Laws If it be regulated it is by a declared Rule which is the written Word Rom. 7. 25. I saith Paul at that time a new creature do serve the law of God as that Rule he speaks of to the Galatians and who so walks according to it peace shall be upon him Is Christ Christ guideth and teacheth by the Scripture our Guide he guides us by the Scripture without and by the Spirit of and in the Scriptures and within our hearts Is Christ our Teacher and doth he teach all without book Christ had never such disciples since the Scriptures were his Book which is profitable for Doctrine or Teaching 2 Tim. 3. 16. Christ himself taught out of them and by them and so doth he still continue to train up the Scholars of his Christ accuseth and judgeth by the Scripture highest form Doth not the Scriptures accuse and judge also under Christ and for Christ John 5. 45. Ye have one that accuseth you even Moses John 12. 48. The word that I have spoken the same shall judge him at the last day because spoken from the Father and according to his commandment in the Scripture To return to R. F. again and at last to close up this Section I leave this with him and others Christs Scripture is of the same authority with Christs Sermons Christs Sermons shall judge men at the last day Therefore Christs Scripture shall have the same authority of judging It is one of the Books that shall be opened Rev. 20. 12. with the books of mens consciences Revel 20. 12. and of Gods omnisciency and Decrees and all the dead shall be judged out of those things which were written in the books And they that now are unwilling to be judged by the Scripture shall at the last day be judged by it whether they will or no. 2. Head of Scripture-contradiction Concerning the Trinity Section 7. I Had discovered their contradictious language that There is no Scripture for the Trinity when the Scripture is plain before them 1 John 5. 7. There are three 1 Iohn 5. 7. vindicated that bear witness in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Spirit and these three are one Here is a Trinity I said or a Three-ness in one Essence and One-ness of Essence in a Three-ness of Subsistence R. F. * Page 7 8. challengeth me for perverting the Scripture saying here is Trinity when it expresseth no such word in that nor any other Scripture as Trinity But the Reader will easily perceive how he perverts my writing and fights against this Text and five more which I referred to for I said not here is Trinity or the word Trinity but here is a Trinity asserted He grants the Father Son and Spirit are one and then beating about the bush from John 14. 20. which mentions but two of the three he denies it to speak of distinct persons three Rep. What if John 14. 20. speak not of three 1 Joh. 5. 7. expresly saith there are three c. But R. F. falls point-blank in opposition to the third in order of the three and addeth The holy Ghost is no person My work therefore here is first to clear out from this place in Johns Epistle and the five other that I onely hinted at that there are three distinct persons in the God-head Secondly that the holy Ghost is and how he is one of the three I cannot open any of the six Texts which I quoted but the latter will be proved by the former onely in clearing the latter by it self R. F. his Heresie and Blasphemy will be yet more evident and notorius To the first then I argue thus in the general If the Scripture speaks of three the Father Son and Spirit that are one and yet three then they are as distinctly three in their Persons as they are undividedly one in their Essence But the Scripture speaks of these three that are one and There is a Trinity or three persons in one Godhead proved from and by the Scriptures yet three Therefore they are as distinctly three in their persons as they are undividedly one in their Essence The consequence of the proposition is thus proved When the Scripture speaks of these three either it is to be understood of three distinct ways of Being or of three distinct Beings But it cannot be understood of three distinct Beings for the Lord our God is One I am or Being of himself Therefore it is to be understood of three distinct maners or ways of Being each of which maners of Being is no other but that which the Scripture expresseth by the word Hypostasis or Person when it sometime speaks of one of the three sometime of another The Assumption is clear from the Scriptures that either expresly say there are three and these are one or reckon up three neither more nor fewer coequal and of the same dignity as co-essential and of the same Deity More particularly 1. Let that 1 John 5. 7. be viewed and weighed let 1 John 5. 7. opened not men shut their eyes against the light of it and think lightly of its Testimony where Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity is set forth by words equivalent and of as great force as if the very terms of Unity and Trinity were put down The equivalent words are there are three and these three are one
and 27 verses every such man as is a Saint in one place and another where he came not yet perfect except in Justification that he may be presented perfect in Christ Jesus in holiness 3. Christs person with and by his Spirit dwelleth in every Saint with a light that never was given to every man that cometh into the world nor ever will be given 4. Though Paul preached to the world unconverted as well as to the Saints yet it was to bring them who were of Gods election among the Saints that they might be partakers of that mysterious light which they knew nothing of before But R. F. thinks if the Scripture make mention of every man it must needs include every man that is was or will be in the world therefore he addeth in the above-mentioned Pamphlet The Apostle saith to the Romans That as well as to them God hath given to every man a measure of grace Rom. 12. 3. And none shall be condemned for that Rom. 12 3. vindicated which they know not but for that which they know and do not obey Whereas here 1. By every man is not meant every man that cometh into the world but that cometh into the Church or company of Saints or whether in or out of the Church yet maketh profession of Faith and hath received some supernatural gifts in measure 2. It is a measure of faith the Apostle speaketh of not a measure of grace Faith may be taken there for knowledge of Gospel-doctrine and gifts flowing from that knowledge which may be in men that are not truly sanctified or endued with saving grace 2 Thes 3. 2. All men have not 2 Thes 3. 2. opened faith not so much as knowledge of the Gospel-letter nor the general assent to Gospel-truth as very Gospel much less that justifying faith which onely the Elect have 3. Every man that cometh into the world hath not that which is termed and is but common though supernatural grace i. e. gifts freely given in common to Hypocrites and Formalists as to the Elect and effectually called of Jesus Christ 4. Every man that neither hath true saving grace nor ever lived in times and places when and where God hath given common supernatural endowments will have enough to condemn him for that which he had in Adams loins yet standing and particularly for that which he knew in him but lost yea put it away by his voluntary disobedience in whom all have sinned Rom. 5. 12. Besides for not obeying Rom. 5. 12. opened that which he knows of God of good and evil as natural conscience dictates for God Every man who hath but every mans light will at last be condemned Rom. 2. 12. For as many as have sinned without law i. e. without the written word shall also perish without law i. e. by the law witness and judgement of their own consciences which is that we call the Light of nature the Law of nature or natural Light by good warrant from Scripture and reason that things should be called as they are But to proceed Section 10. TO call the light within them and which every man hath the word of God as they frequently express their natural impressions To you all this is the word of the Lord while as they will not have the holy Scriptures so called This as I noted is still to hold up Contradiction as to the whole Scripture so to that particular place in Isaiah 8. 20. whence I inferred That Light without Scripture Isaiah 8. 20. further vindicated is no light This passage R. F. stumbleth at in his Epistle and saith It comes as the rest of my sayings from the deceitful Spirit that guides me Rep. What doth he less then fasten deceit upon the Spirit of God as far as he can the Spirit of truth who speaks in that as in all the Scripture and guided me to write as I did If they speak not according to this word saith the Spirit there speaking of the Law and the Testimony written in books and tables it is because there is no light in them How Light without Scripture is no Light What clearer and truer inference from the words of the Spirit by the Prophet could I raise then this viz. Light though said to be saving Light without Scripture i. e. besides or not according to Scripture is no Light Men may R. F. His reasons to the contrary in his Epistle dissolved call it light and light of life but the holy Ghost saith it is not so if it be not agreeable to Law and Testimony which is Scripture-light R. F. would fain disprove my inference thus 1. If light without Scripture be no light then I know not the light that was before the Scripture or Letter and so am ignorant of Christ the true light Rep. 1. It follows not for there was no light before the Scripture but what is now revealed in and by the Scripture 2. It is a learned ignorance to know no more in order to salvation then that which is in Scripture revealed The Lord give me and all his more of this learning 3. As the Spirit shews me by the Scripture that God did teach the knowledge of Christ to the Fathers before the Flood and after till Moses without a written Word so I know that all that light which the Patriarchs had concerning salvation and right worshipping of God through a Mediator was according to the Law and Testimony committed to writing in Moses time and since 2. R. F. objecteth By such a saying Light without Scripture c. I would not have God to be God and Christ to be Christ without the Letter of the Scripture Rep. 1. What an absurd that I say not malicious inconsequence is here 'T is as if one should have cavilled against Isaiah when he said To the Law and to the Testimony c. Why Isaiah if there be no light in them that bring not Scripture and that soundly interpreted according to the Spirits word thou wouldest not have God to be God nor Christ to be Christ without the Scripture The charge of R. F. is not against me but contradictious to that Prophet and to the Spirit For when God gives a written Law Doctrine or Rule and Touchstone to try even Prophets and Apostles Doctrine by he that shall speak things discrepant from this Canonical Word speaks as we say without book without ground or warrant without or besides and consequently against the Light of a Rule and against the Spirit that gave the Rule 2. God who was God from everlasting and much more before he appointed his minde to be delivered in writing Isaiah 8 20. farther cleared hath thus given out his minde in that written Text by Isa 8. 20. consult but the verse before When they shall say unto you seek unto them that have familiar spirits c. should not a people Gods people seek unto their God where should they seek him should they go to the
elsewhere to take hire for preaching another thing to preach for hire By the Scripture that Question also * page 22. Qu. 4. may be judged proud and malitious as of the Devil What rule have you in Scripture to take a Text c. If R. F. justifies this as 't is likely he will we must bid him go and learn and what that meaneth Luke 4. 17. our humble Saviour took up the Bible and pitcht upon a Text let us learn at last of him to be lowly in heart Matth. 11. 29. If it be said it followeth in the Question and to speak from it what you have studied with your Vses Points Tryals Motives and Applications We must send them again to 2 Tim. 3 16 17. The Scripture is given so to be improved whether men will hear or forbear Let R. F. consider if the scope of that * Qu. 24. Question Whether that Light which comes from Christ be natural yea or nay be not to make all Light-given alike for kinde as appeareth by Quere 29. Whether the Light of the world or of every man be not a saving Light in the least measure yea or nay and how can that be said to be natural These Questions come from the Devils envy against the Saints peculiar light who see all things after another maner then natural men can do The Gentiles did things by nature or power of natural conscience and the light of it which yet they perisht in their light and their works were neither of them saving Rom. 2. 12 and 14. This light of nature comes from Christ as God not as Mediator he that is the true Light enlightneth every man but not with saving Light I must send back R. F. to Sect. 10. and the superadded Conclusions in the end thereof If any man be ignorant let him be ignorant 1 Cor. 14. 38. But yet if we examine those Questions * Qu. 44 and 45. Where had you this Doctrine to tell people they could never be wholly cleansed or be set free from sin so long as they are upon the earth And whether this be not in opposition to the Doctrine of Christ who saith Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect What shall we finde here but ignorance and confusion for want of will or skill to distinguish between Justification and Sanctification which according to the Scripture I have desired R. F. and others to perpend and weigh in Sect. 23. And I must send all Novices still to that Scripture Eccles 7. 20. There is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not which hath no opposition to the Doctrine of Christ Mat. 5. 48. where the Lord as all along the Chapter Mat. 5 48. vindicated urgeth sincerity and integrity of obedience upon his Disciples in opposition to the Pharisees counterfeit and partial expositions of the ten Commandments with further growth and endeavour after more conformity to their heavenly pattern still keeping perfection in all degrees as the white in their eye unto which the Lord will bring his children at their dissolution and time of their souls immediate entrance into heaven and not before as hath been demonstrated in Sect. 29. As to that Question * Qu 48. What is your own righteousness and what is the righteousness of Christ and how do you distinguish betwixt the one and the other He that did propound it tells us at the foot of Page 25. It was not as if he knew them not even all that he enquired of but for the satisfaction of the simple and for the clearing of the truth and manifesting our deceit to the world But that which is a thorough good Question indeed not coming from Satan and a corrupt heart must arise from a sound and good principle and be propounded to as good an end Now this Quere 1. proceeds not from a good principle because their judgements are vitiated and in their Doctrine they confound as do the Papists our inherent righteousness-sanctifying with Christs righteousness which justifieth Christs righteousness which justifieth a believing sinner is not the essential righteousness of his God-head but that obedience of his Active and Passive which in the humane nature that he assumed and united to his divine person he wrought out in the room and stead of others and which he presenting to Gods Justice as a price and ransom for them God accepteth and reckoneth to every one that believeth for his perfect Justification That righteousness which is in Scripture called our own as inherent in us is either what is done by the power of natural conscience without the written word or what is done according to the bare letter of the written command or from a common gift of the Spirit or in a Gospel-way from a living principle of grace habits and acts of holiness by the holy Spirit and faith given stirred up actuated and improved this also with all the former is a righteousness of ours that men would establish in the room of Christs imputed righteousness for their justification But though it be wrought by the strength of Christ in us and be found in us that are sanctified yet as to justification of his person Paul would not be found in it for a world but saith he Phil. 3. 8 9. I do count all things but loss even what he had done and suffered since conversion and what he was now a doing and dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law or done in my person from the best principles in obedience to the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith this is every true Believers vote and resolution If R. F. be otherwise minded and belong to God God shall reveal even this unto him 2. The above mentioned Quere by the bare propounding doth not attain the ends pretended our answer may satisfie some simple ones some wise not all This Quere and other of the like stamp doth but obscure the truth and help to stagger and seduce Gods servants as for our deceit in this great business of a sinners justification if J. Parnell should arise from the dead or R. F. should tell us he hath been in the third Heaven nor one nor other shall be able to manifest that which is not To conclude whence came that * Quer. 3â— question quarrelling more with God then with us How doth it stand with the impartial God to give to one man a measure of grace and not to another and yet require obedience from all If R. F. thinketh there is ground for such a Question he must be sent to Rom. 9. 18. 20. for his Answer God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy c. and O man who art thou that replyest against God 21. Head of their Scripture-contradiction Concerning civil Honor. Section 49. THeir discourse papers and practise is notorious enough in opposition
the Scripture Rep. 1. How would I have him that believeth born of the Letter my words were these If the Scripture be in the heart of every one sure he that believeth is born of that seed even of the Scripture-promise set into the heart by the holy Ghost hence he that is born of the Spirit is born of the word written and preached which the Spirit useth as the instrumental means of our regeneration as upon that place in Peter 1 Ep. Chap. 1. ver 23 and 25. hath been cleared heretofore Part 1. Sect. 5. 2. The Scripture-promise declaring Christ is the more apt means by which the Spirit begets a soul to Christ or formeth him in the soul 3. That the Letter declareth Christ doth not contradict the Scripture but it contradicteth the Scripture to say the declaration of Christ is not a means of begetting a soul to Christ 4. To say Let all see whether we do not set the Scripture in the heart of every one and yet to deny the Scripture to be a means of the new birth or that the believer is born of God without the Scripture is to say and un-say But R. F. * page 26. would retort this upon my self and why I have not the same minde with them and know not their meaning and so raise lyes as he chargeth upon me by my imaginations Rep. 1. If I have the minde of Christ as it is in Scripture I shall not be ambitious of nor much regard their meaning but as I know it to be cross to the minde of Christ I have according to the grace given unto me witnessed against it and yet studied to put the most candid and favorable construction upon their words 2. If their sense of setting Scripture in the heart of every one be nothing else but telling people they have a light of Conscience within them and stirring up that light which every man hath that cometh into the world First they delude poor people who never heard that Light called Scripture before yet this is more then probably their best Scripture for their Tenents and Doctrines as might be gathered from the answer that J. P. a yong stripling who came into this Town last summer gave to a weak re-baptized woman shattered by his discourse whose question was But may I not read the Scriptures The answer was Read thy heart woman as she told me that was all she could get of him There is a book of Conscience to be read indeed but is not the book of the Scriptures and Gods Statutes to be read according to which beyond the book of every mans Conscience all that have that written rule shall be judged Secondly If every mans light be the onely Scripture in the minde that these men are in why doth R. F. * In his Book entituled A true testimony c. pag. 53. appeal to that which is the alone proper perfect Scripture in our judgement and which he calls for to stand as judge betwixt them and 42. Ministers Will he stand to the judgement of the Prophets and Apostles as it is the minde of Christ the word of God Will he not appeal when all is done to a higher Court of immediate Teachings in the heart If the Scripture be judge it must be so from its own light that is superior not onely to every mans light but also to the degree of light that is in every Saint and that is superior to our meanings and theirs for the Scripture must judge by its own words and meaning together and from its own rule we must not separate the Letter of the Law and the true interpretation of the Letter The Law-makers we say are best able to give the right sense of the Law The great Law-giver gives out his sense of one part of Scripture by another Can any Law judge of Heresie but the Law of God saith R. F. in the Book and Page last referred unto in the margent If he intends there any Law of God but the written word and text of the Bible Gods great Law-book he contradicts in heart what he pretends to in words If he understands by the Law of God the holy Scriptures of God called the Bible then he pretends to that acknowledgement of them as a standing rule and a more standing rule then visions and revelations and if he intends what he pretends to then he must recant what he wrote in the 3. and 4. Page of his imaginary Scripture-vindication or else lie setter'd in his Self-contradictions 2. Head of their Self-contradiction Concerning hearing of the Word Section 10. I Had granted they say and say truly because the Scripture saith so Joh. 8. 47. They that are of God hear his word and they that hear his word hear his voice and yet they deny the hearing of Ministers that speak this word and consequently they do either un-say what truth they spake before or deny themselves to be of God in that they both refuse themselves to hear and call off others from hearing R. F. * Page 26. because I granted the first part of their contradiction to be a Scripture truth runs away with the conceit of an advantage when 't is nothing so Thou says They say and say truly then they lye not neither do they say and un-say and so thou art taken with the lye again and clears them thy self Rep. How weak and giddy this mans apprehension is may appear many ways by the review of this passage 1. I attributed truth to their words no further then they agree with the word of God in Scripture and so far I will acknowledge truth because I love it and the Scripture of truth but this man when I grant an inch will take an ell 2. It followeth not if men say true in one thing that they speak the truth in every thing The devil can speak a truth the more cunningly to put off his lyes That may be a truth materially which will not be found in mens practical experience so acknowledged 3. It is beyond all controversie that in this as many other instances they say and unsay first owning the Scriptures and ministery and hearing of the word and then dis-owning all teachers and teaching but what is within first saying * A discovery of some fruits c. pag. 9. the peoples Teacher cannot be removed into a corner and by and by telling them you will finde your teacher as you lye in your beds Even as customary swearers reproved for their sin will swear they did not swear so men habituated in Self-contradiction will vehemently protest against it but it helps them never a whit 4. It is no new thing to have the reproach of lying cast upon me or others by one who cannot judge or understand what is truth or when 't is spoken truly 5. I am so far from clearing them that I renew my charge against them if they be all like R. F. in this maner and form following The more candidly the
this is Chap. 6. 1. Therefore we are not to continue in sin c. Another Point floweth from the former viz. of the necessity of Sanctification and the inseparable connexion of it with a justified state though it is no ingredient to constitute a justified person Chap. 6. and 7. are full of spiritual Reason in the asserting of the necessary presence of holiness in every believer although sin be present in the same heart warring and fighting the believer must abide the conflict Of both the Points viz. of Justification and Sanctification the Apostle makes singular Vse Chap. 8. for consolation of believers both against sin and sufferings Against sin in respect of the guilt that is condemned and abolished in respect of in-dwelling corruption that reigns not though it remains against sufferings and afflictions they shall all work to good shall not separate from the love of Christ c. A third main Point is touching Election and Rejection in Chapters 9 10 11. of whom the Lord pleased before good or evil was in them to chuse or pass by as a Potter who hath power over his clay c. leaving it as a depth not to be far waded into but swim over it we may with the arms of faith and admiration And of all this Gospel-doctrine and what dependeth thereupon he makes the Vses from Chap. 12. to the end of the Epistle exhorting unto Holiness toward God Righteousness toward men Chap. 13. Love to the Saints and to all men Chap. 14. and 15. calling c. for the practice of all the duties of the Moral Law and that by way of Motive Chap. 12. 1. By the mercies of God justifying sanctifying mercy the mercy of God in calling and glorifying according to eternal predestination I beseech you c. And by way of Tryal Chap. 15. 14. I am perswaded of you my brethren that ye also are full of goodness c. Chap. 16. 17. I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them If this suffice not let R. F. who must be tryed and judged by the Scripture read any of Pauls Sermons mentioned in the Acts or pitch upon that Chap. 13. ver 15. The Apostle he will finde after the reading of the Law and the Prophets was desired to say on The Scripture Text was laid as the foundation the Jews expect as all their true Prophets and Teachers since God gave his written word were wont he should build upon that foundation and say on neither do his work beside it nor without it but say on as if they had thus exprest themselves We have the whole Scripture and every part of it as the Doctrine improve it now give us a word of Exhortation for our use and improvement Paul doth both he preacheth upon the Point of Gods dispensation to his people Israel of old and of the promise made to David of a seed and of Christs death and resurrection the accomplishment of that promise he proves Christs resurrection by Reason as by Scripture because Christ saw no corruption in the grave ver 37. and was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem c. ver 31. He preacheth the Doctrine of Justification by remission of sins to all that believe ver 38. and from all makes Vse to call them to faith in Christ and ver 40. to caution and warn them who did not believe lest that come upon them which is written in the Prophets a Motive from the Scripture Behold ye despisers and wonder c. Such an Vse I wish R. F. and his followers and leaders may make of all this discovery of Scripture-warrant which himself called for for raising Points Reasons Vses c. Let him beware of despising such a way of teaching by which God hath wrought wonders upon the mindes and consciences of men to their conviction conversion consolation c. If R. F. had ever known experimentally and savingly the power of Sermons by Doctrines Reasons and Vses from Scripture or had felt the force of Gospel as Legal Motives and soul-searching Tryals would he have put me or any man upon justifying this practice surely his own heart and conscience might have been a witness for the truth and not his pen a scoffer against it I pity such men in the North as South who either have not heard or regard not to hear some Boanerges or other some plain powerful Perkins Rogers Hooker Price Preston Bolton or other to pronounce the word Damnation in their ears that it may echo in their consciences Let R. F. and his brethren attend to what I say He that believeth not our Points soundly raised from Scripture I must tell him from Christ he shall be damned He that stands not convinced by our Reasons from Scripture will lose his reasonable soul and perish He that despiseth our Vses deduced from Scripture doctrine and Scripture reason will inevitably be ruined He that is not moved by Scripture motives is a man of a cauterized conscience and will be shut up in the lowest prison He that declineth Scripture tryals shall will he nill he be judged and condemned according to the Scripture What will become then of R. F. his bold daring words that follow Therefore against you and such deceivers as profess Scriptures to be your rule and act contrary to them we declare and against you testifie but as words of wind that vanish like smoke out of the bottomless pit no fruits of the Spirit can I finde in all this their Self-justification with their Scripture and Self-contradiction Section 28. HVmility and Love are precious fruits of the Spirit which they pretend to own as I noted but this I desired might be observed withal they deny common courtesie to equals and due outward respect to superiors and I may adde while they call for it to be given to inferiors such as themselves most of them are And if they say they honor all in their hearts who will believe them till it hath power to express it self outwardly in words and gestures of honor and of love which doing nothing unseemly will do what is comely and honorable With an Exhortation to love the Apostle stirs up to humility and common courtesie 1 Pet. 5. 5. and Chap. 3. 8. Be subject one to another be clothed with humility i. e. in minde and conversation as in apparel Love as brethren c. be courteous Peter learnt this of his Master who was loving and lowly in spirit and carriage bowed to the feet of his servants even to wash them John 13. and spake with words of entreaty where he might have commanded Luke 5. 3. entring into Simons ship he prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land R. F. hath nothing to salve their Contradiction unless it be this * Page 29. for a flourish to skin it over not to cure the wound As for your forms
is seen and known to be one that hates it and why 1. He bears record of himself against Christ and his Apostles Let that be found in any passage of his former or present piece and R. F. shall be no false Apostle J. S. will hide his head in a hole or openly recant the folly and wickedness 2. He calls the true light saith R. F. the Light of nature and the common Light of reason Where 's the proof of this allegation J. S. doth peremptorily deny that he ever so exprest himself since he had the Light of reason in him The true Light as 't is printed both in R. F. his Book * Page 2. and in the Bible John 1. 9. with a great L and there spoken of is Christ J. S. never called Christ the Light of nature or the common Light of reason or reason as Page 34. R. F. clamoreth and clattereth Haply he may say again and again That Christ as the very God and the true Light giveth the Light of nature to all men and common light of reason more or less to every man for he is able to distinguish betwixt the Donor and his Gift betwixt the un-created Light-living God and created Light-given before the fall to Adam or given back since the fall to him and his posterity If R. F. or any man will confound Christ-giving or enlightning with the Light-given or lighted up as a Candle in every man he may as well confound God and the Creature and make them as some blasphemously imagine to be one and the same Essence Therefore as in this so in all other instances Fourthly J. S. is confident after R. F. his impudence in his Preface and Proceedings he shall neither be found Lyar nor false Accuser but as he is sure that Saint Pauls Anathema was out long since Gal. 1. 8 9. and is still in force against those that preach another Gospel-way of Justification as do these Quaking-Papists or Popish-Quakers so the Anathema Maran-atha that R. F. denounceth imperatively and imperiously Let him be an Anathema Maranatha against J. S. shall be as the curse causless that shall not come but that God will do him more good as already he hath done something for him by Shimei's railing Tyrants Sectaries Seducers and Hereticks as Luther said do nothing else but drive us unto the Bible to make us read more diligently therein and with more fervency to sharpen our Prayers and I may adde by their buffetings to be more taken off from self-estimation and to be viler in our own eyes then we can be in the eyes of our Adversaries who know not our hearts THE Reviler rebuked PART 1. 1. Head of Scripture-contradiction Touching the Scriptures themselves Section 1. THe holy Scriptures by one thunder-stricken in spirit and blasted in profession with the Quakers Books and company in Scotland were denied to my face to be the word of Truth which I noted as the first and great Contradiction R. Farnworth in answer returns me thus much of truth in form of words That the Scriptures are words that proceeded from the Spirit of Truth we do not deny but own and so they are the words of truth Plainly he doth not say they are the words of truth nor plainly joyn Scripture the word of truth to all issue with him that denied them to be the word of truth but if they be own'd for words of truth as proceeding from the Spirit of truth then for the advantage of Truth I argue 1. They are the word of God and so should be owned by them Surely the Spirit of truth is the Spirit of God proceeding from the Father and the Son and these three John 15. 26. being one their word is one That which is the word of the Spirit of truth is the word of the Father of truth and of the Son of truth The Scripture by R. F. his confession is the word of the Spirit of truth therefore he must grant it to be the word of the Father and of the Son of truth and consequently the word of the true God 2. If they be words of truth as proceeding from the Spirit of truth then they are the Rule Standard and Touchstone of truth the true Spirit being known by his words and directing us to know his minde by his words what we should believe as truth and practise as truth or according to it but we shall anon hear R. F. denying the Scriptures to be the rule of a Christian as of other men that are unchristian 3. If they be the words of the Spirit of truth then they are so to all men or but to some men 1. If so to all men that have the Scriptures by them then why doth not R. F. challenge him that denied them to be so to unbelievers as I noted in my Book Why doth he challenge me for falshood with a therefore too * Page 2. therefore thy saying is false What saying of mine is false and wherefore I truly related what I had from him I mentioned above in discourse once and again That the Scriptures were not the word of truth And doth it follow because R. F. acknowledgeth them to be the words of truth that therefore I heard not the contradiction or mis-related what was spoken 2. If they be the words of truth but to some men not at all to wicked men and unbelievers no not condemningly as were his expressions then it seems the unbelief and wickedness of men doth make the Faith or Truth of God of none effect but S. Paul Rom. 3. 3. is of another minde Rom 3. 3. cleared yea the Spirit there by the Interrogation first and second What if some did not believe shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect forcibly denieth the frustration or making void of Gods word of truth by the Jews former or following continued unbelief God hath laid his faith and truth to pawn as it were in the holy Scriptures and as he is a God of truth his word is a word of truth taking hold of men by the threatning as Zech. 1. 6. who misbelieve or reject the promise And Is he the God of the Jews onely and not also of the Gentiles to justifie and condemn all that are believing or unbelieving according to the Scriptures Such therefore who will say No more is the truth of God or word of God to me then what I believe were they never so dear friends must be as roundly taken up and faithfully rebuked as sometimes Luther took up a man of no mean account Bullenger you erre you know neither your self nor what you hold According to your falsities if the Word findes not the Spirit but an ungodly Person then it is not Gods word whereby you define and hold the word not according to God who speaketh it but according as people do entertain and receive it Whereas as he again a true Christian must hold for certain and must say That word
gave forth the Letter Hereby setting the Word and Spirit at difference whereas the Spirit gives forth his word in the Scripture and in the word written lays down the grounds of the Saints actings and believings also yea he hath ordained the very Scripture to be one ground of their acting R. F. in answer returns me this language * Pag. 7. 1. Here thou art blinde and knows not the Saints ground and 2. Accusing them falsly that witness to it 3. With thy Logick and Magick Art would make the Scriptures God and Christ but cannot and would make them the ground of the Saints acting when they are not Rep. 1. If R. F. will but understand what is and may be said to be the ground of a thing he may possibly believe I know the Saints ground of acting as they are Saints The word Ground is ambiguous and hath divers acceptions In strict propriety of speech the Earth we tread upon and Ground are all one as the same Ground or Earth brings forth the same fruit By a metaphorical Allusion the word Ground is sometime put for the Cause of a thing sometime for the first ground-work of a Building or for the first Principles and Rules of Art and Science or for the first habits in a man of his actings The Cause and that principal-efficient Ground of the Saints acting is God and the Father by Christ through the Spirit The Scriptures are How the Scriptures are the Ground of the Saints acting instrumentally a Cause without which since the Lord caused them to be given forth he doth not ordinarily act upon the Saints or draw forth their acts of grace and godliness They are the first external ground-work of all their faith and workings as Saints They are the Rule and Warrant of all their ordinary actings yea the grounding Touch-stone of all extraordinary Impulses and Revelations By their Authority they are a sufficient ground or reason of our faith and practice The Scripture-commands are one ground the Scripture-promises another the Scripture-threatnings another the Scripture examples backt by and bottom'd upon a precept another the Scripture-Prophecies and Revelations another As every word of God is pure Prov. 30. 5. so every part of the Scripture is a pure grounding-rule for a Saints faith and conversation Rev. 21. 14. The wall of the City the new Jerusalem made up of Saints indeed hath twelve foundations and in them the names of the Apostles of the Lamb whose writings we have with the doctrine of the Prophets Ephes 2. 20. founding-grounding doctrine as that golden Reed Rev. 21. 15. to measure the city and the gates thereof and the wall thereof 2. If the Word and Spirit cannot be set at difference but are inseparable as R. F. yieldeth yet I did not falsly accuse them as he saith that witness to the Saints ground because by Word he and others expresly hold forth none but the Person of Christ and God the Word but deny the Letter of Scripture to be the Word of God which is strange contradiction to God himself and to his Scripture and to themselves also For while they grant he wrote or caused to be written the whole Letter yet they deny him to have written a word It is true in propriety of Grammar-speech a letter is but the least part of a word yet it is a part But the Bible consists of many books of letters which God hath left written for his friends and people to be grounded and setled in the faith yet because John 1. 1. speaks of God the Word and 2 Cor. 3. 17. of the Lord the Spirit therefore Christ and the Scripture must not be called by the same name and because Christ and the Spirit are inseparable therefore the Spirit and the Scripture must be parted as to the Case in hand and if the Spirit be the ground of the Saints acting the Scriptures must have no part nor lot in this business I shall still accuse such Logick to be false reasoning and yet not accuse the Logician falsly R. F. thinking to mend the matter marres it with his additional gloss * Page 7. The Letter is not God nor the Letter is not the Spirit therefore not that Word which liveth and abideth for ever 1 Pet. 1. 23. by which the World was framed Heb. 11. 3. and made Heb. 1. 2. For what if it be not that WORD yet it is the word of that Word it is the word of Christ who is God the Word And if Christ be the ground or meritoriously efficient cause of the Saints actings his Scripture or written Word is the regular Card and Compass by which his Spirit steers their course to the Haven of Happiness and Eternal Rest And why may not the word Peter speaks of in that place be the Scripture He sets not 1 Pet. 1. 23. with 25. opened Christ spoken of in opposition to that Scripture in Isaiah 40. 8. but from the Prophets testimony advanceth the word that speaks of Christ in opposition first to mortal and corruptible seed and then to withering flesh and all the glory of man even in his words fading away as the flower of grass And is not every Scripture-Gospel-promise that immortal seed which being emitted from the Scripture by the Spirit and quickened as it is cast into the heart doth it not there abide and remain in life and power If verse 25. may give any light to verse 23. not Christs person but Christs promise is there beyond all dispute intended by the Apostle when he saith The word of the Lord endureth for ever for the Greek word is not that which is used when Christ in person is spoken of Logos but Röma both in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first and latter clause which is an explication of the former And this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you as if the Apostle should say Would ye know what word is that which endureth for ever even the Scripture-promise which we daily do evangelize or speak of unto you as constant good tidings If any say in verse 23. it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Logos it must be noted for a certain truth that although Logos the Word be sometimes necessarily to be understood of Christs person as John 1. 1. c. yet not * Apud Gracos latè patet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza in Joh. 1. 1. always and this is as certain that Rëma is never used for Christs person but this is used ver 25. and therefore ver 23. in Peter is to be expounded by it Again Is it not the same with the sincere milk of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word * cap. 2. 2. which nourisheth and ministreth growth to the new-born babe Was it the wonted maner of any of the Lords Nurses to bring up Gods children by hand as we say as soon as they are new born and not guide them to the breasts of
hath spoken all his sense under the words which he directed holy men to express his minde by and therefore without going forth of Scripture to any private spirit the true and sure interpretation of Scripture may be obtained which if first we know and be perswaded of we may confidently be perswaded still to take heed thereunto as unto a more sure word and as a help in all our darknesses c. But J. Nayler thinks this a blinde absurdity For saith Discovery c. pag. 30. he if the Testimony of the old Prophets was a more sure word then that which Peter heard from the mouth of God then it must needs follow that the Testimony of the old Prophets who spoke but darkly of Christ and did not see his day must be a more sure Testimony then the Apostles who were eye-witnesses and the words of Books a more sure word then the voice that came from heaven which was the immediate voice of God Rep. All this grant but the testimony of Prophetical Writings to be Gods and the words of Scripture-books to be Gods books and his words may and doth follow without any absurdity at all For 1. Although the Apostles preaching was as infallibly true as the Prophets writings in themselves yet as to men and as to the Jew first and then to the Gentile and in respect of our capacity our reception and retention of truth the word of the Prophets writings was and is still more sure yea the Apostles writings such as the holy Spirit moved them to write and hath ordered to be the Scripture of the New Testament are in the forenamed respect a more sure word then their preachings hence it is that Paul perswaded the Jews Acts 28. 23. both out of the law of Moses and out of the Prophets 2. Although Gods immediate voice from heaven hath as infallible certainty as when he orders his minde to be written yet in respect of our frailty and the above-mentioned cases his written word is more sure to us and we have it so left upon record for our constant use Let not then J. Nayler * Discovery c. as above pag. 30. mislead the simple with great swelling words of vanity concerning our blindness about the Spirit of prophecy as the sure word and testimony of Jesus excluding thereby the Spirit from the Scriptures and the Scriptures from being the word of Prophecy and the sure Testimony of Jesus For Jesus Christ appointed John to write because the words he sent and signified to him by the Angel were true and faithful And when the Angel observed what John was about viz. to worship him Rev. 19. 10. he forbad Rev. 19 10. vindicated him upon two Reasons 1. He was his fellow-servant and of the brethren that have the testimony of Jesus 2. The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy And John having the Testimony of Jesus as well as the Angel though not so immediately he had the Spirit of Prophecy so have all they who have the true sense of Scripture and of Johns Revelation though they received it not by the Angel as John did because the Spirit was with John as with others when he wrote and he that hath an Rev. 3. last ear is commanded to hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches in that written word with the rest of the Scripture The Testimony of Jesus immediately given and received is hath in it and carrieth with it the Spirit of Prophecy as that Testimony which is immediately given and received All they that call off from the mediate Testimony may boast of the immediate but do not discover it Let not J. Nayler * Sauls errand to Damascus pag. 33. again upbraid us with his ignorant question Where readest thou in the Scriptures of a written Word It is no more then if he had said Where readest thou in the Scriptures of the Scriptures Let not J. Parnel * Christ exalted c. p 3. further revile us with doting upon the Scriptures without with our dark mindes when as God hath appointed the voices of the Prophets which are read * Acts 13 27. and preached upon with the voices of the Apostles every Sabbath day as a light shining in a dark place and as a more sure word for our daily use then his immediate voice from heaven Let him not heap up Scriptures to press the Scriptures to death Let him not make the world believe we would take the Authority from Christ because we own Christs Authority in the Scriptures and acknowledge them as instrumental unto Christs saving enlightning of us guiding quickning ruling of us Let him beware of despising Scripture lest he sin more wilfully after his first conviction by the Scripture He that would set Christ upon his throne as he pretends to do must not take the Scepter the Scriptures and what is preached faithfully from thence out of his hand This doth J. Parnel with R. F. and that generation of men who have learned as they imagine beyond the Scripture-Light and need neither man nor Scripture to teach them Yet I will unteach their misinterpretations of Scripture as they fall in my way that people may not further be deluded but undeceived In that one sheet of Paper * Christ exalted c. J. Parnel hath put the Conceptions and Imaginations of his own heart upon ten places of Scripture as he hath disparaged all the Scripture at once in more then one passage Christ he saith Page 1. was that Lamp to Davids feet Psalm 119. 105. Psal 119. 105 vindicated and that Light unto his paths Christ indeed gave that word to David which was his Lamp and Light but David speaks not there of Christs Person but of his Doctrine which the holy Ghost by his pen giveth several titles unto throughout the Psalm The word which David speaks of is called and was as called the Law of the Lord his Precepts or Commandments Statutes Testimonies and Judgements Christs person is not the Law of the Lord c. besides what ver 105. is in the singular number thy word is ver 103 57 139. in the plural number thy words Christs person is not two or many but one David therefore is commending that which J. P. is disparaging the written and declarative word of God Again Page 2. he applieth Jer. 20. 9. and 23. 29. in the like maner to Christs person when as the Section 6. Jer. 20. 9. and 23. 19. vindicated Prophet speaks of Christs Doctrine His word or message of Doctrine which God gave me to deliver was in my heart as a burning fire c. which I could no longer forbear from declaring it And Is not my word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces By Gods word here is meant Gods saithful Doctrine which must be spoken faithfully ver 28. then it hath the power of a purging fire and of a battering hammer
Heb. 4. 12. and Rom. 10 8. vindicated Heb. 4. 12. The word of God quick and powerful c. is the word preached ver 2. or the Scripture that we read and hear opened if one verse may interpret another Rom. 10. 8. The word is nigh thee c. This place with the former must needs be Christ within men not the Scriptures without as J. P. thinks because the Apostle directs the mindes of people within them from looking without whereas let people look into Deut. 30. 14. from whence the Apostle quotes it and compare that 14. ver with the 11. and they will finde it is meant of the word of a Gospel-command built upon a Gospel-promise For this commandment of returning and obeying by vertue of the promise ver 6. of heart-circumcision is not hidden from thee neither is it far off it is not in heaven c. nor beyond the sea c. But the word is very nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest do it Which Paul expounds to be the word of faith or doctrine of faith which comprehends the promise for and to believing and the precept of believing written preached heard and mixed in the heart with faith That Scripture 1 John 2. 27. hath no such meaning 1 Iohn 2 27. vindicated as to exclude Scripture-teaching and Ministers-teaching and as if he that hath the Anointing were come to the end of mans teaching as J. P. expresseth it page 3. But onely that we who have the Anointing which is not Christ as he glosseth for the Unction or Anointing is from Christ Gods holy One ver 20. but that participation of Christs Oyl and Eye-salve of Christs grace and Spirit of knowledge and understanding c. need not that any man should teach us better things or in a better maner but as the Anointing teacheth us The words include both inward and outward teaching and teachers and exclude none but seducers ver 26. of whom the Church and People of God have no need at all in Judea England Essex or in any part of the world Isaiah 30. 20. makes not mention of Christ or but any Isa 30. 20. vindicated one true Teacher but of Teachers meaning the true Prophets and Priests that taught the good knowledge of the Lord as in Jehoshaphats days which should not be removed into a corner but the Lords people should see them and have with them as is promised ver 21. A word behinde them saying This is the way c. i. e. Gods Spirit should prompt suggest and set home that which was outwardly taught upon their hearts at every turn and upon every occasion How doth our Essex Seducer * Christ exalted pag. 4. Iohn 15. 5. Phil 4. 13. vindicated gloss upon John 15. 5. and Philip. 4. 13. Without him we can do nothing but by him we can do all things without the help of Scripture or any thing else without Is this to own Scripture in its place as the Title pretendeth to put it quite out of all place and office or service that it shall not be in the day of the Lords Battels and a Christian warfare in the place of an Auxiliary or of any help and use When as Christ John 15. 3. told his disciples they were clean through the word which he had spoken unto them and the word which he had spoken was according to what is written Psalm 119. 9. Wherewithal shall a yong man cleanse his way by taking heed thereunto according to thy word Did not Paul write that Epistle to the Philippians for their strengthning And did not Apollos Acts 18. 27 28. help them much who had believed through grace shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ Lastly to make an end of these Instances of J. P. how ignorantly and rashly doth he twice quote * Page 4 6 Ier 5. 31. vindicated and cleared Jer. 5. 31. as * R. F. In his Truth cleared p 3. and J. W. in his Enmitie between the two seeds pag. 17. others of his Sect frequently The priests bear rule by their means with a glancing gloss at Ministers gain and maintenance As if by means there was meant outward estate wealth livings c. and by their was understood their own lucre when as the affix or pronoun their relates to the Prophets and by means is no more intended but endeavor or procurement of their false messages and pretences to extraordinary mission The priests bearing rule as falsly and corruptly as the prophets prophesied falsly and unsoundly In the Hebrew 't is by their hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is as much as the prophets false counsel and pretended authority as 2 Sam. 14. 19. Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this Hast thou not done this by Joabs means or counsel by reason whereof the priests were so imperious and the people cheated by the false prophets loved to have it so The edge of this Scripture may be turned against our present Seducers thus The Quaking prophets prophesie falsly and Romish priests shrowd themselves under their new stamped Doctrine God knoweth how much they have influence how soon they may bear rule by these prophets means and many people who go for Gods people love to have it so and what will ye do in the end thereof when prophets priests and people have confederately banded themselves against the true Prophets and Ministers of the Lord That our new Prophet is not a true one hear one line or two more of his * Christ exalted c. p. 4. Sheet and judge of his Judgement of the whole Scripture He Christ is the Word and the Scripture is not He is the Light and the Scripture is not He is the Rule and Guide and Teacher and Judge and the Scripture is not but a declaration of him to be so Is Christ think you exalted upon the ruines of his Scripture and are they not razed at the foundation when as they shall neither be the Word nor Light nor Rule nor Guide nor Teacher nor Judge will that salve all that they are acknowledged to be a declaration of Christ to be so when as the but is sufficiently undervaluing Are they but a declaration of Christ Christ speaketh by the Scripture to be so Do they not declare of themselves also or doth not Christ and his Spirit declare in them and of them what they are as what himself is Do they declare that Christ is the Word and are not they the Word of that declaration Is Christ the living Word and are not the Scriptures the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 2. The lively Oracles Acts 7. 38. Do they declare that Christ is the Light and hath he not put of his Light into the Scriptures for our enlightning Christ enlightneth by the Scripture Psalm 19. 8. Whatsoever doth make manifest is Light Ephes 5. 13. The Scriptures declare and make as manifest as the light in a dark
Ed. Burroughs therefore he agrees with the Scripture and his saying as thou says is not contrary to Ephes 2. 20. but agrees therewith there thou art taken with a lye in thy mouth Lyar be ashamed and blush Rep. 1. To hold forth Christ to be the chief Corner-stone and yet to insinuate and winde into peoples bosoms a new mystery That the light which every one hath is a Corner-stone is to teach diverse from and contrary to the minde of the holy Ghost in that as other Scriptures Ephes 2. 20. for Christ is so the chief as he is the onely Ephes 2. 20. vindicated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corner-stone The word in the Greek is of full force to this purpose signifying such a Corner-stone as doth not onely unite the sides and parts of the building of the Church-Catholique consisting of Elect Jews and Gentiles and that strengthens the whole building but that which reacheth from the bottom to the top of it and is all but one stone in the whole foundation and in all the corner from one end to the other As no other Foundation so no other Corner-stone can be laid then that which is laid the Lord Jesus Christ 2. Christ as he enlightneth every one that cometh into the world is not the Corner-stone Christ as God consider him onely so and with the common gifts which he bestows upon every man is not laid as the Foundation of the Church but Christ as Mediator God-man the Word made flesh 3. As the light which every man hath given him is none of the six Principles Heb. 6. 1 2. much less the first principle of Religion so neither is it the Corner-stone though given by Christ yet not to that end It is not light wrought in us but Christ the light-giver and in his person not his gifts who is both Foundation and himself * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chief and onely Corner-stone so Ephes 2. 20. Will R. F. say to me as he hath to others * Light out of darkness pag. 21. You are ignorant of the first principle of Religion that make a scorn of this light I shall return him this for his information That as I own every mans light in its due place and am far from scorning it or him for it so I cannot by warrant from Scripture admit it into the place of Christs person or of Christ-Mediator nor farther acknowledge it a principle of Religion but such as is common to Pagans and Heathens that teacheth them a God and that he is to be worshipped But if it be a stone it is of the old foundation of life by works and not any principle of Christian Religion as such nor any stone of the New-building by and according to a covenant of Grace in Jesus Christ Here I may take occasion to answer a Quere made by a company of this Sect in one of their Pamphlets * Entituled To all that would know the way to the kingdom p. 16 How is the Gospel of Christ preached to every Creature under heaven if it be not the principle of light in the conscience it being that many never come to read or hear of the Scriptures One would think if their light were not darkness or that their mindes were not darkned with the light of the Scriptures those two Texts which are referred to in their Margent might have resolved them sufficiently Rom. 10. 18. Rom 10 18. opened and Col. 1. 23. In the former of these alluding to that in Psalm 19. 3 4. the Apostle invincibly clears it that the Jews could not but hear who had the Scriptures with them wheresoever they were dispersed and besides as the Sun casts its beams all over the world so had the Gospel by the Apostles ministery shined forth into all known habitable parts of the earth In the latter of them Paul speaks of Col. 1 23. opened such a preaching and hearing of the Gospel whereof himself was a minister and that was sent forth according to Christs commission Mark 16. 15. by the ministery of man to every creature i. e. to Gentiles as to Jews and to all nations as to some Matth. 28. 19. Nor did the Apostles and Evangelists at any time so preach without book in any place to any reasonable creature but as they carried the Scriptures with them so they made all the world ring of one Christ crucified according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15. 3. This saith Paul to the Corinthians I delivered unto you first of all The principle of light in the Conscience will never discover this first principle or fundamental truth Christ dying for sinners where the Scriptures and Preachers of the Scriptures come not as it never preacht it in the Ages past Those Preachers will be ashamed of their work who do not rightly divide the word of truth much more they who say they are Apostles and are not but are found lyars as all they are who reject the Scriptures the word of truth from being the Rule Card and Compass of their work and who drive people that have the Scriptures to the light in their consciences as a surer and better light and that which will change the minde as I had noted Sect. 13. whereas there is not the light of a Mediator or Christ crucified in it nor the power of God in it but to restrain moralize and civilize it never reached to renovation nor ever will renew the minde according to a Gospel sense though men abide in it till dooms-day Section 16. I Had noted here what J. Nayler saith If thou know own and obey it speaking of the common light of every man it would lead thee out of the fall which because I brought it in as another instance of their Scripture-contradiction R. F. * Page 10. tells me I go on with my Lyes And how proves he it Why The words in it J. Nayler's book are not as thou says Rep. Let the honest Reader be judge between us if he please to view the Pamphlet Entituled A few words occasioned by a Paper c. Page 10. The words of James Nayler are these more at large Thou goest about to make people believe that the light of Christ which is given to every one that comes into the world is a natural or fallen light but if thou didst know own and obey it it would lead thee out of the fall The very words I cited and in the very sense of the writer for J. N. speaks of the light given to every man which though he calls not common nor will not have it called natural yet we must call things as they are for The natural light of every man leads no man out of the Fall that which every one hath is no more and although to own and obey that dim light of nature is every ones duty yet to set it up as the light which shall lead out of the fall is beyond Gods intention of giving it and beyond
word of God to declare from God his call is not by man neither doth he go to man to be approved for he that preached the true Gospel consulted not with flesh and blood and so it is now the same thing do we witness and to be Ministers of the everlasting Gospel called not by man but by God Thus far E. B. Let the light in R. F. his natural conscience judge whether I said not truly when I referred to E. B. his Book as pleading onely for an immediate call and that none preach the true Gospel but such as have that call and then let the light of the Scriptures above cited to Timothy and Titus judge whether such as they laid hands on were Ministers or no and whether the Gospel they preached was true Gospel or not By Ed. Burroughs verdict such were not called of God because they had a hand in their call nor could they preach true Gospel because their call nor could they preach true Gospel because their call was but mediate But praised be God we neither stand nor fall to these mens verdicts the Lord himself by the Scripture shall judge them and us And as to All have not call to office who have outward liberty of preaching that which E. Burroughs saith about the Ministery called by earthly powers or at Oxford c. according to Scripture I distinguish between their outward encouragement and call to office Earthly powers are to give outward liberty to such as by the Godly-learned are tryed and approved as men fit to have publique liberty and encouragement 2 Chro. 17. 7 8 9. The call to office in the Church is by the Church Again we must distinguish between Pauls not consulting with flesh and blood whether he had a true call or the true Gospel being immediately called and taught by Probation an approbation requisite for whom Jesus Christ and ordinary mens refusal to be tryed and approved either for the obtaining of outward liberty or office for the Rule is clear as to ordinary officers 1 Tim. 3. 10. Let these also first be proved which also presupposeth the Bishops and Elders to be under the command of Christ for submission to a tryal as the Deacons first and before they be chosen to the work And as concerning those who assume liberty to teach it is commended in Hezekiah 2 Chron. 30. 22. that he spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord And in the Angel of the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2. 2. that he had tryed them which said they were Apostles and were not and had found them lyars which is the plain case now in controversie between us and the Quakers whether they be Apostles seeing they pretend to immediate calling and whether we are Pastors and Teachers who are called by the Church or whether they are not lyars who say they are Apostles and bring not the doctrine and zeal of true Apostleship Till the Lord doth more discover them and all pretenders to one call or other I must attend R. F. and examine what he further offereth All thy mediate calls and sendings will not prove thee to be as Paul and Timothy was that had the gift within him and the testimony by the holy Ghost as they had Rep. 1. I pretend to no such call of an Apostle an officer in every Church as was Paul or of an Evangelist an assisting officer to the Apostles where they saw fit to send him as was Timothy Titus and others 2. All that R. F. saith of his immediate call will not prove him to be called as Paul was by a voice from heaven for then haply he might have heard sounding in his ears Richard Richard why dost persecute me with thy calumnies and reproaches Or Farnworth Farnworth why dost throw dirt upon my face by pretending to honor me as the word of God and ownest not my Scriptures to be my word Why dost deny my Spirit to be what he is c. 3. I acknowledge the gift within and testimony by the holy Ghost when they are found in us to be the best Letters Inward call to be tried by the outward fruits testimonial as to an inward call but these suffice not to prove the outward call unless the fruits of that inward gift and testimonial appear If the gift and testimony within would carry it before men as to the man himself that hath them and that R. F. did know it in those that he dis-owns for the Ministers of Christ I think he would not crucifie them so often with the ignominious title of Romish Priests and Hirelings but how shall he or we be known among men if our words and works without be not called forth to bear witness of what is within By thy words thou R. F. shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Mat. 12. 37. I am to answer at the same Bar and to be tryed the same way Our words must be tryed by Gods word and our works also by the same Rule If Scripture of Old and New Testament be the Scripture of God there have been counterfeits of an immediate call and some mediately sent of God by man who with their mediate call have been and still are approved of the Lord. Section 46. TO this Section R. F. saith nothing in his wonted shew of words but is wholly silent where I had noted that as they cry up their own pretended immediate Call so they condemn any mediate call as carnal for mediate say * Glory of the Lord c. pag. 6 7. they is carnal and natural I granted there is a call of man by man which is carnal and I instanced in such people as make choice of carnal men by the hands of a carnal common forein Eldership But this is not our Question they fight All mediate calls not carnal against the most orderly call if man hath any hand or voice or consent testified about it Hence it is that R. F. will not vouchsafe with patience to take notice of the two Scriptures which I desired the Reader to compare viz. Acts 14. 23. with chap. 20. 28. where the Elders called by the Churches and set apart by their and the Apostles fasting and prayer are said to be the Holy Ghost's Bishops such as He made Overseers Accordingly are all Elders Pastors and Teachers called if called of God Even Evangelists were called of God by man Mark by Barnabas and Paul * Acts 13 5. Timothy Titus Silas or Sylvanus and others by * Acts 16. 3. Titus 1. 5 Acts 15. 40. Paul much more fixed Officers set in every Congregational Society As the Apostles had a power Paramount under Christ to call and take Evangelists to their assistance so the Churches had a power from Christ to chuse their Pastors Teachers Elders Deacons and to set them apart by prayer and fasting and what power they had then they have still who are Churches or companies of
mouth in the Scriptures while he would but seemingly make Gods Law and the heart to be one with it Another of this mans Self contradictions though common to his fellows I noted in this Section crying up Thou and Thee to a particular as Scripture-language and yet crying down the Letter as no Scripture that is the mouth of God the word of God or a binding Rule What J. Nayler means by that * Few words page 14. Thou wilt neither make Scripture thy Rule nor suffer them that would let R. F. well consider for if J. Nayler would have it to be a rule R. F. and others would have it to be none much less a standing rule as hath appeared in 1. Part Section 1. Section 4. THe Scriptures say they were given us by inspiration and by inspiration are to be understood again In this passage there is coucht another of their Self-contradictions which R. F. neither approves nor condemns but passeth it over un-toucht un-answered The Reader may please to peruse what was said for discovery of their clashing Principles in my former piece This I shall adde The Spirit of God who breathed forth the Scriptures must give us the spiritual understanding of them if we have it at all but this he doth in another way then that whereby he inspired the Pen-men of the Scriptures They were so inspired when they wrote the holy Canon of Scripture as men rapt up with an extatical motion 2 Pet. 1. 21. The word there translated moved signifies a forcible acting of the Spirit 2 Pet. 1. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon them they were mightily born away by the impetus and impulsive power of the Spirit The same word is used by Luke Acts 2. 2. in the description of the visible pouring forth of the Spirit by a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind this rushing power of the Spirit invisibly acted the holy Men of God who wrote the Scriptures in a way immediate when they had not a letter of Gods Book before them But thus the Scriptures come not to us nor the understanding of them we have the Book and Canon written down and by providence printed translated into our Mother tongue and preached to us Now then they that profess they own the Scriptures and they own the reading of them and they own prayer for the understanding of them c. and yet when it comes to the upshot they dis-own and deny all actings of the Spirit upon them by means of second causes instruments and ordinances by which we are to get understanding and by which he gives it forth it plainly appears that as the beasts that have no understanding they kick down the good pail of milk before-given by frustration and neglect of Gods gift of the Scriptures and exercises about them thereby to come to the knowledge of them under the conduct of the Spirit Section 5. ANother of their Self-contradictions I shewed to be this That they profess to own the Scriptures to be true in themselves c. but do not own them in their true sense and meaning I gave instance of their interpreting 1 Cor. 14. 35. Husbands at home to be Christ in the heart and I referred to all the other instances of their Scripture-contradiction for conviction of their dis-owning the true sense R. F. * Page 25. would make the world believe I had confuted my self and cleared them because I granted they said That they owned the Scriptures c. whereas this doth evidently make the more against them that they will pretend so much to the Scriptures and yet rend the sense of them all a pieces And although that sense put upon the fore-mentioned place in the Epistle to the Corinthians be broached by no man more then by R. F. in another Pamphlet by it self and he entitleth this Piece of his I now deal with The Scriptures vindication yet he doth not in the least undertake the vindication of this place either when I alledged it against them before Part 1. Section 6. or now onely he speaks his wonted swelling words of vanity Thou art under the guilt and the pit which for others thou diggedst thou art faln in thy self and catcht in thy own snare and craftiness take notice of that and see how thou hast contradicted thy self Rep. But that I desire some may be convinced of the folly and falshood of this man and of his Sect I would not spend time and waste paper to transcribe such empty stuff If it be proof enough for him to accuse and recriminate I cannot be innocent who shall in the like case That which hitherto I have charged him or other of this way withal I have not given words but Arguments for proof and demonstration of the Charge Let me give another instance R. F. * Page 2. in answer to my first Section Part 1. saith thus That the Scriptures are words that proceeded from the Spirit of truth we do not deny but own and so they are words of truth Now hear what * An untaught Teacher p. 2. Th. Lawson judgeth of this matter To say that the word of truth is called the Scripture or that the Scripture is called the word of truth that is a lye I ask the simple honest hearted Reader whether Th. Lawson puts not the lye upon his brother R. Farnworth or whether these men do own the Scripture of truth as it is stiled Dan. 10. 21. or rather whether they do not contradict it and themselves also Let it be observed also that R. F. doth not quit himself of that other Self-contradiction of his which I closed this Section with by bare words * Page 25. Thou hast manifested the same therefore take thou the shame Rep. It seems R. F. will take none as one past shame and blushing Where I have manifested my ignorance of the life of the Scriptures and of the Letter as he lets fly against me I am willing to see it and bear my own shame but will he be as the unjust Zeph. 3. 5. that knoweth no shame when his sinful folly and self-conceited Contradictions are detected The words that R. F. hath in his other Pamphlet * Light out of darkness p. 18 are these Herein you shew your ignorance in the life of the Scriptures that are ignorant of the Letter which is without life This he chargeth upon three Ministers for asking a question to this effect If the light wherewith every one is enlightned be Christ what then is become of the person of the Mediator Must they be ignorant in the life of the Scriptures who acknowledge not every mans light to be Christ and must they be ignorant of the Letter of the Scripture who do not understand it as he doth But that which I inferred from his words was If there be life in the Scriptures as he grants there is then the Letter or Scripture is not without life as he saith it is nor are they
cannot prove what thou hast said Rep. 1. Neither do my words sound as if I jeered nor was it my sense nor do I mis-report their practise 2. The proofs I shall give will evidence the truth of the charge They stand in an evil cause who being convented before magistrates deny the Scriptures to be the word of God disturb the Churches in their publique worship and that sometimes on a solemn day of humiliation All this did J. P. last summer in Essex at Cogs-hall yea and that without quaking and fear witness his challenge of him that had preached witness his question to the magistrate when he was bidden pull off his Hat why he did not bid him in the Pulpit pull off his Cap witness his skipping up the Table before four Justices of the Peace placed at it with his back towards them in the room where they examined him after the publique work was ended pretending he should be heard the better witness his denyal of the Scriptures to be what they are the word of God neither regarding what was held forth to him from Hosea 8. 12. what God hath written is his written word c. nor from Prov. 30. 5 6. Every word of God is pure c. Adde thou not unto his words c. Again that is standing in an evil cause not to own and confess the Scripture to be a Rule to walk by when called to such an acknowledgement before the magistrate this William Dewsbery and Hen Williamson would not directly afford to Judge Windham when he askt the question but put it off another way as their maner is and that Discovery of persecution in Northamp pag. 12. without fear or due respect of the Power ordained by God for they would not stand uncovered till their Hats were taken off R. F. may shoot out his arrow against me Stop thy mouth deceiver and take in thy slander again but it will light upon his own pate or he thinks to answer all with what follows The Lord makes the righteous as bold as Lyons but it cannot be applied here when men will be silent in a good cause and bold in a bad one There is a bad Lion as well as a good the roaring Lion that goes about seeking whom he may devour and that first by seducing the minde to error and then come forth the effects of bodily shaking falling to the ground and roaring as lately at Witham in Essex hath been visible and audible enough The late Teachers hereabouts some of them have been so bold as they will not give over till they knock down people as Butchers do their calves although one of the last that came by name Will Dewsbery was against such violent dealing The boldness of J. P. lately in Colchester Castle is legible enough in Print * Fruits of a Fast p. 5. 6. c. What a bold falshood is that to say our Intent was to ensnare him and bring his body into bonds or that we were gathered against the truth a bold calumny That the four Teachers as he names them of Independent companies are all Parish-Priests a bold lye as is that which followeth that I spake to the Rulers in the publique place thereby to stir up their spirits to persecute The chiefest passage which I had in my Sermon none of which he heard reflecting upon this Sect was occasionally taken up by reason of his interrupting our work viz. that in stead of the term Quakers henceforth they may be stiled Church-disturbers That this was plotted among the Priests and gathered Churches to appoint meetings to insnare the innocent is still more impudent our meeting on a solemn day of seeking God was designed to bear witness against their errors to strengthen the hands of one another in the truth and to preserve the innocent in the way of truth but for insnaring it was far from our intendment the Lord knows nor did we know that J. P. would be there till we met But all these passages with his bold Letters to the Justices after his Commitment and to the Judge after the Assizes and his bold entituling his Book The Fruits of a Fast the Lord hath rebuked after his bold undertaking a Fast of his own for many days together in the aforesaid Castle and therefore I say no more but the Lord rebuke all those of his way by this warning piece though if it be his will I desire not one of them should perish either by death or by imprisonment Section 24. Section 24. 25. THey deny as I noted from their Books all them that deny Quaking and one saith Moses was a Quaker and yet they think it scorn to be called Quakers R. F. who was concerned in this seeing of all that I have read it is he that expresly affirmeth * A return to the Priests about Beverly page 14. Moses was a Quaker hath not a word for reconcilement what I noted therefore must stand with the rest of their Self-contradictions as a Testimony against them 10. Head of Self-contradiction Concerning growth in Grace Section 25. HEre I observed their witnessing as they say of the Saints growth and the time of their pressing after perfection and weighed it with their exclamations against those who deny perfection of degrees and affirm sin to dwell in the Saints all their life time R. F. cunningly asks me * Page 29. Art thou offended that we witness the Saints growth and the time of pressing on to perfection but hides from the Reader the contradiction that follows The time of prossing after perfection is not the time of perfect attainment by their condemning those that deny perfection of gradual holiness in this life For they that are yet to grow further are not at their full and perfect growth and if the time of this life be but a time to press after perfection it is not the time of the Saints attainment to those degrees which at death their souls are filled withal And if they that witness a time of pressing on do not therein cross nor contradict the Scripture as R. F. acknowledgeth and I acknowledge that their witness doth not cross us why then will they by their acclamations of some here already perfect and without sin both cross us and contradict themselves 11. Head of Self-contradiction Concerning Forms of Religion Section 26. WHereas they pretend against all mens Forms and are against Gods Forms of administring water-Baptism and a Bread and Wine-Supper yet they take up a Form of keeping on the Hat a Form of words Thou and Thee c. All this R. F. passeth over as having said enough to the latter at least in a Pamphlet of a sheet that he entituleth The pure language of the Spirit of truth where also he defendeth nakedness or some mens going naked in these times as a figure and sign of their nakedness who are naked from God and clothed with filthy garments all this upon supposition if the Lord bid them
following the Light of Christ in the conscience To inform the ignorant we teach out of Scripture that the new-birth is not wrought by our following work but by Gods preventing Grace casting the promise into the heart and quickning that seed by the in-coming of the Spirit James 1. 18. with John 3. 5. Regeneration is not acquired by our acts but infused of God by his will and power John 1. 13. That Again c Ib. page 21. Shew if ever any natural man did get power over sin and abstain from things forbidden throughout the Scripture When before he had asked By what is the new-birth wrought if not by following c. If a natural man may get the new-birth by following the Light of Christ in his conscience then he may by such an act of obedience get some kinde of power over sin and far sooner abstain from many things forbidden then ever get the new-birth thereby There is a two-fold power over sin the one by the restraining power of God called Restraining Grace the other by the special influence of Christ and his Spirit uniting himself to the soul and taking up his habitation in a Believer as in his Temple The natural man hath the former more or less and yet remaineth a natural man and in his natural state because he wants the latter Was not Herod a natural man Mark 6. 20. and so remained even while he heard John gladly and did many things Did not Paul while in his natural state following the light in his conscience abstain from things forbidden Phil. 3. 6. was he not touching the righteousness of the Law blameless Were not those Peter speaks of escaped from 2 Pet. 2. 18 20 the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Christ yea clean or really escaped as by a common or inferior 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 work of the Spirit and yet were in their natural state first and last What wilful ignorance is in that Querie d Ishmael and his mother cast out p. 1◠Where is such a Scripture that the most eminent believer sins in any things This is subscribed by three or four of them as if they had never read or having read not regarded James 3. 2. or will not understand Rom. 7. 21. that not onely in all the good they do or would do evil by a tyrannizing law of the old man is present with them but in many things they all offend or sin And what affected blindness in that demand e The skirts of the whore discovered by Dennis Hollister page 19. Where doth the Scripture call it self the Word of God and to whom was it the Rule of Life Who please may read over the 119 Psalm once more and view the 40 page and then consult Gal. 6. 14. and view the explanation page 44. of this Reply and the Scriptures will stand right in his thoughts by Gods blessing and he be affected to them 7. Much of Mystical Babylon and Confusion is in their writings and ways They confound common and saving gifts we not onely distinguish them but divide them Common are in many persons where saving are not saving are in all the Saints but on some of the Saints many common gifts are not conferred They confound Justification and Sanctification We distinguish them but divide them not so but they are present to the same subject or person the believer although they are not the same Grace They confound the Price of our Redemption and the application of it by power We distinguish them and divide them not so but where one goes before the other follows after according to the riches of Gods grace and the unchangeableness of his Covenant in Christ There is enough in the fore-going Reply and in the third and fifth of these Animadversions for a plain demonstration hereof It may be hoped upon no weak grounds this Sect is acting one of the last parts upon the tottering Stage of the Romish Antichrist Never I conceive did any as these so masked and disguised servire scenae suit the present occasion and times for Romes advantage but it began and will end in their confusion 8. Their Doctrines and Practices end in Apostacy of the deepest stain and Blasphemy against Christ of the highest strain The experience of James Nayler and his Comrades give sad and dreadful proof hereof When the humane Nature of Christ is not adored for its self but as it subsists in the person of the onely begotten Son of God they give and take by their doctrine of God and Christ manifested in their individual flesh the same divine Honor which is peculiar to the person of Christ alone God blessed for ever 9. There needs no farther proof of their Scripture and Self-contradictions Their Blasphemies evidence the former and their Grandees giving one another the lye demonstrates the latter We had a notorious evidence hereof the last Summer at Witham in Essex After that a blustring fellow said to be one Hubberthorn had driven divers to quaking falling down and roaring out that the flesh might be cast forth by the Spirit as he said there followed him William Deusbery in his circuit and course and tells the poor people they were fools and beasts if they minded any such quaking postures and much more to that purpose And the Narrative of their Letters and Examinations thereupon at Bristol put forth by Mr. Farmer sets a broad seal to this as the former Animadversion 10. Their Sufferings in defence of corrupt and false doctrines are no part of the sufferings of Christ in his mystical body That their doctrines are false which they attempt and labor to defend hath sufficiently been evinced and cleared The other follows by undeniable consequence It is not the punishment but the Cause that makes the Martyr as he Martyrem facit Causa non supplicium Aug. said of old who was a famous Assertor of the Truth in his time The Philistines died by the fall of the house as well as Samson sed diver so fine ac fato but with a differing scope and that through a wise-ordering Providence They suffered for their Riot Idolatry Cruelty and Impenitency he died in Faith and with zealous calling upon the name of the Lord for a publique Revenge upon his and the Church its enemies Who sees not a vast difference between James Naylers Pillory and Mr. Burtons between the Imprisonment of many disturbing Quakers in our times and of the peaceable Confessors and Sufferers in Queen Maries days Who so blinde as they that will not see Lord open the eyes and hearts of deluded Quakers and Papists Being thy people quite out of the Babylonish wilderness Forgive them that know not what they do write they know not what suffer out of devout ignorant intentions which will not justifie their unwarrantable actions or passions FINIS THE TABLE A. Acting IN a mans own strength or Christs 110 Adam In innocency under a Covenant of works pag. 100 B.
Baptism With water proved 176. 183 Of Infants vindicated 178 Sprinkling lawful 180 One Baptism consisting of two parts 178 182 Bible To be read and preached upon 20 See Scriptures C. Call To the Ministery how lawful 211 Inward to be tried by the outward fruits 214 The Churches call spiritual 215 Some may counterfeit an Immediate call 211 Some mediate calls good 213 214 Some bad ibid. Christ Exalted by the Scriptures and the Scriptures by Christ 43 44 Christ above his gifts 59 His Godhead asserted and cleared 54 How he leads out of the fall 86 How he was made sin or a sinner 132 As Mediator not in natural men 262 276 When and how in the soul 264 His condemning sin in the flesh beyond conscience-condemnation 266 A Savior according to Scripture 283 Commandment How the general includes particular persons 106 What is a command in the Spirit 109 Saints experiences about a command 110 What is a Gospel-command 111 Communion Of Saints on earth with Saints in heaven 146 Conviction By the Spirit beyond that of a natural conscience 266 Conscience If but natural and not renewed gives no saving testimony 269 Covenant Of works and of grace what 90 Of works in Adam 97 Differences of the Covenant of works and of grace 90 Covenant of grace one for the substance 91 Two for maner of administration 93 Old and new what 8 The reason of the change 94 E. Elders Their Ordination by man though not of man 207 F. Forms Of Religion 291 Of Speech 292 Fruits Of the Spirit 293 Of the flesh ibid. G. God How God is Light 68 His Essence not mixed with created Beings 236 Gospel Gospel-Light above natural reach 75 Grace Given by means 173 H. Hearing Of the word 173 Holy Ghost A person one of the Three in the Godhead See Spirit 49 c. 207 Honor Civil due to Superiors and to all men 231 ibid. Gestures of honor some bad and idolatrous 233 Some civil and but good maners ibid. The denial hereof what it argues 292 I. Imputation Gods imputation of righteousness his covering of our sin 130 A constant act of Gods free favor 131 The doctrine of it no pleading for sin 123 c. Justification The material cause not the new-birth 119 Not sanctification 132 Its difference from sanctification 126 God justifieth sinful persons believing 120 121 How justified by faith ibid. Defilements of sin remain in a pardoned soul 125 Peter in his falls not out of a state of justification 128 Perfect at first believing 135 L. Law How set up in stead of Gospel 12 Levitical Law way Typical Gospel 89 Law-Levitical no Covenant of works 95 Law-moral positions concerning it 97 How subservient to the Covenant of grace 98 How inservient to the Covenant of works ibid. Gods Law above the conscience 307 Letter What in a large or in a strict sense 4 5 The Spirits Letter is Gods written word 9 How denied 244 Light Of the Godhead in every man not redemption-light 52 Strange notions of the Light in every man 53 How light without Scripture is no light 64 The Light-giver not to be confounded with the light-given 59 84 Light in every man no Teacher of saving truths 60 Not Gospel-light 75 Not the light of Saints as such 61 261 Much less equal with Christs person 59 Not supernatural 61 Not above but beneath the Scripture-light 66 Not a part of the New-creature 77 Not the Corner-stone 80 Nor the first principle of Christian Religion 82 Leads not out of the fall 83 Obeyed gives no saving excuse or testimony in the conscience 269 Creature and Scripture-light compared 76 Not to be confounded 275 Mysterious absurdities 263 How the least degree of light is perfect 274 How counterfeit ibid. True conclusions about light 69 Lords Supper The visible outward part no carnal invention 185 Bread and wine the outward matter 186 The Institution spiritual 188 The benefit great 190 A strange trans-mutation by 192 James Nayler His reasons broken 193 Antidotes against the dissolution of the Lords Supper 200 M. Magistrates Their forbearance 308 Means of grace attended with a promise of blessing 174 N. Nakedness No Commission for going naked in these times 291 O. Oaths see Swearing Ordinances How owned or disowned 302 P. Perfection Of holiness but comparative 162 164 Not absolute in all degrees till death 143 144 How denied how not 141 158 161 This life a time onely of pressing after it 290 Person What it is 48 What a person in the Godhead is ibid. How distinguished 49 Prayer Publique not forbidden 201 Gods Spirit is there 204 Preaching By Doctrine Reason and Vse c. justified 72 293 How free and consistent with taking Wages 209 Printing When invented 21 The benefit of printed Bibles ibid. Promise Of grace and leading out of the fall none annexed to the good use of natural light 87 Yet the light of a promise helps to lead out of the fall 86 Prophets Some immediately inspired some mediately taught 217 They studied the Scriptures 218 Some distinguisht from men in office 217 Psalms Not sung without some kinde of meeter 205 Q. Quaking From visible manifestations of Gods majesty how and by whom imitable 287 See Trembling Questions Their fit place 223 Which are of the devil 224 R. Reconciliation Of the person perfect before the heart is perfectly sanctified and how 134 135 Regeneration By the Scripture-promise 132 257 Remorse What. 171 Repentance How decryed 171 Righteousness What our own 145 329 What the Quaking Papists mean by Christs righteousness 278 S. Sabbath A mercy as a duty 303 Saints Their light beneath Scripture-light for the degree 271 Their highest degree of light and grace not here attained 272 Experimentally imperfect 148 Scriptures The word of truth 1 To all 2 The word of God and truly so called 3 40 In what sence 25 The witness of God 4 The Letter of God and the Scripture of God all one Ib. A standing Rule 7 A more standing Rule then visions and revelations 13 15 37 38. Not mans word or other mens words 18 The Touch-stone of Doctrine 23 253 And Judge of controversies 258 Not carnal 24 The Spirits sword 26 Powerful 153 The ground of the Saints acting 26 31 And how 27 Interpretation by Scripture 37 A Voice a Light a Rule a Guide 43 44 Scripture-light above the light of nature 66 74 76 Its further preeminence 271 281 Scripture-light Salvation-light 73 Its fulness 284 It magnifies Christ above it self ibid A more excellent Teacher then the creatures 70 To be studied 218 220 Who deny them 244 Gods mouth is in the Letter 247 252 Sin Visible in and to the Saint 112 Groaned under all the life time by true Saints ibid in what respect 113 Sin and purity dwell in one soul not as one 118 Sin confessed is not pleaded for 125 It dwelleth and acteth in the Saints 138 It continueth in them they continue not in it 151 No heart perfectly pure form it 158 159 160
THE REVILER REBUKED OR A RE-INFORCEMENT OF THE CHARGE AGAINST THE QUAKERS So Called For their Contradictions to the Scriptures of God and to their own Scriblings which Richard Farnworth attempted to answer in his pretended Vindication of the Scriptures but is farther discovered with his Fellow-Contradictors and Revilers and their Doctrine to be Anti-Scriptural Anti-Christian and Anti-Spiritual By JOHN STALHAM a Servant of the Great Bishop and Shepherd of Souls appointed to watch his little Flock at Terling in Essex Titus Cap. 1. ver 7 10 11 13. A Bishop must be blameless holding fast the faithful Word as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers whose mouthes must be stopped wherefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the Faith Zach 3. 2. And the Lord said unto Satan The Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee London Printed by Henry Hills and John Field Printers to His Highness 1657. To His Highness OLIVER Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland AND To the Right Honorable The Council of State SIRS IF the Highest himself shall establish Psalm 87. 5. Zion there is encouragement sufficient and abundant for You his Servants rejoycingly to serve him in the countenancing of his Truth and contending with the men of this Generation for the Faith once given unto the Saints by the most proper means and methods which the Lord of lords in his wisdom hath directed and shall lead you unto The Liberty proclaimed to Godly-Gospel-Preachers and your fostering of Orthodox Pastors and Teachers will much conduce by the Spirit of Christs mouth to the consumption of the Man of Sin and what abuse soever is made of the Press for the spreading of Anti-Scriptural and Antichristian Errors yet it needeth not to be feared while Pulpits and Presses are open through Your Highness and Honors favors for a Testimony against them but that God will confound their Language who by false and perverse Interpretations of the Scriptures would seduce the mindes of the simple into an expectation of nothing but Immediate Raptures and Revelations Some indeed cry up nothing but Club-law against the men called Quakers and can give no other measure then their Prelatical Fathers to those that dissented from them But by Your Indulgence and Forbearance of Saints erring and otherwise minded many have conscientiously made enquiry after those Truths which lay hid or were defaced and have the more heartily embraced them and do hold them fast after Scripture-conviction And however the Men I deal with for the present do debate the Scriptures and decry the Ministery Churches all New Testament external Worship and whatsoever beareth the stamp of Divine Authority as not to be found among us yet by Your Lenity and Gentleness exercised towards them while You espouse or patronize none of their Errors it may be firmly expected that the Elect supposing such among them shall be reduced And as for others that are evil men and seducers from that perverse Principle of their Self-adoring Light they shall wax worse and worse and as the madness of some is evident so shall the folly of other be made manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 3. 9. to all who are not bewitched with their Spiritual sorceries MY LORDS Let but the Saints and the Churches of Saints according to Scripture-evidence be protected and cherished as You have graciously begun and the Officeministery will soon be known setled and established Let every stumbling-block as speedily and safely as lyeth within Your Power be removed from the way of the blinde and occasion cut off from them that seek occasion and ere long the Lord himself will rebuke them to silence that they shall neither talk nor write so presumptuously nor shall arrogancy come out of their mouth The lip of truth shall be established for Prov. 12. 19. ever but a lying tongue is but for a moment Let Learning be advanced among pious men for God hath his Wits and his Learned ones and through the sanctified Improvement thereof Ignorance its froward enemy will creep into corners as darkness vanisheth before the light Some of these men * Lip of truth opened by Tho. Lawson page 13. Christs innocency pleaded by Tho. Speeds Epistle with his Guilty covered Clergy-man unvail'd page 69. begin to appeal unto the Consciences of the Learned for Idioms and propriety of speech in Hebrew and Greek with the Dorick dialect they will give us leave then to make use of our English dialect also and speak vulgarly while we think as the Philosopher Our contentions with them are not about 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tu or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but pro aris focis for the lamp life of our Religion the Rule of the Holy Scriptures the Glory of the Blessed Trinity the peculiarness of the Covenant of Grace the sole matter of our Justification before God the continuance of our Christian warfare during this natural life the truth and efficacy of Christs own Institutions c. Amidst which digladiations our Lord Jesus is fighting against them with the Sword of his mouth and him wee 'l trust with the issue of the battel whereupon I humbly supplicate That every person whatsoever may not impunè strike them corporally in the Steeple-house streets or prison for they think it a great triumph to have this to object That any are tolerated with this mutinous word in their mouths * Answer to the Quakers Catech. p. 19. Fight Lads for the Gospel and they 'l still cry out Persecution as they have done if every Turn-key or Tapster in the prison may without check be permitted to wreak their teem and spite upon them with some base illegal and inhumane usage or other But while any of this Sect for their exorbitant courses meet with legal and due correction Be pleased to let them all know that we are guarded by a better Law then what they * Teachers of the world unvail'd p. 29 30 upbraid us with enacted in the Marian times And that while they carry Popish and Jesuitical Doctrine along with them they are to have no more liberty for divulging it in our Assemblies then the men of that profession Popish Doctrines and Idolatries are as abominable as ever were the Paganish And some of these mens Tenents are as reprobate stuff as the Jesuits Their blasphemies as horrid as the Popish Parasites What is Rome but Babylon the Mother of Abominations And what is this Sect but a daughter of that great whore who doubts but the Romish Emissaries are abroad to seduce Some quondam Professors of the Gospel have lost their Garments and men see their shame They bid farewel to Imputed Righteousness in the Scripture-sense and how they can be girt with
the Exposition of Rom 7. from ver 14. to the end of the Chapter understanding it of a man unregenerate in conflict with a natural conscience and not simply of one regenerate in combat with corruption of nature in every faculty of the soul How far the spirit of Antichrist works in these men God will yet farther discover and what Jesuitical Plots and Designs there are carried on by some of them unwittingly by others as wickedly as wittingly the day shall declare it And if any will take the pains to compare their Pamphlets with the Charge which Dr. Willet drew up about forty years Supplement to Synopsis Papismi by-past against the Papists he shall finde that Quakerism is built upon the Tetrastylon or four-fold Pillar of Papistry viz. 1. Sarcasms slanders railings and forgeries 2. Flat blasphemies and contradictions to Scripture 3. Loose arguments weak solutions c. 4. Repugnant opinions and contradictions among themselves in all leaving the consciences of people upon the Rack or full of doubts and uncertainties For the undermining of which Pillars the learned and unlearned the simple and judicious are alarum'd First to a more assiduous and studious reading of the Scriptures Get you Bibles 't is your Souls physick said Chrysostom of old to the people his hearers There is no greater torment to the devils then to see men busied about the Scriptures said * Orig. another before him But because it is as much pleasure to the devils to see men abuse and wrest the Scriptures ye are called Beloved Secondly to the owning of them in their just Authority above all Testimonies of ancient Writers and modern Authors who were but men subject to infirmities in the head as heart Above the Churches Testimony which gives no authority to the Scriptures but onely declare what is intrinsecally stamped upon them Above the testimony of your own hearts and consciences which must receive a true judgement from the right understanding and application of the Scripture bove all visions and revelations which if false draw from the voice of Scripture if true they send you thither as to your Rule and a more standing Rule and above all the Pamphlets of the Quakers now swelled to above two volumes Thirdly to a dependence upon the Spirit speaking in the Scriptures to seal up their Authority to you and to give the efficacy of what you read and hear Gods Spirit breathes in good mens books much more in his own and is there as to seal up the truth of his Word so to stamp the goodness of every truth upon our hearts As for this Reply what you finde therein agreeable to the Spirit of God his language of plain and naked Scripture-truth receive in the love of it and give God the glory I onely intreat as * Tantum oro ut cum petitis etiam Tertulliani peccatoris memineritis Tert. lib. de Bap. one before me of his Readers that in your prayers which should usher in all our other work or recreation and that of reading books you would remember him also who though he hath obtained mercy to be faithful yet hath cause enough to subscribe himself The sinful JOHN STALHAM The Heads of their Contradictions 1. To the Scriptures 1 Concerning THe Scriptures 2 Concerning The Trinity 3 Concerning The Light within 4 Concerning The Law 5 Concerning Sin 6 Concerning Justification 7 Concerning Regeneration 8 Concerning Sanctification and its Perfection 9 Concerning Christian warfare 10 Concerning Repentance 11 Concerning The means of Grace 12 Concerning Baptism 13 Concerning Lords Supper 14 Concerning Prayer 15 Concerning Singing 16 Concerning Elders and Ordination 17 Concerning Ministers maintenance 18 Concerning Immediate Calling 19 Concerning Immediate Teaching 20 Concerning Questions 21 Concerning Civil Honor. 22 Concerning Swearing 2. To themselves 1 Concerning THe Scriptures 2 Concerning Hearing the Word 3 Concerning The Light within 4 Concerning Sin 5 Concerning Christ 6 Concerning Justification 7 Concerning Immediate Teaching 8 Concerning Perfection 9 Concerning Quaking and Trembling 10 Concerning Growth in Grace 11 Concerning Forms of Religion 12 Concerning Fruits of the Spirit 13 Concerning Ordinances 14 Concerning Speech and Silence 15 Concerning Elders 16 Concerning Conscience and Laws THE Reviler rebuked OR A Reply to R. FARNWORTH HIS INTRODUCTION BEfore I can fall upon the Subject of the Controversies between me and my Antagonist I must touch at his Introduction wherein he mentioneth his receiving of my Book renews his charge against me gives a seeming proof of his charge and concludes with a Thundering Anathema 1. What he received A Printed Paper as he calls it slightingly that came out of Scotland into York and Yorkshire in England published by one John Stalham Preacher of the Gospel at Edinburgh That little piece of three sheets and a half J. S. owneth as published by him and that he called himself Preacher of the Gospel at Edinburgh for the present as was inserted it was because for some time he had been and then continued preaching of the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ to his Auditors from Rom. 15. 29. with other Scriptures And for as much as that great truth of the Gospel was openly opposed by one of the Sect called Quakers touching the justification of a believing sinner he was called to enquire after the opinions of the said Sect and to draw up his collections from divers of their Pamphlets which he referred unto several Heads of their Scripture and Self-contradictions wherein he is Secondly Charged by R. F. to have manifested himself and his subtile serpentine Spirit by his lies and slanders for all his glosses and covers to be a minister of deceit and so of Antichrist of all this or any part of it J. S. is no ways conscious nor of his falsly accusing the people of the Lord suppose any people of the Lord be fallen into the errors and opinions of the Quakers as he is charitably jealous some are surprized therewith nor of shewing forth a bitter spirit of envy against them and the truth The Lord knows he loveth all the people of the Lord for the Truths sake that dwelleth in them and pitieth those who are over-run with these errors as with a running Itch or sore as he himself would be loved and pitied who is not absolutely free of error although the particular fruit is not in these matters of difference visible to him yet the root of all error as of all sin is in him and seen by him not throughly in all degrees mortified As for any of his painted and deckt Notions Implications and Contra-distinctions his gilded coloured borrowed and form'd up imagined Expressions he thinketh R. F. had a minde to please himself and some of his Readers with seeming shadows of Rhetorick which J. S. never affected but clothed all he wrote with a familiar home-spun stile as he shall this Reply Thirdly The seeming proof of the Charge is That with the Light John 8. 12. John 1. 9. R. F. thinketh J. S.
knowing the Spirit nor power of God declared in the Scriptures Rep. 1. Wherein have I erred who never exprest my self so dubiously as thus the Spirit proceedeth from the Letter but thus The Spirit is given by it The Scripture is but instrumental to the Spirit yet so instrumental he makes it as whatsoever R. F. thinketh of me I know and remember that my first awakening of conscience was by the Spirit and from the power of God upon my spirit as I was reading that Scripture Heb. 10. 26. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth c. The Spirit which gave this Scripture gave forth his convictions by it to my heart What if I say his Terrors as by that in Isa 5. 18. at the ministers reading of the Text and preaching upon it will R. F. or any other say why then dost thou not own our Trembling and Quaking I shall reply to R. F. why doth he reject all my Epistle to the Readers in my former piece where I gave some characters of true Trembling and to all others with him I subjoyn such is the power of the Spirit in and by the Scripture True Trembling is at the truth and power in Scripture and leads thereunto that there is a wide difference between the trembling from a supposed Revelation that is not by nor according to the Scripture but leads men both from it and from the due honor to be given to it and the trembling which ariseth from the Scripture-revelation and from the Spirit speaking in that which is read and heard out of it The former I judge to be theirs who pretend to the Spirit without and beside the Scripture the latter I own and all that the Lord hath wrought upon by the word will own it with me The account which that famous Francis Junius gives of the Spirits working by the Letter of Scripture is upon record * Vita Francisci Junii After he had drunk in that which stirred up in him the seeds of Atheism and had vented something that way before his father and had profited nothing by Sermons to this present time he takes up the new Testament laid before him by his father and reads the former part of the first chapter of John In the beginning was the Word c. Ita commoveor legens c. as it first came to his hand and view Whereby saith he I was so stirred that suddenly I perceived the divinity of Horrebat corpus stupebat animus c. the Argument and the majesty and authority of the style very far excelling all the floods of humane eloquence my body trembled my minde was astonished and I was so affected all that day that I knew not where and what I was And from that time forward he gave himself to the study of the Scriptures and read other books but coldly and carelesly in comparison Here was the mighty operation of the Spirit accompanying the Letter here was a right Scripture efficacy from the Spirits application of it to the conscience As God declares his Spirit and power or speaks of them in the Scriptures so he declares or exerts and puts forth his Spirit and power by them and that upon their hearts who do not believe In this first Section of my book I had noted another of their Contradictions viz. of James Naylers * A few words of J. Nayler pag. 10. 11. thus now more fully Thou callest the Scriptures a standing Rule but it is not so to you who cannot believe that ever it shall be fulfilled in you as it was given out by the holy Ghost Contrary I said so Luke 16. 26. They have Moses and the Prophets for a standing Rule let them hear them and ver 31. If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead Here the Scriptures are asserted to be a more standing rule then visions and revelations R. F. * Pag. 3. 4. calls the simple-hearted to judge of my deceitful perverting of this Scripture for my own ends from it raising a false doctrine Rep. Let simple and wise also examine the proofs and reasons of this charge and of his denial of the Scriptures The Scripture a standing Rule 1. To be a standing rule at all or to any 2. To be a more standing rule c. The shew of reason he gives for the first I shall faithfully and for conviction if the Lord please of this Gain-sayer uncase and discover the weakness and nakedness thereof 1. The verse saith not so Rep. The 29 verse meaneth Luke 16. 29. cleared and vindicated and intendeth no less Scripture-sense is Scripture as our Lord teacheth us to reason from John 7. 38. He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water The Scripture no where had said so in so many express letters syllables and words but it saith it in the scope and sense and it speaks as much as amounts thereunto So doth this place for the Scriptures being a standing rule there is the sense of what I spake They have Moses and the Prophets for what for a cypher No but for a rule Let them hear them for what if not to testifie unto them as was desired ver 28. that they might repent as was expected ver 30. if one came from the dead Hence I reason They that constantly testifie in their writings from God how unbelievers should escape hell torments they are in their writings a standing rule to them that do not believe as to all other But Moses and the Prophets do constantly testifie in their writings from God how unbelievers should escape hell torments Therefore Moses and the Prophets in their writings are a standing rule to them that do not believe And therefore again R. F. his charging of me in the presence of God to be a liur of the Scriptures will by the Lord one day be made to fall upon his own pate or conscience notwithstanding his second reason thus If Moses and the Prophets had been left to all and for ever for a standing rule then Christ and the Apostles might not have been after Moses and the Prophets for following examples or rules Rep. It followeth not for Christ and the Apostles brought no new rule for the substance but onely cleared and enlarged it in what was Moral and Evangelical so that R. F. is beside the cushion when he addeth And therein thou bringest the old Covenant to contradict the new What he meaneth by the old Covenant I know not very well or what by the new The old Covenant in Scripture phrase and meaning What the old Covenant what the new was but the old administration the new Covenant the new copy of the same Will and Testament Heb. 8. 13. the same for substance before as now Moses wrote of Christ John 5. 46. The Prophets from Samuel and
in the Old Testament and in the New the same yesterday to day and for ever He that followeth the Apostle as he followed Christ and followeth the Prophets as they spake and wrote by the Spirit of Christ doth the same thing 7. Reason Seeing we are not under the Law but under Grace the Spirit of Christ is our rule and guide Rep. This is added to no good purpose but still to contradict the Scripture and to blot it out from being a rule For Râ—m 6. 14. cleared 1. Albeit true believers are not under the Law in respect of its ceremony curse rigorous exaction and domination yet they are under the direction and rule that it holds forth and that as they are regenerate Rom. 7. 25. With the minde that is the regenerate part I my self saith Paul serve therefore am under the law of God So again 1 Cor. 9. 21. Vnder the Law to Christ as the rule of holiness and righteousness is dispensed in the hand of Christ and for obedience with a Gospel-frame of spirit unto Christ 2. When the Apostle saith We are under Grace he singleth not out a Sect of men called Quakers unknown in his days but he intendeth all true Christians and their condition under a covenant of Grace not Legally but Evangelically administred having the Spirit of liberty to lead them from under the dominion of sin to the obedience of Christ according to a written word or rule What if the vail be upon the hearts of unbelieving Jews 2 Cor. 3. 15. because they own not the Son of God and Son of the Virgin to be the Messias is the vail therefore upon my heart as R. F. reasoneth Yes because thou setst up Law in stead of Gospel Rep. I wish he well understood what it is to set up Law What 't is to set up Law instead of Gospel in stead of Gospel It is not onely to set up Jewish ceremonies and Typical shadows after Christs abolition of them as the Jews endeavored but to set up all or any act or work required in the Law or word of God whether done in natures strength or by moral abilities or by the Spirits strength to be a mans justifying righteousness before God this is far from what I urge and press when I plead for Moses writings c. to be a standing rule to direct to Christ and to direct in a way of sanctifying righteousness when a soul is come to Christ But we witness the glory that exceeds c. but thou art ignorant of that Rep. I confess I know that glory of Gospel-ministration which the Apostle speaks of 2 Cor. 3. but in part but this I know that when our Lord appoints men constantly to hear Moses and the Prophets as writing of him and as giving out the same rules for Faith and Holiness which himself gave he that shall take men off from attending their writings according to their true scope seduceth and draws off from Christ And as ignorant as I am I can see to the end of that which is abolished which is Christ the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth and I can see that he that believeth not in the same Christ which Moses pointed at believeth not at all or but in a false Christ yea with half an eye through the same grace I can see that he who takes not Moses writings as he wrote of Christ and makes them the rule of his faith and maners and also refuseth the writings of the Prophets to be the like rule he doth more then implicitely refuse the writings of Christ and of the Apostles from being a rule also R. F. * Pag. 4. therefore holding to the first contradiction That the Scriptures are not a standing rule may well pass on to a second That they are not a more standing rule The Scriptures a more standing Rule then visions c. then visions and revelations as I had collected from Luke 16. 31. If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead The reason hereof is strong rising from the dead which is of the same nature with visions and revelations Matth. 27. 53. may be counterfeited as we finde 1 Sam. 28. Moses and the Prophets were extant in the volume of Gods book and their authority is owned among the Jews to this day and it is so authentique that when either particular Jews have been or the Nation shall be converted to the Lord they presently adhere to it as to their Rule so the Apostle prophesied 2 Cor. 3. 16. when it any poor Jew or rather 2 Cor 3. 16. with 14. opened collectively when the people and children of Israel the ten Tribes with the two Shall turn to the Lord the vail shall be taken away which is now upon their heart in the reading of the Old Testament that is of the books thereof The books and writings of the Old Testament stand and shall still abide at their conversion though the old administration of the Covenant of grace is abolished and they shall be their Rule together with the books of the New Testament which they will then understand own and imbrace as more certain to them then if one rose from the dead not in a faigned but real way Hence it is that Christ after himself was risen as others with him and appeared called his disciples to the Scriptures and opened them unto them Luke 24. 29. yea he urgeth his own death and resurrection that it ought to have been so And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself This made their hearts burn within them ver 32. when as the rest were cold at heart through fear at their first sight of Jesus supposing they had seen a spirit ver 37. Let visions and revelations be never so certain yet the Scriptures quoad nos as to us are a more standing Rule Why they are not so in R. F. his judgement and others we shall know by his reasons 1. Christ saith in Matth. 11. 27. No man knoweth the Son but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son not the Scripture but the Son will reveal him here revelation is the surer rule of knowing God Rep. If I should deal as rudely with R. F. as he with me Matth. 11. 27. vindicated I should not onely say the assertion is thine not the Lords but therefore thou art a liar and accuser of the Lord but I will not exchange words I will prove him to be what he would fasten upon me He that sets the Son of God and the Scriptures at distance belies Christ accuseth the Lord R. F. doth thus by his Parenthesis not the Scripture but the Son his conscience will draw up the conclusion one day Again he that grants one part of truth and denieth another part wrongs the truth
and the Lord of truth But R. F. granting one part of truth viz. That the Son reveals and denieth the other part viz. That the Scripture revealeth when as he hath this from the very Scripture that the Son revealeth and what he revealeth therefore he may be if he be not condemned in his own conscience that he wrongeth the truth and the Lord of truth Again he that understands Matth. 11. 27. of immediate revelation onley and shuts out all mediate revelation by the Scripture falsly accuseth the Lord of the Scripture but R. F. understands that place of immediate revelation onely and shuts out all mediate revelation by the Scripture therefore R. F. falsly accuseth the Lord of the Scriptures If he understands it of mediate revelation by the Scripture then it Section 1. will follow by his reasoning that the Scripture-revelation is surer then the Scripture If he saith the Spirit by the Scripture makes the truth more sure not in it self but to us it is that I contend for and that which all believers are to pray for Ephes 1. 17. There is the light in the air and the Ephes 1. 17. opened light of the eye now though as to bodily sight the light in the air doth not give the light of or in the eye but onely to thee ye yet the Spirit of revelation which is peculiar to Saints and common to all Saints by the light of Scripture that is as the medium or means of light in the air doth give the light in the understanding as it brings light to it therefore it follows ver 18. the eyes of your understanding being enlightned But still the Spirit of revelation is not a surer Rule no nor properly our Rule but our guide and leader to and by his Rule the Scriptures which are the more sure word of Prophecy as to us especially in a ordinary and standing way in all ages 2. R. F. reasoneth Visions are a way of Gods making known himself after Moses and the Prophets as to Ananias Paul and Peter Act. 9. cap. 10. Gal. 1. Rep. 1. These visions were but occasional and extraordinary as sure as the Scriptures as all true visions and revelations of God are in themselves and to the particular men that had them yet not to us that saw them not but know from the Scriptures they had them those Scriptures viz. Act. 9. cap. 10. Gal. 1. and so all the Scriptures are as sure yea to all Saints more sure compare 2 Pet. 1. 2 Pet. 1. 16. 19 opened 16. when we made known unto you with ver 19. we have also a more sure word we that is you with us and we with you Visions were but of rare use the Scriptures are of long and constant use and by such as receive them to be of divine inspiration they have ever been acknowledged more firm as to us still then occasional visions 2. If God had known as Chrysostom upon Luke 16. that visions from the dead would have done more good to the living he would not have omitted or waved such a way in an ordinary course 3. As sure as the Gospel was to Paul given him by immediate revelation yet he confirmed it to others by the Scriptures Act. 26. 22 23. and the Bereans examined it by the same Rule Act. 17. 11 12. Searching the Scriptures daily whether those things were so therefore many of them believed Wherefore because they found what Paul taught as had been revealed to him was agreeable to that Lydius lapis that infallible touch-stone and most standing Rule the holy Scriptures 3. Reason Paul knew much of the writings of Moses and of the Prophets and Letter of the Scriptures whilst he was a Persecutor but then he knew not Christ as after he did and went up to Jerusalem by revelation Gal. 2. and not by the Scriptures therefore the Scriptures are not so sure a Rule as visions and revelations by the Spirit of truth are Rep. 1. Paul had nothing of Gospel-truth given him by revelation but what for matter and substance was before in the Scripture which Gospel although he knew not while he was a persecutor yet as a Jew he walked up strictly to the Letter of the Law or Rule in outward acts 2. His special revelation for going up to Jerusalem was a special application of the general rule of Scripture viz. to do what God commanded him but in it self it is no rule for our imitation in the like matter of fact 3. His true revelations never lifted him up above the Scriptures 4. The same Spirit of truth which gave out his revelation gave forth the Scripture by inspiration and as immediately directed him to write all his Epistles for the more certainty to others that they might know he had his Revelations from the Lord therefore to us the Scriptures are as sure yea a more sure rule and the onely standing rule for faith and maners 4. Reason or allegation of R. F. is The Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 1. 13. exhorted others to wait for the grace that was 1 Pet. 1. 13. cleared and vindicated to brought to them at the revelation of Jesus Christ Rep. 1 By grace here is meant glory as cap. 5. 1. that which is to come is the glory that shall be revealed first Christs glory cap. 4. 13. at his coming in the clouds his glory shall be revealed secondly the Saints glory which they shall have out of free grace or favor from God Col. 3. 4. When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall they also appear with him in glory This glory to be brought at Christs coming the Apostle exhorteth the Elect and called to hope for perfectly or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the end to death and in death yea they may and do carry this hope with them into heaven viz. hope of a glorious resurrection c. When at his coming 1 Cor. 15. 23. When the Lord shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire c. 2 Thes 1. 7. this is not a Revelation by the Spirit that Paul or Peter in the places mentioned speak of and therefore makes nothing to R. F. his purpose no more then what follows in a fifth Reason or Allegation The deep things of God are revealed not by the Letter but by the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 10. Therefore revelations by the Spirit of truth are more sure then the Letter Rep. 1. Did not R. F. grant us at first page 2. that the Scriptures proceeded from the Spirit of truth Whether then they be revelations or doctrines or writings or interpretations as they come from the Spirit of truth he must yield they are all alike sure in themselves or he still fighteth against the Scriptures or the Spirit or both 2. The Apostle saith not that the Spirit revealeth the deep things of God but searcheth them that is he exactly and infinitely knoweth them as God knoweth them and thence by the way he
the children of Israel verse 22. Moses therefore wrote this song the same day and taught it them When Jeremy could not go into the house of the Lord he sends Baruch his Scribe to read what was written from his mouth even the words of the Lord in the ears of the people c. Jer. 36. 4 6. * See also Jeremiah 28. 1. Paul had his Tertius to write the Epistle to the Romans cap. 16. 22. and he ordereth the Epistle to the Colossians to be read amongst them and that they cause it to be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans Col. 4. 16. and read it was as the word of the Lord unto them yea God hath so honored his written Bible that he hath ordered as well the Copies as the Autographum or the Pen-mans own hand-writing to be his Scripture also Those Proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah copied out Prov. 25. 1. are as authentique as any of the rest so was the Copy which the King wrote out according to Gods command Deut. 17. 18. 2. Printing was a rare Invention and the gift of God Printing invented betwixt the 1440 1450 year of our Lord. See Mr. Fox vol. 1. p. 927. above two hundred years ago The benefit is sufficiently noted by Mr. Fox Hereby Tongues are known Knowledge groweth Judgement increaseth Books are dispersed the Scripture is seen the Doctors be read Stories are opened Times compared Truth discerned Falshood detected and with the finger pointed And by the printing of the Bible the doctrine of the Gospel hath sounded The benefit of Printing and of printed Bibles to all nations and that with great expedition So many Printing-presses of the Bible so many Clock-houses against the high Towers of Antichrist none but Papists have envied Gods people and Christs Preachers a Printed Bible Who were they that obstructed what they could the printing of it in English in King Henry the 8. days but the Popish Prelates and their creatures The Popish Vicar of Croyden Caiaphas-like prophesied Either we must root out Printing or Printing will root out us Every good Christian have been glad of a piece of a Printed Bible when it came first out in our Mother-language 3. The later this Mercy hath been vouchsafed to have Printed Bibles the greater Gods favor to his people and the greater their Ingratitude who slight the Mercy the greater their pride who would rather have their own Scriblings in print then the Scriptures of God who prefix to their writings as these Quakers so called in many of their Pamphlets This is the word of the Lord but are against such a Title to a Printed Bible or such a Preface before a Sermon from a Bible-Text as this Hear the word of the Lord. 4. If the printed Bible be according to the Original Copy or a true Extract or faithful Translation of Scripture it is as warrantable to preach out of it as out of a written one for Printing is one kinde of writing what is first written by a pen is after written by a stamp The Press is but an handmaid to Orthography or right-writing and a Midwife to help forth the conceptions of the Minde formed at first by the pen. But saith R. F. * Page 6. if Printing had not been invented what would you hâ—ve preached by that knows not the word of Life which was before Writing or Printing was Rep. 1. The written Copies were before those printed and by the former onely Gods servants preached till the latter came forth and according to those Copies and Volumes of Gods book would I have preached 2. Those Copies would have taught me as now they do that which R. F. hath not learnt by the printed although he might learn it namely to distinguish between the Essential word of Life Christ the Son of God and the The word of God essential scriptural Scriptural word 3. As the Essential word was before the Scriptural so he was before Visions and Revelations were given to men yea before there was a holy man to receive them or a world for holy men or others to inhabit Lastly As no true prophet or preacher ever rejected a written or a printed Bible truely so and so called no more hath he denied it the Title of the word of the Lord. Never did the Lord send such an ignorant prophet like J. P. at Coggeshall to turn to the nineteenth chapter of the Revelation and tell the people because ver 13. Christs name is called The word of God therefore the Bible and Scriptures he pluckt out of his pocket and held in his hand was not the word of God But though false prophets pervert the Printed Bible and use that Sword of God to cut its own throat Gods faithful Messengers and Interpreters know how to handle it dexterously and faithfully What is the chaff to the wheat saith the Lord Jer. 23. 28. What are mans words our own or other mens words to the Lords What is a false Interpretation or Application of Scripture to the true Section 3. IN answer to the third Section R. F. owneth John Lawsons words which I had noted viz. Wâ— have nothing to try men by but the Letter the Bible or written word which is natural and carnal with his own words Your Tryer is a Chapter or Verse of the Scriptures declaration and now upbraideth us for having no better way to try mens Doctrine and Spirits by then the Letter Rep. By the Letter or writing of the Spirit of God which The Scriptures the tryer of Doctrine is the Law and the Testimony we do know what is the Doctrine of the Spirit The Spirit gives his sense and minde by letters and words of Scripture all along take one place with another And when men speak according to that word of Scripture Law and Testimony Isaiah 8. 20. which cannot Isaiah 8. 20â— cleared be but when they take the word in and with its true sense then they bring not mans Doctrine but Gods but if they speak not according to that word it is not because there is not light sufficient in the Scripture-word but because there is no light in them that handle it and speak of it their hearts are dark their judgements blinde and ignorant and they bring not the Spirits Doctrine but their own As for instance R. F. if you will believe him without tryal saith for himself and his fellows We speak according to it viz. the Law and the Testimony and therefore there is light in us But fearing he should not be believed upon his own testimony he brings a verse of Scripture for it 2 Cor. 2 Cor. 4. 6 vindicated 4. 6. where 1. He allows that in himself which he condemns in us viz. to make a Chapter or Verse of the Scripture the tryer 2. He sets that Scripture in opposition to Isaiah 8. 20. and while he pretendeth to speak according to Law and Testimony he perverts the testimony given by
so exprest by John onely thus The word was God it 's granted he was and is so what then Must I needs be ignorant of the Scriptures because I confound not Father and Son together as R. F. doth in that expession of his and what follows As God is the light and the word so also is Christ John 8. 12. Rev. 19. 13. and the Father and the Son are one Rep. How are they one not in person but in nature and essence The Father is not the Son the Father is not the Word nor ever so called Let R. F. learn to distinguish their persons as clearly as he would be far from dividing their essence But what if God be light and Christ be the true light and very God with the Father in essence and Christ be also the word of God and so called in that as the word is the image of the minde so Christ in his person is the express image of the Fathers person Heb. 1. 3. Must the light in every man which G. F. or R. F. speak from be the word of God and so called in that sense as Christ is the word of God and so called not to mention how such a conceit borders upon blasphemy this kinde of reasoning is as good and true as that of R. F. Because I preach publiquely therefore I am a Priest or because I preacht at Edenburgh in Scotland for a while therefore I am a Scotch Priest as he every where calls me at his pleasure and from his blinde mistakes But to undeceive the simple let me close this Section Superadded Conclusions with a few brief Corollaries 1. The beams of Christs God-head shine upon every man though not one man in the world knows him to be God till he findes him in the Scripture 2. The beams of his Mediatorship shine upon such as have the Scripture though few there be that finde that narrow gate and straight way to life and salvation 3. The light given to every man is not Christ in person or as Mediator let people learn to distinguish between him and his gifts and between the gifts which he bestoweth as God and those which he confers as Mediator 4. The light given to every man is the law written in the hearts of all and may in some sense be called the word Rom. 2. 15. of God not Christ-Mediator nor Christ-God because it is a piece of the declaration of Gods will made perfectly known to Adam before the fall 5. The Scriptures are a perfect declaration of the will of God both in the Legal and in the Gospel-part and are both truly and more eminently then the Law first written in the heart called as they are the word of God God giving out his minde to the full by what is written in the sacred Text. 6. The Lord Christ the Eternal Son and Essential Word of the Father is more in the Scriptures then in every man or any man As he is God all men live and move and have their being in him As he is Mediator he is in his Church mystical yet is he more in the Scriptures then in his Saints 7. They have not Christ Mediator in them nor abide in his Doctrine who abide not in the Doctrine of the Scriptures 8. They that speak from the Scriptures rightly understood speak more from Christ then such who speak from the light within them and have no fellowship with the Scriptures and with them that abide by Scripture-light and Doctrine Let R. F. and the men of his fellowship ponder what I say and the Lord give all his understanding in all things Section 11. I Had discovered pag. 8. of my book in this Section how they send people to read the Scriptures in the Creatures as if the Creatures taught us more then the Scriptures contrary to Psalm 19. and to Solomon in his Ecclesiastes and to Paul 1 Cor. 1. 21. R. F. * Page 9. in answer tells me That book * George Fox his Parables The Scripture a more excellent teacher then the Creatures shall witness for the truth against thee and thy generation Rep. If I were of the generation of Ranters he might have cause to write as he doth for as I hinted in my Epistle before my former piece Some of them viz. Quakers may haply be raised up against such viz. Ranters who have to their utmost extinguisht all common light of nature and would level all with sin and hell And G. F. in his Parables bends himself against men of this hell-begotten brood But as I own the light of Nature which Ranters endeavor to put out and the Light of Scripture which the men called Quakers with Ranters would eclipse so I acknowledge there is much in the Creatures to be learnt by way of allusion but to prefer that knowledge above the Scripture as is the scope of G. F. I am averse and abhorrent in the case And R. F. hath nothing more to say for G. F. onely for his own security he shifts from the Creatures viz. the Heavens and the Earth and things contained therein as parts of the first Creation of which G. F. gave his dictates to those that are in Christ new Creatures who are Epistles written in one anothers hearts seen and read in one another that are such Creatures 2 Cor. 3. Rep. Who sees not the mans evasion here is blinded with prejudice or gross ignorance for 1. The Apostle 2 Cor. 3. 1 2. speaks not of what is 2 Cor. 3 2. vindicated written in the hearts of all men who have stony hearts but in the hearts of Saints whose hearts are fleshy or soft v. 3. 2. He sets not forth those Epistles as Rules equal with Scripture much less to be preferred above the Scripture Pauls plain meaning is no more but this that the efficacious and cleared grace of the Gospel stampt and printed upon the Corinthians hearts and made visible and legible in their conversations was a sufficient Testimonial for his Apostleship and faithfulness and far better then Epistles of commendation to and fro which one Church by Ink and Paper might send to another concerning him or others what 's this to the question in hand concerning the doctrine of the Gospel and its knowledge to be had by the Sun Moon and Stars fire water air and earth c. which G. F. had instanced in 3. What if new creatures be seen and read in one another that are such Creatures Sun Moon and Stars c. are not such creatures nor are these the Epistles which the Apostle speaks of R. F. next to his evasion falls upon clamor and would fasten the imputation of ignorance of those Epistles and of lying upon me Rep. If it be enough for him to say it here and every where without proof I cannot be innocent but 1. In the case of Epistles recommendatory such as Paul had at Corinth whether I know what they are or no let those whom the Lord hath effectually
Cor. 2. 9. opened for as mans eye or minde as he is a rational creature and but so never reach'd the things of God which he hath prepared in a way of salvation for his own so the Gospel-light about matters of Salvation of which the Apostle speaks never entred never shined into mans heart take him with all the light given him as a man before the fall or since at his coming into the world Gospel and Salvation-matters never entred into Adams heart before the fall and since there is not any of his posterity that by the light he bringeth with him into the world can tell what he should do what way or course he should take to be saved no more then his first parents when they hid themselves amongst the trees of the garden And that light which cannot discover Salvation cannot open the Scriptures to us Nothing gives that which it hath not Nothing can act beyond the sphere of its activity As for what G. F. addeth And 't is a more sure word of prophecy speaking of every mans light we will believe him as much as if he told an old wives fable if either he would have it to be more sure then the Scriptures or then Gospel-Sermons preached out of and according to the Scriptures Heretofore it became a proverb As true as the Gospel there being infallible certainty in the Scripture-Gospel but now there is a Light discovered in every man that will antiquate that Gospel and put the proverb out of date There is something in the heart of every man say No Gospel in light of nature they and that a word of prophecy or a declaration of Gods minde for salvation too or else 't is nothing more sure then all the Gospel throughout the Scripture and yet say I no part of the Gospel at all For no man shall be able to spell out one Gospel-syllable or letter in it or by it viz. in all that is written in every mans heart or by all that is written there from their coming into the world And yet it must be with G. F. the Grace that appeared unto all men Titus 2 11. vindicated Such an expression indeed hath the Apostle Tit. 2. 11. concerning the free favor of God in Christ which is the fountain and original cause of Salvation now shining to all Nations by the Gospel and saving effectually some of all sorts of men in the world But as Paul never called every mans light the Grace of God i. e. in Jesus Christ although that Light be a free gift so never was it every mans light or gift nor will be to understand what is the Scripture-grace of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ But the Doctrine of it is turned into wantonness when it is laid waste and common with the universal light of every individual reasonable creature which 1. is but a part a spark of that which Adam had before the fall 2. Gives not a crevise of light about Christ crucified 3 Is but a Legal-light and effect of the Law written in the old-stony heart of every man Section 13. R F. passeth over this Section also and saith nothing to it where I gave a farther instance of their advancing this common universal light by calling it A perfect Light or how could they be judged by it And the first principle which will change the minde Whereas 1. The Prophet David Psalm 19. 7. advanceth Creature and Scripture-light compared the Law or Doctrine of God in the Scriptures as Paul doth 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. to be the perfect Rule of faith and maners The light found in and by the book of the creatures and mens natural consciences is dim weak and imperfect in comparison of Scripture-light 2. The light in every mans conscience where the Scripture comes not draws up a Bill of condemnation discovers no Charter of Salvation 3. It is imperfect to what Adam had before the fall the Scriptures have more and higher light then Adam in his innocency received 4. The Law of God take it as a Covenant of works or under such a notion requires as much as Adam had That is not legally perfect which in all degrees and circumstances answereth not a perfect legal Rule 5. The least true Light sinned against is sufficient to judge the sinner if God entreth into judgement with him The other clause shall be examined in the fifteenth and sixteenth Sections Section 14. R F. answereth to what concerned himself in this Section but not in its due place I shall endeavor to reduce him From his Book Entituled how truly let the Lord and Father of Lights be judge Light risen out of darkness I had noted what he saith The light is pure standing out of all corruption meaning this light of every man which where it is and it is in every man it reneweth the judgement and where the judgement is renewed there is no corruption in that judgement as was told me by one of them in Scotland But this beam of God-head-light in every man is no part of the new creature or of such a renewed minde as the Apostle calls for Rom. 12. 2. Ephes 4. 23. And although that which is a renewed principle in some is pure so far as it is renewed yet the faculty where it is the minde hath darkness corruption and pollution in it as well as light and purity as is clear from 1 Cor. 13. 12. Now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face But R. F. * page 10. line 12. tells me I have slandered him for saying The Light is pure standing out of corruption but my slander hath no weight nor doth him no harm Rep. 1. I slandered him but with the truth if it were so and did him more right then he doth himself for I cited his words to the full standing out of All corruption 2. Although a slander when the truth is spoken may be charged upon him that speaks it if he relates the truth of another with an intent of reproaching the party yet I was clear of such an intent and shall still endeavor his and his companions reproof and conviction without their reproach If the word of the Lord be a reproach unto them let them look to it 1 John 1. 5. cleared and vindicated 3. His evasion to avoid the dint of the reproof will not serve his turn God is Light 1 John 1. 5. and he is pure and discovers corruptions and hath no union with them and what communion hath light with darkness For whoso consults his book * Light rison out of darkness page 24. line 13 15. will finde he speaks of the Light created in mens mindes and given back since the fall That light is your condemnation and that will shew you your corruptions And now in answer to my charge he tells us God is Light and he is pure c. Rep. 1. Will he confound God and his essential Light with light given into
upon his Justice and he must not let his Justice fall though the creatures righteousness be lost and the sinner fallen so low cannot give life to this poor sinner upon the terms of his father Adams covenant in innocency And if Gods infinite grace his peculiar electing-love findes out another way of life and the onely way of salvation for the way of works by a meer creature as to preservation of Gods image and communion-life is lost and as to salvation i. e. recovery of a lost life that is not to be found by the invention of men or Angels this way that God himself findes out or makes discovery of is in so just and righteous a way that he lays the foundation of the covenant of grace in the satisfaction of a righteous Surety the Son of God the Lord Jesus Christ who was not bound to pay the forfeiture or principal for himself nor was he bound to become man or assume our nature but upon supposition of Gods decree he voluntarily undertakes the office and work of redeeming and saving the Elect fallen with others thereupon he stands obliged to assume their nature in which onely he could obey and suffer and he doth assume it for the persons the children of the Election Heb. 2. 14. for their sake and on their behalf according to that Scripture And having taken their nature upon him he is made under Section 1 is the law deeply now in debt for their sakes all which he pays actively and passively and by the meritorious satisfaction given now to Justice accepted by grace at the hands of such a Surety he obtaineth eternal redemption for Gods chosen But I ask of R. F. Why must Christ the Surety pay the Elects debt of obedience to the Moral Law in all perfection of nature and life if they did not owe it How came they to be so indebted if their father Adam was not under the debt broke and run away among the trees of the garden and left them under the obligation wherein he was before he turned bankrupt 5. That whereof every man hath some reliques written in his heart that Adam in innocency had as a perfect bond and obligation written perfectly in his heart But every son of Adam hath some reliques of the Moral Law and ten Commandments with the ingredient rigor of attendant condition and effects of a covenant of works written in his heart viz. That he ought to have a God and a worship and that suteable to the Deity with solemn time for worship and the characters of the second Table are yet more legible in every mans heart with impressions that produce the effect which the Apostle speaks of Rom. 2. 14 15. the work of natural conscience that tells him of an obligation to his Creator and excuseth or accuseth in matter of fact as he acteth according or contrary to the light of the Law written in part upon his stony heart and afterwards perfectly upon Tables of stone these forfeited reliques are given back of Gods common goodness and bounty to mankinde and as the remains and ruines of a stately fabrick they demonstrate what was once standing in beauty The best light in men without the new birth carries them to the repairing of this fabrick by works although that way Gal 1. last to life is shut up and kept as by the flaming sword impassable after every mans best endeavors But when the children of Adam are laboring after life in the way of their working as the condition and cause of life it is strange they should not know what stock their father had in his hands nor upon what terms he and they stood in with God I wish it be not the scope of R. F. and J. N. with others as is the Papists design to extol Adams state in innocency above a covenant of works not to magnifie the grace of God but as holy and blessed * Expos upon Ecclesiastes pag. 163. Mr. Cotton saith to derogate from the grace of Christ Object 1 James * Discovery of the man of sin pag. 23. Naylers Objection is of no force against what I have argued for The covenant of works saith Do this and live but he had the life already while he stood in it and so it was not to be obtained by working He had it while he had it upon condition of working it should have been continued to him upon that condition Life once lost in that covenant for want of working or for bad work cannot be obtained again by the parties themselves that lost it yet if men will be doing for life God permits them to go on and let them see at last how they have lost all their labor as well as their life Object 2 But the Law was added because of transgression which if it had been before the transgression could not have been The quite contrary is more clear if the Law had not been before the transgression viz. of Adam Adam had not been under transgression for what is sin but the transgression of the Law 1 John 3. 4. And it was added not to the Gal. 3. 19. cleared transgression but because of transgressions sins were now multiplied in the world and men would neither charge the first sin nor the last nor any upon themselves as they should to become sensible of the need of the promise and of him to whom the promise of salvation was primarily made therefore the Law was as a glass held before them to shew them their spots and it came with an arrest to self-justifiers as to this day it will come to be clapt upon the backs the consciences of transgressors Object 3 But why stood not Moses by the Moral law J. N. tells us That Law which was given to Adam was Thou shalt not eat of the Tree of knowledge I suppose he means for an absolute prohibition of eating Adam had not but a liberty of eating of every tree that excepted which no where in Scripture is called the covenant of works That was but a positive branch of the Moral Commandment for tryal of his love to God and of his obedience in one kinde but to stand obliged to all kinde of obedience answerable to the written Law with the tag as the Martyr called it at the end of the point death and the curse attending the first transgression is no less then a covenant of works and as hath been shewed and proved as such a covenant was onely then made and entred with all mankinde Object 4 Is R. F. his reason * Page 12. any better Adam had not the Law in which the ten Commandments were given for it was written the Law with the ten Commandments several hundred years after Adam and not given to him in paradise therefore he was not under that Law and Covenant of Works Answ 1. The Law with the ten Commandments is more then the Law of the ten Commandments Although no Law but the ten Commandments was written
in Tables of stone yet the Ceremonial Law which hath been disproved from being a covenant of works was given at the same time or in the same forty days that Moses was upon the Mount Now no man that I know saith the Ceremonial Law was given to Adam in Paradise or that he was under that Law before the fall 2. As Adam was under the Ceremonial Law after the fall above two thousand years before it was given to Moses so he might be and it hath been proved he was under the whole Moral Law as a covenant of works before the fall notwithstanding the long space of time between his innocency and the promulgation of the ten Commandments on Mount Sinai 3. The reason of R. F. to the contrary is of no more force then if one should argue The promise was given to Abraham two thousand and fourscore years after Adams sin therefore it was not given to the Patriarchs nor were they under a covenant of grace before Abraham which to say would be manifest contradiction to the Scripture and a Non sequitur in Reason and such is R. F. his Divinity and Logick also Section 18. OF this Section R. F. takes no notice wherein I had noted what Ed. Burroughs saith in his Answer to choice experiences page 6 7. not 9 10. as was printed before That is no command from God to me what he commands to another Scripture general commands include particular persons and oblige to acting by virtue of such commands contrary to the whole Decalogue Exod. 20. which speaks to all in speaking to one Thou And the mystery of iniquity in this kinde of doctrine lyes here The word Command in Scripture is not a command to them till they have a word within them neither as E. D. adds did any of the Saints which we read of in Scripture act by the command which was to another not having the command to them selves I challenge to finde an Example to it By this doctrine 1. All the Scripture-commands as such are made void The absurdities of the contrary doctrine stand for Cyphers are of no Authority by them selves and no ways binding to carnal men who want the perfect principle that Adam had or the Spirit of grace which the Saints have whereas moral commands in Scripture are of perpetual obligation whether men have a principle or a Spirit to hear or forbear Ezek. 2. 7. And 2. As if what God commands one Saint as a Saint he doth not command all Saints as such Mark 13. 37. and Luke 12. 4. I say unto you my friends Fear not them that kill the body c. is a command obliging all his friends Or 3. There must be a particular Scripture for every Saint and every action that he puts forth Or 4. A motion from within must be above the motion from without in the Scripture whereas the Spirit of God is of one and the same authority in the Scripture and in the heart and he moveth to duty by commands 1 Thes 4. 2. 1 John 3. 23. Josh 1. 8. Have not I commanded thee yea by the written commandements he presseth Christians upon duty Ephes 6. 2. Honor thy Father and thy Mother Ephes 6. 2. explained which is the first commandement with promise The motive here is threefold 1. The Commandement of the written moral Law 2. The promise annexed That it may be well with thee c. 3. This fifth commandement is the First of the second Table and the first of the Ten that hath a promise and a special promise expresly added to it All the ten have as the Decalogue is subservient to the covenant of Grace a general promise prefixed and the second a general promise inserted but this is the first and the last indeed the onely one of the ten that hath a special express promise added to the keeping of it A command so backt and supported is no small encouragement it being also a command of the holy Ghost as certain as any he brings to the heart Or 5. As if what is spoken to all is spoken to none till the person be named or pointed out by the finger It will be accounted negligence and carelesness in children or servants when the Governor of a family ordereth to them all that the doors be shut up at night if none of them look after what is ordered and in a troop of souldiers not to take the alarum at a distance but the Drum must be beaten close by the ear of every one or else none will stir from their quarters such an abuse of commands to Saints is made of Scripture-general commands by these men who list themselves for Saints The allegations and objections of Ed. Burroughs * Page 7. weighed in the ballance of truth will be too light 1. I challenge to finde an example 1 Objection answered Answ What are all the examples of the Saints actings after the patern of other Saints who had the express precept 1 Thes 1. 6. ye became followers of us and of the Lord c. so that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia Christ gave the Apostles an example of Self-denial with a command of taking up the cross and following him The Saints at Thessalonica acted by this Command and after the Lords and the Apostles example and became exemplary themselves for others that believed to act after them and suffer also Commands of this nature to others they took to be to themselves and are commended for such kinde of obedience Acts 1. 4. The Apostles have a command to keep together and not to deport from Jerusalem c. and Act. 2. 42. the converted three thousand which are a superabundant number of examples continue stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers here is acting sufficiently and constantly by virtue of the command for keeping fellowship given to the Apostles more immediately and to them but remotely and at the second hand Object 2 2. 'T is alledged The Saints obeyed every one their own command one was sent to Baptize and to preach the Gospel another was sent not to Baptize but to preach the Gospel Answ 1. Saints as such have general duties incumbent upon them and none of the commandements of God that belong to them as Saints are grievous unto their regenerate heart and part 2. To Baptize and to preach the Gospel are duties imposed but upon some Saints and acts belonging to special office and commission or mission at least Some may be sent to preach the Gospel that have not office-commission of Baptizing as Act. 11. 19. But none were in officecommission to preach the Gospel but might and did as opportunity was offered baptize also as Act. 8. 35. 38. And Paul himself did Baptize and was commissionated for it though his principal work was preaching 1 Cor. 1. 15 1 Cor. 1. 15 16. cleared 16 17. Christ sent me not to Baptize not
better then two in the Bush a little of their own within them far beyond all Christs righteousness without them although we call for the witness within them that will not suffice they must have the ground-work of their justification within them as well as the evidence nay some work within shall be ground and evidence too or they fly off and will not believe till they see and feel but groping in the dark lose themselves in the wilderness of self-fulness and sufficiency 7. Head of their Scripture-contradiction Concerning Regeneration Section 27. I Had noted what they say He that believeth is born of God without Scripture and yet witnessed in Scripture contrary to James 1. 18. and 1 Pet. 1. 23 25. which Regeneration by the Scripture promise not onely bear witness of a new birth but saith also it is wrought by the word of truth the word of God the word that is preached which was never without or besides much less directly against but always according to the Scripture both as the Apostles preached it and others after them and their written doctrine R. F. * Page 15. returns me in a retorting way as is his wonted maner this for an answer If thou was not blind thou would see that thou contradicts the Scripture and not they that attributes the work of regeneration and the new birth to the Letter which thou calls the word and so therein denyes God who begets by his own will by that word which liveth and abideth for ever which was in the beginning with God and was God Rep. 1. Gods essential will and the free act of his love and good pleasure is the primary impulsive cause of his regenerating a soul 2. Christ by his death purchaseth the grace of regeneration and by the power of his resurrection applyes it 1 Pet. 1. 3. 3. The Spirit of the Father and the Son comes with the Scripture-promise and quickneth the soul to believing and by believing of the word of truth which at the beginning R. F. acknowledged the Scriptures to be and at that instant the believing soul is as Isaac conceived and formed a childe of promise a believer and a new-creature together by the word of grace which the Spirit useth as the external means of regeneration yea he carrieth the word and voice of the Son of God John 5. 25. from the ear to the heart and makes them hear and live That part of the Scripture which is pure Gospel is the ministration of the Spirit as of righteousness and life 2 Cor. 3. 8. 4. They that speak of a regeneration such as the Scripture helps them not to know and obtain speak wildely of it as J. Nayler in his new piece * Love to the lost page 34. treating of the new-birth he tells his lost creatures There is the old man and a new man but he doth not say there are two contrary qualities in the same regenerate soul lusting one against the other as the Apostle describes their state Gal. 5. 17. He saith * Page 35. Nicodemns knew not the new birth though he loved Christ He did not know the maner and mystery of it before his coming to Christ but if he loved Christ before it was a fruit of the new-born-seed of grace or spiritual principle for even J. N. confesseth as is the man so are his works and as is the Tree so is the fruit And I may adde as is J. N. so is his Book and his his love to the lost for if the man may be known by his writing he may haply know as little of the new-birth as Nicodemus did though he would be a great Teacher in our Israel Some may say he speaks * Love to the lost p. 35. of a Promise as well as a power that puts off the old man with his deeds lusts and affections but if you mark it it is to them who remain in the seed of God and it in them he doth not say the new-creature hath a promise that it shall remain although the Scripture saith it shall Joh 15. 16. 1 Joh. 2. 27. Well if he holds but to what he saith That all who remain in this seed and it in them hath the Promise I would have R. F. ask him whether it be the Promise that begets the new man which helps to put off the old if it be we shall finde the new man quickned as the old man crucified and slain by a word of promise in several places of Scripture scattered The word of promise serveth to regenerate and begin the work as well as to preserve nourish and maintain the regenerate man in his state He that shuts out Scripture from being Christs organ or the Spirits instrument and means of Regeneration it had been better for him he had never known the Scripture or written a word about it 8. Head of Scripture-contradiction Concerning Sanctification and its Perfection Section 28. I Had noted from a little conference with them in Scotland That sin dwelleth not in act where Christ reigneth Sin dwelleth and acteth in the Saints Rom. 7. 17. opened This R. F. defendeth as true though never so contrary as I hinted in my book to three as many more places of Scripture Rom. 7. 17. It is not I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me sin is doing as well as dwelling it will not be idle and in whom in Pauls heart where Christ reigned Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and Gal. 5. 7. cleared the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other in whom in the Galatians the sons of God in whom considered in their better part Christ and Grace reigned yet they could not do what they would they could not be so gracious as their regenerate part would have them nor yet so sinful as their unregenerate part would have them Here is sin active enough and yet its force is broken that it cannot reign where Christ reigneth but there it dwells and remains very troublesome to a good heart Rom. 7. 23 25. Rom. 7. 23 25 explained I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my minde and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin that is in my members here is action and passion too here is fighting and scuffling a continual conflict Sin in the Saints is no sleepy habit it will be plotting using stratagems striking and serving it self and its own turn as ver 25. With my flesh I serve the Law of sin sin is very active in the Saints when so officious to its self and its own ends What weapons think you will R. F. finde for defence of the Tenet none spiritual I dare say but carnal and weak as followeth * Page 15. Where Christ reigneth the body is dead to the acts of unrighteousness because of sin being destroyed and the Spirit is life because of righteousness living and ruling Rep. I suppose he refers in this
they preach that men should repent I ask how shall the ungodly sorrow after a godly maner If they lay the burden upon the ungodly onely and absolve the godly altogether they may by that way preach down all godly sorrow and startle the wicked with legal convictions and that which is remorse of conscience but no way help toward the pulling down the old man or building up the new in the true Believer 11. Head of their Scripture-contradiction Concerning the Word and means of Grace Section 37. I Had expresly cited C. Atkinsons words viz. I deny that God did ever or will ever reveal himself by any of those things thou callest the means of grace which were spoken of before in his book as reading hearing prayer c. contrary to 2 Tim. 3. 15. Rom. 10. 17. Luke 11. 13. c. R. F. in answer * Page 19. saith I would raise a slander c. as if they should deny the way and means that God useth to reveal himself to his people by How makes he it to appear why Christ is the light and the way to the Father and that they own and he reveals his secrets by his Spirit Rep. In all this confession here is no acknowledgement Christ and the Spirit give light and grace by outward means of reading hearing prayer c. That Christ is the light and light-giver hath never been denyed by me and that with his Spirit he is the author and worker of all grace who but graceless men will gain-say We do with the Scripture attribute higher things to God and Christ and the Spirit then to be the means of grace but R. F. will not ascribe so much to the Scriptures read heard sung prayed upon i. e. according to the rules and patterns of prayer there set down to be so much as outward means of grace we can have no such outward ingenuity from him But what saith he The Scriptures are not Christ nor the Spirit Rep. What if they be not they are Christs word and the word of the Spirit as hath been shewed and what the Scripture saith Christ saith and the holy Ghost also the same He therefore that rejects the Scripture and its several exercises from being the means of grace rejecteth Christ and his Spirit also But the Spirit he saith teacheth us how to pray and profit Gal. 4. 6. 1 Cor. 12. 7. c. and this doth not contradict the Scriptures Rep. No for the Spirit of grace and the outward means agree very well yet this is not a yielding them to be the means by which Christ and the Spirit revealeth their secrets and convey grace It is one thing for the Spirit to teach how to pray and read another thing for the Spirit to work by reading praying c we grant the former but he grants not the latter as he ought that I can finde Yes may some say what think you of that which followeth we know that faith is given by the ministery of Christ in the Spirit Rep. But speak plainly is it given by reading and hearing the Scriptures opened and preached as 2 Tim. 3. 15. Rom. 10. 17. hold it forth And we know that God giveth us his holy Spirit Rep. But doth he give it in a way of preaching and prayer as Act. 10. 44. and Luke 11. 13. bear testimony As soon as Paul is converted is he not at Prayer and had he not the fillings of the Spirit given him in that way as by Ananias putting his hands upon him Act. 9. 11. 17. And the wisdom saith R. F. which is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace James 3. 17 18. for which we praise God Rep. 1. But doth he give this wisdom by asking as saith James 1. 6. If any lack wisdom let him ask it of God is not prayer a means of wisdom 2. I wish we could finde the wisdom James describeth in R. F. As yet I discern not any seeds of it sown in his books one or other 3. Let him beware of taking Gods name in vain by praising him legibly in print for that which he hath not printed in his heart nor holdeth forth visibly in practise Why but he addeth we own reading hearing prayer and the teachings of God according to his promises Rep. I wish he doth well understand the promises of Means of grace have a promise of blessing annexed God Gods promises are made of a blessing upon such means as reading hearing and prayer as well as of gracious abilities to read hear and pray with Isaiah 55. 3. He that heareth and inclines his ear shall live 1 Tim. 4. 13. 16. If Timothy attend to reading meditation preaching to others watching himself In doing this he shall save himself and those that hear him To prayer is promised salvation Rom. 10. 13. Christs presence Matth. 18. 20. Returns and answers Matth. 7. 7. To preaching Christs presence assistance and blessing Matth. 28. 20. To the Saints conditions which C. Atkinson rejected with the ordinances all blessed success Rom. 8. 28. They shall look unto him and run to him and their faces shall not be ashamed Psal 34. 5. why so Ver 6. This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles and therefore we may from others experiences together with our own have hope Rom 5. 4. And Hope in and by a promise an experimental promise and a promised experience maketh not ashamed If therefore R. F. doth own these means and the teachings of God according to Gods promises he must own them otherwise then C. Atkinson even as means by which God hath revealed himself and will communicate his grace and then I will not accuse him as I have not slandered C. A. when I speak the truth I harm them not The more nakedly their Errors are detected by the Truth the more good it may do them and I wish it with my heart 12. Head of Scripture-contradiction Concerning Baptism Section 38. THat they are against Infant-Baptism I had noted contrary to Acts 2. 38 39. where the command for application of Baptism reacheth as far as the Promise and as I hinted in my shorter piece the Promise extendeth it self to Children while Children they are part of the Saints of the Church at Corinth 1 Cor. 7. 14. if but one of the parents be a Believer and a Church-member R. F. is for the Negative in a transition from what was spoken of before But your brain-imaginations we deny and sprinkling Infants with water Rep. 1. If he puts this scandalous title of brain-imaginations upon the other means of Grace reading preaching hearing prayer experiences c. he doth but back his sellow Atkinson Suppose God should leave him as one of that name if it be not the same C. A. to Fornication were it not just for his casting reproach upon the ways of God 2.
agrees with the saying of Christ Matth. 6. 6. Matth 6. 6. vindicated when thou prayest enter into thy Closet c. as if the publique ordinance may not stand with the private for the most retired and secret duties are to fit and make ready for the publique onely 't is our Lords scope there to confine a private prayer to a private place as it is the Apostles order from the Lord 1 Cor. 14. 14 15 16. when 1 Cor. 14. 14 15 cleared vindicated we pray publiquely in Church-conventions all which have a publiqueness in them to pray so as others may be edified thereby who are Saints and those who occupy the room of the unlearned may testifie their consents by saying Amen which they could not do if either the person praying spoke onely to his own hearing or in the heart not with an audible voyce to others or when they heard him they could not understand him because he exprest himself in an unknown tongue All that I drive at with the Apostles and our Saviours scope is that every ordinance and outward part of worship be owned in its place and that this of publique prayer may not be disowned ere the more because of these mens crying up their praying by the Spirit in opposition to the Churches publique prayers which the Primitive Church at Jerusalem Act. 2. 42. attended and continued in and which the present Saints and Churches in these nations hold up according to president and precept R. F. in another Pamphlet of his * Truth cleared of Scandals pag. 2. saith they are led by the Spirit and he maketh intercession for them according to the minde and will of God But their practise shews they are not in this led by the Spirit when they cross the minde and will of God by refusing to joyn with the Saints in a publique prayer we acknowledge that no wicked mans prayer is accepted publiquely or privately made by him It is their duty to pray but not their priviledge who are destitute of the Spirit and out of Christ But to profess prayer from the second birth while yet they know not how to pray as they ought but as the Spirit maketh intercession with sighs and groans which are J. Parnells words * Shield of truth p. 14 15 is to contradict their doctrine of perfection And to give a dash at all our publique prayer as the long prayer of the Pharisees is to strike at the Spirit and contradict the Scripture allowance of the publiqueness and length of prayer upon occasion while we give no allowance to Pharisaical ends and pretences but can approve our persons and hearts to God in Jesus Christ our persons in Christs righteousness reckoned to us by faith our hearts so far as renewed by the grace and power of his in-dwelling Spirit James Nayler hath expressions one would think of this tendency that complies with our doctrine in his common place of Worship * Love to the Lost p. 8 9. wherein he instanceth in no part of worship but prayer he acknowledgeth as we teach The worship of the true and living God stands out of mans will and before any man can rightly worship God he must wait to know the Spirit But now let the lost soul beware of his counsel where should they wait you must saith he know the light and in it wait till therein you finde the Spirits leading acting and ordering This counsel if followed keeps men off from the positive parts of worship revealed in the Scripture The light that every man hath as he comes into the world which is the light they nourish up people in in opposition to Scripture-light makes known nothing of publique ministery Church officers therein of water-Baptism Lords Supper publique order of prayer c. nor of Christ mediator nor of the The Spirit of Prayer to be found in the publâ—que ministery Spirit of promise nor of one promise of grace or gracious acceptation in Christ Had not the lost soul better counsel while he was under publique ministery to attend there for the coming of the Spirit the Spirit of faith and prayer where God useth to give it Acts 10. 44. and promiseth to pour it out Prov. 1. 22 23. with 20. 21. verses How true is that which J. Nayler hath in the same place according to our Scripture-doctrine when a man hath been doing evil neglecting good and then he runs to act a worship to get peace the prayer becomes abomination for he that regards impurity the Lord will not hear his prayers nor accept his worships that 's Cains sacrifice and Esaus prayers but either must your worship be performed in one that never sinned or it cannot be accepted with the pure God Yet here is his mis-guidance of lost souls 1. That he would lead them off from joyning with him that makes long prayers such a one he seems to speak of who hides his wickedness with pretence of godliness but he makes no difference of any that serve Christ and his people publiquely in the nation as if they were all such to be separated from 2. He directs to the commands in Spirit in opposition to the Scripture-Letter for thus he delivers himself * Page 11. All the Saints have their commands in Spirit but yours is in the letter and so of another ministration for the literal ministration is done away in the spiritual As if the Spirit did not give out his commands by the written letter or the Scripture and his power also by the reading and hearing of it and by praying according to the rules and patterns of prayer therein contained But something O ye lost souls you will finde when the great Shepherd seeks up his lost ones and brings back that which is gone astray Ezek. 34. 16 ever and anon that alienated your hearts from the Scripture by the spirit of Contradiction that is in these mens Teachings and Writings 15. Head of their Scripture-contradiction Concerning Singing Section 42. I Gave account of their express words We are against all your Davids Praises and Prophecies in meeter contrary to Ephes 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. and other Scriptures R. F. * Page 21. makes me this return Singing of Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs we are not against but own but your Poetry we deny Rep. He might as well say your translation of them into English meeter we deny But if Psalms Hymns and spiritual Songs be owned they are either Davids and other of the Saints penning and the Spirits inditing in the Scripture or of their own composing if they own none but of their own composing they reject Davids and what was left for Psalms cannot be sung without meeter or due measures of speech our use in Scripture contradicting both it by that rejection and themselves also by owning Psalms Hymns and Songs and dis-owning meeter or Poetry for never was there Song Hymn or Psalm sung forth as it ought to be but it had
or not it would something savor of an humble spirit But as some deem this exercise of the gift of Prophesie too high for a believing brother so he and those of his Spirit not in this guided by the Spirit of God think it too low for themselves and all other Teachers and therefore whosoever are not taught as immediately as the Apostles of the highest Form are no Teachers with them Hence he addes * Page 22. And thou that art not taught of him shews that thou speaks a vision of thy own heart and not from the mouth of the Lord. This is his judgement but erroneous enough and contradictious to the whole Scripture as not being the mouth of the Lord. And if I affirm as I did the true Prophets studied the Scripture True prophets studied the Scripture that is my imagination Rep. The true Prophets were either under the Old or New Testament before or since Christ 1. Before some of them studied the word who were at other times immediately inspired as I instanced in Dan. 9. 1. Dan 9. 1. vindicated If Daniel understood by books he read and considered what he read in those books what was prophesied of the captivity when it began when it should end and the writings of Jeremy were the Books as Daniel himself tells us by which he understood the number of the years c. Others were trained up in a ordinary way in the schools of the Prophets under Samuel at Ramah 1 Sam. 19 under Elijah at Bethel and Jericho although the Lord added impulses and inspirations more then ordinary and more immediately to some of these afterwards this is none of my imagination If R. F. goes on to charge it I shall still lay his Scripture-contradiction before him and at his dore it will lye till he repents of it for he chargeth not falshood upon me but upon the word of God whence I demonstrate what I affirm 2. Since Christ the true Prophets studied the word The Scriptures studied Gods Spirit going along therewith made them Prophets in ordinary of whom Paul speaks 1 Cor. 14. as it fitted A pollos and Timothy for Evangelists what hath R. F. to say against it no prophesie of the Seripture came in old time by the will of man then not studied but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost and the Scripture is of no private interpretation Rep. 1. By prophecy of Scripture 2 Pet. 1. 20 21. is 2 Pet. 1. 20. 21 vindicated meant the word and minde of God declared in writing God lest it not to mans will what and when and how he should write his Canon But he did immediately inspire and dictate to the Pen-men of Scripture matter maner and time It follows Scripture is to be studied because inspired of God not because the Secretaries of the holy Ghost wrote by his immediate inspiration therefore the Prophets and Teachers are not to teach others but as they are immediately inspired But it will follow from hence and make against R. F. as it did in the first Section and the sixth that if there is nothing of the will of man or private-selfish meaning and sense in the Scripture then is it a rule for Teachers as Scholars and they that will teach sound doctrine must teach from and according to the Scripture and therefore had need study and meditate on the Scripture that he may be a right man of God the title of a true Prophet throughly 2 Tim 3. 17. furnished to all the work of a Minister as of a Christian 2. This truth is not onely given forth by sound consequence but directly and expresly the will of God is laid down 1 Tim. 4. 15. Meditate upon these things Timothy an Evangelist must study that Epistle which Paul wrote to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him and be wholly in them he must be taken up altogether therewith referre all his studies bend all his thoughts to the knowledge of the Scriptures And 2 Tim. 3. 17. with 16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God c. that the man of God the minister of the Gospel may be perfect i. e. have a sacred library to converse with in all ages and be made a compleat Scholar able to teach reprove instruct and comfort out of Scripture store and furniture Hence we Bonus Textuarius bonus Theologus use to say A good Text-man a good Divine or an able man of God and he is likely to be a light and treacherous Prophet who slights the meditation of Scripture-Text and speaks onely quicquid in buccam venerit what comes next to his tongues end A fourth sort of ministers are Pastors and Pastors and Teachers mediately taught Teachers who having the grace of God and gift of prophecy are called out from among the Brethren to office and oversight of the flock as Bishops of the Lords institution These were not so immediately taught that I can finde in the Apostles times but rather by means and ways of the Lords appointment they were trained up and fitted for the office as by the exercise of their gift of Prophecy before-hand 1 Cor. 14. each Church being as a School of the Prophets and that of Corinth eminently so by their submission to tryal at election 1 Tim. 3. 10. And besides none but disciples of some years in nature and standing in grace and profession were called to the office of Pastor or teaching Elder now such disciples were first taught of others of catechized instructed in an outward way hence the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek word for disciple comes of another that signifieth to learn by outward teaching Those that heard John Baptist were first called disciples whereof Andrew was one Simon Peters brother John 1. 40. They that heard and followed Christs Sermons were also called disciples and so we are all believers and members of the Churches till at Antioch they were also called Christians disciples as taught outwardly Chrians as anointed with the Spirit and partakers of Christs grace and gifts And such being chosen who were outwardly as inwardly trained up I conclude immediate teachings did not onely furnish men for a Teachers or Ministers function but mediate ways also which is both a warrant for them that desire the office of a Bishop first to study the Scriptures and an encouragement also for Churches to covet gifts and chiefly that they may prophesie and for University Scholars to give up themselves to present catechizings and exercises after Sermons as they have begun in the Colledges for the better storing of them with grounds of knowledge and discovery of such disciples as the Lord hath begun to teach inwardly by and with outward teaching that they may be issued forth for service in the ministery after grounds laid in their understandings and some experimental work of grace approved of if it might be in some of the Churches of Jesus Christ And oh that to this
not yet emptied unless God restrain and stop his mouth and dry up his pen and inkhorn terms 2. As to his and his fellows denying such Questions as are What Questiona are of the Devil of the Devil I wish they would make good this denial But since I heard in Scotland that Questions were of the Devil I have read of many Questions of theirs which come from no better spirit then the old Serpent and Satan The Question is whether R. F. will own them as of God or deny them as being of the devil I read in one * A Declaration against Popery Quere 6. of their Pamphlets to this purpose Whether you that say bread and wine i. e. in our Lords Supper is the body and blood of Christ be not they that minde earthly things and are carnal and natural In my poor judgement this Question is from ignorance of the Lords purpose in his instituted Supper which calls upon us to minde spiritual and heavenly things by what are earthly and natural i. e. bread and wine in their substance but spiritual in their signification and use during the celebration and unsavory this Question is to such as truly own the remembrance of Christ in that Ordinance Again they Quere * Quere 10. Whether every one may not purchase bread and wine and whether any can purchase the body and blood of Christ for money Now if ignorant unsavory vain needless and unprofitable Questions come of the Devil and R. F. denieth such will he deny this to be any other If he saith he yields it to be vain c. his fellows do not he must then herein at least deny them if he maintains it for good he must so prove it I judge it to be as the former ignorant and unsavory in that it ariseth from the not distinguishing between the inward and outward part of the Lords Supper and needless vain and unprofitable because not tending to edification but meerly to strife and vain jangling Another tempting and upbraiding Question * Quere 21. there is Whether ever any of you received the substance since that which you called the sign was practised by you and so bear witness to the substance and deny the sign yea or nay The scope of this indeed is diabolical to throw off the sign of Christs appointment when they come to feel the substance whereas the true method of Christians is first to receive the substance Christ in the promise before they joyn with the Church to receive the sign because the Ordinance of the Supper is not a converting Ordinance if we speak of the true initial work for confirming and carrying on of the work of faith and love holiness c. And if none should receive the sign and memorial of Christs death after they have by faith in the Gospel-promise received the substance they should orderly never receive the sign at all How insolent and ignorant a Question is that * Quere 27. Whether do you wait and believe to be made heirs with Christ yea or nay and to have the same minde which was also in Jesus Christ who thought it no robbery to be equal with God whether you witness this yea or nay Will R. F. acknowledge the subtilty and wickedness of this Quere say I yea or nay For the blessed Apostle Phil. 2. 5 6 7. presseth to the same Phil 12. 5. c vindicated humble minde that was in Jesus Christ who being in the form of God that is left out in the Question thought it no robbery c. But made himself of no reputation c. all that in ver 7 and 8. should have been added if the Question had not been snarling and contradictious to the Apostles scope which is far from teaching Christians as is the intent of the Question to aspire after any such thought as to be equal with God we may know and believe our heir-ship and coheir-ship with Christ in glory and yet stoop to mean estates and conditions with low mindes here on earth and carry no such proud thought to heaven as the Question doth insolently dictate Is this the perfection these men talk of to harbor proud thoughts in their bosoms of being equal with God because Christ thought it no robbery so to be Oh ye deceived professors lift not up your horns on high speak not with a stiff neck beyond the Donatists of old or as the Familists of later times but remember those who were nick-named Puritans in Queen Elizabeths days and since for their sincere endeavors after Purity be humble in the midst of failings as they were and forsake the tents of these Corahs Dathans and Abirams or worse who not onely think themselves as perfect as Saints in heaven but hope hereafter if they be not here to be equal in perfection and glory with God Lord rebuke this Blasphemy in all thine and convince all obstinate gain-saying Questionists which is not in our power to do but instrumentally we desire to be subservient in the work according to thy word Titus 1. 9. To proceed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall instance but in another Pamphlet for their Questions are endless and to attend the Answers would be a needless endless work As R. F. denies Questions that are of the Devil I hope he will not deny most ignorant and proud Questions to be of the Devil as from old Adam also as that for one * Fruits of a Fast pag. 19. What rule have you in Scripture for putting off the Hat That this Question ariseth from pride appeareth by another Quest 20. in the same Book Page 20. Whether is it for the Lords sake that a man would have his fellow-creature stand with his Hat off before him or for his self-sake Fellow-creatures they think must be all alike in honor This might be the thought of those creatures that are now Devils which made them Devils and by the 21. Quest He that for the Lords sake c. cannot bow to a creature whether ought he to be imprison'd for mis-behavior or a contemner of Authority yea or nay The first Question bewrayeth ignorance which if R. F. justifies he must be sent to the Catechism out of Exod. 20. 12. and asked what is the fifth Commandment and what it meaneth and what Rom. 13. 7. Render honor to whom honor is due I hope R. F. will grant that quarrelling Questions are of the Devil as was that Job 1. 9. Doth Job serve God for nought such is that in the fore-mentioned Pamphlet * page 22. Whether is your Gospel free and without charge as the Apostles was yea or nay For 1. To clear God He will not let his servants serve him for nought 2. To clear his servants This I say again as before Sect. 44. they may serve with a free spirit yet take wages whereof the Laborer is worthy for they serve not the Lord in the ministery for wages It is one thing as I have said
to civil honor required in Scripture R. F. * Page 2â— answereth Civility and Honor we own and knows to whom honor is due to whom it is not Rep. But who will believe him if none make it out by Argument better then he doth and if his practise be no better then his doctrine it is like to prove but poor honor and not such as the Scripture requireth 1. Saith he If I honor a proud man for his pride I dishonor God in so doing c. Rep. Who calls that calls from Scripture for honor to any for their pride and covetousness and oppression This is but a shift of R. F. Is not the ordinance of superiority in State Church Family set up among men to be honored and cannot men set up by that ordinance be honored but Civil Honor due to superiors they must be honored for their sins Sin we all know is a reproach to any person as to any nation But the relation wherein God hath set them above others is an honor to them put upon them by God himself and are not they to be honored as and so far as he hath honored them viz. as Magistrates as Ministers as Parents as Masters considered abstractly from their bad qualities and onely lookt upon in their place of superiority representing God and bearing his image of authority which though lost by the fall yet God hath given back in some respect to all men Hence the Rule 1 Pet. 2. 17. Honor all men all men as men not Beasts and some men as preferred by the Lord before other But saith R. F. 2 All men that are joyned to the Lord and walk in union with him and his seed I honor and love and this I speak in sincerity Rep. This is no demonstration of giving civil honor or knowing what belongs to it which was-by him at first professed Did R. F. not onely speak but act this in sincerity yet there is an ignorant simplicity mixed with his sincerity while he thinketh that love to Saints must exclude his love to other men and if he can love his enemies as he saith To all as men civil honor is a branch of love to be given to them that are not joyned to the Lord and walk with him though they be his enemies which of the martyrs refused to give civil honor to their persecuting enemies when called before them But saith R. F. again 3. To follow foolish idle fancies to worship men with cap and knee and flatteries as the Serpents seed do and which thou pleads for we do that deny and against it testifie Rep. Here he still mingleth the corruption of the act with the act as if they could not be separated If onely he denies foolish idle complements for insinuation sake and in a way of flattery that we deny also but to judge the honor of cap and knee taken by it self and given to men of place as inseparable from folly fancy flattery is to deny a part of that civility and honor which himself seemed in general to allow 4. How can ye believe that seek honor one of another and seek not the honor that comes of God alone Joh. 5. 44. Rep. As 't is a sin to be ambitious of honor among men and a compound sin to be careless of Gods honor while we hunt after our own and that by indirect means so 't is a duty to go one before another in giving honor Rom. 12. 10. yea 't is a duty and no sin to take the honor that God hath given to the place and relation wherein he hath set us Preferring of creature and self honor and to hold up that with neglect of Christ rather then take that honor which God gives to every man upon receiving of Christ is that which our Lord condemns in that place of John But suppose John 5 44. vindicated a Magistrate Master Parent hath not received Christ that Scripture doth not interfere with the fifth Commandment nor simply forbid receiving honor one of another but onely such as the worlds friends give and take upon a worldly account and not with respect to the ordinance of God who hath stated and ordered it where how by whom and to whom it is to be given and of whom it is to be received R. F. addeth 5. What the Scriptures do allow we do know without thy ranking together Rep. I had mentioned some Scriptures concerning civil Titles of honor given to Magistrates Ministers Fathers Masters which this man denies not but that the Scriptures do allow and he and others know but he doth not say he alloweth what he knoweth Now to him that knoweth what is good and approveth it not and makes not confession of it when called to it to him it is sin with greater aggravation I shall now unto the rank of Titles bring in a File of Scriptures for civil gestures of Reverence and due deportment of the body to know whether they will allow them or no and practise accordingly if not the whole File shall discharge against them another day for their pride negligence and contempt In Scripture we shall finde bowings of the knee and body of several kindes some from base fears as Sauls to the devil 1 Sam. 28. 14. some Gestures of honor some bad base and Idolatrous of base flattery as Joabs to David 2 Sam. 14. 22. Cushies to Joab 2 Sam. 18. 21. of Davids subjects to Absalom and Absaloms to them 2 Sam. 15. 5. Some of Idolatry such as Amaziah acted when he bowed himself to the gods of the Edomites 2 Chron. 25. 14. all these kindes we know if R. F. doth not and we disallow the practise upon such reasons though we approve of the history of the Scripture as true because they were against a Rule of Scripture but how by the way will these rise up in judgement against those that deny what is required by a Rule If some have bowed for wicked ends some to Idols some to devils how will they condemn the stiff knees and stout stomachs that will not afford it for the ends and to the persons which the Lord hath designed and marked out as honorable There Some civil and good maners are bowings of the knee and body which the Scripture makes mention of with approbation being agreeable to the Law and Rule of the fifth Commandment Such as that of Abrahams bowing to the heathenish children of Heth Gen. 23. 7. in a civil neighborly way And bowings to Rulers and Magistrates as Jacobs sons to Joseph Gen. 43. 26. 28. according to Josephs two dreams of their sheaves bowing to his and of the Sun Moon and stars making obeysance to him Davids bowing to Saul though a wicked man 1 Sam. 24. 8. as well as Mephibosâ—eths Abigails 2 Sam. 9. 8. 1 Sam. 25. 23. 2 Sam. 24. 20. 1 King 1. 23. Araunahs and Nathans bowing to David a good man and pious Prince Again there want not instances of respect and honor
when he bare witness against swearing by a Book And so was the Master of Divinity of whom he tells the story who said to the Lawyer It is not lawful either to give or to take any such charge upon a Book for every Book is nothing else but diverse Creatures of which it is made therefore to swear upon a Book is to swear by Creatures and this swearing is ever unlawful This in effect will be found in Chrysostom as his judgement blaming Book-oaths and them that bring forth Books to swear upon The aforesaid William Thorp * Page 702. as above though he was ready to swear as God commanded it yet refused so much as to lay his hand upon the Book seeing to touch a Book in that case is to swear by it If R. F. and his fellows Swearing upon a Book superstitious would be as rational and Christian-like as William Thorp when they come before a Magistrate to deny the Superstition and minde the Institution refuse not the oath but the oath by or upon a Book they might well be born with But R. F. concludeth after he hath talkt of my Self confutings and manifest Contradictions but proved nothing * Page 24. We take Christs words according to his minde and so deny oaths and abide in his Doctrine Rep. Whether it were Christs minde and Doctrine absolutely to deny the use of an Oath may appear by what hath been said to the contrary no part of the moral Law Christ came to destroy to swear by Gods name nature or being was and is a part of the indispensable Law of God that is to be obeyed and fulfilled in a Gospel-way of worship fear love and thankfulness James Nayler of whom I had once some better thoughts in a sheet of his * All v. in Janglers p. 8. tells his Novices In the old Covenant swearing in truth was an ordinance of God And the Apostle who was come into the new Covenant and did witness the oath of God fulfilled said Above all things my brethren swear not any oath whatsoever lest ye fall into temptation The place in the Apostle James James 5. 12. vindicated hath been cleared already and the consideration of his reason doth further vindicate the prohibition from these mens opinions Lest ye fall into temptation as if he should say Swear by any but by God or swear by God rashly passionately in a strait and extremity and ye will fall into temptation from swearing ye may be tempted to curse God and yet further blaspheme him and from swearing by Creatures ye may be tempted openly to worship them and run from the true God to plain idols and idolatry and from presumption ye may be tempted to despair therefore patiently endure do not passionately rap out oaths But as to J. Naylers distinction of the time when an oath was lawful when not I must send him to Section 17. to let him know that the old Covenant and the new was the same for substance even the same Covenant of grace which obligeth now as then by way of love and thankfulness to swear by the Lords name and if we live under a clearer and larger administration of the Gospel-covenant wherein God hath fulfilled his oath that he made to Abraham Isaac and Jacob by sending his Son and that he made to his Son to consecrate him a high Priest for ever we should reckon our selves more obliged to swear our selves to the Lord for ever then those that lived under the old Testament To conclude They that will not expound Scripture by Scripture and compare the Precepts and examples for Swearing with the Prohibition against it fall into Scripture-contradiction But neither R. F. nor J. Nayler with others will expound Scripture by Scripture nor compare Precept c. for Swearing with the Prohibition against it And therefore R. F. and J. Nayler with many others are fallen into Scripture-contradiction THE Reviler rebuked PART II. Their Self-contradictions 1. Concerning the Scriptures Section 1. I Had animadverted upon what they write The Scriptures are within them and they own them in the life and sense of them that while they pretend to speak all from the Spirit that spake the Scriptures they are found in their aforesaid Scripture-contradictions to belye the Scriptures and the Spirit of God also R. F. le ts this Section pass without his controlment and I believe such as control the Scriptures as R. F. and others have done in their very life and sense touching the Spirits personality the right way of Gods justifying a sinner c. will one day have their mouths stopt and every tongue and pen that riseth up in judgement against the Lord and his Scriptures and servants shall be heaven-stricken and self-condemned Section 2. WHereas I said here They deny the Letter of Scripture to be Scripture and yet stick to the letter Matth. 23. 8. 10. Call no man Father neither be ye called Masters R. F. * Page 24. is so bold as to tell me this is one of my lies but he proves nothing against me For 1. I did not deliver out their very words in this place as if they should say we deny the letter of Scripture to be Scripture but referred my Readers to the Pamphlet * Paper sent into the world where they should finde the effect and substance of such a denial albeit the Printer or my self did unwittingly misquote the Page 19. for 2. their words are these They are such teachers as tell people that Matthew Mark Luke and John is the Gospel which are but the Letter c. we therefore do deny them Whence I argue They that deny the Denyal of written Gospel is denial of Scripture letter written Gospel to be Gospel deny the Letter of the Scripture to be Scripture But these men deny the Gospel written by Matthew Mark Luke and John to be Gospel Therefore c. The minor or latter proposition followeth clearly from their denyal of such Teachers as call the writings of Matthew Mark Luke and John Gospel and from their own exception which are but the Letter the major and former proposition is thus evidenced The Gospel is a Good-spel and as it is written it is made up of good and gladsom tidings delivered in letters and syllables of which words are framed deny the writing of Matthew c. to be written Gospel and you deny the letters and syllables to be Gospel-letters and syllables making up such words as do give forth a certain Gospel-sound and consequently you deny the letter of the Scripture to be Scripture For Gospel-letter and Scripture or written Gospel is all one and he that denies the Gospel-letter denies the Gospel-Scripture as he that denies the Scripture-Gospel denies the Gospel-letter But they will say * Paper sent into the world pag. 2. The Letter is the declaration of the Gospel If it be so then it is Gospel declared by writing and then the Letter in that respect as
written is Gospel which was before by these men excepted against as no Gospl 2. Their Self-contradiction in sticking to the Letter denyed to be Gospel I made to appear from their urging the above mentioned place in Matthew in the very Letter Be ye not called Masters By this R. F. would make the simple believe I have cleared them and contradicted my self Rep. But wherein or how no man can tell unless accusing them be clearing of them and discovering of their self contradiction proves me one of them Thou art offended that they witness against thy deceit Rep. I am neither conscious of deceit nor should I be offended at those that discover it were it discoverable from my words but their sticking to the Letter sometimes and at other times condemning the whole Scripture-letter I witness to be an interfering with themselves And when the very Letter is urged against the sense and intendment of the Spirit I witness it to be a deceit in them that so urge it Thou cuts off thy master-ship by thy own Rule Rep. Did I urge the Scripture as they do my servant must not call me Master we have no such servants as Abraham had who gave him this note of respect at every turn Gen. 24. 12. O Lord God of my Master Abraham c. shew kindness unto my Master Abraham ver 36. And Sarah my Masters wife bare a son to my Master when she was old and ver 54. Send me away unto my Master but the fifth Matth. 23 8. 10. cleared vindicated Commandement is not made void by Christs words nor by the true sense of them which is that we should be far from affectation of Titles from men or suffering any to cast their dependence and lay the stress of their conscience-determination upon us in matters of faith and salvation In this very Section I had discovered another of their self contradictions For J. Nayler querieth which of the Saints had the witness of their souls to seek in the Letter and with the same breath he quotes the Scripture-letter for the believers witness in himself This R. F. takes up as if they did not deny and cross the Scriptures Rep. But my work was to shew how J. Nayler both denies and grants the same thing to be in the letter without any distinction If he had said the believers witness is one way in the heart or in himself and another way in the Scriptures he had not cross-shind himself Nor doth R. F. * Page 25. help to cure the wound but makes it fester and rankle the more with his railing words Acknowledge thy lies error and confusion and upon them own thy condemnation Rep. 1. He salves not J. Nayler For the believer knows by the Scripture and by that in particular 1 Joh. 5. 1 John 5. 20. vindicated â—0 that he hath the witness in him self and no generation of Saints ever since that Scripture was written refused to seek and run unto it for confirmation of their souls faith seeing the Apostle addeth so plainly ver 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God Here the Believer hath both the rise and furtherance of his faith and evidence from what is written and if the evidence or witness in the heart be not bottomed upon what is in the Scripture and proved agreeable thereunto it is a false evidence though it lurketh within as the faith which hath not Scripture for its warrant and compurgator is false also 2. He makes the wound rankle the more in that he would have me acknowledge truth to be error and lies and faithful discovery falshood and in that he requires when I have acknowledged c. thereupon to own my condemnation whereas upon confession of my fault where I finde it I am acquitted as in Gods court so in my conscience and though I will judge my self for the root of unseen failings as for what in other things I see yet he is near that â— Joh. 1. 9. justifieth me and I believe the Lord is faithful to forgive me my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness Section 3. HEre I pointed at J. Naylers concession The word nigh in the heart and in the mouth doth not oppose it self but is one with the Scripture contradictious to what at other times they say the Scripture in the mouth or in the book is not the word of God R. F. takes no notice of this Section nor how that which drops from their Pens opposeth it self or the Scripture or from both sometimes what else is that which J. N. in his Few words c. Page 8. thou needest not try the inward substance by the outward declaration the living by the dead when as himself in page 7. had affirmed the outward declaration or Scripture to be one with the word within and this one with the Scripture If the Scripture be dead and yet one with the word in J. Naylers heart then is his heart and the word in it dead also If the word which is nigh in the heart and in the mouth be alive and the Letter of Scripture be dead then the word within and the word without are not one If the word in the heart be alive and the word in the Bible and mouth be dead then the word in the heart and in the mouth opposeth it self It will put any man to his shifts to extricate and winde off here from Self or Scripture-contradiction How much better or worse is that which followeth Page 9. The Saints witness the word from Gods own mouth in Spirit and revelation in Spirit but never any in the Letter Let Saints indeed perpend and weigh seriously is it so as J. Nayler suggesteth Gods mouth then is not in the Scripture he speaks not breathes not there at all by this mans doctrine but then let him tell the world how the Scripture came to be the outward declaration of the minde and will of God and salve himself from Self-contradiction who had said before the word in heart and mouth is one with the Scripture and now there was never any word from Gods own mouth in the Letter and as he subjoyneth That faith which is in Christ stands not in volumes he means of Gods book or letter of which he spake immediately before If it be so as he saith then the faith of his heart is not built upon Gods Testimony in the Scripture He hath a faith and a Christ too which is not to be found in the Scripture and then he opposeth himself who granted at first the word nigh in the heart was one with the Scripture I hope the wary and humble Saint will never pin his faith upon J. N. his sleeve nor suffer it to stand upon his Few words or his multiplyed pamphletical volumes who thus rejecteth the Law of Gods
their pens and tongues would be circumcised and hearts also which I shall pray for that these extravagant Errata's may be corrected 2. In that he saith the Gentiles consciences will bear them witness and excuse them in the day when God shall judge the world c. all which is remote from the Apostles sense Rom. 2. 15. For Rom. 2. 15 16 vindicated and cleared First He is comparing a practical Heathen with a bare professing Jew and preferring the working Gentile before the talking Jew but how as to matter of fact not as to the whole state before God For as to the whole state before God they are both alike both falling short of what the Law written in the heart or in the book required onely in matter of fact the Heathen sometime did more answer his light then the Jew did but did the Heathen answer his light perfectly No he had accusing thoughts as well as excusing a dark confused state was his Secondly The Apostle doth not say the Heathens light and fruits shall excuse him so at the day of judgement that they will stand at that day praised of God c. for then No saving excuse or testimony from a natural conscience conscience fully awakened will accuse more then excuse and the accusations will bear and weigh down the excuses ten thousand fold nay every mouth and the mouth of every conscience that now excuseth but from his own acts and hath not the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus upon it will then be stopt where is his praise then of God Thirdly The words ver 16. In the day when God shall judge c. though they immediately follow yet they have not such a connexion with ver 15. but either refer to ver 11. and so four verses are to be taken into a Parenthesis or to ver 12. and so three verses are parenthetically to be read and the sense with such a dependence observed runs clear and plain viz. ver 11. There is no respect of persons with God in the day when God shall judge or ver 12. As many as have sinned without the Law written or with it shall be judged In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ And this reading quite cuts off James Naylers plea for the Gentiles saving light What starting-hole R. F. will have we may gather by what went before and what follows in his commendation of this light and such as love it It is spiritual and such as love it bring their deeds to be tryed by it and with it the deceit is judged c. Rep. But by the light of the Spirit shining in our hearts by the Scripture we have found out the deceit of terms and phrases as used by these men and withal how they clash with themselves as with the Scripture even in that which R. F. addeth Such as with the Light have the deeds of darkness discovered and hates the Light the Light is their condemnation But say I the Gentiles never perfectly loved that light they had therefore it was and will be condemnation to them and none of them will be excused in the day of judgement and therefore R. F. and J Nayler are here at a difference and contradict one another it may be when they consider not of it For a farewel R. F. concludeth As it the condemnation is thine and they that are in union with corruptions as thou art they are not able to judge of the things of God but erre in judgement that judgeth with evil thoughts as thou dost and hast done therefore judgements is to thy head and crown of deceit pride and vain glory Rep. This verdict is from R. F. as a man to say no more and I pass not for mans judgement but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Onely let me advertise the Reader that to be in union with corruptions is to have no division made in the Soul by a contrary principle of Grace hating that corruption I would be very loth to be found in the hatred of other mens errors and corruptions and in the love of my own The testimony of my conscience herein is my rejoycing that I lie open to conviction studying always to exercise a clear conscience toward God and toward men Sections 13 14. Sect. 13 14. THese two Sections are by R. F. passed over untoucht In the one I shewed how George Fox prefers the light within as life to the light of the Scriptures which is death and James Nayler acknowledgeth life to be in the Scriptures speaking of them that love the life in them In the other I noted how George Fox disparageth the light of knowing God and the Father and the Spirit and Christ and the Gospel by the Scriptures because men had never known them but by the Scriptures One would think as I said this to be rather a commendation of the Scriptures and that his disparagement contradicts his commendation as his after commendation That the Scriptures came from the light and life contradicts his disparagement That the light within was before the Scriptures The light within Christ was before we grant in time and excellency being uncreated light The light within every man in Adam considered as in his state before the fall or as in his lapsed condition was before the Scriptures in time not in excellency because the Scriptures hold forth a higher light then either Adam or we in him had before the fall or under the fall The light within some Saints as they were Saints of the old Testament was before any piece of Scripture in time not in dignity and degree seeing there is more light in the first piece of Scripture-Gospel Gen. 3. 15. then all the Saints then and since are worth of themselves and then they could comprehend or can to this day The light within the Saints of the present Age is after the Scriptures both in time and excellency in time as they were born and new-born since the Scriptures were extant in excellency as the Scriptures are a rule above their light and unto it not so their light a rule above the Scriptures Section 15. WHereas I had reasoned upon James Naylers words If the least degree of light manifested in the creature be perfect in its measures and in its self as he delivers it for doctrine then it is every way perfect and no longer the least degree and therefore J. Nayler contradicted himself R. F. * Page 27. appeals to the book of Few Words pag. 8. and thither let him and the worst Reader I have go and finde out the subtilty he chargeth me with After one charge he gives another Thou hast here confessed that if the light be perfect in its measure and in its self it is perfect every way Rep. It is neither my confession nor concession but I reasoned after that maner to manifest J. N. his contradiction in adjecto as we say or in the very terms for it is as
reason light and understanding though lighted up as a candle within me by Christ the true God working with the Father in all acts of Creation and Providence hitherto is truly called as it is natural light and seeing every man John 5. 17. hath some of it the most of whom have no saving light it is truly called as it is common and universal light Will R. F. allow Ed. Burroughs to call some light natural and not me so to phrase it or will he allow J. Nayler to distinguish between common light and saving and may not I and others with me have the same liberty First let Ed. Burroughs be heard * Warning to under barrow pag. 37. I write not as from man whose light Section 20 is onely natural and carnal and doth onely make manifest carnal transgressions c. And again By the natural light through the earthly law is no natural man able to judge of that which is spoken or declared from that which is eternal And again I deny to have this cause put into the judgement of carnal Lawyers who judge by the natural light c. Let us hear J. Nayler speak his minde * Discovery of the man of sin pag. 29. In your reply meaning the Ministers at Newcastle you deceitfully put in that word saving light which is not spoken by me for though Christ be the light of the world that enlightens all yet none are saved by him but who believe c. There is a light then which is in natural men unbelievers and all the Heathen which is but natural and a light which is not saving and therefore but common by their own confession what unreasonableness is it in them to except against the term of distinction what contradiction to their own reason 2. The preeminence of Scripture-light is this that it is our standing rule for faith and maners so are not immediate Revelations or Teachings of which see 1. Part Sect. 1. Here is the Letter or Scripture-fulness that I assert There is sufficient light in it to guide men to salvation seeing it is the Spirits light and given by the Spirit for a rule yea the Spirit gives out himself thereby for our clear understanding and satisfaction in the things of God insomuch as that very witness which a believer hath in himself the Scripture bears testimony of The Spirit tells us in the Scripture what he worketh in our hearts and he stamps upon our hearts what he had before caused to be stampt into Scripture or upon the Bible R. F. objecteth Thou wouldst have the Spirit to be bought and sold if it were in the Letter Rep. How the Spirit is in the Letter that is in the Scripture I have opened in its due place 2. Part Sect. 8. but that it followeth it may therefore be bought and sold is a weak and poor exception R. F. his minde goes along with his Pamphlet and his spirit is in his book yet it is not his person but the ink and paper that is bought and sold so the ink and paper of the Scriptures as other creatures of God are bought and sold not so the Spirit though he be more in them then R. F. is in his book for this poor man cannot change my minde nor many thousands more if they read his Pamphlet with me into his erroneous judgement when as the Spirit in the Scripture changeth my minde and all that are made to own the light and authority of it into the same truth that is there delivered Again he taunteth Thou wouldst have a Letter-Savior if the Letter could give the Spirit and eternal life Rep. 1. I never said the Letter could or did give the Spirit but the Spirit is given by it or as I even now exprest it the Spirit gives out himself by it and he gives out Christ or the knowledge of Christ and eternal life by it also who shall hinder him if he will begin and further our salvation by it 2. It is R. F. his disdainful expression not mine a Letter-Savior Christ a Savior according to Scripture but this I say from the Lord He that slights the Savior which the Scripture witnesseth and maketh known is not like to finde any Spirit-Savior of him or a Savior in vigor life and Spirit to his soul and if he be not such a Savior he is not at all a Savior to him Did ever any of the Apostles or such as had indeed immediate teachings from the Spirit vilifie and reproach Christ or the Scripture with such inkhorn terms Yet again With a Letter-fulness thou wouldst have no witness of God without the Letter Rep. 1. That follows not for his providential works are witnesses of him Acts 14. 17. to the very Heathens and much more to Christians But 2. He shall be no Christian to me or in my account who brings any testimony as from God without the Scriptureattestation But saith R. F. If the Scripture be lost the fulness and the witness would be lost and his people be without supply and strength according to thy account Rep. 1. Should they be lost that one way whereby God gives out his fulness and by which he witnesseth and worketh for his peoples supply and strength would be lost yet God loseth none of his fulness in himself and Christ hath other witnesses of him John 5. His Father his Works John Baptist But 2. Seeing there are Scriptures as they cannot be broken John 10. 35. they cannot be lost God hath and will ever preserve them for his peoples supply and strength 3. What vain jangling is here from R. F. his pen tending to no edification at all of the Reader but to the alienation of peoples mindes from the Scriptures and from those that teach according to them to seduce and draw poor souls after their pretended immediate teachings while yet they will be quoting of Scripture as if it were written and pen'd to destroy it self For thus R. F. gathers up the Rere of his forces * Page 28. He to wit Christ is before all things and by him all things consist and he is the Head of the body the Chruch who is the beginning and first-born from the dead that in all things he might have the preeminence for in him the fulness dwells Rep. 1. Are not these words written by the Spirits secretary Col. 1. 17 18 19. And is not R. F. beholden to the Scripture for that literal knowledge 2. If ever he feels the power of these as other Scriptures The Scripture magnifies Christ above it self God will teach him to honor the Scripture so much the more as it magnifies Christ above it self and to speak more wisely of it then to conclude as he doth In him the fulness dwells then not in the Letter yet the Letter declares of it Rep. 1. If the Letter declares of Christs fulness then we shall need to know no more of Christ then what for substance is in the Scripture there
Singing See Psalms Spirit of God How in the Scripture-Letter 4 254 How proceeding from the Letter how not 5 How given by it 6 10 255 Leads to the scripture-Scripture-Rule and and by it 9 10 His Prerogative above the Scripture 31 Swearing By creatures forbidden 235 By God commanded ibid. Not in ordinary speech 237 Oaths lawful 238 Vnlawful 239 By a book unlawful ibid. Upon a book superstitious 240 T. Teaching All Believers not immediately taught 216 Who were or were not immediately taught in the Apostles days 217 220 They that pretend to immediate Teaching have had it by men and means 279 280 Transubstantiation A blinde dotage 189 Trembling True at and by the word or Scripture rightly understood 6 286 Trinity A Trinity of Persons in the Godhead proved 46 W. Warfare Saints not out of it till out of their bodies 167 Woman A woman not to speak in the Church 33 Word of God Essential or spiritual 22 25 Language of the Spirit and Word of the Scripture all one 292 Scriptures vindicated and explained  Psalm page Ps 119. 105 40 Proverbs Cap. Verse  20 9 158 22 20 21 32 Eccles 7 20 166 Isaiah 8 20 23 24 64 65 20 2 291 30 20 42 48 16 17 30 Jeremiah 5 31 42 20 9 41 23 29 Ibid. Daniel 9 1 219 Matthew 5 8 158  34 to 36 235  37 237  48 228 6 5 201  6 202 11 27 14 23 8 10 245 28 19 47  19 20 177 Luke 16 29 7 17 21 Ep. to Ch. 22 32 129 John 1 1 25 1 1 to 14 54 to 58 1 9 53 55 261 5 44 232 6 45 216 8 12 53 260 15 5 42 16 13 10 Acts 2 17 18 34  38 39 179  42 46 195 13 2 46 208  39 122 20 28 160 207  34 209  35 210 Romans 1 18 19 274 2 4 170  12 63  15 16 269  29 268 3 3 2  21 92 5 12 63  13 99 6 14 11 7 9 10 110  14 to the end 113  17 138  23 25 139  25 12 115 8 1 115  2 168 8 3 266  3 4 144  4 145  10 139 140  14 9  26 149  37 169 10 8 41  18 82 12 3 62 14 17 190 16 1 2 6 12 35 1 Cor. 1 15 16 108  21 72 2 6 162 164  9   10 17 6 11 156 9 14 209 11 1 11  26 191 198  29 197 12 7 30  12 13 178 14 14 15 202  26 29 217  31 34  34 35 33 16 19 35 2 Cor. 3 2 71  6 5  16 with 14 13 17 9 4 6 23   24 263 5 21 132 11 7 209  9 208 12 7 c. App. 2 13 11 164 Gal. 1 1 211  16 263 2 17 18 19 123  20 21 124 3 19 104  20 89  21 99  27 178 5 17 138 6 17 44 Ephes 1 17 15 2 17 18   20 81 3 17  4 4 5  5 1 9  26 179 6 2 106  17 25 Phil. 2 5 226 2 12 286 3 12 161  15 16 162 4 3 35  13 42 Col. 1 23 82  27 264  27 28 62 2 17 89 1 Tim. 2 11 33 5 18 35  24 267 Titus 2 11 75 Heb. 4 12 41   152  12 13 154  15 153 5 7 Ep. to R. 11 6 1 162  16 238 7 16 24 8 7 94 10 14 135 12 1 116  23 146 to 150 13 8 277 1 9 10 234 5 12 237 240 1 Pet. 1 13 16  15 156  22 160  23 with 25 28 4 7 App. 2 2 Pet. 1 16 19 15  19 36  20 21 37 219  21 248 1 John 1 5 68   77  8 78 2 27 41  29 142 3 3 117  5 156  6 78   79 165  10 142 4 4 169  17 164 5 7 45 46  10 245  12 73  18  Rev. 19 10 39 20 12 45 FINIS ERRATA sic emendanda in the Book PAge 4. Line 8. read the two witnesses p. 9. l. 35 r. is to make p. 21. l. 15 r. Blockhouses p. 33. l. 26. r. he may p. 39. l. 31. for immediately r. mediately p. 41. Marg. r. Jer 23. 29. p. 55. l. 21. r. re-assumeth p. 58. l. 2. r. arbitrement p. 60. l. 21. r. Rom. 1. 18. p. 91. l. 2. dele is the old p. 100. l. 24. dele to be p. 103. Marg. r. Gen. 3. last p. 106. l. 8. r. the word of p. 117. f. 28. for now r. know p. 120. l. 11. for form r. from p. 124. l. 34. for that r. but. p. 134. l. 4. the parenthesis to end at Book p. 137. l. ult dele his p. 138. Marg. r. Gal. 5. 17. p. 209. l. 26. r. Acts 20. 34. p. 215. l. 23. for to r. till p. 221. l. 2. for we are r. were p. 238. l. 13. dele to them p. 245. l. 11. r. we should p. 256. l. 1. r. be not p. 258. l. 32. for that r. the. In the Epistles Epist Ded. for debate r. debase Epist to the Reader for Bellarmine r. Bellarmine p. 9. l. 9. for professed r. possessed Julii 18. 1656. Imprimatur JOSEPH CARYL