as said of the Scriptures out of W. Smith's Book which was one part of my Stress he was willing to shake off but it will not so easily acquit him Observe his Reply Rep. And whereas W. P. saith No such Words can be produced he intends no other but that Smith doth not accuse himself in so many words of Blaspheming the Spirit of God in the Scriptures and the Doctrines from thence received Rejoyn His first Words belye me nor can any Man be so sottish as to believe I intended any such thing as he would have his Reader believe for that were no Answer to the Objection but an arrant yet fond Cheat and Illusion My Meaning went with my Words and my Words meant as I just now explain'd them the substance of which was in my Answer though evaded by his Reply and perhaps my Rejoynder will meet with no better Usage For his Phrase of Blaspheming the Spirit of God in the Scriptures I will tell him and that upon very good Authority that he now playes the Canter with us and that shamefully The Spirit of God IN the Scriptures a Scripture for that I intreat him You may see what a Doctor he is you that believe in him that thinks he can clasp up the Spirit with his Bible It seems thus far John Faldo and Simon Magus agree for the one thought he could buy it of Peter and the other implies he may have it of his Book-seller Indeed if I thought J. Faldo could believe what he sayes I should be the tenderer of him for Ignorance is to be pittied But when he shall shut the Spirit of God out of Men and shut him up in the Scripture though it call Men the Temples or Tabernacles of God and his Spirit whilst it never calls it self so but Holy Writings or a Declaration of things certainly believed he is to be censur'd for his improper and ambiguous Terms and the rather because his Charity is so small to others in Cases more excusable and that no Man acts the Doctor of the Sentences to others more snappishly and imperiously then himself however I shall be so favourable as to take his Words in this Sense else I know not which way he will turn himself viz. The Spirit of God speaking when it pleaseth by the Scriptures which brings him and his Cause unavoidably over to us But let us see if J. F. can honestly fasten any of those fore-cited Epithetes upon W. Smith's Book If he can we will condemn the Book as heartily as J. F. traduceth us in his But if he shall be found to have wrong'd W. S. God that lives forever will avenge our Innocency upon him which we desire may extend no further then to work him into true Repentance and effectually to vindicate us in the Understandings of the Mis-informed His words are these Rep. But that all that Inventory of execrable Names W. Smith doth intend of the Scriptures and the Holy Doctrines grounded on the Authority of the written Word take these Testimonies John 1. 9. He that is John beheld him and his Glory and felt his Power and what his Power took away then he declared him as he knew him and not from any Tradition or Writing before him why then do teach for Doctrines Men's Traditions running into the Lines of what others have written Morn Watch pag. 6. Rejoyn The Passages from whence the particular Epithetes are taken shall be consider'd anon This is one of those Testimonies he brings to prove he rightly cited and apply'd his former Testimonies out of the same Author which had he intended in reallity he should as well have inserted the one as the other to help such as had not seen his other Book into a true Judgment of this but then may he say I should not make the best of my Case which to do him no Wrong he studies more then the Truth or any thing else next to his making the worst of ours And now Reader that this Proof is as lame as his former and wholely as silent to his Wicked purposes consider I entreat thee the Drift of this Man as his Discourse at large manifests Two things he had in his Eye First to beat People off from the Doctrines and Traditions of Men in the Sense Christ once spoke those words to wit not the Scriptures but Men's humane Interpretations of them with such Forms and Worships as they had invented in the Apostacy from the true Spirit of Christianity as these words by J. F. purposely omitted notwithstanding they lay between the two first Sentences which therefore make an absolute Break though he makes none do undeniably evince to wit VVeigh this Truth all ye Priests and Professors and ponder it in your Hearts have you beheld Christ and seen his Glory Have you felt his Power to take away your sin If yea then why do ye teach for Doctrine Men's Traditions Again pag. 16. For they being from the Life that gave forth Scriptures their Vnderstandings are darkened and they err and know not the Scriptures nor the Power of God Lastly in the 14th page he hath these words All the vain Worships and Customs which People at this day are in who yet abide in Forms and Traditions are all come up since the dayes of the Apostles and are after Men's Traditions and not after Christ And the Conception of all hath been in Man's Imagination and hath been brought forth in his own Will and Wisdom By all which Reader it appears that he distinguisheth between Men's Traditions and God's Tradition For first how can he mean the Scriptures in the first Passage the middle of which our Adversary so wilfully dropt when he implies that from feeling the Power of Christ to take away Sin Men would leave off Teaching for Doctrine the Traditions of Men making them thereby sinful and a Sin to teach them when J. Faldo confesses that upon the Spirit 's moving and giving us the understanding of Scripture we do allow the Doctrines therein deliver'd to be rightly preach'd In the second Passage he undeniably distinguishes between the Scriptures rightly understood and their Mistake of them to whom he wrote Not knowing says he the Scriptures nor the Power of God being darkned which imports that truly to know and teach according to the sense of Holy Scripture is a quite differing thing from Teaching for Doctrine the Traditions of Men. Nor is his third Passage less clear in the Point pag. 14. sinâ—â— he explains what he means by those offensive Words to J. Faldo's Ear by such Customs Worships and Traditions as were not of Christ and that took their rise since the time of the Apostles and proceeded from the Imagination Will and Wisdom of Man therefore not the Writings of either Prophets or Apostles that were before such Apostacy and which were given forth as they were mov'd of the Holy Ghost The second thing greatly in the Author's Eye and with which his Spirit seems to be prest through the
unworthiest Reflections however unprovoked without any Reproof is to merit their sharpest Retorts in the most vilifying Terms I know not what to infer from such an humorsome Carriage but that it is expected from the Quakers Religion it should bear that which J. Faldo's Vindication tells us his cannot a great Credit to our Cause against his Will Thus far of Christianity and Quakerism as they are contra-distinguished by our Adversary CHAP. III. Of the Scriptures MY Adversary begun his first Chapter in his former Discourse upon this general Charge The Quakers deny the Scriptures The Proof he offered was this The Quakers deny the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the Word of God and therefore they deny the Scriptures Upon this account I thus delivered my self He entitules his Chapter That the Quakers deny the Scriptures I was almost astonished at it because he pretended to prove all out of our own Books and none such had ever come to my Hand but upon Perusal I found this to be the Upshot That the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God My Adversary's Reply is Rep. This is not the first Cordial you have made of a wilful Vntruth nor yet the last by a great many And you who summed up nine Arguments of mine more which were the Contents of the nine Chapters next following should have been ashamed of calling this one which was the first of ten the Vpshot and then insult But I shall try how you break this single Cord this one of ten Rejoyn I will not say he has Wilfully wronged me but Wronged me he has I did not say that it was the Upshot of his whole Discourse concerning the Scriptures but of that single Chapter For had I reputed his nine following Arguments undeserving of any notice I might have called this single one the Upshot but having singlely refuted his subsequent Arguments I could not in good sense call the First the Vpshot 'T was not therefore the Vpshot of the Whole but of that Chapter in which the Word is used I had good Reason so to term it since the Proof was too particular for the Charge It was not my wilful Untruth but his Mistake His suggesting as if I only encountered that single Cord is very Disingenuous for I throughly considered Nine following Chapters Hear him further Rep. That you deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God you grant But you say pag. 25. I declare to the World that we own them to be a Declaration of the Mind and Will of God with many other things which I have shewed to be short of the main Ends of the Scriptures Rejoyn Whether those other things left out are short of the main Ends of the Scripture or no will best be seen by considering what those Things are I do declare to the whole World that we believe the Scriptures to contain a declaration of the Mind and Will of God in and to those Ages in which they were written being given forth by the holy Ghost moving in the Hearts of holy Men of God That they ought also to be Read Believed and Fulfilled in our Day being Useful for Reproof and Instruction that the Man of God may be perfect Now if this belongs not to the main Ends of Scriptures either there are none or they are unknown However it was 〈◊〉 much the End as name of Scripture that was then controverted Again he goes on thus Rep. I shall easily grant that one Word may stand representative of many An odd Phrase that represents him not able to express himself congruously I have heard of Persons as Parliament-men but never of a representative Word before Rejoyn He might have pardoned me an Incongruous Phrase if such it had been for I have twenty times over been so kind to him But I must tell him it is not less proper though less used in Words then in Persons He shews Ignorance in that Philosophy he pretends to be a Master of where there are many single words or Terms that are significative of entire Sentences but argumentum ad hominem granting to the Scriptures that they are the Word of God does not our Adversary repute that Title Representative as well as Expressive of those many thousand Words contained therein if so then there is a Representative Word If not it can never be called so in our Adversary's sense Again he brings me in thus I think it is as good sense to call a King's Letters King as the Scriptures the Word of God Rep. But by your favour Mr. Penn It is neither non-sense nor bad sense to call a King's Letter the Word of a King Rejoyn This is nothing to the purpose the Stress lies here The Word of God being a Title given to Christ as the Title King is to a supreme Magistrate whether it be Reverent or Significant to call the Declaration Christ the Word of God any more then to call the Declaration of a King by the Title of King For we therefore decline to give that Title to any thing below Christ himself to whom the Scriptures most emphatically ascribe it Because I said that it might be the Word of Advice Reproof Instruction which Christ the Great Word of God livingly sows in the Hearts of Men and Women that Christ spoke of when he said The Cares of the World choak the Word and it becomes Unfruitful He replyes Rep. Here you have yielded the Cause to save Christ from being the choaked and unfruitful Word Rejoyn I need not have done so for any such Reason since Christ may in a sense as well be Choaked as by Sin afresh Crucified and the Spirit Quenched Nor could unfruitful obliege me to give away the Cause since the Word is alwayes Vnfruitful where rebelled against But is there no Difference J. Faldo between a Word of Advice spiritually livingly and powerfully sown in the Heart by Christ the great Word of God and that Advice Reproof or Instruction declared by Writing This brings to the Point Whether the Scriptures or Christ may most deservedly be stiled the Word of God Christ is God's living Oracle and rightly called the Word of God because that which livingly speaks forth the Will of God to the Souls of Men The Scriptures are but that Revelation declared and recorded consequently they can have no right to that Title which is so suitably ascribed to the Author of that Revelation To be sure J Faldo acknowledges that they are not the Living Powerful Self-sufficient Word of God Nor does he pretend to dispute for them to be such a Word of God as the Quakers deny them to be Though it seems very strange to me that there should be Two Words of God the one quite differing from the other or that any Word of God if two there were should be of it self Impotent or Insufficient as he seems to allow in his first Book pag 20 27. Vind. pag. 14 16. That the Word of God
believe great and good things of them and that from no less Evidence then the Eternal Word that gave them forth which hath oftentimes given my Soul a deep Savour of those blessed Truths it declares of only we cannot allow them to be The Word though the Words of God and the rather forasmuch as we see the great and general Neglect that People are guilty of towards that Living Powerful Regenerating Word of Life by whom alone all right Knowledge and lasting Peace is derived to the Soul of Man through this Apprehension that in having the Writings they have the Word of God and therefore look no farther the very State of the professing Jews of old who thought better of the Scriptures then of Christ believing to have Life in them at what time they crucified the Lord of Life and Glory From whose Proceedings we learn thus much That the worst Enemies to the invisible Word of Life may carry the greatest seeming Respect to and bestow the highest Titles upon the Scriptures that were given forth from it In short It was when Men turned from the Power of Godliness to the Form only that they did Canonize and lay so vast a Stress upon them In the first and second hundred years after Christ they were so scattered that very few had all of them and it is not unreasonable for us to believe that many had none of them especially those of the New Testament Were they therefore without the Word of God and a sufficient Rule for Faith and Practice Surely not It was an Administration of Life and Power of writing the Law in the Heart and putting the Spirit in the inward Parts From whence came that Christian Answer to the Heathen concerning Swearing Fighting such contra-Evangelical Practices They could not do so because of God in their Consciences At that time of Day the Anoâ—nting led them into all Truth But in process of time when Christians grew Careless and Worldly whereby they lost the Power of Godliness then they began to set up an outward pompous Religion ascribing that to the Letter and Form which was only due to the Spirit and Power And as thus entered the Apostacy into the World so where Men are not turned and conformed to that eternal Spirit and divine immortal Power the Apostacy still remains And our End in pressing People unto the Eternal Word of Life is that they may be brought out of Death and Darkness which the Scriptures can never do They are a Declaration and Testimony of Heavenly Things but not the Heavenly Things themselves and as such we carry an high Respect unto them We accept them as the Words of God himself and by the Assistance of his Spirit they are read with great Instruction and Comfort I esteem them the best of Writings and desire nothing more frequently then that I may lead the Life they exhort to and whatever sleight Apprehensions my disingenuous Adversary is pleas'd to have of these kind of Acknowledgments I write the naked Truth of my Heart knowing I must give an Account to God CHAP. IV. His Pretence of our Equalling our own Writings and Sayings with the Scriptures VVIthout any flourishing Reflections most commonly the Head and Tail and sometimes Middle too of my Adversary's Reply I shall lay down his words Rep. The Means I used for confirming the first part of this Charge were two First Their pretending them to be from Immediate Inspiration This he is so far from denying that he pleads for it but after such a rude impertinent manner that I should but injure you and shew my self Idle to transscribe and animadvert upon it Rejoyn How rude and impertinent a manner I pleaded for it the Reader may best judge by perusing something of the Passage For Inspiration the Scriptures are not more express in any one thing No man can know the things of God by the bare Spirit of a Man The Scriptures are a sealed Book to all but those who know them by the same Hand that originally gave them so that however common they may be in the World they are Strangers to them that understand them not And though Old respecting the Time when they were revealed to the Saints yet New to every Age. So that we assert not a Revelation of New Things but a renewed Revelation of those Things God made former Ages Witnesses of otherwise men are no more benefitted by them And to be benefitted they must be made ours by the Spirit which made them the Holy Ancients In short No Man can understand Spiritnal Things but the spiritually Discerning nor can he so be without the Inspiration of the Almighty This is Scripture Now the Author of those Queries and J. Faldo also denying Inspiration they consequently deny themselves to be spiritually Discerning And for Men not spiritual to judge of spiritual Matters much 〈◊〉 to write of them and bid their Writings go and throwdown Self-will and exalt the Truth is Vain and Idolatrous For the Scriptures themselves considered meerly as such are unable much less Writings founded on Self-Will For it s the alone Priviledge of God's Power and Spirit and no writing whatever distinct from it can perform that Great and Mighty Work in Man Now as Rude and Impertinent as this Answer may be in John Faldo's Eyes his Reply has not afforded me Light enough to see it He would prove us guilty of holding Inspiration as if to do so were a Crime From a Passage of John Story 's who rejected certain Queries exhibited against the Quakers because meerly grounded upon the Author's Imagination of certain Passages in Scripture and not any certain Knowledge or Experience received from the Revelation of the Spirit It must be left to the Reader to judge how pertinently I returned upon my Adversary Sure I am that Self-willed Queries can never throw down Self-will And to urge Scripture not experienced is to steal the words of Truth from our Neighbour Inspiration was in request after Scriptures were in the World And indeed are unintelligible without it The New Birth is never the more known for Christ's Saying to Necodemus though thereby we are taught that without it no man shall enter into the Kingdom of God It is the Spirit alone that reveals the Mysteries of Regeneration therefore to deny Inspiration or Revelation is to overthrow the only and Evangelical Way to divine Knowledge Erasmus himself could tell us What Men set forth by Man's Device may be perceived by Man's Wit But the thing that is set forth by the Inspiration of the holy Ghost requireth an Interpreter inspired with the like Spirit And without the Inspiration of it the Secrets of God cannot be known which is also the substance of the fourth Article exhibited against the Lutherans in the Council of Trent as an erroneous Doctrine they held That to understand the Scripture neither Gloss nor Comment is necessary but only to have the Spirit of a Sheep of Christ's Pasture Vetablus
Principles Dwell ◠while here then give thy Judgment of both My Answer unencountered by him lay thus Let it suffice to all impartial People that we only desire to make a Difference betwixt the Writings and the Thing written of And to the eternal Overthrow of our Adversaries not wholely without their own Help since they think the Titles we gave our Books very glorious in themselves most unworthy of them but proper to the Scriptures whom they say we slight Let it be considered that not one of those Books is destitute of Scripture but is either generally in a Scripture stile this Distinction I fear my Adversary wilfully omitted or particularly defended by plenty of express Scriptures cited Therefore of necessity they the Scriptures must also partake with them in common of those famous Titles And thus far have they the Preference that they are quoted on purpose to give the Truth we write of greater Credit VVhat is that Greater Credit but to be exactly agreeable with them Now Reader first consider I did not say that no◠one Book is not without plenty of express Scripture cited as my answer clears but that every one of them is in a Scripture stile or particularly defended by express Scripture cited W. Smith's Catechism belongs to the first and if he would have fastened the Lye deservedly upon me he should have made appear that he treated not on the Truth declared of in Scripture scripturally which is as much the contrary as any thing can be For his Catechism contains nothing else neither is it managed any other way Secondly If he can produce one Book endeavouring to defend or prove our Principle to be true without such Quotation for to such Books the Passage by him cited relates I will confess his Ranting Abuse to be a Just Rebuke But I make this Challenge to him To give me one Book out of a Scripture Stile that is not controversal or any Controversal Book without express Scripture cited if he cannot his vain Insults fall thick upon his own Head But let us see if the Design of W. Smith's Catechism be to deny and throw Dirt upon the Scriptures In the thirteenth page of William Smith's Catechism printed 67. we have this Question and Answer concerning the Scriptures Q. Of what Service are the Scriptures as they are given forth and recorded without A. MVCH EVERY WAY unto those that have received the same Spirit from which they were given forth for unto such they are Profitable and make Wise unto Salvation and are unto them of Service for Instruction Edification and Comfort The same Spirit in them receiving the Testimony of the Spirit as it is declared in the Scripture And there is an Agreement and Vnion in the Spirit within AND ALSO IN THE WORDS without And so there is Instruction Edification and Comfort by the Scriptures unto all that are in the same Spirit that gave them forth Now in my Adversary's words I leave it to my Reader to give a Name to his Passage both against me our Books and particularly William Smith The like to which for a daring Vntruth is not commonly told For if to confess to the Scriptures to believe to read and to fulfil them as what by the right Spirit makes Wise through Faith to Salvation being full of Instruction Edification and Comfort If this I say he to deny and throw Dirt upon them William Smith is deeply guilty but I leave it with God and my Reader 's Conscience whether J. Faldo hath not denyed all Honesty in throwing so much Dirt undeservedly upon W. Smith But let us see what Reply he makes to my Answer in his Inferences and indeed there is need of Patience in having to do with so much unworthy Shifting and ill Language His first Inference was this If the Light within was alwayes sufficient the Scriptures and other Means were ever superfluous His second By the same Ground the Writings of the Gentiles yea the bitter Scoffs of Lucian and Julian the Apostate are of equal Authority with the Scriptures for they resulted from their Light within To all which as my full Answer only thus much I will say That though all Ability was and is in him the Light whom we declare to be the Light of all Mankind to reveal the whole Mind of God Here he leaves off and takes the rest from the beginning of another Paragraph about a page off to clap to it Yet that he so 〈◊〉 mistakes Reason and abuses his Reader as to infer from the ability of the Light whether obeyed or disobeyed the Uselesness of the Scripture Now hear his Reply Rep. Obeyed or Disobeyed were no Words of mine But how can we know any thing the better for VV. P's hard Names he puts upon it seeing there is nothing that pinches him but he hath presently 〈◊〉 hard Name for it And so impertinently and slovenly imposed that a man might learn far more gentile Railing under a Hedge As base Comparison p. 43. Black as Hell in Malice p. 46. The Impudence of his Wickedness p. 49. Rejoyn VVhatever pincht me before I hope the Reader will bear witness for him he has been more merciful in this Reply He first brings little or nothing out of my Answer and sayes just nothing to what he brought He did not say obeyed or disobeyed The more the Shame As my Answer to the Inference will sufficiently manifest the substance of which was this That if the Light had been obeyed and God's Spirit not rebelled against there had not been so much need of Line upon Line and Precept upon Precept Therefore was the Light or Spirit in it self insufficient or Line upon Line superfluous Is the Ability of a Master questioned by the Use of Books or the Use of Books superfluous because of his Ability Insufficiency belongs not to the Light but to the Creature that cannot receive it as it is in it self A Condiscension to such VVayes and Means as suits the great VVeakness and Distance of degenerated Man from God can no more conclude the Light insufficient then God Christ and the holy Spirit To which let me add that as the Law so very much of Scripture was added because of Transgression that makes it not superfluous no more then the succesless Strivings of the Spirit to bring out of Transgression because of Man's obstinate Rebellion renders the Spirit not sufficient To the second Inference he drew I gave a large Answer which I shall contract That the Light of the Jews and Gentiles was one in it self That as either writ by that Degree of Light they had they might both be said to write by the same Light and yet the VVritings be no more equal then the Degrees of manifestation That the VVritings of the Jews greatly transcended those of the Gentiles from that greater Discovery God vouchsafed to them That his bringing Lucian and the best Gentiles upon an Equallity was wicked That nothing lies heavier against the Light
a higher Judge and Rule then any of those written Laws or any Interpretations of men upon them so that if J. Faldo compares the Scripture to the written Laws they who are led by the Spirit have an higher Rule then the Scripture and as he that lives up according to written Laws by the Rule of his Synteresis or Law of Laws the just Principle in himself does not destroy but fulfil those written Laws so they that live according to the Rule of the Spirit do not invalidate but fulfil the Scriptures There is no need of Swearing for a Remedy against that Man's Falseness who is come to the Truth-speaking of Christ's Righteousness he that is come up to the greater does not sleight but answer the lesser Secondly I beseech the Reader to observe that these written Laws had once a beginning and that those that made them were not without a Rule and Judge in themselves both before and in the making of those Laws neither is that peculiar to them the Law-makers I still mean Synteresis of which many Lawyers speak great things particularly a good old Law-Book called Doctor and Student which is not lessened by those Laws nor ought any Law to be made or take hold on any Person further then he acts contrary to that just Principle in himself which is called the Law of Laws the Immutable Law by Chief Justice Hobart in his Reports pag. 87. So that both the Law was made according to this Synteresis and is to be understood and judged according to this Synteresis which Synteresis or Law of Righteousness has not left us with a meer Declaration of its Mind subject to many Casuallities and Difficulties but remains in the Heart of Man to inform his Understanding and correct his Life consequently the Judge of Controversie respecting the written Law about which and the Application of it many times arises the Controversie must not be the written but this Immutable Law in Judge and Jury from whence all good Laws proceed It is a very depraved State indeed that knows no further Obligation then a Written Law whereas a great part of Mankind is free from those Enormities the Law forbids and punishes who yet know not the Letter of the Law like unto the Gentiles of old who having not the Law became a Law unto themselves shewing the Work of the Law written in their Hearts which Law Cicero in his Books of the Commonwealth cited by Lactant. 6. Institut 8. calls Right Reason agreeable to Nature given to all constant and eternal which calls to Duty by commanding and by Disswasion deters from Deceit No other Law may be put instead of this neither is it lawful to derogate any thing from it neither can it be wholely abrogated neither can we be loosed from this Law by Senate or People There is no other Explainer or Interpreter of it to be sought neither will there be one Law at Rome another at Athens one now another hereafter but being one Law Everlasting and Immortal shall hold all Nations at every time And there will be one as it were Master and Commander of all God that Inventor Disputer and Maker of this Law to whom he that will not be obedient must fly himself and even in this thing must suffer very great Penalty though he should escape other Punishments An excellent Place which clearly explains the Nature and Vertue of this innate Light sayes Rob. Sanderson late Bishop of Lincoln in his Oxford Lectures concerning the adaequate Rule of Conscience prol 4. where he also calls it from Calvin A Spark of the Light of God that he might have Preachers of his Will in our very Bosoms and that all other Laws are but subservient to this in the Synteresis the very thing that we assert concerning the Scriptures being a Rule Thirdly I would entreat the Reader to consider that cessante ratione legis cessat lex i. the Reason of the Law ceasing the Law ceases is an old Law-Maxim Now who shall be Judge of that the written Law By no means Yet that preposterous Answer only can suit our Adversary's Principle Wâ— say Living Reason must be the Judge In like manner did the Spirit of God give his Servants an Understanding in past Ages how to behave themselves with respect to those Laws which were but Temporary for whose Abrogation there was no express Scripture which the Scribes and Pharisees â—y neglecting and grieving that Spiritual Leader and sticking in the Letter of the Scripture only continued and maintained against Christ himself who fulfilled them To conclude That which makes Law That which explains Law That contrary unto which no Law ought to be made or obeyed That which gives to know what is contrary or according to just Laws That which gives to apply and execute Law rightly must be the Judge and Superior Rule But that is this Synteresis Law of Laws sayes Chief Justice Hobart Right Reson sayes M. T. Cicero Innate Light sayes B. Sanderson The Law of God writ in the Heart sayes Doct. and Stud. Spark of God's Light sayes Calvin A Living Rule and Everlasting Foundation of Vertue planted in all Reasonable Souls sayes Plutarch God within sayes Seneca and Epictetus Consequently not any meer written Law can be the Judge and Determiner of Controversies in Law This Reader holds almost all along the same with the Scriptures That the Law is not Judge of the Doubts that arise about it self but another is already prov'd and that the Scriptures can no more determine Cases of Difficulty within themselves is as evident by the same Argument and that Judge must either be some Man endued with the Spirit of God as in Law Cases some Judge with Right Reason or else thâ— Eternal Spirit as he is universally manifested in Men. The first I suppose our Adversary will think too fair a Pretence for Popery to be allowed and the last he can never avoid unless Man without the Spirit of God be able to determine of the things of God which were to deny the Scriptures of Truth the Faith of the Antients the Doctrine of the Reformers and Right Reason Thus Reader I conclude this Point and could have been willing to have done so long before had not the great Necessity of People's better Information drawn me into a more free and large Discourse then my Adversary's very empty Replyes could have deserved at my hands CHAP. VI. Of our dehorting People from Reading the Scriptures c. as charged by this Adversary THough I have said enough to perswade all sober Persons of our reverend Esteem of the Scriptures yet am I willing to remove any the least Ground of Scruple by a brief Consideration of his Four following Chapters in which he would fain maintain his former False and Vnadvised Charges of our holding in great Contempt those Holy Writings He begins thus Rep. My Charge in my Sixth Chapter was That the Quakers take Men off from reading the Scriptures
for Instruction and Comfort Penn objects against my first Proof as not bet having any such Consequence pag. 63. And this is the meaning of our Doctrine to bring People to the Everlasting Word of God in themselves Smith Cat. pag. 95. bestowing on me within Eight Lines Deeply-â—gnorant Malitious Vngodly Possessed by an Evil Spirit Wretched Impious Grosly-blind Malignity Frothiness Envy Impious Injustice Rejoyn If ever Man had to do with an Vnjust Adversary it is my Lot And let this very Passage be the Measure First What are those Words cited out of William Smith that prove we take Men off from Reading the Scriptures What Reason has he urg'd or Argument attempted that were by me employed in Defence of the Passage and Illustration of our Innocency Shall this pass for my Confutation Must my Book be no better answer'd and yet led captive by J. Faldo's meer Pretences to wit Reason Religion and Learning It s a Shame to Professors of Religion to Countenance his Attempts that maintains his Controversie with so much Weakness and silly Evasion He tells you of my Rebukes but is as true in that as just in the rest For neither has he given all those â—ords which abate that Harshness they seem now to carry with them nor do they lie within the compass of Eight Lines as he would have you believe But be they as they are what Man not possessed with a Malitious Spirit would charge Untruths upon a Body of People and then lay sound Expressions upon the Rack if possible to extort a Confession of them Who but one deeply ignorant would repute it an Vndervalue of Scripture to bring People to the Everlasting Word of God that gave them forth that only gives to understand rightly and esteem them And can he be less then Impious and Frothy that sports himself with our serious Belief as well as very Vnjust that draws Conclusions our Premises will not bear and then call them Charges proved out of the Quakers own Writings To give the greater Authority to what I said I urged the Testimonies of Calvin Erasmus and Beza concerning which hear him Rep. But pag. 64. he fathers his Error on Calvin Eras Beza He directs precisely only to Erasmus and Beza in Nov. Test 2 Pet. 1. 19. Beza ' s words on the place which I have examined are these So it may be taken for the Doctrine of the Prophets which was to those to whom Peter wrote more without Exception to whom he may be said to have a respect in this Passage Thus this Man can abuse Scripture Reason Reformers all at once Rejoyn If it be an Error Calvin Beza and Erasmus held it as I will breifly prove But why must Beza's words be cited and Calvin not deny'd so to have writ neither Erasmus by him consider'd who of the rest I most precisely cited But it made not for his turn He seems to adventure at my Dishonesty provided it may bring Disgrace or Weakness to the Quakers Cause But to make good my Quotations J. Calvin expresly tells us Idem spriritus qui per os Prophetarum loquntus est in corda nostra penetret necesse est ut persuadeat fideliter protulisse quod divinitus erat mandatum Calv. Institut lib. 1. cap. 8. That is It is necessary the same Spirit that spake by the Mouth of the Prophets should pierce into our Hearts to perswade us that they faithfully delivered that which was committed to them of God What sayes J. Faldo to this Now let 's to Beza Our Adversary seems resolv'd to mistake me that he may render me mistaken I cited him to one part of the Chapter and Verse and he to another For my Purpose was to prove that Beza held it to be the Right Way of understanding the Scriptures to have recourse to the Everlasting Word and he takes a piece of the Nineteenth Verse which related to the Comparison 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or more sure Word of Prophesie which is sufficiently cleared in my Answer to his first Book But to pass by this part of his Dis-ingenuity I will set down Beza's words on the 19th Verse it self thus Imó quid si 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocavit solem ipsum i. christum ipsum exhibitum qui simul et ipsa lux est et veram lucem mundo intulit That is Yea What if he called the Day-Star the Sun himself that is Christ himself exhibited which both is the Light it self and brought the True Light into the World Then He was to arise in the Heart if He was the Day-Star in the Heart And on the 20th verse of the same Chapter thus Vt prophetiarum intelligendarum et ad verum scopum referendarum rationem sciant ab ipso spiritu petendam qui prophetis ipsis illas dictavit That is It was required that they might know the Way of understanding Prophesies and referring them to the right Scope must be SOUGHT or FETCHT FROM the SAME SPIRIT which dictated them to the Prophets themselves and more to that purpose Now let us come to Erasmus by him willingly passed over who on that place sayes thus in his Paraphrase The Thing that is set forth by Man's Device may be perceived by Man's Wit but the Thing that is set forth by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost requireth an Interpreter inspired with the like Spirit Further rendring the Scripture so mystical and allegorical as not to be understood without it Nor shall this serve me I will yet add Two or Three Testimonies more and begin with Luther Scriptura non nisi eo spiritu intelligendae sunt quo scriptae sunt i. The Scriptures are not to be understood but by that Spirit by which they were written Peter Martyr that famous Italian Protestant teacheth thus The Spirit is the Arbiter by whom we must assure our selves for understanding of the Scriptures that thereby we must discern between Christ's Word and a Stranger 's quoting Christ's Words My Sheep know my Voice and follow not a Stranger 's and among many other Scriptures he cites these The Spirit searcheth out the deep things of God The Comforter shall declare all things that I have said unto you The Spiritual Vnction shall shew you all things Again The Spirit of God reveals the Truth in the Holy Scriptures Lastly I find him expressing himself in his Oration to the Vniversity of Strasborough thus concerning the Scriptures The School of this Philosophy is Heaven Moreover saith he We must remember that the Teacher hereof is the Holy Ghost And Doctâ—r Ames a great Father of the Independents and both a Learned and Good Man his Day considered in his Disputations against Bellarmine takes this Advantage upon Bellarmine's Acknowledgment that the Unction 1 Joh. 2 taught though not all things yet all those Doctrines which they had already received of the Apostles We require no more sayes Dr. Ames the Anointing of the Holy Spirit doth teach the Faithful to understand those
in his 4 Decad. and 8th Sermon dedicated to King Edward the Sixth accord with me in the Matter The former thus Without the Spiriâ— it is impossible to understand them Then say I They are not a Mean to know God savingly without the Spirit The other sayes plainly Men fetch the understanding of Heavenly Things and Knowledge of the Holy Ghost FROM NO WHERE ELSE THEN FROM THE SAME SPIRIT This hits the Mark But to proceed Of all this and two whole pages more he cites but two Lines and an half included in what I re-cited on which he bestows this notable Reply Rep. This might look like an Argument for his Meaning if it concerned almost any but the Quakers who assert nothing almost but with a Contradiction I should think it as hard a Task to reconcile the Quakers to themselves as to make the Poles to meet or to dig through the Earth with a Spade to the Antipodes Rejoyn Yes J. Faldo it concerns W. Tindal and H. Bullenger thou seeâ—t as well as the Quakers But did ever any Man not miserably baffled put off such serious Matter with such vain Reflections and Pedantick Similes Will nothing serve the Man's Fancy besides Poles and Antipodes Must the Quakers needs contradict to save him from the Discredit of fouly belying them They are there it seems to oppose one another where they will not harmonize to his End Certainly this Reflection can never be consistent with J. Faldo's own Practice who in a Book of nigh Thirty Sheets writ wholely against the Quakers pretends to confirm his many infamous Charges by scores of Testimonies cold out of many of their own Books which must be unanimous or they prove not his Charges as he calls it nay he has again and again brag'd of their Harmony to his Purpose Thus are we in highest Concord when he thinks it makes for his Designs and when against them as opposite as the Poles But blessed be the Lord We have receiv'd that One Eternal Spirit by which we have been Baptiz'd into One Living Body and are of One Heart One Mind and One Sense concerning the Mysteries of God's Everlasting Kingdom But as our Adversary has said nothing sober or rational to what I answer'd in Defence of W. Smith's words so would he make the World believe I dared not to encounter with one of his Testimonies Hear him Rep. I produced many Testimonies to prove my Charge which Penn dares not deal with nor bring to Light take two of them Matthew Mark Lukeand John are not the Gospel but the Letter The next Hebrew Greek and Latine is nothing worth as pertaining to the Knowledge of God J. Hig. VVarning pag. 7. Rejoyn That he so suggests as I said his own Words prove yet that I did examine some of his Testimonies is undeniable and to let him see I dare handle these without fearing they should bite me I say and that not without very good Seconds They are not the Gospel I mean Matthew Mark Luke and John or their Histories for the Gospel of Christ is the Power of God to Salvation so are not the Scriptures The Gospel is Everlasting so are not the Scriptures John saw the Angel flying in the midst of Heaven having the Everlasting Gospel to preach which could not be the Scriptures The Gospel was preached before the Scriptures were written therefore the Scriptures cannot be the Gospel The Gospel is but One but after this Man 's Reckoning there should be Four therefore they cannot be the Gospel Which is further proved from the Signification of the Word Gospel to wâ—t Glad-Tidings which are to be understood of the Coming of him that was the Saviour of the World of whose Blessed Appearance and Wonderful Transactions these Scriptures are but the Narratives Besides one of their Authors Luke expresly calls them a Declaration consequently not the Gospel thereby declared of which Definition Peter Martyr that Superintendent Reformer in England chuseth of all other Part 1. Chap. 6. of his Common-Places Tertullian calls the Scriptures Instrumenta doctrinae i. e. Instruments of Doctrine And the New Testament Writings Evangelicum instrumentum i. e. An Evangelical Instrument And Matthew he calls A Faithful Commentator of the Gospel Chrysostom being requir'd to Swear upon the Gospel both denyed those Histories to be the Gospel and to Swear at all And D. Featly will not acknowledge the English Bible to be the Authentick Word of God because of Corruption consequently not Authentick Gospel therefore not the Gospel for that is Authentick I hope then I may without Offence in Defence of the Trâ—th and that Honest Man now at Peace yet so severely reflected upon conclude that Matthew Mark Luke and John are not the Gospel but the Letter or Declaration of the Gospel For his second Proof viz. That Hebrew Greek and Latine is nothing worth as pertaining to the Knowledge of God I see no Error nor Blasphemy in so Innocent an Assertion This is so like the catching at Twigs by drowned Men for Safety that no Man not as Destitute of Succour would boast of the Evidence of so Speechless a Witness There is not one Word it can speak on the behalf of his Charge He is fled from the Scriptures to meer Language and makes that a Letter indeed which one would think he took just now for all Spirit perhaps with this Distinction though that the Scriptures may be the Gospel in Hebrew Greek and Latin but by no means in the English What becomes of the Vulgar then But what can there be more Sottish then for a Protestant at this time of day to talk of knowing God by Hebrew Greek and Latine but above all 't is unpardonable in an Independent Priest to write at this rate whose Folk for these Threescore Years have totidem verbis in express terms deny'd the Knowledge of all or either of those Tongues to be necessary to the Knowledge of God Alas who once pretended more to the Spirit and was more derided for doing so then some of the Predecessors of these very Independents and Anabaptists now so hot against us What less were the Invectives cast abroad against Ancient Separatists as the Alchimist Assembly-Man Heudebrass with abundance of more serious Declamations against them under the Names of Tub-Preachers Gifted-Brethren c. But if Language learn Men to know God which Christ himself said was Life Eternal how comes it that Schollars are such Ill Christians and Jews the natural Hebrews were such Persecutors in Christ's time and that they remain Infidels to this very day Methinks at this rate the Greeks when God condescended to speak forth the Gospel in their Language should not have counted it Foolishness nor have mocked at his Embassadour when he came on no less Errand then that of Salvation and least of all since they believ'd should they have Degenerated into so much Superstition But why the Latin must be brought in I cannot conceive unless it be the better
Reasonable or Understanding Part is a Wrong that would have drawn a whole Chapter of Railing from him had he been so serv'd by a Quaker And for Faith how can a Man have it and not know he hath it and which way may he possibly know it and not experience it As to the Scriptures they may both be instrumental to Experience and with respect to what they declare of be also experienced Two places more and we leave this Chapter in which it will appear that his Courage is as much upon the ebb as his Envy was before upon the flote In his former Book he was so unhappy in his Cause as to let fall this Expression That God above and the Scripture without have taught us better things The use I made of it in my Answer he takes a little notice of I mean to recite not confute it Now what is the Teaching of the God above said I If it be in the Scriptures it was impertinent to say any more then that the Scriptures have taught them better things But if he meant that God taught by his immediate Discoveries with and beside the Scriptures then wherein do we differ To which I will faithfully set down his Reply that if there be any Reason in it I may lose none of it in Transscription Rep. W. P. thinks now he has me upon the hip this Phrase he calls assisting to my own Confutation If joyning the Teachings of God and the Scriptures alwayes together be Self-confutation let me be ever so Confuted Rejoyn This is both Evasion and False Doctrine Evasion in putting alway together in the Reply which was not in the first Passage and very much alters the Case since to say the God above and the Scriptures without have taught us better things and to say if joyning the Teachings of God and the Scriptures alwayes together c. are vastly differing For the first Saying or Passage is general and leaves God at Liberty to speak beside with or above the Scriptures but the Reply tyes God alwayes to the Scriptures that he cannot speak otherwise then by them nor the Scriptures be without him which makes up the False Doctrine I charged upon him But if he means that God speaks nothing contrary to his Mind declared in Scripture and the Scriptures nothing contradictory to the Mind of God I acquiesce yet this Concession not only brings him upon the Hip but upon the bare Ground too for it confutes him without Controle inasmuch as he grants that the Scriptures without are not sufficient to teach without the God above the very thing in Controversie almost from the beginning betwixt us so that I return his own words upon himself pag. 40. of his Reply All this ado is to make the Scriptures nothing without immediate Inspiration implying that we hold them to be profitable as God is pleased to discover unto us and breath into our Hearts the true Meaning and Vertue of them for our Instruction and Comfort and what short of this doth John Faldo's Expression import that makes the Teachings of the God above necessary to render the Scriptures truly profitable unto any And what is this but to say with us that they are of no value not in themselves but to us unless the God above unfold them and brings our Souls into a sense of those States and Truths they declare of I leave my sober Reader to make his Judgment of this and so proceed to the next Particular which will end this Chapter I will set down his words Rep. He quarrels with my Mannagement of Ephes 6. 16 17. thus And a Shame it is that this Man should bring these places to prove that the Scriptures are Means whereby to resist Temptation The Words are Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God And among the rest is reckoned the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Why doth he not say it is a Shame I produce any Scripture at all which is like a Quaker throughly but the Matter is it a Shame to call the Scriptures the Word of God or a spiritual Sword Rejoyn No such Matter The Shame was that J. Faldo perverted and mis-apply'd Scripture and the Shame still is that he should so bungle and bogle in the Business as of Two Pages to take Two Lines that concern'd not either the Exposition or the Argument and when he has done say nothing neither to it Is this Man like to acquit himself with Advantage against the vain Attempts of W. P. as he is pleas'd to call them Reader I have often complain'd and yet shall have Cause enough of my Adversary's unfair Dealing in not reporting the fortieth part of what I urge and that he is sure to take not what is most but least material to my Cause and then bestows a Squib or two upon it instead of taking my Strength or giving a sage Reply and that I complain not without Just Cause be pleas'd to consider my former Answer with what he first writ to occasion it by which his Honesty in reciting and Reason in replying may be most impartially judged of Thus he pag. 113. Above all take the Shield of Faith which is able to quench c. and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Observe saith J. Faldo Faith in the 16th verse is preferred above the Word of God in the 17th verse therefore it is not Christ the Word but the Scriptures the Word for Faith is not above Christ Jesus Christ who had less need of Scripture then any of us all resisted Satan ' s Temptation by Scripture It is written it is written Mat. 4. To which I gave this following Answer But neither will this do his Business and a Shame it is that this Man should bring these places to prove that the Scriptures are Means whereby to resist Temptation which Rebuke was the whole he recited that concerned them not especially this in Hand unless he would have Faith to be the Scriptures or Word of God in his Sense which as it is absurd so it will by him be deny'd since he allows the Faith to be preferr'd before the Word of God therefore distinct from it and consequently not the same with it And should we grant to him that Christ is not understood by the Word of God but the Scriptures yet observe the fatal Blow his Cause receives at his own Hand Every true Christian hath Faith that Faith is above the Scriptures therefore every true Christian hath something in him above the Scriptures Again True Faith overcometh the World and quenches the fiery Darts of Satan consequently Temptations therefore not so properly the Scriptures as true Faith which is preferred above them by John Faldo himself and which resists Temptation and overcomes the VVorld is c. Once more the Just they live by Faith but Faith is above the Scripture saith J. F. Therefore the Just live by that which is above the Scriptures
and consequently the Scriptures are not the Rule of Faith for how can any thing be ruled by that which is inferior to it Thus much we get granting to him that the Scriptures are the Word of God in the Text. Now Reader tell me of this Argumentation what has he taken what has he replyed to Yet this man is deem'd worthy by the Professors of our Times to act the Tertullus against the poor Quakers For those words The Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God I told him then We rejected his Gloss for the spiritual Sword as he sayes Beza renders it must be of the Narure of the rest of the Armour mention'd in that Chapter that is invisible and Spiritual which the Bible or meer VVritings we know are not To which let me add that I know no Reason why the Shield of Faith should be preferred before the Sword of the spirit unless it be because that 's in the Verse before this if we consider them in an abstract Sense or as they are in themselves For Above all is not a preferring the Shield of Faith in Dignity before the Sword of the Spirit respecting their own Nature and Quality but with regard to the Creature For if Vnbelief enters how can the Loins be girt with Truth the Breast arm'd with Righteousness the Feet shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace the Head covered with the Helmtt of Salvation or the Enemy encounter'd with the Sword of the Spirit So that respecting Man not respecting the Dignity of the several parts of the Armour Faith is above all or first necessary for though God Christ the Holy Spirit Eternal Salvation be all or either of them greater then Faith as in themselves yet without Faith no interest can be had in them Wherefore our Adversary's Preference vanisheth and his Consequence about the Scriptures being the VVord of God falls to the Ground Concerning Christ's Answer to the Devil It is written it is written I shall desire the Reader to observe in my Adversary's Reply what of my Answer he trans-scribes which I gave to the use he made of that Scripture and what sort of Treatment he affords me These are his words Rep. Once more and I have done with this Chapter But said Christ to the Devil It is written VVhat then sayes W. P. Therefore must the Quakers needs deny the Scriptures to be any means to resist Temptation pag. 90. You may fear the Man is craz'd or was almost asleep when he wrote this I produced the Example of Christ to prove that the Scripture is a Means for resisting Temptation he resisting so effectually with It s written it s written But Penn would make you believe I intended it to prove that the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be such a Means Can you think such a Man to be sinlest yea Infallible Rejoyn His Froth and Reflection I am no otherwise concern'd at then that it ill becomes a Pretender to Divinity It is enough for me to shew that he has willingly conceal'd my Answer and hath made a Reply as if he had taken in all that was fit to be consider'd my Answer lay thus But said Christ to the Devil It is written VVhat then Therefore must the Quakers needs deny the Scriptures to be any Means to resist Temptation Here J. F. leaves me but I go on or rather are they not such Means which I am sure no right Quaker ever deny'd Now Reader mark Besides it was reasonable that Christ should so answer set that Power aside which filled up those words and chain'd Satan because the Devil used Scripture to prevail upon him as the place proves However we deny not but confess that where-ever God is pleased to speak by any place of Scripture to a Tempted Soul it may very well be acknowledg'd to be a Means by which God scatters such Doubts and Despondences and gives Power over Temptations and that it may often so occur yet we would not have People fly to them as what of themselves may be sufficient but rather have Recourse to that Divine Faith which the Scriptures testifie is able to Quench the fiery Darts and which J. F. himself has largely confest is to be preferred above the Scriptures themselves Now I desire the Reader to consider First That he gave not the 10th part of my Answer in any respect 2ly That what of it would have prevented his reflecting upon me he wholy omitted He seems di pleased that I made such a Question upon his citing Christ's words to the Devil as this therefore must the Quakers needs deny the Scriptures to be any Means to resist Temptation telling Folks They may fear I was craz'd or a sleep when I wrote it asking If they think such a Man to be sinlest or infallible as thinking it improper to his Quotation and yet would take no notice of these words that were directed immediately to it viz. it was therefore reasonable that Christ should so answer because the Devil used Scripture to prevail upon him the very Answer in his pretended Reply was wanting VVith what Face then can our Adversary over above his other ill words charge me with designing to render him impertinent by making him endeavour to prove that the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be such a Means by the Question I ask'd as if I had wrong'd him that he never intended any such thing through the bent of the Chapter And what can be clearer then that he on purpose avoided the shock and took notice only of that part of my Answer which being torn from the rest he thought fittest for him to play upon But I see no VVrong I did him in so asking what I did for I am sure it was one End for which the Scripture was quoted by him and the Jeers he bestows upon me and it besides his wilful Neglect of the rest of my honest Return and yet complain for want of it when he had done so is a pittiful come off for a Man of his Pretence to Controversie CHAP. IX Not we but our Adversary opposeth the Teachings of the Spirit to the Doctrines of the Scriptures The Testimonies brought by him cleared and delivered from his Application Our Doctrine proved from Scripture and several Testimonies His frequent and gross Perversions of our Words and Writings discovered and justly rebuked VVE are now got to his last Chapter relating to the Scriptures in which he pretends to justifie his Charge by further evidencing a Consistency between it and William Smith's Doctrine which I utterly deny'd to have been William Smith's VVords or Meaning The Charge was That the Quakers put the Spirit of God and the Scriptures in Opposition to each other His Proof of the Charge lies in these words Traditions of Men Earthly Root Darkness and Confusion Apostacy the Whore's Cup the Mark of the Beast Bastards brought forth of Flesh and Blood c. which sayes John Faldo in his first Book would amaze a
Christian to read what is contained in the two pages quoted of vilifying Reproach to the Scriptures If this be not opposing the Spirit of God to the Scriptures the Devil himself must dispair of inventing words to express it by Thus far John Faldo And indeed I must confefs If all or any of these things were ever said or publish'd by VVilliam Smith there is great Cause for Amazement and Abhorrence too But what said I to this Truly enough but that J. F. was careful to conceal he brings in a small Limb of my Answer and then scares it with hard words Take notice of his Reply to what he ventures to trans-scribe of my Answer Rep. Penn saith VV. Smith reflected not in the least upon the Scriptures nor those Doctrines which were truly received thence No such words can be produc'd by our Adversary No Jesuit in the World did ever out-do VV. P. in Equivocations and Subterfuges His stress lies on the words TRULY received thence Rejoyn Suppose them to be my stress what Subterfuge lies there Are there not Doctrines falsly deduced through Men's Ignorance of the true Intendment of Scripture And do not such as confidently think them to be truly receiv'd from Scripture as if they really were so But the Stress lies here with J. F. His Religion cannot bear a Scruting and is as well nigh as shy of a Search as Mahometism it self Though had John Faldo and the rest of his Gang continu'd where they were the poor Quakers might have had an Inquisition with a VVitness at their Heels by this time But he has a further Comment for us Rep. The Quakers allow no Doctrine to be truly received from the Scriptures but such as is received by immediate Inspiration and not from the Authority of the VVritten VVord Rejoyn VVhere 's the Opposition now Doth not he set the Authority of the Scriptures against the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost at least exclude the holy Inspiration from any share in that Authority and so do what he can to shuffle out the Spirit from being concerned in the Authority of the Scriptures which is if not the only yet the greatest Proof of their Authorities since it is chiefly by the Testimony of the Spirit in our selves that we know them to have bin given forth by the Inspiration of the holy Ghost in others as held both the Primitive Christians our Famous Martyrs and most Considerable Protestants He speaks as if he affected Obscurity and aim'd only at jumbling and intricating instead of explaining the Matter But had we put the Spirit in Opposition to the Letter it is no more then what the Scripture hath done before us as H. Bullenger that notable Reformer observes upon Rom. 2. 29. The Spirit saith he is opposed to the Letter as when Paul saith The Circumcision of the Heart is the Circumcision that consisteth in Spirit not in the Letter And again The Lord hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life 4 Dec. 8 Serm. A notable Application to our Purpose but while we only so oppose them as to give the Preference to the Holy Spirit J. F. falls foul of us for a Pack of Enthusiasts shutting out the Spirit at least setting it aside to exalt the Letter But what doth he mean by these Terms Immediate Inspiration for a Mediate Inspiration I never heard of Sure I am that Inspiration is God's own Breathing into the Soul by which it hath Understanding given it whether it be of things written or not written and how that can be done and not immediately I know not If he will exchange his impertinent Distinction of Mediate and Immediate for Ordinary and Extraordinary we shall allow him more then we can upon the other for by Ordinary Inspiration or Revelation I understand such daily and common Vision and Discovery to the Soul as concerns it in its general Station respecting God and Men By Extraordinary such as great Fore-Sights or Divine Prospects which give to fore-tell or prophesie things to come or decide some signal Controversie or very special Case of Difficulty The first is what I speak of and do affirm that neither can the Scriptures be understood our Souls fed and comforted nor our Duties to God rightly perform'd without it The last is a Case so peculiar that all along it is plain I never intended it But if by Immediate Inspiration respecting us he understands that from thence forwards we cast off all Scripture as an antiquated or insignificant piece of Business which are yet Words too Modest for his Malice to father upon us as I shall anon make appear then doth he wrong us and our Doctrine to an high Degree And no matter what he thinks of me or what Names he may please to call me who is too far gone in his present splenetick Disease to think any better of such as I am I shall plainly set down what was my Meaning by the Words he cavils at viz. TRULY received thence I hope to their Satisfaction who will be more dis-interested in their Judgment By Doctrines TRULY owned and received from Scripture we mean such holy Truths as God by his Spirit inlightning our Understandings hath given us a true Discerning of to be such and those are they which we put in Opposition to Men's Carnal Interpretations upon and Imaginary Deductions from the Scriptures and not that we clash the Spirit 's Inspiration against the Scripture for they harmonize and bear reciprocal Testimonies to each other And this God that knows all Hearts both knows to be our true Sense in the Matter controverted and will one day abundantly prove to our Adversary's Eternal conviction This I fear J. Faldo will never swallow and why because it would choak him Perhaps I must be a Jesuit an Equivocator and what else he pleaseth but wherefore because it strikes at his Honesty indeed Dishonesty for he had rather we were what he sayes we are then receive a Contradiction by finding us otherwise then he hath so confidently represented us to be So much dearer is Humor Pride and Worldly Credit to him then our being not so mistaken as he thought for Is this Man like to make Converts that first maims my Answers and then either pelts what he doth take with Dirt or if one Sense worse then another may be had that usher'd in with a Rant and wound up with a Quibble must be given for an apt and irrefutable Reply This hath hitherto been his Practice and we now go upon both a Proof of it and yet more evidently to clear the Truth In that little piece of my Answer he cropt off from the rest for after his wonted manner he thought it not best for him to encounter it at large but a snap and away I told him that he could produce no such Words as Traditions of Men Earthly Root Darkness Confusion Corruption Deceitful Whore's Cup c.
Church and so carry the People with whom they prevail only to outward things to an outward Word to outward Worship outward Ordinances outward Church outward Government c. whereas in the true Kingdom of Christ all things are inward and spiritual and all the true Religion of Christ is written in the Soul and Spirit of Man and the Believer is the only Book in which God himself writes his new Testament pag. 19 20. The third Testimony is out of T. Collier's Works p. 249. How can they teach others who know not Truth themselves as they say but as they read it without them And so at the best speak but other Men's Light And if they mis-understand what other Men have written then they speak Falshood instead of Truth Thus much in Countenance of W. Smith's Expression from Three Men of great Note among our English Separatists But let us hear what Use J. Faldo makes of the Testimony he brought and which we have thus clear'd and confirm'd Rep. Then follows in this and pag. 23. all that rabble of villifying Expressions of both their Practices and Authority quoted by me in Quakerism No Christianity p. 119. Rejoyn If this be true W. Smith's Book shall yet be blam'd as much as J. F. will otherwise have abus'd him I will set down his words faithfully They said he hope to be sav'd after this Life is ended by Christ though they be Sinners and so are set down in a Carnal Security and rest at ease in the Formality and are Strangers to the Quickening Spirit and the Faith that they have made is not held in a pure Conscience but is conceived in the Heart that is Degenerated and Corrupted I Query of my Reader if this was meant of the Scripture upon whom J. F. makes W. S. bestow the word Corrupted Again And what was by the Saints given forth and appears in VVritings without them that their Life is in and that they contend about and all strive to set up their own Conceivings and teach for Doctrines Men's Traditions Mark that Reader He speaks not against the Scriptures nor of them but their Blindness in using them and mind not the Measure of God in themselves that is Reader God's Measure or the Grace of God which teacheth to deny those sins he told them a little before they liv'd in with Carnal Security But sayes he stretcht beyond it in the Comprehension and run into other Men's Lines and Labours That is They out-run their own Experiences and intrude themselves into those things which were beyond their own Growth which W. S. rebukes them for making it his Business to turn them to that Grace which obeyed teaches them not to vilifie Scriptures but brings them into the right Possession of them and Title to them which he make appear to be more to their Advantage then to dispute and contend about them whilst in Sinful Security Formality Estrangedness from the Quickening Spirit Humane Faith Impure Conscience and in a Degenerated and Corrupted Heart All which is in his 22th page and give Light enough to any Man that has not like J. F. put out his Eyes of Reason and Candour unto these following words which can no more relate to the Holy Scriptures then that Spirit from whom they came to wit They are all upon the Earthly Root and in Darkness and Confusion in their Practice and Worship Now Reader What does the Scripture practise and whom and how doth the Scripture worship if the word they relate to the Scriptures and not those several ranks of Professors to whom he expresly dedicated his Book Yet further That from the Crown of the Head to the Sole of the Feet the Image that is the several Sects hath no whole part in it but is full of Putrefaction and Corruption and every Branch rotten and deceitful and no good Fruit is found for the bringing forth of all is from the Heart that is deceitful and corrupted which lies faln and degenerated from God What Man Reader that ever thought to have his Proofs examin'd would have dar'd to apply in the Author's Name these terms to the Scripture that so particularly and plainly relate to Man in his fallen State But please to consider what better Authority he has for the rest viz. And are all found Wanderers in the Night of Apostacy and in the Darkness have taken the VVhore's Cup and do drink it And unto all those is the Cup of God's Indignation poured out because they are Bastards and not Sons Upon which I query with J. F. who are the VVanderers If the People then the fore-going word They of which the word Wanderers must be the Relative concern Professors and then all those Terms before-mention'd belongs not to the Scripture and consequently mis-apply'd by our Enemy But if he says VV. S. meant the Scriptures how could they be said to wander or drink the VVhore's Cup And if the Whore's Cup be the Scriptures as J. F. makes W. S. to mean either the People drank up the Scriptures in the Apostacy or the Scriptures drank up themselves Next VVho are those Bastards to whom the Cup of God's Indignation is pour'd fourth Certainly they are Disobedient Children and not as J. Faldo would have it the Scriptures and holy Doctrines deduced thence Reader Doubtless the Man is desperate and to me he seems to have laid Violent hands upon himself to the destroying of his Reputation among Men and his Soul in the Eye of God since after all this Injury to our deceased Friend he dares yet appear in so impudent a Strain as this following Passage makes him guilty of All this Penn KNEW to be true when he dared to make such Hypocritical Appeals to Delude the World Save the Quakers Credit and Abuse me as a Forger The Righteous God judge between us whether I writ otherwise then I knew or he in affirming it more then he knew My Appeals were solemn in the Grief of my Spirit to see a Man arriv'd at that pitch of Falsness as to pervert and forge about Sacred Things even while himself would pass for a Minister of them and I can scarce think any Man so prejudic'd against us as not to conclude with me that his Aim in this untrue Passage to say no more was to bear People down as to the Honesty of his Quotation by the mighty Vehemence and Confidence of his positive Charge against me to have known what in Reallity I never knew and to have appeal'd hypocritically to God concerning our Innocency who did it in the Humility and Sincerity of my Soul because the Man had no other way left him to secure himself from the deserv'd Imputation of Forgery or wilful Perversion scarce a remove from it But that by which he would clear himself from it fastens it inevitably upon him and renders him one of the daringst and most harden'd Perverters I have ever yet met with in all my Life The next Testimony he brought to prove our Opposition
of the Spirit to the Scriptures and which he pretends to justifie against my Explanation was this Of this sort are the False Prophets who have their Preaching from Study and other Men's Mouthes charging me that I treacherously left out or from the Letter and not from the Mouth of the Lord. But as I us'd no Treachery neither omitted it in Design nor thought it Prejudicial to his Cause since my Answer as himself hath trans-scrib'd it shews that I understood it to be the Letter of the Scripture that was meant from whence they stole their Preaching and not that they receiv'd it from the Mouth of the Lord so in the end it will prove more my own Disadvantage to have omitted it then any Bodies else I shall set down my Answer as he has trans-scrib'd it and his Reply the equall'st Way of Judging The natural Purport of the Words said I can be no more then this That though the Things declar'd of in the Scriptures were the Word of the Lord to the holy Ancients and Jeremiah as God's Mouth not his Mouth therefore to the People Israel yea much of it mark the Mouth of the Lord to us also yet for Men to say any part of it by rote especially if they add mark their own Comments and Glosses framed from study OF any part of the Scripture and say Thus saith the Lord or Hear the Word of the Lord and not in the same living Sense nor upon the like Commission every such one doth rob his Neighbour and steal his words This is so much of my Answer as he trans-scribes which seems thus far ingenuous that in three times a larger Answer he has not trans-scrib'd one third of this perhaps he thought it not so much for his turn But before I set down his Reply I shall find two Faults with this recital First That he has I will not say treacherously or that I knew he did design'dly mis-give my words as he is frequently pleas'd to charge me falsly set down one part of my Answer for in my Book it is If they add their own Comments and Glosses framed from study TO any part of the Scripture and he trans-scribes it Framed from study O F any part of the Scripture as if the studying O F the Scripture and adding Men's own Glosses TO the Scripture were one and the same thing All I shall say of it is this 'T is a scurvy Mistake and looks very suspitiously The second is That he has left out the most material part of my Answer The Stress of which in brief lay here Parrots imitate Men But if such Creatures are not therefore to be reputed Reasonable though the Sentence be rational in it self because it proceeds from meer Imitation and not a Principle of Reason neither is He a true Prophet nor That the Word of the Lord with respect to that Prophet who has not receiv'd what he delivers from the immediate Word of God himself but by Hear-say or meer Imitation But of all this part he takes no notice I now come to his Reply which I will faithfully set down and I hope as clearly enervate Rep. The Errors Self-Contradictions and Absurdities of W. P. I shall express briefly First what he saith they mean I say they mean also viz. The Scriptures are not the Mouth of God Rejoyn The Mouth of God is a most uncouth Expression for which he has not one Scripture from Genesis to the Revelation nor do I see how he should since it is unsound if not Blasphemons for by calling them not A Mouth but THE Mouth it renders them the most constant necessary and excellent Mouth by which God who is a Spirit utters forth his Mind to his Children thereby excluding the Word of God nigh in the Heart and his Spirit in their Inward Parts But to proceed What does he mean by Mouth or how does he take it Properly or Metaphorically If the first I deny it If the last I thus far concede That the Scriptures as other things may be in a sense so stiled when God pleaseth livingly to speak by them otherwise I chuse to express my self as in my Answer by him also omitted The Eternal Word of God is the Mouth of God and the true Prophets and Apostles in all Ages have been as the Mouth of the Word of God declaring the Mind of it either by Word of Mouth or Writing to the People and the Scriptures are the Writings of those inspir'd Prophets and Apostles What more would he have Nay there is not only no such Negative as he charges upon us in my Answer but I do expresly say The Scriptures are not in a sense without a Mouth and that for God too being a Declaration of much of his VVill and Works though I cannot allow them to be the Mouth of God in the sense my Adversary throughout his whole Book tugs hard to get for by that means we should with him shut up the Mouth of the Eternal Word which is God's Living Oracle to the Souls of his People But he proceeds Rep. VV. P. saith the things spoken of were the Word of the Lord. Then the Word of the Lord is or was more then one a Contradiction to himself Rejoyn Reader take notice that there is no such thing as he pretends to reply to in this part of my Answer he brings into his Book It seems he has left it behind him and I must go back to look for it My words were these The Scriptures then are to us oblieging as the Thing they declare of was the Word of the Lord to several Ages Temporary Commands excepted VVhich import no more then this That the Word of the Lord declared the Mind of the Lord by the holy Prophets And the Mind of the Lord is not distinct from the Word of the Lord though the Declaration be different from the thing declar'd of I cannot see any Contradiction in what I writ Sure I am I meant not by the thing they Declare of the Declaration either by VVord of Mouth or VVriting but the Wisdom Will Glory and Power of the Eternal Word as they are Eternally One with and in the Word before so declared He was a little too nimble in the Business but if I should let him make the worst Construction he is able it can rise no higher then this I should mean by the VVord of the Lord the living Command of the Lord in the Heart of his Prophets afterwards declared by VVord of Mouth or VVriting For Word sometimes signifies Command as thus This is the VVord of the Lord or this is the Command or Mind of the Lord which are equivalent Rep. 3dly That God hath a Mouth in a proper Sense Rejoyn This is untruly charg'd upon me My Adversary's Reason for this indirect Consequence was my saying that Jeremiah was as God's Mouth not his Mouth therefore which to me is a good Reason why he ought to have inferr'd the quite contrary since as his
great Geneva Doctor that made Servetus keep Company with his Books or rather had him burnt by them as if it had been to save Wood for Exceeding their Presbyterian Reformation and instead of repenting defended it in Writing when he had done at what time the said Doctor and that whole City were persecuted themselves with the Anathama's of Rome and 't is not to be doubted but they thought them unchristian It would fill a Volumn to tell the Tragical Excommunications and other notable Feats done by some of this Tribe of Men for the Maintenance of their Church Power and Dignity oft times saving the civil Magistrate the Trouble of abusing such poor Dissenters from them as we are by a licentious Usurpation and Practice of his Power upon their Backs we well know it yet has this man the Confidence to fall hard on us for censuring such as recede from what they once own'd because we can never allow them as such to be of us he cryes out Oh the Charity of the Quakers the Quakers may see the Image of the Beast among themselves c. But on better Grounds may every ingenuous Reader return this Exclamation Oh the Incharity of J. F. and his Adherents whose very Mercies are Cruelties Let him pack up his Pipes and play us no more of these Envious and Hypocritical Notes and hold himself contented that whether we be the Image or no to be sure he has made Sydach Sympson and his Church the Beast in great Letters cum multis aliis not forgetting nor excluding his own railing and excommunicating self The Conclusion of the First Part. WE have now run through his Nine Chapters Seven of which concerned the Scriptures doubtless writ to vindicate his former Discourse but with what Success I leave with Thee Courteous Reader to judge And before I sum up our Sense for a Farewell to this Part of his Pamphlet I request thee when thou next falls into Company with J. F. or any of that Tribe of Men the pretended Admirers of Scripture and one would almost think the devoutest Observers of those Precepts and precisest Imitators of those Examples expressed therein to ask in good Earnest Whether it be the whole and every part of Scripture they call the Word of God and Rule of Faith and Life or No If they say All and every part of it then the Words of Wicked Kings False Prophets Persecutors c. yea the Devil himself therein at large declared with the whole Jewish History and Ceremenial and Judiacal Law containing the Government Sacrifices Priesthood and all other Jewish Rights will necessarily make up a great part of the Word of God and their Rule of Faith and Life But if they shall answer Negatively that they are not in the whole and every part of them the Word of God and Rule of Faith and Life Then ask them Which are those Places Precents and Examples that particularly concern us under this Administration And if they answer this Enquiry and are not grown too hot and angry by this time entreat them to tell thee By what they discern and distinguish in this weighty Matter For if they either set aside what they should receive or continue what should be laid aside they Add or Dminish to what themselves acknowledge to be the Word of God If they say the Harmony of Scriptures the same Question holds How and by What doth it appear so Harmonous since there are very deep and obscure places and sometimes seeming Contradictions and that in highest Points If they say by the Spirit and Vnderstanding of meer Man the Apostle Paul directly opposes himself to every such answer 1. Cor. 2. But if thus driven they answer in the Words of J. Owen That the only Publick Authentick and Infallible Interpreter of the Holy Scripture is HE who is the AUTHOR of them from the Breathing of whose Spirit it derives all its Verity Perspicuity and Authority Exerc. 2 7 9. against the Quakers Entreat their Patience to stand one Question more and thou hast done viz. If the Verity Perspicuity and Authority of the Scriptures depend upon the Breathing of the Holy Spirit or as he expresses it a little further the Infusing a Spiritual Light into our Hearts Then Whether People ought not to have recourse unto the Holy Spirit and Light as the only Interpreter Judge and Rule what Scripture remaine of Force to our Day and how and which way such Scripture is to be understood When thou hast obtained such sober Answers as thy Questions deserve at their hands I should be very glad to have the Perusal of them In the mean time we own and with our whole Hearts confess First That the Scriptures given forth by Inspiration are a true and faithful Narrative or Declaration of the Mind of God towards the Sons and Daughters of Men and his various Dealings with them respecting Precepts Prophecies Threatnings Promises Providences Rewards Punishments Deliverances Doctrines Examples and Practices Seconly That they are Profitable for Reproof Instruction Edification and Comfort Thirdly That it is the Spirit of God which only gives Men to read understand and use them to Advantage as Thomas Collier hath well expressed it about Twenty Five Years ago viz. And truly Brethren it is my earnest Desire to see Souls to live more in the Spirit and less in the Letter and then they will see THAT WE JUDGE OF THE LETTER BY THE SPIRIT AND NOT OF THE SPIRIT BY THE LETTER which occasions so much Ignorance amongst us And they who profess themselves to be our TEACHERS ARE CHIEF IN THIS TRESPASS Four â—hly That the Holy Spirit is the New Covenant Rule and Judge it being the Promise of the Father and Ministry and Dispensation of the latter Days as there Scriptures abundantly prove Neh. 9. 19 20. Job 32. 8. Isa 59. 21. Joel 2. 28 29. Hag. 2. 25. Mat. 16. 17. Jo. 14. 17 18 19. Chap. 16. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15. Rom. 8. 1 9 14. 1 Cor. 2. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16. Gal. 5. 16 18. Eph. 1. 17. I. Jo. 2. 20 27. Yet we deny not but the Lord hath and yet may make the Holy Scripture a Mean to several in the Hand of his Spirit of Understanding and Comfort and so far they may be a particular Rule Yea I do believe they have been and yet are next to a Living and Powerful Ministry a more ordinary Mean then many if not any other whatever Howbeit we are not to center here but press on forward to the Life Power and Spirit it self of which they declare for into That God hath determined to bring and as it were wind up his People by which they come to be fulfilled whereas those that stick in the Letter of them and pass not througâ—â—â—d beyond it into the Life and Vertue they bear record of know but as the Scribes and Pharisees did and cannot as such be true and faithful Witnesses for the
any drawn up to speak of the Substance they are as men lost cold and heartless which is a plain Evidence to me that they prefer the Shadow before the Substance being meerly exercised about Childish things and are not willing to come up to the Truth to the Excellencies and Glories of what Baptism and other Ordinances signifie c. p. 560. C. Goad's Last Testimony p. 76. Ordinances are Vails Man's Ministry is a Vail if we see God in it it is but darkly C. Goad's secret and safe Chamber p. 72. The Carnal Jew looks for the fulfilling of the Letter the spiritual Jew looks for the Spirit Abraham Isaac and Jacob sought a Country not an Earthly one but an Heavenly We pitch upon Figures and Vails and enter not within the Vail These outward things are a Vail a Table made a Snare but when we are turned to the Lord the Vail shall be taken away All Man 's Teaching Wisdom c. makes the Vail the thicker Those that only feed upon the Vail upon outward Things in which God may appear their Life shall be destroyed when others are fed and feasted Joshuah Sprig pag. 142 143 144 147 148. The Design is to cupple the Lord and Ordinances together and we cannot endure to hear of the parting of them Swear by the Lord and swear by Malcham so we have but Ordinances we are well something from the fleshly Form and Appearance we do promise our selves and so like the Israelites hanker after the Flesh-Pots of Egypt though they had as good Meat in the Wilderness So though God offer himself and Christians tell you they cannot find God in such Forms but find him abundantly good in the Spirit and though he be gone out of the Temple yet they find him in their Hearts they press you to wait till God appear to you in the Spirit O say you I can never believe it that God should do it without an Ordinance This is to say that the Fleshly Form doth add something to God who being all in all is sufficient without it You are like a Man that is kept up with Cordials not to be compared with him that is in a Way of Recovery when you want the Physitian it is as much as your Life is worth and the Cordial if it be long a fetching you begin to faint you have not your Strength within you but in Cordials without you So is the Case between you that live upon Ordinances and they that live upon Christ in the Spirit Christ is never in a Journey or to fetch a great Way off T. Colliar's Works p. 46. The Christians Priviledges under the Gospel they are all spiritual and so are their Ordinances T. Colliar's Works p. 241. God was in Christ reconciling men to himself yet this Dispensation of the Father was but a fleshly Dispensation comparatively with a more spiritual this fleshly Righteousness answering a fleshly Transgression Thus likewise hath he given Ordinances answerable to this fleshly Dispensation wherein when he pleaseth he appears in and through these Ordinances yet note that God never appears in any fleshly Dispensation to keep them in the Flesh but that through these he might bring up Souls to himself in the Spirit Sprig's Testimony to the approaching Glory p. 55. Ordinances are but the Shadow as it were of the Image therefore take heed of idolizing Forms Your Interest lieth in knowing the Father not in knowing of the Form whatsoever and take heed of censuring and judging spiritual Discoveries CHAP. II Of true and false Ministry OUr Adversary endeavours to strengthen his general Charge considered in the former Chapter by proving our Denyal of each Ordinance in particular He begins in his other Book with the Ministry His Proofs as he calls them were these And their Call to the Ministry we deny which is Mediate J. Parn. Shield p. 16. Also G. Fox in his Gr. Myst p. 45. But who can witness an Immediate Call from God and speak as they are moved from the Holy Ghost and such travel from place to place having no certain Dwelling-Place This Ministry we own and witness Now without reporting one Word of my Answer he concludeth his first Paragraph concerning J. Parnels Words thus Having this Charge confessed there needs no further Debate O disingenuous Man What! Only repeat the Charge and the pretended Proof out of J. P. without inserting any Thing of my Defence or Explanation and then cry having this Charge confessed there needs no further Debate Poor Brag yet nimble and notable Way of contracting Controversie indeed what is this but saying the same thing over again But as a Man that hath forgot himself in his next Section he thus recollects Reply p. 51. To my Proof of a Call by men W. P. sayes nothing but that he may not seem to have nothing to say he tells us It is not Go ye forth into all the World and preach the Gospel that belongs unto all Men no more then because Princes send Ambassadors to Princes with their Credentials that therefore every Man ought to do the like in Imitation without considering necessary Qualifications thus far W. P. Did you ever meet with so ignorant and impertinent an Answer Did ever any of us take those Words for our only Call Or pretend we had a Call thereby to preach to all Nations Rejoynder VVhy so much Contempt I have hitherto thought that Christ's Commission to his Apostles had been pretended by you to be a Successive Commission if neither the Spirit of God within nor the Scriptures without give not that Call what doth It had much more concerned J. F to declare what he meant by his mediate Call and not to ask if ever any met with so ignorant and impertinent an Answer But let this suffice that he denies that any of them pretended a Call or Authority from Christ's Commission to his Disciples to preach c. Next That be can only mean by a mediate Call that of the People since he had excluded a Call by the Spirit within and the Scriptures without But because the Call of a People is neither that which qualifieth nor authorizeth any Man in himself without the Commission of God's Spirit in a Man's self it is the Commission immediately received from God's Spirit and proper Qualifications that make the Minister and not the Desire of the People that is an Invention hatcht in Babylon whereby as well blind Pharisees as true Disciples base Hirelings as Godly Shepherds may be made Ministers There is this further lazy End in it that being once called by any People they think themselves only obliged to reside there where they may take their Ease unless a fatter Benefice present it self at which they have been alwayes wont to catch with Greediness still with this Design that they might live with more worldly Peace and Fatness This was one of those Doors by which the Apostacy crept in for the whole VVorld God's Field or Vineyard and such as he calls
ignorant in the Latine Tongue for the Superlative or firmissimum exceeds the positive or firmum by valde very as well as by maxime most However had we nothing of this to urge yet his own use of the Comparison as his Concession to what I said in my Answer and Erasmus and Beza confirmed there at large gives us all we desire for he acknowledges That the Writings of the Prophets are not MORE true in themselves then any other Revelation of the Mind of God but more certain with respect to the Jews who had a greater Esteem for and Testimony of the Writings of the Prophets to be of God and not a Delusion then of Peter's Revelation So that we see from J. F. himself the Scripture is not set above the Spirit as the more sure Word the thing promoted of old by our Enemies and which we only oppose for I doubt not but the Scriptures were more sure to the Jews then Christ himself else they would never have thought to find Eternal Life in them whilst they neglected yea persecuted him which whether it was their Perfection or Imperfection so to do I leave with the Judgment of my serious Reader yet doth the poor Man vainly call this his defending these three Passages from my Corruption and the Quakers Service May my Adversaries alwayes defend themselves at this rate and I shall never fear any loss to the Cause For what with his misrendering of our Writings unfair Quotations plain Wrestings pittiful Evasions and at best weak Replies never diâ— Cause receive more Advantage at the hand of an Enemy then ours hath from J. Faldo I will give one Proof more before we leave this Chapter Reply pag. 84. My Exposition of Coloss 1. 25. Christ in you c. though the most opposite to the Quakers Christ within W. P. hath not one Word of Answer to Rejoynder I know not whether he means the Text or his Exposition to be most opposite to our Christ within The Text is Coloss 1. 27. not 25. and lyes thus To whom God would make known what is the Riches of the Glory of the Mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ IN you the Hope of Glory In which I find not one word that opposeth Christ's Dwelling in his People One would think our Adversary spoak Ironically or by Contraries if he meant it of the Text for it seems an impossible thing to me that a Text so plainly expressing Christ to be in Men should notwithstanding prove Christ not to be in Men. If he understood it of his Exposition how can that truly exposite the Text who exposites it quite to another sense then it will bear at least he should call this a begging of the Question Let us hear what he offers First Book Part 2. p. 100 101. For Christ to be in the Gentiles rightly understood would be no hard Matter for the Gentiles to believe as to believe such a Glory to be attained by Faith in and Obedience to the Laws of a Man who dyed as a Malefactor and that â—his Death of his should reconcile God to Man with the Addition of such a Purchase This sort of Doctrine well becomes J. Faldo I perceive I have not mistaken him What Carnalist in the World could have let drop a more pernicious Sentence to the Doctrine and Kingdom of Christ then to render it more difficult to believe and lay a greater Stress upon the External then the Internal Work of Christ VVe must read the most weighty Scriptures backwards upon this Man's Principles He hath helped us to a new VVay of rendring the Text not this Mystery among the Gentiles is Christ IN you the Hope of Glory but this Mystery among the Gentiles is a Man who dyed as a Malefactor by his Death reconciled to God c. Behold your Expositor I dare warrant this Man's Comment will never trouble the next Collection of Criticks At this rate the Lord-Lord-Cryer is highly priviledged and the Galatians had passed the most difficult Birth before they had known Christ to be formed in them Regeneration is a sleight thing in comparison of the Knowledge of Christ after the Flesh This Doctrine brings not Men to Christ in them the Hope of Glory but inticeth them into the Vain Hope of the Hypocrite which perisheth The History is made the greatest Mystery and to believe the one matter of greater Difficulty then to experience the other Besides why should his Dying as a Malefactor render him unfit to be believed since his Vertue was most Exemplary his Miracles stupendious his Doctrine Spiritual and Powerful his whole Deportment amongst the Jews Innocent and Heavenly Did not Tiberius himself move to the Roman Senate his being taken into the Number of their Godds upon the Report of his mighty Works 'T is strange that should be reputed most Mysterious which was the Introduction to the Mystery and those Transactions counted most difficult that were by the Divine Wisdom of God ordained as so many facile Representations of what was to be accomplished in Man In short It is to lessen if not totally to exclude the True Mystery of Godliness which is Christ manifested in his Children their Hope of Glory But he proceeds thus The Man Christ that was nailed on the Cross the Quakers do not believe to be in them for the Godhead if Christ that is every-where and every-where alike he is in every thing at all times and nothing can be void of his Presence So that if this be it you mean the Saints have no more Priviledge then any other Creature whatsoever The second New and Living Man who is the Lord from Heaven the Quickening Spirit the Anointed Saviour whose Body was nailed to the Cross we confess before Men to be the Christ and do by Vertue and Authority of Scripture assert him to dwell in his Children and we see nothing offered by J. Faldo that can induce the weakest of us to desert this Faith having with the Testimony of Scripture that of Christ in our selves But let it be considered with what Confidence this Man excludeth Christ the Souls of his People as well with respect to his Godhead as Manhood but if in any Sense he may be said to be in them as God it is no more then he is in Cats and Dogs Oh Irreverent oh prophane Man Are Beasts and Birds as properly the Temples of the Living God as sanctified Men How can God be said to dwell and walk in his People if so remote from them as J. Faldo represents him to be The Apostle is much to be blamed according to our Adversary's Doctrine for letting fall this Passage I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2. 20. The Upshot of this sort of Doctrine is down-right Atheism for as they that know not God from the manifestation of God within are ignorant of him if Rom. 1. 19. sayes true So those who teach that God is no more in his Saints then in any other Creature endeavour
God himself and so God saves God and God worships God This my Reader may find in his Vind. from p. 75. to 87. particularly this following of E. B. about the Soul 10. From E. Burroughs affirming the Light of Christ in every Man to be one with the Spirit as good as the Spirit of Christ in order to prove it the same J. Faldo infers he made the Soul of Man God because that which is as good as the Spirit of God is God Book 1. Part 2. p. 122. Vind. p. 85 86. As if E. B. had spoken it of the Soul of Man and not the Light of Christ shining in the Soul of Man as his Words express it 11. Lastly from our Denyal of his carnal Resurrection as inconsistent with Scripture and Reason he takes Heart to tell all People that W. P. and all the through Quakers deny the Resurrection of the Dead and are guilty of not believing a future Reward in an other World with a Train of Ill Language too long to bring in Vind. p. 88 89 91. This Friendly Reader hath been the Entertainment we have received at J. Faldo's Hands but all things shall work together for good III. of his evading my Answer and Arguments It is very frequent with him next to leaving out what I say or fastening false Consequences upon what he transcribes to evade the Strength of mine Answer either by pretending to have said enough in his first Book as if that had foreseen my Answer and anticipated his Reply with a Refutation or by some one Word which will serve him to play at or by being in haste or else my Answer deserves no Reply at all c. An Evidence of this Sort of Carriage my Reader may find in his Reply p. 5 17 18 38 51 57 58 59 69 71 76 91 93 One at large for all To my several Arguments in defence of Immediate Revelation Inspiration as he terms it he returns three or four Lines This W. P. is so far from denying that he pleads for it but after such a Rude Impertinent manner that I should but injure you and shew my self idle to animadvert upon it p. 17. The cheapest Way that ever Man took to confute his Adversary Doth this become any Man of his Pretence to either Schollarship or Christianity IV. Of his Forgery or Perversion I am sorry I have such reiterated Occasion to charge him with Forging that is foisting in Words into our Writings and Sayings that are wholly inconsistent with them or perverting those he delivers to the End he may make them ponounce his Mind the more plainly A few of many Places I have observed as in page 22 25 41 42 50 51 92 93. Of which I shall give four Instances more particularly 1. â— Pennington speaking of Knowledge according to the Flesh By Flesh sayes he The Quakers understand the Vse of our Vnderstandings though sanctified first Book p. 41. Vind. p 24 25. 2. His second is making W. Smith to call the Scriptures Traditions of Men Earthly Root Darkness Confusion Corruption Rotten Deceitful the Whore's Cup the Mark of the Beast all out of the Life and Power of God and not that the meant them of those who had degenerated from the Power of Godliness and had set up their own Imagination in the stead of God's Institutions teaching for Doctrines the Traditions of Men first Book p. 117. 119. Vind. 41 45. 3. The Third is his making I. Pennington to call visible Worship the City of Abomination Vind. p. 50. 4. Lastly That he gives in our Name this Interpretation of the Vail is over them i. e. the Belief of the Man Christ Jesus which was of our Nature to be the Christ c. Vind. p. 93. V. Of his grand Improbabilities and downright Untruths This Charge I know must needs be very unpleasant to a Man as Vain Glorious as many Places of his Book declare him to be but I cannot help it 'T is Truth if there be anâ— Truth in the World that he hath writ a great many unlikely and absolute untrue Things Let my Reader take the Pains to look over these following Pages of his Reply and I am well assured if impartial he will not think that I have in a Tittle wrong'd him p. 6 7 19 21 33 35 38 39 42 46 47 48 49 55 56 65 70 72 73 89 93. Of which I will only instance four 1. First he affirms that he quoted forty Places out of our Friends Books that would prove the Light within as within us to be the only Lord and Saviour and very God p. 6. whereas he brought not any one that either proved the Terms or the Matter 2. Secondly He confidently accused us of charging the Miscarriage of Mens Souls on the Knowledge the Letter of the Scriptures by God's Blessing doth convey p. 21. 3. Thirdly Whereas I said that W. Smith's Words reflected not in the least upon the Scriptures nor those Doctrines truly received thence neither that any such VVords can be produced by our Adversaries he boldly tells his Reader I intended no other but that Smith doth not accuse himself in so many Words of Blaspheming the Spirit of God in the Scriptures and the Doctrines from thence received as much as to say We both knew it to be Blasphemy but W. Smith did not call it so p. 41. There is no ingenuous Man that will not abhoâ—â— the Falseness of this Passage 4. Lastly I opposing his Affirmation that we did not profess or believe Eternal Rewards thus pretends to confute me W. P. opposes me rather because he would not be thought to subscribe to me then that he believes not what I say to be true p 69. But if this be true sure I am there is no Truth in the World And indeed there is no giving this Sort of Carriage at large but by transcribing far the greatest Part of his Book VI. Of his idle Jeers and frothy Expressions I have not met with any Man writing upon so serious a Subject as Religion is that gives himself the Liberty of so many vain Expressions as if he had intended his Discourse for vulgar Merriment not to Christian Information If my Reader please to trouble himself with the Perusal of these following pages he shall find enough to nauseate p. 6 22 23 26 27 29 30 34 37 40 47 50 51 53 58 60 69 71 72 95. Take two Instances He cackles like a Hen when he had laid a WORSE THING then an Egg p. 47. Again because we said God spoak once by Balaam's Ass thereby proving that he did not alwayes speak by the Scriptures he thus reflects I wonder not that they leave the Teachings of God by the Scriptures to attend on the Ministry of Asses thereby calling us Asses p. 27. Which how Witty soever he thinks such sort of Sayings to be sure they are more Frothy and Irreligious then becomes a Man professing Religion much less writing of the Weightiest Points of it
THE INVALIDITY OF John Faldo's Vindication Of his Book called Quakerism No Christianity BEING A REJOYNDER In Defence of the Answer intituled Quakerism a New Nick-Name for Old Christianity Wherein many Weighty Gospel-Truths are handled and the Disingenuous Carriage of our Adversary is observed for the better Information of all Moderate Inquirers In II Parts By W. P. Who loves not Controversie for Controversie sake Every day they wrest my Words all their Thoughts are against me for Evil Psa 56. 5. But he that doth a Wrong shall receive for the Wrong which he has done Col. 3. 23. Printed in the Year 1673. To all that Seriously Profess RELIGION Among those called Episcopalians Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists Socinians and Latitudinarians THe Duty I ow to Almighty God and the Respect I bear to his Truth with that great Concern which lives in my Mind for your better Information about us a poor People traduced by some despised by others and our Principles mis-given here perverted there are the only Inducements I have to pursue this tedious and unpleasant Controversie And that you might be undeceived of those false Apprehensions vulgar Stories or the Insinuations of more prevalent Agents have imprest you with I could God knows be contented that even Sufferings were added to my Labours What would I not cheerfully undergo to win you into a serious View and impartial Consideration of our Case Truly I have that Belief of many of you that were the Prejudice of Education and common Vogue of the World set aside you would do us some Justice And I beseech you weigh how much it becomes you you the serious Professors of Religion to give us a fair Hearing for our Principles and Reputations before you finally determine any thing against us To Try all things was an Apostolical Exhortation Nor can you escape the Censure of Dis-regarding it if you decline a fair Inquiery after us Let not Education be dearer to you then Truth and see if more be not to be known by you then yet you know Objected Novelty ought to have no Force with a Christian since had that prevailed he had never been one Nor should the Offence Formality or Worldly Learning takes at us stave you off from a serious Search much less the Crucifie Crucifie of the Vulgar because the God of Truth when manifested in the Flesh was not exempted from more of that then ever yet attended us Indeed it should rather be an Argument for us Believe us we intreat you when we tell you that Religion Pure and Vndefiled Religion we greatly love 'T is that we desire as well to Live as Defend God knows we have long made it the Bent of our Hearts and the whole Aim of our Lives without it we were the Miserablest of Men Yet how are we Defamed Undervalued Contemned and set at Nought for a Company of Seducers Blasphemers Idolaters and what not But why because we are not understood and as cunningly by some hindred from being so But therefore is this Discourse more particularly Dedicated to you that you may be both acquainted with the Foulest Charges one of our greatest Enemies hath exhibited against us his kind of Witnesses produced to confirm them and his Management of the whole Debate with our Plain and Honest Vindication If we shall be found guilty then let us be Condemned for such as he hath represented us to be but if innocent suffer us not any longer to Groan under the Heavy Pressure of such Infamous Accusations for in omitting to Right us for these Grievous Wrongs you will make your selves Accessories to an Injustice that must needs be detested of all Vertuous and Good Men. I leave this Rejoynder with you containing the True Meanings of our Wrested Principles those confirmed by express Scriptures many Râ—â—sons and a Cloud of Testimonies And shall conclude with a Passage out of Jerome well-becoming all Honest Writers and fit to be observed of every impartial Reader Quaeso Lector ut memor Tribunalis Domini de judicio tuo te intelligens judicandum nec mihi nec Adversario meo faveas neve Personas Loquentium sed causam consideres I beseech thee Reader that remembring the Judgment-Seat of the Lord and understanding that as thou dost judge so thou shalt be judged thou favourest neither me nor mine Adversary that writes against me that thou regardest not the Persons but the Cause only I am a real Valuer of whatsoever is Worthy in any of you and an Hearty Wisher of your Improvement in the Knowledge of those things that lead to Eternal Peace which are only to be found in the Light and Life of Righteousness William Penn. THE CONTENTS Part I. CHAP. I. OF Christianity in General pag. 12. CHAP. II. Of Quakerism as this Independent Priest scoffingly calls our Holy Religion pag. 25. CHAP. III. Of the Scriptures pag. 31. CHAP. IV. His Preâ—ence of our Equalling our own Writings and Sayings with the Scriptures pag. 41. CHAP. V. Of the Scriptures being the Rule of Faith and Life and Judge of Controversie p. 68. CHAP. VI. Of our Dehorting People from Reading the Scriptures c. as charged by this Adversary pag. 94. CHAP. VII Of Scripture-Commands what are binding and what not Our Adversary's Disingenuity observed pag. 103. CHAP. VIII That we do not Deny the Scriptures to be any Means whereby to resist Temptation in Opposition to and Denyal of our Adversary's Charge pag. 121. CHAP. IX Not we but our Adversary opposeth the Teachings of the Spirit to the Doctrines of the Scriptures The Testimonies brought by him cleared and delivered from his Application Our Doctrine proved from Scripture and several Testimonies His frequent and gross Perversions of our Words and Writings discovered and justly rebuked pag. 141. PART II. CHAP. I. Of Gospel-Ordinances in general such truly imbraced pag. 187. CHAP. II. Of true and false Ministry p. 203. CHAP. III. That we own a Gospel-Church contrary to our Adversary's Charge pag. 217. CHAP. IV. His Charge of our Denying to hear the Word of God examined True Preaching acknowledged pag. 237. CHAP. V. Of True and False Prayer p. 240. CHAP. VI. Of Positive Ordinances as our Adversary calls them to wit Baptism and the Supper Of Baptism in particular pag. 249. CHAP. VII Of the Bread and Wine which Christ gave to his Disciples after Supper commonly called the Lord's Supper pag. 264. CHAP. VIII Of the Doctrine of Justification pag. 273. CHAP. IX Of the True Christ We own and our Adversary proved to deny him pag. 296. CHAP. X. Three Scriptures rescued from the false Glosses of our Adversary Joh. 1. 9. Rom. 10. 8. 2 Pet. 1. 19. pag. 317. CHAP. XI That we are not guilty of Idolatry as charged by our Adversary True Worshippers The Charge inverted pag. 343. CHAP. XII Of the Resurrection of Dead Bodies and Eternal Recompence Our Doctrine maintain'd by Scripture Reason and Authorities pag. 362. CHAP. XIII My Adversary declines medling with my Appendix
Coming in the Flesh and that which Christ Jesus and his Apostles taught was not in kind but in degreâ— only the Ceremonial part excepted which the same Clemens calls childish and Trifling and the Apostle Paul Beggarly Elements serving only the non-Age of the World in Religion and therefore to be laid aside upon a more improved Knowledge and full Enjoyment of it And this Christ's own Sermon upon the Mount clearly evinceth who runs the Sin of Adultery as far beyond the Act as the first lustful Desire conceived in the mind And from true Swearing to yea yea and nay nay and from loving our Friends to loving our Enemiese and from self-saving to suffering I say unless we should with the Uncertain and Irreverent J. Faldo exclude the Life Doctrine and Miracles of Christ from any share in Christianity because sayes he it s dated with more reason from Christ's Resurrection and consequently Christ Jesus before but an extraordinary kind of Jew we must needs conclude that as the tendency of Christ's Life and Miracles was to preach live and confirm his divine Doctrine so the very bent of that Doctrine was the Improvement and Perfection of that Righteousness which in former Ages was but begun and more imperfectly manifested so that to be under Grace is not to live in the Breach of God's Law Uncondemned through Christ's personal Obedience wrought wholely without us but to be led to deny all that Vngodliness and those Worldly Lusts for which the Law takes hold upon the World according to the Apostle to the Romans There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit implying that who walked after the Flesh were so long not under Grace but under Condemnation Again For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death that is not only from Death the Wages but from Sin the Work that leads to it yet further For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in vs who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit So that to be under Grace is to be under the Government Leadings of it and to enjoy that divine Power which fulfills the Law and redeems from those Corruptions which prove men rather to be alive without Law then under Grace that fulfils it Upon the whole since some in all Ages have been taught to deny Ungodliness and to live godly and that they could not so have done without the Grace that brings Salvation And since the Seed of the Serpent has been bruised in them and that it could not be without Christ the promised Seed and since such were then turned from Darkness unto Light and from Satan's Power unto God and that all this is purely Gospel and Christian something of Christianity was in the World before that visible Appearance of Christ from whose Name the true Religion was so called For though there have been Diversities of Gifts yet the same Spirit though Difference of Administration yet the same Lord. And though God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past to the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his Son yet he was the same God who spoak by the Prophets that spoak by the Son though it is always confest not in so plain express and excellent a manner the Difference therefore lay in the Manifestation rather then in the Thing manifested For through all Generations there has been but one Seed Truth Grace Word Life Power or Spirit by which any of the Sons and Daughters of Men were ever saved and consequently J. Faldo has greatly wrong'd the true Christian-Religion as well as contradicted the Ancient Writers and abused us in dating Christianity from the time of Christ's Bodily Resurrection and so bitterly reflecting upon them that conform not to his narrow and false Apprehensions CHAP. II. Of Quakerism as this Independent Priest scoffingly calls our holy Religion IN my Defence of the Truth we profess shewing not only the Consistency of it with Christianity but proving it to be Christianity there are Four Passages he takes an abrupt notice of His words concerning the first run thus Rep. To purge away the Character I give of a Quaker he tells you p. 9. We never said that the Light within every Man was the only Lord and Saviour and very God let him shew us any such Passage of any one acknowledged Quaker and he will say something Now Reader observe his Reply The Man cannot see Wood for Trees I quoted him Forty Places in my Book that will prove it For instance All Power in Heaven and Earth is in it Smith's Primmer p. 14. Again I will make you know that I the Light which lighteth every man that eomes into the World am the true eternal God G. Fox junior c. These I quoted in my Book yet could Penn say I thought to be believed hand over head Rejoyn That this Adversary is base with a Witness remember Reader that there is not One Testimony much less Forty in that place I quoted and unto which my Answer was made Next observe how he suggests my smothering of those Testimonies he brings whereas I have particularly answered the latter which includes the force or tendency of the former and five more of his falsly pretended forty But to the Point That I cannot see Wood for Trees is a very mean and wooden Reply what I have said in my former Book stands unanswered and indeed is Vnanswerable I shall contract it thus No man that believes Scripture will dare to deny that God is Light That every Man is enlightened by Him and that by Him who is called Light all things are upheld And that He alone is Saviour A Doctrine J. Faldo teaches pag. 84 85 89. That we never did assert that the God that made Heaven and Earth was comprehendible within the Soul of Man yet that he gave Light to the Soul of Man To which with much more he returns us not one word of Answer but would make People believe it has been the course I have taken with him To conclude He must either deny Christ to have all Power in Heaven and Earth to be the True Eternal God or that He who has that Power and is that God is not that True Light that enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World or his Labour is but very Vanity whose Wages will be Vexation of Spirit But thus far we are well assured that J. Faldo for all his Shews of Reverence to the Scripture overturns the most evident Testimonies therein contained by withstanding and defaming this one Assertion that God who is Light shines not in the Heart of any Man on
on this Passage in Job But there is a Spirit in Man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth him Understanding There is no man saith he that doth not partake of the Spirit and from Almighty God and his Spirit Vnderstanding and Wisdom is to be sought Adds Clarius there is no Vnderstanding in men nisi ab altissimo afflentur unless they be inspired from the Most High Drusius is yet clearer Our Eternal Help is from God who illuminates our Minds without whom we are unable to understand any thing in Divine Matters and that inspires men with that Vnderstanding which neither Age nor Industry nor Doctrine of any man can possibly give Cradock a famous Independent-Preacher tells us That if men had all the Sermons that ever they heard recorded in their Memory though some may think them very knowing yet truly they might be miserable confused and blind For that it is the Spirit of God alone in the Heart clears orders assures and settles things yea that the Scripture is a dead and speechless thing without the Spirit of God This sayes he is the exceeding Greatness of the Power of the Spirit of God And it is a wonderful thing to see how quickly the Spirit of God will make a Schollar ripe In short as to him he greatly extolls the Dispensation of the Spirit and pag. 210. ventures at a kind of Prophecy That in these latter times God will exalt his Spirit and throw down every thing that exalts it self against the Spirit and stands in his Light He affirms the Spirit to be within that the Children of God are taught by it for sayes he If thou be a Saint thou hast the Spirit of God as truly dwelling in thee as in the Lord Jesus Christ now Blasphemy and that the Way to know this Spirit to be in us is from its own Evidence and that it is the Way to know it in others too from whence he draws such kind of Conclusions That the Lord Jesus is anointed and so are they we have the same Vnction with Christ we have the same Offices with Christ we have the same Love of God the same Spirit and the same Kingdom with Christ The Church is the Fulness of Jesus Christ It is said of the Oyl that was poured on Aaron It ran upon the Skirts of his Garments so Christ being anointed that Oyl runs on us Nay the least Saint is as real a Prophet Priest and King as the Lord Jesus was for he dwells in him only in all things he must have the Preheminence William Dell no small man in the Account of many who profess not themselves to be Quakers positively saith in Answer to this Objection That men now are not to receive the Spirit in that immediate way to understand the Scriptures in which it was given to them who wrote the Scriptures â—he very Point depending between J. Faldo and me Surely Mr. Simpson will not deny that the Spirit is given to that whole Church which is the Body of Christ seeing Paul saith If any man have not Christ's Spirit he is none of his he is no Member of his Now the Spirit is alwayes given to whomsoever it is given by the Father and the Son as Christ taught his Disciples promising them that the Father would send the Spirit to them in his Name And also that he himself would send it to them from the Father and was this Promise only made to them and not to all the Faithful also Doth not Paul say Rom. 12. 13. of the whole Church that by one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body and are all made to drink into one Spirit because ye are Sons God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father Gal. cap. 4. And do they not receive it alike immediatetly from God Who can give the Spirit of God to Man but God himself When God promised to pour out his Spirit in the last dayes upon all Flesh did he name any Difference in the pouring of it out saying some shall receive it immediately and some mediately No But all who receive it receive it alike immediately from him And by this Spirit saith W. Dell did Holy Men speak the Scripture and by this onely do Holy Men of God understand the Scripture To this Objection that Men now are to get Knowledge to wit of the Scripture by Studies and humane Learning and not by Inspiration still the very matter betwixt us he boldly briefly and smartly answers This Doctrine carryes the visible Mark of Antichrist upon it For it is only the Inspiration of God that enables a man to know the things of God and not a man's Study or humane Learning It is not in this case in him that wills and runs but in God that sheweth Mercy Wherefore Christ hath said No man knoweth the Son but the Father and he to whomsoever the Father will reveal him Wherefore Paul prayes for the Ephesians that God would give them the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of Christ without which Spirit of Revelation Christ and the Father can never be known Wherefore to deny the Inspiration of God's Spirit now is the most gross and palpable Doctrine of Antichrist and his Prophets To confirm what he writes He brings several Testimonies out of Chrisostom Wickliff Tindall 〈◊〉 Luther Latimer and Calvin I will transscribe but two of them Of the Knowledge of the Gospel Zwinglius speaks thus We must needs be taught of God not of Men for this is the Saying of the eternal Truth which knows not how to Lye John 6. Luther gives us his Mind thus The Scriptures are not to be understood but by that very Spirit by which they were writ No man sees one jot or tittle in the Scriptures but he that hath the Spirit of God For all men have a darkened Heart in such sort that if they could speak and know how to bring forth all things of the Scripture yet have they not any true Sense or right Knowledge of them For saith Luther The Spirit is required to the Vnderstanding of the whole Scripture and of every part thereof To this I am willing to add the Testimony of a Famous English Godly and Learned Martyr John Philpot in a Conference with Bishop Bonner in his eleaventh Examination before him and several other Bishops B. Bonner asking what meanest thou by writing in the beginning of thy Bible Spiritus est vicarius Christi in terris The Spirit is Christ's Vicar on Earth Philpot gave him Answer after this manner That Christ since his Ascension worketh all things in us by his Spirit and by his Spirit doth dwell in us Again in Answer to one Morgan who mockingly queried Have you alone the Spirit of God and not we he thus answered I say not that I alone had the Spirit of God But as many as abide in the true Faith of Christ have the Spirit of God as well as I.
Again by way of Defence of his severe Rebuke of this insolent and scoffing Adversary like mine when he told him that he Raged he thus replyed Thy foolish Blasphemies have compelled the Spirit of God that is in me to speak that which I have said to thee thou Enemy of all Righteousness I tell thee plainly thou art not able to answer that Spirit of Truth which speaketh in me for the Defence of Christ's true Religion Of this Judgment were the most eminent Martyrs I shall conclude with John Bradford's plain Assertion to the Arch-Bishop of York We do believe and know the Scriptures as Christ's Sheep not because the Church saith they are the Scriptures but because they be so being thereof assured by the same Spirit which wrote and spake them How all these Testimonies can be True and yet Inspiration Untrue I shall leave with the sober Reader to judge And if my Arguments are still Irrational and my Testimonies Insufficient or Erroneous in his Account it will become his Pretences to Divinity not with Squibs and Railing but Reason Scripture and better Authorities to discover it The second way he took to prove our Equalling our Writings to and preferring them before the Scriptures is our Pretence to Infallibility Hear what he sayes Rep. Infallibility W. P. does not deny to be their Pretence but would make it very necessary and casts the contrary Opinion again and again and again too as Dirt in my Face This is your Fallible Errable Uncertain J. Faldo Rejoyn It is ill done of my Adversary to call my Answer Dirt which is so serious and to which he has replyed little else but Dirt I perceive all along notwithstanding the vast Difference he represents us to be at as to a Worldly Condition this Priest is ten times more enraged at the Just Consequences I draw from his own fallible Doctrines then he thinks a Quaker ought to be displeased with him for his numerous and scurrilous Provocations But if it be Dirt it sticks fast still for I find none of it wiped off And how dirty it is the Reader may judge by perusing it He that doth not Infallibly know what he pretends to know of God or Religion knows nothing certainly which concerns either Now if men cannot attain to any such Certainty farewell all Religion For that a man should affirm and not know whereof That he should profess God and Religion yet be uncertain of both But that J. Faldo should preach up and profess himself Errable in all such Doctrine Who ought to believe him Why spends he his Breath at a venture What Reason have any to believe him against us who is Uncertain of what he says against us by his own Principle This is your Independent Errable Fallible Vncertain J. Faldo Reader this is by much the greatest part of that Dirt he sayes I cast in his Face But I must tell him that greater Ignominy no Man can well bring upon the Gospel then that those who are converted by it are both Vncertain of the Truth of it and their own Conversion he either seems to have forgot or never to have understood the Meaning of those words delivered by the Apostle Paul That their Hearts might be comforted and being knit together in Love and unto all Riches of the full Assurance of Vnderstandding to the Acknowledgment of the Mystery of God Again And we desire that every one of you do shew the same Dilligence to the full Assurance of Hope unto the End Let us draw near with a true Heart in full Assurance of Faith And the Apostle John tells us He that believeth on the Son of God hath the Witness in himself That they knew that they were of God and the whole World lay in Wickedness And that the Son of God was come and had given them an Vnderstanding that they knew him that was True and were in him that is True even in his Son Jesus Christ And this is the Record that God has given to us Eternal Life and this Life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath Life 1 John 5. 10 11 12 19 20. If these prove not Certainty in Faith Hope and eternal Life there is no Truth proved in Scripture for that People should have full Assurance Christ in them their Hope and Life and Witness of these things in themselves knowing him that 's true and being in him that 's true and yet be Uncertain of their Faith Hope and Life and doubtfuâ—l of their Inward VVitness and the Evidence and Knowledge that is given by him cannot be less contradictory then to affirm men Ignorant of what they know or guilty of what they are Innocent To be infallibly assured of what we believe is no Error in the Opinion of John Philpot and Bishop Latimer whatever use is made of it now to discriminate a Quaker The first to the Bishop of Chiehester who reflected upon him as conceiting himself better learned them the Bishop and the rest of his Brethren a Flout my lordly Adversary has more then once bestowed on me answered I take upon me the Name of no Learning I boast of no Knowledge but of Faith and of Christ and that I am bound undoubtedly or infallibly to know as I am sure I do The Bishop replyes These Hereticks take upon them to be sure of all things they stand in you should say rather with Humility I trust I know Christ then that I be sure thereof which is so like J. Faldo that he seems to be the Bishop revived proudly catechising reproving the poor Quakers But hear John Philpot's bold and smart Answer Let him doubt of his Faith that listeth saith he God give me alwayes to believe that I am sure of true Faith and Favour in Christ Bishop Latimen in his second Letter directed to Sr. Edward Bainton a Favourer of him that little time he lived in Queen Maries Reign who through his desire to preserve him was willing to allay the honest Man's Zeal for the Truth from the great Uncertainty that is in the World about Truth sayes he First ye mislike that I say I am sure that I preach the Truth saying in Reproof the same that God knoweth certain Truth Indeed God alone knoweth all certain Truth and God alone knoweth it as of himself and none knoweth certain Truth but God and those that be taught of God as saith St. Paul For God hath shewed it unto them And Christ himself They shall be all taught of God And your Friends deny not but that certain Truth is communicated to us according to Capacity But as to my Presumption and Arrogancy either I am Certain or Vncertain that it is Truth that I preach If it be Truth why may not I say so If I be Vncertain why dare I be so bold to preach it And if your Friends be Preachers themselves after their Sermon I pray you ask them whether they be certain and sure they
preach you the Truth or no and send me word what they say that I may learn to speak after them If they say they be Sure ye know what followeth If they say they be Vnsure when shall ye be sure that have so doubtful and unsure Teachers Thus much of Infallibility when he has answer'd this we may give him some more mean time we shall proceed Rep. But further sayes W. P. Cannot one Man be another Man's Brother and not the Eldest Brother This hath done your Work or all Hope is lost It seems the Scriptures and your Writings may without Offience call one another Brother yet not be thought to aspire to Equallity But why Because for sooth you do not say they are the Scriptures Elder Brother I thought till now that Brethren had been a term of Equallity And though in Humane Births there is a Natural Right to the First-born above the Rest yet not in the Productions of Scripture for the new Excelleth the old Testament in Glory Rejoyn In Similes there is some Allowance with honest Men but none to be hoped for from J. Faldo But if it be so hard for him to bear I cannot help it Several Writings may be given forth from the same Spirit without coming upon the Vy If we must needs equaâ— some of our Writings to the Scriptures because given forth by the same Spirit then must every the least True Christian be equal to the greatest Apostle because indued with the same Spirit The Pouring forth of the Spirit which was the Promise of the Father we have proved the very Substance of the Gospel and Inspiration as necessary as divine Knowledge because the only Way to it Whatever therefore hath been writ from Adam's day to this or shall yet be to the End of the World from the Motion of God's Spirit in the Hearts of any of his Children stands as nearly related to the Scriptures as his several Manifestations of his Spirit in his Servants Writing The Ancient Christians were Brethren having one Father Were they therefore equally dignified in Degree of Fellowship And that was the Meaning of my former Simile disingenuously taken by my Adversary For as there is a Degree in natural so in spiritual Births The Dignity of the first lies in Priority of Time the Dignity of the last in a more full Discovery of Immortality and eternal Life Thus the Scriptures of the New exceed those of the Old Testament Where there is the first and most ample Declaration there must be the Preheminence Now alas what can we boast of that was not formerly testified unto we exalt no singular Spirit neither walk we in an untroden Path 't is the Everlasting Gospel we bear witness unto and to the Revival and Breakin gs forth of that ancient Life Truth Spirit and Power which according unto divers Dispensations hath made People true Children of God What do you esteem your own Meanings and Interpretations Do you not intitle them to a very near relation the Text interpreted We never intended to bring our Writings upon the Vye and dispute with it the Scriptures for the Preheminence But our Writings further declaring of the same Truth from the same Spirit are related to them If to testifie and exhort to the same Truth the Scriptures declare of and that in the same Spirit of Christ by which they were given forth be offensively to equal or prefer such Testimonies we are indeed guilty of great Presumption But if it be Scripturally True That as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God and that such as so led may by that Spirit further be drawn forth to fresh Testimonies to any ancient Truth or Truths declared of in the holy Scriptures whether by way of Prophecy Information Exhortation Reproof or Comfort to Believer or Unbeliever as must not be denyed since God cannot be limited it cannot be Presumptuous or Arrogant to affirm any Kindred or Relation between any such Writing or Wrirings of the Scriptures of Truth In short Either there are never to be more Inspiration after the Apostles Decease and consequently no more Testimonies nor Prophecies to be then what the remaining Scriptures give us or the Pouring out of the holy Ghost belongs as well to after Ages as to that as hath been abundantly proved and therefore fresh Testimonies and Prophesies by way of further opening or pressing the ancient Truth recorded in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament may in after Ages be given forth unless God and his Spirit should be limited and many parts of the Scripture remain unfulfilled If any shall object 'T is Adding according to Revel 22. 18. I would have them know that the Addition intended was not of other Writings but other Doctrines I will conclude this with a very notable Passage delivered in a Book entituled An Examen of the late Assembly of Divines Confession of Faith presented to the Parliament Anno 165â— pag. 8 10. It is evident that the Lord will have Prophets in all Ages especially when he is about to bring extraordinary Judgments upon the World in general and upon the Church is special and that the Last Times shall abound most of all with the Prophetical Spirit So that these extraordinary Wayes of God's revealing himself neither are ceased nor shall determine in the militant Church Thirdly whereas you say in the sixth Section that nothing at any time is to be added to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament whether by new Revelations of the Spirit or Traditions of Men We desire to know what Warrant you have thus to determine If you say that in Revelat. 22. 18. it is written That if any Man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the Plagues that are written in this Book We answer That so much in effect was forbidden long before as Prov. 30. 6. Add thou not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a Lyar yet many Books of the Holy Prophets and Apostles have been added since the written Word of those times Yea the same Inhibition was given by Moses Deut. 4. 2. 12. 32. Ye shall not add to the Word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it Therefore this Addition thus probibited must necessarily be understood of any new Doctrine in substance differing from the Old but even that of Moses But that there should be a Vindication of the same when mis-understood or a more full and free Publication of the same by the Prophets of the Old Testament or Inspired Men of the New Rep. My Adversary tells me a Blind Story a preferring our Writings above the Scriptures as being from God essentially in us But this saith he P. has not one word to Rejoyn I had little Reason for it He confesseth pag. 43. of his former Discourse that he expected not to find any such word as Essentially in our Authors Doth he think I was to play the
Fool in answering of him as he begs Excuse for in Replying to me We affirm with the Scripture that God tabernacles in his Children that Christ dwells in 〈◊〉 People and that the holy Spirit Temples in his Saints He was full of all Grace and Truth and of his Fulness have we received a measure of Grace and Truth and he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one After this Way that he calls Heresie know we worship we and enjoy we the God of our Fathers But what was the second Argument by which he endeavoureth to prove we prefer our Writings and Sayings above the Scriptures Rep. My second is their Characters they give of them concerning the Scriptures Feeding Death with Death the Letter which killeth Of their own Sayings The Voice of the Son of God was utter'd forth by him c. Rejoyn I told him before That Death is a State without the living experimental Knowledg of God and his Work in the Heart And that State I said will talk of the Fame of ◠Wisdom as saith the Scripture At this he Scoffs and makes as Merry with it as would some prophane Stager And in the midst of his Desires to be thought Meek to this little piece of a large and sober Answer basely cropt he gives the hard Names of Non-sense Folly and Impious The Scripture justifies me in what I said For Men dead in Trespasses and Sins talk of God and that perhaps according to the Letter of Scripture too why may it not be then said That Death talks of Wisdom as well as Dead Men. But this he calls arriving at as perfect Non-sense as G. Fox himself He would have done better not only to have answered but considered my following words Death or dead men's talking or feeding upon the Words of Scripture being ignorant of the true Sense of the Scripture But it had been vain to have expected this Candor from him In short The Scripture without the Spirit is Dead say some Independents as well as Quakers Men Unregenerate are dead in Sins say all What can such men's Feeding upon the Scriptures be but one dead thing feeding upon another Remember it was Christ that said It was the Spirit alone that quickens But that this Man may shew himself almost irrecoverably gone in Dishonesty because I said There is no Comparison betwixt what God requires and an immediate hearing of his Voice and being sensible of his living Touches upon the Soul Writings are but holy things at second hand He implyes and replyes thus Rep. Their Writings and Sayings they pretend to be perfectly immediate from the Spirit of God But the Scriptures handed through many Ages And therefore there is no Comparison because he affirms theirs to be more immediate Rejoyn Reader Right me in this Matter Was the Comparison betwixt our Writings and Sayings with the Scriptures or any Writings or Sayings and the Immediate Voice and Living Touches upon the Soul Do not I expresly say Writings are but holy things at second hand If so how do I make our Wrings holy things at the first hand Do not I prefer the Voice of God to the Soul and his Immediate Touches upon it as well before our own Writings and Sayings as the holy Scriptures of Truth And who dare deny that heavenly Enjoyment of God to be the blessed End of Writings and Sayings too It is after a manner not less Perverting though much more Scoffing that he deals with my Answer about Our Friends Denying Light to be in Scripture That is said I There is not Living Spiritual Essential Light in the Scriptures Now hear him Rep. Did he not intend his Writings for the View of those only who understand no more Right Reason then a Horse doth Hebrew He could not expect any success in such pittiful Attempts Whatsoever makes manifest is Light saith the Scripture But if there be no Light but according to the Character he gives Candles Stars Moon Sun Reason W. P's Writings also are gross and perfect Darkness Rejoyn This Man would pass both for Just and Rational Just he is not who has left out those very words which remove all Pretence to Scruple viz. That the Scriptures carryed a Descriptive and Declarative Light with them that is a Declaration from and of the divine Light Dares he affirm more or does this deny all other Lights besides the Living Spiritual and Essential Light Unjust Man to leave out that which only could wrong his Adversary and answer his infamous Ends. Besides he abuseth Scripture the Light mentioned in that Passage is the Living Spiritual Light of God in the Conscience as the Verse at length proves viz. That all things that are Reproved are made manifest by the Light for whatsoever makes manifest is Light Again Hear what he sayes to the same Matter Rep. And yet W. P. tells you of the Author of the Quakers Book he writ to give notice of the Day-spring of God's Eternal Light of Life to the World i. e. the Light within that needeth the Light of Farnsworth's Book to be seen by What cannot such a Reconciler do Rejoyn But what cannot such a Scoffer do who dare Affront God and be Injust to Men in the View of the World which is manifested thus First as I denyed a Living Spiritual and Essential Light to be in the Scriptures or any other VVritings so did I acknowledge a Descriptive and Declarative Light to be in them and measurably in other VVritings as well as the Scriptures which he hides from the Reader and then triumphs over a false Consequence Secondly If the Light within needs Rich. Farnsworth's Book as a Light without to be seen by because it is by it testified to the same upon his Argument may be said of God himself who is Light that he needed the Light of the Scriptures to be seen by But what shall I say The man is desperate in his Ventures From my concluding upon his Accusation and my own Answer so that our Adversary's Argument amounts to thus much We therefore prefer our own Writings before the Scriptures because in all our Writings we earnestly endeavour by numerous Quotations to prove what we write to be according to Scripture For this he flyes out into this following Reply Rep. I leave it to my Reader sayes J. Faldo to give a Name to this Passage the like to which for a daring Vntruth the World hath scarcely been ever acquainted with yet the man pretends besides all other Graces to Infallibility In many a large Libel I could produce where there is not one Quotation of Scripture W. Smith often quoted in Quakerism no Christianity in his Directory for Religious Principles consisting of above Two Hundred Pages hath not one Scripture quoted not one Exhortation to read the Scriptures But as his main Scope denyes and throws Dirt upon them Rejoyn Reader right a poor People once Never I think did man so slander Persons
within in that Blasphemous Saying then against the Spirit in the Prophets Apostles and every good Christian who by his infatuated way of Arguing would make us believe that Lucian and Julian acted from the Light within because they acted from something within and that there is no Distinction to be made between their Writings and the Scriptures themselves upon our Principle because they writ according to the Light that was in them as he sayes VVhat is this but to deny all Testimony within or at least allows but of such a one as gives equal Evidence to Apostates and Christians Men acted by the Power of Darkness and the Principle of Light It shall now rest with my Reader to point where the Pinch was For the Ill Language he sayes I gave him to wit a Line and a half made up out of six pages given on distinct Provocations Let us examine Base Comparison pag. 43. This fell out upon his comparing us with the Papists which we shall anon consider How slovenly I was in doing so I will not be mine own Judge Black as Hell it self in Malice page 46. fell from me on this Occasion sayes J. Faldo I know not hardly any worse Lucian and Julian said of Jesus of Nazareth the Scripture and Christianity THEN THE QUAKERS HAVE DONE VNDER OTHER NAMES Now Reader if thus to Unchristian Unscripture in fine Unreligion Prophane yea Atheize a whole Body of People bringing them into parallel with loose and heathenish Scoffers and Persecuters of the Christian Religion who all this while reverently believe in Christ Jesus the Saviour of the VVorld in his Life Death Resurrection Ascension Doctrine and Miracles I say If thus to use us is not as black as Hâ—ll in Malice against us there can be nothing Black Hellish or Malicious For the last piece of Raiâ—ing as he calls it The Impudence of his Wâ—ckedness p. 4 9. VVhat could it be else to charge the Impiety of Julian and Lucian upon the Light within and telling the VVorld That upon the Quakers Principle they may conclude their Writings as Canonical as the Scriptures of Truth But this man studied Personal Reflection more then the Cause or he would not have given but five Lines of nine Pages of my Answer and never have considered that as he ought I could be glad to read one page of his Vindication without unnecessary Reflection who for a Line and a half of pertinent Rebuke by him out of six Pages of my Answer hardly pickt and by me fully defended cryes out of my impertinent slovenly hard Names and that gentiler Railing may be learned under a Hedge where I leave him to be better taught But he is very angry I contract his Comparison of us with the Papists in the Matter of Infallibility and Inspiration thus He tells the VVorld the Papists own Revelation and the Quakers hold Revelation also therefore the Quakers are Papists or very near them Hear his Reply Rep. How can I guide W. P's Pen to write Truth in Matter of Fact If he find such an Argument in my Book I will be content to be his Bond-slave Can you believe that a man can be blest with Apostolical immediate Revelations for every thing in Religion that is not so honest as to use the very Eyes in his Head Rejoyn By this we may perceive it is high Tide with J. Faldo First Reader I deliver not the words in a different Character from my own because I did not pretend to quote him But that it was the drift of the Comparison and so no wrong to his Intention the thing it self abundantly proves The Papists hold Revelation and the Quakers own Revelation what 's the meaning of these two Propositions unless it be the Conclusion I drew But lest the Man should be believed hear what he sayes himself in his first Book It is no little Absurdity in the Quakers to make Out-cry against Popery while they plant and hug the Root in their own Bosoms Again in the same page It were no hard matter to prove an Agreement in a multitude of Particulars between the Papists and Quakers Besides all this he brings in a Story pag. 55. of a certain Romanist who coming into England and being asked which of the multitude of Sects came nearest unto the Roman Church replyed The Quakers And this J. Faldo sayes he remembers How then he should forget to that degree of Abuse that there is any Argument in his Book to prove the Quakers very near to the Papists who in his Story uses that very Word to make People believe it I cannot tell unless his great Desire to bedirt William Penn transported him beyond all remembrance of what he had writ I might now demand his Promise of being my Bond-Slave But alas Proud Man and Insolent he is too high for that Office if such I could accept of Though I know not how he can come off unless with this Passage p. 57. The Quakers out-go the Papists FAR therefore the Quakers are not Papists nor NEAR them He thought I made him abuse us beyond his Intention and he both intended and abused us beyond what I represented If in that I wronged him he has more Reason to Forgive then Revile me But how comes it to pass that he sayes nothing of my argumentum ad hominem The Papists own a God a Trinity of Persons c. And J. Faldo owns a God and a Trinity of Person therefore J. Faldo is a Papist or near a kin to one VVould this be just If not neither is his Conclusion of force against us J. Faldo holds something in common with Jews Turks Heathens and Papists he would not take it kindly if we should therefore conclude him to be all or any of them But he gave this the go-by which shews he seeks not the Promotion of Truth but Disgrace of his Adversary indeed his very good Friend though his own Indeserts will not let him believe it CHAP. V. Of the Scriptures being the Rule of Faith and Life and Judge of Controversie THe first thing in this Chapter he chargeth me with is Forgery Let us see how he proves it Rep. The Charge in my fifth Chapter is That the Quakers deny the Scriptures to be a Rule of Faith and Life or a Judge and Determiner of Religious Controversies but P. as if he had sworn not to repeat my words faithfully trans-scribes them That we deny the Scriptures to be a Rule of Faith and Judge of Controversies Rejoyn Reader observe the Forgery lies here that I left out Life after Faith and Determiner after Judge and Religious before Controversies But because that which is the Rule of Faith is the Rule of Life and that Judge and Determiner are all one and that the Controversies intended were not about Questions in Mathematicks Philosophy Trade or Law common or civil but purely about Religion I thought it no Forgery to leave out words not necessary or what from the Nature of the
Rule and Controversie on foot were manifestly implyed especially when I made no Advantage to my self by it But every such little thing must be called by a hard Name or John Faldo would have little to write and but a few to believe his Books But to the Point avoiding many Occasions for severe Reflection Perhaps he grants us what we can desire For upon my asserting that what was and is more general then the Scriptures is most properly the General Rule he replies Rep. I never affirmed them to be a general Rule nor is it that I charge the Quakers for denying but I charge them with denying them to be any Rule at all of Faith and Life he mistakes the Question and yields my Charge to be their Principle and pleads for it p. 54. Rejoyn If that be not the Question how have I granted the Question Do I plead for his Charge because I plead against the Scriptures being the General Rule p. 54. which he sayes is no part of the Charge and what himself undertakes not to contradict But sure I am if the Scriptures be not the General Rule as he implies and thereby cuts his own Throat and grants to the Quakers the Question as largely as needs to be They are not The Rule by way of Excellency or the Rule by which God's People in all Ages have walked for that was and is General So that the Scripture upon his own Concession is but a particular Rule and therefore must be subservient to the Spirit who is the great Evangelical Rule as are many other Instruments that have been made use of upon several Occasions He might have learn'd thus much in p. 53. of my Answer where I say that we acknowledge the Scriptures to contain many Holy Rules for Godliness I would know of him how that could be and yet deny them to be a Rule in any sense But we have good Reason to deny them to be the Rule of Faith and Judge of Controversies who can neither give nor govern Faith nor Judge of Controversies as the many different Perswasions in the World fully prove for then all that have the Scriptures would be of one Perswasion as it is most certain those are who have and walk by the One Spirit VVherefore since the Scriptures themselves testifie to the Spirit as the great Judge Rule and Leader especially under the New Covenant where the Law is not written on Tables of Stone much less Paper but of Flesh to wit the Hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men the Spirit and not the Scripture must be the Rule of Faith and Judge of Controversie In short The Scripture cannot try a present Motion or Prophecy Bad Spirits are wholely hid from it For Instance Paul reproved not the Spirit that cryed These are the Servants of the Most High God that shew unto us the VVay of Eternal Life from the Scriptures neither did Peter Deceitful Ananias but from the heavenly Instinct and Savour Relish or Discerning they received from the Spirit of God within them 'T was in a Case of such Difficulty that some in these late Times have writ That the Scripture gave no general standing Rule for all particular Cases in fleeing or standing in Times of Persecution but that it was the Frame of the Spirits of the People of God to retire at that season which whether it be true or false that the Spirit of God did so influence them two things are undeniable first That it was the Frame of their Spirits witness their Practice secondly That the Scripture was not sufficient for them to square themselves by on that Occasion And what else do Professors mean when they advise People to seek the Lord in this or the other Case why do they not go seek the Scriptures rather Doth not such a Practice manifestly detect the Scriptures of Insufficiency and evidently prove their Acknowledgment both of Revelation and their Recourse to a more Living Spiritual Immediate and Sufficient Rule VVhy else do they seek God's Mind say they by Prayers not formal but by the Spirit But this is become despised Heresie with J. Faldo For Faith in his Sense rises no higher then so many Articles laid down suppose truly according to the bare Letter of the Scriptures which the Devil can believe as well as he This Faith I call meerly Verbal and Historical of which the Scripture may be a Rule but not of Saving Faith for of that Faith only the Spirit can be the Rule and why because the Spirit of God alone reveals him to the Soul who is the Object of Faith and works Faith in the Soul upon that Object and as this only begets Faith so it increases enlivens rules governs and strengthens Faith unto Dominion This alone unfolds those Mysteries spoak of in the Scriptures Wherefore answered the Eunuch unto Philip when he queried Understandest thou what thou readest How should I unless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I had a guide as sayes our old English Translation which implies That the things declared of by the Scriptures are not to be understood from the Scriptures but a more Living Spiritual and Certain Guide Wherefore we affirm That Repentance Faith Sanctification Justification Redemption Regeneration c. are all a Mystery never to be disclosed but by the Revelation and Operation of the Spirit of God in Man the Scripture can only testfie to such things that they are but it is the Spirit alone that works them and illuminates guides governs and rules the Soul in and about such things 'T is true all the Spirit leads to is according to the Scriptures it overturns them not for they declare of most of these Operations yet because we believe know and witness them from the Conviction and Operation of the Spirit before we can possibly understand them in Scripture therefore the Scripture is but a Declaration and not the Rule of Faith c. And the only best way to determine any Controversie on foot about Repentance Faith Sanctification Justification c. is the Judgment of that Spirit which works them For how can the Scripture that has so many Meanings put upon it determine which of those meanings is the true Let them shew me that Scripture that plainly and uninterpretatedly tells me such a Proposition is True and such a one is False that consists only of their additional Meanings such a new Nick-named People right and such wrong and they do their Business if they cannot as it is impossible they should they must have recourse to something else to rule determine and what can that be besides that Eternal Spirit which worked the true Faith and ruled the holy Life of those Ancients who gave forth this Declaration of Faith and Life Can any Man tâ—ll another's Mind better then himself or resolve any Doubt or clear up any Mis-understanding concerning what is delivered better then he that spoak it To understand those holy Men's Mind and disprove them that mistake it
there is an unavoidable necessity of coming to that Spirit which made it theirs 'T is granted that all True Doctrine is according to Scripture but the Question is What is true Doctrine Scripture is a strong Testimony but what enlightens the Mind resolves Doubts and works Faith and informs guides and helps the Soul through the whole Work of Conversion and without which the Testimony of Scripture it self is truly an unintelligible and an incredible thing This must be nothing less then the Spirit it self In short The Scripture is not the Rule but Declaration of Faith and Knowledge That only must be the Rule of Faith which gave and ruled the Faith of those that gave forth Scripture And because none can give or work Faith now but what did give and work Faith then 't is not the Scripture but that which was before the Scripture even the Spirit of Truth which was the Author Rule and Finisher of their Faith And if our Faith in this Age be the same with the holy Men's of old that gave forth the Scriptures they are no more our Rule now then they were theirs then who had a Rule and a Faith before them But as it was a Declaration of what they believed knew and witnessed so it is a Declaration of what we now believe and desire to know and witness John's Epistle was not writ to be the Saints Rule for he directed them to the Anointing yet their Faith and Life of which the Anointing was the Rule was according to John's Epistle Agaiâ— The Declaration in time was after the Faith declared of but where there was Faith there was a Rule consequently that Declaration which was after that Faith and Rule was not that Rule so that the most that can be said against us is this The Scriptures cannot be a Declaration of your Faith till you come to such a Belief of the Truth 's thereby expressed as they had who writ them and a great Truth it is But then say we The Spirit must work that Faith before the Scriptures can be accounted a Declaration of our Faith or we interested in them And because that Faith has a Rule so soon as it has a being it must needs follow that the Declaration of that Faith cannot be either the Author or Rule of it Here lies the Mistake of my Adversary and many more that because what a Man does is according or agreeable to a thing therefore that is the Rule of the thing done To proceed For this reason it is a Constraint lies upon us from God to direct and exhort all People diligently to mind that Measure of the Holy Spirit which God hath given them to profit with as that alone by which Man comes to a certain Knowledge of his Mind and Will and to do the good and acceptable Thing in his Sight and that by which his poor labouring Mind is brought out of the Incertainties numerous Interpretations vain Janglings Men have pesterâ—d the World withal who have darkened Counsel and bewildered many in their Conscientious Enquieries after God drawing out their Minds from the seasoning Principle of Life instead of bringing them nearer to the Lord for which great and heavy Plagues hang over the Head of this Generation who make War against the Spirit with the Letter instead of confirming its Appearance from the Letter and under Pretence of calling the Scriptures the Word of God and Rule of Faith and Life divert People from Waiting for the Word nigh unto themselves which is the Word of Faith and gives Life to all that believe and obey it decrying us as Seducers and deriding us as Euthusiastick Canters because we prefer and turn all to the Spirit of Life within an Out-side Carnal Envious and Hypocrical Generation as it is I will conclude this Head with a Passage out of some certain Authors that were never professed nor reputed Quakers Wherefore they who are true Believers sayes the first and have received Christ's Spirit their Judgment is to be preferred in the Tryal of Spirits before a whole Council of Clergy-Men And they only who can try Spirits by the Spirit of God and Doctrines by the Word of God written in their Hearts by the Spirit can in measure discern all Spirits in the World And the Spirit of Christ which dwells in all true Christians cannot deceive nor be deceived in the Tryal of Spirits With abundance more to the same purpose The other brings in Two Objections frequently made against us and by him pertinently answered for us Object 1. It is said Isa 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if any Man speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in him Answ Truth there is the Law and Testimony in the Spirit as well as in the Letter The Law of God is in the Heart there it is written and there it testifies the Truth of God and if any Man speak not according to this Rule it is because there is no Light or Morning risen in him The Spiritual Man judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no Man Object 2. It is said Gal. 6. 16. That whoso walketh according to this Rule Peace upon him Answ True but that is not the Rule of the Letter but of the Spirit even the Rule of the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Read the Words before and you shall see it There is nothing of any Value but the New Creature And whosoever walketh according to This Rule Peace shall be upon him c. And truly my Brethren it is my earnest Desire to see Souls to live more in the Spirit and less in the Letter and then they will see that we judge of the Letter by the Spirit and not of the Spirit by the Letter which occasions so much Ignorance amongst us and those who profess themselves to be our Teachers are chief in this Trespass Observe this J. Faldo Again The Spirit of God who is God is the ALONE RULE of a spiritual Christian c. Further declaring That some setting the Scriptures in the room of the Spirit they make them an Idol Ibid. p. 248. Let him either discard these Men from being Christians that were reputed great and refined Professors before the Breaking forth of the People called Quakers or leave off censuring this part of our Doctrine as no part of Christianity Nor have we any Ground to believe that they were intended for the Rule at first since they were not given forth all at one time and yet every Age stood in need of such a Rule but on divers Occasions as Miscarriages in the Churches Threatning of Judgments Prophecies Histories and Comfortings under Afflictions c. required Nor do they carry the least Method or Designment of the great Rule with them here they are Proper there Figurative in one thing Literal in another Allegorical without all Definition of Terms framing of Articles such Plainness and
Coherence in Matter and Intelligibleness of Language to all Nations which may render them such a Rule Besides it is more then probable that much of the Writings of the New Testament are lost from Luke ' s Word 's in the beginning of his History where he tells us that he was but ONE OF THE MANY who did set forth a Declaration of those things which were most surely believed amongst them even sayes he as they delivered them unto us which from the beginning were Eye-witnesses and Ministers of the Word For it must be considered when Luke writ his Narrative that John's History was not in being and some will have it that Luke wrote before Mark But whether it be so or no certain it is that Mark and Matthew could not make up those many that took that Work in hand neither can we think he should call Matthew and Mark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie with the Athenians a Multitude for a certain Learned Man will have it That no better Greek was spoken then that wherein Luke wrote his History That those Narratives were not Apocriphal but at least of equal Authority with his dedicated to Theophilus his own words tell us For those that writ were such as related what they received from Eye-witnesses and the first Ministers of the VVord Besides which there were in the Apostles Age and the two following Centuries several Writings reputed genuine which either dyed out of the World through that Neglect brought upon them by the Advantage some accounted Hereticks might make of them in Defence of their Opinions or stifled by the subtilty of the Romish Church being more expresly opposite to her growing Superstition and Grandeur And for such Writings as still remain among us methinks it should not be unknown to a Man of J. Faldo's Pretences to Learning how much the Authority of several of them has been questioned by some and exploded by others though never by any of us particularly the Epistle to the Hebrews the Epistle of James second and third of John second of Peter Jude the Revelations and with some Matthew's History it self has not escaped the like Censure Of which Reader thou hast an Account at large in that Notable French-Man Dallaeus De usa Patrum and a late Discourse mainly directed against the Roman Church entituled Christoph Christophori Sandy Nucleas Historiae Ecclesiasticae I would not any from hence should repute me so Impious as to endeavour to weaken the Testimony of Scripture or beget any the least Doubt of the Doctrine thereby declared only upon our Adversary's Principles which so strongly oppugn'd the Doctrine of Revelation or Inspiration I must take leave to conclude in his Name and upon his Principles that the VVord of God is imperfect and a great part of the Rule of Faith and Life and Judge of Controversie is lost and that he has no more Reason to believe the Truth of those great things related in that part of the Scriptures yet remaining then any Legend at Rome For exclude Revelation and what Ground has he for his Faith besides Tradition and what Evidence can he give us upon his Principles of the Truth of the former and Falshood of the latter These Councils and Synods who collected and canonized them he accepts for one part and rejects for the other Again he trusts their Judgment in picking and chusing and yet rejects their Interpretation as if it were not so difficult to relish Genuine from Spurious Scriptures as when rightly discerning them to be such to understand them which is an absolute Contradiction For how should they know true from False and not understand the True That Council which made the Writings of the New Testament Canonical left out the Revelations as Apocriphal yet I hope J. Faldo accepts that as heartily and unquestionably as the rest And that Council which took in the Revelations and made it first Canonical brought in with it the Books of Tobi Judith c. which J. Faldo I suppose with all his Brethren rejects as Apocriphal Thus are meer Men and the Judgments of such Councils as he otherwise rejects his Rule for believing the Scriptures that remain to be Canonical if it be proper to say the first is the Rule of his Canon which is too short and the other which is superfluous as by his Account My next Question is What was his Rule for believing those Councils I am sure he must have been without all other then a Willingness to believe so because they said so which how like this is to his Papist unto whom he would resemble us let all sober Protestants consider I cannot see how he is able to oppugn any thing they say upon Tradition who mounts no higher for his Assurance then Tradition and such too as rests mostly within their Hands But if it shall be granted us that to know Scripture to have been given forth upon Inspiration Men must have Recourse to Inspiration then not so much Councils and Synods as the Inspiration of the Almighty which gives certain Understanding is our Rule in the Case as well saith the Assembly of Divines in their Confession of Faith chap. 1. § 4. The Authority of the holy Scripture for which it ougâ—t to be believ'd and obeyed depends not on the Testimony of any man or Church but only upon God who is Truth it self the Author thereof And since J. Faldo himself confesseth the Spirit necessary to the Vnderstanding of the Scripture which implies the Insufficiency of the Scripture to give that Understanding of it self the Spirit must be the Rule of our Vnderstanding the Scripture as it was before the Rule of our Faith concerning the Divine Authority of Scripture For the Light of the Interpreter and not the Thing interpreted is the Rule both of Faith and Practice which is undeniably evident from the reconciling of seeming Contradictions If the meer Letter of the Scripture were to be followed no Man could ever make them meet in the same Truth The many Different Perswasions at this Day about Religion prove this whose respective Authors and Abettors think it no mean Advantage to their Cause that they hold the Scriptures to be their Rule But such as come unto the Spirit of God know and believe the Truth as it is in Jesus David ' s Key that opens and none shuts is given unto them and the Secrets of their God remain with them This reconciles those seeming Contradictions and leads through the Greatest and Deepest Truths mentioned in Scripture without the least Doubt or Stumble This is the Super-excellent Benefit of the New-Covenant Administration the Promise of the Father the Instructer Leader and Comforter of all God's Children And for a further Account of which I refer the Reader to my Book entituled The Spirit of Truth Vindicated from pag. 16. to pag. 47. and Reason against Railing from pag. 24. to pag. 46. To prove his former Charge he produces this Passage out of James Naylor
God is at Liberty to speak to his People by the Scriptures if he please and so he is at Liberty to speak by another created thing as to Balaam by his Ass and because I returned in Answer To all which said I he sayes just nothing he replies As if sayes he I were to answer the Proofs of my own Affirmation But that was not all for beside that it was no Proof He should have proved it Erroneous or Contemptible as he stiles it or else he doth nothing To cite and not prove the Citation apt to the End for which it was cited that is the Doctrine it contained or abetted to be Erroneous is impertinent What Is it false Doctrine to assert That God is at Liberty to speak by the Scriptures or without them Or is it to contemn the Scriptures to say as John Faldo cites J. N. that God doth speak to People by those Scriptures that were given forth by Inspiration Or is it no Proof that God is at Liberty to speak by any other created thing to instance the Case of Balaam's Ass But he will by all means have it that according to J. N. to take an Ass or Bible to be our Instructer is of equal Prudence adding These Notions sayes he being by the Quakers sucked in I wonder not that they leave the Teachings of God by the Scriptures to attend on the Ministry of Asses But this indirect Reflection and unsavory Abuse both shews the Vanity and Envy of the Man and must needs beget an Abhorrence of his Proceedings against us in the Heart of every solid Reader It had much better become the Author of Poor Robin's Almanack or the Cobler of Glocester then a Turn'd-out Non-conforming Minister J. N's words I fully vindicated in my Answer his Drift was to drive off People from this pernicious Apprehension that God's Voice was only to be heard from the Scripture thereby justling the Spirit out of Doors and confining the Almighty to a certain Instrument and not that he intended to repute every Ass of equal value with the Scriptures though I do not doubt but the Voice of Balaam's Ass was a more immediate and forcible Rebuke with him then any Scripture then written But let this character our Adversary with every Just knowing Reader that he brings J. N's words that allow such Scripture as God shall please to speak to any by to be so far a Rule to those to whom it s directed in order to prove that the Quakers deny the Scripture to be in any case any Rule at all But we must not expect better Usage from a Man who is more perplext at our proving of our selves consistent with Truth because it contradicts his Apprehensions and Charges exhibited against us in Print then that we should be in the Wrong though for that Cause he pretends to write against us Strange that he should rather desire we might be mistaken then himself be thought to have mistaken us But he thinks I have greatly wrong'd St. Paul and I know not why unless it were in showing him to have been guilty of that Fault for to prove the Scriptures to be the Rule he brought this Saying of his And herein that is saith our Adversary all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets do I exercise my self to have a Conscience void of Offence towards God and towards Men. My Answer then was that he left out that which was more applicable to the words as the place it self evidently proves But this I confess to thee that is Faelix that after the way which they call Heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets and have Hope towards God which they themselves also allow that there shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the Just and the Vnjust and herein saith the Apostle do I exercise my self c. Where its evident that believing all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets was not that wherein he said so properly that he exercised himself as in worshipping the God of his Fathers not after their way and having Hope towards God of the Resurrection c. there lay the Stress as is evident from their calling that Worship Heresie and afflicting him for that Hope which they otherwise allowed of Nay that very Passage he makes the whole place to bear upon comes in rather in the Nature of a Parenthesis then a Principal Matter His thus dealing with us and the Scripture I call'd a Perversion at which he very vainly taunts as if it could not be a Perversion because I confess that it somewhat relates to the Verses cited crying out This is his Mouse his Mountain travelled to bring forth But if to clip a Text be not a Perversion or to stretch it to what it can never reach nor ever intended be not to pervert and abuse Scripture certainly there is no such thing That he clipped it is proved that he misapplyed it is not less evident For to believe a thing is not necessarily to make it a Rule besides if the Law and the Prophets were a Rule because he was exercised in them then must his Worship and Hope also be a Rule because he was exercised in them but that were improper and untrue He is angry I said the Apostle had out-stript the Law and the Prophets therefore they could not be his Rule replying If St. Paul had undertaken a Reply to this Gentleman he would have undoubtedly lasht him severely for this Wrong done to him and the Truth But I am not of that Mind for if he did not out-strip the Dispensation of the Law and Prophets how could he arrive at that State which witnessed the Fulfilling of the Law and the Prophets To deny this is to deny the further Illumination and Enjoyment of that Day and according to J. Faldo's own unhappy way of Reasoning the Apostle must not be a Christian for in denying the Prophets to be Christians because they were before Christ's visible Appearance and preferring Christianity so much above other fore-going Dispensations as he doth in not allowing the Apostle to have out-stript them he makes the Apostle to be no Christian For which I will not say he would have Lasht but Reproved this ignorant Priest as one that knows not whereof he affirms But hear him yet further Rep. I said the holy Scriptures determine according to their kind as much as a Writing can do From whence W. P. infers that it is not so determinative of all Cases as something else may be which is a more living immediate and infallible Judge then a Writing is or can be an inference worthy of a poor Schollar and a conceited Pedant Is he gone beyond Belshazer who trembled at such a rate at the Writing on the Wall Did ever any Man in his Wits affirm the Scriptures to supply the room of Eyes Skill to read Vnderstanding Conscience
and the Assistance of the Spirit of God are not these in my Book all made necessary to render the Scriptures such a Rule and Determiner Rejoyn But why such a trivial Rant for a Reply and why such hard words from a Man of his Circumstances one on many Accounts so near what he represents me to be Is it not true that if something be more firm then Writing that which is more firm and not the Writing is the Judge and Determiner Suppose a Scripture for every Case that ever did or may happen which we know there is not and therefore not THE RULE yet if such Scripture need an Exposition who is most truly the Judge and Determiner the obscure Text or the clear Expositor Certainly where the Stress lies the Power of Determination must be and there the Judgeship rests but that is alwayes in the Interpretation since the Difficulty is not about believing the Text but the Exposition given of it therefore the Expositor is both Judge and Rule and not the Text exposited And since J. Faldo has granted to us the Assistance of the Spirit for knowing the Scriptures the Spirit then which gives us how to understand and believe and enables us to fulfil them must needs be the Rule and Judge and no Writing whatever I shall conclude this Point with my Rejoynder to this following Passage in his Reply Rep. But W. P. hath not done triffling yet neither is the Law the Judge but there is a Judgâ— who interprets and speaks from the fresh Discoveries of his own Reason the Meaning and â—â—â—tendment of those written Laws But Mr. Penâ— The Judge is the Mouth of the Law and subject to thâ— Law and prescribed in his Judgment to that sense 〈◊〉 the Law which is expressed by the Letter of it If soâ—â— of the Judges had the handling of you for imposing yoâ— canting fresh Discoveries of his Reason upon them thâ— would tell you they give Judgment from a Deep Stuâ— and Weighty Consideration of the Letter of the Lâ—â— and moreover give you some hard Names or worse for youâ— canting Law added to your canting Gospel and yet the LIGHT IN THEIR CONSCIENCES NOT GIVE THEM THE LEAST REBUKE FOR SO DOING Rejoyn I perceive he measures the Judges Displeasure by his own Indeed they would be very Vnfit Persons to sit for our Judges that should be like him Men that would call hard Names and do worse to any Man for allowing them to be guided by a Living Reason would greatly evidence they had little or none and therein indeed that we mischaractered them But who most dishonours them I that suppose them to judge and explain Written Reason by the Living Principle of Reason in themselves or he that renders them so many Posts or Pillars that are to be moved by incens't Letters without relation to any Reason inherent to themselves and not otherwise But hear my forme Answer before I further rejoyn His Instance about the Law is same For the good Laws of any Land are but Reason written or rather declar'd by Writing which is oblieging against the Corruption of a Judge but not the Reason of the Judge neither is the Law the Judge but there is a Judge who interprets and speaks from the fresh Discoveries of his own Reason the Meaning Intendment of those written Laws If the Laws be sufficient without a Judge why is there a Judge If then they are Dark Obscure and Doubtful in many Cases so as to need a Judge and Interpreter which I call living and immediate Reason since the Scriptures are Writings in which are many things difficult to be understood it follows that there must be an Immediate Living Judge which must be therefore the Spirit of Truth that gave them forth because none knows the things of God save the Spirit of God And that those who are the Makers of Laws are the only Persons who are fit to judge and determine in Case of Difficulty by a Declaration of their Mind and Intenâ—ion in any such obscure Passage In short Either the Scriptures are not obscure a thing we daily see or if so yet sufficient which is impossible or they must have a Judge which is most true and necessary and what Judge but the Spirit of Truth which leads into all Truth p. 61 62. Now one would have thought that an Answer so sober and reasonable might have deserved a Reply more civil and pertinent then my Adversary gave me But I do the less wonder at it since he makes it his Practice to give hard Words instead of solid Answers But to his Reply as it is Rejoyn He tells me the Judge is the Mouth of the Law and Subject to the Law But I would have him consider two things First that the Scriptures of Truth were never given forth after that formal regular course that the Laws of England were but to particular Persons or Churches on particular Cases though together with hearty respect I acknowledge and enjoy the Benefit of them Secondly The Question is not about things obvious but obscure and herein the Judge is not only the Mouth but Interpreter of the hidden Meaning of the Law This our Adversary's own words import For if the Law were so plain as only to need a Mouth what need would there be of deep Study and Weighty Consideration which he makes necessary to a Judge the bare reading of the Law would be sufficient to determine all Cases Nay it would end all going to Law But inasmuch as the Laws are both numerous and intricate as the Vexatious Cases and Disputes of our Times fully prove 't is manifest that some other Judge and Determiner must be found out one that understands compares and rightly applies Law whose Judgment must decide and determine the Controversie Now though every such Judge may be said to determine according to the Mind of the Law yet his Interpretation and not the bare Letter is recorded for the Determination of the Case depending from whence come our Book-Cases Nor indeed is this only referrable to any certain Person explaining the obscure Passages of Law but the Application of the Law to the Fact in which not only the whole living Reason of the Judge is deeply and circumspectly exercised but the Understanding and Conscience of the Jury respecting the Nature of the Law the Evidence of the Witness the Heinousness of the Fact and Variety of Circumstances wherein the obnoxiousness to Error lies according to the Greâ—k Proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Error is about the Circumstances all in order to a definitive Sentence or Determination about the Point handled Now for any Man to call the written Law the Judge and not Synteresis or living sound Reason and Conscience in the Judge and Jury to me seems very absurd Besides Let it be considered First that the Law is added because of Transgression and such as live to that noble Principle from whence all good Laws come have
things which they received of the Apostles therefore to understand the Scriptures in those things which are necessary to Salvation for those things those Believers had received of the Apostles With much to the same Purpose in that Chapter I could produce many more Testimonies from Great and Famous modern Writers besides the Pathetical Expressions of a multitude of Martyrs both English and Forreign as well famous for their Learning as great Fidelity that express themselves fully in Defence of our Assertion That to bring Men and Women to the Obedience of the Everlasting Word nigh in the Heart is so far from being repugnant to or undervaluing of the holy Scriptures as without their Acquaintance with it and Conformity to it they can never be read by any with Instruction and Comfort But if God please there may be a time for our more full Disquisition of this Point But be thinks to supply his Wilful Omission and Disingenuous Carriage about my Answer to the ill use he made of my other Proof by reflecting upon my Honesty in transscribing his Second taken out of our Friend James Parnâ—ll his Book entituled The Shield of the Truth pag. 10. because I added not these words Seeking the Living among the Dead at the end of this Sentence By the same Light do we discern him to be in Darkness who putteth the Letter for the Light and so draw People's Minds from the Light within them to the Light without them And as if he had fully obtain'd his Will upon us by making us speak what he untruly sayes we own and practice he goes on This needs no Comment to render its Proof valid and is out of the Reach of the utmost stretch of Penn ' s Wit and Confidence to put any Appearance of another Construction upon it But methinks this Sound renders him very Empty It must be a very plain Case if not so much as the Appearance of another Construction can be made upon it then what he would have it to import but I am wholely of another mind and that there is no Difficulty in making a very free and sufficient Defence for the Passage I ought to take it for granted that the whole of his Objection lies against the Words I omitted inasmuch as he pretends not to reply to my Vindication of the former part of the Sentence which was to this purpose That by turning People to the Light of Christ we did not teach them to undervalue but how they should most truly understand and value the Scriptures that the Spirit was more excellent then the Letter the Power then the Form of Godliness yet both Letter and Form to be respected in their place and that we only took our Aim against such as put the Letter in the Place of the Spirit thereby keeping People from the Holy Spirit by which alone the Scriptures are read and understood unto Edâ—fication and Comfort My Adversary I say taking no notice of this I must think he had nothing to say saving his Charge of the fore-mention'd Omission To which thus much It was not designed I took and defended the Substance of the Passage For I would faiâ— know what Life is to be had in the Letter without the Aâ—â—â—stance of the Light or Spirit of Christ If then the Letter is Dead without the Spirit which is Old Protestant Doctrine Can it be any thing else then seeking the Living among the Dead to draw People from the Light and Spirit of Christ within to seek for Life in the meer Letter without â—or so the Question ran This was the State of the Jewish Church in her Apostacy and is the Condition of Thousands at this very day who under Pretence of Honouring the Scriptures despise grieve and in a sense quench the Spirit that gave them forth for which God is wroth with the false Christian and his Religion Worship is an Abomination in his Sight and great sudden will be their Distress for his Indignation is kindled aud his Fury ready to be revealed and in that day shall such lofty Boasters as my Adversary be brought â—â—ow their Spirits faint and Hearts fall within them â—at what time the Light Spirit and Life of Jesus shall be unto all that trust therein a Rock of Everlasting Strength an immoveable Foundation and Sanctuary full of Comfort Peace and Joy forever And indeed this thing â—oth so deeply affect my Soul that I cannot refrain from â—rying Wo Wo Wo against all such Watchmen of the Night who rack their Wits for Tales and Stories to care well-meaning and devout People from the Enjoyâ—ent of the Life Vertue and Substance of the Scripâ—ures Nick-naming that only Way by which so great â—nd heavenly Benefit can ever be procured I mean the â—nspiration of the Almighty with such hateful Terms â—s Enthusiasm Quakerism Familism a more refined â—rt of Ranterism c. and what else may keep them â— their Snare stop their Enquiery and render the â—iving Eternal Truth of God odious in their Sight â—etter were it for such that they had never been born then â—nder Pretence of being Ministers of the Gospel to â—urder the Life and Spirit of it estranging the minds of People from that unchangeable Covenant instead of inâ—teresting them in it thereby manifestly depriving their Souls of blessed and Eternal Priviledges They are like Troops of Robbers indeed as the Prophet anciently said they murder by Consent most of them combining against the in-dwelling Life of Jesus and immediate Springings and Flowings forth of his Spirit in the Hearts of his Children Let it never be forgotten that the first Murderer was a Sacrificer and the deadliest Persecutor a Pharisee Nor has there been a more Venemous Enrag'd Blood-thirsty Generation of Men then the Formal Literal Professor who ever called God Father and Christ Beelzebub who crucified his Son and persecuted the Apostles reputing them Mad Men that is Phanaticks or Enthusiasts Seditious Fellows Sect-Masters Introducers of New Doctrines Innovators upon the Church Turners of the World up-side down in fine Despisers of the VVritings of the Law and the Prophets while they themselves thought to have Eternal Life therein being of the Circumcision Sons of Abraham and Children of the Promise Oh! that these of our Day might Repent which those of that Day did not lest neglecting God's present Visitation neither entering themselves nor suffering others to enter into the blessed Rest the miserable Doom of that Hard-hearted Generation overtake them and that speedily CHAP. V. Of Scripture-Commands what are binding and what not Our Adversary's Disingenuity observed BUt however he has fail'd in his last Chapter doubtless he thinks he has done my Business in this he begins like himself Rep. My Charge and Argument in this Chapter is The Quakers affirm the Doctrines Commands Promises holy Examples expressed in Scripture as such not to be at all binding to us such an Argument and so proved by me mark Reader as a Thousand Penns can never invalid it
Rejoyn What can there be more conceited then this He must live very lonely and far from Neighbours that proclaims so much Praise to himself and have wonderful Confidence to bid Defiance so vainly to others Reader I beseech thee for the Truth 's sake on whose side soever thou shalt find it to be to examine with all impartiallity his Charge our Answer his Reply and our Rejoynder If his Honesty Reason and Justice hold any proportion to his great Confidence we yield But if upon an impartial Consideration he shall be found to clip and pervert our Matter and to shuffle with us in his own once do a poor People Right in giving Judgment against his horrible injustice The Charge thou hast heard the Proof was this That is no Command of God to me what he Commanded to another Did any of the Saints which we read of act by that Command which was to another not having the Command to themselves c Now before I give my Answer as it was set down in my Book I shall insert his Quotation of my Answer Rep. To this saith P. I answer briefly and plainly and he is as good as his word No Commands saith he in the Scripture are any further oblieging upon any Man then as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience otherwise Men should be eâ—gaged without if not against Conviction a thing Vnreasonable in a Man Rejoyn He has a notable Way of Contracting his Adversary's Answers I will set down what I writ faithfully plainly and briefly Edward Burroughs's Expression may be taken two ways both safe enough to the Honour and Credit of the Scripture though not to the Charity or Honesty of J. Faldo Now follows that part he cited No Command in the Scripture is any further oblieging upon any Man then as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience otherwise men should be engag'd without if not against Conviction a thing Unreasonable in a Man Therefore the Apostle when he wrote to the Churches exhorted them not to do those things whereof they were ashamed to shun what was manifested to be Evil and affirms that whatever might be known of God was manifested within for God had shown it unto them So that Conviction can only obliege to Obedience and since what works that Conviction is the manifesting Light universal Grace or quickening Spirit in the Heart of Mankind it follows that the principal Ground for our Faith in the Scriptures and Reason of our Obedience to the Holy Precepts therein contained is the Manifestation Conviction and secret Drawings of the Light or Spirit of God in the Conscience And thus E. B's words are sound and scriptural Again Such Commands either relate to Ordinary or Extraordinary Cases By Ordinary Cases I mean such as chiefly concern Faith and holy Life which are general permanent and indispensible and then I deny his Consequence By Extraordinary Cases I understand Moses's going to Pharoah the Prophets several manners of Appearance to the Kings Priests and People of Israel with other Temporary Commands relating to outward Services c. And so we say that what is commanded One Man is not binding as such upon another But when the Lord shall say If thou sinnest thou shalt dye If thou keepest my Commands thou shalt live Be ye holy for I the Lord your God am holy For your selves KNOW YE NOT how ye ought to follow us c. I say these Precepts and Examples are oblieging upon all why because they more or less meet with a Conviction in the Consciences of all For I am perswaded none that has a reasonable Soul who has not out-liv'd his Day but would readily say These are true and weighty Sayings For Faith in God and a holy self-denying Life are necessary both to Temporal and Eternal Happiness It was Reader to this sober Answer he flung out his fore-going Rant and makes this following Comment and Reply Viz. sayes J. Faldo Rep. They are no Commands unless we think so 'T is no Sin to break all the Commands in the Bible if our Consciences can be so blind dead or hardened as not to tell us 't is a Sin They who thought they did God good Service in killing his Servants did not sin in the least because they were not convinced of a Command to the contrary To vindicate my whole Chapter concerning the Scriptures 'T is a Principle that hath all Iniquity in the Womb of it Who can find Names for such Impious Principles Penn hath opposed scorned the Truth vilified its Teachers and Defenders so as scarce never Man did vented the most pernicious Errors told abundance of those things that are known to himself to be false Rejoyn Reader This is all the Justice and Reason I can have from this pretended meek and suffering Non-conforming Parson What would such Men do had they as much Power as Anger But I shall leave him with his Pride and Passion Is there any thing more clear then that he extends the words of E. Burroughs to Ordinary Cases which were wholely writ about Extraordinary and that he takes no more notice of my Distinction then if there had been none made As if it had been formerly an equal Sin for any not to be Circumcised and to Murder his Father or Prince or that there was the same Conviction universally upon the Consciences of all Men not to wear Linsey-Wolsey as to do by others as they would have others do to them That what we say was E. Burroughs's Meaning his own words undeniably prove One sayes he was sent to baptize and another to preach the Gospel which were particular and extraordinary Commands He clearly shuffles evades the dint of my Answer would run us within the Borders of Rantism The Question is not Are God's Commands no Commands unless we think so and therefore no Sin to break all the Commands in the Bible which is the Comment he bestows upon us but whether this or that especial Injunction to any Particular Person or Persons to this or that parculiar End be warrantably imitable without sufficient Conviction and Commission Must J. F. Baptize because John Baptized or turn Preacher because Peter was one E. B. only denyed Imitation of Ancient Times in Temporary and Shadowy Services and all those Preachings Prayers Ordinances and Churches that have not as Peter Martyr well expresses it the holy Spirit for their Root So that instead of his holding a Principle that hath all Iniquity in the Womb of it John Faldo first perverts his words and then to confute them both implies a Denyal of the holy Spirit to be the only right Leader to the Performance of Gospel-Prayer Preaching and Ordinances and of gathering of Evangelical Churches and does as good as tell us that God's Commandments are such to him not because of any Conviction in himself of the Justness of them but from the Testimony of the Scriptures which for all his high Boasts of Christianity is a State
far beneath those noble Gentiles who not having an outward Law were a Law unto themselves having the Effect of it written in their Hearts their Conscience bearing witness c. And this we may boldly say That such as ever acted from that inward Sense never thought they did God Good Service in Killing his Servants whilst great Admirers of the Letter of the Scriptures and who as concerning this Commandment Thou shalt not Murder thought themselves most unblamable believed They did God Good Service in killing his Servants Nor can I think it so great a Disgrace to our Cause that we ingenuously profess the Reason why we desire to fear God and keep his Commandments doing unto others as we would have them do unto us not so much to be from the Letter of the Scripture as the Convictions of the Eternal Light and Spirit of God in our Consciences As it ought to be unto John Faldo and his Adherents who ground their Obedience upon the Letter of the Scripture and not upon such internal Convictions What is it but to say They could Lye Swear Steal Kill c. without any Remorse did they not find such Injunctions and Prohibitions upon record A Consequence so detestable yet so natural to their Principles that if this render them not able Guides to the very Confines of Rantism and Atheism I shall gladly ask an Excuse for my Ignorance But that I may leave nothing undone that may compleat the Satisfaction of every moderate Inquirer I shall further weigh and rejoyn to these words of his They who thought they did God good Service in Killing his Servants did not sin in the least because they were not convinced of a Command to the contrary nor the Idolaters in the Case of Baal because they thought Baal to be a God indeed Now Reader observe the Evasion This Passage relates not to Men's practising what God Commands or our Tenderness in imitating other Saints without Commission for fear we should offer strange Fire which is our Question but their doing that which God never commanded yea which Mankind in all Ages hath adjudged impious and which to be sure his Holy Spirit that E. B. said All Men should wait to be convinced assisted and led by in fulfilling God's Commandments never moved any to He unworthily draws a general Conclusion against us from meer particular Premises It seems Men are to act without if not against Conviction upon his Principle and that it is the same thing with him to commit moral Enormities from an Hardned Heart and to be tender of taking up any external Practice or performing some Religious Duty without the Convictions and Leadings of the Holy Spirit The Apostle said to such as had not as yet so full clearness as others That if any were otherwise-minded God would reveal it He did not injoyn them during that Scruple to believe or practice the thing doubted but therefore did Persecutors act inexcusably in their fiery Zeal because their blind Consciences checkt them not Again If Blindness came from Education it is though Blindness still and therefore it was basely done of J. Faldo to say in our Name that it is not Sin in the least c. more excusable for in the dayes of such Ignorance God winks But if it be a Blindness proceeding from long Disobedience and Rebellion against the Convictions and Strivings of the Good Spirit of God as his Word Hardned implies then I say it is not only very hainous in God's Sight but those Persons can never be excused neither from great Guilt nor the Sense of it in themselves let them or J. F. talk never so much of Conscience Besides the most Essential and Universally Necessary Commands of God were through all Ages confest to both before there was any of those Writings we rightly call the Scriptures of Truth from the Law of Nature as many stile it or rather the Law God placed in Man's Nature and since where they have never been Therefore whatever particular hardned and seared Consciences may say we have the Consent of Mankind and their own Rebellion and Lewdness against them But the Words of J. Faldo in plain terms import as if 1 st Men were not generally convinced of the Righteousness of the Moral Commands of God but that Men keep them because they are in the Bible only which runs against the Testimony of Scripture the Consent of Ages and the Writings and Judgment of the most Honest and Learn'd Protestants 2ly As if it were a like Evil Conscientiously to forbear Running Willing and Striving in Matters of Worship without the Spirit 's Conduct and searedly to plead for the Commission of Murder and Idolatry because Men of such Consciences bogle not at it though that is more then J. F. can prove I mean that they have no Stroak or Remorse 3 ly As if we could worship preach gather Churches and administer Gospel-Ordinances aright without the Spirit 4 ly That he is not convinced by any other Testimony then the Scripture without of any Transgression against God's Law 5 ly It supposes that if Men stay'd till the Spirit mov'd they should stay long enough who vainly prate of Praying by the Spirit notwithstanding never considering that the Spirit standeth ready to Reveal it self to their Assistance and Assurance who wait for it and that all the Children of God are led by the Spirit of God which being our Position had it but been weighed by this Adversary he could not methinks be so Unjust in his Aggravations 'T is true should we believe as he doth the Spirit is not to be waited for now adayes to lead us or that it is not ready to our Information when we wait for its Discoveries and Leadings our Assertion would look very absurd and loose for it were to let fall all Worship but not upon our own Principle as I said before for first all Worship to God ought to be performed by the Assistance of his holy Spirit for of our selves we can do nothing that is Good And secondly God's Spirit is ready to assist instruct and comfort those that wait diligently and patiently for it yea God has given it to the Rebellious that it may judge them if it don't lead them It is such Protestant Doctrine that I wonder Men should not know their Admired Ancestors Faith when they met it Oh great Degeneration into Hardness and Ignorance Lastly There is the same to be said against him that pretends to ground all upon the Scripture that he objects against us who plead for the Conviction of Conscience which the Instance of the Jews Murder of our Lord Jesus Christ unanswerably proves There was a Law that Blasphemers should be put to Death By this Law they apprehended Jesus adjudged and got him to be executed These Men above any Age exalted the Scriptures as the Only Rule Where lies the Mistake Not in the Scripture but in their blind and envious Application of it Now I ask if the only Way
for them to have come to the true Sense and Knowledge of him and escaped that Wicked Murder and the Deplorable Consequences of it had not been to have waited upon God for the Convictions Discoveries and Guidance of his Holy Spirit since Flesh and Blood and the utmost VVit of Man with the Exactness of the meer Letter of the Scriptures could never give the certain Discerning Knowledge and Savour of him unto that Generation whose very VVords themselves were Spirit and Life It was by a Divine Touch Sense and Knowledge given from above that he was truly diâ—cern'd own'd and follow'd of those that believ'd in him and cleav'd to him therefore said Christ No man cometh to me but whom my Father draweth Where was that Drawing but within Again Simon Peter Flesh and Blood hath not revealed what who I am but my Father that is in Heaven So that at last Men must come to this Spiritual Sense in themselves to understand and apply the very Commands of Scripture otherwise not Justice but detestable Murder may under the Name of it be confidently perpetrated Wherefore we Exhort all To have Recourse unto God's Spirit that illuminates certainly and gives to act unblamably by which the Scriptures are only understood as they should be and People brought into the Possession of that Life of Righteousness they plentifully declare of Had it not been for this inward Discerning there had been no Ground for the Abolishment of the whole Jewish Service which follow'd some years after Christ's Ascension And it is the same Eternal Spirit that is the great Rule and Judge now which God promised more particularly to shed abroad in the latter Dayes and is the great inseparable Priviledge from the New and Everlasting Covenant But to conclude Why should it seem so Heterâ—dox in J. Faldo's Judgment since if Men believe the Scripture upon the Testimony of the Spirit they practise it by the Knowledge and Power of the same How else could Paul have decry'd Jewish Ceremonies or we know what to take and what to leave Or why do we omit any Command therein mention'd They Cicumcised therefore must I Circumcise They Baptized must I therefore Baptize with forty more particular Cases wherein nothing can secure any from the Imitation of them set Conviction or Spiritual Disâ—erning aside I will offer two or three Testimonies from approved Men in our Defence William Tindal that ancient faithful Protestant Martyr whom J. Fox that writ the Books of Martyrs calls the English Apostle speaks thus That it is impossible to understand in the Scripture more then a Turk for whosoever or any that hath not the Law of God writ in his Heart to fulfil it Again Without the Spirit it is impossible to understand them John Jewel Bishop of Salisbury in his excellent Book against the Papists writ above One Hundred Years ago sayes thus to our purpose The Spirit of God is bound neither to Sharpness of Wit nor to abundance of Learning Oftentimes the Unlearned see that thing that the Learned cannot see Christ saith I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the Wise and the Politick and hast revealed them unto the Little Ones Therefore Epiphanius saith Only to the Children of the Holy Ghost all the Holy Scriptures are plain and clear Again Flesh and Blood is not able to understand the Holy Will of God without SPECIAL Revelation Therefore Christ gave Thanks unto his Father and likewise opened the Hearts of his Disciples that they might understand the Scriptures Without this special Help and PROMPTING of God's Holy Spirit the Word of God is unto the Reader be he never so wise or well learned as the Vision of a Sealed Book Now unless Men are bound to do what they do not understand how to do then only are they to do them where they are Revealed or Discovered to them which being by the Spirit only according to their Doctrine the Testimony and Discoveries of the Spirit are requisite to our understanding of the Scriptures which implies and comprehends a Discriminating Knowledge or Certain Discerning of what we should practise from what is not oblieging upon us to practise and consequently that we ought not to run head-long without such knowledge T. Collier an Ancient and Eminent Man among the Western-Separatists of our Nation writeth thus For me to speak of God because another speaks of him and to be able to talk much of God as I read of him in Scripture NOT BEING MADE ONE IN THE SAME TRUTH I see and speak BUT WHAT ANOTHER HATH SPOKEN and so may speak truly sometimes of God but it is by Hear-say ANOTHER MAN's TRUTH BUT NOT MINE So I doubt many a Soul BOASTS IN ANOTHER MAN's LIGHT Again I see that external Actings according to a Rule without is nothing if not flowing from a Principle of Life and Love within Which is more then E. B. said of whom J. Faldo with unworthy Reflection and base Wrestings hath said so much Thus much of sober Rejoynder and much more then my Adversary's scurrilous Reply deserves but the ConCernment I have for the Information of others drew this from me I shall pass by his Ranting Strain against us at the top of his 36th page desiring to keep close to the Business and where I may without breaking his Matter avoid troubling the World with a Transcript of them I am very careful to do it But this next particular as many more being little else and since he suggests thereby an Untruth with great Confidence against me I should wrong both the Truth and my self in omitting it He charged us with Denying the Scriptures to be any Means to know God Christ or our selves for which he quoted W. Smith's Primmer pag. 2. because he there tells the Questioner that Christ is the Only Way to which J. Faldo answered That though Christ said No Man can come to the Father but by me yet he did not say that there is no coming to the Knowledge of God but by Christ thereby making as I observed in my Return to him a Difference between coming to the Father by the Son and to God by Christ though no other Name be given under Heaven then the Name of Jeâ—us Christ c. That we never deny'd the Scriptures to be a Means in God's Hand to convince instruct or confirm nor could this be W. Smith's Meaning since he would thereby have cut off all Benefit from accruing to People by his Books and also that Ministry he had receiv'd of God In short From our Denying that there is any other Way to the Father but Christ he concludes that we exclude the Scriptures and consequently our own Books and Ministry with them from being any way Instrumental of Good however if I err'd it was in good Company and that J. F. must acknowledge for worthy W. Tindal p. 80. of his Works and H. Bullenger a learned and famous Reformer in Switzerland
to enable People to understand the Romish Translation for we never yet heard of so much as any part of the Scripture that was Originally writ in that Tongue 'T is strange to me he should so much despise the People whose Language he so much extols and count the one serviceable to the Knowledge of God whilst with more Reason he reputes the other such gross Idolaters Luther jerks the Papists for their laying that Stress J. F. doth upon Humane Learning W. Tindal rejects it W. Dâ—ll and T. Collier write expresly and unanswerably against the Necessity of it or that it can give Man the Knowledge of God In short Common Experience and the Christian-Spirit and Conversation of Thousands that understand nor one Sentence of Hebrew Greek or Latine make good the Assertion of our Honest Friend and is a sufficient Rebuke to this vapouring Adversary whose Defiance to me to encounter his Proofs return Weakness with Shame upon his Head For though he thought to fling me to the Dogs or give me a Prey to Fierce and Lyonly Seconds behold they are my Friends and unananimously turn with me against himself who had designed them upon such ill Service a Recompence may he ever find at what time he shall endeavour to abuse our Friends and pervert their Writings And so I shall end this Chapter wishing for his sake as well as mine own that I may meet if not with more Reason yet with more Moderation in the remainder of his Discourse CHAP. VIII That we do not deny the Scriptures to be any Means whereby to resist Temptation in Opposition to and Denyal of our Adversary's Charge THe Charge by him endeavour'd to be defended in his Eighth Chapter is this That the Quakers affirm the Scriptures to be no Means whereby to resist Temptation I will set down his words Rep. He passes over no less then Six Testimonies without a word to invalidate them among the rest this If you use any other VVeapon then the Light within in-this Spiritual VVar you cannot prevail against him that is the Devil So I more then proved my Assertion Rejoyn I therefore avoided considering every Testimony he brought first because many of them were so forraign that there could be no Pretence for bringing them And next that I might not be prolix I thought it sufficient to examine three in six and with good Conscieâ—e I can assure my Reader I took as I thought those he built most upon if he doubted of any he should not have brought them I have answer'd the Law in the case For this now recited 't is as weak as Water to his Purpose though a strong Truth in it self For the Intent of the words could be no other then this that the Armor of Light the Apostle exhorted the Church at Rome to put on was sufficient to Encounter the Power of Darkness and that such as would overcome should not neglect or exchange that Armour for other Weapons thereby not in the least excluding other such Instruments as this spiritual Light might arm or give Strength and Invigourate to our Help And I am so far from doubting that I firmly believe that God's Spirit not only in times past hath made this use of the holy Scriptures to Instruction and Comfort but doth even yet to them who read them in his holy Fear and Wisdom Reader I am truly weary not because I find my way difficult from the great Perspicuity and Reason that are on the Side of my Adversary no nothing less in this VVorld But I know not which way to turn my self but I meet either with School-Boy Jeers Insolent Language Equivocations or horrible Perversions God is Record between J. Faldo and I who of us two hath behav'd himself with most Ingenuity in encountering the strongest and fullest Arguments and shown most Reason and Moderation in Confuting them Two or Three Instances of his Failure in both respects this Chapter presents thee with Rep. The first thing VV. P. deals with is a Passage of James Naylor ' s For those only are the Children of God who are lead by the Spirit of God to whom they who were led by the Letter were ever Enemies From whence saith Penn He concludes that we account it a very dangerous thing to read the Scriptures Now if this Passage hath any relation to his Charge or Conclusion no Man ever saw the like He should have added that was alwayes stark blind Rejoyn Here he has given my Reflection upon his ill Application of the Passage omitting both my Exposition and Argument An Injustice I do affirm every Page of his Book to be guilty of VVhat I said to explain the Sentence was this That there are Children of the Fleshly Literal and Historical Knowledge of the Scriptures and Religion who are Srrangers to and therefore Persecutors of the Children born of the Spirit and that in all Ages there hath been more or less of this among outward Jews and Christians And let J. Faldo deny this if he dare To all which and much more he sayes nothing but to his blind Squib before-mention'd he adds this Wrestâ—ing of the Passage by me so clearly exposited Rep. It is a Sign his Judgment is very feeble that â—ould not or would not know that it is dangerous to be â—od by the Letter if they that were so led were ever Eâ—emies to the Children of God Rejoyn What is this but to make us Enemies to thâ— very Scriptures who without any Distinction gives so Wretched a Meaning to words so far from bearing it whose true Sense was as I observ'd already to which I may add for further Explanation thus That those who have Confidence in the Letter Erring from and Grieving the Holy Spirit are not withstanding Enemies to the Children of God who are led by the Spirit according to the true Meaning of Scripture which the meer Letter-Professor as such can never attain to so that the Danger lies here to be led by the Letter without the true Meaning of the Letter or rather by his own dark Apprehensions concerning the Mind of it in the stead of it As the Jews when they crucified Christ by the Law of God against Blasphemers This is the genuine Sense of our Friend's words For had they been writ in the Sense in which John Faldo takes them we had then as greatly detested them as he has now wrong'd them A second Passage is in his first Book pag. 109. his words these Isaac Penington who speaking of Knowledge gain'd by the Letter of the Scriptures writes thus Making him wise and able in his Head to oppose Truth and so bringing him into a State of Condemnation Wrath and Misery beyond the Heathen and making him harder to be wrought upon by the Light and Power of Truth then the very Heathen Upon which J. Faldo bestows this Comment If reading the Scriptures and getting Knowledge from them puts us into a bad Condition beyond the Heathen I scarce know what is more
dangerous then reading the Scriptures Reader 't is worth our while to see if I. Penington be as bad a Man as J. Faldo represents him in order to which I ask First May a Man that reads and pretends to value the Scriptures from up an Vnderstanding of them and yet be absolutely mistaken for want of the True Interpreter the Spirit of Truth I cannot think but J. Faldo himself will say that such a thing may be I am sure I believe so for it hath often been so already and J. Faldo's present Writings are an Unanswerable Instance for the Point The next Question I would ask is this Whether such Persons so mistaken are not very apt in Defence of their own Conceivings to oppose the Truth it self Methinks the whole Jewish Church at the time of Christ's Visible Appearance in the World in disputing against him and decrying of his Religion while they magnify'd the Scriptures as the only great Doctors of them should without further Labour answer that Question in the Affirmative Next Let me ask J. Faldo If the high Conceit the Jews had of their Knowledge in the Commands Doctrines and Prophecies of Scripture however Erroneous for want of the True Interpreter did not render them more captious and obdurate then the Heathen themselves If he can read the Scriptures of the New Testament he may answer this Question to our Mind and his own Shame Lastly Was not this State more dangerous then that of the Gentiles God himself long since resolv'd this Question when he brought such heavy Judgments upon the Jews and turn'd the Stream of his Love to the Gentiles It was not for nought those words were left upon record He came to his own and his own received him not That is He came to the Nation and People of all others God had selected for his Service to whom he had been propitious beyond measure whom he redeem'd by wonderful Miracles and blessed with Holy Leaders Just Judges a Righteous Law True and Faithful Prophets whose were the Covenants and Scriptures who were the Seed of Abraham and of whom Christ came as concerning the Flesh yet they received him not as God over all blessed forever manifested in Flesh in the Fulness of Time for their Deliverance but vehemently rejected him under the Title of Beelzebub Prince of Devils By this time I hope Isaac Penington's Passage is vindicated from the Malignity of our Adversary's Comment whose Perversion must needs be open and conspicuous to all that read him First in charging him To have made this Reflection upon the Knowledge gained by the Letter of the Scriptures which are none of I. P's words Next in concluding that by I. P's Doctrine nothing can well be more Dangerous then Reading the Scriptures who alwayes was and yet is a great Respecter and Reader of them making the Stress of I. P's Saying to lie in a Dislike and Contempt of the Scriptures absolutely instead of their dark Interpretations upon and Carnal Deductions from the Scriptures which he only levell'd his Discourse against Thus have we been serv'd in every pretended Proof he has brought out of our Friends Writings to prop and enforce his feeble and incredible Charges For where we reprove Men's forming unto themselves Religion from the Letter of the Scriptures according to their own Conceptions of it and give a Check to their great Eagerness to comprehend the most weighty Mysteries therein expressed and their continual Questioning Cavilling and Contending concerning them whilst they themselves are Ignorant of the very first Principles of Religion being yet Strangers to Unfeign'd Repentance fâ—om Dead Works and Fear towards the Living God with Loud Voices and Clamorous Tongues they thus exclaim against us after this Unruly as well as Unjust Manner The Quakers Deny the Scriptures The Quakers say they are not binding upon them The Quakers say it is Dangerous to read them but I say in their Name Blessed are they who reading truly understand them and live according to them I might here break off but I intreat my Reader to peruse Two notable Testimonies given by University-Men and such as were reputed Famous Thirty Years ago The first is out of Joshua Sprigg's Book entituled A Testimony to an Approaching Glory pag. 96. Christ desires that his Disciples may be sanctified not by planting the Knowledge of the LITERAL Word in their Minds but by ingrafting the Nature of the DIVINE Word in their Hearts Again in pag. 107. Christ may offer himself long enough in the LETTER in the HISTORY of the Gospel but if he appear not in the SPIRIT and sit in our Consciences to quiet them we shall never have any true Understanding of the Word aright And in page 79 80. We may see what is to be done by looking upon the HISTORY of Christ but till we find the same things done in us in some measure in the MYSTERY we can find little Comfort The whole HISTORY of Christ will profit you nothing nor all that you know except you find EXPERIMENTALLY the same things done in you by the Spirit The second is afforded us by Christopher Goâ—d stiled Bachellor of Divinity and Fellow of King's Colledge in Cambridge in his Book entituled Refreshing Drops c. pag. 12. There is no Knowledge of Christ nor of the Scripture but by REVELATION it is that the Apostle prayes for That God would give unto us the Spirit of Revelâ—tion Again in pag 18. It is neither Moses nor the Scriptures nor Christ's Works can settle our Hearts unless the Father be in them c. Also in pag. 89. To go forth in Man's Power in the Power of a Letter of the Scripture only is not safe Yet again pag. 87 upon Acts 17. Here they hold Paul play in Reasoning and Disputing Paul holds up Christ out of the Scriptures and the Jews do dispute against Christ by the Scriptures And this is that that all the Learning of Man doth all his Knowledge in the Scripture doth but serve him to oppose the Spirit The greater Knowledge in the Scriptures and the more Learning if it be only of Man the greater Opposition unto Christ and unto the Spirit These Jews had LEARNING AND KNOWLEDG IN THE SCRIPTURES MEERLY TO OPPOSE THE TRUTH THE POWER AND LIFE OF THE SCRIPTURES And lastly that we may not be too prolix we shall content our selves in the over-looking many more with this Passage in his last Testimony pag. 71. upon Esa 25. There are that have devoted themselves to the Law and the Letter of Scripture There are others that have their Life in the Creature God will shortly draw all Life unto himself and all they that run after other Gods shall starve and famish They and their Gods These Passages Reader speak for themselves and which is more so much for us that till J. Faldo and his Fellow-Separatists have publickly renounced them and their Authors we have great Cause to say that such as themselves have hitherto reputed their Spiritual and
Learn'd Ministers do defend and rather out-word us in Testimony to the Truth But before J. F. proceeds to any such Excommunication let him remember that he cannot do it without Disturbance to the Grave and Injury to the Memory of Joseph Carl that Famous and Ancient Independent Pastor who Licensed J. Spâ—â—gg's Book Ann. 1647. and consequently entituled himself to the Doctrine therein exprest And for Christopher Goad's not only J. Sprigg perform'd the Friendly Office of Publisher after his Decease but himself was Pastor of a very eminent Congregation of Independents in his Life-time Strange that the Men of these dayes should not know the Principles of their Admir'd Fathers and Teachers when they meet them but that worthy Witness C. Goad in his Conclusion of his last Testimony pag. 74 77. gives a good Reason for it He that hath Ears to hear let him hear he that hath not it may be will cry Whimsie Fancy and turning the Scripture into an Allegory and whilst the Vail is over Error Heresie Blasphemy I had thoughts of adding no further Testimony but a most remarkable Passage of that Christian and Learned Martyr Dr. Barnes Burnt for his Faith in King Henry the Eighth's dayes after having been his Ambassador and in high repute pressed hard upon me and I know not but his greater Distance from us then those before cited may carry more Authority and obtain greater Favour with our Enemies who will at least make shew of Reverence to his Autiquity and Martyrdom his words are these That Man's Will Reason Wisdom Heart Soul or whatsoever thing is in Man without the Spirit of God is but the Wisdom of the Flesh let him intend his best do all that lieth in him with all his Might and all his Power and yet can it not please God for it is but all Flesh Again It is the Spirit of Christ that maketh him Christs and the Spirit of God giveth witness to our Spirit that we be the Children of God Our Spirit giveth no witness to himself thâ— he is Christ's for then were the Spirit of God frustrate wherefore let our Spirit as well as he can study his best to apply himself to Goodness or to the uttermâ—â— of his Power and yet it is but WISDOM OF THE FLESH and HATH NO WITNESS OF GODâ— yea it is but an ENEMY and it must needs bâ— SIN as St. Austin saith He that feedeth without mâ—â— feedeth against me Thus far D. Barnes which is but a little of the greaâ— deal that he writes to the same purpose against thâ— Papists about their Doctrine of Free-will And iâ— deed he cleaves the Hair and hits the Mark above moâ— Ancient Writers for as he unanswerably argues in thâ— very Smart Discourse that Man's cleaving to his oâ— Power brought him into transgression and consequenâ—â—ly could never redeem him out of it So doth he eâ—â—press the absolute Necessity of Man's having Recourseâ— the Spirit of God in himself for Counsel and Assistanâ— in order to understand and fulfil the Good-will of Goâ— which implyes that all those who call it opposing 〈◊〉 Spirit to the Scripture and vilifying the Knowledge Scripture to press the understanding of it and witnessing the Truths therein declared of from the Revelation and Operation of the Eternal Spirit only are upon the rankest strain of Free-will that was ever yet broach'd among Men and there we leave our bitter Enemy J. Faldo I am now come to a Passage more immediately concerning my self which he thinks touches me to the Quick but I know not why unless he measures me by himself being a Man so quick to be touch'd that at the soberest and solidst Answer which I could give him he doth so gaul and fret that there is no coming near him without being kick't and abus'd His Carriage towards me in this Particular amongst many Instances already past and yet to come proves what I say In a Book of mine called The Spirit of Truth Vindicated c. in Answer to a Socinian who seem'd to deride the Quakers asserting a Necessity of having a Right Faith in God and Knowledge of the Scriptures from the Revelation and Operation of the Eternal Spirit I used these words But I assure them they shall grope in the Dark till they come into the daily Obedience of the Light and there rest contented to know only as they Experience At this he scoffed What know God only as they experience Can we experience his Omnipotency That W. P. of all others should talk at this rate is most ridiculous To which he brings me in thus answering 'T is Unchristian in John Faldo to assert the right Knowledge of God obtainable any other Way then by Experience Here 's my Reflection by way of Consequence but where 's my Argument That he left behind as being better able to jeer it then confute it some short Account of it I will give That it is the Light or Spirit of God that by its illuminatition giveth the right Knowledge of God that such Knowledge never goes without Experience Again The World without in its Make Order Perservation Providences his Powerful Work of Redemption within prove what I writ But of this he takes no notice Now his Dis-ingenuity thus far is two-fold First his stretching the word Experience to all Cases when the Scope and End of my words went no farther then every Man 's particular Saving Knowledge of God with respect to his Repentance Conversion and Eternal Salvation 2 ly He not only has taken no notice of my Argument but has abused the Consequence viz. That the Right or Saving Knowledge of God is not obtaiâ—able but by Experience after this manner Rep. Reader you have his Character of asserting that Reason Faith Scripture yea the Spirit of God too all which are not one and the same thing with Experience are any Means by which to obtain the Right Knowledge of God Rejoyn How like a Disputant or an honest Man he deals with me may be seen First In that no Man can have Experience without Reason because Reason is that part of a Man which is eminently concern'd in receiving that Experience therefore not the Giver of it nor yet it without Reason Secondly The Work of Faith is one great thing experienced Thirdly The Scripture is oftentimes an Instrument to that Experience Lastly The Spirit of God is the efficient Cause or Worker of the Experience in the reasonable Soul For must not He be very Blind or Malicious that can suppose I meant by the Knowledge of Experience such an one as God's Spirit brings not to who have been all this while pleading for that Knowledge and Experience which the Spirit of God can only give and abused with a Witness by J. Faldo for doing so but that he should suppose me to exclude Reason from Men in their Experiences which is to render them Brutes and because therefore unreasonable to be sure most uncapable of Experience unless Men may Experience without their
the gaudiest Titles and sweetest Entertainments this Temporal World can bestow It s for God against the Devil his Power and Spirit against Satan's the Spiritual against the Formal Man and the real Life of Jesus and Heavenly Experience of his Salvation within whereby the Doctrine of the Gospel is accomplish'd in Men against all Transformation into Likenesses and but meer verbal Immitations and Outsides of Religion For every Plant that the Heavenly Father hath not planted will he root up in this the Day of his Power in which the Lord will make his People a willing People and that notby indulging but rebuking and taking Men off from their own Willing and Running For the Lord has decreed to over-throw the Banks which the False Prophets of the Nations have cast up in the Night of Darkness whereby all Refreshment has been damm'd up from them and the Nations have been like a parched Heath and desolate Wilderness that his Life Power and Spirit may flow over every Kindred Nation and People under the whole Heaven and they shall be all taught of God and in Righteousness will he establish them and there shall be one Sheep-fold and one Shepherd and the Idol Shepherds who have no Vision neither have any Bread of Life wherewith to feed the Flock God will utterly scatter and make an end of and his Name shall be Famous and Renowned through all Generations Amen But Reader my Adversary is not yet willing to leave me he proceeds to tell us That the Quakers charge him and such others with the Sin of Idolatry to believe and live according to the Iustructions and holy Examples expressed in and by the Scriptures except they have them by Immediate Inspiration And though the Substance of it hath been already consider'd by me yet I shall not grudge my Pains if the Reader will bestow his perusal and perhaps he may find something not unserviceable to the further Clearing of our Sense and Detection of our Adversary's Dis-ingenuity He writes thus in his Reply Rep. I produced among others two Testimonies which W. P. takâ—s notice of My first is out of Morn Watch page 23. And this is Babylon the Mother of Harlots and the Abomination of all Uncleanness Rej. I need say the less to this because I have so clearly and lately defended W. S. in that Book and Page from any such wretched Meanings and Applications which J. F. has employ'd his Wits to rack his Words to Only Reader observe his Fallacy that he sets not down what Examples and what Instructions but confounds Moral with Ceremonial Precepts on purpose to make us at one Blow cut off all Regard to Scripture indifferently Next mark his Antichristianism in that he maketh the Mind of God and Doctrines and Lives of the holy Ancients in Scriptures capable of being understood and follow'd without the Inspiration of God's holy Spirit thereby giving the Lye to the most express Texts of holy Scripture and the plainest Assertions of the purest Fathers most famous Reformers and constant Martyrs I will say no more to this then that our Adversary himself hath in the same page cited so much of W. S. as declares his Perversion of the other part of his Book viz. And are all out of the Life and Power of God that is Those that say they have God to their Father speak high things of Holy Scripture and bedeck themselves with the Passages thereof and notwithstanding are out of the Life and Power of God are not true Jews or Christians but are of the Synagogue of Satan the Abomination of all Uncleanness and which help to make up Babylon the Mother of Harlots For the other Proof he brought which indeed was his first though in his Reply he tells us it was his last he was affraid to meddle with it and there was great Reason for it For he knew not which way to handle it but would bite his Fingers I will set it down with my Answer contracted that I may help the Reader to another Instance by which he may take his just Measures of the Man in hand respecting his sort of Fair Dealing or Strength of Argument W. Dewsbury he cites thus in his Discovery of Man's Return pag. 21. All People may search the Scriptures and see how you have been deceived by your Teachers who have caused you to seek your lost God in Carnal and Dead Observations WHICH THEY HAVE NOT ANY SCRIPTURE FOR. Now Reader was not this an extraordinary Passage to prove J. Fâ—do's Charge viz. That it was Idolatry to act according to Scripture c. which is given by our Friend as a Reason why People ought not to follow their Blind Teachers But be pleased to read my Defence as I then writ it W. Dewsbury is so far from making it Idolatry to live up to the Scriptures that he condemns the seeking for the True God where he was not to be found which saith he they have no Scripture for As much as to say that such seek after God not according to Scriptures And therefore are both Deceivers and Deceived Unto which J. F. reply'd nothing unless it be that he had nothing to Reply except an Acknowledgment which he thought would not make for his present sort of Credit He winds up this Chapter with a Justification of his Comparison of our Doctrine about the Scriptures with that of Jesuits and Papists I will set him down at large Rep. Concerning my Parallel between the Jesuits and the Papists in the venomn Spit against the Scriptures W. P. hath thus little to say It is Ridiculous and every way unworthy our notice a meer begging of the Question We can never allow of the Comparison But why all this Contempt Rejoyn Contempt pinches his proud Stomach But Curteous Reader ask J. F. why he left out the Words immediately proceeding viz. He has been so Cunning or Vnjust rather as to quote their Authors and not ours and some Passages we justly doubt What base Juggling is this with his Reader and Abuse of his Adversary It concern'd him more to be just in this then to ask Why all this Contempt And had he not had less Honesty then Stomach we might have expected that Justice the want of which brings greater Contempt upon him then my sober Reflection upon such unfair Dealing But he proceeds to cite these words as the whole Reason why we disallow the Comparison Sence the Papists place the Rule and Judgship in a Pope and General Council and the Quakers in the Eternal Unerrable Holy Spirit of God To which he replies thus Rep. The first is as I said the second is Blasphemously False for the Quakers call their Light within the Spirit of God which I have sufficiently proved to be a BLASPHEMER of the Spirit of God a SORDID SINFVL CORRVPT and RIDICVLOVS THING Rejoyn What he means by his first I know not unless that he said true of the Papists And if any of them have writ or spoak
true and living God Fifthly We have proved our Doctrine of the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit as by us distinguisht and cleared from J. F.'s Perversions by abundance of such Authorities as I think he dares not gain-say So that we cannot be longer Hereticks and those continue Orthodox showing thereby that we are but pressing more intirely plainly and effectually what the best Protestants and Separatists have at times not only let drop from their Mouths and Pens but insisted on and prophesied also the increase and Enlargement of in the hearts of Men however forgot or denyed by their Dry and Degenerated Posterity Lastly That we do not therefore exhort People to hearken unto the Voice and Leadings of the Holy Spirit which strive with them as that by which God who is a Spirit comes truly to be known and the Scriptures themselves only to be read with a right Understanding and true Benefit with any the least Design to justle the Scriptures out of their place and Authority No God knows it is not our Purpose but for this very End do we so write and speak that People may come to possess what they declare of and witness them fulfilled in themselves instead of contending about what they do not understand and which can never be revealed to that dead dark and unregenerate State in which they live for the Lord is at work as I said before to gather People more and more into the Spirit and Life of his Son accomplishing his Glorious Promises in these latter Dayes and bringing People to the good Things themselves by which Out-sides are daily wearing off more and more and the Testimonies of Holy Scripture witnessed and fulfilled in them that believe Which is not to Overthrow but to answer the great End of their first Publication Preservation unto this very Day Whereas the contrary is not truly to esteem them but under the very vain Pretence of it to withstand and as much as in them lieth to bar out the Great Gospel-Ministration which stands in the Convictions Instructions Leadings and Orderings of the Holy Spirit And unto that must all come who in this Life would witness a Translation into Christ's Kingdom that is not of this World and know a being made free of that Jerusalem which comes down from above the Mother of the Free-born which they only are that have been born again by the Regenerating Word to whom the Formal and Literal Professors are but as Hagar and her Off-spring unto Sarah and the Seed of the Promise And this is the Word of the God of Heaven and Earth unto all those that are yet unacquainted with this Convincing Baptizing Reconciling Ingrafting and Regenerating Word Power or Spirit within And so I am thus far clear of your Blood and am at Peace with the God of my Salvation THE INVALIDITY OF John Faldo's Vindication Of his Book called Quakerism No Christianity PART II. CHAP. I. of Gospel-Ordinances in general such truly embraced THis second Part of my Rejoynder is a Consideration of his Defence of his Charge of our Denying Gospel-Ordinances the True Christ with his Transactions at Jerusalem also that we are guilty of Idolatry and own not the Resurrection of the Dead The Work of this Chapter will be to see how he will make good our Denyal of Gospel-Ordinances in general Be pleased to hear how he handleth both me and the Matter Reply pag. 49 50. The first Proof is out of Fox Myst p. 2. He hath triumphed over the Ordinances and blotted them out and they are not to be touched and the Saints â— Christ in them who is the End of outward Forms This saith W. P. pag. 103. is Scripture Language But why so because some Scripture-words are in it although the Text be mangled Corrupted and abused to the Contradiction of Scripture-Truth Thus they apply sinfulyenough False Prophets Dogs Serpents Hypocrites Devil Lyar c. But if I should call W. P. Thou Child of the Devil Thou Enemy of all Righteousness he would not therefore allow it to be all very true though so applyed it looks much more like Truth then G. Fox's scriptural Language who hath these Words about Baptism and the Lord's Supper Rejoynder For his Proof as he calls it it is not in pag. 52. of G. F's Book which were Answer enough to so shuffling an Adversary I confess in page 16. I find it but it is so far from being immediately directed to either Baptism or Supper that there is no such thing mentioned much lest insisted on from the Beginning of G. F's Answer to J. Timson's Book to the very place wherein the Words are found Now what to call this piece of Invention is sest with every Readers Discretion But it is not less worth our notice that of all my Explanation of G. F's Words he only reports these three viz. is Scripture Language who further told him Christ did blot out the Hand-writing of Ordinances Collos 2. 14. That he was to the Saints then and is to those now who rightly believe in him the End of all Meats Drinks Washing Dayes or any other Temporal Elementary or Figurative Worship according to verse 16 17. By this it will appear whether of us two have most honestly and most truely applyed Scripture I in thus expositing and vindicating G. F's Passage or J. Faldo in calling me by Implication a Child of the Devil and an Enemy of all Righteousness But again Reply p. 50. I also told Mr. Penn That if the Saints having Christ in them were the Consideration of which the Ordinances were not to be touched then not only we but even all other Saints under the Mosaical Administration sinned in their Practices of God's Ordinances also for they had Christ in them in those Dayes in the same Sence as the Saints in these Rejoynder This Saying carries with it a large Concession to Christ's Manifestation in the Hearts of his People as well under the Mosaical Administration as that which we call for Distinction Evangelical Indeed larger then true if by the same Sence he understands that all that he was to his Apostles and the Churches by them planted he was to the People of Israel under the Conduct of Moses for first it is manifest they were not capable of such Discoveries being weak-Sighted carnal and greatly addicted to embrace the Fopperies of the Heathen Secondly There would have been no need of shewing forth a further Glory by Types and Figures or to entertain minds so enlighted and Heavenly with such low and as the Apostle phraseth them beggarly things had they enjoyed Christ under the Administration of Moses as in more Gospel Times But above all that J. Faldo should plead for the Continuance of Ordinances after Christ had blotted them out and such Meats and Drinks c. as Christ ended being the Substance of them because Christ might be in some measure known to the Saints of old at what time such Ordinances were given forth and such Meats
the Power of Satan unto God we own honour and love and only deny and reject that Ministry which is by the Will Study or Acquisition of Man in his unregenerated State who not being acquainted with the Effectual Operation of the Word of God in themfelves are wholy dark as to those things which relate to the true Ministry not knowing what they deny nor whereof they affirm which doth not edifie but hazard the immortal Souls of Men And as they want the Inspiration of the Almighty to instruct them so being Strangers to the Work of God in themselves and not waiting to feel an Enduement with Divine Power from on high there proceeds no spiritual Life or divine Vertue from them to make their Ministry effectual which is the Cause of that Lamentable Decay of holy Living that is in the World and great Increase of all manner of Unsavoury and Irreligious Conversation I will conclude with two or three Testimonies given by men once in request with Separatists Christopher Goad's Invalidity of Church's Censures pag. 64 65. It is the Spirit that makes Ministers and those Ministers that remain by the Spirit do minister the Spirit and that is ministring of the Gospel when we miuister the Spirit I am a Minister of the new Testament so far as the Spirit speaks in me and by me In whomsoever the Spirit stands up and speaks that Person for the Time is a Minister a true Minister The Spirit doth not regard Sexes the Spirit regards not Age Learned or unlearned 'T is not Age nor Sex nor any major Part can minister Spirit but whom the Spirit pleaseth Christopher Goad Right Spir. c. p. 21 22. The Ministry that is calling us off from Man from the Gloworm Light of this Creation from Man's Parts an Gifts into the Spirit that is the Ministry we should look after The Truth is there is no true Prophet no true Testimony given of Christ but by those that see him and the nearer to him the clearer Sight of him the more clear and powerful is the Testimony given of him That Testimony that is given to him by those that do not see him present and come is not in deed a Testimony to Christ but to Anti-christ he is such a Prophet as Balaam was that had nothing but Notion All true Prophets that prophesied of Christ saw him and he was in them Christopher Goad's Paraphrase upon Act. 17. p. 18. We know no other Guide but the Spirit There is not any Minister in the World that is our Guide or any Company of Ministers â—ut the Spirit if he speaks in them and by them VVe have but one Master that is Christ T. Collier in his Works p. 47 48. and p. 430. Upon that Scripture Mal. 27. The Priâ—st's Lips should preserve Knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Host Now this usually is applyed to the Ministers who have given themselves the Title of Priest's and that the People should seek the Knowledge at their Mouths and indeed they themselves have done what in them lies not only to bring People into this Error and Ignorance but to keep them in it whereas Christ is indeed the alone Priâ—st the Substance of the Jews Type and the People are to seek the Law at his Mouth but he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts he is called the Messenger of the Covenant Mal 3. 1. the alone Prophet and Teacher of his People The Spirit being lost Anti-christ sets the VVisdom of the Flesh human Industry Tongues and Arts in room of it it is the Anointing of Anti-christ for in all things Anti-christ seeks to imitate Christ as well in the Flesh as in the Spirit Again The Saints are made partakers of the same Spirit the Apostles were W. Dell's Sermons pag. 16 17 18. There is a Necessity of this Power of the Holy Spirit for Ministers For first If they have not this Power of the Holy Spirit they have no Power at all for Christ sent them only as his Father sent him Without this Power they are insufficient for the Ministry for no Man is sufficient for the Work of the Ministry by any natural Parts and Abilities of his own but only by this Power of the Spirit and till he be endued with this notwithstanding all his other Accomplishments he is altogether insufficient but only by the Power of the holy Spirit coming upon them He cannot speak the Word of God but by the Power of God Christ himâ—elf without this Power of God could not have spoke one VVord of God W. Dell. Stumble Stone p. 8. The Ministry of the new Testament is a common Ministry belonging equaly and the like to all the Seed of Christ W. Dell. Tryal of Spirits p. 17 18. The true Prophets speaking the Word of God by and in the Spirit as Paul sayes of himself and other Believes who had received the Spirit We have the mind of Christ But the false Prophets though they speak the Word of the Letter exactly and that to the very Original and Curiosity of Criticisms yet speaking it without the Spirit they are false Prophets before God and his True Church seeing all right Prophecy hath proceeded from the Spirit in all Ages of the World but especially it must so proceed in the Dayes of the New-Testament wherein God hath promised the largest Effusion of his Spirit Greenham Serm. 1. p. 51. Without this Spirit of God no Holy Exercise can have its full Effect for the word works not where the Spirit of God is wanting when we have not the Spirit of God to teach us speak of the Law or the Gospel c. we are little affected therewith unless God give us of his good Spirit to profit by the same CHAP. III. That we own a Gospel-Church contrary to our Adversary's Charge THe next thing our Adversary charged us with a Denyal of is a Gospel-Church one of his Proofs as he will have them called was in J. N's Love to the Lost pag. 17. And the Chruch so gathered into God is the Pillar and Ground of Truth where the Spirit alone is Teacher Upon which he argued thus The Gospel-Church is a Church which had other Teachers and not the Spirit alone Therefore the Quakers deny a Gospel-Church and they contradict themselves for they have more Teachers then all others Thus his first Book pag. 16. To which I returned That such as are not blinded with Prejudice may discern that from our speaking of the Universal Church of God which sayes the Apostle as well as the Quakers is in God he inâ—ers That we deny all Visible Religious Societies commonly called by the Ancients Asia Thessalonica Ephesus Corinth c. Now observe his Reply Reply pag. 59. Not one word of this in all my Book My Charge was That they deny a Gospel-Church not Visible Religious Societies Rejoynder Confidently said but if all the Words be not there doth it follow
the Matter they import is not there If he doth not mean That we deny a Visible Religious Society to be a Church what makes him to infer our Denyal of a Gospel-Church from our asserting it to be Invisible Two things must follow from this Reply Either a Gospel-Church is not visible and then he breaks his own Neck or not a Religious Society and so he is impious If then a Gospel-Church is a Visible Religious Society and we deny a Gospel-Church it must follow that we deny a Visible Religious Society which in John Faldo's Opinion makes up a Gospel-Church To conclude a Gospel-Church and a Visible Religious Society he makes to be quite differing things But perhaps he will come off thus I did not say ye denyed the visible religious Societies called the Churches of Asia c. but that you deny them or such as they are to be Churches But neither will this serve his turn for we both own them to have been Gospel-Churches and are taught by J. F. to believe That a Gospel-Church is not only not invisible but an other Thing then a visible religious Society too It is worth our while to hear his Reason for it Reply p. 59. Religious Societies may be as far from a Gospel-Church as half a dozen Christian Friends associated together to eat a good Dinner or carry on a Trade yet he dirts me with want of Honesty to grace his Forgery Rejoynder He might as well have said to the Ale-House or Tavern whether he invited a Friend of ours after disputing with him doubtless not out of Love to our Friend but the good Liquor a Sort of Liberty once counted Scandalous by many of his Pretensions especially when just after so serious an Exercise but it is grown familiar with Men of his Coat to fall from the Bible to the Pot and so back again But Friendly Reader what sayst thou of this Man's Evasion Who will have me to mean by visible religious Societies visible civil Societies for such I count good Men at an Ordinary or a Committee of Trade Vain and Shallow Man Did I not give Intimation enough what Religious Societies I meant when I instanced the Churches of Asia Thessalonica c. to explain what I meant thereby Whether I did play the Forger or my Adversary the Dishonest Shifter Let the Impartial Reader judge Again Reply W. P. proceeds p. 113. in the same Evil And from our asserting the Spirit to be the only Gospel-Teacher he concludes that we deny all Preaching of men though by the Spirit the four last Words though by the Spirit are added by him and meerly forged Rejoynder They may be added but not forged One would think it is only then when without the holy Ghost that we deny it by his Words and that hurts us not but I take it the other way and the Truth is it is a Mistake he commits against us where-ever the like Subjects fall in his Way for this implies as if we denyed Preaching by Inspiration and that he all along had mantained it A Doctrine he ever now and then flings in our Dish scorns and derides Thus can this Man's Conscience sail by any Wind to gain the Shore and after all these Shuffles dares to conclude That we in Terminis deny all Preachings of men because G. F. said cease from man when there is nothing more palpable then that G. F. meant man considered in his own meer Ability that is from such as the Prophet forbid not from true Prophets but our Adversary the Preachings of Men though by the Spirit of God for how can he make us to contradict our selves in saying man is the Spirits Instrument which he understands to be the Preaching of Men by the Spirit if he doth not make us deny all Preaching though by the Spirit In short I hope my Reader will think it no Forgery whatever my Adversary may who ever and anon would hide his own weakness by hard word flung upon me to amuse the credulous Reader to say that from our Asserting The Spirit to be the only Gospel-Teacher of all who believe he concludes That we deny all Preaching of Men though by the Spirit else there would be no sense in his charging us with a Contradiction because we say The Spirit is the only Teacher and yet that the Spirit teacheth by Men if he did not understand our Ceasing from Men or Denying Man's Ministry to be our Denyal of Man's Preaching by the holy Spirit But he will not give over yet These words The Spirit the only Teacher he often flings up as words indigestible by his foul and phlegmatick Stomach for upon my saying That such as preach by the Holy Spirit are rather the Instrument then the Teacher or Man is that by which the Spirit conveyeth his Teaching unto others he replyes thus Reply pag. 58. So that after W. P's own strict Account he allows their Practices viz. Preaching of Men to give the Lye every Day to their Tenets Rejoynder If Preachings of Men by the Spirit be the Preachings of Men such Preachings we shall alwayes allow and think it no Lye or Contradiction to our Tenets But if he that dictates a Letter of Intelligence be the Informer and not the Scribe the Holy Spirit must be the Teacher and Man but the Instrument True Teachings are not only Words but Matter and that accompanied with Divine Power which flow from the Eternal Spirit Men give them but the simple Covering of Expression and that by the Spirit 's appointment therefore not so properly the Teachings of Men by the Holy Spirit as the Teachings of the Holy Spirit by and through Men consequently not Man's Teachings but the Spirit 's Again Because we charge him with bringing in ot her Teachers then the Holy Spirit contrary to express Scripture the Promise of God and the very End of the Blessed Gospel he replies Reply pag. 58 59. Can you think this Man worth Disputing with who rambles and talks he cares not how If what P. said be true the Exhortations to do the Work of an Evangelist feed the Flock over which the Holy Ghost had made them Over-seers were not intended of Man's Teaching but the Spirit of God only exhorted the Spirit of God to these Actions and Man had not hath not any Agency in Teaching Rejoynder But did we ever say Man had no Share in being taught whatever we have said against the utmost of man's natural Ability considered separately from God's Spirit about his Teaching We never yet said That Man was not to be taught Is there no Difference betwixt Men's Teaching without God's Spirit and Men's being taught of God's Spirit At whose Door then should we lay this Absurdity The Spirit of God exhorted the Spirit of God What an Idle Non sequitur is this Nor do we deny all Agency in Man when mannaged by the Holy Ghost A Man might as well argue following J. Faldo's Steps against the Apostle Paul when he said It is no
chosen called out of the World they are not of this World as he is not of this World W. Dell's Sermons p. 152 156 186. The Church is a Spiritual Invisible Fellowship gathered together in the Unity of the Faith Hope and Love Christ and the Spirit are the only Officers CHAP. IV. His Charge of our Denying to Hear the Word of God examined True Preaching acknowledged HE hath maintained this Charge against our Answer with the same sort of Jeers and Florish but manifest insuccess too that he hath done what went before His words are these Reply pag. 61. Concerning denying the Ordinance of hearing the Word preached to my Proof from G. F. We must not hear Man c. W. P. saith That is so far from making against us that it makes for us at an high rate Much like the Mad-man of Athens who called all the Ships that came into the Port his own while he was for all that but a poor Thred-bare Gentle-man I proved that they asserted the Light to be only preached to be the only Preacher and only â—eached to yea and the only Obeyer Rejoynder If this be done Erit hic mihi magnus Apollo If to cease from Man be not false Doctrine then not to hear Man is no false Doctrine for Man is taken in the same sense in both places For as God never intended by ceasing from Man that they should not regard his Prophets who were Men when they came to declare his VVill so neither did G. F. intend that Man ought not to be heard when he comes on God's Errant or Message in the Name of the Lord but meer Man Man in his Natural Capacity and Ability without the Holy Spirit and Power of God which is but a carnal humane and worldly Ministry To say we only preach the Light is no more then to report The Quakers preach Christ for our Doctrine directs People to the Knocks of Christ the true Light at the Door of the Soul who is the Saviour Redeemer and Preserver of them that believe in him and keep his Commandments But that we ever said That it was only preached to yea and the only Obeyer of such Preaching is as false as any Thing that can be said He tells us he proved it I will give the strongest Passage he brought J. Parn. Shield c. Epist To the Light of God in all your Consciences I speak Very well and what then Is the Light therefore preacht to taught or instructed when he only appealed to the Light in all their Consciences concerning the Truth of what he said as the Apostle did To the Light I speak that is To the Light I direct my self To that I make my Appeal if what I write be not true for what soever is reproveable is made manifest by it Ephes 5. 13. This Construction is Natural Our Adversary's forced for nothing is more common with us in General and that Author in particular then to turn People to the Light pressing their Conformity to the Reproofs and Instructions of it alwayes respecting it as given us of God to be our true certain and constant Teacher and alwayes have we been reproacht by such as J. Faldo for doing so But above all that this Passage should be brought to prove the Light is the Obeyer of such Doctrines and Instructions who is the Author of them is an Absurdity that reflects great Ignorance or something worse upon our Adversary We have already declared our Faith so freely and plainly in this Matter besides the Testimony of our dayly Practice that we need say no more then this A true Living Gospel-Ministry we own and the Service and Benefit of such a one we have enjoyed and beautiful are their Feet who come in the Power and Demonstration of the Spirit that open the blind Eye turn People from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan unto God Act. 26. 18. that He may be their Instructer according to that Promise They shall be all taught of Me which is the chiefest End of all External Instrumental Ministry To prove our Sence of true Preaching we may add these two following Testimonies out of that renowned Independent Dr. Everad Dr. J. Everad's Sermon Militia Coelestis Truth it 〈◊〉 many toss and tumble the Letter and make you believe they expound it and give you the Sense and Vertue yet how shallow how literal how humane how low how sensual and carnal do they make the Worlâ— to be Even your Rabbies your Doctors your great Schollars which shews if God himself if the Lion of the Tribe of Juda if the Root of David do not open the Seals 't is not all the Learning or all the Universities in the World can help us to the Mystery and the Mind of Christ as the Apostle calls it Shadows vanishing c. p. 326. I dare not offer at any Method in the whole nor at any Connection in the Parts For I find that all the curious Dichotomzers do but dream and play with the Scriptures feeding themselves with Fancies and not Truth for Sure I am the only Method that holy Men of old observed was to speak as they were moved by the Holy Spirit There be many Expositions on this Place which I will not trouble you withall for Men speak according to Men but the Scriptures were written by God's Spirit dictated by his own Finger We must therefore labour to find out what is God's Mind in the Scriptures whatever Men say pag. 369. 370. CHAP. V. Of True and False Prayer HE pretends in this Chapter which containeth not a page to refute several pages in my Book relaing to Gospel-Prayer in which if I 〈◊〉 not he hath done me and the Truth I defend the greatest Service that a reasonable Man would desire at the Hands of his Adversary for the Truth of the Matter is the Man hath shrunk from his Post and deserted his Colours which we shall make appear by comparing his first Book with his Reply Reply VV. P. according to my Charge disowns man's Wilâ— and the Vse of his Conceptions to have any thing to do in Gospel-Prayer pag. 122. and disowns all Prayer that is not by and in the Light within The Quakers Christ The Reasons he gives are as Witless as his Assertion Truthless Thus Now unless Men may perform Gospel-VVorship without the Spirit and the Truth or if in the Spirit and the Truth yet not by the Motion of either a thing absurd it must needs be that Men ought only to preach and pray by the Motion of the Spirit and of the Truth How absurd is W. P' s Reasoning here as if the Vnderstanding Conceptions Will of Man in Prayer must needs exclude the Motions of the Spirit or the Motions of the Spirit exclude them Rejoynder The first Thing our Adversary charged upon us in his former Book was our Denyal of Gospel-Prayer to prove which he cited W. Smith who in his Catech. p. 107. spoak against Prayers of Man's forming
Justification HE introduceth his Chapter of Justification in these Words Reply p. 71. Vpon the Point of Justification I cited 18 Proofs to my Charge To three of which W. P. answers by Way of Evasion and Railing being silent to the rest Rejoynder Icited but three thought them as sufficient as threescore sure I am they carried the Sence of the other fifteen if not he did ill to produce them I have answered the Law in the Point And for Evasion and Railing if ever I used either it was not in this Chapter where I have bestowed ten Pages of Sober and Christian Discourse unto which he returns me but three Pages in Defence of his former Application of our Friends Writings for Maintenance of his Charge and what his Carriage in this particular is I will leave with my Reader His Charge was that we denyed the Transactions of Jesus Christ in the Flesh to have any Influence into our Justification before God Three of his Proofs I considered and rescued from his Tyranny The first was this All that are called Presbyterians and Independents with their feeding upon a Report of a Thing done many hundred Years ago E. Bur. Trump p. 17. This J. Faldo called Reproaching such as act Faith on Christ's Righteousness and Sufferings by him wrought and suffered when he was in the World An Answer that suits all Hypocrites at what time their Historical Faith is struck at but what said I why thus he brings me in E. B. meant no more then their Excessive Admiration of and Regard to what Christ did without Thus far J. Faldo quotes me and then replyeth Reply p. 72. Thus W. P. thinks to salve all with his Meanings which are well nigh as corrupt as the Quakers Text for the Admiration of what Christ then did will admit of no Excess Rejoynder There is much more Reason that we should give our Meanings of our own Writings then J. Faldo for us since he is alwayes sure to make them against us if he will not allow us to explain our own Minds but make it the Priviledge of an Adversary we are sure to be worsted be it right or wrong nor can he escape by his own Practice But why is my Meaning corrupt or the Text either May not nay do not People rely upon those external Transactions of Christ as recorded in Scripture Story so as to neglect the whole Work of Redemption and Sanctification by the Power oâ— Christ within Or is it false Doctrine to affirm thaâ— those who hold the whole Work of Man's Salvation to have been throughly wrought by Christ's visible Transactions in the VVorld thereby excluding the most necessary Opperation of his Power and Spirit for the Redemption of such as have been imbondaged by Satan are Excessive in their Apprehensions of what Christ did for Man-kind when visibly in the VVorld If it be we must ingenuously confess we are Holders and Mantainers of corrupt Doctrine But whilst Scripture is of any Value that denyes Heaven to wicked Workers though fair Professors that says without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord and without being born again no Man shall enter the Kingdom of God That Men shall reap what they sow and that Men are sanctified before they are compleatly justified We need not much fear to say That such as attribute all unto Christ's visible Transactions when he was in the World are Excessive in so doing And if this be true how unfair was my Adversary in leaving out that Part of my Answer which would have further explained my Mind and prevented his making so ill an Use of that which he did report but perhaps this might be one Reason for his Omission which ought to have been a Reason against it for to these Words E. B. meant their Excessive Regard to what Christ did without I added whilst they neglected undervalued and decryed for Blasphemy and Enthusiasm the Appearance Work and Righteousness of Christ within p. 148. To be short friendly Reader J. Faldo either designed to drop this Part of my Answer that he might the better rack the other to his own End and our Disgrace which if he did it was unmanly much more unchristianly done or he intended his Reply for my whole Answer and then his Doctrine will ly thus Whoever so regards Christ's Transactions without as to neglect undervalue and decry for Blasphemy and Enthusiasm the Aâ—pearance Work and Righteousness of Christ within are not Excessive or out of the Way in their Apprehension of Christ's Transactions But J. Faldo hath that Regard to the History of Christ's Transactions whilst he neglects undervalues and decryes for Blasphemy and Enthusiasm the Appearance Work and Righteousness of Christ within Therefore J. Faldo's Regard to Christ's Transactions whilst he so neglects undervalues c. is not Excessive or out of the Way Thus it lyeth for him Let us now see how his Reply formeth it for us Such as say We ought not so intirely to regard or rest upon Christ's visible Transactions in the World as to neglect undervalue and decry for Blasphemy and Enthusiasm the Appearance Work and Righteousness of Christ within hold and mantain corrupt Doctrine But so say E. Burroughs and W. Penn Therefore E. B. and W. P. mantain corrupt Doctrine These Arguments are the Natural Import of J. F's Reply how sound and consistent with Scripture and Reason is left to the Judgment of Impartial Men. Had E. Burrough's VVords been more ingenuously weigh'd he would have seen them to have bin no witnes for his turn for may not Men feed upon a Report of good Things and for want of unfeigned Repentance true Faith and humble Obedience never be benefitted by them If J. F. denyes it he consequently excludes the Inward VVork of Faith and Repentance to be necessary sayes he and all such Professors to apply Christ's Transactions beneficially and if he confesseth Repentance and Faith to be requisite for the right and profitable Application of Christ's Transactions then is not feeding upon a Report of them sufficient for at that rate all the Hypocrites and Lord-Lord-Cryers in the World however impious would be certainly saved doth E. B's Reproof of such who vainly hope thereby to be justified and saved in the Sight of God deserve to be stiled corrupt Doctrine I could here produce many solid Testimonies out of the Writings of several ancient and worthy Protestants but shall confine my self within the Compass of a Passage given us by a present Writer quoted by our Adversary in his first Book p. 58. and that is Dr. Stilling fleet in a Discourse called his six Sermons If they did believe Christ came into the World to reform it that the Wrath of God is now revealed from Heaven against all Unrighteousness that his Love which is shown to the World is to deliver them from the Hand of their Enemies that they might serve him in Righteousness and Holiness all the Dayes of their Lives they could never imagine
making the meer Body only to have dyed which not being the intire Christ of God it was not He but his Body only that dyed So that either J. Faldo holds the meer Body to be the Christ or else that something more dyed then the meer Body But because he acknowledgeth the Deity could not dye nor that the Soul did dye it must follow that the Body only dyed And since he will strictly have it that the Christ of God dyed the meer Body must be the Christ of God His second Exception is very trivial and what in it can be thought to deserve an Answer is included in what was said before for whom might be attributed to the Body as it represented the whole or intire Christ that is Metonymically spoaken the Thing containing for the Thing contained which is very frequent in Scripture for many times that is ascribed to the Body of Jesus which belongs to the whole Christ This with abundance more of pertinent Answer he takes no more notice of then if it had never been written But a little to give J. F. his Humor and to see if the Upshot rises higher then which What doth he understand by the Person slain according to J. F's own distinctions Was it the Godhead That he denyes first Book part 2. p. 73. Was it the Man's Soul No Reply p. 78. Must it not be the Body then And if so What Corrupting of Scripture is it to say which ye slew instead of whom ye slew 'T is at this slender trifling rate he hath dealt with us throughout the Controversie Two Passages more before we conclude this Chapter Upon my recollecting the whole of this Argumentation and concluding thus Since the Divinity could not dye and the Man's Soul was not Mortal much less could be hanged on a Tree or put into a Sepulchre it follows That it was the visible Body only that dyed c. and that it is therefore the intire Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in J. F's as well as Blasphemous L. Muggleton's Sense he makes this Reply word for word Reply p. 78. But if it follows upon my Sense it follows upon the words and scope of the Scripture which saith the same in so many words and in sense a Hundred Times But there is no such abâ—urdity follows upon either The Soul can't dye cannot therefore the Man dye If not there is no such thing as killing of Men or mortal Men. Rejoynder Man cannot properly be said to dye whilst his Soul lives but he may be said to cease to be in this Visible World or to depart out of it and to lay down his mortal Body so that the Body dyes but not the Man I know it is a common Phrase but synecdochically spoken where that is ascribed to the whole Man which only belongeth to the Mortal part of Man This brings the Business no nearer then it was before for if I understand any thing the Comparison makes the Death of Christ to be the Death of his Body only and that it is call'd the Death of Christ instead of the Death of the Body of Christ from that familiar usage in Speech the Thing contained for the Thing containing that is Christ instead of the Body of Christ In short Because such Murderers who are said to kill Men kill only the Bodies of Men those Jews who crucified Christ properly crucified the Body of Christ only though in a more mysuical Sense they may be also said in that very Action to have murdered the Prince of Life and Glory 1 Cor. 2. His other Passage containeth a Reflection upon my saying that Souls could not be hanged on a Tree Reply pag. 79. I had thought that the Soul being Vnited with the Body till Death where-ever the Body was disposed the Soul was also and therefore the Body so long as it liveth hanging on a Tree the Soul hangs there too also many a poor Wretch can tell him at the Torment of Execution that his Doctrine is False for were but their Souls separated from their Bodies they would feel no Pain nor cry out of their Torment Rejoynder A very Shuffie and nothing to the Purpose The Soul is in the Body so long as the Body is alive upon the Tree and yet it self not strictly hanged on the Tree for if it were then would it be as impossible for the Soul as Body to free it self whilst the Soul by his own Allowance is incomparable and impossible because immaterial whereas Nales Ropes or any other Instruments of Cruelty can only fasten upon material things for if the Soul could be properly hanged she could as well be burnt and laid into a Sepulchre A Man might as well say if J. Faldo were hanged on a Tree his Watch in his Pocket would be hanged or if he were put in the Stocks his Understanding would be in the Stocks Nor hath any poor Wretch reason to complain of my Doctrine at their Executions for I never denyed that Pain was a Sign of the Soul 's not being separated since it is an undeniable Reason why it is not separated however it is not the Soul but the Body through that sensibility the Soul while unseparated continues in it which feels that Pain But I could tell J. Faldo of many Blessed Martyrs that in the midst of Flames were carryed above the Sense of Pain not because their Souls were not in their Bodies at the Stake but from the exceeding Joy of the Holy Spirit which by the way may as well be said to be tyed to the Stake as the Soul because in the Soul for that is the Conclusion of J. F's Argument The Soul is in the Body therefore the Soul is as well tyed as the Body the Holy Spirit and his Comforts are in the Soul therefore tyed as well to the Stake as either Body or Soul In short Souls may be hanged upon Trees as Souls in Scripture are said to dye or be slain an Hebrew Phrase not that Souls really did dye or were slain but that Man is called many times by his nobler Part. I shall conclude this Chapter with a few Reasons for the Hope that is in us concerning the Subject Matter of this Chapter and two or Three Testimonies in Confirmation of them which I offer with all Tenderness of Conscience unto my serious Reader First This Opinion of our Adversary's renders Christ not to have been the Saviour of the World from Abel's Day contrary to Scripture which teacheth us to believe That there was never another Name or Power by which Men could be saved then the Name and Power of Jesus Christ Acts 4. 12. Secondly It makes Christ's Words either an Equivocation or a Contradiction when he said unto the Jews Before Abraham was I am since it makes him that was before Abraham and him that said so not the same Person or Being rather Thirdly Because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Anointed hath a Relation to his being King Priest and Prophet which are both of a
Why did Christ say I thank Thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and revealed them unto Babes if they are discoverable by humane Reasoning for Babes are ignorant of that Art yet out of the Mouth of Babes and Sucklings c. The Apostle's Question 1 Cor. 1. 20. was very impertinent if J. Faldo may be of Authority who said Where is the Wise Where is the Scribe Where is the Disputer c. for this implies an Exclusion of all those Arts Sciences and Natural Gifts from any Capacity to reveal the deep Things of God shut up in the Divine Principle of Life Besides W. S's Words imply a Clouded Understanding and degenerated and therefore Uncapable J. F. must either intend by his Derision that he thinks W. S. deserves to be hiss'd for denying the Knowledge of Divine Things to be attainable by the Degenerated Understanding of Man or sanctified If the first All may have Cause to abhor his False Doctrine If the latter I would know which way that can be without the Divine Principle of Life This abundantly manifests J. Faldo's unsavory Spirit and proves him to be ignorant of the Way Method Work of God in his Children When the Natural Man by his Reason can know Christ he may know his Sheep the Scriptures and the Power of God and not before but because it is impossible in Reasoning or Arguing pro and con by the utmost Strength and Search of Natural Abilities to know Christ but by the Revelation of the Spirit of God alone as hath been abundantly proved therefore William Smith's words are sound and weighty and J. Faldo's carnal and prophane showing himself to be a Mocker of the Priviledges and Mysteries of the Gospel but what else may we expect from one that walks after the Lusts of his own vain Mind having not the Spirit Jude 18 19. Yet that we may manifest how inconsistent he is with himself as that he can't write against us but he must write for us take this Passage out of Quakerism No Christianity which ought alwayes to begin his Books against us upon this subject as it ends this Chapter of mine Those Gospel-Illuminations are beyond the utmost reach of our Natural Faculties of the Mind though sanctified and therefore it is said to be 2 Tim. 3. 16. Divinely inspired It is not produced in the Exercise of the Rational Faculties the Soul is purely passive or receptive therein and is to those Illuminations as the Wax is to the Seal CHAP. XV. His several gross Miscarriages summ'd and further observed I. Of his Over-looking my Answer and Arguments OF Twenty Two Chapters in his Reply there is not one of them in which he hath not wilfully declined inserting my Answer and Arguments and only flutters about pecks and scratches at some part that is of least moment to the Reason of the Point perhaps some Rebuke or Reflection upon the ill use he makes of our Friends Writings particularly pag. 9 22 23 24 30 31 35 53 56 57 71 73 82 83 85 86 90 92 93. How is it possible my Arguments should be conquered when they were never encounter'd I was never yet so unjustly dealt withal in this Particular by any Adversary of his Pretences II. Of his drawing False Inferences Where he ventures at any time to insert any considerable part of my Answer he is sure to draw some Inference that may bring an Odium my words never deserved I could particularize at large pag. 6 13 17 18 31 35 41 42 47 49 71 72 73 74 75 85 86 87 88 89 90 91. but take these following for the rest 1. From Edw. Burroughs Reflecting upon Peoples imagining God to be confined to some place beyond the Stars he implies they deny Christ's Manhood Vindic. pag. 6. 2. From our not styling the Scriptures the Word but Words of God he infers that we deny the Scriptures First Book p. 18 19. 3. From our Asserting the Doctrine of Inspiration and Certainty of what we are inspired either to write or speak he infers not only our Equalling with but preferring what we speak and write before the Scriptures First Book pag. 40. Vind. p. 17. 4. From our Condemning the Imitation of any of the Holy Men of God of former Ages in particular Cases without they are thereunto required by the Spirit of the Lord he infers that Commands of God in Scriptures are no Commands unless we think so and that it is no Sin to break all Commands in the Bible if our Consciences can but be so blinded as to tell us it is no Sin Vind. p. 34 35. 5. From our Asserting that there is no knowing of God but by the Spirit and that Mens Apprehensions of God and his Work in the Souls of his People are but the Endeavours and Effects of the Wisdom of the Flesh he infers that we oppose the Spirit and the Scriptures nay that we reject and scorn them Vind. pag. 41 42 47. 6. From our denying a Carnal Worldly Mercenary Ministry Lifeless Prayers a meer formal Church Preaching and not by the Spirit and W. Smith's saying that the present Use of Bread and Wine and Water called Baptism and the Supper as they are used at this Day are no other then Popish and Humane he infers that the Quakers deny the Gospel-Ministry Gospel-Prayer Gospel-Church Gospel-Preaching and that we CALL Baptism and the Lord's Supper as PRACTISED IN THE FIRST AGE AFTER CHRIST the Popes Inventions c. Vind. from p. 49. to p. 71. Oh Injurious 7. From our reproving People for feeding in an Unconverted State upon the meer Report of what Christ hath done without them and depending thereon from our asserting that Justification taken for Remission goes not before Repentance which is an inward Work much less that Men can be compleatly justifi'd or made inwardly just but by the washing of the Word of Regeneration Sanctification of the Eternal Spirit this Man dares to infer Our Denyal yea our Vndervalue and that to the Degree of Blasphemous Contempt of the Transactions of Christ at Jerusalem Vind. p. 71 72 73 74. 8. From J. Penning asking If outward Blood would cleanse the Conscience from indwelling Sin he infers that we deny all Benefit by the Blood of Christ shed upon the Cross for the declaring of Remission of Sins Rom. 3. 25. First Book 2. Part p. 46 47. Vind. 77. 9. From our chusing to call that Body God prepared in which to do his Will the Body of Christ rather then the Christ of God And from our asserting God to be that Light which enlightens every Man and that the Soul of Man had something of the Life of God in its primitive Perfection he makes no more ado but concludes First That we deny the Christ of God 2dly That we make the Measure of Light in every Man the Eternal God thereby confining him to Man's Soul And lastly That the Soul of Man is
pag. 15. pag. 30. pag. 16. Act. 12. 24. Pietr. Soan Polan p. 152 p. 36 37. Erasm on 2 Pet. 1. 19. Ibid in 1 Cor. cap. 2. Polano Hist Coun. Tr. p. 150. Crad Divine Drops p. 171 172 210 215 221 217. This gives the Lye to J. Faldo Wil. Dell. confut of Simps pag. 114 115 116 117. Tom. 3. fol. 169. Mart. vol. 3. p. 572 573. 3 vol. of the Book of Martyrs p. 298. pag. 17. My Answ pag. 36. Col. 2. 2. Hebr. 6. 11. Chap. 10. 22. â— Book Martyr p. 577. This J. Faldo kicks at he is one with the Papists 3 Book of Martyr p. 475. p. 18 19. pag. 19. pag. 19 20. pag 39. An ellegant way of speaking and Scriptural pag. 40. pag. 21. Answ p. 42. Ephes â— 13. pag. 22 Which concerns him if he would have what he writes to be according to Scripture pag. 22. My Answ pag. 42. Quak. no Chr. p. 59. pag. 23. pag. 24. pag. 63. p. 25 26. Ibid. p. 26. Acts 8. 30 31. Dell Tryal of Spirits p. 10. Collier Gen. Epist pag. 249. c. 10. pag. 258. c. 12. Those Famous Poor Suffering Christians the Waldenses in their purer times besides many other weithty Points wherein they symbolized with us in this very Matter are not forraign who in a Confession about Five Hundred and Fifty Years old â—aid this down as a piece of their Creed That the Discoveries Testimonies of the Holy Spirit in them were the most Convincing Evidence and Infallible Proof of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures Consequently the Spirit must have been their Judge and Rule concerning their Understanding the Truths testified by them as â— P. Porrin their Historian in so many words assures us concerning them in the beginning of his notable History of their Rise Doctrine Sufferings and Progress pag. 23 24 25 26 27. Concil Tom. 1. p. 481. can 60. Anno 364. and p. 549. can 27. Anno 417. after Christ * I find Iohn Faldo often Scorning Inspiration and bringing it into odium under the word Enthusiasm used of late to signifie Whimsical Pates or Heads troubled with a Religious kind of Frenzy as if he had abandoned the Plea Enjoyment and Practice of the best Separatists whose Names he emptily honours and resolved to set up for a Coffe-House Droll or a Play-Prophanist To cool his Courage and stop his Career I commend Two or Three late Discourses to his perusal writ by Men of Undoubted Learning and pretendedly defended by J. F. in his Quakerism no Christianity against the People called Quakers The first is D. Patrick his Friendly Debates 2d Fowler his Design of Christianity never to be answered by that Angry Man that designed it And W. Sherlock his late Discourse of Jesus Christ c. If both Presbyterians and Independents are not throughly and truly charged to be Enthusiasts Men holding what J. F. condemns us for owning though less justifiably and if more ridiculous Interpretations are not to be found among them then was ever yet read in any Quakers Book I am content to suffer J. F's Reproach as Just who does not do as he would be done by his great Scab or Leprosie of some other of his Fraternity too for alas it is at best but a piece of Heathenism with him and a Man may be a very good Christian forsooth by a New Art of Imputation found out and accommodated to the Ease of Hypocrites without that streight and legal Way of just and holy Living pag. 27. pag. 28 29. pag. 58 59. pag. 29. * At whose Hand-Writing pag. 61. * His Blasphemy against the Lighâ— Pag. 61. * I would desire the Reader to take notice that the first Reformers never intended by their great respect to the Scriptures to establish them their Rule exclusive of the Spirit as most do now W. Kiffin for instance only they did on all Occasions prefer them as God's Tradition to the place of a Rule beyond Popish Doctors or Councils which they who know any thing in these Matters are well assured to be the Truth of the case So that they were but a Rule comparatively as we also hold but by no means can we allow that they prefer'd the Scriptures to that great Office exclusive of the Spirit or that Men were not to have their Immediate Dependence upon the Instruction Discoveries and Revelations towards Faith and Good Life So much at this time * Note I have not made any considerable Distinction between â—e Rule and the Judge from thy Judgment of that little if any Difference that is between them And my Adversary to his own Confusion seemeth of the same Mind for notwithstanding he severely tauntingly reflects on that Passage upon me in my former Book yet in making the Scripture both Rule and Judge he shows to us that the Judge the Rule are not at so great a Distance as his little Skill in Philosophy would have rendered it And herein he thwarts D. Stillingfleet and D. Tillosson who against the Papists assert not the Scripture to be the Judge but Right Reason And to speak the Truth of it Nothing can be more absurd next to Transubstantiation then that the Scripture should be the Judge of a Man's Meaning of any part of it self that is if it be applied as a Right Rule since in such Cases of Difference no Scripture ever yet spoak clearer then its first Text and the Question lies not about that but the just Interpretation Prov. 8. Doct. Stud. c. 2. p. 4. Rom. 2. 14 15. San. pag. 138 139 140 141. Plut. Dron Prus Dis lib. 1. c. 14. Senec. Epist 73. pag. 30 31. Luth. Tom. 2. Pol. 309. 2. Pet. Mart. com loc part 1. cap. 6. Part 2. Cap. 18. Lib. 1. c. 5. Thes 32. Hos 6. 9. pag. 34 Ed. Bur. pag. 34 35. pa. 71 72 73. Levit. 19. 18 19. Phil. 3. 15. W. Tindal's Works pag. 319. p. 80. B. Jew contr Hard. p. 532 534. T. Coll. Works p. 247. pag. 36. De praescr Haeretic adoer Marcion lib. 4. De carne Christi * Against the Anabaptâ—sts p. 1. pag. 37. pag. 37 pag. 38. pag. 39. My Answ pag. 87. pag. 39. pag. 40. Ephes 16. 17. pag. 41. pag. 41 42. pag. 42. pag. 43. pag. 45. But J. F. Is not that Babylon or the Antichristian Church which has the Shew and Outside but not the Life and Power of Godliness May not Antichrist adorn himself with the Literal Profession of the Gospel Certainly all Protestants have accorded to this I am sure I. Sprig C. Goad W. Dell I. Saltmarsh T. Collier yea J. Fox B. Jewel I. Renolds D. Willet R. Abbot and a nameless worthy Author about Qu. Elizabeth's time in his Voice out of the Wilderness c. allow of W. Smith's Doctrine viz. That the meerly Literal Formal and Fleshly-wise Church not regenerated into the Image and Liâ— of the Son of God is Babylon and some of them are most â—press in the Matter which I omit for haste pag.
unworthily of the Scriptures we utterly detect their Actions For his second I confess I am greatly at a stand I have travell'd several Nations convers'd with Men of most Ways of Religion read a great many Books for my time but never yet did I meet with such an Insolent Blasphemous and Scornful Expression as this I now transcrib'd word for word out of his Reply 'T is true there was an Old Peevish Priest in Ireland who to get a little Money as clearly appear'd writ an Envious Book against us in which he called the Light within an Ignis Faetuâ—â—s a Dim Light c. who lived long enough to vex himself to Death with our Answer as we are credibly informed not long surviving its Arrival and general Acceptance of most sorts of People in those Parts But never yet have I heard or read of such hard Names from the worst of our Adversaries For Tho Hicks himself in his Dialogues against us acknowledges that the Light within checketh for many Evils and excites to many good things c. It were too large to go over the Praises given it by the best Jews Gentiles and Christians Philo the Jew calls it an Immortal Precept Plotin a Gentile sayes it is the Root or Life of the Soul That this Divine Principle in Man makes a true and good Man Clemens Alexandrinus a Christian-Father speaks of it thus The Light will shine out of Darkness therefore it shines in the hidden part of Mankind in the Heart Again Man cannot be void of Divine Knowledge who naturally or as he cometh into the World partaketh of Divine Inspiration c. Thus Munster Vetablus Clarius Castellio Drusius and Codurcus upon this Passage in Job And upon whom doth not his Light arise acknowledge both its Vniversallity and Sufficiency too where obey'd I could produce a Multitude of approved Protestants without being beholding to one Papist whatever J. F. says of us in Commendation of the Universal Light within but will conclude with J. Caryl one of the most ancient and eminent Pastors of the Independent Way in his Exposition on Job and J. Owen that great Doctor of Independency in his Latin Exercitations formerly writ against the Quakers under the Name of Phanaticks a Term since bestowed and improved by he knows who upon such as need no pointing at J. Caryl on Job 32. 8. says that Wisdom and Knowledge in the Things of God come from the Inspiration or In-shining of the Light or Spirit from above And on Chap. 24. 13. That Light there mentioned shined in Wicked Men's Hearts as well as Good or to that purpose And that it is not a Natural or Proper Light as the Sun in the Firmament but such as reproved them for their Iniquity and comes from above c. J. O. abundantly confesseth to the Morallity and Vniversallity of the Light calling it also a Supernatural and Spiritual as well as Moral Light as he frequently phrases it Good Use of which hath been made by our Christian and Learned Friend Samuel Fisher in Answer to Him Rich. Baxter J. Tombs and T. Danson unto which they have never attempted any the least Reply that we hear of though it greatly concerns their Cause and Credit to do something in it For my own part I shall say no more to J. Faldo's Refutation then that he calls the Light within us by which it hath pleased God to redeem us from our Vain Conversation against the Judgment of many Good and Learned Men in several Ages A BLASPHEMER OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD A SORDID SINFUL CORRUPT AND RIDICULOUS THING for which God rebuke him But there yet remains a notable Testimony of our Friends to be consider'd which J. F. produceth to prove our great Affinity with the Papists Rep. If any pretend to be of us and in Case of Controversie will not admit to be tryed by the Church of Christ Jesus nor submit to the Judgment given by the Spirit in the Elders and Members of the Church but kick against it such we testifie ought to be rejected as Heathens Rejoyn Nothing but Rank Ranterism can call this Popery in such Disgrace or reject it as unsound as I will make appear The Church of Christ indued with his Spirit hath a Judgment This Christ allows her and that every Individual ought to rest satisfied in it in Case of Difference therefore said Christ Tell the Church and if he refuse to hear the Church then let him be as an Heathen and Publican The Saints shall judge the World and much more by their Judgment determine or reconcile things among themselves No Caution or Resolution could be more soundly and scripturally laid down First It is the Church of Christ that judges Secondly It must be the Judgment of the Church by the Holy Spirit or rather the Holy Spirit in the Church not consisting of Elders only but Elders and Members which make the whole Church Lastly The Persons rejected are such as first kick or spurn against the Admonitions of the Church of Christ VVhat Man not bereaved of his Senses or as Irreligious as a Ranter can so scornfully upbraid us with this Serious Christian and Necessary Discipline Yes J. Faldo who pretends both to his Wits and Religion dares offer something against it Rep. Oh the Charity of the Quakers Leaders All that will not submit to their little Juncto are with them numbred with Heathens and Infidels Here the poor Quakers may see the Image of the Beast among themselves Rejoyn It were well if J. Faldo would show more Charity in pretending to rebuke us for the want of it But will he allow of those Aggravations the Episcopatians and Presbyterians made upon and against the first Brownists about Gathered Churches Did not they draw as large Conclusions And had they not as much Ground for doing it as our Passage can give to J. F. since they deny'd in most harsh Terms The Church of England to be the Church of Christ The same did the People call'd Anabaptists both of the Church of England and National Presbytery But why our little Juncto otherwise call'd the Spirit of G. Fox and his Ministry or Representative Body Is not this cast out on purpose to insinuate as if G. F. with other publick Travellers in the Service of the Church were Lordly or Domineering as J. Faldo a little further calls it who rarely meddle with those things leaving every Meeting to their own Power But what Occasion had he for this Reflection of our Friends Paper even as by himâ—elf given us Doth it not mention the whole Church and afterwards explain who that Church is by those two Words Elders and Members for such is the Practice of J. F. in his pretended Discovery of us Nor iâ— there any Reason why J. F. should so much stomach the Word Heathen since he thinks it a Priviledge to be so to us at least to call us so Besides we own every such one to have a Saving