Essence Who being the brightness of his glory and the express Image of his Person Heb 1.3 The first manner of existence in the Divine Being is here called Hypostasis which imports a distinct subsistence If the Father viz. the Correlate be a distinct subsistence there is the same reason of the Son vâ—z the Relate If the Father be a distinct subsistence the Son is a distinct subsistence If the Son be a distinct subsistence the Father is a distinct subsistence the Son is as distinct from the Father August de trinit lib. 7 c. 4. as the Father is from the Son that which the Greek calls hypostasis the latine calleth persona from which last is our English word person Christ speaking of the Father Iohn 5.32 calleth him another there is another that beareth witness of mee likewise speaking of the Holy-Ghost he calleth him another Iohn 14.16 I will pray the Father he shall give you another Comforter this predicate another is unintelligible of the Essence for so the Father Son Holy-Ghost are one Iohn 10.30 1 Iohn 5.7 therfore it must proceed concerning the Subsistence what is more manifest then that another Subsistence and another subsistence speake distinct subsistences The distinction of the persons or Subsistences is manifest from the relative properties of begetting being begotten and proceeding Psal 2.7 Iohn 15.27 Begetting is distinct from being begotten being begotten from begetting both from proceeding A personal act is God necessarily relatively and in an Incommunicable manner acting within or upon himselfe Now these acts of the Persons one upon another argue the distinctnes of the subsistences viz to beget being begotten proceeding God in the first manÌ„er of subsistence is considered as acting upon himselfe in a way of understanding in the second manner of Subsistence as reflecting upon himself understood August de trinit lib. 5. c. 11 lib. 6. c. 5. in the third manner of subsistence as willing of delighting in himselfe Hence the Spirit is called the hand of the Trinity proceeding from the two other persons as the Love of them both which selfe-sufficient and infinitely blessed Communion of God in and with himself before there was either mountain or hill while as yet he had not made the earth wee read of Prov. 8.30 Then was I by him as one brought up with him I was dayly his delight rejoycing alwayes before him The distinction of the Persons further appeares from the order of their operations upon the creature held forth in their mission or sending the second Person is sent from the Father Iohn 8.42 Iesus said unto them if God were your father yee would love mee for I proceeded forth came from God neither came I of my selfe but he sent mee The Holy-Ghost is sent from the Father the Son whom the Father will send John 14 26. whom I will send John 15.26 Sending imports two things First an eternall relative property of the Divine Essence the order original whereof is not of it self Secondly a designation of the Person distinguished by this relative property unto some work concerning the creature to be performed in time Now evident it is that he which sendeth and he which is sent are distinct That the Father sending the Son sent by the Father the Father and Son sending the Spirit and the Spirit sent by the Father Son are distinct subsistences and not the same Concerning satisfaction to some Objections Object 1 The Church was without the Scripture or written Word for the space of 2454 yeares untill Moses during which space the Doctrine of Life was communicated VOCALLY by the Patriarches Therefore there is no need of the Scripture or written Word Answ There are many Reasons obvious why the Tradition of the Rule of life by word of mouth might better suit the state of the Church in the time of the longâ—evity of the Patriarchs then now as also why God saw not good to continue unto after ages such and so frequent extraordinary manifestations of himself as wee read of in those elder times Why God dispensed the Rule of life then by word of mouth not by writing a principal reason thereof was his good pleasure The same good pleasure may stand for a principal reason way he dispenseth the Rule of life now by the word written and not by vocall tradition Even so Father because it pleaseth thee Distinguish between necessity absolute necessity according to Divine constitution God according to his absolute power can communicate the rule of life by what means he pleaseth therefore the scripture is not necessary absolutely But Gods will being to communicate the Rule of life by his written word hence the scripture is necessary by necessity of divine constitution or appointment Whilest Israel was in the wilderness God give them Manna bread from heaven in an extraordinary manner After their comming into Canaan he changeth his dispensation and giveth them bread in the ordinary way of agriculture or tillage He could still have supplyed them in an extraordinary way out he would not The Maana ceased Josh 5.12 Not the letter without the mind of the Author nor the Spirit without the letter but the Scripture i. e. the word-written as including the sense of the author is the Rule of life Distinguish between Moral-obliging-power and strengthning-Physical-power All the strengthning-Physical-power whereby we are enabled to obey the Rule is from the Spirit but the Moral-obliging-power is from the Scripture it self or CoÌ„mand as denoting the will of God signifyed thereby Surely they are under a Rule who have not the Spirit Since the Canon of the Scripture is closed so farr is the Spirit from being a Rule of life that to us it is not the Spirit but as it moves agreeably to the written word Hereby we are taught to discerne between the Spirit of trueth and the Spirit of error Object 2 The words of the Scripture are to be taken simply without interpretation or consideration of what is signifyed by them Answ This Objection exposeth Scripture to the imputation of non-sence which cannot be without at least the reflexion of blasphemy interpretative upon the author It was wont to be said Scripture lyeth not in the Sound but in the Sence They are not the inkie characters without the mind of the author that can constitute Scripture But taking the mind of the objection more favourably as proceeding only against any other sense or interpretation to be given of Scripture then according to the sound of the words in a proper or according to some in a literall sence yet it unscriptures a considerable part of the Scripture unto us becommeth a fruithfull womb of confusion error and absurdity should it stand in force The example those words that they may be one as wee are one John 17.22 give an uncertain sound Nay the Papists Transsubstantiation Origen's castration are hence warrantable Distinguish between no interpretation mis-interpretation sound
THE Heart of N-England rent at the BLASPHEMIES OF THE PRESENT GENERATION Or A brief Tractate concerning the Doctrine of the Quakers Demonstrating the destructive nature thereof to Religion the Churches and the State with consideration of the Remedy against it Occasional Satisfaction to Objections and Confirmation of the contrary Trueth By JOHN NORTON Teacher of the Church of Christ at Boston Who was appointed thereunto by the Order of the GENERAL COURT I know thy works and thy labour and patience and how thou canst not bear them which are evill and thou hast tryed them which say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them lyars Rev 2.2 Printed by Samuel Green at CAMBRIDG in New-England 1659. CHAP 1. The Original of the Doctrine of the Quakers With some of their principal Heterodoxies A brief Demonstration of three distinct Persons in the Divine Essence Satisfaction to some Objections And a Vindication of some Scriptures WHen that grand-Heretick Swenok feild who in eighteen yeares had published fifty scripts such as they were sometime troubled Luther with his papers which he sent unto him for an answer his returne was quick saying to the messenger the Deuil was the author of them the Lord rebuke thee O Satan Quod-vult-deus whilest he desired Augustine to publish a tract of al the heresies which infested the church in those dayes discerned the undertaking to be too immense great this Calvin also perceiving being about to write against the Libertines presently determined omitting the rest of their wild endlesse heterodoxies to addresse himselfe unto the enumeration refutation of some of their principall portentous tenets Luthers answer may seeme too short Augustines taske is acknowledged too long Calvins example in this brief treatise I shall in part God assisting endeavour to follow The recalling of the beginÌ„ing of the Father of lyes may soon lead us to the Original of Errour but the full discovery of its progresse encrease is not to be expected untill that day which shall bring to light all the workes of darkness He that desires no inconsiderably to informe himselfe Dâ—naeus de â— Haeâ—esibus ante Christú concerning the attempts of the old Serpent upon this designe from the beginÌ„ing of time untill the times of Christ may consult antiquity not unprofitably for that end In the very Apostles times wee read of Deceivers who pretended to higher attainments to be stars of light that of the first magnitude Jaâ—e 13. but were indeed Raging waves of the sea foâ—mâ—ng out their owne shame wandring stars to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever That the doctrine of the Enthusiasts in Germany Libertines in the low-countryes was a dead sea of heterodoxy consisting in a great degree of the pernicious waters of old heresyes till then out of mind for many hundred yeares and that the doctrine of the Quakers as to the substance of it is but the opening of that vast and horrid sinke such as makes the land to stink in the nostrils both of God and man more then the Frogs that sometime annoyed Egypt But the same doctrine of the Enthusiasts Libertines of the last Century though in a second edition is thus manifested The great doctrine of The Trinitie Christ The Scripture Gospel Ordinances Ministry Order The Christian Magistrate Civil Order Are the Objects that the three following stages of heterodoxie finally engaged engage against and that so as the second viz Enthusiasts Libertines were indeed not only actors Preachers of what was prepared but also in some considerable degree Collectors out of the scatterings of their Predecessors to compleat their body of false doctrine but the last viz the Quakers are more deluded by their masters in wickedness whither Satan or any Jesuitical or other malignant serpentine agents who making use of the mystery of iniquity thus farr perfected to their hand notably abuse their ignorant and selfe conceited proselytes whilest under the pretence of new light they communicate both stale and exploded heresies error to be disseminated by them the second time Certain old heterodoxies concerning the forementioned heads of Religion from wheÌ„ce or the like the Enthusiasts Libertines might arise Praxeas who lived in the year two hundred taught that there was but one person only in divers respects called the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost After ariseth Sabellius under Valerian affirming that in the Divine Essence there were three names but denyed that there were three distinct subsistences or persons Concerning Christ the enmity of the father of lyes hath no where more shown it selfe then in his malignant contrivances concerning the person office of Christ. The Gnosticks denyed Iesus to be the Christ Cerinibus denyeth the Dvinity Nestorius affirmeth two persons Eutiches denyeth the two Natures Marcion affirmeth his passion to be imaginary not reall Ignatius mentions incredulous men who were ashamed of the trueth of the Incarnation some pretended themselves to be Christ. Concerning the scriptures considered as the rule of life the Messalian Enthusiasts expected divine raptures without the word they waited for the operation of a certain Daemon or a spirit and this operation which indeed was the operation of the Devil they esteemed to be the presence of the Holy Ghost called their fantasies prophecyes Athanasius in one of his sermons concerning heresies writes against such who in those times held that the words of the scripture were to be taken simply without consideration had unto what they signifyed Concerning Gospel Ordinances Ministry Order the authors to the Hebrews Jude and Iohn make mention of Apostates there from such who in their dayes forsook the church assemblies separated themselues went out from the fellowship of the Saints Heb. 10.25 Iude. 19.1 Iohn 2.19 Jude also informeth us of such who despised Dominion spake evill of dignitie and perished in the gainsaying of Core which consisted in murmuring rebelling against Moses and Aaron The Gnosticks represented themselves perfect against whom John is conceived to write 1. Epistle 1.8 The old Catharoi called puritans affirmed also that they were perfect without sin The tenets of the Enthusiasts Libertines concerning the same heads of Religion The Enthusiasts began about 1521. The Libertines in Calvin's time both Sects vexed the Church and State many yeares Concerning the Trinitie they acknowledged three Sleidan commeÌ„â— lib. 5 et 10. but they denyed the Father Son Holy-Ghost to be three distinct Persons Concerning Christ they said Christ incarnate was nothing but a godly man or a believer made of a body and an opinion Lu. Ofiand Cent. 16. lib. 2. cap. 33 they made euery saint equal with God according to the imagination of the Libertines each one of them was Christ Calvin adversus libertinos Guy de 〈◊〉 hence Quintinus as offended with those who asked him how he did was wont to answer how do I can Christ do amiss Concerning the Scripture
considered as the Rule of life Swenckfield saith they make an idol of the word Mr Rutherford Surv when the Authors by him Cited in the Margeâ—t part â—â—ch p. 3. who esteem it as the Power of God through faith unto salvation i. e. who esteem it as the meanes whereby the spirit worketh grace in the heart of the hearer he goeth through Sweden Normberg Vlms Tubingia in private houses accusing the pastors that no man was the better for their preaching extolling the spirit that doth all understand without the word as the meanes The Libertines denyed all preaching by Officers Sacraments Church-assemblies singing of Psalmes they accounted the scripture as a dead letter neglected it pretending to follow the spirit yet they used it in speaking and writing because through the peoples good opinion thereof they found it a fit meanes to insinuate themselves with their diabolicall opinions into their heart they rejected the scripture and pretended the spirit for their rule Concerning the Magistrates Muncer defameth detracts from the ministers of the Gospel afterwards falls with like violonce upon the Magistrate hoping by making void these two orders they should prevaile upon the flock he teacheth parity rejection of dignities Those in Germany held that none with good conscience could exercise the power of a magistrate that is none but such who were of their mind witness both their doctrine practice in Munster and else where they held also that it was lawfull for the people to depose their Magistrates being unbelievers and they counted all unbelievers who were not of their mind They pretended an immediate mission to act from the spirit and by vertue of an immediate command above the triall of the scripture Muncer said that by his divine revelations he must Judge of the Bible They carryed it in the beginning very faire before all men for they had alwayes in their mouths the faith and fear of God the mortification of the flesh mention of the cross They affected a grave countenance posture wore plain apparell used few words cryed in the streets repent repent they were reserved as to the discouery of their mysteryes untill they were hopefully assured of their follower they studyes to speak equivocally so as their words might carry divers sences they lifted up themselves above others gloryed to be called spirituales men of the spirit The fourth order of the Libertines for they had many orders was of the holy and sinlesse ones The tenets of the Quakers concerning the same heads of Religion Concerning the Trinity they acknowledg that there is one God and three viz the Father Son and Holy-Ghost but they deny that these three are distinct Persons Concerning Christ they deny Christ to be God man in one Person they deny Christ to be a distinct Person from the Person of the Father The tenents here mentioned appear from published papers with the names of the Authors affixed or by word of mouth they deny Christ to be a distinct Person from any of his members they acknowledge such a Christ as unchrists Christ when they say Christ manifest in the flesh they meane not according to the sense of the scripture but fallaciously Concerning the Scripture considered as the Rule of life They deny the scripture or written word to be the Rule of life make the light within them the spirit without the scripture to be their guide They account Church-instituted-worship waiting upon God for the efficacious presence and co-operation of the Spirit of grace in the ministery of the word and Sacraments for conversion edification to be idolatry And the political Order of Church-Officers and members they affirme to be an Image Concerning the Magistrate they own none as lawfull Magistrates who are not of their way Their non-acknowledgement of the Magistrate as now established in all christian states is more then manifest They pretend unto an Immediate call to act from the spirit and an infallible light within them above the triall of the scripture they will not acknowledge that they sin but profess perfection of degrees in this life and publish smart sarcasticall invectives against ministers who teach the Contrary How farre the deportment of the Quakers answereth to the outward guise and gest of the sectaryes in Germany the low-countreyes prementioned he that seeth the one heareth of the other may easily Judge The premises show the Quakers to be rather imitators of the Enthusiasts Libertines then Innovators That the persons thus opinionated are called Quakers is not from their tenets but from the gesture where with they are acted at or about the time of the reception of their revelations or when else in reference to credit their doctrines This very gesture as circumstanced renders their way in no small degree suspitious it being the ancient and known manner of Satan when he inspired his Enthusiasts to afflict the bodyes of his instruments with paines those often in their bowells and to agitate them with Antick and uncouth motions in particular with this of quaking trembling thereby to amuse ignorant spectators with a superstitious astonishment and so to dispose them to the expectation of some strange discovery preter-humane in pretence divine but indeed diabolicall Seneca presenteth the Sybil i. e. Satans prophetess at the act of receiving her Oracles from the revelation of the Devil pale-faced with eyes wrung in an unwonted and fearfull manner Seneca in Agâ—mem as also quaking trembling Silet repente Phoebus pallor genas Creberque totum possidet Corpus tremor Horat. lib. 1. Ode 16. Noâ— adytis quatit c At Pythia a place in Phocis Apollo that is the Devil is reported by the Poet to cause his Priest to quake Gregory of Nice speaking of this subiect beside the hair hanging down about their eares loose eyes averse maketh mention of foaming at the mouth and much like hereunto is what we read in Chrysostome of a woman inspired understand by Satan panting and having her head Contort that is wryed in so strange a manner as was affrighting to behold Many instances of this nature might be produced but I shall only further mind the Reader of the custome of the Powa's or Indian Wizards in this wilderness whose bodies at the time of their diabolicall practises are at this day vexed and agitated in a strange unwonted dreadfull manner This verifieth that old proverb that Satan is Gods ape yet the examples of Isaiah going naked barefoot i. e. in a bare habit like a poore slave or bond man that is carryed into captivity Chap 20.2 Of Ezekiel smiting his hand and stamping with his foot Ezek. 6.11 Of Daniel's great quaking which fell upon him at the sight of that vision Dan 10.7 with the like do not justifie this gesture Their causes were divine circumstanced to edification and extraordinary not customary to the Prophets themselves Concerning three distinct Persons in the divine
saith the LORD which is in effect the same with Isay 54 13 Iohn 6.45 And they shall be all taught of GOD i.e. They shall not be onely taught of man as others in externall covenant onely are These words They shall be all taught of GOD are not to be interpreted exclusively so as to exclude the teaching of man but extensively so as to include the teaching also of God witness the cloud of Scripture-instances of all those under the Gospel-dispensation who were taught of God but how by not without the teaching of man Further the promise undertakes for such a writing of the Law in their hearts such a teaching of God as that they shall not finally apostate from the Covenant Jer 32.40 But I will put my Fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me The Subject spoken of are such persons which are actually the people of God such in whose hearts the Law is written The knowledg of God is taken either for that knowledg of him which is essential to effectual vocation or for the knowledg of edification Taking knowledg in the former notion of writing the Law in the heart indelebly this being a property of the Covenant of grace the sense naturally flowes viz that after conversion once wrought there shall be no need to speak unto such to know the Lord namely with a knowledg essential to vocation as if they were ignorant thereof for this were in effect to deny a characteristical priviledg of the Covenant and to affirm falling from grace Regeneration is not iterable they who are once converted need not to be converted from the state of nature to the state of grace a second time This seemeth to be the genuine sense of the place If we take knowledg in the latter notion viz for the knowledg of edification then the interpretation proceeds comparatively thus comparing the Gospel-Israel having the law written in their hearts being also under a clearer dispensation under the promise of an efficacious copious influence of the Spirit with the National-Israel finally impenitent under the Law the teachers of the one as to a great part of the labour of their ministry in respect of the consolatory success thereof especially in the glorious times shall not look upon it as labour compared with the fruitless labours of the other so as the forementioned Gospel-hearers in respect of the premises might seem rather comparatively to have been taught by some immediate irradiation then by meanes of ordinary instruction 1 John 2.27 But the annointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and you need not that any man teach you but as the same annointing teacheth you of all things and is no ly Hence it is inferred that believers have no need of being taught by man Answ The Objector mistakes the question The Apostle speakes of heterodox doctrine taught by man The objection proceeeds concerning teaching by man The sense of the words alledged is you believers who through grace are an̄ointed with the in dwelling saving operatiōs efficatious influence of the Spirit which is the only Teacher have so learned Christ i.e. the Lords Christ that you need not be troubled with nor ought you to harken to the doctrine of Cerinthius Ebton or the Gnosticks who though they pretend themselves to be teachers of Christ are indeed Antichrists 1 John 2.18 So teaching Christ as that they un-Christ Christ nor have you need of any other doctrine whatsoever from any other man not agreeable unto the doctrine of the true Christ which you who are annointed have received 2 Pet 1.19 We have also a more sure word of Prophesy where unto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place untill the day dawn and the day-starr arise in your hearts Hence is inferred that after the reception of the Spirit or believing there is no more need to attend unto the Scripture Answ This interpretation presupposeth three things any where of failing it cannot stand 1. That we are to understand by a sure word of Prophecie the whole Scripture 2. By the day dawning and the day-starr arising the Spirit of grace in Regeneration 3. By the particle Vntill the limited instant of regeneration Before which though we either do or may yet after which we are not to attend unto the Scripture Peter himself expounds the word of prophecie verse 19 of the Scripture of the old Testament verse 20 21. Which Scripture-testimony compared with the verbal testimony of the Apostles concerning the voyce heard in the holy mount in relation to the doctrine of Christ he preferreth not as the most true but as the most sure ground for Faith of the two and upon this account because the verbal testimony of the Apostles though Apostolical was as yet but verbal and not scriptural So that should this text upon a false supposition be looked at as speaking of a believers non-attention unto Scripture yet it proceeds not concerning the Scripture in general but concerning the Scripture of the old testament only not of the Canon of the new Testament The day dawning and the day-starr appearing denotes either the saying light of the Spirit making our attention unto the Scripture from time to time effectual during the season of our dependance hereupon throughout this life or that day-light of the vision of glory both which senses in conclusion issue in one But it cannot be understood of the regenerating-light of the Spirit because the Apostle speakes to those who are believers still to attend upon the Scripture The particle untill any other acception not pertinent to the matter under consideration omitted either noteth a certain time before which such a thing is to be which was not before or after which such a thing is not to be which was before The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his feet untill Shiloh come Gen 49.10 But here it denoteth not any certain time in this life after which we are not to attend upon the word written For then that certain time notified by the day dawning and the day-starr appearing must either relate to Christs comming in the flesh or to the beginning of the Gospel-dispensation or to the effectual revelation of Christ in vocation or to some other terme that may rationally and scripturally be instanced in but it cannot relate unto the first because it is not an appearance in the flesh but an appearance in the heart that is here expresly spoken of and the day-starr arise in your HEARTS Neither indeed can it relate either unto the first or any other of the termes or limits mentioned because Peter writes unto such still to attend upon the word of Prophecie who were regenerate who were believers haveing obteined like precious faith with himself Cap 1.1 Yea such who cannot be looked at otherwise then of considerable standing proficiency in the faith and lived after his incarnation and Gospel-dispensation whence were this
Objection of force it would follow that this exhortation of the Apostle had then been as much after its time as that terme of a believers attention unto the word of prophecy be it either the incarnation Gospel-dispensation or regeneration of those whom he puts upon this duty was before this time The Gospel whether any of it were now written or not was promulged by Christ his Apostles and therefore was obliging If the particle untill bee sayd to denote a certaine terme not in this life but relating unto the dawning and rising of the vision of glory the question is graunted and the objection falleth While the Church is in a darke place the light of the Scripture is to be attended unto hence the written word is here compared unto a light that shineth in a darke place now wee know that there is much darkness and obscurity in the hearts of all the Children of light in this life 1 Corin 13.9 Or the particle untill signifyeth a terme issuing in attayning of all the good attainable in such a way or in the participatioÌ„ of the perfecting end of the subject spoken of A bruised read shall hee not break and smoaking flax shall hee not quench 〈…〉 untill he send forth judgment unto victory Mat 12.21 This notion agreeth not only with the analogie of faith but also according to the mind of the Apostles common action exhortatory seemeth more readily to flow The scope of Peter is to confirm the hearts of the twelve tribes scattered abroad concerning the trueth of the Gospel this he doth by two arguments The first taken from the testimony of the Apostles verse 15 16 17. The second from the word of Prophecy illustrated by two adjuncts the former of its sureness the latter of our taking heed thereunto this attention he amplifyeth by calling unto such a conscientious and vigorous continuance therin as may never be in vain in the Lord yea such as that the effectual light of the spirit of grace concurring with the doctrinal light of the word may from duty to duty shine upon the dark places of their hearts more and more untill the dawning of the perfect day of the vision of glory If with some Orthodox Interpreters wee understand by a dark place the time of the Church under the old Testament compared with the night wherein candles are lighted and by the day-dawning the time of the Gospel day-light wherin the Sun shineth the new Testament expounding the old and thereby giving a greater light Yet still we are to keep in mind that as the New Testament giveth light unto the Old so the Old Testament giveth light unto the New they give light mutually one unto another T is the same Christ the same Gospel which is held forth both in the old in the New TestameÌ„t Heb 13.8 Gal. 3.8 As the trueths of the old Testament are confirmed by the New so what more frequent then the confirmation of the New Testament from the Old both by Christ and his Apostles The word Vntill doth not here intend a certain time whereat they were discharged from after attention to the word of Prophecie as if they who were commended for their attention hitherto were now dismissed therefrom and stood not from henceforth obliged any more Gen 28.15 For I will not leave thee untill I have done that which I have spoken to thee of 2 Sam 6.23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto or untill the day of her death Mat 16 28. They shall not tast of death untill they see the Kingdome of God It were ill gathered from hence either that God did forsake Jacob after he had performed that promise concerning his safe return Or that Michal had a child after the day of her death Or that the Disciples which saw his glory in the Mount should not out-live the Assension Mission of the Holy Ghost and the promulgation of the Gospel to the Gentiles with signes ensuing Mat 11.13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophecyed untill John Mat 22.44 Sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemyes thy footstoole John 5.17 My Father worketh hitherto or untill now and I work 1 Tim 4.13 Till I come give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine In his exempris praeâ—eri tam ita negarat ut contrarium 〈◊〉 non significetur It cannot be gathered from hence either that after John there is no more Law and Prophets Or that after Christs enemyes are subdued he shall sit no longer at the right hand of his Father Or that after Christ spake those words the Fathers Governing-providence of the world ceased Or that after Pauls comming Timothy is no more to attend to reading exhortation and preaching In the Negative examples the word untill so inferreth the denyall of a thing concerning the time before it as that it doth not at all inferr the affirmative of that thing concerning the time after it In the affirmative examples the word untill so inferreth the affirmative of a thing concerning the time before as that it not at all infers the denyal of that thing concerning the time after it The summe is according to this last interpretation the word untill is taken extensively not exclusively So farr then is this text from disobliging believers from their attendance upon the Scriptures as that it is a most solemn serious incentive as of all others to whom the sacred Canon shall be revealed so also of believers in particular not only to attend upon the word of prophecie or the Scripture but so to take heed thereunto as that their attention through the co-operation of the Spirit may be effectual and that so long as their hearts are dark places i. e. during their present state of imperfection untill Christ the bright morning-starr appear in their soules according to the fulness of the Spirit of grace and the noon-day-light of the perfection of glory The heterodoxie errour of such who from the text alledged inferr the old Testament to be unnecessary unto those that live under the Gospel is argued thus Promises given unto the Saints in the old Testament belong unto believers living under the new Testament The Promise made unto Joshua Josh 1.5 to David Psal 118.6 The Hebrews are led by the hand unto taught confidently to make use of in reference unto their present and Personal cases For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we viz believers under the Gospel not onely David may boldly say the Lord is my helper I will not feare what man shall do unto mee The trueths held forth by the Prophets touching salvation by Christ concerned not onely those who lived in the times of the old but also us who live in the times of the new Testament 1 Pet 1.10 11 12. Vnto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you
interpretation Non-sense a false sense and the true sense The two former are wiles of the enemy the last is the gift of the Spirit of trueth and a great part of the work of the Ministry So they read in the book of the Law of God distinctly and gave the sense caused them to understand the reading Nehem. 8.8 He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself Luke 24.27 Philip said understandest thou what thou readest and he said how can I except some man should guide me Act. 8.30 31 Object 3 Nothing is to be acknowledged Scripture-trueth but what is contained therein in express termes Answ A Scripture consequence is a Trueth evidently necessarily arising out of a proposition held forth therein in express termes So that if the doctrine conteined in the proposition held forth in express termes be true then is the doctrine conteined therein by consequence also true Those trueths are Scripture-trueths which are conteined or held forth in the Scriptures though not in express termes yet by just evident consequence Exod. 3.6 I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaak the God of Jacob. Hence Mat 22.29 30. Christ proves the Resurrection by consequence the summ whereof is as if he had said that which God spake to Moses in the Bush inferreth the whole persons of Abraham Isaak and Jacob to be in everlasting covenant with him and that they shall be blessed therefore there shall be a Resurrection For how can the body be glorified except it rise again and so farr were the hearers from objecting against this kind of argumentation as that they highly approved of it One of the Scribes having heard their reasoning perceived that he had answered them well Mark 12.28 Then certain of the Scribes answering said Master thou hast answered well Luke 20.39 The multitude were astonished at his doctrine Mat 22.42 And no man was able to answer him neither durst any man from that time forth aske him any more questions verse 46. Out of Psalm 16.10 Peter proves the Resurrection of Christ. Act. 2.31 He that is the Patriark David seeing this before spake of the Reserrection of Christ that his soul was not lost in hell neither his flesh did see corruption Yet the Psalmist in these words speakes not of the Resurrection in express termes but onely by consequence the question is whether the believing Galatians which were formerly heathens were justifyed by faith Paul out of those words Gen. 22.18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed proveth the affirmative by consequence Gal. 3 8 9 The question is whether believing Abraham hath matter of glorying before God The Apostle from Gen 15.6 concludeth the negative by consequence Rom 4.2 3. Question whether Christ did well or blasphemed in saying that he was God Chr st from Psal 71.6 justifieth his act by a Scripture consequence Io n 10.35 36. His argument proceeds from the less to the greater Question whether Circumcision is necessary unto the believing Gentiles The Apostle concludeth the negative by consequence Acts 15.8 9. God bare them witness giving them the Holy-Ghost even as he did unto us and put no difference between them us purifying their hearts by faith Therefore c Many more instances are producible if need were So many citations as there are in the New Testament of testim onies in the old Testament not extant there in express termes are so many proofes of the Scripture-consequences Scripture trueths by consequence are called Scripture yee do erre not knowing the Scripture Mat. 22.29 for what saith the Scripture Rom. 4.3 and the Scripture foreseeing Gala. 3.8 what Peter deduceth from Davids words by consequence that he affirmeth David to have said Acts. 2.31 what Paul deduceth out of Moses by just consequence that he affirmeth Moses to have said Rom. 10.5.10 That proposition the Scripture is a perfect Rule of life is understood as including Scripture-consequences otherwise it were not a trueth The greatest part of Scripture-trueth is revealed in Scripture-consequences Yea many fundamentall trueths are not held forth in express termes but by manifest consequence If there be no truth contained in the Scripture but what is held forth therein in express termes then the individuall persons of Thomas Mary c are therein neither Cōmanded Obedience nor forbidden disobedience For we no where read thou Thomas or Mary such an one by name do this or not that This trueth concerning Scripture-consequences is the more to be attended because of the time wherein many after the example of Arrius of old and the Libertines Gunter with some other Jesuites of late when they are not able to answer unto Scripture-arguments rather then to yeild unto the trueth chuse to fly to this miserable subterfuge of hereticks namely that the trueth defended against them is not contained in Scripture because it is not there in express termes Concerning the Vindication of some Scriptures Iohn 1.9 That was the true light which lighteneth every man that commeth into the world Hence they affirme that in every man Collectively i. e. in all men not one excepted there is a light which being followed is an infallible guide that this light within us not the Scripture or written word is the Rule of life In answer hereunto two things are to be cleared First that the sence of the text pretended is notoriously false Secondly what is the sence of the place Were the sence pretended sound then righteousnes should be by the law not with standing sin contrary to Rom. 8.3 For the light which is in every man that is born into the world is not Gospel-light The Gospel being the secret of God a mystery unknown to Angels Adam himself in the time of innocency The naturall man cannot know the things of the spirit of God 1 Cor 2.14 Natural is to be construed in opposition to spiritual and denoteth a man as following the dictate of reason only or the light of nature whence it is manifest that the light of nature as such and the light of the spirit are contra-distinct the one to the other The light of nature remaining in Adams posterity since the lapse is so little as that it is not to be mentioned the same day with what was in Adam before the fall The light of nature consists in common principles imprinted upon the reasonable soul by nature inclining man to assent unto some naturall and manifest trueths upon the representation of them without waiting for any proofe that is as it were by instinct without argument Viz that it is impossible for the same things at once for to be not to be that the whole is greater then the part That a man is bound not to do to others what he would not have done unto himself As also in certain Notions that there is a God that God is to be worshipped that Parents are to be honoured that there is difference to be
shall see Satan in a chaine The first aspect presents all formidable as the product of Satans will which conteining the extirpation of all good with the introduction of all iniquity confusion misery upon supposition it should obtaine what can be superadded in the way of evill therunto The secōd represents every thing beautiful in its time it being an impossibillity that he whose wayes to his end are past finding out should do any thing in relation either to way or end incongruous or indecent unto him who is absolute perfection it self Look upon the spirit of error in it self it is like the Lyon roaring upon Sampson look upon it in the Promise 't is as the Carkass of the Lyon but behold there is a swarm of Bees and honey in the carcass of the Lyon In its own nature it is a flood of waters cast out of the mouth of the Serpent In the promise it is as the waters of Noah unto the freinds servants of the Trueth When I thought to know this it was too painfull for mee untill I went into the sanctuary of the Lord then understood I their end Psal 73.10 17. CHAP 3. Of the destructivenes of the Doctrine and Practice of the Quakers Vnto Religion the Churches of Christ and Christian States DIseases may well be concluded malignant and mortal at least in their next tendency when they seize vpon the vitalls and Spirits The doctrine under examination being censured according to this proportion will soon be found guilty of the charge The destructivenes of the doctrine of the Quakers unto Christian States appeareth from The nature of the Object they single out imediately to fight against viz The Trinity Christ The Scripture as the Rule of life Order both Civil especially as acknowledged in al Christian States with Power in matters of Religion Ecclesiastical as instituted in the Gospel The Spirit they are acted by The suitablenes of their doctrine unto discontented seditous factious and tumultuous spirits especially if pressed with poverty or a suffering condition The experience of the examples of their predecessors in Germany acted by the same principles Fundamentals in Religion are so denominated Principally properly so Christ is a foundation Mat. 16.16 Doctrinally so the Scripture is a foundation in that it holds forth the doctrine of life 1 Cor 3.10 11. Eph. 2.20 Practically so Order is according to some not ineptly said to be of the foundation in that it is requisite in the way of means for the preservation of what is fundamentall For the making good the first maine article of the charge the clearenes of the trueth of the heads instanced in as the four parts thereof their fundamentality with the contrariety of the doctrine-impleaded thereunto being manifest is necessary In order whereunto the Trinity and Scripture being some-what spoken to above and that of the Person of Christ in this place not calling for it it remaineth onely to demonstrate 1 The nature and necessity of order 2 That in their opposing the Magistrats as now established in Christian estate they oppose civill order 3. That the visible-politicall-Churches Church-Officers Church-worship administrations are Gospel-institutions appointed by Christ to continue to the end of the world Order is a divine disposal of superior inferior relations in humane or Christian societies distributing to each one respectively what is due thereunto There was Order directive in Innocencie order both directive and coactive is necessary in mans fallen estate Order is Gods way of lapsed mans wel-doing wel-being It is the forme of societies Formes are essential without which things cannot be By Order plurality is formed into and subsists in unity Without it plurality is but an heap Neither nature nor society whether humane or christian no not so much as a family can stand without order Ephe. 1.22 1 Cor 12.19 If all were one member i. e. if there were no order where were the body Order is a divine preservative of Trueth Peace and Communion The good of Order is further intelligible by the evill of confusion James 3.16 As confusion is not farr from every evill work so order hath a tendency to every good work Order without action is negligence action without order is presumption Action without knowledg is reprehensible and order unprofitable but Order Action Vnderstanding perfect bodies Politick The great good which is in order is the cause why the wicked one so restlesly oppugneth it The working of Satan against Order is a policy against a policy The policy of hell against the Policy of heaven Whilest we remember that God is the God of Order it is not hard to discern the maligning therof as proceeding from the Serpent For God is not the author of confusion but of peace as in all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor 14.33 34. In Ecclesiasticks it is a maxime indispensable in Paul's motion Let all things be done decently and in Order 1 Cor 14.40 Doing nothing is more eligible then doing without order Many times there is not so much good in the matter done as there is evill in that it is disorderly done In Civills in case of non-administration wickedness reignes Judges 17.6 In case of mal-administration incorrigible in the Magistrate the Psalmist cryeth out that the foundations of the earth are out of course Psal 82.5 Such a foundation then is Order as it being cast down what shall the Righteous do Their Opposition to Civil Order is thus evinced That doctrine which denyeth obedience unto the order of Magistracy in its due subject Exod. 18.21 interpretatively and in effect denyeth the order of Magistracy i. e. Civil order But their doctrine denieth Obedience unto the order of Magistracy in its due subject Therefore their doctrine denyeth the order of Magistracy i. e. Civil order That they deny obedience unto the order of Magistracy in its due subject witness both their scripts behaviour wherin they deny obedience unto all Christian Magistrates who are not of their own mind Their pernicious principles herein from the execution of which the good hand of God hath hitherto restrained them are notoriously palpable in the practise of Storke Mancer their Predecessors About 1521. Nicholas Storke a ring-leader amongst a company of mutinous and seditious persons pretended to immediate visions and thereupon preached that there should come a new world wherein should dwell Righteousness therefore they ought to exterminate all the wicked withall the Princes unbelieving Magistrates from the earth They faith the Author called all those unbelievers which were not of their faith faction In Alstad a Town in the Earledome of Manifield one of the 4. Estates in upper Saxonie Thomas Mancer enrolls the names of them which were entered into league with him and by solemn Oath promised assistance to dispatch the wicked Prince to substitute new ones They saith the same Author generally accounted all Superiours wicked The being of Magistracy is from God immediately There is no
Power but of God the Powers that be are or lained of God This or that Form of Civill government is of God mediately i. e. by the means of man 1 Pet 2.13 Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake Wherefore yee must needs bee subject not only for weath but also for Conscience sake Rom 13.5 Concerning the Power of the Civil Magistrate in matters of Religion See in the next chapter That Visible Politica-Charches Church-Officers and Church-Ordinances are Gospel-Institutions appointed by Christ to continue to the end of the world appeareth as followeth briefly That Commandement which Pâ—â—â— gave to Timothy is to be kept untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus 1 Tim 6.14 But Visible Political-Church estate is part of that CoÌ„mandment which Paul gave to Timothy 1 Tim 3.15 Therefore Visible political church-estate is to continue untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ i. e. to the end of the world The word Commandment relates generally to all conteined in this Epistle prescribed unto Timothy to be observed Whence Beza readeth it pâ—eception rather then Precept This is part of that Depositum that great thing deposited which the holy Apostle so frequently affectionately calleth upâ—n his dear Timothy to see unto Yea and sometime forbeareth not as with a severe and most vehement adjuration to charge bin with the custody of 1 Tim 5.13 14 20. I give thee charge in the sight of God O Timothie keep that which is committed to thy charge Either God since the institutioÌ„ of the Ceremonial worship Polity of Israel by Moses hath changed the Rule of Political Church-estate more then once or he hath left his people without any Rule as concerning Political church-estate or else the Political church-estate instituted in the Gospel is to continue to the end of the world But since the institution of the Ceremonial worship Polity of â—srael by Moses God hath changed the Rule of the Political estate of the Church but once Heb 12.26 27. And it is not a trueth to say that he hath left his people without any Rule as concerning the Political estate of the church Heb 3.5 6. 1 Tim 3.14 15. 1 Cor 14.33 Therefore the Political Church-estate instituted in the Gospel is to continue unto the end of the world Pastors Teachers are Church-Officers Pastors Teachers are to continue to the end of the world Therefore Church-Officers are to continue unto the end of the world The Apostle Ephe. 4.11 12. having instructed us concerning the institution use of Pastors Teachers proceeds verse 13. to inform us concerning their duration where unto that question how long are Pastors Teachers to continue He hath prepared an answer long since in those words till we all come in the Vnitie of Faith of the knowledge of the Sonn of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullnes of Christ. Wee have in the text presented before us the duration of these Officers described from two periodical and indubitable notes First the meeting of all the elect in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God Secondly the attaining of all believers unto a perfect man or he full stature of Christ. By the first understand the effectual calling together with the perfect agreement of all the Elect in the faith By the second the perfection of Christ mystical The head and members Christ all believers make one mystical person or one mystical-bodie The perfection whereof is heâ—e held forth by a metaphor taken from the full stature of the body natural after which there is no augmentation Now the perfection or full stature of the body mystical after which it receiveth no augmentation imports two things First that no member shall then be wanting secondly that every member shall be perfect From the premises it being manifest that these two periodical notes shall not be untill the end of the world therefore as manifest it is that Pastors and Teachers being to continue untill then they are to continue unto the end of the world Those three verses are as Aarons rod an argument were it alone sufficient quite to take away the murmurings of the people Yet for the further satisfaction of the Reader touching the Gospel-ministry two things may here not unseasonably be spoken to 1. Concerning the nature of extraordinary Gospel-ministers 2. Concerning immediate mission of persons in these dayes Touching the first Church-Officers are Extraordinary i. e. but for a time as Apostles Prophets Evangelists Ordinary i. e. such whose function continueth and is standing at all times To the constitution of an Apostle four extraordinary gifts concurred 1. A Call immediately by Christ Matthias substituted in the place of Judas is elected by Lot which was a divine vote Acts 1.26 Paul hath a vision of Christ and heareth a voice from heaven Acts 26.16 1 Cor. 15.8 2. Plenitude and amplitude of the power of the Keyes i. e. all Church-power in all Churches John 21.21 Mat. 28.19 Mark 16.15 3. Infallible assistance in their administration when called thereunto 2 Pet. 1.20 21. 4. Power to work Miracles 2 Cor 12.12 The Prophets were called immediately by the Spirit their work was to interp et dark Scriptures by a special gift without study Acts 13.1 15.32 1 Cor 14.24 Prediction of things to come Acts 11.27 28. 21.11 Joel 2.28 Aâ—ts 2.9 Luke 2.36 Acts 21.9 Evangelists were extraordinary Ministers called by the Apostles as ordinary Ministers are by the Church Such were Timothy Titus Quest Touching the querie whether we have any Scripture warrant to expect persons immediately sent of God in these dayes Answ We have no promise of any such ministry in our times The last dayes Acts 2.17 are by some senced as relating to the last dayes of the Jewes immediately preceding the dreadfull famous destruction of that Nation According to them called the great terrible day of the Lord. Thus James chapt 5.3 speaking of the wealthy Jewes saith that they have treasured up their wealth as fire against the last dayes i. e. against those times of destruction when their wealth should but do them a mischief marking them out as prizes preyes for the enemy But this interpretation is left to free disquisition The Apostles seem not so to have expected any succession of Apostles Hence in their life time they appointed Elders in every Church Acts 14.23 And left behind them a prescribed form as a directory of the Churches concerning persons to be called by man into the Ministry successively in the ages to come 1 Tim 3 Titus 1. But though we have no promise of any such ministry yet in the Scripture we have frequent prediction caution of pretenders to immediate mission of deceivers false Apostles false Prophets false Teachers Speakers of lyes in the name of the Lord with Command and directions to try them not by their own profession for that is no
then hanged in iron cages the King in the midst higher then the rest by the height of a man he endured the first three pinches in silence afterwards cryed out for mercy till he was dispatched John Matthiz a Baker of Harlem a Prophet after a revelation from heaven Commands all books to be burnt except the Bible Herbert Truteling a smith hereupon called them dirty Prophets Therefore Matthiz shot him dead This Matthiz by the impulse of the Spirit without the Scripture taketh a long spear runneth up and down Munster crying out that he had received a Commandement from the Father to repulse the enemy from the Cittie He no sooner approacheth the Camp then a Souldier one Misnicus faceth him and shoots him dead At Sengal in Helvetia 1527 Thomas Schucker with a sword beheads his own brother Leonard in the presence of his Father Mother by the impulsion of the Spirit without Scripture Upon the place of execution he shewed no remorse but professed that it was the will of God revealed to him from heaven Coppius a Flanders man Quintinus a Taylor of Picardie Claudius Persevatus Pocquius a Priest who conitnued still to say Mass in Holland Brabant and other parts of the Low-countrys and in France seduced above four thousand in Calvin's time All the murders whoredomes villainies saith M. Rutherford practised by Muncer John Becold David George Swenckfield they fathered on the Spirit without the Scripture or on such an allegorick sense as their unclean spirit expounded the word by so as a man knows not when they sin when they serve God I shall take off my pen from transcribing any more of these examples many wherof are at hand What further troubles were caused by these factious spirits in Moravia Bohemia Poland Hungarie Austria Silesia Westphalia Freizland Holland and Brabant in France I leave the studious Reader to inform himself from the histories of those times Did Luther in those times write to the Senate of Mulhusen to beware of the wolfe Muncer and have not we cause now to beware of the spirit of Swenckfield Muncer Becold Quintinus more then reviving in this present doctrine of confusion Iliad ψ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rem Regem Regimen Regionem Relligionem Tollere tentarunt Region Estate Rule Civil Divine Religion ALL they seek to undermine Amongst these three wayes of teaching Authority Reason Example the last is peculiarly accommodated to the capacitie nature of man as that which both inlightens affects Examples make difficult things plain and doubtfull things certain Hence they are aptly called the Pledges of speech delivered for the assurance of the mind of the hearer concerning the subject spoken of upon the reception whereof all experience attests unto a perswasive operative influence concomitant in rational subjects It were a great violation of charitie to looke at all seduced as thus minded we know the very method of the Masters of Spirituall pestilence sufficiently admonisheth us that their novices are not arrived at the heights of the mystery of their iniquity 'T is probable that many of their considerable proficients are not alike insighted into these secrets of darkness Yea that not a few of them would readily really profess their detestation of the perpetration of the villanies forementioned All which notwithstanding it were great defect of prudence after so fair or rather formidable warnings past and such prodigious apparitions present not timously to put our selves into a regular and necessary posture of defence Alas men know not their deceitfull hearts At the same time we may both hear Hazael saying But what is thy servant a dog that he should do this great thing and see the man of God weep foreseeing the evil that he would do unto the children of Israel Be it so that many are led away in their simplicity yet a discerning spirit may well doubt that neither Achitophels head nor heart is wanting in the design Besides why should not men of the same Spirit temptation opportunity concurring be looked at as too like to walk in the same steps From the same root reason teacheth us if not maturely prevented to expect the same fruits from the same principles the same issues from the same cause the same effects To give warning is the duty of the watchman to take warning is the duty of the Citty The experiences of generations foregoing are the instructions of generations following The history of the experiments of others is our advantage The improvement thereof in season will be not only our duty and wisedom but also a token of mercy The woe 's of Ancestors ought to be the warning of Successors CHAP 4. Of the Remedy against Heretical doctrines and in particular against the doctrine of the Quakers NOtwithstanding manifold evils prevailing threatning yet the Prophet will not admit that there is no Balm in Gilead that there is no Physician there Though Christ hath not seen good to exempt his with a preservative from exercise by temptation yet hath he so provided as to supply them with a defensative against the evill of temptation There was not more sicknes amongst the people then there was healing vertue in the Disciples gift Mat 10.1 A venimous Serpent may be brought into Crete or Ireland but may report be credited no such can live there The wiles of the Devil are Serpentine and malignant yet not to be compared to the wisdom of Christ The Serpent's head is poysonous but thanks be to God through Jesus Christ his malignity is both antidated antidoted I will put enmity between thee the woman between thy seed her seed It shall bruise thy Head Gen 3.15 The Saviour of his people hath smitten Satan long agoe in his intellectuals His plots are foreseen and the remedy hath prevented the disease To Christ belongs the prerogative of being the only Politician Now a compleat Polity exhibiteth meanes sufficient as to the sufficiency of meanes for the defence of the Law and of all those that are loyal subjects thereunto Would the Patient but regularly attend the prescript there is no stratagem can infest the Churches in reference whereunto wee may not still boldly say yet there is hope in Israel cōcerning this thing Surely there is no inchantment against Jacob neither is there any divination against Israel According to this time It shall be said of Jacob of Israel what hath God wrought Num. 23.33 mine eye affects my heart Lam. 3.51 A due sight of the Spirit of errour heresie is a great help to affect a Christian Spirit therewith Monsters in nature are eye sores The face of death that King of Terrours the living man by instinct turneth his face from An unusual shape a Satanical phantasm a ghost or apparition affrights the disciples The vision of sin unto a spiritual eye is an object of much more abhorrence then the former But the face of heresie is of a more