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 scaredâ—y 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 3ly As if we could Worship Preach gather Churches and administer Gospel-Ordinances aright without the Spirit 4ly That he is not convinced by any other Testimony then the Scripture without of any Transgression against God's Law 5ly 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 hath given it to the Rebellious that it may judge them if it do not lead them It is such Protestant Doctrine that I wonder Men should not know their admited Ancestors Faith when they meet it Oh great Degeneration into Hardness 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 lyes 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 Conviction Discoveries and Guidance of his holy Spirit since Flesh and Blood and the utmost Wit 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 Words themselves were Spirit and Life It was by a Divine Touch Sense and Knowledge given from above that he was truly discern'd own'd and follow'd of those that believ'd in him and clear ved 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 unblameably by which the Scriptures are only understood as they should be 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 followed 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 Heterodox 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 mentioned They Circumcised 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 Discerning 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 says 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 PROMTING 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 obliging upon us to practise and consequently that we ought not to run head long without such knowledge T.
many I have already proved therefore it binds them not in Conscience II. Paul saith Rom. 2. 12. They which sin without Law shall be condemned without Law To this he brings Augustine Tract 89. on John 15. 22. saying that the Gentiles may have an Excuse for not believing in Christ Bish Sanderson is of the same Judgment in his Oxford Lectures on Conscience Now for his next Contradiction which is in ample manner thus God and CONSCIENCE will never smite for meer p. 11. and total Impossibilities what are they I. C. to obey a Command which it is utterly impossible to know or be convinced of Very well enough of this before but what 's the Matter with Conscience how comes this strange Advance of a suddain from the Bar to the Bench what a Regicide a Parricide a Murderer an Adulterer a Drunkard a Thief a Traytor a Tyrant a Blasphemer an Atheist and now a Judge and such a Judge too as takes Place next God himself in Judgment God and CONSCIENCE will never smite and condemn c. O Powerful Conscience and O Righteous Conscience too what a just Judge at last both able and equal certainly then it can be no Error to follow thy Dictates nor make thy Convictions the Measures of our Obedience but tell me O Conscience if Princes and Rulers make never so good Laws with thou come and say I deny all these Laws and the Makers of them Children may murder their Parents Subjects their Princes Servants their Masters one Man another p. 5 6. Dost thou require men to do all these Impieties underpain of Damnation if not go to I. C. for Satisfaction for he has grievously abused thee In short Reader So perplext is the Man in his Skirmish that he seems to have scar'd no Body so much as himself he has frigtned himself with his own Bulbeggar and as it happens with young Hottspurs Conceit carries them on but leaves them in the Fray to get off as they can so it has fallen out with I. C. he is in and he known not how to get out again One while he appeals to God and Conscience If God and Conscience approve me p. 2. here he makes Conscience the Rule of his Writing as well as God another while We may do the most horrid Crimes and yet Conscience stood to them and not only not smite us but approve us and praise us p. 5. By and by God and CONSCIENCE will never smite and condemn for meer Impossibilities here again it is joyned with God in Righteous Judgment p. 11. Again If Conviction be the Ground of Obedience and the Authority of Scripture depend upon the Rectitude and Purity of Conscience then all rational Law Order and Government divine and human is overturned and a stop put to all Religion and Piety towards God to all Conscience Honesty and Charity toward Men. Let God command what he will Conscience may come and say I deny this Command and him that commandeth it p. 5. I desire to know of this Man by what Trope or Figure it is that he makes adhering to Conscience the Way to overturn and stop Conscience that 's the first Case of Conscience I have to ask of him The second is this how Conscience can be coupled with Honesty and Charity nay with God himself and yet have the Impudence to tell God I deny thy Command and thee too is not this strang Divinity surely this Man is but a Parson by the by for he violates the common Rules of Theology as their own Schools teach But once more in Honour of Conscience and to make her amends as he began with the leave of Conscience he ends if we will believe him with the Judgment of Conscience hear him I would be glad to make the best I can of your Position but I must protest my Conscience and Conviction thus doth he make that his Guide his whole Pamphlet reprobates The next Contradiction is this that Conscience is made by him to be killed with Sin as if it were a just Principle and by and by he renders it the seared active Sinner p. 5. One more Lastly he tells us that he grants that without the Light within we could not at all come to the Knowledge of the Scriptures p. 12. yet that the Light within gives the Drunkard leave to be drunk Again The Light within which should be his GUIDE like a negligent drunken Coach-man sleeps and the Horses run wood or he drives into Pits and Bogs so doth the Light within take Part with the Flesh and Satan against you p. 13. These Contradictions speak for themselves though against him the Reader may easily judge at what a Pass this Parson-skirmisher hath reduced himself that writes at this Randome Rate But what further of his elaborate Studies in Divinity why this If Scripture go sayes he farewel God and Christ and Heaven and all Law and Rule p. 13. Now God forbid that the Scriptures should go but since in telling a Fib of us as if we slighted them he has adventured such an Axiom abroad in the World I think fit thus to animadvert Doth God Christ Heaven all Law and Rule depend upon Scripture strange Change the Creator depends upon the Creature the Saviour upon his Message Heaven upon the History of it Ridiculous as well as blasphemous-Well but this is the worst Sense let us see if we can find the best and that is this Farewel to our Knowledge and Enjoyment of God Christ Heaven c. if the Scriptures were lost but this is also Extravagant since God hath not so tyed up himself to Scripture the Scripture it self tells us of a Law writ in the Heart and that this is not an Inferiour State neither but that of the New and everlasting Covenant Again was there no God Christ or Heaven Law or Rule before Scripture the contrary is notorious the World had enjoyed many Ages before the Scriptures were in Being Paradise needed them not and Abraham Isaac and Jacob had them not and can this Parson think there was no Knowledge of God Christ Heaven Law or Rule in those Ages wonderful what cross Prospects doth this Man take of Religion But what becomes of his spiritual Laws writ in Mans Nature p. 8 9. if all would be lost with the Scriptures which God preserve how cross is this to the Apostle's Sentence in this very Place Rom. 2. For the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the Things contained in the Law and are a Law unto themselves it seems here was God Heaven Law Rule without Scripture Lastly He would needs have it That men may commit all sorts of Impiety upon Conviction see p. 4 5 10 11. whereas all these Evils are committed against Conviction sayes every Orthodox Man be they Sins of Wilfulness Searedness or Ignorance for Wilfulness resists Conviction Scaredness overlayes smothers or kills it if it be possible and Ignorance is Darkness or Blindness which is just opposite to Conviction
THE SKIRMISHER DEFEATED AND TRUTH DEFENDED Being an ANSWER to a Pamphlet ENTITULED A Skirmish made upon Quakerism By William Penn. Jam. 3. 13 14 16. Who is a Wise Man and endued with Knowledge amongst you let him shew out of a good Conversation his Works with Meekness of Wisdom But if ye have bitter Envying and Strife in your Hearts glory not and Lye not against the Truth For where Envying and Strife is there is Confusion and every Evil Work Printed in the Year 1676. THE Skirmisher Defeated AND Truth Defended Being an Answer to a Pamphlet intituled A Skirmish made upon Quakerism OF all the Evils that attend Controversie about Religion there is none more odious and provoking then that of Mistating Principles and giving That under mens Names to the World for their Doctrine and Judgment which they abhor to believe much more to assert and divulge to others And this I hope I may without Offence add That to be Misrepresented hath mostly been the Lot of Truth in all Ages and her peculiar Difficulty and Suffering from the World For no sooner has Almighty God blest Mankind with further Discoveries of his heavenly Will and divine Helps to perform it then some or other and those not a few have iâ—mediately opposed themselves to that Work and the Lovers and Abetters of it nor have those Adversaries been of the Rabble Men of no Letters Education or Pretence to Religion by no means much the contrary the Learned Crew the Clergy that great Corporation of Religion it hath been generally such the Chemarims men of the Black Robe that from a Pretence to greater Knowledge then others an Education in the Studies of Divinity a peculiar Warrant and Mission with the Countenance of Worldly Authority have used their Skill and employed their Abilities to traduce Truth and stigmatize her Followers exposing both to the Fury or Mockery of the World tell me when this fell out otherwise and allow me Scripture Story but to be true and sacred I pretend not now to write an History no not to epitomise that which is already writ nor need I for the Case is evident but because Examples are so ready I will instance in him that said I am the Way the Truth and the Life One while the Scribes and Pharisees took hold of his Nonconformity to their Customs and then he was a Despiser of Moses a Breaker of the Law one that made void the Traditions of the Fathers Another while he was a Mean Fellow but a Carpenter's Son and what Man of Quality would follow him or who would make a Messiah of a Mechanick or a Saviour of so servil an Off-spring But when this would not do then he was a Samaritan and had a Devil and cast out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils thereby rendring his Person hateful to the Jews that refus'd all Commerce with the Samaritans and his Wonderful Works suspected of a Diabolical Power lest the People should believe in him But this Trick failing and the People believing lest any of Note should be taken with him they â—ling out that he was a very Idiot one that knew not Letters and that none followed him but those that are cursed and know not the Law the Rabble the Vulgar and Illiterate People But when this Stratagem succeeded not to lessen his Reputation and question his Pretences they bruted up and down that for all his pretended Perfection he was a Loose Person a Wine-bibber a Companion of Publicans and Sinners not fit to be the Leader of a Strict Sect nor qualified for so Glorious a Work as that of the Messiah's God still blasting their Designs and the People flocking after him admiring his Doctrine his Authority his Wisdom and his Miracles the Jewish Council of Doctors and Rabbies roundly accuse him of Blasphemy and have the Confidence and Cruelty to seek his Life telling Pilate that They have a Law and by their Law he ought to Dye but Pilate scrupling the Matter and finding their Proofs short faints in their Business which they perceiving with one loud Cry as if it were a Dare to Pilate to deny them their Murderous Ends tell him He is an Enemy to Caesar hoping though Pilate would not concern himself with their Laws and Customs yet that being Caesar's Deputy and Officer he would not suffer any man to live that was a declared Enemy to Caesar's Government and they had their End Nor did his Disciples fair better who were accounted Enemies to the Law Scriptures Seducers Deceivers of the People Pestilent Fellows Sowers of Sedition Turners of the World upside down c. But who were they that made this lamentable Opposition were they litterally Heathens or professedly Infidels no such matter for that might have in some sense extenuated the Crime at least have spoyl'd our Parallel but they were the Offâ—spring of Abraham Great Scripturians to whom pertain'd the Covenants Promises Adoption and if we will take their word for it Children of God in Bondage to none though it s not to be doubted but that they were by Nature Heathens and for all their great Profession Infidels in spirit and great Slaves to Sin and Children of the Evil One all this while Now this has been our Case who are in Reproach called Quakers In the first Place we must honestly and plainly confess before almighty God and all Men that we have been of the common Mass of Mankind and had our Conversation in the times past in the Vanities Pleasures Sports and Lusts of this World living in some respect without God and Christ in the World though under a Profession both of God and Christ as the most Part of Christendom so called do at this Day and in this dead Estate to the living Sense and Enjoyment of God and Christ in our Souls the Lord visited us and by his own convincing and reproving Light Power and Spirit hath he awakned us and brought us to behold him whom we under all our Profession of Religion had more or less grieved and pierced with our vain Thoughts Idle Words and unholy Actions and to Sorrow with true godly Sorrow and be in unfeigned Bitterness as for our first born or our only Child the Lord thus redeeming us through his holy Rebukes and Judgments from an evil Conversation and converting us to himself by his own Righteous Law in our Hearts And when it had pleased God thus to rouse us out of our carnal Security and fire our House of empty Profession about our Ears and open the Books of Conscience and call us to Judgment kindling his holy Terrors in our Hearts because of our past Conversation that had been in the vain and sinful Fashions and Customs of the World calling God our Father and not born of him and Christ Lord and not by his holy Spirit neither had taken up his daily Cross to the slaying of our own Wills and carnal Affections notwithstanding the great Profession that we in Words made of him and