to Accuse or Excuse I Conscience be lost it is only in respect of the use thereof as Reason in a Drunkard and not otherwise Conscience is a Thing of a divine Nature and is a thing placed of God in the midst between him and Man as an Arbitrator to give Sentence and to pronounce either with Man or against Man unto God Bish Wilkins's Real Character Definition of Conscience It s a Faculty whereby we apply general Principles to particular Cases being a practical Judgment or Memory relating to Matters of Duty The Opposite to it Unconscionableness Searedness Profligateness c. These Testimonies give great Honour to Conscience as the generallity of Professions give to the Men. By them it appears that Insensibility is not Conscience or Conviction and the Truth is unconscionable implyes that conscionable is reasonable just and good For our Parts we believe that God has placed his Witness in every Soul Heart and Conscience and that all Mankind shall be Accused or Excused by it they that rebel against it to them shall it be a Never-Dying Worm to them that love and obey it an Everlasting Comforter By this hath God awakened and redeemed us from a vain Conversation T is his ancient Light and Spirit that strove with the old World and strive with this To no other Spirit is our Testimony neither Conscience or Conviction then that which is according to the Nature of it And as I can make my Appeal to the Neighbours of I. C. and all other People else-where if ever our Consciences or Convictions have led us to any such detestable Enormities as he charges upon our Doctrines and Principle and if we have not rather had our Conversation among them in all Gentleness Sobriety and Honesty so do I warn all to whom this comes that they judge us not with Unrighteous Judgment nor readily receive the Reports and Suggestions of prejudiced Men against us and our holy Way It s no easie thing to Flesh and Blood for us to live uprightly in the Profession of it meer Outside Historical Faith Large Shews much Talk for Religion will not do the Matter if the Heart remains unsubjected the affections unmortified and no Peace with God sealed to the Soul Depart from me will be the last dismal Sentence Therefore my dear Country-men Grieve not God's Holy Spirit encline your Hearts to his pure Word 't is nigh you as Rom. 10. that you should obey it and do it it will reform and regenerate you it will create all things new from an Hard to a Broken Heart from a Vain to a Contrite Spirit new Affections new Desires new Love new Friendship new Words new Works new Customs and Fashions not like the World's that shall pass away and Vexation of Spirit only remain in lieu of them forever Then shall the Peace of God slow into your Souls as a River and nothing shall ever harm or make you afraid Truly Friends a Vain Worldly Unwatchful Conversation unrepented of be your Profession and Church what 〈◊〉 will will one Day harm and make you afraid for God 〈◊〉 Reward all people according to their Works at that 〈◊〉 Day it will not be Well Talkt or Well Profest but WEâ—â— DONE good and faithful servants Why Because thâ—â— have kept his holy Sayings Remember what Christ Jesus said by whom God will judge the Secrets of all Hearts in the Day of Account that for every Idle Word which Man speaketh shall he give an Account in the Day of Judgment As one that knows the Terrors of the Lord I would perswade all men to turn to the living God For if the Righteous scarcely be saved where shall the Vngodly and Sinner appear for the Kingdom of God stands in Righteousness Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost and Sinners have nothing to do there Neither think that you are saved by Christ from Wrath and not saved from Sin or that he has saved you from the Guilt though the Nature and Acts of Sin remain no such can walk with God here for they must be translated changed renewed muchless can they enjoy the Lord hereafter Wherefore cast about and see how it is with you hearken while it is to day your faithful Monitor is in your own Bosom and Waits and Knocks to be let into your most inward Affection that he may be your Delight the prime Object of your Love and blessed are they that are not offended in him but believe in him and confess him before all men the Outside Jew despised him then the Outside Christian sleights him now but blessed be God this spiritual Appearance of Christ in the Soul to the Jews the Professors a Stumbling-block to the Greeks the Wise Men Foolishness is unto us who have believed therein the mighty power of God to our Salvation and the worst desire I have for you is That you also may sincerely believe and when Time with you shall be no more receive with all those that in the Self-denying Life of holy Jesus walk and saint not to the End of their Dayes Glory Honour and Eternal Life Amen THE END D. Cave's prim Christ Quak New nick Name for Old Christ pag. 71 72. pag. 34. Ed. Bur. pa. 34 35. pag. 71 72 73. a Ought any man to obey what he does not know and is not Knowledge Conviction I provoke him or any to give me a Scripture for that But more of this anon observe what follows b The Apostle here does plainly exhort them to make their Conviction on their Rule for there was something in them that brought shame over them for their Evil Deeds the true Light and Spirit that makes known what of God is to be known in man c True still for Man can't see without Eyes nor act without Knowledge But the Question is What Conviction this is the words prove that it is by the Light and Spirit of God then the feared Conscience and debancht Mind are I. C. speaketh of plainly excluded here I mention the Conviction and that which works it What Countenance do either give I. C. tos heap those foul and Impiou Consequences upon me d This plain Distinction I made is left out by him that he might the better have his Ends and Conceal the Injustice of his Work c This is a direct Contradiction to his Inference and Allegation who would have me to hold that what is in any Case commanded one Man is not binding upon another when I limit it to Extraordinary Cases and just after say that the Moral Commands of God are obliging upon all How is it then that I deny the Ten Commandments to belong to all Men or that I hold men may Kill Steal c. and not be cullpable O disingenuous man f This Out living their Day plainly shows that I excluded seared Consciences how then do I make a seared Conscience my Rule of Obedience or the readiest Way to Salvation g Is not this the Language of I. C are they not Brethren in Abuse h Is not this a plain Distinction what could be plainer against any such Consequences as I. C. draws and to prove that I understood not what he renders me to have intended Levit. 19. 18 19. i How plentiful are the Evidences of our Innocency and how distinctly nay the Reader see that E. B. writ of Particular Extraordinary Commands k Let me pray the Reader and prevail with him to dwell a while upon this Passage and do an Innocent Man yea an Abused People Justice Does this plead for Rantism Atheism Blasphemy Murder c as I. C. tells us l This is the Tendency of his Doctrine who flyes out upon Conscience and Inward Conviction as if they were the only great Enemies of his Salvation m This notable Clause clears our Sense more particularly and gives a very plain Discovery of our Enemy's Disingenuity We speak of Positive J. F. and I. C. conclude our Argument against all moral Commands these are Ministers of the Gospel all this while if they may be believed Phil. 3. 15. n What sayes my Reader to this Passage and plain Provision made by me against blinded deluded and hardened Minds and Consciences Does this agree well with my present Adversary's swaggering Consequences especially that which makes me to deny sins of wilful Ignorance What Gospel can a Man so qualified be Minister of o This further proves what Conviction as well as what Commands I understood and ought to shame my Adversary if he has any Ingenuity in him for that ill Vse he has made of my words about Conscience and Conviction p What sayes I. C. to this Is the Conscience and Conviction I make so necessary a blind dark scared Conscience Do I leave it there Is that the Language of my Doctrine Is it not a Conscience convinced and taught by God's holy spirit Let what follows and the Three Testimonies be weighed W. Tindal's Works pag. 319. p. 80. B. Jew contr Hard. p. 53â— 534. T. Coll. Works p. 247. p. 8. 9. Joh. 16. 7 8. Chap. 15. 24. Rom. 18. 19. Mic. 6. 8. Joh. 1. 5. 9. Ephe. 5. 12 13. Joh. 3. 20 21. Rom. 10. 2. Acts 18. 22 23. p. 11. W. Perk. Works of Consc p. 512. Heb. 8. p. 8 9 11. p. 9 10. Mic. 6. 8. p. 518. p. 519. Note
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
the Christian Religion we came to see that true Christianity was another Thing then the World apprehended and that as he was no more a Jew that was one outward so neither was he a Christian that was one outward but he was a true Jew and Christian that was one inward whose Praise is not of Men but of God in this Zeal that God had begotten in us for his own living Way the spiritual Circumcision the right Christianity namely To be Christ like to do the Will of God in Earth as it is done in Heaven to live unspotted from the World and no more we to live rule and order but Christ that liveth in us which is to have eternal Life abiding in us In this godly Zeal I say for this pure and living Way we frequently testified to all People what God had done for us where he found us what he discovered to us what he condemned us for what he redeemed us from and what he had brought us to earnestly recommending the Light of Christ within that manifests the Mind of Christ unto them vehemently decrying the lifeless Profession they worship God the eternal Spirit in and shewing to them a more excellent Way because a more pure and spiritual Way manifesting to them how that they called Christ their Lord and did not obey him their Saviour and were not saved from Sin by him yea how they magnify'd him in the History and crucify'd him in the Mystery warning them of their carnal Faith Hope and Security they lived in which cleansed not their Consciences from dead Works nor overcome the vain and wicked Spirit of the VVorld particularly exhorting them to turn away from their hireling Teachers that had caused them to err who though they say'd Thus saith the Lord the Lord never spoke by them and God said of old such should not profit the People who fed and clothed themselves of the Flock but had no heavenly Bread no green Pastures no pure Fountain to feed and refresh the Flock with and that all should learn of the Lord that teacheth his people himself by his own good Spirit in their inward Parts according to the Tenure of his second and everlasting Covenant that they turn not again unto Folly For this Testimony sake hath the Devil raged and plotted our Ruine ever since we have been a People now like a Lyon then like a Lamb one while in the Appearance of a Serpent another while in the Shape of a Dove but the Lord God Jehovah hath kept us hitherto none of his Weapons hath yet prospered and 't is our Faith none even shall for our Confidence is in him whom the Winds and Seas obey Sometimes they tell us of our Novelty as the Jews did Christ Abraham was before thee say the Jews Before Abraham was I am says Christ the Christians were counted Vpstarts both by Jews and Gentiles yet their Way and so ours the pure plain spiritual Religion Worship was before Jew or Gentils were anon we are Ignorant Illiterate Mechanical by and by we are Subtil Jesuites Crafty Deceivers then Familists as quickly Papists by some counted Enemies to Caesar by others Temporizers our Visage is continually marr'd in the Eyes of the Outside Christians as was our blessed Lord and Masters in the Eyes of the Outside Jews for what can escape their Censure there is a Sort of Men nothing pleases one sayes we are Socinians owning Christ to be but meerrly a Man another that we are Sabellians and Valentinians and deny the Manhood of Christ starts up a third and sayes The Quakers expect to be justified by their own Works a fourth presently cryes out They will do nothing unless the Spirit move them how are the Works ours then some imprison us because for Conscience sake we cannot take up Arms others for Fear we should Again our Plainness in Apparrel is concluded Singularity our proper Speech Rudeness our Scripture-Dialect Canting if we conscientiously refuse them our Hat 't is Pride if out of pure Tenderness we cannot swear 't is Contempt of Authority and if we deny to pay the Parson Tythes 't is reputed Robbery though we have nothing for our Money of him In fine our Silence goes for Sullenness our Sobriety for Morosity our Frugality for Covetousness and for our Doctrines they are only Antipodes to Truth for we are made to deny God Christ Spirit the Immortality of the Soul yet that we hold our Souls to be God Christ and holy Spirit too that we deny the Scriptures Ministry Church-Ordinances Justification and Salvation by Christ the Resurrection Rewards and Punishments and which is yet further observable as it fared with or dearest Master and his Followers then The Scribes Pharisees Saduces Galileans c. ready just before to devour one another immediately united and combined to oppose traduce trap and ensnare them so has it fallen out with us for the Hand of every party hath been lifted up against us I scarcely know one that is under any considerable Notice in Christendom however violent and irreconcilable among themselves that hath refused that common League and Confederacy or that hath not by some or other of its principal Agents vigorously if not scornfully and persecutingly decry'd and oppos'd us yet are we alive and a people blessed be the Name of the Lord this leads me to ask the Question why did they so use our blessed Lord and his Disciples the Answer is easie Because they saw him not they knew him not nor his Followers as they were they had lost their Divine Savour and professed the VVords and Sayings of Moses and the Prophets not in their Life and Spirit and I can give no other Reason why we are so little known to the World of Christians in our Age then that they hold generally the Christian profession out of the Christian Nature Life and Spirit for we are the most mis-understood and mistaken of people whence it follows that our Antagonists of every Party have charged us with Doctrines and Principles not of our owning but their own Mistaking if not Inventing which is worse 't were too tedious to enumerate all their Attempts there are not less I believe then One Hundred Books extant two thirds of the most of them are Imagination Romance Fiction and no Judgment or Doctrine of ours This is Notorious by our Answers and I hope every man's word is to be taken about what his own Faith is though not in the Proof of his Faith to be a True Faith Of later Times two Persons have excelled in this Way of Opposing us Thomas Hicks and John Faldo they are both Answered according to their respective Tracts and their further Defence remaineth hitherto unattempted by any 'T is with a Passage in my Answer to J. Faldo's first Book that this same I. C. stiled A Minister of the Gospel and a Skirmisher too offers at an Encounter I question not his Courage so much as his Skill he shows Will enough but his Abilities