finite so making either two Righteousnesses of God whose Righteousness is but one or else distinguishing that one into two sorts finite and infinite which is but one in kind viz. infinite and everlasting though dwelling in different degrees in God Christ and the Saints but well maist thou do this whilest thou makest so many Christs as thou didst at the Dispute and hast done since in thy crooked Account thereof I say is not that Everlasting Righteousness of his working in the Saints and bringing near to them Isa. 46.13 as everlasting as infinite as of old and of as infinite value every where as it is any where in that Body of his whereof he is the head as in that Person which was the head of his body Yet T.D. denies it to be of any worth to justifie and affirms it to be but mans own Righteousness which is dung loss and rags procuring no more to him by desert then his wickedness which merits no more then Condemnation and in further evidence of this let thy own words p. 15. and p. 22. be well considered and compared where thou sayest thus T. D p 22. Do you think that the Righteousness which the Apostle calls his own Phil. 3.9 was not Christs Had he any Righteousness which he had not received And yet that Righteousness which was in the Apostl never was in Christ as the subject but was wrought in him by Christ as an efficient cause and Christ had an inherent Righteousness in respect of which he was said to know no sin and to be a Lamb without spot or blâ—mish Are not here then two Righteousnesses And they serve for two different ends the one for our Justification the other for our Sanctification the one gives us a Right to the inheritance of the Saints in Light the other makes us meet for Possession And p. 15 all Our Righteousnesses not our unrighteousnesses onely are as filthy Rags Rep. Oh Rare and Base What Whirle-pools and Whirle-gigg and Whimseyes and Gimcracks are here Compound all this deep Dâ—vinity of T.Ds. together some of which but not all for other some the blackest of his Brethren I believe will blush at is that which others store themselves with by stealth out of the Common standing-stock of Theology which few Divines dare stir a foot from and here is such a manifest Mess of medly such a heap of Hotch-potch as scarce ever crept out so openly upon the Stage before since the world which should be Christs School was by its Disputers and Schollers made their Fencing-School against Christ and his Disciples I shall Segregate the absurdities of this absolute parcel in which else they may by unseen being jumbled together among some undeniable Truths and set them down in their own Colours to the view of all 1. Mark Reader How T. D. divides the Righteousness of Christ inherent in himself and imparted from him to his Saints which who is not so Blear-eyed that every single object seems double to him cannot but say and see is one and the self same into two Righteousnesses one of which though he confesses they are both Christs and wrought by him alone as the efficient was notwithstanding as he sayes never in Christ as the subject at all 2. How these two points hang together as well as things can do that are all to pieces viz. that Paul had no Righteousness which was not Christs and which he had not received from Christ and yet that which he received from Christ Christ never had in himself nor was it ever inherent in him which if it doth not contradict the School Maâ—imâ— which no well skil'd Scholler disowns of Nil dat id quod in se prius non habet vel formaliter vel virtualiter saltem eminenter nothing can give infuse or derive that to another which it first hath not in it self and which resides not in it self as the Subject wherein the same one way or other is or formally or vertually inherent which I 'le not spend time here so nicely or exactly to examine yet I am sure it expresly and egregiously disagrees with those undeniable Testimonies of the Scripture which faith not onely Iohn 3.27 A man can receive nothing that is of God Grace Righteousness c. except it be given him from above but also that in Christ are bid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge that in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2.3 9. That the Spirit of Grace a manifestation of which is given to every man to profit withal according to the measure of the gift of Christ who taketh of his own Glory Grace c. and giveth to his Saints distributing to everyone severally as he will is by the Father given first to him not by measure that his Disciples may also as they do of that fulness which dwells first in him receive of the same in some measure Grace for Grace John 7.16 and 3.34 And this stops that creep-hole whereby T. D. wots he winds himself out p. 37. where he saith Christs Righteousness in the Saints was never formally existent in him as the spirits are in the brain for as the spirits are in the brain and communicated thence to other parts of the body so the Graces of the Spirit are all in Christ the head and communicated to all the Members of his body as truly and formally as the Typical ointment that was poured on Aarons head was communicated from thence to his beard and ran down to the skirts of his clothing 3. Note well how that very Righteousness which was wrought in the Apostle after his Convertion by Christ and received from Christ and so by T. Ds. own confession was Christs is by T. D. first divided off from that Righteousness which was inherent in Christ though it be Christs as well as the other and indeed as undivided from it as Christ who is indivisible is within himself and set apart and aloof from it as quite another us if it were scarce any kin to that that dwelt in Christ the head and not onely so but secondly pacht and packt up into one with Pauls own Righteousness which he gloried in before his Convertion for what Paul calls his own was that he had of old and had left and lost too as dung and loss as much as he once thought it gain before ere he received any from Christ and disgraced and digraded so far below it self and its own true worth and dignity as to be Ranks with Pauls own yea to be made and counted on as no other but his own the self same as he and the wicked Iewes as T.D. sayes p. 21. who were as ignorant as our Priests are of Gods Righteousness went about to establish to their Iustification he makes that Righteousness those good works which by Christ we are enabled to perform no other then Our own good works Our own Righteousness all which as well as our unrighteousness T.D. Beckons but as filthy
proof is the Promise Providence and Care of God concerning the entire Preservation of your Originall Texts to a Tittle the Foolishness Falseness Weakness and Absurdity of which together with many other Mediums used by Him not one of which is Taâ—tamount to so much as a Topicall Argument I have sufficiently hereunder discovered One of his Main Subordinate Mediums is not the Infallible Guidance Direction or Assistance of God for that 's denyed by Him to all the Transcribers the first as well as the last p. 197. But only the Religious Care Diligence and Consideration of their Work in Hand and with whom they had to do in it and Gods Loving Aspect over them in it and this is all He does or dares Ascribe to the best of them from whence He inferres no more which yet is not half enough to His purpose then a Probability that they might not be Mistaken at all in a Tittle or at least not so much as the Transcribers of Heathen Authors Concluding in such like Terms as Shall we think Can we Imagine Surely it s very Improbable It seems to border on Atheism to Imagine they were mistaken so as that the same fate attended them and the Text in their Transcribing it as hath done other Books and much more such like Trifling Stuff After this His Arguing to which Probability that they were not so mistaken leaâ—t He should seem to have over-shot Himself in going but so far He begins to fall again by Degrees and Confesse 1 st That though it were very Improbable yet 't was not Impossible for them in any thing to mistake and then 2 dly a little farther yet He falls a Confessing and Granting à Potentiâ ad Actum that they did mistake and that failings have fell out and been found among them and that from thence Various Lections are risen sundry of which He also instances in Notwithstanding all which Concessions and Grants whereby He layes himself and his Arch-Assertion Level with the Ground He yet seeks to Scramble it up again and to save Himself from sinking quite down by catching hold on many weak Twigs and to Lick Himself whole with a Legion of little Worths which as is shew'd hereafter do not heal him of the Wounds which Himself gives to His Own Arch-Assertion Thus while Wisdom builds Her own House The Foolish Woman pulls Hers down with her Own Hands Moreover how Ye Ministers Unminister your selves Every Way who can't but see Ye deny the onely True Foundation the Letter layes which is the Light and lay the Letter in its stead yet what a slender kind of honour ye give to the Letter too for all your so Loud Laudings of it in Words is shew'd Exer. 2. p. 51 52 53. Ye deny any Infallible Guidance of your selves as well as others at this Day by the Infallible Spirit which Holy Men of God ever spake by as they now do in dayes of old Ye deny the only Way of Justification by Christ and his Righteousness Revealed in your selves Ye deny the Light that leads to Life as very Darkness it self Ye deny Perfection here the very End of all Ministry Ye Preach for Hire and Divine for Money and have beguil'd People into a Love to have it so what will become of you and what will ye do when the End of all this comes upon you Ye are such Turners to and fro with the Times Turning and Tempering your Tenets thereunto that there 's no Generation of men unless That of Those who with their Traditions and Empty Formalities make void the End and Equity of the Law as ye with Yours make void the very Power and Perfection of the Gospell can so Generally or so Truly say as ye may of your selves Tempora Mutantur nos Mutamur in illis Witness All Vicissitudes of the Times from Henry the 8 th to this Day wherein Exceptis Excipiendis some Few only in each Turn to be Excepted who rather then Turn would Burn bear the spoil of both Persons and Possessions the Two Nurseries of this Nation and their Respective Nationall Nephewes and Children viz. That Noun-Adjective Priesthood which could never stand yet alone by the Sword of the Spirit without the Sword of Secular Powers to Secure and Support them in their Spirituall Maintenances and Ministrations have for the most part as to their Formes of Religion like Reeds shaken with the Wind and Yielding with the Tide Lean'd all along for Livings sake which Way so â—re the Powers in Present being per force would Form or Frame them to and fro viz. from Popery to Prelacy from that to Popery back again from thence to Prelacy again from thence onward to the Scotch Presbitery from thence on to a more moderate mixt kind of Presbiterian-Independency and after so many Oaths or Vowes and Covenants to Endeavour the Extirpation Root and Branch of that which may as well as any of the other for ought I know serve the Turns of such Turncoat-Teachers as make an External-Temporall Trade of Talking on more then of Walking in the Eternall Spiritual Truth how many are now minded if the Word should be As you were to face about again to the Oâ—ning of that late Episcopall Hierarchy I cannot determine yet I can Divine by the doings of some Divines that not a few of those who were not long since so devoted against it that had not the Tide Turn'd upon them contrary to the Common Course of Presbiterian Expectation one may safely say they would never have said so much for it as they now begin to do will ere long if not comply with it Simpliciter yet by some Simple Secundum Quid or other distinguish themselves into an Union and Compliance with it and dispute themselves into some Share and Division with its Children in their Spirituall Dignities and Preferments Alias Confound themselves into some Common Communion with them therein rather then for non Conformity to their Form and Government be wholly Excommunicated Ipso facto from All Communication with them in those their Carnall Clericalities If their Episcopall Brethren as they have of late began to call them be but as free to entertain them thereinto in this Day of their Dominion as some of the Presbyterian Brethren who Dein'd the other no leave nor liberty to live in their dead Form under them in the day of their as undue Domination seem forward to intrude themselves into a dwelling with them in their Tents it seems to me at least that they may yet Cott'n well enough together with them for their own Ends Witness not only some Words of R.Bs. Book about the Visibility of the Church very newly extant which intimate his owning in some sort a Superintendency of Bps over Presbiters but also in his Preface to that very Book of â— T. I have here to do with which are these viz. I have already told the Episcopall-Brethren that Bishop Vâ—her and I did fully agree in half an hour and therefore it 's
depressing the Light which is the Name of Christ exalted above all Names without any colour of light or tolerable evidence of Scripture or Reason that it is by ten thousand degrees so bad a business as thou makest of it into so low a condition as wherein to stand in need so far as a thing that needs no such thing but infallibly evidenceth its own Innocency and Excellency may be said to need it of such Apology as at the end of this work thou wilt find me making for it and so as to put it under every name that is named not only of things in Heaven or pertaining any way to the Kingdome thereof but of things in earth too and if ens be better then non ens as ye count it and a being though a bad one be better then none at all under things that are under the earth also setting it at naught so as to render it worse then naught till what in thee is thou quite annihilatest and mak'st just â—ought or nothing of it at all Having made unto thy self a Graven Image and Golden God of that meer Image thou hast by thee of the old Original Copies of the Scriptures in thy frothy vain light and yet dark and lightless mind thou dost Hos omnes naso suspendere adunco ironically fall a scoffing at the Qua. and the true Light of the true God and consequently at the true God from whom it comes puffing at it as if thou wouldst puff it out at a blast making thy self merry over it among thy Academical Admirers laughing both it and all that own it and so him that gives it out even to very scorn terming it as if thou knewst not what to call it that is bad enough for it I know not what Light that hath no community or correspondency with the Scriptures and jeeringly the Infaâ—lible Dâ—ctâ—r that counterfeited Light or Word within the feigned Imaginary Christ I know not what God or plenâ—iful Horn of the Heavenly Goat better then any God â— hâ—rrible figment a certain Imaginary Christ they lyingly devise which is a Light within common to all I know not what spiritual every thing that is truly nothing the meer imaginary and fancied Christ of a sâ—rt of Fanatical men I know not what Divine Quality or Soul of the World mingled into all things which may be every thing and in very need is just nothing Thus when thou hast made thy self sport enough with vilifying the Light of Christ and Christ who is the Light thou art pleased to end thy Play with a nullifying of it and so de nihilo nihilum nihil in nil c. out of this nothing there can come nothing and thou having done thy do with it hopest to hear no more of it away it must without more ado having nothing to do in rerum natura but to make I. O. merry a while and at his will to become nothing again But I. O. Hoc ego opertum Hoc Ridere meum tam nil nulla tibi vendo Scriptura vel inane tua quacunque vel ipsa As very nothing as this Light of Christ and Word within is with thee and thine whose thin somethings and empty every things in which you yet bless your selves are wearing out and mouldring to nothing yet such as know the true worth thereof will not so undervalue it as to sell it for any of thy vain Scripture for the Scripture nor for the best of that best Scripture which thy vain Scripture for it prefers before it which Scripture yet as to its own proper place and use they are far before thy self in preferring And howbeit thou deemest that the Light thou so damn'st down to nothing hath done with thee thou having thus done with it and done it away as far from thee as a man of thy Cloth can likely fling it yet there is an hour thou art not ware of wherein thy self and it must meet again in which it will find thee out for all thy floutings of it and come nigh to thee to Judgement as a swift Witness against thee for more things then that which thou hast forgotten and set all that thou hast done in thy vile body in remembrance and in order before thee and unless thou repent thee in the time wherein in the goodness of God its given men to lead them to repentance damn thee for ever far further from any sight as to enjoyment of it self and God then ever thou by all thy Judgement past against it canst condemn it from thy self or possibly judge it out of thy sight As for thy pair of Pamphlets T.D. they consist more particularly as follows viz. The first which besides its piece of Preface is a meer five-fold fiction of a treble Tale untrue Relation or cursory crooked crude and decrepid Account of the Three Disputations that were held at Sandwich on the twelf thirteenth nineteenth daies of the second Moneth 1659. between thy self and three of us called Quakers viz. R. Hubberthorn G. Whitehead and my self together with a short Answer as to the saving me that labour who should else have so entitled it thy self most truly superscribedst it p. 34. for indeed thy Devils Bow shoots too short either to hit the mark thou shootest at or hurt that innocent Lamb-like Spirit that speaks in that or any other of R. H. his writings to a trifling Pamphlet put forth by R. H. as thou triflingly termst it And lastly A brief Narrative so thou nam'st that last and most Remarkable part thereof of some Remarkable Passages The second which besides thy Epistle and Preface is but as it were a lesser Chump of the same old Wooden Block with the other subdividing and cleaving it self out also into five smaller chips fit for little else but fewel for the same fire by which as by the day that now declares the Workman and his Work of what sort it is they are all to be both revealed consumed and burnt up among the rest of those bryars and thorns that are setting themselves to battel against the Lord and of those buildings of wood hay and stubble which the Scornets of the Corner-stone are erecting to their own ruine viz. a kind of Epitomical repetition of what was shufflingly said by thy self in thy first Tritie concerning the four Heads or rather and indeed against these four points of Doctrine viz. 1 The Light of Christ. 2 Perfection 3 Iustification 4 The Scriptures with frequent references to thy so call'd Qua. folly for the rest of thy Replyes to us who had replied to them all ore and ore again before And lastly another Narrative not so call'd by thee yet for the lies and naughtiness thereof and nothing else much more Remarkable then the former as will be seen in my Animadversion of it Having said this little to you both I.O. and T. D. about your Books by way of Preface or Dedication of what hereafter follows to your selves and all your Followers and Fellow-Labourers
said as the same Seed did to the same sort of Seers whom God sent of old to a Rebellious people lying children that would not hearken to the Law of the Lord See not Prophecy not Soft and Gentle and not Right and Rough things are agreeable to to the duty of this day the Qua. speech the words whereof I have set down in the Margin referring both thee T.D. and the Sandwich doters on thy dowby-doings to a Printed sheet â—old by Tho. Simmons at the Bull and Mouth stiled the Prophet approved by the words of his Prophecy coming to â—ass where ye may read the residue of the Message from the Lord in that place of the Popish Priests consecrating falsly called Christ-Church in London on that day was deemed such a disturbance as was punisht with an orderless New-Gate imprisonment by the multitude at the present ratified by the Rulers order when they were more at leasure from their voluptuous feasting which iniquity of appointing men to preach to them in their own wills and time whether God appoint them yea or nay of despising the true Prophets true Words and trusting in the fraud of the fulse ones and in their own perversness and staying thereon Isa. 30.9 10 15. was then unto them as it ever was to the same generation as a breach swelling out in a high wall whose breaking came suddenly as at an instant for by the 13th of the same month they who were so hand in hand against Righteousness were turned tail to tail against each other for their wickedness yea the Lord spared them not but brake them as the breaking of a Potters vessel that is broken in pieces so that in the bursting of those brittle Potsheards of the earth there is scarce found a sheard of so much uâ—e as to take fire from the hearth ' or water withal from the pit Now as to the very great distuâ—bance thou sayest they made this is but the old Tone of the Tithe-taking Tide-turning Tune-serving Truth-belying Teachers and the wonted out-cry of that Noun-Adjective Ministry thou belongest to that cannot stand nor subsist of themselves without leaning for encouragement defence assistance and maintenance to meeâ— humane Laws to prop them up in the propagating of their meer humane Gospel who like the loud-lying women that having no better shift than to cry whore first are ever hideously bellowing out against the Qua. to the tune of Heresie Heresie disturbance of the Ministers to the Magistrates so that if any Qua. come quietly in and speak or do but ask that Reason which every Christian is bound to be ready to give of his hope to every one that asketh him in meekness and feare they strait call out to have them Punisht as the Iews neither did Act. 13. nor do at this day which said Ministers being in propriis Talpae in alien is linces are more sharp-fighted towards the good behaviour of one Qua. quietly questioning with them or saying any thing to them soberly that is of God then the misdemeanour and tumultuousness of twenty of their own unquiet Spirits stirred up by the Devill to call us Râ—gues-Faces Quaking Doggs to break Windows and bring in Dâ—ggs to fight and such like beastly and Bear-like behaviour in our solemn Assemblies till they are wearied with their own Pains towards us and our Patience towards them under it as well while we are speaking as we are moved of the Lord in our own allowed meetings as in theirs witness their leading a Bear through the place where the Qua. were Preaching publickly at Hith and also the rudeness of some of those that are under thy own Tuition T.D. at Sandwich and belonging to the Flock thou there feedest or rather feedest on who when G. F. E. B. my self and many others were publickly met in quiet in a place of our friends procuring shrew Stones and Gunpowder squibs that fired among us not so as to move us to cry out to the Rulers of Disturbance yet so as to give good occasion to the Lord to permit though ye forget it a sad fire to fall out within the Town no longer after then the next morning Thus ye men of Sin make men of God offenders for a word and hate them as of old they did that reprove sin within the Gate so that when any such stirrs arise upon occasion of the Gospels preaching as did in the Prophets and Apostles days which the Lords Messengers now are no more accessary to as causes then they then were it s still laid to the doore and put on the score of Truth and the Tellers of it which because none else will own it must hear it till against the foul mouth'd Beast the Lambs innocency be cleared as the light which till then may truly say of all mischief that falls out where he utters his voyce Cum nemini obtrudi potest itur ad me The Lambs cauâ—e is better then the Wolfs when charg'd by him for troubling the water with only drinking at the Fountain but the Wolfs Teeth are sharper then his and therefore the Innocent must be devoured And whereas to such like tales as thou hast told as abovesaid thou prefixest the conclusion thou inferrest in these words viz. T. D. What affronts these wretches offer to the Worship of God is notoriously known Rep. I â—ay your Parish Worship is not so truly the Worship of God as 't is true that ye so call it but that of the Qua. who Worship him in Spirit and Truth in the inner parts which ye are out of which those poor Wretches your Parish people are by your lyes instigated to offer such abominable affronts to as Beaâ—ings Buffetings of men in and draggings of them oâ— their own meetings as are notoriously known all the Land over is the true Worship of God indeed which except ye repent in time O ye Priests and Parish-people and own the truth 't were better for you and them that ye had never been born then offer such affronts to as ye do but full well may ye offer affronts to our Worship when ye stick not to do the like to your own Rule of all worship even to that ye call the Word of God for if the Scripture which is a true writing of it were as truly the Word of God as ye say it is ye bawlk not as occasion is to do despite to that witness the ungodly guise of those Giddy Heads about Westminster who when by G. F. holding out the Bible to them they were askt in the mid'st of their mad hurlings of Mud and Kennell dirt as they mostly do upon the Qua. in their meeting there to this purpoâ—e whether they would do such despite unto the Scripture which they say is their Rule and the Word of God ceased not to be dirt that their Word of God any more then they did from dirting him who held it out to thorn T.D. Another of thy Remarkable passages in the first Narrative is of one of
Papists are far enough as ye are from the belief of that upon the non-belief of which in this life they build that piece of Baggage viz. a Purgatory in the life to come which though ye cry out of as Popish yet while you hold with them against us no perfect purging from sin in this world and say worse then they do in defiance of that holy truth which we stand in defence of for so ye do while ye call it a doctrine of Devils yee unavoidably usher in that of Purgatory in the world to come unless ye will fain another world wherein the perfect Purgation must be which is neither this world nor that to come which were a Chimera as bad as Purgatory or say there 's no perfect purging at all which were worse you must by your denyal of the perfection of it here establish a Basis for that Baggage to abide firm upon and open a door so wide for its entrance and entertainment as to let in the Popes Purgatory whether ye will or no. 2. Our Doctrine of Freely yee have received Freely give and of Preaching the Gospel without mony and without price and going forth for Christs names sake taking nothing of the Nations our crying out as the true Pastors and Prophets did against the Hireling Shepheards that like greedy dumb dogs that cannot bark unless it be against the truth but bite shrewdly when they are not fed and yet never have enough but are ever seeking every one his gain from his quarter and our talking against Tithes and the pay of Parish Priests which is originally of the Pope and not after Christ and such like this is no fair In-let to the Popish Priesthoods Bag nor yet any of his Baggage but much rather a shutting out of them both for sure enough no more wages no more work for a Masse Priest here nor any where else no means none of the Popes Ministries nor Ministrations no money no men that will preach without it no Popish Parish pay no more Popish Parish Pasture nor Parish Formal Prayer no reaping the clear Tenth of Corn without a farthing charge more then it costs to carry in which is the sixth of the Nations grain at that rate and the Cream and Quintessence of all other Carnal things no Seminary seeds men of that Sort to sow such Earthen Heavenly things such meer fleshly Spirituallities as the Spirits of that Spiritually are fully fraught with No Room for the rest of Romes Religion where taking of Tithes and Raking in the Revennue may not be a prime part thereof keep out the wide mouth'd Bag of all the lord Beggers and they 'l never Burden England so much as these have done with their far fetcht dear bought Baggage But the English Priesthood Preaching for hire and Divining for money and taking of Tithes as aforesaid and talking for them and gaping after the gain thereof and Augmenting their Arguments and hideous outcryes for Augmentations out of the Antichristian Treasury of Deans and Chapters Lands and powerfull pleadings for the Popish Pensions of Parsonages Vicaradges and Curat-ships c. and seeking and suing for such Superstitious emoluments and uncessant and unfatiable callings out more maintenance more maintenance this is not onely a fair In-let to the Popes Bag but also no small part of his Baggage whereby his Bag is upheld which receiprocally upholds his Baggage for these two are the mutual In-lets and upholders of each other and as 't was said of old two good livings which some mongril Presbyterian-Independants can digest yet are a good step toward a Lord Bishop which is not far from an Arch-Prelate so how an Arch-Bishop at Canterbury is next to the Arch Bishop at Rome may be seen by such as have read how that Heavenly Pope Calestine set Anselm Arch Bishop of Canterbury at his right foot in a General Councel saying Includamus hunc in orbe nostro tanquam alter us Orbis Papam we must in our world count upon him as a certain Pope of another world 3 Our Doctrine against Infant Sprinkling is no fair In-let thereto for that is another part of his Baggage that supports several other parts of it which together with it support his Bag which take away and his National and Parochial Churches fall in the fall of which much more Rubbish and Baggage of his fals with it which wont to fill the Bag yea and much mony fails and goes beside the mouth of it which was paid for mortuaries dirgis deprofundis c. in the dismal dayes of his darkest Dominion here besides the refuse of the Cross and the Gossips with whom at their Gossippings the Priests had many good Sippings their wonted Fees for Christnings Churchings c. in the late time of the font and Canonicall Coat the white Surplice and not a little might be better spared then so ill spent as it hath been since the Bason began and the white Surplices are left off among the men that are yet too much for their black Superfluities whose Vniversity Superstitious Snapsacks bear a great portion of and not a little proportion to the forenamed Baggage But such a practice as pleading for sprinkling of Babes which is a tradition little better than their Sprinkling of Bells in their works gives a fair In-let or at least forbids the Out-let of not a little of the Antichristian Bag and Baggage though in their words they would fain seem wholly to Renounce it 4. Our doctrine against persecution is no In-let thereto for the Bloody Tenets of Inquisitions Burnings Headings Hangings Quarterings c. In that case of Conscience are as Iachin and Boaz were before the True Temple of God that is by interpretation establishment and strength the most proper props of the Popes Temple and all its Trumpery the' most Principal Pillars that all his stuff stands on the Bottome of his Babilonish building by which poor people are so frightned into a blind obedience and conformity thereunto that whatever appears of truth to them within they dare not appear to obey nor so much as peep forth into any prosession thereof without but before there is any thing born up to suffer for it they are quickly cut off and as Hernicks soon handled to dust and ashes which most Beastly part of it all the rest of his Babilonish Baggage when ever it shall happen to be removed all the rest runs immediately to Ruine But the doctrine and practice of hating and hunting the Saints to and fro as Harmless Hares hauking after them as Saul after David as Partridges about the mountains from Court to Court from Commitee to Commitee for their flesh and their egges that the Tithe or else the price of the Tith of their egges and geese and hens and piggs and lambs and calves and their other commodities also viz. corn and hemp and hey and hops and pears and plums and apples and other fruits of their lands in which their Ministers labour not may take a
from the sight of how 't is at home he might see us perfectly clear and himself onely deeply guilty in part yea wholly of the self same Errour for verily we say of all Our own good works done by us out of him and not by him in us which onely are usually by God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also properly Term'd Our own they are as man himself in the fall who does them is altogether become unprofitable either to iustifie sanctifie save entitle to or fit us for Gods Kingdom yea what God himself doth Isa. 57. we do and will declare of Our own Righteousness that it cannot profit us of our Companies we are gone to and Congregatings with them c. in our own wills and thoughts these cannot deliver us the wind will take all these away and as it hath done some already so will all those that truth therein we say as Eph. 2. by Grace we are saved justified not in as you look to be but from our sins in which we were once dead together with you in which we sometime walked with you who cannot believe that ye can he perfectly purged from them while you live but that ye must live in some and some in you till you die after the course of this world the Prince of the air the spirit that still lives in you children of disobedience and in the rich mercy and great love of God wherewith he hath loved us made accepted in his beloved quicknâ—d raised up and made to sit together not in fleshly lusts and eartly Pallaces with painted Professors of him but in Heavenly places in Christ Iesus and all this through Faith not of our selves for its the gift of God nor yet of self works so as that any of us can boast for we are not our own but his workmanship in all this created in Christ Iesus whose new Creatures we are unto the good works we now do in the Light and Movings of his Spirit in a cross to the will of our flesh till it and the lust thereof be wholly crucified and we to the woâ—ld and the world to us which God hath of old ordained in order to the Eternal Life he hath that way ordained us to that we should walk in them yea Tit. 3. we were formerly for all our forms of Religion which yet were to the full as powerful as the best of your or the most Reformed Formalists empty Profession without the Possession of that Godliness ye prate of foolâ—sh disobedient serving diverse lusts and pleasures as ye still do and yet vainly hope to do well enough living in every malice hateful and hating But since the Goodness and Love of God our Saviour to mankind in Christ the Light appeared to us we are from these sins justified and loved for which judgment without mercy wrath without remedy will come on you that judge your selves justified in them yet not by any works in the Righteousnes that we have wrought but according to his own mercy he haâ—h saved us which saves to the uttermost and not by the halves as ye dream he does who Reckon without your Host who will Reckon otherwise with you when he comes nigh to you to Judgement and ye come to Account by the Light that all the sins past and to come of you Elect and peculiarly priviledged unsanctified Saints are Remitted while they are as hourly they are yea and long too before they are committed and that you while as unjust and guilty as David in his very acts of Adultery and Murder are yet acquitted accounted just and held guiltless by him who is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity and not abhor it and call that good that does evil and who will by no means clear the guilty in his guilt nor accept the filthy in his filth I say according to his mercy he hath saved us by the washing Mark of Regeneration and the Renewing of the Holy Spirit which he hath shed on us abundantly by Iesus Christ our Saviour to this end Mark that we being justified by his Grace viz. shed on us freely by Christ not inhaerent in him onely as the Subject might be made Heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life This and not thine T.D. is the faithful Word and these are the Truths about our Iustification or Salvation that they of old were enjoined stedfastly to Teach that those that believed in God might be careful to maintain good works of this sort as useful good and profitable unto men counting all their own which yet T.D. sayes are necessary to sanctifie and make meet as dung loss imperfect impertinent unprofitable and useless as filthy Rags Yea Finally as Paul said of his own Worships Works Righteousness and Services while he was a proud puft up Pharisee as most of our Formal Scribes and Modern Ministers are for he calls not that his own as T.D. does but Christs which he was after clothed in and by Faith had received from him and by him was enabled to perform and abound in so say the Qua. of theirs and I of mine If any man think he hath whereof to glory in the flâ—sh of flâ—shâ—y wisdom self-righteousness outward performances Well-worships inward workings of the mind in earnest Imaginations and of mans will in zealous hastings willings runnings strivings after God and Righteousness and Good in which yet the Kingdom comes not nor the Righteousness of it I could say more then I am here minded to do but since I came in the Light to feel the Circumcision of the heart to the Lord by himself not made by the hands of man and to witness the worth of the true Worship of God in Spirit and Truth in the inner part which his own witness within onely leads to what good works of mine I once counted gain I am now made by Christ to count loss for those of Christ yea for the excellency of the true knowledge of Christ to be my Lord whom I once so called but did not all that he said for whom I have lost all that and what more he hath yet called me to suffer the loss of and do esteem all but as dung that I may win hâ—m and be found in him not clothed with the old Righteousness of my own which was once Pauls and called by me and T.D. both but as filthy Rags so I know no Righteousness of Christ is called by any besides T.D. but with that Righteousness which is by Faith in his Light in which onely he is known Revealed and Received from him and in the way of that Faith by which God purifies the heart which overcomes the world in it and works by that Love that fulfils the Law in working no ill to the Neighbour wrought in me by him even that Righteousness which through Faith in the Light is of God not as our devising Diviners both Devise and Divine to the making of the wicked ones seem just and good before God when they are nothing
truth but must needs condemn it as delusion and deceit for none of Pauls meer own righteousnesse no dung and losse no imperfectly good works nor imperfect obedience nor such as that of the Iews establishing nor any nor all our righteousnesses which T.D. and I together with our unrighteousnesse dare denominate no otherwise then as filthy Rags doth so much as fit for that pure possession neithe can such as this entitle as a Cause thereunto yea if the righteousnesse of Christ within us wrought by him and received from him were indeed no better then T.D. makes it who makes it no better then mans own I should then acknowledge the who'e sentence to be true which T.D. once utterd and sincâ— acknowledges the truth of p. 38. which seeing he intends it of that true righteousnesse of Christ in his Saints which we testifie to that it s not that which Paul calls his own and dung but Christs own indeed who is the only Author of it is somewhat more then a meer lye and little lesse then bâ—astly blasphemy as T.D. affirms it viz. that any man that holds that principle of being justified by a righteousnesse within us living and dying in that principle caâ—nâ—t be saved But indeed Christs righteousnesse within us only is that by which souls can be saved as I shall shew anon for that without which is in kind the same never iustifies makes just righteous holy cleane nor saves from the sin till some of the same be in us every measure of the gift of which though but a part of the whole is as perfect as the 1 st fruit and the meer earnest of the spirit is a perfect gift and as perfectly good in its kind according to its meaâ—ure as the whole lump and fulnesse out of which it is given and is that which is by T.D. though but a part but improperly called imperfectly good and imperfect obedience p. 45. For no obedience nor good that 's of Christ noâ— gift of the heavenly Father in him is any other in nature then they both are i. perfect as they are peâ—fect and as the fulnesse of good that dwels in and flows from them is perfect without any imperfection And 't is only perfect obedience as only that of Christ whether in the head or in the mâ—mbers of his body is not any mans own upon or for which the Gospell gives life and justification Yet Oh the Rounds that T.D. runs in which there 's no way out of but by the Dore that is the Light which all Theâ—ves and Robbers are climbing above T.D. tells us another untrue tale p. 45. which overturns that untrue tale he told before for p. 38. He said no salvation is of any by a righteousnesse within for any that bâ—leive it must come that way for what 's within us though recâ—ved from and wrought by Christ is but imperfâ—ctly good p. 14.15 and Rags But p. 54. he sayes the Gospell gives life mark upon impâ—fect obedience So according to T.D. who sometimes rejects all righteousnesse within us as imperfect as refuse and as uselesse as filthy Rags which are good for noâ—hing sometimes again allowes that which Paul calls his own and dung to be called Christs and good for sâ—mthing viz. though not to justifie and entitle as a Cause or that upon which which term upon though T D would in p. 21 of his 2 Pamphlet shuffle into a more moderate sense then its properly taken in which is as much as to say for as the Cause of he therein doth but more manifest his folly to all men the Gospell gives the inheritance of life yet at least to sanctify and make meet for p. 14.15.22 but then this righteousnesse within whether Christs or our own which is dung and Christs also by gift to him must take heed however of creeping too high for if it aspire so as to assume to it selfe to be own'd us advantagious to justifie and entitle as that upon which the life is given it must be huâ—l'd down again to â—ary Hell for T.D. p. 28. Do 〈◊〉 all them to Damnation by whole â—ale below all possibility of Salvation that dare so much as hold that principle of being saved by it but for fear his damnation should be damned again as too damnable a Doctrine if he should not moderate it as to the legall rigidity thereof seeing he sayes the Law gives life upon perfect obedience and not without it and can't beleive any obedience that Christ can work in his Saints in this life can be perfect but all that he here works within men imperfect and none perfect but that he wrought without them as far off as Ierusalem as long as 1600. years since and hath now inherent in himself no neerer to them then heaven is to the earth he bethinks himselfe or else forgets himself again so far its not matter which as to cut off the entail of eternall life which the Law gives upon no other then absolutely perfect obedience and â—ntaâ—lâ—s the promise of it under the Gospell whether Christs or ours or both I know not which and I think he knows not well himselfe unto an imperfect obedience as that upon which mark life is given under the Gospell and contrary to Christ who tells us Math. 5. That the Gospell righteousnesse which reaches to the thoughts must exceed and be more perfect if more perfect can be but more then perfect cannot be then that of the Pharisees whereof Paul was one that as to the righteousnesse of the Law was blamelesse yet came not neer that of the Gospel there 's in no case any entrance into the Kingdome T.D. sayes p. 45. the Law gives not life without perfect obedience the Gospell gives it upon imperfect obedience thus posito uno absurdo sequuntur milâ— error minimus in principio fit major in mâ—diâ— maximus in fine When our men call'd Ministers erre by one absurdity rather then return they multiply it into a 1000. and rather loose themselves in the Laborinth of their own learned thoughts then learn of Christ and stoop to the simplicity and plainnesse of the truth as it is in Iesus for but that they love that smoother and smoake of the pit Rev. 9. They came out of in aperto et facili posita est salus The grace of God which brings the salvation appeares to all men teaching such as are willing to learn at it to deny ungodlynesse and worldly lusts and to live godly righteously and sâ—berly in this present world which life they hope not to live till the world to come where unlesse the Pope Purgatoâ—y be a truth and their own true doctrine when they say as the Tree faâ—ls so it lyes be a lye 't is too late to begin it And in such a Wood and Wooden Wheele as to and fro in and out up and down round about here and there no way out doth T.D. wander about this matter of our justification by the righteousnes good works and
Esau have I hated said of those two single Peâ—sons of which our intricate Expositors interpret that Text before those two children and single pair of twins came out of Rebeccaes wombe neither doth that Text Rom. 9.11 12 13. say so in terminis as our Academical Arithmeticians usually wrong repeat it for the Text sayes that before they had done either good or evil or were boâ—n either it was said to her the elder shall serve the younger and that 's true enough that he did both in the single Type and the foresaid double Anti-type and it s witnest in the Saints whom the world knows not to be truth at this day that the elder doth serve the younger which was an underling to the elder a great while but of the other it s said thus not as it was said unto her but as it is written Jacob have I loved Esau have I hated and where and when was this written before the two-single Persons of Iacob and Esau were born or had done either good or evil I trow not but if our benighted Seers look again they 'l see it was written by Malachi the last Prophet whoâ—e Prophecy was not before but after they were born and had done all the good or evil they ever did in the body yea so long after all this was written that the mens bodies both were 100ds of years before that both dead and rotten And to inculcate this a little further let thus much tâ—e considered that howbeit T. D. denyes Iustificâ—â—ion and Life to be given â—s myself do somewhat more then himself who falsly accuses me of it upon my obedience or good works or Righteousness of Ours onely and properly so called for as much as all Ours as well as Our selves as in the fall without Christ and his in us are as an unclean thing and â—ung and liss and as filthy Rags before the Lord and as he speaks improperly imperfectly good which is no other then evil as I said above or imperfect or to use his own Phrase still imperfect obedience which is but disobedience nevertheless the good works righteousness and â—bedience of Christ in us as well as his without us being when but in part or in the least degree perfect and the fulfilling of the Law tuliter qualiter and not defective or transgressive of the Law for as we have of our selves no other so he hath none such nor are any of his his operations or obediences imperfect or a violation or breaking of the Law and either a violating or fulfilling breaking or keeping of it every deed is that is done at all even these are such by which Iustification may doth and must come if at all and upon which the Gospel gives life And if any doubts it as T. D. himself does or rather denyes the Truth of it I need go no further for an Argument ad hominem then to T.D. himself who p. 45. sayes the Gospel gives life upon imperfect obâ—dience from whose own imperfect speech in that particular I may Argue and perfectly conclude the Truth asserted of the worth weight and vnloar of Christs obedience in his Saints every part of which is perfect a minori aâ— maâ—us if I may be candidly construed in my cauting back to him in his own Language of Imperfect Obedience Thus Arg. If the Gospel gives Life upon imperfect obedience as evrs onely is if any can properly be so called then upon perfect obedience such as at Christs within us and without us is much more But Secundum re T. D. the Gospel gives life upon imperfect obedience therefore upon Christs good works Holy Operations Righteousness and Obedience in us which is perfect and not imperfect much more And if T. D. shall strive by the serpentine sublety to save his head this way by saying he intends by that Term of imperfect obedience not any obedience or righteousness of our own wrought by us without Christ but that wihch is as he sayes Pauls was his own that he received from Christ which own of his Paul counted less and dung Our Own received from and wrought in us by Christ yet let him remember at least 1. that then he calls the gift of Righteousness by Faith received from God and Christ from whom comes every good and perfect gift but not any insufficient defective or imperfect that I or any ever read of imperfect And whereas he may yet twine say that he intends not in such a sence as I take the word imperfect in for evil defect insufficiency to its end or so but for 〈◊〉 onely or a less measure or degree of that fulness every part of which is also in a sense perfect let him 2. consider what I said above viz. of no good heavenly spiritual thing or gift that comes down from above from Christ and the Father of lights that which is but in part is any where no not in 1 Cor. 13. or truly can be called imperfect for the earnest and first fruits of the Spirit and Grace is Spirit and Grace and good as the whole is that its a part of and not imperfect but perfect as the other is perfect and so all that 's born of God is truly Holy as God is Holy and perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect and sins not as he sins not nor can being of the incorruptible non-sinning Seed for all that sins is of the Devil and thereby are manifest the Children of God and of the Devil that that is of God overcometh the world and that which overcometh the world is not overcome by the world but keepeth himself that the evil one toucheth him not and sinneth not as he doth and doth no other that is begotten to it by the Devil and is of the Dâ—viâ— and he that sinneth not doth Righteousness and he that doth Righteousness is Righteous as God is Righteous Pure as he is Puâ—e and so in some measure perfect though not in the same measure perfect as his heavenly Father is perfect that is bearing his perfect Image in his meaâ—ure and not part of Gods and part of the Devils as an Infant in nature bears the perfâ—ct Image of a man in stature and not Centaure-like part of a mans Image and part of a beasts and not having a mixture of sin with his Grace as thou whether more fooâ—ishâ—y or falsly it matters not sith it s both in a great degree supposedst as thou saist p. 18 I meant when in Answer to thy Question viz. Whether thâ—râ— be any true Believers who are not perfect At the Dispute I Replyed There are degrees among Believers little Children young Men Fathers and these things may serve as my Answer to that piece of folly and falshood of thine now I am up on 't for whatever thou T. D. supposest I mean I suppose and mean no such matter when I say perfect for every true Believer and Sanctified one by Christ though but in part is as truly though not â—o totally perfect
count upon it that God impures it so as to compute him or any Righteous Holy Good c. upon that mere account of his own so counting en't and confident believing it so to be before he find and feel that by his Faith in Christs Light which such Fanciers as I.O. T. D. and most Divines and their Disciples are far from Faith in while they fight against it as fiction it be revealed and â—rought in himself and imported to him to making of him Righteous as Christ is and to the purifying of him in fiertâ— till he come in facto esse to be pure as Christ is pure 1 Iohn 3. To walk as he walked and as he is in whom is no sin and in whose mouth was found no guile even so to be in this world and so are his Sants that stand with him on Mount Sion redeemed from the earth without fault before the Throne Rev. 14.1 and layes claim to the blessedness in Truth Psal. 32.1 2. Psal. 119.1 2 3 I say if any man thus believe Trust and Hope as aforesaid his hope is but vain and not that of theirs 1 Iohn 3.1 2 3 4. nor the sure and stedfast Anchor of them Heb. 6.18 19 20. that enters into that within the vail whether the Fore-runner is entred making the way for such onely as follow him in the daily Cross to the Carnal mind yea his belief is but blind his faith meer fancy he feeds but upon ashâ—s a deceived heart hath turned him aside his trust is in lying words he leans upon nought but lyes a meer lye is in his right hand Christ is not his nor his Righteousness his as yet neither is he Christs while he lives in his lusts and his lusts in him while alive to the world and the world to him for as it is in the Verse next after that I last argued from Gal. 5.23 24. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof upon that Cross of the Lord Jesus then which Paul glorified in nothing more as true Saints now do while the world is ashamed thereof that is the light by which Christ condemns all sin in their flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in them as truly as in himself and they walk no more after the flesh but the Spirit by which also Paul was crucified to the world and the world also unto him And now whereas T.D. and those Divines from whom he must come to be divided before ever he know his part in the undivided Christ do uno ore confesse so far unto this truth as to tell it further then they are aware against their wills while they tell us that the good works and fruits of the Spirit and Christ righteousness within the Saints and the obedience which by him they are enabled to perform are not onely that which makes men meet to enter but are also all the righteous mens evidence for heaven both in faro ecclesia conscientie for I know no man among them that sayes any other then thus that no men can know one another nor any men themselves to be Christs and heirs of heaven and to have right to enter there and that the faith in Christ which they professe whereby they say they stand entitled to the righteousnesse of Christ without them is true living saving justifying faith and not fancy dead unprofitable and good for nothing ' but as it is accompanyed with the other fruits of the Spirit and good works which serve â—ay they to justifie every one that is justified without them say they in the sight of God in his own sight and conscience and in the sight of men I shall take all our Doctors at their words so far as they do yield as Pharaoh did to Isâ—ael by a little and little at once in order to the winding of them in at last whether they will or no to yield us the whole Question in every inch of it wherein they stick for we shall not ere we have done leave them so much as a hoof thereof behind and while it is in and upon me say something more to these two grants of good works giving 1 st meetnâ—sse for entrance 2 evidence of our Tâ—Se to the inâ— heritance and the truth of that faith which though it never be alone say they yet along gives on our part true Tâ—le to it As then to the 1st I muâ—e what great difference there is but that they who where they should not make two into one as T. D. does Pauls own righteousnesse and that of Christ in him love as much when they need not to make one into two between the matter of merit and the matter of meetness that our Divines can digest it exceeding well to have it said the fruits of the Spirit and Christs good works and righteousnesse within his Saints onely makes them meet to inherit but can't digest it at any hand to have it said that these of Christ and his Spirit in them do meriâ— the inheritance or make worthy of it Doth not the â—ame that makes meet and fit for merit or make worthy of it and enright to it in some â—ort and in Scripture sense at least The whole course of which tells you not onely as you tell one another often but that you often untell it again when you tell that of necessity men must sin while they live â—hat no sinners nor unriâ—hteous ones of any sort have in any wise any right to inheritance in the kingdome or are either meet or worthy to be any where but without the holy City together as fearfull unbeleiving dogs and abominable in the lake of fire but tells you also verbatim in many places of all their and onely their right and worthynesse to enter who by Christs power do the samâ— will of God he did and have and work the same righteousnesse that he did in himselfe within themselves 1 Thess. 1. They that sufâ—er'd for the kingdome were worthy of it 21. Math. 8. Not onely they that came 〈◊〉 when bidden to the the marriage were unworthy but such also as took themâ—elves to be entitled upon bare bidding and so as you do ran in all the hast and thrust themselves in as those that had the onely right and who but they the worthy guests that thought there was no need I speake after the manner of men of the â—lâ—ves and Ribbons I mean the Wedding Robes of Christ righteousnesse to cloth their own persons as if what he only wore 〈…〉 Theirs too so far as to enright them â—hithâ—r were for all their more bast then good speed thrust out at last as uâ—worthy to be there where had they been â—s well suiâ—ed as they were willing to have the good 〈◊〉 might there upon deservedly enough since the invitation was free and though a gift yet what more free the gift Have stayd there among the rest as worthy And the few names in Sardis that had not
it he is worthy as the right heir one that hath due Title to it accordingly to enjoy and inherit And indeed the very word inherit which is so often-used both in the negative where the wicked are excluded as no unrighteous one shall ever inherit and on the positive and promissive hand where the righteous are included as he that overcometh shall inherit all things doth if men were not praepossest with prejudice against the truth and with blind principles which as its harder to knock an old peg out of its hole then to knock a new one in when that 's out there 's more ado to drive out of them dispossesse them of and draw them from then would be to draw them to own the plain truth if the darkness were once dispeld import no lesse then an entailing the Title of the Kingdome to the good works and fruits of the Spirit in us which are the Termes on which it is promised on any name or thing abstract from these which yet T. D. is so absurd as his fellow A B C Daâ—ians in the School of Christ are as to make in no wise a cause but onely an effect of our justification and of our standing entitled to it on things without us that are nothing to us abstract from these Whereas if that be true as it is in their own Schools that quo pâ—sito panitur quo sublato tâ—llitur effectus c. That upon the being of which the effect ever is upon the not being of which the effect can never bâ— must needs be the cause of that effect it s most uncontrâ—lably true that the good works and fruits of the Spirit in us are not the fâ—uits and effects but the causes of some kind or other of our justâ—fication and as the cause of every sort if it be but causa sine qua non as they speak the cause that gives no influence but only is a meer hangby yet necessarily too as a Cipher is in order of nature evermore before the effect so is our Sanctification so antecedent to our justification even in the sight of Gâ—d that contrary to our Schâ—â—lmens Figments who say justification is 1 st of the two so that God lookes on us as just while unjust before he makes us just I say till our Sanctification is our being counted holy in Gods sight can never possibly be Ob. And though it s said he justifieth the ungodly Rep. I say yea justification is ever of ungodly ones yet never in but from their ungodlinesse as Sanctification and Salvaâ—ion is of sinners but not in but ever from their iniquityes he cleaâ—s the guilty but by no meanes no not Christs blood so Exod. 34.7 as to cleare the guilty while in their sins or hold them guiltlesse as T. D. dreames he did David while they are guilty of Adultery and murder and while they are taking his name in vain crying Lord Lord but not doing what he sayes naming his name but not dâ—parting from eniquity he makes Christ to such as believe in his Light Wisdom Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption but what ere some count he in no wise counts him so to any any further then he doth so make him he sees no sin in Iacob nor traâ—sgression in Israel but it is because there it s done away and remitted not by pardon without purging but so as not to be committed any more or if it be there 's new guilt contracted and the sin imputed till again remitted on returning but this Israel to whom he is so truly good are them that are of a clean heart Psal. 73. He will speak peace unto his people and his Saints while they walk in wisdome but let them not return any more to folly for if they do they do they must again hear more rough reproâ—f from him then ever and find him speaking in wrath and vâ—xing in his sore displeasure there is a blessed man to whomâ—he will not impute sin whose iniquityes and transgressions are covered but t is he in whose Spirit there 's no guile Psal. 32.1 So that I marvail what our Priests mean by Salvation Iustification Redemption and such like when they say a Saint or a Sinner what should I call their mongrell seed may be in a State of Salvation while they are in the guilt and filth of their sins for I know but two things Christ saves his people from viz. from their sins and from the wrath which is to come and I know no Salvation at all from the wrath which is the effect till there be a Salvation from the sin which is the cause of it for posita caus a pâ—nitur effectus as well as sublata tollitur and I am sure none is there as yet from the sin where men are not onely in it and it in them but singing loath to depart and pleading for a necessary abode of bâ—th these themselves and sin together while themselves are abiding in the body Yet T.D. so thinks that to stand in sin which is in the Reprobation and yet to stand within the lists of Gods love and Election will stand so well both together that David stood justified in Gods sight in that which if men had seen him in he would not have been justified in their sight who love sin more and hate it lesse then God does and yet all this altogether But T.D. thou hast heard of God onely by the hearing of the ear as yet by hearsay from thy self and sâ—lf blinding Brethren but when thine eye comes to see him and he comes neer thee to judgment whâ—se comming who in sin can abide and who in iniquity can stand before him who is as Refiners fire to the drosse and Fullers Sope to the filâ—h thou shalt for all thy seeming Saint-ship Abhor thy selfe before him and repent thy sâ—lf that ever thou talkedst of mens being in a state of justification before him while under the guilt of sin as purer Saints then thy selfe have done that have thought the same as thou dost in very dust and ashes and that walking in the fruits of the Spirit and holinesse of truth must go before the sight of Gods face in peace and that the sinner shall not see his face and live thy selfe shalt see whether eâ—er thou come to walk holily yea or nay But alas to what purpose is it to tell our Pâ—iests this when they tell in effect the same one to another yet believe not what they say themselves but contradict it out of their own mouths as soon as tâ—eâ— have done like Lâ—â—ards making good plain Prints with their feet in the Sandy ways they run in yet dashing them all out as the go with their long bushy tailâ—s they say no lesse then that Sanctification goes before justification in the sight of God though they see it not while they say faiâ—h which they confesse is a fruit of the Spirit the gift of God a part of our Sanctification is that that as an instrumentall cause of it
but a few in it as T.D. at the Dispute so that on this soore our Scribes scape Scot-free still by their shifts To meet with Quakers Priests need never doubt Nor need they when they meet them fâ—ar a Rout If All 's but Some Out 's In and In 's for Out Then they are Alwayes In and never Out Thus the seed of the Serpent saves it self alive in its enmity against the Holy Seed not so much by plain down right dealing nor any bold open facings of the truth quae non quaerit argulos but by cowaâ—dly creeping into corners shameful shâ—frings from sense to sense miâ—â—rable marchings from meaning to meaning â—o that one can hardly know well where to have them nor how to find them nor what they mean any more then they who know not which way to take when they have two or three before them of their own devising nor very well what to mean nor very distinctly what they do mean themâ—elves But as for us Nos mutire nefas we may not safely without their censures so much as take the Scripture to be what themselves are neither afraid nor ashamed to make them viz. a Lesbâ—an Rule a Nâ—se of Wax which may be made yet scarcely is by any more then themselves to shew it self in 7 8 9 shapes at once And though they dare Diâ—pute themselves and argue any way from figurative and fâ—â—aâ—gn and proper and improper literal or mystical meanings and importments of words and Phrases yet they can well digest or diâ—pense with none of all this in us and least of all when we do as we mostly or ever do keep to the â—rue honâ—st ordinary plain purport of the words as they lve open and clear to every ordinary and common capacity that is willing both to know own and do the truth but rather will take any and if one will not serve two meanâ—â—gs at once or one after another whereof one overturns t'â—ther to cross the truest by and leave the Reader to chuse which best likes him of two or three so be he will leave that single one of the Qua witness T.D. who takes on him to domineer over all our truly Divine ones with his different devâ—sed and divided ones who when R.H. puts that one true one even the same that is expressed in the words on 1 Iohn 9. Puts two meanings to oppose it adding p. 35. I would have him to know that both the meanings are the Holy Ghosts though but one is intended in that place the Phâ—ases will bear either senses that is those aforesaid and either of them câ—â—ss his interpretation and p. 6. the meaning of those words Iohn 1.9 cannot be as the lâ—â—tter of them does import but it must be either every man that is enlightned or else some of every Nation and p. 7. It was usual with Christ to speak words of a doubtful sense Christs meaning may be mistaken when his words are taken in the most ordinary and literal sense and so it would be if by every man we should understand every individual man so that 't is your self quoth he to G.W. and not I that am such a giver of meanings as the Iewes who gave theirs contrary to Christs meaning and p. II. when to prove perfect purging from sin here I urged Psal. 119. 1,2,3 Blessed are the undefiled in the way c. They do no iniquity as for the Phrases quoth T.D. they are hyperbolical thus any T. Y is used to turn the Truth off with and p. 9. when R.H. urged 1 Iohn 3.9 Who so is born of God doth not commit sin Tâ—at cannot be meant of freedom from sin but either there is an Emphasis in the word sin intending by it one sort of sin Or if not on the Substantive on the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which notes to make a Trade of sin So p. 16 to the Scripture under hand 1 Cor. 6. 11. Ye are justified by the Spirit of our God urged by us to prove Iustification by the Spirit in us I might say quoth T.D. Perhaps that clause should be referred to Sanctification or else justified by the Spirit maybe meant of the Spirits Application which is as much as to say Perhaps it s this perhaps it s that but I well know not whether this or that so that the Reader may of two take either But will say I is wise take â—eâ—ber for though two strings to his Bow still T.D. hath for fear one should snap yet neither of theâ—e here will hold on T.Ds. side so much as Ours nor if both could be twined so as to stand together in one as they cannot they are so divers and destructive to each other would they prove strong enough to reach the Butt so but that by his overshort shooting T.D. at this time will loose all he shoots for For first to begin next with thy last clause wherein thou dar'st or at least dost Preach out thy meaning not positively but possibly only or by Perhaps as in the first that justified by the Spirit may be meaâ—t of the Spirits Application meaning the third Person in the Trinity as thou Term'st it which Phrase of justified by the Spirit if it may imply such a thing as the Holy Spirits Applying Christs Righteousness to us yet must it needs imply such a far-from Antick Applying as thou implyest who falsly imaginest that to be truly Applyed to men that stands at such a vast distance as to be no nearer to them then Heaven is to Earth If the Spirit of God Apply Righteousness to any man for his Iustification doth he do it by the halves as thou vainly hopest so as to impute it where he doth not convey it Doth he not do it in a more perfect manner then so as to give him his share part or place in it without its having its share part or any place at all in him Is it false doctrine as thy self p. 39. Relaâ—est R.H. Relating thou said'st it was to say a man must fiâ—st partake of the Righteousness which justifies before it can be imputed to him as his And that is that a mans Righteousness any otherwise then Imaginarily is it so truly properly and perfectly that he partakes no more hath no more partin nor participation of then meerly by way of computation and supposition onely so as to be counted to him to the steading of him till it be some way or other also actually and really conveyed to him And grant we be justified by the Righteousness of another onely and not our own yea curâ—ed for ever be and will be that man say I that looks for Iustâ—fication by any Righteousness that is meerly his own Eccl. 7. 15. for the righteousest man that is onely in his own perisheth in his Righteousness and I have seen such a one as well as Paul he that ever comes to Gods Righteousness Rest or Sabbath hath left and lost his own Righteousness hath ceased from his own works
this T. D. confesses it p. 17. ' t is true quoth he that the same Spirit is in Christ and in his Saints but then he hath a double bolt for all this wherewith to shut us out from justification by that Spirit in Christ as in us 1. The Spirit in us doth not conform us to the Law fully quoth he notwitstanding your vain assertion of perfection Rep. I never said that the Spirit of Christ in you did conform you fully to the Law if when thou sayst conform us thou meanst your selves for ye are farenough from perfection to whom it seemes A vainâ—assertion A Doctrine of Devils to talk of or reach it and how should the Spirit conform you to the Law who though you have it striving in you and reproving you of sin yet do in the stiffnesse and uncircumcis'dnesse of your hearts and eares alwayes quench grieve resist it refuse to be led by it and will not walk after it but after the flesh But the Saints and such onely are all those that walk after it and not after the flesh it eitheir conforms them to the Law and that fully too or else what doth it conform them to Partly the Law and partly the Lust Partly to it selfe and partly to the flesh Doth it lead any into any sin which is transgression of the Law Or onely out of all sin all such as give up to be guided by it If any be at all deform'd it is because they conform to the flesh and follow it and stop the Spirit but if any conform to the Spirit and follow it it will conform them fully to the Law and not to the forms fashions foolish fellowships and lusts of the world but transform them from all these by the renewing of their minds and lead them to perfect holynesse in the fear of God thy vain assertion to the contrary in any wise norwithstanding Thus the 1 st bolt is broken but 2ly quoth he if the Spirit did conform us to the Law fully yet were not that conformity the merit of justification Rep. Oh strange that T.D. should deem there 's strength in this to stand out against us by which is far weaker then the former Doth the Spirit working holinesse in our natures and persons not merit justification which is non-condemnation are Christ and his Spirits works of lesse or worse merit in one time place and person then another I judg'd they had been every where and alwayes alike and of like good desert from the dignity of the person doing them or else T.D. lyes p. 15. of his 1. Pamp and especially that their good works which are the fulfilling of the Law deserve non-condemnation 1 justification or else T.D. lyes again in that same page but sith the Spirit of life and works of holinesse in our nature and persons conforming them fully to the Law do not as T.D. p. 15. said before they did from the dignity of Christs person deserve non-condemnation for their conformity to it or transgression of it merits one thing or other good or evill and we use to say no truly good work deserves evill more then an evill work merits good we will take it for granted that T.D. thinks the Spirits conforming us to the Law deserves condemnation and so let it stand that all people may understand the Blasphemy and Folly of it Thus T.D. pulls hard to have his own again but what he can't win by force of false position hee l see if he can beg it back from us in these following fawning Questions I would fain know what or whether precedent holynesse in the Saints merits subsequent holynesse or whether the exercise of what they have is the meritorious cause of what they have not or of perfection especially if the Law of sin intends the corruption of nature as the Law of the spirit of the life does holynesse of nature I would be instructed how a nature in part corrupted can deserve totall freedome and I am sure the first work of the Spirit renewes our nature but in part Rep. If I should grant T.D. in the negative all he asks as he thinks I will my negative or denying or saying Nâ— were such answer to his Questions as he desires but if I should say yea to all his Queâ—yes it dashes him down and denyes all he would have and yet I must say yea to most of them if I say the truth Therefore T.D. I say yea to some and nay to some To the 1st I answer yea that precedent holynesse in the Saints merits subsequent holynesse and to the ad I answer yea the exercise of what the Saints have is a meritorious cause of what yet they have not And sith thou askest what precedent holynesse the Saints exercising of when they have it deserves subsequent holynesse or what they have not I answer all that is the fruit of the Spirit in them and the gift of God to them whether Active or Passive if to merit be to be worthy of a thing by right of promise at least 'T was given to the Saints both to believe and suffer Phil. 1. Yet they were worthy of the Kingdome for which they suffered by beleiving the Testimony of it and suffering for it 2 Thess. 2. 'T was the gift of God by promise to such as fight and ouercome to walk with Christ in white and the gift of God to the Saints that they could sight and by his strength overcome yet they shall walk with me in white faith Christ for they are worthy 'T was Gods gift to do his Commandements yet for all that the doing thereof deserves that they yet have not and without the doing of which they should not enter by Right gives right to enter the Citty and eat of the Tree of life Rev. 22.14 Five Talents and two and one were Gods gift yet as he that did not encrease and improve what he had merited at least the losse of it so they that exercised the 2 and the 5 merited the doubling of theirs and by promise had Right using what they had and being faithfull in few littles to many and to more abundance and to the joy of the Lord Much more I might say but T.D. denyes in this the Doctrine of his fellow Divines who tell that the improvement of 〈◊〉 grace as they call it deserves not the gift of speciall but the improvement of special grace deserves more of that still So that though they deny a meritorious transition a genere ad genus from exercising of one kind of grace say they men deserve not another kind as he that improves riches deserves not righteousnesse Yet a desert say they there is by the exercise of some grace of one kind of more of the same kind as he that is holy deserves more holynesse and he that sowes to the Spirit of life shall have life everlasting as he that sowes to the flesh reaps a crop as all persons are to do suitable to their seed of more
corruption And if purchase may be granted to be meritorious of what is purchased he that useth a lower ministration 1 the Office of a Deacon well purchaseth to himself saith Paul,1 Tim. 3 A good degree and great boldness in the faith in Christ Iesus and he that will entertain holynesse and Christ when he knocks to come in deserves to have the Devill and uncleannesse driven out by him whose work it is to destroy the works of the Devill and the very end of his comming into the World as till a man does he deserves the Devill should dwell in him still as he must do and not Christ because 〈◊〉 existens proh betalienum And as to the last Query about which T.D. would be instructed as I see he had need I say no corrupt nature deserves totall freedom but the holy nature which is in bondage to the corrupt nature which is the enmity and to be slain and never reconciled for it is the Devills that deserves to be freed from the other that usurps over it as Esau did over Iacob a while the heir of all and as the seed of the woman deserves to be delivered from the enslaving seed of the Serpent And as for the Spirits renewing our nature but in part at 〈◊〉 that 's true but every part of that renewed nature is perfect and perfectly renewed in a measure and not partly renewed and partly corrupted as I shewed T.D. above every part of that which in its nature is perfect being truly perfect as the whole is So having totally taken away two of T. D's miserable mistaking answers to two of the 4 above named Scriptures whence we disputed with him the justification of Saints by the gracious works of Christ and his Spirit in them and not those in Christs Person onely it matters not much now I am gone abroad from following the first I began upon fully to an end if I fall upon that in Tit. 3.7 and make as quick a Riddance of his gracelesse answer to that and thâ—n I shall have no more to do but go to an end with that in I Cor. 6.11 which I am a little digres't from proceeding in for a while and with that I shall make an end for altogether as to this time with T.D. about the way of our justification by the holynesse righteouscesse and grace of Christ as inhaerent in us Our Argument is much what the same yet somwhat stronger then T.D. relates it p. 24. viz. that the grace of eternall life being that grace which ver 5. though oppos'd to the works of righteousnesse which we work of ourselves without the Spirit yet is the same that 's otherwise call'd washing of regeneration and the renewing of the holy spirit it follows that we are justified by the washing of Regeneration and Spirit of Christ within renewing us To this T. D. saying in word I am much mistaken in deed mistakes himselfe much more in his semi-demi answering thus viz. that grace there is meant not of Sanctification but of the savour of God which is manifest in the donation of his Son to us imputation of his Righteousnesse and acceptance of us as Righteous in him Rep. What a messe of gracelesse grace is here of T. D's making here 's grace with a witnesse almost all manner of grace mentioned as materiall and of moment in the matter of justification but one which is of so much use that all the rest are in a manner uselesse till it come in and which makes all the rest grace so that to say no more then then truth they are no grace to us before it or without it and that viz. Sanctification while others are included is onely and alone excluded Poor Sanctification it s set aside it s thrust out still from entring the lines of Communication among its fellows T. D. stands against the dore so that if he may Rule the Rost men shall be in favour with God and contrary to what Divines commonly say when they say as they do all that Sanctification manifests Iustification and the favour of God have it manifested too in the donation of his Son to them the imputation of his righteousnesse and acceptance of them as righteous in him and so consequently a Title to the inheritance the Kingdome Glory and all the good that heaven affords to all eternity but washing Regeneration Sanctification Renovation by the Spirit Sanctification and Saâ—vation from the sins which sins deserve the wrath the curse and the condemnation which Salvation from the sins alias Sanctification must be before any well grounded hope of escaping the codemnation curse and wrath to come can be had this latter sort of grace is shut out for a wrangler by the wrangling contenders against the truth who had rather obey unrighteousnesse then it and their lusts then him they call their Lord and Saviour and must be none of the ingredients among the company of causes of mens acceptance with God and being accounted Righeous by him but if they be not Righteous and Holy must be counted to be so without it and if they be so must be counted so by that which resides in another person by which till it come into themselves they are not made so and without it by the being of which as in themselves and not as in another they can onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be truly made and really become Righteous and Holy and so that grace which mainly if not onely as it is a gift gives the proper name and nature of grace to all the other grace may say of it self cum nemo extru di potest itur ad me when none ought to be excluded as not meant where every grace God is mentioned in the Gospell I onely am left out alone and they seek my life also But Go too T.D. thou must not have thy wicked will in this wise against Gods about this thy so bold a bolting out of this grace of Sanctificatin from concomitating and concurring together with faith which is but a part of it the whole Series of the particular graces of which generall grace of Sanctification are all fruits of the Spirit in the matter of our being counted just in the sight of God But as blindly buisy as thou art to tell us in a far other sense then Paul does that if it be of grace then not of works and if of works not of grace yet I must tell thee that albeit it be of grace and as Paul sayes truly Rom. 11. and in this 3. Tit. 5. not of works of Righteousnesse which we work in our own wills wisdom and strength in obedience to the Law without Christ and the Spirit who onely can conform us to it and fulfill it in us otherwise grace indeed is no more grace but it being of grace that kind of work is no more work Yet it is not so of grace as that the fruits of the Spirit Sanctification Washing Renewing and the works of Christ in us are excluded
otherwise Christs own works absit blasphemia are no more works and of no such force and worth as thou blushest not to blaspheme so as to say they are not p. 17. as to merit justification Yea so necessarily is it of such good works as are wrought in us by Christ that otherwise grace it selfe were no more grace for what grace is that of being so or so so long as we are not in truth so as we are accounted to be accounted justified accounted accepted with God and accounted his Children heirs of his Kingdom Righteous Holy saved from our sins which whiles they abide the wrath of God abides and condemnation and cursing hangs over the head of the Subjects thereof and yet not really to be so as none are and as nemine contradicente without all contradiction none can know themselves to be till Sanctification which is the evidence for heaven and that which to us and all men shewes our Title to all the foresaid Priviledges and Prerogatives doth appeare upon us I say what grace is all this What Salvation from sin whiles sin remaines What Redemption from the and curse the effects of sin while sin the cause thereof rests on us unremoved all this faith of the favour of God is but fiction this hope of heaven but vain groundlesse heartlesse and frustraneous this divination of T.D. a meer dream of a hungry thirsty man that dreames he eats and drinks but as it s said before his soul is empty and when he awakes behold its another matter Oh but quoth T.D. the Spirit of God the 3d person in the Trinity he does apply the righteousnesse of Christ to us to our justification and so we are justified perhaps say you Qua. what you will and not upon account of Sanctification of us by his work grace of in our hearts and so that phrase justified by the Spirit which ye insist so much on 1 Con. 6.11 may be meant of the Spirits application Rep. Mark Reader for having run throw the other 3. I return now to the 1st of the 4. Scriptures that we urged from and T.D. answers so lamely to T.D. sayes perhapse it s meant of the Spirits application to which I say 't were better for T. D's cause if it might be so meant but for one reason I shall shew it may not must not cannot unlesse T.D. means a nigher kind of Application then I am sure he does for if by justified by the Spirit be there meant of the Spirits outward Application onely or imputation of Christs Righteousnesse without us to our justifying before God then the work of the Spirits washing and sanctifying us also must be meant of the Spirits outwaâ—d Application only and meer imputation of the cleannesse and holinesse of Christ to us for our washing and Sanctification for Paul sayes the same of them they all hang on one string and must run the same way and be taken in the same sense relating all to that one Author thereof the Spirâ—â— Such viz. Drunkards Effeminate Adulterers c. Were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified by the Spirit of our God so if one 1 justification be by externall application onely then the other viz. our washing and sanctifying is but by such an empty application and outward Imaginaâ—y account and imputation onely and not by the inward Holy operations of the Spirit And indeed all your grace is one part of it as well as another by such outward Application and meer Computation onely and not by any true Real internal Application of Christs Righteousness sufferings and blood to your Souls and Consciences to the purging of them from dead works to the true serving of the living God your Iustification is by imputation and outward Application your Washings Regenerations Sanctifications Holinesses Renovations and all ye have is by such a meer Imputation and Application of what is far off you in Christs person to your selves so that what ever he is in whom is no sin you will deem and dream that God deems you so to be upon nothing but a meer blind confidence and conceit that swimmes in your brain that 't is so when 't is no such thing God knows and so as one that being at the North of Scotland hungry and naked should in his thoughts onely apply a garment or a mess of meat to himself that 's as far off him as the South of England must needs perish for want on 't if it be brought and applyed no neerer to him then so so you in all your Applications of Christ and what ever is in him who is as far off as Heaven whil'st you are but on earth far enough from thence the Lord knows must necessarily faint famish perish pine and starve till ye come to witness Christ and the Robes of his Righteousness and Holiness within your selves and eat his flesh and drink his blood and put him on a little more effectually then ye do by all your dead faith and your eatings and drinkings of bread and wine for all your imagined Spirits applyings and imputings by which that the whole world which dâ—th already may and you together with it lye still in wickedness ye are ever dispelling and disputing all true inherent hâ—liness out of doorâ— And so being but in a meer Aery talk and vain thought of things that ye are in them when ye are out of them and not doers your selves of what ye hear Christ hath done for you before as an ensample that ye should by his Power in the leadings of his Light and Spirit do the same ye do but deceive your own Souls and as both Paul and Iames who both agree and we with them against you in this do truly tell you as Righteous and Religiâ—us as ye seem to be to your selves and each to other all your Religion is but vaâ—n and your hopes that ye are this and that in the account of God that ye are Iust and Pure when really ye are nothing so will prove abortive and as that of the hypocrite when the Lord takes away his Soul no other then the giving up the Ghost for Gal. 6.3,4 if any man think himself to be something and that he is thought of God for that holiness which is in another without him to be something when he is nothing and witnesseth neither that other nor his holiness within himself he deceiveth himself but let every man prove his own work and what he doth by the Spirit of Christ within himself of the Will of God and then shall he have Rejoycing with in himself alone or at least alsâ— and not in another Person without him onely and he that glorieth will glâ—â—y in the Lord Christ in him the hope of glory in the Lord in himself in whom the Seed of Israel finds Righteousnesse and strength and Salvation from the sin is Iustified and shall glory I a. 45. 21 22 23 24 25. or not every one that commendeth himself
even in this present Contest with Thee for all thy perking up into a proud pretensive Prate against us Pro Scripturis as if we stood in some deep Defiance and thou against us in some eminent and more then ordinary Defence of the Scriptures to be in no enmity but in true unity with the Scriptures and to be more real Friends thereunto then either thy self who wilt be found in as real enmity to them as thou art in seeming friendship or any of those aforesaid with whom thou Rankest us as if we were the Rankest Enemies thereof that ever appeared in any Age since the Scripture had a being to this present day Be it therefore fore-known unto thy self and all men who will believe and can receive it for truth and who so will not let the mischief of his mis-belief in this matter be upon him that though we own not thee I.O. and side not with but mostly against thee in that very Book wherein thou standest up so stiffly against Atheists and Papists and all Anti-Scripturists as well as against the men called Quakers whom thou but supposest to be such And though we may possibly be found saying some things soberly which Atheists and Papists say scornfully of the Scriptures which are gain-said by thee and gain-saying at least twenty things that are asserted by thee of the Scriptures in thy zealous Pleadings for them yet we are no Atheists as thou supposest neither are we Papists or Iesuites neither are we Anti-scripturists in any wise nor do we so much as take the part or serve the Interest of nor side or comply with any of them any more then we do with thy self whose Antagonist and T. D's too I am in this present Reply to thy Reproaches of the Quakers in Vindication of whose Interest alone abstract from that of the Papists as much as from thy own and thy Party of Protestants and singly and solely on behalf of the Truth professed by the Quakers and opposed by thee and all the other whom thou opposest And finally for the Scriptures which are truly owned valued used known and Practised only among the Quakers I herein stand up more or lesse against you all as against such who none of you excepted no not those among you Protestant Pretenders to it who would sain seem to others as you do to your selves to be most fervent for it any more then those Decryers and Denyers of it with whom thou slanderously sayest the Quakers side will every one of you be found Foes to denyers of and fiery fighters against the Scripture And this that we are no Atheists nor yet Associates or Assistants to any such as are without God in the World but that People who know God and are known of him above all other People upon Earth the best of which in words professe to know God whom in Truth they know not but in works deny being abominably in their Lives disobedient to his Light and to every good Work void of Judgement will as easily as evidently appear to every Patient and Impartial Reader that can suspend his Censuring till he hath Read these present Animadversions of Thy mad Subversions of the things of God unto the end And that we are neither Papists nor yet Assenting or Adhering to that Synagogue of Rome in any of their abusive defamations depravations depressions decryings disparagements or abominable attempts for the abolition of the Scriptures which they as thou sayest truly would if they were able deprive all others of or of their lives I give the world here to understand as far as they will understand it or take it for truth form me who for Truths sake meerly am of lesse credit and repute in it then else I should be by a present Protesting in the Name and behalf of that People called Quakers against the Papists sordid sottish sinful shameful seeking wholly to suppresse the Scriptures from being seen at all by the Vulgar and scoring out of it what makes most against their bruttish and worse then heathenish Idolatries and wresting those Holy Writings and turning them as they list to their own turns by their most false far off Translations and as utterly untrue Interpretations of them besides both the plain sense of the Words in the Original Languages they were wrote in and mind of the Spirit of God which Originally moved Holy Men to write them and many more such Juggles some of which 't were better for it then it is if the Clergy so called of the Protestant part of Christendom who are too too full of the like were cleare of and fully free from as they are not for all their Protesting so much against the Popedom for its adulterating of the Scripture Which Protestation of mine against the Romish Clergy I the rather and the more largely enter here again not only because I am so generally misreported that by many even thereupon I am also mis-believed to be too great a Favourite and by some flatly a Iesuite and so more then an ordinary Friend to that false Fraternity but also because it may fall out that that slender and senslesse suspition of me if not timely supprest by reason of Three things may in time though groundlesse grow so great in more as it does already in some that for the sake thereof very Truth it self when â—old by me shall not tast well from me nor take place in the hearts of men with whom commonly Damnati Lingua Vocem habet Vim non habet Those Three Things above briefly hinted are more fully Replyed to as followeth 1. In regard that not only T. D. in his Two Toyes puts us and the Popish Party together as Brethren for jumping into one Judgement about the Scriptures but also thou I O. who art a man more beleeved and beloved by the World which heeds and loves its own then I who am not so much heeded as hated by it because I am not of it dost often in thy unquiet Quarrel with the Quakers so called which I who am one of them am now answering so unequally yoak us and the Pontifical Clergy together as Co-conspirators against the Scriptures that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the younger sort for whose instruction thou devotest those thy Latine Labours and more then a good many of those Iunior Novices both in University and Countrey as are ever ready as Rawly as Rashly Iurare in Sententiam Seniorum to drink down desperately all that and digest it by implicit Faith that is imposed and handed out to them for Truth from the Tongues and Pens of their Grand Gamaliels sith thou I. O. DD. sayest it will unquestionably more then think it to be all Truth that thou sayest of our Co-Partnership with the Papists in their basenesse towards the Scriptures in those false sayings of thine that are fore-cited wherein thou injuriously avouchest us to be Approvers of all their Tauntings and joynt Blasphemers with them of the Scriptures 2. In regard that howbeit it is not
better hath been seen by some Quakers and how the Name of Christian stinks more then it would do among the Gentiles for the sake of such as Preach and Hear and Read and Expound and boast of the Scripture and yet break them and name the Name of Christ without his Nature But what doings there are in other Nations and the Preaching places and Nurseries thereof to which these of our Nation are not inferiour in silth I shall say no more here but let them passe as matters which being Extra nos are parum or nihil or miaus ad nos of lesse moment to us then our own Concluding my Return to this particular Challenge of I.O. with his own words mutatis mutandis additis addendis a little amplified and the Subjects or Persons of whom they are Spoken Altered and Substituting our Modern Academies and their Masters Doctors Divines and other Students and the whole Rabble of Rabbies there in the room of that University at Tiberias which I O. talks against in the words of one Dr. Lightfoot together with his own and the Iewish Rabbies Gemarists and Massorites pertaining thereunto as they are to be read in the 240 241 242 245 246 247 pages of I. O's English part the Censure he passes upon them being no other then what exactly accrews to the Universities universally throughout Christendom from whence come the whole Crew of Clergy-men that count themselves and are counted to be the Clearers of Christs Truth to all other Christian Creatures And what I. O. sayes of the Massorites of that Accademy is a clear Character of these corrupted and earth corrupting Coveats I. O Chap. 4. S. 13. Whilst they keep the Scriptures we shall never want Weapons out of their own Armoury for their destruction like the Philistine they carry the Weapon that will serve to cut off their own Heads Let us then a little without prejudice or passion consider who or what these men are who are the supposed Authors of all Knowledge and Godlinesse 1. Men they are who have not the Word of God committed to them in a pecullar manner as their Forefathers Prophets and Apostles had of old and many have now being no part of his Church or People but are only outwardly Professors and Possessors of the Letter without just Right or Title to it utterly uninteressed in the Promise of the Communication of the Spirit while they so have it which is the Great Charter of the Churches preservation of Truth Isa. 59.21 2. Men so remote from a right understanding of the Word or the Mind and Will of God therein that they are desperately engaged to oppose his Truth in the Books which themselves enjoy in all matters of importance unto the Glory of God or the good of their own Souls from the beginning to the ending Scuffling for the Book itself but persecuting the Life in them where it is The foundation of whose Religion is Infidelity and one of their chief Fundamentals an Opposition to the Gospel in the Quakers whom they glory to fight against and think they serve God in opposing with what spite they can 3. Men under the special Curse of God and his Vengeance upon the account of the blood of his dear Son in his Saints 4. Men all their dayes feeding themselves with vain Fables and mischievous Devices against the Gospel labouring to set up a New Religion under the Name of the Old when the Old they hate as Ier. 6. in despight of God so striving to wrestle it out with his Curse to the utmost 5. Men of a profound Ignorance in all manner of Learning Knowledge but only what concerns their own dunghil Traditions as appears in their stories filled with innumerable sopperies 6. Men so addicted to such monstrous Figments as appears in their Talmuds as their Successors of after Ages will be ashamed of yea for the most part Idolaters Now I dare leave it to the Iudgement of any Godly prudent person not addicted to Parties and Names who is at all acquainted with the importance not of the Hebrew Vowels and Accents but the Light and Spirit the Quakers call to unto the right understanding of the Scripture with whatever influence their present Fixation hath into the literal sense they not knowing the Spiritual embrace whether we have not very clear Evidence and Testimony yea undeniable and unquestionable to cast the rise and spring of all the Irreligion in the Nations upon this sort of men so far are they from bettering things by their Interpretations S. 16. Recount I pray from the first Foundation of Universities throw CHRISTENDOM and what do you find but a sort of Men being made Mad with or above the Pharisees bewitching and bewitched with Traditions blind crafty raging pardon me not for I shall ask none if I say Magical if Simon Magus was so in thinking the holy Ghost of God is to be bought with Money Monstrous what Fools what Sots as to such a divine Work as the Gospel Read and Consider how to every good Work voyd of Iudgement the great Doctors among them do behave themselves how seriously they do of nothing how childish they are in serious things how much deceitfulnesse froth venome smoke nothing is in their Disputations Insomuch that I may say truly of these as I.O. sayes of all men Pag. 104. Those whose Lips should keep Knowledge that is University-men and Clergy-men as much as any are by Nature so vain foolish malicious such Lyars adders detracters have spirits and minds so unsuited to spiritual things so lyable to Alteration in themselves and to Contradiction one to another are so given to Impostures and are so apt to be imposed upon have been so shuffled and driven up and down the World in every Generation have for the most part so utterly lost the Remembrance of what themselves are whence they come or whether they are to go that I can give very little Credit to what I have nothing but their Authority to rely upon for without any Evidence from the nature of the thing its self CHAP. III. Having Cleared the Quakers from sundry of those Calumnies thou falsly castest upon-them as concerning their Carriage toward the Scriptures as if they were Enemies Haters and Reproachers of it and such-like who in Truth are its truest Friends in the former Chapter I come on to Consider some of thy Cloudy Conjectures and Conceits concerning the Bounds of the Canon as ye call it thereof the Hebrew Punctation and thy Asserted Integrity of both that and the Greek Texts of it without any variation to a very Title Concerning the Canon of which thou Writest as follows JOhn Owen Pag. 3. God spake of Old or formerly in the Prophets From the dayes of Moses and downwards unto the Bounding and Consignation of the Canon delivered to the Judaical Church in the dayes of Ezra and his Companions the men of the great Congregation Reply 1. Why sayest thou from Moses downward c. as if he
about the manner and means and true bounds thereof for as to the Question whether it be a Canon that is a Rule at all yea or not I may defer it also to another place let me Expostulate with thee I O. yet more about it yet how and by whom your Standard comes to be so Bounded as ye say it is and to be limited to those Demensions of Latitude Longitude and Profundity that ad amussim exact Measure Heighth Depth Length and Breadth that is allotted to it as without the Apocripha it stands bound up within your late bound Bibles I mean that such and such Parcels Prophesies Proverbs Histories Epistles Holy Sentences Sacred Sayings shall stand Owned Honoured Signed and Authorized with the Sacred High and Holy Titles of Gods Word Gods Witnesse Foundation Rule inalterable Standard and not one piece of Holy Writing more or lesse then those already so Consecrated and Canonized so that such and such puta those that ye now commonly call Canonical shall shand as the Standard and all others viz. those called Apocryphal and whatever are mentioned in that Scripture ye so own shall stand out of and off from it as no part of the Standard while the World stands Who was it Was it God or was it Man that set such distinct Bounds to the Scripture so as to say such and such a set number of Books viz. Those those that are sum'd up together before your Bibles excepting the Apocrypha which stands between them shall be owned as Canonical and the rest though such as were of the same divine Inspiration be rejected as humane and no otherwise accounted on then other meer mens Writings not to be received with such high respect as the other Whence hast thou this Conceit that God himself Commanded the Close of the Canon of the Old Testament to be Malachi and the bounds of it to consist of such Books of the Prophets as ye now have exclusively of such Prophesies therein mentioned as ye have not and the Close of the Canon of the New to be the Revelation and the bulk of it to be those few Histories and Apostolical Epistles as ye have exclusively of such even therein mentioned as ye have not Who was it that said to the Spirit of God O Spirit blow no more inspire no more men make no more Prophets from Ezra's dayes and downwards till Christ and from Iohns dayes downward for ever But cease be silent and subject thy self as well as all Evil Spirits to be tryed by the Standard that 's made up of some of the Writings of some of those men thou hast moved to write already and let such and such of them as are bound up in the Bibles now used in England be the only means of measuring all Truth for ever Who was it God or Man the Spirit in the Scripture it self or the Scribes in their Synods Councels and Consistories that so Authorized or Canonized these and expunged those Was it not meer Men in their Imaginations Doth the Scripture do the Spirit and the Apostles therein give any order for or make any such mention in the least of such a matter Is it not meer man in his Imaginations that hath taken upon him according to the good or ill Conceit that he hath taken to him of these or those respectively to say which thou sayest is a Contradiction to say he will give Authority to the Scriptures Is it not man in his proud mind that comes in with his sic volo sic Iubeo so I 'le have it thus it shall be Saying to the Books of Scripture as God sayes to the Waves of the outward Ocean hitherto shall ye come and no further So many of the Prophets and Apostles Writings shall be in the Authority Nature Vse and Office of the Supream Determiner of all Truth for ever and all others even such as are written by the same men in the motion of the same Spirits shall be but as common mens Writings and be look'd on afar off as Apocryphal i.e. hidden or unknown Writings that no such notice shall be â—aken of as of the other And as for the Books which ye sprinkle with that Name of Apocryphal and give leave to to have a standing with it but not so as to make any part of your Standard What think ye of them upon second Thoughts Are they fit for nothing but to be Cashiered and cast out of your Canon by whole sale by Tradition one from another without trying them Is there nothing among them that may be judiciously Iudged to be of as divine an Original and Authority as some of those particular Letters to private men as that of Paul to Philemon about private personal or Domestick matters which ye own in such a transcendent manner as ye do Surely if some of hem be fictitious or fabulous or but humane so that ye will say no better of them then Vox hominem sonat yet is there none or nothing among them all that is to be noted or counted upon as of divine Authority and Original and of as self-evidencing Efficacy as some of those ye own None that ye can see cause to sign meliore lapillo with some better Name then ye vouchsafe them and standing in the Church then ye allow them As if they were a certain mongrel seed between that of Canaan and Ashdod that ye know not well what to make of nor how to entreat so ill altogether as not to afford them a middle place in some of your Bibles between the Old Testament Writings and those ye call the New nor yet so well as to entertain them into your Canon neither Surely there be some of them which when ye look them over again not so cursorily as to over-look them as ye ordinarily do ye may find ground to receive as such as have as fair a stamp of the beaming Majesty Truth Holinesse and Authority of God and his Spirit as some at least not to say the most of those ye ascribe to God as their main or only Author and that do favour as much of I. O's so much insisted on Theo-pneusty as some other Historical Doctrinal and Prophetical parts of your acknowledged divinely derived Scripture do of which what Infidels soever ye are as concerning them yet I together with many others whereof some are as Booklearn'd as your selves can say Credo Equidem nec vana Fides genus esse Deorum 'T is indeed the Faith or rather Infidelity of such as call themselves Reformed Churches that all those Books called the Apocrypha without exception are in no wise of such divine Original as them ye call Canonical but who first set the one upon the Bench and the other at the Bar I am yet to learn but this I know that howbeit ye second their depression and digradation of the one so far below the other yet as neither one nor t'other were ever Canonized by God himself if we speak of the Outward Text only about which
Spirit but the dark Lanthorn of their own Imagination Ah poor deluded Soul I. O. whom I pitty more really and unfeignedly then thou the Quakers and for pitties sake dare not spare sharpnesse towards thy proud-fleshly Wisdom that interposes and opposes it self against the Light and Power of God in a shew of Science falsly so called that thy Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Thou talkest of certainty of thy Rule which is the Letter and of stedfast Relief against all Vncertainty thereby Alas poor heart whence come all those huge heaps and whole Chapters of Vncertainty it self which thy Tâ—o Treatises doth wholly stand in but from that utter Vncertainty that is in thy meerly literal Rule which thou there Treatest upon that is so far from stedfastnesse that thou art forced to Confesse more variety in it at last then at first entrance to Treat on its fixednesse thou wast either witting or willing enough to do which Rule or Letter as much as it hath been and is capable to be wrested is not by far at such uncertainty in it self as ye that Profess to be Ruled by it and stand upon it as your Basis are at endlesse odds and infinite uncertainty in your Conjectures and Guesses about it insomuch that it grieves me not a little for your sakes to see your Souls so sunk over Head and Ears in Confusion and confused Noises about it in which the sweet still voice and silent whisperings of the Spirit of Christ within can have no Audience in that crowd of Pro and Cons that ye are cumbred with about your very Foundation which ye have not found yet so as to this day to abide fixt and firm or to be quiet concerning it in any Academies upon earth but in vain Ianglings in all Corners thereof from one end of Christendom to another Yea I professe in the sight of God that in such grief and bowels I write about it that this Page and Passage passes not from under my Pen without being watered with many Tears for your sakes whom I see perishing by your own Iuglings unlesse happily ye will yet be pull'd as Brands out of the fire And in no wise think I.O. that I am so Angry at your Folly which the Deceit may suggest unto you as offended at the Enmity it self that flyes up within you and befools you And seeing that thou I.O. seemeth to beg wish and hope for such a thing Crying out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in case of novelty of Points and variety of Lections as nor seeing any means of being delivered from utter uncertainty in and about all sacred Truth that those who have more Wisdom and Learning and are able to look throw all the Digladiations that are like to ensue on these Principles would nather take the pains to instruct thâ—e and such as thou art then be angry or offended with you that ye are not so wise or learned as themselves And desiring such as are shaken in mind to read the useful Miscellany Notes of as thou callst him the Learned Mr. Pocock Reply 1. Not as one Angry or Offended that ye are not so Wise or Learned as my self Nor 2. As one pretending to much of that ye call Wisdom and Learning which lyes more in outward Tongues Arts or Sciences falsly so called then in that of the Spirit for want of which Peter calls men never so wise and well Learned otherwise both unlearned and unstable and for all their buste buslings about it not Openers but Wresters of the Scripture to their own ruine which shelly shallow Theory into things of that nature perhaps I have forgotten more of for the naked Gospels sake then many of our Preachers of the Gospel for Pay ever learned and yet have enough left whereby to discern many Country Teachers or Doctors to be Dunces in it yet what ever my measure is more or lesse further then as an Earthly Talent foolish Instrument or Wooden Tool for a long time laid aside and here taken up again to serve the Truth with against those that fight therewith against Truth it s utterly lost and become dung and losse it self to me for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ my Lord that Spirit in the Spirit and Truth in the inward parts And of that aforesaid thin foamy Speculation I acknowledge that many of you have not only much more then my long since Countrified self but much more also then either does good or does you good unlesse ye had more of the true Wisdom from above whereby to use it to a better end then ye do Yet 3dly As one who have obtained so much Mercy and Ability froÌ„ God to see throw all the Digladations that are likely to ensue on the Principles that are now in agitation among your selves as wel as between the Quakers and your selves I herein take so much pains as is worth so much Patience as ye men of War are like to have with me for so doing and tell you in the Name and Dread of the living God whether ye bear or forbear that the shakings of mind that are among the learned Lievtenants of Antichrist at their Gates of Hell as honest Iohn Hus and learned Luthur stiled the Vniversities about their own literal and fallible Foundation will assuredly end in the final fall of it as a Foundation and all the Digladiations of those swattering Sword-men who pretend to be fighting with the Sword of the Spirit about their supposed Sword of the Spirit i.e. the bare outward Letter which they mistake for the Word of God when in Reality they are at it with but the Scabbard about the Scabbard will end in no lesse then the very sheathing of the true Sword of the spirit in the bowels of the Babel builders that are so blindly busie about it in their divided speeches confounded languages and in the bringing down the Babel which ye all agree to build upon it whereby to over-top the light and Truth it self the Letter talks on the fall and coming down of which Tripple Tower of the Tripple Tribe of Levi the Clergy or lot as they call themselves of the Lords own Inheritance hath already raised from their Thrones all the Kings of the Nations and moved Hell from beneath to meet them Isa. 14.9 And what work more will attend this great Catastrophe of that Chaos even the Old Heaven and Earth the worldly Rudiments of which begin to melt and the frail foundations thereof to shake that they may remove and the New come in place that must remain will as the Lord lives make the Eares to tingle in a little time to come that now refuse to hear of it from the Tongues and Pens of the Lords Prophets to whom it is revealed and their minds amazed and their Hearts shake and shiver that harden themselves against the troublesome Testimony of it Wherefore if thou art in earnest in thy Enquiry I tell thee I.O. by way of Answer
by Inspiration is preserved without Corruption i.e. variety from the first Original Manuscripts in the Copies we have Pag. 137. The whole Scriptâ—re entire as given out from God without any losse is preserved in the Copies of the Originals in â—hâ—m all we say is every Letter and Tittle Pag. 10. Tâ—e Word i.e. Scripture with thee still for thou denyest the words coming any other-way to your selves or any now is come forth unto us from God without the least mixture or intervenience of any medium obnoxious to fallibility as is the Wisdom Truth Integrity Knowledge and Memory of the best of all men Pag. 13. We have not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Mo es and the Prophets the Apostles and Evangelists but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have or Coâ—iâ—s contain every Iota that was in them Hebraeâ— Volumina nec in unica dictione corrupta intenies S. Pag. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 5. 18. To which Answers that Pag. 316 317. Doth not our Saviour affirm of the Word that was among the Jewes i.e. Scripture Secundum te still That not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it should passe away or perish where let the Consonants themselves with their Apices be intended or alluded to in that expression c. And Epist pag. 27. None are able to shew out of any Copies yet extant in the World and that they can make appear ever to have been extant that ever there were any such various Lections in the Old Testament And pag. 319. Neither the Care oâ— God over his Truth nor the Fidelity of the Judaical Church will permit us to entertain the least suspition that there was ever in the world any Copy of the Bible differing in tâ—e least from that we enjoy or that those we have are corrupted And pag. 317. Let the Authors of this Insinuation prove that there ever was in the World any Copy of the Bible Differing in any one word from those that we now enjoy let them produce one Testimony ne Author of C edâ— Jâ—w or Christian that can or doth or ever did speak one word to this purpâ—se let them direct us to any Relick any Monument any kind of Remembrance of them and it shall b of weâ—ght to us c. Many more exceeding and extraordinary high strict streins thou deliverest thyself in in other places about the non-corruption non alteration of the Text of Scripture in one Letter Tittle Iota or Syllable since the first giving it out so but that in the Copies extant to this day there 's an exact Unity and entire Identity with the first Originals a kind of Summary Collection and Câ—pitulation of which thou makest pag. 153. speaking to this purpose thus viz. I O. The Sum of what I am Pleading for as to the particular Head to be vindicated is That as the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were immediately and entirely given out by God himself his Mind being in them represented unto us without the least interveniency of such mediums and wayes as were capable of giving Change or Alteration to the least Iota or Syllable So by his good and merciful Providential Dispensation in his love to his Word and Church his whole Word alias the Scripture with thee as at first given out by him is preserved unto us entire in the Original Languages where shining in its own beauty and lustre as also in all Translations as far as they faithfully represent the Originals it manifests and evidences unto the Consciences of men without other forreign help or Assistance its divine Original and Authority Reply This is the Capital Cardinal General Assertion or Position which branches it selâ— into several Particulars or petty Propositions viz. The immediate coming forth of the Scripture from God to us its self evidencing power to evince it self by it self alone to be of God and his Word it s descending to us at this day entire to a Tittle without corruption by alteration in the least Letter Iota Vowel Point or Syllable its uncapablenesse of such Change and Alteration in its coming to us so are thy words here and pag. 10. to the least Iota or Syllable Unto which General Head and its branches the Ramuâ—culi lesser twigs or little Sentences scattered here and there throwout thy Book are Reducible and each to its own suitable Branch respectively That which I am here under Consideration of thy piâ—tiful Plea for is both its non-Alteration de facto as it s handed down by Transcribers from the fiâ—st Scribes of it to us in these dayes and its Unalterablenesse or Uncapablenesse of Alteration which if thou mean as thou sayest thou here Assertest to the least Iota or Syllable These are to thee as thou sayest such important Truths that thou shalt not be blamed in the least by thy own Spirit nor thou hopest by any others in contending for them judging them Fundamental parts of the Faith once but say I thou knowest not when delivered to the Saints Reply Though I who cannot hold thee because I cannot find thee guiltlesse in either thy hasty holding or thy heedlesse unhandy handling thy weak vindicatory piece of Probation of them at so high a rate do advise thee to praise a fair day at night assuring thee that if ever thou come to learn the Truth in the plainnesse and power of it as it is in Iesus the Light of whom the Letter testifies thou wilt find these no Fundamental parts of that One Faith which Paul and Iude speak of Eph. 4. Iude 3 which was One even of old from Abraham Enoch Noah and downwards from the beginning before the Letter was delivered to and earnestly to be contended for by the Saints and wilt find thy own Spirit also however it now seems not to blame thee in the least blaming thee nor a little for thy ignorance in due time and howbeit being bolstered up for a while above it by the Aery Academical Applauses Gratulatory Euge's J O's Hic est's and such like blessings of thy blind Brother literatists that are as the rich mans wealth to him Prov. 10.15 thy strong City thy Murus Abaeneus a high Brazen Wall to thee in thy own conceit thou feel'st no Check and seemest Nil Conscire tibi nullâ Pallescere Cultâ Yet let others and thy own heart also Clear Chear and Cheat thee as it will thou wilt once know that as to every work there is a time to do it in and a Judgment after it so thy whole lame Anti-Scriptural work about the Scriptures as well as thy other part of it against the Quakers though fenced in the Frontispice with the fair formal pretence of A Vindication of the Purity and Integrity of the Hebrew and Greek Texts and Pro Scripturis and such like must come to another account then that I am here taking of it before the world even to a Judgment from God within thy own now blinded Bosome and closed Conscience as the Book thereof comes to be
Foundation which is no other then such Transcriptions is so far false and fallible as they failed and so contrary to what thou sayest in the least at least it impairs the Truth of thy Arch-Assertion that the whole Scripture and every Tittle and Letter as given out from God without any losse is preserved and remains entire and without Corruption in the Copies of the Originals yet remaining for sure one Tittle Letter or Iota a thousand to one may if they mistook at all be either wanting or redundant and if they fail'd who wrote immediately out of that which was first written by Inspiration then those that Transcribed downwards from that day to this having none but imperfect Copies to write by might likely fail so as to make them more rather then lesse imperfect for Error minimus in principio is ever major in medio maximus in fine if the first or second stone stand never so little awry in any building following that it will swerve into more and more crookednesse towards the Top and so what Corruptions Crookednesse Alteration Ablations Additions Variations from each other in more then Tittles and Iotaes there may be now in the Copies ye have there being now no Autographaes to amend them by but a bottomlesse pit and endlesse heap of uncertain Conjectures Contradictions Scoldings and Scottlings among the Scribes about it Pro and Con some saying one thing some another and the most part they know not what themselves but as they think and hear from others who knows save confident I. O. who seldom looks before he leaps and so knocks the Nail on the head as to hush all the hurries that are about it and end the Controversie and put it out of all doubt so far as his helplesse Hammer will do it by First saying positively there is no Variation at all and Secondly proving it so to be as infallibly as his fallible Conceits can prove so ambiguous a businesse by saying from more uncertain grounds then his Seniors and Superiors viz. Doctor Iohn Prideaux as he was called Luther Capellus and others say the contrary that he cannot but Conjecture it so to be which proof hath as much strength in it as a straw while thou Confessest as thou dost That Religious Care and Diligence in their Work with a due Reverence of him with whom they had to do is all ye ascribe to the first Transcribers which not to acknowledge in them is high Vncharitablenesse which Care they lying under a loving careful Aspect from God together with the Promise of God where he promiseth no such matter as thou talkest on viz. to preserve the Letter in all its Transcriptions from any Alteration but to put his Word into his peoples mouths and his Providence and Care of his Church to which yet or to the Transcribers of that which was to be her only Rule as thou sayest thou deniest that he yielded his infallible Spirit to continue with them ever as their guide produces the Copies yet extant and then inferrest thy Conclusion to this purpose viz. Shall we think that men that knew that every Letter and Tittle they were Transcribing was part of the Word of the great God c. should should not be more careful and diligent in their Work then such as Transcribed Heathen Authors Homer Aristotle Tully thus to Argue we think is not Tollerable in a Christian and to imagine that the same Fate hath attended the Scripture in its Transcription as hath done other Books which yet I find some learned men too free in granting seems to me to border on Atheism I say while thou sayest but thus thou sayest no more then what deserves no other Answer then this viz. That to say confesse and grant that the first Transcribers of the Scripture were not infallible nor divinely Inspired but fallible and to ascribe no more to them then a Religious care and diligence in their Work and due Reverence of God with whom they had to do and their lying under a loving and careful Aspect from a Promise of God which was never made infallibly to guide them and his Providence without his divine Inspiration and direction and yet to Conclude that their Transcriptions were not attended with the same fate as other Books viz. Aristotle Tully whose Transcribers out of the Reverence they had of those Authors or whoever else engaged them in that Work would be as careful and diligent as they could without doubt and no men uninspired can be more and much more that in their Transcriptions it must not be supposed there was any Corruption or Variation from the first Copies so much as in one Letter or Tittle in the Copies extant at this day as I. O. sayes seems to me and I appeal to all men that are well in their wits to judge of what I say such an odde kind of self-Confutation such a parcht up parcel of Confusion such an inconsequent Conclusion as is no lesse but somewhat more then Atheistical having not only nothing in it of either God Christ or the Christian but even not the common Reason of a man and so is intollerable both among Christian men and others and bordering upon Atheism as all unreasonablenesse doth Yea I. O. I doubt not as full of Oscitancy and Negligence as thou wast in the framing of the Fabrick of thy Book it self yet the Reverence and respect to thy Doctorship and such like would oblige the Printers of it to as much Care and Diligence in the doing of it as they can use at this day who Print the Bible it self neverthelesse what miscarriages and mistakes and what a multitude of Errataes as there are many Printers faults in this of mine are at each end of thy Two English and Latine Tractates And is Transcription by the Pen more exempted from Errataes then the Presse which sometimes produces such abominable Errours in the Bible it self as would amaze some people that know not the Mystery of that Art to be liable to mistakes about the Scripturess as well as in other Writings to read the flat falsities that have been the issue of their failings Yea the same fate hath attended the Scripture at the Presse as hath other Authors and why it cannot at the Pen I cannot Conjecture To instance in one that is more grosse then others ordinarily are Rom. 15. â—9 in one Edition Impression that I have seen these words of Paul viz. from Ierusalem to Illyricum I have fully Preached the Gospel are misprinted thus from Ierusalem and round about to Illyricum I have falsly Preached the Gospel of Christ So that for thee to say the fate in Transcriptions and Impressions in which way the Scriptures now altogether come forth since Printing came up for there 's now little or no Writing thereof at all hath not attended the Scriptures as hath other Books Vox sonat haecce Deum Ne hominem sonat hac tua ceri As for the rest of those yielding Strawes and weak Weapons
his Transcripts and Greek and Hebrew Copies and the absolute integrity thereof to a Tittle that the sole and final dissolution determination and discovery of all saving doctrine and distinct discerning and knowledge of all sacred Truth from cunningly devised fables does dâ—â—â—rd â—holly and alone upon the outward Greek and Hebrew writing and Scripture of it and that so necessarily and eternally that upon any corruption supposed therein that Truth Doctrine can't unquestionably be supposed to câ—â—â—â—ue entire and uncorrupt but must be consequently supposed to be without any other principle means rule or measure of judging recovering rectifying it and to be for ever â—medilâ—sly brought to nought p. 18. 68. Shall we think because I O. so thinks and sâ—lliâ—y supposes so that to suppose corruptions to have befallen his undoubtedly yea confessedly corrupted Copies and the same fate to have befallen the Hebrew and Greek Bible in its Transcribing that hath befallen other Books in theirs is a Plea unreasonable in it self devoid of all reall ground of Truth injurious to the Love and Care of God over his Word and Church in a high degree and an imagination bordering on Atheism asserted on deliberation p 18. 173 Surely the improvidence oscitancy negligence ignorance unskilfulnesse and carelesnesse that may as groundedly be supposed to have been if there was never so much care and diligence in others of them in some of the Scribes that have copied out the Scriptures as well as in some Printers that have printed them and in some Transcribers of Heathen Authors and the non-evidence of any promise of God to take any of the Scripture Transcribers under such a loving Care and Aspect as I.O. ascribes to them and I O's own concession of them being not any of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallible but under possibilities of mistakings and I O's confessions and grants and acknowledgements that known failings have been amongst them and that various Lections are from thence risen 167 169. and that some of those are of importance consisting of superfluity and redundancy of unnecessary and deficiency of necessary words which is destructive to the sense and arising out of Copies apparently corrupted and notoriously corrupted by old Hereticks and many more matters then are fit to repeat o're again do require other thoughts at our hands Shall we think because I.O. so thinks very cogitantly but little cogently to us conjectures that if the Points be mans invention and the Text under alteration as undoubtedly it is and therefore all the Priests Religion who live on the naked Texts and their own Traditions and not the Truth it self is at a losse however that then all is likely immediately utterly and remedilesly to perish for ever viz. Church Word of God Doctrine Truth certainty of the Gospel Gods promise Providence and care of his eternal incorruptible good and acceptabâ—e mind will and pleasure Life Spirit Light Law yea that all this and much more is little lesse then eternally undone as to our knowledge of them so that God himself can find no other sufficient means having tryed already quoth I.O. the insufficiency of all other before to save all these thing from corrupting but that of a perishing uncertain flexible at mans will fallible changeable meer dead to the light novell corruptible mouâ—dâ—ing and in its first Manuscripts already long since mou'dred moth eaten and corrupted Letter p. 12. surely the promise of God for the preservation of his word which was before the Letter and will be after it induring for ever so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one jot or Tittle of it shall never fail what ever become of all the jots and Tittles of the Letter and his Providence Love and Care of his Church of whose faith and obedience that word of his in the heart and not the Letter both was now is and ever will be the onely Rule require other thoughts at our hands p. 173. Shall we think because I.O. faâ—sly so thinks that such a fallible flexible alterable and corruptible thing as the Letter is by I. O's own confession not in its Translations onely but in the very Original Transcripts which is the onely businesse he is so busie about and so bestirs himself to bustle for is that which can justly claim and supreamly challenge to it self those preheminent Titles excellent properties extraordinary effects peculiar prerogatives marvellous successes c. which I. O attributes thereuunto throwout his first English Treatise and Latine â—hesâ— also wherein under that glorious name of the Word of God by which yet as by that which he undertakes to prove to be it's proper name he as if not more ordinarily denominates it then by its own and oneâ—y proper name of Scripture he magnifies the Text as to those Hebrew and Greek Copies of it he is pleased to crown as the Canon and set his stamp upon as the Standard while he stigmatizes not onely all Translations as mens own Altars and altered things that must not stand as the Standard by the Posts and high Altar of his said unalterable Copies but other Copies also as novel spurious and noâ—â—â—iously corrupted above all that hath any being under God insomuch that he cannot likely utter more concerning it in way of exaltation unlesse he should extoll it so far as to stile it God himself So I have done at present with I. O's unprofitable prate about the preciousnesse profitablenesse and divine Original of his high prized possession of the Hebrew punctation and with his peremptory Postâ—â—n and absolutely absurd Assertion of the non-corruption of his Canonized Copies of the Original Text to a Tittle which howbeit I have scarce gone above half so far as I might in discovering the deep dotage and folly that is to be found in his mingled management and miserable mangâ—nization of those matters yet I have gone farther by the hall then I should have done considering how far off all such husky chaffy accomplishments as those Pedantick parts of the Letter are from that wherein the Life of God chiefly lyes viz. the Spirit Light and Word that 's nigh in the heart and how little concernment the more substantial parts of the meer outward Text are of thereto in comparison of them much more such Accidentals as the meer figure of the Accents and Vowels But onely that I found I.O. manifesting his foppery so far as to render these Ticklish things of such eminent Tendency to the saving knowledge of all sacred Truth as to give them out to be the most reall Rule stable standard Gospel guides grand ground chief infallible foundation of all in which respect though otherwise it is little lesse then loathsome to me to leave the life I live in the enâ—oyment of my self with God to meddle so much in such muddy matters yet in service to the Truth and in love to the soules of the Schoolmen and Scribes that they may see the sandy fickle fâ—undation they build and
Doctrines Instructions stories Promises Prophesies given out by the Writers of the Scripture were not their own conceived in their minds nor form'd by their Reasonings nor retained in their memories from what they had heard nor by any means before-hand comprehended by them 1 Pet. 1.10 11. But were all of them immediately from God so as that there was onely a Passive concurrence of their Rational faculties in their reception without any such Active obedience to as by any Law they might be obliged pag. 5 6. Rep. Many things in this Parcel are utterly false being uttered as they are of the whole Scripture and all its first Pen-men for what is said of the Old as to the immediate manner of its giving forth is said also saist thou pag. 9.27 of the New insomuch that it s not onely very fond but savouring also of no small ignorance both of and in the Scripture for any such Minister of no more then the meer Letter of it as our Divineâ— are much more below the Ministers of the Spirit to hold out for truth or so much as to imagine within themselves and as they are utter untruths so much lesse are they of force to evince that false Assertion to be Truth which thou J.O. wouldst conclude from thence viz That their Writings are uncontroulably known to be the Word of God 1. What a crude conception of thy vain mind is this that the Laws Doctrines Instructions Stories Promises Prophesies written which I confess were not their own formed as many if not most of thy false Doctrines and strange stories about the Scriptures are thine own formed by unreasonable Reasonings were not so much as conceived in the minds of the Pen-men Were they not conceived in them by the Holy Spirit And â—ly by them so as that for the most part at least they understood knew and believed them as Truths before they committed them to Writing as they were moved by the Spirit of God to do for the use of others And though they wrote not but at the Will of God and his spirit pressing them thereunto and under the burthen of the Word of the Lord that lay upon them till they had discharged themselves of it yet art thou so silly as to conceive they delivered things before they were conceived in them So far at least they were conceived in and by them too as to prove thy saying little less then senselesse and absurd 2. VVhereas thou sayest they were not retained in their memories from what they had heard nor by any means before-hand comprehended by them Is not that as absolutely absurd and false as the rest Did they in writing declare things for truth and teach Doctrines and give out Instructions and tel stories relate passages before they had so much as heard of or seen or believed or embraced what things they wrote rehearsed or entertained them as such or by any means beforehand comprehended them Is not this directly contrary to what the Apostles say who had and wrote from the same spirit of Faith with them of old who write thus 2 Cor. 4.13 As it is written Psal. 16. 10. I believed and therefore have I spoken so we also believe and therefore speak c. 1 Joh. 1.1.3 That which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes look's on and handled declare we to you And when Isaiah wrote things of Christ did he not see his glory Isa. 6.1 Iob. 12.40 41. Lev. 1.2.11.19 Is Iohn commanded to write anything in his Booke but what he had seen And did he write or bear record of the Word of God or the Testimony of Iesus that he did by no means before-hand comprehend or of any things but those he saw And is not seeing one means of comprehending 3. Sith thou saist The things they wrote were not retained in their memories from what they had heard Did they first heare and see and believe and comprehend and entertain them into their memories and then not retain but let them slip and quite forget them before they wrote and then began to write when they had and not before they had remembred to forget them For of the things thou writest this is the sum the whole sum of which though 1 Pet. 1.10 11. is cited to add weight to it which gives not the least dram of evidence to the truth of one tittle of it is found by such as weigh it in the Ballance of right Reason to be a lye and lighter then vanity it self Belike then according to thy fancy Paul when he wrote to Timothy to bring his Books and Pâ—rchments Cloak left at Troas with Carpus wrote that not as a matter conceived in his mind or retain'd in his memory but as a thing forgotten that he had no comprehension of afore-hand Did he not write that and a hundred more matters as retain'd in his memory And though he wrote them as mov'd by the spirit in the wisdom of which he liv'd walk't and did all he did as he saw service in it yet did he not write of his Revelations and Temptations after them by the thorn in the flesh 2 Cor. 12.1 c. and of his many perils and hazards he had gone through and his whippings and stonings and shipwracks and other sufferings and services 2 Cor. 11. as things retained in his memory though some of them fourteen years behinde And when he wrote of the Fornication 1 Cor. 5. and the Divisions 1 Cor. 11. that were among the Corinthians did he not write of them as things he had by hear-say and common Report And did he not retain in his memory what was told him by them of the House of Cloe and thereupon wrote to them thereof as of a matter heard remembred and afore-hand believed For L partly believe it quoth he and comprehended aforehand VVhat innumerable instances of the like fort of stories written as retained in the memories of holy VVriters might be given out of both the Old Testament and the New But this little is enough if thou be not wilfully blind to bring thee into a remembrance of thy babling about the Bible of the writings whereof thou writest as if thou hadst never read it all but in a dream And when Matthew the Publican wrote of his own being called from the Receit of Custom and of his entertaining Christ in his house Matth. 9.9 Did he it not on the account of his retaining that passage in his memory And whereas thou saist they wrote all immediately from God so as that there was onely a passive concurrence of their rational faculties in their reception without any such active obedience as by any Law they might be obliged to I say thou renderest thy self as Ridiculous oâ— Reasonlesse in this thy Reasoning as if thou wert one that had never read any otherwise then at random For hadst thou been as observans as thou art oscitant in thy Readings and Writings of the Scripture thou wouldst
God by the writers of the Scripture to the Pedagogie of the Old Testament and times before Christ such as greatly affected the outward man with trembling and astonishment for which thou citest both Habakkuk and Daniel as it the times since Christ knew no such matter as true Trembling or any such Quaking as may affect the outward man but what is fained and from Satan and the force and power of the evil Spirit imitating in his filthy Tripodes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Dread and Terrour which is by the Power of God upon his people of which said fictitious sort thou falsely and foolishly fainest all that outward Trembling that is found among the Qua. to be at this day pag. 8. Ex. 1. S. 1. I say hadst thou been as well read and skilled in Scripture as by thy scribling pro Scripturis thou wouldest fain seem to be surely thou wouldest have found that Paul and John both were found in as great Tremblings and Astonishments Dread and Terrour to the great affecting of the outward man under the Appearances of the Lord to them in Visions and Revelations of his minde and will to them which they wrote as either Daniel Habakkuk or the rest of the Prophets before Christ that wrote them insomuch that they scarce knew sometimes where they were whether in or out of the body but were as dead with fear Act. 9 6.26.14 1 Cor. 2.3 2 Cor. 12.2 3. Rev. 1.17 But alas J.O. is so taken up and hurried in his thoughts in a hideous talking for the Scriptures that he hath little time to give any very great good heed to the Scriptures themselves he so talks for J.O. Thou addest pag. 6 7. That as far as their own personal concernments as Saints and beleevers did lye in the things they wrote they studied the writings and Prophesies of one another Dan. 9.2 and made a diligent enquiry thereby in order to the investigation of the things which the Spirit that spake in themselves did signifie 1 Pet. 1.10.10 without which though their Visions were express yet they understood them not and that they attained a saving useful habitual knowledge of the truths delivered by themselves and others by the illumination of the Holy Ghost through the study of the Word i.e. Scripture with thee still even as ye do Psal. 119 104. but as to the receiving of the Word from God as God Spoke in them they obtained nothing by study or meditation by enquiry or reading Am. 7.15 Rep. Here is such a parcel of uncouth prate about the Prophets and their Prophesie of Scriptures and the Scriptures of their Prophesies as favours of nothing but that illiterateness and ignorance of the true wayes of coming to the saving knowledge and understanding of the minde and will of God that abounds in Vniversities the supposed Nurseries as well of spiritual learning as any other well nigh as much as in any places of the so called Christian world besides What dreaming what darkness and confusion is here As if the Writers of the Scriptures because they were moved by the holy Spirit to write what they did therefore wrote they did not know what themselves nor in any wise sawingly understood every one his own piece of writing or Scripture pag. 5. whether of Histories or Prophesies or Proverbs or Psalms or Instructions or Doctrines or Laws or Promises or what ever tru he recorded delivered made known given out revealed by themselves revealed to them first from God as to their own concernment therein as Saints or beleevers by the Revelation thereof to them from God which as I said above is the only way of coming to the saving knowledge of any truth and not that of reading it as truth in anothers writings without running out to study and read the writings of some other men in order to their attaining any habitual saving useful intelligence of their own as if Isaiah that Evangelical Prophet did not savingly understand the Gospel Doctrines and Promises and Instructions and his own Recorded History of Senacherib and Hezekiah and other saving truths delivered and written by himself as they were revealed to him by the Lord nor by the voice Spirit and light of God himself manifesting them within him nor as he received the word so revealed and manifested in order to which receiving the word thou assertest also they obtained nothing by study or meditation enquiry or reading but onely as he made diligent enquiry study and search after the things the Spirit signified by him in the writings and Scriptures of some other Prophets I wonder what other parts of Scripture of the other Prophets he studied so to get that saving knowledge by since unless it were the Psalmes the last book of which is judged to have been compiled together by the Maccabees long after his dayes excepting also the three i.e. Hos a Amos and Micah that were co aetaneous with him all other Prophets that are ranked after him in your Bibles though not in the same order of time wherein they wrote wrote long after him and as if Ezekiel Jeremiah Daniel or the rest knew not savingly what they wrote themselves no more then we do as to themselves or any personal interest they had in the truths of their own writings but as they got an useful saving knowledges thereof out of each others writings in proof of which if a man would wrest them as thou doest to thine by the head and shoulders to such a purpose he might almost as easily evince the Pope to be head of Christs Church as draw any such matter as this thou concludest from Scripture That of 1 Pet. 1.10 11. Ministers no more matter of evidence to thy imagination in this particular that the Prophets searched other Prophets writings to finde out each the meaning of his own then Peters being at Rome if ever he were there doth to his being the Popes Predecessor there in the holy Chair 'T is true the Prophets are there said to enquire and search diligently after the salvation and the grace that comes unto the Saints at the revelation of Christ but is there no searching and enquiring after the salvation and the fulness of the grace of God but iâ— the letter is not the most succesful searching after these matters made in the light it self that teaches and shews it and brings the salvation nigh to all that wait for it therein which light or grace hath appeared to all men Tit. 2.11 12. and is tâ—eâ—e any way whereby God gives the knowledge of his own glory but the light from himself which the letter speaks of wherewith God who commands the light to shine out of darkness shines into the hearts of the Saints in order thereunto 2 Cor. 4.5 6. And are not all things that are manifested manifested in the light and is there any thing that doth make manifest but the said light and Spirit which the letter speaks of and which was before the letter was Eph. 5.13
his liberty to make his choice ex dieabus malis of those two evils seems to chuse the latter saying pag. 7. that as far as their personal concernments as Saints and beleevers lay in the Scriptures and in order to their saving knowledge of the truth they studied the Writings and Prophesies of one another I conclude then against I.O. that by that clause the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles is not intended their Writings as if they laid their own Scriptures for the Foundation of the Church and her faith hope obedience but that which the Apostles themselves were built upon together with the whole Church or houshold of God which could not be nor was their own Writings but Christ the Light The Letter indeed is the foundation laid by I.O. and men of his mould of old for his Wheel in a Wheel as he speaks or his false Church whose works like his own run round on and are found to have in them Wheel within Wheel but as for the true Church of the living God which is the Wheel that will turn the worlds Wheels upside down it never did doth nor ever will acknowledge any fallible letter or meer transcribed Text or any other thing to be the true great and blessed foundation of Truth Faith Hope or Obedience then Christ Iesus the same yesterday and to day and for ever who was before it now is and ever will be when the letter shall be no more at all 2. Argument whatsoever the Scripture it self layes down and testifies to be the only true Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and of the whole Church of God and of her Faith Hope and Obedience and of all Truth that is the only true foundation of all these things But the Scripture it self layes down and testifies Christ alone the Light the living Word and not it self to be the only true Foundation of the things aforesaid therefore Christ alone the Light Spirit and inward living Word that is nigh in the heart and not the Scripture it self is the only true Foundation of them The first and affirmative part of the minor is not denied by thee as the major cannot be and if thou deny the second part of the minor which is negative and denies the Scripture to testifie of it self in any place that its the Foundation then assign where the Scripture calls it self the Foundation or else own that it doth not and so that it is not the Foundation at all much less the truest or the only one as thou often intimatest either expresly or in terms equivalent it is Ep. p. 25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not any means of standing out of utter uncertainty about all sacred truth if the Heb punctation be invention also p. 64 65. not a truer Foundation for for faith to repose it self upon 3. Argument if the Scripture be the foundation for the Church and all her Faith and Repentance to be founded and grounded upon then either there was no Foundation for it before the Scripture or else they who lived before the Scripture had one Foundation for their faith and we another and so consequently there hath been two Foundations for the one faith or the one Church or body of Christ but there was a Foundation before the Scripture and there are not two Foundations of faith one to that part of the body of Christ and of Gods building that was before the Scripture and another for that part that is built since the Scripture therefore the Scripture is not the Foundation Argument 4. The Foundation of the faith must be something that is infallible firm fixt certain stable sure and inalterable as the light Spirit and Word within onely is and Gods Foundation 2 Tim. 2 19. the Foundation of God sure to a Tittle for Error minimus in principio for major in medio maximus in fine the least fault or errour and deviation in the principle or Foundation of any building grows greater toward the middle and is greatest at the top as it is seen in a very Tower if the bottome or basis stands never so little awry as is discernable it is discerned more in the middle and much more still as it ascends higher But the Scripture letter Hebrew and Greek Texts how ever I.O. pleads their integrity in every Apex point tittle and iota yet are as I have shewed above more at large in answer to his long Tattle about the Tittles and points and indentity of Lections of the letter by his own confession mistaken and mistranscribed in small things yea and in some matters of more moment and importance in the best transcribed Copies of the Original Text therefore the Text or letter of the Scripture cannot be a fit Foundation for the Churches faith but the spirit and Word within is onely so Psal. 75.3 The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved faith Christ the Word of God I bear up the Pillars of it and that is the reason why the earth is so shaken as it is and reels to and fro that it is removed as a cottage and all helpers and healers avail nothing because they reject the corner stone Christ the Word for if the Foundations be destroyed what can the righteous do Psal. 11.3 Isa. 24. 18 19. Each of which Arguments hold good against the letters being the Rule the light the witness of God the Gospel the power of God to salvation the only means or way of coming to the saving knowledge of God Word of God and what ever other high Titles I. O. intitles it by as appears in their order That the Light or Word within and not the Scriptures are the Rule or Canon Another thing thou assertest of the Scripture is that it is the only Rule of the faith and obedience of Gods Church p. 173. that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that more sure word of Prophesie to be attended to 2 Pet. 1.18 19 20. not in its self for so it was as sure as sure could be but in its giving out its evidence to us then that great miracle of miracles greater than which the Apostles of Christ never did behold or hear viz. That voice which came from the most excellent glory This is my beloved Son which we have greater security from and by according to Peter then they had in and by that miraculous voice That Moses and the Prophets which who so will not hear will not be perswaded to repent though one arise to them from the dead Luke 16.31 That Word Law and Testimony mentioned Isa. 8.20 according to which who speaks not are said to be in the dark so that there is no light in them by which what every one sayes be it what or whom it will Church or person if it be in and about the things of God concerning his will or worship or our obedience to him is to be tried That which we are sent to that which is and is asserted to be the
Reproof Instruction in Righteousness and without any outward Scripture to perfect the man of God fit and furnish him as no outward Scriptures can possibly do without these for any much less for every good work which inward Scripture in which holy men read the Gospel before 't was ever written outwardly with Ink and Pen foreseeing that God would justifie the Gentiles through Faith in Christ the Light preached the Gospel four hundred years before your Scripture Canon or Rule ad extra was ever written Howbeit I say There is a Scripture ad intra that ye read little in testified to and talk't of by your external Text ye onely talk for 2 Cor. 3. Yet to J. O. I grant the outward Scripture and that in its integrity so far as free from corruption by mis-transcription and mis-translation to be holy just good useful and profitable for all the things specified in the Text of Paul to Timothy when read and understood in that Light Wisdom and Spirit that gave it out by those holy men which onely knows the Mystery of its own minde and meaning therein and reveals it ' also to Babes and simple honest hearts that come at ' fools to it looking to the Lord alone for wisdome out of whose mouth comes that knowledge and understanding whereby the Scripture is seen as to the spirituality and substance of it when the plain things of it are hid from the wise and prudent that furfeit with their own conceited science and lean to their own Animal understanding and in that give their several senses and sentences on it for the natural or as the word is 1 Cor. 2.14 15 16. the Animal man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God not the hidden wisdome of God which none of the Princes of this world know 1 Cor. 2.6 7 8. c. which in a mystry or meer Riddle to their degenerate reason is uttered in the very outward Scripture neither can the animal man by his wisdome from beneath for all his bitter envying and strife within himself against all that oppose him wherein he glories and lyes against the truth the fruit of which envy is confusion and every evil work which wisdome is but earthly sensual Animal devillisbly deceitful Jam. 3.14 15 16 17 18. know the things of God for they are spiritually discerned and by the spiritual man only that discerns and judges all and is falsely judged by all though truly discerned by none that are beneath him The outward Scripture I say is profitable to such as Timothy was to men of God to make them who are wise in the Spirit wiser and wiser through their faith in the light to their own and others salvation and to furnish such a Minister as Timothy was who knows when and being in the Spirit how and how far forth to use it for every good work in his Ministry And such as are full of might and power first by the Spirit of the Lord upon them as Micah was Mic. 3. and as Apollo was are mighty also in the Scripture and furnished mightily to confound the Scripture-searching Scribes and all gain-sayers of the Light as they were in their times So that we deny not the Scriptures ad extra to be many wayes useful profitable in their place and time where they are to be read as they are not in so much as the tenth part of the world and where they are read in the light by them who live in that Light that gave them forth which are not the hundreth part of those that usually read and search them but will all this prove them to be what I.O. and T.D. contend so stiffly to have them be viz. in that high Authority of the Rule nay the only most perfect standing Rule of all true belief and holy life before the very light and spirit of God they had their very original supreme being from thorow the hands of holy men as but subordinate instruments in their first purity as writings except that little that was pend by God himself which we now have not which Scriptures yet as to the being they now have are handed to us from no higher principle then the transcription of meer fallible and as I.O. sayes un-inspired men Ab sit imaginatio let the thoughts hereof be far from us that the Scripture is the only Rule for if we should grant it to be so far as truly transcribed in the Copies of the Original a Rule at all or a secondary Rule which name of Rule is more than it any where calls it self by yet the prime most perfect Rule it is not much less is it the only Rule to the Church or any men and though we are as forward as any on a due account to own the profitablenss of the very letter as it declares of the words of truth and uprightness and the Doctrine that is according unto godliness and to own its great usefulness as to the purposes premised and so affirm that the dead letter so far as not depraved from its primitive purity doth as truly answer and hold proportion with the light and living word as the shadow doth with the substance the life-less picture with the living person it represents and as the voice which is Imago verbi the Image of the Word with the Word it is the Image of or the Eccho which is the Image of the voice doth with the voice it answers to insomuch that as Quae conveniunt in aliquo tertio santidem what holds measure or weight and keeps correspondency or proportion with a third thing that agrees with the standard or sealed Canon agrees also with the standard it self so whose life squares truly and substantially with the letter convenes with the light and spirit it imediately issued out from and he that lives and speaks perfectly and adaequately according to the Scripture so far speaks and lives according to and not besides the light and spirit which the letter requires man to live beleeve and walk in and by as neither doth or can he erre from the letter if he had never heard read or seen it who answers the measure of the light and spirit that is lent him to live by yet for all this as T.D. gives this reason for his untrue imagination why this part of the inspired Scripture you have only is the only Rule and not any Sermons or private religious discourses which have the same common ends with the Scriptures no nor yet any other writings but those ye have if we could prove and produce as assuredly we shall anon any legitimate ones of Divine inspiration though otherwise as useful and profitable as those ye have and agreeing therewith viz. because God did not give order quoth he for the one as he did thinks he for the other and there is no other Scripture appointed of God to be a Rule of faith and manners but what is bound up in the Bible and where he appointed that we
hearts of men though witnessed to without in the Ministry of Prophets and Apostles preaching and writing of it as that in which they were to beleeve in which beleeving according to the Voyces and Scriptures of holy men calling them thereto and beleeved by them they thenceforth and not before were said to beleeve on the Name of God through which beleeving in it they had life but what 's this to evince the Writing to be that Word â—hus spoken thus written of which was another thing which was as truly beâ—eeved in to life before it was written of as after Oh quoth J.O. as were the persons speaking of old so are the Writings now True whence in his own words I argue back ad hominem on him thus As were the persons speaking the Word of God old so are the Writings now Buâ— not the persons preaching no nor yet their preachings and speakings were the Woâ—â— of God they preached and spake of but only means by which men were brought to beleeve in the Word of God What 's Paul what 's Apollos but Ministers by whom ye beleeved 1 Cor. 4.5 Therefore the Writings now are not the Word of God written of but only an outward means by which men are brought to beleeve in another thing then the â—ritings for life even in the Word of faith nigh in their own hearts which the Prophets and Apostles preached and wrote of that iâ— order to life men should beleeve in it I.O. And now as to that Text Heb. 4.12 which thou citest also p. 85. reciting the words of it which are these The Word of God is quick and powerful or as thou there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 living and effectual sharper than any two-edged swâ—rd piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Rep. I cannot but stand almost astonished at thy stupidity in expounding that Text of Scripture of the Text of Scripture and of that terme there the Word of God of the Book called the Bible which the business of thy Book is mostly about sith the efficacy and power of the Word here spoken of is far beyond that of the Letter or Scripture it self the inefficacy and weakness of which I have shewed above specially abstract from the Spirit and Light within in which way thou asserts the sufficiency of it witness thy own words above rehearsed as to any such mighty matters as are here mentioned Is the Letter the Scripture sharper then any two-edged sword to divide asundâ—r soul and spirit c. a diver into a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart what thinkest thou by the two-edged sharp sword that goes out of his mouth that rides the white horse with his vesture dipt in blood and the Armies in heaven following not in Lawn Sleeves Sarcenet Scarffs Sattanical Goâ—ns Canonical Coats Scarlet Formalities White Surplices Velvet Plush black Gippoes and such like Scholastick Superfluities but in fine linnen white and clean i.e. The righteousness of the Saints Rev. 2.12.19 11 12 13 14 15 22. Is it the Letter or is it the Sword of the Spirit a prime part of that Armour of God Armour of Light intimated Rom. 13.12 Eph. 6.11.17 which is the Word of God and the sharp soul-searching heart-piercing living life-giving Word that is here spoken of for it s the Spirit that quickneth the Letter killeth and is dead the Sword of the Spirit is the Spirit or words of Christs mouth which he speaks which are Spirit and life not Leâ—ser which Word of Christ is the Word of God also as Christ himself the Lord that Spirit is 2 Cor. 3. which was in the beginning before Letter was and was with God and was God for the three that bear witness in heaven the Father Word and Spiriâ— are one and all three Spirit and Light and the Letter is none of them all and these without the Letter are effectual and werâ— so before it though T.D. sayes the Spirit was not wont to be effectual without the Letter p. 42. of his 1. Pamph. but the Letter and its revelation is not sufficient and omnibus numeris absolute c. as J.O. darkly divines to effect and perfect all things as to Gods glory and our salvation of it self so that there 's no need at all of any other witness or revelation by the Spirit and Light within T.D. indeed if any save such as are bewitcht and befooled already would be such fools as to follow his foolish fancy would and what Parish Preachers do not the like make men beleeve by his non-sensical blinde wayes of proving it as if it were so at leaâ—t and that is a little more moderate then I.Os. boundless elevation of the Letter which hee makes little less than All in All that the Spirit was not wont to be effectual without the Letter in proof of which his false Assertion â—e urges Rom. 10.17 the same Text that I.O. wrests the same way Faith which is the Spirits work quoth he in the forenamed page comes by hearing hearing by the word of God which terme the Word of God there T.D. and I.O. and their Adjutants generally take to be the Scripture Text though if any measure of right reason did Rule in them they might see in the same Chapter that the Word of faith by which it comes is that they preached to be brought nigh in mens hearts and moâ—ths by God himself that there they might both hear and do it Deut. 30.13 but so far is his Position from having any truth in it as much as he stands up agâ—inst R.H. who justly withstands him in it that if his own eyes were but half open he could not but see the flat falsehood of it yea it is so palpable that before all the world I will here lay down the very contrary as the truth viz The Spirit was wont to be effectual without the Letter And why he should lose any of his Authority power and efficacy by mens writings as they were moved by him he is either wiser then I that can tell or else very fond in asserting what he can tell no reason for And that the Spirit or Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God whether we understand it of Christ himself that Spirit 2 Cor. 3. that quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 who is called the Word of God Rev. 19.13 or the Spirit of God and Christ which is so called also Eph. 6.17 was wont to be effectual without the Letter of old before there was any Letter for him to work by is so clear that t were to light a candle to see the Sun by to go about to prove it yea as I.O. sayes in a case that is clear I mean clear contrary to what he asserts in it Ex. 3. s. 31. so say I in this ad Solem caecutiâ—â— necesse est c. he must be so blinde as not to see the Sun
when it shines upon him that is ignorant of it or assents not to it since as R.H. told him then it was so so I tell him here over again in R.H. his words with the addition of the long tract of time wherein t was wont to be so The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God which was effectual two thousand years before the Letter was And this I the rather assert against T.D. here in this place because he is so ignorant as to tax R.H. there for usual speaking non-sense and for understâ—nding non-sense as well or better then good sense in that when T.D. said The Spirit was not wont to be effectual without the Letter R H. repeats him saying thus The Sword of the Spirit is ineffectual without the Letter which in effect is all one if T.Ds. eyes were well open to see clearly what the Spirit is and what the Letter and then replies thus The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God which was effectual before the Letter was Now I demand of thee T.D. 1. where is any non-sense R.H. spake whose words I here speak after him that I may clear them from thy unjust cenâ—â—re of non-sense And if R.H. understood any non-sense as thou sayest he did then that must import that thy self with whom he was then in discourse hadst spoken some for he could not understand that non-sense from thee which thou never speakest Out of thy own mouth then at least thou art condemned for speaking some non-sense if a man were minded to prosecute thee for it for habemus Retâ—â— conficentem we have it from thy self if it were so but though thou tacitly taxest thy self with non-sense yet I shall do thee that Right this once as to clear and exuse thee from thy own false self-accusation for in truth both what thou spakest and what R.H. spake was all good sense as to the intelligibleness of the phrases unless thou account every sentence to be non-sense that is false as to the matter propounded in it as in a sense thou mayest there being no sense nor reason for it that any man should affirm and tell an untruth and then I confess thou spakest non-sense and R.H. good sense Sith his saying was true and thine was false For the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and the Spirit it self and not the Letter as thou who art somewhat low and implicite not very loud me thinks nor express as if thou durst not for shame speak out thy minde about it seemest to make it was wont to be effectual without and was effectual before the Letter was But here 's indeed the very knot of the business thou deemest R.H. to utter non-sense in not being so non-sensical as with T.D. I.O. and their Chronies to interpret the Sword of the Spirit there called the Word of God of the outward Letter or Scripture that is the thing will not down with T.D. without straining at it as a peece of non-sense to assert the Sword of the Spirit not to be the Letter witness T.Ds. words of R H. T.D. As for what he says that the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God if he meant like a man in his oppositions he must mean Christ who but once is called the Word of God Rev. 19.13 And Christ cannot be intended Eph. 6.17 because he is not the Sword of the Spirit but the Spirit his Sword rather for by the Spirit he works in the hearts of men and therefore Gen. 6.3 he sayes My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man which is meant of the Holy Ghost as will appear by comparing it with Act. 7.51 where Stephen tells the Jews Ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost Christ by the common operations of his Spirit strives with men and by the special operations thereof preâ—ails with them Rep. In this parcel is more truth granted to the Qua. then T.D. himself understands so to be or will ever stand under the force of when made use of by them against himself for he sayes the Spirit is Christs Sword by which according to Gâ—n 6.3 Act. 7.51 he works operates in men mark his words and is said to strive with them that alwayes resist him even in themselves I could never yet get it granted from T.D. or any other contenders against the truth in this point that Christ had a Spirit of his in men by the operations of which he is said in those two Texts to strive with them n themselves for howbeit its the common Doctrine laid down positively by themselves unawares many times yet when they meet with Qua. in verbal discourses who urge these two self same Texts and that in 1 Pet. 3.18 19 20. By the which Spirit Christ preached to Spirits in prison which were disobedient in the dayes of Noah c. And that Ioh. 16.8 9 10 11. concerning the Spirits convincing the world of sin c. in themselves and that Ioh. 3.19 20 21. of Christ the light coming into the world i.e. the word which is in mens hearts there condemning the evil deeds even in the dark cells of wicked mens own consciences which Light is sent not to condemn but unless men love the darkness more then it in order to their salvation and that they might be saved by beleeving in it vers 17 18. And that Text also Ioh. 1.9 concerning the truâ— Light which is Christ enlightning every man in the world all which places and many more are parallel together in this point among all the several sorts of shifts whereby to shuffle of the sound Doctrine of the Qua. this is most commonly made use of viz. that the strivings and shinings of Christ by his Light and Spirit with and unto the Sons of men which they dare not deny neither to be universal and yet do own ten parts to one of the world too to be at this day without any true outward Gospel Ministry or Traditions by by men or Letter of Scripture O Rotas where 's the beginning and end of these mens Rounds are not by any Light or Spirit of his that is in them for that measure of his Light and Spirit within wee call men to they name natural imaginary figment Fanaticisme Enthusiasme and ironically that infallible Doctor Qualitas nescio quae divina seu anima mundi omnibus mista 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 merae tenebrae caecitas nesâ—io quid niâ—il nothing and much more as I.O. pleases but by a Letter and Ministers of the Letter without them only he strives and shines by his Spirit say they and reproves and conviâ—ces the world that resist but t was of old by the outward Ministry of Noah only a Preacher of Righteousness t is since by the Scripture and Ministers of it that preach outwardly out of it though perhaps not one of an hundred in the world ever read it or heard it preacht on but not by any measure of his Spirit or immediate workings of any Light or
they shall be blessed that sow beside all waters and the soul of the diligent shall thrive and be fat but the soul of the vile person and niggard and of the sluggard shall desire but have nothing yea their Vintage shall faile and their gathering shall not come and their fruitful field shall be turned into a forrest they shall be stript and made bare and sit with sackcloth on their loins and lament for the tears for the pleasant fields and the fruitfull vine and their pallaces shall be forsaken their tents and towers shall be for dâ—ns and that which now is the pasture of wild asses Iob 11.12 Isa. 29.18 24. shall be no more enjoyed by them for ever Isa. 32. Wherefore then â—ayest thou I. O. with Restriction of the Spirits guidance to those first generations thus viz. While the infallible spirit continued his extraordinary guidance and thus viz. guided therein by the infallible direction of the spirit of God and by way of exclusion of after-ages and more expresly of this age thus viz. They were born acted carried out by the Holy Ghost to speake deliver and write c. and suppose a man were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. inspired of God and should professe himself so and were so indeed as the Prophes of old Am. 7. Let me expostulate the case with thee a little about these expressions whereby thou seemest to shut all the past primitive times from any participation of the movings and actings of the Spirit as those that have neither part nor portion in that matter of his infallible guidance and direction First then not denying what Christ himself foretold Iohn â—4 28 30. Iohn 16.16 viz. That he would go away for a while and his Disciples should not see him and the Prince of this world which hath nothing in him should come and interpose himself to the great interception of that primitive Communion the Saints then had with him and his Spirit so that he would not have very much talk with them thereafter let me ask thee this much Did he say he would leave them for ever and never have any talk or words with them more then what they should find of his written in the Scriptures of such as should write some few things and a little of that much which they knew of his minde Did he say he should not speake at all not so much as by his Spirt Nay rather did he not say that so soon as his fleshly pretence was withdrawn he would send the holy Spirit himselfe the comforter to supply the room of that personall and bodily appearance wherein he then stood among them which they were so in love with and so loath to part with that they were ready well-nigh to dote so upon it as to let sorrow fill their hearts to think they should be utterly without his tuition as sheep without a shepherd if that should vanish and be removed In the departure and absence of which notwithstanding he told them it would be never the worse but much the better and more expedient for them For if I goe away saith he the Comforter cannot come but if I go I will send him unto you which Comforter was himselfe in Spirit the presence of which in the heart gives nearer acquaintance and fellowship with Christ and the Father then his abode among them their sight of him in the flesh could possibly do for the sight of him in the flesh the world may have and had which is to little effect if the other be wanting but his presence in the Spirit is that which is of Power and Efficacy though yet in two different wayes viz. of bare conviction or condemnation to the one and refreshment and consolation to the other both to the World and to the Saints though there be no sight of him as in the flesh any more by either I will send the Holy spirit the comforter to you saith he and he shall convince or reprove the world also Doth Christ therefore say he will leave them comfortlesse i.e. Orphans Iohn 14.17 18. deprived utterly of his presence because he said he i.e. in flesh would go away Nay saith he I will come to you i.e. in Spirit the Spirit of truth which dwelleth in you and shall be in you and though the world seeth me no more when I am gone because though the Spirit of Truth be sent into them and is nigh to men even striving preaching reproving in them yet they recieve him not neither see him nor know him yet ye see me and because I live ye shall live also and doth he not say that this spirit of truth should lead and guide them into all truth and bring all things to their remembrance whatever he spakâ— while he was seen in the flesh Which the letter doth not for there were many more things that Iesus spake and did that are not written there so many that if they should be written every one it might be supposed the world could not contain what should be written John 14.26 13 21 25. And howbeit he intimates a more sparing Communion in Spirit with his Dâ—sciples and Church which would be permitted to come to passe by the coming in of the Prince of this world wherein there should not be so much talk as there should be before and would be again after that gloomy day was once over wherein the manifestations of him though as infallible in that small measure wherein they should be made for gradus non variant naturam rei yet as to the measure would not be so great as at other times of which going away and withdrawing even in the spirit also he seemes to speak when he saith A little while and ye shall not see me in which Eclipse the chidren of the night must have a revelling night of rejoycing over the Word and Spirit and Saints sitting in sackcloth and an hour of laughter and merriment at the power of 〈◊〉 its prevailing Iohn 16. to 22. yet doth he say that Eclipse should be â—oâ—aâ—l Was there not some few in every age in whom the Spirit bare a testimony and by whom to the blind world also of little truth And did he not say the Spirit should be in them and abide with them i.e. in the same manner of infallibility in manifestation of whatever he makes known though not in the same measure of manifestation of the truth even for ever Iohn 14.16 And did he not say that the Spirit of truth should testifie of him when he came and so consequently his testimony must be with his Disciples and Church for ever Iohn 15.26 Which testimony is not that of the letter which men wrote at his motion as thou falsely supposest for that is mans mediate testimony and not immediately the Spirits any more then the testimony that men bear by word of mouth as they are moved of which in the very next verse i. e. Iohn 15.27 Christ calls their testimony and not the
turn then and his people must be contented with it so making them like the Popish Priests and people of the world which have as at Rome and elsewhere ordinary Ornaments Lessons Anthems Songs and Services that must serve for every ordinary day and extraordinary shewes and sing-songs and ornaments and number of candles and fine candlesticks plush canopyes and copes Altar-clothes white Surplices Pictures Pompes and pipings as on some great Saints holyday or festivall times or general proecessions or as our poor still bepoped people have here one fine suit for Sundayes and holidayes and a cheaper and lesse costly one for working dayes Or when this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or divine guidance and inspiration is pleaded by thee as peculiaâ— to those first times I inquire of thee whether there be any middle way T. 1. C. 3. S. 8. but either that the Saints in after-times if guided by the guidance of the spirit of God at all and that thou darest not deny though thou own his guidance by the letter onely be guided by it as an infallible spirit giving them that infallible guidance which thou callest extraordinary or as a fallible spirit allowing them not so much as the Saints of old but affording them onely some kind of ordinary or fallible guidance and direction for it remaines according to thy principles that it must be one of these or else there is some middle way some midling spirit of God and some middle sort of direction of that spirit that is neither fallible nor infaâ—lible but between both partly faâ—lible partly infallible some participie that iâ— neither one nor the other but taking part of both fallibility and infallibility And howbeit this is such a messe of mixture as may well make awise man and excuse him in it too believe him to be no wiser then he should be and to have Hand plus cerebâ—i quam cimex sanguinis that makes it yet I know not why thou mayst not as well make God to have two spirits and his spirit two guidances viz. one infallible one fallible or one absolutely infallible and another neither fallible nor infallible as thou makest God to have two Words viz. on that infallible living Word which the fallible dead Letter declares of the other that fallible dead Letter which declares of that infallible living Word for each of these thou makest the Word God yea O the depths of the Doctors and Divines of our times thou art not onely so exceeding expert in cutting and cobling dividing and botching and piecing and patching for thy own turne as when thou wilt to turn two into one and one into two but also so well vers'd and exactly taught in the point of Trinitizing as to turne that one Word of God at first into two and at last secundum quid into three for whether we examine what thou sayest of either the Letter or the Word it self this testimony thy book beares to them both 1. as to the Word thou sayest in one place truly it's Living T. 1. C. 4. S. 19. in another place thou sayest horresco referens more then I dare say for the world whatever I say of the Letter that the Word is dead T. 2. C. 5. but falsely figured our with the figure of 4. S. 12.2 as to the Letter thou sayest in one place viz. Ex 3. S. 4. It is living and no where said to be dead yet in the forcited falsely figured chapter S. 12. thou thy self as no where as the Letter is said so to be sayest thy own self that the Letter is dead Thus Gods one Word is cut out by thee into two viz. the Letter and that Word it witnesses of and then each of these are cut out into three for which ever of these two be that tâ—ue Word of God or if thou taking these conjunctively wilt have them one at least thy opinion as exprest in those places put together is tantamount to no lesse then this viz. that God hath 1. a living Word 2. a dead Word 3. a Word that is both dead and living And why sayest thou of the Prophets and Apostles they were borne acted carried out by the Holy Ghost to speake deliver write c. and suppose a man were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspired by the Spirit indeed As if it were a matter now not to be expected in this age as if it were no lesse then a wonder but so the Saints and Prophets were in every generation to thy generation therefore I wonder not that thou fo wonderest at it that any should now professe so to be though sapiens miratur nihil and the things of God are no where wondered at or evil spoken of but where ignorance of them is to see such a man as can truly say he is moved of the Lord and inspired with his spirit whereas when was it otherwise in any age wherein God had Saints And who is otherwise that is not in name onely but a Saint or a Christian indeed and truth Was ever any otherwise or lesse then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspired of God that was born acted carried out by the Spirit and was any otherwise or lesse then so that is moved guided led by that Spirit to act speake write c. and ought any now any more then formerly or do any now that are truly Saints act write speak think any thing more then formerly out of the Spirit â—or in the Flesh that is of any savour or hath any acceptance in the sight of God Is that accepted of God that is done written spoken thought ministred out of the Spirit or in the Flesh not in and by the motions of the Spirit but in and by the motions of the Flesh and in the wisdome and will of the Flesh Is not all that Cains sacrifice that is offered in that nature of his or while men are yet but in the Flesh not in the Spirit which Sacrifice is as all wicked mens are while their ear is turned from the Law in the Spirit i.e. the light and Spirit of God within abomination unto God And are not all I. O's prayers preachings writings who dare not pretend to have live in be moved or guided by the infallible Spirit of God in ought that he does acted and done in the Flesh and the oldnesse of the Letter and is any thing that 's done in the fleshly minde thoughts imaginations wisdome worth a Rush when the very wisdome of the flesh is enmity against God and â—all the enmity is to be slain and not any of it accepted or to be reconciled for ever Do not all the Israel of God that are Israel not after the Flesh or the Letter but after the Spirit the Iewes and the Circumcision not outwardly in the Flesh and Letter but inwardly in the Heart and Spirit Do not all these minde the same thing that one and the self-same spirit and as far and in such a measure as every one hath attained it walk by the
of things which is Tantamount to infallible Luke 1.1 2 3 4. Act. 1.3 and to have plerophorian full assurance but also Omniscient Omnipotent panta anakcinontes eidontes iscuontes c. And whereas T. D. sayes p. 33. the Apostles themselves did not partake of that Divine property of infallibility giving also this reasonless reason for it viz. for then they would have been infallible at all times and in all things which they were not as appears by the instance of Peter Gal. 2.11 Rep. In this as he contradicts the Scripture so I. O. himself serves us so far as to contradict him to our hands for howbeit he denies any participation of infallibility to us or any Ministers in these dayes and also to the very immediate Transcribers of the Scriptures saying p. 167. we say not they were all or any of them Anamartetoi infallible yet he denies it not to the first Writers p. 60. And as for his proof that if they were infallible at all then they would have been so at all times and in all things That is as pedling a proof as he would count it if I should go to prove that David was not at al partaker of the property of holiness because he was not holy but wicked at that time and in that thing wherein he was desil'd in the matter of Vriah which T. D. would judge as silly an argument as I judge T. Ds. assertion silly who sayes that David was not i â— a condemned but in a justified estate alias accounted just in the sight of God at that time when he was under the guilt of adultery and murder which a wise man need not be taught to see the folly and fowlness of Thus then I. O. and T. D. do unminister themselves at least by denying any to be Theopneustoi infallibly guided by the infallible spirit in these dayes both of whom I may truly bespeak thus Say ye that Gods inspir'd ones are all gone Then ye of Gods inspired ones are none And who that 's wise will mind I. O. much in what he saith about things of God who cannot pretend so far as to say he is but rather yeilds to the contrary viz. that he is not mov'd acted carried forth nor guided in what he does speak write minister by the infallible direction of the infallible Spirit of God but by the fallible guidance of his own and other mens fallible spirits opinions conjectures thoughts c Who but fâ—ols will take such a fallible guide as I. O. is fain to confess he is while he denies any guided by the infallible guidance of Gods Spirit in this age Yea doth he not utterly unminister himself and all his fellows while he supposes none now to be Theopneustoi moved and inspired by the spirit in their ministerial functions nor to speak as the Spirit only gives utterance and as they receive the word immediately out of the mouth of God and while he can say no farther of himself and them but only that they minister out of that furtive furniture which in their fleshly minds they filch from the Letter which out of which and from their fallible expositions of which they minister and of which they are Ministers and not of the Spirit as the Apostles and Prophets were which gives the life And is not he an ill bird that bewrayes his own nest an ill son that discovers his own and his fellows and his fore-fathers nakednesses so far as to print it out as obvious to all that the infallible guidance of the infallible Spirit is not continued with them nor to be found in these dayes directing any otherwise then without by an outward letter which is fallible and lyable to be falsified at fallible mens pleasure and fancy and to deny all inward pure Revelation and immediate inspiration as Enthusiasm and to say that there 's no means of doing and determining any thing about the matters of God or Doctrine of Christ now but the letter or writing T. 1. C. 1. S. 16. and yet in the self-same Section to the contradicting of himself to say that that Doctrine and these things of God and Christ are things of pure divine revelation the knowledge whereof depends upon no such fallible thing as all outward writing is now by his own confession but wholly solely on their Revelation from God And what difference is there I.O. between such a one as is pheromenos upo tou pneumatos and one agâ—menos or to whom the Spirit of the Lord is odegos or egoumenos are not all these so neer kin that he who is agomenos is pheromenos Is not he who is led guided acted by the Spirit moved and carried forth by the Spirit And are not all Saints led by it And what difference between one that speaks as moved by the Spirit or as the Spirit gives utterance and one that hath it given him by the Spirit what to speak so that he need not premeditate what to say And have not all the Saints and Disciples of Christ a share and part in that promise of having it given them what to speak at the same houre when they are call'd before Rulers and Governours for Christs sake Mat. 10.18 19 20. and what between one that is divinely inspired to speak and one in whom the Spirit of the Father speaketh Is it not intended of all Gods children and Christs Disciples in the case aforesaid as well as of some when it s said It is not you that speak but the Spirit of the Father which speaketh in you And is it not said of all that Prophesie in the Church of God as all are to covet to do and are in capability to come to do and may do one by one as they grow in the Spirit and have any thing revealed to them as they sit before the Lord in which caâ—e they are to give way to each other that the unbelievers and unlearn'd ones in the mysteries and language of the Spirit and such are ye that surseiting with your inferiour literature out of the Light and Spirit in which holy men wrote it ly looking in the letter of the Scriptures which ye know not as the old Scribes did not Mat. 22.29 but wrest to your own ruine O insipidi sapientes obtus Acuti Academici quae supra vos nihit ad vos in the account of Christ Paul and Peter as unlearned as Christ himself was with some and as very Babler as Paul was at Athens as unlearned as Peter was counted by the chief Priests Scribes when he and Iohn stood before them Acts 4.13 2 Pet. 3.16 being convinced and judged of them all and having the secrets of their hearts manifested shall be forced to their own shame to fall down and report at last that God is in them of a truth 1 Cor. 14.23 24 25. And what difference is there that can help thy cause between pneumaticos and Theopneustos a spiritual man and one by the Spirit inspired or a
David even when he was guilty mark that of adultery and murder such sins as for which the Scripture when he lay impenitent under them denotes and excepts him as a man not upright a despiser of God and his Commandemenes A doer of evil in his sight 2 Sam 12. whom God also had not mercy on but did both condemn and severely judge with no lesse then Hellish horrors for his filth blood-guiltinesse till he had repented for it and was throwly purged from it Psalm 51. was not in a condemned but in a justified estate So that the sum of T.D. and those Doctors Doctrine that side with him therein is this viz to begin the dance right David while he commited adultery and murder not repenting was guilty before God and consequently not just nor justified but condemned for whom God holds not guiltlesse but guilty they are not justified accepted acquitted absolved approved but which is all one accused reproved condemned in his sight Yet to go round again David while he committed adultery and murder not yet repenting was not guilty before God but held guiltlesse not condemned nor reprobated or reproved but cleared acquitted absolved excused approved For between the two slates of guilty and not guilty non datur medium Contradictions Confusions and Rounds about Liberty of Conscience II. As to the Doctrine for Liberty of Conscience and against persecution for cause of Conscience in matters of Religion One while they tell the world the doctrine and practice of rigid imposing upon any sub penâ or persecuting any tender Consciences for beleeving and living according to their conviction or denying to beleeve or live contrary thereunto is a Bloody Tenet a way to make more hypocrites that for fear will conform to what they beleeve not to be truth then true Christians an evident note of a false Church and Antichristian Ministry that is degenerate and apostatized from the true pure Primitive Church of Christ which never did compel any by force and violence to be Christians but rather suffered all sorts of sorrowes and bare all manner of abuses from the whole world of false Worshippers whether Heathens or Nominal Christians barely for confessing to the truth of Christ and testifying against the evil lives of all Christs enemies whether such as hated the very outward name of Christ or such as named his Name and yet departed not from iniquity and were every where cursed yet blessed the cursers of them prayed for such as persecuted them intreated those that desamed and ill-intreated them and were patient silent when reviled and buffeted beaten banished as Vagabonds because for truths sake they often left their own Homes and had no certain dwelling place as seditious tumultuous disturbers of the peace because they peaceably went into Synagogues to reason and preach the Gospel of peace as turners of the world upside down because they sought to change men from their evill manners foolish customs vain inventions and wicked wayes that were abominable to God and to bring them to repentance from their dead works and worships in which their souls could never live to worship the living God who is a Spirit and not tyed to places in Spirit and in truth in the inner parts and to turn all men from the darknesse wherein they lived in the world without to the Light of Christ within themselves and from the power of Satan unto God Sometimes I say our great Gamaliels not only grant these things but also give them out for truth to the Civill Powers of the Earth most especially then and that with no small greedinesse when the Clergy of one kind feel themselves begin to be griped under the greedy clutches of the Clergy of another colour when they are likely to be imposed upon by others and to be clapped down under hatches by the Clerical cruelties of each other respectively As for example where ever the Papal or Roman or else the Presbiterian Primacy keeps the Keys spreads their Black Eagles clams over all others hath the power of permitting or poenal imposing there the Prelatick Pastoralty pleads his priviledge to have the liberty of his Liturgy he behaving himselfe no otherwise then peaceably among them Where the Episcopal Priesthood holds his Hierarchy and is Supream there as the Papal would willingly have his liberty and I blame none neither Iews Turks nor Heathens for desiring the like to walk every one in the Name of his God Mich 4. Soth that Right-rigid Scottish Presbiterian Race and that Mongrill seed of loose IndependentPresbiters are more loud for liberty then any other sort of Sectaries so called whatsoever who do all no lesse rationally then they they demeaning themselves peaceably as the very Principle of the Quakers binds them to do to all men require each the peaceable enjoyment of his Religion Church-Ministry fellowship faith and way of Worship under them When the Rabbies are ready to be Ridden one by another witnesse the Outcries once of New-England against Old when under the heat of far lesse Persecution from the Bishops then they have acted since themselves Old England it self was too hot to hold them also the present pleadings not only for their Directorian Liberties but Turpe et miserabile their very Livings Tythes Preferments and their Places now the Common Prayer Book Priesthood whom they unhorsed hath his foot in the Stirrup again and may not unlikely push the Presbiter besides the Saddle then Oh then what Hue and Cry against the bloody Tenet of Persecution and grievous groans for this desire of all Nations and People Liberty of Conscience Liberty of Conscience do we dayly hear from Smectimnuus his own as well as others mouthes Otherwhiles again yea ever when the Clergy of any one colour hath by either craft or conquest catcht the Keyes of the Kingdome and atchieved the Holy chaire they straightway clap their cruell clawes upon them to the keeping down by force of Armes more then Arguments all Liberty for any consciences but their own Then to go round again come let us sing a new Song Behold cry the Counsellers of Egypt the People of the children of Israell are more c. Exod. 1.9 10 11. As Pharoah said unto his people Behold the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier then we Come on let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply and it come to passe that when there falls out any war they joyn also unto our enemies and fight against us and so get them up out of the Land Therefore they did set over them Taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens and they built for Pharoah Treasure cities Pithom and Raamses Then they set Taskmasters Then say the Sanballats and Tobiasses the Ammonites and Ashdodite as they Neh. 4.1 2 7 8 11. But it came to passe that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall he was wroth and took great indignation and mocked the Iews And he spake before his brethren and the