he hath not Can ungodly men that are not gracious themselves be good stewards of the manifold Grace of God Good stewardship of what of God's abounding Grace which is the Ability and Stewardship received And therefore in the following verses he makes an Exclusive limitation of such as are not thus furnished saying If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God and if any man Minister let him do it as of the Ability that God giveth which is as much as if he had said They that cannot thus speak and thus Minister ought not to do it for this If denotes a necessary Condition Now what this Ability is is manifest by the former words to wit the Gift received and the Grace whereof they are Stewards as by the immediate Context and dependency of the words doth appear neither can it be understood of a meer Natural Ability because man in this condition is said not to know the things of God and so he cannot Minister them to others And the following words shew this also in that he immediately subjoineth That God in all things may be glorified but surely God is not glorified but greatly dishonoured when Natural Men from their meer natural Ability meddle in Spiritual things which they neither know nor understand Fourthly That Grace is a most Necessary Qualification for a Minister Proof IV appears by these Qualifications which the Apostle expresly requires 1 Tim 3.2 Tit. 1. c. where he saith A Bishop must be blameless vigilant sober of good behaviour apt to teach patient a lover of good men just holy temperate as the steward of God holding fast the faithful Word as he hath been taught Upon the other hand He must neither be given to wine nor a striker nor covetous nor proud nor self-willed nor soon angry Now I ask If it be not Impossible that a man can have all these above-named Vertues How can a Bishop have these Vertues without the Grace of God and be free of all these Evils without the Grace of God If then these Vertues for the producing of which in a man Grace is absolutely necessary be necessary to make a true Minister of the Church of Christ according to the Apostles judgment surely Grace must be necessary also Concerning this thing a Learned Man and well-skilled in Antiquity about the time of the Reformation writeth thus * Whatsoever is done in the Church without the Ministry of God's Spirit is vain and wicked Whatsoever is done in the Church either for Ornament or Edification of Religion whether in chusing Magistrates or instituting Ministers of the Church except it be done by the Ministry of God's Spirit which is as it were the Soul of the Church it is vain and wicked For whoever hath not been called by the Spirit of God to the great Office of God and Dignity of Apostleship as Aaron was and hath not entred in by the door which is Christ but hath otherways risen in the Church by the Window by the favours of men c. truly such a one is not the Vicar of Christ and the Apostles but a Thief and a Robber and the Vicar of Judas Iscariot †Who is Judas Iscariot's Vicar and Simon the Samaritan Hence it was so strictly appointed concerning the Election of Prelates which holy Dionysius calls the Sacrament of Nomination that the Bishops and Apostles who should Oversee the service of the Church should be men of most intire manners and life powerful in sound doctrine to give a reason for all things So also * Franciscus Lambertus Avenionensis in his Book concerning Prophecy Learning Tongues and the Spirit of Prophecy Argentorat excus anno 1516 de prov cap 24. another about the same time writeth thus Therefore it can never be that by the Tongues or Learning any can give a sound Judgment concerning the Holy Scriptures and the Truth of God Lastly saith he the sheep of Christ seek nothing but the voice of Christ which he knoweth by the holy Spirit wherewith he is filled he regards not Learning Tongues or any outward thing so as therefore to believe this or that to be the Voice of Christ his true shepherd he knoweth that there is need of no other thing but the Testimony of the Spirit of God Object 1 § XVII Against this Absolute Necessity of Grace they Object That if all Ministers had the Saving Grace of God then all Ministers should be Saved seeing none can fall away from or lose Saving Grace Answ. But this Objection is built upon a false Hypothesis purely denied by us and we have in the former Proposition concerning Perseverance already Refuted it Object 2 Secondly It may be objected to us That since we affirm that every man hath a measure of True and Saving Grace there needs no singular Qualification neither to a Christian nor Minister for seeing every man hath this Grace then no man needs forbear to be a Minister for want of Grace Answ. I answer We have above shewn that there is Necessary to the making a Minister a special and particular Call from the Spirit of God which is something besides the Vniversal Dispensation of Grace to all according to that of the Apostle Hebr. 5.4 No man taketh this honour unto himself but he that is Called of God as was Aaron Moreover we understand by Grace as a Qualification to a Minister All have God's Grace which calls to Righteousness but all are not so leaven'd in its Nature to bring forth fruits a blameless holy life not the meer measure of Light as it is given to Reprove and Call him to Righteousness but we understand Grace as it hath Converted the Soul and Operateth powerfully in it as hereafter concerning the Work of Ministers will further appear So we understand not men simply as having Grace in them as a Seed which we indeed affirm all have in a measure but we understand men that are gracious leavened by it into the Nature thereof so as thereby to bring forth these good fruits of a blameless Conversation and of Justice holiness patience and temperance which the Apostle requires as Necessary in a true Christian Bishop and Minister Object 3 Secondly They ‖ So Nic. Arnoldus sect 32. upon These 4. object the Example of the false Prophets of the Pharisees and of Judas But first As to the false Prophets there can nothing be more foolish and ridiculous as if because there were false Prophets truly false without the Grace of God therefore Grace is not necessary to a true Christian Minister Answ. Indeed if they had proved that true Prophets wanted this Grace The false not the true Prophets want the Grace of God they had said something but what have false Prophets common with true Ministers but that they pretend falsly that which they have not And because false Prophets want true Grace will it therefore follow that true Prophets ought not to have it that they may be true
in the Case of Division or Debate let us consider the Basis upon which they proceed and the Stress they lay upon it First All jointly both the Prelatical and Presbyterial will have this Synod or Council to Consist of a Convocation of the Clergy 1. Protestants Chosen and sent from the Particular Congregations with some few Laick Elders called together by the Civil Magistrate in case he be one in Judgment with them They decide by Plurality of Votes And though they assume not an Absolute Infallibility in that they reckon it possible for them to Err yet do they reckon their Decisions Obligatory upon their supposed Consonancy to the Scripture and however do Affirm that the Civil Magistrate hath Power to Constrain all to Submit and Obey or else to punish them either by Death Banishment Imprisonment Confiscation of Goods or some other Corporal Pain even though such be perswaded and offer to make appear that the Decisions they Refuse are Contrary to the Scriptures And Lastly Among the Papists None 2. Papists though otherwise Confessed to be a Member of the Church both Knowing and Sober except Commissionate in some of the Respects above-declared can be Admitted to Sit Vote and give his Judgment Any that will be at the Pains to apply this to the Foundation I before laid of the Infallibility of Judgment in that we may account only to be truly called the Church of Christ 3. We Differ from them Both. will easily fee the great Difference betwixt us which I shall sum up in these particulars First Do we Exclude any Member of the Church of Christ that may be truly accounted so to tell his Judgment Secondly Do we say man ought to be persecuted in his Outwards for his Dis-assent in Spirituals Thirdly Do we plead that Decision is to pass Conclusive because of the plurality of Votes And much more which the Reader may observe from what is already mentioned which that it may be all more Obvious at One View will appear somewhat clearly by this following Figure which will give the Reader an Opportunity to Recollect what lay heretofore more scattered I. The ROMANISTS say 1. That there is an Infallibility in the Church which Infallibility is when the Pope calls a General Council of Bishops c. that whatsoever they Conclude and Agree upon must needs be the Infallible Judgment of the Spirit of God because of the Promise of Christ That he would never suffer the Gates of Hell to prevail against his Church 2. And that the Pope and Council made up of certain of the Clergy having one Outward Succession and being lawfully Ordained according to the Canons are that Church to which that Promise is made however wicked or depraved without any necessary Respect to the Inward Holiness or Regeneration of the Persons if so be they be Outwardly Called Ordained and Invested in such a Place and Capacity as gives them an Authority to be Members of such an Assembly 3. What they thus Decide as they judge according to the Scripture ought to be received with Reverence and Submitted to and those that do not to be punished by the Civil Magistrate by Death Banishment or Imprisonment though they declare and be ready to evidence that it is because they are not Agreeable to the Scripture they refuse such Decrees II. The Generality of PROTESTANTS say 1. That though all Synods and Councils may Err yet such Assemblies are needful for the Edification of the Church That such do Consist of a Convocation of the Clergy West Conf. of Faith Chap. with some few Laicks particularly Chosen That all others except those so Elected have not any Right to Vote or give Judgment 2. That such an Assembly so Constitute may Ministerially determine Controversies of Faith Cases of Conscience Matters of Worship and authoritatively determine the same The Decision is to be by Plurality of Votes praved they be yet this Infallible Judgment follows them as being necessarily annexed to their Office in which the Authority still stands in its full Strength and Vigour 3. So that there lies an Obligation upon the whole Body of the Church to Obey their Decrees And such as do not are not only certainly damned for their Disobedience but that it is the Duty of the Civil Magistrate to punish such by Death Banishment or Imprisonment c. in Case they Refuse III. The QUAKERS say The Sanctified Members 1. That whereas none truly ought nor can be accounted the Church of Christ but such as are in a measure Sanctified or Sanctifying by the Grace of God and led by his Spirit nor yet any made Officers in the Church but by the Grace of God and Inward Revelation of his Spirit not by Outward Ordination or Succession from which none is to be Excluded if so Called whether Married or a Tradesman or a Servant 2. If so be in such a Church there should arise any Difference there will be an Infallible Judgment from the Spirit of God Their Infallible Judgment which may be in a General Assembly yet not limited to it as excluding others And may prove the Judgment of the Plurality yet not to be decided thereby as if the Infallibility were placed there excluding the fewer In which Meeting or Assembly upon such an Account there is no Limitation to be of Persons particularly Chosen but that all that in a true Sense may be reckoned of the Church as being Sober and Weighty may be present and give their Judgment To be Submitted unto 3. And that the Infallible Judgment of Truth which cannot be wanting in such a Church whether it be given through one or more ought to be Submitted to not because such Persons give it but because the Spirit leads so to do which every one coming to in themselves will willingly and naturally Assent to And if any through Disobedience or Vnclearness do not all that the Church ought to do She is to deny them her spiritual Fellowship in case the nature of their Disobedience be of that Consequence as may deserve such a Censure But by no means for Matter of Conscience to Molest Trouble or Persecute any in their Outwards Who will be at the Pains to Compare these Three seriously together I am hopeful will need no further Argument to prove the Difference But if any will further Object What if it fall out de facto year 1679 that the Teachers Elders or Plurality do Decide and from thence will say This is like the Church of Rome and other false Churches It will be hard to prove that to be an Infallible Mark of a Wrong Judgment as we have not said it is of a Right And indeed Objection Answ. to Conclude it were so would necessarily Condemn the Church in the Apostles days where we see the Teachers and Elders and so far as we can observe the greater Number did agree to the Decision Acts 1.15 For if the thing be Right and according to Truth it
As this manner of Separating men for the Ministry is nothing like the Church in the Apostles days so great Evils have and do follow upon it For first Parents seeing both the honour and profit that attends the Clergy do allot their Children sometimes from their Infancy to it and so breed them up on purpose And others come to Age upon the same Account betake them to the same Trade and having these natural and acquired Parts that are judged the Necessary Qualifications of a Minister are thereby Admitted and so are bred up in Idleness and Pleasure thinking it a disgrace for them to work with their hands onely if they study a little out of their Books to make a Discourse once or twice in a week During the Running of an Hour glass whereas the Gift The Clergy's Study out of Books the Gift of God Neglected Grace and Spirit of God to call gift and qualify for the Ministry is neglected and overlooked And many Covetous Corrupt Earthly Carnal men having a meer shew and form but strangers to and utterly ignorant of the inward work of Grace upon their hearts are Brought-in and Intrude themselves and so through them death barrenness and darkness and by consequence Superstition Error and Idolatry hath entred and leavened the Church And they that will narrowly observe shall find that it was thus the Apostasy came to take place of the truth of which I could give many Examples which for brevity's sake I omit For so the Office Reverence and Respect due to it was annexed to the meer Name so that when once a man was Ordain'd a Bishop or a Priest he was heard and believed though he had nothing of the Spirit Power and Life that the true Apostles and Ministers were in that in a short time the Succession came to be of the Name and Title and the Office was thereto annexed and not of the nature vertue and life Which in effect made them to Cease to be the Ministry Ministers of Christ but onely a Shadow and vain Image of it The Marred Church Compar'd to Thesci pieced Boat which also decaying was in some Ages so Metamorphosed that not onely the Substance was lost but the very Form wholly vitiated alterated and marred that it may be far better said of the pretended Christian Church as was disputed of Theseus's Boat which by the piecing of many new pieces of timber was wholly Altered whether indeed it were the same or another But in case that the first had been of Oak and the last pieces put in but of rotten Fir and that also the Form had been so far changed as to be nothing like the first I think it would have suffered no Dispute but might have easily been concluded to be quite another retaining nothing but the Name and that also Vnjustly Secondly The Abuse following the Distinction of Laity and Clergy from this distinction of Laity and Clergy this Abuse also followes that good honest mechanick men and others who have not learned the Art and Trade of Preaching and so are not Licentiated according to these Rules they prescribe unto themselves such I say being possessed with a false Opinion that it is not lawful for them to meddle with the Ministry nor that they are any ways fit for it because of the defect of that Literatur do thereby neglect the Gift in themselves and quench many times the pure breathings of the Spirit of God in their hearts which if given way to might have proved much more for the Edification of the Church than many of the Cunned Sermons of the Learned And so by this means the Apostles Command and Advice is slighted who exhorteth 1 Thess. 5.19 20. Not to quench the Spirit nor despise prophesying Both Protestants and Papists exclude Mechanick men from Preaching who greatly contributed to Reformation And all this is done by men pretending to be Christians who glory that the first Preachers and Propagators of their Religion were such kind of plain Mechanick men and Illiterate And even Protestants do no less than Papists Exclude such kind of men from being Ministers among them and thus limit the Spirit and Gift of God though their Fathers in opposition to Papists asserted the contrary and also their own Historys declare how that kind of Illiterate men did without Learning by the Spirit of God greatly contribute in divers places to the Reformation By this it may appear that as in Calling and Qualifying so in Preaching and Praying and the other particular steps of the Ministry every true Minister is to know the Spirit of God by its vertue and Life to accompany and assist him But because this relates to Worship I shall speak of it more largely in the next Proposition which is concerning Worship The last thing to be considered and inquired into is concerning the Maintenance of a Gospel-Minister But before I proceed I judge it fit to speak something in short concerning the Preaching of Women and to declare what we hold in that matter Seing Male and Female are one in Christ Jesus and that he gives his Spirit no less to the one Womens publick Preaching and Praying Asserted than to the other when God moveth by his Spirit in a Woman we judge it no ways unlawful for her to preach in the Assemblies of God's People Neither think we that of Paul 1 Cor. 14.34 to reprove the Inconsiderate and Talkative Women among the Corinthians who troubled the Church of Christ with their unprofitable Questions or that 1 Tim. 2.11 That Women ought to learn in all silence not usurping authority over the man any ways Repugnant to this Doctrine because it 's clear that Women have Prophesied and Preached in the Church else had the saying of Joel been badly applied by Peter Acts 2.17 And seeing Paul himself in the same Epistle to the Corinthians giveth Rules how Women should behave themselves in their publick preaching and praying it would be a manifest Contradiction if that place were other ways taken in a larger sense and the same Paul speaks of a Woman that laboured with him in the work of the Gospel and it is written that Philip had four Daughters that prophesied Acts 21.9 And lastly it hath been observed that God hath effectually in this day Converted many Souls by the Ministry of Women and by them also Quest. IV frequently Comforted the Souls of his Children which manifest experience puts the thing beyond all Controversy Ministers Maintenance but now I shall proceed to speak of the Maintenance of Ministers The Ministers Food and their Maintenance Stated § XXVIII We freely acknowledge as the Proposition holds forth that there is an Obligation upon such to whom God sends or among whom he raiseth up a Minister that if need be they Minister to his necessities Secondly That it is lawful for him to receive what is necessary and convenient To prove this I need not insist for our Adversaries will readily grant
Experience the just Authority of his Confidence because The natural Man perceiveth not the things of God neither can he as such because they are spiritually discerned The Natural Man may talk of them of God his Nature and Attributes of Christ his Relation Natures and Offices of Regeneration which is the Great Work of the Son of God in and upon Man But Alas that is all the Natural Man with all his Natural Powers and Skill is Capable of he can go no deeper 'T is all Hear-say and Imagination For they are a Mystery shut up close from all Unsanctified Hearts and Heads Yea they are all wrapt up and strongly inclosed in this Holy Seed of Light and Spirit that shines in the dark Hearts of Men and through the Power of that Darkness they cannot Comprehend it The Ground of which Darkness is Disobedience Which made Christ say to the Jews If you will do the will of God you shall know of my doctrine Joh. 7.17 if it be of God or not I say the Mystery Power and Virtue of Christianity is shut up in this Divine Seed And if thou O Reader knowest it not but art only speculatively a Christian open thy Heart and let it into the good Ground and thou shalt quickly find the Efficacy and Excellency of it in the Fruits that will spring from it The Increase will be very great and the Tast thereof sweeter much than the Honey or the Honey-Comb Psal. 19.10 She is a Tree of Life said a Wise and a great King of old Time to all them that lay hold upon her Prov. 3.18 ch 8.19 and happy is every one that retaineth her for her fruit is better than gold and her revenue than choice silver It was by him stiled Wisdom because it made him Wise and will make every one that is Taught by it Ch. 9.10 Job 28.111 Psal. 10. For it makes People Wise to Salvation by teaching them the Fear of the Lord and to depart from Iniquity and every evil way All such are said to have a good Vnderstanding The Apostle Paul also calleth it the Grace of God Tit. 2.11 12 13. that bringeth Salvation that hath appeared to all men c. Grace because it is God's Free Gift not our Merit or Purchase God so loved the World Joh. 3.16 Ch. 1.14.16 he gave his only begotten Son to save it who was full of Grace and Truth And of his fulness we receive grace for grace in order to Salvation In which Saying of the Apostle Five things are to be seriously remarked as Comprehensive of the very Body of our Christian Divinity First the Principle Talent or Gift which God giveth to Man and that is his Grace The Grace of God c. Secondly This Grace Talent Gift or Principle is sufficient to the End for which it is given viz. It bringeth Salvation God bestows it for that purpose Paul might well say so that had tried the Power and Virtue of it under the greatest Temptation As God told him 2 Cor. 12.8 9. his Grace was sufficient for him so he found it to his exceeding great Joy Thirdly The Vniversality of God's Bounty It appears to all Men more or less It is so intended Christ died for all and distributes Grace to all that all might come to the Knowledge of the Truth 1 Tim. 2.4 as it is in Jesus and be saved Fourthly The way by which the Sufficiency and Vniversality of it is demonstrated and that is The Teaching Quality and Virtue of it v. 12. Teaching us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and Godly in this present World This every one feels in his own Bosom at Times and that of all Religions and of all Nations A Just Monitor a Secret Reprover and a Faithful Witness Blessed are they that give heed thereunto and learn of it what to Leave and what to Do what to shun and what to Embrace Prov. 8.20 Mich. 6.8 For it Leads in the Ways of Righteousness and in the midst of the Paths of Judgment It is by this God sheweth Man his Thoughts and what he doth require of him This it is that Man has made an Adversary by his Iniquities which he must make Peace with lest he bring him before the Judge Matt. 5.25 and he cast him into Prison and he come not out till he has paid the uttermost Farthing This Inward Teaching Reproving Exhorting Light Spirit or Grace of God Learns us Two Lessons which make up the holy Order of our Conversion and Salvation 1. What we are to Deny 2. What we are to Do. We are to Deny Vngodliness and wordly Lusts and it will shew us what they are both within and without in Thought as well as in Word and Deed if we will attend to it and Watch and Wait upon it And though the grosser Evils that carry the largest Characters of Impiety are easily seen and observed yet there are Lusts that lie near and stick close that are less perceptible and it may be are hardly by some thought Evil neither As in Relation to Extreams in Food Apparel Furniture Discourse Converse Gain Honour Revenge Emulation c. And there is an Vngodliness in a Mystery too which utterly mistakes and overthrows the true Nature and End of Religion as well as palpable Enormities Such is setting up the Form above the Power of Godliness Humane Traditions above the Scripture and Opposing that to the Spirit of God which it Testifies of and so often Refers unto and making and pressing Civil Edicts about Matters of Faith and suffering none to Live and Enjoy what is their own and prosecute their Lawful Callings for the Maintenance of their Families unless they will forgoe Convictions play the Hypocrite be of their Creed and receive their Mark in their Forehead Rev. 13.16 c. 14.9 or at least in their Right hand by which means they have made a Worldly Interest and Empire of the Church and of Religion that should be the Purity and Peace of the VVorld a meer Step and Test to Temporal Preferment These are the Things under which Religion and indeed Civil Society and true Civil Policy groan as well as other Impieties though by Worldly Men and some that would be thought Religious too this is as little seen as the more sensual Vngodliness is amended For all which the Eternal God is come by many Judgments and coming in Flames of Fire to Execute Vengeance upon the Wicked 2 Thess. 1.7 8. whatever Carnal and Secure Minds think And it is not the least of our Miseries that we are but too Vnsensible of it Thus we see what we are Taught by the Grace to deny Let us next consider the other part of our Duty which the Grace teacheth us and that is What we are to do Teaching us says the Great and Zealous Apostle that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World This is also a most Comprehensive Expression a plain and
easie Compend of our Active Duty to God and Man yea to ourselves Soberly That is with Moderation Temper Government of our Passions and Affections Let your Moderation be known unto all Men Phil. 4.5 said the same Apostle His Reason was pressing and unanswerable For the Lord is at hand So be Sober for the Lord 's at hand and let Men see that we are so Though the Exhortation chiefly regards Ourselves that we may not Abuse or Disorder our selves Overdo or Act in reference to our own Persons and Affairs As if he had said be sober and moderate in thy Giving Getting Conversing in thy Pains and Pleasures in Thoughts VVords and Deeds in thy whole Man and Life Righteously Refers to our Neighbour to do as we would be done to To defraud none oppress none 1 Cor. 6.7 8 9. Eph. 6.1 10. Col. 3.20 25. Prov. 20.10 Ch. 22.28 but Discharge all Relations and Conditions uprightly to Parents Magistrates Husband VVife Children Servants Neighbours Strangers Enemies Just VVeights and Measures Old Land-marks and an Even Ballance These are well-pleasing to God in all Ranks and Relations Godly in this present VVorld relates chiefly to God the Faith VVorship and Obedience we owe to him Obedience by a pious Life For this is the will of God even our Sanctification without Holiness none shall see him 1 Thess. 4.3 So that to be Godly is to Live after God not the World and after his Spirit not our Flesh but to Crucify the flesh with the lusts thereof Rom. 13.12 14. Gal. 5.22 25. and put on the Lord Jesus Christ his Meekness his Patience Humility Mercy Forgiveness Love Temperance and Righteousness and make no more provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof No more be in pain Matt. 6.31 33. what we should eat or drink or put on or how we may make our selves Wealthy or Mighty in the Earth after the way of the Old Gentiles that knew not God as is the Custom of almost the whole Christian World so called at this very day which General Declension shews that a General Judgment and an Over-flowing Scourge of God is at hand but to seek the Kingdom of God first and deny our selves Job 14.14 and watch and pray waiting all the Days of our appointed Time until our Great and Last Change shall come So that Godliness is God-likeness Translation Renewing yea the First Resurrection that those who Attain to it the Second Death shall have no Power over them This Godliness with Contentment is the greatest Gain 1 Tim. 4.8 Ch. 6.6 1 Joh. 3.5 8. and profitable in all things the Sum and Substance of Religion and of all God's Dispensations in the World yea the very End of Christ's coming and the blessed Fruit of his Victory over Hell Death and the Grave that Sin might have an end the Devil's Works in Man and Woman be destroyed and Man made an holy Temple and Tabernacle for God to dwell in This is Godliness and this Godliness is the way to please God 2 Cor. 6.16 Matt. 6.20 1 Tim. 6.18 19. to lay up Treasure in Heaven to be fruitful in Grace rich in Faith and good VVorks and to lay hold on Eternal Life and become Heirs of an Inheritance Incorruptible Which brings me to the Fifth and Last thing observable from this Comprehensive Passage viz. The Comfortable Reward and End of this Life and Grace in vers 13. Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ That is Looking for the Fulfilling of that blessed Hope to Have what they Hoped for An Hope that does not make Ashamed those that have it but is an Anchor to the Soul in the greatest Storms that Attend Men on thair Way to Blessedness It is for the Accomplishment of this Hope the gracious Livers have a Title to Expect and Wait. They that have been Taught by the Grace what to deny and what to do and to look and live above the VVorld and by an Eye of Faith to pierce through the dark Clouds of Time and stedfastly to look into the things that are Eternal they are but Travellers and Pilgrims as were all the Godly Fathers of old Time and expect with them a City Heb. 11.10 whose Builder and Maker is God These wait for the Glorious Appearing of the great God and their Saviour Jesus Christ as the Blessed End of their Hope and to them he will certainly come as the Glorious and Faithful Rewarder of the Faith Obedience and Perseverance of his poor Disciples and Servants They shall Reign with him a Thousand Years and for ever Their Obedience and Sufferings are but Temporal but the Recompence Everlasting Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard Isa. 64.4 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Psal. 84.1 10. nor has the Heart of man been able to perceive the good things that God has laid up in store for those that love him But in the Heavens that do not wax Old and which will never pass away those holy Courts of God the true Followers of Jesus the Children of Light and Disciples of the Cross that come through the many Tribulations from Conviction to Conversion from Conversion to Consummation the End of all shall Understand Tast and Enjoy those Hidden and Divine Pleasures that are as Ineffable as they are Eternal This Reader is the Old Divinity that of Christ and his blessed Apostles Time and Teaching renewed in our Days by the fresh Breaking-forth of the same Light Spirit and Grace that brought this Doctrine of Immortality to Light in those Primitive and Happy Ages yea Immortality it self a Divine Never-dying Life into the Soul that which quickens it out of the sleepy and dead Estate Sin brings it into by which it looseth all Savour or Relish of Spiritual Things I say this is the Divinity God has Renewed among us an Experimental Work or Operation of his Light Spirit and Grace in our Souls This Light is the great Luminary of the Intellectual World that expels the Darkness and scatters the Mists of Sin and Death that the Souls of Men labour under where it is Received and Obeyed This is the Day of God in which the whole World has a Visitation that by which we are to see our Way to God and Duty to him and all Men as the outward Sun is the Means by which we see our outward Ways and the Difference of outward Things This was the Principle that divinely endued the Author of the ensuing Volume and has enabled him to Write of God and his Attributes by the Power and Truth of them upon his own Soul He felt his Justice in himself for his Disobedience His Mercy by the Forgiveness of his Sins through Faith and Repentance His Holiness by the Sanctification of his Grace through Obedience to the Teachings of it That God is a Spirit by the Spiritual Operations upon his own Soul the Spiritual Part of himself And Omnipresent because he felt his Presence or him present as a
and lead them out of Error and Blindness Don't Charge them and do worse for verily that will undo you in the End O that God would rend the Heavens and come down in Showers of Love and Quench the Flames that every-where devour his Creation That it would please him to still the furious Winds and calm the raging Seas and remove that Enmity which is the Ground of all and bring the Nations under his own heavenly Government where there is no need to Learn War against one another any more that they that have erred in Spirit Isa. 2.4 Isa. 29 29. Matt. 5.43 47. Ch. 18.21 22. Rom. 12.18 may come to Vnderstanding and those that have Murmured may learn Doctrine even the Doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ which is a Doctrine of Love Meekness Mercy Forbearance a Doctrine of Self-denial Humility and Holiness a Doctrine that Reconciles us to God and one to another And no Man can have the Benefit of the first that Hates his Brother and less that Kills him for the Love of this World O it is a Crying Sin with God a strong Judgment upon us and a sure Token both of more and nearer Calamities that we are so Hard-hearted and Vnsensible of it Nay it looks as if we were not to be moved unless God himself would appear in the Air and send Fire down to Consume all before our Eyes and our selves in the Conclusion of the Tragedy Is not the Wrath of God do we think Revealed sufficiently against us in the Faction Strife War Rom. 1.18 Gal. 5.19 23. Blood and Poverty that we see almost all over Europe this Day God Almighty make People sensible and weary of it and the Cause of it their Sins Sins against Light against Conscience and Knowledge their Vnfaithfulness to God and Man their Scandalous Immorality and most Inordinate Love of the World the Ground of all Contention and Mischief That so the Peace of God which passeth worldly Men's Understanding may fill all our Hearts through Repentance and Conversion Amen I have been the longer in my Notes upon this Occasion than I Expected but our present Condition in Europe drew it from me that needs an Olive-branch the Doctrine of Peace as much as ever Our Author's next Treatise was published 1679. being a Vindication of his Notable Apology for the Christian Divinity profest by the People called Quakers in Reply to the Exceptions made against it by one John Brown in his Book called Quakerism the Path-way to Paganism In which Vindication the Reader will find the Truth sifted from all the Durt and Rubbish with which her Malitious or Ignorant Adversaries have endeavoured to sully her Beauty and disfigure and bury her out of the Sight and Knowledg of the People The Defence being like the Apology performed with much Labour and Exactness and so fully and plainly that it leaves one would think no room for Objection with the Serious and Moderate Inquirer I do justly Esteem his Apology and this Vindication in the Front of his Polemical Works Though I cannot but every-where prefer those Labours in him and others that have least to do with Controversy and whose main and immediate Scope is the Engaging of the Soul into the Love of Holiness the End of True Religion for it leads into the Blessed Communion of the Father and of the Son and gives the Possession of those Comforts and Refreshments that no Tongue can Express nor Soul by any other means Enjoy For without Holiness it is determined no Man shall ever see the Lord that is with Peace Heb. 12.14 Yet Controversy handled in the Fear of God and in the Openings of his Light and Spirit that is ever present and sufficient to the Help of his People in all their Services has also its Edification especially where an Earnest and Tender Desire to Inform the Mistaken prevails above Private Interest or any Party or Personal Consideration for God will witness to such Labours and follow them with his Blessing With which I beseech him to Crown our Beloved Friend's Services in this and all other Respects that tend to the Exaltation of his Glorious Truth The last Tract our Author left us and which is the Conclusion of this Volume and Preface was writ and published 1686. and is Intituled The Possibility and Necessity of the Inward and Immediate Revelation of the Spirit of God towards the Foundation and Ground of true Faith proved in a Letter writ in Latin to a Person of Quality in Holland and now also put into English The Person to whom it was writ was a Learned Man especially in the New Philosophy very Free and Friendly but not Fool enough to Resign to this Doctrine as entirely as he ought yet I believe better Reconciled to it before he died As the Revelation of Sin Righteousness and Judgment of Mercy and Consolation what to Avoid what to Repent of what to Desire what to Do and where to wait for Power to Avoid and Do as we are thereby directed is the Revelation chiefly Insisted upon by us so those that come to Answer the Love and Mercy of God in the first part of this Revelation viz. the Sight of Sin shall know the Aboundings of it from Day to Day and from the Evidence and Authority of their own Experience shall be enabled nay constrained to pronounce this Testimony of the Revelation maintained by the People called Quakers 'T is true and according to Scripture I might Advance divers Arguments from the Nature of God and the Soul of Man and from what may be as well as what has been the Truth of this Revelation but that being done by our Author in this small Treatise in an Abstract and proper manner I chose rather to speak Scripturally and Experimentally And whoever is Lowly and Poor enough in Spirit to Try the Truth of what I say Shall Comprehend with all Saints the Height and Depth and Length and Breadth of the Love of God in Christ to the Souls of Men by the Revelation of that true Light and Spirit and Grace I have testified of in this Preface and which the Wisest of the Men of this World can at best have but a Shadow and Idea of Remember Life is more than Food and the Body than Raiment so is Bread better than Husks Substance than Shadow Realities than Imaginations of them which is the best of their Case that come not through the Obedience of the Truth and Discipline of Christ's Cross to enjoy them Reader It is a most Important Point of the first Consideration to Men without it no Knowledge of God nor of Christ that Reveals God and without that Knowledge no Salvation for the Souls of Men. Matt. 11.27 Joh. 17.3 So that this Volume ends with that which all Men must begin with if they will ever truly know God and possess Eternal Life viz. Revelation Now some will say Revelation why we have it Have we not the Scriptures Do you pretend to another Revelation No
Ability of the large Vnderstanding given him to set forth the Beauty and Infallibility of the Grounds and Excellent Principles of Truth and to open and prove the same over all Opposition of Gainsayers to the reaching of the Understanding of many of the Great and Learned of the World both at home and abroad and to the begetting a better Opinion and Judgment concerning both the Principles and Practices of God's People called in Derision Quakers than had been held forth by the Craft and Malice of the Priests and others to be in the beginning as Fools Madmen c. and holding non-sensical and unreasonable as well as Vnscriptural Whimsies and so forth But God who is Light is wipeing away the Reproaches and Slanders off his Blessed Truth and People and will more and more exalt the Standard and Ensign thereof to gather the Nations unto it out of their Cruelties Lusts and Roarings against one another and of the overflowing of all Abominations among them to the great provoâ—ing of God's Wrath. Reformation from all which will never be known nor Deliverance from the Bondage and Miseries thereby occasioned by all the Might Power and Fightings of the Carnal Sword nor Politick Devices of Men but only by the blessed Power Spirit and Grace of God which hath appeared to all to that very end to teach to deny Vngodliness and wordly Lusts and to live soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World if Men would turn to believe in and obey it Which is our Testimony and Holy Principle we direct all unto and which this Blessed Servant of the Church laid out himself in his many Excellent Writings especially his Apology to promulgate through the World with blessed Success not only in Printing but in Travelling having gone through a great part of Germany Holland and other Countries in the Service of the Truth And the Lord blessed him every way therein He was an Exemplary Husband Parent and Master in his Family so that the Beauty good Order Holiness Gravity and Lowliness of the Truth shined therein I can say to my Refreshment and many others as in a Quiet Habitation He was a Man of great Meekness Sweetness and Lowliness of Spirit and of such a bearing contented Mind that though a Man of such Parts and great Authority over Evil in his Servants and others yet kept in such a Dominion over any thing that would have disordered his own Syirit that I can truly say I never saw him in any peevish angry brittle or disordered Temper since ever I knew him though I had as much Intimacy and Frequency of Concerns with him as most here-away He was so far from being lifted up or Exalted by the great Gifts he had received from his Maker both in the Truth and as a Man that I can say I have often desired to grow in the plain down-right humble and lowly Spirit wherein he became as weak with the weakest and poor with the poorest and low with the lowest as well as he could be deep with them that were deep So that in a good Measure he had learned to become all things to all Men with a true and upright Endeavour to Gain some I can say I have parted with a most Entire Friend and Counsellor But glory to him who lives for ever through great Mercy I know him who is the Fountain of all Wisdom Righteousness Love and Pity who I trust will make up this great Loss not only to me but to his blessed People and Church especially in this his Native Country of Scotland in and to which he had made him an Ornament and as a Star and shining Light And Oh! that he may make me and all whom he hath Convinced of his pretious Truth in our Native Country whether living therein or abroad to shine forth in the Glory Beauty and Virtue thereof and as the first Fruits thereof and Witnesses of the great Glory that shall livingly arise therein though perhaps ushered in by great Tribulations when our God shall wipe away the Reproaches thereof and change its name from Barren or Forsaken because our God hath a true though a small Seed therein in which he delighteth and is Married thereunto and many shall be the Children of the Lamb's Marriage therein in due time when the Leaven of the Pharisees is purged out and the Bastard-Births of the Adulteresses and Whoredoms of a false Profession therein comes to be seen and turned from As concerning this our Dear Friend R. B. The Lord soon began his Work with him shortly after he was brought home from France wherein in his Young and Tender Years he was brought up at Paris under his Vncle And though at his Return thence but about sixteen Years yet it having pleased the Lord to bring his Dear and Worthy Father into his most-precious Truth he having thereby occasion to be in the Meetings of God's Chosen People who Worship him in his own Name Spirit and Power and not in the Words of Man's Wisdom and Preparation he was by the Virtue and Efficacious Life of this Blessed Power shortly after reached and that in the Time of Silence a Mystery to the World and came so fast to grow therein through his great Love and Watchfulness to the Inward Appearance thereof that not long after he was called out to the Publick Ministry and declaring abroad what his Eyes had seen and his Hands had handled of this pure Word of Life Yea the Lord who loved him counted him worthy so Early to Call him to some Weighty and Hard Services for his Truth in our Nation that a little after his coming out of the Age of Minority as it is called he was made willing in the Day of God's Power to give up his Body as a Sign and Wonder to this Generation and to deny himself and all in him as a Man so far as to become a Fool for his sake whom he loved in going in Obedience to his Will in Sack-cloath and Ashes through Three of the Chief Streets of the City of Aberdeen As his Testimony printed concerning it holds forth his Service therein besides some weighty Services at several Steeple-houses and Sufferings in Prison for the Truth 's Sake And I cannot forbear to touch at his great Care and Zeal that Vnity Love and Sweetness might be preserved among God's Children over all the Cunning Endeavours of the Enemy to the contrary What shall I more say concerning this Servant of the Lord but that Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord Yea saith the Spirit from henceforth they rest from their labours and their works follow them He laid down the Body in the Holy and Honourable Truth wherein he had served it about Twenty Three Years upon the Third Day of the Eighth Month 1690. near the Forty Second Year of his Age at his own House of Vrie in Scotland and it was laid in his own Burial-Ground there upon the sixth Day of the same Month before many Friends and other
so now for sometimes they said Christ had a Devil sometimes the Apostles are drunk and other times mad Since these things have thus occurred there hath been no little Industry used to suppress this People by Threatnings and Persecution on which account divers of our Friends have been cast into Prison and some detained long in of the said Town and also by Preaching and Writing of which for thy Information receive this Account There were Thirty Queries sent by the Bishop of Aberdeen so called to Alexander Jaffray Also about the same time a Paper of three or four sheets subscribed by G. M. Intituled The State of the Controversie betwixt the Protestants and the Quakers The Thirty Queries were not long after answered by G. K. in respect of A. J. his sickness at that time and returned to him from A. J. And some time afterwards George Meldrum his Paper called The State of the Controversie c. was answered by G. K. to which Papers of G. K. somewhat was premised by A. J. which Papers being several times called for but particularly in a Letter from G. M. his own hand to A. J. wherein he intreats for an Answer that he might know as he said in what things we did differ or in what things we only seemed to differ were sent to him within nine Months after the receipt of G. M. his Papers Before all which a Sermon on purpose was preached by G. M. against the Quakers in the ninth Month 1666. wherein the sum of both his Papers was asserted only that it was digested in a Pulpit-way and introduced with an insinuating Discourse of his pretended kindness for the persons of some Quakers and his unwillingness to meddle with them were it not his Office and Zeal for the Truth did ingage him to it but if it had been so indeed he would have said no more of them then the truth whereas it is stuffed with Lies which are positively asserted to be the Quakers Principles by this pretended Preacher of the Gospel from his Chair of Verity so called or rather of Falshood whereas yet G. M. his Papers afore-mentioned were not so much as sent far less answered by which according to the words of his own Letter above-mentioned he was to receive an Understanding of the Differences and yet before he received this Vnderstanding whilst he was ignorant of the Differences according to his own Confession he is not ashamed to forge numbers of Lies upon the Lord's People and as if they had been Truths consisting in his Knowledge to vent them before a Publick Auditory which Sermon is largely answered by G. K. together with some Animadversions upon it from A. J. Also several Papers past betwixt W. M. and G. K. which had their rise from some Queries sent by P. L. to W. M. answered by W. M. to which was returned a Reply by P. L. the same was Replied to by G. K. which having received a Reply from W. M. was again Replied to at length by G. K. It is now Two years and upwards since the last Papers from our Friends hands were returned to the respective Priests unto which as yet there is no Answer nor any of them published but instead of all at last comes out a Dialogue of which the Proverb is verified Parturiunt Montes nascitur Mus subscribed by no Hand but generally understood to be W. M. and by him not denied which whether it be to deal fairly or ingenuously the Ingenuous may judge Ingenuous Dealing would have stated things as related from our own Friends Hands and given an Account of the many Scripture-Proofs and Arguments made use of in our Friends Papers which this Author in his Dialogue hath done nothing less but deceitfully hath represented us considering what had past before to which he himself whoever he is could not but be privy and disingenuously hath dissembled and waved almost all the Scripture-Proofs and Arguments used by our Friends in their aforesaid Papers as any may see who are willing to look into the said Papers Copies of which are in several Hands and any who desire to read them may have them readily from our Friends Therefore however this Work of his may satisfy and deceive a benighted Multitude whose Faith is pinned upon other Mens sleeves nevertheless I hope it shall be an occasion to discover these Men to any who are ingenuous and love not to be hood-winked but are willing to know the Truth So Reader having given thee this Account I leave thee to the perusing of the following Papers omitting these needless Apologies and flattering Insinuations usual in Epistles of this Kind my end being To answer the Good in all and to starve and not to feed the Evil in any And I refer my self to that innocent and pure Principle the Light of Christ Jesus in thee which bears Testimony against all Evil that thereby thou mayst try and examine what is here written and who are the Owners of Scripture and who are the Wresters of it which thou canst only truly discover and discern by the Spirit from which the Scriptures came even that inward Light and Word of Grace that is able to build thee up and establish thee in the Truth unto which I Recommend thee Vry the 19th of the 2d Month 1670. R. B. TRUTH CLEAR'D OF CALUMNIES To the AVTHOR HAVING taken a serious view of the Dialogue lately published by thee and having weighed and considered it in the fear of the Lord I found it incumbent upon me to Reply unto it both upon the account of Truth at which it strikes and for thy Soul's sake as also for others that any simple hearts who have received hurt by it may be undeceived and thy unfair dealing may be manifested In order whereunto before I enter upon the Examination thereof particularly I have some things to lay before thee And first as to the manner and method of thy Book by way of Dialogue it is no ways allowable from thee being but a meer shift to shuffle by those other Papers aforesaid from being noticed or regarded where all these Controversies are spoken to at large Secondly The nature of this kind of writing ought to have engaged thee to set down as largely what could be said on the one hand as on the other and to have brought-in all the Proofs and Arguments alledged by the Quakers or at least the most considerable but in that thou hast done nothing so much as becomes a Man far less a Christian as any who have conversed with that people cannot but be sensible of Thou hast made a bare Representation of the Quaker's Principles and that so scantly and mincingly that thou frequently givest thy self occasion to fight against a Man of straw But that wherein thou hast manifested the badness of thy Cause and thy weakness in pleading for it is that the substance of what thou hast said is nothing else but that which was writ in the Papers before mentioned and so largely answered
saith so These are his most Frequent and Inforcing Arguments against us Of this nature is his Arguing page 11. Reckoning it as a great Absurdity flowing from our Doctrine that it would Import Christ in some measure to be in the Americans because He bears Testimony in them against Iniquity Christ in the Americans in some measure But to prove this to be Absurd he produceth no Reason and if we may believe the Apostle Paul he tells us That a Manifestation of the Spirit is given every one to profit withal 1 Cor. 12.7 So this Every one Includes the Americans The second Absurdity which he seeks to Infer from this hath no better bottom That then it might be said that Christ is Revealed to Devils and that we do the Heathens small favour in putting them but in the same case with such For the Revelation of Christ to man before the Day of their Visitation be Expired and to such after they have sin'd it out is far different as may appear by Luke 17. Likewise W. M. hath forgot how easily this Argument may be Retorted upon himself for it is not questioned but Devils have enough of outward Knowledge even such as is gathered from Scripture and that which W.M. accounts the great Priviledge of Christians doth it therefore follow that Christians are in no better condition than Devils And thus is Answered another of his profuse Assertions page 12. That if Pagans have Saving Light their State should be as good as the State of real Christians For it is one thing to have Saving Light and another to harken to and receive it else according to his own Argument the State of Devils should be as good as the State of Real Christians He adds Where Saving Illumination is there is Saving Faith because there is a Concatination betwixt these Graces of the Spirit Answ. There is Grace given in order to Save where Faith doth not follow upon it which is evident by the Parable of the Seeds Matth. 13.3 it was the same Seed was sown in the Stony and Thorny Ground that was sown in the good Ground and yet it only brought forth Fruit there The Light enlighteneth every man He came unto His own and they received Him not but it was only To as many as received Him that He gave Power to become the Sons of God And whereas he Objecteth That where we are desired to believe in the Light it is understood of Christ's Person else it would Import a belief in a Creature I Answer He that believeth in the Light believeth in Christ for where the Light of Christ is as saith W. M himself page 22. there is Christ himself In the same page he further adds That if Pagans have Saving Light then there is no Spiritual Benefit accrues to Christians by the Scriptures and Gospel Pagans have Saving Light and Gospel But he hath not heard us contra-distinguish this Light from the Gospel We say expresly it is the Gospel according to Col 1.23 where the Apostle saith That the Gospel whereof he was a Minister was preached to every Creature This Scripture mentioned by me in my last he hath wholly Omitted Nor is this Arguing of his concerning the bad tendency of our Principle but a reiterate Clamour of what is already Answered in page 16. of my last where I shew him we distinguish betwixt things absolutely needful and things very profitable and how they Admit of this Distinction themselves As also how these bad Consequences of rendring the Gospel and Preaching useless doth far more follow from their Doctrine of absolute Predestination all which he hath also Omitted Predestination made void Now such are far likelier than we to reprove David his Praying for more Vnderstanding and that he might keep the Precepts of God for being Predestinate to Life he could not miss of it and how can such but reckon it folly for him to Pray that he might keep the Precepts whose Principles Obliges them to believe they can never be made able to keep them Page 13. To say That men are Brutish in their Knowledge because they turn their Backs upon the Light he reckons a Begging of the Question as having no proof at all Whereas it is particularly Intimated 1 Joh. 1.5 6 7. where the cause of mens Walking in Darkness is said to be their not Walking in the Light though it be Pastors mentioned in that 10 th of Jer. 19. that are said to be Brutish Brutish Pastors yet he cannot be Induced to name them It is easie to prove though he Insinuate the contrary that what in Scripture is called Darkness hath Saving Light seeing it is expresly mentioned that the Light shineth in the Darkness but the Darkness comprehended it not And this was Saving being Christ who is the Saviour Joh. 1.5 Nor doth his supposed Contradiction follow from this as if men could be Spiritually Dead and not Spiritually Dead in respect they have this in them which is Saving for though it be in them yet it is not of them he that believeth in me saith Christ though he be dead yet shall he live Joh. 11.25 If Life be not in them as their permanent Condition yet they may have some touches of it and the Principle of Life is Permanent even in those that are Spiritually Dead though many times as a Spark covered under the Ashes He addeth further That according to us such who are the Children of Darkness may be called the Children of Light because a Child of Light is as much as one in whom there is Saving Light and Grace citing for proof Luke 16.8 the words are For the Children of this world are wiser in their generation than the Children of Light But he offereth from this to Inter That such who are indeed the Children of Darkness because of their Disobedience to the Saving Light and Grace of Truth that is in them he has not offered so much as to mention Page 13. He confesseth with me That the Light in some may be Darkness but speaks not one word of what Light I mention may be so page 17. of mine only adds That we will do well to exhort our Disciples to take heed of our Light not to it But we desire not People to take heed to our Light or their Light as he terms it but to the Light wherewith Christ Jesus hath Enlightened them and in this there is no danger He greatly declares his Ignorance in alledging Our way of bidding People heed the Light within is not warranted by Scripture for God is Light 1 Joh. 1.3 Is he not in us Acts 17.27 28. God is Light Must we not then there take heed unto Him Or is not that Light to be taken heed unto which shineth in our hearts to give us the knowledge of the glory of God 2 Cor. 4.6 And is not the Word of God Light which the Apostle saith expresly is not far off neither above us below us nor without us but Nigh even
he hath wholly omitted and mentioned another in the stead of it which makes nothing to the purpose I deny not but the Miracles were a greater witness than that of John but then will it therefore follow that the inward Testimony of the Father is not greater also This was the matter in question After the like manner he concludeth the Voice spoken of Joh. 5.37 Is not inward but outward citing for Proof Matth. 3.27 2 Pet. 1.17 18. the one is the Voice heard at Christ's being Baptized the other at his being Transfigured But what way he seeks to Infer from thence that the Voice of the Father here spoken of by Christ to the Jews was not inward but outward he hath left unmentioned Likewise the Exposition he adds unto this place as if Christ were only here reproving the Ignorance of the Jews whose Predecessors had heard so much of God It would be the better received that it had some other bottom than his own meer Assertion Page 14. He confesseth That where we are desired to try the Spirits there is no mention of trying them by the Scripture And to my Question asking If there be any surer way of trying of Spirits and by the Spirit of God he returneth no Reply but another Question Viz. Whether there be any surer way than that for which the Bereans were commended I Answer Yes by the Spirit Ananias and Sapphira were discerned by the Spirit Peter could never have discerned Ananias and Sapphira by the Scripture and yet did it by the Spirit To say as he does That this was a matter of Fact and not of Doctrine and that it was extraordinary is a meer silly shift for it was only by the Spirit of God which is so ordinary to Christians that none can be truly one without it Rom. 8.9 If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And if this Spirit can discern the secret hypocrisy of the Heart in matters of Fact far more the Errors and Mistake of the Understanding in matters of Judgment which all grant to be more Obvious And though I never averr'd that John excluded all external Rules by pointing to the Anointing so his Assertion to say That the Anointing directeth us to the Law and to the Testimony as supposing it to be outward is but to beg the thing in question â—lready refuted Page 43. As he affirmeth That man 's being deluded proceeds not from the Scripture but their own blindness so he acknowledges That falling in Delusion proceeds not from the Spirit but from the tricks and deceits of Satan and thereby he hath clearly confessed what is asserted by me page 30. and not answered And whereas he adds That leaning to the Spirit and forsaking the Scripture provokes God to give men up to strong Delusions which he Illustrateth by the Example of one J. Gilpin once a Quaker who by harkening to a voice within was put upon Mischievous and Detestable Practices I Answer He hath not proved that we forsake the Scripture nor will one man's being deceived by harkening to a voice within prove the Spirit not to be a certain Rule more than as himself acknowledges The Pharisees having the Scripture in such high esteem and accounting them their Rule will prove their Delusion proceeded from them That Story of Gilpin's was largely answered about five years ago by E. B. and C. A. who have laid open his Deceit and Wickedness J. Gilpin's Story Answer'd neither can any of these Ridiculous Pranks granting the matter to be true which he pretended to do by a voice within while appearing to be among us prove the Insufficiency of that Light we Preach or the hazzard of following it more than his beastly Drunkenness and open Prophanity naturally known in the Garrison of Carlisle where he was a Souldier proves he was led by the Scripture which it is like he then pretended was his Rule unto these wicked practices which were the best fruits of that Repentance W.M. seems so much to congratulate in him Such filthy Dross whom God purgeth out from among us are fittest persons to be Proselited by him and his Brethren and truly we are well rid of them and can heartily spare such unto them They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us 1 Joh. 2.16 Page 43. He says That though the Scripture be sufficient for discovering of Delusions and ending of Differences in genere Objecti yet the Spirit is necessary in genere Causae Effectivae Now this necessity of the Spirit he saith himself is That we may be right Discerners for removing our natural depravedness and now granting the Scripture were sufficient in this manner will it therefore follow that the Spirit within is not the Rule which was the thing to prove in this Section In so far as he acknowledges this necessity of the Spirit 's work he hath yielded to the Truth yet it is observable how in contradiction to the Truth he overturns it all again Pag. 47 48. Where he expresly pleads For preaching upon and using the Scriptures without the joint Concurrence of the Spirit alledging I have no ground to say they ought not so to do Then consider First he said The Spirit was necessary to remove the depravedness of our Nature that we might be discerners but now he says We ought to use the Scripture without the Spirit though our Nature be depraved yea though we be in no capacity to make a right discerning And here he hath notably manifested his Affinity with the Jesuits Jesuits c. Doctrine of the Scriptures Arminians Socinians Pelagians and Semipelagians in saying How many cold Hearts have been Rubbed and Chafed unto spiritual Heat by reading and talking of the Scripture For is not this to set Nature a work and to grant a Capacity in man to beget Spiritual heat without the joint Concurrence of the Spirit And this is altogether agreeable to that known Maxim of the Semipelagians Facienti quod in se est Deus non denegat gratiam i. e. God will not deny him Grace that doth what in him lies And hereby the Intelligent Reader may perceive how much nearer a kin our Adversaries are to these Errors than we notwithstanding they so falsly and frequently brand us with them in their Pulpits and elsewhere as also that it is meerly constraint when they are hardly put to it that they now and then and that in Contradiction to themselves let a word or two drop concerning a necessary Work of the Spirit Sect. 4. Page 45. He alledgeth There is no convincing People by this Rule of the Spirit within because each way may pretend to the guidance of his Spirit and so both remain obstinate adding That according to them the Scripture is the Rule which lieth patent to both
yea saith plainly in the next page That Prayer without the Spirit is Abomination And whereas he adds That forbearing of Prayer is also Abomination we do not deny it but freely confess that forbearing of Prayer in the Wicked is sinful But the way to prevent this is not to commit a second evil viz. to Pray without the Spirit they ought first to come to the Spirit that thereby they may Pray acceptably according to that of Paul Rom. 8.26 Prayer without the Spirit availeth not Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groans that cannot be uttered 1 Cor. 14.15 I will pray with the Spirit which being brought by me in my last he hath wholly omitted so much as to mention far less to answer And though omitting of Prayer be sinful yet to bid a man Pray without the Spirit is as much as to desire a man to see without opening his eyes This thing may appear by a familiar Example thus Suppose a Servant turn sluggard and sleep while he should be about his Master's work if when he is raised out of his bed he should run naked to it without taking along those Tools or Instruments which are absolutely needful for the doing of it what will he profit either himself or his Master Yea he will but hinder the work more Even so the Wicked as they ought to Pray so they ought first to come to the Spirit whereby they may do it to the glory of God and their own Souls good Now though this be so undeniable that he cannot gainsay it yet in Contradiction to the Truth and his own Concessions he goes about to Cavil against it alledging It might take off men as well from their necessary works because the ploughing of the Wicked is Sin and that also it might follow from this That Children should not honour their Parents and Husbands love their Wives but when they have a motion of the Spirit for it Answ. This Objection hath no weight to overturn the Truth for there is a great difference betwixt these things that relate to the Worship of God and what relates to Outward things either concerning our selves or our Neighbours The Worship of God is Spiritual The Worship of God is a Spiritual thing relating to himself which we are commanded to perform in the Spirit and God doth offer us his Spirit for the performance of it And because it is that which is meerly relative betwixt God and the Soul he doth not accept of it but as so offered we cannot Pray as we ought saith the Apostle But the Spirit helpeth c. Now though these other things would no doubt be the more acceptable to God and more frequently accompanied with his blessing that they were done in the sense of his Fear and in the drawings of his Spirit yet they are materially good in themselves answering really their End to them unto whom they immediately Relate without it But it is not so of Prayer which as it immediately Relates to God so W. M. himself confesseth without the Spirit to be Abomination The Prayer of the Wicked is sin Thus is also solved his Supposition page 124. That if a wicked Man contract guilt he may provoke the Lord to withdraw the Motions of the Spirit and then his Not Praying is not Sin For I have asserted that the Not Praying of the Wicked is sinful And this doth not Lull People in a sinful Security on the contrary they are alike rather to be Lulled in such a Security by being told they may be set about Prayer when they please whereby they foster themselves in a groundless hope because of their now and then repeating their words of Prayer neither expecting nor looking for the Spirit 's Assistance whereby instead of advancing in Grace and Righteousness they do but reiterate Abominations and so aggravate their own Guilt And whereas here he is forced to acknowledge that Motives of the Spirit will not be wanting to the Saints to Pray when they are at the Gates of Death or in danger of present Drowning He asks me Let the Wicked Repent c. What shall the Wicked do in this case Shall they not follow the Advice which Peter gave to Simon Magus Acts 8.22 Pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee But here he minceth the Apostle's words which are Repent therefore of thy Wickedness and pray c. here the Apostle puts Repentance before Prayer it shall not be denied but when the Wicked have Repented of their Wickedness the Spirit will not be wanting to assist them to Pray Craving a blessing before Meat It is therefore to little purpose that page 120 and 121. he pleads for Craving a Blessing when we use the Creatures of God calling the neglect of it a Profane Custom For we do not deny it and Condemn a Profane Neglect of it as much as themselves And as Christ had the Spirit without and above measure having always a ready Access to the Father so we are glad and willing at such Occasions to express Words if we find the Spirit assisting us so to do yea we reckon that we ought not to use the Creatures without our hearts be in some measure retired to the sense of God's presence and stayed in his Fear whereby we may secretly breath for a Blessing for to speak audible words is not Essential And therefore it is apparently malitious for him to say That when we are not stayed in God 's fear we have liberty and freedom to fall to Meat my words had no such Importance though he seeks to turn them And yet can wholly omit much of page 44. of mine where I shew their Abuses in this matter how they mock God in it and provoke him to withdraw his Blessing And whereas he says One of us Confessed That he had not called together nor Prayed in his Family for a Twelve-month past He should have produced the Person 's Name that we might have inquired concerning it and therefore until he so do we can lay no stress upon it but reject it as False especially considering that W.M. being particularly challenged upon this refuseth absolutely to do it nor durst he aver he had any better ground for it than Hear-say Upon this occasion he asks If Abraham must not keep up Religion in his Family because an Ishmael is in it But this maketh nothing against us for none of us that are Masters of Families have forborn to keep up the Worship of God though Enemies of Truth have been in it whom we have not barred from being present Praying for Enemies and for whom we have not been wanting to Pray though we cannot join with them in their Prayers as W. M. adviseth us until first they Repent of their Wickedness This was the Method of Peter's Advice to Simon Magus first to Repent
express Words of Scripture and if in some of the Questions there be somewhat Subsumed of what in my Judgment is the plain and naked Import of the Words it is not to Impose my Sense upon the Reader but to make way for the next Question for the dependence of the Matter 's sake I shall leave it to the reason of any Vnderstanding and Judicious Man who is not byassed by Self-Interest that great Enemy to true Equity and who in the least measure is willing to give way to the Light of Christ in his Conscience if the Scriptures do not pertinently and aptly Answer to the Questions As I have upon serious Grounds Separated from most of the Confessions and Catechisms heretofore published so not without Cause I have now taken another Method They usually place their Confession of Faith before the Catechism I judge it ought to be otherwise in regard that which is Easiest and is Composed for Children or such as are Weak ought in my Judgment to be placed first it being most Regular to Begin with things that are Easie and Familiar and lead on to things that are more Hard and Intricate Besides that things be more largely opened in the Catechism and divers Objections Answered which are proposed in the Questions the Reader having past through that first will more perfectly understand the Confession which consisteth mainly in positive Assertions Not long after I had received and believed the Testimony I now bear I had in my view both the possibility and facility of such a Work and now after a more large and perfect acquaintance with the Holy Scripture I found Access to allow some time to set about it and have also been helped to accomplish the same I doubt not but it might be enlarged by divers Citations which are here omitted as not being at present brought to my Remembrance Yet I find Cause to be contented in that God hath so far assisted me in this Work by his Spirit that good Remembrancer the Manifestation of which as it is minded will help such as Seriously and Conscientiously Read this to find out and cleave to the Truth and also Establish and Confirm those who have already believed Which of all things is most earnestly desired and daily prayed for By FromVrie the Place of my Being in my Native Country of Scotland the 11th of the 6th Month 1673. ROBERT BARCLAY A Servant of the Church of CHRIST THE CONTENTS Chap. 1. OF God and the true and saving Knowledge of him Chap. 2. Of the Rule and Guide of Christians and of the Scriptures Chap. 3. Of Jesus Christ's being manifest in the Flesh the Use and End of it Chap. 4. Of the New Birth the Inward Appearance of Christ in Spirit and the Unity of the Saints with him Chap. 5. Concerning the Light wherewith Jesus Christ hath enlightned every Man the Universality and Sufficiency of God's Grace to all the World made manifest therein Chap. 6. Concerning Faith Justification and Works Chap. 7. Concerning Perfection or Freedom from Sin Chap. 8. Concerning Perseverance and falling from Grace Chap. 9. Concerning the Church and Ministry Chap. 10. Concerning Worship Chap. 11. Concerning Baptism and Bread and Wine Chap. 12. Concerning the Life of a Christian in general what and how it ought to be in this World Chap. 13. Concerning Magistracy Chap. 14. Concerning the Resurrection Chap. 15. A short Introduction to the Confession of Faith Chap. 16. A Confession of Faith containing Twenty Three Articles Article 1. Concerning God and the True and Saving Knowledge of him Art 2. Concerning the Guide and Rule of Christians Art 3. Concerning the Scriptures Art 4 Concerning the Divinity of Christ and his being from the Beginning Art 5. Concerning his Appearance in the Flesh. Art 6. Concerning the End and Use of that Appearance Art 7. Concerning the Inward Manifestation of Christ. Art 8. Concerning the New Birth Art 9. Concerning the Unity of the Saints with Christ. Art 10. Concerning the Universal Love and Grace of God to all Art 11. Concerning the Light that enlightneth every Man Art 12. Concerning Faith and Justification Art 13. Concerning Good Works Art 14. Concerning Perfection Art 15. Concerning Perseverance and Falling from Grace Art 16. Concerning the Church and Ministry Art 17. Concerning Worship Art 18. Concerning Baptism Art 19. Concerning Eating of Bread and Wine Washing of one anothers Feet abstaining from things strangled and from Blood and Anointing of the Sick with Oil. Art 20. Concerning the Liberty of such Christians as are come to know the Substance as to the using or not using of these Rites and of the Observation of Days Art 21. Concerning Swearing Fighting and Persecution Art 22. Concerning Magistracy Art 23. Concerning the Resurrection Chap. 17. A short Expostulation with and Appeal to all other Professors Chap. 18. A short Examination of some of the Scripture-Proofs alledged by the Divines at Westminster to prove divers Articles in their Confession of Faith and Catechism A CATECHISM c. year 1673 CHAP. I. Of GOD and the True and Saving Knowledge of Him Question SEeing it is a thing Vnquestioned by all sorts of Christians that the Hight of Happiness consisteth in coming to know and enjoy Eternal Life what is it in the Sense and Judgment of Christ Answer This is Life Eternal that they might know thee John 17.3 the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Q. How doth God Reveal this Knowledge A. For God who commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness 2 Cor. 4.6 hath shined in our Hearts to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ. Q. How many Gods are there A. One God We know that an Idol is nothing in the World Ephes. 4.9 1 Cor. 8.4 6. and that there is none other God but one But to us there is but one God Q. What is God A. God is a Spirit John 4.24 Q. Among all the Blessed Glorious and Divine Excellencies of God which are ascribed and given to him in the Scriptures what is that which is most needful for us to take notice of as being the Message which the Apostles Recorded in special manner to declare of him now under the Gospel A. This then is the Message which we have heard of him and declare unto you That God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all 1 John 1.5 Q. What are they that bear Record in Heaven A. There are Three that bear Record in Heaven the Father 1 John 5.7 the Word and the Holy Ghost and these Three are One. Q. How cometh any Man to know God the Father according to Christ's Words A. All things are delivered to me of my Father and no Man knows who the Son is but the Father and who the Father is Luke 10.22 Mal. 11.27 John 14.6 but the Son and he to whom the Son will Reveal him Jesus saith unto him I am the Way the Truth and
Justified by Grace is to be Justified or Saved by Regeneration which cannot exclude the Works wrought by Grace and by the Spirit How doth the Apostle add in the next verse for the maintaining this against those that Cavil about the Law A. This is a Faithful Saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly Tit. 3.8 9. that they which believe in God might be Careful to maintain good Works these things are good and profitable unto Men But avoid foolish Questions and Genealogies and Contentions and Strivings about the Law for they are unprofitable and vain Q. Doth the Apostle Paul that is so much against Justification by the Works of the Law speak any where else of being justified by the Spirit A. But ye are Washed but ye are Sanctified but ye are Justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 6.11 and by the Spirit of our God Q. But since the Law gives not Power nor Ability to obey and so falls short of Justification Is there no Power under the Gospel by which the Righteousness of the Law comes to be fulfilled inwardly A. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh Rom. 8.3 4. God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Q. Seeing then there is Power in the Spirit is not Works through it a Condition upon which Life is proposed under the New Covenant Rom. 8.13 A. For if ye live after the Flesh ye shall Dye but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the Deeds of the Body ye shall Live Q. Do not the Apostles then frequently propose Life to People upon Condition of Repentance and other Works Acts 3.19 A. Repent ye therefore and be Converted that your Sins may be blotted out And if Children then Heirs of God and joint-Heirs with Christ if so be Rom. 8.17 that we may suffer with him that we also may be glorified together * 2 Tim. 2.11 12 21. It is a faithful Saying For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we Suffer we shall also Reign with him If a Man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a Vessel unto Honour sanctified and meet for the Master's Use and prepared unto every good Work Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen Rev. 2.5 and Repent and do the first Works or else I will come unto thee quickly and remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou Repent Q. It appears clearly by these Passages that the Apostle excludes only our Righteousness which he elsewhere explains Reward of Works as being the Righteousness of the Law from being necessary to Justification and not such Works as the Law of the Spirit of Life leads to and are not so much ours as Christ in us are not such good Works Rewarded though they require no absolute Merit as being the Fruits of free Grace yet doth not God judge according to them and may they not be said to have a Reward A. But if a Man be just and do that which is lawful and right Ezek. 18.5 6 7 8 9. and hath not eaten upon the Mountains neither hath lift up his Eyes to the Idols of the House of Israel neither has defiled his Neighbour's Wife neither hath come near to a Menstruous Woman and hath not oppressed any but hath restored to the Debtor his Pledge hath spoiled none by Violence hath given his Bread to the Hungry and hath covered the Naked with a Garment he that hath not given forth upon Usury neither hath taken any Increase that hath withdrawn his Hand from Iniquity hath executed true Judgment between Man and Man hath walked in my Statutes and hath kept my Judgments to deal Truth he is Just he shall surely Live saith the Lord God For the Son of Man shall come in the Glory of his Father with his Angels Matth. 16.27 and then he shall Reward every Man according to his Works Then Peter opened his Mouth and said Of a Truth I perceive that God is no Respecter of Persons Acts 10.34 35. but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him The Righteous Judgment of God Rom. 2.6 7 10 who will render to every Man according to his Deeds To them who by Patient Continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality Eternal Life But Glory Honour and Peace to every Man that worketh Good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile For we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ 2 Cor. 5.10 that every one may receive the things done in his Body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Which is a manifest Token of the Righteous Judgment of God that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God 2 Thess. 1.5 for which ye also suffer But who so looketh into the Perfect Law of Liberty James 1.25 and continueth therein being not a forgetful Hearer but a Doer of the Work this Man shall be blessed in his Deed. * Hebr. 10.35 Cast not away therefore your Confidence which hath great Recompence of Reward †1 Pet. 1.17 And if ye call on the Father who without respect of Persons judgeth according to every Man's Work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear Rev. 22.12 14 And behold I come quickly and behold my Reward is with me to give every Man according as his Works shall be Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have a Right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the Gates into the City Christ saves from Sin Q. It should seem that the Purpose of God in sending his Son the Lord Jesus Christ was not simply to save Man by an Imputative Righteousness altogether without them but also by the washing of Regeneration or an inward Righteousness What saith the Scripture further of this Matth. 1.21 A. And thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his People from their Sins Tit. 2.13 14. Looking for that blessed Hope and the Glorious Appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of Good Works CHAP. VII Concerning Perfection or Freedom from SIN Question I Perceive then by all these Scriptures afore-mentioned that Christ as well as he hath purchased Pardon for our Sins hath also obtained Power by which we may even here be cleansed from the Filth of them may we expect then in this Life to be freed from the Dominion of Sin Rom. 6.14 A. For Sin shall not have Dominion over you Q. For what Reason Rom. 6.14 A. For ye are
not the Things of the Spirit of God for they are Foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Q. These Scriptures do sufficiently hold forth that the true Call to the Ministry is from God that which maketh a Minister is the Gift and Grace of God that the true and effectual Preaching of a faithful Minister is such Maintenance as is from the inward Teaching and Leading of the Spirit of God But what say the Scriptures touching the Maintainance of Ministers Gal. 6.6 A. Let him that is taught in the Word Communicate unto him that teacheth in all good Things 1 Cor. 9.11 12 13 14. If we have sown unto you Spiritual Things is it a great matter if we shall reap Carnal Things If others be Partakers of this Power over you are not we rather Nevertheless we have not used this Power but suffer all Things lest we should hinder the Gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy Things live of the Things of the Temple and they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar Even so hath the Lord ordain'd that they which preach the Gospel shall live of the Gospel For the Scripture saith 1 Tim. 5.18 Thou shalt not muzzle the Ox that treadeth out the Corn and the Labourer is worthy of his Reward Q. I perceive by these Scriptures that there lieth an Obligation upon the Saints to help with Outward Things such as truly Minister unto them Spiritual but this seems to be Voluntary Ought not therefore true Ministers to preach whether they be sure of this or not What saith the Apostle of himself in this Case and what adviseth he others 1 Cor 9.15 16 17 18. A. But I have used none of These Things neither have I written those things that it should be so done unto me for it were better for me to die than that any Man should make my Glorying void For though I preach the Gospel I have nothing to Glory of for Necessity is laid upon me yea Wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel For if I do this Thing willingly I have a Reward but if against my Will a Dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto me what is my Reward then Verily that when I Preach the Gospel I make the Gospel of Christ without Charge that I abuse not my Power in the Gospel Acts 20.33 34 35. I have Coveted no Man's Silver or Gold or Apparel yea your selves know that these Hands have ministred unto my Necessities and to them that were with me I have shewed you all things how that so Labouring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the Words of the Lord Jesus how he said It is more blessed to give than to receive Q. It 's observable that the Apostle every where makes special mention among the Qualifications of Teachers that they be not given to Filthy Lucre What ought we then to think of these Teachers as will not preach without Hire yea that will by Violence take from those who receive no Spirituals from them Are they like to be the Ministers of Christ or what else saith the Scripture of such Isa. 56.11 A. Yea they are greedy Dogs which can never have enough and they are Shepherds that cannot understand they all look to their own Way every one for his Gain from his Quarter * Ezek. 34.2 3 8. Son of Man Prophesie against the Shepherds of Israel Prophesie and say unto them year 1675 Thus saith the Lord God unto the Shepherds Wo to the Shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves Should not the Shepherds feed the Flook Ye eat the Fat and ye cloath you with the Woll ye kill them that are fed but ye feed not the Flock As I live saith the Lord God surely because my Flock became a Prey and my Flock became Meat to every Beast of the Field because there was no Shepherd neither did my Shepherds search for my Flock but The Shepherds fed themselves and fed not my Flock Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets that make my People Err that bite with their Teeth and cry Peace Mich. 3 5 11. and he that puts not into their Mouths they even prepare War against him The Heads thereof judge for Reward and the Priests thereof teach for Hire and the Prophets thereof Divine for Money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us None evil can come upon us Q. These are plain Testimonies from the Prophets Are there none such from the Apostles A. Perverse Disputings of Men of Corrupt Minds and destitute of the Truth supposing that Gain is Godliness 1 Tim. 6.5 6 7 8 9 10. from such withdraw thy self But Godliness with Contentment is great Gain For we brought nothing into the World and it 's certain we can carry nothing out and having Food and Raiment let us therewith be content But they that will be Rich fall into Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts which drown men in Destruction and Perdition For the Love of Money is the Root of all Evil which while some Coveted after they have erred from the Faith and pierced themselves through with many Sorrows For Men shall be Lovers of their own selves Covetous Boasters Proud Blasphemers 2 Tim. 2.3 Disobedient to Parents Unthankful Unholy For there are many unruly and vain Talkers and Deceivers Tit. 1.10 11. especially they of the Circumcision whose Mouths must be stop'd who subvert whole Houses teaching things which they ought not for Filthy Lucre's sake But there were false Prophets also among the People 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3 14 15. even as there shall be False Teachers among you who privately shall bring in Damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift Destruction And many shall follow their Pernicious Ways by reason of whom the Way of Truth shall be Evil spoken of And through Covetousness shall they with feigned Words make Merchandize of you whose Judgment now of a long time lingereth not and their Damnation slumbereth not Having Eyes full of Adultery and that cannot cease from Sin beguiling unstable Souls an Heart they have exercised with Covetous practices Cursed Children which have forsaken the Right Way and are gone astray following the way of Balaam the Son of Bozor who loved the Wages of Vnrighteousness Wo unto them For they have gone in the Way of Cain and run greedily after the Error of Balaam for Reward Jude 11 16. and perished in the Gain-saying of Corah These are Murmurers Complainers walking after their own Lust and their Mouth speaketh great Swelling Words year 1673 having Mens Persons in Admiration because of Advantage Q Ought there to be any Order in the Church of God A. Let all things be done decently and in Order 1 Cor. 14.40 Q What good Order is prescribed
Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World q 1 Joh 2.1 2. For by the Grace of God he hath tasted Death for every Man r Hebr 2.9 And gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due Time s 1 Tim. 2.6 Willing all Men to be saved and to come to the Knowledge of the Truth t 1 Tim. 2.4 Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance u 2 Pet. 3.9 For God sent not his Son into the World to Condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved x John 3 17. And Christ came a Light into the World that whosoever believeth in him should not abide in Darkness y John 12.46 Therefore as by the Offence of One Judgment came upon All Men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of One the free Gift came upon all Men to Justification of Life z Rom. 5.18 ARTICLE XI Concerning the Light that enlightneth every Man THe Gospel was preached to every Creature under Heaven a Col. 1.23 which Gospel is the Power of God unto Salvation to them that believe b Rom. 1.16 And if it be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this World hath blinded the Minds of them which believe not lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine into them c 2 Cor. 4.3 4. And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather than Light because their Deeds are Evil d John 3.19 And this was the true Light which lightneth every Man that cometh into the World e John 1.9 By which all things that are reproveable are made manifest for whatsoever maketh manifest is Light f Ephes. 5.11 Every one that doth Evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his Deeds should be reproved but he that doth Truth cometh to to the Light that his Deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God g Joh. 3 20 21. And they that walk in the Light as Christ is in the Light have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth them from all Sin h 1 John 1. Therefore ought we to believe in the Light while we have the Light that we may be the Children of the Light i John 12.36 Therefore to Day if we will hear his Voice let us not harden our Hearts k Hebr. 4 7. For Christ wept over Jerusalem saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy Day the Things which belong unto thy Peace But now they are hid from thine Eyes l Luke 19.42 And he would often have gathered her Children as a Hen gathereth her Chickens but they would not m Matth. 23.37 for the stiff-necked and uncircumcised in Heart and Ears do always Resist the Holy Ghost n Acts 7.51 And are of those that Rebel against the Light o Job 24.13 Therefore God's Spirit will not always strive with Man p Gen. 7.3 For the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness of Men who hold the Truth in Unrighteousness q Rom. 1.18 Because what is to be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them r Rom. 1.19 And a Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal s 1 Cor. 12.7 For the Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared to all Men teaching us that denying Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World t Tit. 2.11 12. And this Word of this Grace is able to build up and give an Inheritance among all those that are Sanctified u Acts 20.32 For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of the Soul and Spirit and of the Joints and Marrow and is a Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart x Hebr. 4.12 Is that more sure Word of Prophesy whereunto we do well that we take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in the Heart y 2 Pet. 1. â—9 And this is the Word of Faith which the Apostles Preached which is nigh in the Mouth and in the Heart z Rom. 10.8 For God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ a 2 Cor. 4.6 But we have this Treasure in Earthen Vessels that the Excellency of the Power may be of God b 2 Cor. 4.7 and not of us for the Kingdom of God cometh not by Observation but is within us ARTICLE XII Concerning Faith and Justification FAith is the Substance of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen d Hebr. 11.1 Without which it is impossible to please God e Hebr. 11.6 Therefore we are justified by Faith which worketh by Love f Gal. 5.6 For Faith without Works being dead is by Works made perfect g Jam. 2.23 26. By the Deeds of the Law there shall no Flesh be justified h Rom. 3.20 Nor yet by the Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy we are saved by the Washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost i 1 Tit. 3.5 For we are both washed sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God k 1 Cor. 6.11 ARTICLE XIII Concerning Good Works IF we live after the Flesh we shall die but if we through the Spirit do mortifie the Deeds of the Body we shall live l Rom. 8.13 For they which believe in God must be careful to maintain good Works m T it 3.8 For God will render to every Man according to his Deeds according to his Righteous Judgment to them who by patient Continuance in well-doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortality Eternal Life n Rom. 2.6 7. For such are counted worthy of the Kingdom of God o 2 Thess. 1.5 and cast not away their Confidence which hath great Recompence of Reward p Hebr. 10.35 Blessed then are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the Gates into the City q Rev. 22.14 ARTICLE XIV Concerning Perfection SIn shall not have Dominion over such as are not under the Law but under Grace r Rom. 6.14 For there is no Condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the Law of the
carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong Holds casting down Imaginations and every High Thing that exalteth itself against the Knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ y 2 Cor. 10 3.4 5. For Wars and Fightings come of the Lusts that war in the Members z Jam. 4.1 2. Therefore Christ commands not to resist Evil but whosoever will smite on the right Cheek to turn the other also a Mat. 5.39 Because Christians are Lambs among Wolves b Luke 10.3 Therefore are they hated of all Men for Christ's sake c Mat. 10.22 And all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution d 2 Tim. 3.12 Such are Blessed for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven e Mat. 5 10. For though they have lost their Lives yet shall they save them f Mat. 16.25 And because they have confessed Christ before Men he will also confess them before the Angels of God g Luke 12.8 9. We ought not then to fear them which kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather him which is able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell h Mat. 10.28 ARTICLE XXII Concerning Magistracy LEt every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers for there is no Power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resists the Power resists the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation For Rulers are not a Terror to Good Works but to the Evil wilt thou then not be afraid of the Power do that which is good and thou shalt have Praise of the same for he is the Minister of God to thee for good But if thou do that which is Evil be afraid for he beareth not the Sword in vain for he is the Minister of God a Revenger to execute Wrath upon him that doth Evil. Wherefore we must needs be subject not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake For for this Cause pay we also Tribute for they are God's Ministers attending continually upon this very thing Render therefore to all their Dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour i Rom. 13.1 2 7. Therefore are we to submit ourselves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as Supream or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the Punishment of Evil-Doers and for the Praise of them that do Well for so is the Will of God that with well-doing we may put to Silence the Ignorance of Foolish Men k 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15. Yet it is right in the Spirit of God to hearken unto him more than unto them l Acts 4.19 And though they straightly Command us not to teach in Christ's Name we ought to obey God rather than Men m Acts 5.28 29. ARTICLE XXIII Concerning the Resurrection THere shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the Just and Vnjust n Acts 24.15 They that have done Good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done Evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation o John 5.29 Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption p 1 Cor. 15.50 Nor is that Body sown that shall be but God gives it a Body as it has pleased him and to every Seed his own Body It is sown in Corruption it is raised in Incorruption It is sown in Dishonour it is raised in Glory It is sown in Weakness it is raised in Power It is sown a Natural Body it is raised a Spiritual Body q 1 Cor. 15.37 38 42 43 44. CHAP. XVII A short Expostulation with and APPEAL to all other Professors COme let us reason with you all ye Professors of Christianity of what sort or kind soever and bring forth your Catechisms and Confessions of FAITH to that which by most of your selves is accounted the Touch-Stone or Rule And suffer your selves no more to be blinded and to Err through your Ignorance of the Scriptures and of the Power of God but freely acknowledge and confess to that Glorious Gospel and Light which the Scriptures so clearly witness to and your Experience must needs answer as also to these other Doctrines The Noble Principle of Truth all are Invited unto which consequentially depend upon the behalf of that Noble and truly Catholick Principle wherein the Love of God is so mercifully exhibited to all Men and his Justice and Mercy do like Twins so Harmoniously Concord his Mercy in the oft tendering of his Love through the Strivings and Wrestlings of his Light during the day of every man's Visitation and his Justice both in the destroying and cutting away of the Wicked Nature and Spirit in those that suffer themselves to be Redeemed through his Judgments and in the utter Overthrow of such who rebelling against the Light and doing Despight to the Spirit of Grace hate to be Reformed Now not only this Fundamental Principle is clearly held forth in this Treatise but all these that depend upon it as the real and inward Justification of the Saints through the Power and Life of Jesus Revealed in them their full and perfect Redemption from the Body of Death and Sin as they grow up by the Workings and Prevalency of his Grace And yet lest Security should enter there is great need of Watchfulness in that they may even depart after they have really witnessed a good Condition and make Ship-wrack of the Faith and of a good Conscience with all the parts of the Doctrine of Christ as they lie linked together like a Golden Chain which doth very much evidence the Certainty and Vertue of Truth above all Heresies Error and Deceit however so cunningly gilded with the specious Pretences thereof For Truth is intire in all its parts and consonant to it self without the least Jar having a wonderful Coherence and notable Harmony The Harmony of Truth as of a well-tuned Instrument answering together like the Strings of a well-tuned Instrument whereas the Principles of all other Professors though in some things most of them come near and divers acknowledge that which is Truth yet in most things they stray from it so that their Principles greatly contradict and Jar one against another And though they may alledge Scriptures for some of their Principles yet they are put strangely to wrest it and to deny it for others My Appeal then to and Expostulation with all sorts of Professors is not to prove some one or two Points by the Scriptures for there be some general Notions of Truth which most if not all agree to but the whole Body of our Principles as they stand in relation to each other which none of them all is able to do For among the many Professors their Catechisms and Confessions of Faith I
find none save the Dispensation of Truth now again revealed but such as in most of their substantial Principles differ greatly and in many Contradict grosly the plain Text and Tenour of the Scripture I confess there be certain Men in this Age who with some plausible Appearance of Reality undertake this Task These are they that join with and own not wholly any Imbodied People but while they pretend a general Love to all yet find fault with some part of every Sort while in the mean time they scarce can give any Account of their own Religion and most of them prove at bottom to have none at all These Men I say may perhaps acknowledge some general Truths and also hold to the Letter of the Scripture in some other things so as thereby to take Occasion largely to judge others while themselves offer not to bring these good things to practice they blame others for the Want or Neglect of But such an Enterprize from these Men will not when weighed prove a fulfilling of this Matter Seeing it is not enough to acknowledge many Truths but also to deny and witness against all Error and likewise not to fall short of any Truth which ought to be acknowledged Whereas these sort of Men for the most part cannot give account of their Faith in many things needful to be believed and whatever things they may acknowledge to be true they Err most grievously and Contradict a Truth most needful to be minded and answered as is proved hereto in that they stand not forth to appear for any of these Discoveries they pretend they have but make a shift to hide their Heads in Times of Trial Pretenders hide their Heads in time of Trial. so as not to suffer for nor with any And through these fine Pretences above-mentioned through their Scruples of joining with any they can cunningly shun the Difficulties of Persecutions that attend the particular Sects of Christians yet by their general Charity and Love to all claim a share in any Benefits or Advantages that accrew to one and all Such then cannot honestly lay claim to justifie their Principles and Practices from the Scriptures But I leave these Straglers in Religion and come again to the divers Sects To begin with these that are most numerous I think I need not say much to the Papists in this Case for they do not so much as pretend to prove all their Dogma's by the Scriptures sith it is one of their chief Doctrines That Tradition may Authorize Doctrines without any Authority of Scriptures Papistical Dogma's Traditions and Councils Yea the Council of Constance hath made bold to Command things to be believed Non obstante Scripturâ i. e. Though the Scriptures say the contrary And indeed it were their great Folly to pretend to prove their Doctrines by Scripture seeing the Adoration of Saints and Images Purgatory and Prayer for the Dead the Precedency of the Bishop of Rome the Matter of Indulgencies with much more Stuff of that kind hath not the least Shadow of Scripture for it Socinians Pretences contrary to Scriptures Among Protestants I know the Socinians are great Pretenders to the Scriptures and in Words as much exalt them as any other People and yet its strange to see how that not only in many things they are not agreeable to them but in some of their chief Principles quite contrary unto it as in their Denying the Divinity of Christ which is as expresly mentioned as any thing can be And the Word was God John 1. As also in Denying his Being from the Beginning against the very Tenour of that of John 1. and divers others as at large is shewn in the Third Chapter of this Treatise Divers other things as to them might be mentioned but this may suffice to stop their Boasting in this Matter The Arminians are not more successful in their Denying the Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation Arminians Denials do center amiss and in Asserting the Vniversal Extent of Christ's Death for all than they are short in not placing this Salvation in that Spiritual Light wherewith Man is enlightned by Christ but wrongously ascribing a part of that to the Natural Will and Capacity which is due alone to the Grace and Power of God by which the Work is both begun carried on and accomplished And herein they Pelagians the like as well as both the Socinians and Pelagians though they do well in Condemning their Errors yet they miss in setting up another and not the Truth in place thereof and in that respect are justly proved by such Scriptures as their Adversaries who otherwise are as far wrong as they bring against them in shewing the Depravity of Man's Will by Nature and his Incapacity to do any Good but as assisted by the Grace of God so to do On the other hand its strange to observe how many Protestants the first Article of whose Confession of Faith is to assert the Scripture to be the Only Rule should deny the Vniversal Extent of Christ's Death contrary to the express words of Scripture which saith He tasted Death for every man or the Vniversality of Grace and a sufficient Principle which the Scriptures assert in as many positive Words as except we may suppose the Pen-men intended another thing than they spake it was possible to do viz A Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal The Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared unto all men and many more before-mentioned The like may be said of their denying the Perfection of the Saints and asserting the Impossibility of any falling away from real Beginnings of true and saving Grace contrary to so many express Scriptures as are heretofore adduced in their proper place But to give all that desire to be undeceived a more full Opportunity to observe how the Devil has abused many pretending to be Wise in making them cloak with a Pretence of Scripture false and pernicious Doctrines I shall take a few of many Instances out of the Confession of Faith and Catechism made by the Divines at Westminster so called because the same is not only most universally received and believed by the People of Britain and Ireland but also containeth upon the Matter the Faith of the French Churches and of most others both in the Nether-lands and elsewhere that it may appear what wild Consequences these Men have sought both contrary to the naked Import of the Words and to all Common Sense and Reason to cover some of their Erroneous Principles CHAP. XVIII A Short Examination of some of the Scripture-Proofs alledged by the Divines at Westminster to prove divers Articles in their Confession of Faith and Catechism IT is not in the least my Design in this Chapter to offer so large and Examination of any of their Articles as might be done nor yet of so many as are very obvious but only of two or three to give the Reader a Taste of them
you Timotheus who is my beloved Son and faithful in the Lord who shall bring you into Remembrance of my Ways which be in Christ as I teach every where in every Church Here the Apostle Paul is very absolute First In that he desires them to be Followers of him Secondly In that he sends a Teacher yea a Minister and Eminent Bishop or Overseer of the Church for to put them in Mind of his Ways which be in Christ as he taught in every Church No doubt there were Apostates and Dissenting Spirits in the Church of Corinth that gave Paul Occasion thus to write as he testifies in the Beginning of the Chapter How he was Judged by some of them he shews how they were grown high verse 8. Now ye are full now ye are rich ye have reigned as Kings without us c. Might not these Dissenters of the Church of Corinth have reasoned thus against Paul Dissenting Reasonings against Church-Government Did not this Paul teach us at first to mind the Measure of Grace in our selves and follow that for no doubt that was Paul's Doctrine but now he begins to Lord it over us and tells us we must be Followers of him Might not they have judged the Beloved Timothy to be far out of his Place Might they not have said It seems it is not God that moved thee and sent thee here by his Spirit but Lordly Paul that seeks Dominion over our Faith It seems thou comest not here to preach Christ and wish us to be Followers of him and of his Grace in our Hearts but to mind us to follow Paul's Ways and take notice how he teaches in every Church We are not concerned with him nor with his Messenger nor with none of your Orders and so forth Doth not this run very plausible I question not but there was such a Reasoning among the Apostate Corinthians let such as are of the same kind among us examine seriously and measure their Spirits truly hereby Yea he goes yet further in the following Chapter vers 3 4. Vers. 3. As absent in Body 1 Cor. 5.3 13. The Power of giving Judgment in the Church but present in Spirit have judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath so done this Deed. Verse 4. In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my spirit with the Power of our Lord Jesus Christ c. Would not one think this to have been a very presumptuous Word and yet who dare offer to Condemn it From all which I shall shortly observe that it seems it was judged no Inconsistency nor Contradiction to be Followers of the Grace in themselves to be perswaded in their own Hearts and also to be Followers of the Apostle Paul and of his Ways because his Ways and Example was no other than the Spirit of God in themselves would have led them to if they had been obedient Therefore he found it needful to charge them positively to follow him without adding this Reason Next the great Argument the Apostle uses to perswade them hereunto upon which he mainly insists because he had begotten them into the Truth Ye have not many Fathers As of Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel wherefore I beseech you be ye Followers of me So he makes that as the Cause which the same Apostle also in his Expostulation with the Galatians putting them in mind how he preached the Gospel to them at first and Chap. 4. Vers. 15. Where is then the Blessedness ye spake of for I bear you Record if possible ye would have plucked out your own Eyes and given them unto me We see then that the Lord hath and doth give such whom he hath furnished and sent forth to gather a People unto himself And Overseers Care and Oversight over that People yea and a certain Authority in the Power over them to bring them back to their Duty when they stray at any Time and to Appoint yea and Command such Things as are needful for Peace and Order and Vnity's sake and that there lies an Obligation upon such as are so gathered to Reverence Honour yea and Obey such as are set over them in the Lord. To be Obeyed For saith the same Apostle 2 Cor. 2.9 For to this End also did I write that I might know the Proof of you whether you be Obedient in all Things and Chap. 7. Vers. 13 15. Yea and exceedingly the more joyed we for the Joy of Titus because his Spirit was refreshed by you all Verse 15. And his inward Affection is more abundant toward you whil'st he remembreth the Obedience of you all how with Fear and Trembling you received him Betrayings of the Enemy Now this will not at all Infer as if they had been Implicitly led of Old or that such as having the same Authority to exercise it now sought Dominion over their Brethrens FAITH or to force them to do any thing beyond far less contrary to what the Lord leads us to by his Spirit but we know as they did of Old that the Enemy lies near to BETRAY under such Pretences And seeing in case of Difference the Lord hath and doth and will Reveal his Will to his People and hath and doth raise up Members of his Body to whom he gives a Discerning and Power and Authority to Instruct Reprove yea and Command in some Cases those that are faithful and low in their Minds keeping their own places and minding the Lord and the Interest and Good of his TRVTH in the general over all The Murmurer shut out shut out the Murmurer and the Spirit of God leads them to have Vnity and concur with their Brethren But such as are heady and high-minded are inwardly Vexed that any should Lead or Rule but themselves And so it is the high Thing in themselves that makes them quarrel with others for taking so much upon them pretending a Liberty not sinking down in the Seed to be willing to be of no Reputation for its sake The Honour of Truth prostrated by Divisions Such rather than give up their own Wills will study to make Rents and Divisions not sparing the Flock but prostrating the Reputation and Honour of the Truth even to the World minister to them an Occasion of Scorn and Laughter to the hardning them in their Wickedness and Atheism Besides these Scriptures mentioned I shall set down a few of many more that might be Instanced to the same Purpose Scriptures for Submission and Lowliness of Mind and Esteem of the Brethren Ephes. 5.21 Submitting your selves one to another in the Fear of God Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through Strife or Vain glory but in Lowliness of Mind let each esteem other better than themselves Verse 29. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all Gladness and hold such in Reputation And 3.17 Brethren be Followers together of me and mark them which walk
and that must be in some certain Place where all must know where to find it having herein a regard to the Conveniencies and Occasions of such as Meet Were it fit that those of the Church of Corinth should go do their Business at Antioch or the Church of Jerusalem at Rome Nay surely God hath not given us our Reasons to no Purpose but that we should make use of them for his Glory and the good of our Brethren yet always in Subjection to his Power and Spirit and therefore we have respect to these Things in the appointing of our Meetings and do it not without a regard to the Lord but in a Sense of his Fear And so the like as to Times And Convenient Set-Times appointed which is no contradicting of the inward Leading of the Spirit Else how came the Apostle to Appoint a Time to the Corinthians in their Contributions desiring them 1 Cor. 16.2 To lay by them in store upon the first Day of the Week yea saith he not that he gave the same Order to the Church of Galatia I know not how any in reason can quarrel Set Times for outward Business it being done in a Subjection to God's Will as all things ought to be or else how can such as so do but quarrel the Apostle for this Imposition at that Rate upon the Churches of Corinth and Galatia We appoint no Set-Times for the Performance of the Worship of God so as to appoint Men to preach and pray at such and such Set-Times though we appoint Times to Meet together in the Name of the Lord that we may feel his Presence and he may move in and through whom he pleaseth without Limitation Reasons for the Continuance of our said Practice Which Practice of Meeting together we are greatly encouraged to by the Promise of Christ and our own blessed Experience and also we are severely prohibited to lay it aside by the holy Apostle and also on the other Hand by the sad Experience of such as by Negligence or Prejudice forsake the Assemblies of God's People upon many of which is already fulfilled and upon others daily fulfilling the Judgments threatned upon such Transgressors read Hebr. 10. from vers 23. to the End where that Duty is so seriously exhorted to and the Contempt of it reckoned a Wilful Sin almost if not altogether unpardonable yea a Treading under Foot the Son of God and a Doing Despite to the Spirit of Grace which is fulfilled in our Day and proves the lamentable Fruits of such as have so back-slidden among us And therefore having so much good and real Ground for what we do herein together with the Approbation and Encouragement of Christ and his Apostles both by Command and Practice we can as that both the Alpha and Omega the Foundation and Cap-stone required faithfully affirm in good Conscience That God hath led us by his Spirit both to Appoint Places and Times where we may see the Faces one of another and to take Care one for another provoking one another to Love and good Works And our Faith and Confidence herein cannot be staggered by a meer Denial in our Opposers which no Man of Conscience and Reason will say it ought seeing the Thing it self hath such a solid and real Cause and Foundation so good and suitable a Patern and Example and that it is constantly Confirmed to us both by the Testimony of God's Spirit in our Hearts and by the good Fruits and Effects which we daily reap thereby as a Seal and Confirmation that God is well-pleased therewith and approveth us in it Having thus far proceeded to shew that there ought to be Order and Government among the People of God and that that which we plead for is that there may be Certain Meetings set apart for that End It is next to be considered In what Cases and how far it may Extend SECTION V. In what Cases and how far this Government Extends and first as to Outwards and Temporals I Shall begin with that which gave the First Rise for this Order among the Apostles The Occasion of those Meetings about Business and I do verily believe might have been among the first Occasions that gave the like among us and that is The Care of the Poor of Widows and Orphans Love and Compassion are the great yea and the chiefest Marks of Christianity Hereby shall it be known saith Christ that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another And James the Apostle places Religion herein in the first place 1. To take Care for the Poor Widows and Orphans Pure Religion saith he and Vndefiled before God and the Father is to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Afflictions c. For this then as one main End do we Meet together that Inquiry may be made if there be any poor of the Houshold of Faith that need that they may be supplied that the Widows may be taken Care of that the Orphans and Fatherless may be bred up and Educated Who will be so Vnchristian as to reprove this good Order and Government and to say it is needless But if any will thus Object May not the Spirit lead every one of you to give to them that need What needs meeting about it and such Formalities I answer The Spirit of God leads us so to do what can they say to the contrary Nor is this a Practice any ways Inconsistent with being inwardly and immediately led by the Spirit for the Spirit of God doth now as well as in the Days of Old lead his People into those Things which are orderly and of a good Report for he is the God of Order The Example of the Apostles and not of Confusion and therefore the Holy Apostles judged it no Inconsistency with their being led by the Spirit to appoint Men full of the Holy Ghost and of Wisdom over the Business of the Poor Now if to be full of the Holy Ghost be a Qualification needful for this Imployment surely the Nature of their Imployment was not to render this so needful a Qualification useless and ineffectual as if they were not to be led by it Moreover we see though they were at that Time all filled with the Spirit yet there was something wanting before this good Order was Established There was a Murmuring that some Widows were neglected in the daily Ministration and we must not suppose the Apostles went about to remedy this Evil that was creeping into the Church without the Counsel of God by his Spirit or that this Remedy they were led to was stepping into Apostacy neither can it be so said of us we proceeding upon the like Occasion Contributions for the Poor If then it be thus needful and suitable to the Gospel to Relieve the Necessities of the Poor that as there was No Beggar to be among Israel of Old so far less now must there not be Meetings to appoint Contribution in Order to the performing these
of the Romish Church and are so far such as to understand their own Principles do unquestionably acknowledge First That no General Council can be lawfully called without the Bishop of Rome as Christ's Vicar and Peter 's Successor call it Secondly That either he himself or some for him as his Legates must be there present and always preceed Thirdly That the Members having Vote are made up of Bishops or Presbyters or Commissioners from the several Orders being of the Clergy Fourthly That what is Concluded on by Plurality of Votes and Agreed to by the Pope and his Legates must necessarily be supposed to be the Judgment of the Infallible Spirit Fifthly That all the Members of the Church are bound Implicitly to Receive and Believe it because it proceeds from a Council to be accounted Lawful in the Respects above-mentioned without Regard to the Intrinsick or Real Truths of the Things prescribed or bringing them in any Respect to the Test or Examination of the Spirit of God in themselves or the Scriptures Testimony or their Agreement or Disagreement with Truths formerly believed and received for so much as to Prove or Try them by Way of Doubt they reckon a Breach of the first Command as on the other Hand a matter of Merit Implicitly to receive and believe them however inconsistent with the Testimony of the Spirit in ones own Heart Scripture Truth and Reason Sixthly That no Man as a Member of the Church of Christ in that simple Capacity unless a Clergy-man or the Ambassadour of some King c. can be admitted to Sit Vote or give his Judgment Seventhly That it is in no Respect to be supposed that any Members especially Laicks whether in a particular City Country or Nation may meet concerning any Things relating to the Faith and Worship of the Church and give by the Spirit of God any Judgment but that all such Meetings are to be accounted Schismatical and Unlawful And Lastly That the Promise of Infallibility and the Gates of Hell not prevailing is necessarily annexed to the Pope and Council called and authorized in the Manner above-expressed Now if to deny every one of these Propositions wherein all Understanding Men know the Errors and Abuses of the Romish Church consist be to be Popish then indeed may we be supposed to be one with the Papists in this Matter but no otherwise So that the very mentioning of these things is sufficient to shew the Difference betwixt us and them But if any will needs plead our Agreement with them thus The Papists affirm an Infallibility of Judgment in the Church of Christ Objection and so do you therefore you are one with Papists I Answer That proves no more our Oneness in this Matter than if Answ. 1 it should be said The Papists plead that God ought to be Worshipped and so do you Therefore ye Agree Notwithstanding of the Vast Differences as to that which is known not only betwixt us and them but betwixt them and all Protestants who Agree more with them in the matter of Worship than we do Next again Infallibility in the Church according as we hold it Answ. 2 and I have above Defined it no man upon our Supposition or Hypothesis can deny it For since we first Assert as a Principle That no Gathering no Church nor Assembly of People The true Church is Led by the Infallible Spirit however True their Principles or Exact their Form be are to be accounted the Church of Christ except the Infallible Spirit lead and guide what can be the Hazzard to say that in such a Church there is still an Infallible Judgment Indeed this is so far from Popery that it resolves in a Proposition quite Contradictory to them The Romanists say That the Infallible Spirit always accompanies the Outward Visible Professors and is annexed to the External Succession of Bishops and Pastors though ever so Vitious as to their Lives yea though perfect * For some Popes have been known to deny or at least to doubt the Truth of the Scriptures as to the History of Christ and to call in question the Immortality of the Soul and the Resurrection Atheists and Infidels in their private Judgments yet if outwardly professing the Catholick Faith and Subjection to the Church they must be partakers of the Infallible Spirit We say the quite Contrary That where there is either Vitiousness of Persons or Vnsoundness of Judgment in the particular Members these cannot by Virtue of any outward Call or Succession they have or any Profession they make or Authority they may pretend to so much as claim an Interest in any part of the Church of Christ or the Infallible Spirit So then if we admit none to be Members of the Church but such as are led and guided by the Spirit The Infallible Judgment where it is it will be no Popery in the Second Place to affirm That were there is a Company of People so gathered who are not any longer to retain justly the Name of the Church of Christ than they are led and guided by his Spirit or a Church so qualified and designed there is still an Infallible Judgment So that this Infallibility is not annexed to the Persons to the Succession to the bare Visible Profession though true which the Church of Rome is denied to be or to any Society because of its Profession but singly and alone to the True Real and Effectual Work of Sanctification and Regeneration the New Creature brought forth in the Heart And this is the Spiritual Man which the Apostle saith Judgeth all Things 1 Cor. 2.15 To affirm there is an Infallibility here cannot well be Condemned by any or whoso doth must needs say the Spirit of God is fallible For we place the Infallibility in the Spirit and in the Power not in the Persons And so these are the Degrees we Ascend by Because such and such Men are led by the Spirit of God and are obedient to the Grace in their Hearts therefore are they Members and Officers in the Church of Christ. And because they are Members of the Church of Christ in the Respect before declared therefore there is an Infallible Judgment among them We do not say Because such men profess the Christian Faith and have received an outward Ordination and so are by a lawful Succession formally established Officers in the Church when they Meet together according to certain Rules above-declared there is an Infallibility annexed to their Conclusions and they cannot but Decide what is Right or rather what they Decide must needs be supposed to be Right Who seeth not here a vast Disproportion Now we differ herein fundamentally that is as to the very Basis and Foundation upon which we build and that not only from the Church of Rome but also from the Generality of Protestants in this matter All Protestants do acknowledge a General Council to be useful The Constitution of a Synod or General Council among yea necessary
and each of them void of the true Grace of God Votes and whom even supposing them to be gratious they affirm not at all to be led by the Immediate Spirit of Christ which they say is now Ceased Now can there be a greater Difference than is betwixt these Two to wit To Affirm That the power of Decision is in an Assembly of men being Members of which Assembly the Grace of God is no necessary qualification The false Decision and who deny any such thing as to be Immediately led by the Spirit of Christ as a thing not attainable in these days and yet that all Christians must be subject to what the Plurality of such an Assembly so Constituted do determine And to Affirm That the power of Decision is only and alone in the Spirit not necessarily Tied to a General Assembly but if it please God to make use of such an Assembly yet neither to the Plurality of them but in and through such of his Servants The true Decision as he sees meet And that none are Capable or can be supposed to be Members of such an Assembly or esteemed such from whom such a Judgment can be expected or ought to be received unless they be men in whom the Grace of God not only is but hath truly wrought to Mortifie and Regenerate them in a good measure In whom the Judgment of Truth really proceeding from the Spirit will be manifest to all who are truly Faithful who will accordingly Submit thereunto not with respect to the Men but the Authority of God manifested in and thorow them So that such as see not this Judgment aright will be justly Condemnable of God for their not submitting not as if they should be accepted of God if they did Obey before Conviction but because they brought this Blindness upon themselves through their Unfaithfulness and Unwatchfulness which renders them both Guilty of the Blindness and of the Disobedience occasioned by it Now the Vastness of the Difference that is here Manifest cannot but be Obvious to any that will Read and Consider this Impartially and without Prejudice Thus I have passed through all the things that I understood any did Scruple at there being nought else that I remember which is not either Relative to some of the particulars before-mentioned or Included in them But if any Wonder why I have Chosen this Method and not rather made a formal Reply to W. R's Papers I hope these following Reasons will satisfy all sober and truly peaceable-minded Friends who love Truth 's Prosperity more than Jangling as a Sufficient Reason for my so doing Reason I First Forasmuch as the greater part of what W.R. has Writ is wholly built upon the Particulars heretofore mentioned which Particulars being Cleared and his Mistakes therein Removed as his own Letter signifies the Superstructure falls of it self as not touching my Intentions nor yet reaching me but only that Apprehension he supposed to be my Meaning and to follow from my Words for which end he oftentimes is so Wary as to Affirm in his Papers That to his Vnderstanding my Words seemed to Import and my Meaning seems to be so In which things since himself saw and I have manifested his Mistake I am not so great a Lover of Contention as to busie either my self or the Minds of others with the men of straw of his making But yet he was not so Modest nor Kind to his Old Friend but that sometimes he did seek to render my Words Odious albeit the Mistake be his own by a Reiterate Repetition in Repeating that of the Tolerable Supposition of a Church at every Turn above twenty times But also he very obviously Wrests my Words and seeks to Impose upon me a disadvantagious Meaning that he may furnish himself an Occasion thereafter the more Liberally to Smite at me As where from the Apostle's Words saying And we have Confidence ye will do the things we Command you c. and in another place where he desires those to whom he writes to submit themselves to such as rule over them I Infer That some did Appoint and Ordain some things and that there lay an Obligation in point of Duty on others to Obey c. Upon which W. R. very unfairly Observes It is to be doubted his meaning is Others ought to Obey whether they see it their Duty Yea or Nay I leave such dealing to the Reader 's Judgment surely it is not answerable to that Candor and Justice that W. R. lays claim to Secondly Because W. R. in these Papers has taken occasion to extend Reason II himself in long Digressions upon other Matters not treated upon in that Book and takes oft Occasion to Insinuate his Jealousies of Persons and things that I medled not with As where he makes a large Digression which takes up several pages concerning the Constitution of the Second-Days-Meeting at London endeavouring what he can to Represent the Hurt and Abuse of it W. R's Reflections and where he divers times insinuates that some are Vsurpers or seeking to Vsurp a Jurisdiction over the Consciences of the Brethren And that some do believe that God hath raised up some outward Person to be among the Children of Light at this Day as Moses was of old among the Children of Israel c. And that some do lead many into a Temptation to run beyond their Line by procuring a Multitude of Hands to Confirm what is given forth by one or at least by a very few With divers other things of this kind which takes up no small part of his Papers Now these things are not pertinently brought in against me nor would I judge my self less Impertinent to enlarge in a Contest concerning those things which do not Immediately concern the things under Debate since the Person or Persons aimed at by him in these Reflections may take Occasion as they find it their place to Answer and perhaps may have had Opportunity to have discoursed with him divers of those things e're this time upon other Occasions Thirdly Since a Considerable part of W. R's Papers is taken up to Reason III Evidence as he pretends the Impertinent Application I make of the several passages of the Apostles which he thinks I have been too Curious to Collect that make mention of these words Order Rule Command and Government how he Evinces that I leave to the Serious Reader being the more willing to bear his Reflections in that respect that he is so bold when he cannot Compass his Matter otherwise not only to Censure me but the Apostle Paul 's Saying of 1 Tim. 1.19.20 mentioned by me That it is not only not to the purpose Intended by me but that it is not plain to the Purpose Paul himself intended at least to ordinary Capacities Adding That the Method there proposed by the Apostle Answers not that which the Light within tells us Since then the Light he follows is such as finds Fault with the Apostle's
those that Exalt a natural Power or Light in man and how our Principle leads above all others to attribute our whole Salvation to the meer Power Spirit and Grace of God To them then that ask us after this matter How do ye differ from the Pelagians and Arminians For if two men have equal sufficient Light and Grace and the one be saved by it and the other not is it not because the one improves it the other not Is not then the Will of man the Cause of the one's Salvation beyond the other I say to such we thus Answer That as the Grace and Light in all is sufficient to save all and of its own nature would save all so it strives and wrestles with all for to save them he that Resists its strivings is the Cause of his own Condemnation The Light 's Operation in order to Salvation he that Resists it not it becomes his Salvation So that in him that is saved the working is of the Grace and not of the Man and it 's a Passiveness rather than an Act though afterwards as man is wrought upon there is a Will raised in him by which he comes to be a Co-worker with the Grace for according to that of Augustine He that made us without us will not save us without us So that the first step is not by Man's Working but by his not Contrary Working And we believe that at these singular seasons of every man's Visitation above-mentioned as man is wholly unable of himself to work with the Grace neither can he move one step out of the natural Condition until the Grace lay hold upon him so it is possible to him to be passive and not to Resist it as it is also possible for him to Resist it So we say The Grace of God works in and upon man's Nature which though of it self wholly corrupted and defiled and prone to evil yet is capable to be wrought upon by the Grace of God Even as Iron though a hard and cold Metal of it self may we warm'd and softned by the heat of the fire and Wax melted by the Sun And as Iron or Wax when removed from the Fire or Sun returneth to its former Condition of Coldness and Hardness so man's Heart as it Resists or retires from the Grace of God returns to its former Condition again I have often had the manner of God's working in order to Salvation towards all men illustrated to my mind by one or two clear Examples which I shall here Add for the Information of others The First is Of a man heavily diseased to whom I Compare Man in his fall'n and natural Condition I suppose God who is the great Physician not only to give this man Physick after he hath used all the Industry he can for his own Health by any skill or knowledge he hath of his own As those that say If a man Improve his Reason or natural Faculties God will superadd Grace Or as others say That he cometh and maketh Offer of a Remedy to this man outwardly The Example of a Diseased Man and the Physician leaving it to the liberty of Man 's Will either to receive it or reject it But He even the Lord this great Physician cometh and poureth the Remedy into his mouth and as it were layeth him in his bed so that if the sick man be but passive it will necessarily work the Effect but if he be stubborn and untoward and will needs rise up and go forth into the Cold or Eat such fruits as are hurtful to him while the Medicine should Operate then though of its Nature it tendeth to cure him yet it will prove Destructive to him because of those Obstructions which it meeteth with Now as the Man that should thus undo himself would certainly be the Cause of his own Death so who will say that if Cured he owes not his Health wholly to the Physician and not to any Deed of his own seeing his part was not any Action but a Passiveness The Example of Men lying stupified in a dark pit and their Deliverer The Second Example is of divers men lying in a dark pit together where all their senses are so stupified that they are scarce sensible of their own misery To this I Compare Man in his natural corrupt fall'n Coâ—â—dition I suppose not that any of these men wrestling to deliver themselves do thereby stir up or engage one able to deliver them to give them his help saying with himself I see one of these men willing to be deliver'd and doing what in him lies therefore he deserves to be assisted as say the Socinians Pelagians and Semi-Pelagians Neither do I suppose that this deliverer comes to the top of the pit and puts down a ladder desiring them that will to come up and so puts them upon using their own Strength and Will to come up as do the Jesuites and Arminians yet as they say such are not delivered without the Grace seeing the Grace is that Ladder by which they were delivered But I suppose that the Deliverer comes at certain times and fully Discovers and Informs them of the great Misery and Hazzard they are in if they continue in that Noisom and Pestiferous Place yea forces them to a certain sense of their Misery for the wickedest men at times are made sensible of their Misery by God's Visitation and not only so but lays hold upon them and gives them a Pull in order to lift them out of their Misery which if they Resist not will save them only they may Resist it This being Applied as the former doth the same way Illustrate the matter Neither is the Grace of God frustrated though the Effect of it be divers according to its Object being the Ministration of Mercy and Love in those that Reject it not but receive it Joh. 1.12 but the Ministration of Wrath and Condemnation in those A Simile of the Sun 's Melting and Hardening c. power that do Reject it Joh. 3.19 Even as the Sun by one Act or Operation melteth and softeneth the Wax and hardeneth the Clay the Nature of the Sun is to Cherish the Creation and therefore the Living are Refreshed by it and the flowers send forth a good Savour as it shines upon them and the Fruits of the Trees are ripened yet cast forth a Dead Carcase a thing without Life and the same Reflexion of the Sun will cause it to stink and putrify it yet is not the Sun said thereby frustrate of its proper Effect So every man during the day of his Visitation is shined upon by the Sun of Righteousness and capable of being Influenced by it so as to send forth good Fruit and a good Savour and to be melted by it but when he has sinned out his day then the same Sun hardneth him as it doth the Clay and makes his Wickedness more to appear and putrify and send forth an Evil Savour § XVIII Lastly As we
all unto Salvation and able to save Clemens Alexandrinus saith lib. 2. Stromat Clem. Alex. The Divine Word hath cried calling all knowing well those that will not obey And yet because it is in our power either to obey or not to obey that none may have a pretext of Ignorance it hath made a righteous Call and requireth but that which is according to the ability and strength of every one The self-same in his Warning to the Gentiles For as saith he that Heavenly Ambassadour of the Lord the Grace of God that brings Salvation hath Appeared unto all c. This is the New Song Coming and Manifestation of the Word which now shews it self in us which was in the beginning and was first of all And again Hear therefore ye who are afar off hear ye who are near the Word is hid from none the Light is common to all and shineth to all There is no darkness in the Word The Gathering unto the One and alone Love let us hasten to Salvation to the New birth that we being many may be gathered unto the One alone Love Ibid. he saith That there is Infused into all but principally into those that are trained up in Doctrine a certain Divine Influence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And again he speaketh concerning the Innate Witness worthy of belief which of it self doth plainly chuse that which is most honest And again he saith That It is not Impossible to come unto the Truth and lay hold of it seeing it is most near to us in our own Houses as the most wise Moses declareth living in three parts of us viz. in our Hands in our Mouth and in our Heart this saith he is a most true badge of the Truth which is also fulfilled in three things namely in Counsel in Action in Speaking And again he saith also unto the Unbelieving Nations Receive Christ receive Light receive Sight to the end thou may'st rightly know both God and Man The Inlightning Word The Word that hath inlightned us is more pleasant than Gold and the Stone of great value And again he saith Let us receive the Light that we may receive God let us receive the Light that we may be the Scholars of the Lord. And again he saith to those Infidel Nations The Heavenly Spirit helpeth thee Resist and Flee Pleasure Again Lib. Strom. 5. he saith God forbid that man be not a partaker of Divine Acquaintance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who in Genesis is said to be a partaker of Inspiration And Paed. lib. 1 cap 3. There is saith he some lovely and some desirable thing in man which is called the In-breathing of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same man lib. 10. Strom. directeth men unto the Light and Water in themselves who have the Eye of the Soul darkned or dimmed through Evil up-bringing and Learning let them Enter-in unto their own domestick Light or unto the Light which is in their own house 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the Truth which manifests accurately and clearly these things that have been written Just. Martyr Justin Martyr in his First Apology saith That the Word which was and is is in all even that very same Word which through the Prophets foretold things to come The Writer of the Calling of the Gentiles saith lib. 1. cap. 2. We Believe according to the same viz. Scripture and most religiously Confess Auth. de Voc. Gent. that God was never wanting in care to the generality of men who although he did lead by particular Lessons a people gathered to himself unto Godliness yet he withdrew from no Nation of men the Gifts of his own Goodness that they might be Convinced that they had received the Words of the Prophets and Legal Commands in services and testimonies of the First Principles Cap. 7. he saith That he believes that the help of Grace hath been wholly withdrawn from no man Lib. 2. cap. 1. Because albeit Salvation is far from sinners yet there is nothing void of the presence and virtue of his Salvation Cap. 2. But seeing none of that people over whom was set both the Doctrines were justified but through Grace by the Spirit of Faith who can question but that they who of whatsoever Nation in whatsoever Times could please God were ordered by the Spirit of the Grace of God which albeit in fore-time it was more sparing and hid yet denied it self to no Ages being in Virtue one in Quantity different in Counsel unchangeable in Operation multifarious Prop. III § XXIV The Third Proposition which ought to be proved is That it is by this Light Proved Seed or Grace that God works the Salvation of all men and many come to partake of the benefit of Christ's Death and Salvation purchased by him God's Salvation wrought by the Light in all By the Inward and Effectual Operations of which as many Heathens have come to be partakers of the Promises who were not of the Seed of Abraham after the flesh so may some now to whom God hath rendred the Knowledge of the History Impossible come to be saved by Christ. Having already proved that Christ hath died for all that there is a Day of Visitation given to all during which Salvation is possible unto them and that God hath actually given a measure of Saving Grace and Light unto all preached the Gospel to and in them and placed the Word of Faith in their hearts the matter of this Proposition may seem to be proved Yet shall I a little for the further satisfaction of all who desire to know the Truth and hold it as it is Jesus prove this from two or three clear Scripture-Testimonies and Remove the most-Common as well as the more-strong Objections usually brought against it Our Theam then hath two parts First That those that have the Part 1 Gospel and Christ outwardly preached unto them are not saved but by the working of the Grace and Light in their hearts Secondly That by the working and operations of this many have been Part 2 and some may be saved to whom the Gospel hath never been outwardly preached and who are utterly ignorant of the outward History of Christ. As to the First though it be granted by most yet because it 's more Part 1 in words Proved than deeds the more full discussing of which will fall-in in the next Proposition concerning Justification I shall prove it in few words And first from the words of Christ to Nicodemus Joh. 3.3 Verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Now this Birth cometh not by the outward preaching of the Gospel The New Birth or Regeneration cometh not by the Outward Knowledge of Christ or knowledge of Christ or historical Faith in him seeing many have that and firmly believe it who are never thus Renewed The Apostle Paul also goes so far while he Commends the Necessity and Excellency of this New Creation as
us § III. First then as by the Explanation of the former Thesis appears Expl. 1 we Renounce all Natural Power and Ability in our selves in order to bring us out of our lost and fallâ—n Condition and first Nature Justification springs of and from the Love of God and Confess that as of our selves we are able to do nothing that is good so neither can we procure Remission of Sins or Justification by any Act of our own so as to merit it or draw it as a Debt from God due unto us but we acknowledge all to be of and from his Love which is the Original and Fundamental Cause of our Acceptance Secondly God manifested this love towards us in the sending of his Expl. 2 Beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ into the World who gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling Savour Christ giveing himself a Sacrifice for us and having made peace through the blood of his Cross that he might Reconcile us unto himself and by the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot unto God and suffered for our Sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us unto God Thirdly then Forasmuch as all men who have come to man's Estate the Man Jesus only Excepted have sinned therefore all have need of Expl. 3 this Saviour to remove the Wrath of God from them due to their Offences in this respect he is truly said to have born the Iniquities of us all in his Body on the Tree and therefore is the Only Mediator having qualified the Wrath of God towards us so that our former sins stand not in our way being by virtue of his most satisfactory Sacrifice Removed and pardoned To Remission of Sins Neither do we think that Remission of Sins is to be expected sought or obtained any other way or by any Works or Sacrifice whatsoever though as has been said formerly they may come to partake of this Remission that are Ignorant of the History So then Christ by his Death and Sufferings hath Reconciled us to God The only Mediator betwixt God and Man even while we are Enemies that is he offers Reconciliation unto us we are put into a Capacity of being Reconciled God is willing to forgive us our Iniquities and to accept us as is well expressed by the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them and hath put in us the Word of Reconciliation And therefore the Apostle in the next verses intreats them in Christ's stead to be Reconciled to God intimating that the Wrath of God being removed by the Obedience of Christ Jesus he is willing to be Reconciled unto them and ready to Remit the sins that are past if they Repent A Twofold Redemption We Consider then our Redemption in a twofold Respect or State both which in their own nature are perfect though in their Application to us the one is not nor cannot be without respect to the other I. The Redemption of Christ without us The first is the Redemption performed and accomplished by Christ for us in his Crucified Body without us The other is the Redemption wrought by Christ in us which no less properly is called and accounted a Redemption than the former The first then is that whereby man as he stands in the Fall is put into a Capacity of Salvation and hath conveyed unto him a measure of that Power Virtue Spirit Life and Grace that was in Christ Jesus which as the Free Gift of God is able to Counter-ballance Overcome and Root-out the Evil Seed wherewith we are naturally as in the Fall leavened II. The Redemption wrought by Christ in us The second is that whereby we Witness and Know this pure and perfect Redemption in our selves purifying cleansing and redeeming us from the power of Corruption and bringing us into Vnity Favour and Friendship with God By the first of these two we that were lost in Adam plunged in the bitter and Corrupt Seed unable of our selves to do any good thing but naturally joined and united to Evil forward and propense to all Iniquity Servants and Slaves to the power and spirit of Darkness are notwithstanding all this so far Reconciled to God by the death of his Son while Enemies that we are put into a Capacity of Salvation having the glad Tidings of the Gospel of Peace offered unto us and God is Reconciled unto us in Christ calls and invites us to himself in which respect we understand these Scriptures * Eph. 2.15 1 John 4.10 Ezech. 16.6 1 Pet. 2.22 24. and 3.18 He slew the Enmity in himself He loved us first seeing us in our blood he said unto us live he who did not sin his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Tree and he died for our sins the Just for the Vnjust By the second we witness this Capacity brought into Act whereby receiving and not resisting the purchase of his death to wit the Light Spirit and Grace of Christ Revealed to us we witness and possess a real true and inward Redemption from the power and prevalency of sin and so come to be truly and really Redeemed Justified and made Righteous and to a sensible Union and Friendship with God Thus he died * Tit. 2.14 Phil. 3.10 for us that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity and thus we know him and the Power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to us This last follows the first in order and is a Consequence of it proceeding from it as an Effect from its Cause So as none could have enjoyed the last without the first had been such being the Will of God so also can none now partake of the first but as he witnesseth the last Wherefore as to us they are both Causes of our Justification The first the Procuring Efficient the other the Formal Cause Fourthly We understand not by this Justification by Christ barely the Expl. 4 good works even as wrought by the Spirit of Christ for they as Protestants truly affirm are rather an Effect of Justification than the Cause of it The Formation of Christ in us begets Good Works But we understand the Formation of Christ in us Christ born and brought forth in us from which good Works as naturally proceed as Fruit from a fruitful Tree It is this Inward Birth in us bringing forth Righteousness and Holiness in us that doth Justify us which having removed and done away the Contrary Nature and Spirit that did bear Rule and bring Condemnation now is in Dominion over all in our hearts Those then that come to know Christ thus formed in them do enjoy him wholly and undivided who is the LORD our RIGHTEOVSNESS Jer. 23.6 This is to be Cloathed with Christ and to have put him on whom God therefore truly accounteth Righteous and Just. This is so far from being the
it is most Absurd so it luculently overturneth the very Import and Intent of the place as if the Corinthians turning Christians had not wrought any real Change in them but had only been a Belief of some barren Notions which had wrought no Alteration in their Affections Will or Manner of Life For my own part I neither see any thing nor could ever yet hear or read any thing that with any colour of Reason did evince Justified in this place to be understood any other ways than in its own proper and genuine Interpretation of being made Just. And for the more clear understanding hereof let it be Considered The Derivation of the word Justify Considered c. that this word Justify is derived either from the Substantive Justice or the Adjective Just both which words Import the Substantive that true and Real Virtue in the Soul as it is in it self to wit it signifies really and not suppositively that Excellent Quality expressed and understood among men by the word JVSTICE and the Adjective Just as applied signifies a man or woman who is Just that is in whom this Quality of Justice is stated For it would not only be great Impropriety but also manifest falsity to call a man Just meerly by supposition especially if he were really Vnjust Now this word Justify formed or from Justice or Just doth beyond all question signify a Making Just it being nothing else but a Composition of the Verb facio and the Adjective Justus which is nothing else than thus Justifico i. e. justum facio to make just and Justified of justus and fio as justus fio I become just and justificatus i. e. justus factus I am made just Thus also is it with Verbs of this kind as sanctifico from sanctus holy and facio honorifico from honor and facio sacrifico from sacer and facio all which are still understood of the Subject really and truly endued with that virtue and quality from which the Verb is derived Therefore as none are said to be sanctified Justified none are while they actually remain Vnjust that are really unholy while they are such so neither can any be truly said to be Justified while they actually remain Vnjust Only this Verb Justify hath in a Metaphorical and Figurative sense been otherways taken to wit in a Law-sense as when a man really guilty of a Crime is freed from the punishment of his sin he is said to be Justified that is put in the place as if he were Just For this use of the word hath proceeded from that true supposition That none ought to be acquitted but the Innocent Hence also that manner of speaking I will Justify such a man or I will justify this or that is used from the supposition that the person and thing is really Justifiable And where there is an Error and Abuse in the matter so far there is also in the Expression This is so manifest and apparent that Paraeus Paraeus de Just. cont Bell. l. 2. c. 7. p. 469. a Chief Protestant and a Calvinist also in his Opinion acknowledges this We never at any time said saith he nor thought that the Righteousness of Christ was Imputed to us that by him we should be named formally Just and be so as we have divers times already shewed for that would no less soundly fight with right Reason than if a guilty man absolved in Judgment should say that he himself were formally Just by the Clemency of the Judge granting him his life Now is it not strange that men should be so facile in a matter of so great Concernment as to build the stress of their Acceptance with God upon a meer borrowed and Metaphorical Signification to the excluding or at lest esteeming that not necessary without which the Scripture saith expresly No man shall ever see God Holiness required therefore good Works are For if Holiness be requisite and necessary of which this is said then must good Works also unless our Adversaries can shew us a holy man without good works But moreover Justified in this figurative sense is used for Approved and indeed for the most part if not always in Scripture when the word Justify is used it is taken in the worst part that is that as the Vse of the word that way is an Vsurpation so it is spoken of such as Vsurp the thing to themselves while it properly doth not belong unto them as will appear to those that will be at the pains to Examine these places Exod 23.7 Job 9.20 27.5 Prov. 17.15 Isa. 5.23 Jer. 3.11 Ezech. 16.51 52. Luk. 10.29 16.15 which are all spoken of men justifying the Wicked or of Wicked men justifying themselves that is Approving themselves in their Wickedness If it be at any time in this Signification taken in good part it is very seldom Comparatively and that so obvious and plain by the Context as leaves no scruple But the Question is not so much of the Vse of the word where it is passingly or occasionally used as where the very Doctrine of Justification is handled Where indeed to mistake it viz. in its proper place so as to content our selves with an Imaginary Justification while God requires a Real is of most dangerous Consequence For the Disquisition of which let it be considered that in all these places to the Romans Corinthians Galatians and elsewhere where the Apostle handles this Theam the word may be taken in its own proper signification without any Absurdity As where it is often asserted in the above-mentioned Epistles to the Romans and Galatians That a man cannot be justified by the Law of Moses nor by the Works of the Law there is no Absurdity nor Danger in understanding it according to its own proper signification Justified its proper signification to wit That a man cannot be Made just by the Law of Moses seeing this so well agrees with that saying of the same Apostle That the Law makes nothing perfect And also where it is said We are Justified by Faith it may very well be understood of being Made just seeing it is also said that Faith purifies the heart and no doubt the pure in heart are just and The just live by faith Again where it is said We are justified by Grace We are justified by Christ We are Justified by the Spirit it is no ways absurd to understand it of being Made Just seeing by his Spirit and Grace he doth make men Just But to understand it universally the other way meerly for Acceptance and Imputation would infer great Absurdities as may be proved at large But because I judged it would be acknowledged I forbear at present for brevity's sake But further in the most weighty places where this word Justify is used in Scripture with an Immediate Relation to the Doctrine of Justification our Adversaries must needs acknowledge it to be understood of making just Justification signifies a making Just. and not barely in the
Legal Acceptation As first in that of 1 Cor. 6.11 But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified as I before have proved which also many Protestants are forced to acknowledge Neither diffide we saith Thysius because of the most great and strict Connexion Thysius Disp. de Just. Thes. 3. that Justification doth sometimes seem also to Comprehend Sanctification as a Consequence as in Rom. 8.30 Tit. 3.7 1 Cor. 6.11 And such sometimes were ye Zanchius in cap. 2. ad Eph. ver 4. loc de Just. but ye are washed c. Zanchius having spoken concerning this sense of Justification adds saying There is another signification of the word viz. for a man from Unjust to be made Just even as sanctified signifies from unholy to be made holy In which signification the Apostle said in the place above-cited And such were some of you c. that is of unclean ye are made holy and of unjust ye are made just by the Holy Spirit for Christ's sake in whom ye have believed Of this signification is that Rev. 22.11 Let him that is just be just still that is really from just become more just even as from unjust he became just And according to this signification the Fathers and especially Augustine have Interpreted this word H. Bullinger Thus far he H. Bullinger on the same place 1 Cor. 6. speaketh thus By divers words saith he the Apostle signifies the same thing when he saith ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are justified Proof II Secondly In that Excellent Saying of the Apostle so much observed Rom. 8.30 Whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified This is commonly called the Golden Chain as being acknowledged to Comprehend the Method and Order of Salvation And therefore if Justified were not understood here in its proper signification of being made just Sanctification would be excluded out of this Chain Righteousness the only Medium by which from our Calling we pass to Glorification And truly it is very worthy of observation that the Apostle in this succinct and compendious Account makes the word Justified to comprehend all betwixt Calling and Glorifying thereby clearly insinuating that the being really Righteous is that only Medium by which from our Calling we pass to Glorification All for the most part do acknowledge the word to be so taken in this place and not only so but most of those who oppose are forced to acknowledge that as this is the most proper so the most common Signification of it thus divers famous Protestants do acknowledge We are not saith D. Chamierus such Impertinent Esteemers of words as to be ignorant nor yet such importunate Sophists as to deny that the words of Justification and Sanctification do infer one another yea we know that the Saints are chiefly for this Reason so called D. Chamier Tom. 3. de Sanct. l. 10. c. 1. because that in Christ they have received Remission of Sins and we read in the Revelation Let him that is just be just still which cannot be understood except of the fruit of Inherent Righteousness Nor do we deny but perhaps in other places they may be promiscuously taken especially by the Father I take saith Beza the name of Justification largely Beza in cap. 3. ad Tit. vers 7. so as it comprehends whatsoever we acquire from Christ as well by Imputation as by the Efficacy of the Spirit in sanctifying us So likewise is the word of Justification taken Rom. 8.30 Melanchthon saith Melancht in Apol. Confes. Aug. that to be justified by Faith signifies in Scripture not only to be pronounced Just but also of Unrighteous to be made Righteous Also some Chief Protestants though not so clearly yet in part hinted at our Doctrine whereby we ascribe unto the Death of Christ Remission of Sins and the work of Justification unto the Grace of the Spirit acquired by his Death Boraeus in Gen. c. 15. ad verb Credidit Abraham Deo pag. 161. Martinus Boraeus explaining that place of the Apostle Rom. 4.25 Who was given for our sins and rose again for our Justification saith There are two things beheld in Christ which are necessary to our Justification the one is his Death the other is his Arising from the dead By his Death the sins of this World behoved to be Expiated By his Rising from the dead it pleased the same goodness of God to give the Holy Spirit whereby both the Gospel is believed and the Righteousness lost by the fault of the first Adam is restored And afterwards he saith The Apostle expresseth both parts in these words Who was given for our sins c. In his Death is beheld the Satisfaction for sin in his Resurrection the Gift of the Holy Spirit by which our Justification is perfected And again the same man saith elsewhere Idem lib. 3. Reg. cap. 9. v. 4. pag. 681. Both these kinds of Righteousness are therefore contained in Justification neither can the one be separate from the other So that in the Definition of Justification the Merit of the Blood of Christ is included both with the Remission of sins and with the gift of the Holy Spirit of Justification and Regeneration Martinus Bucerus saith Seeing by one sin of Adam the world was lost Bucerus in Rom. 4. ad ver 16. the Grace of Christ hath not only abolished that one sin and death which came by it but hath together taken away those infinite sins and also led into full Justification as many as are of Christ so that God now not only Remits unto them Adam 's sin and their own but also gives them therewith the Spirit of a solid and perfect Righteousness Righteousness a Conformity to the Image of the First-begotten which renders us Conform unto the Image of the First-Begotten And upon these words by Jesus Christ he saith We always judge that the whole benefit of Christ tends to this that we might be strong through the Gift of Righteousness being rightly and orderly adorned with all virtue that is restored to the Image of God And lastly William Forbes our Country-man W. Forbes in Considerat Modest. de Just. lib. 2. Sect 8. Bishop of Edinburgh saith Whensoever the Scripture makes mention of the Justification before God as speaketh Paul and from him besides others Augustin it appears that the word Justify necessarily signifies not only to pronounce Just in a Law sense but also really and inherently to make Just because that God doth otherways justify a wicked man than Earthly Judges For he when he Justifies a wicked or unjust man How God justifies the Wicked doth indeed pronounce him as these also do but by pronouncing him Just because his Judgment is according to Truth he also makes him really of Unjust to become Just. And again the same man upon the same occasion answering the more rigid Protestants who say That God first justifies and
this is that other saying of the same Apostle Gal. 4.19 My little Children of whom I travel in Birth again until Christ be formed in you and therefore the Apostle terms this Christ within the Hope of Glory Col. 1.27 28. Now that which is the hope of glory can be no other than that which we immediately and most nearly Rely upon for our Justification and that whereby we are really and truly made Just. And as we do not hereby deny but the Original and Fundamental Cause of our Justification is the love of God manifested in the Appearance of Jesus Christ in the flesh who by his life death Christ by his Death and Sufferings has open'd a way for our Reconciliation sufferings and obedience made a way for our Reconciliation and became a Sacrifice for the Remission of sins that are past and purchased unto us this Seed and Grace from which this Birth arises and in which Jesus Christ is inwardly Received formed and brought forth in us in his own pure and holy Image of Righteousness by which our Souls live unto God and are cloathed with him and have put him on even as the Scripture speaks Eph. 4.23 24 Gal. 3.27 We stand Justified and Saved in and by him and by his Spirit and Grace Rom. 3.24 1 Cor. 6.11 Tit. 3.7 So again reciprocally we are hereby made partakers of the fulness of his Merits and his cleansing Blood is near to wash away every Sin and Infirmity and to heal all our back-slidings as often as we turn towards him by unfeigned Repentance and become Renewed by his Spirit Those then that find him thus Raised and Ruling in them have a true ground of Hope to believe that they are Justified by his Blood But let not any deceive themselves so as to foster themselves in a vain Hope and Confidence that by the Death and Sufferings of Christ they are Justified so long as sin lies at their door Gen. 4.7 Iniquity prevails and they remain yet Vnrenewed and Vnregenerate lest it be said unto them I know you not Let that saying of Christ be remembred Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter but he that doth the Will of my Father Matth. 7.21 To which let these excellent sayings of the beloved Disciple be added Little Children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous He that committeth sin is of the Devil because if our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things 1 John 3.7 and 20. Many famous Protestants bear witness to this inward Justification by Christ inwardly Revealed and Formed in man Borhaeus in Gen. pag. 162. As 1. M. Borhaeus In the Imputation saith he wherein Christ is Ascribed and Imputed to believers for Righteousness the Merit of his Blood and the Holy Ghost given unto us by virtue of his Merits are equally Included And so it shall be Confessed The Testimonies of Famous Protestants of Inward Justification that Christ is our Righteousness as well from his Merit Satisfaction and Remission of sins obtained by him as from the Gifts of the Spirit of Righteousness And if we do this we shall consider the whole Christ proposed to us for our Salvation and not any single part of him The same man p. 169. In our Justification then Christ is considered who breaths and lives in us to wit by his Spirit put-on by us concerning which putting-on the Apostle saith Ye have put on Christ. And again p. 171. We endeavour to Treat in Justification not of part of Christ but him wholly in so far as he is our Righteousness every way And a little after As then blessed Paul in our Justification when he saith Whom he Justified them he Glorified comprehends all things which pertain to our being Reconciled to God the Father and our Renewing which fits us for attaining unto Glory such as Faith Righteousness Christ and the Gift of Righteousness exhibited by him whereby we are Regenerated to the fulfilling of the Justification which the Law requires so we also will have all things comprehended in this cause which are contained in the Recovery of Righteousness and and Innocency And p. 181. The Form saith he of our Justification is the Divine Righteousness it self by which we are formed just and good This is Jesus Christ who is esteemed our Righteousness partly from the Forgiveness of sins and partly from the Renewing and the Restoring of that Integrity which was lost by the fault of the first Adam so that this New and Heavenly Adam being put-on by us of which the Apostle saith Ye have put on Christ ye have put him on I say as the Form so the Righteousness Wisdom and Life of God So also affirmeth Claudius Alberius Inuncunanus Inuncunanus see his Orat. Apodict Lausaniae Excus 1587. Orat. 2. p. 86 87. Zuinglius also in his Epistle to the Princes of Germany as cited by Himmelius Zuinglius c. 7. p. 60. saith That the Sanctification of the Spirit is true Justification Essius which alone suffices to Justify Essius upon 1 Cor. 6.11 saith Lest Christian Righteousness should be thought to consist in the Washing alone that is in the Remission of Sins he addeth the other Degree or part but ye are sanctified that is Ye have attain'd to Purity so that ye are now truly holy before God Lastly expressing the sum of the Benefit received in one word which includes both the parts But ye are Justified the Apostle adds in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ that is by his Merits and in the Spirit of our God that is the Holy Spirit proceeding from God and communicated to us by Christ. And lastly R. Baxter R. Baxter a famous English Preacher who yet liveth in his Book called Aphorisms of Justification p. 80. saith That some ignorant Wretches gnash their Teeth at this Doctrine as if it were flat Popery not understanding the nature of the Righteousness of the New Covenant which is all out of Christ in our selves thô wrought by the Power of the Spirit of Christ in us § IX The Third thing proposed to be considered is Concerning Good Position III Works their necessity to Justification I suppose there is enough said before to clear us from any Imputation of being Popish in this matter Good Works But if it be queried Whether we have not said or will not affirm Quest. that a man is Justified by Works I answer I hope none need neither ought to take Offence Answ. if in this matter we use the plain language of the Holy Scripture which saith expresly in Answer hereunto James 2.24 Ye see then That Works are necessary to Justification how that by Works a man is Justified and not by Faith only I shall not offer to prove the Truth of this saying since what is said in this Chapter by the Apostle is sufficient to Convince any man that will read and
believe it I shall only from this derive this one Argument If no man can be Justified without Faith and no Faith be living Arg. nor yet available to Justification without Works Then Works are necessary to Justification But the First is true Therefore also the Last For this Truth is so apparent and evident in the Scriptures that for the proof of it we might transcribe most of the Precepts of the Gospel I shall Instance a few which of themselves do so clearly Assert the thing in Question that they need no Commentary nor further Demonstration And then I shall answer the Objections made against this which indeed are the Arguments used for the Contrary Opinion Hebr. 12.14 Not the Sayers but the Doers are blessed Without holiness no man shall see God Matth. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in heaven Joh. 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and Vncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life and through the Gates may enter into the City And many more that might be Instanced From all which I thus Argue If those only can Enter into the Kingdom Arg. that do the Will of the Father If those be accounted only the Wise builders and happy that do the sayings of Christ If no Observations avail but only the keeping of the Commandments and if they be blessed that do the Commandments and thereby have right to the Tree of Life and Entrance through the Gate into the City Then Works are absolutely necessary to Salvation and Justification But the First is true And therefore also the Last The Consequence of the Antecedent is so clear and evident that I think no man of sound Reason will call for a proof of it § X. * Object 1. But they Object that Works are not necessary to Justification First Because of that saying of Christ Luke 17.10 When ye shall have done all these things that are Commanded you say We are unprofitable servants c. Answer As to God we are indeed Vnprofitable for he needeth nothing neither can we Add any thing unto him Unprofitable Servants but as to our selves we are not Vnprofitable else it might be said that it is not profitable for a man to keep God's Commandments Answ. which is most Absurd and would Contradict Christ's Doctrine throughout God needeth nothing Doth not Christ Matth. 5. through all those Beatitudes pronounce men blessed for their purity for their meekness for their peaceableness c And is not then that for which Christ pronounceth men blessed profitable unto them Moreover Matth. 25.21 23. doth not Christ pronounce the men good and faithful servants Those that had improved their Talents were called Good and Faithful Servants that Improved their Talents Was not their doing of that then profitable unto them And vers 30. it is said of him that hid his Talent and did not Improve it Cast ye the Vnprofitable servant into utter darkness If then their not improving of the Talent made the man Vnprofitable and he was therefore cast into utter darkness it will follow by the Rule of Contraries so far at least that the Improving made the other profitable seeing if our Adversaries will allow us to believe Christ's words this is made a Reason and so at least a Cause Instrumental of their Acceptance Well done good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things Enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord. Object 2 Secondly They object those sayings of the Apostle where he excludes the deeds of the Law from Justification as first Rom. 3.20 Because by the deeds of the Law there shall be no flesh justified in his sight and v. 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is Justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Answ. We have shewn already what place we give to Works even to Answ. 1 the best of Works in Justification and how we ascribe its Immediate and Formal Cause to the Worker brought forth in us The Works of the Gospel or Grace distinguish't from the Works of the Law but not to the Works But in answer to this Objection I say There is a great difference betwixt the works of the Law and those of Grace or of the Gospel The first are excluded the second not but are necessary The first are those which are performed in man's own will and by his strength in a conformity to the outward Law and Letter and therefore are man's own Imperfect Works or works of the Law which makes nothing perfect And to this belong all the Ceremonies Purifications Washings and Traditions of the Jews The second are the works of the Spirit of Grace in the heart wrought in Conformity to the Inward and Spiritual Law which Works are not wrought in man's Will nor by his power and ability but in and by the Power and Spirit of Christ in us and therefore are pure and perfect in their kind as shall hereafter be proved and may be called Christ's Works for that he is the Immediate Author and Worker of them Such Works we affirm absolutely Necessary to Justification so that a man cannot be Justified without them and all Faith without them is dead and useless as the Apostle James saith Now that such a Distinction is to be admitted and that the Works excluded by the Apostle in the matter of Justification are of the first kind will appear if we consider the Occasion of the Apostle mentioning this as well here as throughout in his Epistle to the Galatians where he speaks of this matter and to this purpose at large which was this That whereas many of the Gentiles that were not of the Race nor Seed of Abraham as concerning the flesh were come to be Converted to the Christian Faith and believe in him some of those that were of the Jewish Proselytes thought to subject the faithful and believing Gentiles to the Legal Ceremonies and Observations as necessary to their Justification The Occasion of the Apostles speaking of the Works of the Law which are Excluded This gave the Apostle Paul occasion at length in his Epistle to the Romans Galatians and elsewhere to shew the Vse and Tendency of the Law and of its Works and to Contradistinguish them from the Faith of Christ and Righteousness thereof shewing how the former was Ceased and become Ineffectual the other Remaining and yet Necessary And that the Works excluded by the Apostle are of this kind of Works of the Law appears by the whole strain of his Epistle to the Galatians Chap. 1 2 3 4. For after in Chap. 4. he upbraideth them for their returning unto the Observation of days
and times and that in the beginning of Chap. 5. he sheweth them their Folly and the Evil Consequence of adhering to the Ceremonies of Circumcision then he adds v. 6. For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision availeth but Faith which worketh by love and thus he concludes again ch 6. v. 15. For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth nor Vncircumcision but a New Creature From which places appeareth that distinction of Works afore-mentioned whereof the one is excluded the other necessary to Justification For the Apostle sheweth here that Circumcision which word is often used to comprehend the whole Ceremonies and legal Performances of the Jews is not Necessary nor doth avail Here are then the Works which are excluded by which no man is Justified but Faith which worketh by love but the New Creature this is that which availeth which is Absolutely necessary for Faith that worketh by love cannot be without Works for as is said in the same 5 Chap. v. 22. Love is a Work of the Spirit Also the New Creature if it avail and be necessary cannot be without Works seeing it is natural for it to bring forth Works of Righteousness Again that the Apostle no ways intends to exclude such good Works appears in that in the same Epistle he Exhorts the Galatians to them The Usefulness and Necessity of good Works and holds forth the Vsefulness and Necessity of them and that very plainly c. 6. v. 7 8 9. Be not deceived saith he God is not mocked for whatsoever man soweth that shall he also reap for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth in the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting And let us not be weary of well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not Doth it not hereby appear how necessary the Apostle would have the Galatians know that he esteemed good Works to be to wit not the outward Ceremonies and Traditions of the Law but the fruits of the Spirit mentioned a little before by which Spirit he would have them to be led and walk in those good Works As also how much he ascribeth to these good Works by which he affirms Life Everlasting is Reaped Now that cannot be useless to man's Justification which Capacitates him to Reap so rich a Harvest But lastly for a full Answer to this Objection and for the Establishing of Answ. 2 this Doctrine of good Works I shall instance another saying of the same Apostle Paul which our Adversaries also in the blindness of their Minds make use of against us to wit Tit. 3.5 Not by Works of Righteousness Justified not by our legal performances but the fruits of the Spirit which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost It is generally granted by all that Saved is here all one as if it had been said Justified Now there are two kinds of Works here mentioned one by which we are not saved that is not Justified and another by which we are saved or justified The first the Works of Righteousness which we have wrought that is which we in our first fall'n Nature by our own strength have wrought our own legal performances and therefore may be truly and properly called ours whatever specious Appearances they may seem to have And that it must needs and ought so to be understood doth appear from the other part But by the washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost seeing Regeneration is a Work comprehensive of many good Works even of all those which are called the Fruits of the Spirit Object Now in case it should be objected That these may also be called Ours because wrought in us and also by us many times as Instruments Answ. I Answer It is far otherwise than the former For in the first we are yet alive in our own natural State unrenewed working of our selves seeking to save our selves by imitating and endeavouring a Conformity to the outward Letter of the Law and so wrestling and striving in the Carnal Mind that is Enmity to God and in the Cursed Will not yet subdued But in this second we are Crucified with Christ we are become dead with him have partaken of the fellowship of his sufferings are made Conformable to his death and our first man our old man with all his deeds as well the openly wicked as the seeming righteous our Legal Endeavours and foolish Wrestlings are all buried and nailed to the Cross of Christ and so it is no more We Not We but Christ in us is the worker of Righteousness but Christ alive in us the Worker in us So that though it be We in a sense yet it is according to that of the Apostle to the same Gal. c. 2. v. 2O I am crucified yet nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me not I but the Grace of Christ in me These Works are especially to be ascribed to the Spirit of Christ and Grace of God in us as being immediately thereby acted and led in them and enabled to perform them And this manner of Speech is not strained but familiar to the Apostles as appears Gal. 2.8 For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the Circumcision the same was mighty in me c. Phil. 2.13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do c. So that it appears by this place that since the Washing of Regeneration is necessary to Justification and that Regeneration comprehends Works Works are necessary and that these Works of the Law that are excluded are different from these that are necessary and admitted § XI Thirdly they Object That no Works yea not the Works of Christ in us can have place in Justification Object 3 because nothing that is impure can be useful in it and all the Works wrought in us are Impure For this they alledge that saying of the Prophet Isaiah c. 64. v. 6. All our righteousness are as filthy Rags adding this reason That seeing we are Impure so must our Works be which though good in themselves yet as performed by us they receive a tincture of Impurity even as a clean Water passing through an unclean Pipe is defiled Answ. 1 That no Impure Works are useful to Justification is Confessed but that all the Works wrought in the Saints are such is Denied And for answer to this the former Distinction will serve We Confess that the first sort of Works above-mentioned are Impure but not the second because the first are wrought in the unrenewed State but not the other And as for that of Isaiah it must relate to the first kind for though he saith What sort of Righteousness is as filthy Rags All our Righteousness are as filthy Rags yet that will not Comprehend the Righteousness of Christ in us but only that which we work of and
by our selves For should we so Conclude then it would follow that we should throw away all Holiness and Righteousness since that which is filthy Rags and as a menstruous Garment ought to be thrown away yea it would follow that all the fruits of the Spirit mentioned Gal. 4. were as filthy Rags whereas on the contrary some of the Works of the Saints are said to have a Sweat savour in the nostrils of the Lord are said to be an Ornament of great price in the sight of God are said to Prevail with him and to be Acceptable to him which filthy Rags and a menstruous Garment cannot be Yea many famous Protestants have acknowledged that this place is not therefore so to be understood Calvin's and others their sense concerning Isa. 64 6. of our Righteousness Calvin upon this place saith That it is used to be cited by some that they may prove there is so little Merit in our Works that they are before God filthy and defiled but this seems to me to be different from the Prophet's Mind saith he seeing he speaks not here of all Mankind Musculus upon this place saith Musculus That it was usual for this people to presume much of their legal Righteousness as if thereby they were made Clean nevertheless they had no more Cleanness than the unclean Garment of a man Others expone this place concerning all the Righteousness of our flesh that Opinion indeed is true Yet I think that the Prophet did rather accommodate these sayings to the Impurity of that people in legal Terms The Author commonly supposed Bertius speaking concerning the True Sense of Chap. 7. of the Epistle to the Romans Bertius Epistolae praefixae dissert ann hath a Digression touching this of Isaiah saying This place is commonly corrupted by a pernicious wresting for it is still alledged as if the meaning thereof inferred the most Excellent Works of the best Christians c. Ja. Coret Apolog. Impress Paris ann 1597· pag. 78. James Coret a French Minister in the Church of Basil in his Apology concerning Justification against Alescales saith Nevertheless according to the Counsel of certain good men I must admonish the Reader that it never come into our minds to abuse that saying of Isa. 64.6 against good Works in which it is said that all our Righteousness are as filthy Rags as if we would have that which is good in our good Works and proceedeth from the Holy Spirit to be esteemed as a filthy and unclean thing § XII As to the other part That seeing the best of men are still Impure and Imperfect therefore their Works must be so It is to beg the Answ. 2 question and depends upon a Proposition denied and which is to be discussed at further length in the next Proposition But though we should suppose a man not throughly perfect in all respects yet will not that hinder but good and perfect Works in their kind may be brought forth in them by the Spirit of Christ Neither doth the Example of Water going through an unclean Pipe hit the matter because though Water may be capable to be tinctured with Vncleanness yet the Spirit of God cannot whom we assert to be the Immediate Author of those Works that avail in Justification and therefore Jesus Christ his Works in his Children are pure and perfect and he worketh in and through that pure thing of his own forming and creating in them Moreover if this did hold according to our Adversaries supposition That no man ever was or can be perfect it would follow that the very Miracles and Works of the Apostles which Christ wrought in them Were the Miracles and Works of the Apostles wrought by the power of Christ in them Impure and Imperfect and they wrought in and by the Power Spirit and Grace of Christ were also Impure and Imperfect such as their Converting of the Nations to the Christian Faith their gathering of the Churches their writing of the Holy Scriptures yea and their Offering up and Sacrificing of their Lives for the Testimony of Jesus What may our Adversaries think of this Argument whereby it will follow that the Holy Scriptures whose Perfection and Excellency they seem so much to magnify are proved to be Impure and Imperfect because they came through Impure and Imperfect Vessels It appears by the Confessions of Protestants that the Fathers did frequently attribute unto Works of this kind that Instrumental Work which we have spoken of in Justification albeit some ignorant persons cry out that it is Popery and also divers and that famous Protestants do of themselves Confess it Amandus Polanus in his Symphonia Catholica Am. Polanus c. 27. de Remissione Peccatorum Our Doctrine of Justification and Works is not Popery p. 651. places this These as the Common Opinion of Protestants most agreeable to the Doctrine of the Fathers We obtain the Remission of Sins by Repentance Confession Prayers and Tears proceeding from Faith but do not Merit to speak properly and therefore we obtain Remission of Sins not by the Merit of our Repentance and Prayers but by the Mercy and Goodness of God Gentiletus Ex. Impressi Genev. 151◠Innocentius Gentiletus a Lawyer of great fame among Protestants in his Examen of the Council of Trent p. 66 67. of Justification having before spoken of Faith and Works adds these words But seeing the one cannot be without the other we call them both conjunctly Instrumental Causes Zanchius Zanchius in his 5. Book de Naturâ Dei saith We do not simply deny that good Works are the Cause of Salvation to wit the Instrumental rather than the Efficient Cause which they call sine quâ non And afterwards Good Works are the Instrumental Cause of the possession of Life Eternal for by these as by a means and a lawful way G. Ames in Medullâ S. Theologiae l. 2. c. 1. Thes. 30. God leads unto the possession of Life Eternal G. Amesius saith That our Obedience albeit it be not the Principal and Meritorious Cause of Life Eternal is nevertheless a Cause in some respect administring helping and advancing towards the possession of the Life R. Baxter Also R. Baxter in the Book above cited p. 155. saith That we are Justified by Works in the same kind of Causality as by Faith to wit as being both Causes sine quâ non or Conditions of the New Covenant on our part requisite to Justification And p. 195. he saith It is needless to teach any Scholar who hath read the writings of Papists how this Doctrine differs from them Of the Merit and Reward of Works But lastly because it is fit here to say something of the Merit and Reward of Works I shall add something in this place of our Sense and Belief concerning that matter We are far from thinking or believing that man Merits any thing by his Works from God all being of Free Grace and therefore do we
expressed by the Apostle Eph. 5.25 26 27. Even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Now if Christ hath really thus answered the thing he Came for then the Members of this Church are not always sinning in thought word and deed or there is no difference betwixt being sanctified and unsanctified clean and unclean holy and unholy being daily blemished with sin and being without blemish § VI. Fourthly This Doctrine renders the Work of the Ministry the Proof IV Preaching of the Word the Writing of the Scriptures and the Prayers of the holy men altogether Vseless and Ineffectual As to the first Eph. 4.11 Pastors and Teachers are said to be given for the perfection of Saints c. till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto a measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Now if there be a Necessity of sinning daily and in all things then there can be no perfection for such as do so cannot be esteemed perfect And if for Effectuating this perfection in the Saints the Ministry be appointed and disposed of God Pastors Teachers and Scriptures are given for the Perfecting of the Saints do not such as deny the possibility hereof render the Ministry Vseless and of no profit seeing there can be no other true Vse assigned but to lead people out of sin into righteousness If so be these Ministers assure us that we need never expect to be delivered from it do not they render their own Work needless what needs Preaching against sin for the reproving of which all preaching is if it can never be forsaken Our Adversaries are Exalters of the Scriptures in words much crying up their usefulness and perfection Now the Apostle tells us 2 Tim. 3.17 that the Scriptures are for making the man of God perfect and if this be denied to be Attainable in this life then the Scriptures are of no profit For in the other life we shall not have use for them It renders the Prayers of the Saints altogether Vseless seeing themselves do Confess they ought to pray daily that God would deliver them from evil and free them from sin by the help of his Spirit and Grace while in this world But though we might suppose this Absurdity to follow that their Prayers are without Faith yet were not that so much if it did not infer the like upon the holy Apostles who prayed earnestly for this End and therefore no doubt believed it Attainable Col 4.12 Labouring fervently for you in prayers that ye may stand perfect c. 1 Thess. 3.13 5.23 c. Proof V § VII But Fifthly This Doctrine is Contrary to Common Reason and Sense For the Two opposite Principles whereof the one Rules in the Children of Darkness Darkness and Light Sin and Righteousness Inconsistent together the other in the Children of Light are Sin and Righteousness And as they are respectively leavened and acted by them so they are accounted either as Reprobated or Justified seeing it is Abomination in the sight * Prov. 17.15 of God either to Justify the Wicked or Condemn the Just. Now to say that men cannot be so leavened with the one as to be delivered from the other is in plain words to affirm that Sin and Righteousness are Consistent and that a man may be truly termed Righteous though he be daily sinning in every thing he doth And then what difference betwixt Good and Evil Is not this to fall into that great abomination of Putting Light for darkness and calling good evil and evil good since they say The very best Actions of God's Children are defiled and polluted and that Those that sin daily in thought word and deed are good men and women the Saints and holy Servants of the Holy Pure God Can there be any thing more repugnant than this to Common Reason Since the Subject is still denominated from that Accident that doth most Influence it As a Wall is called White when there is much Whiteness and black when there is much blackness and such like But when there is more Vnrighteousness in a man than Righteousness that man ought rather to be denominated unrighteous than righteous If all daily sin where is the Righteous man then spoken of in Scripture Then surely if every man sin daily in thought word and deed and that in his Sins there is no Righteousness at all and that all his Righteous Actions are polluted and mixed with sin then there is in every man more Vnrighteousness than Righteousness and so no man ought to be called Righteous no man can be said to be sanctified or washed Where are then the Children of God Where are the purified ones where are they who were sometimes Vnholy but now Holy That sometimes were Darkness but now are Light in the Lord There can none such be found then at this rate except that Vnrighteousness be esteemed so And is not this to fall into that abomination above-mentioned of Justifying the Vngodly This certainly lands in that horrid Blasphemy of the Ranters that affirm There is no difference betwixt good and evil and that all is one in the sight of God I could shew many more Gross Absurdities Evil Consequences and manifest Contradictions plied in this sinful Doctrine but this may suffice at present by which also in a good measure The Blasphemy of the Ranters or Libertines the probation of the Truth we affirm is Advanced Yet nevertheless for the further Evidencing of it I shall proceed to the second thing proposed by me to wit To prove this from several Testimonies of the Holy Scriptures § VIII And first I prove it from the peremptory positive Command of Sect. II Christ and his Apostles seeing this is a Maxime ingraven in every man's Proof I heart naturally That no man is bound to that which is Impossible Since then Christ and his Apostles have commanded us to keep all the Commandments and to be perfect in this respect it is possible for us so to do Be ye Perfect c. Keâ—p my Commandments Now that this is thus Commanded without any Commentary or Consequence is evidently apparent from these plain Testimonies Matth. 5.48 7.21 John 13.17 1 Cor. 7.19 2 Cor. 13.11 1 John 2.3 4 5 6. 3.2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. These Scriptures intimate a positive Command for it they declare the Absolute Necessity of it and therefore as if they had purposely been written to answer the Objections of our Opposers they shew the Folly of those that will esteem themselves Children or Friends of God while they do otherwise Secondly It is Possible because we receive the Gospel and Law thereof
given to some Saints in this life not by the Power of man's strength but by the Grace of God he doth well to think so confidently and hope it faithfully That by the Gift of God all things are possible for by the Gift of God all things are possible That this was the Common Opinion of the Fathers appears from the words of the Aszansik Council Canon last We believe also this according to the Catholick Faith that all that are baptized through Grace by Baptism received and Christ helping them and Co-working may and ought to do whatsoever belongs to Salvation if they will faithfully labour Conclusion § XI Blessed then are they that believe in him who is both able and willing to Deliver as many as come to him through True Repentance from all Sin and do not resolve as these men do to be the Devil's Servants all their life time Phil. 3.14 but daily go on forsaking unrighteousness and forgetting those things that are behind Press forwards to the Mark the Prize an Overcoming press forwards towards the Mark for the Prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus Such shall not find their Faith and Confidence to be in vain but in due time shall be made Conquerors through him in whom they have believed and so Overcoming shall be established as pillars in the house of God so as they shall go no more out Rev. 3.12 PROPOSITION IX Concerning Perseverance and the possibility of Falling from Grace Although this Gift and inward Grace of God be sufficient to work out Salvation yet in those in whom it is Resisted it both may and doth become their Condemnation Moreover they in whose hearts it hath wrought in part to purify and sanctify them in order to their further perfection may by disobedience fall from it The Grace of God is lost by Disobâ—dience turn it to wantonness 1 Tim. 1.19 make shipwrack of faith and after having tasted the heavenly Gift and been made partakers of the Holy Ghost again fall away Hebr. 6.4 5 6 yet such an Increase and Stability in the Truth may in this life be attained from which there cannot be a Total Apostasy § I. THe first Sentence of this Proposition hath already been treated of in the fifth and sixth Propositions where it hath been shewn that that Light which is given for Life and Salvation becomes the Condemnation of those that Refuse it and therefore is already proved in those places where I did demonstrate the possibility of man's Resisting the Grace and Spirit of God And indeed it is so apparent in the Scriptures that it cannot be denied by such as will but seriously consider these Testimonies Prov. 1.24 25 26. John 3.18 19. 2 Thess. 2.11 12. Acts 7.51 13.46 Rom. 1.18 As for the other part of it That they in whom this Grace may have wrought in a good measure in order to purify and sanctify them tending to their further perfection may afterwards through disobedience fall away c. the Testimonies of the Scripture included in the Proposition it self are sufficient to prove it to men of unbiassed Judgments But because as to this part our Cause is Common with many other Protestants I shall be the more brief in it For it is not my design to do that which is done already neither do I covet to appear knowing by writing much but simply purpose to present to the World a faithful Account of our Principles and briefly to let them understand what we have to say for our selves A falling from Grace by Disobedience Evinced § II. From these Scriptures then included in the Proposition not to mention many more which might be urged I argue thus If men may turn the Grace of God into Wantonness then they must once Arg. 1 have had it But the First is true Therefore also the Second If men may make shipwrack of Faith they must once have had it neither Arg. 2 could they ever have had true Faith without the Grace of God But the First is true Therefore also the Last If men may have tasted of the heavenly Gift and been made partakers Arg. 3 of the Holy Spirit and afterwards fall away they must needs have known in measure the operation of God's Saving Grace and Spirit without which no man could taste the heavenly Gift nor yet partake of the Holy Spirit But the First is true Therefore also the Last Secondly Seeing the Contrary Doctrine is built upon this false Hypothesis That Grace is not given for Salvation to any but to a certain Elect Number which cannot lose it The Doctrine of Election and Reprobation is Inconsistent with Preaching and daily Exhortation and that all the rest of mankind by an absolute Decree are debarred from Grace and Salvation that being destroyed this falls to the ground Now as that Doctrine of theirs is wholly Inconsistent with the daily Practice of those that Preach it in that they Exhort people to believe and be saved while in the mean time if they belong to the Decree of Reprobation it is simply Impossible for them so to do and if to the Decree of Election it is needless seeing it is as Impossible to them to miss of it as hath been before demonstrated So also in this matter of Perseverance their Practice and Principle are no less Inconsistent and Contradictory For while they daily Exhort people to be Faithful to the end shewing them if they Continue not they shall be Cut off and fall short of the Reward which is very true but no less Inconsistent with that Doctrine that affirms There is no hazzard because no possibility of departing from the least measure of true Grace Which if true it is to no purpose to beseech them to Stand to whom God hath made it Impossible to Fall I shall not longer insist upon the probation of this seeing what is said may suffice to answer my design and that the thing is also abundantly proved by many of the same Judgment That this was the Doctrine of the primitive Protestants thence appears that the Augustane Confession Condemns it as an Error of the Anabaptists to say That who once are Justified they cannot lose the Holy Spirit Many such like sayings are to be found in the Common Places of Philip Melanchthon Vossius in his Pelagian History lib. 6. testifies The Opinion of the Fathers concerning falling from Grace That this was the Common Opinion of the Fathers In the Confirmation of the twelfth These pag. 587. he hath these words That this which we have said was the common Sentiment of Antiquity those at present can only deny who other ways perhaps are men not Vnlearned but nevertheless in Antiquity altogether strangers c. These things thus observed I come to the Objections of our Opposers Object 1 § III. First they Alledge That those places mentioned of making shipwrack of Faith is only understood of seeming Faith and not of a real
and is one great reason why a dry dead barren lifeless spiritless Ministry which leavens the people into the same death doth so much abound and is so much over-spreading even the Protestant Nations that their Preachings and Worships as well as whole Conversation is not to be discerned from Popish by any fresh living zeal or lively Power of the Spirit accompanying it but meerly by the difference of some Notions and Opinions Object § XII Some unwise and unwary Protestants do sometimes Object to us That if we have such an immediate Call as we lay claim to we ought to Confirm it by Miracles Answ. But this being an Objection once and again objected to the primitive Protestants by the Papists we need but in short return the Answer to it that they did to the Papists Whether Miracles be now necessary to Confirm the Gospel John Baptist and divers Prophets did none to wit That we need not Miracles because we preach no new Gospel but that which is already Confirmed by all the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles and that we offer nothing but that which we are ready and able to Confirm by the Testimony of the Scriptures which both already acknowledge to be true And that John the Baptist and divers of the Prophets did none that we hear of and yet were both immediately and extraordinarily sent This is the Common Protestant Answer therefore may suffice in this place though if need were I could say more to this purpose but that I study Brevity § XIII There is also another sort of Protestants to wit The English Independents The Constitution of the Independent Church who differing from the Calvinistical Presbyterians and denying the Necessity of this Succession or the Authority of any National Church take another way affirming That such as have the benefit of the Scriptures any Company of People agreeing in the Principles of Truth as they find them there declared may Constitute among themselves a Church without the Authority of any other and may Chuse to themselves a Pastor who by the Church thus Constitute and Consenting is Authorized requiring only the Assistance and Concurrence of the Pastors of the Neighbouring Churches if any be not so much as absolutely Necessary to Authorize as Decent for Order's sake Also they go so far as to affirm That in a Church so Constitute Gifted Brethren any gifted Brother as they call them if he find himself qualified thereto may Instruct Exhort and Preach in the Church though as not having the Pastoral Office he cannot Administer that they Call their Sacraments To this I Answer That this was a good step out of the Babylonish Darkness and no doubt did proceed from a Real Discovery of the Truth and from the sense of a great Abuse of the promiscuous National gatherings Also this Preaching of the Gifted Brethren as they called them did proceed at first from certain Their Loss and Decay lively Touches and Movings of the Spirit of God upon many But alas because they went not forward that is much decayed among them and the Motions of God's Spirit begin to be denied and rejected among them now as much as by others The Scripture gives no Call to persons Individual But as to their pretended Call from the Scripture I Answer The Scripture gives a meer declaration of true things but no Call to particular Persons so that though I believe the things there written to be true and deny the Errors which I find there Testified against yet as to these things which may be my particular duty I am still to seek And therefore I can never be Resolved in the Scripture whether I such a one by name ought to be a Minister And for the Resolving this doubt I must needs recur to the Inward and Immediate Testimony of the Spirit as in the Proposition concerning the Scriptures more at large is shewen § XIV From all this then we do firmly Conclude that not only in a general Apostasy it is needful men be extraordinarily Called and Raised up by the Spirit of God but that even when several Assemblies or Churches are gathered by the Power of God not only into the belief of the Principles of Truth so as to deny Errors and Heresies but also into the Life Spirit and Power of Christianity so as to be the Body and House of Christ indeed and a fit Spouse for him that he who gathers them doth also for the preserving them in a lively fresh and powerful Condition raise up and move among them by the inward immediate Operation of his own Spirit Ministers and Teachers to Instruct and Teach and Watch over them True Ministers Qualifications Call and Title who being thus Called are Manifest in the hearts of their Brethren and their Call is thus verified in them who by the feeling of that life and power that passeth through them being inwardly built up by them daily in the most holy Faith become the Seals of their Apostleship And this is answerable to another saying of the same Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 13.3 Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me which to you wards is not weak but is mighty in you So this is that which gives a true substantial Call and Title to a Minister whereby he is a Real Successor of the Virtue Life and Power that was in the Apostles and not of the bare Name Their Laying on of hands a Mock of God and Man a Keeping up the Shadow whilst Substance is a-wanting and to such Ministers we think the outward Ceremony or Ordination or laying on of hands not necessary neither can we see the Vse of it seeing our Adversaries who use it acknowledge that the Virtue and Power of Communicating the Holy Ghost by it is Ceased among them And is it not then foolish and ridiculous for them by an Apish Imitation to keep up the Shadow where the Substance is wanting And may not they by the same Rule where they see blind and lame men in Imitation of Christ and his Apostles bid them see and walk yea is it not in them a mocking of God and Men to put-on their hands and bid men Receive the Holy Ghost while they believe the thing Impossible and Confess that that Ceremony hath no real Effect Having thus far spoken of the Call I shall proceed next to treat of the Qualifications and Work of a true Minister § XV. As I have placed the True Call of a Minister in the Motion of Quest. II this Holy Spirit so is the power life and virtue thereof The Quâ—lifications of a Minister and the pure Grace of God that comes therefrom the Chief and most Necessary Qualification without which he can no ways perform his Duty neither acceptably to God nor beneficially to men Our Adversaries in this case affirm that three things go to the making up of a Minister viz. 1. Natural Parts § I. Philosophy and School-Divinity will never
make a Gospel-Ministry that he be not a fool 2. Acquired Parts that he be Learned in the Languages in Philosophy and School-Divinity 3. The Grace of God The Two first They reckon Necessary to the being of a Minister so as a man cannot be one without them the Third they say goeth to the well-being of one but not to the being so that a man may truly be a lawful Minister without it and ought to be heard and received as such But we supposing a natural Capacity that one be not an Idiot judge the Grace of God indispensibly Necessary to the very being of a Minister as that without which any can neither be a true nor lawful nor good Minister As for Letter-Learning we judge it not so much necessary to the well-being of one though accidentally sometimes in certain respects it may Concur but more frequently it is hurtful then helpful as appeared in the Example of Taulerus who being a Learned man A poor Laick Instructed the Learned Taulerus and who could make an Eloquent preaching needed nevertheless to be Instructed in the way of the Lord by a poor Laick I shall first speak of the Necessity of Grace and then proceed to say something of that Literature which they judge so needful First then as we said in the Call so may we much more here If the Proof I Grace of God be a necessary Qualification to make one a true Christian it must be a Qualification much more necessary to Constitute a true Minister of Christianity That Grace is necessary to make up a true Christian I think will not be questioned since it is By Grace we are saved Eph. 2.8 it is the Grace of God God's Grace alone doth constitute a true and lawful Teacher that teacheth us to deny ungodliness and the lusts of this World and to live godly and righteously Tit. 2.11 yea Christ saith expresly that Without him we can do nothing John 15.5 and the Way whereby Christ helpeth assisteth and worketh with us is by his Grace Hence saith he to Paul My Grace is sufficient for thee A Christian without Grace is indeed no Christian but an Hypocrite and a false pretender Then I say If Grace be necessary to a private Christian far more to a Teacher among Christians who must be as a Father and Instructer of others seeing this dignity is bestowed upon such as have attained a greater measure than their Brethren Even Nature it self may teach us that there is more required in a Teacher than in those that are Taught and that the Master must be above and before the Scholar in that Art or Science which he Teacheth others Since then Christianity cannot be truly enjoyed neither any man denominated a Christian without the true Grace of God Therefore neither can any man be a true nor lawful Teacher of Christianity without it Proof II Secondly No man can be a Minister of the Church of Christ which is his Body unless he be a Member of the Body and receive of the Virtue and Life of the Head Arg Who first must be a Member of the Body and then Life is receiv'd and Virtue from the Head But he that hath not true Grace can neither be a Member of the Body neither receive of that Life and Nourishment which comes from the Head Therefore far less can he be a Minister to Edify the Body That he cannot be a Minister who is not a Member is Evident because who is not a Member is shut out and cut-off and hath no place in the Body whereas the Ministers are counted among the most-Eminent Members of the Body But no man can be a Member unless he receive of the Virtue Life and Nourishment of the Head for the Members that receive not this life and nourishment decay and wither and then are Cut-off And that every true Member doth thus receive Nourishment and Life from the Head the Apostle Expresly affirmeth Eph. 4.16 From whom the whole body being fitly joined together and compacted by that which every Joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part makes Increase of the Body unto the edifying of it self in Love Now this that thus is Communicated and which thus uniteth the whole is no other than the Grace of God and therefore the Apostle in the same Chapter v. 7. affirms But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ and vers 11. he sheweth how that by this Grace and Gift both Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers are given for the work of the Ministry and edifying of the Body of Christ. And certainly no man destitute of this Grace is fit for this Work seeing that all that Christ gives are so qualified and those that are not so qualified are not given The Sheep of Christ nor ought nor will not hear the Stranger 's Voice nor sent of Christ and who are not given and sent of Christ are not to be heard nor received nor acknowledged as Ministers of the Gospel because his sheep neither ought nor will hear the voice of a Stranger This is also clear from 1 Cor. 12. throughout For the Apostle in that Chapter treating of the diversity of Gifts and Members of the Body sheweth how by the working of the same Spirit in different Manifestations or Measures in the several Members the whole Body is edified saying vers 13. That we are all baptized by the One Spirit into one Body and then vers 28. he numbers out the several Dispensations thereof which by God are set in the Church through the various Working of his Spirit for the Edification of the whole Then if there be no true Member of the Body which is not thus Baptized by this Spirit neither any thing that worketh to the Edifying of it but according to a measure of Grace received from the Spirit surely without Grace none ought to be admitted to work or labour in the Body because their labour and work without this Grace and Spirit would be but Ineffectual § XVI Thirdly That this Grace and Gift is a necessary Qualification to a Minister is clear from that of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 4.10 11. As every man hath received the Gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold Grace of God If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God if any man minister let him do it as of the Ability which God giveth that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever Amen From which it appears that those that Minister must Minister according to the Gift and Grace received but they that have not such a Gift The Ministring must be by Gift and Grace received cannot Minister according thereunto Secondly As good stewards of the manifold Grace of God But how can a man be a good steward of that which
preceeding the Reformation Before the Reformation the Prayers of the people were performed in the Latine Tongue the Knowledge of the Tongues being about that time until it was even then Restored by Erasmus and some others almost lost and Extinct And this Barbarity was so much the more Abominable that the whole Worship and Prayers of the people was in the Latine Tongue and among that vast Number of Priests Monks and Friars scarce one of a Thousand understood his Breviary or that Mass that he daily read and repeated the Scriptures being not only to the people but to the greater part of the Clergy even as to the Literal Knowledge of it as a Sealed Book I shall not at all discommend the Zeal that the first Reformers had against this Babylonish Darkness The Zeal and Endeavours of the first Reformers commended nor their pious Endeavours to Translate the Holy Scriptures but I do truly believe according to their Knowledge that they did it Candidly and therefore to answer the just desires of those that desire to Read them and for other very good Reasons as maintaining a Commerce and Vnderstanding among divers Nations by these Common Languages and other of that kind The Knowledge of Languages Commendable and Schools necessary we judge it Necessary and Commendable there be Publick Schools for the Teaching and Instructing Youth as are inclinable thereunto in the Languages All although that Papal Ignorance deserved justly to be abhorred and abominated we see nevertheless that the True Reformation consists not in that Knowledge because although since that time the Papists stirred up through Emulation of the Protestants have more applied themselves unto Literature and it now more flourisheth in their Vniversities and Cloysters than before especially in the Ignatian or Jesuitick Sect they are as far now as ever from a True Reformation and more obdured in their pernicious Doctrines The Papists Literature and Knowledge especially the Jesuites But all this will not make this a Necessary Qualification to a Minister far less a more necessary Qualification than the Grace of God and his Spirit because the Spirit and Grace of God can make up this Want in the most-Rustick and Ignorant but this Knowledge can no ways make up the Want of the Spirit in the most-Learned and Eloquent For all that The Spirit is the truest Interpreter of the Scriptures whether from the Original Languages or without them which man by his own Industry Learning and Knowledge in the Languages can Interpret of the Scriptures or find out is nothing without the Spirit he cannot be certain of it and may still miss of the sense of it but a poor man that knoweth not a Letter when he heareth the Scriptures read by the same Spirit he can say this is true and by the same Spirit he can understand open and interpret it if need be yea he finding his Condition to answer the Condition and Experience of the Saints of old knoweth and possesseth the Truths there delivered because they are sealed and witnessed in his own heart by the same Spirit And this we have plentiful Experience of in many of those Illiterate Men whom God hath raised up to be Ministers in his Church in this day so that some such by his Spirit have Corrected some of the Errors of the Translators as in the Third Proposition concerning the Scriptures I before observed Yea I know my self a poor Shoo-maker that cannot Read a word A poor Shoo-maker that could not read refutes a Professor of Divinity 's false Assertions from Scripture who being Assaulted with a false Citation of Scripture from a publick Professor of Divinity before the Magistrate of a City when he had been taken preaching to some few that came to hear him I say I know such a one and he yet liveth who though the Professor who also is esteemed a Learned Man constantly Asserted his saying to be a Scripture-Sentence yet affirmed not through any certain Letter-Knowledge he had of it but from the most certain Evidence of the Spirit in himself that the Professor lied and that the Spirit of God never said any such thing as the other affirmed and the Bible being brought it was found as the poor Shoo-maker had said § XX. The second part of their Literature is Logick and Philosophy 2. The Logick and Philosophy not needful to a Preacher an Art so little needful to a true Minister that if one that comes to be a true Minister hath had it it is safest for him to forget and lose it for it is the Root and Ground of all Contention and Debate and the way to make a thing a great deal Darker than Clearer For under the pretence of Regulating man's Reason into a certain Order and Rules that he may find out as they pretend the Truth it leads into such a Labyrinth of Contention as is far more fit to make a Sceptick than a Christian far less a Minister of Christ yea it often hinders man from a clear Vnderstanding of things that his own Reason would give him and therefore through its manifold Rules and divers Inventions it often gives occasion for a man that hath little Reason foolishly to speak much to no purpose Seeing a man that is not very Wise may notwithstanding be a perfect Logician and then if ye would make a man a fool to purpose that is not very Wise do but teach him Logick and Philosophy and whereas before he might have been fit for something he shall then be good for nothing but to speak Non-sense for these Notions will so swim in his head that they will make him extreamly Busie about nothing The Vse The Use of Logick is to see its Emptiness that Wise men and solid make of it is To see the EMPTINESS thereof therefore saith one It is an Art of Contention and Darkness by which all other Sciences are rendered more obscure and harder to be understood * Inst. If it be urged That thereby the Truth may be Maintained and Confirmed and Hereticks Confuted I answer The Truth in men truly Rational needeth not the Help thereof and such as are obstinate this will not Convince for by this they may learn twenty Tricks and Distinctions how to shut out the Truth and the Truth proceeding from an honest heart Answ. and spoken forth from the Vertue and Spirit of God will have more Influence and take sooner and more effectually than by a Thousand Demonstrations of Logick As that * Lucae Osiandri Epit. Hâ—st Eccles. lib. 2. cap. 5. Cent. 4. Heathen Philosopher acknowledged who disputing with the Christian †An Heathen-Philosopher disputing with the Bishops in the Council of Nice was Converted to the Christian Faith by an Ignorant Old Man whom they could not Bishops in the Council of Nice was so subtile that he could not be overcome by them but yet by a few words spoken by a simple old Rustick was presently Convinced by him
times are as full of the various Tragedies acted upon the account of this Spiritual and Ecclesiastick Monarchy and Common-wealth as the Histories of Old times that gave account of the Wars and Contests that fell out both in the Assyrian Persian Greek and Roman Empires These last upon this account though among those that are called Christians have been no less Bloody and Monstrous than the former among Heathens concerning their outward Empires and Governments The Ground and Cause thereof Now all this both among Rapists and Protestants proceedeth in that they seek in Imitation to uphold a Form and Shadow of things though they want the Power Vertue and Substance though for many of their Orders and Forms they have not so much as the Name in the Scripture But in Opposition to all this Mass of Formality and heap of Orders Rules and Governments we say the Substance is chiefly to be sought after and the Power Virtue and Spirit is to be known and waited for which is One in all the different Names and Offices the Scripture makes use of as appears by 1 Cor. 12.4 often before-mentioned There are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit And after the Apostle throughout the whole Chapt. hath shewn how one and the self same Spirit worketh in and quickneth each Member then in vers 28. he sheweth how thereby God hath set in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets Teachers c. And likewise to the same purpose Eph. 4.11 he sheweth how by these Gifts he hath given some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors some Teachers c. Now it was never Christ's purpose nor the Apostles that Christians should without this Spirit and Heavenly Gift set up a shadow and form of these Orders and so make several Ranks and Degrees to establish a Carnal Ministry of mens making without the Life Power and Spirit of Christ this is that Work of Anti-Christ and Mystery of Iniquity The Work of Antichrist and Mystery of Iniquity that hath got up in the dark night of Apostasy But in a true Church of Christ gathered together by God not only unto the belief of the Principles of Truth but also into the Power Life and Spirit of Christ the Spirit of God is the Orderer Ruler and Governour as in each particular so in the general And when they Assemble together to wait upon God and Worship and Adore him then such as the Spirit sets apart to the Ministry Such as the Spirit sets apart to the Ministry their brethren hear them by its Divine Power and Influence opening their mouths and giving them to Exhort Reprove and Instruct with virtue and power these are thus of God Ordained and Admitted into the Ministry and their Brethren cannot but hear them receive them and also honour them for their works sake And so this is not Monopolized to a certain kind of men as the Clergy who are to that purpose Educated and brought up The Clergy and Laicks as other Carnal Artists and the rest to be despised as Laicks but it is left to the free Gift of God to chuse any whom he seeth meet thereunto whether Rich or Poor Servant or Master Young or Old yea Male or * Women may preach Female And such as have this Call verifie the Gospel by preaching not in speech only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much fulness 1 Thess. 1.5 and cannot but be received and heard by the sheep of Christ. Object § XXV But if it be objected here That I seem hereby to make no distinction at all betwixt Ministers and others which is contrary to the Apostle saying 1 Cor. 12.29 Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers c. from thence they insinuate That I also Contradict his Comparison in that Chapter of the Church of Christ with a Humane Body as where he saith vers 17. If the whole Body were an Eye where were the Hearing If the whole were Hearing where were the Smelling c. Also the Apostle not only thus distinguisheth the Ministers of the Church in general from the rest of the Members but also among themselves as naming them distinctly and separately Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers c. Answ. 1 As to the last part of this Objection to which I shall first Answer it is apparent that this Diversity of Names is not for to distinguish separate Offices Diversity of Names makes no distinct Offices but which may Coincide or be together in one person but to denote the different and various Operations of the Spirit a manner of speech frequent with the Apostle Paul wherein he sometimes exspatiates to the illustrating of the glory and praise of God's Grace as in particular Rom. 12.6 Having then Gifts differing according to the Grace that is given to us whether Prophecy let us prophesie according to the proportion of faith Or Ministry let us wait on our Ministring or he that Teacheth on Teaching Or he that exhorteth on Exhortation Now none will say from all this that these are distinct Offices or do not or may not coincide in one person as may all these other things mentioned by him in the subsequent verses viz. of loving being kindly affectioned fervency of spirit hospitality diligence blessing rejoycing c. Which yet he numbers forth as different Gifts of the Spirit and according to this Objection might be placed as distinct and separate Offices which were most Absurd Secondly In these very places mentioned it is clear that it is no Real Distinction of separate Offices because all acknowledge that Pastors and Teachers which the Apostle there no less separateth and distinguisheth than Pastors and Prophets or Apostles are one and the same and Coincide in the same office and person and therefore so may be said of the rest For Prophecy as it signifieth the foretelling of things to come is indeed a distinct Gift but no distinct Office and therefore our Adversaries do not place it among their several Orders neither will they deny but that both may be and have been given of God to some Prophecy and Prophesying its twofold signification that not only have been Pastors and Teachers and that there it hath Coincided in one person with these other Offices but also to some of the Laicks and so it hath been found according to their own Concession without the Limits of their Clergy Prophecy in the other sense to wit as it signifieth a Speaking from the Spirit of Truth is not only peculiar to Pastors and Teachers To Prophesy a Priviledge of Teachers and of all the Saints who ought so to Prophesy but even a Common Priviledge to the Saints For though to Instruct Teach and Exhort be proper to such as are more particularly called to the Work of the Ministry yet it is not so Proper to them as not to be when the Saints are met together as any of them are moved by the Spirit Common to
can best bear witness to this for God having shewn us this Corrupt and Anti-Christian Ministry and called us out from it and gathered us unto his own Power and Life to be a Separate People so that we dare not Join with nor Hear these Anti-Christian Hirelings neither yet put into their mouths or feed them O! what Malice Envy and Fury hath this raised in their hearts against us That though we get none of their Wares neither will buy them as knowing them to be Nought yet will they force us to give them Money and because we cannot for Conscience sake do it our Sufferings have upon that account been Vnutterable Yea to give account of their Cruelty and several sorts of Inhumanity used against us would make no small History These Avaritious Hirelings have come to that degree of Malice and Rage that several poor labouring men have been carried hundreds of Miles from their own dwellings and shut up in prison some two some three yea some seven years together for the value of one pound sterling and less I know my self a poor Widow that for the Tithes of her Geese * A Widow for the Tithes of Geese about four years in prison which amounted not to five shillings was about four years kept in prison thirty miles from her house Yea they by Violence for this cause have plundered of mens goods the hundredfold and prejudiced much more yea hundreds have hereby spilt their Innocent blood by dying in the filthy noisom holes and prisons And some of the Priests have been so Inraged Some lost their Lives in nasty Holes some wounded by the Priest c that goods thus ravished could not satisfy them but they must also satisfy their fury by beating knocking and wounding with their hands Innocent men and women for refusing for Conscience sake to put into their Mouths The only way then soundly to Reform and remove all these Abuses and take away the Ground and Occasion of them is to take away all stinted and forced Maintenance and Stipend and seeing those Revenues were anciently given by the people that they Return again into the publick Treasure and thereby the people may be greatly benefited by them for that they may supply for these publick Taxations and Impositions that are put upon them and may Ease themselves of them And whoever Call or Appoint Teachers to themselves Whoso heap Teachers to themselves let them provide their Stipend let them accordingly Entertain them And for such as are Called and Moved to the Ministry by the Spirit of God those that receive them and tast of the good of their Ministry will no doubt provide things needful for them and there will be no need of a Law to force a Hire for them for he that sends them will take care for them and they also having Food and Raiment will therewith be Content The Difference between the Ministry of the Quakers and their Adversaries § XXXIII The Sum then of what is said is That the Ministry that we have pleaded for and which also the Lord hath raised up among us is in all its parts like the true Ministry of the Apostles and Primitive Church Whereas the Ministry our Adversaries seek to uphold and plead for as it doth in all its parts differ from them so on the other hand it is very like the false Prophets and Teachers testified against and condemned in the Scripture as may be thus briefly Illustrated 1. The true Ministers Call 1. The Ministry and Ministers we plead for are such as are Immediately called and sent forth by Christ and his Spirit unto the Work of the Ministry so were the holy Apostles and Prophets as appears by these places Matth. 10. verse 1.5 Eph. 4.11 Heb. 5.4 1. But the Ministry and Ministers our Opposers plead for are such as have no Immediate Call from Christ to whom the Leading and Motion of the Spirit is not reckoned necessary but who are called sent forth and ordained by wicked and ungodly men Such were of old the false Prophets and Teachers as appears by these places Jer. 14.14 15. item Chap. 23.21 and 27.15 2. True Ministers Guide 2. The Ministers we plead for are such as are acted and led by God's Spirit and by the Power and Operation of his Grace in their hearts are in some measure Converted and Regenerate and so are good holy and gracious men Such were the Holy Prophets and Apostles as appears from 1 Tim. 3.2 3 4 5 6. Tit. 1.7 8 9. 2. But the Ministers our Adversaries plead for are such to whom the Grace of God is no needful qualification and so may be true Ministers according to them though they be ungodly unholy and profligate men Such were the false Prophets and Apostles as appears from Mic. 3.5 11. 1 Tim. 6.5 6 7 8 c. 2 Tim. 3.2 2 Pet. 2.1 2 3. 3. True Ministers Work 3. The Ministers we plead for are such as act move and labour in the Work of the Ministry not from their own meer natural Strength and Ability but as they are acted moved under-propped assisted and influenced by the Spirit of Christ and minister according to the Gift received as good stewards of the manifold Grace of God Such were the holy Prophets and Apostles 1 Pet. 4.10 11. 1 Cor. 1.17 1 Cor. 2.3 4 5 13. Act. 2.4 Matth. 10.20 Mark 13.11 Luk. 12. v. 12. 1 Cor. 13.2 3. But the Ministers our Adversaries plead for are such as wait not for nor expect nor need the Spirit of God to Act and Move them in the Work of the Ministry but what they do they do from their own meer natural strength and ability and what they have gathered and stolen from the letter of the Scripture and other Books and so speak it forth in the strength of their own Wisdom and Eloquence and not in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and of Power Such were the false Prophets and Apostles as appears Jer. 23.30 31 32 34 c. 1 Cor. 4.18 Jude 16. 4. The Ministers we plead for are such as being holy and humble True Ministers Humility Contend not for Precedency and Priority but rather strive to prefer one another and serve one another in love neither desire to be distinguished from the rest by their Garments and large Phylacteries nor seek the Greetings in the Market-places nor uppermost Rooms at Feasts nor the Chief Seats in the Synagogues nor yet to be called of men MASTER c. Such were the holy Prophets and Apostles as appears from Matth. 23.8 9 10. and 20.25 26 27. 4. But the Ministers our Adversaries plead for are such as strive and contend for Superiority and claim Precedency over one another affecting and ambitiously seeking after the fore-mentioned things Such were the false Prophets and Apostles in time past Matth. 23.5 6 7. 5. The Ministers we plead for are such as having freely received True Ministers Free Gift freely give
who covet no man's silver gold or garments who seek no man's goods but seek them and the Salvation of their Souls whose hands supply their own necessities working honestly for Bread to themselves and their Families And if at any time they be called of God so as the Work of the Lord hinder them from the use of their Trades take what is freely given them by such to whom they have communicated Spirituals and having Food and Raiment are therewith content Such were the holy Prophets and Apostles as appears from Matth. 10.8 Act. 20.33 34 35. 1 Tim. 6.8 5. But the Ministers our Adversaries plead for are such as not having freely received will not freely give but are Covetous doing that which they ought not for filthy lucre's sake as to preach for Hire and divine for Money and look for their gain from their Quarter and prepare War against such as put not into their Mouths c. Greedy dogs which can never have enough Shepherds who feed themselves and not the flock eating the fat and cloathing themselves with the Wool making Merchandize of Souls and following the Way of Balaam that loved the Wages of Vnrighteousness Such were the false Prophets and Apostles Isa. 56.11 Ezech. 34.2 3 8. Mic. 3.5 11. Tit. 1.10 11. 2 Pet. 2. verses 1 2 3 14 15. And in a word We are for a holy Spiritual pure and living Ministry True Ministers Life and Qualification where the Ministers are both called qualified and ordered acted and influenced in all the steps of their Ministry by the Spirit of God which being wanting we judge they Cease to be the Ministers of Christ. But they judging this Life Grace and Spirit no Essential part of their Ministry are therefore for the upholding of an humane carnal dry barren fruitless and dead Ministry of which alas we have seen the fruits in the most part of their Churches of whom that saying of the Lord is certainly verified Jer. 23.32 I sent them not nor commanded them therefore they shall not profit this people at all saith the LORD PROPOSITION XI Prop. 11 Concerning Worship All true and acceptable Worship to God is offered in the inward and immediate moving and drawing of his own Spirit What the true Worship is that is Acceptable to God which is neither limited to places times nor persons For though we be to worship him always and that we are continually to Fear before him yet as to the outward signification thereof in Prayers Praises or Preachings we ought not to do it in our own will where and when we will but where and when we are moved thereunto by the stirring and secret Inspiration of the Spirit of God in our hearts How to be performed which God heareth and accepteth of and is never wanting to move us thereunto when need is of which he himself is the alone proper Judge All other Worship then both praises prayers or preachings Superstition and Will-worship which man sets about in his own Will and at his own Appointment which he can both begin and end at his pleasure do or leave undone as himself seeth meet whether they be a prescribed Form as a Liturgy c. or prayers conceived extempore by the natural strength and faculty of the mind they are all but Superstitions Will-Worship and abominable Idolatry in the sight of God Idolatry which are now to be denied and rejected and separated from in this day of his Spiritual Arising However it might have pleased him who winked at the Times of Ignorance with a respect to the Simplicity and Integrity of some and of his own innocent Seed which lay as it were buried in the hearts of men under that Mass of Superstition to blow upon the dead and dry bones and to raise some Breathings of his own and Answer them and that until the Day should more clearly dawn and break forth § I. THE Duty of man towards God lieth chiefly in these Two Generals 1. In an holy Conformity to the pure Law and Light of God so as both to forsake the evil and be found in the practice of these perpetual and moral precepts of righteousness and equity And 2. In rendering that Reverence Honour and Adoration to God that he requires and demands of us which is comprehended under Worship Of the former we have already spoken as also of the different Relations of Christians as they are distinguished by the several measures of Grace received and given to every one and in that respect have their several Offices in the body of Christ which is the Church Now I come to speak of Worship or of those Acts whether private or publick general or particular whereby man renders to God that part of his Duty which relates immediately to him And as Obedience is better than Sacrifice so neither is any Sacrifice acceptable but that which is done according to the Will of him to whom it is offered But men finding it Easier to sacrifice in their own wills than obey God's Will have heaped up Sacrifices without Obedience and thinking to deceive God as they do one another True Worship and Duty to God-ward Corrupted give him a shew of Reverence Honour and Worship while they are both inwardly estranged and alienated from his holy and righteous life and wholly strangers to the pure Breathings of his Spirit in which the acceptable Sacrifice and Worship is only offered up Hence it is that there is not any thing relating to Man's Duty towards God which among all sorts of people hath been more Vitiated and in which the Devil hath more prevailed than in abusing man's mind concerning this thing and as among many others so among those called Christians nothing hath been more out of order and more Corrupted as some Papists and all Protestants do acknowledge As I freely Approve whatsoever the Protestants have Reformed from Papists in this respect so I meddle not at this time with their Controversies about it only it suffices me with them to deny as no part of the true Worship of God that abominable Superstition and Idolatry the Popish Mass The Popish Mass Idolatry deny'd with all their Trumpery the Adoration of Saints and Angels the Veneration of Relicks the Visitation of Sepulchres and all these other superstitious Ceremonies Confraternities and endless Pilgrimages of the Romish Synagogue Which all may suffice to Evince to Protestants that Anti-Christ hath wrought more in this than in any other part of the Christian Religion and so it concerns them narrowly to Consider whether herein they have made a clear and perfect Reformation If Protestants have made a perfect Reformation as to which stands the Controversie betwixt them and us For we find many of the branches lopped off by them but the Root yet remaining to wit a Worship acted in and from man's will and spirit and not by and from the Spirit of God for the true Christian and Spiritual Worship of God hath been so
readily to Wait that he might Answer the King when he speaks and have his Eye upon him to observe the least Motions and Inclinations of his Will and to do accordingly would be still deafening him with Discourse though it were in praises of him and running to and fro without any particular and immediate Order to do things that perhaps might be good in themselves or might have been Commanded at other times to others Would the Kings of the Earth accept of such Servants or Service Since then we are Commanded to Wait upon God diligently and in so doing it is promised that our Strength shall be renewed this Waiting cannot be performed but by a Silence To Wait in Silence or Cessation of the natural part on our side since God manifests himself not to the outward man or senses so much as to the inward to wit to the Soul and Spirit If the Soul be still thinking and working in her own Will The thinking busie Soul excludes the Voice of God and busily exercised in her own Imaginations though the matters as in themselves may be good concerning God yet thereby she incapacitates her self from discerning the still small Voice of the Spirit and so hurts her self greatly in that she neglects her Chief Business of Waiting upon the Lord. Nothing less than if I should busie my self crying out and speaking of a Business while in the mean time I neglect to hear one who is quietly Whispering into my Ear and informing me in these things which are most needful for me to hear and know concerning that Business And since it is the Chief Work of a Christian to know the natural Will in its own proper motions Crucified that God may both move in the Act and in the Will the Lord chiefly regards this profound Subjection and Self-denial For some men please themselves as much and gratify their own sensual Wills and Humours in high and curious Speculations of Religion Religious Speculations affecting a Name and Reputation that way or because those things by Custom or other ways are become pleasant and habitual to them though not a whit more Regenerated or inwardly Sanctified in their Spirits Sensual Recreations as others gratify their Lusts in Actions of Sensuality and therefore both are alike hurtful to men and sinful in the sight of God it being nothing but the meer Fruit and Effect of man's natural and unrenewed Will and Spirit Yea should one as many no doubt do from a sense of sin and fear of punishment seek to terrify themselves from Sin by multiplying thoughts of Death Hell and Judgment and by presenting to their Imaginations the Happiness and Joys of Heaven The Thoughts of Death and Hell to keep out sin are Fig-leaves and also by multiplying Prayers and other Religious Performances as these things could never deliver him from one Iniquity without the secret and inward Power of God's Spirit and Grace so would they signifie no more than the Fig-leaves wherewith Adam thought to cover his Nakedness And seeing it is only the Product of man's own natural Will proceeding from a Self-Love and seeking to save himself and not arising purely from that Divine Seed of Righteousness which is given of God to all for Grace and Salvation it is Rejected of God and no ways acceptable unto him since the natural man as natural while he stands in that State is with all his Arts Parts and Actings Reprobated by him This great Duty then of Waiting upon God must needs be exercised in man's denying self both inwardly and outwardly Denial of ones self in a still and meer dependence upon God in abstracting from all the Workings Imaginations and Speculations of his own mind that being emptied as it were of himself and so throughly Crucified to the natural products thereof he may be fit to Receive the Lord who will have no Copartner nor Corrival of his Glory and Power And man being thus stated the little Seed of Righteousness which God hath planted in his Soul and Christ hath purchased for him even the measure of Grace and Life which is burthened and crucified by man's natural thoughts and imaginations receives a place to arise and becometh a holy Birth and geniture in man The Holy Birth and is that Divine Air in and by which man's Soul and Spirit comes to be leavened And by Waiting therein he comes to be accepted in the sight of God to stand in his presence hear his Voice and observe the Motions of his Holy Spirit And so man's place is to Wait in this and as hereby there are any Objects presented to his mind concerning God or things relating to Religion his Soul may be exercised in them without hurt and to the great profit both of himself and others because those things have their rise not from his own Will but from God's Spirit And therefore as in the arisings and movings of this his mind is still to be exercised in thinking and meditating so also in the more obvious acts of preaching and praying No Quakers are against a Meditating Mind From Nature's Thoughts all Errors rise we find And so it may hence appear we are not against Meditation as some have sought falsly to infer from our Doctrine but we are against the thoughts and imaginations of the natural man in his own Will from which all Errors and Heresies concerning the Christian Religion in the whole World have proceeded But if it please God at any time when one or more are Waiting upon him not to present such Objects as gives them occasion to exercise their Minds in Thoughts and Imaginations but purely to keep them in this holy Dependence and as they persist therein to cause his secret Refreshment and the pure Incomes of his holy Life to flow in upon them then they have good reason to be Content because by this as we know by good and blessed Experience the Soul is more strengthened renewed and confirmed in the love of God and armed against the Power of sin than any ways else The Soul Renew'd by what the holy Life of God this being a Foretaste of that real and sensible Enjoyment of God which the Saints in Heaven daily possess which God frequently affords to his Children here for their Comfort and Encouragement especially when they are Assembled together to Wait upon him § XI For there are Two contrary Powers or Spirits to wit Whatever Man does Act without the power of God is not Accepted the Power and Spirit of this World in which the Prince of Darkness bears rule and over as many as are acted by it and work from it and the Power or Spirit of God in which God worketh and beareth rule and over as many as Act in and from it So whatever be the things that a man thinketh of or acteth in however Spiritual or Religious as to the notion or form of them so long as he acteth and moveth in the natural and corrupt
time since to meet at set times and places seems to be an Outward Observation and Ceremony contrary to what ye at other times Assert Answ. I Answer first To meet at set times and places is not any Religious Act or part of Worship in it self but only an outward Coveniency necessary for our seeing one another Publick Meetings their Vse and its Reason Asserted so long as we are cloathed with this outward Tabernacle and therefore our Meeting at set times and places is not a part of our Worship but a preparatory Accommodation of our outward man in order to a publick visible Worship since we set not about the Visible Acts of Worship when we Meet together until we be led thereunto by the Spirit of God Secondly God hath seen meet so long as his Children are in this World to make use of the outward Senses not only as a means to Convey Spiritual Life as by speaking praying praising c. which cannot be done to mutual Edification but when we hear and see one another but also for to entertain an outward visible Testimony for his Name in the World He causeth the Inward Life which is also many times not conveyed by the outward Senses the more to abound when his Children Assemble themselves diligently together to Wait upon him that as Iron sharpeneth Iron so the seeing of the Face one of another Prov. 27. v. 17. when both are inwardly gathered unto the Life giveth occasion for the Life secretly to arise and pass from Vessel to Vessel And as many Candles lighted and put in one place do greatly augment the light and make it more to shine forth so when many are gathered together into the same Life there is more of the Glory of God and his Power appears to the Refreshment of each Individual for that he partakes not only of the Light and Life raised in himself but in all the rest And therefore Christ hath particularly promised a Blessing to such as Assemble together in his Name seeing he will be in the midst of them Matth. 18.20 and the Author to the Hebrews doth precisely prohibit the Neglect of this Duty as being of very dangerous and dreadful Consequence in these words Heb. 10.24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works Assembling of our selves is not to be neglected not forsaking the Assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sins And therefore the Lord hath shewn that he hath a particular Respect to such as thus Assemble themselves together because that thereby a publick Testimony for him is upheld in the Earth and his Name is thereby glorified and therefore such as are right in their Spirits are naturally drawn to keep the Meetings of God's People and never want a Spiritual Influence to lead them thereunto And if any do it in a meer Customary Way they will no doubt suffer Condemnation for it Yet cannot the Appointing of Places and Times be accounted a Ceremony and Observation done in man's Will in the Worship of God seeing none can say that it is an Act of Worship but only a meer presenting of our Persons in order to it as is above-said Which that it was practised by the Primitive Church and Saints all our Adversaries do acknowledge Lastly some object That this manner of Worship in Silence is not to Object 3 be found in all the Scripture I Answer We make not Silence to be the sole matter of our Worship Answ. since as I have above said there are many Meetings In Waiting for the Spirits Guidance Selence is supposed which are seldom if ever altogether Silent some or other are still moved either to preach pray and praise and so in this our Meetings cannot be but like the Meetings of the Primitive Churches recorded in Scripture since our Adversaries confess that they did preach and pray by the Spirit And then what Absurdity is it to suppose that at some times the Spirit did not move them to these outward Acts and that then they were Silent since we may well conclude they did not speak until they were moved and so no doubt had sometimes Silence Act. 2.1 before the Spirit came upon them it is said They were all with one accord in one place and then it is said The Spirit suddenly came upon them but no mention is made of any one speaking at that time and I would willingly know what Absurdity our Adversaries can infer should we conclude they were a while Silent But if it be urged Inst. That a whole Silent Meeting cannot be found in Scripture I Answer Supposing such a thing were not recorded Answ. it will not therefore follow that it is not lawful seeing it naturally followeth from other Scripture-Precepts as we have proved this doth For seeing the Scripture commands to Meet together and when Met Silent Meetings are proved from Scripture and Reason the Scripture prohibits prayers or preachings but as the Spirit moveth thereunto if people Meet together and the Spirit move not to such Acts it will necessarily follow that they must be Silent But further there might have been many such things among the Saints of Old though not recorded in Scripture and yet we have enough in Scripture signifying that such things were For Job sate silent seven days with his Friends together Here was a Long Silent Meeting See also Ezra c. 9.4 and Ezechiel c. 1.14 and 20.1 Thus having shewn the Excellency of this Worship proved it from Scripture and Reason and answered the Objections which are commonly made against it which though it might suffice to the Explanation and Probation of our Proposition yet I shall add something more particularly of Preaching Praying and Singing and so proceed to the following Proposition I. What reaching is with Protestants and Papists A studied Talk an hour or two § XVIII Preaching as it 's used both among Papists and Protestants is for One Man to take some Place or Verse of Scripture and thereon speak for an hour or two what he hath studied and premeditated in his Closet and gathered together from his own Inventions or from the Writings and Observations of others and then having got it by heart as a School-boy doth his Lesson he brings it forth and repeats it before the People And how much the fertiler and stronger a Man's Invention is and the more industrious and laborious he is in Collecting such Observations and can utter them with the Excellency of Speech and Humane Eloquence so much the more is he accounted an Able and Excellent Preacher To this we Oppose that when the Saints are met together and every one gathered to the Gift and Grace of God in themselves True Preaching by the Spirit he that Ministreth being acted thereunto by the arising of the Grace in himself ought to speak forth
what the Spirit of God furnisheth him with not minding the Eloquence and Wisdom of Words but the Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power and that either in the Interpreting some part of Scripture in case the Spirit which is the good Remembrancer lead him so to do or otherwise Words of Exhortation Advice Reproof and Instruction or the sense of some Spiritual Experiences all which will still be agreeable to the Scripture though perhaps not relative to nor founded upon any particular Chapter or Verse as a Text. Now let us Examine and Consider which of these two sorts of Preaching be most agreeable to the Precepts and Practice of Christ and his Apostles and the Primitive Church recorded in Scripture For First as to their Preaching upon a Text if it were not meerly Customary or Premeditated but done by the Immediate Motion of the Spirit we should not blame it but to do it as they do there is neither Precept nor Practice that ever I could observe in the New Testament as a part of the Instituted Worship thereof Object But they Alledge That Christ took the Book of Isaiah and Read out of it and Spake there-from and that Peter preached from a sentence of the Prophet Joel Answ. I Answer That Christ and Peter did it not but as Immediately acted and moved thereunto by the Spirit of God and that without Premeditation 1. Christ's and Peter's speaking was not by Premeditation which I suppose our Adversaries will not deny in which case we willingly approve of it But what is this to their Customary Conned Way without either Waiting for or expecting the Movings or Leadings of the Spirit Moreover that neither Christ nor Peter did it as a settled Custom or Form to be constantly practised by all the Ministers of the Church appears in that most of all the Sermons recorded by Christ and his Apostles in Scripture were without this as appears from Christ's Sermon upon the Mount Matth. 5.1 c. Mark 4.1 c. and Paul's Preaching to the Athenians and to the Jews c. As then it appears that this Method of preaching is not grounded upon any Scripture-precept so the Nature of it is contrary to the preaching of Christ under the New Covenant as exprest and recommended in Scripture For Christ in sending forth his Disciples expresly mentioneth that they are not to speak of or from themselves or to fore-cast before hand but that which the Spirit in the same hour shall teach them as is particularly mentioned in the Three Evangelists Matth. 10.20 Mark 13.11 Luke 12.12 Now if Christ gave this Order to his Disciples before he departed from them as that which they were to practise during his Abode outwardly with them much more were they to do it after his Departure since then they were more specially to receive the Spirit to lead them in all things and to bring all things to their remembrance Joh. 14.26 And if they were to do so when they appeared before the Magistrates and Princes of the Earth much more in the Worship of God when they stand specially before him seeing as it is above shewn his Worship is to be performed in Spirit and therefore after their receiving of the Holy Ghost it is said Acts 2.4 They spake as the Spirit gave them Vtterance not what they studied and gathered from Books in their Closets in a premeditated Way Franciscus Lambertus before cited speaketh well Franc. Lambertus his Testimony against the Priests studied Inventions and Figments and sheweth their Hypocrisy Tract 5. of Prophecy Chap. 3. saying Where are they now that glory in their Inventions who say A brave Invention A brave Invention This they call Invention which themselves have made up but what have the Faithful to do with such kind of Inventions It is not Figments nor yet Inventions that we will have but things that are Solid Invincible Eternal and Heavenly not which men have Invented but which God hath Revealed for if we believe the Scripture our Invention profiteth nothing but to provoke God to our Ruine And afterwards Beware saith he that thou determine not precisely to speak what before thou hast meditated whatsoever it be for though it be lawful to determine the Text which thou art to Expound yet not at all the Interpretation lest if thou so dost thou take from the Holy Spirit that which is his to wit to direct thy speech that thou may'st prophesy in the Name of the Lord denuded of all Learning Meditation and Experience and as if thou hadst studied nothing at all committing thy heart thy tongue and thy self wholly unto his Spirit and trusting nothing to thy former studying or meditation but saying with thy self in great confidence of the Divine promise The Lord will give a word with much power unto those that preach the Gospel But above all things be careful thou follow not the manner of Hypocrites who have written almost word by word what they are to say as if they were to Repeat some Verses upon a Theatre have learned all their preaching as they do that act Tragedies And afterward when they are in the place of prophesying pray the Lord to direct their Tongue but in the mean time shutting up the way of the Holy Spirit they determine to say nothing but what they have written O unhappy kind of Prophets yea and truly Cursed which depend not upon God's Spirit but upon their own Writings or Meditation Why prayest thou to the Lord thou false Prophet to give thee his Holy Spirit by which thou mayâ—st speak things profitable and yet thou repell'st the Spirit Why prefer'st thou thy Meditation or study to the Spirit of God otherwise why committ'st thou not thy self to the Spirit § XIX Secondly This manner of Preaching as used by them 2. The words man's Wisdom brings beget not Faith considering that they also affirm That it may be and often is performed by men who are Wicked or void of true Grace Cannot only not Edify the Church nor beget or nourish true Faith but is destructive to it being directly contrary to the nature of the Christian and Apostolick Ministry mentioned in the Scriptures For the Apostles preached the Gospel not in the Wisdom of words lest the Cross of Christ should be of none effect 1 Cor. 1.17 But this Preaching not being done by the actings and movings of God's Spirit but by man's Invention and Eloquence in his own will and through his natural and acquired parts and Learning is in the Wisdom of words and therefore the Cross of Christ is thereby made of none effect The Apostles Speech and Preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power That the Faith of their Hearers should not stand in the Wisdom of men but in the Power of God 1 Cor. 2.3 4 5. But this preaching having nothing of the Spirit and Power in it both the Preachers and Hearers confessing they Wait for
they did in the two places above-cited Alleg. II Secondly they say If this were not understood of Water-baptism it would be a Tautology and all one with Teaching How Teaching and Baptising differ I say Nay Baptizing with the Spirit is somewhat further than Teaching or Informing the Vnderstanding for it imports a Reaching to and melting the Heart whereby it is turned as well as the Vnderstanding informed Besides we find often in the Scripture that Teaching and Instructing are put together without any Absurdity or needless Tautology and yet these two have a greater Affinity than teaching and baptizing with the Spirit Alleg. III Thirdly they say Baptism in this Place must be understood with Water because it is the Action of the Apostles and so cannot be the Baptism of the Spirit which is the work of Christ and his Grace not of Man c. Answ. I Answer Baptism with the Spirit tho' not wrought without Christ and his Grace is Instrumentally done by Men fitted of God for that purpose and therefore no Absurdity follows The Baptism with the Spirit Ascrib'd to Godly Men as Instruments that Baptism with the Spirit should be expressed as the Action of the Apostles for tho' it be Christ by his Grace that gives Spiritual Gifts yet the Apostle Rom. 1.11 speaks of his Imparting to them Spiritual Gifts and he tells the Corinthians that he had begotten them through the Gospel 1 Cor. 4.15 And yet to beget People unto the Faith is the work of Christ and his Grace not of Men. To Convert the Heart is properly the Work of Christ and yet the Scripture oftentimes ascribes it to Men as being the Instruments And since Paul's Commission was To turn People from Darkness to Light tho' that be not done without Christ co-operating by his Grace so may also baptizing with the Spirit be expressed as performable by Man as the Instrument tho the Work of Christ's Grace be needful to concur thereunto so that it is no Absurdity to say that the Apostles did Administer the Baptism of the Spirit Alleg. IV Lastly they say That since Christ saith here that he will be with his Disciples to the end of the World therefore Water-baptism must continue so long If he had been speaking here of Water-baptism then that might have been urged Answ. but seeing that is denied and proved to be false nothing from thence can be gathered He speaking of the Baptism of the Spirit which we freely confess doth remain to the End of the World yea so long as Christ's Presence abideth with his Children Object III § IX Thirdly they Object the Constant Practice of the Apostles in the Primitive Church who they say did always Administer Water-baptism to such as they Converted to the Faith of Christ And hence also they further urge that of Matth. 28. to have been meant of Water or else the Apostles did not understand it in that in baptizing they used Water or that in so doing they walked without a Commission I Answer That it was the Constant Practice of the Apostles is denied for we have shewen in the Example of Paul that it was not so since it were most absurd to judge that he Converted only these few even of the Church of Corinth whom he saith he baptized nor were it less absurd to think that that was a constant Apostolick Practice which he that was not inferior to the Chiefest of the Apostles and who declares he laboured as much as they all rejoyceth he was so little in But further the Conclusion inferred from the Apostles Practice of baptizing with Water to evince How the Apostles Baptized that they understood Matth. 28. of Water-baptism doth not hold for tho they baptized with Water it will not follow that either they did it by vertue of that Commission or that they mistook that place nor can there be any Medium brought that will infer such a Conclusion As to the other insinuated Absurdity That they did it without a Commission It is none at all for they might have done it by a Permission as being in use before Christ's Death and because the people nursed up with Outward Ceremonies could not be weaned wholly from them And thus they used other things as Circumcision and legal Purifications which yet they had no Commission from Christ to do to which we shall speak more at length in the following Proposition concerning the Supper But if from the Sameness of the Word because Christ bids them baptize Object and they afterwards in the Vse of Water are said to baptize it be judged probable that they did understand that Commission Matth. 28. to authorize them to baptize with Water and accordingly practised it Altho' it should be granted that for a season they did so far mistake it Answ. as to judge that Water belonged to that Baptism which however I find no necessity of granting yet I see not any great Absurdity would thence follow For it is plain they did mistake that Commission as to a main part of it for a Season as where he bids them Go teach all Nations since some time after they judged it unlawful to Teach the Gentiles yea Peter himself scrupled it until by a Vision constrained thereunto for which after he had done it he was for a season until they were better informed judged by the rest of his Brethren Now if the Education of the Apostles The Apostles did scruple the Teaching the Gentiles as Jews and their Propensity to adhere and stick to the Jewish Religion did so far influence them that even after Christ's Resurrection and the pouring forth of the Spirit they could not receive nor admit of the Teaching of the Gentiles tho' Christ in his Commission to them commanded them to Preach to them what further Absurdity were it to suppose that through the like Mistake the Chiefest of them having been the Disciples of John and his Baptism being so much prized there among the Jews that they also took Christ's Baptism intended by him of the Spirit to be that of Water which was John's and accordingly practised it for a season it suffices us that if they were so mistaken tho' I say not that they were so they did not always remain under that Mistake else Peter would not have said of the Baptism which now says that it is not a putting away of the filth of the flesh which certainly Water-baptism is But further they urge much Peter's baptising Cornelius in which they press two things First That Water-baptism is used even to those that had received the Spirit Secondly That it is said positively he commanded them to be baptized Acts 10.47 48. But neither of these doth necessarily infer Water-baptism to belong to the New Covenant-Dispensation nor yet to be a Perpetual standing Ordinance in the Church Whether Peter's Baptizing some with Water makes it a standing Ordinance to the Church For first all that this will amount to was That Peter at that
without any real Proof For it is a Truth That no Scripture-Truth can be savingly believed but by the Illumination of the Spirit which is Objective In Paragraph 28. they think to evade G. K. his Argument That we have Inspiration because all Men have it that then Papists Mahumetans Pagans and Men bodily possessed have Inspiration which we do affirm viz. That these have it so far as to Convince them and is sufficient to be a Law of Condemnation and render them without Excuse for their Sin and this all Men have not only within their Day but after their Day of Visitation is expired But as to their imposed Glosses and Senses which they say their Divines have already vindicated on these Scriptures cited by G. K. for Vniversal Grace and Inspiration as they refer us to their Divines so we refer them to our Friends and our Books where their silly and weak Reasons are answered against this Gospel-Truth As for the Word EVERY we acknowledge it is not taken always Vniversally but seeing it is taken so most frequently it lieth on them to prove that it is otherwise taken in the Places cited Before we close the Answer to this Subsection Revelations self-evident we propose further unto the Reader these Two Considerations 1. That when we say Inward Divine Revelations in the Seed are self-evident we do not mean it always in respect of the Material Objects of things Revealed but in respect of the Formal Object or Revelation it self 2. Although we affirm That the Illumination and Influence of the Spirit in Men's Hearts is both Effective and Objective yet we do not affirm That they are two distinct Things but one and the same thing under different Respects so that we do not plead for another Influence than that which in Words they seem to grant But we say it is a more Excellent Thing than they acknowledge it to be as being in it self perceptible and having a self-Evidence whereas they will have it only a Medium incognitum a thing altogether undiscernible and in-evident of it self so as to convince or satisfy the Understanding that it is of God And thus according to our Adversaries Sense and upon their Principle this Inward Illumination of the Spirit may be said to be Fallacious for want of Evidence seeing according to their own Argument That which hath not a sufficient Evidence is fallacious But whereas the Students in their Account grant in Words That the Soul hath Spiritual Sensations and that the Work of Grace may be felt This Confession destroyeth their whole Superstructure For if the Work of Grace can be felt or is perceptible then it is Objective for whatever is perceptible is objective And seeing they grant That the Soul hath Spiritual Sensations we ask them What are the Objects of the Sensations Are they only Words and Letters or Things such as God himself in his heavenly Refreshings Waterings and Bedewings If the first it is most unreasonable for it would make the Spiritual Senses to fall short of the Natural seeing the Natural Senses reach beyond Words to Natural Things themselves If the Second they must needs with us acknowledge inward objective Revelations for by them we understand no other thing but as God and the things of His Kingdom are felt in us by way of Object SECTION II. Where the Students Chief Argument against the Spirit 's being the Rule is proved to be one upon the Matter with that the Jesuit Dempster used against their Master J. M. and the same way answered and their Weak Endeavours to evite it Examined and Refuted THere hath enough been said heretofore to demonstrate the Fallacies in the Form of their Arguments in which also it resembled the Jesuits which to avoid Repetition we shall now omit Their Medium against us is That we cannot give an Evidence of our being led by the Spirit but that which may be as good an Evidence for Hereticks Hereticks Pretences to the Spirit For thus they word it in their Account alledging We wronged them in saying They used the Words which Hereticks may pretend to yet abstracting from this false Charge we shall take it as they now express it being indeed Equivalent To prove that it may be as good an Evidence for Hereticks they make J. L. argue thus Other Hereticks declare and say they have the Spirit of God teaching them as well as you Therefore if your saying you were so taught were a sufficient Evidence c. Then their declaring c. Now let the Reader judge whether this Argument amounts to any thing more then that That is not a sufficient Evidence to the Quakers which other Hereticks may pretend to Thus the Students dispute against the Quakers let us hear how the Jesuit disputes against J. M. their Master Pap. Lucifug pag. 3. after the Jesuit hath repeated his Argument he adds May it please the Answerer of this Syllogism to remember That the Ground or Principle which he shall produce to prove the Truth of his Religion must have this Property that it cannot serve nor be assumed to prove a false Religion as the Grounds and Principles that one produceth to prove that he is an Honest Man must have this Property that it cannot serve nor be assumed to prove a Knave to be an honest Man c. Let the judicious Reader consider whether there be any material difference betwixt these two Argumentations But to proceed and shew that their Arguments are no better than the Jesuits against their Master and our Answers no worse than their Master 's against the Jesuit we shall place them together J. M. Answereth the Jesuit thus pag. 5. of his Pap. Lucifugus The true Religion hath sufficient grounds in it self to manifest it self to be the true Religion if it meet with a well disposed Intellect For to use your own Similitude an honest Man may have ground enough to shew a distinction betwixt him and a Knave albeit a Fool cannot discern it so the true Religion may have ground enough to prove it self True which the false Religion hath not though an Infidel or Heretick whose foolish mind is darkned Rom. 1.21 cannot take it up Our Answer to the Students as themselves acknowledge it pag. 59. is J. M 's Answer to the Jesuit compared with ours That the Evidence of the Spirit cannot be assigned but to the well-disposed Vnderstanding this they call a pitiful Subterfuge alledging that then this Evidence can only be assigned to such as are of the Quaker's mind but not to others and that any Heretick in the World may deny Evidences upon the same account Now let the judicious Reader determine whether if this Answer be a pitiful Subterfuge the Students with the same Breath do not declare their Master 's to the Jesuit to be the same And when they write next let them shew the difference which they have not yet done In answer to this Retortion they alledge pag. 67. That R. B. said their
Words as he will draw Consequences at pleasure and make to himself what Monsters best please his Fancy or like his Humour best to batter And yet he cannot find in it by all his Perverting enough to make us so black as he would have us so that he is often times Constrain'd to Fish for this by citing the Writings of some that have writ against us and brings us up some of their Old Thread bare Calumnys long ago answered by us In which his Injustice shall be afterwards observed And so he being thus furnished can the more easily Abuse especially while he is almost secure that the generality of those he writes to are such as will not Call in Question as to the Truth of it what is said by one Esteemed by them A pretious and gracious Minister and Sufferer for the good Cause to boot But blessed be God! the Number of such Implicite Believers groweth daily less and many that had wont to do other-wise begin to love to see with their own Eyes and not to pin their Faith so much upon the Clergy's Sleeve as they had used formerly to do For this cause had I had to do only with the more Judicious and Learned who could have well understood the Latine Edition I should have thought my self the less Concerned to have said any thing to this Answer But knowing that his may come to the hands of many and may be Read by them who do not understand Latine and that not a few who do understand it love rather to Read and Consider things in their own Language this made me hasten an English Edition not one Sheet whereof was Committed to the Press several weeks after J. B's Book came out And now it being abroad as to those who are diligent and judicious and willing seriously to Compare as to the Argumentative part I should not to be much concerned to Answer him judging the English Edition with all such a sufficient Reply to this pretended Examination However J. B's singing a Triumph before the Conquest he often times sings a Triumph to himself saying in many places What will our Quaker say now Contrary to the Rules of Sobriety and to what the Scripture teaches him saying Let not him boast that puts on his Armour but he that takes it off besides what his Brother in a most fawning flattering manner adds in his Postscript To which something may be said hereafter But because too many out of Malice Prejudice and Ignorance may be too apt to Credit him I resolve here to take notice of his gross Perversions and Abuses upon every Thesis and of his most Vnreasonable and Brutish Railing Which being subjected to the Reader 's View will give him a great In-sight in the matter and let him see what kind of Man this is and what kind of Work it is that comes from him And likewise in respect he Insults very much I may labour to Allay it in taking notice of his Chiefest Arguments that are any ways to the purpose This I know will satisfy the Moderate and Judicious who bring not along with them an Vnderstanding already Prepossessed but are willing patiently to hear both Parties and then make a Judgment accordingly And as for others who are wholly prepossessed with Malice and Prejudice and have no Ears to hear but according to the Author of the Postscript his Advice Avoid the least of that kind as Poison I say as for such I wish the Lord open their Eyes and give them a Heart more Just and Equal I shall not be much concerned if my Writing have no great Influence upon them at present ¶ 3. But if any Strange that so small a Treatise as this may seem to be should Answer so great a Bulk the considering of these particulars following will easily remove that Wonder 1. If we Consider how much is taken up in meer Railing The Railing Expressions of J. B's a great part of his Book of which few Pages are found free and sometimes takes up near the whole Page besides that almost every Paragraph ends with a Dish of this Desert saying O what Hell-hatched Heresies these abominable Quakers maintain And the like Besides many little Sentences such as This is an Answer fit for a Quaker This is like the Quakers Non-sense I see the Quakers can dream waking and such like Stuff I need not set down Pages to prove this for as thou wilt find a Specimen of it in the first half side to the Reader so indeed thou'lt scarce open the Book but thou wilt meet with it So that I may safely say to speak within bounds there are 20 Sheets if it were all put together that are meer Railing either by way of Admiration Detestation or Execration which have nothing of Argumentation neither from Scripture nor Reason but the meer strong Affirmo of the Assertor All which albeit I may Remark it as I go on I think not my self concerned to Answer nor do I Conceive will any sober Man judge I am and my Answer thereto as now to the Bulk of it so may perhaps prove not much more all along than The Lord Rebuke that Railing Spirit in thee J. B. and if it may stand with his Will Redeem thee from it that thou mayst learn Sobriety of that Grace of God thou so much Fightest against It is a Trade I love not nor do I skill or think to learn it I will readily grant him both the Preference and Victory in this Art of Billings-gate Rhetorick or to speak yet more plain to all our Scots Capacities of Rail-Wives Oratory So I say Let all this Railing in his Book be laid aside And whereas he would Insinuate in several places as if there were much Railing in my Apology saying I Rage and such like Expressions How great an Abuse this is I leave to the Judgment of the Intelligent Reader 2. If all his Excursions be laid aside wherein he runneth out often times into long Homilies by way of Explanation of their Judgment J. B. 's Excursions and tedious Preachments descanting upon the several Opinions of their Divines as he calls them in which he often-times not only bestows several Pages but sometimes divers Sheets as in its place may be observed In all which Tedious Preachments some whereof are may be Shives of Old Rusty Sermons that have been lying by him I think my self no more concerned than if the Man had writ a great Volumn of their Divinity which I should not perhaps have bestowed the pains to Read far less lookt upon it as my business to Answer it 3. If all his Citations out of Hicks Faldo and others that have written against us all which are long ago Answered His other Helps and Irrational Proofs though not heeded by him were laid aside which is not only most Impertinent but likewise Vnjust as shall be after more particularly observed and likewise his long Citations out of the Westminster Confession of Faith and larger
to pervert it as he doth in this Chapter throughout affirming It to be my belief that every Man has Power and Ability moral to lay hold of Salvation and that there is not Requisite thereunto any new Grant of Grace and Divine help to quicken the Man he has a stock from his Mother's Womb which is sufficient This he calls the Proper and Native face of my Doctrine and this he putteth down as my Opinion and charges me with it p. 214. And p. 218. he saith it further Without any Concurrence of Divine Grace pag. 220. he saith I Conclude Man has power to believe and obey the Gospel without the Spirit of God as also the like p. 221. twice And p. 222. he saith I Conclude That the Wicked have power of themselves without the Spirit of Regeneration and Grace to do what is commanded in reference to Life Eternal and further p. 223 224 and 226. he affirmeth the like of me which is utterly false and was never Believed nor Asserted by me And its observable that in all these places where he thus Charges me he doth not so much as once point to any one page in my Apology and not only so but not so much as from the Words or Writings of any other Quaker borrowed from some of his usual Authors which is his most frequent Refuge And therefore the Reader may judge what he builds upon his False Supposition or batters against it falls to the ground without further Refutation After he has branded this Brat of his own begetting p. 214. with Pelagianism Jesuitism Arminianism and Socinianism thence accusing the boldness and confidence of the Quakers and of my self in particular in terming it a New Discovery of ours he endeth this page with a Fit of Railing and beginneth in his next to Wonder how the Heathens can be said to have a day of Visitation The Heathens have a day of Visitation since nothing can be called a day of Visitation in reference to Salvation but what is in and through the Preaching of the Gospel But this Wonder is built upon his Supposition that the Preaching of the Gospel is no where but where there is an outward Administration of it wherein his Mistake will come hereafter to be manifested into which Mistake he falls in the next page and elsewhere in this Chapter where I shall pass it over until I come to speak of it in its proper place To none God denies the Means of Salvation In this page 215. he thinketh that since I Affirm their Doctrine makes God unjust as denying to some the means of Salvation that which I affirm may be likewise so charged because some may think God is not just in not granting to all an equally long Day of Visitation But the Question is not what some may think but whether these Thoughts be built upon Justice and Reason All Men know it is manifest Injustice to punish a Man and torment him for non-performance of that which he that Commands him to perform has by an invincible Necessity barred and hindered him from doing and therefore to suppose this of the most-just God must be a great Error and Abuse But it is no Injustice to punish a Man for not performing that which he had received sufficient Power to do albeit another had received more to say so is like the Labourers whom Christ Reproves in the Parable for murmuring that those that came-in after them received equal Wages with them Matth. 20.12 13 14. That the preaching of the Gospel is not a Mocking of those whose Day of Visitation is Expired as it is to the Reprobates among them I have in the former Section shewen But he asketh here Obdurateness or hardness of Heart when begotten Whether such become obdured before or after their Day of Visitation be expired What if I shall say both though not in the same manner and degree It was before Removeable but not after since albeit simply considered the same and always pardonable yet with a Respect to certain Persons and their Circumstances unpardonable or not pardonable That God permitteth Sin to be in the World I never denied nor accused their Divines for so saying But whereas he saith It is a manifest untruth that I would make the Reader believe they say God doth Impell Men to sin necessarily he seeketh to hide their Doctrine and beguile the simple Reader Calvinistâ— blasphemous Doctrine of God's forcing decreeing Men to Sin Since P. Martyr upon Rom. 1. saith expressly That God forceth the Will of Wicked Men unto great Sins And Piscator saith That the Wicked are absolutely Decreed Necessarily to sin and therefore to sin that they may be justly punished Now these being More Eminent Divines among them than I suppose J. B. presumes for all his Scribbling he is to be Accounted The Reader may judge and by the passages elsewhere cited by me Whether he doth not here most untruly Charge me with an Vntruth That the Sins charged upon the Gentiles were only such as were against the Light of Nature he has affirmed p. 217. but not proved For the great reason of their Condemnation is because What was to be known of God is manifest in them and that this is not only the Light of Nature will after appear If what he urges from Rom. 11. concerning the Jews and the Imprecation those brought upon themselves who said His Blood be upon us and upon our Children hold True we must suppose no Jew since that saying of Paul and Barnabas Act. 13.46 to have been really Converted But how came any of them to be Converted before since that Imprecation was long before Paul and Barnabas spake these Words of their turning to the Gentiles and according to this Reasoning all the Preaching of the Gospel which the Jews have since heard and do hear is in Vain I have sufficiently explained The Day of God's Visitation to Man spoken of what I mean by this Day of God's Visitation to every Man in the explication of the 5 and 6 Theses in my Apology N. 17. And albeit he thiâ—k otherwise as I know I have satisfied many Moderate Readers who are not Quakers so I hope to have satisfied all that are truly Vnprejudicate After he has p. 218. given large Citations to shew their Doctrine out of the Confession of Faith and Catechism and thereafter made a kind of Preachment thereupon he comes at last p. 221. to Examin the Proofs I bring for my Assertion ¶ 2. And first to my Argument drawn from the Reproofs in Scripture to Men for rejecting of God's Visitation and Love he answers That my Proposition is Vniversal and these Complaints and Reproofs only particular and so can prove nothing The like he answereth p. 224. to what I urge from Esai 5.1.2 3 4. where the Vineyard is Expostulated with as likewise Mat. 23.33 Mark 12.1 Luk. 20.9 and p. 225. To what I urge from Mat. 23.37 Luk. 13.34 and 19.41 42. where Christ
they urge from Rom. 3.20 by the Deeds of the Law there shall no Flesh be justified Works of the Moral Law Justify not which I shew is to be understood of Works done and not by the Grace of God he answers That such are no good Works at all But may not a Man do some of the Works which even the Moral Law commands such as not to commit Murder Theft or Adultery without the Grace of God Hath not he confessed as much of some Heathens whom he judgeth not to have had the Grace of God and will he say these Works are not materially good albeit not formally with a respect to any advantage as to Salvation they receive by them And though it should be confessed That all is not always Requisite to be Antecedent to Justification which falls out to be Antecedent to Salvation yet the Question is Whether there be anything absolutely Requisite to be Antecedent to Salvation which is not also absolutely Requisite to be Antecedent to Justification If not then if Works be absolutely necessary or so far as they are absolutely necessary to Salvation they must also be so to Justification If he say other ways then as I observed before full and perfect Justification according to him must not be esteemed sufficient to Salvation J. B. pleads the Works of the Spirit to be Impure Pag. 322. N. 42. He comes to prove the Best Works even those wrought by the Spirit in the Saints to be Impure which before also he had affirmed pag. 307. there he would Infer we say the same of good Works because I affirm That Works done by Man's own Strength are polluted But it will not thence follow we believe Works done by the Grace of God to be such But for this Impurity of good Works he marks Psal. 143.2.130 3. Job 9.16 none of which speak one Word of good Works thus understood Then he mentions Esai 64.6 All our Righteousness is as filthy Rags but silently passeth over how I shew their own Authors as Calvin and Musculus c. affirm this not to be understood of Evangelical Righteousness and himself overturns what he urges from this Works of the Spirit to be pure and undefiled confessed by J. B. affirming That we ought not to call the Work of the Spirit of God in his People Filthy Rags But if they were so they might be so called and yet he overturns it further by confessing Some Works wrought by the Apostles were undefiled then all the Works wrought by the Spirit in the Saints cannot be said to be Impure which is their Assertion And the Instance of Clean Water passing through an Vnclean Pipe doth not hold which is their great probation He will not Contend with what I say about the word Merit neither hath he much against my Conclusion in this matter yet that he may end this Chapter like himself he concludeth it with a gross Lie and Railing saying I affirm A Man may be Regenerated without the least help of the Grace of God J. B's gross Lie which as I wholly abhor so there cannot be a greater Falshood alledged upon me SECT IX Wherein his Fourteenth Chapter Of Perfection is Considered ¶ 1. I Come now to his Fourteenth Chapter Of Perfection where after he has repeated my Eighth Proposition he reckons it Confidence in me to Accuse their Answer in their Larger Catechism of speaking against the Power of Divine Grace which saith That Man is not able by any Grace of God received in this Life to keep the Commands of God But in stead of justifying this Assertion he saith They are not ashamed of it Then he recurreth a little to his Author Hicks according to his Custom and falls a Railing where among other great Charges he accuseth the Quakers of Reproaching Reviling Calumnies Scolding and the like J. B. a Railer exceeding others confessed by his own Party Also pag. 329. speaking of bridling the Tongue But he of all Men should have been silent in this who is such a Railer in the Superlative Degree that some of his own Faith who have Bad enough Thoughts of the Quakers have said that he not only Equals them but Exceeds them in Railing Of his Railing in this Chapter the Reader may further observe pag. 332 345-349 Here as in his former Chapter to enervate the Perfection asserted by me he brings forth his old and often-repeated Calumny as if I asserted This Perfection to proceed meerly from the Light of Nature affirming The Light pleaded for by me p. 227. to be such His false Charges as never came from the Grace of God to be Flesh Blindness Enmity to God Natural Sensual c. affirming that I say Man is Regenerated Sanctified Justified though not one Ray of Divine Illumination hath shined into his Soul nor one Act of Grace has reached either his Intellect Will or Affection to cause this Change The like p. 331. All which is most abominable false and never either believed or asserted by me and therefore all he concludes upon this malitious Assertion falls to the Ground and needs no further Answer Next he bestows much Pains p. 328 329. to shew from the Hebrew and Greek Word that Perfection is sometimes understood of Sincerity and Integrity and Perfection in these Respects he thus Defines In Regeneration the whole Man is changed Perfection defined so that he is now born a New Creature sanctified wholly in Mind Heart Spirit Affections Consciences Memory and Body though but in a small Measure or degree and again Yielding impartial Obedience through the Grace of God unto all God's Precepts waving none But if he will stand by what he here Asserts I will desire no more albeit he falsly say in the following page That all this will not satisfy us For I would desire the next time Breaking the Commands daily c. is not Perfection nor a growing in Grace he would Reconcile this with Breaking the Commands daily in Thought Word and Deed. To prove this he insists in Contradiction to what he said before p. 330. N. 7. and his Proofs are 1 Because in Christ's House there are diverse Sizes and Degrees of Persons as Babes or little Children young Men old Men And this is not denied but the thing he should have proved is that none of those Degrees can be without daily breaking God's Commands His Second Proof is yet more rare Christians are exhorted to grow in Grace to put off the Old Man which is corrupt to put on the New Man to mortify their Members Very good But is To break the Commands daily in Thought Word and Deed the way to grow in Grace to put off the old Man and on the New If this be not to pervert Christianity what can be said to be so If Men can dream waking as he sometimes supposes he has sure been in this Posture when he brought this Proof But he adds That this Perfection rendreth Gospel-Commands useless But
establish their Hearts unblameable in Holiness I say instead of Answering he makes Commentaries upon these places which in themselves are as plain as can be that this is They should walk in Sincerity and always be growing And what if all this be granted it will not follow that it is Impossible Men should be free of Sin here even by the Grace of God And sure where Men are Perfect and Compleat in all the Will of God and Vnblameable in Holiness they are not Sinning daily in Thought Word and Deed. Thus the Reader may judge of this Man's Confidence who saith These Scriptures make against this Imagined Perfection meaning that which is asserted by me Pag. 343. he saith My affirming Men are called Justified or Reprobated in respect of their being leavened with Sin or Righteousness fermenting is a piece of his own Pedantry and none of the Quakers Dialect would prove full Perfection to be Essential to the State of Christianity Therefore I must answer it as well as they who deny that to be Common to all the Regenerate But it seems he has not well understood his own New-Coined English word fermenting for one thing thing is not said to be leavened with another but where it hath much prevailed Every Touch or Tast of a thing doth not leaven him with it that so toucheth or tasteth it as all Men that understand common Language know and so every Sin is not enough to denominate a Man leavened with Sin And so with his own Answer that follows he looseth the Knot he imagined I was Tied by What he adds afterward of fulfilling the Law urges nothing but upon a Supposition of its being fulfilled by the meer strength of Man which I never affirmed That no Man is called Just because of inward Righteousness is but his bare Supposition as for the word Inherent so often repeated by him it is none of mine And to my urging That the Subject is denominated from the Accident he saith A Wall that is more Black than White cannot be called White So J. B.'s breakers of the Commands daily and yet such as have renounced the Works of Darkness Yet that a Wall is called White though the Whiteness be not Perfect But it is not called White if it be more Black than White which was the pinch I urged but slily over-slipt by him and such must be those that break the Commands daily for how such can be said to be more Just than Sinful is more than I can Reconcile either with Scripture or Reason sure the Answer which he gives doth it not To this question Where are then the Children of God and of Light His Reply is with a notable piece of Inconsistent Presbyterian Canting Even where these are who are giving to Christ much work to speak so to wash and make them clean from their daily Pollutions and Defilements and have renounced the Works of Darkness c. I desire to know of him the next time how these can be said to have Renounced the works of Darkness who have need to be washed from their daily defilements To my Argument shewing That Christ's Command to be perfect proves it possible he saith p. 344. That this only proves we should Endeavour after it But for this he addeth no Proof we must rest contented with his meer Affirmation As we must also do throughout the next N. 26. where he confidently Preacheth his own sense of Scripture instead of Answer or Reason and then concludes with a Railing saying I am led by an anti-Evangelical and Diabolical Spirit He saith that Matth. 7.21 and some other places cited by me prove nothing without supposing that no Man shall be saved who ever Sinned but without giving any Reason That the Vnconverted may be by the Grace of God Converted and consequently made Perfect I deny not He saith Rom. 6. speaks only of the Dominion of Sin And what then Doth not every Sin bring him that commits it under the power of that Sin in so far To the Instances of Enoch Noah and others Enoch Noah c. called perfect in Scriptures whom the Scriptures call Perfect he goes about to prove they sometimes Sinned And what then The question is not Whether they always were without Sin but Whether they never were without it and Sinned daily which is his Affirmation Which if they had done they could at no time have been called Perfect As for his other Glosses it will be time to receive them when he proves them it is not enough to make them Authentick with me though Augustin had approved If he will subscribe to all Augustin's glosses of Scripture I may give him a further Answer ¶ 5. Pag. 346. n. 28. He comes to take notice of my Answers to their Arguments and first to my Answer to their arguing from 1 Joh. 1. v. 8. If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves c. That this will not prove the Apostle includeth more than James c. 3. v. 9 10. He answereth The Apostle is included though not for the present time If it be not for the present time J. B.'s pretended Proofs for Sinning daily then it will not plead for Sinning daily in Thought Word and Deed which is the case in hand Next supposing the Apostle were not Included he saith It is enough that Believers are Included But this he affirms without proof troubling himself and the Reader to prove that those John wrote to were Believers which no body will deny yet though they were Included it will not prove such a continual and daily Sinning as they plead for In answer to my shewing the words are Have not Sin and not Ye Sin not he only proves That they did or may Sin which I deny not And then when I say It may be affirmed of the Seed of Sin he concludes This to be Sinful so as to affect the Man but minds not to prove it and with this manner of begging the Question he concludes this Paragraph pag. 347. To my shewing that in 1 King 8.46 and Eccles. 7.20 there is nothing said of Sinning daily he answers It is express in Ecclesiastes That there is not a just Man upon earth that doth good and Sinneth not clearly Importing that even in their doing good they Sin But that this is clearly Imported he affirmeth but proveth not though there be no Man that Sinneth not it will not follow they Sin daily And for his Alledging That my Answer That it will not thence follow that though there was none that did not sin at that time there are none such now or that it is Impossible there should be such will infer there was none then Regenerate no not Solomon himself What if I should say so understanding Regeneration in the absolute Sense To what I shew from the Hebrew Word that it may be Interpreted not That sinneth not but That may not sin he tells me in sum That it is but Vanity and this he saith is obvious to
every Reader The Apostle's Saying I am Carnal c. made a Plea for Sin by J.B. with his Meaning put without Proof To whom we will then leave it To my affirming That the Apostle is not Rom. 7.14 speaking of himself but personating others in that State after he has told me that Socinians and Arminians say so he tells me The Circumstances of the Text evince the contrary and then gives a kind of a Preachment upon the Place which I shall accept as a Declaration of his Sense but must wait the next time to have him prove it He saith The Apostle doth not Contradict this Chap. 6.2 That the Apostle doth not Contradict himself is without doubt to me but he must endeavour to Reconcile the Meaning he gives to the Apostle's Words when he has leisure He saith Paul in a respect was a Carnal Man but unless he prove him to have been so in respect of sinning at that time he saith nothing To my urging Rom. 8.35 where the Apostle saith Nothing shall separate him because where Sin is Continued there is a Separation He denieth that where Sin is striven and wrestled against it maketh a Separation but the matter is How he proveth that those who strive and wrestle aganst Sin do daily commit Sin And until he do this he but begs the Question To prove the Impossibility of being free from sinning daily from the Examples of Noah's and David's Sins he useth this Argument J. B ' s. Argument for sinning daily in Thought Word and Deed If these Men whom the Spirit of God stileth Perfect and Men according to God's Heart have had their Failings and these Failings are Registrated for our use Then we have no Scripture-Warrant for such a Pefection here as is not attended with Sin he should have said as doth not admit a sinning daily in Thought Word and Deed if he would have concluded according to the State of the Question But the former is true Therefore c. Refuted But I deny the Consequence of this Proposition or the Connexion of the Major Besides the Argument is defective divers ways if he had stated and then proved it That if such whom the Scripture call Perfect did break the Commands daily in Thought Word and Deed then he had argued to the purpose And for their Failings being recorded to our use it cannot infer the Necessity of our sinning daily unless he will be so absurd as to say that they are therefore Recorded that we may Imitate their Failings and not avoid them In fine let him cause his Argument conclude in the Term of the Question to wit That every Man notwithstanding any Grace received must sin daily in Thought Word and Deed and prove his Propositions and he shall not want either an Acknowledgment or an Answer And lastly to conclude this Chapter he saith I should rather have cited the old Begardi than the Fathers and the old Alumbrados who had the same Opinion and Practices suitible But if their Opinion was That Men may be free from Sin The old Begardi and Alumbrados mentioned by J. B. to have the same Opinion of Perfection and their Practices suitable sure then they were perfect and if so deserve more to be followed than J. B. or his Brethren whose Principle and Practice as himself confesseth is for Sin and daily continuing in it against any Perfection except such as can admit of Sin For To be Breaking the Commands daily in Thought Word and Deed is Essential to his Christianity SECT X. Wherein his Fifteenth Chapter Of Perseverance is Considered ¶ 1. IN this Chapter of Perseverance it would seem the Man fancieth he hat got into the Pulpit for he Affirms as if all that read him were bound to believe without further Inquiry For after he has Introduced himself with his old Accusation of Pelagianism he Concludeth This Doctrine of the possibility of Falling from Grace to depend upon Free will and ushereth in a long Invective against this as maintained by me upon the Supposition of his old reiterated Calumny That I asserted All the Regeneration of the Saints to proceed only from the Light of Nature without the effectual Operation of the Spirit of Grace which how false it is hath above been shewn He giveth us a large Citation out of their Confession of Faith with an Account thence deduced or Explanation thereupon In what respect they hold Perseverance Wherein if he will hold to the first Asserted by him to wit That they assert not the Perseverance of any that are not truly Regenerated we are Agreed for in that Sense I never did deny it And then he gives Eight Considerations for their Doctrine all which conclude nothing but upon the Supposition of the Truth of their former Principles especially of Election and Absolute Reprobation so that it is but a begging of the Question as his very Eighth Consideration shews pag. 356. N. 14. to wit That the affirming this Doctrine to wit That there may be a falling away from beginnings of true and saving Grace will give a Blow unto many Articles of their Faith But can this have any Weight to Convince such as do not believe these Articles of their Faith It seems then it is not for me or any Quaker that this is written so we are the less concerned to trouble our selves with it ¶ 2. At last he comes pag. 357. N. 15. to Examin my Arguments And first to what I urge from Jud. vers 4. where it is spoken of some That turned the Grace of God into Wantonness he saith This is not understood of the true Grace of God but External Grace such as is that Tit. 2.12 which teacheth to deny Vngodliness But for this he gives no Proof Next it seems to him The Grace of God that teacheth to deny ungodliness mentioned Tit. 2. v. 12. is not the true Grace of God Where learned he this or how proveth he it He saith To understand the Faith which some are said to have made shipwrack of 1 Tim. 1.19 to be true and saving Faith is contrary to 2 Tim. 2.17 and other Places J. B. Asserts That the Grace of God that teaches to deny Vngodliness is not the True Grace and the falling from Faith a falling only from the Doctrine of Faith where the Doctrine of Faith is spoken of thence he concludes It was only the Doctrine of Faith they fell from But this is a Conclusion fit only for Credulous Persons and proveth nothing unless he will argue because in some Places the Doctrine of Faith is spoken of therefore where ever Faith is spoken of it must be understood of the Doctrine of Faith and not of true and saving Faith which were most Absurd He saith to Heb. 6.4 5. The Words are not Absolute but Conditional if they fall away but such a Condition importeth the thing supposed to be possible being given for a Caution He adds There is nothing there that is necessarily to be
it is not he that speaketh but the Spirit in him for this savoureth not of a Christian Spirit to seek to draw an Absurdity or make a Mock of that which is no other than Christ's Express Words Matth. 10.20 Mark 13.3 And indeed what he saith in this page N. 9. in answer to these Scriptures seemeth rather a Mock at Christ and his Apostles than any Answer asking me If I know not that Christ gave them their Preaching with them telling them what they should say And as ye go preach saying The Kingdom of God is at Hand And a little after he saith They had their Sermon taught them before-hand But dare he say That Christ's Words before-mentioned were therefore false This he must say or else prove nothing Or will he say that the Apostles in all that Progress said nothing but these seven Words The Kingdom of God is at Hand For according to him this was all they said which they had learned afore-hand and not as the Holy Ghost taught them in that Hour what to say albeit it be Christ's Express Words Luke 12.12 Pag. 447. to my Argument that according to their Doctrine the Devil himself ought to be heard seeing he knoweth the Notion of Truth and excelleth many of them in Learning and Eloquence he answers Why doth the Man thus speak Vntruth Do we say that every one though he were the Devil if he speak Truth should be heard Do they not say That Men ought to be heard and accounted as Ministers albeit void of the true Grace of God if having the formality of the outward Call And to prove this do not they bring the Example of Judas whom Christ called a Devil And they suppose him to have been such even when sent by Christ and deserved to be heard as his Apostle Let him consider then how he can shun what I have affirmed And albeit the Devil may speak without Study J. B. argues for acquiring the Gift of Preaching by outward Study of the Letter yet he cannot be said to Speak by the Spirit of God which is the thing we affirm needful to Gospel-Preaching And for his last Argument pag. 448. That since extraordinary Gifts Ceased there hath been no ordinary way of Preaching but by ordinary Gifts studied and acquired It is but a bare begging of the Question and the same upon the Matter with his new-enforced Objection which I answered towards the beginning of my Third Section of Immediate Revelation ¶ 4. I come now to his Twenty fourth Chapter of Prayer And as to his first Paragraph there needs no Debate for except some Railing intermixed I own what is asserted in it as to the Necessity of Prayer and its being through Christ as Mediator In the next he alledgeth I speak untruly in saying That the Acts of their Religion are produced by the Strength of the Natural Will for they can pray when they please But how truly this is affirmed concerning them will after appear Albeit in opposition to it after citing a passage out of the Larger Catechism J. B. owns the Spirit necessary to Prayer he saith They own the Influences of the Spirit as alsolutely necessary to this Duty Which if he would hold to there needed no further Debate I should agree to it For he doth untruly state the Question when he saith a little after That the Motions and Inspirations I plead for are extraordinary which is false and never said by me And therefore his building on it is in vain as well here as pag. 452-457-459 461. where he insinuates That I judge not the gracious and ordinary Influences of the Spirit a sufficient Warrant to pray which is false What he saith pag. 451. of the Necessity of Prayer at some times and of the Scriptures mentioning Prayers being made three times a day I deny not nor is it to the purpose The Question is Whether any can pray acceptably without the Spirit We see he hath granted they cannot then the thing to be proved is Whether the general Command authorized any to set about it albeit in a manner which is granted will not avail and is unacceptable So the matter resolves in Examining what he can say from Scripture or other ways to prove this And that there may be no Mistake let it be considered that I deny not the General Obligation to pray upon all so that they Who do not pray do sin who do not pray sin albeit they be not sensible of the Spirit 's Help enabling them to do it But that the way to avoid this Sin is not to Commit another to pray without the Spirit but to Wait for the Spirit that they may pray acceeptably seeing without it though they should use words of Prayer it would be no fulfilling of the Command And first then to what he argueth pag. 452. from the Reiterated Commands of God to pray I answer That God's Command lays upon Man an Obligation to pray I deny not but God commands no Man to pray unacceptably God Commands the right Performance of Prayer and this he has confessed cannot be without the Spirit therefore God commands no Prayer without the Spirit God Commands no Prayer without the Spirit neither is the Command answered or fulfilled by such as pray without it To this he Objecteth pag. 453 and 458. That the same Moral Duties might be shifted until the Spirit lead to them and also Natural Acts of Sleeping Eating c. which are Abomination in the Wicked And yet to go round he accuseth me p. 454 albeit falsly of saying Men may pray without the Grace of God Which by this Objection is his own Faith since he will not deny but Men may Sleep and Eat without the Grace of God But to this Objection I answered in my Apology shewing the difference betwixt these Acts and Acts of Worship which he grants pag. 461. And albeit I confess which he urgeth here that these profit not the Man at all as with respect to God's Favour when done without the Spirit yet they really fulfil the Matter of the thing Commanded in relation to our Neighbours and to our selves in Eating Drinking Sleeping else it would be Self-Murder But in Prayer the matter is not fulfilled without the Spirit which relateth only to God to whom every Prayer without the Spirit is an Evil Savour and not in any true and proper Sense a Prayer for Prayer as to the material Part cannot be performed without the Spirit He confesseth according to their Catechism That the Spirit is needful to know what to pray for which is the material part but the necessity of the Spirit as to these other things is only as to the formal part The formal part of Nature's Acts directed by the Spirit or right manner And this pleading for Praying from these Natural Acts shews how he Contradicts himself in saying It is untrue that they are for Prayer without the Spirit for if they be not this Argument were
Impertinent which is As these ought to be done without the Spirit so ought the other And yet he more manifestly Contradicts this pag. 456. saying That God requireth not Men to feel the Influences of the Spirit as a preparation to Prayer yea that Men ought to pray even when and because they feel they want them For if it be true that he said before That these Influences are necessary to the right performance of Prayer either Men ought to perform Prayer wrong or this must be a manifest Contradiction But since this manner of Prayer is owned really in their Praying at set times whether they have the Spirit 's Influence or not it shews I spake no Vntruth of them and that his saying so was untruly said by him And hence also the Man's Impudence may be seen pag. 460. in saying I am a liar in affirming they profess they may pray without the Spirit and have their set times But the thing I say is Professors limit themselves to pray at set Times without Waiting for the Spirit That they limit themselves so as to lay a Necessity upon themselves to pray at set Times as before and after Sermon and before and after Meat and this he cannot deny Or if he should their Vniversal Practice would declare him a Liar And if they pray at set Times and that professedly without Waiting for the Spirit 's Influence yea when they are sensible they Want it do not they profess to pray without the Spirit What he saith here and elswhere that this was the Opinion of Swenkfeldius and the Familists is not to the purpose For what we believe in this we do it as being the Truth and not with respect to such of whose Belief we take no notice so as to make it any Ground for our Faith And to shew how Impertinent this Classing us with others is to render us odious upon every occasion I may tell him here once for all That even as to this very thing of Prayer he agrees against us with Papists Socinians Pelagians Episcopalians Independents Anabaptists Lutherans Arminians Antinomians yea and with Pagans Turks and Jews all which affirm with him That Men may and ought to pray at certain Times and upon certain Occasions albeit not having any present Motions or Influence of the Spirit of God so to do J. B. pleading for Prayer forgets to Pray for but not to Rail against such he accounts his Enemies ¶ 5. What he saith here in several Places of Introversion I refer to what is said before to avoid Repetition It might have been thought that in this Chapter of Prayer and where he urges it so much from the general Command that he would have minded it would have been more suitable to pray for such as he may account his Enemies and even Hereticks than Rail at them but the Treating upon this Subject has had no such Inference with him And therefore he is sure to keep here his Old Style of Railing which the Reader may observe pag. 452-456-459 460 461. He hath divers little Cavils and Quibbles in this Chapter which I willingly omit as not concerning the Weight of the Question only to give the Reader a Tast of them I shall note one or two Pag. 455. upon these Words sub degustationem he fancieth The Quakers hold a State of Prayer distinct both from Publick and Private But if he had not been very Critical and ready to Catch albeit he omits more weighty things he had not troubled himself with this which is an Error either of the Transcriber or Printer for it is in my Copy ad cibum meaning the Prayers before and after Meat and that the other Word doth also signify The next is his asking What I mean by Ejaculations emitted to Man's self Ejaculations quibbled at by J. B. allowed in Scripture and this he saith looks like a piece of Quaker Idolatry This shews the Man's eagerness to stretch every thing to make an Accusation for by this I intended nothing but to express such Prayers as Men make unheard of others And if this be a piece of Quakers Idolatry it is such as he must account the Apostle Paul guilty of as well as I whole words are 1 Cor. 14. v. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sibi ipsi loquatur let him speak to himself as both Arias Montanus Beza translate it as well as the English And that this is understood of Prayer see from verse 24. So the furious Man may see whither his Malice hath driven him He forgetteth not also in this Chapter his old Calumny and therefore hath it here oftner than once that As all the rest so the Prayers of the Quakers as well as Preparations thereunto come only from that Light of Nature as pag. 455 456 457. and hence he accuseth me of Pelagianism A Man can no more Pray without the Spirit than he can see without Eyes p. 459. for saying That to Command a Man to pray without the Spirit is to command him to see without Eyes and work without Hands because Pelagius said that whatever God commanded us to do he gave us sufficient Strenghth to do it But if Pelagius said so he understood it of an Ability without the Spirit of God for which the Ancients condemned him Whereas my very Assertion here is in as opposite Terms to that as any thing can be since I argue that a Man can no more pray without the Spirit than he can see without Eyes And indeed all this Man 's Reasoning in this Chapter savors strongly of Pelagianism where he pleads throughout for Mens setting about Spiritual duties without the Spirit yea pag. 463. he saith That the Divine Indulgence towards such as have begun to pray without the Spirit and afterwards have found it assisting them in their Prayer is a strong inducement and encouragement to them For this agrees exactly to the Semipelagian principle Facienti quod in se est Deus non denegat gratiam i. e. God will not deny Grace to such as do what they can And indeed this allowing Men to perform Spiritual duties without the allowance of the Spirit as this Man doth pleading for it and reckoning the contrary Absurd pag. 453. is Compleat Pelagianism and doth clearly import that Man by the working of Nature can acquire the Spirit and can do something in order to obtaining the Spirit of himself before he have it J. B. with Pelagians plead for a Prayer from Nature's Law and Light and thence this Man pleads so much pag. 451. for the general Vse of Prayer from the Light and Law of Nature Let him Reconcile this if he can with his other Doctrines and Clear himself of Pelagianism And it is so much the more considerable that he has fall'n into this Pit of which he so often falsly accuseth me as also pag. 461. He asketh again pag. 460. Why we come to their places of Worship if our Conscience be hurt in joining with them and thence
he concludes J. B.'s false Accusation why we come to their places of Worship It is to do open Contempt This is but his malitious Conjecture We come not there but in Obedience to the Lord when moved by his Spirit so to do to bear a faithful Testimony against all Superstition and Will-worship For it is not pleasant to us to come there where for the most part we are saluted with knocks and stones and other such brutish and Paganish dealings by their Church-Members which is the fruit of their holy things and whereunto the People are often encouraged by their Preachers who sometimes shew an Example of this themselves and of whose barbarous Actions even by the Presbyterian-Preachers there is a Book Extant entituled Fighting Priests falling upon the Innocent with their own hands Of Fighting Priests giving account how many of them fell upon these Innocent Servants of the Lord with their own hands and I my self have seen of the present Preachers of Scotland do it As for his flouting at the Quakers for laying claim to a Spirit of discerning so as to distinguish who pray from the Spirit and who not he doth but therein declare himself to be none of Christ's Sheep who are said to know his Voice from that of a Stranger And as for his saying That the Quakers judge of this by the Mimical posture of the Body it is false and would agree far rather to his Brethren whose affected Postures of Body as well as their Nonsensical and Absurd Expressions in Prayer have disgusted many of their Way of which I could give some eminent Instances but that I spare them at present The Example I gave of their Excluding some from their Sacrament of the Supper so called doth not halt as he affirmeth pag. 462. as to the main for if the Command to take it is with presupposition of Examination so the Command of praying is with the presupposition of its being in the Spirit in which all Worship is now to be Praying always in the Spirit Eph. 6.18 To my shewing in answer to their Objection of Peter his Commanding Simon Magus to pray that he says Repent and Pray after a meer Assertion without proof he says He sees that with our Quaker a graceless Person can Repent but not Pray To which I answer If he speak of possibility I believe a graceless Person may both Repent and Pray but as he cannot Repent without Grace so not Pray without the Spirit but Grace worketh in all if not Resisted as the Spirit doth in all to Prayer when they have received the Grace in measure but that some Measure of Repentance must go before Prayer A measure of Repentance goes before Prayer in a sense of Iniquity and desire of Deliverance himself I judge will hardly deny since the very offering to Pray importeth in the Person applying himself thereunto a sense of his Iniquity and a desire to be delivered from it for which end he approacheth to God to demand Pardon and help to Amend ¶ 6. Now I come to his 25 th Chapter of Singing Psalms where I shall not need to be large J. B. endeavours to Justify their Custom of Singing Davids Conditions and their speaking Lies I deny not as he observes Singing But to Justify their Custom of singing David 's Conditions by which many are made as I observed in my Apology to speak Lies in the presence of God he objecteth the practice of the Jews but their practice in matters of Worship without a Gospel-precept is not a Rule to us Neither doth the Instance given by him of Psal. 66.6 answer the matter for the Jews might very well praise the Lord for the deliverance of their Fore-Fathers out of Egypt but that will not allow Drunkards and Impenitent Persons to fay They water their Couch with Tears as by singing Psalms many do which is false As for his saying They do but praise God for what he hath done for others why do they not express it so then And whereas he asketh Whether the Spirit inspireth the Meeter in the Song and the Tone of the singing he sheweth his Folly and Lightness while he ridiculously supposeth that Meeter is necessary or any other Tone than Nature hath given to every one of which God by his Spirit maketh use as an Instrument as he doth of other parts and faculties of the Body to the performing of Spiritual duties And the like Folly he sheweth when he tells What they do not in Scotland since he knows it was not particularly or only against the things practised in Scotland that I write in that Apology SECT XIII Wherein his Twenty Sixth Chapter Of Baptism is Considered ¶ 1. OUR Author to shew how angry and froward he resolves to be in this Chapter J. B. a Compleat Railer makes his first Paragraph a Compleat stick of Railing He begins with telling That the Paganish Antichristian Spirit which reigneth and rageth in the Quakers manifesteth a perfect and compleat hatred at all the Institutions of our Lord Jesus Christ and he endeth with this Exclamation O! what desperate Renegado's must these Men be More of this kind may be seen pag. 472 473 474.480 481. As for what he adds from several Scriptures of Baptism pag. 466 467. what of it relates to the weight of the Question will be Examined afterwards He gives us here a Citation out of their larger Catechism and then comes at last pag. 468. n. 4. to Examin what I say in the matter where upon my urging the many Contests among Christians concerning these things called Sacraments as one Reason against them he concludes Contests about their Sacraments among Christians so called I might as well plead against all Christianity because of the many Debates about it and with this Conceit he pleaseth himself a little which only evidenceth his malitious Genius for I should never have used that as an only Argument and did not use it at all but as having many other Considerable ones against their Vse of these things and therefore I add That these things contended for are meer Shadows and outward things Then to cover their making use of the word Sacrament which is not to be found in Scripture he objecteth my making use of the word Fermentation and of the Vehicle of God but I use not to make use of these words when I speak Scots or English but these words when Interpreted are made use of in Scripture For the Latine fermentum which signifies Leaven Fermentum or Leaven is oft used in Scripture is oft used even as compared to Spiritual things as Matth. 13 31. Luk. 13 21. 1 Cor. 5 6 7 8. yea the word Leaven and Leavened is to be found in Scripture above 30 times but the word Sacrament never so much as once And it is not as he saith a poor thing to Challenge them for expressing the Chief Mysteries of their Religion in words that cannot be found in all the Scripture
keep off the Chief Matter And yet the Grosness of Thomas Hicks's Dealing was so discovered that some of his own Way and others who are not Quakers did publickly yea The Grosness of T. Hicks his Dealing discovered and abhorred in Print by others and in Print declare their Abhorrency of his Forgeries As appears by a Book written at that time Intituled The twelve Pagan Principles Considered upon which Thomas Hicks undertakes to Vnchristian the Quakers and another Intituled Quakerism no Paganism and another The Christian a Quaker the Quaker a Christian all written upon that accasion by Men that were no Quakers Yea Th. Hicks's Abuses and Lies were so far from doing us hurt that they were Instrumental to bring among us a young Independent Preacher of good Repute An Independent Preacher embracing Truth and well received and heard among them who has told my self That the Reading of Hicks's Dialogues and seeing his gross Lies and Abuses gave the first Rise to his searching after and embracing the Truth And when Th. Hicks and his Complices were further pursued by the Answer to their pretended Narration of these Debates Intituled Forgery no Christianity written by Thomas Elwood and another Paper Intituled A Fresh Pursuit by the same hand wherein he arraigneth the said Hicks and his Complices of Falshood Lying Forgery and requires them to make them good or else abide under the Just Condemnation of so manifest Guilt which they were glad to do and have not so much as peeped out now these three Years since the last of these Transactions until now this Vomit of which all sober Men are ashamed and from which the Authors have shamefully shrunk is licked up by John Brown and is become the Chief Authority of his Tract J. B. has used the Lies Forgeries and Abuses of a Shameless Anabaptist against the Quakers Will it savour well in the Mouths of sober Professors that the Chief Gun that J. B. useth against the Quakers are the Lies Forgeries and Abuses of a shameless Anabaptist Certainly when J. Brown considers these things he will if Malice hath not altogether blinded him find that he has too suddenly laid Hands upon his Brother Hicks ere he well minded the Consequence of it and that so great an Infusion of Hicks his Anabaptistical Durt which takes the best share of not a few pages of his Book will make the rest to stink albeit it were more cleanly Stuff than it is And for Faldo's Books out of which he copieth not a little in this Chapter he may find them both answered by W. P. the one called Quakerism a new Nick-name to old Christianity and the other The Invalidity of John Faldo 's Vindication in which pag. 430 431 432 433. he may find a List of John Faldo's Miscarriages in citing Assertions said by Quakers without telling the Books and of Books without Parts Chapters and Page of these Books falsly cited of Passages clipt and maimed and others perverted by Additions and which makes up above 70. to which John Faldo hath never had Face yet to Answer So that this Man may see what kind of Authority he has made use of and how his Proofs are bottomed And lastly of our full Belief of Future States Of future States and of the Resurrection and of the Resurrection he may find a large account in a book called The Christian Quaker and his Divine Testimony Vindicated by W. Pen and G. Whitehead printed in the Year 1674. from page 146 of the Second Part to the End SECT XVIII Wherein Robert Macquare his Postscript is Considered ¶ 1. AS to R. M. C. his Postscript which I come now to in the last Place I shall not need to be large it being a Compound and Heap of most Abusive and Vnreasonable Railing against me and my Friends on the one Hand Rob. Macquare's most abusive Railing against us and our Doctrine and a most fawning manifest piece of nauseating and shameless Flattery to his Brother J. Brown on the other In the very Entry he brands our Doctrine as the Devil 's and our selves as his Ministers and Amanuenses and a little after he Exclaimeth thus O what horrid what Hell-hatched bold Blasphemies this black Brood belcheth forth And for me in particular pag. 559 560. in a few Lines he calls me both a Turk and a Devil and what more his Railing Spirit affords him To all which I shall only say the worst I wish him is heartily to desire the Lord to forgive him as by the Strength of his Grace I freely do As to his Brother J. Brown he accounts him singularly Acute solidly Learned and truely Gracious so that he conceits if the Devil who he supposeth drew me on to write had his Dictates again he would bury or burn them R. M.'s Shameless Flatteries of J. B. Thence he highly Exalts the great depth of this his little Presbyterian David as he calls him in the shining Light and sharpness of his Examen Sober Men will blush to read such shameless Flattery And truly this Presbyterian Prince looks liker Cursing Shimei than little David and he himself looks like the daring Philistine who thus Commends him proclaiming a Defiance in his Name as if no solid Answer could be given But such Crying of Triumph before-hand will have small weight with Men of Reason His jeering Quibble at my Words in my Book of Vniversal Love where I speak overly of the Felicity of my Vnderstanding shews he wanted Matter but not Malice Many modest Men will be found to have said as much of themselves The Author glories not in Natural Endowments Neither did I that as a thing by which I would have any to measure now either me or my Writings The greatest Natural Vnderstanding wherein I confess my self freely to be Inferior to many availeth but little yea often hurteth to the Chief thing needful to wit Regeneration which is by Grace and not by Nature and therein I desire to Glory His petty Remark upon Barclaii Argenis is both Childish and Malitious he must know That the Quakers and my self do both Abhor and Condemn such Books And truly my Love to my Name is not so great that I would have that Exempted and therefore I could freely give my Vote that all Romances were burnt And he will find it hard to prove That such are used by any of us whileas I know some who passed and yet go for Pious and Elect Ladies among them that bestowed no small share of their Time in Reading them And Preachers may be found Eminent enough whose Closets are well stored with most approved Romances and some being Challenged even of Note among the Presbyterians by some serious Professors for their reading of them did Justify it as that whereby they were helped in their Pulpits to give their Sermons a better Lustre So he may see these Books are of more use to his Brethren than us Presbyterian Preachers read Romances to give their
is not by the Outward Senses according to the following verse for the Apostle saith The Spiritual Man Judgeth all things This then must be done by some Senses or properties Peculiar to the Spiritual Man and in which he excells the Natural man which is not in the outward Senses as all do know Therefore the Perception of Spiritual things cannot be by the outward Senses either as the chief or only Means as is falsly contended for Now as to these words of the Apostle Rom. 10. That Faith comes by Hearing Zuinglius observed well That the Apostle intended not to affirm Faith to come by the hearing of the Outward word Whether Faith comes by the Outward Hearing Neither do the following words prove it How shall they Believe unless they hear And how shall they hear without a Preacher And how shall they Preach unless they be sent For the Apostle uses these words not as his Arguments but as Objections which might be formed as the same Apostle uses in other places To which Objections he answers in the same Chapter as appears verse 18. But I say have they not all heard Yes truly their Voice went into all the Earth That is of the Father and Son Or the Father in the Word which Word is not only neer us but according to the same Apostle in the same Chapter in our Mouths and in our Hearts But further thou canst conclude nothing from this but that Faith is begotten by Outward Hearing only and no otherwise For this is the strength of thy Argument That since Faith cannot be without Outward Hearing Therefore nothing can certainly be believed but where somewhat is proposed to the Outward Hearing For if thou acknowledge Faith can be begotten any otherwise than by Hearing thou loosest the Strength of thy Argument And if that Argument hold That Faith comes only by Outward Hearing thou destroyest the whole Hypothesis For having before affirmed That outward Miracles are sufficient to render one certain of the Truth of any Revelation those Miracles whether it be the Healing of the Sick or the Raising of the Dead would avail nothing because those as for most part all Miracles are obvious to the Sight not to the Hearing And if it be not by Outward Hearing only thou canst conclude nothing from this place But I the more wonder thy using of this Argument considering the Discourse we had together before we entred upon this Debate A certain Person placing the Certainty of every thing in the Outward Senses For when we were speaking of the Opinions of a certain Person who denied the Certainty of every thing but what was discerned by the outward Senses thou condemnedst as most Absurd But Why I cannot conceive since there is no great difference betwixt those two Opinions The one saith There can be no certainty concerning any Truth whether they be Necessary or Contingent but by the perception of the Senses The other affirms the same of Contingent Truths though not of Necessary Truths But among the number of Contingent Truths thou Esteemest what belongs to Christian Religion for thou reckons the Necessary Truths only to belong to natural Religion This then is all the difference that that other Person says There is no Certainty of any Religion neither Natural nor Christian but by the perception of the Outward Senses But thou say'st though thou Esteems the Certainty of Natural Religion to be without them yet not of the Christian Religion But again since thou Esteemest that not Natural Religion but the Christian Religion is necessary to Salvation Thou must necessarily conclude That those Truths which are necessary to Salvation rre only known and believed by the benefit of the Outward Senses In which Conclusion which is the Sum of all thou yeilds the Matter to that other Person But lastly If all the Certainty of our Faith Hope and Salvation did depend upon the Infallibility of Outward Senses Outward Senses can be deceived we should be most miserable since these Senses can be easily deceived and by many Outward Casualties and Natural Infirmities whereunto the Godly are no less subject than the Wicked are often vitiated and there are as the Scripture affirms False Miracles which as to the Outward cannot be distinguished from the True of which we cannot Infallibly Judge by the Outward Senses which only discern what is Outward There is a Necessity then to have Recourse to some other Means From all which it does appear how Fallacious and Weak this Argument is But thanks be unto GOD who would not that our Faith should be built upon so uncertain and doubtful a Foundation And whoever hath known True Faith or hath felt the Divine Testimony of GOD's Spirit in his Soul will judge otherwise neither will be moved by such Reasonings I pray GOD therefore to remove these Clouds which darken thy Understanding that thou may'st perceive the Glorious Gospel of CHRIST This is that Saving Word of Grace which I commend thee unto and that GOD may give thee a Heart inclinable to believe and obey the Truth is the desire of The 24th of the Month. called November 1676 Thy Faithful Friend R. BARCLAY This Letter a Year ago at the desire of my Friend R. B. I delivered into the hands of the afore-named Ambassador desiring his Answer in Writing which he then promised but not having as yet done It was seen meet to be Published Roterdam the 28th of March 1678. B. F. R. B's Testimony concerning his Father David Barclay of Vrie in the Kingdom of Scotland Received the Truth in the Year 1666. being the Fifty Sixth Year of his Age about the Seventh Month and Abode in it R. B's Account of the Death of his Father and in Constant Vnity with the Faithful Friends thereof having suffered the Spoiling of his Goods cheerfully and many other Indignities he was formerly unaccustomed to bear and several Tedious Imprisonments after the Sixty Sixth Year of his Age. In the latter End of the seventh Month 1686. being past the Seventy Sixth Year of his Age he took a Fever which continued with him for Two Weeks during which time he signified a Quiet Contented Mind freely Resigned up to the Will of God And gave several Living Testimonies to the Truth and to the Love of God manifest to him in the Revelation thereof And though there be hardly to be found one of a Thousand like to him for Natural Vigor of his Age and that his Fever at times was very strong yet he never was Vnsensible nor did any wrong Expression or Actions proceed from him nor the least Symptom of Discontent or Fretfulness He had been troubled with the Gravel and after his Sickness had very much Pain in Making Water So about Two Days before his Death as those about him were helping him up for that End feeling his Weakness with the Pain in an Agony he said I am gone now And then instantly checking himself added But I shall go to the Lord and
Profitableness of our Publick Meetings 460. not to be neglected 461. silent waiting in Meetings proved from Scripture and Reason ibid. private Meetings in Time of Persecution not Justifiable 530 J. M. his Answer to a Jesuite 611 Merit see Justification ‑ the Merit and Reward of Works 386 387 Metaphysicks 424 Meum Tuum the Case of Meum and Tuum 2â—8 Minister of the Gospel It is not found in Scripture if any be called 299 416 417. Teachers are not to go before the Teaching of the Spirit 304. the Popish and Protestant Errors concerning the Grace of a Minister are rejected 310 315. they are given for the Perfection of the Saints c. 391. concerning their Call and wherein it is placed 403 407 416. Qualities 403 416 424. Orders and Distinction of Laity and Clergy 428 430 433. of separating Men for their Ministry 425 426. Concerning the Sustentation and Maintenance of Ministers and their Abuse of the Idleness Riot and Cruelty of Ministers 431 437. what kind of Ministry and Ministers the Quakers are for and what sort their Adversaries are for 438 439 442 443 ‑ the Properties of a true Call 831 832. what Evidence the first Publishers of Truth 's Testimony in this Age gave in their Ministry 190. and with what Courage they preached ibid. what Opposition they met withal 191. nothing now in this kind but what hath been the Lot of God's Witnesses in Ancient Times ibid. the Ministration of the Gospel is a Ministration of Life and Grace 656. False Ministers preach from their Study and Books 28. true Ministers Call is not of Man 36 90 91 658. their Ministry its Tendency 37 91. Christ gave some Apostles some Prophets c. 89. what kind of Men the Ministers ought to be and their Duty c. 139 144 167 168. the End of the Ministry the Saints mutual Comfort 304. what renders the Work of the Ministry useless 391 392. the powerful Ministry of Illiterate Men 426. Ministers of the Gospel and of the Law and Shadows differ 654. the Lame and Blind no legal Ministers 655. the Students Graceless Ministry Judas its Patron ibid. Holiness required in a Preacher ibid. the Work of the Ministry is not limited to outward Ordination and Literature 703. see Priests whether Natural Sciences are necessary to the Ministry 834. the fore-runner of the Downfal of a Man-made Ministry 885. Minister of the Law there was no doubtfulness concerning them under the Law 409 420 421. their Ministry was not purely Spiritual and while they performed it they behoved to be purified from their outward Pollutions as now those under the Gospel from their Inward 408 409 420 421. see Maintenance Preaching Miracles whether they be needful to those who place their Faith in Objective Revelation 278 279 416. ‑ J. Calvin asserts there is no need of them 37. or to prove a True Call 90. those of the Apostles were wrought by the Power of Christ in them 385. the Unbelieving Jews believed them not â—24 the preaching of sound Doctrine with an Holy Life is a better Evidence of a true Prophet than all outward Miracles ibid. we need no outward Miracles to believe the Scriptures 903. Monasteries to be shut up in Cloisters and Monasteries is not the true Mortification and Abstraction from the Love and Cares of the World 535. Monks and Fryars demure Deportment Hair-cloth and Vows c. 27. Moses 361 456 458 475 494. ‑ Moses's and Christ's Deliverance compared 52. Motions wicked Men neglect the Motions of the Spirit to â—rayer 472. Motions to Worship are previous in order of Nature 635. false Motions denied 836. J. B. is for praying without the Spirit 's Motion 843. he calls the Movings of the Power of God upon the Quakers Devilry 844. J. B Instanceth unusual Motions of his own party 844 845 Munster see Anabaptists their mischievous actings 288 Murmurer the Truth shuts him out 198 Musick 473 Mystery of Iniquity 428 492 Mysticks a certain sort of Mysticks among the Papists 458 459. N Name of the Lord 486.488 To anoint in the Name of the Lord 512. Nature The Book of Nature cannot discover all things neccessary to Salvation 631. see Socinians The Lamb's Nature not to be found in most Christians but the Doggish and Wolfish Nature doth prevail 709. The Corrupt Nature in the fall distinguisht from the Divine Nature by which the Gentiles did the things contained in the Law 12. Naylor James 876. his Repentance 84 630. Nero 521 665. Noahs faith had neither the Scripture nor the Prophecy of those going before him 358. It is said of him that he was a perfect Man 394. Number of using the singular Number to one Person 539.540 To Thee and Thou a single Person says I. B. is blunt and rude 874.875 O. Oath That it is not lawful to swear 533.551 to 556.565 concerning Oaths 870 873. Obedience No Man's Obedience to any Command will avail him any thing unless upon inward belief and conviction that the thing Commanded is of God 738. is better than Sacrifice 300. Object of Faith see Faith Office What is meant by an Office in the Church 837. Officers 836. see Elders Ordinances sealing Ordinances 476. Ordination The best primitive Protestants had no lawful Ordination at all and therefore could not convey any to others after them whether Protestants or others 648.660 Original sin a term not found in Scripture 40. Original sin a Popish Tradition 93. Zwinglius condemned in the Council of Trent for his notion of Original Sin 93. Oyl To annoint with Oyl 493 511 513. P Pagans 64 Papists the Rule of their Faith 289. they are forced ultimately to recur unto the immediate and inward Revelations of the Holy Spirit 293. What difference there is betwixt the cursed deeds of those at Munster and theirs 288 290. They have taken away the second Commandment in their Catechism 3O2 they make Philosophy the Hand-Maid of Divinity 305. They exalt too much the natural Power and what they think of the saving Light 354. Their Doctrine concerning Justification is greatly vitiate 366. Concerning their manners and ceremonies 405.406 Their literature and studies 422. Of the modern Apostles and Evangelists 430. Whom they exclude from the Ministry 431.432 They must be sure of so much a year before they preach 433. They do not labour 437. The more moderate and sober of them exclaim against the excessive Revenues of the Clergy 435. Their worship can easily be stopped 454.455 Albeit they say None are saved without Water-Baptism yet they allow an Exception 289. Of Baptism 492. Of the Flesh and Blood of Christ 497 498. Of an Oath 550. The Maxim among the Papists Extra Ecclesiam nulla Salus in some sense true but as it is understood by them generally it destroys Love and Charity 688. Papists pretended charity see Armenian Parable of the Talents 344.349 Of the Vineyard entrusted 335. of the Sower 348 349 of the Tares 519 Paschal Lamb the end thereof 500. Patriarchs 496 501. Peace
the Testimony of the First Protestants 91 92. the Lord's day is not the First Day of the Week 39. nor is it limited to a particular Day 92. the First Day is not come instead of the Sabbath 93. superstitious observing of Days is the Inventions of Men 92 146. and an Inlet to all the Popish Holidays 39 92. the Priests make the First Day of the Week their Market-day to sell and vend their Babylonish Commodities in 40. It is convenient and necessary that a Day be set apart to meet and Worship God in 146 the Divines Nonsensical Proofs that the First Day of the Week is instead of the Sabbath 177 178. no Man is to be judged in respect of an Holy Day or the Sabbath-days c. 170. the observing of Days being a returning to the beggerly Elements 224. the first Dawning and breaking forth of the heavenly Day of the Lord in this our Age described 689-691 Deacons 508. ‖ Deaf Persons see Light Death see Adam Redemption it entred into the World by Sin 316 317 In the Saints it is rather a passing from Death to Life 316. a Sleep 41. and their Natural Death is not the Wages of Sin 94. Devil he eares not at all how much God be Acknowledged with the Mouth provided he be Worshipped in the Heart 272 355 356. he can form an outward Sound of Words 278. he haunts among the Wicked 391. How he can be a Minister of the Gospel 425 427. when he can work nothing 453 454. he keeps Men in outward Signs Shadows and Forms while they neglect the Substance 489 491 507. The Rage of the Devil against the Lord's Chosen 713. Differences in the Church in outward Matters to be Composed 207. as coming from the besetments of the Enemy 228. the Spirit of God giving Judgment in the Church of Christ 240. Dispute The Dispute of a Shoo-maker with a certain Professor 422 423. of an Heathen-Philosopher with a Bishop in the Council of Nice and of the Vnletter'd Clown 423 424. Divinity School-Divinity 417. how pernicious it is 423 to 427. Divisions see Schism Dreams see Faith Miracles Doctrine That Doctrine which is both contrary to Scripture and Experience is not for the Spirit but against it 601. the Fruits prove the Doctrine 624. J. B. brings his own Author in for Devilish Doctrines 749. Duty The hardned and blinded see not their Duty 242. Duties natural and spiritual differ 636. E. Ear There is a Spiritual and bodily Ear 271 278. whether the outward Hearing is necessary to make a Man a Member of the Visible Church 806. Easter is Celebrated other ways in the Latine Church than in the Eastern 289. the Celebration of it is grounded upon Tradition 289. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the Name J. B's false Gloss upon it 859 487. see Baptism Ejaculations proved from Scripture 852. Elders 277 430. How Christ in Revealing his Will ordinarily makes use of the Elders and Officers in his Church 229. in Cases of Differences and Controversies 236. Election and Reprobation of Infants 766 767. J.B. makes the Word All express of two Numbers the least to be Elected 784 804. by the whole World he falsly understands the Elect only ibid. Elector of Saxony the Scandal given by him 471. Eminency Your Eminency see Titles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is oftner translated in than among as in 1 Cor 2.2 p. 66. Endowments the Author glories not in natural Endowments Enjoyments inward former Feelings and Enjoyment are far exceeded by the Feelings and Enjoyments of this day 28 29. Enoch walked with God 394. Enthusiasm its proper signification 658. Epistle see James John Peter Esau and Jacob did strive in the Womb 447. Ethicks or Books of Moral Philosophy are not needful to Christians 424. Evangelist who he is and whether any now a days may be so called 429 430. Evidence the best and most principal is the Immediate Evidence of the Spirit and the greatest outward Evidence that can be given is the Scripture 593 594. the Spirit 's Evidence is that it teacheth to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts c. 575 576. an Evidence that no Hypocrite can have 657. See Ministry Spirit Revelation Exaltation self-Exaltation leads to Separation and Division 192 193. Excellency Tour Excellency see Titles Excommunication the evil thereof 690 691 Exorcism or Adjuration in the use of Water-baptism denied 492 Eye The Spiritual Eye sees and discerns the true Confessor from the false 657 837. F. Faith its Definition and what its Object is 277 278. how far and how Appearances outward Voices and Dreams were the Object of the Saints Faith 278. that Faith is one and that the Object of Faith is one 279. It s foundation 293 294. see Revelation Scripture Little Faith is perfect in the measure of it 23 80. what it is its absolute necessity 129. Accidental Objects of Faith 602. wherein the nature and Essence of Faith consists 603. J. B's halting Examples to prove true Faith 759. Sadeel's Testimony concerning Succession of Faith 648. the material and formal Object of Faith distinguished 742 744. whether Faith comes by the outward Hearing 904. falling away and departing from Faith 42 43. who they were that fell from Faith 96. not holding it in a good Conscience 137. thou that standest by Faith c. ibid. see Grace Fall of Man see Man Farellus 506 Father see Knowledge Revelation Fathers so called they did not Agree about some Books of the Scripture 296 303. they affirm that there are whole Verses taken out of Mark and Luke 288. concerning the Septuagint-Interpretation and the Hebrew Copy 303. they preached Universal Redemption for the first four Centuries 326. they frequently used the Word Merit in their Doctrine 387. concerning the possibility of not Sinning 397 398. the possibility of falling from Grace 400. many of them did not only contradict one another but themselves also 423 424. concerning Baptism and the Sign of the Cross 492. concerning an Oath 550. Feet Concerning the Washing of one anothers Feet 447 498 499. Christ washed the Disciples Feet 169 170. the Washing of Feet c. 651. a spiritual Washing of Feet pointed at by Christ 652. Washing of Feet observed by Christians in the Primitive Times ibid. which though Commanded with so great solemnity yet Ceased 863. Forbearance of God see God Franequer all things are set to sale at Rome to Franequer apply'd 433. Freedom from sin see Perfection Freely the Gospel ought to be preached freely 403 432 434. Nic. Arnoldus his Answer to Freely ye have received c. 433. G Games see Plays Gentiles by what Nature the Gentiles did the things contained in the Law 313 763. The Gentiles justified in doing the Law 360 362. Jew and Gentile Scythian and Barbarian partakers of the Salvation of Christ 363. see Heathens Gifted Brethren 416. Gifts 204. diversities of Gifts Administrations and Operations from the same Spirit makes no division 220. Gifts differing according
to the Grace given 300. the confining of the Gifts and Graces of God to certain External Forms and Ceremonies is directly opposite to Vniversal Love 703. by the Gift of God all things are possible 398. Gilpin John his Story answered 74. God How he hath always manifested himself 269 unless he speak within the Preacher makes a rustling to no purpose 271 272. None can know him aright unless he receive it of the Holy Ghost 270 271 272. God is to be sought within 272. he is known by Sensation and not by meer Speculation and Syllogistick Demonstrations 271. he is the Fountain Root and Beginning of all good Works and he hath made all things by his Eternal Word 274. God speaking is the Object of Faith 278. among all he hath his own Chosen ones 270. he delights not in the Death of the Wicked see Redemption he hath manifested his Love in sending his Son 367 368 see Justification he rewards the good Works of his Children 386. whether it be possible to keep his Commandments 388. he is the Lord and the only Judge of the Conscience 515 517 he will have a free Exercise 522. his Forbearance and Long-suffering 343 344 223 217. When God hardens 344. what Man does act without his Power is not accepted 453. by Manifestation he cometh forth into the Creatures and yet is still in himself 580. whom to know is Eternal Life 115. God's Voice is known by a Spiritual and Supernatural Sense 898 God is Light 65 115 161. There is in all Men a Supernatural Idea of God as of a most perfect being 900. his Glory and Beauty makes all the Glory of this World as Dross and Dung 902. his Condescension to the Weak 35. of all things Sin is most contrary to his Nature 320. whose Riches and Bounty lead Men to Repentance 791. who speaks inwardly to the Mind of Man 896. Godliness from a tender Age the Happiness of few and why 677. Good that which is good for one to do may be sinful to another 300. the Good in all ought to be Commended 682 and the Evil not to be encouraged 683. Gospel see Redemption the Truths of it are as Lies in the Mouths of Profane and Carnal Men 276 284 285. the Nature of it is explained 285 286. It is distinguished from the Law and is more excellent than it 386 287 298. see Covenant Law whether any ought to preach it in this or that Place is not found in Scripture 299 416 417. its Works are distinguished from the Works of the Law 382. how it is to be propagated and of its Propagation 517. The Worship of it is inward 484. it is an inward Power 349 350. Evil under the Gospel not to be resisted 665. its most excellent Dispensation is to be like Christ 664 The Gospel of Salvation is brought nigh unto all 125. which is the Power of God 126. a new Revelation of the good old Gospel and Doctrines 308. this Gospel is made a Mock and Illusion by the false Doctrine of Absolute Reprobation 319 321 322. is preached to every Creature 323. or in every Creature 799. which Gospel is hid in them that are lost 632. a twofold Dispensation of it 664. the preaching of it perverted by our Adversaries 782. the History of the Gospel is necessary 793. yet the Declaration is not the Power or Manifestation of God in Man 799. which Assertion is neither Heathenism nor Jesuttism c. ibid. and Salvation is not impossible without the hearing of the Gospel or outward preaching 805. Government see Church Magistrate Order and Government Asserted in the Church of Christ 193. being appointed by Christ himself and the form thereof 194. the Abuse makes not void the true use ibid. the end thereof 195. being practised by the Apostles and Primitive Christians ibid. 199. the Apostles Doctrine concerning it 196. dissenting Reasonings against it 197. It is no inconsistency or Contradiction to be a Follower of the Grace of God in ones self and to be a Follower of Men in whom the Spirit of God hath the Dominion ibid. in what Cases and how far this Government extends i as to Outwards and Temporals 206 211. ii in Matters Spiritual and purely Conscientious 212 224. It differs from the Oppressing and persecuting principality of the Church of Rome and other Antichristian Assemblies 230 235. Grace the Grace of God can be lost through Disobedience 398 c. Saving Grace see Redemption which is required in the calling and qualifying of a Minister see Minister in some it worketh in a special and prevalent manner that they necessarily obtain Salvation 340 341. Your Grace see Titles Grace is given in order to save 63 64. what it teaches 128. all have Grace sufficient for Salvation 341 578 699. if not resisted works Salvation 801. the Calvinists make Grace an Irresistible Power falsly 803 827 828 834. God's Grace and Love is Universal 164. its Work in the Heart 387 802. concerning falling from Grace 136 138 167. a graceless Man is rendered unfit to receive the new Wine of the Gospel in his unclean Vessel 656. Greeks the Wisdom of the Greeks appeared in their worldly Affairs 764. H. Hai Ebn Yokdan 365 Hands Laying on of Hands 417 511 660 833. Paul wrought with his Hands 652 435 Head Of uncovering the Head in Salutations 531 533 540 543 564 565 874. to put off the Hat one to another not commanded by Christ 3. is one of the Corrupt Customs of the World ibid. not warranted to Man by Scripture but to God 60. and Salutations commanded by Christ are owned by the Quakers 2 3. who don 't consist in taking off the Hat and bowing of the Body 874 see Honor Salutations Hearing Inward and outward Hearing distinguished 603 803 804. Faith comes not by outward Hearing 904 905. see Infants Heart the Heart is Deceitful and Wicked 30 312 314. Obdurateness and Hardness of Heart when begotten 789. Hardness of Heart and blindness justly reprovable and all the Enormities following thereupon 242. man cannot procure to himself tenderness of Heart in his own will 338 Heathens Albeit they were Ignorant of the History yet they were sensible of the Loss by the Fall 361. some Heathens would not Swear 555. Heathenish Ceremonies were brought into the Christian Religion 492. Heathen-Philosophers Divine Knowledge 361 362. they declared that Inward Concupiscence is sin 604. the Gospel held forth to them 327. and Christ was given as a Light to inlighten the Gentiles 358. Concerning the Heathens Book of Nature 630 631. Salvation is possible to them in the most barbarous places 700 803 804. they having a Day of Visitation through the Gospel 788. Those that deny the Inward Principle of Grace and Light given to all Men are forged to urge the same against an Heathen because he doth not acknowledge any Scripture or Tradition 700 701. See Gentiles Pagans Heathen-Persecution see Persecution Hebrew The various Lections of the Hebrew Character of the Bible 303. Henry