indeed we learne that it is the Spirit that must helpe and teach us how and for what to pray and must quicken those graces in us which are requisite unto the right performance of this duty but how it can prove his method by Introversion and there waiting for the drawings and impulses of the Spirit which we must feel before we set about the duty I see not Yea I think the text clearly enough importeth the contrary to wit that when the honest believer out of conscience to the command with the little strength and ability he hath is aimeing at the duty and setting about it the Spirit cometh with seasonable help and helpeth his infirmities and maketh intercession for him with groanes that cannot be uttered and this the greek word importeth to wit the Spirit 's lifting at the load lest the beleever should be crushed under it see Calvin and Beza on the place But he frameth an argument thus Pag. 256. If man knoweth not how he should pray nor can he pray without the help of the Spirit then he prayeth in vaine without him But the former is true Therefore Ans. What will this conclusion do for his purpose It cometh not neare to what he should prove by many stages Will he hence inferre Therefore man should not pray until he feel the Impulses Motions Influences and Drawings of the Spirit By the like consequence one might prove from Psal. 127 1 2. That no man should put to his hand to build and no man should set a watch upon the wales of a besieged city and no man should laboure in his ordinary calling till he finde the influenceing motions and concurrence of the Spirit pouseing him forward and driveing him to the work But how ridiculous this is every one knoweth To tell a dream is sufficient to refute it 10. He citeth next Ephes. 6 18. and Iud vers 20. And inferreth that that is as much as if he had said ye must never pray without watching unto it Ans. Because we are commanded to love the Lord withall our heart soul and minde c. will he say that that is as much as if it were said ye must never love the Lord except it be with all your heart c So he may say we should never pray except we pray with all prayer and we should never watch unto prayer except we watch with all perseverance and supplication for all saints for these things are in the text too But againe though we should never pray without the Spirit will it hence follow that we should never set about the duty till first we feel the Leadings Driveings Motions and Inspirations of the Spirit And then lastly Though we should never pray without watching unto it how will it follow that we should never pray without an Introversion These things hang together like ropes of sand What sayes he to the place of Iude Iude sayes he demonstrateth that prayers in the holy Ghost are those whereby the Saints are built up in their most holy faith And what then Are no prayers meanes to build up saints in their most holy faith but such as are gone about after we have Introverted and felt the Influence Inspirations Leadings and Drawings of the holy Ghost This is like the rest of the Quakers consequences loose and sandy 11. He citeth 1 Cor. 12 3. No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost And thence inferreth far less can he be called upon acceptably without him And what is this to the pointe Say we that any can pray acceptably without the Spirit It is one thing to pray without the gracious and ordinary influences of the Spirit helping our infirmities and another thing to pray with the feelings of the Impulses Motions Leadings Pouseings and Driveings of the Spirit When will he conclude this last which is the thing he should conclude He addeth Paul 1 Cor. 14 t 15. said he would pray in the Spirit And so should we all do and with understanding too But this is an evident Testimony saith he that he did not use to Pray without the Spirit Answ. Though the consequence be not good yet I think the consequent is true But where sayes the Apostle that except he felt the Motions and Drawings Inspirations of the Spirit that after he had Introverted he would not pray And when he writteth to the Churches and pressâ—th them to pray for him 1 Thes 5 vers 25. 2 Thes. 3 1. Heb. 13 18. 2 Cor. 1 11 Phil. 1 19. Rom. 15 30. Philem. 22. Col 4 3. Where addeth he that clause If ye feel after an Introversion the Inspirations Motions Influences and powerfully inflowing might and liberty so that they might not attempt it otherwayes Let him cleare this and win the cause 12. He addeth All prayers without the Spirit are abomination Prov. 28 vers 9. Answ. Though that be true of the wicked yet I durst not say they were not called to pray seing it is a command of Natures Law See Esai 55 6. Ps. 107 19 28. Exod 22 23 Iob 8 5. 36 13. Ier. 36 7. 42 9. Not to mention the word of Peter to Simon Magus of which afterward I know the plowing of the wicked is sin Prov. 21 4. Must therefore say the wicked man must never plow The sacrifice of the wicked was also an abomination Prov. 15 v. 8. 21 27. was it therefore a good consequence under the Law that such persons should have brought no sacrifices Knoweth he not that the substance of an act may be good and yet for want of several things not be accepted at the hands of the wicked We know that in many things we offend all but he dreameth of perfection He addeth 1 Ioh. 5 14. and thence inferreth but if they seek not according to his will they have no cause to be confident that he will heare them Which is very true when they seek any thing that is not consonant to his revealed will But what then His adversaries sayes he grant that prayers without the Spirit are not according to the will of God We grant indeed that as to the manner such prayers are not according to the command but Iohn is not speaking of the manner of prayer but of the thing prayed for What will he say next To command any to pray without the Spirit is to command them to see without eye work without hands or walk without feet Answ. I knew we should land at Pelagianisme Nay he is worse than Pelagius for Pelagius only said that whatever God commanded us to do he gave us sufficient strength to do it with all but this man saith except we know and feel that we have not only sufficient but all working strength we have nothing to do with the command nay except the Spirit which must do all come and move carry and drive us forward yea and we feel it and know it we are not once to take notice of the command
This is Quakerisme indeed 13. What he addeth Pag. 256. § 23. of some turning superstitious some idolatrous and others formal upon this account if he meane it of all that oppose him and contradict his opinion I look upon it as a groundless calumny if he meane it only of some I have no minde to defend them in it Nor shall I need to retaliat and say that their leaning to these false Inspirations and diabolick Excitations having forsaken the good old way are direct meanes through the judgment of God to confirme them in their Paganisme and Paganish Antichristianisme for the matter is notoure enough though I mention none of their other miscarriages even after their Enthusiasmes wicked Inspirations and Introversions 14 Before he come to answer Objections he speaketh Pag. 25◠§ 24. to the defence of their irreligious profane and contemptuous carriage in our Assemblies for worshipe where they love to come to do open affront both â—o God and men for even in time of prayer or praise they will remaine covered He saith they do this only to keep their conscience unhurt But if there were such hazard of sin in joyning with us in our worshipe why come they to the place of Worshipe Their end can be nothing else but to do open contempt if they beleeve as he saith that our worshipe is an abomination they should keep far aback from it But the truth is their Antichristian Spirit which acteth them to an hight of rage will not suffer them to see Christ worshiped in his way And how knoweth he that our ministers pray alwayes without the Spirit Hath he the gift of discerning Spirits And can he go in to the heart and see how maters stand there We profess that we pray without the Spirit and have therefore our limited times sayes he But he is a liar we say no such thing The gift and the grace of Prayer both is of the Spirit and though it too often falleth out that there is not that faith in dependance on the Spirit that there ought to be both for the gift and for the grace yet it is not our profession that prayer should be without the Spirit and this praying with the Spirit can well consist with praying at such and such times But that Spirit without which we say we pray is your Spirit of delusion or your fantastical Dreames Impulses Drawings and Inspirations which for any thing we can see are diabolical But it seemeth they have a sagacious Spirit of discerning when one prayeth in the Spirit and when not for he sayes though one in our presence should beginne to pray not expecting the Spirit yet if it appeared that the Spirit of the Lord concurred with him we would also joyn And what is that I pray that will make this manifest unto them Is it talking in the Quakers dialect Or the Mimical posture of the body Or what is it I am apt to beleeve it must only be something of that nature As for Alexander Skeins Propositions I meddle not with them because some other hath answered them and the substance of them I have already confuted 15. He cometh after this digression to examine Objections Pag. 260. § 25. And the first is this If such inward motions and impulses be necessary to Outward acts oâ— worshipe why not also to Inward Nay much more they must be necessary for the special motions of the Spirit are more necessary unto the grace of prayer than unto the gift and in the outward exercises of worshipe there is more of a gift required than in inward What answereth he Vnto these general duties the motion and influence of the Spirit dureing the day of visitation is alwayes present striveing with the man so that if he but stand and be abstracted from his evil thoughts God is near to help him But external actions stand in need of greater and more particular influences Ans. Not to insist here on the confutation of the marrow of Pelagianisme which is laid downe for his ground thaâ— being done sufficiently above I only take notice here that with our Pelagian Quakers an Heathen or a Pagan can love God with all his heart adore fear believe in him and performe all inward worshipe of this kinde easily when he will he hath divine influences at his command nay the Spirit is within already for that end so that if he will but sist his course and abstract from his evil thoughts which he may very easily do God is at his hand and the work will go on but as to uttering of words much more is requisite that is if I be not far mistaken Nature can help him to perform â—ll Inward worshipe but he must have the supervenient Influence of an evil Spirit to act him before he performe any publick act of worshipe Such an enemie is this Spirit that acteth the Quakers unto all Publick profession of the name of Jesus and worshiping of him openly that he will never suffer any thing that looketh there away to be done until he have his hand so in it that he shall be sure it shall be more worshipe service to himself than to Christ 16. It is Objected againe That by this principle no man should do a morall duty as honour his parents do justice to his neighbours plow the land until the Spirit move him for no service else can be accepted He answereth There is a difference betwixt those general duties and particular acts of worshipe These are spiritual and are commanded to be done by the Spirit Those some way answere their end as to them whom they immediatly concerne though they proceed from a meer natural principle of self love Ans. Who denieth that there is a difference betwixt them yet each of them must be performed in the right manner else they are not acceptable and the right manner cannot be without the Spirit This he confesseth And therefore must yeeld the argument And we deny that worshipe is to be done in the Spirit according to his sense and no other way that is only by the immediat Inspirations and Imâ—ulses and Drawings of the Spirit we affirme worshipe ought to be performed in the Spirit that is by his gracious Assistance graceing the soul and breathing on his graces that they may act seasonably But sayes he further As a natural Spirit is required to performe natural acts so the Spirit of God is requisite to the performance of Spiritual acts All is granted yet he knoweth that to performe natural acts in a spiritual manner the Spirit of God is requisite and if natural acts be not performed in a spiritual manner they are not accepted of God and therefore according to his principles we must not eat drink sleep walk work plow c. till the Spirit stirre us up immediatly and carry us to the duty because without this previous motion of the Spirit we will but commit abomination in all these actions as well as in worshiping without the Spirit So
extraordinary gifts if not why do they not hold one baptisme till they get another But then sayes he Iâ— should not be Christs baptisme that remaineth Answ. It should not be that baptisme by the â—oly Ghost which he promised to his disciples it is true but it is false to say it should not be that baptisme which Christ did institute appoint his Apostles to administer Read we not of some baptized in the name of Christ who yet had received none of these gifts Act. 8 16. and yet sure that baptisme was Christs His following words I have nothing to do with for I say not that Iohns Baptisme was a figure of this extraordinary baptisme by the holy Ghost and by fiâ—e I observe moreover another piece of this mans ignorance or deceite whereupon he would found his discourse here he imagineth that these extraordiry gifts of the holy Ghost are the same with the Spiritual things signified conferred and sealed in baptisme And when the man doth shut his eyes and then run on furiously in his blindness what can we do but stand by and be sorry at his folly and madness Hence he will have none said to be baptized in the Spirit but such as are baptized and endued with these extraordinary gifts of the Spirit and because we admit not now such a baptisme of the Spirit he inferreth that we are only for the bare forme and shadow of baptisme and he is for the substance Who would not pity such a man that taketh upon him to condemne as the Manichees did of old and a Seck called the Whippers that arose in the 13. Century our baptisme and therein to condemne all the Churches of Christ when he hath need to goe in among the Catechumens and be catechized I say agaâ—ne if he and his fraternity be thus baptized with the Holy Ghost as the Apostles were and these mentioned Act. 11. Why do they not shew it The fire in the Apostles could not be hid they spoke with tongues but our Quakers do no such thing except by a new kinde of non-sense he would have us understand their speaking with tongues And indeed they are all baptized with this baptisme These were extraordinarily endued with learning and all abilities to set forward the Kingdom of Christ but our Quakers are ignorant and yet they imagine they are learned and with what they have they destroy so far as they can this kingdom and therefore if they be extraordinarily baptized with a Sâ—irit it must be with a blake Spirit Christ's enemy And further the baptisme of the holy Ghost with which the Apostles were baptized made them not enraged against the baptisme of water but more careful to observe it and administrate it according to Christ's appointment and that even to such as had also received that extraordinary baptisme As Act. 11. these same persons on whom the holy Ghost fell were baptized with water But it is otherwise with our Quakers the Ghost which they suppose themselves baptized with is a Ghost opposite to all Christ's Appointments Let them then consider whence he came and whether he leadeth them 7. He citeth further Pag. 270. 1 Pet. 3 21. plowing with Socinus's hifer and supposeth that there is here given a definition of Baptisme and it is true the Apostle sheweth what that baptisme was which he was speaking of to wit not the bare outward element and the application thereof which alone cannot be effectual to salvation but the principal thing here requisite is the answer of a good conscience which all must have who shall expect any good of Baptisme And thus the Apostle doth plainly establish this Ordinance as a like figure unto that whereunto Noahs Ark was a figure which proved a mean of saving none but faithful Noah and his family And this truth we owne to wit that the outward washing of water can save none where there is not the stipulation of a good conscience toward God Shall we hence with Swenkfeldus whom Calvin on the place confuteth say that the outward Ordinance is null Or shall we with Papists stick in the outward element No Christs way is the best we owne both what is inward and what is outward and give each its due place What would our Quaker now say He sideth with Schwenckfeldus and Saltmarsh and would have the outward part wholly laid aside and why Because Peter sayes Baptisme is not the putting away the filth of the Flesh. Ans. Peter sayes not that there is no putting away of the filth of the Flesh in Baptisme but that the baptisme which will save must have some other thing then outward washing to wit the answere of a good conscience toward God Againe he joyneth with Papists and will have baptisme to be that which was really typified by the Ark while as it is but a corresponding exemplar carrying some analogy or proportion therewith let him Read Calvin Beza on the place But saith he As all in the Arkwere saved by water so all should be saved by outward washing if that were baptisme Answ. If we made the outward washing as separated from the inward grace the whole of Baptisme the Quaker had some colour to speak thus but when we speak of Baptisme as saving we comprehend both the outward washing and the inward grace the answere of a good conscience for where this is not the outward washing in baptisme is ineffectual One thing more How will this Quaker prove that this answere of a good conscience is the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit which were poured forth upon the Apostles Or is that baptisme by the holy Ghost and by fire whereof Christ speaketh Act. 1 4 His saying Pag. 270. that none can give this answere but they whose soul the Spirit of God hath purified and whose corrupt nature the fire of his judgments hath consumed is but to show his profane dexterity in allegorizeinâ— and playing with the word of truth let him plainly tell us if he thinketh the Apostles had no grace no corruption purified until the day of Pentecost came and so that the thing which Christ had promised and which then was fulfilled was this Spirit of Sanctification and nothing else And if he dar not say this let him consider to how little purpose all this is said 8. He citeth also but to the same purpose stealing from Socinus Rom. 6 3 4. Gal. 3 27. Col. 2 12. for the Apostle is not speaking of the outward washing abstracted from the inward grace but is speaking of whole baptisme that as aâ—ministred to such as he supposed beleevers and speaketh unto as such pressing duties and mentioning privileges that agree to them only And thus all which our Quaker saith is obviated for we say not that the things there mentioned are to be understood of bare outward washing but of the Ordinance which includeth the inward grace in order to these privileges and benefites We do not say that all who are only outwardly washen in baptisme are
might seem a rejecting of the wise mans counsel Prov. 26 4. answere not a fool according to his follie lest thou also be like unto him But the consideration of the humore of these men will enforce a compliance with what the Spirit of the Lord in by the same wise man sayeth Vers. 5. answere a fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his owne conceit and the simplicity of some who are ready to believe every thing set off with such art and cunning as these men study and the pronenesse of many in this generation to a relinquishing of the received Truth will in some sort necessitate an examination of what this late Disciple now Patron of the Quakers hath so say in his owne in their defence Notwithstanding that the beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water that therefore it were better to leave off his contention before it be medled with yet upon the forementioned considerations to establish such as it may be are staggering or ready to be shaken others who desire further clearing of their own confirmation in the Truth I shall through the help of the God of Truth howbeit I be none of those whom he particularly here describeth as the men he would fainest deal with adventure to discover what evill apprehend to lye wrapped up in his fifteen Theses in his large book entituled an Apologie written for futher confirmation explication of his Theses and that in the language best understood by our countrey men whom I judge most in hazard by these mens doctrine leaving such of those he most particularly bespeaketh in his preface as shall judge it convenient to edification to emit in latine a discovery of his pernicious but groundless errours 5. He stileth himself a Servant of the Lord God upon what true account I know not unless upon the same account that all the works of creation beare that Title Psal. 119 9â— which yet if we consider his work may be very much questioned seing he endeavoureth so much as a Servant of Satan rather to darken deface so far as he can the glory of that God whom the works of creation after their kinde extol But if he speak thus upon a more special account as some will confidently believe he doth he must not be offended if I desire to see his credentials that it may appear he taketh not that honour to himself but is called thereunto as all are who run not unsent It is no strange thing for this sort of Fanaticks a sort of men truly such Enthusiasts to pretend to immediat missions to assume this stile to themselves the history of the Anabaptists in Munster in other places of Germany Helvetia will not suffer us to forget this Thomas Muncer stiled himself so in his letters Melchior Hoffman would needs be called accounted an Apostle from heaven and what blasphemous titles David Georg did assume to himself is sufficiently known It is obvious enough what moâ—ed the former Fanaticks unto this what this man designeth by arrogating to himself this stile but reason will require that we try such Impostors before we trust that we have clear manifest evidences of his divine call who cometh with a new doctrine a new Gospel Nay I think it will be saifest for us to hearken to Paul saying Gal. 1 8 9. But though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel to you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed as we said before so say I now againe if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that you have received let him be accursed And this ground abiding firm we need not auxiously enquire after the nature quality of this mans call for be he Man or Angel an Apostle or any Other Person the other Gospel or Antigospel which he preacheth in his Theses Book discovereth the cursedness of his Call Imployment I wish we all more minded what our Lord said Mat. 7 15-20 Beware of false Prophets c. 6. Moreover in his single Theses he calleth himself one also of these who are ironically as he supposeth called Quakers but I finde that he leaveth out this particular in the second edition of his Theses premitted to his large Apologie whether as ashamed thereof or upon whatever other account I leave to others to judge I need not descant upon the Name nor use many words to shew the appositness of its application or the grounds thereof seing it is sufficiently known how at the beginning of their appearance they used while at their meetings to be strangly affected with Quakings Shakings Tremblings Foamings at the mouth other such like Unusual Motions of the body Others of his perswasion rather owne this title as disowne it wâ—ile they maintaine the thing look upon it as an effect of the same power that made Moses to quake shake tremble saying that Moses was a Quaker so Richard Farnworth in his Returne to the Priests about Beverly as he stiled his book Pag. 14. as also in his writings against Mr. Stalham saying Thou speaks against the power of God that worketh effectually in his people as it did in Moses Habbakuk David Paul others c. Insinuating that as they are all Prophets immediatly inspired so they are made to quake the same way that Moses Habbakuk the rest were Nay himself giveth us this account of the matter in his Apology Pag. 230.231 That from the inward birth while the darkness striveth to obscure the light breaketh through the darkness there ariseth great trouble in the soul which affecteth even the outward Man so as that by these workings ofttimes the body is wonderfully shaken many sighs groanes are emitted yea as it were the paines of a woman in travail are felt and this not only in one person alone but in the whole meeting so that every one fighting against this power of darkness being moved with the motions of contrary waves are exercised as in a day of battel thus trembling motions of the body seize upon all And then he tels us that hence came the name Quakers whereof though they did not choose it to themselves yet they are not ashamed but rather rejoyce that they are made sensible of this power And seing it is so why he should account this name ironically attributed to them I know not especially seing it is the most apposite characteristick that can be expressing in a signal manner that which they account their glory which manifestly distinguisheth them from all other Secks which we know now a dayes But passing this I only observâ— from thence That he clearly intimateth a distinct party of which he accounteth himself a member withal giveth us no other name by which they should be called who make up that distinct Seck and therefore till he helpe us to a more apposite characteristical
Revelations of the Spirit of God and yet they carry no Authority impressed upon them What shall carry the Impressions of a divine Authority if divine Revelations do not why did he assert in the preceeding Thesis that divine Revelation was the formal Object and ground of divine Faith How can they beleeve with a divine Faith the divine Revelations which they pretend unto why doth he plead so much for looking after divine Revelations if divine Revelations have not the stamp of divine Authority upon them But he sayes they ascribe the authority wholly unto the Spirit And do not we so also when we stoop unto the Authority of the Scriptures of Truth because delivered by the Inspiration of God when we say the Acts and Statutes of Parliament have the authority of Lawes and we obey and receive them as authenticque Lawes do we not ascribe the Legislative Authority unto the Parliament what a fancyful distinction must this them be and what a Notional difference doth he here imagine But it may be by these writings he meaneth the Paper and Ink But can he call the Paper and Inck the Scriptures of Truth or say that they did proceed from the holy Revelations of the Spirit of God 6. He reduceth all the contents of the Scripture unto three heads telling us that they containe first an historical narration of the acts of the people of God in not a few ages and of several rare testimonies of the providence of God towards them Forgetting that we have here also a true and faithful Narration of the first creation and that these examples are instructive Secondly a Prophetical narration of many things of which some are past and some are yet to come Making no mention of the great and many Promises nor yet of the threatnings Thirdly a full and large testimony to the chiefe doctrines of the Christian faith and that in certane excellent declarations exhortations and sentences which by the afflatus of the Spirit were said and written at diverse times to diverse churches and pastors according to various occasions that fell out And here is the whole of the high account he hath of the Scriptures and of their perfection Not to Meddle much with that here which he will give us occasion largely to disput of hereafter I would only enquire where or in what book beside the Scriptures shall we finde the whole doctrine of the Christian Faith laid down The Scriptures as he saith only give testimony to the chiefe Doctrines of Christianity Therefore there must be other Doctrines of Christianity that must be found out and searched for elsewhere but where I pray shall we finde these Againe I would know of him how we shall know what belongeth to the chiefe Heads of Christianity and what not we cannot know this by the Scriptures for they are supposed by him to be chief heads of Christianity to us before the Scriptures come which only as he saith beareth testimony to some of them 7. Further when he sayeth the Scripture giveth this Testimony only in certaine declarations c. It would seem we have not our Christian faith from the Scriptures but all the Articles thereof flow to us from some other Immediat Fountaine and are founded as to us upon some other Immediat Ground and the Scriptures only give some testimony thereto and that as it were on the bye in some certane Declarations Exhortations and Sentences Hence it would appeare by him that it is not the maine intendment and principal designe of the Scriptures to set downe delineat and explaine to us the articles of our Christian Faith and the doctrine of our Religion and so Iohn was it seemeth in a mistake when he said Iohn 20 vers 31. These are written that we might beleeve that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing we might have life through his name Why hath the Lord thus made known and written unto us excellent things in counsel and knowledge Is it not that our trust might be in the Lord and that he might make us know the certanty of the Words of Truth Prov. 22 vers 18 19 20 21. See Luk. 1 vers 2 3 4. Why saith Paul Rom 15 vers 4. that whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope For what end did the Spirit inspire these Holy men and by or in them speak to us in the Scriptures if not to give us a solide ground for our Faith to stand upon in receiving and beleeving the articles of Salvation Is not the whole of the Scripture given by the Inspiration of God that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3 16 17 Why doth the Apostle Peter say 2 Pet. 1 19. that we do well to take heed unto this more sure word of prophecy If they be not the ground of our Faith why are we desired thus to take heed unto them and to desire the sincere milk of word that we may grow thereby 1 Pet 2 2. Are we not said to be built upon that foundation which the Prophets and Apostles did ministerially lay by Word and Write Ephes. 2 20. Thus we see he layeth no more weight upon the Scriptures as to the bottoming of our Faith than he would do upon any good Book wherein testimony were given unto the chiefe Doctrines of the Christian Faith by some excellent Declarations Exhortations and Sentences 8. In this account he giveth us of his conceptions of the fulness and perfection of the Scriptures It is observable that he doth not so much as give the least hint of any Authority wherewith the Scripture is cloathed to lay obligations on our Consciences to yeeld Faith and Obedience to it as the signification of the Soveraigne Will and pleasure of the great God and Lawgiver and in this is more injurious to the Scriptures then Papists are who grant it to be a Rule of Faith Hos. 8 12. See Psal. 119. throughout with infinite moe places and this is in effect to destroy the Scriptures which are given to us as the Law of God and must be received as such with Faith and Obedience As if they had not been inspired by the Holy Ghost for this end purpose that we might thereby understand and prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God Is it not called a Law disobedience unto and transgression of which is sin 1 Ioh. 3 4. Iam. 2 8 9 10 11 12. and 4 11. 9. What he saith of the Scriptures being written to certane Churches and Pastors upon certane Occasions which is an old Popish argument neither will quadrate with the whole of the Scriptures nor though it did will it ground any such inference that we have little or no interest therein as our Law and Rule as Quakers say and lest he think I caluminate let him take notice of these few Instances Edw. Borroughs Pag.
pretendeth unto to be more Originally and Principally the Rule than the Revelations which are contained in the Scriptures and by which the Scriptures were given out Againe he must shew us a Reason why the Revelations which he pretendeth unto should be called or accounted one with the Spirit himself more than these Revelations by which the Scriptures were dictate 23. Before we proceed we must take notice of one thing further in his Thesis There he tels us that the Scriptures themselves testifie that the Spirit is that Rector or guide who is given to the Saints by whom they are to be led in all truth And then inferreth that Therefore according to the Scriptures the Spirit is the prime and principal leader And this is very true but maketh nothing for his Cause yea it militateth against him for I would ask whether he beleeveth this testimony of the Scripture or not If not why maketh he thus use of it as an Argument Is he of the same minde with other Quakers who as Mr Hicks reporteth Dial. 1. P. 24 25. speak thus Thou mistakest us we owne not the Scriptures to be our Rule And whereas thou hast said many things to render us guilty of condemning this in others whilst we ourselves seemingly allow it to be so which is but thine own imagination for when we make use of the Scriptures it is only to quiet and stop their clamours that plead for it as their Rule But for us had the Scriptures never been we could have known what is therein contained And againe Pag. 48.49 dost thou deny perfection attainable in this life Is any point more plainly asserted then this NB. in that which thou callest thy Rule the Scriptures not because I owne it to be so but thou dost and I would convince thee by them dost not thou call the Scriptures the word of God and thy Rule I wonder thou should insist so much upon this since I have told thee I owne it not as the Rule only I would convince thee by it If he be of this judgment he could not with a good conscience adduce this Argument where he is thetically laying downe and confirming the grounds of his Faith But if he be of another judgment and beleeveth this to be true I would ask againe Upon what ground Is it because the Scriptures speak thus or because the Light within him or a second Testimony or Inspiration saith that this is Truth If this last be his meaning he cannot say that the Scriptures give this testimony but that the Spirit distinct from that Spirit which speaketh in the Scriptures giveth this testimony for if this distinct testimony did not speak the Spirit speaking in the Scriptures should say nothing or what he said should be of no value Nor can he say that according to the Scriptures but according to the Spirit speaking in him which is distinct and sâ—parable from the Scriptures or the Spirit speaking in them The Spirit is the Principal Leader And thus his argueing is vaine and according to his owne Principles a Falshood But if the first be his meaning to wit That he beleeveth this to â—e true because the Scriptures speak so then he destroyeth what he hath said and oppugneth his owne Principal Assertion for then the Scripture must be the supream Rule of faith and because of what the Scripture saith we must beleeve what is the office and work of the Spirit of God and a new distinct testimony is no requisite to ground our faith of the truth of this which the Scripture saith concerning the Spirits being given to lead the Saints in all truth This Observation may serve once for all both as to his Thesis and Apology where he citeth not a few passages of Scripture to confirme what he saith as we have seen and shall see further but with what consonancy to his Principles I see not As to the thing it self which here he saith the Scriptures confirme we judge it a Truth worthy of all acceptance But I much questione if his and our meaning be the same Partly because of what is said and partly because of what followeth immediatly in his Thesis I shall only ask him How doth the Spirit lead his people into all truth Is it by new Immediat Inspirations and Revelations or is it by clearing up the Rule of the word by Ministers and meanes by God appointed Illuminating their eyes to understand it and by the Influences of his grace causing them Beleeve and Obey the same If this last be granted we have what we desire and his cause is destroyed for then the Scriptures are our Only and Primary Rule If the first be alleiged then the Spirit by a new Immediat Revelation leadeth him into this truth to wit That the Spirit leadeth into all truth and consequently the ground of the faith of this is not the testimony of the Scriptures as he seemeth here to say 24. But now let us see his grounds why he will not have the Scriptures to be looked upon as our Sole and Principal Rule Pag. 39. he draweth an Argument from the difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel saying the law is written without bringeth condemnation and killeth the Gospel is written within and is Spiritual giving life c. Ans. 1. This is the common Objection of phanaticks against the Scriptures So reasoned the libertines against whom Calvin wrote as we see Chap. 9. But 2. This man must be acted by a vertiginous Spirit for in the preceeâ—ing Chapter we saw with what earnestness he laboured to prove that the people of God under the Old Test. were led by Revelations and how we under the New Test. must be led the same way because faith is ay the same and must have the same Object however the dispensations vary and I pray must not the same faith have the same Rule under various dispensations 3. If we under the New Test. must have no written Rule why did Christ Inspire his Apostles to write to Churches under the New Testam and give them legible letters to Read and to conforme their Faith and Practice unto why did Luk write that we might know the certanety Luk 1 4. Why did Iohn write that we might beleeve and beleeving might have life Ioh. 20.31 Why did Christ by his servant Iohn write legible letters to the Churches in asia Revel 1 1 3 4 Were all these Killing Letters were these Letters of Condemnation 4. why doth this man prove his Assertions or at least endeavour to prove them by the Letter of the new Testament Scriptures But it is usual with him both to Speak and to Act contradictory to himself and his Principles Doth he not even here cite new Testament Scriptures Rom. 6 14. and 8 2. and 10 8. with act 20 32 5. we know that the Law of God separated from and opposed to Christ as several in the Apostolick dayes were seeking to do is but a killing letter as the Gospel is also when abused
Repentance But how can he come who hath no power to Beleeve or Repent without grace Or is it in corrupt mans power to Beleeve or Repent 9. As for this Quaker with whom we are dealing He is not pleased to give us a full aâ—count of his judgment in this particular only two things I finde he harpeth upon and repeateth as the conclusion of his pretended proofs and allegations viz. 1. That Christ died for all and every man and not for all kinds of men only non pro generibus singulorum sed pro singulis generum as he saith And 2. That what he procured was only a Possibility of salvation but what he understandeth hereby we are left to conjecture Yet it is manifest that with him this was all and summe that was procured and that it was procured for all equally But what saith he as to the Conditions of the new Covenant we must attend him in what followeth ere we know his judgment herein Where albeit he saith that what he with the rest of the Quakers maintaine therein is different from what others say and peculiar to themselves Yet we will finde to be nothing but Pelagianisme and Arminianisme put in a new dresse of words not usual with others 10. Though it might be sufficient for us to consider what this man saith and only answere his Reasons Yet to give the Reader some satisfaction in this matter which others than Quakers are pleading for now a dayes it will not be amisse to give in short the grounds of our contrary judgment which we maintaine with the orthodox wherein I intend not a full handling of that Controversie But only a short proposal of the truth with the grounds thereof whereby all our Adversaries assertions will be rejected and our way in answering what this Quaker alleigeth facilitated and withal the two Assertions wâ—ich he insisteth upon viz. the Vniversality of the Redemption and the meer Possibility which was procured abundantly confuted 11. What that truth is which we stand for is plainly and fully enough set downe in several places of Our Confession of Faith as Chap. 3. § 6. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory so hath he by the Eternal and most free purpose of his Will fore ordained all the meanes thereunto Wherefore they who are Elected being fallen in Adam are redeemed by Christ are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season are Iustified Adopted Sanctified and Keeped by his power through faith unto salvation Neither are any other Redeemed by Christ effectually Called Iustified Adopted Sanctified and Saved but the Elect only So Chap. 8. § 1. It pleased God in his eternal purpose to choose and ordaine the Lord Iâ—sus his only begotten Son to be the mediator between God and man Vnto whom he did from all eternity give a people to be his seed and to be by him in time Redeemed Called Iustified Sanctified and Glorified And ibid. § 5. The Lord Iesus by his perfect obedience and sacrifice â—f himself which he through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God hath â—ully satisfied the Iustice of his Father and purchased not only Râ—conciliation but aâ— Everlastiâ—g inheritance in the Kingdom of heaven for all those whom the Father hath given unto him So ibid § last To all those for whom Christ hath purâ—hased Redemption he doth certanely and effectually apply and communicate the same making intercession for them and revealing unto them in and by the word the mysteries of salvation effectually perswading them by his Spirit to beleeve and obey and governing their hearts by his word and Spirit overcoming all their enemies by his Almighty power and wisdom in such manner and wayes as are most consonant to his wonderful and unsearchable dispensations Our judgment is this in short That Christ according to the good pleasure of his Father laid downe his life a Ransome for the Elect only who were given to him to save from Wrath and Destruction and by that price purchased Salvation and all the Meanes necessary thereunto for them only to whom in due time and after the method which he thinketh best doth effectually apply the same unto them and actually save them 12. Though grounds sufficient considering the places of Scripture annexed in the margine of the Confession confirming all are clearly hinted and laid downe in these passages cited yet I shall with what brevity is possible point forth our grounds in plaine termes And 1. The Scripture is full and plaine in holding forth a Covenant betwixt Iehovah and the Mediator a transaction concerning man or the purposes of God concerning the Salvation of Man in way of a mutual Compact both for our better understanding of that solide ground of our Peace and Hope and for the confirming of our staggering and weak Faith And though the full explication and confirmation hereof would I judge fully undermine and destroy the rotten grounds of Socinians and Arminians and of all who are for the Diana of Free will and enemies to the Grace of God yet I cannot digresse thereunto here and shall only referre such as would see the same confirmed unto Mr. Dicksons Therapeutica sacra and Mr Rutherfords book upon the Covenant Taking it therefore for granted till what is by these Worthies said anent it be confuted and finding that Arminius himself in his Orat. de Sacerdotio Christi saith there was a Covenant betwixt the Lord and Christ I shall but shortly inferre therefrom That it is repugnant to reason to say that the result of that Eternal Transaction and the whole intended by it was only to procure a meer Possibility of Salvation and that such a Possibility as that though it was equally for all yet it might so fall out that not one person should be saved among all the sones of Adam How unreasonable is it to imagine such a bargane betwixt the Faâ—her and the Son as among men considering what they are doing can have no place If Christ was to see his seed by vertue of this Contract then certainly God had a special eye and respect unto that seed and that seed must be distinguished from all the rest for it cannot be All else all should be saved and so Christ did not undertake to buy all nor did the Father give him All for his seed and in reference to that seed the Redemption purchased must be an Actual and not a meer Potential or Possible Redemption and the Lord must have full Power and Dominion over the Will of that Seed whereby he may determine their hearts unto a following of the Method which he was to prescribe and all these meanes whereby this actual Closeing with the Conditions was to be effectually wrought must have been secured for a transaction betwixt persons infinite in Wisdom must of necessity be in all things contrived in deep Wisdom So then if by vertue of this Covenant a seed was ensured to Christ it was these concerning whom the transaction was
body the Church Ephes. 5 23. And againe Quaest 68. Are all the Elect only effectually called Ans. All the Elect and they only are effectually called Act 13 48. Although others may be and often are outwardly called by the ministry of the word Mat. 2â— 14. and have some common operations of the Spirit Mat. 7 22. 13 20 21. Heb. 9 4 5. who for their wilfull neglect and contempt of the grace offered to them being justly left in their unbeleef do never truely come to Iesus Christ Ioh. 12 38 39 40. Act 28 25 26 27. Ioh. 6 64 65. Psal. 81 11 12. 10. When the Gospel cometh to a place there is ground of hope that God hath some lost groat or other to finde out by the light thereof for it being the Gospel of Salvation and by it the Lord bringing life and immortality to light and it being the mean appointed and designed of God for this end to bring in the chosen ones there is ground to suppose that the Lord hath some elected ones in that place moe or fewer And though as to the intention of God and as it is the meanes designed of Lord whereby to effectuate the purpose he hath of saving such as he hath designed unto life it be properly sent to gather them in yet considering it as containing the revealed will of God and pointing forth duty and as it is put into the hands of men who know not the secret Counsels of God nor whose names are writen in the book of life whose not it concerneth all that hear it and all are bound in obedience to the command of the great God in the mouth of his authorized Ambassadours to believe and obey the Gospel And when obedience is not yeelded thereunto the righteous God because of the refusal of the offer and the contempt done to the grace of God in that refusal either taketh away the Gospel leaving that people in darkness and in an irremediable case by Non-churching or Excommunicating them as he threatned to do to Ephesus Revel 2 to Laâ—dicea Rev 3 and did to the Iewes when he cut them off and hath done to several other Churches sometimes â—amous for Christianity And where he continuâ—th the Light of the Gospel after much contempt there being of his Elect there whom he will not want but with much long suffering for the glory of his Grace waite for he hath other spiritual judgments wherewith even in this side of Eternity he punisheth such contemptuous offenders whose life natural he may spare for a time by giving them up to hardness of heart judicially blinding them giving them up to the power of Unbeleefe and to spiritual Security and Deadness so that no preaching can pierce them no Meanes can prevaile with them no Motives can move or perswade them no Threatnings can awaken them or rouze them out of their sleep So that the Lord dealeth with them according as it is written Esai 6 9 10. Mat 13 14. Mark 4 v. 12. Luk. 8 10. Ioh. 12 40. Act. 28 26. Rom. 11 8. maketh their eyes heavy and shutteth their eyes c. or as it is written Esa. 29 10. Rom. 11.8 poureth out upon them the Spirit of a deep sleep and closeth their eyes or as it is written Psal. 81 12. giveth them up to their owne hearts lust or as it is Psal. 6â— 22. maketh their table a snare or as it is 2 Thes. 2 10 11 12. giveth them up to all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish and sendeth them strong delusion that they shall believe a lie that they may be damned who beleeved not the truth or saith to them as Revel 22 11. He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still And though such judgments may be inflicted upon some that live and die under the drop of the Gospel yet it may well be said as to these on whom the Lord poureth out these judgments that the day of their Visitation and hope is at an end But yet though the consideration of this may and should make the Faithful Labourer in the work of the ministry when ready to complaine and cry out that he hath laboured in vaine and hath spent his strength for nought and in vaine Esai 49 4. lay his hand upon his mouth and adore knowing withall that his judgment is with the Lord and his work with his God ibid. and that he is unto God a sweet savour of Christ even in them that perish and to whom he is the savoure of death unto death 2 Cor. 2 15 16. Yet notwithstanding because it is not certain who are the particular persons who are thus judicially smitten of God he should minde his duty and preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine 2 Tim. 4 2. and be patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2 24 25 26. And others also who are even in a more private capacity should save some with fear pulling them out of the fire Iud vers 23. Not do we hereby give allowance to any to despond or despaire who hear the Gospel for the Lord hath his own time of coming the door standeth open that whosoever will may be encouraged to come forward for Christ in no wise casteth out any that cometh Ioh. 6 37. the invitation is Free Large whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely Revel 22 17. Though with all we must say that word Heb. 6 4 5 6 7. may strick terrour into the hearts of many for it is impossible for those that were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they shall fall away to renew them againe unto repentance seing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame for the earth which drinketh in the raine that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth herbes meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God but that which beareth thorns briers is rejected is near unto cursing whose end is to be burned 11. But as concerning that possibility which this Quaker dreameth of whereby it is concluded or presupposed that every Mothers son of the Posterity of Adam have Power and Ability Moral I say moral that no man may think I speak here of the meer faculties of the soul Understanding Will to beleeve and obey the Gospel or can of themselves beleeve without the Spirit of God and his mighty operation enlightening the Understanding savingly and renewing the Will and causing by the influence
of his grace the soul lay hold on the offered salvation and accept of the alsufficient offered Mediator we utterly deny it affirming faith to be the pure gift of God wrought by the exceeding greatness of his power according to the working of his mighty power or according to the working of the might of his power Ephes. 1 19. 2 8. And that this faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom 10 17. So that we see nor how any without the Church or the hearing of the word of God and of the word of the Gospel revealing Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God can beleeve not how any wâ—thin the Church and who hear the sound of the Gospel daily can beleeve without the grace of God working Faith by the Operation of his Spirit and thus concurring with the word And therefore we deny Salvation to be Possible in this Quakers sense to any yea even to the Elect otherwayes we must reject the Scriptures of truth and embrace the Pelagian Errour and lay aside all prayer for the Spirit of grace to work faith and only make our supplications to Lord Free will and think to batter the wals of Freewill with meer Moral Swasion as Iesuites Arminians and Socinians with the old Pelagians imagine and sacrifice to our own net and burn incense to our own drag Free will because by it our portion is fat and our meat plenteous And so give thanks with the damned to God that hath made salvation onely Possible but to ourselves alone for making it Actual and for obtaining the crown and prize 12. Having thus in short proposed our Judgment after hearing of his Opinion we come now to examine the proofs of his Proposition which he layeth down Pag. 93. c. § 19. And first in general he saith That it is manifest from the complaints which the Spirit of God useth in the Scriptures against such as perish chideing and reproving them for rejecting Gods visitation and love and refuseing his mercy Ans. 1. His Proposition is Universal and these Complaints anâ— Reproofs are only Particular viz. against such as were within the Church so they can prove nothing 2. Neither will these Reproofs c. prove that such had power and ability to embrace mercy and love offered unto them without the grace of God as say Iesuites and Arminians for the Scripture tels us that God must give the new heart Ier. 31 33 34. 32 39 40. Ezech. 11 19 20. 36 26 27 Heb. 8 10. and that none cometh to the Son but whom the Father draweth Ioh. 6 44 45. and that it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do Phil. 2 13. And to gather our Power and Ability out of the Commands and measure the one by the other is the very core of Pelagianisme and Arminianisme for upon this ground did Pelagius conclude that we could keep the whole Law perfectly as this man also saith Heare Pelagius himself ad Demetriadem cited by Vossius Histor. Pelag. lib. 5. part 1. Thes. 6. Duplici ignorantia accusamus Deum Inscientiae ut videatur nescire quod fecit nescire quod iussit quasi oblitus fragilitatis humanae cujus Author ipse est imposuerit homini mandata quae ferre non possit Simulque prô-nefas adscribimus Iniquitatem Iusto Pio Crudelitatem dum aliquid impossibile praecepisse conquerimur deinde pro his damnandum esse hominen ob ea quae vitare non potuit ut quod etiam suspicari Sacrilegium est videatur Deus non tam salutem nostram quaesisse quam poenam Itaque Apostolus sciens a Domino justitiae ac majestatis nihil impossibile esse praeceptum aufert a nobis vitium murmurandi quod tunc utique nascisolet cum aut iniqua sunt quae jubentur aut jubentis minus digna persona est Quid tergiversamur incassum Nemo magis novit mensuram virium nostrarum quam qui ipsas vires nobis dedit Nec quisquam melius quantum possimus intelligit quam qui ipsam virtutem nobis posse donavit nec impossibile aliquid voluit imperare qui justus est nec damnaturus hominem fuit pro eo quod vitare non potuit qui pius est Which in short is this That to say that God should command any thing which is not in our power to do were to accuse God of Ignorance as not knowing mans power and of Iniquity Cruelty and Sacrilege commanding that which he knew we could not do and thereafter condemning us for not doing of it This Quaker may see his owne face in this glass 13. He citeth further the words of God to Cain Gen. 4 6 7. and saith that this timeous admonition and promise of pardon upon condition he did well saith that he bad a day of visitation wherein it was possible for him to be saved That it was possible for Cain through the grace of God to have done well and obtained the excellency we affirme but that he had power without this grace all this admontion cannot prove so that as is said it is pure Pelagianisme for him to adde God could not propose that condition to do well to him if he had not given him sufficient strength to do well Had Pharaoh sufficiency of strength moral to let the people of Israel go when God had hardened his heart so as he should not let them go If not how could God send Moses to him with a word of command This man told us Thesis 4. That man in his Natural state could know nothing aright and that all his Imaginations Words and Actions were evil and only evil continually Now I enquire if such a man can be said to have sufficiency of strength to know God and things divine and to do well If not then it seemeth by this mans doctrine here that God can impose no command upon such to know God and to do well We know that God giveth the heart to perceive eyes to see and eares to hear Deut. 29 4. and that the carnal minde is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8 7. And that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them becauss they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2 14. He citeth to the same purpose Gen. 6 3. And we deny not that the Spirit speaking after the manner of men for such expressions cannot bâ— understood properly of God is said to contend with men to wit by his Word and Servants whom he sendeth forth to deal with men in his name So did he thus strive long with this old world by his messengers the Patriarches particularly by Noah called a preacher of righteousness 2 Pet. 2 5. But what of this This day of Visitation saith he which he granteth to every one is such as therein the Lord is said to waite and be
the Law What sayes he to this Argument He grants they are not profitable unto God but yet he saith they are profitable unto us he might adde and to others too and he might say that they are useful to set forth the Glory of God and several things more might he say of this kinde but all is to no purpose as to our present question The second Objection is from Rom. 3 20 21 by the righteousness of the Law shall no flesh be justified c. But he might have cited to this end whole Chapters of that Epistle as also of the Epistle to the Galatians where the Apostle in downe right termes is disputing against the interest of works in the matter of Justification But what replyeth he He saith the Apostle excludes the works of the Law that is such as are done by mans strength and will while he studieth conformity unto the outward letter of the Law which therefore are imperfect but not the works of the Gospel done by the Spirit of grace in the heart according to the inward and Spiritual Law which are therefore pure and perfect Answer 1. This explication of Law works and Gospel works is nakedly proposed to us here without any proof and is an arrow out of Bellarmines quiver all works done by mans meer strength and will without the Grace of God and the help of the Spirit are no good works at all because not performed in the right manner nor flowing from a principle of grace 2. That Gospel works even performed by the Spirit are not pure and perfect as he with Papists say shall be seen in due time 3. The Apostle excludeth all such works which are not that Righteousness of God without the Law which was witnessed to by the Law and the Prophets nor the Righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that beleeve Rom. 3 21 22 And all such as marre justification freely by grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ vers 24 As also all such as darken that declaration of the righteousness of God who must be just when he is the justifier of him which beleeveth in Jesus whereof mention is made vers 25 26. And all such works as give ground of boasting which is only excluded by the Law oâ— Faith vers 27. And all such as are opposite to justification by faith vers 28. 4. Nay Abrahams Davids works which were done by the Spirit are excluded Rom. 4 2 3 6 7 8. He goeth about to confirme this distinction from this that Paul to the Galat. speaketh directly against such as would presse the observation of the legal Ceremonies upon the Christian Gentiles Pag. 145 146. Answ. Though that might be the occasion of Pauls disput it be true that Paul speaketh much and particularlâ— against the ceremonial Law yet he doth not insist upon that hypothesis or branch of the question but taketh occasion thereby to discusse the point in Thesiâ— of all works in general even such as are done in conformity to the moral Law therefore he adduceth Chap. 3 10 12. that passage Deut. 27 26. and Levit. 18 5. which cannot be meaned of the ceremonial Law only and speaketh against all Justification by works which is opposite to Justification by faith Chap. 3 11 12. What he saith afterward of the necessity of good works we stand to in the sense maintained by Our against Papists that is as antecedent adjuncts and dispositions unto glory not as any way meritorious either of Justification or Salvation nor do we approve of the Papists second Justification by works He urgeth againe Tit. 3 5. And thence speaketh thus all grant that such as are saved are Iustified True what more Therefore when he saith he hath saved us he saith also he hath Iustified us Ans. True yet it will not follow that all that is antecedent to Salvation is also antecedent to Justification or that all that is requisite in order to final Salvation is also requisite in order to Justification The Apostle vers 5. presupposing Justification is shewing what way the Lord bringeth about their salvation to wit by washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost that he may clear up the first step of the work he speaks to Justification vers 7. that being Iustified by his grace c. and this grace excludeth all works for what is of grace it not of works otherwise grace is no more grace and what is of works is not of grace otherwise works are no more works Rom. 11 6 and to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt Rom. 4 4. What he saith afterward Pag. 147. of the difference betwixt works done by persons unrenewed and persons regenerated is not much to the matter in hand and tendeth clearly to disparage his own doctrine concerning the Sanctification and Salvation of Heathens And withall I see no ground to take in these last into Justification as he would have us for then as no man is sayed until all these works be ended so also shall no man be justified until he be glorified 42. The third Objection is taken from the impurity of our best works And he answereth with Bellarmine That works done by the Spirit and grace of God that is of persons regenerated are perfect Ans. His meaning must be that they do agree to the Law in all points otherwise a curse attendeth them Deut. 27 26. Gal. 3 10. And if so why did David say Psal. 143 2. and enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no flesh be justified And Ps. 130 3. If thou Lord should mark iniquittes O Lord who shall stand and why doth Iob say Chap. 9 15. whom if I were righteous yet would I not answere And why saith the church Esai 64 6. all our righteousneses are as filthy rags which though some cited by this man not regarding the interpretation of Bertius the Arminian think doth not immediatly prove that there is no merite in our works as not being spoken of all mankinde yet doth abundantly evidence that the penitent church considering her best wayes saw much defilement in them that might make the Lord abhorre them as filthy rags and persons in a penitent frame use to get a better sight of sin and of their wayes than others have or themselves formerly had His saying that hereby is not meant these works that Christ worketh in us but the works which we ourselves do in our owne strength Is vaine for such as are done in our owne strength cannot be called Righteousness But then sayes he it would follow that all holiness must be cast away as filthy rags So they must be cast away in the matter of Justification for we must not found our hope of acceptance with God and Justification before him on these but it will not follow that they must be laid aside in our practice and not be studied and endeavoured to God's
and to shake off Diligence Watchfulness holy Fear Humility contrare to Iam. 4 10. 1 Pet. 5 6 7 8. Mat. 18 4. 23 12. Micah 6 8. Col. 3 12. 1 Cor. 16 13. 1 Thes. 5 vers 6. 1 Pet. 4 7. Mat. 24 42. 25 13 26 41. Mark 13 33 35 37. 14 38. Luk. 21 36. Act. 20 31. Col. 4 2. 2 Pet. 3 14. 1 5. Heb. 6 11. 12 15. Tit. 3 8. 7. This taketh away the usefulness of the Ordinances of Christ such as Reading the Scriptures Preaching and Sacraments which are instituted for the edification and building up of the Church as also the Ministerie Hence we â—nde these Quakers proud and vaine boasters crying downe all these Ordinances as now useless as we shall hear more afterward 8. This makes all the commands to endeavour after perfection useless as to Christians contrare to Heb. 13 21. 2 Cor. 13 11. Mat. 5 48. 2 Cor. 7 1. Heb. 6 1. All Prayers for it useless contrare to 1 Pet. 5 10. And so cutteth off all Endeavours after it For what a man hath already he doth not earnestly seek 9. See Psal. 130 3. 143 2. Iob 9 2. Psal. 19 13. Iam. 3 ver 2. 1 Ioh. 1 8. as also Prov. 20 9. who can say I have made my heart cleane I am pure from my sin But this Quaker will contradict this Eccles. 7 20 For there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not The Quakers will contradict this too and that also which this same wise King saith 1 King 8 46. 2 Chron. 6 36. For there is no man that sinneth not 8. Enough by way of proof of the vanity and falshood of this fonde conceite of these proud Phanaticks which the experience of saints in all ages hath confuted and all tender Christians will abhore and was never owned but by Phanatick hereticks such as of old were the Cathari followers of Novatus who was excommunicated for his errours by a Synod at Rome See Eusebii histor lib. 6. c. 42. Pelagians as we shall shew and Donatists some Anabaptists Antinomians Familists and the like of late with Socinians of whom afterward Arminians and the Papists who owne it to set off the better their other corrupt doctrines lay their ground for works of supererogation though some of them as Stapleton and others must yeeld to the truth which the Orthodox own and maintaine Let us now come and see what this man saith for explication and defence of this untruâ—h He layes downe five Positions for clearing of the Controversie Pag. 153. The first is this we place not saith he this possibility to wit of not sinning in mans owne will and capacity as he is a son of Adam or as in a natural state Ans. But what if his Perfectionist be never translated out of the state of nature And sure according to his doctrine we cannot see how such can be said to be translated from darkness to light For the Scripture tels us that that cannot be without the infusion of new habites and faith in Jesus Christ and also that this cannot be without the powerful operation of God's Spirit on Minde Will and Affections discovering to them their Sin and Misery and the Necessity of Christ and Christ's Fulness Sutableness and Readiness to help As also Perswading Bowing Inclineing and Determineing the Will unto an Acceptance of and Closeing with Christ for union and communion And therefore if such be capable of this Perfection who are strangers to this work it riseth only from the Will of corrupt man is founded on meer Nature But what sayes he next We ascribe it wholly unto man sayes he as he is renewed by Christ whom he knoweth to be reigning in him and leading by his Spirit and revealing within the Law of the Spirit of life whereby power is obtained to be rid of sin Ans. 1. But we have not yet heard that Renovation and Regeneration by Christ explained to us according to the Gospel but rather according to Pelagius as was manifested several times above 2 What is ascribed wholly unto man even as renewed is not ascribed immediatly to God and to his grace 3. If it be ascribed to man as renewed it must be ascribed to all renewed persons and so is not a privilege of some but is common to all Beleevers and consequently none are beleevers but such as are thus perfect and so no man that sinneth or yeeldeth to temptations is a regenerat man and therefore David was not regenerated when he fell with Bathsheba Nor any man that yeeldeth but to a sinful thought or word What shall then be said of Quakers whose books are so full of Railings Lies Slanders Errours and Blasphemies beside their other practices 4. It is not true that every renewed person knoweth alwayes that Christ is reigning in him and ruling him by his Spirit c. 5 Though power be had from Christ living and reigning in the soul whereby sin is resisted and striven against Yet not in such a measure and degree as the sou shall be fully freed from its lustings and oppositions Gal. 5 17. 9. What is his third Position By this perfection saith he we understand not that which cannot receive dayly increase neither that which is as just and perfect as God is but a proportionable perfection answering the measure of every one whereby they are keeped from sinning and strengthened for fulfilling the Law Answ. 1 If he understand not such an absolute perfection he contradicteth other Quakers as we heard above 2. Howbeit every renewed man hath not the same proportionable perfection or perfection of degrees yet every one hath that measure of degrees that maketh him love God with all his Heart Minde Soul and Strength and fulfil the whole Law and do no sin in Thought Word or Deed in this Quakers judgment and this belongeth even to Babes in Christ as an Infant hath all the proportioned members of a man and then it is clear that no regenerated person can sin and no man that sinneth is regenerate And so freedom from sin must be essential or proprium quarto modo unto the Regenerate Give us an instance in all the Scriptures of such a Regenerate person 3. The Arminians speak of a perfection consistent with some small sinnes but this Quaker excepteth not the least sin The Arminians also speak of a perfection that admitteth degrees Apol. Fol. 128. b. 10. What is his fourth Position Albeit saith he some may attaine unto this freedome from sin and all should endeavour after it yet he who once getteth it may afterward loss it through the temptations of Satan unless he diligently attend to the Light within Answ. 1. These some who may attaine to this and should endeavour after it are not among the renewed ones for they all have it already As we heard 2. If he afterward come to loss it he loseth also his state of Regeneration for to sin were
is no agreement betwixt light and darkness 2 Cor. 6 14. Now God is Light and all sin is darkness Answ. 1. All this would plead for a sinlesness from the very first instant of Regeneration Yea and for the highest degree of Perfection 2. Though corruption abideth in the Regenerated man as a vanquished enemy strugling in the dead thrawes yet is not the Regenerated man joyned thereto but separated therefrom in Minde Will and Affections in so far as regenerated and is fighting and lusting against it as his greatest enemy 3 It is sin delighted in and unrepented of loved and intertained in the soul that separateth betwixt God and the soul and that text Esai 59 2. speaketh of soul-wasting and land-destroying sinnes to which that people had given up themselves and would not turne from as we see vers 3 4 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15. And yet we see there vers 16 17. What soveraignity of free grace can do to and for such a people for the glory of his name 4. What is impure as impure cannot be one Spirit with Christ But beleevers are reckoned according to what hath now the throne and the heart and the dominion in the soul with their free and sanctified consent for now they are maried to a new Husband and are engadged in warfare under a new Captaine They are dead unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord therefore they are under an obligation to strive against all that would labour to set sin againe upon the throne wrong the interest of their new Lord Soveraigne Rom. 6 11 12 13. And though they be risen with Christ and are dead have their life hid with Christ in God Yet they have members to mortifie uppon earth Fornication Uncleanness c. Col. 3 2 3 5. 5. God hath no fâ—llowshipe with corruption more then light can have fellowshipe with darkness yet he can have fellowshipe with his owne work of grace in the soul and with the soul as sanctified and renewed 19. But sayes he further Is it not against the wisdom of God to say He could finde no other methode whereby he should be served than by such actions by which the devil is no lesse yea more served for he that sinneth is the servant of sin Rom. 6 16. Ans. It is not fit for man to stand up and disput wickedly for God and under a shew of zeal for and patronage of his Wisdome condemne the same His folly is wiser than our wisdome What methods God could have found out whereby He might have been served by men what proud man will take upon him to determine The methode he hath chosen should satisfie us But to the matter when God's people are serving Him with some measure of sincerity and uprightness of heart howbeit the devil opposeth and by his temptations and the co-working of corruption prevaileth much to hold back or to cause the soul move slowly Yet the heart and the renewed part of the man being for God and for God only and directly against Satan and all his wayes doings and designes there is no formal service performed unto Saâ—an for the Lord regardeth the heart And though oft times there be more corruption in the work than grace Yet the heart being upright in the main the denomination is from the better part And albeit how more sin be in the action that is gone about by the honest Beleever in weakness Satan be the glader Yet in that the beleever cannot be called his servant For the Apostle in the place cited saith not he that sinneth but he that yeeldeth himself up as a servanâ— to obey sin is the servant of sin No doubt if the Lord had seen it for his glory he could have so ordered it that his children from the day of their new birth should never have sinned more but He hath thought it good that they should be exercised with a spiritual warfare all their dayes against Satan and a wicked world without and a body of death and its members within that his power might be made perfect in their weakness that they might live by Faith and get continual proofs of God's Power Love Care Faithfulness Grace Mercy and Tenderness that they might daily have use of the blood of Christ to wash in and so exercise Humility Godly sorrow Repentance Faith Patience Submission Watchfulness Diligence and might groan under the body of death that they might see through daily experience the riches and worth of their Redemption and read their great Obligations to their Lord Ransomer and Soveraigne King And if we were sober we might here mark wonderful wisdome and see a piece of the manifold wisdome of God But when we be come distracted as doubtless we are when we will be wise above what is written no wonder we become blinde and speak as fools as this man doth here and in the following words which I shall not so much as honour with a transcribing 20. He sayes our doctrine is repugnant to the justice of God requireing them to abstaine from all sin and not enabling them hereunto and requireing more then he giveth ability to do Ans. 1. The man runneth so hard that he runneth himself blinde Seeth he not that if this argument prove any thing it will prove that all the wicked world are perfect for God requireth of them obedience to his Law and it may be a question if hence it may not likewise be proven that the damned and the Devils are all perfect and without sin seing it may be a doubt if they be loosed from the Law of their Creation But 2. Though it were granted they had power I mean moral power for no other can be here understood yet this will not prove their perfection or freedom from sin many may have power and yet not use it Adam had power to resist Satans suggestion yet did it not His perfect ones may grow slack in their watch and so sin though he will grant they have power to do otherwise 3 This is old Pelagius's argument as Vâ—ssius cleareth to us Hist. Pelag. lib. 5. part 1. Thes. 6. where among other evidences he citeth Hieron adv Pelag. bringing-in Critobolus as a Pelagian reasoning thus Either God gave commandements that were possible or that were impossible if possible it is in our power to do them if we will if impossible we are not guilty if we do them not seing we cannot And thus whether the Lords command be possible or Impossible man may be without sin if he will Our Quaker is yet worse for the Pelagian would hence prove but a possibility of Perfection but he will hence evince the real being of Perfection and that common to all believers â— God made man upright and able to fulfil all his Law and when he hath dilapidated his stock of strength must God be unjust if he require due debt Or doth mans inability dissolve his obligation Seing God is pleased of his grace
will so have it In the 3. place he comes to criticize tell us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken in the potential mood and so it signifieth who may not or cannot sin as Ps. 119 11. Ans. And why not also ought not seing this Mood is used to expresse that This is but vanity for the Hebrew hath not properly potential moods And though interpreters do usually render it so as more congruous latin yet the sense abideth the same and the Dutch translate it as we have it And what will this say to other places Nay the very scope of Solomon evidenceth our translation to be right his gloss to be but vanity as is obvious to every Reader 30. To that argument from Rom. 7 14. c. he answereth the same that Socinians and Arminians answered of old to wit That the Apostle is not there speaking of himself but of an unregenerate person While as all the circumstances of the text evince the contrary to wit that he is speaking of himself and that in the present time for he useth alwayes from vers 14. and forward verbs in the present tense and he distinguisheth betwixt the Old and New man in himself ascribeing to each their proper work and speaketh many things of himself which cannot be spoken of the Unregenerat as 1. To will and approve what is good and to nill and disapprove what is evil and that alwayes and to approve all good and disapprove all evil discovered to be such 2. To consent unto the Law that it is good and to delight therein and that according to the inner man which is the Regenerat part opposite to the Old man 3. Not to do evil not I it is no more I and that was according to the Renewed part 4. To have an inner man which is proper to the Regenerate Ephes. 3 19. 5. To feel a strife and warre betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit which also agreeth to the Regenerate Gal. 5 17. 6 To hate evil which no Unregenerate person can do 7. To approve of the Law as Spiritual 8. To have will present unto good even when he findeth not how to performe what is good 9. To be brought into captivity to the Law of sin while as the wicked are willing slaves 10. To be groaning under this body of death and accounting himself wreatched because of it 11. To have a Law in the minde against which the Law in the members maketh warre 12. To be expecting full delivery in Jesus Christ. 13. To be thankfull to God upon that account 14. To be serving the Law of God when the flesh is serving the Law of sin 15 And Chap. 8 1. being an inference from whaâ— is said Chap. 7. he inferreth that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ which supposeth that he was speaking of one that was in Christ otherwise his Inference had not been pertinent 31. These things are clear and might be further explained and confirmed if it were necessary Let us see what he saith against this 1. He saith The Apostle declared the contrary Chap. 6 2. Answ. No such matter for what he said there and what he saith here can well agree for he that is thus resisting sin striveing and protesting against it when he can do no more is abundanâ—ly evidencing that he is dead unto it as to its dominion and that he is not living therein 2. He saith Paul could not call himself a carnal man as vers 14. Answ. So said Schlightingius the Socinian So Arminius But we say Paul doth not call himself simply and every way carnal but only in a certain respect distinguishing betwixt his better part which he owneth as himself and this Flesh vers 18. And we finde also that Paul called the Corinthians who were babes in Christ carnal in some respect 1 Cor. 3 1 2. He saith 3. The Apostle Chap. 8. saith he was made free from the Law of sin and death and so he could not be then carnal Answ. Neither say we that he was carnal in so far but spiritual 4. He saith That Paul Chap. 8 35. saith who shall separat us from the love of Christ vers 37. that in all these things we are more then conquerours And vers last nothing can separat us But where sin is and is continued in there there is a separation for all sin is contrary to God 1 Ioh. 3 4. Answ. That sin where it is striven and wrestled against as Rom. 7 15. c. will make a separation from God I deny 2. That sin is contrary to God I no where read that it is a breach and transgression of his Law is true 32. To the instances of the failings of Noah and David He saith They are nothing to the purpose Why so The question is not saith he whether good men cannot sin num non possint peccare but whether they be able not to sin num possint non peccare And this may be true though they have sinned Answ. But our Argument lyeth thus 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 Perfection here as is not attended with sin But the former is true Let him of now apply his answere to this argument and see what it will say Or thus we may frame the Argument If we finde no instances in Scripture such persons as were so perfect as that they did not sin then to imagine such a perfection is but a groundless fancy a dream But the former is true Or If we finde sin consisting with a state of Regeneration than it is false that all Regenerat persons are in a sinless state Hereby also is that which he addeth in the second place obviated And further we say that from these instances we do not prove that the godly sin in all they do because of a body of death and corruption cleaving to them other Arguments evince that But from these instances we shew that his sinless state is but a Quakeristick dream 33. To that argument That this doctrine taketh away the study of Mortification and Usemaking of the blood of Christ and Praying for remission He very civilly tels us Tâ—at because of its absurdity he had almost forgoten it As if he had answered all the arguments we use against this errour But wherein consists its absurdity Is sayes he mortification of sin useless when its end is attained But he mistaketh after his usual manner our argument which in forme runneth thus If mortification be a duty pressed on persons regenerated then persons regenerated have sin and corruption in them to be mortified and so are not sinless But the former is true Therefore c. May it please him to shew the absurdity of this argument When all sin is mortified there is no more need of this duty of studying mortification and if all sin
Body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Ephes. 1 10 22 23. 5 23 27 32. Col. 1 18. The visible Church which is also Catholick or Universal under the Gospel not confined to one Nation as before under the Law consists of all these throughout the world that profess the true Religion 1 Cor. 1 2. 12 12 13. Psal. 2 8. Revel 7 9 Rom. 15 9 10 11 12. together with their children 1 Cor. 7 14. Act. 2 39. Ezech. 16 20 21. Rom. 11 16. Gen. 3 15. 17 7. and is the Kingdom of the Lord Iesus Christ Mat. 13 47. Esai 9 7. the house and family of God Ephes 2 19. 3.15 out of which there is no ordinary possibility of Salvation Act. 2 47. Unto this Catholick visible Church Christ hath given the Ministrie Oracles and Ordinances of God for the gathering and perfecting of the Saints in this life to the end of the world And doth by his owne Presence and Spirit according to his promise make them effâ—ctual thereunto 1 Cor. 12 28. Ephes. 4 11 12 13. Mat. 28 19 20. Esai 59 21. Adde hereunto Quaest. 63. of our Larger Catechisme What are the special privileges of the Visible Church Ans. The visible Church hath the privilege of being under God's special care and government Esai 4 5 6. 1 Tim. 4 10. of being protected and preserved in all ages notwithstanding the opposition of all enemies Psal. 115. throughout Esai 31 4 5. Zech. 12 2 3 4 8 9. and of enjoying the Communion of saints the ordinary Meanes of Salvation Act. 2 39 42. Offers of grace by Christ to all the members of it in the ministrie of the Gospel testifying that whosoever believes in him shall be saved Psal. 147 19 20. Rom. 9 4. Ephes. 4 11 12. Mark 16 15 16. and excluding none that will come unto him Ioh. 6 37. 2. Here is our doctrine laid downe in few words What would this man now say He giveth us first the Etymology of the greek word that we render Church and thence tels us that an Ecclâ—sia or Church is nothing else but a company of such as God hath called out of this world Against which I have nothing to say only for clearing the matter I would adde That there is a company called out of the world by the grace of God power of his Spirit to worshipe him in Spirit and in Truth and this is that company which is called the Church invisible because their union with their Head and with one another is by a bond of true and saving Faith and sincere Love which are not obvious to the eyes of men As also there is a greater company of persons called out of the world to profess the Name of Jesus to worshipe Him outwardly according to his word and to owne him for their King by submitting to his Lawes Ordinances Officers by an outward profession And this is that company which is called the visible Church because both their exercise their bond of union with this King with one another is outward obvious to the eye to wit an open Profession of the true Religion outward submission to following of the ordinances institutions of Christ But as to this visible Church in his following words he seemeth to take no notice thereof for he describeth to us the Church Invisible and then tels us that without this Church there is no salvation But this is impertinently spoken for that Church is made up only of the elect And if we should speak of the Invisible Churâ—h as now existing in this world we could not say that any elect belonged to it but such as were effectually called for the rest were not yet called out of the world or out of their state of nature and he told us that a church is a company of persons called out of the world To say thâ—n that there is no salvation out of that company that are already affectually called is neither pertinent nor truth for there are many who are not yet called whom God will in due time call and bring home and these whom he hath elected he doth bring into the visible Church where they may enjoy the ordinances which God hath appointed â—or Conversion And therefore we say that out of this visible Church there is ordinarily no salvation But all this is said by him to make way for his Church that will take in Heathens Pagans Turks and Tartars that never heard nor never shall hear a word of Jesus Christ which Church as he would delineate it to us hath not the least relation to Christ as Head and King nor any advantage of or interest in the Institutions of Jesus Christ. And what a Church this shall be let any sober Christian judge 3. But let us heare himself speak He calleth the Church a company of such as God hath called out of this world that they may walk in his light and Life One might readily suppose that this were good but hear more Vnder this notion saith he of the Church all these are comprehended of what Nation Kinde Tongue or Family they be though far removed from and strangers to these who profess Christ and Christianity in words and enjoy the Scriptures who obey the divine light and testimony of God within them so as by it they become sanctified and washen Ans. That is in short All Heathens and Pagans who have never heard of Christ or of Christianity belong to this Church of persons called out of the world to walk in God's Light and Life if they have obeyed the Light of Nature and of a Natural Conscience teaching to abstean from grosse sinnes This is the Quakers Church and the Church of persons effectually called out of the world which they mean which is nothing else but a Church of moralized Pagans A pagan-Church without the Knowledge of Christ Profession of Christ Faith in Christ Worshipe of Christ Acknowledgment of Christ Union with Christ without the Gospel of Christ and the Spirit of Christ. Anâ— though he call this the Catholick Spirit and the secret life and vertue of Iesus Yet it is in truth nothing but Catholick nature which cannot understand the things of the Gospel This is further confirmed by what he addeth Therefore saith he they may be members of this Catholick Church who are Pagans Turks and Iewes and of every seck among Christians if they be good single hearted men though they be ignorant and superstitious Thus we see the Quakers Church is erected according to the Covenant of works and that now broken founded upon the Law of Nature directed by the Light of Nature and to it belong all civil outwardly moral persons whatever Religion they have and how superstitious soever they be Yea though they worshipe stocks and stones and the Devil for there is no exception here Reader what thinkest thou now of this Church of this Profession and of this Religion It is Catholick I confess alas
men who cannot certainly know this nor walk by an infallible rule in judging of this That which is necessary to make a man a member of the Visible Church a professing Christian that I grant is also necessary to make one a Minister both before God and men for men can judge hereof and have a certain and fixed rule whereby to judge of this profession whether it be true or not though not to judge whether it be sincere or not 2. That the inward work of the Spirit of grace is necessary to make one a true and gracious Christian or member of the Invisible Church is true but this is not requisite to make one a member of the visible Church And he would know that Ministers are set in the visible Church and are to covert such as are not yet members of the Invisible Church and this sheweth the inconsequence of his argument 3. The Inward Power and Vertue of the Spirit which he must meane can make a no man a Professour let be a Christian in truth and reality for it may be where there is no knowledg or hearing of Christ of the Gospel of the Covenant of grace or of any such thing even in an Heathen and Pagan who is yet without as such are called 1 Cor. 5 12 13. 1 Tim. 3 7. and is without Christ being an alien from the Commonwealth of Israel and a stranger from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world Ephes. 2 12. 8. His next argument is this All the Ministers of the N. Test. are Ministers of the Spirit and not of the letter 2 Cor. 3 6. And therefore such must be called by the Spirit and must know that he is led and moved by the Spirit and be sensible of the work of the Spirit and of his inward vocation Ans. 1. It is most true that Ministers of the N. T. are Ministers of the Spirit opposed to such as cryed up the Law and preached it as separated from Christ as the Jewes commonly did as our Quakers Pagan-preachers do must do according to their principles for they know no Gospel but are sworne enemies to it and plaine subverters of it and all the Ordinances thereof and are worse then the allegorical teachers of whom Beza maketh mention on 2 Cor. 3 6. 2. They may be said to be called by the Spirit who are gifted with the gifts of the Spirit fitting for preaching of the Gospel such as the word of Wisdom and the word of Knowledge 1 Cor. 12 vers 4 7 8 11. Whereby they are apt to teach 1 Tim. 3 2. and fit to take care of the Church vers 5. And those gifts in themselves considered are different from true and saving grace and yet come from the Spirit and are given to profite withall and so must be laid out to edification according to the way prescribed in the Gospel 3. What meaneth he by this must be called by the Spirit Is this an inward Inspiration or Enthusiasme saying to the man he must goe preach We reject all such phancies which he and other phanatick persons dream of and lean unto and account them plaine delusions of Satan which the very doctrine they deliver putteth beyond all question Mat. 24 24. 2 Thes. 2 9. Deut. 13 1. Gal. 1 8 9. Let him shew if he can any true ground warranting us to look for such immediat calls Is there a promise for this Or a command to expect it 4. His last words null his former argument and position for there he required only that they have the inward working of the Spirit but here he requireth more to wit that they know that they have it and are led and moved by the Spirit and are sensible of his work in them Or he must say that none can have grace but he must also know and feel that he hath it And consequently that such as feel not this to their owne satisfaction must peremptorily conclude that they have it not a dangerous position and untrue 9. A third argum followeth Pag. 179. If saith he the testimony of the Spirit be not essential and necessary to a Minister the Gospel Ministrie should be postponed to the legal for there the people knew who were officers and beside these ordinary there were extraordinary ones called by the immediat testimony of the Spirit But now we are vncertain and must have Pastors without all certain assent of Gods will Ans. 1. Then the thing he meaneth by a Call is a testimony of the Spirit such as the Prophets of old had or at least such as may be plaine and notoure not only to themselves who have it but to all so as they need no more doubt of it than the Jewes needed to doubt of the Priests and of the Levites or at least of the extraordinary Prophets that God sent among them And thinks he that this is had of his Quaker-Teachers and Pagan-Preachers No sure their speach and their erroneous doctrine publickly declareth that the testimony which they have is the testimony of a lying Spirit and of a Spirit of delusion that can easily deceive the possessors 2. Thinks he that there is no way now to know who are the lawfully called Servants of God He was pleased while speaking of the Scriptures to affirme some such thing that he might thereby implead their Perfection but we manifested his folly in that attempt there See Chap. IV § 31. 3 Will he tell us what that certaine assent of Gods will or this Testimony of the Spirit is whereby every one may know who is truely called of God who not Doth the Spirit when he calleth one to this work speak to the senses of all beholders and witness also to them that such an one is indeed called of the Spirit Is such a Testimony of the Spirit which every one can hear necessary to make a Christian Is this the inward Power and Vertue of the Spirit that he talked of 10. His last Arg. is from Christ's word 's Ioh. 10. They are thieves and robbers that câ—me not in by the door Which is very true But how will he prove that all such as want this testimony and this call which he speaketh of are such as Christ there meaneth They that enter by the way which Christ hath appointed come in by the door which he hath set open for them to enter by and have his warrand and approbation though they want this which he pretendeth to 11. He tels his Reader § 8. That against his doctrine we Object the Succession of the Church as sufficient And upon this his mistake he runneth out in many words to no purpose That Christ sent his Apostles immediatly is certain and undeniable That these Apostles ordained other ordinary ministers is unquestionable Act. 14 23. That they laid injunctions on these whom they had ordained to commit the same to faithful men is clear 2 Tim. 2 2. Tit. 1 5. 1 Tim. 3 1 15. and 5 21
this mans doctrine who seemeth to be one of the most sober among them all have we found any thing hithertil but Pelagianisme Secinianisme Arminianisme Enthusiasme Antiscripturisme Yea and Paganisme c have we seen any thing that doth not directly enough tend to overthrow the whole Gospel And what further we are to hear a little patience will help us to see He talks that they teach no new doctrine But doctrine more diametrically opposite yea contradictory to the whole Gospel of the grace of God a man shall finde no where else in such an heape So that albeit they should pretend to Miracles as they do to Immediat Revelations of the Spirit of God should do somethings more then ordinary like wonders I should account them but lying wonders their coming to be after the working of Satan according to 2 Thes. 2 3. Yea though an angel from heaven should come to head them and preach the doctrine which they preach I should remember that word of Paul's Gal. 1 vers 8 9. And therefore must account these Quakers no more Christians but an Antichristian Antievangelick brood of men acted and led by an evil Spirit designing the destruction of the Gospel and the setting up of Paganisme What he saith § 13. about the Independants and their gifted Brethren is not worth the noticeing for as to the matter he referreth us to what he had said before upon the Scriptures and we have eâ—amined Chap. IV. Only I would enquire If as he saith no man can know by the Scriptures that he in particular is called to be a Minister and therefore must recurre to an Inward and Immediat Testimony of the Spirit he must also say that no man can know that another is a Minister but by the Inward and Immediat Testimony of the Spirit and therefore he cannot be offended at us that we do not beleeve that he and the rest of the Quakers are sent of God because we have no Inward and Immediat Testimony of the Spirit concerning this and we are confident never shall have from the Spirit of God And though the Scriptures do not particularly and expresly tell us that Robert Barclay is a false Teacher and ought to be shuned as a false Teacher it saith that which is enough to us concerning him and his complices when it saith that all that bring another Gospel are to be accounted accursed and the whole Scripture that pointeth forth and declareth the Truth and condemneth their Errours as we have seen and shall see is as good to us as an Immediat Testimony saying the Quakers and particularly Robert Barclay are deceivers yea better more sure for some men can take the dreams of their owne head the impressions of Satan upon their phantasie for immediat testimonies of the Spirit of God but enough of this above Chap. III. 15. But he hath something Pag. 190. § 14. that would seem to answere that question we just now proposed for after hee hath againe nakedly told us that this extraordinary call for he nameth it so here is as well necessary when the Church is setled as when it is under a general Apostacy he saith that such as are thus called are made manifest in the mindes of their brethren and their call is verified in them who by the sensation of that life and virtue that floweth out by them are dâ—yly edified in their most holy faith and become the signes of their Apostleshipe according to 2 Cor. 13 v. 3. Ans. 1. But as yet there is no Inward Testimony of the Spirit directly saying that such men are truely called and without this in his judgment they cannot be said to be taught and led of the Spirit nor can they beleeve without this 2. Is this manifestation alwayes at every discourse or sometimes only Is it upon all their hearts or upon some only It may be there lyeth an answere in these words their brethren But the signes of the Apostleshipe of Paul were among strangers whom he converted and brought in to the faith And if this manifestation be alwayes and upon all present he layeth down a ground to question Christs Apostleshipe and Call for his preaching had not alwayes this effect as is notoure Nor Pauls and Barnabas theirs among the Jewes as the book of the Acts sheweth and 2 Thes. 2. Nay let that word be considered 2 Cor. 2 15 16. for we are unto God a sweet savour in Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish to the one the savour of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto life And that Esai 49 4. Then said I I have laboured in vaine I have spent my strength for nought and in vaine surely my judgment is with the Lord and my work with my God and that Esai 53 Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed if he think it enough that this manifestation be made sometimes upon the the mindes of some Alas Poor man thinks he that there are none of all the servants of Christ who dar not be so bold as he is to pretend a Divine Immediat Call through an Extraordinary and Immediat Revelation that can say the same and that upon a more just account As for his brethren they are under the same delusion with their Teachers and the sensation they have of life and vertue is but the sensation of the workings of delusion and no edification or building up in the holy faith but in opposition to that faith which was once delivered to the saints as is manifest to all that heare them and read their books and as this book which is now under examination hath made more manifest to me than all that ever I heard or read of them before 15. He addeth This is that which giveth the true and substantial call and title unto the Minister whereby he is a real successour of the vertue and power that was in the Apostles Ans. 1. Then the extraordinary call was no true and substantial call or title Then Ezechiel who was sent to a rebellious house that would not heare had no true and substantial call nor Moses when he was sent unto Pharaoh 2. They who are a savour of death unto death to some may yet for all that be successours to the Apostles 3. But I see what this man would be at The Quaker-Preachers though as we have manifested above nothing in truth but Pagan preachers must be the only successours of the Apostles and Possessours of the power and vertue that was in them What more Such Ministers stand not in need of the ceremony of Ordination and Imposition of hands Ans. Why then were hands laid upon Paul Barnabas Act. 13 3. And why had Timothy the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery 1 Tim. 4 14. If such made use of this ceremony shall any Minister now a dayes think it below him to do the like But sayes he Our adversaries
who use it confess that the power of communicating the holy Ghost is ceased among them And is it not ridiculous to imitate the shadow when the substance is away Ans We say not that the holy Ghost was alwayes given by imposition of hands let him look not to mention instances in the Old Testament where it had no such use Mark 10 v. 16. 16 v. 18. Luk. 13 13. And even where it was used toward Church-officers it did not alwayes carry alongs with it the giving of the holy Ghost as we see Act. 13 3. it was used towards Paul who before that had been filled with the holy Ghost Act. 9 17. The same also we read of Barnabas before this time Act. 11 24. So then though this power be not and this use of imposition of hands be ceased yet its use in Ordination and Ordination it self must not be cast away by such as would be followers of Christ and of his Apostles seing its principal use in Ordination remaineth not only to declare who the person is who is to be set apart for the Ministrie but to declare the solemne Dedication and Consecration or setting apart of the person for the work and the conveyance of the Ministerial Power and Office with a charge to go about the work with all care and diligence But it is little wonder that our Quakers trample this Ordinance under foot when there is not one ordinance of Jesus Christ that they value or will regard And what Christians these are let every one judge And whether or not I had not ground to say and againe to repeat it that they are a company of the most desperate Antichristian opposers of Christ and all his Appointments that ever the sun shined on 16. It is observable that in his whole discourse he speaketh nothing of infallibility which other Quakers require in Ministers of the Spirit See Fox mystery p. 72. and some plead for in all as W. Pen in his Spirit of truth p. 32 c. and why he is not so plaine and full as others are he knoweth himself CHAP. XVIII Of Ministerial Qualifications 1. WE proceed now to examine what he saith about the Qualifications of Ministers Pag. 190. c. § 15. Though what he began to say of the Ministerial Call was rather concerning the Qualifications as we observed yet now seing here he beginneth to speak directly and ex professo of these Qualifications we shall follow him And first he tels us That as he placed the true call in the motion of the holy Spirit so also he sayes the power vertue and life of the Spirit and of grace proceeding from him is the principal and most necessary qualification without which he can neither discharge his duty acceptably unto God nor profitably unto men Ans. Wherein he placed the call we have heard and have heard it several wayes expressed And here we have it in a new distinct manner expressed for here nothing is mentioned but a simple motion of the Spirit and every motion of the Spirit is not extraordinary But 2. What he sayes here of a necessary qualification seemeth only to relate to the better and more profitable discharge of the duty as to men and so to respect the bene esse of the Office not the simple esse of it As for what he sayes of God that it cannot be performed acceptably unto him is nothing for an unsanctified Magistrate cannot performe his office acceptably every way unto God unless we meane only that the substance of the work when done according to justice and equity is approven of God though the person be not accepted in it 3. We have here good words Power Vertue and Life of the Spirit and of grace But these must not deceive us for by all these good words according to his principles formerly considered Chap. X. he cannot understand what is imported thereby in the Scriptures but only what an Heathen or Pagan that never heard of Christ nor never shall hear of him is capable of And whether this be fitter to be a necessary qualification of a Pagan-preacher than of a Gospel-Minister let any judge who will 2. He saith next That we affirme three things concurre to the constituting of a Minister to wit Natural parts that is that he be not an idiot acquired parts that he be learned in the tongues in Philosophie and scholastick theology and finally the grace of God The first two belong to the essence of a Minister the last to his bene esse Ans. Who stateth the question thus I know not for my part I cannot well approve it Of the grace of God I spoke my minde in the beginning of the preceeding Chapter As to the knowledge of the languages wherein the Bible was originally written I think that very convenient in some measure at least and he hath let us see here and there in this his Book what use he could make of it but as to the knowledge of the original languages use of commentaries I think it no wonder he should think it utterly useless seing the knowledge of the Scriptures themselves is of so little an account with him That skill in Philosophy is useful in some measure I shall assent but for the knowledge of Scholastick Theology I account it not so necessary And I suppose the knowledge of other Theologie much more necessary though all these be very requisite in a Professour On the contrary as not having said enough before he saith That without grace no man can be a true or lawful Minister And I suppose he meaneth neither before God nor Man This I judge too far said His first Argument for this is the same with the first he brought above for his call and was there answered 3. His 2. Arg. is much like the former being this No man can be a minister of the Church of Christ which is his body but he that is a member thereof But he who wanteth the grace of God cannot be a member of that body Therefore c. Answ. Had he understood the difference betwixt the Church Visible and Invisible and had he known that Officers are set in the Church Visible and not in the Church Invisible which is made up of homogeneal parts he had seen the vanity of this argument Christ is an head to both communicateth by his Spirit suteable nourishment whether of gifts or of grace to the members of both according as he thinketh fit Ephes. 4 7.11 16. 1 Corinth 12. throughout and while he applieth these things wholly and solely unto the Church Invisible he bewryeth his ignorance His 3. Arg. is from 1 Pet. 4 10 11. and he translateth the words thus as every man hath receiveth grace so c. but the word in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we finde alwayes rendered gift or free gift but it is like that gift and grace are one thing with him with whom the highest grace is a most common gift
whereof even a Pagan as such can be capable It is true the Apostle addeth as Stewards of the manifold grace of God But that by grace is meaned a gift is notoure from the whole context and scope of the place for it is that only which can be ministred and communicated by speaking let him consider what this word importeth Rom 1 5. 12 3. Gal. 2 9. Ephes. 3 8. 4 7. Phil. 1 7. 1 Pet. 1 10. 1 Cor. 3 10. 1 Pet. 5 12. But sayes he this cannot be understood of any mere natural vertue for by these God should not be glorified Answ. Let him therefore see to this who giveth us no other grace but what riseth out of the puddle of Nature But we acknowledge spiritual gifts which yet are distinct from grace that is saving 1 Cor. 12 1 4 9 28 30 31. 14 1. Heb. 6 4. Act. 8 20. 11 17. 1 Cor. 1 7. 13 2. His last Arg. is from 1 Tim. 3 2. Tit. 1 8. Which shew indeed what is very requisite and what should mainly be looked after so as such who give cleare evidences or pregnant presumptions of the contrary should not be admitted unto the ministrie but because real grace is hid in the heart and can not be infallibly demonstrated unto others so as they can judicially passe sentence thereupon we cannot say that the want of true grace doth really null all their Ministerial acts both before God and Man What he citeth from a nameless Author as also from one Franciscus Lambertus saith nothing against what I say nor proveth his point 4. He Pag. 194. § 17. Answereth contrary Objections the first whereof is That then all ministers should be saved And instead of answering and saying which he might have done with some shew of reason according to his grounds That none others but such as should certainly be saved were true aâ—d lawful Ministers finding this it seemeth too hask he chooseth rather to say That there may be a total falling away from grace the contrare whereof we have showne above Chap. XV. and so he yeeldeth the Argument Another objection taken from their Principles he proposeth thus Seing they affirme that every man hath a measure of saving grace it is not necessary that that should be a special qualification of ministers To which he answereth his mentioning a call as requisite to ministers is nothing to the point in hand That by grace which is the qualification of Ministers he understandeth not that meer and naked measure of light and grace as it is distributed to convince and to turne to righteousness but as it converteth the soul and worketh strongly in it and as men are fermented into its nature and bring forth the fruites of temperance righteousness and piety c. To which I shall onlâ— say That all this is a confirmation to me that this ministerial qualification is but a Pagan Qualification such as is produced by Natural strength and the power of Free Will out of that seed of grace which is in Pagans and in all by nature which is nothing but meer Nature and hath no affinity with the true grace of God which is saving brought to light by the Gospel and wrought by the Spirit of God according to the New Covenant of Grace And if this be all that he pleadeth for as it is it is only fit for a Pagan Preacher such as he is 5. He saith That Arnoldus Professor in Franeker objected the example of the false Prophets Whether it be so or nor I know not I should not presse that Instance so generally But what shall our Quaker say unto the Instance of Balaam calleâ— a Prophet not a false Prophet by Peter 2 Pet. 2 16. And to him God came Numb 22 2 10. and spoke to him vers 12 20 and Chap. 23 4. put a word in his mouth vers 5.12 16. See his Prophecie Chap. 24 3. c. And yet was but a wicked wretch What saith he to the Instance of Iudas He saith 1. That his commission was not purely Evangelick but limited to the house of Israel Mat. 10 5 6. Ans. This will make Christ himself to have been a legal preacher But their commission was vers 7 to preach saying the Kingdom of heaven is at hand And their being limited at first unto the House of Israel will not alter the nature of their work or commission which being after enlairged was still the same upon the matter See Act 13 48. He 2. saith That this case was extraordinary because he was immediatly called by Christ and endued with power to preach and work â—iracles Answ. All this doth but strengthen the Objection for if Christ called him as the rest to be an Apostle and endued him with power to preach who yet was but a graceless man at the heart though not yet openly scandalous or declareing his wickedness we can hardly say that the want of grace doth make a Minister no Minister What he addeth that it is not proven that at that time he had no grace Is but founded upon his errour of the Apostasie of the Saints and therefore deserves no new consideration What he saith of our leaving the other Eleven and choosing him for our patron Is but a calumnie and his inference that the most part of our Pastors are most like unto him is of the same nature and deserveth no further answere 6. The last Objection which he proposeth to answere is a gordian knot to him and therefore because he cannot loose it he must cut it It is this That hereby people should be in doubt whether any of their administrations as of the Sacraments c. were valide because they could not infallibly know whether they were gracious or not An Objection it is that might be further improven for hereby Ministers themselves should frequently be in doubt whether they should go about their work as doubting of their state which can oft be falleth the best Christian consequently doubt of their call of their being true Ministers And hereby Satan should play his game to some purpose prejudge the Church of the laboures of the best of her Ministers What sayes he now to this He saith this Objection doth not touch them for the worshipe which they owne is not attended with such external institutions That is They owne no such Worshipe nor no such Administrations They reject all They have nothing to do with any or all of Christ's Institutions whereof we will heare more afterward And what could a Pagan have said more 7. In the next place Pag. 196. § 18. He showeth that he doth not exclude all true learning from the qualification of Ministers But what sort of learning owneth he He owneth that which cometh from the inward instructions and operations of the Spirit whereby the soul learneth the secret wayes of the Lord and knoweth the inward labours and exercises of the minde c. and such sayes he as are thus
may be drawn over the rest to wit Ps. 25 3. 37 9. 69 6. Esai 40 v. 31. 42 23. Lam. 3 25. His concordance hath helped him here to no purpose He must not think for all this that I speak against that noble duty of waiting on the Lord in all our wayes which is accompanied with a care to keep all his wayes I speak only against his Waiting which is not upon the Lord but a waiting for an unhallowed motion of an evil Spirit like those of olâ— who were consulting the Oracles of the Devil waiting for Enthusiasmes diabolick Inspirations which needeth no other confirmation but this that this waiting is pleaded for to shut out the Ordinances of Jesus Câ—rist and to give God no more for all the solemne Worshipe service wâ—ich he requireth but a dumb mumtie Nay this is such a waiting as first requireth that the man lay aside all Christianity yea and Rationality and Humanity that he may become a perfect prey to the Spirit of Delusion for he addeth that this silence is not only outward but inward from all imaginations and thoughts So that the man must lay aside his very sanctified intellâ—ct if he have it and rational faculty and so first un-man himself that the Devil may make him a beast or worse What he saith of the two seeds in men hath been spoken to long ago and what he saith further of natural men and of their various kindes or actings is nothing to the purpose for we confess that a natural man for all his parts and enduements cannot Worshipe God in the Spirit And for any thing I can finde in all this mans writing concerning Regeneration I must needs say that if it be really with the Quakers according to this mans doctrine they know no more of Regeneration and true Sanctification than a Turk or a Pagan doth Further what will all his speaking Pag. 235. of a necessity of a natural mans retireing from himself as such going into his good seed which is a non-ens nothing but the ill and wicked seâ—d of Nature availe here Can a natural man do this of himself Can the blakamore change his colour or the Leopard his spotes And finally what saith all this for the dumb Worshipe that he calleth for even from the Regenerate Though the rambling discourse which he hath Pag. 233. be utterly impertinent Yet I wish him to take notice of some expressions He saith that one kinde of spiritual wickedness is when a natural man in matters of Religion affirmeth and proposeth from his own conceptions and divinations erroneous notions and opinions And whether he be not guilty of this let all sober understanding persons judge And againe he saith It cannot be said that there is so much as a forme of goodliness where there are erroneous opinions and notions Let him look to it And I must retorte his owne words Pag. 234. upon himself This kinde of Idolatry whereby a man loveth Idolizeth the Conceptions Inventions and Products of his owne braine is so incident to him and so seated in his lapsed nature that while his natural Spirit is his leader and chiefe Governour and while he is acted moved and led by it in the Worshipe of God and attendeth to no other he can never act any spiritual Worshipe nâ—r produce any thing but what is the fruite of his corruption For reflecting upon his false Principles and Carnal Natural grounds of Religion opposite to all true Religion and Christianity I know none beside himâ—elf and his party of whom this may be more truely verified 13. He imagineth Pag. 235. that God is speaking in every man as one man is quietly talking in the eare of another or as a Master teaching his schooler or a Prince is speaking to a person and that therefore the natural man should not be so rude and indocile as not to be silent and hearken and retire from all the operations of his soul that he may heare and the good seed may rise in him Ans. That is the natural man that he may hear and learne of God must lay aside all his senses inward and outward all his operations as a man good and evil and so fall into something like or rather deeper then a trance and ecstasie that he may receive the visions of God And till this be done he can goe about no act of commanded Worshipe Is not this a noble phancie We are waiting for the proof of this and how long shall we waite till we see it Is this the meaning of all these passages of Scripture that spoke of waiting and watching Is not this like Socrates his Demon that attended him and to which he must Introvert to hearken What shall the renewed man do Is not God as well talking thus in and to him and must he not also retire from his Humane or Christian acts and lay all aside that he may hearken Sure it is not seemly even for a courtier to be talking to his Prince while his Prince is speaking to him he should waite till his Prince had done And so because we may suppose that the Lord is alway speaking the whole Worshipe shall be this silent hearkening And indeed Pag. 236. he taketh-in with the rest of the actions that must be laid by Sense and Fear of sin Thoughts of Death Hell and Iudgment thoughts of Glory Prayers and other Religious Exercises Have we not then a clear delineation of this Quakeristick ecstasie and of this silent Worshipe of theirs And as if all this were not enough he saith agaiâ— This great duty of waiting upon God must be exercised in denying of themselves and in sole and meer dependance upon God within and without in being abstracted from all operations imaginations and ejaculations of their soul that being made void of themselves and wholly crucified to their natural productions they may be fit to receive God Is not this a clear thing The man then must become no man nay not an animal he must not be a living wight such an ecstasie must he give himself up unto But I am yet to learne if this be in mans owne power or if the Prophets of old were so far master of themselves as to fall into a trance or ecstasie to speak nothing of such an ecstasie as this is which taketh away all the use of the intellect and inward motions of soul when they pleased And yet more if this was called for at their hands alwayes when they went to Worshipe God or if this was their solemne worshipe or a chiefe part thereof Will this Quaker do me the favour to prove these things and clear his way from Devilrie by undoubted marks of distinction 14. But now let us suppose the man is brought to this state either by his owne wonderful dexterity of metamorphosinâ— himself or by some superiour Spirit or other what next Then saith he Pag. 236. the little seed of righteousness which God planted in the
of experiences yet thâ—y can speak from experience and appositely apply themselves to loose the doubts remove the difficulties that trouble weak consciences and in some measure in the strength of the great Master of Assemblies speak a word to such as are weary But he will say it is not so with all and I will not contradict him in this yet what I have said is sufficient to discover his unfaire dealing in stateing the opposition or comparison here And how shall we beleeve that any or all of the Quaker-Preachers do as he sayes His naked word is no very sure ground of faith to me 6. The maine difference now followeth to be spoken to He supposeth that our Ministers do all without the Spirit and their speakers do all in and by the Spirit As concerning Ours he must know that there are among them who depend upon the Lord in their preparation for preaching seeking by prayer from him what to say that he would lead them to and suggest unto them that mater and purpose which may be most for edification who when afâ—er Meditation and Prayer they have gote something to say give it up unto him that he may give it them to deliver or not as he thinketh good who depend upon Him even for Utterance and Expression who look to him and by faith depend upon Him in the delivery of what they had thought upon less or more that they may be helped to preach with that Faiâ—h Fear Awe Reverence Weightedness of heart Love Zeal and Faithfulness that becometh to his glory and to the edification of the Church who depend upon Him for the blessing knowing that all their words of Perswasion Conviction Rebuke Instruction expostulation and Consolation without the power and blessing of his Spirit concurring and carrying the same in upon the heart will prove ineffectual who receive with thankfulness what he offereth and suggesteth in the time of their preaching and with singleness declare it unto their hearers who often times being called to speak without fore-thoughts go in the strength of the Lord not seeking to commend themselves as able or learned â—en but to commend themselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God And who when they have finished their discourse give up all by faith into the hands of God that He may bless it as He thinketh good in Jesus Christ. He will possibly say That it is not thus with all and I shall readily grant it But will he be saâ—isfied with this and account this spiritual preaching or preaching in the Spirit I suppose he will not be satisfied And then it is not to him sufficient though all should study and preach after this manner 7. Let us therefore a little examine his way He first would have all Study all Meditation all Prayer and wrestling with God in prayer for this with us is a maine part of study preparation laid aside Ministers going to the Assembly as naked and void of all knowledg of spiritual matters as if they had never heard of any such thing Then being Tabulae rasae they must introvert unto that Grace or Gift which is in them there receive their Call their Furniture their Preparation both in matter words whether with a text or place of Scripture whereupon to ground their discourse or to explaine and clear up or without any such passage as that inward teacher will Lastly when they are thus called and fitted by this thing within then they speak in the Spirit are acted by the Spirit But now to canvass this not mentioning that which was spoken to before to wit that by their way all are alike preachers and none must speak but such as are thus acted by the Spirit and all thus called and prompted may and must I shall propose these things to the Readers consideration 1. This Gift and Grace within is as we saw above no singular thing it is common to all men and women breathing to Turks and Pagans as well as to Christian Ministers And therefore can have no affinity with the Spiritual gifts which Christ giveth unto his Church and endueth his messengers with all that they may be enabled for the work of the ministry and for building up of his house nor hath it any affinity with the special and saving grace of God which Christ hath purchased for and bestoweth upon his redemed oâ—es For neither of these are common to all the children of men as the whole Scripture declareth far less can it have any affinity with the Spirit of God which Liveth Abideth and Worketh in the Justified Adopted and Sanctified children of God It can therefore be nothing else than the relicques of nature the natural light and natural Conscience which God hath left in every man So that all the qualifications which the Quaker Preachers have and seek for are but what a Pagan may have that hath a Natural Conscience and the Light of Common notions concerning a God-head and equity and right among men This dim darkened and now malignant light is the Magazine and Storehouse of all their Enduements and Qualifications this is the sole fountaine and spring of all their furniture sufficient I am sure for none but for Pagan-Preachers 2. Their Introverting unto this to consult this Goddess as the Pagans did turne-in to the Cels of Apollos to receive the Oracles hath a more diabolick aspect for what can it be that they would thus consult after they have unmanned themselves or laid aside all motions of Soul and Minde which is not natural nor practicable without diabolick assistance if it be as he saith but some Spirit And what Spirit can we suppose to be in Pagans and every Son of Adam before grace come and make a change but the God of this world 2 Cor. 4 4. the Prince of the power of the aire the Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes. 2 3. and that strong man that keepeth the house Is it not then manifest that this introverting must be a real consulting with or giving themselves up unto the instructions and directions of this Prince of darkness If he say that they are Regenerated and so under the power and direction of the Spirit of God I Answere I have seen and considered what he saith upon this and have found that it is nothing but the operation of pure Nature wrought by the strength of corrupt and wicked Nature that is an enemy to the Gospel and to all the wayes of God and if this hath not been sufficiently evidenced above the Reader is free to judge And if nature and this Prince of darkness who hath now a soveraignity over all the unrenewed Sones of Adam can or will destroy the works of Satan and of Nature and embrace the Gospel and the Spirit of Christ according to the Gospel let all who understand and believe the Gospel judge 3. This Spirit then which acteth and moâ—eth them or in them can be
peopleâ— of God from the wicked that do not call upon him Ier. 10 25. Psal. 10 4. 14 4. and the neglect thereof hath been charged by the Lord upon his owne people Esa. 43 22 Hos. 7 7. and acknowledged by them as their sin Esai 64 7. Dan. 9.13 4. Yet he granteth that prayer is Profitable and necessary a duty commanded of God frequently to be gone about by Christians What would he then be at But sayes he as without Christ we can do nothing so neither can we pray without the help of the Spirit And this is very true But will this say any thing against what we hold Or make any thing for his way Knoweth he no difference betwixt the ordinary and usual Assistance of the Spirit without which we can do nothing aright and that extraordinary Impulse of the Spirit which he would be at and supposeth to be the only lawful call unto this duty and really taketh away all conscience of duty or obligation to it Nay doth he think that that more ordinary assistance of the Spirit Prepareing Disposeing and Frameing the heart for the work by blowing away the ashes from the coal of grace within stirring up the graces of his Spirit enlarging the heart giving a deep sense of unworthiness and necessities setting faith love zeal and fervency a work and so putting the soul in case to sail faire before the winde doth he think I say that this work of the Spirit is the only ground and call to the performance of this duty and that till this be once there is no warrand to set about it or attempt it When we heare his proofs for this we shall consider them At present I shall only say That as there is nothing in all the word giving ground for this conjecture so the frequently reiterated command of God which himself acknowledgeth and which we finde not qualified and restricted as some commands are laying on an obligation taketh all coloure for such a pretence quite away the word of command being our rule the obligation to duty flowing therefrom is not enfringed by the Lords free not-blowings or restrainings of the Influences of his Spirit wherein he acteth according to the good pleasure of his will sometimes out of meer soveraignity because so it seemeth good in his eyes sometimes in way of holy Justice punishing for misimproving his former breathings for not watching over the heart nor guarding against such sinnes as grieve the Spirit These motions of the Spirit are no rule to us being the free and arbitrary actings of the Lord who giveth an account of his matters to none The Law is our fixed rule and by this opinion the Law and Command of God is made of none effect for to all injunctions this shifting returne might be given Let the command be never so peremptour and pressing Yet till the Spirit breath first and act upon me I can do nothing and therefore am under no obligation And thus all conscience of and mourning for sin all godly sorrow for our indisposition for neglect of the duty and all serious and earnest prayer and wrestling with God for his breathing and gracious quickenings are taken away and a plaine path made for Neligence Security Indifferency and Deadness And if this hold as to prayer it will hold also as to all other Christian duties Yea and to all duties enjoyned by the law and light of nature for neither can we performe these acceptably and in a gracious manner without the special Breathings and Communications of divine Influence and Assistance and so until such quickning upstirring breathings gales of the Spirit come we are not to love God nor our neighbour to eate drink and sleep nor may the labouring man plow or sowe nay nor must we abstaine from murther adultery incest and other wickednesses that the very light of a natural conscience condemneth as if all those commands were not given to us as rational creatures under subjection or as Christians under the law and command of the Gospel but only as creatures and Christians so and so spiritually qualified and disposed and as if the Lord 's gracious communications which are acts of soveraigne grace let out freely according to his owne will and pleasure without the least of our deservings were to restrick and limite the obligation of his lawes and as if his free restrainings and withdrawings of these qualifying and disposeing influences did put a check unto and controle his Authority as King Lawgiver Whatever this man may think of this I can put no other construction upon it than that it is a turning of the grace of God unto lasciviousness This same was the opinion of Swenckfeldus H. Nicholas the Father of the Family of love Iohn Waldesse the Antinomians of N. England of Del Saltmarsh 5. He tels us next in order to the clearing of the question Pag. 253. That there is an inward and an outward Prayer Answ. We know there is a speaking to God in the heart when the voice is not heard 1 Sam 1 13. Neh. 2 4. there are ejaculatory Prayers swift postes sent to heaven in thoughts sighes and groanes Rom. 8 26. Psal. 6 6. 12 5. 79 11. And there is a speaking to God with words a glorifying of him with our glory and tongue Psal. 57 8. 108 1. which we are here mainly to consider being speaking of solemne worshipe but this though outwardly as to the expressions differenced from the other yet not rightly separated for in all Prayer the heart must speak to God for Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God Psal 62 8. and in publick and solemne Prayer the heart must so speak as the tongue must speak also and the gift of Prayer be imployed for the solemne and professed glorifying of God and for the edifying of others who must hear and concurre 1 Cor. 14 14 15 16 17. Let us hear how he explaineth these Inward Prayer sayes he is that secret introversion of soul which being secretly done and the Light of Christ being wakened in the conscience and so being humbled in the sense of sin and unworthiness breaths to God and sendeth up constantly secret desires unto Him and to this he applyeth Luk. 18 v. 1. 1 Thes. 5 v. 17. Ephes. 6 18. Luk. 21 v. 36. Answ. That there are secrete groanings and breathings unto God I have showne That to these sense of sin and unworthiness as also sense of want and dependence on God is requisite with Faith Love Zeal Submission and other graces I teadily grant and hence inferre that if the places by him cited command this as I think they do and also a constant habitual frame and disposition for Prayer with a readiness to go about it on all occasions offered without disputing or delay and that with constancy and perseverance we cannot shift this inward Prayer upon pretence of the want either of a gracious frame through the breathing of the
of our formal and common way of singing Answ. The Scripture mentioneth singing and commandeth us to sing but it is true prescribeth not this or that particular mode of singing but leaveth that to our liberty that it may be done according to the general rules of the word that is that it be done with gravity in a way suteable to the worshipe of God without vanity lightness and affectation and such I suppose is our manner Will he sing none till he finde what mode of singing is particularly prescribed in the word I fear he shall then lay it aside altogether or will he waite till the Spirit inspire the notes and manner as the matter where is his warrand for this is there a promise of such a communication 3. He saith next our way hath this peculiar abuse attending it that thereby frequently horride and abominable lies are uttered unto God while every profane wreatch must personate David's condition and others also must sing Psal. 22 15. 6 7. Answ. But he little considereth that the same abuse if it be an abuse did attend their singing of old as well as now for these same Psalmes and particularly Psal. 6. â—2 were put into the hands of the chiefe musician and so were to be sung publickly by others And we conceive the same of the rest that want this express title because of what we read 1 Chron. 16 17. for there the 1â—5 Psalm which in the book of the Psalmes hath not these words To the chiefe musician c. prefixed is expresly said to be delivered by David into the hanâ—s of Asaph and his brethren And why may not we sing with the words of David and of Asaph the Seer as well as they did in Hezekiah's dayes 2 Chron. 29 30 Could the Levites and others that joyned say all that of themselves that David did say of himself Hence then he may see the ground of his mistake for he supposeth we should sing nothing but what is our owne particular case as if the dispensations of Godâ— towards others of his Children did not concerne us but what then meaneth the Psalmist Psal. 66 6. to say He turned the sea into dry land they went thorow the flood on foot there did we rejoyce in him How could he and others say that they rejoyced at the red sea when the Lord brought his peâ—ple thorow it when they were not then in being And how is it that such as had gotten victory over the Beast did sing the song of Moses the servant of God Revel 15 2 3 As the joyful so the sad condition of others being turned into a song may be mater of a song to us as we are members of the same body the favours deliveries bestowed upon others should be looked upon by us as favours conferred upon ourselves 3. What next And sometimes immediatly after singing they will sayes he in their prayers confess themselves guilty of these vices for redemption from which they had been praising God with David The inconsistency here is in owne imagination for he supposeth that the case of others which we sing we sing it as immediatly our owne But may we not blesse and extol that God in praises who hath redeemed others from these sinnes under which we yet groan And may not the singing of this contribute to the strengthening of our faith and hope of the like redemption And may not we in the singing of such experiences of others be raised up to see what an high and rich favoure it is to be blessed with such a redemption And cannot all this be done without hypocrisie 4. But now I would know what sort of praises and songs they would offer unto God These sayes he that proceed from a pure heart that is from the word of life in the heart And cannot we sing from â— pure heart in the words of David as well as they did in the dayes of Hezekiah But what is this word of life in the heart which is made the original and leader of their songs It is that sure that is common to all men Turks Pagans Scythians Barbarians And we look not upon that as grace from whence spiritual songs can arise I would enquire if the Spirit ever moveth them in their Assemblies to sing and what for Psalmes they sing Are they immediatly Inspired by the Spirit or not If not how can they according to their owne principles sing them If they be immediatly Inspired how can others concurre who never heard of them before What if they do not agree with the present condition of every member of the Assembly And how can others sing with them without the same previous motion of the Spirit Or is it enough if one sing alone And if so how can that be an act of publick worshipe performed by the whole Assembly These things if he be for singing at all in the publick worshipe of God he would do well to cleare to us And withal tell us if the Spirit inspireth also the meeter in the song and the tone of the singing 5. He tels us next that there is no warrand in tht New Covenant for Organs which I plead not for nor for any such instrument nor for artificial musick with the voice But if there be warrand for singing as there is himself not denying there must be warrand for some sort of artificial musick for singing is something else than reading or speaking and how is it distinguished but by notes of modulation and that must be either natural or artificial and the first musâ— be helped by the last else in an Assembly where one and the same thing is sung by all there will be a discord instead of a concord And for the artifice I shall not plead that it be very fine if it be modest and grave I am satisfied And he knoweth there is no great ground of exception against our manner of singing upon this account in Scotland This is all he hath to say against our singing of Psalmes and why he doth not declare unto us what their peculiaâ— way is I know not CHAP. XXVI Of Baptisme 1. TO manifest the perfect and compleet hatred which this Paganish Antichristian Spirit which reigneth and rageth in the Quakers hath at all the Instiâ—utions and Appointments of our Lord Jesus Christ we have here a clear demonstration of the hieght thereof and of their designe as acted by the same It will not satisfie them to plead with other Anabaptistâ— against the baptisme of Children and so be Antipaedobaptists but they must be Antibaptists and joyne with the late Ranters H. Nicholas Antinomians as enemies to the whole of the Institution and so not only be against all the Churches of Christ from the very beginning of christianity to this day but also against all the Several Sects of Anabaptists or Catabaptists that we have heard of and joyn with Socinus who at first would have had this Ordinance wholly laid aside And dispising
not what others say Parnel in his Shield of truth Pag. 17. said as it is cited by Mr Faldo whose Book is but lately come to my hand 2 Part. Pag. 11. of his book And here is the difference of the Ministers of the world and the Ministers of Christ the one of the letter the other of the Spirit for they are meer deceivers and witches bewitch people from the truth holding forth the shadow for the substance As for the Church so speaketh Isaac Pennington in his Questions P. 49. Q. What is the fold of the sheep Answ. The wisdom life and power of the Father even the same that is the shepherd Obj. Is not the Church the fold A. This in the Church or the Church in this is the fold but not out of this As for prayer or thanksgiving at meat hear Iames Naylor Love to the lost P. 57. But where the pure is not viz. the light all things are defiled when they are not sanctified by the word and prayer and therefore are to be received in fear and therein remembring his death till he come and so this is all their Lord's Supper too who is the word and Prayer And Pag. 13. He casts all Prayer that is not by immediat inspiration saying But as every creature is moved by the Spirit of the living God who is that Spirit who will be served with his owne alone not with any thing in man which is come in since the fall so the imaginations thinkings and conceivings are shut out And Smith Cat. P. 100. So must all come to the Sâ—irit of God by the Spirit to be ordered and cease from their own words and from their own time and learne to be silent till the Spirit give them utterance And P. 107. So the same wisdom may deny the prescribed way as being formal and may invent something instead of it in a higher mystery of iniquity and though they may not speak in such formal words composed yet in the same wisdom their words are formal they can set their own time to begin and end and when they will they can utter words when they will they can be silent and this is the unclean part which offereth to God which he doth not accept Found we not his Mans doctrine abâ—ve consonant hereunto As for Baptisme Parnel Pag. 11. els us They owne the Baptisme which is the Baptisme of Christ with the holy Ghost and with fire but they deny all other And P. 12. and now I see the other that is water Baptisme as they ordinarily call it out of scorne to be formal imitation and the invention â—f Man and so a meer delusion Smith Prim. P. 39. and Higgins warning P. 5 say we have this and the Lords Supper both from the Pope Nay Iames Naylor Love to the lost P. 52. giveth us one word for all for this I say saith he that the Father hath given his Son for a leader and guide to all ages and into and out of all formes at his will and in his way and time in every generation And therefore it is that all who know his will herein cannot endure that any visible thing should be set up to limite his leadings in Spirit And C Atkinson said I deny that God did ever or will ever reveal himself by any of these things thou callest the meanes of grace And G. Fox in his Grâ—at Mystery P. 16. And we say he Christ hath triumphed over Ordinances and blotted them out and they are not to be touched and the saints have Christ in them who is the end of outward formes and thou art deceived who thinks to finde the living among the dead And after all this and much more of the like kinde we must be accounted slanderers for saying that they deny the external part of Christianity Nay not only so but we must be horride liars and the searcher of hearts must be attested hereunto This is but an inconsiderable thing with them who account all that our Preachers say from the word of the Lord nothing but lies and satanical delusions because it is not from the immediat teaching of the Spirit and them but Professours of the Devil upon this account See Fox's Great Mystery P. 5. and 62. 3. Yet more Hence is it saith he that because we exhort people to returne and feel God within themselves saying unto them that if they feel not God neer them the notions which they have of God as he is in the heaven above the cloudes will not much profite them they maliciously endeavour to inferre that we say that God doth not exist without us Answ. Thinks he that we have no other Notion of God but as of one that is up in the heavens above the cloudes Supposeth he that we deny him to be every where present But if they beleeve there is a God in deed and in truth why talk they so much of a measure of God in every man Is the true God such a devisible thing Why do they make the soul of man a part or particle of God What meane they by the Vehicle of God Do these and the like expressions smell of orthodoxy in this matter The true God that is revealed to us in the Scriptures is a God that is one in essence and three distinct persons the Father the Son and the holy Ghost do they believe this Furthermore if they beleeve really a God without them why do they ascribe to something within them that which is peculiar unto God Doth not the morning Watch Pag. 5.6 7. assert the light within every man to be that word which Iohn speaks of Iohn 1 1 See Fox the younger P. 50 53 54. Is that a savoury expression which E. B True faith hath when he saith every man hath that which is one in union and like the Spirit of Christ even as good as the Spirit of Christ according to its measure Was that orthodox which Ed. Burroughs said the morning before he died see F. H. Testimony Now my soul and Spirit is centred in its own being with God and this form of person must returne from whence it was taken Another hath these expressions See Mr Faldo as above P. 124. Againe thou makes a great pudder that any one should witness he is equal with God Answ. A Cathechisme of the Assembly of the Priests in which they have laid down that the holy Ghost and Son is equal in power glory with the Father yet if any come but to witness the Son revealed in him or come to witness the holy Ghost in them as they gave out the Scriptures or witness the minde of Christ and witness that equal with the Father they cry out horrid blasphemy Hear what another saith Now consider what a condition these called Ministers are in They say that which is a Spiritual Substance is not infinite in it self but a creature that which came out from the Creatour and is in the hand of the Creatour which brings it