Reprover or a Comforter where-ever he was or went Omniscient for the same Reason because he could not think amiss but he was sensible in himself that God knew and saw it by the Reproof that followed it Omnipotent because he Experienced that Power by which the Soul is Redeemed from Death and Sinners are made Saints the most excellent and self-evident Proof of God's Omnipotency or All-sufficiency For nothing can Regenerate but that which Made nor Renew but that which Created And as the Heavens are nobler than the Earth so is the Soul than the Body Renovation and Redemption than Creation And Resurrection than our former Life This Reader thou shalt come to know to be true as any Demonstration that can be made to thy outward Senses if thou wilt but Turn in thy Mind to this Teacher and wilt become the humble Scholar of this Divine Master and Learn of him in true Silence and with Diligence Ponder what I say Wouldst thou know God and be fitted for his Heavenly Mansions seek him in his Image and thou wilt know the Original by it Be thou but as Clay is in the Hands of the Potter Pliable and he will Form and Fashion thee aright He will make thee a Vessel of Honour for his own House and Use and by the Self-denial Love Purity Patience Righteousness c. that he will work in thee or work thee into thou shalt be able to pronounce truly and knowingly God is and that he is a Rewarder of them that fear him Surely there is a God in all the Earth Then wilt thou be able to say with holy David and Mary Ps. 103.1 O my Soul bless the Lord and all that is within me Luk. 1.46 47. praise his Holy Name My Soul doth magnify the Lord and my Spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour for he is good for his Mercy endureth for ever Amen Lord Jesus Amen I am now come to the Labours of our Author and shall mention them according to their respective Times with the Nature of their Subjects in brief to Inform and Excite the Reader to their Perusal The First of them in Order of Place was so in Order of Time it is called Truth Cleared of Calumnies He writ it at least published it 1670. The Occasion of it was a Book Intituled A Dialogue between a Quaker and a stable Christian the Invention it is supposed of one W. Mitchel a Preacher near Aberdeen the Disingenuous Fruit of a long Controversy between him and some other bitter Sticklers and the People called Quakers who as well by that Discourse as in the Pulpits of those Times were Represented as was our Lord Jesus and his Followers the Worst of Men possest of the Devil and Blasphemers under Pretence of being Led by the Spirit And for their Principles that they denied the True Christ Angels Heaven and Hell That they held no sort of Resurrection of the Body nor Final Judgment were Enemies to Magistrates and Ministry Comparing them with the worst of Hereticks to Inflame the People against them A Field large enough for this Zealous Young Soldier to Engage his Adversary in and where one of a less Capacity than God had blessed him with might without any Praesumption have comforted himself with an Assured Success which with much Ease and Plainness he hath obtained against the Goliah-like Vanity and Praesumption of the Author of the said Dialogue And in which he has Detected the Power and Evil Effects both of Ignorance and Malice and shewen and defended the Innocency of his Friends and above all the Soundness and Scripture-Verity of their Principles It is written with Strength and Moderation His next Publick Service of this kind was published in the same Year called Queries to the Inhabitants of Aberdeen It is the most eminent Place in the North of Scotland and near his Father's Seat then alive and many Years after They contain the Principles and Practices of the Children of Error and Truth wherein the Inhabitants of that Place especially might see themselves What they were and what they should be and remember some of them what they once pretended to Seek for and Enjoyed and were fallen from writ as an Appendix to the former Discourse His Third Book was writ in the Year following 1671. upon the same Controversy and against the same Opposer namely W. Mitchel Intituled William Mitchel Vnmasked Being a Rejoinder to that Persons Reply to his Truth Cleared from Calumnies In which the Dispute rises High and the Contest seems Sharp and Close but to every Impartial Reader the Advantage evidently runs upon our Author's side Who appears rather Zealous than Heated and sharp on his Enemy's Matter than Person For he rather pities his Enemy than Triumphs over his Weakness and Envy Here as in an Exact Draught the Reader has an Account of the fabulous Principles given under our Names and those that we really profess and the Pleasure even Men pretending to Religion take to render a poor self-denying People that which they are not As if they feared we should be in the right or hold Principles nearer to what they profess themselves to believe than is convenient for their Interest with the People to allow lest that together with the Sobriety their worst Enemies confess to be so Conspicuous among them should give them too great a Credit with their Hearers The next Year 1672. he writ A Seasonable Warning and Exhortation to and Expostulation with the Inhabitants of Aberdeen concerning this present Dispensation and Day of God's Living Visitation towards them A serious Title and Dedication and a serious Discourse they are deeply indebted to his Love Labour and Memory I pray God it may be as Bread cast upon the Waters to the Inhabitants of that Northern City of this Famous Isle of Britain and that they and theirs after these many Days that have past may find it to their Spiritual Edification that they may know there was a Servant and Prophet of God among them with the Testimony of the Everlasting Gospel which is the Power of God revealed in Man to Regenerate him May it never rise up in Judgment against that People His Fifth Book was his Catechism writ in 1673. the Title A Catechism and Confession of Faith Approved of and Agreed unto by the General Assembly of the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles Christ himself Chief Speaker in and among them Which containeth a True and Faithful Account of the Principles and Doctrines which are most surely believed by the Churches of Christ in Great Britain and Ireland who are reproachfully called by the Name of Quakers yet are found in the one Faith with the Primitive Church and Saints as is most Clearly Demonstrated by some plain Scripture-Testimonies without Consequences or Commentaries which are here Collected and Inserted by way of Answer to a few Weighty yet Easie and Familiar Questions fitted as well for the Wisest and Largest as for the Weakest and Lowest Capacities And Expostulation with and Appeal to all
first may deceive over again that makes nothing against the Insufficiency of the Spirit to discover the delusion but if a man be deceived either first or again he is to blame himself for his defect in not being duly watchful and faithful in what is discovered to him of God truly and certainly Consider the tendency of thy Argument which strikes not only at the certainty of the Saints faith now from the Spirit within and the assurance of Knowledge therefrom but also strikes at the very certainty and assurance of all the Faith and Knowledge the holy Prophets and Men of God had from the Spirit within when Scripture was not We are in no greater hazard to be deceived now than they were then You that set up the Scripture as your only Rule the many Sects of you what jangling and contesting is among you while one pleads for his sence and another for his Which all proceeds from their wandring from the Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures And as to satisfying of others we refer and recommend them to the same Spirit in them to receive their satisfaction from that which only can and will satisfy them who wait for it in singleness Page 18. And whereas thou sayst The Saints are led and guided by the Spirit but it is according to the Scriptures So say we too but it doth not therefore follow that the Spirit hath so tyed and limited himself to the use of the Scriptures as always to use them in every particular step of his guiding the Saints the Spirit is free to use or not use the Scriptures at his pleasure and guideth the Saints in many particular steps of their life for which there is no particular Scripture either to approve or disprove them in The more sure Word of Prophecy As for the more sure Word of Prophecy we grant it is the Rule but deny that that more sure Word is the Scriptures but it is that Word in the heart from which the Scriptures came and in and by which the Scriptures are to be interpreted And is it not gross blindness and darkness to say The Scripture is more sure than that Word Light Life and Spirit from which they came Had not the Scriptures all their sureness from the inward Testimony of the Spirit How then can they be more sure Thy example of the Schoolmaster and the Copy serves not thy turn for the Spirit is unto the Saints both their Teacher and their Copy and they need not go forth for a Copy and if they walk according to this by looking upon it and eying it they shall be good Scholars and Proficients He writes them a living Copy in their hearts engraves it on fleshly Tables whereas they who look upon no other Copy but the Words without them are those who are ever learning but never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth Page 19. Thou askest Why we disjoin the Spirit and the Scriptures citing Isaiah 50.21 Answ. We are not to disjoin what the Lord putteth together sometimes the Spirit joineth or concurreth with the Scripture-Words and sometimes not how many preach and pray and read the Scriptures and talk of them without the joint concurrence of the Spirit Which we say they ought not to do the Scriptures should never be used to preach and pray c. but in the concurrence and assistance of the Spirit for they are not of true use to any without the Spirit but ye disjoin them who would have praying in the letter and using of it without the Motion of the Spirit to such the Scripture is indeed but a dead letter and it is no ways a reproach unto them to be so called Yea what are the best of men without the Spirit but dead men And this is not a reproach to them but their Glory so nor is it to Scripture Thou sayst They are said to be a killing letter and this shews that they are not dead Answ. A poor Argument indeed Can not dead things kill if men feed upon them If thou seedest upon sand gravel stones The Letter killeth shells will not these things kill thee though they be dead And if thou feedest upon the Letter without thee and not upon the Life thou canst not live yea if one that lived did depart from feeding upon the Life to feed upon the Letter it would kill him And as for that Scripture cited by thee it makes very much against thee to wit Isaiah 59.21 For it is one thing for God to put Words into mens Mouths and far another for men to gather these Words from that without Isaiah 59.21 and put them into their own Mouths nor doth it say that the Words God shall put into their Mouths shall be no other Words more or less but the express Scripture Words Why art thou not ashamed to cite this Scripture Do ye not say To speak as the infallible Spirit gives utterance is ceased and consequently God's putting Words into the Mouth God's furnishing them with Words suggested from his own Spirit and Life which the holy Prophets and Apostles witnessed to speak as moved by the Holy Ghost do ye not say this is ceased Why then citest thou a Scripture which is so plain and clear for it but that thou art in Blindness and Confusion Page 19. In thy procedure upon the point of Justification thou makest a large step in that crooked path of deceit wherein thou hadst too much traced from the beginning but now more abundantly than ever thou displayest the Banner of thy Dis-ingenuity and gatherest all thy Forces together it should seem resolving to give the Quakers a final Overthrow And to make the matter misty in the very entry of it thou raisest Dust to thy self venting thy own filthy Imaginations under the notion of coming from them applauding thy endeavours as if thou wert studying to preserve pure the principle of Justification in a point where none is jumbling it among us As thou advancest a little further Page 20 21. having given a very scant Account of their Doctrine in this Matter couching it in most disadvantagious terms thou takest great liberty to extend thy self in a foolish and vain Excursion as if having fathomed the Quakers thou hadst discovered them to be either turned or turning rank Papists therefore to trace thee throughly in this matter that if it be possible thou may'st come to have a discovery of thy Vanity and Malice or though thou shouldst prove irrecoverable yet others may have a view of both I shall first in honesty and plainness declare the Principle of Truth in this matter thereby observing thy Mis-representations Secondly shew what Vast Difference is betwixt us and the Papists therein And Thirdly make manifest how much nearer of kin ye are to the Papists even as to this particular and the things relating thereunto than we which may serve as a seasonable shower to allay that windy Triumph which thou endeavourest to establish unto thy self
him sinneth not Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him Little Children let no Man deceive you he that doth Righteousness is Righteous even as he is Righteous He that committeth Sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil Whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot Sin because he is born of God In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother Q. It is very plain by these Passages that the Apostles were far of another Mind then those that plead for Sin during term of Life and much against the Deceit of those who will esteem themselves Good Christians while they live in their Sins A. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord Matth. 7.21 24. shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven Therefore whosoever heareth these things of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a Wise Man which built his House upon a Rock If ye know these things happy are ye John 13 17. if ye do them Q. What saith the Apostle Paul further concerning the needfulness of this thing A. Circumcision is nothing and Uncircumcision is nothing 1 Cor. 7.19 but the keeping of the Commandments of God Q. Was not this according to the Apostle Paul 's Judgment the very Intention of Christ to have his Church and Children to be Pure and without Spot A. According as he has chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World Ephes. 1.4 that we should be Holy and without Blame before him in Love Even as Christ also loved the Church Ephes. 5.25 26 27. and gave himself for it that he might Sanctifie and Cleanse it that he might present it to himself a Glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be Holy and without Blemish Q. Doth not Paul press the same thing further besides the other Passages above-mentioned A. Having therefore these Promises Dearly Beloved 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us Cleanse our selves from all Filthiness of the Flesh and Spirit perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God Finally Brethren farewel 2 Cor. 13.11 Col. 1.28 be Perfect Christ in you the Hope of Glory whom we Preach warning every Man and teaching every Man in all Wisdom that we may present every Man Perfect in Christ Jesus Gal. 2.12 Labouring fervently for you in Prayers that ye may stand Perfect and Compleat in all the Will of God 1 Thess. 3.13 To the end he may establish your Hearts Vnblameable in Holiness before God And the very God of Peace Sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit 1 Thess. 5.23 and Soul and Body be presented Blameless unto the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Q. Is not this then the very End for which God appointed Teachers in his Church A. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets Ephes. 4.11 12 13. and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the Perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the Unity of the Faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a Perfect Man unto the Measure of the Statute of the Fulness of Christ. Q. Seeing this is so much pressed by the Holy Men doth not the Scripture which cannot lie give none of the Saints this Testimony as being free from Sin at sometimes and so not always and daily sinning as is supposed Gen. 6.9 A. Noah was a Just Man and perfect in his Generations and Noah walked with God And the Lord said unto Satan Hast thou considered my Servant Job Job 1.8 that there is none like him in the Earth a Perfect and an Vpright Man one that feareth God and escheweth Evil. There was in the days of Herod King of Judea a certain Priest named Zacharias of the Course of Abia and his Wife was of the Daughters of Aaron Luke 1.1 2. and her Name was Elizabeth and they were both Righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord Blameless Q. That proves sufficiently as to particular Persons but what doth the Scripture intimate of this Nature even of Considerable Numbers Ephes. 2.4 5 6. A. But God who is rich in Mercy for his great Love wherewith he hath loved us even when we were dead in Sin hath quickened us together with Christ and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus But ye are come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the Living God the Heavenly Jerusalem Hebr. 12.22 23. and to an Innumerable Company of Angels to the General Assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of Just Men made perfect And I looked and lo a Lamb stood on Mount Sion Rev. 14.1 4. and with him an Hundred Forty and Four Thousand having his Fathers Name written in their Fore-head These are they which were not defiled with Women for they are Virgins These are they which follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth These are Redeemed from among Men being their first Fruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their Mouth was found no Guile for they are without Fault before the Throne of God CHAP. VIII Concerning Perseverance and Falling from GRACE Question IS it enough for a Believer to be sure that he hath once received true Grace or is there any further Certainty requisite 2 Pet. 1.10 Answer Wherefore the rather Brethren give Diligence to make your Calling and Election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall Q. May one that hath received true Grace have Ground to fear or suppose he can fall A. 1 Cor. 9.27 But I keep under my Body and bring it into Subjection least that by any means when I have Preached to others I my self should be a Cast-away Q. That greatly contradicteth the Doctrine of such as say Once in Grace ever in Grace but doth the Apostle Paul express this only out of an Humble Esteem of himself or doth he judge or suppose the like of other Saints A. Take heed Brethren Hebr. 4.12 13. lest there be in any of you an evil Heart of Unbelief in departing from the Living God but exhort one another daily while it is called to day least any of you be hardned through the Deceitfulness of Sin Hebr. 4.11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that Rest lest any Man fall after the same Example of Unbelief For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened Hebr. 6.4 5 6. and
4 5 6 7 8 9. For if there come unto your Assembly a man with a Gold Ring in goodly Apparel and there come in also a poor Man in vile Raiment and ye have Respect to him that weareth the gay Cloathing and say unto him sit thou here in a good Place and say to the poor stand thou there or sit here under my Foot-stool Are ye not then partial in your selves and are become Judges of evil Thoughts Hearken my beloved Brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this World rich in Faith and Heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him but ye have despised the Poor Do not rich men oppress you and draw you before the Judgement-seat Do they not blaspheme that worthy Name by the which ye are called If ye fulfil the Royal Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self ye do well but if ye have RESPECT to Persons ye commit Sin and are convinced of the Law as Transgressors Q. Though that be indeed sufficient to reprove the different Ranks among Christians upon the Account of Riches or Birth Master and Servant yet is there not a Relative Respect among Christians as betwixt Master and Servants What Admonitions gives the Apostle in this Case A. Servants be Obedient to them that are your Masters according to the Flesh with Fear and Trembling in Singleness of your Heart Ephes. 6.5 6 7 8 9. as unto Christ not with Eye-Service as Men-Pleasers but as the Servants of Christ doing the Will of God from the Heart with Good will doing service as to the Lord and not to Men knowing that whatsoever good Thing any Man doth the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free And ye Masters do the same Things unto them forbearing Threatning knowing that your Master also is in Heaven neither is there Respect of Persons with him Servants obey in all things your Masters according to the Flesh not with Eye-Service as Men-pleasers but in Singleness of Heart Col. 3.22 23 24 25. fearing God And whatsoever ye do do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto Men knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the Reward of the Inheritance for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doth Wrong shall receive for the Wrong which he hath done and there is no Respect of Persons Masters give unto your Servants that which is Just and Equal knowing that ye also have a Master in Heaven Col. 4.1 Let as many Servants as are under the Yoke count their own Masters worthy of all Honour 1 Tim. 6.1 2· that the Name of God and his Doctrine be not blasphemed And they that have believing Masters let them not despise them because they are Brethren but rather do them Service because they are faithful and beloved Partakers of the Benefit These things teach and exhort Exhort Servants to be obedient unto their own Masters Tit. 2.9 10. and to please them well in all Things not answering again not purloining but shewing all good Fidelity that they may adorn the Doctrine of God in all Things 1 Pet. 2.18 19 20 21. Servants be subject to your Masters with all Fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward for this is Thank-worthy if a Man for Conscience towards God endure Griefs suffering wrongfully For what Glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your Faults ye shall take it patiently but if when ye do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God For even hereunto were ye called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an Example that ye should follow his Steps Parents and Children Q. What good Admonitions gives the Scripture as to the Relation betwixt Parents and Children Ephes. 6.1 2 3 4. A. Children Obey your Parents in the Lord for this is right Honour thy Father and thy Mother which is the first Commandment with Promise that it may be well with thee and thou may'st live long on the Earth And ye Fathers provoke not your Children to Wrath but bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. Col. 3.20 21. Children Obey your Parents in all Things for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers provoke not your Children to Anger lest they be discouraged Q. What between Husbands and Wives Husband and Wife A. Wives submit your selves unto your own Husbands as unto the Lord for the Husband is the Head of the Wife even as Christ is the Head of the Church Ephes. 5.22 23 24 25 28 31 33. and he is the Saviour of the Body Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ so let the Wives be to their own Husbands in every thing Husbands love your Wives even as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it so ought men to love their own Wives as their own Bodies he that loveth his Wife loveth himself for this Cause shall a Man leave his Father and Mother and shall be joined unto his Wife and they two shall be one Flesh. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his Wife even as himself and the Wife see that she Reverence her Husband Col. 3.19 1 Pet. 3.1 2 7. Husbands love your Wives and be not bitter against them Likewise ye Wives be subject to your own Husbands that if any obey not the Word they also may without the Word be won by the Conversation of the Wives while they behold your Chaste Conversation coupled with Fear Likewise ye Husbands dwell with them according to Knowledge giving Honour unto the Wife as unto the weaker Vessel and as being Heirs together of the Grace of Life that your Prayers be not hindered Q. * Christian's Armour What is the Armour of a true Christian and wherewith ought he to wrestle A. †Ephes. 6.11 12 13 14 15 16 17. Put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil for we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against Spiritual Wickedness in high Places wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the Evil Day and having done all to stand Stand therefore having your Loins girt about with Truth and having on the Breast-Plate of Righteousness and your Feet shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace above all taking the Shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the Wicked One and take the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God Q. What are Christians Weapons and for what End and Weapons A. For though we walk in the Flesh we do not war after the Flesh for the Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal 2 Cor.
Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World q 1 Joh 2.1 2. For by the Grace of God he hath tasted Death for every Man r Hebr 2.9 And gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due Time s 1 Tim. 2.6 Willing all Men to be saved and to come to the Knowledge of the Truth t 1 Tim. 2.4 Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance u 2 Pet. 3.9 For God sent not his Son into the World to Condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved x John 3 17. And Christ came a Light into the World that whosoever believeth in him should not abide in Darkness y John 12.46 Therefore as by the Offence of One Judgment came upon All Men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of One the free Gift came upon all Men to Justification of Life z Rom. 5.18 ARTICLE XI Concerning the Light that enlightneth every Man THe Gospel was preached to every Creature under Heaven a Col. 1.23 which Gospel is the Power of God unto Salvation to them that believe b Rom. 1.16 And if it be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this World hath blinded the Minds of them which believe not lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine into them c 2 Cor. 4.3 4. And this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather than Light because their Deeds are Evil d John 3.19 And this was the true Light which lightneth every Man that cometh into the World e John 1.9 By which all things that are reproveable are made manifest for whatsoever maketh manifest is Light f Ephes. 5.11 Every one that doth Evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light lest his Deeds should be reproved but he that doth Truth cometh to to the Light that his Deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God g Joh. 3 20 21. And they that walk in the Light as Christ is in the Light have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth them from all Sin h 1 John 1. Therefore ought we to believe in the Light while we have the Light that we may be the Children of the Light i John 12.36 Therefore to Day if we will hear his Voice let us not harden our Hearts k Hebr. 4 7. For Christ wept over Jerusalem saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy Day the Things which belong unto thy Peace But now they are hid from thine Eyes l Luke 19.42 And he would often have gathered her Children as a Hen gathereth her Chickens but they would not m Matth. 23.37 for the stiff-necked and uncircumcised in Heart and Ears do always Resist the Holy Ghost n Acts 7.51 And are of those that Rebel against the Light o Job 24.13 Therefore God's Spirit will not always strive with Man p Gen. 7.3 For the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness of Men who hold the Truth in Unrighteousness q Rom. 1.18 Because what is to be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them r Rom. 1.19 And a Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal s 1 Cor. 12.7 For the Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared to all Men teaching us that denying Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World t Tit. 2.11 12. And this Word of this Grace is able to build up and give an Inheritance among all those that are Sanctified u Acts 20.32 For the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of the Soul and Spirit and of the Joints and Marrow and is a Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart x Hebr. 4.12 Is that more sure Word of Prophesy whereunto we do well that we take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day-Star arise in the Heart y 2 Pet. 1. â—9 And this is the Word of Faith which the Apostles Preached which is nigh in the Mouth and in the Heart z Rom. 10.8 For God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ a 2 Cor. 4.6 But we have this Treasure in Earthen Vessels that the Excellency of the Power may be of God b 2 Cor. 4.7 and not of us for the Kingdom of God cometh not by Observation but is within us ARTICLE XII Concerning Faith and Justification FAith is the Substance of things hoped for and the Evidence of things not seen d Hebr. 11.1 Without which it is impossible to please God e Hebr. 11.6 Therefore we are justified by Faith which worketh by Love f Gal. 5.6 For Faith without Works being dead is by Works made perfect g Jam. 2.23 26. By the Deeds of the Law there shall no Flesh be justified h Rom. 3.20 Nor yet by the Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy we are saved by the Washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost i 1 Tit. 3.5 For we are both washed sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God k 1 Cor. 6.11 ARTICLE XIII Concerning Good Works IF we live after the Flesh we shall die but if we through the Spirit do mortifie the Deeds of the Body we shall live l Rom. 8.13 For they which believe in God must be careful to maintain good Works m T it 3.8 For God will render to every Man according to his Deeds according to his Righteous Judgment to them who by patient Continuance in well-doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortality Eternal Life n Rom. 2.6 7. For such are counted worthy of the Kingdom of God o 2 Thess. 1.5 and cast not away their Confidence which hath great Recompence of Reward p Hebr. 10.35 Blessed then are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the Gates into the City q Rev. 22.14 ARTICLE XIV Concerning Perfection SIn shall not have Dominion over such as are not under the Law but under Grace r Rom. 6.14 For there is no Condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the Law of the
the Letter of the Scripture the Traditions of Churches the Works of Creation and Providence whence they are able to Deduce strong and undeniable Arguments which may be true in themselves are yet not to be Esteemed Christians according to the certain and infallible Definition above-mentioned And if the Inward and Immediate Revelation of God's Spirit in the heart in such as have been altogether Ignorant of some and but very little skill'd in others of these Means of attaining Knowledge hath brought them to Salvation Then it will necessarily and evidently follow By Revelation is the true Knowledge of God that Inward and Immediate Revelation is the only sure and certain Way to attain the true and saving Knowledge of God But the First is true Therefore the Last Now as this Argument doth very strongly Conclude for this way of Knowledge and against such as deny it so herein it is the more considerable because the Propositions from which it is Deduced are so Clear that our very Adversaries cannot deny them For as to the first it is acknowledged that many Learned men may be and have been damned And as to the second who will deny but many Illiterate men may be and are saved Nor dare any Affirm that none come to the Knowledge of God and Salvation by the Inward Revelation of the Spirit without these other outward Means unless they be also so bold as to exclude Abel Seth Noah Abraham Job Abel Seth Noah c. Instanced and all the holy Patriarchs from true Knowledge and Salvation § IV. I would however not be understood as if hereby I excluded those other means of Knowledge from any use or service to man it is far from me so to Judge as in the Next Proposition concerning the Scriptures shall more plainly appear The Question is not What may be profitable or helpful but What is absolute Necessary Many things may contribute to further a Work which yet are not that main thing that makes the Work go on The sum then of what is said amounts to this that where the true inward Knowledge of God is through the Revelation of his Spirit there is all neither is there any absolute necessity of any other But where the best highest and most profound Knowledge is without this there is nothing as to the obtaining of the great End of Salvation This Truth is very effectually Confirmed by the first part of the Proposition it self which in few words comprehendeth divers unquestionable Arguments which I shall in brief Subsume First That there is no Knowledge of the Father but by the Son Secondly That there is no Knowledge of the Son but by the Spirit Thirdly That by the Spirit God hath always Revealed himself to his Children Fourthly That these Revelations were the formal Object of the Saints Faith And lastly That the same continueth to be the Object of the Saints Faith to this day Of each of these I shall speak a little particularly and then proceed to the latter part § V. As to the first viz. That there is no knowledg of the Father but Assert I by the Son It will not need much probation being founded upon the plain words of Scripture Proved and is therefore a fit Medium to draw the rest of our Assertions from For the Infinite and most Wise God who is the Foundation Root and Spring of all Operation hath wrought all things by his Eternal Word and Son This is that WORD that was in the beginning with God and was God John 1.1 2 3. by whom all things were made and without whom was not any thing made that was made Eph. 3.9 This is that Jesus Christ by whom God created all things by whom and for whom all things were created that are in heaven and in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalitys or powers Col. 1.16 Who therefore is called The First-born of every Creature Col. 1.15 As then that Infinite and Incomprehensible Fountain of Life and Motion operateth in the Creatures by his own Eternal Word and Power so no Creature has Access again unto him but in and by the Son according to his own express words No man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will Reveal him Matth. 11.27 Luk. 10.22 And again he himself saith I am the Way the Truth and the Life no man cometh unto the Father but by me Joh. 14.6 Hence he is fitly called The Mediator betwixt God and Man For having been with God from all Eternity being himself God and also in Time partaking of the Nature of man through him is the goodness and love of God conveyed to mankind and by him again man receiveth and partaketh of these Mercies Hence is easily deduced the Probation of this first Assertion thus If no man knoweth the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will Reveal him then there is no Knowledge of the Father but by the Son But No man knoweth the Father but the Son Therefore There is no knowledge of the Father but by the Son The first part of the Antecedent are the plain words of Scripture The Consequence thereof is undeniable except one would say that he hath the knowledge of the Father while yet he knows him not which were an Absurd Repugnance Again If the Son be the Way the Truth and the Life and that no man cometh unto the Father but by him then there is no Knowledge of the Father but by the Son But the First is true Therefore the Last The Antecedent are the very Scripture-words The Consequence is very Evident For how can any know a thing who useth not the Way without which it is not Knowable But it is already proved that there is no other Way but by the Son so that whoso uses not that Way cannot Know him neither Come unto him § VI. Having then laid down this First Principle I come to the Second viz. That there is no Knowledge of the Son but by the Spirit or Assert II that the Revelation of the Son of God is by the Spirit Where it is to be noted that I always speak of the saving Proved certain and necessary Knowledge of God which that it cannot be acquired otherways than by the Spirit doth also appear from many clear Scriptures For Jesus Christ in and by whom the Father is Revealed doth also Reveal himself to his Disciples and Friends in and by his Spirit as his Manifestation was sometimes outward when he testified and witnessed for the Truth in this World and approved himself Faithful throughout So being now withdrawn as to the outward man he doth teach and instruct mankind inwardly by his own Spirit He standeth at the door and knocketh and whoso heareth his Voice and openeth he comes in to such Rev. 3.20 Of this Revelation of Christ in him Paul speaketh Gal. 1.16 in which he placeth the Excellency of his Ministry and the Certainty of his Calling And
bury out of their sight as the noisom and useless thing however acceptable it hath been when actuated and moved by the Soul Lastly Whatsoever Query III is Excellent What is his Work whatsoever is Noble whatsoever is Worthy whatsoever is Desirable in the Christian Faith is Ascribed to this Spirit without which it could no more subsist than the outward World without the Sun Hereunto have all true Christian in all Ages attributed their Strength and Life It is by this Spirit that they avouch themselves to have been Converted to God to have been Redeemed from the world to have been Strengthened in their Weakness Comforted in their Afflictions Confirmed in their Temptations Imboldened in their Sufferings and Triumphed in the midst of all their Persecutions Yea the Writings of all true Christians are full of the Great and Notable things The Great and Notable Acts that have been and are performed by the Spirit in all Ages which they all affirm themselves to have done by the Power and Vertue and Efficacy of the Spirit of God working in them It is the Spirit that quickeneth Joh. 6.63 It was the Spirit that gave them Vtterance Acts 2.4 It was the Spirit by which Stephen spake that the Jews were not able to Resist Acts 6.10 It is such as walk after the Spirit that receive no Condemnation Rom. 8 1. It is the Law of the Spirit that makes free v. 2. It is by the Spirit of God dwelling in us that we are Redeemed from the Flesh and from the Carnal mind v. 9. It is the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us that quickeneth our mortal bodies v. 11. It is through this Spirit that the deeds of the body are Mortified and Life Obtained v. 13. It is by this Spirit that we are Adopted and cry ABBA Father v. 15. It is this Spirit that beareth witness with our spirits that we are the Children of God v. 16. It is this Spirit that helpeth our infirmities and maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered v. 26. It is by this Spirit that the glorious things which God hath laid up for us which neither outward ear hath heard nor outward eye hath seen nor the heart of man conceived by all his Reasonings are Revealed unto us 1 Cor. 2.9 10. It is by this Spirit that both Wisdom and Knowledge and Faith and Miracles and Tongues and Prophecies are obtained 1 Cor. 12.8 9 10. It is by this Spirit that we are all baptized into one body v. 13. In short what thing relating to the Salvation of the Soul and to the Life of a Christian is rightly performed or effectually obtained without it And what shall I more say for the time would fail me to tell of all those things which the holy Men of old have Declared and the Saints of this day do witness themselves to Enjoy by the virtue and power of this Spirit dwelling in them Truly my Paper could not contain those many Testimonies whereby this Truth is Confirmed Wherefore besides what is above-mentioned out of the Fathers whom all pretend to Reverence and those of Luther and Melanchthon I shall deduce yet one observable Testimony out of Calvin because not a few of the followers of his Doctrine do refuse and deride and that as it is to be feared because of their own Non-experience thereof this way of the Spirit 's In-dwelling as uncertain and dangerous that so if neither the Testimony of the Scripture nor the Sayings of others nor right Reason can move them they may at least be Reproved by the words of their own Master who saith in the third Book of his Institutions cap. 2. on this wise But they alledge It is a bold presumption for any one to pretend to an undoubted Knowledge of God's Will Calvin of the Necessity of the Spirit 's In-dwelling in us which saith he I should grant unto them if we should ascribe so much to our selves as to subject the Incomprehensible Counsel of God to the Rashness of our Vnderstandings But while we simply say with Paul That we have received not the spirit of this world but the Spirit which is of God by whose Teaching we know those things that are given us of God what can they prate against it without Reproaching the Spirit of God For if it be a horrible Sacriledge to accuse any Revelation coming from him either of a Lie of Vncertainty or Ambiguity in Asserting its Certainty wherein do we offend But they cry out That it is not without great temerity that we dare so boast of the Spirit of Christ. Who would believe that the Sottishness of these men were so great who would be Esteemed the Masters of the World that they should so fail in the first Principles of Religion Verily I could not believe it if their own Writings did not Testify so much Paul accounts those the Sons of God who are acted by the Spirit of God but these will have the Children of God acted by their own Spirits without the Spirit of God He will have us call God Father the Spirit dictating that Term unto us which only can witness to our spirits that we are the Sons of God These though they cease not to Call upon God do nevertheless demit the Spirit by whose guiding he is rightly to be called upon He denies them to be the Sons of God or the Servants of Christ who are not led by his Spirit but these feign a Christianity that needs not the Spirit of Christ. He makes no hope of the blessed Resurrection unless we feel the Spirit residing in us but these feign a hope without any such a feeling But perhaps they will Answer That they deny not but that it is necessary to have it only of modesty and humility we ought to deny and not acknowledge it What means he then when he Commands the Corinthians to Try themselves if they be in the Faith To examine themselves whether they have Christ whom whosoever acknowledges not dwelling in him is a Reprobate By the Spirit which he hath given us saith John we know that he abideth in us And what do we then else but call in question Christ his promise while we would be esteemed the Servants of God without his Spirit Without the Spirit 's Presence Christianity must cease which he declared he would pour-out upon all his Seeing these things are the first Grounds of Piety it is miserable blindness to accuse Christians of Pride because they dare glory of the Presence of the Spirit without which glorying Christianity it self could not be But by their Example they declare how truly Christ spake saying That his Spirit was unknown to the World and that those only acknowledge it with whom it remains Thus far Calvin If therefore it be so why should any be so Foolish as to deny or so Vnwise as not to seek aster this Spirit which Christ hath promised shall dwell in his Children They then that do suppose the Indwelling
same Reason is the Spirit more originally and principally the Rule according to that received Maxim in the Schools Propter quod unumquodque est tale illud ipsum magis est tale That for which a thing is such the thing it self is more such § I. THe former part of this Proposition though it needs no Apology for it The Holy Scriptures the most Excellent Writings in the World yet is a good Apology for us and will help to Sweep away that among many other Calumnies wherewith we are often loaded as if we were Vilifiers and Deniers of the Scriptures For in that which we Affirm of them it doth appear at what high Rate we Value them accounting them without all Deceit or Equivocation the Most Excellent Writings in the World to which not only no other Writings are to be preferr'd but even in divers respects not Comparable thereunto For as we freely acknowledge that their Authority doth not depend upon the Approbation or Canons of any Church or Assembly so neither can we subject them to the fall'n corrupt and defiled Reason of man and therein as we do freely Agree with the Protestants against the Error of the Romanists so on the other hand we cannot go the length of such Protestants as make their Authority to depend upon any Vertue or Power that is in the Writings themselves but we desire to ascribe all to that Spirit from which they proceeded We Confess indeed there wants not a Majesty in the Style a Coherence in the parts a good Scope in the whole but seeing these things are nor discerned by the Natural but only by the Spiritual man it is the Spirit of God that must give us that Belief of the Scriptures which may satisfy our Consciences Therefore the Chiefest among Protestants both in their particular Writings and publick Confessions are forced to acknowledge this Hence Calvin though he saith He is able to prove that if there be a God in Heaven Calvin's Testimony That the Scriptures Certainty is from the Spirit these Writings have proceeded from him yet he concludes Another Knowledge to be necessary Inst. lib. 1. cap. 7 sect 4. But if saith he we respect the Consciences that they be not daily molested with Doubts and they stick not at every Scruple it is Requisite that this Perswasion which we speak of be taken higher than Humane Reason Judgment or Conjectures to wit from the secret Testimony of the Holy Spirit And again To those that ask That we prove unto them by Reason that Moses and the Prophets were Inspired of God to speak I answer that the Testimony of the Holy Spirit is more Excellent than all Reason And again Let this remain a firm Truth that he only whom the Holy Ghost hath perswaded can Repose himself on the Scripture with a true Certainty And lastly This then is a Judgment which cannot be begotten but by a Heavenly Revelation c. The same is also Affirmed in the first Publick Confession of the French Churches published in the year 1559. Art 4. We know these Books to be Canonick and the most â—ertain Rule of our Faith The Confession of the French Churches not so much by the Common Accord and Consent of the Church as by the Testimony and Inward Perswasion of the Holy Spirit Thus also in the fifth Article of the Confession of Faith of the Churches of Holland Confirmed by the Synod of Dort Churches of Holland Assert the same We receive these Books only for Holy and Canonick not so much because the Church receives and approves them as because the Spirit of God renders Witness in our Hearts that they are of God And lastly The Divines so called at Westminster Westminster Confession the same who began to be affraid of and guard against the Testimony of the Spirit because they perceived a Dispensation beyond that which they were under beginning to Dawn and to Eclipse them yet could they not get by this though they have laid it down neither so clearly distinctly nor honestly as they that went before It is in these words Chap. 1. Sect. 5. Nevertheless our full Perswasion and Assurance of the Infallible Truth thereof is from the Inward Work of the Holy Spirit bearing Witness by and with the Word in our heart By all which it appeareth how Necessary it is to seek the Certainty of the Scriptures from the Spirit and no where else The Infinite Janglings and Endless Contests of those that seek their Authority elsewhere do witness to the Truth hereof For the Ancients themselves Apocrypha even of the First Centuries were not at one among themselves concerning them while some of them Rejected Books which we Approve and others of them Approved those Concil Laod. Can. 59 in Cod Ecc. 163. Concil Laod. held in the Year 364. Excluded from the Canon Eccl the Wisdom of Solomon Judith Tobias the Maccabees which the Council of Carthage held in the Year 399. Received which some of us Reject It is not unknown to such as are in the least acquainted with Antiquity what Great Contests are concerning the Second Epistle of Peter that of James the Second and Third of John and the Revelations which many even very Ancient deny to have been Written by the Beloved Disciple and Brother of James but by another of that name What should then become of Christians if they had not received that Spirit and those Spiritual senses by which they know how to discern the True from the False It 's the Priviledge of Christ's Sheep indeed that they hear his Voice and refuse that of a Stranger which Priviledge being taken away we are left a Prey to all manner of Wolves § II. Though then we do acknowledge the Scriptures to be a very Heavenly and Divine Writing the Vse of them to be very Comfortable and Necessary to the Church of Christ and that we also admire and give Praise to the Lord for his wonderful Providence in preserving these Writings so Pure and Vncorrupted as we have them through so long a Night of Apostasy to be a Testimony for his Truth against the Wickedness and Abominations even of those whom he made Instrumental in preserving them so that they have kept them to be a Witness against themselves yet we may not call them the Principal Fountain of all Truth and Knowledge nor yet the first Adequate Rule of Faith and Manners because the Principal Fountain of Truth must be the Truth it self i. e. that whose Certainty and Authority depends not upon another The Scriptures are not the Principal Ground of Truth When we doubt of the Streams of any River or Flood we recur to the Fountain it self and having found it there we Sist we can go no further because there it springs out of the Bowels of the Earth which are Inscrutable Even so the Writings and Sayings of all men we must bring to the Word of God I mean the Eternal Word and if they Agree
in a certain respect to lay aside the outward Knowledge of Christ or the Knowledge of him after the flesh in these words 2 Cor. 5.16 17. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a New Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new Whence it manifestly appears that he makes the Knowledge of Christ after the flesh but as it were the Rudiments which young Children learn which after they are become better Scholars are of less use to them because they have and possess the very Substance of those first Precepts in their minds As all Comparisons halt in some part so shall I not affirm this to hold in every respect yet so far will this hold that as those that go no further than the Rudiments are never to be accounted Learned and as they grow beyond these things so they have less use of them even so such as go no further than the outward Knowledge of Christ shall never Inherit the Kingdom of Heaven But such as come to know this New Birth to be in Christ indeed to be a New Creature to have Old things past away and all things become New may safely say with the Apostle Though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more Now But by the Work of Light and Grace in the heart this New Creature proceeds from the Work of this Light and Grace in the heart It is that Word which we speak of that is sharp and piercing that Implanted Word able to save the Soul by which this Birth is begotten and therefore Christ hath purchased unto us this Holy Seed that thereby this Birth might be brought forth in us which is therefore also called The Manifestation of the Spirit given to every one to profit withal for it is written that by One Spirit we are all baptized into One Body And the Apostle Peter also ascribeth this Birth to this Seed and Word of God which we have so much declared of saying 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of Corruptible Seed but of Incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever Though then this Seed be small in its Appearance so that Christ Compares it to a grain of Mustard-seed which is the least of all seeds Matth. 13.31 32. and that it be hid in the earthy part of man's heart yet therein is Life and Salvation towards the sons of men wrapt up which comes to be Revealed as they give way to it The Kingdom of God is in the Seed in the hearts of all men And in this Seed in the hearts of all men is the Kingdom of God as in Capacity to be produced or rather Exhibited according as it receives depth is nourished and not choked Hence Christ saith that the Kingdom of God was in the very Pharisees Luke 17.20 21. who did Oppose and Resist him and were justly accounted as Serpents and a generation of Vipers Now the Kingdom of God could be no other ways in them than in a Seed even as the Thirty-fold and the Hundred-fold is wrapt up in a small Seed lying in a barren ground which springs not forth because it wants Nourishment and as the whole body of a great Tree is wrapt up potentially in the Seed of the Tree and so is brought forth in due season and as the Capacity of a Man or a Woman is not only in a Child but even in the very Embryo even so the Kingdom of Jesus Christ yea Jesus Christ himself Christ within who is the hope of glory and becometh Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption is in Every man and woman's heart in that little Incorruptible Seed ready to be brought forth as it is Cherished and Received in the love of it For there can be no men worse than those rebellious and unbelieving Pharisees were and yet this Kingdom was thus within them and they were directed to look for it there so it is neither lo here nor lo there in this or the other Observation that this is known but as this Seed of God in the heart is minded and entertained And certainly hence it is even because this Light Seed and Grace that appears in the heart of man is so little regarded and so much overlooked that so few know Christ brought forth in them Calvinists Papists Arminians and Socinians Errors denying the Light to be Saving The one sort to wit the Calvinists they look upon Grace as an Irresistible Power and therefore neglect and despise this Eternal Seed of the Kingdom in their hearts as a low insufficient useless thing as to their Salvation On the other hand the Papists Arminians and Socinians they go about to set up their natural Power and Will with one Consent denying that this little Seed this small Appearance of the Light is that Supernatural Saving Grace of God given to Every man to save him And so upon them is verified that saying of the Lord Jesus Christ This is the Condemnation of the World that Light is come into the World but men love Darkness rather than Light the reason is added because their Deeds are Evil. All Confess they feel this but they will not have it to be of that virtue Some will have it to be Reason some a Natural Conscience some Certain Relicks of God's Image that remained in Adam So Christ as he met with Opposition from all kinds of Professors in his Outward Appearance so doth he now in his Inward It was the Meanness of his outward Man The Meanness of Christ's Appearance in the flesh that made many despise him saying Is not this the Son of the Carpenter are not his Brethren and Sisters among us Is not this a Galilean and came there ever a Prophet out of Galilea and such like Reasonings For they expected an Outward Deliverer who as a Prince should deliver them with great Ease from their Outward Enemies and not such a MESSIAH as should be Crucified shamefully and as it were lead them into many Sorrows Troubles and Afflictions So the Meanness of this Appearance makes the Crafty Jesuites the pretended Rational Socinians and the Learned Arminians overlook it desiring rather something that they might exercise their Subtilty Reason and Learning about and use the Liberty of their own Wills And the Secure Calvinists they would have a Christ to Save them without any Trouble to destroy all their Enemies for them without them and nothing or little within while they mean while be at Ease to live in their Sins secure Whence when all is well Examined the Cause is plain it is because their deeds are evil that with one Consent they Reject this Light The Nature of the Light for it Checks the Wisest of them all and the Learnedest of them all in secret it Reproves them neither can all
time since to meet at set times and places seems to be an Outward Observation and Ceremony contrary to what ye at other times Assert Answ. I Answer first To meet at set times and places is not any Religious Act or part of Worship in it self but only an outward Coveniency necessary for our seeing one another Publick Meetings their Vse and its Reason Asserted so long as we are cloathed with this outward Tabernacle and therefore our Meeting at set times and places is not a part of our Worship but a preparatory Accommodation of our outward man in order to a publick visible Worship since we set not about the Visible Acts of Worship when we Meet together until we be led thereunto by the Spirit of God Secondly God hath seen meet so long as his Children are in this World to make use of the outward Senses not only as a means to Convey Spiritual Life as by speaking praying praising c. which cannot be done to mutual Edification but when we hear and see one another but also for to entertain an outward visible Testimony for his Name in the World He causeth the Inward Life which is also many times not conveyed by the outward Senses the more to abound when his Children Assemble themselves diligently together to Wait upon him that as Iron sharpeneth Iron so the seeing of the Face one of another Prov. 27. v. 17. when both are inwardly gathered unto the Life giveth occasion for the Life secretly to arise and pass from Vessel to Vessel And as many Candles lighted and put in one place do greatly augment the light and make it more to shine forth so when many are gathered together into the same Life there is more of the Glory of God and his Power appears to the Refreshment of each Individual for that he partakes not only of the Light and Life raised in himself but in all the rest And therefore Christ hath particularly promised a Blessing to such as Assemble together in his Name seeing he will be in the midst of them Matth. 18.20 and the Author to the Hebrews doth precisely prohibit the Neglect of this Duty as being of very dangerous and dreadful Consequence in these words Heb. 10.24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works Assembling of our selves is not to be neglected not forsaking the Assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sins And therefore the Lord hath shewn that he hath a particular Respect to such as thus Assemble themselves together because that thereby a publick Testimony for him is upheld in the Earth and his Name is thereby glorified and therefore such as are right in their Spirits are naturally drawn to keep the Meetings of God's People and never want a Spiritual Influence to lead them thereunto And if any do it in a meer Customary Way they will no doubt suffer Condemnation for it Yet cannot the Appointing of Places and Times be accounted a Ceremony and Observation done in man's Will in the Worship of God seeing none can say that it is an Act of Worship but only a meer presenting of our Persons in order to it as is above-said Which that it was practised by the Primitive Church and Saints all our Adversaries do acknowledge Lastly some object That this manner of Worship in Silence is not to Object 3 be found in all the Scripture I Answer We make not Silence to be the sole matter of our Worship Answ. since as I have above said there are many Meetings In Waiting for the Spirits Guidance Selence is supposed which are seldom if ever altogether Silent some or other are still moved either to preach pray and praise and so in this our Meetings cannot be but like the Meetings of the Primitive Churches recorded in Scripture since our Adversaries confess that they did preach and pray by the Spirit And then what Absurdity is it to suppose that at some times the Spirit did not move them to these outward Acts and that then they were Silent since we may well conclude they did not speak until they were moved and so no doubt had sometimes Silence Act. 2.1 before the Spirit came upon them it is said They were all with one accord in one place and then it is said The Spirit suddenly came upon them but no mention is made of any one speaking at that time and I would willingly know what Absurdity our Adversaries can infer should we conclude they were a while Silent But if it be urged Inst. That a whole Silent Meeting cannot be found in Scripture I Answer Supposing such a thing were not recorded Answ. it will not therefore follow that it is not lawful seeing it naturally followeth from other Scripture-Precepts as we have proved this doth For seeing the Scripture commands to Meet together and when Met Silent Meetings are proved from Scripture and Reason the Scripture prohibits prayers or preachings but as the Spirit moveth thereunto if people Meet together and the Spirit move not to such Acts it will necessarily follow that they must be Silent But further there might have been many such things among the Saints of Old though not recorded in Scripture and yet we have enough in Scripture signifying that such things were For Job sate silent seven days with his Friends together Here was a Long Silent Meeting See also Ezra c. 9.4 and Ezechiel c. 1.14 and 20.1 Thus having shewn the Excellency of this Worship proved it from Scripture and Reason and answered the Objections which are commonly made against it which though it might suffice to the Explanation and Probation of our Proposition yet I shall add something more particularly of Preaching Praying and Singing and so proceed to the following Proposition I. What reaching is with Protestants and Papists A studied Talk an hour or two § XVIII Preaching as it 's used both among Papists and Protestants is for One Man to take some Place or Verse of Scripture and thereon speak for an hour or two what he hath studied and premeditated in his Closet and gathered together from his own Inventions or from the Writings and Observations of others and then having got it by heart as a School-boy doth his Lesson he brings it forth and repeats it before the People And how much the fertiler and stronger a Man's Invention is and the more industrious and laborious he is in Collecting such Observations and can utter them with the Excellency of Speech and Humane Eloquence so much the more is he accounted an Able and Excellent Preacher To this we Oppose that when the Saints are met together and every one gathered to the Gift and Grace of God in themselves True Preaching by the Spirit he that Ministreth being acted thereunto by the arising of the Grace in himself ought to speak forth
B. His Offer to Jo. Menzies Professor of Divinity so called George Meldrum Minister at Aberdeen and William Mitchel Catechist at Foot of Dee AS in this late Rencountre it was specially provided Challenge that it shall be Abstract from the Challenge made to you and so no fulfilling of it so now this being past of which you have here presented to you a good and Faithful Account which we hope being seriously weighed by your more Mature Judgments may allay any hasty Joy that might have proceeded from the Windy Triumphs the Students might have possessed you with a Belief they had obtained who at every turn to the nauseating of the more Serious and Impartial Auditors were proclaiming themselves Victors We think you more concerned And indeed we are the more desirous to Meet and Debate it with your selves For either this is All ye have to say which ye have put in their Mouths or ye have more to say If this be all then indeed it may be your Wisdom not to accept this Offer but if ye have more we shall be willing to hear it and endeavour to Answer it And as your Appearing yourselves would be more Satisfactory to the People and is most desired by them as well as us so divers Inconveniences that have in this or may fall in the like would be avoided For First It being in your Publick Houses Reasons there would be less Occasion of Tumult because the House is capable to hold divers Thousands Secondly as it is probable ye would not so readily be put to a Stand as they If it should happen ye were we are hopeful ye would not by raising a Laughter and Clamour amongst the People and crying out three or four at once seek to cover it or boast of Victory and cry out Your Argument is pungent before we have Time allowed us to Answer it Thirdly You engaging we are hopeful to procure Discreet Learned and Persons every way Considerable to be Judges Consultative upon our part though not professing our Way to help to Moderate and keep Good Order Fourthly It is probable That by the Solemnity of of such an Action and the Influence of your Presence as well as other Persons of Condition being there might secure us from the Hazzard of Clods and Stones for I do truly assure you I conceive my self more able to Answer the most pungent of your Arguments than defending my self from the Stones and Blows of your Vnreasonable and Brutish Church-Members Objections It is by some of your People Objected to us whether it come from you or not I will not Affirm That it is below you to engage with us But as this is altogether unsuitable to Christian Ministers whose Master disdained not daily to Debate and Answer the Questions of such as Opposed themselves unto him and taught his Disciples to leave the ninety and nine and go seek after the Odd one Next It is most Vnreasonable for since ye take Liberty to speak against us in your Pulpits and particularly to design us yea and sometimes to speak Vntruths of us I desire then to know Whether it be agreeable to the Rules of Christianity or even of Common Honesty to take Liberty to speak ill of Men behind their Backs abuse their Principles and Reputations and yet say It is below them to prove these Charges to the Mens own Faces Secondly It is Objected That it is against the Laws to call the Faith established by Law into Question But may not the same be said against Protestants in those Nations where Popery and Mahometism are Established by Law Yea is not this the very Pretence and put-off which the Papists both in Germany and France gave the Primitive Protestants when they desired Publick Conferences with them And was not both the Emperour Charles the Fifth and his Brother Ferdinando sorely checkt by divers Bishops of Rome for granting these Conferences and the Queen Mother of France openly reproved and cried out against by Cardinal Turnon and other Clergy-Men for giving way to that of Poysy as suffering the Vniversal Faith of the Church to be called in Question which had been established by many Laws and for a far longer Time than the Profession we oppose It seems ye Defend your selves chiefly by Popish Weapons as will anon further appear In order whereunto I shall speak a Word or two to John Menzies and so make an end The greatest and frequentest Argument that both thy Scholars and others make against us Scholars chief Argument against us is That we have no certain Evidence by which we can make known That we are led by the Spirit that Hereticks and others cannot pretend to Now if this may be admitted as Relevant or Strong against us I desire thou wouldst be pleased to shew me How thou canst extricate thy self out of the same Difficulty when urged by the Jesuit Dempster That the Scripture which thou assignedst as the Ground of the Protestant Religion is an Evidence for you seeing all Hereticks also pretend to it Let me see what Difficulties occur in our Case as to the Spirit which likewise occur not in the same very Way in Yours as to the Scripture For besides that we have as good Ground to lay Claim to the Scriptures as your selves and are ready and I hope able to prove our Principles from them as well as your selves If ye say Men may be deceived by a Seducing Spirit What then will it therefore follow That the Spirit of God will deceive any Or that Men ought not to be guided by it more than because many Men have been and are deceived by a Mis-understanding and wrong Use of the Scripture that therefore the Scripture doth deceive People or ought not to be the Rule If it be said Divers Men pretending to the Spirit Contradict one another Doth not the same recur as to the Scriptures What greater Contradictions can there be than there is betwixt certain Churches both acknowledging the Scriptures to be the Rule Hast thou forgotten John how thou and thy Elder Brother Andr. Cant who both Affirmed the Scripture to be the only Certain Rule and yet oftentimes before the same Auditory in the same Pulpit did from the very same Verse of Scripture Psal. 93 5. Holiness becometh thy house O Lord for ever draw different and Contradictory Doctrines Vses and Applications If that then will not infer according to you the Scriptures to be an Vncertain Rule neither will the other as to the Spirit If it be said That the fame Man pretending to be guided by the Spirit hath been of different Judgments doth not the same also recur as to the Scriptures Or need we go further John than thy self to prove this who hast all-along acknowledged the Scripture to be the Rule and yet sometime judged the Congregational Way to be preferrable to the Presbyterian And then the Presbyterian better than the Independent And now the Episcopal preferrable to both Or tell me John honestly
Testimony of Moses and the Prophets even than John who was the greatest But when we produce the Testimony of Moses and the Prophets and Apostles as an Evidence to the Truth of what we affirm I say it should be received by our Adversaries who own the Scriptures as their Chief and Only Rule For either they should Receive it or not Receive it if they should Receive it then they are faulty who in the late Dispute at Aberdeen did refuse to Receive the Evidence of the Scriptures as from us only because we say We have a greater to wit that of the Spirit within us although we own the Scripture as the greatest Visible and outward Evidence that we can give to our Adversaries If they should not Receive the Scripture-Evidence and Testimony as from us because we say we have a Greater to wit that of Christ himself immediately in us by his Spirit then they must needs also say for the same Reason That the Jews ought not to receive the Testimony of the Scriptures as an Evidence for Christ because he said He had a Greater And certainly he had a greater though they would not receive it nor could not as they stood in their Prejudice and Malice wherewith they were filled against him who did not receive him Now this I say with Freedom and Boldness of Spirit to all those whether Papists Anabaptists Prelatical or Presbyterian Professors who with one Mouth require of us an Evidence that we are Inspired or have a Measure of the Inspiration of the Spirit of God and Christ in us I offer unto all of you the Scriptures for an Evidence of this Truth viz. That the Quakers so called have a Measure of the Inspiration of the Spirit of God and Christ in them For according to the Scriptures-Testimony Christ the true Light enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World and his Illumination is his Inspiration I profess sincerely in God's Fear That the Scriptures-Testimony is to me as full and plain and Convincing to prove this Truth viz. That an Illumination Manifestation and Inspiration of the Spirit of God is given to every Man is in every Man as to prove this Truth That Christ who according to the Flesh was born of the Virgin Mary was the promised Messiah Now if we can prove from Scripture That all Men have in them a Measure of this Divine Illumination and Inspiration by the Spirit of Christ we have gained our Point which is That we have also a Measure of the same in us for ALL MEN doth comprehend Vs called Quakers as well as other Men I see not what our Adversaries can with any Colour Object against this Evidence from Scripture but this That they will deny that the Scripture bears Testimony to this Vniversal Illumination or Inspiration of the Spirit of God in Men. But this brings the Matter of the Debate from being Personal to be Doctrinal and so puts us upon equal Terms at least with all our Adversaries especially Prelatical Anabaptist and Presbyterian and Independent Opposers whatsoever who say The Scriptures are their chief and only Rule And though our Adversaries say The Scripture doth not testifie to that Universal Inspiration of the Spirit of Christ in Men that moveth us not more than when the Jews denied That the Scriptures bore Testimony to him that was born of the Virgin Mary to be the Christ. We are able by the help of God to prove from Scripture the Truth of this Doctrine of Divine Illumination and Inspiration in all Men and consequently in the Quakers as much as they or any professing Christianity upon Earth can prove any Principle or Doctrine of their Faith Secondly We are able and do offer by the Grace of God against all our Opposers whatsoever to prove from the Scriptures-Testimony That this Universal Inspiration and Illumination of Christ by his Spirit in Men is a sufficient Evidence of Truth and Rule of Faith and Life in all Men and consequently in us called Quakers Thirdly that this Divine Inspiration and Illumination where it is not wilfully resisted and rejected but regarded and attended is a Greater Evidence than the Scripture is and witnessed by the Scriptures Fourthly and yet the Scripture is the Greatest Visible and Outward Evidence that either we or they can give of their Rule I shall conclude with a reasonable Demand to these Young-Men Masters of Arts their Masters and Teachers which is this Whether they own these Assertions Affirmations and Arguments of their Scholars in the late Dispute as followeth viz. That whatever is of God is God That the Scriptures according to the Quakers are Fallacious and can beguile us That the Baptism with the Holy Ghost is ceased And the rest of their Discourse inserted in this foregoing Treatise If Yea Let them declare so much to the People who are greatly stumbled at these their Expressions even divers of their own Church If Nay then let them publickly Reprove and Disown those Words otherwise not only we but many others will say Ye have both taught and allowed them so to Affirm G. K. Quakerism Confirmed OR A VINDICATION Of the Chief DOCTRINES and PRINCIPLES Of the PEOPLE called QUAKERS FROM THE Arguments and Objections of the Students of Divinity so called of Aberdeen in their Book entituled QVAKERISM CANVASED BY ROBERT BARCLAY AND GEORGE KEITH 2 Tim. 3.9 But they shall proceed no further for their Folly shall be manifest to all Men c. London Printed for Tho. Northcott 1691. Friendly Reader 1676. HAD we not more Regarded the Interest of the Truth for whose sake we can shun no Abasement than the Significancy of those with whom we have this Rencountre we should have rather chused to be silent than Answer them they being of so small Reputation among their own that neither Teachers nor People will hold themselves Accomptable for any of their Positions and seem zealous to have it believed they would not bestow Time to Read it nor yet hold themselves obliged to Approve it However since we certainly know That in the Second Part of their Book to which this Reply is they have scraped together most of the Chief Arguments used against us and borrowed not a little from G. M's Manuscripts with whose Work that yet appears not we have been these seven Years menaced Which like the Materials of a Building managed by Unskilful Workmen though they be by them very confusedly put together yet being the chief Things can be said against us we have throughly handled for the Reader 's Satisfaction which may be Serviceable to the Truth without Respect to the Insignificancy of those against whom it is written As for the first Part of their Book we have also Answered it but distinct from this it consisting of many Particularities of Matters of Fact which perhaps might have proved tedious to many Readers that may by This be Edified and think it of no great Consequence that the Students are proved Liars which even many
only year 1675 That God spake unto Cain a most wicked Man but also unto Satan Job 1. which speaking of God to Satan we suppose the Students will not say was by an outward Voice and consequently it was Internal But we ask them If all wicked Professors of Christianity should burn the Bible and destroy all outward Rules and Means of Knowledge Should they by this Means cease to Sin because they should have no Rule Or should they be excused from Gospel-Duties because they have no Rule by this Supposition according to the Students to require them In their Second Subsection they spend both their Strength and Paper in labouring to prove some things which we no wise deny as the Sequel of their Major § 14. But in the Proof of their Minor where the whole Stress lieth they utterly fail in both its Branches as we shall briefly shew As to the first they Argue thus They know no such Inward Objective Evidence of Inward Revelations of the Spirit in themselves therefore they have none such We deny the Consequence they see it not nor know it because they will not Their Prejudice against the Truth doth blind them and indispose their Understanding Yea might not the unbelieving Jews have reasoned the same way against Christ when he was outwardly present with them We do not know him to be Christ Therefore he is not Christ Again whereas they query in a scoffing way Can a thing that is self-evident he hid from the whole World except a few Illuminado's We answer If it were hid from the whole World except a few in comparison of others it is no more than what the Scripture saith That the whole World lieth in Wickedness And their Wickedness blindeth them that they do not see the Light that is in them Yet we could Instance many The Self-Evidence of Inspiration who are not Quakers so called both Christians and Gentiles who have acknowleded the Evidence and Certainty of Divine Inspiration in all Men as the surest Ground of Knowledge But we need not digress into this here we have enough besides to stop their Mouths For do not they say That the Scriptures have a Self-Evidence and yet are not the Scriptures and the Truths declared in them hid from the greatest part of the World The Mahometans reject both Old and New Testament and the Jews the New although they read them And yet according to our Adversaries they have Self-Evidence So that it is Evident the same Argument is as much against the Scripture as the Light within in Point of Self-Evidence and indeed much more seeing many who deny the Self-Evidence of the Scriptures even Heathens have a Knowledge of the Self-Evidence of Divine Inspiration as Socrates Plato Plotinus Phocylides Seneca and many others And here in the close being sensible of their Weakness after they have laboured to prove the Negative they tell us That seeing the Negative is theirs they are not bound to prove it And so would roll it over on us to prove the Affirmative against their own Law which would have us to be meer Defendents As to the Maxim Affirmanti incumbit probatio it doth not help them for they have Affirmed a Negative and have been at great Pains to prove it But all in vain And why may we not put them to prove their Minor year 1676 being a Negative as well as their Master J. M. put the Jesuit Dempster to prove his Minor which John Meinzies affirmed to be Negative In their Prosecution of the Second Branch they Affirm That the Q. cannot give any sufficient Evidence of their Revelations This we deny and put them to prove it But how shamefully they fail here is apparent For instead of proving of what they Affirm they put us to prove the Contradictory and so contrary to their own Law would urge us to be Impugners and Defenders at one time a silly Trick they learned from the Baptists in their Dispute at London The Spirit 's Real and Convincing Evidence as indeed the Students Argument about an Evidence is the same upon the Matter with that which the Baptists used against us at London long before them and which the Jesuit used against J. M. long before them both So that we may see what Sort of Patrons the Students here follow But it is well to be observed That when they seek an Evidence from us they tell us pag. 57. They mean not an Evidence which will actually and de facto Convince a pertinacious Adversary but an Objective Evidence or Clearness in the thing it self which is apta nata fit of its own Nature to Convince and will really Convince the well-disposed Very well this their plain Concession destroyeth their whole Building For seeing they press upon us by way of Dilemma Either we have the Spirit of God or we have it not which is J. L. his Argument We may very lawfully by his own Example press him and his Fellow-Students with the like Argument Either they have a well-disposed Mind or they have not If they say they have not then they confess they are a Pertinacious Adversary and so not capable to be Convinced of our Evidence and surely it were great Folly in us to seek to Convince them of the Truth of a thing who are not in a Capacity to be Convinced If they say They have a well-disposed Mind then let them prove it to us or give us an Evidence of it Seeing by their own Rule Affirmanti incumbit probatio Who is so weak that doth not see that they are intangled in the same Difficulty they would urge upon us Yea into a far greater For they cannot so much as pretend to any Objective Evidence whereby to Convince us that they are well-disposed seeing they altogether deny such a thing If they Answer That they are not bound to say either the Affirmative or Negative but require of us to prove the Negative who seeth not that we have the same to Reply unto them when they urge us Either the Q. have the Spirit or they have not that we are not bound to say either the Affirmative or Negative For although to have and not to have are Contradictory yet to say that we have the Spirit and that we have not the Spirit are not Contradictory being both Affirmative And indeed when we assert Things only in Thesi we do not say either that we have or have not the Spirit but this we say and we are able to prove from Scripture that all good Christians have the Spirit of God immediately to Teach and Guide them into all Truth and all Men have it so far as either to justifie or condemn them By this we stand and are able to defend it through the help of God as consisting both with Scripture and sound Reason year 1676 and Testimonies of the Antients But if they think with their little Craft to bring us down from the Thesis to the Hypothesis they must know the same will
how they Refute this Distinction of General and Particular Inspirations or Influences First they say He shall never be able to produce a Ground for this Distinction out of Scripture A learned Refutation indeed and like unto their old way of putting us to prove what they cannot disprove May it not as well suffice us to say They shall never be able to produce a Ground out of Scripture against it Inspirations General or Particular and the rather since we are Defendents Secondly That which is called a general Inspiration could not put us out to any particular thing say they Answer If by putting us out they mean determine us insuperably or irresistibly thereunto we grant but this is no Absurdity Thirdly They would always leave us undetermined Answer Nor is this Absurd For in things that are permissive and left to our Freedom in the Lord to do them or not to do them we need not any thing to determine us as to the partiticular Act but may determine our selves being free Agents although as to the Nature and Kind of the Act in General that it be in true Love to God and to his Glory we are determined by the Lord. Pag. 100. They are no less unsuccessful in managing their other Argument in Comparing Inward Duties with outward For whereas they alledge for a Proof of their Minor That if we were not to go about Inward Duties without a previous sensible Inspiration there would be a progressus in Infinitum This hath been sufficiently an-answered above in the Dispute that as to that Inward Duty of Waiting we cannot suppose that ever at any time an Influence or Inspiration can be wanting And this we say still we mean to true Christians who are faithful unto God and do faithfully improve his Influences As for others Vnfaithfulness wants Influences to Duties if they want Influences either to Inward or outward Duties the Cause is their Vnfaithfulness And so the Way to have them upon all Occasions is to be Faithful to answer God's Call who doth oft invite and call upon them who are Vnfaithful But if they mean All Inward Duties as Meditation in many Cases upon particular Subjects we deny that even true Christians have always particular Inspirations thereunto Nor is there any necessity to assert them Now let us take notice how they refute the Distinction of General and Particular Inspirations First say they There are no General Inspirations as we have shewed already But that they have shewed no such thing is already made apparent Secondly Supposing them yet they being but General would not be a sufficient Ground for the particular Inward Duties of waiting desiring But how Prove they this No wise but meerly Affirm it only they confound Waiting Desiring and Meditating together whereas Meditating is of a larger extent and sometimes yea oft-times requireth a Special Inspiration Thirdly say they The Scriptures produced by the Quakers prove alike as to outward and inward Duties To this we answer That as to some outward Duties it is true as to others false As for Example To be clear in all outward Conversation is a Continual Duty and therefore we can never want an Influence thereunto if we be faithful Preaching and Praying audibly is from a particular Influence But to Preach and Pray in the Church or Assembly with audible Words is not a continual Duty nor yet a General to all Christians and therefore it hath not always an Influence to assist thereunto And here let the Reader note That by a General Influence or Inspiration we mean only such an Influence as serveth in general for all Ordinary Actions that are to be generally performed in an acceptable Manner As the same Spiritual Influence that sufficeth me to Eat in Faith Fear and Love sufficeth me also to Plow or do any other Mechanical Work But the same doth not suffice me to preach or expound Scripture otherwise any ordinary Christian might do so at any Time Which our Adversaries will not acknowledge Now that Preaching and Praying in particular require a Super-added Spiritual Influence and Inspiration we prove thus If Men may have an Influence or Inspiration of the Spirit to wait fear and love God and yet want an Influence or Inspiration to Preach or Pray Vocally Then the Influence and Inspiration to Preach and Pray vocally is a distinct superadded Influence c. But the first is true Therefore the Second The Consequence of the first Proposition is clear from that Maxime Quorum unum potest esse absque alio c. When of two things the one can be without the other the two are really distinguished The Second Proposition is proved 1. Because all true Christians have an Influence and Inspiration to Wait Fear and Love God but all true Christians have not an Influence and Inspiration to Preach and Pray Vocally in the Church This our Adversaries cannot deny 2. Even a true Gospel-Minister may at times want a Door of Vtterance when in the Time of this Want he hath an Influence or Inspiration to Wait Fear and Love God Therefore these Two are distinct The Antecedent is clear in the Case of Ezekiel Chap. 3.15 Ezekiel sate seven Days with the Elders in silence 16. who sate seven Days with the Elders having nothing to speak unto them from the Lord until at the end of the seven Days the Word of the Lord came unto him And Ezra sate silent till the Evening-Sacrifice And Ezra sate silent c. and then he kneeled down and prayed Ezra 9.5 Also Paul desired the Colossians to pray for him that Vtterance might be given him Which clearly imports That he had it not at all Times although at all Times he had an Influence or Inspiration to Wait Fear and Love God And David prayed That God would open his Mouth and his Lips should shew forth his Praise Isaiah said That God had given him the Tongue of the Learned c. Christ promised That he would give his Apostles a Mouth and Wisdom which all their Adversaries should not be able to Resist All this signifieth an Influence of the Spirit to speak which was not general to all nor permanent or perpetual with them who had it As is clear in the Case of David who declared That he was silent and held his Tongue even from good until the Fire kindled in him and then he spake with his Tongue Psal. 39.3 Yea what signifieth the Coal wherewith Isaiah his Mouth was touched but an Inspiration or Influence of Life superadded unto that General Influence which he had before Now if our Adversaries say This was given unto those Men in an extra-ordinary way as being Prophets and Apostles but is now ceased since the Apostles Days To this we Answer 1. This is a plain Acknowledgment That general Influences common to all Christians are one thing and particular Influences given to holy Men to Preach and Pray Vocally Inspirations to Preach and Pray vocally not ceased are
As appeared in the Example of the Apostles themselves Now these People who hold forth the Principles and Doctrines hereafter to be mentioned were not gathered together by an Vnity of Opinion or by a tedious and particular Disquisition of Notions and Opinions requiring an Assent to them and binding themselves by Leagues and Covenants thereto but the manner of their Gathering was by a secret Want The Gathering of the True Church its Rise and Foundation which many truly tender and serious Souls in divers and sundry Sects found in themselves which put each Sect upon the Search of something beyond all Opinion which might satisfy their weary Souls even the Revelation of God's righteous Judgment in their Heart to burn up the unrighteous Root and Fruits thereof that the same being destroyed and done away the inward Peace and Joy of the Holy Spirit in the Soul might be felt to abound and thence Power and Life to follow him in all his Commandments And so many came to be joined and united together in Heart and Spirit in this one Life of Righteousness who had long been wandring in the several Sects and by the inward Vnity came to be gathered in one Body From whence by degrees they came to find themselves Agreed in the plain and simple Doctrines of Christ. * Which External Agreement as well in Doctrines as in the Practices necessarily following thereupon became as one External Bond and Tye of their outward and visible Fellowship obvious to the World whereby they are distinguished even to the Observation of Man from the several Sects professing the Name of Christ as the true Christians of Old were by their Adherence to the Orthodox Principles from other Hereticks that laid claim likewise to be Christians And as this inward Power they longed for and felt to give them Victory over Sin and bring the Peace that follows thereon was that whereby they were brought unto that Vnity and Community together so they came first thence to Accord in the Vniversal Preaching of this Power to all and directing all unto it which is their First and Chiefest Principle and most agreeable to this Vniversal Love as I shall hereafter shew And it is very Observable that as those whose Gathering and Fellowship arises from this meer Vnity of Notions and Opinions do usually derive their Name and Designation from the First Authors Inventors and Fomentors of those Opinions as of old the Arians Nestorians Manichaeans c. and of late the Lutherans Calvinists Armenians Socinians Mennonites c. so those People whose Vnity and Fellowship did arise from their Mutual Sense of this Power working in and upon their Souls that Society derives not their Name from any particular Man and therefore are providentially delivered from that great Mark of a Sect. But as the Vngodly will be always throwing some Name or Reproach upon the Children and Servants of God it being observed that through the deep and inward Operation of this Power in them a Dread took hold on them not only to the begetting of God's Fear in their Hearts but even to the reaching and instructing of their outward Man hence the Name of Quakers or Tremblers hath been Cast upon them which serveth to distinguish them from others though not Assumed by them Yet as the Christians of Old albeit the Name of Christian was cast upon them by way of Reproach gloried in it as desiring above all things to be accounted the Followers of Christ so they also are glad that the World Reproacheth them as such who Tremble before the Lord and who work out their Salvation in Fear and Trembling And truly the Lord seems by his Prophets of old to have foretold that his Children should be so Reproached as Isa. 66.5 Hear the Word of the Lord ye that Tremble at his Word your Brethren that hated you that cast you out for my Name 's sake said Let the Lord be Glorified and He shall Appear to your Joy and they shall be ashamed where a Joyful Appearance of God is promised to these Hated and Reproached Tremblers or Quakers And Jer. 33.9 does more clearly Prophesy how this Reproachful Name when cast upon his Children shall be Owned and Countenanced by the Lord in these very plain and Comfortable Words And it shall be to me a Name of Ioy The Honour wherewith the Lord will Honour his despised People a Praise and an Honour before all the Nations of the Earth which shall hear all the Good that I do unto them and they shall Fear and Tremble or Quake for all the Goodness and for all the Prosperity that I procure unto * Alias Them it 2. Mark of a Sect. As the Nature of a Sect ariseth from the Love of Self and its Production so in the last place there can be no more signal or certain Mark of a Sect than When a People seek to advance and propagate their Way in the strength of their own Spirits A Sect arises from the Love of Self reckoning the Preaching and Publishing thereof by their own Natural or Acquired Parts without the Necessity of the Inward Motion of the Holy Spirit both lawful and commendable and not only so but the advancing and establishing of the same by Outward Force and Violence For here is Man working without God or the Guidance of his Spirit in his own meer Strength and Will to set up his own Images and Inventions under a Pretence of Truths and pure Christianity But those that dare not seek to Advance even that But the Truth from the Denial of Self which they are perswaded is Truth in their own Will and Spirit far less by outward Force and Violence but in and by God's Spirit as he leads and moves to it by his Life and Power shew that such are not a Sect nor Followers of Man's Inventions but of Christ alone waiting to follow Him as He acts and moves them by his own Spirit and Power and therefore are no Sectarians but meer Christians The Chief and First Principle then held by those Christians I. That there is somewhat of God his Life Light in all Men able to bring them to Salvation which as I observed before naturally ariseth and was assented to by them from their Inward Sense that Tied them together is That there is somewhat of God some Light some Grace some Power some Measure of the Spirit some Divine Spiritual Heavenly Substantial Life and Vertue in all Men which is a Faithful Witness against all Vnrighteousness and Vngodliness in the Heart of Man and leads draws moves and inclines the Mind of Man to Righteousness and seeks to leaven him as he gives way thereunto into the Nature of it self whereby an inward thorow and real Redemption may be wrought in the Hearts of all Men of whatsoever Nation Country or Kindred they be notwithstanding whatsoever outward Knowledge or Benefit they be by the Providence of God necessarily deprived of Because whatsoever
Catechism a good part whereof he hath Transcribed and Inserted in his Book albeit it had been a great deal Easier to have cited the Chapters and Referred to them the Book being so Common but it seems it pleaseth the Man's Humour to see a great Bulk go under his Name however it be filled up And 4. Lastly If his many Perversions be considered wherein he either wilfully or ignorantly mistakes my Meaning and sets up to himself a Man of Straw and then batters at it I say this being laid aside which takes up no small part of his work will make a Considerable Abatement Now all these things considered and all this superfluous and chaffy Stuff being laid aside which is little or nothing to the purpose the Reader will find that what remaineth will go into a pretty Narrow Compass and bear no great Disproportion if any at all with these my Observations J. B.'s Introduction with Malitious Railings ¶ 4. But ere I make an End of this Section I judge it needful to take some notice of his Epistle where the manner of his Introduction is very odd Men use to be sober and moderate that write Controversies in the beginning at least and not seek to prepossess the Reader with Prejudice against their Adversaries until by the Strength of their Reasons they have proved them to deserve it but this Man is so full fraughted with Malice and so in love with Railing that he cannot forbear the first Page where we have him calling us Locusts of whose Ministry the Devil makes use only Masculine in Malice against Christ c. Breathing forth nothing but that Putrid Poison that innate Serpentine Venom c. And of this Strain is the whole of his Epistle where we are termed Apostate-Quakers Renegado-Quakers c. Pag. 2. 3. But methinks it should have been more Rational to have forborn this until he had proved us such and not to have begun thus to Rail without the least Probation But however this may take with Malitious or Credulous Persons it will give the Judicious a sufficient Tast of the Nature of his Work and we are not affraid of great Prejudice by this kind of Arguing But as he goes on he gives us a clear Specimen of what Spirit he is of and abundantly shews that if either he had Power or were Able to Influence the Magistrate thereunto he would have saved himself the Labour of all this Confutation by making short in Cutting us all off His Persecuting Spirit For since he Represents us not only as the worst and vilest of Hereticks but as the sworn and most-desperate Enemies of Jesus Christ in all his Offices we need not doubt considering his Judgment expressed in the Case of Liberty of Conscience what he would have done with us And albeit it might have been judged that in Prudence he should have let it alone until that place where it seemed to be most proper and only might be Inferred by way of Consequence yet in this as in most other things his Malice out does his Prudentials and therefore he cannot let three Pages pass and that in the Epistle till he discover his Temper in this For there he tells us a Story of a Turk who caused punish a Jew for blaspheming of Christ to the shame of Christians who have not so much Zeal c. and a Redress of this saith he is called for at the Hands of one and other according to their Place and Station The Language of this is sufficiently understood and beareth no small Reflection upon Magistrates as not being so forward to Persecute as J. B. would have them And if we consider that Flood of Railing that follows the Application is easie and then as he goes on he takes a very convenient way that he may Rail securely and Calumniate without fear of being discovered For he would Fright People from so much as Coming near us yea he will have all fleeing from us more hastily than from Persons having the black Botch such is his Comely Expression yea and under the dreadful hazzard of Incurring Anathema Maranatha so much as to enter into a Friendly Communing with us give us the least token of Kindness and Affection by word or deed What! not Feed us if ready to Starve or Cloath us if Naked Prov. 25. ver 21. Matth. 5.44 Rom. 12.20 Rom. 7.2 Eph. 5. v. 25. Which Christ commands all his Disciples to do to their greatest Enemies But how would this Man have a Husband behaving towards his Wife or a Wife towards her Husband If turning Quaker they must shew one another no Token of Kindness and Affection either in word or deed when the Apostle encourages Christian Husbands and Wives to live with one another respectively if they be willing albeit professed Heathens and open Idolaters But with him they must not so much as shew a Token so much as by one Cast of the Eye far less by more Homely Discoursings And after the same manner a little after he would have all forbear so much as looking into our Writings to which according to his ordinary Style he gives such Epithets as his Railing Genius affords him a very ready way for him to Bely and Calumniate us at pleasure But upon this occasion I would ask him this Question If he judgeth it reasonable that he that readeth his Examination should look into the Apology to which it relates or unto that which is said by way of Reply to it or if he would have them taking all upon trust from him Were not this a brave way of Examining Controversies And doth not this fairly lead to the blind Ignorance and Implicitness of the Church of Rome and to the Custom of the Turks and Mahomet 's Rule whom he hath so often in his Mouth I would willingly know if the Man would avow himself so Irrational as to require or desire this of any body in their wits And yet he must be so Irrational or otherwise allow the breaking of the Rules he so earnestly presseth ¶ 5. After he has proceeded at the same rate of Railing accusing us of Devilry and what not as for the Number of the poisonous Assertions which he saith he has gathered together it shall be spoken of hereafter and his gross Abuse therein detected he comes at last to apprehend That some will think he is too large but he has a quick way of solving that Difficulty J. B's Reason for his Prolixity by answering himself with a Contrary Apprehension That more will blame him for not being larger And so this Objection is easily dispatched As for the Reason he gives of his Prolixity to wit because of the temper of the Quakers who would have been ready to Vaunt and Triumph if he had omitted any thing But for all this Boast it shall be shewen that several times as large as he is he hath Omitted whole Considerable Paragraphs where he found he would be pinched and that the matter was too
Answered His first is from the Parable Luke 16.31 where it is said They have Moses and the Prophets whom if they hear not neither will they be perswaded if one be raised from the Dead But this proves only that one raised from the Dead is not able to Convince those that will not hear Moses and the Prophets not that the Scripture is a more Primary and Principal Rule than what the Spirit Immediately reveals in the Soul For that Consequence will not nor doth follow nor is in the least proved by him neither can be unless he first prove that albeit the Testimony of one from the Dead be less powerful to perswade than the Scriptures yet it is more than the Immediate Testimony of the Spirit in the Heart which I deny and rests for him to prove before he Conclude any thing from this Place Next this Parable was used by Christ to the Jews to shew them their Hypocrisy who albeit they deceitfully pretended so much to Reverence and follow Moses and the Prophets as many now adays do the Scriptures yet they did not really hear them else they would have acknowledged him of whom Moses and the Prophets did so clearly write Since he also did as Great and Convincing Miracles before them as if they had the Testimony of one raised from the Dead And this leads me to take notice of what he saith p. 68. n. 24. in answer to my Argument drawn from the difference betwixt the Law that is written without and the Gospel that is written within where he accuseth me of Contradiction because of my Argument drawn from the Revelations that were under the Law and the Sameness of the Object But I have answered this Cavil in the former Section Yet since the Strength of this resolves in his supposing I Affirm There is no written Rule under the Gospel which he after Concludes the whole falleth to the Ground For I never denied the Scripture to be a secondary Rule and that is some Rule for to Say I Affirm There is no written Rule because the Written is not the Primary is a wild Conclusion And therefore all the rest of his Talk to prove That Christ Inspired the Apostles to write things to be a Rule to Christians is meerly superfluous since that that is a Rule though not the Primary was never denied by me And it may be here observed that all his Arguments to prove the Scripture to be a Rule unless they prove them to be the primary and principal One Conclude nothing and are against me to no purpose II. Their making Wise to Salvation and Perfection Answered ¶ 7. His Second Argument is deduced from 2 Tim. 3.16 where he cites the Apostle saying of the Scriptures They are able to make wise unto Salvation and to make the Man of God perfect Where is first to be observed his perverting of the Apostle's Words by an Addition of his own and therefore no wonder that he so frequently pervert mine For the Apostle saith not They are able to make the Man of God perfect but all Scripture given by Inspiration is that the Man of God may be perfect that is Contributeth in its Kind and Order towards the Perfection of the Saints But it follows not thence that they are the Primary Rule no more than though J. B. will affirm that his Book is written That the Man of God may be perfect that is to help him to Perfection that thence it is to be Esteemed the Primary and Chief Rule Thus is answered that of John 20.31 But these are written that ye may believe c. cited by him p. 74. for his Book is also written for that End yet the Consequence will not follow That they are able to make wise unto Salvation is not denied in so far as they declare of the Grace that brings Salvation and direct to the Light which leads to it But how he thence Inferreth They are the Primary Rule he must inform us the next time since he has forgotten to do it now And this may serve to Answer those Places where he according to his Custom Repeats it over and over again as p. 74 77 and 82. where he hath again the fore-mentioned Perversion and ennumerates the particular Vses applied to the Scripture he concludeth its Perfection as wanting nothing Now I deny not Perfection of the Scriptures urged by J. B. to make them the Primary Rule or Canno that every Book as well as Chapter and Verse of Scripture is Perfect as to its End that is so far to express the Mind of God as he was pleased at that time and also with a Respect to its Author as being written by the Dictates of the Spirit but that Place will not Conclude its Perfection either as the Primary Only or Adequate that is Entire Rule Else all the other Scriptures which were written after that Epistle of Paul as he will not deny but there were some so written must be denied being any part of the Rule and so to be any way necessary for that End The like Absurdities follow upon his using 2 Cor. 3.14 where the Apostle speaks of a Testament since he dare not deny a great part of that Testament was written afterwards And thus is also answered what he urges from Psal. 19.7 pag. 74 and 79. The Law of the Lord is perfect c. and from other Scriptures of like Import For if he understand Perfection in the first Sense it is not denied if in the Second which indeed is the Question it concludeth nothing without rendring all the Scripture written afterwards no part of the Rule or Canon to use his own Term. As for that of Peter which he insists upon in the End of his Paragraph p. 70. I deny it to be understood of the Scripture and gave my Reasons before and yet the Man takes that for Granted and thence Argues from it which is a most silly manner albeit very Familiar to him to beg the Question ¶ 8. Next he comes to Consider my Answer to their Objections but how he Removes them may be judged by the first he Observes p. 71. where instead of proving That these Words of Isa 8.20 usually brought by them To the Law and to the Testiny c. are meant of the Scripture which I desired ere any thing could be Inferred for it He Answers As if any that ever read the Bible could be Ignorant what is all along meaned by these Words Is not this a goodly Proof Reader I am one that have read the Bible and know by the Law is sometimes meant the Outward sometimes the Inward and Thousands more are yet to be Convinced J. B's goodly Proof for what is meant by Law and Testimony that that Place speaks only of the Outward And will need some better Argument than this of his ere we Change our Judgment But to proceed He thinks my saying That the Law was in a more special manner given to the Jews and more
Durham as he calls him and giving the Example of Judas J B.'s Gospel-Ministers Call and Qualification may agree to the Devil himself whom yet they will not turn away from of which hereafter However we see according to him That not only one who wanteth Holiness but even a Devil may and ought to be esteemed heard and obeyed as a Minister of Christ and that all they judge needful in the Call and Qualification of a Gospel-Minister may agree to the Devil himself nor can they be sure but their Ministers may be all Devils for ought they know It is false that he addeth in this page 370. That I agree with Socinians and Arminians in affirming That whoever understands the Truth of the Gospel and are able to instruct others may and have Right to Teach This I no-where affirmed and do wholly deny whatever Knowledge or Ability a Man have to Instruct by reason of his Gifts either natural or acquired that he ought to take upon him to Teach without being particularly Called thereunto and therefore the Scriptures he brings against such as say so are not to the purpose against me To my first Argument he confesseth That it proveth the necessity I speak of to make a Man a real upright and sincere Minister before God but that any that are not real and upright are to be esteemed Ministers at all or heard as such I deny and remains for him to prove Why are we so often forbidden to hear false Teachers And that this is not only with respect to Teaching false Doctrine the Apostle shews 2 Tim. 3. v. 5. where he exhorts to Turn away from such as have the form of Godliness only which cannot consist with false Doctrine To my Second Argument mentioned pag. 372 he Confesseth what he saith further in that Paragraph is above answered To my Argument shewing That if the Inward Testimony of the Spirit be not thought needful the Gospel-Ministry should be postponed to the Legal he most ridiculously answers Then the Jews needed to doubt of the Priests and Levites whereas my Argument was If they were certain and we should be uncertain it would make the Evangelical worse than the Legal and therefore to this he returneth nothing further but Railing Pag. 373. n. 10. he asketh How I will prove That all such as want the Call of the Spirit come not in by the door but are Thieves and Robbers affirming Here a Man may come in the Way appointed by Christ though they want this whereas before pag. 369. and in the end of this page he affirms the Necessity of an Inward Call saying They must have an Inward Call I run not out as he alledgeth upon a Mistake in saying The Succession of the Church is objected against this Doctrine albeit J. B. and his We may not do so since I write to others than he will perhaps include in his We. He bestoweth his n. 12. pag. 374. in Railing and referring to what is formerly said by him pag. 375. n. 13. To my Answer to that Objection That who pretend to an Immediate Call should prove it by Miracles shewing It was the same Objected by Papists against the Primitive Protestants he in a frothy manner desires me to take it thus and it will be too hot for my Fingers That they J. B. pleads for Miracles c. to evidence a Call who had Immediate Calls from God were able to give evidence of the same by Miracles or some other evident Testimony of the Spirit which to contradict had been Iniquity and utterly Vnreasonable I grant the whole and therefore desire him to shew me and prove it What way the first Reformers did thus evidence their Call which is not done by those called Quakers But his Probation must be somewhat solider than the Railing with which he filleth up the rest of this Paragraph Pag. 376. n. 14. as it should be marked he argueth against my saying That such as receive and believe the Call of true Ministers verify it and become the Signs of their Apostleship 2 Cor. 13.3 albeit this was the very Answer given by Beza to Claudius Espenseus at the Conference of Poissy by Papists against Protestants and let him urge this if he can any way against us which may not be as well urged by Protestants against Papists and if he cannot he doth but work for his great Father the Pope to whom to their great Shame the Protestant Clergy begin to Recur to Justify their Calling Having ended this Paragraph with Railing he begins the next with a silly groundless Perversion and Inference The Inward Life is their true Call and Title viz. That because I say that this to wit the Inward Life and Vertue which is in true Ministers is that which giveth to the Minister the true and substantial Call and Title it follows That the Extraordinary Call was no true and substantial Title As if any Extraordinary Call wanted this Life and Vertue and that albeit it prove an Evidence to such as receive them yet some may have it who are Rejected of Rebellious Men. To prove the necessity of Laying on of Hands he asketh Why then were Hands laid upon Paul and Barnabas Act. 13.3 citing other places Answ. Because there was then a Spiritual Vertue Communicated by that Action which they ascribe not to theirs yea the places cited by him prove it as Mark 16.18 Luk. 13.13 where the Laying on of hands is said to Cure the Sick I said not The Apostles and their laying on of Hands do differ from J. B.'s c. that the laying-on of hands always was the giving of the Holy Ghost it is enough if it was a Communicating of some spiritual Vertue which by their own Confession theirs is not Af◠he has ended this Paragraph with Railing he ends this Chapter with observing the Infallibility pleaded for in Ministers by some Quakers but if he judgeth them to Err in this he should have applied himself to them answering the Arguments by which they vindicate what they say in that matter ¶ 3. I come now to his Eighteenth Chapter of Ministerial Qualifications Where after he has begun and repeated some Words of mine The Grace of God doth Qualify the Minister or Preacher he will have the Grace of God to respect not the esse or being but bene esse or well-being of a Minister albeit elswhere he would be mincing this and eating it up yet it appears to be his Belief To prove which he asketh pag. 380. What I think of Balaam who is called a Prophet not a false Prophet But he hath not proved That no more is Required in a Gospel-Minister than in a Prophet meerly to fore-tell things to come God's speaking to him urgeth nothing For God spake also to Cain as himself confesseth Chap. 3. yet it will not follow that Cain had all the Qualifications requisite to a Gospel-Minister To my answer of Judas that they had not proved he wanted Grace when