D. makes no better then dung loss and filthy rags to both the Justification Sanctification and Salvation of sinful men from All their sins then the Quakers do who are by the Parish peoples Blind Leaders most abominably belyeâ— to them as denyers of it And because we do not with the misty Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the meer Letter which the Apostles were not Ministers of but of the Mystery of the New Testament or the Spirit 2 Cor. 3 own the bare External Text of Scripture which themselves confesse to be corrupted vitiated altered and adulterated in all Translations to be at leaâ—t in their Heb. and Greek Transcripts of it entire in every Tittle Letter Vowel Syllable and Jota the self same without any losse as it was at the first giving out but say it hath suffer'd much losse of more then Vowells single letters and single lines also yea even of whole Epistles and Prophecies of inspired men the Copies of which are not by the Clergy Canoniz'd nor by the Bible-sellers bound up in the Bulk and compasse of their modern Bibles and specially because we own not the said alterable and much altered outward Text and Letter or Scripture but the Holy Truth and inward Light and Spirit which the Scripture it self testifyes to which at times that Text and Letter came from to be as to Name and Thing and that properly the Word of God which is Living the only firm infallible Foundation of all Saving Faith and invariable Right Rule of holy Life the most sure sound Balis stable Standard True Touchstone for the due Tryal determination and discerning of all true Doctrines of Christ from mens Tradition and cunningly devised Fables Therefore they cry out against us as Siders with Jews Papists Athiests and All Scripture haters as decrying the due Authority of the Scriâ—tures as such by whom Satan assaults the sacred Truth of the Word of God in its Authority Purity Integrity and Perfection and as Opposers of the Scripture and the Word of God as to both Name and Thing witnesse J. O's Epiâ—t Dedicatory of his doings againâ—t the Quakers to all young Divinity Students p. 28.30 and elsewhere as is seen hereafter Whereas how though Christ and his living Word in the heart which the Scriâ—ture exalts also is Exalted onely on the Throne yet the Scriptures are owned by us in their due place and how though Christs Light and Spirit alone in the Conscience is according to the Scripture asserted to be the only most perfect Rule Foundation c. and not the â—etter as they darkly Divine yet the Letter is acknowledged by us full as much as it is by it self to have been written by men moved of Gods Spirit and to be useful profitable servicable c. to be read and heeded and how all-J O's lying Calumnies against the Quakers as concerning their carriage to the Scriptures and the Word of God and the Foundation and Rule c. are clearly wiped away and cashiered as well as T. D's foul false Aspersions of them in his Narratives as to matters of Fact are in the 1st part of my 1st Exer from p. 18. to p. 38. is to be read at large throwout the 2 d. and 3 d. Exercitations which consist well nigh wholly in vindication of the Truth against their cloudy conceits about the Scriptures And Moreover because we as the Spirit also in the Scripture bids us Jam. 2.1 c. have not the Faith of God with respect of persons as they are high in this world in the Church where Christ is the one Master and all the rest are Brethren Therefore they misrender us as proud obstinate uncivil churlish discourteous disrespecting contemning all mens persons Whereas we truly honour all men in the Lord and what we do in denying those vain Complemental Customs of the Nations as vailing the Bonnet or putting off the Hat which is part of the outward habit and bowing cringing to the ground when we come before men and in our keeping to that plain yet not True Antient and proper English Language of Thee and Thou which is used to God himself to each single person great or small when we haue to do with them who have no law of man neither whereupon to imprison and punish any for doing herein as we do we do it God is witness and will once Iudg between us and them not in a Spirit of Pride Arrogance Disrespect Disdain or Contempt towards any man but in Conscience to the Lord that we may stand clear before him who forbids us to bow to the likeneâ—â—e of any thing in Heaven Earth or under the Earth and in humility onely and that fear of the Lord whereby we are bound to depart from all conformity to all such fond foolish fashioning of our selves according to our former Lusts in our ignorance and to This World which we are chosen out of A more clear discovery of the unsuitablenesse of which Ceremonious services of men to the Saints of God is made as in the Scripture it self so in the 1st of the ensuing Exercitations from page 40. to page 47. And because Christs Headship Kingship and Supremacy alone we together with the True Church which is in God the Father and in Christ Iesus the Light can own in the Court of Conscience and in matters purely Spiritual and of meer Religious and Soul concernment and not any meer mans much lesse the Popes or any Priests in such Sacred Secrets therefore are we mistaken and misranked among such as are utter enemies to the present Kings Supremacy in these Dominions Whereas we do according to what the Spirit requires of us in all civil causes and cases between Man and man submit our selves to every Ordinance of man himself I say in such cases even for the Lords sake whether unto the King as Supream or to such as are sent of him to be a Terrour to evil doers and a Praise to them that do well And if those who have the Sword in hand shall turn it against us for well doing and so act against the good will of God or impose by Gods permission upon us contrary to our Conscience even there where we cannot obey actively we are willing to bear patiently without violent Resistance what God will leave us to suffer from the hands of such as should protect us not reviling nor threatning nor cursing but committing our case in quietness to him that Judgeth Righteously and our Souls to him in well doing And that Passive deportment must be and is judged by All to be Aequivolent to that Active obedience which others yeild for fear to what lawes soever are made among men And because we are no Strikers or Fighters as some men called Christs Minister's alias Servants are though no such should be 1 Tim. 3.3 1 Tit. 7. with Carnal Weapons the Weapons of our War-fare being not Carnall but Spirituall nor such as theirs among whom are found Warrs and Fightings which
from the sight of how 't is at home he might see us perfectly clear and himself onely deeply guilty in part yea wholly of the self same Errour for verily we say of all Our own good works done by us out of him and not by him in us which onely are usually by God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also properly Term'd Our own they are as man himself in the fall who does them is altogether become unprofitable either to iustifie sanctifie save entitle to or fit us for Gods Kingdom yea what God himself doth Isa. 57. we do and will declare of Our own Righteousness that it cannot profit us of our Companies we are gone to and Congregatings with them c. in our own wills and thoughts these cannot deliver us the wind will take all these away and as it hath done some already so will all those that truth therein we say as Eph. 2. by Grace we are saved justified not in as you look to be but from our sins in which we were once dead together with you in which we sometime walked with you who cannot believe that ye can he perfectly purged from them while you live but that ye must live in some and some in you till you die after the course of this world the Prince of the air the spirit that still lives in you children of disobedience and in the rich mercy and great love of God wherewith he hath loved us made accepted in his beloved quicknâ—d raised up and made to sit together not in fleshly lusts and eartly Pallaces with painted Professors of him but in Heavenly places in Christ Iesus and all this through Faith not of our selves for its the gift of God nor yet of self works so as that any of us can boast for we are not our own but his workmanship in all this created in Christ Iesus whose new Creatures we are unto the good works we now do in the Light and Movings of his Spirit in a cross to the will of our flesh till it and the lust thereof be wholly crucified and we to the woâ—ld and the world to us which God hath of old ordained in order to the Eternal Life he hath that way ordained us to that we should walk in them yea Tit. 3. we were formerly for all our forms of Religion which yet were to the full as powerful as the best of your or the most Reformed Formalists empty Profession without the Possession of that Godliness ye prate of foolâ—sh disobedient serving diverse lusts and pleasures as ye still do and yet vainly hope to do well enough living in every malice hateful and hating But since the Goodness and Love of God our Saviour to mankind in Christ the Light appeared to us we are from these sins justified and loved for which judgment without mercy wrath without remedy will come on you that judge your selves justified in them yet not by any works in the Righteousnes that we have wrought but according to his own mercy he haâ—h saved us which saves to the uttermost and not by the halves as ye dream he does who Reckon without your Host who will Reckon otherwise with you when he comes nigh to you to Judgement and ye come to Account by the Light that all the sins past and to come of you Elect and peculiarly priviledged unsanctified Saints are Remitted while they are as hourly they are yea and long too before they are committed and that you while as unjust and guilty as David in his very acts of Adultery and Murder are yet acquitted accounted just and held guiltless by him who is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity and not abhor it and call that good that does evil and who will by no means clear the guilty in his guilt nor accept the filthy in his filth I say according to his mercy he hath saved us by the washing Mark of Regeneration and the Renewing of the Holy Spirit which he hath shed on us abundantly by Iesus Christ our Saviour to this end Mark that we being justified by his Grace viz. shed on us freely by Christ not inhaerent in him onely as the Subject might be made Heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life This and not thine T.D. is the faithful Word and these are the Truths about our Iustification or Salvation that they of old were enjoined stedfastly to Teach that those that believed in God might be careful to maintain good works of this sort as useful good and profitable unto men counting all their own which yet T.D. sayes are necessary to sanctifie and make meet as dung loss imperfect impertinent unprofitable and useless as filthy Rags Yea Finally as Paul said of his own Worships Works Righteousness and Services while he was a proud puft up Pharisee as most of our Formal Scribes and Modern Ministers are for he calls not that his own as T.D. does but Christs which he was after clothed in and by Faith had received from him and by him was enabled to perform and abound in so say the Qua. of theirs and I of mine If any man think he hath whereof to glory in the flâ—sh of flâ—shâ—y wisdom self-righteousness outward performances Well-worships inward workings of the mind in earnest Imaginations and of mans will in zealous hastings willings runnings strivings after God and Righteousness and Good in which yet the Kingdom comes not nor the Righteousness of it I could say more then I am here minded to do but since I came in the Light to feel the Circumcision of the heart to the Lord by himself not made by the hands of man and to witness the worth of the true Worship of God in Spirit and Truth in the inner part which his own witness within onely leads to what good works of mine I once counted gain I am now made by Christ to count loss for those of Christ yea for the excellency of the true knowledge of Christ to be my Lord whom I once so called but did not all that he said for whom I have lost all that and what more he hath yet called me to suffer the loss of and do esteem all but as dung that I may win hâ—m and be found in him not clothed with the old Righteousness of my own which was once Pauls and called by me and T.D. both but as filthy Rags so I know no Righteousness of Christ is called by any besides T.D. but with that Righteousness which is by Faith in his Light in which onely he is known Revealed and Received from him and in the way of that Faith by which God purifies the heart which overcomes the world in it and works by that Love that fulfils the Law in working no ill to the Neighbour wrought in me by him even that Righteousness which through Faith in the Light is of God not as our devising Diviners both Devise and Divine to the making of the wicked ones seem just and good before God when they are nothing
Commandements and Traditions of men and of the Pope himself in many things still and yet because they did not so much as he appointed them in matters of more moment but were unclean and wicked refusing to walk in the good old way of the Light which was the way before Moses and the letter was turning away their eare from hearing the Law in the heart which is the light were not only vain but abominable in the very best of their Oblations In Preaching therefore in order to Gods acceptance of us and our good works which are not outward worships where the heart and life are yet defiled but where a new Creature created after his own Image of God in Christ Iesus to good works in his nature and by his Power though in it's own person doth perform them is as an utter exclusion of all your own so no fair In-let to any of the Popish Rubbish will worship meer self service and unprofitable devotion for these being only done by man are neither good nor accepted of God But to Teach and maintain and plead for evil works as necessary to be done while we are in this life and Teach down the doctrine of perfecting holinesse and perfect purging our selves from all uncleannesse of flesh and Spirit while we are here in the body which Paul taught up as a doctrine of devils and to deny the possibility of performing this duty of not sinning and make such a grosse state of sin as that was which David stood in when he was guilty of adultery and murder consistent with Gods acceptance of men and their justification before him and that the Saints as some call them in such a pickle while they are in sin up to the ears even in such a case are not in a condemned but in a justified estate and that if the Saints own heart condemn him and his own conscience tell him that God doth not accept him and that his estate is bad in such a bad sinful case and not good it 's defiled and lyes and testifies falsehood to him and leads him into a wrong opinion of himself and that the Saints may be blessed men as David was having no guile in his spirit but sincere upright after Gods own heart though under the guilt of so grosse and great sins when the Scripture saith the contrary viz that David was upright before God saving in that matter of Vriah wherein indeed his very heart was false and rotten and to affirm to the encouragement of men in their imperfections and infirmityes by which name they stile the Saints grossest iniquities as T.D. does contradictorily to himself in other places that the gospel gives life upon imperfect obedience all which and more ejusdem Farraginis is done and utter'd by T.D. and such as own him therein in the 11.19.45.47 pages of his 1. Pamphlet as they were by word of mouth at the disputes This is to strengthen the hands of the wicked that they cannot return from their wickednesse for how is it possible they should do it when 't is preacht and believed as impossible to be done this is to sow soft pillows under their elbowes that they may sleep on securely in sin and take their rest for its all but infirmity and no inpreachment to his justification nor to his standing accepted and in covenant with God that a Saint does and their 's no condemnation to them that are Saints and in Christ no though they be in transgression in which who is say I is out of Christ and not a Saint and though they walk not after the Spirit as all that are Saints and in Christ Jesus do but after the flesh and in a word a very fair In-let to a very worse matter then that whole mare mortuum of the Popes Beggerly observations even no better a matter then the very whole bundle of the Devils own Bag and Beastly Baggage So then I see not hitherto and am perswaded never shall till I come to see as T.D. does in his floting fancy many things with his eyes shut how any Doctrines of the Qua. even such as they and I hold with any more then what we hold flatly against the Popish Priesthood do either conclude my complyance with them or make any way for the incoming and abiding without its own speedier Ruine of their Romish Baggage or how our parochiall Priesthoods preaching and practice too doth any other then uphold the Butt end thereof and preach their own câ—mplyance with those their Brother Ravens in many matters But T. D's Biggest Bolt and weightest Bullet as he counts at least lyes yet behind and that is our doctrine of good works as needful to that use of our justification before God here he iudges that Omne tulit punctum he hath fully hit the white and that this will do if all the rest die and fallen the fault of favouring and fathering the Popish cause upon me as some Iâ—suit if all the other fail Good works for necessary uses viz to manifest faith to be true to sanctify to make meet for the possession c. T.D. and his Associates in words and doctrinally more then practically maintain as much as any but to maintaine good works not only to the use of our sanctification but our justification and to justify not only deâ—laratively in the sight of men but also formally in the sight of God not only to approve a beleiver but absolve a sinner p. 8. not only to fit for but to give right to the inheritance p. 22. not as concurrent and concomitant only but as cooperative and constitutive together with faith and coincident as a cause in the case of our iustification to let good works be accounted not only Via ad Regnum but also carsa Regnandi as your Scools distinguish yea and further yet to dispute it not in these Terms barely of good works but in these Terms of OUR good works and lastly higher yet to rank them so high in order of causes as not only Instrumental with faith but a deserving or meritorious cause of justification This is notorious yea so grosse and Popish that we may well Rank you thinks he among the Papists p. 58. as at least a bringer in of their Baggage yea now quoth T.D. of me p. 14. you shew your self a rank Papist indeed Rep. Ipse dixit T.D. hath said it who of all those Seers with his eyes in Sandwich or else where who giving heed to him from the least to the greatest saying of him This man is the great Power of God have hiâ— hitherto bewitched with his Simonical Sorceries can do any other then believe it to a Tittle This stroke enters with so deep a dint into the thoughts fancies and faith of many that 't is supposed by some we Qua. shall never be able to lick our selves whole of the deadly wound it brings with it both to the doctrines that we maintain as Truth and to our selves also whom we maintain to be no
is not of Faith yet when thou lookest with clearer eyes who canst now see with no better then thou hast thou wilt see that he no where opposes grace and Gospel good works â—aith and the works of Christ in us Faith and the fruits of the Spirit of which Faith is one much less as thou faiâ—est Faith and it self as a work but joyâ—s all these in One as God and Christs single and singular gift of grace to us under the Gospel as that one perfect and personal Righteousness by which as a cause thereof we are made meet or worthy to be justified in his fight by which works that of Faith together with them justifying us as a work as well as an Instrument to receive Christ and his other operations wrought in us by it all bâ—â—sting as blind as thou art not to see it is Eternally excluded forasmuch as both it and the rest are a gift as well as works given to us by him to perfoâ—m For which the glory belongs onely to the giver and not to the receiver at any hand T. D. thou sayest as p. 25. 1. Pamph. the Scriptures attribute our Iustification to the Righteousness of Christ in the same sense that they deny it in to works Rep. That 's true if by the Righteousness of Christ thou intend the Righteousness of his working in us and by works those works of our working without him but utterly false if by his Righteousness thou mean what he works without us and by works what works we work onely in him for the Scripture attributes Our Iustification to this latter as to the former it attributes his Own of both which he beinh the onely Authour not unto us O Lord not unto us at all but to thy Name onely be the praâ—se who dost not as thy supposed Ministers suppose meerly that thou dost but far be it from thee so to do Shall not the Judge of all the earth do Right First count men just that are unjust in this world and not make them so till the World to come but first justifie the ungodly from their ungodliness and make them Godly and then countest them to be such as thou hast made them But awake O ye divine Diviners and see what a dream you are in who deeming the Lord to be no other then like your selves imagine your selves as pure in his as you are in your own eyes though ye are not yet washed from all your filthiness nor yet believe you need be so in this present world whereas he that condemneth the Iust and be that justifieth the wicked in his wickedness and I crow God is not an Abomination to himself both these are an Abomination to the Lord. And hence is one ground of your so miserable a mistake in that ye take as ye confess your selves Iustification in its meer forraign and not in its neer and proper signification viz. a counting and not a making of them just who are not so whereas Iustificaâ—e and Iustificari is Iustum facere and Iustum fieri to make and to be made just properly and pâ—imarily and then consequently and secondarily to think and to be thought so but you fleeing afar off in this and many more points from proper names into forraign acceptations that ye may be as far as may be from such Truths as most torment you will needs in this world at least have the words to justifie and be justified sanctifie and be sanctified to import and found forth no more then injustâ—m improbum justum Sanctum putare putari justificare sanctificare ri in no wise to be Ex injusto improbo justum sanctum facere fieri as if in this life God having somewhat else to do could not well have while to make people Iust and Holy and therefore they being also well contended so to be left did agree to leave them to the liberty of their lusts under some certain toleration to live in them and yet to think them Iust and Holy in the mean while notwithstanding and then hereafter when men are more willing to it and himself a little better and more at leasure to do it to make them Iust and Holy by some Pâ—pisb Purgatory in the life to come But Friends have a care however of what you do in this case which is of no less then Eternal Consequence to your immortal Souls for assuredly let Paul and Iames himself Iam. 2. determine it if you will whose sence T.D. thinks he hath 〈◊〉 on his hand yet you will find it so that ye can be no further justified then ye are sanctified in the sight of either God or men that are after the heart of God yea if a man say he hath Faith and have not works can Faith save him Can it profit him Is it not dead Yea knowest thou not O vain maâ— that as the body without the Spirit is dead and can do nothing so Faith without works is dead also Is it not made perfect by works Was not Abraham and others justified by works See ye not then that by works a man is justified and not by Faith onely Yea quoth T.D. approved by men but not absolved and accepted of God by works Rep. then let Paul speak Rom. 14.17,18 The Kingdom of God is Righteousness Peace and Ioy in the Holy Spirit he that in these things seereth Christ is acceptable to God thereupon surely as well as approved of men Though therefore ye dream pleasantly while ye are awake and bless your selves saying Aha I am warm I have seen the fire becauâ—e in the Letter where ye read by the halves singling out of it what best suits with and serves your sinful desires and leaving out what serves to the crossing of your carnal lust and corrupt affections you have been flashily and more shalowly then solidly read of a Declaration of a Righteousness and good works of another even Christ whereby onely men can possibly come to be saved never heeding at all that this Righteousness of that other is to be wrought in the Saints by him who wrought it first in his own Person before ever they can be justified by it and their Salvation truely wrought out by it which we confess is to be wrought out by it alone and not by any that 's meerly mans own yet when ye come to see what a meer painted Paradice ye have been led into by that false flash of your justifying Faith without works concurrent which is but the fruit of your affectionate fancy which would fain have it so that you might be saved by Christ and yet serve your selves you 'l find that you and your whissling faith have in all this been but as Igâ—is faâ—â—â—â—â— going before and Ignoramus faâ—â—â—â—â— following after And though to Ring back a little to you here to the Tune of F.Os. Talk Mutaris murandis about this matter of Attonement with God by the blood of Christ p. 125,126,127,128 of his English Pamph.
about the manner and means and true bounds thereof for as to the Question whether it be a Canon that is a Rule at all yea or not I may defer it also to another place let me Expostulate with thee I O. yet more about it yet how and by whom your Standard comes to be so Bounded as ye say it is and to be limited to those Demensions of Latitude Longitude and Profundity that ad amussim exact Measure Heighth Depth Length and Breadth that is allotted to it as without the Apocripha it stands bound up within your late bound Bibles I mean that such and such Parcels Prophesies Proverbs Histories Epistles Holy Sentences Sacred Sayings shall stand Owned Honoured Signed and Authorized with the Sacred High and Holy Titles of Gods Word Gods Witnesse Foundation Rule inalterable Standard and not one piece of Holy Writing more or lesse then those already so Consecrated and Canonized so that such and such puta those that ye now commonly call Canonical shall shand as the Standard and all others viz. those called Apocryphal and whatever are mentioned in that Scripture ye so own shall stand out of and off from it as no part of the Standard while the World stands Who was it Was it God or was it Man that set such distinct Bounds to the Scripture so as to say such and such a set number of Books viz. Those those that are sum'd up together before your Bibles excepting the Apocrypha which stands between them shall be owned as Canonical and the rest though such as were of the same divine Inspiration be rejected as humane and no otherwise accounted on then other meer mens Writings not to be received with such high respect as the other Whence hast thou this Conceit that God himself Commanded the Close of the Canon of the Old Testament to be Malachi and the bounds of it to consist of such Books of the Prophets as ye now have exclusively of such Prophesies therein mentioned as ye have not and the Close of the Canon of the New to be the Revelation and the bulk of it to be those few Histories and Apostolical Epistles as ye have exclusively of such even therein mentioned as ye have not Who was it that said to the Spirit of God O Spirit blow no more inspire no more men make no more Prophets from Ezra's dayes and downwards till Christ and from Iohns dayes downward for ever But cease be silent and subject thy self as well as all Evil Spirits to be tryed by the Standard that 's made up of some of the Writings of some of those men thou hast moved to write already and let such and such of them as are bound up in the Bibles now used in England be the only means of measuring all Truth for ever Who was it God or Man the Spirit in the Scripture it self or the Scribes in their Synods Councels and Consistories that so Authorized or Canonized these and expunged those Was it not meer Men in their Imaginations Doth the Scripture do the Spirit and the Apostles therein give any order for or make any such mention in the least of such a matter Is it not meer man in his Imaginations that hath taken upon him according to the good or ill Conceit that he hath taken to him of these or those respectively to say which thou sayest is a Contradiction to say he will give Authority to the Scriptures Is it not man in his proud mind that comes in with his sic volo sic Iubeo so I 'le have it thus it shall be Saying to the Books of Scripture as God sayes to the Waves of the outward Ocean hitherto shall ye come and no further So many of the Prophets and Apostles Writings shall be in the Authority Nature Vse and Office of the Supream Determiner of all Truth for ever and all others even such as are written by the same men in the motion of the same Spirits shall be but as common mens Writings and be look'd on afar off as Apocryphal i.e. hidden or unknown Writings that no such notice shall be â—aken of as of the other And as for the Books which ye sprinkle with that Name of Apocryphal and give leave to to have a standing with it but not so as to make any part of your Standard What think ye of them upon second Thoughts Are they fit for nothing but to be Cashiered and cast out of your Canon by whole sale by Tradition one from another without trying them Is there nothing among them that may be judiciously Iudged to be of as divine an Original and Authority as some of those particular Letters to private men as that of Paul to Philemon about private personal or Domestick matters which ye own in such a transcendent manner as ye do Surely if some of hem be fictitious or fabulous or but humane so that ye will say no better of them then Vox hominem sonat yet is there none or nothing among them all that is to be noted or counted upon as of divine Authority and Original and of as self-evidencing Efficacy as some of those ye own None that ye can see cause to sign meliore lapillo with some better Name then ye vouchsafe them and standing in the Church then ye allow them As if they were a certain mongrel seed between that of Canaan and Ashdod that ye know not well what to make of nor how to entreat so ill altogether as not to afford them a middle place in some of your Bibles between the Old Testament Writings and those ye call the New nor yet so well as to entertain them into your Canon neither Surely there be some of them which when ye look them over again not so cursorily as to over-look them as ye ordinarily do ye may find ground to receive as such as have as fair a stamp of the beaming Majesty Truth Holinesse and Authority of God and his Spirit as some at least not to say the most of those ye ascribe to God as their main or only Author and that do favour as much of I. O's so much insisted on Theo-pneusty as some other Historical Doctrinal and Prophetical parts of your acknowledged divinely derived Scripture do of which what Infidels soever ye are as concerning them yet I together with many others whereof some are as Booklearn'd as your selves can say Credo Equidem nec vana Fides genus esse Deorum 'T is indeed the Faith or rather Infidelity of such as call themselves Reformed Churches that all those Books called the Apocrypha without exception are in no wise of such divine Original as them ye call Canonical but who first set the one upon the Bench and the other at the Bar I am yet to learn but this I know that howbeit ye second their depression and digradation of the one so far below the other yet as neither one nor t'other were ever Canonized by God himself if we speak of the Outward Text only about which
my businesse with I.O. lyes into that Name of his Word and into the Authority of the Foundation of Faith the infallible Rule of Interpretation of itself of Tryal and Examination of Spirits Doctrines c. of the Supream Iudge also by which all Controversies of Religion are to be determined the only pure Authentical Standard unto which the Church is finally to Appeal in whose Sentence it is to Rest into which all Faith is finally to be Resolved so if such Synods of men either Antient or Modern as have shouldred out all those at once from sharing with the other Writings in what they can lay just claim to had been as Spiritually discerning as they were Spiritually blind shallow and undiscerning they would have seen cause to have joyned some at least of those Apocryhal Scriptures to an Equal Participation of that Plea of divine Original and inspiration with the rest as without Cause they justled them all out from it by their joynt Consent And though it be the declared Faith of that Assembly of Divines that both Houses of Parliament advised with 1648. and of the Congregational Churches in England whose Confession is put out this instant 1659. as to that Article about the Scriptures word for word in the same words with the other That the Books commonly called Apocrypha not being of divine Inspiration are no part of the Canon of the Scriptures and therefore are of no Authority in the Church of God nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of then other humane Writings yet this I declare to the whole World as my Faith concerning them that though I own neither them nor the best bare Wriing or outward Text or Letter of the other Scripture at so high a Rate as I.O. does who makes the naked Letter in all things equivolent to the holy matter yet whatever is truly to be praedicated of the one or can solidly be pleaded on the behalf of the one which ye call your Canon as to the divinity of their Original the same may be pleaded on the behalf of not a few of the other And as they all that in general are stilled Apocryphal can plead their Authority from long before the Apostles dayes and also the special Care and Providence of God which is an Argument of such weight with I.O. and T.D. pag. 27. as swayes them not a little into their frivolous Faith about the rest in the preservation of them to this very day So that all of them have been kept by the Church that kept the rest bound up and Translated into various Languages and as publickly allowed to be publickly Read as the rest and highly esteemed by Austin and other Fathers ye Divines cannot easily be ignorant And as for sundry of them ye are ignorant with a witnesse if ye see them to be as ye say they are not of divine Inspiration or see them not to be of as divine an Original as some or even any of the other which ye own so to be As for that Fourth Book of Esdras which is but the Second as it stands in the Apocrypha besides that it s acknowledged by Clem Alexandrinus Faber and many more men of Renown among you and by many Holy men in these latter times as well learned as your selves at least in the Wisdom of Gods Spirit to be written by his immediate Inspiration so is it such a plain Prophecy consistent of many Particular Praedictions of things to be fulfilled in these last Ages as the like to it or a least clearer is hardly to be found in all the Scripture besides it insomuch that he who reads it in the 11 12 13 16 Chapters of it and some other places and sees not the beams of a divine Majesty in it and sees not the Matters now managing upon the Stage in the World that are there foretold in it reads not in the Light of that Holy Spirit that moved in the Writing both of that and all other Holy Scripture and may come before he is well aware to feel ere long the dint of that divine displeasure that is denounced against the Sinners of the latter Ages and thereby come to be convinced of the Divinity and Truth of that Scripture which our Divines that usually see altogether by the lump and are loath to see any Truth Sigillatim till they are all made to see it whether they will or no will hardly yield to if they be their Old-wonted-selves till very Necessity forces and frights them into the Faith of it And the same may be said as to the divine Original of Ieremiahs Epistle which was written and sent to them that were to go Captive into Babylon and of Ecclesiasticus and the Wisdom of Solomon which favours so much of the Wisdom of the Spirit that he is yet in that Wisdom only which is from beneath which is Earthly Animal Deceitful who doth not acknowledge the finger of God writing those deep and precious Truths and Praedictions in the heart of him whose hand was the Committer of them to outward Writing which whether it were not Solomon after whom it was so Entituled Nil ultra quaero he uttered 3000 Proverbs whereof scarce 300 are extant in that Book of his Proverbs some of which as standing inserted there in the Hebrew Text are not the Original Copy but a Transcript only at best out of that or some Second hand Copies taken and Copied cut long after Solomons dayes by the men of Hezekiah 8 or 9 Generations from him Prov. 25 1. The 30 Chapter of which Book also are the Words of one Aguâ— the son of Iaketh but sure I am that Book of Wisdom was inspired or breathed into the Penman that expired or breathed it out from no lesse then that Wisdom which is from above The main Argument that ever I have seen against the divine Original of these Books are First Their being not written in the Hebrew Tongue which what a poor pedling piece of Disproof it is he is no wiser then he should be that does not see for what warrant is there that all that was not Pen'd in the Hebrew Tongue is no Scripture of divine Inspiration Or if there be is it not as conclusive against much of the Scripture which I.O. counts Canonical the whole of wch he reckons at random was wrote in the Hebrew Tongue since its evident that much of that Book of Hester 9 Chapters and 3 Verses of which are set among the Canonical Scripture and oh the Wisdom the other 6 Chapters and 10 Verses of the 10 Chapter by you self-will'd Choppers and Changers because written in Greek are reckoned and rank'd with the Apocryphal was written not in the Hebrew but in the Caldee as much of Ezra Nehemiah and Daniel also were And besides if being written Originally in the Hebrew will avail toward the evincing of them to be Canonical this will help some of your Apocrypha into your Canon since that of Tobit or Tobias is not
Spirit but the dark Lanthorn of their own Imagination Ah poor deluded Soul I. O. whom I pitty more really and unfeignedly then thou the Quakers and for pitties sake dare not spare sharpnesse towards thy proud-fleshly Wisdom that interposes and opposes it self against the Light and Power of God in a shew of Science falsly so called that thy Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Thou talkest of certainty of thy Rule which is the Letter and of stedfast Relief against all Vncertainty thereby Alas poor heart whence come all those huge heaps and whole Chapters of Vncertainty it self which thy Tâ—o Treatises doth wholly stand in but from that utter Vncertainty that is in thy meerly literal Rule which thou there Treatest upon that is so far from stedfastnesse that thou art forced to Confesse more variety in it at last then at first entrance to Treat on its fixednesse thou wast either witting or willing enough to do which Rule or Letter as much as it hath been and is capable to be wrested is not by far at such uncertainty in it self as ye that Profess to be Ruled by it and stand upon it as your Basis are at endlesse odds and infinite uncertainty in your Conjectures and Guesses about it insomuch that it grieves me not a little for your sakes to see your Souls so sunk over Head and Ears in Confusion and confused Noises about it in which the sweet still voice and silent whisperings of the Spirit of Christ within can have no Audience in that crowd of Pro and Cons that ye are cumbred with about your very Foundation which ye have not found yet so as to this day to abide fixt and firm or to be quiet concerning it in any Academies upon earth but in vain Ianglings in all Corners thereof from one end of Christendom to another Yea I professe in the sight of God that in such grief and bowels I write about it that this Page and Passage passes not from under my Pen without being watered with many Tears for your sakes whom I see perishing by your own Iuglings unlesse happily ye will yet be pull'd as Brands out of the fire And in no wise think I.O. that I am so Angry at your Folly which the Deceit may suggest unto you as offended at the Enmity it self that flyes up within you and befools you And seeing that thou I.O. seemeth to beg wish and hope for such a thing Crying out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in case of novelty of Points and variety of Lections as nor seeing any means of being delivered from utter uncertainty in and about all sacred Truth that those who have more Wisdom and Learning and are able to look throw all the Digladiations that are like to ensue on these Principles would nather take the pains to instruct thâ—e and such as thou art then be angry or offended with you that ye are not so wise or learned as themselves And desiring such as are shaken in mind to read the useful Miscellany Notes of as thou callst him the Learned Mr. Pocock Reply 1. Not as one Angry or Offended that ye are not so Wise or Learned as my self Nor 2. As one pretending to much of that ye call Wisdom and Learning which lyes more in outward Tongues Arts or Sciences falsly so called then in that of the Spirit for want of which Peter calls men never so wise and well Learned otherwise both unlearned and unstable and for all their buste buslings about it not Openers but Wresters of the Scripture to their own ruine which shelly shallow Theory into things of that nature perhaps I have forgotten more of for the naked Gospels sake then many of our Preachers of the Gospel for Pay ever learned and yet have enough left whereby to discern many Country Teachers or Doctors to be Dunces in it yet what ever my measure is more or lesse further then as an Earthly Talent foolish Instrument or Wooden Tool for a long time laid aside and here taken up again to serve the Truth with against those that fight therewith against Truth it s utterly lost and become dung and losse it self to me for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ my Lord that Spirit in the Spirit and Truth in the inward parts And of that aforesaid thin foamy Speculation I acknowledge that many of you have not only much more then my long since Countrified self but much more also then either does good or does you good unlesse ye had more of the true Wisdom from above whereby to use it to a better end then ye do Yet 3dly As one who have obtained so much Mercy and Ability froÌ„ God to see throw all the Digladations that are likely to ensue on the Principles that are now in agitation among your selves as wel as between the Quakers and your selves I herein take so much pains as is worth so much Patience as ye men of War are like to have with me for so doing and tell you in the Name and Dread of the living God whether ye bear or forbear that the shakings of mind that are among the learned Lievtenants of Antichrist at their Gates of Hell as honest Iohn Hus and learned Luthur stiled the Vniversities about their own literal and fallible Foundation will assuredly end in the final fall of it as a Foundation and all the Digladiations of those swattering Sword-men who pretend to be fighting with the Sword of the Spirit about their supposed Sword of the Spirit i.e. the bare outward Letter which they mistake for the Word of God when in Reality they are at it with but the Scabbard about the Scabbard will end in no lesse then the very sheathing of the true Sword of the spirit in the bowels of the Babel builders that are so blindly busie about it in their divided speeches confounded languages and in the bringing down the Babel which ye all agree to build upon it whereby to over-top the light and Truth it self the Letter talks on the fall and coming down of which Tripple Tower of the Tripple Tribe of Levi the Clergy or lot as they call themselves of the Lords own Inheritance hath already raised from their Thrones all the Kings of the Nations and moved Hell from beneath to meet them Isa. 14.9 And what work more will attend this great Catastrophe of that Chaos even the Old Heaven and Earth the worldly Rudiments of which begin to melt and the frail foundations thereof to shake that they may remove and the New come in place that must remain will as the Lord lives make the Eares to tingle in a little time to come that now refuse to hear of it from the Tongues and Pens of the Lords Prophets to whom it is revealed and their minds amazed and their Hearts shake and shiver that harden themselves against the troublesome Testimony of it Wherefore if thou art in earnest in thy Enquiry I tell thee I.O. by way of Answer
not to be believed when she talks the Truth p. 225. So I may say of thee though I believe thee when thou speakest truth yet thou utterest so many untruths that thou scarcely deservest to be believed when thou tellest the Truth but yet if thou be of any credit with thy self and thou wilt but take thy own word then we are well enough and have wherewith to answer thy challenge having thy self in the self same Book we have here to do with speaking more then one word at least and that 's enough ad bominem to this purpose viz. that there was in the world a Copy of the Bible different from what we now enjoy in one word at least and that 's in more then Tittles which thou who art Callidus more then Callidus in thy Re frigida contendest for sith the Keri and Ketib those 840. words which are confest by thee to vary in their Consonants from what they should be written with if what is in the margin were in the line are confest by thee not to have been so from the beginning which if not then there was once a Copy different from what we now enjoy but of this thou wilt hear more from us by and by Secondly p. 300. thou sayest the difference in the sense taken in the whole context is upon the matter very little or none at all at least each word both that in the margin that in the line yield a sense agreeable to the Analogy of faith Rep. Here thou mendest thy bad cause as well as one can well do that makes it two-fold worse then 't was before for if there be welnigh a thousand words not onely different in Consonants which is greater then that of Tittles but also such as makes the least difference in the sense of the Spirit which how many so e're the Text may bear is acknowledged by all but your selves that make many to be but one alone ever to one word or place then thou thy self overturnest that certainty and Identity of not onely the Text it self thou so loudly contendest for but also in some measure of the Truth it self contained therein which we say is eternally entire let the Text run which way it will but thou here art forced to confesse that in the Keri and Ketib there 's not onely a variation in words but also thereby in the very sense it self And though thou wouldst fain mend it when thou hast done by mincing the matter making as if the Context considered the difference in the sense is upon the matter very little and agreeable either way to the Analogy of faith as ye often speak whereby if not blinded ye might see how for all ye call the Scripture your Rule of Faith yet ye more serne the Scripture into the sense of a suitablenesse to your modern devised model of faith still then suit and model your faith according to the true sense of the Spirit and mind of Christ in the Scripture yet that 's a meer false seeth and â—â—gment of thy own for in some places there arises from the Keri and Ketib a very vast variety not to say clear contrariety in the sense such as if the Context be consulted with is consistent with the faith but one way onely and not the other and sith thou puttest it to the tryall by the variety of those two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are the same in sound yet most distinct in their significations and so of all the varieties that are of this kind seeming to thee of the greatest importance of which it is observable that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose signification is not is fourteen or fifteen times put in the Text or line instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose signification is to him or it which is set in the margin I am willing to be tryed by that very variety that is of thy own naming the better to satisfie thee And whereas thou sayest that though these seem contrary one to the other yet wherever this falls out a sense agreeable to the Analogy of faith ariseth fairly from either word instancing in some places picke out by thee for thy own purpose I say if it do hold it s not worth a pin or point to the proof of what thou sayest if in any one of those fourteen or fifteen places it appear to the contrary and that it does let me be so bold fith thou instancest in two that are fittest for thee to instance but one that makes against thee and then I shall trouble my self no more with thy Keri and Ketib which would make one if not sick yet at least sorry for thee to see how sorrily thou shifts by it Isa. 9.3 thou hast multiplyed the Nation not encreased the joy say the Ketib or word in the Text but the Keri or word in the Margin is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to it which marginal Reading though Translators following the mistake of the mis-transcribers keep to the Ketib is undoubtedly the true and onely sense of the Spirit for the reading in the line as it is in both Transcripts and Translation is considered with the Context a piece of meer non-sensicall contradiction thou hast encreased the Nation not encreased the Ioy they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest as men rejoyce when they divide the spoil what a jarre does the word not encreased the Ioy make in the sense of that verse yea it makes it meet confusion and contradiction to say the joy is not enlarged and yet it is enlarged like to that of men that rejoyce in harvest and at the dividing of the spoil but read it by the Keri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to it thus viz thou hast multiplyed the Nation thou hast encreased joy to it or its joy they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest as men rejoyce when they divide the spoil and then there 's no discord in the sound but it s all sweetly sutable and harmonious and agreeable to the Analogy of the true faith also Arg. thy Eleventh is The security we have that no mistakes were voluntarily or negligently brought into the Text before the coming of our Saviour who was to declare all things in that he not once reproves the Iewes â—n that Account when yet for their false glosses on the word be spares them not And this Argument is urged o're again p. 316 interrogatively thus viz. can it be once imagined that there should be at that time such notorious varieties in the Copies of the Scripture through the negligence of that Church and yet afterword neither our Saviour nor his Apostles take the least notice of it yea doth not our Saviour himself affirm of the word that was then among them Scripture with thee that not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should passe away or perish Rep. 1. Leave calling Christ thy Saviour as thou often dost till thou witnesse thy self saved by his grace from
is added So every Apex equally Divine and as immediately from God as any of it yea and as the voice whereby he spake in the Prophets pag. 27. But I say as written by thee so universally of the Writers and meer Writing of the Scriptures as they are they are for the most part as false as that foregoing and that I have said above concerning the Writing of much of the Scripture at first as it stands in your Bibles by Scribes that wrote either out of other Copies or from the mouths of men more immediately inspired or from what was commonly reported and generally believed and what they had heard as delivered to them by more immediate eye and ear witnesses and what they retain'd in their memories and some way or other comprehended beforehand may stand as a sufficient Answer to this parcel also wherein according to thy wonted habitual darkness ignorance and contradiction to the Truth thou deniest the Pors-men and holy Prophets in their Writings to be enabled to declare and write what they wrote by any habitual light knowledge or conviction of the Truth As if they wrote what they neither saw nor heard nor knew nor believed to be true but besides all sight and understanding discerning mental conception meditation Rational Apprehension Faith or any manner of Antecedent comprehension of the truths they told as if they were all acted and us'd in the Writing of every Tittle by the Lord just no otherwise but as a Musical Instrument in a man's hand or the Pen itself by an expert Writer which can yeeld no more then a meer passive concurrence having no principle of life within it self from whence to act any thing at all or to move a hairs breadth in any business but as it 's mov'd or as some stark dead Corps which can neither stir nor stand but as extrinsecally born up and carried forth because deest aliquid intus Whereas as I have shew'd above some of them wrote not by immediate inspiration or bringing of the things into their minds so by the spirit but mediately that is from the mouths or writings of such as received the truths more immediately as they were inspired wrote as they also spake no other things then what by some means or other they beforehand comprehended no other then what they heard and saw and believed and retained in their minds and memories whereinto the spirit of truth and the truths he guided them into which the world receives not were both received conceived and entertained yea and I here add no other then such as in the same light were more or less seen known understood and believed before any Scripture at all was though 't was by the same way then which I know no other that the Scripture speaks of of knowing God or Christ viz of internal spiritual Revelation Matth. 11.27 Ioh. 6.47 1 Cor. 2.9 10 11 12. Gal. 1.16 Did Paul believe or witness or write any other things when he wrote with his own hands what was immediately revealed in spired into him by the same holy spirit then what by the same spirit in which and no other way all the things of God are known and ever were holy men of God believed owned witnessed wrote and both in their Writings and Speakings acknowledged to be the truth see Act 24.14 26.22 23. 2 Cor. 1 13. 4.13 Did he write any other things then what they to whom he wrote might and did read elsewhere even in the light and spirit within themselves and did thereby acknowledge to be the truth And did not he himself before he wrote them in the movings of the spirit acknowledge them to be the truth himself And did he in the light in which he liv'd and saw them acknowledge them to be the truth and yet was not enabled by any habitual Light knowledge or conviction of the truth to declare them in writing as he did but wrote as one ignorant in the dark unbelieving and unconvinced of the truths he wrote and as senselesse unintelligently and passively without any active obedience to the spirit pressing him or yeelding any but a meer passive influence and concurrence of his rational faculties in the worker as a meer dead thing that is utterly devoid of all kind of life motion or principle of Action within it self and uncapable of any action at all or motion but as it is acted ab extra by some forensical force or compulsion as a Musical Woodden instrument or a pen by the hand of the writer what a weak crooked crazy piece of conception of Scripture in this of thine of which I may truly say there was not so much active concurrence of the rational faculties of the Scribes in their writing of the Scripture but there is as little in this of thine who writest as if all the Prophets of God that ever spake and wrote what of his minde they received from his own mouth by standing in his counsel and hearkning to what he said in them and waited on him to know and understand his will and word first that they might do it in the particular in their own persons and as moved or commanded in obedience to him declare it to others were absolutely and meerly as passive as Balaams Ass was whose mouth miraculously was opened and his minde indued with rational faculties supernatural to him as he was a Beast to Reason out the case with his unrighteous Master and to reprove the madness of that Prophet and as meerly passive in their work of Prophesie as Caiphas the High Priest was whose mouth was opened to speak truer than he was aware of and to prophesie of a thing out of his irrational faculties that was as high above the reach of the best rational faculties he had being a man degenerate from pure perfect reason and in the fall as fallen mans best reason is above the brute beasts of the field for as Herod and Pontius Pilate did with wicked hands the things that God before determined should come to pass fulfilling the Prophets words in slaying Christ little thinking they served the truth as they did in it as the Assyrian in the like case they meant not so nor did their heart think otherwise than to destroy Isa. 10.5 6 7. Act. 4.27 28. Act. 3.17 18. Act. 13.27 28 29. So that Priest with a wicked heart intentionally to counsel them to murther Christ had his mouth prepared to Prophesie a precious truth which as so he spake not of himself so as one that had the light knowledge or conviction of the truth but besides himself as the Ass in the other case Numb 22.28 29 30. Joh. 11.29 50 51 52 53. Joh. 10.14 Whereas most evident it is that the holy men of God who wrote any part of the Scripture by immediate inspiration with their own hands to let pass that which some wrote for and from them as dictated to by their mouthes were in the light sight knowledge prae-conviction comprehension
vehement vindication and Apologetical appearances pro Scripturis for the individual manuscripts of the holy men that wrote the minde of God more immediately from his mouth than any of thy Transcribers that copy out things as carefully as they can as they find them copied out before them and were they still extant in rerum natura yet the immediacy even of those first Scriptures from God to us was not so absolute without any medium at all as thou imaginest and intimatest from the Texâ— used by thee and ushered in with such a deal of pomp and ceremony in proof thereof p. 11. viz. 2 Pet. 1.20 21. Knowing this that no Prophesie of Scripture is of any private interâ—pretation for the Prophecy came not of old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost This thou writest all over in Greek first then in English and then descantest paraphrastically upon it in many pages as if thou wouldest beat thy beleef upon men and cudgel them into thy conceit of the Scriptures being as immediately from God to us in every Apex as his voice by which he spake in the holy men that wrote it was in them and that assuredly beyond all doubt or exception because Peter sayes No Prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretatiâ—n nor came by mans will but Gods and holymen spake us moved by his Spirit yea pag. 23 24. thou runst away an end it with it as an undoubted truth and layest it down as it were supernaculum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowing judging determining this in the first place this is a principlâ— to be owned and acknowledged by every one that will beleeve any thing else This then in our Religion is to be owned acknowledged submitted unto as a principle without further dispute that this is so indeed as before asserted and to give a reason why this to be received as a principle it is added vers 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of Prophecy is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of private acceptation for it came not was brought into them not at any time by the will of men but by the will of God And further it is added by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were acted born carried out to speak deliver write all that and nothing but that to every Tittle that was so brought to them by the Holy Ghost What a pompous piece of proof here is of the Scriptures coming from God to us disht out with great store of circumstance having no substance or purport at all in it to the purpose in hand for however J.O. cannot discern how to distinguish between these two Terms viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—â—e Prophecy of the Scripture and the Scripture of the Prophecy the changeable Text â—â— and unchangeable Truth the meer letâ—er and the holy matter yet Peter speaks not there of the Scripture which comes to us immediately from men writing not in their own wills but at the will of God as moved by his Spirit but of the Prophecy thereof which we confess came immediately from God to the holy men of God and to others mediately not without the intervenieny of their hand-writing of it Vâ—rbum sat sapienti insipiensi plura plus satis Neither doth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou makest such work about elsewhere viz. p. 57. in a case somewhat consonant with this urging out of 2 Tim. 2.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necessarily intimate such an absolute immediacy of the outward Text from God as thou wotest for as there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Writing or Scripture that is more ad intra than the Writing â—d extra legible by the external eye which thy minde and eyes are altogether a gadding after as if there were no other viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Scripture written not with Inke but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables of stone but in fleshly Tables of the heart 2 Cor 3.2 3. which whether Paul to Timothy doth not speak of as that which he had known from his youth and was able to make him wise to salvation and as being by the inspiration of God and profitable to the perfecting of them in of God to furnish him for Doctrine Reproof Instruction inrighteousness and evâ—ry goâ—d work is well worth your serious enquiry who search so shallowly into the Scripture that ye seldome meet with the marrow and true mystery of any Text yé talk ón so if you will needs have that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to intend the external Text only as being by inspiration of God yet that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by inspiration from God doth not denote necessarily the strictest degree of immediation nor can it found out so much as if the said outward letter came from him without any medium but it came as t is â—aid in the other place 2 Pet. 1.20 according to the will of God from men moved by him to write it so according to the motion of Gods Spirit or his inflations or blowings upon the hearts of holy men not without the interveniency of their hands in the penning of it or the hands of such as penned it from their mouthes as they spake the truths thereof who received them from the mouth of God speaking in them Thus though the first Manuscripts had as immediate a divine original and emanation from God as any outward Writings in the world yet that they had so immediate an emanation as thou wouldest make them have as if every Apex thereof is as immediate from God to you as his voyce was from him to the Prophets in whom he spake that excepting the little that is above excepted is utterly false and as for your Transcripts which thy talk is so transcendent for though they are immediate to you because they come to you as the first Manuscripts never did yet they came not immediately from God at all but from the hands of fallible men so little guided in their writing from the infallible Spirit that by thy own confession they being without that both might and did fail and mistake therein And now how little all this first Chapter hath in it where with to make a sound bottomâ— or firm basis for the bearing up of so great a Babel as thou buildest on it viz. Such a Divine Authority of the Scripture as whereby it claims and challenges the high and glorious Title of the Word of God to it self and every Tittle of it under pain and peril of all mens perishing for ever that ownit not as such and honor it not as thou dost whose grand Idol the meer outward Text is with that Divine honour that is due to the inward true eternal incorruptible inalterable powerful living life-giving Word of God it self which it only is but a bare though true relation of comes now to be considered CHAP. III. HAving laid thy falsely supposed Divine original and immediate
the light of God the wisdome saving truth immediate witness clearest way of Revelation soul-cleansing Law sure foundation most perfect Rule immoveable stedfast Standard of Gods setting up but it self is nos all nor any of this nor doth it at all any where avouch it self to be any of it at all The Scripture points to that which is the Power of God by the being of which in and upon his people who only own and joyn to it they are made a willing people in the day thereof when such as turn from and against the light which is the power and labour in the weak naked Letter labour in vain and are left unwilling to leave their lusts and lives for Christ as his Maryrs or outward witnesses did in all Ages But the Letter it self is not Power of God that sustained them in the suffering and inabled them to forgo what was dear to them and to undergo what was dreadful and destructive to nature in its dearest concernments The Letter tells us that the Saints did so and tells us and all Saints that we should do for Christ but the Power by which this is done is another matter then a Letter ad extra even the inward light Word and Spirit that thou doest despite to even that in the conscience that made them indure as seeing him who is invisible and discovered the darkâ—â—ss upon the discovery of which they rather chose death then to own it as Light and Truth not only in ages as high as Moses who by faith in the Light chose affliction rather then sin and feared not the wrath of Pharaoh but also from him downward as low as Maries dayes in which some died for denying the darknâ—ss of the Popes Dâ—ctrines of Transubstantiation c. which the Light in their consciences told them were too gross to be of God who yet by their confession could not dispute against it with Vniversity Sottish Sophisters Doctor Dunces out of Letter nor so much as read a letter therein and also as low as these dayes wherein by the Power of God many are born up to bear the Trials of the cruel Academical mockings scoffings scourgings inâ—lictings stonings bonds imprisonments abuses to death witness one of the first of the Lords two Hand-maids that were sent to warn the Vniversity of their universal abomiâ—ations at Oxford in the time of I.Os. Vice chancellorship there who perhaps may not be so learned literally though mystically and spiritually more in the Letter as obtuse aÌ„cuti â—omunâ—ioneâ— many of those dull-beaded nimble disputers out of it are in their bald fashion of Syllogistical form Neither did the Letter either of the Old Testament which is the Letter without of what things soever written or the outward Letter of the New ever conquer the world in which thou sayest it brought forth so much fruit further then into a meer empty fruitless form of Godliness without the power thereof insomuch that though as to the Primitive Christian Churches while they kept in the Light which the Apostles Ministry whether by word of mouth or Writing Letter Scripture was to turn them to walk by and beleeve in and in the Spirit in which they began till fooâ—ishly being bewitched from obeying the truth it self they turned aside to the outward Text that tells it and so thought to be made perfect by the flesh and the fleshly bodily exercises they found in the Letter which once used were as low weak beggeâ—ly elements for a time the power of God and godliness was much â—elt among them and abode with and upon them to the prevailing against the Powers of the earth and the overcomming the world it self and Satan the Prince of it by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of his Testimony not loving their lives to the death and much fruit of the Spirit and of righteousness was brought forth to the glory and praise of God But when Synods and Councels doting Doctors infatuated Ghostly-Fathers and such as admired their persons as they the persons of the Apostles and primitive Disciples began to bundle together what they could get of the Wâ—itings of such as were coaetaneous with Christ and the Apostles and without any such order from either Christ or the Apostles to canonize what in their conceits might be useful to others as they had found them t is like to be to themselves into a Rule or Canon and stated them into a common Standard for all to have their sole recourse to in soul-cases and matters of Christian faith and holy life and so to adore the dead letters of those holy living men and to run a whoring after some remnants of Writings that dropt from them then in the whole world now called Christendome instead of an Apostolical Spouse of Christ as Christians were at first presented a chaste Virgin to himself by them there stands up an Apostatical Strumpet that had the Letter and good words written there but neither the life of God nor the Word of life therein testified to that according to the nature of Error which is ever multiplying degenerated more and more into the dark till at last being gone from the Word Spirit Light and Life within to the outward Letter that relates of it they ran into the Wildernes of their own numberless senses upon it so that they lost the Letter also and fell from it into Tradition and a thousand Old Wives Fables and though it is good and acknowledged so to be so far as it is that the Protestants have marched from Rome under the conduct of the Leâ—ter yet for all they are come back from the blinde screel scrawls of the Popish Scribes for their smoaky imaginations to a pretensive profession of and prate prâ— Scripturis for the Scriptures unless they march on according to the conduct of the Scriptures till they come into the Light and Spirit which they point to and by a dotage upon the Scriptures ye would run from they are not so much as come yet to the Scriptures nor to conform to that counsel of the Prophets and Apostles given in it but are yet erring from the Scriptures even in and by their very eager Scriblings for it as the only most perfect Rule and from the only Rule of faith and way to Life the Letter is as loud for but that they are dull of hearing as they in their naked Writings are loud for the naked Letter it self And so it comes to pass that as Israel was of old who was as laborious in the Letter busie about the Bible and strict for his Scripture-standard as our Israel for the self-same which yet they confess too is abolished as to the Litteral observation of it with the Appendix of a few of Stories and Letters and Revelations of those holy men next to Christs time who by the Spirit wrote much more then is there own'd as their Standard I say as the old Israel proved as to God an empty vine Hos. 10.1 bringing forth
turn then and his people must be contented with it so making them like the Popish Priests and people of the world which have as at Rome and elsewhere ordinary Ornaments Lessons Anthems Songs and Services that must serve for every ordinary day and extraordinary shewes and sing-songs and ornaments and number of candles and fine candlesticks plush canopyes and copes Altar-clothes white Surplices Pictures Pompes and pipings as on some great Saints holyday or festivall times or general proecessions or as our poor still bepoped people have here one fine suit for Sundayes and holidayes and a cheaper and lesse costly one for working dayes Or when this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or divine guidance and inspiration is pleaded by thee as peculiaâ— to those first times I inquire of thee whether there be any middle way T. 1. C. 3. S. 8. but either that the Saints in after-times if guided by the guidance of the spirit of God at all and that thou darest not deny though thou own his guidance by the letter onely be guided by it as an infallible spirit giving them that infallible guidance which thou callest extraordinary or as a fallible spirit allowing them not so much as the Saints of old but affording them onely some kind of ordinary or fallible guidance and direction for it remaines according to thy principles that it must be one of these or else there is some middle way some midling spirit of God and some middle sort of direction of that spirit that is neither fallible nor infaâ—lible but between both partly faâ—lible partly infallible some participie that iâ— neither one nor the other but taking part of both fallibility and infallibility And howbeit this is such a messe of mixture as may well make awise man and excuse him in it too believe him to be no wiser then he should be and to have Hand plus cerebâ—i quam cimex sanguinis that makes it yet I know not why thou mayst not as well make God to have two spirits and his spirit two guidances viz. one infallible one fallible or one absolutely infallible and another neither fallible nor infallible as thou makest God to have two Words viz. on that infallible living Word which the fallible dead Letter declares of the other that fallible dead Letter which declares of that infallible living Word for each of these thou makest the Word God yea O the depths of the Doctors and Divines of our times thou art not onely so exceeding expert in cutting and cobling dividing and botching and piecing and patching for thy own turne as when thou wilt to turn two into one and one into two but also so well vers'd and exactly taught in the point of Trinitizing as to turne that one Word of God at first into two and at last secundum quid into three for whether we examine what thou sayest of either the Letter or the Word it self this testimony thy book beares to them both 1. as to the Word thou sayest in one place truly it's Living T. 1. C. 4. S. 19. in another place thou sayest horresco referens more then I dare say for the world whatever I say of the Letter that the Word is dead T. 2. C. 5. but falsely figured our with the figure of 4. S. 12.2 as to the Letter thou sayest in one place viz. Ex 3. S. 4. It is living and no where said to be dead yet in the forcited falsely figured chapter S. 12. thou thy self as no where as the Letter is said so to be sayest thy own self that the Letter is dead Thus Gods one Word is cut out by thee into two viz. the Letter and that Word it witnesses of and then each of these are cut out into three for which ever of these two be that tâ—ue Word of God or if thou taking these conjunctively wilt have them one at least thy opinion as exprest in those places put together is tantamount to no lesse then this viz. that God hath 1. a living Word 2. a dead Word 3. a Word that is both dead and living And why sayest thou of the Prophets and Apostles they were borne acted carried out by the Holy Ghost to speake deliver write c. and suppose a man were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspired by the Spirit indeed As if it were a matter now not to be expected in this age as if it were no lesse then a wonder but so the Saints and Prophets were in every generation to thy generation therefore I wonder not that thou fo wonderest at it that any should now professe so to be though sapiens miratur nihil and the things of God are no where wondered at or evil spoken of but where ignorance of them is to see such a man as can truly say he is moved of the Lord and inspired with his spirit whereas when was it otherwise in any age wherein God had Saints And who is otherwise that is not in name onely but a Saint or a Christian indeed and truth Was ever any otherwise or lesse then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspired of God that was born acted carried out by the Spirit and was any otherwise or lesse then so that is moved guided led by that Spirit to act speake write c. and ought any now any more then formerly or do any now that are truly Saints act write speak think any thing more then formerly out of the Spirit â—or in the Flesh that is of any savour or hath any acceptance in the sight of God Is that accepted of God that is done written spoken thought ministred out of the Spirit or in the Flesh not in and by the motions of the Spirit but in and by the motions of the Flesh and in the wisdome and will of the Flesh Is not all that Cains sacrifice that is offered in that nature of his or while men are yet but in the Flesh not in the Spirit which Sacrifice is as all wicked mens are while their ear is turned from the Law in the Spirit i.e. the light and Spirit of God within abomination unto God And are not all I. O's prayers preachings writings who dare not pretend to have live in be moved or guided by the infallible Spirit of God in ought that he does acted and done in the Flesh and the oldnesse of the Letter and is any thing that 's done in the fleshly minde thoughts imaginations wisdome worth a Rush when the very wisdome of the flesh is enmity against God and â—all the enmity is to be slain and not any of it accepted or to be reconciled for ever Do not all the Israel of God that are Israel not after the Flesh or the Letter but after the Spirit the Iewes and the Circumcision not outwardly in the Flesh and Letter but inwardly in the Heart and Spirit Do not all these minde the same thing that one and the self-same spirit and as far and in such a measure as every one hath attained it walk by the
Whether it be sufficient to make men obey it c. that 's the Grace we are speaking of that causeth men to hearken believe and obey for faith is not of your selves but it is the gift of God and mens hearts must be opened as Lydia's was Act. 16. to hear abd receive the truth revealed Now to say that the Light or Grace which is given to cause us to believe and obey is sufficient if we will believe and obey is ridiculous as if Christ should have said to Lazarus I will raise thee if thou will raise thyself Ans. Here R. B. sits besides the cushion as much as he that queries beside the Question for that 's not the Grace we are speaking of that is sufficient to cause men to obey but that which is sufficient if obeyed that 's the testimony the Qua. bear to the Light of God it is saving to such as walk in it and if it be not sufficient Grace from God to R. Baxter that he hath given him a Light that will lead him to life if he will follow it but he lacks more even to be caused to walk in that light or else he quarrels with it as not enough and with that Grace of Gods as no Grace because he is not compelled by force to accept of it he may fret himself till he fry in the fire of his own peevish spirit before he shall find such a Grace from God to his Salvation while himself lives in the neglect of that he has like the unprofitable servant that charges God foolishly as a hard Master though he hath given him a talent to trade with unless while he sits still God force him to trade with it whether he will or no. As for us called Quakers we judge God hath done well for us in working in us to will and to do i.e. the Power and hath though not in R.Bs. compulsive way caused us put us into a capacity to work it out and left us as he looks all men should do when he has done the other Phil. 2.12 13. to work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling and that he doth by a Ministry without and a measure of his spirit within counselling us open our hearts as he did Lydia's to attend to what himself and his servants say and if ever we believe in his Light to our life that Faith is his gift though our act as 't is his gift that we may or have power either to sit or stanâ— and of his Grace our act when we chuâ—e either to stand or sit nor we count it ridiculous as R. B. does to say That Gods Light and Grace is sufficient to bring us to life if we attend it though God leave us to chuse when he hath given it us whether we will improve it or turn fâ—om it nor was it ridiculous in Christ to say to Lazarus I will raise thee if thou will raise by self for Christ having done in his part in quickning left Lazarus to his part in rising and in effect said the same which R. B. counts ridiculous viz. Lazarus come forth which if Lazarus had not done he might have perisht in that Sepulchre for all Christ had quickned him so as to giâ—e him the power to come forth for Christ would not have pullâ—d him out by force if he had refuâ—ed to come forth when he called him nor any more then 't was in God to say Hear ye deaf and look ye blind that ye may see But as for this man R. B. and his fellows 't is not grace enough nor couâ—t sie sâ—fficient it seems if a man invite poor folks to dinner and prepares meat enough for all comers and bids his Guests Welcome when they are come and compels them by all earnest perswasion to sit down and bids them as God does Eat O friends drink yea drink abudantly O beloved when they are â—ate unless when they refuse he open their mouths in some forcible manner and cause them to eat all that is set before them such troublesome guests as these of which sort are R. B. and the rest that look for such a compulsive causing when the grace of a sufficient Feast is vouch fast unto them are not fit to sit at great mens tables much leâ—s at Gods and by my consent he that unless he be forcibly fed refuses to feed when the meats before him whether it be at a feast of sat things of mans making or of Gods shall while others hearken and let their souls delight themselves in fatness have his choice to sit still and as the Proverb is may fast and welcome I conclude then as to Query that God puts men into capacity to come to the Light if they will not chuse darkness before it that Light is sufficient to save if obeyed yet all men who all have sâ—me of it are not saved by it and the reason is because they will not come to that Light of Gâ—d which in Gods good will towards them in come into them R. B. Q. 10. But how can Light be sufficient were a man never so obedient to reveal that which was never manifested by it or by any Revâ—lation that doth accompany it No Light among the Heathens in America doth tell them that Christ was Incarnate died rose ascended or intercedeth for us or is the King Priest or Teacher of his Church or will raise the dead and judge the world how then can this light be sufficient to bring them to the belief of this Ans. Is the Light in America then any more insufficient to lead its followers to God then the Light in Europe Asia Africa the other three parts of the World I have ever lookt upon the Light in All men since I began to look to it in my self as one and the self-same light in all where it is in sort and kind though different in degree and measure which varies not the nature of any thing and that according to the measure of it and in â—uch wiâ—e as it s attended to withall it shews the same things in all men as to the mystâ—â—y substance and spiritualiâ—y of them though the outward History of this in an outward Letter some may be better skill'd the ein then some I wot how Cornelius came to be accepted in his Prayers and Almes as a man truly fearing God before by an outward Ministry he ever heard of Christ Incaâ—nate dying rising ascending interceding c. after all theâ—e things were outwardly and actually transfacted also since all you agree and we with you that out of the knowledge of Christ the Light there 's no acceptance at all with God nor in any other name either Iustification or Salvatioâ— Was it not in his obedience to the Light he had which came from Châ—ist the Light though as yet he knew him not after the flâ—sh And by what light did they who wrote of Christs Incarnation Death Resurrection Ascensiâ—n c. See them before they wrote as some did
Spirits are to be tryed by if not by that measure of the Spirit of Truth it self which convinces the world of Sin Righteousness and Iudgement and leads its followers into all Truth Ob. If any say it can't be that Spirit of God nor his Light in men the Qua. call to for that 's one of the things to be tryed try the spirits whether of God or no and that which is to be tryed cannot be the rule of Tryal Ans. I answer why not Did you Schoolmen never learn that Lesson your selves which ye teach to others viz. that Regula which is alwayes quid Rectum is mâ—nsura sui obliqui The strait Rule must ever be the Rulâ— or measure of it self as well as of that which is crooked and faulty Doth not the light manifest it self to be true light as well as the darkness to be truly darkness and does not the Sun as well shews it self to a man to be the Sun as it shews a dark Cloud or smoak not to be it and why may not the inward light which is truly and indeâ—d is only it fallible be truly said to be Autopiste believed for it self sake and to be the Rule of Tryal that must try all spirits and sayings but its own yea it s own also as I. O. falsly sayes nor more nor less but the self-same of the outward fallible because flexible Letter which flows forth from it I say 't is true we are to try all spirits and things but as what man knows the things of a man but the spirit of a man within himself even so the things of Gâ—d knows no man but the Spirit of God and that Spirit in which that Spâ—rit of God reveals them 1 Gor. 2 What shall we try Light and Daâ—kness by but by the Light I know our Divines say try all spirits by the Scripture all lâ—ghts so called whether they be true or pretended by the Letter But herein they discover their own dancings of the Rounds still in the night of their own thoughts and in the midst of the mist of darkness foramuch as no otherwise then as when we ask them what 's the Rule they go by in their Analogical Faith they say the Scriptures and when we ask them what 's the Rule they go by in their interpreting â—f that Rule of their Faith i.e. the Scriptures they tell us the Analogy of their Faith even so when we ask them what are ye to try the Scriptures by whether they are of God or no they say by the Spirit yea though other things may be accessary yet the testimony of the Spirit is necessaâ—y and only all-sufficient to this puâ—pose so sayes not only Bâ—ll in his Caâ—echize but also all the Builders of Babel and Worshâ—ppers of Baal in what form soever excepring Popish Priests who are in a worse extreme and deny as no Rule for their own Traditions sake both Scriptures and Spirit altogether but when we ask them but how shall we try that Spirit of God whether of God or no for we are not believe every spirit to go round again they tell us by the Scriptures and thus the poor Clergy are cozened and how those they Lord it over should scape dâ—lusion and creep out of their Babylonish confusion I know not till they come to that and some such thing there is or else there 's no infallâ—ble knowledge of any thing which is of a certainty past all demonstâ—ation sâ— that as to a blind man it can't be proved so to a seeling man in need not and that is the Light of God in the Conâ—cience which as heeded and according to the measure of it shews both it seâ—f and darkness truth and deceit good and evil what God would have each man do for his own particular and what to decline de Iure what sins he lives in that he should forgo what sins he does or does not forgo de facto e.g. lying cozening cheating drunkenness adultery murder doing that ill to oâ—hers be would not have done to himself and such like finalâ—y what manner of man he is upright or wicked a tâ—ue man or an hypocrite c. And all this though internally and spiritually yet as truly and infâ—llibly as with his bodily eyes by the Light of the Sun or but a candle he sees himself and with his natural animal understanding he perceives himself to be a man and not a Beast Their 28. from Psal. 139.23 Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting is thus If David had a Light within him of it self a sufficient and safe guide to God he should no need Gâ—d to search know and try him he might have led himself but 't is otherwise with David therefore he knew he had not a Light within him And to this tune also I. O. belying the Qua. represents them as saying they need not any teaching having a Light within them for a much as themselves are Autodidactoi taught of themselves Ex. 3. S. 20. Opus non habent vel Doctrina c. cum ipsi sunt Autodidactoi si iis fidem adhibere 〈◊〉 sit Rep. Oh most absurd and abominable how do evil men and seducers war worse and worse decâ—iving and being deceived 'T was darkness gross enough to gain-say the being of a sufficient light to guide to God in All mâ—n but this is grosser yea no leâ—s then groapablâ— to deny it to be in aâ—y men for if it be in any men it is surely in the Saints and if in them then in Davâ—d whom they own as one yet behold the M. As. and B. Ds. of our times tell us now that David himself who sayes Thy word have I hid in me that I might not sin against thee Pâ—a 119. which word â—he calls a Lamp to his feet and a Light to his paths had not a Light within him as a sufficient safe guide to lead in the way everlasting and consequently the Saints to whom nemine obstante Paul sayes according to Mâ—ses the word is nigh thee in thy heart the word â—f Faith which we preach had none of it in them as well as sinners But that they may not insanire sine ratioâ—e they give a reason for it such as 't is viz. If David had a Light of God within him sufficient c. he need not Gâ—d to search know try and lead him he might have led himâ—elf not heeding that all the Saints that are taught by the Light and in that learn in silence in all subjection are not Autodidactoi as these men suppose but as Paul saith all Saints are Theodidactoi learning of Christ and taught of God 1 Tâ—es 41.9 That the Qua. deny all Teaching but that of God or men moved by the same Liâ—ht and Spirit by which God teaches yea I acknowledge freely that he that teaches himself and learns not of God but leans to his
dim no light truly such is to be rejected Philosopphers light guided men well in some things yet to go round again in most did lead them into crooked and dangerous wayes Which position of these blind Guides is such an Ignis fatuus such a Will with a wish or whimsicall piece of guidance as they falsly render the light it self to be which they call so as if one and the same light of God should be a safe and sure guide at one time and such a misleading unsafe guide and foolish fire at another as p. 84. will lead into nothing but Bags Praecipices or as if the least measure of the light of God could lead any man into the least measure of iniquity Yea somtimes they call this light of God in the Conscience which is Gods own voyce in Nature at least as I.O. sayes his Law and most immediate Counsell to a man no other then mans own counsell way 〈◊〉 that leads to cursing Witnesse p. 45 40. Where they say thus To leave a person to his own imagination lust to walk in his own counsell his own way which is all one as to leave him to the light within him is the greatest curse and judgment to a man from God for refusing to hearken to Gods voyce Therefore the light within each person is of it self no safe guide and the Qua prescribe that to men as their rule which God counts their curse yet to go round again p. 55. the light within each person is by creation and inward work of the Spirit So to be left to the inward work of the Spirit is it seems with these men the greatest curse yet to go round again as before p. 41. The Qua charge publick preachers with denying the light within each man whereas such light is not at all denyed by them but is acknowledged to be a great benefit to mankind and p. 84. It concerns those who own Christ as their light to judge themselves and their wayes by his light And the light within is his light witnesse Baxt. Epist. above cited This light is from Christ both as the Authour and Restorer of nature all this light within us and without us is to be hearkened to and obeyed it s the greatest benefit of light that it doth make manifest by the light of Christ the evill of our wayes is reproved the wayes of God approved we know the righteousness of God and our own unrighteousness this is no small benefit to have light to discern our own errours which without light from Christ and his light within say I by which only every man knowes de facto what he is we should never have understood a wise Christian therefore will be often judging himselfe And self judgment saith I. O. is from the light indelebly implanted by God within each mans conscience by the light of the Law Which law is light saith the letter Prov. 6. 23. discovering his transgressions yet to go round again p. 85. Oh that all that talk of the light within them would follow the light about them Light within you whatever the Qua tell you will leave you in perplexity when you shall have most need of comfort but to go round again if you believe in the Light of Christ as it s held out to you in the Gospell That is the letter with them which letter yet testifies the light of the Gospell of Christ to be shining from God within mens hearts 2 Cor. 4. you shall see the light of life Therefore to go round again be perswaded Cry they and so they conclude their Book to disclaime the pretended new light within you as your sufficient guide to God and chuse the light of Christ from Heaven in his Gospel to walk by Which Christ say I speaks and shines from heaven to men now no where immediately but in mens hearts and consciences though men write and speak as from him here on earth whom speaking there by his spirit from heaven it 's more dangerous to turn away from then from them that speak but on earth and it say they and so say I will guide and comfort you surely and sweetly to eternall life So I have shewed how these two children of the night and darknesse R B. an I. T. who were wont to bite and tear one another about the Tradition of Infant Baptisme do both concurr in their divinity doings against the Qua and the light within to bawl out somthing uno ore against both far better then their joynt dis-joynted talk concurres together within it self and so run the Rounds and dance the Hay up and down in and out and somtimes round about that the Reader of them can hardly discern or find whether they be fuller of concessions to the Qua by their confessions to and commendations of the light within or of denyalls contemnings and condemnations of it for at severall times somtimes more Expressly somtimes more implicitly they are found in both in a most egregious manner One while as if parturirent montes mightily magnifying the light within for a great way together as if we might warrantably take them to be some trusty friends to it Another while minifying vilifying nullifying it into nothing but some blind lump of darknesse like the Lizard making many good prints upon it with their fore-feet in that sandy way wherein they passe and then dashing them all out again with a long bushy Tail or Tale of it to the contrary like the blind night Bâ—t flying and fluttering up into the Air with a mighty humming noyse of Encomiums about it and then dropping down into a piece of Cow dung As the Devill serv'd him who is the Author of it who after he had set him upon the highest pinnacle of the Temple he would fain have thrown down thence to destruction so deal these by the inward light or Word of Gods speaking in the heart which after in words they with I. O. have magnified over all Gods name they thrust it down as he does below every name yea and every thing almost that hath any name at all and as I. O. after in a sound of words they have set it out as glorious next to God as the Sun in its brightnesse render it under many reviling opprobrious Titles well nigh as odious as Satan himself in his Princely and their own Priestly blindnesse So that which side soever of those two sides and sorts of sayings or double tongu'd talk of the light the Truth stands on yet unlesse contradictories can it 's certain all cannot be true which they utter of it And if the worst should be true as absit blasphemia far be it from any good man to beleeve their blasphemies of it are then the best is false and that at best proves themselves no better then Self-confounders but if the best they say of it be true as most true it is then R. B. and I. T. till they both repent in dust and ashes before the